Table of Contents Foreword...13 Visual Steps Newsletter...13 Introduction to Visual Steps...14 Register Your Book...14 What You Will Need...15 Prior Computer Experience... 16 How to Use This Book...17 How This Book Is Organized... 18 The Screenshots...18 For Teachers... 18 The Website That Accompanies This Book... 19 Test Your Knowledge...19 How to Continue After This Book...20 The CD-ROM in This Book...20 1. Adjusting Your Work Area 21 1.1 Desktop...22 1.2 Creating Shortcuts...23 1.3 Moving Icons...25 1.4 Turning On Auto Arrange...26 1.5 Changing the Shortcut Icon...29 1.6 Deleting an Icon...31 1.7 Adjusting the Taskbar Settings...32 1.8 The Quick Launch Toolbar...34 1.9 Adding a Shortcut to the Quick Launch Toolbar...34 1.10 Deleting a Shortcut...36 1.11 Adjusting the Notification Area...37 1.12 Customizing the Start Menu...42 1.13 Windows Sidebar...44 1.14 Exercises...47 1.15 Background Information...48 1.16 Tips...49
2. Adjusting Windows Settings 51 2.1 The Control Panel...52 2.2 Adjusting Date and Time...53 2.3 Ease of Access Center...55 2.4 Setting Default Programs...57 2.5 Associating a File Type with a Program...60 2.6 Changing AutoPlay Settings for CDs and Other Media...63 2.7 Exercises...66 2.8 Background Information...67 2.9 Tips...68 3. Your Computer 69 3.1 What Is Inside Your Computer?...70 3.2 The Properties of the Hard Disk...71 3.3 Gigabyte, Megabyte, Kilobyte...72 3.4 Your DVD Drive...73 3.5 Removable Media...76 3.6 Looking at the Parts of Your Computer...78 3.7 Displaying the Performance of Your Computer...79 3.8 Viewing the Contents of the CD-ROM...80 3.9 File Types...82 3.10 File Properties...83 3.11 Opening a File...84 3.12 Background Information...87 3.13 New Hardware...94 3.14 Adding External Devices...95 3.15 Removing External Devices...98 3.16 Exercises...99 3.17 Background Information...101 3.18 Tips...102 4. Compressing Files 103 4.1 Creating a Compressed Folder...104 4.2 Adding Files by Dragging...108 4.3 Removing Files from a Compressed Folder...109 4.4 Extracting a Compressed File...110 4.5 Extracting Quicker by Dragging...112 4.6 Exercises...115 4.7 Background Information...116 4.8 Tips...117
5. Computer Security 119 5.1 Protecting Your Computer...120 5.2 Windows Security Center...120 5.3 Windows Firewall...121 5.4 Windows Update...124 5.5 Malware Protection...126 5.6 Windows Defender...128 5.7 Virus Protection...132 5.8 Using an Antivirus Program...135 5.9 Exercises...138 5.10 Background Information...139 5.11 Tips...141 6. User Accounts 143 6.1 Types of User Accounts...144 6.2 Changing a User Name...144 6.3 Choosing Another Picture...147 6.4 Creating a New User Account...149 6.5 Deleting a User Account...150 6.6 Creating a Password for a User Account...152 6.7 Changing a Password...155 6.8 Creating a Password Reset Disk...156 6.9 Using the Guest Account...162 6.10 Fast User Switching...163 6.11 User Account Control...167 6.12 Parental Controls...168 6.13 Removing a Password...172 6.14 Exercises...174 6.15 Background Information...175 6.16 Tips...177 7. Backup and System Restore 179 7.1 Backup and Restore Center...180 7.2 Windows Complete PC Backup...181 7.3 Backing Up Files...184 7.4 Incremental Backup...192 7.5 Restoring a Backup...194 7.6 Automatic File Backup...198 7.7 New Full Backup...201 7.8 System Restore...203 7.9 Creating Restore Points...203 7.10 Restoring Restore Points...206
7.11 Exercises...209 7.11 Background Information...210 7.13 Tips...214 8. Writing Files to CD or DVD 215 8.1 What Do You Need?...216 8.2 Choosing Between Two File Systems...217 8.3 Formatting a Disc...218 8.4 Compiling a Data Disc...220 8.5 Writing a Data Disc...222 8.6 Adding Files to a Live File System Disc...224 8.7 Deleting Data from a Live File System Disc...225 8.8 Erasing a Live File System Rewritable Disc...227 8.9 Mastered File System...228 8.10 Adding Files to the Queue...230 8.11 Deleting Files from the Queue...234 8.12 Writing the Queue to Disc...234 8.13 Viewing the Contents of the Disc Using Photo Gallery...236 8.14 Exercises...239 8.15 Background Information...241 8.16 Tips...247 9. Advanced Features of the Folder Windows 251 9.1 Opening Your Personal Folder...252 9.2 Changing the Display of the Folder Window...253 9.3 The Parts of the Folder Window...256 9.4 Favorite Links...256 9.5 Working with the Folder List...258 9.6 Displaying the Menu Bar...260 9.7 Previewing a File in the Preview Pane...261 9.8 Changing File Properties in the Details Pane...262 9.9 Ratings and Tags...263 9.10 Using the Search Box...264 9.11 Filtering Search Results Using the Column Headers...266 9.12 Searching the Entire Computer...268 9.13 Saving a Search...269 9.14 Performing a Saved Search...270 9.15 The Changing Buttons on the Toolbar...271 9.16 Exercises...272 9.17 Background Information...274 9.18 Tips...276
10. Useful Vista Programs 285 10.1 Windows Calendar...286 10.2 Adding a New Appointment...287 10.3 Inviting Others for an Appointment...289 10.4 Receiving an Invitation...292 10.5 Setting and Receiving a Reminder...294 10.6 Snipping Tool...295 10.7 Windows Photo Gallery...299 10.8 Tags and Ratings...300 10.9 Adding Folders to Windows Photo Gallery...302 10.10 Other Features of Windows Photo Gallery...304 10.11 Exercises...305 10.12 Background Information...307 10.13 Tips...308 11. Word Processing with WordPad 309 11.1 Selecting Text...310 11.2 Lists...310 11.3 Never an Empty List...313 11.4 Applying Bullet Style in Advance...313 11.5 Paragraph Formatting...315 11.6 Indenting Paragraphs...316 11.7 Hanging Indentation...317 11.8 Indenting the First Line...317 11.9 Undoing the Indentation...318 11.10 Right Indentation...318 11.11 Tables...319 11.12 Tab Stops...321 11.13 Removing a Tab Stop...324 11.14 Selecting All...325 11.15 Paper Orientation...326 11.16 Exercises...328 11.17 Background Information...330
12 Managing and Maintaining Your Computer 331 12.1 Uninstalling Programs...332 12.2 Installing Programs...335 12.3 Installing Adobe Reader 8...336 12.4 Opening Adobe Reader...341 12.5 Opening a PDF File...342 12.6 Installing the Gadget Visual Steps Alarm Clock...345 12.7 Removing a Gadget...349 12.8 Cleaning Your Hard Disk...349 12.9 Defragmenting Your Hard Disk...353 12.10 Common Problems...355 12.11 Exercises...358 12.12 Background Information...359 12.13 Tips...360 Appendices A. Copying the Practice Files to Your Computer... 363 B How Do I Do That Again?... 367 B. Index... 377