| 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 | 323 |
