Make the Most of Your Windows PC

Sherry Kinkoph has authored more than 30 computer books for Pearson Technology Group over the past six years and has taught hundreds of thousands of new computer users how to make the most of their computers through her books. Her publications include How to Use Microsoft Office XP, Complete Idiot's Guide to Microsoft Excel 2000, and Sams Teach Yourself Quicken 99 in 10 Minutes.

Introduction.
I. WINDOWS BASICS.

1. The Basics.


Computers Are Not Fragile. How to Learn About Computers. What Is a Computer? The Two Personal Computing Camps. Programs: The Wizard Behind the Curtain. What You Can Do with a Computer. Hardware Versus Software. The Two Types of Software.

2. Up and Running.


What Happens When You Turn On Your Computer. Keyboards and Keyboard Layouts. The Cursor Movement Keys. The Special Keys. The Modifier and Function Keys. The Numeric Keypad. What to Do When You Get Stuck. Using a Mouse, Trackball, or Touch Pad. Things You Can Do with a Mouse or Trackball. Turning Off Your Computer. Ergonomics: Taking Care of Your Body While You. Use a Computer.

3. Using the Windows XP Desktop.


How to Log On to Windows XP. How to Use Your Mouse. How to Display Icons on Your Desktop. How to Start a Program. How to Arrange Windows on the Desktop. How to Switch Between Programs. How to Use the Notification Area. How to Browse Your Disk Drives. How to Get Help. How to Use the Recycle Bin. How to Log Off Windows XP. How to Turn Off Your Computer.

4. Working with Files and Folders.


How to Use Windows Explorer. How to Search for a File or Folder. How to Create a Folder. How to View Items in a Folder. How to Create a File. How to Open a File. How to Save a File. How to Create a Shortcut to a File or Folder. How to Rename a File or Folder. How to Delete a File or Folder. How to Move or Copy a File or Folder. How to Format a Floppy Disk. How to Send a File to the Floppy Drive. How to Open a File with a Different Program.

5. Printing.


How to Print a Document from a Program. How to Print a Document from Windows. How to Manage Documents Waiting to Print. How to Change Printer Settings. How to Share a Printer with Others. How to Install a Local Printer. How to Set Up Your Computer to Use a Network Printer.

6. Working on a Network.


How to Set Up a Small Network. How to Set Up Additional User Accounts. How to Share an Internet Connection. How to Use My Network Places. How to Add a Network Place. How to Find a Computer on the Network. How to Find a File on the Network. How to Share a File or Folder with Others. How to Map a Network Drive.

7. Working Away from the Network.


How to Create and Fill a Briefcase. How to Take a Briefcase with You. How to Update Files in a Briefcase. How to Make Items Available Offline. How to Use Offline Items. How to Synchronize Offline Items. How to Change Offline Settings.

8. Having Fun with Windows XP.


How to Play Music and Movies. How to Record Music. How to Find Music Online. How to Make Movies. How to Work with Pictures. How to Play Games.

9. Changing Windows XP Settings.


How to Change the Volume. How to Set Up a Screen Saver. How to Change Your Desktop Theme. How to Change Your Wallpaper. How to Change Desktop Appearance. How to Change Display Settings. How to Change Mouse Settings. How to Change Keyboard Settings. How to Customize the Taskbar. How to Change Folder Options. How to Change Power Options. How to Change System Sounds. How to Add an Item to the Start Menu. How to Add an Item to the Quick Launch Bar. How to Start a Program When Windows Starts. How to Set Accessibility Options.

10. Using the System Tools.


How to Free Up Space on Your Hard Disk. How to Defragment Your Hard Disk. How to Schedule a Task to Occur Automatically. How to Use the Windows Troubleshooters. How to Get System Information. How to Use System Restore. How to Compress Files and Folders.

11. Installing New Software and Hardware.


How to Add a Program to Your Computer. How to Change or Remove a Program. How to Add Windows Components from the CD. How to Add Windows Components from the Internet. How to Find Out About Your Installed Hardware. How to Tell Whether a Windows Service Pack is Installed. How to Install Windows XP Service Pack 1. How to Set Program Access and Defaults.

12. Troubleshooting Your Computer.


How to Clean Up the System Tray. How to Boot Selectively. How to Stop a Service. How to Uninstall a Program. How to Use the Event Viewer.

13. Back Up and Restore Your System.


How to Back Up Your Files. How to Restore Files from a Backup. How to Use Automated System Recovery. How to Upgrade to Windows XP. How to Install Windows XP on a Blank Hard Drive. How to Activate Windows XP. How to Create Setup Floppy Disks.

II. USING THE INTERNET.

14. Connecting to the Internet.


How to Set Up an Internet Connection. How to Choose an Internet Service Provider. How to Connect to the Internet. How to Connect to the Internet Through a Proxy Server. How to Load a Web Page.

15. Browsing the World Wide Web.


How to Use a Web Site. How to Visit a Web Site When You Know Its Address. How to Revisit Your Favorite Web Pages. How to Load a Web Page for Faster Viewing. How to Pick a New Home Page for Your Browser. How to Change Internet Explorer's Settings. How to Print a Web Page. How to Save a Web Page to Your Computer. How to Find a Site When You Don't Know Its Address. How to See Pages You Have Recently Visited. How to Search for a Specific Topic on the Web. How to Search Through Millions of Web Pages. How to Find Software on the Web. How to Find a Company on the Web. How to Find a Person on the Web. How to Find a Job on the Web. How to Find Your Ancestors on the Web.

16. Protecting Yourself on the Web.


How to Choose a Security Setting. How to Customize Your Security Setting. How to Block Objectionable Content from Being Viewed. How to Use Security Certificates. How to Disable Cookies in a Web Browser. How to Make Your Internet Connection More Secure. How to Install Antivirus Software. How to Check Your Computer for Viruses.

17. Communicating with Electronic Mail.


How to Set Up Outlook Express for Email. How to Send Email. How to Receive Email. How to Send a Web Page Using Email. How to Send an Attached File. How to Receive an Attached File. How to Find Someone's Email Address. How to Subscribe to a Mailing List. How to Set Up a Free Web-Based Email Account. How to Set Up Hotmail in Outlook Express. How to Use Your Free Web-Based Email Account. How to Print an Email Message.

18. Sending and Receiving Instant.


Messages. How to Add Someone to Your Contact List. How to Invite Someone to Use Messenger. How to Send Someone an Instant Message. How to Prevent Someone from Sending You Messages.

19. Participating in Chat and Online.


Communities. How to Create an Account to Chat on MSN. How to Chat for the First Time on MSN. How to Participate in a Chat on MSN. How to Join a Community on MSN. How to Read and Send Messages in an MSN Community.

20. Participating in Usenet Discussion.


Groups. How to Set Up Outlook Express for Usenet Newsgroups. How to Read a Newsgroup. How to Read Newsgroups You Have Subscribed To. How to Post a Message to a Newsgroup. How to Find a Newsgroup. How to Search an Archive of Past Newsgroup. Discussions. How to Decrease the Junk Email You Receive.

III. BEING PRODUCTIVE WITH MICROSOFT OFFICE XP.

21. Using Common Office Features.


How to Start and Exit Office Applications. How to Navigate Office Applications. How to Work with the Task Pane. How to Work with Menus and Toolbars. How to Customize Toolbars. How to Start a New File. How to Save Your Work. How to Open and Close Files. How to Print a File. How to Find Files. How to Use the Office Help Tools. How to Cut, Copy, and Paste Data. How to Link and Embed Data. How to Add and Remove Office Components.

22. Using Word to Create and Edit Documents.


How to Use Word's Views. How to Enter and Edit Text. How to Select Text. How to Move and Copy Text. How to Use Templates. How to Work with AutoText. How to Format Text. How to Copy Text Formatting. How to Insert Symbols. How to Set Margins. How to Set the Line Spacing. How to Align and Indent Text. How to Work with Bulleted and Numbered Lists. How to Set Tabs. How to Create Columns. How to Insert a Table. How to Add Borders and Shading to Text. How to Use Headers and Footers. How to Insert Comments, Footnotes, and Endnotes. How to Insert Page Numbers and Page Breaks. How to Use Styles. How to Work with Drop Caps and Text Case. How to Add a Watermark. How to Find and Replace Text. How to Check Your Spelling and Grammar. How to Work with AutoCorrect. How to Track and Review Document Changes. How to Change Paper Size. How to Print an Envelope.

23. Using Outlook for Email, Contacts, and Scheduling.


How to Get Around the Outlook Window. How to Schedule an Appointment. How to Set a Recurring Appointment. How to Schedule an Event. How to Plan a Meeting. How to Create a New Task. How to Create a New Contact. How to Import Contact Data. How to Organize Items. How to Compose and Send a Message. How to Read an Incoming Message. How to Reply to or Forward a Message. How to Attach a File to a Message. How to Clean Up the Mailbox. How to Screen Junk Email.

24. Using Excel Spreadsheets.


How to Enter and Edit Cell Data. How to Navigate Worksheets. How to Select Cells. How to Use AutoFill. How to Move and Copy Data. How to Insert and Delete Columns and Rows. How to Remove Data or Cells. How to Set Column Width and Row Height. How to Define a Range Name. How to Find and Replace Data. How to Sort Data. How to Filter Data. How to Work with Worksheets. How to Create Formulas. How to Use AutoSum. How to Enter Functions. How to Use Absolute and Relative Cell Addresses. How to Fix Formula Errors. How to Change Number Formats. How to Adjust the Cell Alignment. How to Work with Borders and Patterns. How to Copy Cell Formatting. How to AutoFormat a Range. How to Add a Comment. How to Track Changes. How to Create a Chart with Chart Wizard. How to Move and Resize Charts. How to Change the Chart Type. How to Work with Chart and Axis Titles. How to Change the Chart Data.

25. Creating Presentations with PowerPoint.


How to Use the AutoContent Wizard. How to Start a New Presentation Based on a Design. Template. How to Build a Presentation from Scratch. How to Use PowerPoint's View Modes. How to Understand Slide Elements. How to Add and Edit Slide Text. How to Format and Align Slide Text. How to Add New Text Boxes. How to Add an Illustration to a Slide. How to Add a Chart to a Slide. How to Insert a Table in a Slide. How to Change the Slide Layout. How to Change the Slide Background. How to Insert and Delete Slides. How to Reorganize Slides. How to Define the Slide Transition. How to Add Animation Effects. How to Run the Slide Show. How to Create Speaker Notes and Handouts. How to Use Pack and Go.

26. Making Databases with Access.


How to Understand Database Basics. How to Use the Database Wizard. How to Enter Data in the Database. How to Add New Tables. How to Modify a Table in Design View. How to Create a New Form with the Form Wizard. How to Make Changes to a Form in Design View. How to Sort Records. How to Filter Records. How to Perform a Simple Query. How to Create a Report. How to Modify a Report in Design View.

27. Working with Office's Graphics Tools.


How to Draw Basic Shapes. How to Insert Clip Art. How to Insert an Object. How to Insert a WordArt Image. How to Move, Size, and Rotate an Object. How to Change Image Formatting. How to Add Shadow Effects. How to Group and Ungroup Objects. How to Insert a Diagram.

Glossary.
Index.