Home > Store

Upgrading and Repairing Windows (Adobe Reader), 2nd Edition

Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.

Upgrading and Repairing Windows (Adobe Reader), 2nd Edition

eBook (Adobe DRM)

  • Sorry, this book is no longer in print.
  • About Adobe DRM eBooks
  • This eBook requires the free Adobe® Digital Editions software.

    Before downloading this DRM-encrypted PDF, be sure to:


    • Install the free Adobe Digital Editions software on your machine. Adobe Digital Editions only works on Macintosh and Windows, and requires the Adobe Flash Player. Please see the official system requirements.
    • Authorize your copy of Adobe Digital Editions using your Adobe ID (select AdobeID as the eBook vendor). If you don't already have an Adobe ID, you can create one here.
Not for Sale

Description

  • Copyright 2009
  • Edition: 2nd
  • eBook (Adobe DRM)
  • ISBN-10: 0-7686-7961-3
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-7686-7961-8

The ultimate guide for anyone who wants to know how Windows ticks and how to keep it ticking.

Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition, is the book hardcore Windows Vista and XP users have been clamoring for. Mueller, author of the bestselling Upgrading and Repairing PCs, and Knittel, famous for his bestselling Special Edition Using Windows books, now bring you an equally in-depth guide to Windows troubleshooting and repair. This comprehensive resource includes information on:

  • Installation
  • Licensing issues
  • Managing security
  • Optimizing performance
  • Backing up and recovering data
  • Networking your Vista and XP computers
  • Dealing with annoying User Account (UAC) prompts
  • Configuring settings and the registry
  • Protecting Windows from viruses and spyware
  • Multibooting Vista with other operating systems
  • Automated Windows deployment for IT professionals

Touted as the greatest operating system to ever be released, Vista is considered by many to be a vast improvement over its predecessors, such as XP and 95/98. All that power, however, comes at a price. As with most major OS revisions, Vista is rife with usability and compatibility issues that frustrate even the most seasoned system techs. If you only buy one book on Windows, this is the one. You won’t find tried and true Vista coverage anywhere else. Find out how to make Windows work with you and not against you with Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition.

On the DVD

The DVD contains two hours of all new, studio quality video–playable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into both Windows Vista and Windows XP. Topics include the differences between all of the various Windows editions and versions, coverage of the most important improvements in Vista, and reasons why you might even want to stay with

XP instead. Also covered are Vista and XP installation tips and tricks, updating Windows, dealing with product activation,

and more.

Scott Mueller is the most trusted, authoritative hardware voice in the industry. In addition to teaching hardware repair to thousands of computer professionals and enthusiasts, he has sold more than 2.2 million copies of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, making him the most world-renowned hardware author in history. Scott has taught hardware repair to a host of agencies in the U.S. and foreign governments and to corporations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Scott also has appeared on Computer America, TechTV, and numerous local and national radio programs and serves as an industry expert for the news media.

Brian Knittel has been a software developer for 30 years, with more than 20 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. Previously, he wrote Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power and is coauthor of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering Vista, XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional.

www.informit.com/upgrading

If you don’t have a DVD player or only have a set-top DVD, visit the site to download all the video from the DVD in Windows Media Player format!

Category   Windows Operating System

Covers     Microsoft Windows Vista and XP

User Level Intermediate–Advanced

Sample Content

Table of Contents

      Introduction                                                                                 1

  1  Windows Version History                                                           5

    A Brief History of PC Operating Systems......................... 5

        DOS History............................................................... 5

        Evolution of DOS....................................................... 6

        MS-DOS Versus PC DOS...................................... 10

        DOS Versions.......................................................... 12

        MS-DOS Alternatives............................................... 18

    The Evolution of Microsoft Windows............................... 19

        16-Bit Windows....................................................... 20

        The Windows 9x Family.......................................... 26

        The Windows NT Family......................................... 30

        Alternative CPU OS Versions: Intel, Alpha, MIPS, and Motorola          40

        Service Packs, Hotfixes, and Rollups..................... 42

  2  Windows Boot (Startup)                                                           45

    System Layers................................................................. 45

        Hardware Layers..................................................... 46

        BIOS........................................................................ 46

        Hardware Abstraction Layer.................................... 48

        Device Drivers......................................................... 50

        File Systems and Filters.......................................... 51

        Services................................................................... 52

    The Startup Process....................................................... 52

        BIOS Startup............................................................ 52

        Bootstrap Loaders................................................... 54

        Windows XP/2000/NT Startup................................. 56

        Windows Vista Startup............................................ 57

        The Windows NT Kernel......................................... 58

        The Logon Process................................................. 60

    Windows Boot Options.................................................... 63

        Boot.ini and the Boot Menu (Windows NT Through XP)          64

        Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data Store....... 71

        Adjusting Boot Options with MSConfig.................... 76

        Windows Advanced Options Menu (Safe Mode)..... 77

        Installing a Multibooting System............................... 82

    Windows Services........................................................... 83

        List of Windows Services........................................ 87

        Using the Services Manager.................................. 125

        Managing Services from the Command Line........ 127

        Device Drivers and the sc Command................... 128

  3  Installing Windows                                                                  129

    Preinstallation Considerations....................................... 129

        System Requirements for Windows XP Professional 130

        System Requirements for Windows Vista............ 131

        Checking Hardware and Software Compatibility... 131

        Known Compatibility Issues for Windows XP....... 132

        Known Compatibility Issues for Windows Vista.... 132

        Migrating Files and Settings to New Installations.. 135

        Getting the Network Configuration......................... 139

        Choosing a File System........................................ 141

    Installation Types........................................................... 144

        Upgrade Installations to Windows XP................... 144

        Upgrade Installations to Windows Vista................ 147

        Clean Installations.................................................. 148

        Repair Installations................................................ 149

        Using Installation Switches for a Windows XP Installation       151

        Using Installation Switches to Install Windows Vista 154

    Clean Install Procedures............................................... 158

        Windows XP Clean Install..................................... 158

        Windows Vista Clean Install.................................. 164

    Multibooting Other Operating Systems......................... 169

        Using Multiple Partitions......................................... 169

        Using a Single Partition.......................................... 170

        Using a Third-Party Boot Loader........................... 171

        Using Virtual Machines.......................................... 171

        Clean Install Summary.......................................... 176

        Installation Problems with Windows...................... 177

    Automated Deployments............................................... 177

        Adding and Using the Deployment Tools for Windows XP      178

        Windows Installation Tools for Windows Vista..... 188

        Installation Tools for Windows XP and Windows Vista            195

    Windows Copy Protection............................................. 204

        Product Activation for Windows XP....................... 205

        Windows Vista Product Activation with MAK and KMS            211

        Windows Genuine Advantage for Windows XP and Vista       212

  4  Upgrading Windows                                                               215

    Windows XP Upgrade Installations............................... 215

        Deciding Whether an Upgrade to Windows XP Is Worthwhile            216

        Upgrade Scenarios................................................ 218

        Troubleshooting a Failed Upgrade......................... 224

        Uninstalling Windows XP....................................... 225

    Windows Vista Upgrade Installations............................ 226

        Deciding Whether an Upgrade to Vista Is Worthwhile 227

        Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista... 230

        Troubleshooting a Failed Upgrade to Windows Vista 234

        Reverting to Windows XP After Upgrading to Windows Vista 235

    Migrating Existing Installations....................................... 237

        Moving to a New Drive........................................... 237

        Moving a Windows Installation to a New Motherboard 240

        Moving Data to a New System.............................. 242

        Moving Applications............................................... 248

    Installing Service Packs................................................. 252

        Installing Service Packs for Windows XP............. 252

        Installing Service Packs for Windows Vista.......... 255

        Uninstalling Vista SP1............................................ 258

        Making Vista SP1 Installation Permanent.............. 258

  5  Tweaking and Tuning Windows                                             259

    Configuration Settings................................................... 259

        Display Settings..................................................... 261

        Start Menu Settings............................................... 270

        Tuning System Properties..................................... 272

        Managing Startup Programs.................................. 283

        Internet Explorer..................................................... 287

    TweakUI and TweakVI................................................... 288

        Using TweakUI to…............................................... 289

        Other Useful XP PowerToys................................. 291

        Vista Tweaking Tools............................................. 291

    The Windows Registry.................................................. 291

        Structure of the Registry........................................ 292

        Backing Up and Restoring the Registry................ 293

        Editing the Registry................................................ 296

        Editing the Registry Remotely............................... 297

        Editing a Hive File.................................................. 298

        Deploying Registry Settings.................................. 299

    Managing Windows Services........................................ 302

        Managing Services with the GUI............................ 303

        Managing Services on Another Computer............. 307

        Managing Services from the Command Line........ 307

        Running Your Own Program as a Service............ 308

    Monitoring Your System to Identify Bottlenecks............ 310

        Using the Task Manager........................................ 310

        Using the Performance Monitor............................. 311

    Tuning for Maximum Performance................................ 314

        Installing Sufficient Memory (RAM)........................ 315

        Placing the Page File............................................. 318

        Defragment the Disk.............................................. 319

        Disk Interface Tuning............................................. 320

        What to Enable and Disable.................................. 321

        Improving Startup and Logon Time....................... 322

  6  Networking Windows                                                              325

    Setting Up a Network..................................................... 325

    Network Hardware......................................................... 326

        Wireless Versus Wired......................................... 327

        Network Interface Adapters................................... 328

        Cabling................................................................... 328

        Hubs and Switches................................................ 329

        Wireless Access Points........................................ 330

        Gateways and Routers.......................................... 330

    Wireless Networking...................................................... 331

        Wireless Network Basics...................................... 332

        Wireless Network Security.................................... 333

        Creating a Random Encryption Key...................... 334

        Setting Up a Wireless Network Access Point....... 335

        Using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard........... 336

        Joining a Wireless Network................................... 340

    Configuring a Workgroup Network................................ 341

        Setting Up a Network on XP.................................. 341

        Setting Up a Network on Vista............................... 344

        IP Addressing Options........................................... 347

        Configuring Additional Useful Network Services... 351

        Designating a Master Browser.............................. 355

    Simple File Sharing........................................................ 356

    Sharing Resources........................................................ 358

        Sharing Folders and Drives................................... 359

        Sharing Printers..................................................... 362

        Sharing Fax Modems and Other Devices............. 364

        Avoiding Firewall Issues........................................ 364

    Providing Shared Internet Access................................. 365

        Adding a Connection-Sharing Router.................... 367

        Using Windows Internet Connection Sharing........ 369

    Setting Up Remote Access to Your Computer............. 370

  7  Protecting and Securing Windows                                         371

    It Takes More Than Just Software................................. 371

        Reduce Your Exposure......................................... 372

        Take Advantage of the Tools You Have................. 373

        Keep Abreast of Updates....................................... 374

        Be Skeptical........................................................... 375

        Keep Backups....................................................... 376

        Apply Defense in Depth......................................... 376

    Windows Passwords.................................................... 376

        Setting Up a Password.......................................... 377

        Improving Password Security................................ 378

    User Account Control.................................................... 379

    Windows Update........................................................... 382

        Using Windows Update......................................... 383

        Configuring Automatic Updates............................. 384

    Firewalls......................................................................... 386

        How Software Firewalls Protect Your PC from Attacks           387

        Windows Firewall.................................................. 388

        Third-Party Firewalls.............................................. 391

    Antivirus and Antispyware Software–Which Do You Need?          393

        Antivirus Software.................................................. 396

        Third-Party Antivirus Programs............................. 396

    Antispyware Software.................................................... 398

        Windows Defender................................................ 398

        Third-Party Spyware Removal Programs............. 401

    Cleaning an Infected Computer..................................... 402

        Identifying Spyware................................................ 402

        Installing and Running Antispyware Software....... 403

        Recovering from Browser Hijacks......................... 404

        What to Do If the Automated Utilities Fail.............. 405

    Bootable Tools........................................................... 407

  8  Managing Windows                                                                409

    Managing Users............................................................. 409

        Domain and Workgroup Environments................. 410

        Account Types....................................................... 412

        Which Type of Account to Use?............................ 414

        Default Accounts and Groups............................... 415

        Security Principals................................................. 417

        Account Permissions............................................ 419

        Adding and Deleting User Accounts from the Control Panel   425

        Setting Local Security Policy................................. 432

        Local Accounts and Password Reset Disks......... 432

        Managing Users from the Management Console.. 433

        The Windows 2000 User Manager, for Vista and XP, Too       435

        Managing Users from the Command Prompt....... 437

        Automating User Management.............................. 438

        Managing User Profiles.......................................... 439

        Controlling How Users Log On and Off................. 445

        Logging on as Administrator.................................. 447

        Showing and Hiding Accounts on the Welcome Screen         448

        Fast User Switching.............................................. 450

        Enabling Automatic Logon..................................... 451

        Dealing with a Lost Password............................... 452

    Managing Hardware....................................................... 454

        Using Device Manager........................................... 454

        Forcing Detection and Reinstallation..................... 457

        Dealing with the Blue Screen of Death.................. 457

        Updating Device Drivers........................................ 458

        Replacing Hardware.............................................. 461

        Using Driver Rollback............................................ 461

    Disk Management.......................................................... 462

        Partitioning and Formatting with the Disk Management Console        464

        Moving Dynamic Disks to Another Computer....... 470

        Resizing Partitions................................................. 470

        Converting FAT16/FAT32 File Systems to NTFS. 472

        Hard Drive Cleaning............................................... 473

        Defragmenting for Greater Speed......................... 475

    Backing Up Your Disk.................................................... 478

        Backup Integrity..................................................... 479

        Volume Shadow Copy........................................... 480

        Backup Files and Folders on Vista........................ 482

        Previous Versions.................................................. 487

        Complete PC Backup on Vista.............................. 489

        Automated System Recovery on XP..................... 493

        Using NTBackup Backup on XP............................ 493

        Third-Party Backup Solutions................................ 499

    System Restore............................................................. 500

        What Restore Points Actually Restore.................. 500

        Creating Restore Points........................................ 502

        Restoring a Restore Point..................................... 503

  9  Windows Commands and Scripting                                      505

    The Windows Command Prompt................................. 505

        What the Command Prompt Really Does............ 506

        Environment Variables........................................... 507

        Executable Program Types................................... 509

        Program Subsystems........................................... 510

        Interpreting Command-Line Syntax....................... 513

        Environment Variable Substitution......................... 515

        Input and Output Redirection................................. 515

        Command Pipelines.............................................. 518

        Command Separators........................................... 519

        Command-Line Quoting........................................ 520

        Escaping Special Characters................................ 520

        Editing Command Lines........................................ 521

        Name Completion.................................................. 522

        Copy and Paste in Command Prompt Windows.. 523

        DOSKEY Macros................................................... 525

        Command Extensions........................................... 527

        Printing in the Command-Line Environment......... 528

        Stopping Runaway Programs............................... 530

    Configuring the Command-Line Environment............... 531

        Console Window Properties.................................. 531

        Changing the Search Path.................................... 531

        Predefined and Virtual Environment Variables...... 532

        Setting Default Environment Variables.................. 535

        AutoRun................................................................. 537

        Configuring the MS-DOS Command Environment 538

    User Account Control and the Command Line............. 548

        Opening an Elevated Command Prompt.............. 549

    Useful and Important Commands................................. 550

        cd........................................................................... 550

        pushd and popd..................................................... 551

        dir........................................................................... 551

        more....................................................................... 552

        runas...................................................................... 553

        start........................................................................ 554

        control.................................................................... 555

        net.......................................................................... 557

        findstr..................................................................... 560

        Other Programs..................................................... 562

    Batch Files..................................................................... 562

        Creating and Editing Batch Files........................... 563

        Batch File Programming........................................ 564

        Argument Substitution........................................... 565

        Argument Editing................................................... 566

        Conditional Processing with if............................... 568

        Processing Multiple Arguments............................. 571

        Working with Environment Variables..................... 574

        Processing Multiple Items with the for Command. 576

        Using Batch File Subroutines................................ 580

        Prompting for Input................................................ 581

        Running GUI Applications from a Batch File......... 583

    Scripting with Windows Script Host.............................. 583

        Script Languages................................................... 584

        Creating and Editing Scripts.................................. 585

        Security Issues...................................................... 586

        Running Scripts..................................................... 587

        Scripting and COM Objects................................... 588

        Sample Scripts...................................................... 590

        Learning More About Scripting............................... 592

    Windows PowerShell.................................................... 592

        PowerShell Concepts............................................ 593

        Downloading and Installing Windows PowerShell 595

        Learning More About Windows PowerShell.......... 596

10  Windows File Systems                                                           597

    Disks, Partitions, and Volumes..................................... 597

        Basic Disks and Volumes..................................... 598

        Dynamic Disks and Volumes................................ 598

    Creating Partitions......................................................... 599

        Assigning Drive Letters to Volumes...................... 601

        Running FDISK...................................................... 605

        Drive Partitioning and Formatting with Disk Management       607

        Drive Partitioning with Aftermarket Utilities............ 610

        High-Level (Operating System) Formatting........... 612

        File System Tool Limitations................................. 614

        Drive Capacity Limitations..................................... 615

    Boot Sectors.................................................................. 619

        Master Boot Record............................................... 620

        Primary and Extended Partitions........................... 621

        Windows Disk Probe............................................. 627

        Volume Boot Records........................................... 632

        The Data Area........................................................ 638

    File Systems.................................................................. 638

        Clusters (Allocation Units)..................................... 639

    File Allocation Table....................................................... 640

        FAT12.................................................................... 641

        FAT16.................................................................... 642

        VFAT and Long Filenames.................................... 644

        FAT32.................................................................... 647

        File Allocation Table Tutorial.................................. 652

        Directories (Folders).............................................. 656

        FAT File System Errors......................................... 659

    NTFS.............................................................................. 663

        NTFS Architecture–The MFT............................... 666

        NTFS 3.0/3.1.......................................................... 668

        Creating NTFS Drives........................................... 670

        NTFS Tools............................................................ 670

    File System Utilities....................................................... 672

        CHKDSK Operation............................................... 672

        The RECOVER Command................................... 673

        SCANDISK............................................................. 674

        Disk Defragmentation............................................ 675

        Third-Party Programs............................................ 678

11  Windows Data Recovery                                                        679

    The Windows Recycle Bin and File Deletion................ 679

        Recovering Files That Are Not in the Recycle Bin 681

        Undeleting Files Under NTFS................................ 681

    Retrieving Data from Partitioned and Formatted Drives 682

        Norton Unformat and Its Limitations...................... 683

        Recovering Lost Partitions and Files..................... 683

    Using a Disk Editor........................................................ 686

        Types of Disk Editors............................................ 686

        Using a Disk Editor to Recover an NTFS Volume Boot Sector           687

        Using a Disk Editor to Undelete Files.................... 693

        Retrieving a Deleted File from a Disk.................... 701

    Data Recovery from Flash Memory Devices................ 704

        FAT File System Troubleshooting............................. 705

        NTFS File System Troubleshooting.......................... 706

12  Windows Troubleshooting                                                      709

    Troubleshooting Basics................................................. 709

        What You’ll Find in This Chapter........................... 711

        A Word About Viruses and Spyware..................... 711

        Windows “Sickbed” Symptoms............................. 712

    Windows Installation Troubleshooting........................... 713

        Legacy/Unsupported Hardware Devices............... 713

        Windows XP Upgrade Advisor.............................. 714

        Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor........................... 714

        Updating Computer Firmware............................... 715

        Other Common Windows Installation Issues........ 716

    Pre-Windows Startup Troubleshooting......................... 717

        Common Boot Error Messages and Solutions..... 718

    Windows Startup Troubleshooting................................ 720

        Windows Advanced Options Menu....................... 721

        Using the System Restore Tool with Windows XP and Vista  725

        Recovery Console for Windows XP...................... 728

        Command Prompt in Windows Recovery Environment          746

        Automated System Recovery with Windows XP.. 746

    Troubleshooting Problem Devices with Device Manager 750

    Parallel Windows Installation......................................... 756

    The Blue Screen of Death: Interpreting STOP Error Messages      757

        Make a Record of STOP Errors............................ 758

        Common STOP Errors......................................... 759

    Windows XP and Windows Vista Troubleshooting Tools 764

        Reading the Event Log.......................................... 764

        Dr. Watson............................................................ 769

        Windows Troubleshooters.................................... 771

        CHKDSK................................................................ 772

        DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDIAG.EXE)................ 773

        Program Compatibility Wizard.............................. 775

        System Configuration Utility................................... 776

        Installing Additional Windows XP Support Tools... 779

    Windows Vista Troubleshooting Tools.......................... 780

        Windows Recovery Environment.......................... 780

        Problem Reports and Solutions............................ 788

        Reliability and Performance Monitor...................... 789

        System Health Report........................................... 791

    Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base............................ 792

Bonus Elements

  A  Windows Tool Reference                                                         A1

  B  Windows Command Reference                                              B1

C  Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance                              C1

TOC, 0789736950, 9/3/08

Updates

Submit Errata

More Information

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020