Easy Computer Basics, Windows® 8.1 Edition

Easy Computer Basics, Windows® 8.1 Edition

by Michael Miller
Released September 2013
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: 9780133552386

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Easy Computer Basics

See it done. do it yourself. It’s that Easy! Easy Computer Basics, Windows 8.1 Edition teaches you the fundamentals to help you get the most from your computer hardware and software. Fully illustrated steps with simple instructions guide you through each task, building the skills you need to perform the most common computer tasks. No need to feel intimidated; we’ll hold your hand every step of the way.

Learn how to…

-- Set up and configure your new computer system

-- Upgrade your computer with new hardware and software

-- Use Microsoft Windows 8.1–and personalize it just for you

-- Connect to the Internet for web surfing, email, Facebook, and listening to digital music

-- View and edit digital photos

-- Watch your favorite movies and TV shows online with Netflix and Hulu Plus

-- Protect your family and your computer from viruses, spam, and spyware

-- Set up a wireless home network, and share your Internet connection with multiple computers

Table of contents

  1. About This eBook
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Contents
  6. About the Author
  7. Dedication
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. We Want to Hear from You!
  10. Reader Services
  11. It’s as Easy as 1-2-3
  12. Introduction
  13. Chapter 1. Understanding Personal Computers
    1. Different Types of Computers
    2. Getting to Know Desktop PCs
    3. Getting to Know All-in-One PCs
    4. Getting to Know Notebook PCs
    5. Getting to Know Tablet PCs
    6. Connectors
    7. Hard Disk Drives: Long-Term Storage
    8. Keyboards
    9. Touchpads
    10. Memory Card Readers
    11. CD and DVD Drives
    12. Computer Screens
    13. Printers
  14. Chapter 2. Setting Up Your PC
    1. The Windows Lock Screen
    2. Setting Up a Traditional Desktop PC
    3. Setting Up a Notebook PC
    4. Setting Up an All-in-One Desktop PC
    5. Powering On
    6. Logging On to Windows
    7. Shutting Down
    8. Adding New Devices to Your System
  15. Chapter 3. Setting Up a Wireless Home Network
    1. Understanding How Wireless Networks Work
    2. Setting Up Your Network’s Main PC
    3. Connecting Additional PCs to Your Wireless Network
    4. Adding Your Computer to a HomeGroup
    5. Accessing Other Computers in Your HomeGroup
    6. Accessing Other Computers on Your Network
  16. Chapter 4. Using Windows 8.1’s New Interface
    1. Exploring the Start Screen
    2. Using Windows with a Mouse
    3. Using Windows with a Touchscreen Display
    4. Displaying the Start Screen
    5. Navigating the Start Screen
    6. Using the Charms Bar
    7. Getting Help in Windows
  17. Chapter 5. Personalizing Windows
    1. Different Windows Lock Screens
    2. Customizing the Lock Screen Picture
    3. Displaying a Slide Show on the Lock Screen
    4. Adding Apps to the Lock Screen
    5. Rearranging Tiles on the Start Screen
    6. Making Tiles Larger or Smaller
    7. Organizing Tiles into Groups
    8. Naming Groups of Tiles
    9. Removing Tiles
    10. Adding New Tiles to the Start Screen
    11. Changing Windows Colors
    12. Show Your Desktop Background on the Start Screen
    13. Changing Your Profile Picture
    14. Configuring Windows Settings
    15. Setting Up Additional Users
    16. Switching Between Users
  18. Chapter 6. Working with New Windows Apps
    1. Apps on the Start Screen
    2. Launching an App
    3. Closing an App
    4. Viewing All Apps
    5. Using the Apps Screen (Instead of the Start Screen)
    6. Searching for Apps on Your Computer
    7. Pinning an App to the Start Screen
    8. Switching Between Open Apps
    9. Snapping Two Apps Side by Side
    10. Examining Windows’ Built-In Apps
    11. Finding New Apps in the Windows Store
  19. Chapter 7. Using the Windows Desktop and Traditional Apps
    1. Exploring the Windows Desktop
    2. Displaying the Traditional Desktop
    3. Returning to the Start Screen
    4. Pinning Programs to the Taskbar
    5. Changing the Desktop Background
    6. Changing Desktop Colors
    7. Scrolling a Window
    8. Maximizing, Minimizing, and Closing a Window
    9. Snapping a Window
    10. Using Menus
    11. Using Toolbars and Ribbons
  20. Chapter 8. Using Microsoft Word
    1. Comparing Desktop and Web Versions of Word
    2. Launching the Word Web App
    3. Launching the Word Desktop App
    4. Navigating the Word Web App
    5. Entering Text
    6. Cutting/Copying and Pasting Text
    7. Formatting Text
    8. Formatting Paragraphs
    9. Saving Your Work
    10. Printing a Document
  21. Chapter 9. Working with Files and Folders
    1. File Explorer
    2. Navigating Folders
    3. Navigating with the Navigation Pane
    4. Changing the Way Files Are Displayed
    5. Sorting Files and Folders
    6. Creating a New Folder
    7. Renaming a File or Folder
    8. Copying a File or Folder
    9. Moving a File or Folder
    10. Searching for a File
    11. Deleting a File or Folder
    12. Restoring Deleted Files
    13. Emptying the Recycle Bin
    14. Compressing a File
    15. Extracting Files from a Compressed Folder
    16. Working with Files on SkyDrive
  22. Chapter 10. Using the Internet
    1. Comparing the Modern and Desktop Versions of IE
    2. Connecting to an Internet WiFi Hotspot
    3. Using Internet Explorer (Modern Version)
    4. Opening Multiple Pages in Tabs
    5. Switching Between Tabs
    6. Saving Favorite Pages
    7. Returning to a Favorite Page
    8. Using Internet Explorer (Desktop Version)
    9. Opening Multiple Pages in Tabs
    10. Switching Between Tabs
    11. Saving Favorite Pages
    12. Returning to a Favorite Page
    13. Searching the Web with Google
    14. Searching the Web with Bing
    15. Smart Searching from Windows
    16. Shopping Online
  23. Chapter 11. Communicating with Email
    1. Windows Mail App
    2. Viewing Your Inbox and Reading Messages
    3. Moving a Message to Another Folder
    4. Replying to an Email Message
    5. Composing a New Email Message
    6. Adding Other Accounts to the Mail App
    7. Managing Your Contacts from the People App
    8. Using the Yahoo! Mail App
  24. Chapter 12. Sharing with Facebook and Other Social Networks
    1. Comparing Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter
    2. Finding Facebook Friends
    3. Reading the News Feed
    4. Posting a Status Update
    5. Viewing a Friend’s Timeline
    6. Personalizing Your Timeline Page
    7. Viewing a Friend’s Photos
    8. Sharing Your Photos on Facebook
    9. Sharing Interesting Images with Pinterest
    10. Finding People to Follow on Pinterest
    11. Finding and Repinning Interesting Pins
    12. Pinning from a Web Page
    13. Tweeting with Twitter
    14. Following Other Twitter Users
    15. Viewing All Your Social Activity from the Windows People App
    16. Posting New Updates from the People App
  25. Chapter 13. Watching TV and Movies Online
    1. Playing a Video with the Xbox Video App
    2. Watching Movies on Netflix
    3. Watching TV Shows on Hulu Plus
    4. Watching Videos on YouTube
    5. Purchasing and Downloading Movies with the Xbox Video App
    6. Viewing Videos with the Xbox Video App
  26. Chapter 14. Playing Digital Music
    1. Exploring the Xbox Music App
    2. Playing Your Own Music in Windows
    3. Purchasing and Downloading New Music
    4. Streaming Music Online
    5. Downloading Music from the iTunes Store
    6. Playing a CD with iTunes
    7. Ripping a CD to Your Hard Disk with iTunes
    8. Playing Digital Music with iTunes
    9. Connecting an iPod to Your PC
  27. Chapter 15. Viewing Digital Photos
    1. Navigating the Photos App
    2. Transferring Pictures from a Memory Card
    3. Viewing Your Photos in Windows
    4. Editing Your Photos in Windows
  28. Chapter 16. Protecting Your Computer
    1. PC Settings
    2. Using the Windows Action Center
    3. Defending Against Malware with Windows Defender
    4. Deleting Unnecessary Files
    5. Deleting Unused Programs
    6. Backing Up Your Files with File History
    7. Restoring Your Computer After a Crash
  29. Glossary
  30. Index

Product information

  • Title: Easy Computer Basics, Windows® 8.1 Edition
  • Author(s): Michael Miller
  • Release date: September 2013
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780133552386