Windows 11 For Dummies

Windows 11 For Dummies

by Andy Rathbone
Released November 2021
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119846475

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Book description

Need Windows help? Find the latest tips and tricks in this perennial favorite on Windows

Windows 11 promises to be the fastest, most secure, and most flexible version of the Microsoft operating system yet. With a promise like that, of course you want to start using it, as quickly as possible! Windows 11 For Dummies gives you that speed, security, and flexibility by getting you up to date with the latest in Windows. Windows expert and bestselling author Andy Rathbone gives you a helping hand by showing you how to get around the newly updated Windows 11 interface, how to use the new Windows tools like Teams and widgets, and how to use Android apps.

Your tour of Windows 11 starts with the Start menu and ends with how to troubleshoot when things go wrong. In between you find out how to find files on your hard drive, connect with friends and colleagues on Microsoft Teams, transfer photos from your phone to your hard drive, or switch between your desktop and laptop. Additional topics include:

  • Navigating the Start menu
  • Finding where your files are hiding
  • Adding separate user accounts to keep your kids out of your business
  • Connecting to a WiFi network
  • Customizing your widgets
  • Switching to a laptop or tablet

You know what you want to get done. Keep Windows 11 For Dummies by your desktop, laptop, and tablet, and you can open it at any time to find out how to get your Windows computer to do what you need.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. How to Use This Book
    3. Touchscreen Owners Aren’t Left Out
    4. And What about You?
    5. Icons Used in This Book
    6. Beyond the Book
    7. Where to Go from Here
  5. Part 1: Windows 11 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know
    1. Chapter 1: What Is Windows 11?
      1. What Is Windows, and Why Are You Using It?
      2. What’s New in Windows 11?
      3. What’s Missing from Windows 11?
      4. Why Does Windows 11 Keep Changing?
      5. Can My Current PC Run Windows 11?
      6. The Different Flavors of Windows 11
    2. Chapter 2: Starting with the Start Menu
      1. Being Welcomed to the World of Windows
      2. Figuring Out the Windows 11 Start Menu
      3. Exiting from Windows
    3. Chapter 3: The Traditional Desktop
      1. Finding the Desktop and the Start Menu
      2. Working with the Desktop
      3. Bellying Up to the Taskbar
      4. Setting Up Virtual Desktops
      5. Making Programs Easier to Find
    4. Chapter 4: Basic Desktop Window Mechanics
      1. Dissecting a Typical Desktop Window
      2. Maneuvering Windows Around the Desktop
    5. Chapter 5: Storing and Organizing Files
      1. Browsing the File Explorer File Cabinets
      2. Getting the Lowdown on Folders
      3. Peering into Your Drives, Folders, and Other Media
      4. Creating a New Folder
      5. Renaming a File or Folder
      6. Selecting Bunches of Files or Folders
      7. Getting Rid of a File or Folder
      8. Copying or Moving Files and Folders
      9. Seeing More Information about Files and Folders
      10. Writing to CDs and DVDs
      11. Working with Flash Drives and Memory Cards
      12. OneDrive: Your Cubbyhole in the Clouds
  6. Part 2: Working with Programs, Apps, and Files
    1. Chapter 6: Playing with Programs, Apps, and Documents
      1. Starting an App or Program
      2. Opening a Document
      3. Saving a Document
      4. Choosing Which Program Should Open Which File
      5. Navigating the Microsoft Store
      6. Taking the Lazy Way with a Desktop Shortcut
      7. Absolutely Essential Guide to Cutting, Copying, and Pasting
    2. Chapter 7: Finding the Lost
      1. Finding Currently Running Apps and Programs
      2. Finding Lost Windows on the Desktop
      3. Locating a Missing App, Program, Setting, or File
      4. Finding a Missing File inside a Folder
      5. Finding Lost Photos
      6. Finding Other Computers on a Network
    3. Chapter 8: Printing and Scanning Your Work
      1. Printing from a Start Menu App
      2. Printing Your Masterpiece from the Desktop
      3. Scanning from the Start Menu
  7. Part 3: Getting Things Done on the Internet
    1. Chapter 9: Cruising the Web
      1. What’s an ISP, and Why Do I Need One?
      2. Connecting Wirelessly to the Internet
      3. Browsing the Web with Microsoft Edge
      4. Finding More Information on a Website
      5. Saving Information from the Internet
    2. Chapter 10: Being Social: Mail, Calendar, and Teams Chat
      1. Adding Your Accounts to Windows
      2. Understanding the Mail App
      3. Managing Your Contacts in the People App
      4. Managing Appointments in Calendar
      5. Meeting Online with Teams Chat
    3. Chapter 11: Safe Computing
      1. Understanding Those Annoying Permission Messages
      2. Staying Safe with Windows Security
  8. Part 4: Customizing and Upgrading Windows 11
    1. Chapter 12: Customizing Settings in Windows
      1. Finding the Right Switch
      2. Flipping Switches with the Windows Settings App
    2. Chapter 13: Keeping Windows from Breaking
      1. Backing Up Your Computer with File History
      2. Finding Technical Information about Your Computer
      3. Freeing Up Space on Your Hard Drive
      4. Setting Up Devices That Don’t Work (Fiddling with Drivers)
    3. Chapter 14: Sharing One Computer with Several People
      1. Understanding User Accounts
      2. Changing or Adding User Accounts
      3. Switching Quickly between Users
      4. Changing a User Account’s Picture
      5. Setting Up Passwords and Security
      6. Signing in with Windows Hello
    4. Chapter 15: Connecting Computers with a Network
      1. Understanding a Network’s Parts
      2. Setting Up a Small Network
      3. Sharing Files with Your Networked Computers
      4. Sharing with Nearby Sharing
  9. Part 5: Music, Photos, and Videos
    1. Chapter 16: Playing and Copying Music
      1. Playing Music with the Groove Music App
      2. Handing Music-Playing Chores Back to Windows Media Player
      3. Stocking the Windows Media Player Library
      4. Browsing the Windows Media Player Libraries
      5. Playing Music Files in a Playlist
      6. Controlling Your Now Playing Items
      7. Playing CDs
      8. Playing DVDs
      9. Playing Videos and TV Shows
      10. Creating, Saving, and Editing Playlists
      11. Ripping (Copying) CDs to Your PC
      12. Burning (Creating) Music CDs
    2. Chapter 17: Fiddling with Photos, Videos, and Phones
      1. Dumping Photos from a Phone or Camera to Your Computer
      2. Making Photos and Videos with the Camera App
      3. Grabbing Photos from Your Android Phone through the Your Phone App
      4. Viewing Photos with the Photos App
  10. Part 6: Help!
    1. Chapter 18: The Case of the Broken Window
      1. The Magic Fixes in Windows
      2. Windows Keeps Asking Me for Permission
      3. I Need to Retrieve Deleted Files
      4. I Need to Fix Broken Apps
      5. My Settings Are Messed Up
      6. I Forgot My Password
      7. My Computer Is Frozen Solid
    2. Chapter 19: Strange Messages: What You Did Does Not Compute
      1. Add Your Microsoft Account
      2. Calendar Notifications
      3. Choose What Happens with This Device
      4. Deleted Files Are Removed Everywhere
      5. Did You Mean to Switch Apps?
      6. Do You Want to Allow This App to Make Changes to Your Device?
      7. Do You Want to Pin This App to the Taskbar?
      8. Do You Want to Save Changes?
      9. Enter Network Credentials
      10. How Do You Want to Open This File?
      11. Keep These Display Settings?
      12. Let’s Finish Setting Up
      13. No Usable Drive Found
      14. Save to OneDrive
      15. Select to Choose What Happens with Removable Drives
      16. Threats Found
      17. USB Device Not Recognized
      18. Verify Your Identity on This PC
      19. We’re Not Allowed to Find You
      20. You Don’t Currently Have Permission to Access This Folder
      21. Your Privacy Settings Blocked Access to Your Location
    3. Chapter 20: Moving from an Old PC to a New Windows 11 PC
      1. Moving to Windows 11 the Microsoft Way
      2. Hiring a Third Party to Make the Move
      3. Transferring Files Yourself
    4. Chapter 21: Help on the Windows Help System
      1. Getting Started with Windows 11
      2. Contacting Support
  11. Part 7: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 22: Ten Things You’ll Hate about Windows 11 (and How to Fix Them)
      1. Knowing Whether Your PC Can Upgrade to Windows 11
      2. There’s No Backup Program!
      3. I Want the Start Button and Menu in the Lower-Left Corner!
      4. Windows 11 Keeps Changing!
      5. I Don’t Want a Microsoft Account
      6. Windows Makes Me Sign in All the Time
      7. I Can’t Line Up Two Windows on the Screen
      8. It Won’t Let Me Do Something Unless I’m an Administrator!
      9. I Don’t Know What Version of Windows I Have
      10. My Print Screen Key Doesn’t Work
    2. Chapter 23: Ten or So Tips for Tablet and Laptop Owners
      1. Using the New Touchscreen Gestures
      2. Switching to Airplane Mode
      3. Connecting to a New Wireless Internet Network
      4. Toggling Your Tablet’s Screen Rotation
      5. Adjusting to Different Locations
      6. Turning on the Traffic Widget
      7. Backing Up Your Laptop Before Traveling
      8. Accessing the Mobility Center
      9. Turning Calculator into a Road Warrior Tool
  12. Index
  13. About the Author
  14. Connect with Dummies
  15. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Windows 11 For Dummies
  • Author(s): Andy Rathbone
  • Release date: November 2021
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119846475