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Contents Listing

Introduction

About This Book



Part One: The Windows XP Desktop



Chapter 1: A Welcome to Windows XP

What It's For

Getting Ready for Windows

What's New in Windows XP

Professional Edition vs. Home Edition

The Dark Side of Windows XP



Chapter 2: The Desktop and Start Menu

Logging In

The Elements of the XP Desktop

The Start Menu

Start Log Off

Start Shut Down (Turn Off Computer)

Start All Programs

Start Run

Start Search

Start Help and Support

Start Control Panel

Start My Network Places

Start My Computer

Start My Music, My Pictures

Start My Recent Documents

Start My Documents

Customizing the Start Menu



Chapter 3: Windows, Folders, and the Taskbar

Windows in Windows

The Desktop Window Overhaul

Window Toolbars

The Taskbar

Taskbar Toolbars



Chapter 4: Organizing Your Stuff

The Folders of Windows XP

Life with Icons

Copying and Moving Folders and Files

The Recycle Bin

Shortcut Icons

Burning CDs from the Desktop



Chapter 5: Getting Help

Navigating the Help System

“What's This?”: Help for Dialog Boxes

Remote Assistance

Getting Help from Microsoft



Part Two: The Components of Windows XP



Chapter 6: Programs and Documents

Launching Programs

Switching Programs

Exiting Programs

When Programs Die

Saving Documents

Closing Documents

The Open Dialog Box

Moving Data Between Documents

Filename Extensions

Installing Software

Uninstalling Software

Running Pre-XP Programs



Chapter 7: The Freebie Software

The Windows XP Accessories

Windows XP Games

Everything Else



Chapter 8: Pictures, Sounds, and Movies

Digital Photos in XP

Scanning

Windows Media Player

Making WAVs with Sound Recorder

Windows Movie Maker 2



Chapter 9: The Control Panel

Category View: The Big XP Change

Accessibility Options

Add New Hardware

Add or Remove Programs

Administrative Tools

Date and Time

Display

Folder Options

Fonts

Gaming Options

Internet Options

Keyboard

Mouse

Network Connections

Phone and Modem Options

Power Options

Printers and Faxes

Regional and Language Options

Scanners and Cameras

Scheduled Tasks

Sounds and Audio Devices

Speech

System

Taskbar and Start Menu

User Accounts



Part Three: Windows Online



Chapter 10: Hooking Up to the Internet

Five Degrees of Online Readiness

How to Get Online

Establishing a Brand-new Internet Account

Manually Plugging in Internet Settings

Connecting to the Internet

Advanced Modem Settings



Chapter 11: Web, Chat, and Videoconferencing

Internet Explorer 6

Windows Messenger



Chapter 12: Outlook Express 6

Setting Up Outlook Express

Sending Email

Reading Email

Configuring Outlook Express

Newsgroups



Part Four: Plugging into Windows XP



Chapter 13: Printing, Fonts, and Faxing

Installing a Printer

Printing

Controlling Printouts

Fancy Printer Tricks

Printer Troubleshooting

Fonts

Faxing



Chapter 14: Hardware

The Master Compatibility List

Hardware Connections

Connecting New Gadgets

When Plug and Play Doesn't Work

Driver Signing

The Device Manager

Hardware Profiles



Chapter 15: Joining, Compressing, and Encrypting Disks

Dynamic Disks

Compressing Files and Folders

Encrypting Files and Folders



Chapter 16: Maintenance, Backups, and Troubleshooting

System Restore

Disk Cleanup

Disk Defragmenter

Hard Drive Checkups

Disk Management

Task Scheduler

Microsoft Backup

The Briefcase

Safe Mode and the Startup Menu

The Registry



Part Five: Life on the Network



Chapter 17: Accounts, Permissions, and Logging On

Introducing User Accounts

Windows XP: The OS With Two Faces

Local Accounts on a Workstation

Local Accounts on a Domain Computer

Local Users and Groups

Setting Up the Logon Process

Logging On

Profiles

NTFS Permissions: Protecting Your Stuff



Chapter 18: Setting Up a Workgroup Network

Kinds of Networks

Installing Drivers

Sharing an Internet Connection

The Network Setup Wizard



Chapter 19: Introducing Network Domains

The Domain

Joining a Domain

Five Ways Life Is Different on a Domain



Chapter 20: Sharing Network Files

Accessing Other Computers

Working with Network Files

Shared Folders Online

Mapping Shares to Drive Letters

Two Roads to File Sharing

Simple File Sharing

Standard File Sharing

Offline Files



Chapter 21: Three Ways to Dial In from the Road

Remote Access Basics

Dialing Direct

Virtual Private Networking

Remote Desktop



Part Six: Appendixes



Appendix A: Installing Windows XP Pro

Before You Begin

Upgrade vs. Clean Install

Dual Booting

Choosing a File System

Installing Windows XP

Setup Wizard

Network Identification Wizard

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Backing Out of Windows XP

Ditching Windows XP

Ditching the Older Windows

Backing out of Windows XP



Appendix B: Windows XP, Menu by Menu

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Favorites Menu

Tools Menu

Help Menu