Wiley Publishing Windows XP Gigabook For Dummies [2004]
Windows XP
®
GIGABOOK
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Weverka
Mark Chambers, Greg Harvey, Woody Leonhard,
John Levine, Margaret Levine Young, Doug Lowe
Windows XP
®
GIGABOOK
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Weverka
Mark Chambers, Greg Harvey, Woody Leonhard,
John Levine, Margaret Levine Young, Doug Lowe
Windows® XP GigaBook For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108
of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization
through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA
01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal
Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447,
e-mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com.
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Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered
trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used
without written permission. Windows XP is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated
with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES
WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE
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Manufactured in the United States of America
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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
the many 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 Dummies books for Wiley Publishing, Inc.
iii
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at
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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
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Copy Editor: Jean Rogers
Technical Editor: Kerwin McKenzie
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Proofreaders: Andy Hollandbeck, Carl W. Pierce,
Christine Pingleton, Dwight Ramsey
Indexer: Richard T. Evans
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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
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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
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................1
What’s in This Book, Anyway? ................................................................................................1
What Makes This Book Special ...............................................................................................1
Easy-to-look-up information ...........................................................................................1
A task-oriented approach ...............................................................................................2
A Greatest Hits Collection ........................................................................................................2
Foolish Assumptions ................................................................................................................2
Conventions Used in This Book ..............................................................................................3
Icons Used in This Book ...........................................................................................................3
Book I: Windows XP .....................................................................5
Part I: Getting to Know Windows XP........................................................7
Chapter 1: Introducing Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What Windows XP Does (And Doesn’t) ..................................................................................7
Hardware and software ...................................................................................................7
Why do I have to run Windows? ....................................................................................8
A terminology survival kit ..............................................................................................8
Where We’ve Been ..................................................................................................................10
The rise of Windows .....................................................................................................10
eNTer NT ........................................................................................................................11
NT and the “old” Windows ...........................................................................................11
Merging the branches ...................................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Upgrading to Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Upgrading — A Brain Transplant ..........................................................................................13
Windows Upgrade Advisor/Hardware Compatibility List ........................................14
Considering a clean install ...........................................................................................14
Using the Migration Wizard ..........................................................................................16
Product Activation ..................................................................................................................18
What if the Wheels Fall Off? ...................................................................................................21
Chapter 3: Finding Your Way around Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
The Desktop .............................................................................................................................23
Mousing ....................................................................................................................................26
Making the mouse behave ...........................................................................................26
Pointers on pointers .....................................................................................................28
Using the right button ...................................................................................................29
Windows ...................................................................................................................................30
Dialog Boxes ............................................................................................................................31
Files and Folders .....................................................................................................................34
Starting with the Start Button ...............................................................................................36
Internet ...........................................................................................................................38
E-mail ..............................................................................................................................39
Media Player ..................................................................................................................39
My Documents, Pictures, Music ..................................................................................39
My Recent Documents ..................................................................................................40
My Computer .................................................................................................................41
Control Panel .................................................................................................................42
Windows XP GigaBook For Dummies
Help and Support ..........................................................................................................44
Search .............................................................................................................................44
Run ..................................................................................................................................44
All Programs ...................................................................................................................44
Part II: Customizing Windows XP ...........................................................47
Chapter 4: Personalizing Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Recognizing Desktop Levels ..................................................................................................47
Setting Colors in Windows XP ...............................................................................................50
Picking a Background .............................................................................................................52
Controlling Icons .....................................................................................................................54
Changing Mouse Pointers ......................................................................................................56
Selecting Screen Savers ..........................................................................................................57
Seeing Desktop Text ................................................................................................................58
Activating ClearType ....................................................................................................59
Showing large fonts .......................................................................................................60
Using magnification and high contrast .......................................................................60
Using Desktop Themes ...........................................................................................................61
Customizing Folders ...............................................................................................................61
Chapter 5: Organizing Your Windows XP Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Customizing the Start Menu ..................................................................................................65
Genesis of the Start menu ............................................................................................65
Pinning to the Start menu ............................................................................................66
Reclaiming most recently used programs ..................................................................67
Showing recent documents ..........................................................................................69
Making minor tweaks to the Start menu ....................................................................70
Creating Your Own Shortcuts ................................................................................................71
Quick Launch Toolbar ............................................................................................................72
Activating .......................................................................................................................72
Customizing ...................................................................................................................73
Customizing the Windows Taskbar ......................................................................................74
Custom Startup .......................................................................................................................75
Chapter 6: Setting Up Personal Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Controlling Who Gets On .......................................................................................................77
Getting a warm welcome: The Welcome screen ........................................................77
Adding users ..................................................................................................................78
Changing user settings .................................................................................................79
Using account types ......................................................................................................80
Avoiding Microsoft Passport .......................................................................................81
Deleting yourself ............................................................................................................83
Logoff ........................................................................................................................................83
Part III: Managing Files and Maintaining Order ..................................87
Chapter 7: Managing Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Using Windows Explorer ........................................................................................................87
Creating Files and Folders ......................................................................................................88
Selecting Files and Folders ....................................................................................................89
Modifying Files and Folders ...................................................................................................90
Different Ways of Viewing Folders and Files ........................................................................90
Sharing Folders ........................................................................................................................92
Sharing on one computer .............................................................................................92
Sneak-in-any-time-you-like sharing ..............................................................................94
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Table of Contents
Sharing on your network ..............................................................................................94
Sharing an entire drive .................................................................................................96
Recycling Files and Folders ...................................................................................................97
Chapter 8: Locating Stuff with Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Introducing the Search Companion ......................................................................................99
What you can find .......................................................................................................101
What you can’t find .....................................................................................................102
Phrasing a search query .............................................................................................102
Looking for Files and Folders ..............................................................................................102
Searching for pictures, music, or video ....................................................................103
Searching for a document ..........................................................................................104
Searching for All Files and Folders ............................................................................105
Using Wildcards ....................................................................................................................106
Digging Deeper with Advanced Searches ..........................................................................107
Saving a Search ......................................................................................................................109
Chapter 9: Adding and Removing Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Installing and Removing Programs .....................................................................................111
Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks ..........................................................................112
Installing and Removing Parts of Windows .......................................................................113
Chapter 10: Maintaining Your Windows XP System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Keeping Up-to-Date ...............................................................................................................117
Understanding Windows Update ...............................................................................117
Setting up automatic updates ....................................................................................118
Performing the update ................................................................................................119
Installing old updates .................................................................................................120
Performing Periodic Maintenance ......................................................................................121
Running an error check ..............................................................................................121
Scheduling Cleanups ...................................................................................................122
Defragmenting a drive ................................................................................................122
Backing Up and Restoring ....................................................................................................123
Scheduling Task Scheduler ..................................................................................................124
Zipping and Compression ....................................................................................................126
Part IV: Exploring Windows XP Multimedia .......................................131
Chapter 11: Jammin’ with Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Starting with the Media Guide .............................................................................................131
Playing with Now Playing .....................................................................................................132
Playing a CD .................................................................................................................133
Changing the graphic area .........................................................................................133
Changing the size of the window ...............................................................................133
Copying from a CD ................................................................................................................134
Organizing Your Media Library ...........................................................................................135
Leafing through the Media Library ...........................................................................135
Finding the tracks you want .......................................................................................136
Playing tracks in the Media Library ..........................................................................138
Managing playlists .......................................................................................................138
Deleting tracks from the Media Library ...................................................................140
Radio Tuner ...........................................................................................................................140
Listening to a station ..................................................................................................141
Saving a station in the Media Library .......................................................................141
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Windows XP GigaBook For Dummies
Copy to CD or Device ...........................................................................................................142
Understanding CD-Rs and CD-RWs ...........................................................................142
Burning a CD ................................................................................................................142
Copying to a digital audio player ..............................................................................144
Chapter 12: Lights! Action! Windows Movie Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
What You Need to Create Movies .......................................................................................147
Introducing Windows Movie Maker ....................................................................................148
Recording and Editing Video ...............................................................................................149
Choosing a camera ......................................................................................................149
Recording video ...........................................................................................................149
Assembling a movie ....................................................................................................151
Playing a clip or a movie ............................................................................................152
Viewing storyboard and timeline ..............................................................................153
Trimming a clip ............................................................................................................154
Fading ............................................................................................................................155
Splitting and combining clips ....................................................................................156
Finishing the movie .....................................................................................................157
Using Sound Clips .................................................................................................................158
Recording a sound clip ...............................................................................................158
Adding a sound clip to a movie .................................................................................159
Organizing Your Clips ...........................................................................................................160
Chapter 13: Working with Digital Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Choosing a Camera ...............................................................................................................163
Understanding digital cameras ..................................................................................164
Using conventional cameras ......................................................................................167
Plugging Internet cameras ..........................................................................................168
Moving Images to Your Computer ......................................................................................168
Printing Pictures ....................................................................................................................172
Printing with the wizard .............................................................................................172
Advanced printing software .......................................................................................174
Troubleshooting ....................................................................................................................174
Book II: PCs and Peripherals ....................................................177
Part I: Hardware .......................................................................................179
Chapter 1: Starting with the Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Defining Basic Terms ............................................................................................................179
Hardware ......................................................................................................................179
Software ........................................................................................................................180
Peripherals .............................................................................................................................181
The Common Components of a Desktop PC ......................................................................182
The computer ..............................................................................................................182
The monitor .................................................................................................................184
The keyboard and mouse ...........................................................................................185
Speakers .......................................................................................................................186
Desktop PCs versus Laptop PCs .........................................................................................186
RAM and Processors: The Keys to Performance ..............................................................187
Your Friend, Your Operating System ..................................................................................188
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Table of Contents
Chapter 2: Additional Toys Your PC Will Enjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Printers ...................................................................................................................................189
Inkjet versus laser printers ........................................................................................189
Photo printers ..............................................................................................................191
Label printers ...............................................................................................................192
Scanners .................................................................................................................................193
Keyboards, Tablets, and Pointing Things ..........................................................................194
Tickling keys wirelessly ..............................................................................................194
Putting a tablet to work ..............................................................................................195
Repeat after me: Buy a trackball! ..............................................................................196
Big-Time Game Controllers ..................................................................................................196
Video and Digital Cameras ...................................................................................................197
External Drives ......................................................................................................................198
Portable hard drives and CD/DVD recorders ..........................................................199
Backup drives ..............................................................................................................200
USB flash drives ...........................................................................................................200
Surge Protectors and UPS Units ..........................................................................................201
Chapter 3: Connectors, Ports, and Sundry Openings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Using USB Stuff ......................................................................................................................203
Riding in the Fast Lane with FireWire .................................................................................204
Your Antique Serial Port ......................................................................................................205
The Once-Renowned Parallel Port ......................................................................................206
Meet Your Video Port ...........................................................................................................207
Audio Connectors You’ll Likely Need .................................................................................207
Keyboard and Mouse Ports on Parade ...............................................................................208
Chapter 4: Maintaining Your Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
When Should I Move My PC? ...............................................................................................211
Avoiding Dust Bunnies .........................................................................................................212
Watching Your Cables ...........................................................................................................213
Cleaning Monitors and Scanners ........................................................................................214
Cleaning Your Mouse and Keyboard ..................................................................................214
Cleaning and Maintaining Your Printer ..............................................................................215
Cleaning laser printers ...............................................................................................215
Changing inkjet cartridges .........................................................................................217
Calibrating your printer .............................................................................................218
Cleaning inkjet cartridges ..........................................................................................220
Should you refill used inkjet cartridges? ..................................................................221
Part II: Peripheral Equipment.................................................................223
Chapter 5: Scanning with Gusto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
What Happens Inside a Scanner? ........................................................................................223
Your Friend, the Flatbed .......................................................................................................224
Popular Scanner Features ....................................................................................................226
Basic Scanning with Paint Shop Pro ...................................................................................227
Acquiring the image ....................................................................................................227
Rotating and cropping images ...................................................................................231
Converting and saving the image ..............................................................................233
Scanning Do’s and Don’ts .....................................................................................................234
Those Irritating (Or Invaluable) Copyrights ......................................................................235
Adding a Copyright Line ......................................................................................................236
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Windows XP GigaBook For Dummies
Chapter 6: Dude, MP3 Rocks! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
An MP3 Primer .......................................................................................................................239
Ripping Your Own MP3 Files ................................................................................................241
Listening to Your Stuff ..........................................................................................................243
Downloading to an MP3 Player ...........................................................................................245
Using Other Sound Formats .................................................................................................246
WAV format ...........................................................................................................
®
GIGABOOK
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Weverka
Mark Chambers, Greg Harvey, Woody Leonhard,
John Levine, Margaret Levine Young, Doug Lowe
Windows XP
®
GIGABOOK
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Weverka
Mark Chambers, Greg Harvey, Woody Leonhard,
John Levine, Margaret Levine Young, Doug Lowe
Windows® XP GigaBook For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108
of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization
through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA
01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal
Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447,
e-mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The
Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered
trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used
without written permission. Windows XP is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated
with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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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
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Tennant for the witty cartoons you will find in this book. Thanks are also due to
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other For Dummies books for Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
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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
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................1
What’s in This Book, Anyway? ................................................................................................1
What Makes This Book Special ...............................................................................................1
Easy-to-look-up information ...........................................................................................1
A task-oriented approach ...............................................................................................2
A Greatest Hits Collection ........................................................................................................2
Foolish Assumptions ................................................................................................................2
Conventions Used in This Book ..............................................................................................3
Icons Used in This Book ...........................................................................................................3
Book I: Windows XP .....................................................................5
Part I: Getting to Know Windows XP........................................................7
Chapter 1: Introducing Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
What Windows XP Does (And Doesn’t) ..................................................................................7
Hardware and software ...................................................................................................7
Why do I have to run Windows? ....................................................................................8
A terminology survival kit ..............................................................................................8
Where We’ve Been ..................................................................................................................10
The rise of Windows .....................................................................................................10
eNTer NT ........................................................................................................................11
NT and the “old” Windows ...........................................................................................11
Merging the branches ...................................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Upgrading to Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Upgrading — A Brain Transplant ..........................................................................................13
Windows Upgrade Advisor/Hardware Compatibility List ........................................14
Considering a clean install ...........................................................................................14
Using the Migration Wizard ..........................................................................................16
Product Activation ..................................................................................................................18
What if the Wheels Fall Off? ...................................................................................................21
Chapter 3: Finding Your Way around Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
The Desktop .............................................................................................................................23
Mousing ....................................................................................................................................26
Making the mouse behave ...........................................................................................26
Pointers on pointers .....................................................................................................28
Using the right button ...................................................................................................29
Windows ...................................................................................................................................30
Dialog Boxes ............................................................................................................................31
Files and Folders .....................................................................................................................34
Starting with the Start Button ...............................................................................................36
Internet ...........................................................................................................................38
E-mail ..............................................................................................................................39
Media Player ..................................................................................................................39
My Documents, Pictures, Music ..................................................................................39
My Recent Documents ..................................................................................................40
My Computer .................................................................................................................41
Control Panel .................................................................................................................42
Windows XP GigaBook For Dummies
Help and Support ..........................................................................................................44
Search .............................................................................................................................44
Run ..................................................................................................................................44
All Programs ...................................................................................................................44
Part II: Customizing Windows XP ...........................................................47
Chapter 4: Personalizing Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Recognizing Desktop Levels ..................................................................................................47
Setting Colors in Windows XP ...............................................................................................50
Picking a Background .............................................................................................................52
Controlling Icons .....................................................................................................................54
Changing Mouse Pointers ......................................................................................................56
Selecting Screen Savers ..........................................................................................................57
Seeing Desktop Text ................................................................................................................58
Activating ClearType ....................................................................................................59
Showing large fonts .......................................................................................................60
Using magnification and high contrast .......................................................................60
Using Desktop Themes ...........................................................................................................61
Customizing Folders ...............................................................................................................61
Chapter 5: Organizing Your Windows XP Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Customizing the Start Menu ..................................................................................................65
Genesis of the Start menu ............................................................................................65
Pinning to the Start menu ............................................................................................66
Reclaiming most recently used programs ..................................................................67
Showing recent documents ..........................................................................................69
Making minor tweaks to the Start menu ....................................................................70
Creating Your Own Shortcuts ................................................................................................71
Quick Launch Toolbar ............................................................................................................72
Activating .......................................................................................................................72
Customizing ...................................................................................................................73
Customizing the Windows Taskbar ......................................................................................74
Custom Startup .......................................................................................................................75
Chapter 6: Setting Up Personal Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Controlling Who Gets On .......................................................................................................77
Getting a warm welcome: The Welcome screen ........................................................77
Adding users ..................................................................................................................78
Changing user settings .................................................................................................79
Using account types ......................................................................................................80
Avoiding Microsoft Passport .......................................................................................81
Deleting yourself ............................................................................................................83
Logoff ........................................................................................................................................83
Part III: Managing Files and Maintaining Order ..................................87
Chapter 7: Managing Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Using Windows Explorer ........................................................................................................87
Creating Files and Folders ......................................................................................................88
Selecting Files and Folders ....................................................................................................89
Modifying Files and Folders ...................................................................................................90
Different Ways of Viewing Folders and Files ........................................................................90
Sharing Folders ........................................................................................................................92
Sharing on one computer .............................................................................................92
Sneak-in-any-time-you-like sharing ..............................................................................94
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Sharing on your network ..............................................................................................94
Sharing an entire drive .................................................................................................96
Recycling Files and Folders ...................................................................................................97
Chapter 8: Locating Stuff with Windows XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Introducing the Search Companion ......................................................................................99
What you can find .......................................................................................................101
What you can’t find .....................................................................................................102
Phrasing a search query .............................................................................................102
Looking for Files and Folders ..............................................................................................102
Searching for pictures, music, or video ....................................................................103
Searching for a document ..........................................................................................104
Searching for All Files and Folders ............................................................................105
Using Wildcards ....................................................................................................................106
Digging Deeper with Advanced Searches ..........................................................................107
Saving a Search ......................................................................................................................109
Chapter 9: Adding and Removing Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Installing and Removing Programs .....................................................................................111
Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks ..........................................................................112
Installing and Removing Parts of Windows .......................................................................113
Chapter 10: Maintaining Your Windows XP System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Keeping Up-to-Date ...............................................................................................................117
Understanding Windows Update ...............................................................................117
Setting up automatic updates ....................................................................................118
Performing the update ................................................................................................119
Installing old updates .................................................................................................120
Performing Periodic Maintenance ......................................................................................121
Running an error check ..............................................................................................121
Scheduling Cleanups ...................................................................................................122
Defragmenting a drive ................................................................................................122
Backing Up and Restoring ....................................................................................................123
Scheduling Task Scheduler ..................................................................................................124
Zipping and Compression ....................................................................................................126
Part IV: Exploring Windows XP Multimedia .......................................131
Chapter 11: Jammin’ with Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Starting with the Media Guide .............................................................................................131
Playing with Now Playing .....................................................................................................132
Playing a CD .................................................................................................................133
Changing the graphic area .........................................................................................133
Changing the size of the window ...............................................................................133
Copying from a CD ................................................................................................................134
Organizing Your Media Library ...........................................................................................135
Leafing through the Media Library ...........................................................................135
Finding the tracks you want .......................................................................................136
Playing tracks in the Media Library ..........................................................................138
Managing playlists .......................................................................................................138
Deleting tracks from the Media Library ...................................................................140
Radio Tuner ...........................................................................................................................140
Listening to a station ..................................................................................................141
Saving a station in the Media Library .......................................................................141
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Windows XP GigaBook For Dummies
Copy to CD or Device ...........................................................................................................142
Understanding CD-Rs and CD-RWs ...........................................................................142
Burning a CD ................................................................................................................142
Copying to a digital audio player ..............................................................................144
Chapter 12: Lights! Action! Windows Movie Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
What You Need to Create Movies .......................................................................................147
Introducing Windows Movie Maker ....................................................................................148
Recording and Editing Video ...............................................................................................149
Choosing a camera ......................................................................................................149
Recording video ...........................................................................................................149
Assembling a movie ....................................................................................................151
Playing a clip or a movie ............................................................................................152
Viewing storyboard and timeline ..............................................................................153
Trimming a clip ............................................................................................................154
Fading ............................................................................................................................155
Splitting and combining clips ....................................................................................156
Finishing the movie .....................................................................................................157
Using Sound Clips .................................................................................................................158
Recording a sound clip ...............................................................................................158
Adding a sound clip to a movie .................................................................................159
Organizing Your Clips ...........................................................................................................160
Chapter 13: Working with Digital Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Choosing a Camera ...............................................................................................................163
Understanding digital cameras ..................................................................................164
Using conventional cameras ......................................................................................167
Plugging Internet cameras ..........................................................................................168
Moving Images to Your Computer ......................................................................................168
Printing Pictures ....................................................................................................................172
Printing with the wizard .............................................................................................172
Advanced printing software .......................................................................................174
Troubleshooting ....................................................................................................................174
Book II: PCs and Peripherals ....................................................177
Part I: Hardware .......................................................................................179
Chapter 1: Starting with the Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Defining Basic Terms ............................................................................................................179
Hardware ......................................................................................................................179
Software ........................................................................................................................180
Peripherals .............................................................................................................................181
The Common Components of a Desktop PC ......................................................................182
The computer ..............................................................................................................182
The monitor .................................................................................................................184
The keyboard and mouse ...........................................................................................185
Speakers .......................................................................................................................186
Desktop PCs versus Laptop PCs .........................................................................................186
RAM and Processors: The Keys to Performance ..............................................................187
Your Friend, Your Operating System ..................................................................................188
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Chapter 2: Additional Toys Your PC Will Enjoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Printers ...................................................................................................................................189
Inkjet versus laser printers ........................................................................................189
Photo printers ..............................................................................................................191
Label printers ...............................................................................................................192
Scanners .................................................................................................................................193
Keyboards, Tablets, and Pointing Things ..........................................................................194
Tickling keys wirelessly ..............................................................................................194
Putting a tablet to work ..............................................................................................195
Repeat after me: Buy a trackball! ..............................................................................196
Big-Time Game Controllers ..................................................................................................196
Video and Digital Cameras ...................................................................................................197
External Drives ......................................................................................................................198
Portable hard drives and CD/DVD recorders ..........................................................199
Backup drives ..............................................................................................................200
USB flash drives ...........................................................................................................200
Surge Protectors and UPS Units ..........................................................................................201
Chapter 3: Connectors, Ports, and Sundry Openings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Using USB Stuff ......................................................................................................................203
Riding in the Fast Lane with FireWire .................................................................................204
Your Antique Serial Port ......................................................................................................205
The Once-Renowned Parallel Port ......................................................................................206
Meet Your Video Port ...........................................................................................................207
Audio Connectors You’ll Likely Need .................................................................................207
Keyboard and Mouse Ports on Parade ...............................................................................208
Chapter 4: Maintaining Your Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
When Should I Move My PC? ...............................................................................................211
Avoiding Dust Bunnies .........................................................................................................212
Watching Your Cables ...........................................................................................................213
Cleaning Monitors and Scanners ........................................................................................214
Cleaning Your Mouse and Keyboard ..................................................................................214
Cleaning and Maintaining Your Printer ..............................................................................215
Cleaning laser printers ...............................................................................................215
Changing inkjet cartridges .........................................................................................217
Calibrating your printer .............................................................................................218
Cleaning inkjet cartridges ..........................................................................................220
Should you refill used inkjet cartridges? ..................................................................221
Part II: Peripheral Equipment.................................................................223
Chapter 5: Scanning with Gusto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
What Happens Inside a Scanner? ........................................................................................223
Your Friend, the Flatbed .......................................................................................................224
Popular Scanner Features ....................................................................................................226
Basic Scanning with Paint Shop Pro ...................................................................................227
Acquiring the image ....................................................................................................227
Rotating and cropping images ...................................................................................231
Converting and saving the image ..............................................................................233
Scanning Do’s and Don’ts .....................................................................................................234
Those Irritating (Or Invaluable) Copyrights ......................................................................235
Adding a Copyright Line ......................................................................................................236
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Windows XP GigaBook For Dummies
Chapter 6: Dude, MP3 Rocks! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
An MP3 Primer .......................................................................................................................239
Ripping Your Own MP3 Files ................................................................................................241
Listening to Your Stuff ..........................................................................................................243
Downloading to an MP3 Player ...........................................................................................245
Using Other Sound Formats .................................................................................................246
WAV format ...........................................................................................................