Windows XP for Starters: The Missing Manual

Windows XP for Starters: The Missing Manual

by David Pogue
Released November 2005
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596101558

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Book description

Windows XP powers millions of PCs and is without a doubt the most widely used operating system in the world today. This rock solid operating system offers dozens of features for consumers, plus powerful applications and integrated networking tools all blended into an elegant interface. But working your way through all of these features and applications can be complicated. Whether you use this software at home or at work, sometimes you just want to learn the most commonly used features, not every option and nuance.

For anyone interested in zeroing in and learning just the information they need without all the complicated jargon, Windows XP for Starters: The Missing Manual provides just the solution.

Author David Pogue delivers an accessible and much needed guide with his trademark humor and friendly style. Windows XP for Starters: The Missing Manual provides clear explanations, with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, and plenty of illustrations that make for a refreshingly simple approach to XP.

Far more than a skimpy introduction but much less daunting than a weighty tech book, Windows XP For Starters: The Missing Manual unveils easy tips and tricks for making the most of the XP experience.

Whether you're a first-time user who just wants the basics, or an experienced user who simply needs a quick overview, our new Windows XP For Starters: The Missing Manual is designed from the ground up to save you time and deliver what you need to know. Find out why this book is exactly what you need.

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Table of contents

  1. The Missing Credits
    1. About the Author
    2. About the Creative Team
    3. The Missing Manual Series
  2. Introduction
    1. About This Book
      1. About the Outline
      2. About → These → Arrows
    2. Basic Terms
    3. About MissingManuals.com
      1. Safari® Enabled
  3. One. The Windows XP Desktop
    1. 1. The Very Basics
      1. 1.1. What Is Windows, Anyway?
      2. 1.2. Working Windows Smarter
        1. 1.2.1. The Right Mouse Button Is King
        2. 1.2.2. Summon a Wizard
        3. 1.2.3. There’s More Than One Way to Do Everything
        4. 1.2.4. You Can Use the Keyboard for Everything
        5. 1.2.5. You Could Spend a Lifetime Changing Properties
        6. 1.2.6. Every Piece of Hardware Requires Software
    2. 2. The Desktop and Start Menu
      1. 2.1. Logging In
        1. 2.1.1. Workgroups vs. Domains
      2. 2.2. The Elements of the XP Desktop
      3. 2.3. The Start Menu
      4. 2.4. Start → Log Off
      5. 2.5. Start → Shut Down (Turn Off Computer)
      6. 2.6. Start → All Programs
        1. 2.6.1. The Startup Folder
      7. 2.7. Start → Search
        1. 2.7.1. Finding Files and Folders
          1. 2.7.1.1. Starting a search
          2. 2.7.1.2. Pictures, music, or video
          3. 2.7.1.3. Documents (word processing, spreadsheet, and so on)
          4. 2.7.1.4. All files and folders
        2. 2.7.2. Managing the Found Files and Folders
          1. 2.7.2.1. Using the Search Results panel
          2. 2.7.2.2. Using the results list
      8. 2.8. Start → Help and Support
      9. 2.9. Start → Control Panel
      10. 2.10. Start → My Network Places
      11. 2.11. Start → My Computer
      12. 2.12. Start → My Music, My Pictures
      13. 2.13. Start → My Recent Documents
      14. 2.14. Start → My Documents
    3. 3. Windows, Folders, and the Taskbar
      1. 3.1. Windows in Windows
        1. 3.1.1. The Task Pane
        2. 3.1.2. Sizing, Moving, and Closing Windows
          1. 3.1.2.1. Moving a window
          2. 3.1.2.2. Closing a window
        3. 3.1.3. Working with Multiple Windows
          1. 3.1.3.1. Active and inactive windows
      2. 3.2. The Desktop Window Overhaul
        1. 3.2.1. Icon and List Views
          1. 3.2.1.1. Changing the sorting order
          2. 3.2.1.2. Manipulating the Details view
        2. 3.2.2. Standard Folder Views
      3. 3.3. Window Toolbars
        1. 3.3.1. The Standard Buttons Toolbar
        2. 3.3.2. The Address Bar
        3. 3.3.3. The Links Toolbar
      4. 3.4. The Taskbar
        1. 3.4.1. The Notification Area
        2. 3.4.2. Window Buttons
      5. 3.5. Taskbar Toolbars
        1. 3.5.1. Quick Launch Toolbar
    4. 4. Organizing Your Stuff
      1. 4.1. Creating a Folder
      2. 4.2. The Folders of Windows XP
        1. 4.2.1. What’s in the Local Disk (C:) Window
        2. 4.2.2. Your Account Folder
        3. 4.2.3. Navigating My Computer
        4. 4.2.4. Navigating with Windows Explorer
          1. 4.2.4.1. When the panel is too narrow
          2. 4.2.4.2. Viewing folder contents
          3. 4.2.4.3. Keyboard shortcuts
      3. 4.3. Life with Icons
        1. 4.3.1. Renaming Your Icons
        2. 4.3.2. Icon Properties
      4. 4.4. Copying and Moving Folders and Files
        1. 4.4.1. Highlighting Icons
          1. 4.4.1.1. To highlight all the icons
          2. 4.4.1.2. To highlight several icons
          3. 4.4.1.3. To highlight only specific icons
        2. 4.4.2. Copying by Dragging Icons
          1. 4.4.2.1. The right-mouse-button trick
          2. 4.4.2.2. Dragging icons in Windows Explorer
        3. 4.4.3. Copying by Using Copy and Paste
      5. 4.5. The Recycle Bin
        1. 4.5.1. Restoring Deleted Files and Folders
        2. 4.5.2. Emptying the Recycle Bin
      6. 4.6. Shortcut Icons
        1. 4.6.1. Creating and Deleting Shortcuts
      7. 4.7. Burning CDs from the Desktop
  4. Two. The Components of Windows XP
    1. 5. Programs and Documents
      1. 5.1. Launching Programs
      2. 5.2. Switching Programs
      3. 5.3. Exiting Programs
      4. 5.4. When Programs Die
      5. 5.5. Saving Documents
        1. 5.5.1. The Save File Dialog Box
        2. 5.5.2. Saving into My Documents
        3. 5.5.3. Navigating in the Save Dialog Box
        4. 5.5.4. Navigating the List by Keyboard
        5. 5.5.5. The File Format Drop-Down Menu
      6. 5.6. Closing Documents
      7. 5.7. The Open Dialog Box
      8. 5.8. Moving Data Between Documents
        1. 5.8.1. Cut, Copy, and Paste
        2. 5.8.2. Drag-and-Drop
          1. 5.8.2.1. Drag-and-drop to the desktop
      9. 5.9. Filename Extensions
        1. 5.9.1. Displaying Filename Extensions
      10. 5.10. Installing Software
        1. 5.10.1. The Pre-Installation Checklist
        2. 5.10.2. Installing Software from a CD
          1. 5.10.2.1. Installing software using Add or Remove Programs
        3. 5.10.3. Installing Downloaded Software
        4. 5.10.4. Installing Preloaded Software
        5. 5.10.5. Installing Windows Components
      11. 5.11. Uninstalling Software
    2. 6. Pictures, Music, and Movies
      1. 6.1. Digital Photos in XP
        1. 6.1.1. Hooking Up Your Camera
        2. 6.1.2. Fun with Downloaded Pictures
          1. 6.1.2.1. Download more photos
          2. 6.1.2.2. Look them over
          3. 6.1.2.3. Start a slide show
          4. 6.1.2.4. Order prints online
          5. 6.1.2.5. Make a printout
          6. 6.1.2.6. Install new wallpaper
          7. 6.1.2.7. Post the photos on the Web
          8. 6.1.2.8. Email photos
          9. 6.1.2.9. Create a photo screen saver
          10. 6.1.2.10. View them bigger
      2. 6.2. Scanning
      3. 6.3. Windows Media Player
        1. 6.3.1. The Lay of the Land
        2. 6.3.2. Playing Music CDs
        3. 6.3.3. Copying CDs to Your Hard Drive
        4. 6.3.4. Organizing Your Music Library
          1. 6.3.4.1. Playlists
          2. 6.3.4.2. Deleting things
        5. 6.3.5. Burning Your Own CDs.
        6. 6.3.6. Playing DVD Movies
  5. Three. Windows Online
    1. 7. Getting on the Web
      1. 7.1. How to Get Online
        1. 7.1.1. Cable and DSL
        2. 7.1.2. Wireless Networks
      2. 7.2. Establishing a New Dial-Up Internet Account
        1. 7.2.1. The Connection Icon
      3. 7.3. Manually Plugging in Internet Settings
        1. 7.3.1. Via Dial-up Modem
        2. 7.3.2. Via Cable Modem, Network, or DSL
      4. 7.4. Dialing Up to the Internet
        1. 7.4.1. Manual Connections
        2. 7.4.2. The Notification Area Icon
        3. 7.4.3. Automatic Dialing
        4. 7.4.4. Disconnecting
          1. 7.4.4.1. Disconnecting manually
          2. 7.4.4.2. Disconnecting automatically
      5. 7.5. Surfing the Web
      6. 7.6. Internet Explorer
        1. 7.6.1. Browsing Basics and Toolbars
        2. 7.6.2. Internet Explorer Toolbars
          1. 7.6.2.1. The Standard Buttons toolbar
          2. 7.6.2.2. The Address bar
          3. 7.6.2.3. The Links toolbar
        3. 7.6.3. Status Bar
        4. 7.6.4. Explorer Bar
        5. 7.6.5. Ways to Find Something on the Web
        6. 7.6.6. Tips for Better Surfing
          1. 7.6.6.1. Full-screen browsing
          2. 7.6.6.2. Bigger text, smaller text
          3. 7.6.6.3. Enlarge or shrink online photos
          4. 7.6.6.4. Faster browsing without graphics
          5. 7.6.6.5. Favorites: “Bookmarking” favorite Web sites
          6. 7.6.6.6. Viewing Web pages offline
        7. 7.6.7. Ditching Pop-Ups and Pop-Unders
    2. 8. Outlook Express 6
      1. 8.1. Setting Up Outlook Express
      2. 8.2. Sending Email
        1. 8.2.1. Mail folders in Outlook Express
        2. 8.2.2. Composing and sending messages
        3. 8.2.3. The Address Book
        4. 8.2.4. Attaching Files to Messages
      3. 8.3. Reading Email
        1. 8.3.1. How to Process a Message
          1. 8.3.1.1. Deleting messages
          2. 8.3.1.2. Replying to messages
          3. 8.3.1.3. Forwarding messages
          4. 8.3.1.4. Printing messages
          5. 8.3.1.5. Filing messages
          6. 8.3.1.6. Flagging messages
        2. 8.3.2. Opening Attachments
        3. 8.3.3. Message Rules
          1. 8.3.3.1. Setting up message rules
          2. 8.3.3.2. Two sneaky message-rule tricks
  6. Four. Beyond the Basics
    1. 9. Printers and Other Hardware
      1. 9.1. Installing a Printer
        1. 9.1.1. Existing Printers
        2. 9.1.2. USB Printers
        3. 9.1.3. Network Printers
        4. 9.1.4. The Printer Icon
      2. 9.2. Printing
        1. 9.2.1. Printing from Applications
        2. 9.2.2. Printing from the Desktop
        3. 9.2.3. Printing from the Internet
      3. 9.3. Controlling Printouts
      4. 9.4. Printer Troubleshooting
      5. 9.5. Hardware
      6. 9.6. Connecting New Gadgets
        1. 9.6.1. Using the Add Hardware Wizard
          1. 9.6.1.1. The search for Plug and Play
          2. 9.6.1.2. Add Hardware Wizard searches for non–Plug and Play devices
      7. 9.7. The Device Manager
        1. 9.7.1. Red X’s and Yellow ?’s: Resolving Conflicts
          1. 9.7.1.1. Duplicate devices
          2. 9.7.1.2. Resolving resource conflicts
        2. 9.7.2. Turning Components Off
        3. 9.7.3. Updating Drivers with the Device Manager
    2. 10. The Control Panel
      1. 10.1. Navigating the Panel
      2. 10.2. Accessibility Options
      3. 10.3. Add Hardware
      4. 10.4. Add or Remove Programs
      5. 10.5. Administrative Tools
      6. 10.6. Automatic Updates
      7. 10.7. Bluetooth Devices
      8. 10.8. Date and Time
      9. 10.9. Display
      10. 10.10. Folder Options
      11. 10.11. Fonts
      12. 10.12. Game Controllers
      13. 10.13. Internet Options
      14. 10.14. Keyboard
      15. 10.15. Mail
      16. 10.16. Mouse
      17. 10.17. Network Connections
      18. 10.18. Network Setup Wizard
      19. 10.19. Phone and Modem Options
      20. 10.20. Power Options
      21. 10.21. Printers and Faxes
      22. 10.22. Regional and Language Options
      23. 10.23. Scanners and Cameras
      24. 10.24. Scheduled Tasks
      25. 10.25. Security Center
      26. 10.26. Sounds and Audio Devices
      27. 10.27. Speech
      28. 10.28. System
        1. 10.28.1. General Tab
        2. 10.28.2. Computer Name
        3. 10.28.3. Hardware Tab
        4. 10.28.4. Advanced Tab
        5. 10.28.5. System Restore Tab
        6. 10.28.6. Automatic Updates Tab
        7. 10.28.7. Remote Tab
      29. 10.29. Taskbar and Start Menu
      30. 10.30. User Accounts
      31. 10.31. Windows Firewall
      32. 10.32. Wireless Network Setup Wizard
    3. 11. Help, Maintenance, and Backups
      1. 11.1. Navigating the Help System
        1. 11.1.1. Help Home Page
        2. 11.1.2. Search the Help Pages
        3. 11.1.3. Help Index
      2. 11.2. “What’s This?”: Help for Dialog Boxes
      3. 11.3. Getting Help from Microsoft
      4. 11.4. PC Maintenance: Internet Security
      5. 11.5. Security Center
        1. 11.5.1. The Windows Firewall
          1. 11.5.1.1. All about ports
          2. 11.5.1.2. The exceptions list
        2. 11.5.2. Virus Software
        3. 11.5.3. Spyware Cleaners
      6. 11.6. Automatic Updates
      7. 11.7. Microsoft Backup
        1. 11.7.1. Backup Hardware
        2. 11.7.2. Creating a Backup Job
          1. 11.7.2.1. Backup or restore?
          2. 11.7.2.2. Create a backup job
          3. 11.7.2.3. Select the backup medium
          4. 11.7.2.4. Advanced backup options
          5. 11.7.2.5. Click Finish
        3. 11.7.3. Restoring with Microsoft Backup
  7. Five. Life On the Network
    1. 12. User Accounts
      1. 12.1. Introducing User Accounts
      2. 12.2. Setting Up Accounts
        1. 12.2.1. Administrator Accounts
        2. 12.2.2. Limited Accounts
        3. 12.2.3. Adding an Account
        4. 12.2.4. Editing an Account
        5. 12.2.5. The Forgotten Password Disk
        6. 12.2.6. Deleting User Accounts
      3. 12.3. Setting Up the Logon Process
        1. 12.3.1. “Use the Welcome Screen”
        2. 12.3.2. “Use Fast User Switching”
          1. 12.3.2.1. How Fast User Switching works
          2. 12.3.2.2. How to turn on Fast User Switching
        3. 12.3.3. Shared Folders
    2. 13. The Home Network
      1. 13.1. The Network Setup Wizard
        1. 13.1.1. “Before you continue”
        2. 13.1.2. “Select a connection method”
        3. 13.1.3. “Select your Internet connection”
        4. 13.1.4. “Give this computer a description and name”
        5. 13.1.5. “Name your network”
        6. 13.1.6. “Ready to apply network settings”
        7. 13.1.7. “You’re almost done”
        8. 13.1.8. Testing the Network
      2. 13.2. Simple File Sharing
      3. 13.3. The Shared Documents Folder
      4. 13.4. Sharing Your Own Folders
        1. 13.4.1. Notes on Sharing
        2. 13.4.2. Hiding Folders
      5. 13.5. Accessing Other Computers
        1. 13.5.1. My Network Places
          1. 13.5.1.1. “View workgroup computers”
          2. 13.5.1.2. Older PCs: Network Neighborhood
      6. 13.6. Working with Network Files
        1. 13.6.1. At the Desktop
        2. 13.6.2. Using Start → Search
        3. 13.6.3. Inside Applications
  8. Index
  9. About the Author
  10. Colophon
  11. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Windows XP for Starters: The Missing Manual
  • Author(s): David Pogue
  • Release date: November 2005
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596101558