Absolute beginner's guide to computer basics

Print version:

VI. Exploring the digital lifestyle

30. Using your PC with a digital camera

Transferring pictures via USB

Transferring pictures from a memory card

Scanning a picture

Storing your photos in Windows

31. Organizing and editing your digital photos

Choosing a photo editing program

Editing your photos with Windows Photo Gallery

Printing your photos

32. Sharing your digital photos online

Emailing digital photos

Sharing photos at a photo sharing site

Printing photos online

33. Playing, ripping, and burning CDs

Choosing a music player program

Using Windows Media Player

Using Apple iTunes

34. Downloading and playing digital music

Understanding digital audio formats

Downloading from online music stores

Playing digital music on your PC

Listening to Internet radio

35. Using your PC with an iPod or MP3 player

Working with the Apple iPod

Using Windows Media Player with other MP3 players

36. Playing DVDs and videos on your PC

Using Windows Media Player to play DVDs

Playing video files with Windows Media Player

Playing recorded TV programs with Windows Media Player

37. Downloading and playing videos from the Web

Looking for videos on the Web

Viewing videos on YouTube

Viewing and downloading videos from Google video

Downloading videos from the iTunes store

38. Making your own digital home movies

Configuring your system for video editing

Choosing a video editing program

Working with Windows Movie Maker

Burning your movie to DVD. v. Using the Internet

19. Connecting to the Internet, at home and on the road

Different types of connection

Before you connect

Setting up a new connection

Sharing an Internet connection

Connecting to a public WiFi hotspot

20. Sending and receiving email

Setting up your email account

Understanding the Windows Mail window

Managing your email

Sending files via email

Protecting against spam, phishing scams, and viruses

Using address book to manage your contacts

21. Surfing the Web with Internet Explorer

Understanding the Web

Using Internet Explorer 7

Basic Web surfing

Using tabbed browsing

Advanced operations

Internet security with IE7

22. Searching the Web

How to search the Web

Where to search

Searching for people and businesses

23. Shopping online

How to shop online

How to find the best prices online

How to shop safely

Booking travel reservations online

24. Buying and selling in eBay online auctions

Who sells on eBay?

How does an eBay auction work?

eBay bidding, step-by-step

Buy it quick with buy it now

More than auctions : eBay express, eBay stores, and Half.com

Protecting yourself against fraudulent sellers

eBay selling, step-by-step

25. Exploring blogs and podcasts

Welcome to the blogosphere

Reading, and commenting on, blogs

Searching for blogs

Tracking your blogs with feed reader software

Creating your own blog

Blogs on the radio : listing to podcasts

26. Social networking with MySpace

What is MySpace?

Browsing MySpace profiles

Creating your own MySpace profile

MySpace for parents

27. Creating your own Web page

Building a Web page at a home page community

Using page-building software

Uploading your pages to a Web host

28. Exploring other cool and useful Websites

News, sports, and weather

Financial information

Medical information

Photos, clip art, and other images

Maps and travel guides

Classified and local shopping

Job hunting

R. IV. Using computer software

13. Installing new software

Automatic installation

Manual installation

Installing software from the Internet

Removing old programs

14. The suite spot : working with Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office

Different versions of Works

Working with Works

Introducing Microsoft Office

15. Letters, memos, and more : working with Microsoft Word

Exploring the Word interface

Working with documents

Working with text

Printing a document

Formatting your document

Working with an outline

Working with pictures

16. Crunching numbers : working with Microsoft Excel

Understanding spreadsheets

Entering data

Inserting and deleting rows and columns

Using formulas and functions

Sorting a range of cells

Formatting your spreadsheet

Creating a chart

17. Presenting yourself : working with Microsoft PowerPoint

Understanding Microsoft PowerPoint

Creating a new presentation

Formatting your slides

Adding graphics

Applying slide animations

Start the show!

18. Banking and beyond : working with Microsoft Money and Quicken

Managing your money with Microsoft Money

Quick and easy banking with Quicken

Doing online banking. III. Upgrading and maintaining your system

8. Adding new hardware and devices to your system

Most popular peripherals

Understanding ports

Adding new external hardware

Adding new internal hardware

Connecting portable devices to your PC

9. Setting up a home network

How networks work

Setting up a wired or wireless network

Configuring Windows for your new network

Setting up wireless security

Sharing files and folders across the network

Sharing a printer across your network

Sharing an Internet connection

10. Performing routine maintenance

Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files

Make you hard disk run better by defragmenting

Perform a hard disk checkup with ScanDisk

Keep you hardware in tip-top condition

Backing up your important data with Windows backup

11. Dealing with common problems

How to troubleshoot computer problems

What to do when Windows freezes

Dealing with a major crash

Undoing the damage with system restore

12. Protecting your PC from viruses, spam, and other online nuisances

Safeguarding your system from computer viruses

Fighting email spam

Resisting phishing scams

Hunting down spyware

Defending against computer attacks

Shielding your children from inappropriate content. Introduction

How this book is organized

Which version of Windows?

Conventions used in this book

Let me know what you think

I. Getting started

1. Understanding desktop PCs

What your computer can, and can't, do

Getting to know your personal computer system

Computer hardware basics

2. Understanding notebook PCs

Notebooks PCs : pros and cons

Key elements of a notebook PC

Different types of notebook PCs

Special considerations for using a notebook PC

3. Setting up your new computer system

Before you get started

Connecting the cables

Turning it on and setting it up

II. Using Windows

4. Getting to know Windows Vista

Introducing Windows Vista

Working your way around the desktop

Important Windows operations

Using the start menu, and switching programs

Using Windows Explorers

All the other things in Windows

Getting help in Windows

Shutting down Windows, and your computer

5. Using Windows XP on older computers

Before Vista : previous versions of windows

Getting to know Windows XP

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista

6. Personalizing Windows

Getting to know the Windows control panel

Changing the look of your desktop in Windows Vista

Changing the look of your desktop in Windows XP

Organizing desktop icons

Changing the way the start menu works

Resetting the time and date

Setting up additional users

7. Working with files, folders, and disks

Understanding files and folders

Viewing folders and files

Navigating folders

Searching for files

Creating new folders

Renaming files and folders

Copying files

Moving files

Deleting files

Working with compressed folders

Copying files to another computer

Backing up your important files