Windows Vista™ Plain & Simple

Book description

Get the fast facts that make learning Windows Vista plain and simple! This no-nonsense guide uses easy numbered steps and concise, straightforward language that show the most expedient ways to learn a skill or solve a problem.

Table of contents

  1. Windows Vista™ Plain & Simple
    1. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
    2. Acknowledgments
    3. 1. About This Book
      1. No Computerspeak!
      2. A Quick Overview
      3. What’s New in Windows Vista?
      4. A Few Assumptions
      5. A Final Word (or Two)
    4. 2. Jump Right In
      1. What’s Where in Windows Vista?
      2. Starting Up
        1. Start or Wake Up a Computer
          1. How to Get Your Computer Going
      3. Leaving Your Computer
        1. Leave It
      4. Starting a Program
        1. Start a Program
          1. Frequently Used Windows Vista Programs
      5. Accessing Your Documents
        1. Open a Document
      6. Finding Any File
        1. Search for the File
        2. Run an Advanced Search
      7. Accessing Everything
        1. Open Any Folder
        2. Explore
      8. Switching Among Open Windows
        1. Select a Window
        2. Switch Windows
      9. Mouse and Keyboard Maneuvers
        1. Mouse Moves
        2. Keyboard Moves
        3. So Many Ways to Do It
      10. Managing Windows
        1. Use the Buttons to Switch Between Sizes
        2. Use the Mouse to Resize a Window
        3. Move a Window
      11. Using Shortcut Menus for Quick Results
        1. Use a Shortcut Menu Command
      12. Getting Help
        1. Browse the Help And Support Center
      13. Windows Vista and You
    5. 3. Running Programs and Gadgets
      1. Composing a Document
        1. Create a Document
        2. Format the Document
      2. Saving, Closing, and Opening a Document
        1. Save a Document
        2. Close a Document
        3. Open a Document
      3. Copying Material Between Documents
        1. Copy and Insert Material
      4. Copying Your Screen Content
        1. Snip an Image
      5. Dialog Box Decisions
      6. Inserting Special Characters
        1. Find and Insert a Character
      7. Crunching Numbers
        1. Use the Calculator
        2. Make Complex Calculations
      8. Writing Your Text
        1. Write Your Text
        2. Add Other Elements
      9. Typing on Your Screen
        1. Type Your Content
      10. Writing Quick Notes
        1. Write and Read Your Notes
      11. Writing and Drawing Notes
        1. Write and Draw
        2. Modify and Use Your Content
      12. Annotating a Document
        1. Make Your Comments
      13. Sharing Your Journal Notes
        1. E-Mail Your Note
      14. Controlling Your Gadgets
        1. Control the Gadget
        2. Add or Delete Gadgets
      15. Controlling the Sidebar
        1. Display, Hide, or Exit the Sidebar
        2. Move the Sidebar
      16. Running Commands
        1. Run a Command
          1. The Top 10 Command Prompt Commands
        2. Find a Command
        3. Get Information About a Command
      17. Running Older Programs
        1. Set the Compatibility
    6. 4. Communicating and Scheduling
      1. Sending E-Mail
        1. Create a Message
      2. Saving and Sending a Draft Message
        1. Create a Draft
        2. Send the Draft
      3. Receiving and Reading E-Mail
        1. Read Your Messages
      4. Replying to or Forwarding a Message
        1. Reply to or Forward a Message
      5. Designing Your Default Message
        1. Add a Signature
        2. Specify Your Stationery
      6. Adding Your Contacts
        1. Create a New Contact
        2. Add an Address from a Message
      7. Creating a Contacts Group
        1. Create a Group
      8. Transferring Files
      9. Sharing Contacts
        1. Send a Business Card
        2. Receive a Business Card
      10. E-Mailing a File
        1. Send a File by E-Mail
        2. Receive an Attachment
      11. E-Mailing Your Photos
        1. Send Your Pictures
      12. Organizing Your Messages
        1. Organize!
      13. Managing Your Messages Automatically
        1. Create Your Rules
      14. Tracking Your Schedule
        1. Set an Appointment
      15. Tracking Your Tasks
        1. Track a Task
      16. Scheduling a Meeting
        1. Schedule a Meeting
      17. Tracking Multiple Schedules
        1. Create Multiple Calendars
        2. Compare Calendars
      18. Sharing Schedules
        1. Publish
        2. Subscribe
      19. Subscribing to Newsgroups
        1. Specify Your Newsgroups
      20. Reading and Writing the News
        1. Select a Message
    7. 5. Exploring the Internet
      1. What’s Where in Internet Explorer?
      2. Finding a Web Page
        1. Explore
      3. Opening Multiple Web Pages
        1. Specify the Web Page
        2. Use a Link
      4. Viewing Multiple Web Pages
        1. View Different Web Pages
        2. Clean Up the Tabs
      5. Returning to Your Favorite Sites
        1. Save a Location
        2. Return to a Location
      6. Going to a Specific Web Page
        1. Specify an Address
      7. Setting Your Home Page or Pages
        1. Set the Home Page or Pages
      8. Finding Something on the Internet
        1. Search for an Item
      9. Saving a Web Page
        1. Save a Web Page
      10. Controlling Pop-Up Windows
        1. Set the Pop-Up Blocker
        2. Control the Pop-Up Windows
      11. Reading RSS Feeds
        1. Get Your Feed
        2. Read Your Feed
      12. Transferring Your Settings
        1. Save the Information
        2. Transfer the Information
      13. Copying Material from a Web Page
        1. Save a Picture
        2. Save Some Text
    8. 6. Playing Games
      1. Playing Chess Titans
        1. Play Chess Titans
      2. Playing FreeCell
        1. Play FreeCell
      3. Playing Hearts
        1. Play Hearts
      4. Playing InkBall
        1. Play InkBall
      5. Playing Mahjong Titans
        1. Play Mahjong Titans
      6. Playing Minesweeper
        1. Play Minesweeper
      7. Playing Purble Place
        1. Play Comfy Cakes
        2. Play Purble Shop
        3. Play Purble Pairs
      8. Playing Solitaire
        1. Play Solitaire
      9. Playing Spider Solitaire
        1. Play Spider Solitaire
      10. Controlling All Your Games
        1. Control Your Games
    9. 7. Working with Pictures
      1. Viewing Your Photos
        1. Browse Your Photos
        2. Find Your Photos
      2. Viewing a Photo Slide Show
        1. View the Show
      3. Adding Photos to the Gallery
        1. Copy a Photo or a Folder
        2. Include a Folder on Your Computer or Network
      4. Importing Photos from Your Camera or Removable Media
        1. Import Your Photos
      5. Viewing Photos Stored in Different Locations
        1. View Your Photos
      6. Labeling and Tagging Your Photos
        1. Add a Tag
        2. Add a Caption
        3. Rate a Photo
      7. Editing Your Photos
        1. Adjust the Exposure and Color
        2. Crop a Photo
        3. Remove "Red Eye"
      8. Sharing Your Photos
      9. Getting Camera Information
        1. Get the Information
      10. Managing Your Photos
        1. Rename Your Photos
        2. Copy Your Photos
        3. Manage the File
      11. Drawing Pictures
        1. Create a Picture
        2. Use the Tools
          1. Change a Tool’s Function with the Shift Key
    10. 8. Working with Multimedia
      1. Creating a Multimedia Slide Show
        1. Assemble a DVD Slide Show
        2. Create the Slide Show
      2. Playing with Multimedia
      3. Creating a Video DVD
        1. Create the DVD
      4. Downloading a Video from a Camera
        1. Download the Entire Video
      5. Downloading Video Clips from a Camera
        1. Download the Clips
      6. Downloading Video to a DVD
        1. Transfer to a DVD
      7. Recording a Video from a Camera
        1. Record Your Video
      8. Playing Multimedia with Media Player
        1. Start Playing
        2. Change the Play Order
      9. Arranging Your Media with Playlists
        1. Create a Playlist
        2. Create an Auto Playlist
      10. Copying CD Music
        1. Rip from a CD
        2. Create a Music CD
      11. Controlling Video Playback
        1. Adjust the Playback
      12. Playing a Music CD
        1. Play a Music CD
      13. Playing a DVD
        1. Play the DVD
      14. Changing Media Player’s Shape
        1. Switch Modes
      15. Downloading Music
        1. Get Your Music
      16. Sharing Media on Your Network
        1. Set Up Sharing
      17. Automatically Synchronizing Media with a Portable Device
        1. Set Up the Synchronization
        2. Control the Synchronization Settings
      18. Manually Synchronizing Media with a Portable Device
        1. Add Items to the Device
        2. Add Random Items to the Device
      19. Watching Windows Media Center
        1. Control Media Center
      20. Using Windows Media Center
        1. Category: TV + Movies
        2. Online Media
        3. Tasks
        4. Pictures + Videos
        5. Music
      21. Creating a Simple Movie
        1. Make a Movie
      22. Making Movies That People Actually Enjoy
      23. Preparing to Produce a Movie
        1. Gather Your Files
        2. Create Clips
        3. Combine Clips
      24. Creating an AutoMovie
        1. Create a Movie
      25. Creating a Custom Movie
        1. Set Up the Movie
      26. Adding Transitions to Your Movie
        1. Add the Transitions
      27. Using Video Effects
        1. Add the Effects
      28. Adding Titles and Credits
        1. Add the Title
        2. Add the Credits
      29. Adding Audio to Your Movie
        1. Create a Narration
        2. Add a Soundtrack
      30. Adding Slides to Your Movie
        1. Add Slides
      31. Editing Your Movie Layout
        1. Tweak Your Clips
      32. Publishing Your Movie
        1. Publish It
    11. 9. Using Voice and Sounds
      1. Controlling the Volume
        1. Set the Defaults
        2. Set the Master Volume Level
        3. Set the Volume for Events and Programs
      2. Directing Your Computer with Voice Commands
        1. Start Speech Recognition
          1. Use the Commands
      3. Dictating Text
        1. Dictate Your Text
          1. Use the Commands
        2. Correct Errors
      4. Customizing Speech Recognition
        1. Customize Speech Recognition
      5. Talking to the Mouse
        1. Use the Grid
      6. Letting Your Computer Do the Talking
        1. Listen to Narrator
      7. Creating a Sound File
        1. Record Sounds
      8. Associating a Sound with an Event
        1. Use an Existing Sound Scheme
        2. Create a Sound Scheme
      9. Using Alternatives to Sound
        1. Turn on Visual Cues
    12. 10. Printing and Scanning
      1. Printing from a Program
        1. Print a Document
      2. Printing a Document
        1. Print a Document Using the Default Printer
        2. Print a Document Using a Specific Printer
      3. Specifying a Default Printer
        1. Change the Default Printer
      4. Controlling Your Printing
        1. View the Queue
        2. Stop the Presses
      5. Printing Your Photographs
        1. Print the Pictures
      6. Printing Web Pages
        1. Fix the Layout
          1. Header and Footer Codes
      7. Creating an XPS Document
        1. Create the Document
      8. Scanning a Picture
        1. Scan a Picture
      9. Scanning Anything
        1. Scan
    13. 11. Managing Files and Folders
      1. Windows Views
      2. Changing the Window View
        1. Choose a View
      3. Sorting Your Files and Folders
        1. Sort by Field
        2. Group, Filter, or Stack
      4. Viewing File Information
        1. Show the Information
      5. Classifying Your Files
        1. Add More Information
      6. Navigating Folders
        1. Navigate
      7. Adding a Link to a Folder
        1. Add a Link
      8. Finding Specific Types of Files
        1. Save and Reuse a Search
      9. Creating Quick Access to a File or Folder
        1. Create a Shortcut to a File or Folder
      10. Organizing Your Files
        1. Move, Copy, or Delete a File
        2. Rename a File or Folder or a Group of Files
      11. Sharing Files with Other Users
        1. Share a File or Folder with All Users
        2. Share a File or Folder with Selected Users
      12. Recovering a Deleted Item
        1. Undo a Deletion
        2. Restore an Item
      13. Using a Removable Memory Device
        1. Use the Device
      14. Copying Files to a CD or DVD
        1. Archive Your Files
        2. Copy Files for Distribution
      15. Compressing Files
        1. Create a Compressed Folder
        2. Use a Compressed File
      16. Navigating with Toolbars
        1. Display a Toolbar
          1. The Taskbar’s Toolbars
    14. 12. Networking
      1. Connecting to a Network Computer
        1. Connect to a Computer
        2. Connect to a Computer That’s Not Listed
      2. Exploring Your Network
        1. Explore
      3. Sharing Your Files over the Network
        1. Set Up Sharing Permission
      4. Sharing a Folder over the Network
        1. Share a Folder
      5. Sharing a Printer over the Network
        1. Share the Printer
      6. Creating a Connection to a Network Folder
        1. Assign a Drive
      7. Connecting to a Network over the Internet
        1. Create the VPN Connection
      8. Connecting to a Public Wireless Network
        1. Connect to an Open-Access Network
        2. Connect to a Secure Network
      9. Connecting Without a Network
        1. Create a Network
        2. Connect to the Network
      10. Hosting a Network Meeting
        1. Start a Meeting
      11. Joining a Network Meeting
        1. Browse for a Meeting
        2. Accept an Invitation
      12. Participating in a Network Meeting
        1. Share a Program
        2. Share Handouts
      13. Identifying Yourself on a Local Network
        1. Make Your Settings
      14. Controlling a Computer over the Network
        1. Turn Over Control
      15. Holding a Wireless Meeting
        1. Create the Meeting
        2. Connect to the Meeting
      16. Using a Network Projector
        1. Connect
    15. 13. Setting Up
      1. Transferring Files and Settings
        1. Set Up the Computers
        2. Transfer the Information
      2. Setting Your Default Programs
        1. Set the System Defaults
        2. Customize the Settings
      3. Turning Windows Components On or Off
        1. Turn a Component On or Off
      4. Associating a File Type with a Program
        1. Set a Program to Always Open a File
      5. Setting Up Dial-Up Internet Access
        1. Set Up a Connection
        2. Control the Connection
      6. Setting Up Windows Mail
        1. Set Up Your E-Mail Account
        2. Add an Account
      7. Setting Up a Printer
        1. Set Up a Local Printer
        2. Connect to a Network Printer
      8. Setting Up Hardware
        1. Set Up the Hardware Automatically
        2. Set Up the Hardware Manually
      9. Setting Up a SideShow Device
        1. Set Up SideShow
    16. 14. Customizing
      1. Changing the Overall Look
        1. Change the Theme
      2. Adjusting the Windows Aero Glass Effect
        1. Adjust the Color Scheme and Glass Effect
      3. Changing the Color Scheme
        1. Change the Color Scheme
      4. Setting Your Desktop Background
        1. Set the Background
      5. Using a Screen Saver
        1. Choose a Screen Saver
        2. Create a Custom Screen Saver
      6. Customizing Your Mouse
        1. Set the Buttons
        2. Set the Mouse Pointer
      7. Customizing the Taskbar
        1. Customize the Taskbar
        2. Customize the Notification Area of the Taskbar
      8. Moving the Taskbar
        1. Move and Resize the Taskbar
      9. Customizing the Desktop Icons
        1. Select and Modify the Icons
      10. Customizing the Start Menu
        1. Choose and Customize the Style
        2. Add or Remove a Start Menu Program
        3. Add a Link to an Item
      11. Customizing Your Folders
        1. Change the Way All the Folders Work
        2. Change the Content That’s Shown
      12. Changing Your Account Picture
        1. Change Your Picture
      13. Changing the Way a CD Starts
        1. Set the AutoPlay
      14. Using Alternative Ways of Working
        1. Set the Options
      15. Working Alternatives
        1. Alternative Tools
        2. Alternative Settings
      16. Working in a Different Part of the World
        1. Change the Default Region
        2. Add Keyboard and Language Support
      17. Adding Time Zone Clocks
        1. Create the Clocks
    17. 15. Maintaining Security
      1. Know Your Rights
        1. User Groups
      2. Setting Your Password
        1. Create a Password
      3. Changing Your Password
        1. Change Your Password
      4. Resetting Your Password
        1. Create and Use a Password Reset Disk
      5. Restricting User Rights
        1. Change the Type of Access
        2. Use the Guest Account
      6. Protecting Your Account
        1. Lock the Computer
      7. Monitoring Your Security Settings
        1. Check Your Settings
      8. Configuring the Windows Firewall
        1. Configure the Firewall
      9. Authorizing Administrative Actions
        1. Turn On the User Account Control
      10. Restricting Access to Web Content
        1. Set Up Parental Controls
        2. Control the Content
      11. Restricting Access on the Computer
        1. Restrict the Games
        2. Restrict Access Times
        3. Block Programs
      12. Maintaining High Security
        1. Doing Your Part
      13. Setting Internet Explorer Security
        1. Set Your Security
      14. Restricting DVD Movies in Windows Media Player
        1. Specify the Allowable DVD Rating
      15. Preventing Access While Using Windows Media Player
        1. Lock Media Player
      16. Restricting Content in Windows Media Center
        1. Set the Movie and DVD Control
        2. Set the TV Control
      17. Creating Trusted Contacts
        1. Exchange Contacts
      18. Foiling E-Mail Viruses
        1. Protect Yourself and Others
      19. Installing Critical Fixes
        1. Configure Your Downloading
    18. 16. Managing Windows Vista
      1. Adding or Deleting User Accounts
        1. Add a Standard Account
        2. Delete an Account
      2. Changing the Date and Time
        1. Change the Time Zone, Date, or Time
      3. Changing the Display
        1. Increase the Computer’s Screen Area
      4. Checking the Status of Windows
        1. Check the Status
      5. So Many Tools and Settings
      6. Controlling the Power Options
        1. Use a Power Plan
        2. Set the Power Buttons and the Password Requirement
      7. Managing Settings for a Presentation
        1. Prepare for the Presentation
        2. Use an External Display
      8. Controlling Your Startup Programs
        1. Control the Programs
      9. Maintaining Your Hard Disk
        1. Maintain a Drive
          1. Disk-Maintenance Tool
      10. Downloading Free Software
        1. Download the Software
      11. Removing a Software Program
        1. Uninstall a Program
      12. Starting Up When There’s a Problem
        1. Control the Startup
          1. Windows Error Recovery Startup Options
          2. Additional Options Using Windows Advanced Options Menu
      13. Fixing System Problems
        1. Restore the System
      14. Managing Everything
        1. Use the Console
          1. Computer Management Console Items
      15. Removing Spyware
        1. Change Defender Settings
      16. Helping Each Other
        1. Ask for Help
        2. Give Help
      17. Backing Up Your Files
        1. Back Up Your Files
      18. Restoring Backed-Up Files
        1. Restore the Files
      19. Upgrading Windows Vista
        1. Upgrade
    19. About the Authors
    20. Choose the Right Book for You
      1. Published and Upcoming Titles
        1. Plain & Simple
        2. Step by Step
        3. Inside Out
    21. Index
    22. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly

Product information

  • Title: Windows Vista™ Plain & Simple
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: December 2006
  • Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
  • ISBN: 9780735622685