Easy Computer Basics, Windows 10 Edition

Michael Miller is a successful and prolific author with a reputation for practical advice, technical accuracy, and an unerring empathy for the needs of his readers. Mr. Miller has written more than 150 best-selling books over the past 25 years. His books for Que include Easy Facebook, My Facebook for Seniors, My Social Media for Seniors, My Windows 10 Computer for Seniors, and Computer Basics: Absolute Beginner’s Guide. He is known for his casual, easy-to-read writing style and his practical, real-world advice--as well as his ability to explain a variety of complex topics to an everyday audience. Learn more about Mr. Miller at his website, www.millerwriter.com. Follow him on Twitter @molehillgroup.

Chapter 1: Understanding Personal Computers     2

Types of Computers     3

Getting to Know Desktop PCs     4

Getting to Know All-in-One PCs     5

Getting to Know Notebook PCs     6

Getting to Know Tablet PCs     7

Connectors     8

Hard Disk Drives: Long-Term Storage     9

Keyboards     10

Touchpads     11

Memory Card Readers     12

CD and DVD Drives     13

Computer Screens     14

Printers     15

Chapter 2: Setting Up Your PC     16

Desktop Computer System     17

Setting Up a Notebook PC     18

Setting Up an All-in-One Desktop PC     19

Setting Up a Traditional Desktop PC     20

Powering On     23

Logging On to Windows     24

Shutting Down     25

Chapter 3: Connecting Peripherals and Other Devices     26

USB Connector     27

Connecting Devices via USB     28

Connecting a Printer     29

Connecting Your PC to Your TV     32

Chapter 4: Setting Up a Wireless Home Network     34

Understanding How Wireless Networks Work     35

Setting Up Your Network’s Main PC     36

Connecting Additional PCs to Your Wireless Network     38

Adding Your Computer to a Homegroup     41

Accessing Other Computers in Your Homegroup     44

Accessing Other Computers on Your Network     45

Chapter 5: Using Microsoft Windows 10     46

Exploring the Windows 10 Desktop     47

Using the Mouse     48

Using the Windows Start Menu     50

Opening a Program     52

Using the Taskbar     53

Scrolling a Window     54

Maximizing, Minimizing, and Closing a Window     55

Switching Between Open Windows     56

Using Windows in Tablet Mode     58

Using Windows with a Touchscreen Display     60

Chapter 6: Personalizing Windows     62

Settings Window     63

Customizing the Start Menu     64

Changing the Desktop Background     66

Changing the Accent Color     68

Customizing the Lock Screen Picture     70

Adding Apps to the Lock Screen     72

Changing Your Profile Picture     74

Setting Up Additional Users     76

Switching Between Users     79

Configuring Windows Settings     80

Chapter 7: Working with Software Applications     82

Parts of a Window     83

Opening an Application     84

Pinning a Program to the Start Menu     85

Pinning a Program to the Taskbar     86

Creating a Desktop Shortcut     87

Searching for Apps     88

Using Universal Windows Apps     89

Using Context Menus     90

Using Pull-Down Menus     91

Using Toolbars     92

Using Ribbons     93

Using Windows 10’s Built-In Apps     94

Finding New Apps in the Windows Store     98

Chapter 8: Using Microsoft Word     100

Comparing Desktop and Web Versions of Word     101

Launching Word Online     102

Launching the Word Desktop App     104

Navigating Word Online     105

Entering Text     106

Cutting/Copying and Pasting Text     107

Formatting Text     108

Formatting Paragraphs     109

Saving Your Work     110

Printing a Document     111

Chapter 9: Working with Files and Folders     112

File Explorer     113

Launching File Explorer     114

Exploring the Ribbon     115

Navigating with the Navigation Pane     116

Working with Folders     119

Changing the Way Files Are Displayed     120

Sorting Files and Folders     121

Creating a New Folder     122

Renaming a File or Folder     123

Copying a File or Folder     124

Moving a File or Folder     125

Searching for a File     126

Deleting a File or Folder     127

Restoring Deleted Files     128

Emptying the Recycle Bin     129

Compressing a File     130

Extracting Files from a Compressed Folder     131

Working with Files on OneDrive     132

Chapter 10: Using the Internet     134

Microsoft Edge     135

Connecting to an Internet Wi-Fi Hotspot     136

Web Browsing with Microsoft Edge     138

Saving Favorite Pages     140

Returning to a Favorite Page     141

Opening Multiple Pages in Tabs     142

Searching the Web with Google     143

Smart Searching with Cortana     144

Shopping Online     146

Buying Items on Craigslist     148

Selling Items on Craigslist     150

Chapter 11: Communicating with Email     152

Windows Mail App     153

Viewing Your Inbox and Reading Messages     154

Moving a Message to Another Folder     156

Replying to an Email Message     157

Composing a New Email Message     158

Adding Other Accounts to the Mail App     160

Managing Your Contacts from the People App     162

Reading Web-Based Email with Gmail     164

Replying to a Gmail Message     165

Composing a New Gmail Message     166

Sending a File via Gmail     167

Chapter 12: Sharing with Facebook and Other Social Networks     168

Comparing Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter     169

Finding Facebook Friends     170

Reading the News Feed     172

Posting a Status Update     174

Viewing a Friend’s Timeline     176

Personalizing Your Timeline Page     177

Viewing a Friend’s Photos     178

Sharing Your Photos on Facebook     180

Sharing Interesting Images with Pinterest     182

Finding People to Follow on Pinterest     183

Finding and Repinning Interesting Pins     184

Pinning from a Web Page     186

Tweeting with Twitter     188

Following Other Twitter Users     189

Chapter 13: Watching TV and Movies Online     190

Playing Movies with the Windows Movies and  TV App     191

Watching Movies on Netflix     192

Watching TV Shows on Hulu     196

Watching Videos on YouTube     200

Purchasing and Downloading Movies and TV Shows from the iTunes Store     202

Watching Videos with iTunes     204

Watching Digital Videos with the Movies and TV App     206

Chapter 14: Playing Digital Music     208

Comparing Streaming Music Services     209

Streaming Music Online with Spotify     210

Streaming Music Online with Pandora     212

Downloading Music from the iTunes Store     214

Playing Digital Music with iTunes     216

Playing a CD with iTunes     218

Purchasing Music from the Groove Music App     219

Playing Digital Music with the Groove Music App     220

Chapter 15: Viewing and Editing Digital Photos     222

Viewing a Picture with the Photos App     223

Transferring Pictures via USB     224

Transferring Pictures from a Memory Card     225

Viewing Your Photos in Windows     226

Editing Your Photos with the Photos App     228

Chapter 16: Protecting Your Computer     232

Windows Action Center     233

Using the Windows Action Center     234

Defending Against Malware with Windows Defender      235

Deleting Unnecessary Files     236

Deleting Unused Programs     237

Backing Up Your Files     238

Restoring Your Computer After a Crash     240



Glossary     242

Index     248