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Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
CHAPTER 1:
You've Got Microsoft Windows XP ... Now What? 1
What's New in Windows XP 2
Home Edition or Professional: What's the Difference? 7
Before You Upgrade... 9
Moving Your Files and Settings to a New Computer 11
Get the Latest Windows Updates 18
Everything You Need to Know About Windows Product Activation 21
CHAPTER 2:
How Windows Works (and How to Work with Windows) 23
Getting Started 24
Disks, Drives, Files, and Folders 30
Change Settings with Control Panel 44
Make Windows Run Faster 47
How Do I...? 52
Shutting Down 55
CHAPTER 3:
Installing, Uninstalling, and Running Programs 59
Installing a New Program 59
Create Shortcuts to Your Favorite Programs 63
Your Old Program Won't Run Right? Try This Fix 67
What to Do When a Program Freezes 68
Choose the Program That Works with a File Type 70
Change Programs That Run Automatically at Startup 72
Remove Programs the Right Way 74
CHAPTER 4:
Microsoft Windows and Hardware 77
Hardware Made Easy 78
Inspecting Your Hardware with Device Manager 85
Updating a Device Driver 88
Troubleshooting Hardware Problems 90
Working with Removable Devices (USB and Others) 91
CHAPTER 5:
Fixing Computer Problems 93
Be Prepared! Five Habits to Fend Off Trouble 93
Troubleshooting 101: Figuring Out What's Wrong 102
Using Remote Assistance for Hands-On Help 108
Decoding Error Messages 112
Rolling Back to a Previous Configuration 116
How to Recover After Your Computer Crashes 118
CHAPTER 6:
Connecting to the Internet and Browsing the Web 123
Using a Modem to Get on the Internet 124
Setting Up a Broadband (Cable or DSL) Connection 130
Sharing Your Internet Connection 131
Search Secrets 135
Keeping Track of Your Favorite Web Sites 139
What to Do When a Web Page Won't Work 142
Filling In Forms and Remembering Passwords 143
Saving a Copy of a Web Page for Later Use 145
CHAPTER 7:
E-Mail Made Easy 151
Setting Up Your E-Mail Accounts 152
Checking Your E-Mail 159
Composing a New Message 162
Managing Your Address Book 165
What to Do with File Attachments 168
Organizing Your E-Mail 170
Using Windows Messenger 177
CHAPTER 8:
Protecting Your Privacy and Your Computer's Security 179
What You (and Your Family) Need to Know 180
Protect Yourself from Viruses 182
Block Spam and Junk E-Mail 187
Keep Hackers Out with a Firewall 190
The Truth About Cookies 195
CHAPTER 9:
Making Windows Work Your Way 201
Choose Your Interface: Windows XP or Windows Classic 202
Make the Taskbar Easier to Work With 204
Streamline Your Start Menu 210
Redecorate Your Desktop 212
Set Up a Screen Saver 218
Add New Fonts 220
Customize Windows Sounds 221
CHAPTER 10:
Organizing Your Files 225
Where Should You Keep Your Stuff? 225
Working with Windows Explorer 230
Working with Hidden Files 235
Organizing Files 236
Compressing Files to Save Space 242
CHAPTER 11:
Managing Music (and More) with Windows Media Player 247
Windows Media Player at a Glance 248
Playing Music CDs on Your Computer 251
Managing a Digital Music Collection 254
Playing DVDs
263
Creating Your Own CDs 264
CHAPTER 12:
Picture-Perfect Digital Photography 267
Out of the Camera, Onto the Computer 267
Organizing Your Images 271
Putting Your Pictures on Paper 271
E-Mailing Photos to Friends and Family 274
Posting Your Pictures on the Web 276
Slide Shows and Screen Savers 277
CHAPTER 13:
Managing User Accounts 281
How User Accounts Control Access to Your Computer 282
Creating a New Account 283
Using the Guest Account 285
Changing an Existing Account 286
Deleting an Account 292
Making Your Files Private 293
CHAPTER 14:
Setting Up and Running a Small Network 297
Do You Need a Network? 298
What Hardware Does Your Network Need? 298
Making Network Connections 300
Setting Up a Wireless Network 306
Troubleshooting Network Problems 308
How File Sharing Works 311
Using the Shared Documents Folder 314
Sharing a Folder with Other Network Users 315
Sharing a Printer 317
Accessing Shared Folders and Printers on Your Network 319
INDEX
Ed Bott is an award-winning journalist and one of the most recognized voices in the computing world. He has nearly two decades' experience as a writer and an editor at PC World and PC Computing and has written 15 books, including the popular Microsoft Pressr title Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out (with Carl Siechert).
