Absolute Beginners Guide to Computer Basics

QUE - Absolute Beginners Guide to Computer Basics 5. Edition (10-2009) (ATTiCA)......Page 6
Introduction......Page 24
How This Book Is Organized......Page 25
Menu Commands......Page 26
Special Elements......Page 27
Let Me Know What You Think......Page 28
I: Getting Started......Page 30
1 How Personal Computers Work......Page 32
What Your Computer Can—and Can’t—Do......Page 33
Getting to Know Your Personal Computer System......Page 34
Inside a Personal Computer......Page 38
Desktop and Notebook PCs......Page 47
Beyond the PC: Printers and Other Peripherals......Page 51
2 Setting Up Your New Computer System......Page 54
Before You Get Started......Page 55
Connecting a Desktop PC......Page 56
Turning It On and Setting It Up......Page 58
II: Using Windows......Page 62
3 Getting to Know Windows 7......Page 64
Introducing Microsoft Windows......Page 65
Working Your Way Around the Desktop......Page 67
Important Windows Operations......Page 68
Using the Start Menu......Page 76
Using the Taskbar......Page 77
Switching Between Programs......Page 80
Using Windows Explorer......Page 81
All the Other Things in Windows......Page 84
Shutting Down Windows—and Your Computer......Page 86
4 Personalizing Windows......Page 88
Changing the Look of Your Desktop......Page 89
Organizing Shortcut Icons......Page 96
Changing the Way the Start Menu Works......Page 98
Setting Up Additional Users......Page 99
5 Working with Files, Folders, and Disks......Page 102
Viewing Files and Folders......Page 103
Navigating Folders......Page 105
Searching for Files......Page 106
Creating New Folders......Page 107
Copying Files......Page 108
Deleting Files......Page 109
Working with Compressed Folders......Page 111
Copying Files to Another Computer......Page 112
Backing Up Your Important Files......Page 114
III: Upgrading and Maintaining Your System......Page 116
6 Adding New Hardware and Devices to Your System......Page 118
Most Popular Peripherals......Page 119
Understanding Ports......Page 120
Adding New External Hardware......Page 122
Connecting Portable Devices to Your PC......Page 123
7 Setting Up a Home Network......Page 126
How Networks Work......Page 127
Setting Up a Wired or Wireless Network......Page 128
Configuring Windows for Your New Network......Page 130
Setting Up Wireless Security......Page 131
Sharing Files and Printers Across the Network......Page 132
Adding Your Computer to a HomeGroup......Page 135
Managing Your Network......Page 136
Sharing an Internet Connection......Page 137
8 Performing Routine Maintenance......Page 140
Free Up Disk Space by Deleting Unnecessary Files and Programs......Page 141
Perform a Hard Disk Checkup with ScanDisk......Page 143
Using the Windows Action Center......Page 144
Backing Up Your Important Data with Windows Backup......Page 145
Keeping Your Hardware in Tip-Top Condition......Page 146
Maintaining a Notebook PC......Page 149
9 Dealing with Common Problems......Page 152
How to Troubleshoot Computer Problems......Page 153
What to Do When Windows Freezes......Page 154
Dealing with a Major Crash......Page 156
Undoing the Damage with System Restore......Page 157
10 Protecting Your PC from Viruses, Spam, and Other Online Nuisances......Page 160
Safeguarding Your System from Computer Viruses......Page 161
Hunting Down Spyware......Page 163
Defending Against Computer Attacks......Page 164
Fighting Email Spam......Page 165
Resisting Phishing Scams......Page 167
Shielding Your Children from Inappropriate Content......Page 169
IV: Using Computer Software......Page 172
11 Installing New Software......Page 174
Installing Software from the Internet......Page 175
12 The Suite Spot: Working with Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office......Page 178
Working with Works......Page 179
Introducing Microsoft Office......Page 182
13 Letters, Memos, and More: Working with Microsoft Word......Page 186
Exploring the Word Interface......Page 187
Working with Documents......Page 189
Working with Text......Page 190
Printing a Document......Page 192
Formatting Your Document......Page 193
Working with an Outline......Page 194
Working with Pictures......Page 195
14 Crunching Numbers: Working with Microsoft Excel......Page 198
Understanding Spreadsheets......Page 199
Inserting and Deleting Rows and Columns......Page 200
Using Formulas and Functions......Page 201
Sorting a Range of Cells......Page 204
Creating a Chart......Page 205
15 Presenting Yourself: Working with Microsoft PowerPoint......Page 208
Understanding Microsoft PowerPoint......Page 209
Creating a New Presentation......Page 210
Formatting Your Slides......Page 212
Adding Graphics......Page 213
Applying Slide Animations......Page 214
Start the Show!......Page 215
V: Using the Internet......Page 216
16 Connecting to the Internet—at Home and on the Road......Page 218
Different Types of Connections......Page 219
Before You Connect......Page 220
Sharing an Internet Connection......Page 221
Connecting to a Public WiFi Hotspot......Page 222
17 Surfing the Web with Internet Explorer......Page 224
Choosing a Web Browser......Page 225
Using Internet Explorer 8......Page 226
Basic Web Surfing......Page 227
Advanced Operations......Page 228
Internet Security with IE8......Page 231
Managing Cookies......Page 232
InPrivate Browsing......Page 234
18 Searching the Web......Page 236
How to Search the Web......Page 237
Where to Search......Page 238
Searching for People and Businesses......Page 240
19 Researching with Wikipedia......Page 242
Reading Wikipedia Articles......Page 243
Searching Wikipedia......Page 244
Contributing to Wikipedia......Page 245
Is Wikipedia Good for Research?......Page 246
20 Shopping Online......Page 248
How to Shop Online......Page 249
How to Find the Best Prices Online......Page 252
How to Shop Safely......Page 254
How to Book Travel Reservations Online......Page 255
21 Buying and Selling on eBay......Page 258
How Does an eBay Auction Work?......Page 259
eBay Bidding, Step-by-Step......Page 261
Buy It Quick with Buy It Now......Page 263
Protecting Yourself Against Fraudulent Sellers......Page 264
eBay Selling, Step-by-Step......Page 265
22 Buying and Selling on craigslist......Page 268
Browsing the Listings......Page 269
Buying on craigslist......Page 271
Listing an Item for Sale......Page 272
Making the Sale......Page 274
23 Banking and Paying Bills Online......Page 276
Web-Based Banking......Page 277
Software-Based Banking......Page 279
Paying Your Bills Online......Page 280
24 Watching Videos on the Web......Page 282
Looking for Videos on the Web......Page 283
Viewing Videos on YouTube......Page 285
Uploading Your Own Videos to YouTube......Page 288
Downloading Videos from the iTunes Store......Page 289
25 Using Web-Based Applications......Page 292
Web-Based Calendars......Page 293
Web-Based Task Management......Page 294
Web-Based Office Suites......Page 295
Web-Based Word Processing......Page 296
Web-Based Presentations......Page 297
26 Creating Your Own Web Page......Page 300
Building a Web Page at a Home Page Community......Page 301
Using Page-Building Software......Page 304
Uploading Your Pages to a Web Host......Page 305
27 Exploring Other Cool and Useful Websites......Page 306
News, Sports, and Weather......Page 307
Medical Information......Page 308
Maps and Travel Guides......Page 309
Religion......Page 310
Education and Reference......Page 311
Sites For and About Kids......Page 312
Sites for Seniors......Page 313
VI: Communicating via the Internet......Page 314
28 Sending and Receiving Email......Page 316
POP Email Versus Web Mail......Page 317
Using Gmail......Page 319
Sending Files via Gmail......Page 322
29 Sending and Receiving Instant Messages......Page 326
Using AOL Instant Messenger......Page 327
30 Social Networking with Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter......Page 332
How Social Networks Work......Page 333
Using Facebook......Page 334
Using MySpace......Page 337
Using Twitter......Page 341
Protecting Your Children on Social Networks......Page 343
31 Exploring Blogs and Podcasts......Page 346
Welcome to the Blogosphere......Page 347
Reading—and Commenting on—Blogs......Page 348
Tracking Your Blogs with Feed Reader Software......Page 349
Creating Your Own Blog......Page 350
Blogs on the Radio: Listening to Podcasts......Page 351
VII: Exploring the Digital Lifestyle......Page 356
32 Organizing and Editing Your Digital Photos......Page 358
Transferring Pictures from Your Camera to Your PC......Page 359
Storing Your Photos in Windows......Page 360
Choosing a Photo-Editing Program......Page 361
Editing Your Photos with Windows Live Photo Gallery......Page 362
Printing Your Photos......Page 366
33 Sharing Your Digital Photos Online......Page 370
Emailing Digital Photos......Page 371
Sharing Photos at an Online Photo Site......Page 372
Printing Photos Online......Page 374
34 Playing, Ripping, and Burning CDs......Page 376
Using Windows Media Player......Page 377
Using Apple iTunes......Page 382
35 Downloading and Playing Digital Music......Page 388
Understanding Digital Audio Formats......Page 389
Dealing with DRM......Page 390
Downloading from Online Music Stores......Page 391
Playing Digital Music on Your PC......Page 394
Listening to Internet Radio......Page 397
36 Using Your PC with an iPod or iPhone......Page 400
Getting to Know the Apple iPod......Page 401
Managing Your Music with iTunes......Page 402
Downloading Music from the iTunes Store......Page 403
37 Playing DVDs and Videos on Your PC......Page 404
Using Windows Media Center to Play DVDs......Page 405
Playing Other Video Files......Page 406
38 Making Your Own Digital Home Movies......Page 408
Choosing a Video-Editing Program......Page 409
Burning Your Movie to DVD......Page 410
A......Page 414
B......Page 416
C......Page 417
D......Page 419
E......Page 420
F......Page 421
H......Page 423
I......Page 424
M......Page 427
N......Page 429
O......Page 430
P......Page 432
S......Page 435
T......Page 439
V......Page 441
W......Page 442
Z......Page 449