Windows Me Annoyances

Preface

What Is an Annoyance?

I admit it—I’m the guy people call when they need answers. Something doesn’t work; my phone rings. Someone can’t figure something out; I get an email. More often than not, the problem can be traced to Microsoft Windows, a product with which I’ve developed a healthy love-hate relationship. Luckily, I’ve channeled my rage into this book—many of the solutions, tips, workarounds, and warnings you’re about to read are my responses to questions I get asked by inexperienced and seasoned Windows users alike.

More than anything else, an annoyance is a way of looking at a problem or an unfamiliar task. It’s an attitude that gives you the fortitude and patience to solve any problem, rather than being powerless or frustrated, or feeling like a dummy.

Your computer should not be a “black box,” something for which you must adjust the way you work and think. It’s a hands-on, flexible tool with many capabilities and limitations. Humans design computers and the software that runs on them; so computers by their very nature are imperfect and often troublesome machines.

I’ve written this book with the philosophy that the more you know about a tool you use—specifically, Microsoft Windows Me—the better your day-to-day experience with it will be. If this contradicts what you’ve seen in other books or the Windows manual, you’re getting the idea.

The Interface

One of the most frequently examined aspects of Windows in this book is the user interface, and this is no accident. ...