Windows XP gigabook for dummies

915 Pages·2004·31.377 MB·English

by  Peter Weverka, Mark L. Chambers, Greg Harvey, Woody Leonhard, John R. Levine, Margaret Levine Young, Doug Lowe

Windows® XP
GIGABOOK
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Weverka
Mark Chambers,Greg Harvey,Woody Leonhard,
JohnLevine,MargaretLevineYoung,Doug Lowe

Windows® XP
GIGABOOK
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Weverka
Mark Chambers,Greg Harvey,Woody Leonhard,
JohnLevine,MargaretLevineYoung,Doug Lowe
Windows®XP GigaBook For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Acknowledgments
Wiley Publishing, Inc. gratefully acknowledges the contributions of these authors
and contributing writers: Peter Weverka, Woody Leonhard, Mark L. Chambers, Greg
Harvey, John Levine, Doug Lowe, and Margaret Levine Young.
We would like to thank Peter Weverka for editing this book, Jean Rogers for copy
editing it, and Linda Morris for serving as project editor. Thanks as well go to
Kerwin McKenzie for his technical edits, Richard T. Evans for his index, and Rich
Tennant for the witty cartoons you will find in this book. Thanks are also due to
themany page layout technicians, graphic artists, proofreaders, and others in
Composition Services who worked to bring this book to fruition.
Peter Weverka wishes to thank Steve Hayes for the opportunity to work on this and
other For Dummiesbooks for Wiley Publishing, Inc.
iii
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
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Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Production
Project Editor:Linda Morris Project Coordinator: Courtney MacIntyre
Acquisitions Editor:Steven Hayes Layout and Graphics: AmandaCarter, LaurenGoddard,
LynseyOsborn, JacqueSchneider,JulieTrippetti
Copy Editor:Jean Rogers
Proofreaders: Andy Hollandbeck, CarlW.Pierce,
Technical Editor:Kerwin McKenzie
Christine Pingleton, DwightRamsey
Editorial Manager:Leah Cameron
Indexer: Richard T. Evans
Media Development Supervisor:Richard Graves
Special Help:Joni Burns, Erin Zeltner
Editorial Assistant:Amanda Foxworth
Cartoons:Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley,Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings,Vice President and Publisher
Mary C. Corder,Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele,Vice President and Publisher
Joyce Pepple,Acquisitions Director
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services
Contents at a Glance
Introduction.................................................................................1
Book I: Windows XP ....................................................................5
Part I: Getting to Know Windows XP..........................................................................................7
Chapter 1: Introducing Windows XP .........................................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Upgrading to Windows XP ....................................................................................................13
Chapter 3: Finding Your Way around Windows XP ...............................................................................23
Part II: Customizing Windows XP..............................................................................................47
Chapter 4: Personalizing Your Desktop ..................................................................................................47
Chapter 5: Organizing Your Windows XP Interface ...............................................................................65
Chapter 6: Setting Up Personal Accounts ..............................................................................................77
Part III: Managing Files and Maintaining Order.....................................................................87
Chapter 7: Managing Files and Folders ...................................................................................................87
Chapter 8: Locating Stuff with Windows XP ..........................................................................................99
Chapter 9: Adding and Removing Software .........................................................................................111
Chapter 10: Maintaining Your Windows XP System ............................................................................117
Part IV: Exploring Windows XP Multimedia.........................................................................131
Chapter 11: Jammin’ with Windows Media Player ..............................................................................131
Chapter 12: Lights! Action! Windows Movie Maker ............................................................................147
Chapter 13: Working with Digital Pictures ...........................................................................................163
Book II: PCs and Peripherals ....................................................177
Part I: Hardware..........................................................................................................................179
Chapter 1: Starting with the Basics .......................................................................................................179
Chapter 2: Additional Toys Your PC Will Enjoy ...................................................................................189
Chapter 3: Connectors, Ports, and Sundry Openings .........................................................................203
Chapter 4: Maintaining Your Hardware ................................................................................................211
Part II: Peripheral Equipment...................................................................................................223
Chapter 5: Scanning with Gusto ............................................................................................................223
Chapter 6: Dude, MP3 Rocks! .................................................................................................................239
Chapter 7: Making Movies with Your PC ..............................................................................................251
Chapter 8: I Can Make My Own DVDs? .................................................................................................267
Chapter 9: I’m Okay, You’re a Digital Camera ......................................................................................281
Part III: Upgrading and Supercharging...................................................................................297
Chapter 10: Determining What to Upgrade ..........................................................................................297
Chapter 11: Adding RAM to Your Hot Rod ...........................................................................................303
Chapter 12: Scotty, I Need More Power! ...............................................................................................309
Chapter 13: Adding Hard Drive Territory to Your System .................................................................317
Chapter 14: Partying with USB, FireWire, and Hubs ...........................................................................325
Chapter 15: Pumping Up Your Sound and Video .................................................................................331
Part IV: Home Networking........................................................................................................339
Chapter 16: Do I Really Need a Network? .............................................................................................339
Chapter 17: Ethernet to the Rescue ......................................................................................................345
Chapter 18: Going Wireless ....................................................................................................................365
Chapter 19: Sharing Your Internet Connection ....................................................................................377
Book III: The Internet ..............................................................389
Part I: Going Online with an ISP..............................................................................................391
Chapter 1: Hooking Up with the Right Service ....................................................................................391
Chapter 2: Managing Your Online Security ..........................................................................................395
Chapter 3: America Online .....................................................................................................................401
Part II: Getting Caught in the World Wide Web....................................................................411
Chapter 4: Browsers and What They Do ..............................................................................................411
Chapter 5: Customizing Your Browser Settings ...................................................................................427
Chapter 6: Printing and Saving Web Information ................................................................................441
Part III: E-Mail.............................................................................................................................449
Chapter 7: E-Mail Basics .........................................................................................................................449
Chapter 8: Sending and Receiving E-Mail with Outlook Express .......................................................455
Chapter 9: Organizing E-Mail Addresses and Messages .....................................................................463
Chapter 10: Mailing Lists ........................................................................................................................471
Part IV: Other Online Communications...................................................................................479
Chapter 11: Chatting Online ...................................................................................................................479
Chapter 12: Instant Messaging ...............................................................................................................485
Chapter 13: Keeping Up to Date with News .........................................................................................491
Part V: Creating Web Pages......................................................................................................499
Chapter 14: Getting Started with Web Publishing ...............................................................................499
Chapter 15: Elements of Web Page Design ...........................................................................................507
Chapter 16: Working with Graphics, Sounds, and Videos ..................................................................517
Chapter 17: Publishing on the Web .......................................................................................................527
Part VI: Can’t-Miss Stops on the Internet...............................................................................533
Chapter 18: Finding Your Way with Google ..........................................................................................533
Chapter 19: Getting Bargains on eBay ..................................................................................................539
Chapter 20: Planning Your Next Vacation Online ................................................................................549
Chapter 21: Researching Investments Online ......................................................................................557
Chapter 22: Listening to the Music .......................................................................................................567
Book IV: Office 2003 and Money 2004 ....................................571
Part I: Word 2003.........................................................................................................................573
Chapter 1: Entering, Editing, and Formatting Text ..............................................................................573
Chapter 2: Speed Techniques for Using Word .....................................................................................581
Chapter 3: Laying Out Text and Pages ..................................................................................................595
Chapter 4: Word Styles ...........................................................................................................................613
Chapter 5: Constructing the Perfect Table ...........................................................................................621
Chapter 6: Getting Word’s Help with Office Chores ............................................................................631
Part II: Outlook 2003...................................................................................................................649
Chapter 7: Getting Acquainted with Outlook .......................................................................................649
Chapter 8: Handling Your E-Mail ...........................................................................................................661
Chapter 9: Managing Your Time and Schedule ....................................................................................683
Part III: PowerPoint 2003...........................................................................................................691
Chapter 10: Getting Started in PowerPoint ..........................................................................................691
Chapter 11: Entering the Text ................................................................................................................703
Chapter 12: Advanced Formatting Techniques ...................................................................................709
Chapter 13: Giving the Presentation .....................................................................................................719
Part IV: Excel 2003......................................................................................................................725
Chapter 14: Up and Running with Excel ...............................................................................................725
Chapter 15: Refining Your Worksheet ...................................................................................................737
Chapter 16: Formulas and Functions for Crunching Numbers ..........................................................745
Chapter 17: Making a Worksheet Easier to Read and Understand ...................................................757
Chapter 18: Seeing Data in Charts .........................................................................................................767
Part V: Money 2004.....................................................................................................................775
Chapter 19: Introducing Money .............................................................................................................775
Chapter 20: Setting Up Your Accounts .................................................................................................781
Chapter 21: Recording Your Financial Activity ....................................................................................791
Chapter 22: Categorizing Your Spending and Income ........................................................................809
Chapter 23: Reconciling, or Balancing, an Account ............................................................................819
Chapter 24: Money for Investors ...........................................................................................................827
Index.......................................................................................849