Introduction
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What's in This Book? This book is organized around the kinds of things that you want to do with Windows, rather than around a listing of its features. Each part of the book concentrates on a type of work you might want to do with Windows.
Part I Part I covers the basics of using Windows. Even if you have used Windows forever, at least skim through this section to learn about XP's entirely new interface environment. If you are new to Windows, you'll want to read it carefully.
Chapter 1 starts with the basics of working in Windows: using the mouse and managing your windows. Chapters 2 and 3 explain how to run and install programs beyond those included with Windows--including using the new Compatibility Mode options that can run even the oldest DOS and Windows Me/9x programs. Chapter 4 covers the newly revamped Help And Support Center, including how to get assistance from friends, co-workers, and Microsoft over the Internet. Chapter 5 looks at the many ways to move and share information between and among programs. User accounts, which have been vastly improved in Windows XP, are described in Chapter 6.
Part II All the information in your computer is stored in disk files and folders, and Part II helps you keep them organized and safe. Chapters 7 and 8 cover day-to-day file and folder operations, including how to use Windows Explorer (also known as My Computer) to manage your files. Chapter 9 describes the backup program that comes with Windows, and how to set up a regular backup regime.
Part III Windows is extremely (some would say excessively) configurable. Part III tells you what items you can configure and makes suggestions for the most effective way to set up your computer.
Chapter 10 covers the all-new Start menu, the gateway to the features of Windows. Chapter 11 details the desktop, the icons and other items that reside on your screen. Chapter 12 explains your keyboard and mouse (yes, lots of options exist just for the mouse), and Chapter 13 tells you how to add and set up additional hardware on your computer. Chapter 14 covers printing, including setting up printers and installing fonts, and using the built-in fax features. Chapter 15 highlights the special features that are useful to laptop computer users. Chapter 16 covers the accessibility features that make Windows more usable for people who may have difficulty using conventional keyboards and mice, seeing the screen, or hearing sounds.
Part IV Chapter 17 discusses Windows' simple but useful text and word processing programs and calculator feature. In Chapter 18, you read about new features for viewing, printing, e-mailing, and making Web pages with your pictures, including ordering prints over the Internet. Chapters 19 and 20 examine Windows' extensive sound and video multimedia facilities, including the powerful new Windows Media Player 8.
Part V Windows offers a complete set of Internet access features, from making telephone or network connections to e-mail and the World Wide Web.
Chapter 21 explains the intricacies of setting up a modem to work with Windows, whether you use a dial-up account or a high-speed cable, ISDN, or DSL connection. Chapter 22 tells you how to use that modem to create and set up an account with an Internet service provider or online service. Chapter 23 describes Outlook Express 6.0, the Windows accessory program that handles your e-mail. Chapter 24 covers Internet Explorer 6.0, Microsoft's updated Web browser. Chapter 25 examines online chatting and conferencing with Windows Messenger and NetMeeting, and Chapter 26 discusses the other Internet applications that come with Windows.
Part VI Because it is based on Windows 2000, which itself was derived from a network server operating system, Windows XP has extensive built-in networking features. You can set up your Windows machine as a workstation in a large network, as a server in a small network, or as both.
Chapter 27 introduces local area networks, including key concepts such as client-server and peer-to-peer networking. Chapter 28 walks you through the process of creating a small network of Windows systems. Chapter 29 tells you how to share printers and disk drives among your networked computers. Chapter 30 explains how to use Internet Connection Sharing to share one Internet account and modem among all the computers on a LAN. Chapter 31 covers the improved network security features that Windows XP provides, including the Internet Connection Firewall.
Part VII Windows is sufficiently complex that it needs some regular maintenance and adjustment, and Part VII tells you how. Chapter 32 discusses disk setup, including removable disks and new hard disks that you may add to your computer, as well as NTFS and FAT32 partitions. Chapter 33 tells you how to keep your disk working well and how to use the facilities that Windows provides to check and repair disk problems, including defragmenting and taking out the garbage. Chapter 34 explains how to tune your computer for maximum performance, and Chapter 35 reviews the process of troubleshooting hardware and software problems. Chapter 36 describes the other Windows resources available on the Internet and elsewhere, including Automatic Updates, which can automatically identify and install updated or corrected Windows components.
Part VIII Part VIII covers a variety of advanced Windows topics. Chapter 37 describes the configuration files that Windows uses, and Chapter 38 describes the Registry, the central database of program information that is key to Windows' operation. Chapter 39 covers the Command Prompt window that enables you to run DOS programs. Chapter 40, the final chapter, concludes with the Windows Scripting Host, a sophisticated system to automate frequently performed tasks.
Appendix, Glossary, and Instructions for Installing the Book's CD-ROM The Appendix describes how to install Windows XP as an upgrade to a Windows system, from scratch on a blank hard disk, or as part of a dual-boot configuration. The Glossary describes all the terminology you need to know to understand Windows. At the very back of this book, you'll find a page of instructions for how to use Windows XP: The Complete Reference E-book, which is stored on the accompanying CD-ROM. (For more information, see "About the E-b ook" later in this Introduction.)