Easy Microsoft Windows 7

Mark Edward Soper has been using Microsoft Windows ever since version 1.0, and since 1992, he’s taught thousands of computer troubleshooting and network students across the country how to use Windows as part of their work and everyday lives. Mark has contributed to Que’s Special Edition Using series on Windows Me, Windows XP, and Windows Vista; Easy Windows Vista; Windows 7 in Depth, and has written two books about Windows Vista, including Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed and Unleashing Microsoft Windows Vista Media Center.   When he’s not teaching, learning, or writing about Microsoft Windows, Mark stays busy with many other technology-related activities. He is a longtime contributor to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, working on the 11th through 18th editions, co-authored Upgrading and Repairing Networks, 5th Edition, written two books on A+ Certification (with a third in process), and written two books about digital photography, Easy Digital Cameras and The Shot Doctor: The Amateur’s Guide to Taking Great Digital Photos. Mark also stays busy on the web, posting many blog entries and articles at MaximumPC.com, as well as articles for Maximum PC magazine. He also teaches Windows, digital photography, and digital imaging at Ivy Tech State College’s Evansville, Indiana campus.  

CHAPTER 1 WHAT’S NEW IN WINDOWS 7     2

Getting Started    4

Aero Peek    5

Aero Snap    6

Libraries     7

Internet Explorer 8     8

Windows Action Center     9

Windows Live Essentials     10

Device Stage     11

CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED WITH WINDOWS 7     12

Logging into Windows 7     14

Dealing with a Failed Login    15

Using the Mouse    16

Using the Keyboard    18

User Account Control (UAC) for

Administrators    19

User Account Control for Standard Users    20

Adjusting User Account Control (UAC)     21

CHAPTER 3 USING THE WINDOWS 7 DESKTOP    22

Starting a Program from the Start Menu    24

Opening a New Program Window    25

Maximizing, Minimizing, Restoring, and

Resizing a Window     26

Using Aero Snap to Manage Windows     28

Using Aero Peek to View the Desktop     30

Using Alt-Tab to Cycle Through Programs    31

Using Windows Flip (Win-Tab) to Cycle

Through Programs    32

Using the Taskbar to View and Select

Running Programs     33

Closing a Program     34

Using Desktop Gadgets     36

CHAPTER 4 WORKING WITH YOUR FOLDERS     38

Using Libraries    40

Enabling the Menu Pane    41

Adding Folders to a Library     42

Changing Library Layouts    44

Using Send To    47

Using Drag and Drop to Copy a Folder     48

Using Drag and Drop to Move a Folder     50

Using Copy and Paste to Copy a Folder    52

Using Copy To/Move To     54

Creating New Folders     56

Renaming Folders     57

Deleting Folders     58

CHAPTER 5 WORKING WITH YOUR FILES     60

Changing File-Viewing Options     62

Viewing File Information (Properties)     63

Compressing a File    64

Renaming a Group of Files    66

Renaming a File    68

Copying a File to the Same Folder     69

Moving a File or Group of Files    70

Sorting, Grouping, and Stacking Files in a Folder    72

Dealing with Duplicates While

Copying Files    Online 1

CHAPTER 6 PRINTING     76

Viewing Available Printers     78

Installing a New Printer     79

Using Device Stage to View and Change

Printer Properties     80

Printing a Test Page to a Local Printer     81

Installing a Network Printer     82

Sharing a Printer     84

Printing a Document with Print Preview    86

Viewing and Managing the Print Queue    88

Viewing Fonts    90

Using the ClearType Wizard    92

CHAPTER 7 WORKING WITH WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER    94

Playing an Audio CD from the Windows

Desktop     96

Playing an Audio CD from Windows Media

Center     98

Ripping (Copying) an Audio CD     100

Playing Albums    102

Playing Individual Tracks    103

Setting Up Playlists    104

Burning (Creating) a Music CD    106

Viewing DVDs with Windows Media Player    108

Viewing Video Clips with Windows Media

Player     109

CHAPTER 8 WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER     110

Opening and Configuring Windows

Media Center    112

Configuring the TV Signal    114

Viewing the Program Guide     118

Watching TV     120

Recording TV    122

Searching for TV Shows and Movies    124

Viewing Photos in a Slide Show     126

Viewing Photos by Tags and Dates    128

Changing Slide Show Settings    130

Watching Recorded TV     132

Deleting a TV Recording    133

Managing Recordings     134

Watching Videos     136

Playing Music    137

Playing and Ripping a CD    138

Starting a Game from Windows Media Center    142

Quitting WMC    143

CHAPTER 9 GAMING    144

Using the Games Explorer     146

Learning More About a Game    147

Playing, Saving, and Continuing a Game    148

Adding a New Game to Games Explorer    150

Setting Up Game Updates and Options    152

CHAPTER 10 BROWSING THE INTERNET     154

The Internet Explorer 8 Interface    156

Entering a Website Address (URL)    157

Setting Your Home Page    158

Working with Tabs    159

Opening a Link    160

Using the Favorites Bar    162

Adding Favorites to the Favorites Bar     163

Adding Favorites to the Favorites Menu    164

Saving a Tab Group as a Favorite     166

Using Suggested Sites     168

Opening a Favorite Website or Tab Group     170

Using Compatibility View    171

Viewing RSS Feeds     172

Using Page Zoom     174

Using Accelerators     175

Using InPrivate Browsing    176

Disabling an Add-On    177

Managing Popups     178

Setting Internet Privacy Features    180

Deleting Selected Items from Your

History List     182

Deleting All Items from Your History List    183

Emailing Links    184

Printing a Web Page    185

Saving a Web Page    186

Organizing Favorites     Online 3

CHAPTER 11 USER ACCOUNTS AND SYSTEM SECURITY     188

Setting Up Windows 7 for Multiple Users    190

Changing Account Settings     192

Adding/Changing a Password    193

Creating a Password Reset Disk     194

Enabling Parental Controls     196

Checking for Spyware with Windows

Defender    200

Setting Windows Defender Options     202

Using Action Center     204

Reporting Problems with Action Center    205

CHAPTER 12 PERSONALIZING WINDOWS 7    206

Opening the Personalization Menu from the Desktop     208

Opening the Personalization Menu from

Control Panel    209

Selecting a Desktop Theme     210

Changing the Window Color     211

Choosing a Desktop Background     212

Selecting a Screen Saver    213

Enabling and Using Multiple Monitors     214

Adjusting Screen Resolution    216

Adjusting Mouse Settings    217

Using a Sound Scheme     218

Setting the Date and Time     220

Using Additional Clocks    Online 5

Control Panel

CHAPTER 13 SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND PERFORMANCE    222

The System and Security Category in Control Panel     224

Displaying System Information    225

Configuring Windows Update    226

Updating Windows Manually    228

Using Devices and Printers     230

Selecting a Power Plan     232

Viewing Disk Information     234

Using ReadyBoost     236

Cleaning Up Unnecessary Files     237

Checking Drives for Errors    238

Configuring Defragment    240

Troubleshooting    242

Fixing Problems with System Restore     244

Creating a System Repair Disc     246

Backing Up Your Files     248

Restoring Files from a Backup    252

Using the Problem Steps Recorder    Online 7

CHAPTER 14 SETTING UP PROGRAMS    258

Control Panel’s Programs Menu     260

Installing a CD or DVD Program from the

AutoPlay Menu    261

Installing a Program Manually    262

Adding a Program Shortcut to the Start Menu 263

Adding a Program Shortcut to the Desktop     264

Adding a Program Shortcut to the Taskbar     265

Helping an Older Program to Run Properly    266

Removing (Uninstalling) a Program    269

Deleting a Desktop Shortcut    270

Customizing the Start Menu     271

Customizing the Taskbar    272

Customizing Notification Icons with

Control Panel    274

Setting AutoPlay Options     276

Configuring Toolbars     Online 11

Setting Default Programs     Online 13

CHAPTER 15 WINDOWS ACCESSORIES     278

Viewing the Accessories Menu     280

Working with Calculator    281

Using WordPad     282

Using Notepad    285

Using Paint     286

Using Windows Photo Viewer    290

CHAPTER 16 NETWORKING YOUR HOME    292

Connecting to an Unsecured Wireless Network    294

Connecting to a Secured Wireless Network    296

Connecting to a Wired Network     298

Opening the Network and Sharing Center     299

Viewing Computers on Your Network    300

Using the Network Map to Diagram Your

Network    302

Changing Your Workgroup     304

Enabling File and Printer Sharing    308

Sharing Public Folders    309

Sharing Printers     310

Setting Up a Homegroup    311

Joining a Homegroup     312

Accessing Homegroup Shared Folders    314

Changing Homegroup Settings     315

Using Windows Easy Transfer    316

Sharing a Folder Manually     Online 15

CHAPTER 17 USING WINDOWS LIVE ESSENTIALS     322

Downloading and Installing Windows Live Essentials    324

Viewing Photos in Gallery View     326

Adding and Using Tags     328

Playing a Slide Show     330

Fixing Photos    331

Cropping a Photo and Undoing Changes    332

Sharing Photos with Flickr     334

Burning Photos and Videos to a DVD

Slide Show     336

Importing Photos from a Camera    338

Printing Photos     340

Setting Up Your Email Account with Windows Live Mail    342

Receiving Email     344

Opening File Attachments     345

Replying to Email    346

Forwarding Messages     347

Deleting Messages    348

Creating a Contact    349

Starting an Email to a Contact     350

Adding Text Formatting to an Email    351

Adding Attachments     352

Adding an Appointment to the Calendar    Online 17

Windows Live Family Safety    Online 19

Starting Windows Live Movie Maker Beta     Online 21

Importing Videos and Photos     Online 22

Changing the Position of Your Photos and Videos     Online 23

Saving Your Project     Online 24

Adding Transitions to Your Movie    Online 25

Adding Visual Effects to Your Movie     Online 26

Adding a Sound Track to Your Movie     Online 27

Outputting Your Movie    Online 28

Glossary    354

Index    374