1. Press Win+E to summon the Computer folder window.
2. In the list of folders on the left side of the window, choose either My Videos or Videos.
The My Videos folder is found below the Libraries entry in Windows 8
and Windows 7. In Windows Vista, choose your account’s folder and
you’ll find the Videos folder.
The folder lists video files available on your computer’s storage system. The files are shown as icons, and even more video files may be available in folders within the main My Video or Video folder.
Windows may come with sample videos. If not, don’t fret if the folder is
empty; you can easily create your own videos.
288 Part V: Your Digital Life
Viewing a video
Have you been reading this book and wondering why I’m so harsh with
Windows 8? Well, here’s an answer: Windows 8 is the first release of that operating system that lacks a method for viewing videos. Short answer: You cannot view a video in Windows 8 unless you have special video-viewing software on your PC. Sorry.
Older versions of Windows use the Windows Media Player program to let you view videos. To see the video play on your PC, double-click the video’s icon.
The Windows Media Player program starts and shows you the video.
Double-click a video in Windows 8 and what happens? The computer laughs
at you.
You can also view a video by inserting a movie DVD into your PC’s optical drive. The DVD also plays in the Windows Media Player, appearing on the
screen just as though you were watching it on TV. That’s not gonna happen in Windows 8, though.
✓
Other video viewing programs are available, including Apple’s popular
QuickTime. I find it droll that Windows 8 users must obtain Apple software
to watch videos on their PCs. Go to http://quicktime.apple.com.
✓
You can obtain a copy of Windows Media Player for Windows 8 PC, but
only if you pay Microsoft for a copy.
Editing video
Armed with a video camera, a PC, and the right software, you can soon
become a budding Steven Spielberg or perhaps your own Jack Horner. The
software takes your video files — or just snatches the movies right from the video camera — and lets you weave them into a major motion picture using
the power of the computer.
Well, maybe not major motion picture, but perhaps enough to impress your friends.
The Windows Movie Maker program is a good place to start your film career.
It comes free with Windows Vista, or you can download it free from the
Internet for other versions of Windows at http://downloads.live.com/
Chapter 26: Electronic Entertainment 289
About that codec thing
When you deal with media on a computer, web page to download a codec. And that’s such as audio or video stored in a file, you often where you can get into trouble.
encounter the word codec. It’s a combination of
two words — compressor and decompressor. My best advice is to be cautious about installing A codec works with compressed information codecs. Often, the bad guys disguise a malevo-stored in a media file so that you can be enter-
lent program as a codec required to view a
tained or enlightened.
media file — typically, pornography. Installing
that false codec is detrimental to your PC.
A variety of codecs are used to encode and
decode media information. The problem with I’m not saying that all codecs are evil. Many are the variety is that your PC doesn’t come with all good and are required to view certain media the codecs needed for every type of media file. files. But ensure that you obtain codecs only So, when you go to view a certain media file, from reliable sources, such as brand-name you may see a message saying that a codec is websites or from Microsoft directly.
unavailable or prompting you to visit a certain
Using Windows Movie Maker is a topic for an entire book. Still, it’s not as complex as other video production software, so you should get used to using it quickly.
✓
Refer to Chapter 15 for information on installing programs you down-
load from the Internet, such as Windows Movie Maker.
✓
When your films are ready for the world, refer to Chapter 27 for informa-
tion on how to share your videos on the Internet.
Your PC Is a TV
Thanks to high-speed Internet, watching TV on your computer is no longer
considered unholy. It used to be that to accomplish such a thing you needed a hardware TV tuner jammed inside your computer. That’s still possible,
though it’s more common these days to use the Internet to keep track of your favorite programs.
290 Part V: Your Digital Life
Getting a TV tuner
If it’s been on your bucket list to use your PC as a DVR, or Digital Video Recorder, you can gleefully cross off that item. Computers have been able to host television for quite some time. The procedure involves buying TV tuner hardware and then using DVR software to watch and even record your favorite TV shows.
Two types of TV tuners are available, internal and external. The internal cards are more sophisticated, but require that you endure the prospect of opening the computer’s case to install them. A saner alternative is the USB
TV tuner, which hangs out the back of your PC like a limp noodle. In both cases, you connect the tuner to a TV cable, just as you would connect the TV
cable to a TV set.
For DVR software, you can use the Windows Media Player Center program to
watch and record TV. That software comes with most versions of Windows, but not all. It especially doesn’t come with Windows 8. Regardless, DVR software does come with the TV tuner hardware, which makes Windows Media
Player no longer a requirement.
✓
Using the TV tuner with your PC doesn’t add to the cost of your cable or
satellite subscription any more than adding a second TV in the
house would.
✓
Windows Media Player is not the same as Windows Media Center.
Windows Media Player is an audio and music program. Windows Media Center does what Windows Media Player does but also works with TV, FM radio, pictures, and digital video.
✓
The DVR software that comes with the TV tuner may also allow you to
burn DVDs of your favorite shows. The DVD storage option is better
than keeping video long-term on your computer. That’s because:
✓ Recording television consumes a ton of storage space. The more you record, the more you should review the video library (using the DVR
software) and purge older programs. Otherwise, your PC runs out of
mass storage space faster than a politician runs out of excuses.
Watching Internet TV
I predict that traditional television will be a thing of the past — probably by the time this book’s next edition rolls out. That’s because more and more people are relying on the Internet — not traditional television and cable networks — to deliver their video entertainment.
Chapter 26: Electronic Entertainment 291
Here are three sources I offer as consideration for your PC TV entertainment:
✓
YouTube
✓
Netflix
✓
Hulu
More options exist, but these are the big three and are excellent places to get started.
YouTube is perhaps the largest video repository on the planet. The idea is to “broadcast yourself,” so you’ll find lots of homemade and amateur content on YouTube. Some of it is very good and quite entertaining. But true to Sturgeon’s Law, 90 percent of it is crap. Visit YouTube at www.youtube.com.
Netflix is the premiere online video content delivery system. It’s stocked full of TV shows, movies, documentaries, foreign films, and other professionally produced content. You need a subscription, which is presently under $10 a month, and then you can watch that content as much or as little as you like.
Sign up for Netflix at http://signup.netflix.com.
Hulu is a fine example of a useful website where the name is completely unre-lated to the content. In this case, the content consists of TV shows and some older movies, all of which are free to watch. Well, yes, they do have commercials, but so does regular TV and the point of this section is to watch TV on your PC. You can visit Hulu at www.hulu.com.
✓
See Chapter 27 for information on publishing your own videos on
YouTube.
✓
Netflix is also available on many Internet-ready televisions. See the next section.
✓
Hulu offers a premium service called Hulu Plus. It has fewer commercials
and more recent releases of popular TV shows. The cost for the service
is under $10 a month.
✓
Other services similar to Netflix and Hulu exist. I’m certain of it. And
until they start sending me large quantities of cash in plain, brown envelopes, I won’t be writing about any of them in this book.
Your TV Is a PC
This section has nothing to do with computers. That is, unless you consider the plethora of modern digital devices to be computers. Common items such as your car, game consoles, portable music players, and the Space Shuttle 292 Part V: Your Digital Life
all feature full-blown computers in their gizzards. One of the newest kids on the block is the high-definition television, or HDTV — specifically, an Internet-ready HDTV.
The Internet-ready HDTV is essentially a PC unimpaired by the burden
of Microsoft Windows. In addition to receiving high-definition TV signals, an Internet-ready HDTV often comes with Internet access and a complete
software suite. That list often includes Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, a web browser, Skype (for online chat), Facebook, Twitter, and other popular
Internet programs and digital content providers.
Like other network gizmos, Internet-ready HDTV connects to the computer
network, either by wire or wirelessly. The purpose of the connection is to access the Internet and give you all that nifty downloaded content. As a
bonus, the Internet-ready HDTV may also act as a media station, letting you view pictures and videos, as well as listen to music, stored on other network computers and devices.
Will the PC be jealous? No. Computers are still far more flexible than devices designed for a specific purpose, such as an HDTV. In fact, there’s little you can do with an HDTV that you can’t already do on your PC, as described elsewhere in this chapter.
✓
Unless you have a wired network connection everywhere there’s an
Internet-ready TV, you’ll need to use wireless networking to connect
them. See Chapter 20.
✓
If your HDTV doesn’t offer an Internet connection or a software suite,
you can purchase an Internet TV set top box that provides the same
features. Apple manufactures Apple TV for that purpose. Google also
provides a set-top Internet box called the Nexus Q.
✓
Refer to Chapter 27 for information on sharing media between the HDTV
and your PC.
✓ The biggest problem with Internet-ready HDTV is in the human interface.
A TV remote — even one with upwards of 60 buttons — is no substitute
for a mouse or computer keyboard.
Your PC Is Your Stereo
If you’re over a certain age, you may know what a stereo system is. You may actually have one! I do. My kids don’t. They use portable music players or their cell phones as music repositories. They stare at my ancient turntable with nostalgic fascination. In the digital century, your source of musical entertainment is now your computer.
Chapter 26: Electronic Entertainment 293
Running Windows Media Player
The musical capital of Europe is Vienna. The musical capital of a Windows computer is a program called Windows Media Player. In older versions of
Windows, you start the Media Player by clicking the Start button, choosing All Programs, and then clicking Windows Media Player.
In Windows 8 (and all other versions of Windows), you can press Win+R and type wmplayer in the Open box. Click OK.
Perhaps the most enlightened way to start the Windows Media Player is to
insert a musical CD into the PC’s optical drive. The Media Player program starts instantly, playing the music on the CD.
Of course, just listening to music isn’t the end goal of the Media Player. What you should yearn for is copying, or ripping, music from your CDs and storing those tunes on your PC. That way, the music is available whenever you use your computer. You can use Windows Media Player also to copy that music
to a portable music-playing thingie or to your smartphone. The next two sections cover the details
Ripping music from a CD
The most common way to get music into Windows Media Player is to rip that music from a CD you own. The process is easy and surprisingly quick. Follow these steps:
1. Insert a musical CD into the PC’s optical drive.
Windows Media Player automatically begins playing the CD. If not, open
the Computer window (Press Win+E), right-click the optical drive icon,
and choose the Play command from the pop-up menu.
If you don’t want to listen to the CD now, simply click the big Play
button, which pauses the CD. The Play button is found at the bottom
center of the window.
2. If necessary, click the Switch to Library button to display the Windows Media Player library view.
The library view is shown in Figure 26-1.
294 Part V: Your Digital Life
Figure 26-1:
The
Windows
Media
Player.
3. Click the Rip CD button on the toolbar.
If you don’t see the button, click the “show more” arrows to the right of the Stream button, and then choose the Rip CD command from the menu
that’s displayed.
Windows Media Player begins copying every track from the CD, storing
it on the computer. You see the progress updated in the window.
4. Eject the disc.
You can repeat these steps with another disc to continue loading your
musical library into the PC.
After the songs from the CD are ripped, they’re available for your listening enjoyment at any time in the Windows Media Player library.
Copying music to a portable gizmo
Do you plan on hoisting your PC atop your shoulder and listening to music as if it were a 1970s boom box? I thought not. The best way to take your music with you is to copy it to a portable music-playing thing, also known as an MP3 player.
Chapter 26: Electronic Entertainment 295
Copying your music to a portable music player works along these lines:
1. Attach the portable MP3 player, cell phone, or other music gizmo to your PC.
Normally, you use a USB cable. I’ve not yet attempted the connection
with string and lint.
On cell phones, you may need to configure the USB connection. Set the
device so that it’s recognized as a portable media player.
2. Open Windows Media Player, if necessary.
Directions for opening the Windows Media Player are found earlier in
this chapter.
The portable media player appears on the left side of the Windows
Media Player window (refer to Figure 27-1).
3. Click the MP3 player’s icon on the left side of the Windows Media
Player window.
4. Click the Sync tab.
The device should appear in the Sync tab panel on the right side of
the window.
5. From the left side of the Media Player window, choose the Music
library item.
6. Drag music from the Music Library to the Sync tab.
7. Click the Start Sync button.
The music is copied to the portable music player.
8. After the syncing is complete, disconnect the device.
Refer to directions that came with the device for proper disconnection
instructions. With some devices, such as smartphones, you must discon-
nect the software before you unplug the USB cable.
Not every portable music player is capable of playing the music data files stored in Windows. Most players are, but a few may not recognize the music.
Even after a successful file transfer you may discover that the tunes are unavailable. Bummer.
Listening to Internet radio
Another way to get music into your digital life is to take advantage of the many Internet radio stations out there. Although you can’t get specific software to listen to the music, you can pop open your favorite web browser and tune into web pages abundant with songs and sounds from around the world.
296 Part V: Your Digital Life
Here is a sampling of websites you can browse for your listening enjoyment:
✓
Pandora Internet Radio: www.pandora.com
Jango: www.jango.com
✓
Slacker Personal Radio: www.slacker.com
Chapter 27
Sharing Your Life Online
In This Chapter
▶ Using Facebook
▶ Tweeting your thoughts
▶ Locating an image-hosting website
▶ Putting your pictures on the Internet
▶ Signing up for YouTube
▶ Publishing videos
▶ Sharing media on the network
O nce upon a computer time, the rage was to create your own web page.
Doing so made you part of the high-tech in-crowd. You could use that
web page to tell the Internet what was going on with your life and perhaps even share some pictures. It was a technical thing, but still many people decided that they couldn’t live their lives without their personal web pages.
The days of needing your own web page are long gone. Sure, you can still
have one, but most likely all the things you planned to do with that web page are now possible by sharing your digital life online.
The Scourge of Social Networking
Whither privacy? Why, privacy has taken leave of its senses and was last
seen showering nude in the public square. In a culture where the phrase
“none of your beeswax” is known by every 6-year-old, it seems odd that rational humans are eager to share their daily toil and each bodily episode with all the known universe. Odd, but true. And the electronic vehicle that takes humanity to that destination is a streetcar named Social Networking.
298 Part V: Your Digital Life
Sharing your life on Facebook
Facebook is the only social networking site worth your consideration. It’s the only place online where you can connect with friends, share your thoughts, send messages, post photographs and videos, play games, take quizzes,
waste time, and generally keep up-to-date. That’s it. One-stop everything.
Of course, that’s not true: social networking websites number in the kajillions, but Facebook is currently sitting atop the jungle gym, ruling the online playground.
Sign up
You start your extroverted cum voyeuristic Facebook journey by signing up
at the main Facebook page, www.facebook.com. Enter the required infor-
mation, which includes an e-mail address. You have to confirm your e-mail address, which completes the sign-up process.
Find some friends
The next step in your Facebook epoch is to look for people you know. Based on your e-mail address, some friends may already be waiting to be added.
Having more friends on Facebook than all your friends have on Facebook is the goal of using Facebook, despite mathematicians’ protestations that such a thing isn’t possible.
Share your thoughts
You can lurk in Facebook, prowling into the private lives of your friends and associates, but to join the fray you share your thoughts. Look for the text box that says, “What’s on your mind?” Type something pithy, personal, private, or preposterous into that box. Click the Post button and all your Facebook friends can see what’s up.
You can also send your Facebook pals personal messages or write on their
walls. Clicking a friend’s name or picture allows you to do that.
Upload a picture or video
Besides text, which requires a modicum of brain horsepower to comprehend, other things you can share on Facebook are pictures and videos. The method for sharing pictures may change in the future, but for now you should follow these general steps:
1. Click the mouse in the What’s On Your Mind text box.
The text box expands, showing more options.
Chapter 27: Sharing Your Life Online 299
2. Click the Add Photo/Video link.
The name of that link may be different, or the link could appear as
an icon, or you might see some other change that can happen with
web pages.
3. Choose the Attach Photo/Video option.
On my screen, I also see a Use Webcam option, where I could use the PC
monitor’s built-in webcam to literally shoot myself and publish
that video.
4. Click the Choose File button.
5. Use the Browse dialog box to hunt down an image to post on
Facebook.
Refer to Chapter 16 for information on using the Open dialog box, which
operates in the same manner as the Browse dialog box.
6. Choose the image or video, and then click the Open button.
7. (Optional) Write some text describing the photo or video.
8. Click the Post button.
The image is made available instantly for your Facebook buddies to gawk at and add comments. Videos may take some time to process, but eventually
they’re made available for equivalent gawking and commenting.
✓ All of your friends will be able to see the picture or video. If you don’t want them to, and you don’t want the image or video hanging around
the Internet universe until the end of time, don’t post it!
✓
It’s also possible to tag the image, identifying other Facebook friends who may appear: When viewing the image (click the image to view it in a
larger format), choose Tag Photo. Then point the mouse at a human or
object in the image and click. Type a friend’s name or choose the person
from the list that appears.
✓ You may have to install an ActiveX control in Internet Explorer to
upload images. That’s okay: Follow the directions on the screen.
Tweeting your thoughts
Another quite popular social networking website is Twitter. On Twitter, you share your thoughts with others and follow their thoughts as well, where a
“thought” is composed of 140 or fewer characters of text. Those little bursts of text are Tweets.
300 Part V: Your Digital Life
Sign up for Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com. Configure your profile,
and then I recommend using the e-mail scanning tool that Twitter provides to help you quickly locate some Twitter friends.
Twitter can be used to watch or follow others, to gather useful information on news or events, or just keep tabs on your buddies. In addition to being a harmless distraction, Twitter is relied on by many people for news because various news organizations Tweet as well. (I’m not much of a Twitter fan; otherwise I’d write more flowery and flattering prose about it.)
Share Your Photos Online
Even with Facebook and other social networking sites, dozens of better and more specific options exist for sharing your digital images on the Internet.
Here’s a small sampling:
Flickr: www.flickr.com
Image Shack: http://imageshack.us
Photobucket: http://photobucket.com
Picasaweb: http://picasaweb.google.com/home
Each of these services lets you set up an account, create an online gallery, and post images stored on your computer to that online gallery. There’s no charge, though some of the services offer specials and discounts on related products. All the sites have advertising.
You might also be able to use an online hosting service with a traditional photo developer. For example, WalMart has an online photo service at
Signing up for the site
You start with a photo-sharing website by setting up your account. I recommend doing this first, even though some of the services may let you upload an image without first creating an account. As an example, to create an
account on Photobucket, follow these steps:
1. Open your computer’s web browser.
2. Type the online photo-sharing service’s URL.
For Photobucket, it’s www.photobucket.com.
Chapter 27: Sharing Your Life Online 301
3. Click the link that says Join Now.
It might instead say Sign Up or Create Your Account. If you choose to
use Flickr or Picasaweb, you can sign in using your Yahoo! or Google
account, respectively.
4. Fill in the blanks: Type a username and then choose a password.
Some sites may ask for more information, such as your e-mail address,
gender, and birth year. If you feel uncomfortable answering those ques-
tions, write your congressperson. Better still, just use another photo-
sharing service.
5. Continue working through the steps as necessary, clicking the Next button as you go.
Be mindful that you don’t accidentally sign up for a service you don’t
need: Many free hosting services offer special partner deals and options
that aren’t necessary to using the service. You can skip those offers if
you don’t want them.
6. If prompted to create an initial album, do so.
7. After signing up, sign out or log out.
After you sign up, I recommend that you immediately log out and sign
up again. That way, the web browser can more easily recall the photo-
sharing website in the future, and maybe even remember your username
and password.
8. Immediately after logging out, go back to the main page of the image-hosting service.
9. Bookmark the image-hosting service’s page: Press Ctrl+D in your web browser.
Click the Add button to add the hosting service to your browser’s list of bookmarks.
10. Log in to the hosting service.
11. If your web browser prompts you to remember your username and
password for the site, do so. Then click Yes or OK.
Now you’re ready to add some images to the website. Keep reading in the
next section.
Uploading images
The sending of an image from your computer to the Internet is known as an upload. Yes, it’s the opposite of download, which is when your PC receives a file from the Internet. The steps to upload your digital pictures work similarly for most online image-hosting services:
302 Part V: Your Digital Life
1. Log in to your account on the image-hosting service.
2. If necessary, click an Upload link.
Not every photo-hosting service features an Upload link. Some services
let you upload directly from your account’s home page.
3. If necessary, choose or create an album in which the images will
be saved.
Some online image-hosting services, such as Picasaweb, may want you
to install an upload control. Do so when prompted.
4. Click the Browse button to locate a digital photo on your computer.
Use the Choose File dialog box to locate the digital photo you want. At
this point, you’re merely choosing a file; the sending part happens later.
5. Go to the folder that contains the digital image.
Remember that the My Pictures or Pictures folder is where those images
are usually kept, though you can also use the dialog box to visit a removable storage device, such as your digital camera’s media card.
As with anything dealing with images, it helps if you know where the
image is saved on your PC’s storage system and the image’s filename.
6. Choose from the list the file you want to upload.
7. Click the Open button to select an image.
8. Repeat Steps 4 through 7 as necessary to choose additional images.
Most online image-hosting services allow you to batch upload images by
selecting several at a time to upload.
9. Choose an album, specify whether the images are public or private, and specify the image’s size, if such choices are available.
10. Click the Upload or Start Upload button to send to the Internet the images you chose.
The procedure may take a few minutes as the images are sent and then
processed by the hosting service.
11. If prompted, add tags to your image or complete whichever additional steps might be presented.
Tags are merely text descriptions attached to the image. The tags help you search for images, identify who or what’s in the images, and remember information about the images.
12. You may need to click a Save button to save the options you set.
13. Enjoy your image on the Internet.
Chapter 27: Sharing Your Life Online 303
In some cases, you can use companion software to the online photo-hosting service to help manage your uploads. For example, Google’s Picasa application integrates seamlessly with the Picasaweb hosting service. To upload
images using that program, choose Tools➪Upload➪Upload to Web Albums,
and you’re on your way.
Sharing your images
There’s no point in having images floating around the Internet if you can’t boast about them and share each one with your friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else on the planet who can use the web. The online image-hosting services are set up to meet those demands.
Most image-hosting services mentioned in this chapter sport buttons that
let you quickly and easily share your images with popular social network-
ing sites such as Facebook and MySpace, blog sites such as Blogger and
WordPress, and any of a number of popular places that people frequent on
the Internet. You also see buttons for adding links to e-mail messages.
The basic procedure involves viewing the image and then finding the web
page address, or link, to that image. You then select the link and press Ctrl+C to copy it. After that, open your PC’s e-mail program and start a new message. Press Ctrl+V to paste the link. The image doesn’t appear in your message, but the recipients can click the link to see your image in their web browser.
Here are some specific tips for using the image-hosting sites mentioned in this chapter:
✓
If you’re using Image Shack, after shooting an image, click the link Get
Code for Email. Select the link text, copy it by pressing Ctrl+C, and then paste it into a new message in your e-mail program.
✓
For Photobucket, click the Share link, found directly above the image
you want to share. Click the tab labeled Get Link Code, and then select
the check box below the heading Direct Link for Layout Pages. Copy the
link’s text, and then paste it into an e-mail message.
✓
When you use the Flickr image-hosting site, double-click the image you
want to share. Then from the right side of the window, click Share This.
The second item down, Grab the Link, contains the text you should
select, copy, and then paste into an e-mail message.
✓
In Picasaweb, click to select the image, and in the right side of the
window, choose Link to This Photo. Click the mouse in the text box
below the word Link, and then press Ctrl+C to copy the link. Paste the link into an e-mail message.
304 Part V: Your Digital Life
✓ These photo-hosting sites may change their web page layouts and meth-
ods from time to time. The information here is specific as this book goes to press, but may change subtly in the future.
Your Video Life
Unlike photos, videos are just too hulking huge to send in e-mail messages.
Even when the videos aren’t that large, it’s just better to send a link to your video on the Internet than to send enormous files to your friends. Unlike sending enormous quantities of money, sending enormous files through
e-mail is unwelcome because the process is slow and confusing.
The video-hosting service of choice is YouTube, www.youtube.com. Just
about anyone and everyone uploads videos to YouTube, some of them pro-
fessional but many of them amateur. You too can join their ranks, as long as you heed the advice found in this section.
Creating a YouTube account
You can’t post a video to YouTube until you obtain a YouTube account. That account is the same as your Google or Gmail account. So if you already have a Google account, you’re set up to use YouTube. Otherwise, visit YouTube
and click the Sign Up link found near the top of the page.
After your Google (YouTube) account is set up, you can start putting videos on the Internet.
Uploading a video to YouTube
After signing in to your YouTube account, locate the large Upload button.
Clicking that link takes you to a page that describes the upload process and offers some tips and suggestions.
Eventually, you click the Upload Video button, which lets you browse your PC’s mass storage system for the video you prepared.
You need to supply a title, a description, tags, and other information about the video. Be mindful of what you type because the information there is used by others to search for videos on YouTube. Click the Save Changes button
when you’re done.
YouTube takes a few moments (or longer) to process your video. You might
have to come back and visit your account’s area on YouTube later so that
you can share the link.
Chapter 27: Sharing Your Life Online 305
Sharing your videos
It’s easy to share your videos with others using YouTube. Basically, you
simply send your pals a web page link to your video. Because the link consists only of text, the e-mail message doesn’t take an eternity to send and receive, nor is there any worry about malware-infected file attachments. The process works like this:
1. Visit your account on YouTube, at www.youtube.com/my_videos.
You may have to log in first, but eventually you see a list of all your
uploaded videos displayed on the web page.
2. Right-click the title (link) of the video you want to share.
3. Choose the Copy Shortcut command from the pop-up menu.
4. Start a new e-mail message in your PC’s e-mail program.
5. Press Ctrl+V to paste the YouTube video link into your e-mail message.
YouTube videos all have a similar-looking link or URL. For example: http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QIQhoahbQ8
That’s it! Clicking that link is how others can view your video on the Internet.
✓ When you view a video on YouTube, you see sharing options listed on
the web page. You usually see two options: URL and Embed. Use the
URL option as the direct link to the video’s web page. The Embed option
is used to stick the video into a blog or another web page.
✓
Right below the video, you’ll see buttons for sharing. Use those buttons
to instantly share the video on Facebook, Twitter, and other websites.
Network Media Sharing
Read this passage with your mother’s voice in your head: “Sure, you can
share your pictures, music, and video with utter strangers on the Internet.
How about sharing in your own house?” Give yourself a bonus point if you
added a little whine to her voice. Double points for a Long Island accent.
It’s true: PCs on the local network can share their media with other devices connected to the network. Those devices include other computers,
game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and even Internet-ready HDTVs or set-top boxes.
306 Part V: Your Digital Life
Setting up for media sharing
No computer willingly coughs up its media for sharing. You must command
Windows to provide your PC’s media as a resource, open and shared on the
network. Heed these directions:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Below the Network and Internet heading, click the link View Network Status and Tasks.
The Network and Sharing Center window appears.
3. From the left side of the Networking and Sharing Center window, click the Change Advanced Sharing Settings link.
In Windows Vista, ensure that the Media Sharing item is on. If not, click the down-pointing arrow and turn that option on.
4. Scroll down the list to locate the Media Streaming item.
You may need to click one of the down-arrow buttons to expand part of
the sharing settings to find the Media Streaming item.
5. Click the Choose Media Streaming Options link.
The Media Streaming Options window appears.
6. Click the Turn On Media Streaming button.
If you don’t see that button, media sharing is already configured. You’re done. Otherwise:
The screen that appears lists network computers and various sharing
options. You can fiddle around here, but everything is pretty much set
to share pictures, videos, and music from your PC to those network
devices.
7. Click the OK button, and close the various other windows you’ve
opened.
You’re all done.
Your PC is now sharing its media to other network devices. It’s the digital equivalent of a Craigslist ad saying, “Come into my house and take my pictures, albums, and videos,” but far less chaotic.
Rifling through a device’s shared media
To access shared media on the local network, open the Network window. You can get to that window by choosing the Network item from the categories on the left side of any folder window. (Press Win+E to summon a folder window.)
Chapter 27: Sharing Your Life Online 307
When viewing the Network window, you’ll see a list of media devices, similar to what’s shown in Figure 27-1. Those icons could represent computers, game consoles, even HDTVs.
When you double-click a media device icon, the Windows Media Player
window opens. (See the figure in Chapter 26.) Shared media devices appear at the bottom of the list on the left side of the Windows Media Player window.
Choose a device to view which media are being shared. You can then look,
listen, or watch the media using Windows Media Player right there on your computer.
✓
Other network devices access your PC’s media in different ways.
Obviously the HDTV is glad that it doesn’t use Windows, so it probably
has its own program, or app, which can be used to view media.
✓ Smartphones and tablets can access shared media provided that they
are DLNA compliant. Devices that use the DLNA (Digital Living Network
Alliance) standard can share media, and in many smartphones and tab-
lets, the app that does the sharing is often called DLNA, though I assume other, equally cryptic app names are available.
Figure 27-1:
Browsing
shared
media
network
devices.
308 Part V: Your Digital Life
Chapter 28
Kid-Safe Computing
In This Chapter
▶ Configuring computer accounts
▶ Limiting website access
▶ Limiting Junior’s PC access
▶ Restricting games
▶ Preventing programs from running
▶ Seeing what your kids are up to
▶ Preventing online bullying
D espite its attraction to kids, a computer can be a decidedly non-kid-
friendly thing. Beyond malicious software, there are some places on the
Internet that you definitely don’t want your precious snowflake to discover.
Games that you may enjoy playing could give a child nightmares. And, there’s the issue of Too Much Computer Time. All these topics can be dealt with,
first by being a responsible parent, and second by using the various kid-safe computing tools discussed in this chapter.
✓
The information in this chapter applies directly to Windows 8 and
Windows 7. Some features are available in Windows Vista. The main dif-
ference comes from the innumerable User Account Control (UAC) warn-
ings that pop up during the process in Windows Vista.
✓
Windows XP lacks parental controls as a feature.
An Account for Junior
To employ the parental controls in Windows, and to ensure your PC’s secu-
rity when Junior is online, give Junior his own account on the computer.
Configure his account as a Standard User. Your account must be set up as an administrator. This section explains how to do that.
310 Part V: Your Digital Life
✓
The Administrator account has full control over the computer. An
administrator can change computer settings, install new software, and
control other accounts on the computer. These are the equivalent of PC
superpowers, though wearing superhero tights is optional.
✓
The Standard User account can use the computer but cannot change
computer settings, install new software, or access other accounts with-
out an Administrator account’s password.
✓ In Windows 8, you can specify a child’s account when you first add the
account. Use the PC Settings app to add the account.
✓
The Standard User account is also known as a Limited account.
✓
Those User Account Control (UAC) warnings exercise the administra-
tor’s privileges in Windows. See Chapter 24.
✓
When more than one kid is using the same computer, each should have
his or her own Standard User account. Each account should have its
own password.
Setting up your own account
You can’t enable parental controls on the computer unless you have an
Administrator-level account. For the family PC, you probably already have that type of account. Good, but follow the steps in this section anyway to confirm.
If your honey-bun has his or her own computer, you need to set up a new
account for yourself on that system. Ensure that it’s an Administrator-level account. Follow these steps:
1. Log on to the computer using an existing account or the computer’s only account, if it has only one.
If you don’t have an account on your kid’s computer, you need to add
one: Have the kid log in, and then continue to create your own account
after Step 4.
2. Open the Control Panel.
Directions for getting to the Control Panel are found in Chapter 14.
3. Choose User Accounts and Family Safety.
4. Choose User Accounts.
Information about your account appears on the right side of the window.
You see your account picture, account name, and so on.
Chapter 28: Kid-Safe Computing 311
If you need to set up an account for yourself on your kid’s computer,
click the Manage Another Account link, and then click the Add a New
User in PC Settings link (Windows 8) or the Create a New Account link
(Windows 7). You’ll have to run through these steps again after the
account is created.
5. Confirm that the word Administrator appears in the list of information about your account.
If it does, you’re set. Keep reading in the next section. Otherwise:
6. Click the Change Your Account Type link.
7. Choose Administrator.
8. Click the Change Account Type button.
You may be prompted at this point to enter the existing Administrator
account password for the computer. You can get that from Junior
if you’re using his computer. Otherwise, your account type is
Administrator, which is what you want.
After you ensure that you have an Administrator account on the computer,
the next step is to check that Junior’s account is the Standard or Limited type. Keep reading in the next section.
Limiting Junior’s account
To apply the parental controls to Sunshine or Buster’s computer account,
first check to be sure that you have an Administrator account on the com-
puter, as described in the preceding section. Then abide by these steps:
1. Log in to the computer using your account.
2. Open the Control Panel.
3. Click the heading User Accounts and Family Safety.
4. Choose User Accounts.
5. Click the Manage Another Account link.
A list of all accounts on the computer appears. Sunshine’s or Buster’s
account should be in that list.
6. Choose your child’s account from the list.
7. Click the Change the Account Type link.
8. Choose Standard User.
9. Click the Change Account Type button.
10. Close the window.
After the account is configured, you’re ready to apply the parental controls.
312 Part V: Your Digital Life
Parental Controls
To extend your parental love and discipline to the PC, and better regulate Junior’s computer life, you must activate the parental controls in Windows.
Here’s how that’s done:
1. Log in to Windows using your account.
2. Open the Control Panel.
3. Below the User Accounts and Family Safety heading, choose the
Set Up Family Safety for Any User link (in Windows 8) or the Set Up
Parental Controls for Any User link (in Windows 7).
A window appears, listing all accounts on the computer.
4. Choose the account to control; click its icon.
5. In the User Controls window, choose On, Enforce Current Settings.
The Windows 8 User Settings window is shown in Figure 28-1. In
Windows 7, the window is titled User Controls and contains similar set-
tings. It’s where you apply the various parental controls mentioned in
this chapter.
6. Apply the parental controls; refer to the next few sections.
7. When you’re done setting parental controls, click the OK button to close the window.
Figure 28-1:
Set parental
controls
here.
Chapter 28: Kid-Safe Computing 313
Repeat the steps in this section for each kid’s account on your PC.
Windows 7 lacks the Web Filtering control but otherwise features the same controls as shown in Figure 28-1 for Windows 8.
Filtering websites
Web filtering is perhaps the most complex setting you can make when limiting Junior’s computer access. After applying parental controls, choose Web Filtering from the main control window (refer to Figure 28-1). The next screen has one big switch to throw: Choose the option Little Snowflake Can Only Use the Websites I Allow to activate website filtering.
Oh, and Little Snowflake is replaced with your kid’s account name, unless your child is really named Little Snowflake.
Choose an option from the left side of the Web Filtering window, such as
Web Restrictions or Allow or Block Websites. Web Restrictions is the more general option, although if you want to restrict access only to certain sites, as well as block specific sites, you need to use the Block Websites option.
I also recommend that you place a check mark by the Block File Downloads
option in the Web Restrictions settings window. Children under a certain age have no business downloading anything.
Setting time limits
You can control when your kids can access the computer by placing time
limits on their accounts. That way, they can log in and use the computer only during the hours you specify — and the computer logs them off when the
time runs out.
To set time limits, open the User Settings or User Controls window (see
Figure 28-1); refer to the earlier section, “Parental Controls.” Choose the Time Limits link, and then use the gizmos on the screen that appears to restrict computer access to the times you specify.
Controlling access to games
Windows lets you combine the parental controls with the Entertainment
Software Rating Board (ESRB) game rating system to control which computer games your kid can play on the PC. You can restrict access to games by the game name, its rating, or the contents of the game (violence or adult themes, for example).
314 Part V: Your Digital Life
To restrict access to certain games, open the User Settings or User Controls window (refer to Figure 28-1) by following Steps 1 through 4 in the earlier section “Parental Controls.” In Windows 8, click the Windows Store and Game
Restrictions link; in Windows 7, the link is titled Games.
Choose the option to apply game restrictions to your offspring’s account.
You can then choose to block the games by their ESRB ratings or block specific games by their titles.
✓
The ESRB defines and sets ratings for computer games in a way similar
to how the MPAA rates movies.
✓
Visit the ESRB website www.esrb.org for more information on the rat-
ings system.
Blocking programs
In addition to blocking computer games, you can restrict your kid’s access to any program or app that runs on your computer. For example, you can prevent them from running your computer’s home finance program or other pro-
grams you’d rather have them not playing with. Or, you might want to block them from using instant messaging tools that they might be abusing.
To activate the Applications Restrictions feature, follow Steps 1 through 4
in the earlier section, “Parental Controls.” Choose the App Restrictions link (Windows 8) or the Allow or Block Specific Programs link (Windows 7). Use the screen that appears to choose which programs are allowed. Click the OK
button when you’re done.
✓ Yes, the program names are technical and mysterious! When you don’t
recognize a program name, don’t put a check mark in its box.
✓
Beyond restricting program access, you don’t need to worry about your
sweetums getting into your account and looking at your stuff. First, your account has a password, right? Second, all accounts in Windows are
separate from each other. When your child has a Standard User account,
the little one cannot peek into your account’s folders or access your
own computer data, e-mail, or other private information without know-
ing your account’s password.
Reviewing the activity log
The Family Safety feature in Windows 8 also sports an activity log. It lists the things that Petunia does while using the computer, which you can review
during times of parental urgency. The log is activated automatically from the User Settings screen, shown earlier in Figure 28-1.
Chapter 28: Kid-Safe Computing 315
To view the activity log, click the View Activity Reports link, found on the User Settings screen (refer to Figure 28-1). The User Activities screen that appears describes when Petunia was last using the computer, for how long, which programs were run, whether she attempted to access blocked apps or
websites, and a whole host of nosy things that parents would appreciate.
✓
How you deal with digital transgressions is up to you as a parent, though I believe the Family Safety feature offers plenty of settings that would
allow you to get your point across.
✓
Apparently there is no way to print the activity log.
PC Parenting
Here are my parental rules for kids who use computers:
✓
Know your kids. Talk with them. Be their parent.
✓
Exercise your duty to drop in on them and see what they’re doing on
the computer.
✓
Use the parental controls provided in Windows, as covered in this
chapter.
Spying on your kids
Before jumping into your James Bond suit and beginning the art of snooping around Junior’s PC, talk with your children. Ask what’s up or whether anything is bothering them. It may be nothing, but as a parent, you should know your own children, so use your best judgment when you suspect that something is amiss.
When mood swings and unusual behavior dictate, you can check up on your
kid’s account to see what they’ve been up to. In Windows 8, you can use the Activity Reports, as covered elsewhere in this chapter. Beyond that, you can log in under their account and review their recent web pages visited.
To review the web history, open your child’s web browser and press Ctrl+H
in Internet Explorer. Open the various dates and websites listed on the
History tab (on the left side of the browser window). If the sites look suspicious, click their links to visit them. You’ll know in a few minutes whether you have cause for concern.
316 Part V: Your Digital Life
✓
I don’t recommend buying PC snooping software. If the situation with
your child is so great that you feel this type of software is necessary,
you already have a big problem on your hands. Sit down and discuss the
situation with your child immediately.
✓
Your children can cover their tracks, especially when they’re already
computer savvy. In fact, if you notice that the web browser history
seems surprisingly empty for the amount of time Buster spends on the
PC, something is probably going on.
✓
Today’s kids would probably be more apt to use cell phones for sur-
reptitious activities than they would the family PC. If you allow your
offspring to have their own cell phones, routinely examine the text-
messaging history for questionable activity.
✓ Talk with your kids, not at them.
Dealing with a cyberbully
Count among the many downsides of glorious technology the anonymous,
nasty, and persistent creep commonly called a cyberbully. Like his (or her) schoolyard namesake, he can make life online a living hell for you, your child, and your entire family.
Unlike the bully you might remember from childhood, a cyberbully has the
sneaky advantage of stealthy anonymity on the Internet. This person is found in social networks, chat rooms, instant messaging programs, and even cell phone text messages — places your technically adept child probably clings to for social interaction.
Beyond intimidation, the cyberbully can use personal attacks, such as
making private information public, creating false images using photo-editing techniques, faking messages from other friends, and generally misrepresent-ing your child’s behavior. Such attacks have devastating emotional effects, especially on vulnerable children.
✓ The best way to avoid having personal or embarrassing information
float around the Internet is not to put it on the Internet in the first place.
Teaching your children about modesty and self-respect goes a long way.
✓
Many areas have laws against cyberbullying. Check with the police if you
or your children become a victim.
✓
Cyberbullying may also violate the terms of the Internet service provider (ISP) contract. Contact your ISP if you feel victimized.
✓
It helps to document cyberbullying episodes: Print web pages, and note
when the attacks occur.
✓
Adults can also be victims of cyberbullying, though the terms that are
used are cyberharassment and cyberstalking.
Part VI
The Part of Tens
In this part . . .
M y grandmother told me that “things happen in
threes.” Maybe. I would counter Grandma with
“Things always happen; it’s just easier to name three
things when given the chance.” What’s far more difficult
is to move up from three to ten. Although anyone can
name three state capitals, three famous bald guys, or
three things not to step in, it’s more difficult to repeat the
task with ten items.
Rest easy: I’m not asking you to come up with lists full of
ten items. Instead, I’ve done that job for you. I’ve created
some handy lists of tens, helpful information for any
computer user. And I’ve put those lists in this part of the
book, the Part of Tens.
Chapter 29
Ten PC Commandments
In This Chapter
▶ Don’t fear your computer
▶ Always save your work
▶ Back up your stuff
▶ Don’t open or delete unknown files
▶ Don’t fall prey to online predators
▶ Use antivirus and update software
▶ Be smart about upgrades
▶ Use the PC with proper posture
▶ Keep windows up-to-date
▶ Always properly quit Windows
T ake it from me: I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I’ve survived the worst of using a computer and have lived to write about it. Let me share my experiences with you by passing along a chunk of digital wisdom. I may not have descended from Mt. Sinai, and I certainly look nothing like Charlton Heston, but here are my Ten PC Commandments.
I. Thou Shalt Not Fear Thy PC
The computer isn’t out to get you. It won’t explode suddenly. It harbors no sinister intelligence. Honestly, it’s really rather dumb.
Knowledge is the key to overcoming fear.
320 Part VI: The Part of Tens
II. Thou Shalt Save Thy Work
Whenever you’re creating something blazingly original, use the Save com-
mand at once! In fact, use the Save command even when you make something
stupid that you don’t even want to save. You’re not going to run out of room on the PC’s mass storage system by saving stuff you don’t need, so why not save for the sake of it?
You never know when your computer will meander off to watch NASCAR or
chat with the wireless router across the street while you’re hoping to finish the last few paragraphs of that report. Save your work as often as possible.
Save when you get up from your computer. Save when you answer the phone.
Save! Save! Save!
III. Thou Shalt Back Up Thy Files
Nothing beats having that just-in-case copy of your stuff. The computer itself can run a backup program to make that safety copy, or you can duplicate
your files yourself. Either way, that secondary backup copy can save your skin someday.
See Chapter 18 for information on backing up.
IV. That Shalt Not Open or
Delete Things Unknownst
Here’s the rule, written in modern English: Delete only those files or folders you created yourself.
Unlike computer hardware, where sticky labels with red letters read Do Not Open, unknown computer files have no warning labels. There should be!
Windows is brimming with unusual and unknown files. Don’t mess with ’em.
Don’t delete them. Don’t move them. Don’t rename them. And especially, don’t open them to see what they are. Sometimes, opening an unknown icon can
lead to trouble.
Chapter 29: Ten PC Commandments 321
V. Thou Shalt Not Be a Sucker
The Bad Guys are successful in spreading their evil, malicious software
on the Internet because people let down their guard. Don’t be a sucker for human engineering. Basically, here’s a list of don’ts to adhere to:
✓
Don’t reply to any spam e-mail. Doing so brings you even more spam. A
popular trick is for spammers to include some text that says “Reply to
this message if you do not want to receive any further messages.” Don’t!
Replying to spam signals the spammers that they have a “live one” and
you then receive even more spam. Never, ever, reply to spam!
✓
Don’t open unknown or unexpected e-mail attachments. Seriously,
you’re not missing anything if you don’t open them. Yet that’s how
human engineering works: The e-mail fools you into believing that open-
ing the attachment is important. It’s not.
✓
Never open any program file attachment. These attachments end with
the exe, com, or vbs filename extension. See Chapter 16 for more infor-
mation on filename extensions and how to display them in Windows.
VI. Thou Shalt Use Antivirus Software,
Yea Verily, and Keepeth It Up-to-Date
I highly recommend that you use antivirus software on your PC. Keep that
software up-to-date. See Chapter 24 for more computer security advice.
VII. Thou Shalt Upgrade Wisely
New hardware and software come out all the time. The new stuff is generally better and faster, and it’s important to some people to be the First on the Block to have a new hardware gizmo or software upgrade. You don’t have to be that person.
✓
Upgrade the computer’s software only if you truly need the new fea-
tures it offers, you need to have that version to be compatible with your coworkers, or the new version fixes problems and bugs that you’re
experiencing.
✓
Buy hardware that’s compatible with your PC. Especially when you have
an older computer, confirm that the new hardware will work with your
system.
322 Part VI: The Part of Tens
VIII. Thou Shalt Compute
at a Proper Posture
Using a computer can be a pain. Literally. You must observe proper posture and sitting position while you operate a PC. By doing so, you can avoid back strain and the risk of repetitive stress injury (RSI). Following are some suggestions.
Get an ergonomic keyboard: Even if your wrists are as limber as a politician’s spine, you might consider an ergonomic keyboard. This type of keyboard is specially designed at an angle to relieve the stress of typing for long — or short — periods.
Use a wrist pad: Wrist pads elevate your wrists so that you type in a proper position, with your palms above the keyboard, not resting below the spacebar.
Adjust your chair: Sit at the computer with your elbows level with your wrists.
Adjust your monitor: Your head should not tilt down or up when you view
the computer screen. It should be straight ahead, which doesn’t help your wrists as much as it helps your neck.
IX. Thou Shalt Keepeth
Windows Up-to-Date
Microsoft keeps Windows continually fresh and updated. The updates fix
problems, but they also address vulnerabilities that the Bad Guys exploit. In my book (which you’re reading now), that’s a good thing, but it’s effective only when you use the Windows Update service regularly. See Chapter 15.
There’s a difference between updating Windows, which I recommend, and
upgrading Windows, which I don’t recommend.
X. Thou Shalt Properly Shut Down Windows
When you’re done with Windows, shut it down. Choose the Shut Down com-
mand from the Start button menu. The PC automatically turns itself off.
Refer to Chapter 4 for detailed PC shutdown instructions.
Chapter 30
Ten Tips from a PC Guru
In This Chapter
▶ Remember that you’re in charge
▶ Mind who “helps” you
▶ Give yourself time to learn
▶ Create separate accounts
▶ Use a UPS
▶ Consider some hardware upgrades
▶ Don’t reinstall Windows
▶ Shun the hype
▶ Continue discovering the PC
▶ Don’t take this computer stuff too seriously
I don’t consider myself a computer expert or genius or guru, although
many have called me those nasty names. I’m just a guy who understands
how computers work. Or, better than that, I understand how computer
people think and I can translate it into English for you. Given that, here are some tips and suggestions so that you and your PC can go on your merry way.
Remember That You’re in Charge
You bought the computer. You clean up after its messes. You feed it optical discs when it asks for them. You press the Any key (which is the Enter key).
You control the computer — simple as that.
Think of the computer as an infant. You must treat it the same way, with
respect and caring attention. Don’t feel that the computer is bossing you around any more than you feel that a baby is bossing you around during its 3 a.m. feedings. They’re both helpless creatures, subject to your every whim.
Be gentle, but be in charge.
324 Part VI: The Part of Tens
Mind Who “Helps” You
Nothing beats getting computer help when you need it. Most computer nerds love to help beginners. Sometimes, they help you at no cost, though you
shouldn’t abuse a good relationship by becoming a pest.
When you can’t find help, use the support you paid for: from your manufacturer, computer dealer, software developers, and Internet service provider.
Above all, keep in mind that not everyone who tries to help you truly knows what they’re doing. My advice is to avoid friends or (especially) relatives who offer to “fix” your PC when you haven’t asked them to. That leads to
big trouble.
✓
Treat your PC like your wallet. You wouldn’t hand it over to anyone,
right?
✓ You may like your smart nephew Victor, but don’t let him near your
computer. Don’t let the grandkids or out-of-town relatives “play” on the
Internet while they come to visit. You’ll thank me later.
Give Yourself Time to Learn
Things take time. No one sits down at a computer and instantly knows everything, especially with new software. True, the boss may have given you only a day to learn how to work some new program. Such a task is unrealistic and unfair (and you can literally point to this sentence for support).
It takes about a week to become comfortable with any software. It takes
longer to really figure out how it works, even if you get a good book on the topic. Honestly, I don’t think that anyone out there knows everything about a major software product. Don’t set the bar so high that you can’t leap over it.
Create Separate Accounts
If two people are using one computer, make two computer accounts. That
way, you can each keep your stuff separate. The issue is not secrecy but
organization. Having one account for each person who uses the computer
is better than having two or more people share — and mess up — the only
account.
Chapter 30: Ten Tips from a PC Guru 325
The same guideline applies to e-mail: Get yourself separate e-mail accounts, one for you and one for your partner or one for each human who uses the
computer. That way, you receive only your mail and you don’t miss anything because someone else has read or deleted it.
Use a UPS
The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a boon to computing wherever the power is less than reliable. Plug your console into the UPS. Plug your monitor into the UPS. If the UPS has extra battery-backed-up sockets, plug your external hard drive into one.
Chapter 3 has information on using a UPS as well as using a power strip.
Consider Some Hardware Upgrades
Now that the computer is a consumer commodity, people don’t take the time to research their purchases beforehand. Often, the result is that you buy less computer than you truly need. To remedy the situation, a hardware upgrade is in order.
The first consideration is upgrading computer memory. Unless your PC is
already packed with RAM (and my guess is that it isn’t), you could see a massive increase in performance by adding more memory at a relatively low cost.
The second consideration is getting a second hard drive, such as an external hard drive for making backups. You can add a second internal hard drive to most PCs, which gives you more storage. Or you can replace your PC’s main hard drive with a higher-capacity, faster model.
A third consideration is getting a headset for online communications as
well as for computer games. A headset resembles a pair of headphones but with the addition of a microphone. I recommend that you avoid the cheaper headsets; the more expensive versions are more comfortable and reproduce
sound better.
✓
Your computer dealer can upgrade PC memory, or you can do it your-
self. I recommend Crucial for online memory purchases: www.crucial
.com. The website even scans your computer to determine which memory upgrades you need. But:
✓ Upgrading PC memory can be a scary thing! You might consider having
someone else do it for you.
✓
See Chapter 10 for information on adding external storage to your PC.
326 Part VI: The Part of Tens
✓ Replacing the PC’s main hard drive adds years to your computer’s life,
but the process of copying over the original hard drive’s contents —
referred to as cloning — can be very technical. My advice: Have someone else do it.
✓ Try to get a headset with a built-in volume adjuster and mute button.
Don’t Reinstall Windows
A myth floating around tech support sites says that the solution to all your ills is to reinstall Windows. Some tech support people even claim that it’s common for most Windows users to reinstall at least once a year. That’s rubbish.
You never need to reinstall Windows. All problems are fixable. It’s just that the tech support people are urged by their bottom-line-watching overlords to get you off the line quickly. Therefore, they resort to a drastic solution rather than try to discover the true problem. If you press them, they will tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it.
✓
In all my years of using a computer, I have never reinstalled Windows or
had to reformat my hard drive. It’s not even a good idea just to refresh
the bits on the hard drive or whatever other nonsense they dish up.
There just isn’t a need to reinstall Windows, ever. Period.
✓ Refer to my book Troubleshooting & Maintaining Your PC All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Wiley) for all the various solutions you can try instead of reformatting your hard drive or reinstalling Windows.
Shun the Hype
The computer industry is rife with hype. Magazines and websites tout this or that solution, crow about new trends, and preannounce standards that supposedly will make everything you have obsolete. Ignore all of it!
My gauge for hype is whether the thing that’s hyped is shipping as a standard part of a PC. I check the ads. If they’re shipping the item, I write about it.
Otherwise, it’s a myth and may not happen. Avoid being lured by the hype.
Chapter 30: Ten Tips from a PC Guru 327
Keep on Going!
There’s no reason to stop discovering new things about your PC. If you’re into books (and you seem to be), consider getting another computer book on a topic that interests you. Bookstores, both physical and on the Internet, are brimming with titles covering just about every computer topic. Also peruse computer magazines and periodicals.
For example, perhaps you want to take up programming. I’m serious! If you enjoy solving puzzles, you’ll probably enjoy programming. Or maybe you
want to learn how to get the most from a graphics program. In a time when people try to glean knowledge from mediocre (but free) information on the Internet, why not take time to truly educate yourself?
Remember Not to Take This Computer
Stuff Too Seriously
Hey, simmer down. Computers aren’t part of life. They’re nothing more than mineral deposits and petroleum products. Close your eyes and take a few
deep breaths. Imagine that you’re lying on a soft, sandy beach in the South Pacific. Having just dined on an exotic salad, you close your eyes as the sounds of the gentle surf lull you into a well-deserved afternoon nap.
Next, you’re getting your feet rubbed as you sip champagne and feel the bubbles explode atop your tongue. Soothing music plays as everyone who’s ever said a bad thing about you in your life tosses you $100 bills.
Now, slowly open your eyes. It’s just a dumb computer. Really. Don’t take it too seriously.
328 Part VI: The Part of Tens
Index
• Numerics •
Alt Graph key, 107
Alt key, 104
802.11 standards, 232
antispyware programs, 268
antivirus software, 265, 268–269, 321
• A •
app, defined, 170
applications
antispyware, 268
A drive, 88
blocking, 314
Academy Standard aspect ratio, 94
defined, 170
access points, 233
image editing, 280
accessibility features, 144
installing from optical discs, 173
accounts
from Internet, 174–175
Administrator, setting up, 310–311
Nero, 215
for children, 309–310, 311
running from desktop, 171–172
creating separate for users, 324–325
running manually, 172
ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power
Sound Recorder, 145–146
Interface), 150
starting in Windows, 170–171
Action Center, 265–266
uninstalling, 175–176
activating parental controls, 312
updating, 176–177
activity log, 314–315
upgrading, 176–177
ad hoc networks, 227
video-editing, 70
adapters
Windows, updating, 177–178
Bluetooth, 249
Windows, upgrading, 178
digital-to-VGA, 33
Applications Restrictions feature, 314
display, 89–93
Apps screen, 171
network, 229
arrow keys, 103
RJ-45, 229
aspect ratio, 94
transparency, 277
audio
video, upgrading, 93
alerts, 143–144
Administrator account, 310–311
connecting, 34
Adobe Premier Pro, 70
hardware for, 137–138
Advanced Configuration and Power
headphones, 140
Interface (ACPI), 150
microphones, 140
air vents, 21, 22, 24
overview, 137
alerts, 143–144
recording, 145–146
All Programs menu, 165
speaker options, 138–139
all-in-one PC, 20
speech recognition, 146–147
all-in-one printers, 126, 128
Windows settings for, 141–143
alphanumeric keys, 103
audio (line in) connector, 26, 27
330 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
• B •
cables
networking, 229
B drive, 88
overview, 32
back of console, items on, 23–25
USB, 117–120
backslash key, 107
cameras
backups, 207–208, 220, 264, 320
connecting, 274
banks of memory, 67
importing images from, 275–276
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), 63
overview, 274
battery, internal, 60, 62
canceling printing jobs, 136
battery-powered PCs, power options
Caps Lock key, 105, 106
for, 152
cartridges, ink, 128–129
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), 63
Cat 5 networking cable, 229
blackouts, 37
cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, 91
blocking
CD drive. See optical drives
downloading, 313
CD/DVD Player format for optical
programs for children, 314
discs, 217, 218–219
websites, 313
CD-R, 214
Bluetooth
CD-RW, 214, 219–220
adapters, adding, 249
CDs
checking for, 248
booting from, 78
expansion with, 123
burning, 215–219
general discussion, 247–248
CD/DVD Player format, 217, 218–219
logo, 248
degradation over time, 218
pairing devices, 250–253
disposing of, 221
unpairing devices, 253
ejecting from drives, 84
Windows settings for, 249–250
erasing RW discs, 219–220
Blu-ray Disc logo, on optical drive, 82
general discussion, 80, 212–215
Blu-ray discs, 80
inserting in drives, 83
BMP files, 281
installing software from, 173
bookmarking web pages, 259
labeling, 220
boot disk, 78
live file system format, 216, 217–218
boxes, keeping in case of returns, 30
mastered format, 217, 218–219
Break key, 107
ripping music from, 293–294
broadband modems, 233–234
USB flash drive format, 216, 217–218
brownouts, 37
cell phones, copying music to, 294–295
Burn button, on window toolbars, 219
center speaker connector, 25, 27
burning discs, 80, 215–219
central processing unit (CPU), 19, 57.
buying PCs, 14–15
See also processors
bytes, 68–70
charms bar, 162–163
chipset, 62–63
• C •
click action, mouse, 112
client-server networks, 227
clock, PC
C drive, 88
Internet, setting with, 61–62
cable modems, 233
overview, 60
Index 331
setting, 60–61
keyboard, 25, 27, 102
viewing date and time, 60
mouse, 26, 28
cloning, 326
SPDIF in/out, 26
closing console, 56
symbols and colors for, 27–28
cloud-based storage, 85–86
USB, 26, 28
codecs, 289
VGA video, 26, 28, 95
color printers, 126
video, 26, 28
colors for PC connectors, 27–28
consoles
COM port, 123
back of, items on, 23–25
compressed folders
battery, 62
compressing files, 208–209
chipset, 62–63
extracting contents of, 210
clock, 60–62
installing software from, 211
closing, 56
overview, 208
connectors, symbols and
viewing contents of, 209–210
colors for, 27–28
computer cables, 32
front of, items on, 21–23
Computer folder, 187
hardware inside of, 54–55
Computer window
I/O panel, 25–26
drive letters, 87–88
motherboard, 57
shortcut for opening, 84
opening, 55–56
viewing storage devices in, 86–87
overview, 18, 19
computers. See also hardware
peripherals, connecting to, 31–35
advantages over mobile devices, 11
power button, 46, 47
buying, 14–15
power supply, 63
function of, 12–13
processor, 57–59
general discussion, 10–11
setting up, 30
leaving on, 50
turning on, 42
plugging in to power supply, 35–40
types of, 19–21
software, 13
working inside, 56
turning off, 44–49
contacts, Facebook, 298
turning on, 41–42
Contacts folder, 188
unpacking, 29–30
Context key, 107
condenser microphones, 140
Control Panel, 167–168
connecting
control panels on printers, 128
keyboards, 102
copying
monitors to PC, 95
files, 197–198
mouse, 109–110
music to MP3 players, 294–295
to networks, 235–238
copyrights on web images, 260
printers, 131–132
cordless 3D mice, 111
USB devices, 120
CPU (central processing unit), 19, 57.
connectors
See also processors
digital video, 27
CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors, 91
DVI video, 95
Crucial website, 71
HDMI video, 26, 27, 95
CRW files, 281
I/O, 57
Ctrl key, 104
on I/O panel, 25–28
Ctrl-drag action, mouse, 112
332 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
Cursor-control keys, 103
display adapter expansion card, 72
cursors, 103
display adapters
custom keys, 108
general discussion, 92
cyberbullying, dealing with, 316
GPU, 92–93
cyberharassment, 315
graphics memory, 92
cyberstalking, 315
overview, 89–90
types of monitors, 91
• D •
understanding graphics, 90–91
Display Pointer Trails option, Mouse
D drive, 88
Properties dialog box, 113
date, viewing, 60
disposing of optical discs, 221
default printers, setting, 133
DL (dual-layer) discs, 80
defragmenting SSDs, 79
DL label, on optical drive, 82
Delete key, 105
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), 307
deleting files, 200, 320
dots per inch (dpi), 283
desktop, 163–164, 171–172
double-click action, mouse, 112
desktop console, 20
double-click rate, 114
Desktop folder, 186–187, 188
double-tap operation, for touchscreens, 115
Devices and Printers window, 132–133
downloading
dial-up modems
blocking, for children, 313
adding, 153
screen savers, 100
configuring connections, 154–155
software, 174–175
connecting, 35
Downloads folder, 188
connecting to Internet with, 257–258
dpi (dots per inch), 283
overview, 153
drag action, mouse, 112
speed of, 154
Dragon Naturally Speaking, 147
dictating to PC, 146–147
DRAM (dynamic random access
digital cameras
memory), 68
connecting, 274
drivers, 120, 170
importing images from, 275–276
drives
overview, 274
defined, 77
digital desert, 218
letters for, 87–88
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), 307
for removable storage, 81–82
digital video connectors, 27
Dropbox, 86
Digital Video Recorder (DVR), 290
DSL modems, 233
digital-to-VGA adapters, 33
dual inline memory module (DIMM), 66–67
DIMM (dual inline memory module), 66–67
dual monitor features, 98
dips, 37
dual-layer (DL) discs, 80
directories, 185
DVD drive. See optical drives
Disc logo, on optical drive, 82
DVD logo, on optical drive, 82
disconnecting from networks, 239
DVD R DL, 214
disk drive cage, 55
DVD RAM, 214
disk drives, 76
DVD+R, 214
display
DVD+RW, 214, 219–220
adjusting, 96
DVD-R, 214, 215
defined, 92
DVD-RW, 214, 219–220
Index 333
DVDs
ports, 117–118
booting from, 78
slots for, 21, 22, 24, 124
burning, 215–219
USB devices, 118–122
CD/DVD Player format, 217, 218–219
expansion cards, 124
copying movies from, 286
explosions of computers, 11
degradation over time, 218
extensions, filename, 184–185, 281
disposing of, 221
external hard drives, 18, 85, 207
ejecting from drives, 84
external media card readers, 81
erasing RW discs, 219–220
external modems, 153
general discussion, 80, 212–215
external storage
inserting in drives, 83
adding, 85
installing software from, 173
on Internet, 85–86
labeling, 220
overview, 77, 84
live file system format, 216, 217–218
extracting contents of Zip files, 210
mastered format, 217, 218–219
USB flash drive format, 216, 217–218
• F •
DVI video connectors, 95
DVR (Digital Video Recorder), 290
F1 key, 106
dynamic microphones, 140
Facebook, 298–299
dynamic random access memory
Family Safety feature
(DRAM), 68
accounts for children, configuring,
• E •
309–310, 311
activating, 312
activity log, 314–315
editing video, 288–289
Administrator-level account,
802.11 standards, 232
setting up, 310–311
ejecting removable storage, 84
blocking programs, 314
electrical problems, 37, 63
cyberbullying, dealing with, 316
e-mail, security precautions for, 321
gaming controls, 313–314
Enter keys, 106
overview, 309
Entertainment Software Rating Board
reviewing activity of children, 315–316
(ESRB) game rating system, 313
time limits, 313
erasing RW discs, 219–220
web filtering, 313
ergonomic keyboards, 322
fans, 24
eSATA port, 27, 121
Favorites folder, 188
Escape key, 106
File and Printer Sharing option, 242
ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating
file attachments, 321
Board) game rating system, 313
file formats
Ethernet, 227
photos, 281
Ethernet card, 229
video, 287
expansion
File History feature, 204–205
of audio capabilities, 137–138
file management
legacy ports, 123–124
copying files, 197–198
of networks, 230
deleting files, 200
opening and working inside console, 55–56
moving files, 198
overview, 117
overview, 193–194
334 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
file management (continued)
in Open dialog box, 191–192
recovering deleted files, 200–201
overview, 179, 185
renaming files, 199–200
parent, 185–186
searching for files, 201–202
Pictures, 280–281
selecting files, 194–196
Public, 243
shortcuts, creating, 198–199
root, 187
unselecting files, 197
Saved Games, 188
File Sharing Connections option, 242, 243
Searches, 188
filename extensions, 184–185, 281
sharing over networks, 243–244
filenames, 180, 181, 183–184
subfolders, 185–186
files. See also file management
User Profile, 187–189
backups, 207–208
footprints, 21
characteristics of, 180–181
force shutdown, 47
compression, 208–211
front of console, items on, 21–23
creating, 181–183
Function keys, 103
deleting, 320
filename extensions, 184–185
• G •
naming, 183–184
overview, 179–180
gadgets, Windows sidebar, 164
recovering with File History, 204–205
games, parental controls for, 313–314
restoring previous versions, 206–207
gateways, 230, 233
saving on cloud, 86
GIF files, 281
filtering websites, 313
gigabytes (GBs), 68, 69
firewalls, 266–267
gigahertz (GHz), 58
FireWire connector, 25, 27, 119
Google Drive, 86
flash memory, 67
GPU, 92–93
flick operation, for touchscreens, 115
graphical user interface
Flickr, 300–304
Charms bar, 162–163
Folder Options dialog box, 184
desktop, 163–164
folders. See also compressed folders
notification area, 166–167
common to Windows, 186–187
overview, 160–161
Computer, 187
Start menu, 165–166
Contacts, 188
Start screen, 161–162
creating, 189–190
taskbar, 164–165
deleting, 320
graphics, overview, 90–91
Desktop, 186–187, 188
graphics memory, 92
Downloads, 188
graphics system
Favorites, 188
display adapter, 92
libraries, 190–191
GPU, 92–93
Links, 188
graphics memory, 92
My Documents, 188
overview, 89–90
My Music, 188
types of monitors, 91
My Pictures, 188
understanding graphics, 90–91
My Videos, 188, 287
Network, 187
Index 335
• H •
images
digital cameras, 274
hard copies, 18
file formats, 281, 282–283
hard drives
image resolution, 283–284
external, 18, 85
importing, 275–276
general discussion, 78
overview, 273
light on console for, 23
photo-sharing websites, 300–304
overview, 76
picture files, 279–283
reformatting, 326
saving from Internet, 260
upgrading, 325–326
scanning, 276–279
hardware. See also consoles
storing in Windows, 280–281
audio, 137–138
uploading to Facebook, 298–299
overview, 13, 17
viewing in Windows, 282
PC purchases based on desired, 15
importing
plugging in to power supply, 35–40
photos, from camera, 275–276
typical computer systems, 17–19
video, 286
unpacking PC, 29–30
infrared connector, 27
upgrading, 321, 325–326
ink cartridges, 128–129
HDMI video connectors, 26, 27, 95
ink for printers, 127, 128–129
HDTV, 91, 95, 291–292
inkjet printers, 125–126
headphone connector, 25, 28
input, 12
headphones
input devices. See also keyboards; mouse
connecting, 34–35
stylus, 21
general discussion, 140
touchscreen monitors, 114–115
headsets, 140, 325
Insert key, 105
Hibernate command, 49, 151–152
inserting removable storage, 83
history, viewing in web browsers, 315
insertion pointers, 103
HomeGroup Connections option, 242, 243
installing software
hubs, USB, 121–122
from optical discs, 173
Hulu, 291
from Zip files, 211
humidity, effect on consoles, 30
integrated video, 91
Intel Core processors, 58
• I •
interface, 77
internal modems, 153
internal storage, 77
IBM, 10, 11
international keyboards, 107
icons
Internet
desktop, 164
backup services, 207
for files, 180, 181
clock, setting with, 61–62
for storage devices, 87
connecting to, 155, 256–258
used in book, 4–5
copying text from, 261
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connector, 25, 27, 119
downloading screen savers from, 100
iHeart Radio, 296
external storage on, 85–86
image editing programs, 280
general discussion, 255
image resolution, 283–284
image resolution for, 284
Image Shack, 300–304
ISPs, 256–257
336 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
Internet (continued)
parts of, 102–103
printing web pages, 259
useful, 106
radio, 295–296
Windows settings for, 108–109
saving images from, 260
wireless, 102
searches, 259–260
kilobits per second (Kbps), 154
sharing on networks, 226
kilobytes (KBs), 68, 69
sharing pages, 261
software from, 174–175
• L •
sound files on, 144
web-browsing tips, 258–259
labeling optical discs, 220
Internet Explorer, 263
LANs (local area networks), 227
Internet Service Provider (ISP),
laptops
256–257, 265
overview, 21
Internet Time Settings dialog box, 61–62
power management options for, 152
Internet-ready HDTV, 292
SSDs in, 79
I/O, 12
laser printers, 37, 125–126
I/O connectors, 57
LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, 91
I/O panel, 22, 24, 25–26
left button, mouse, 111
ISP (Internet Service Provider),
left-handed settings for mouse, 114
256–257, 265
legacy ports, 123–124
• J •
libraries, 187, 190–191
light, hard drive, 23
line conditioning, 36
Jango, 296
line in (audio) connector, 26, 27
joystick connector, 27
line noise, 37
JPG files, 281
line noise filtering, 36
links, to YouTube videos, 305
• K •
Links folder, 188
liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, 91
Kbps (kilobits per second), 154
live file system format for optical
KBs (kilobytes), 68, 69
discs, 216, 217–218
Kensington SmartSockets-brand power
local area networks (LANs), 227
strips, 37
Lock keys, 105–106
Keyboard port, 123
locking computer, 48, 49
Keyboard Properties dialog box, 108–109
Log Off option, 48
keyboard shortcuts, 104
logging in to Windows, 42–44
keyboards
long-press operation, for touchscreens, 115
connecting, 31–32, 102
long-term storage, 13
connectors, on I/O panel, 25, 27, 102
ergonomic, 322
• M •
lock keys, 105–106
math, keys used for, 107–108
Macs, 10
modifier keys, 103–105
main button, mouse, 111
other keys, 107
malware, 170, 264, 321
overview, 18, 101–102
Index 337
mass storage
testing amount of, 71
external storage, 84–86
upgrading, 325
general discussion, 75–76
video, 72–73, 92
hard drives, 78
virtual, 72
overview, 75
memory chips, 66–68
primary storage media, 78–79
messages on monitor, 95
removable storage, 79–84
mice
SSD, 79
connecting, 31–32, 109–110
terminology, 77
connectors, on I/O panel, 26, 28
types of, 76–77
overview, 18
viewing in Windows, 86–88
parts of, 110–111
mastered format for optical discs,
types of, 111
217, 218–219
using, 112
math, keys used for, 107–108
Windows settings for, 113–114
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
wireless, 110
software, 104
microcomputers, 10
MBs (megabytes), 68, 69
microphone connector, 26, 27
measuring monitors, 93–94
microphones
media, defined, 77
connecting, 35
media card readers
general discussion, 140
ejecting cards, 84
setting up in Windows, 142
external, 81, 85
switching between speakers and, 143
inserting cards, 83
microprocessors, 10
interface, 81–82
Microsoft Live e-mail address, signing
on printers, 127
in using, 43
media cards
Mini 1394 connector, 26, 27
ejecting from drives, 84
mini-desktop console, 20
general discussion, 80, 81
mini-DIN connector, 34, 35
inserting in drives, 83
mini-tower, 20
slots on console for, 21, 22
mobile devices, 11
media sharing on networks, 226, 305–307
modem connector, 27
Media Streaming/Media Sharing
modems. See also dial-up modems
option, 242, 243
broadband, 233–234
megabytes (MBs), 68, 69
connecting, 35
memory
overview, 153
adding, 71
modifier keys, 103–105
amount needed, 70–71
monitors
bytes, 68–70
adding second, 97–98
finding information about in Windows, 70
adjusting display, 96
flash, 67
connecting, 33
general discussion, 65–66
connecting to PC, 95
limit of, 72
CRT, 91
memory chips, 66–68
display adapter, 89–93
overview, 13, 65
LCD, 91
shared video, 73
measuring, 93–94
sizes of, 69
messages on, 95
338 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
monitors (continued)
• N •
overview, 18, 89
position of, 322
names of processors, 58
resolution, setting, 99
naming files, 183–184
screen savers, 100
Narrator, 144
touchscreen, 91, 93, 94, 114–115
Nero program, 215
turning on, 42
Netflix, 291
types of, 91
network adapter, 229
widescreen, 94
Network and Sharing Center, 154–155,
Windows settings for, 96–100
239–240, 306
monochrome printers, 126
network cables, 31
motherboard
network connector, 26, 28
battery, 62
Network Discovery option, 242
chipset, 62–63
Network folder, 187
components of, 57
network folders, accessing, 244
expansion slots, 124
network information card (NIC), 229, 232
overview, 55
Network window, 240, 241
processor, 57–59
networks. See also social networks
mouse
ad hoc, 227
connecting, 31–32, 109–110
broadband modems, 233–234
connectors, on I/O panel, 26, 28
client-server, 227
overview, 18
confirming connections, 239
parts of, 110–111
connecting to, 33, 235–238
types of, 111
disconnecting from, 239
using, 112
folders, sharing, 243–244
Windows settings for, 113–114
general discussion, 225–226
wireless, 110
LANs, 227
mouse pointer, 164
media sharing on, 305–307
Mouse port, 123
network folders, accessing, 244
Mouse Properties dialog box, 113
peer-to-peer, 227
MOV files, 287
printers, sharing, 34, 245–246
moving files, 198
public, 237–238
MP3 players, copying music to, 294–295
sharing, enabling, 241–243
MPEG files, 287
in Windows, 239–241
multiple monitors, setting up, 97
wired, 226, 227–230
multitouch monitors, 91
wireless, 226, 230–233
music
NIC (network information card), 229, 232
copying to MP3 players, 294–295
nonremovable storage, 76
Internet radio, 295–296
notebooks
overview, 292
overview, 21
ripping music from CDs, 293–294
power management options for, 152
Windows Media Player, 293
SSDs in, 79
My Documents folder, 188
notification area, 165, 166–167
My Music folder, 188
notifications, setting sounds for, 144
My Pictures folder, 188
Num Lock key, 105
My Videos folder, 188, 287
Numeric keypad, 103
Index 339
• O •
paper feed on printer, 126
paper for printers, 129–131
OCR (optical character recognition)
parent folders, 185–186
software, 279
parental controls
onscreen menu, monitor, 96
accounts for children, configuring,
Open command, 76
309–310, 311
Open dialog box, 191–192
activating, 312
opening console, 55–56
activity log, 314–315
operating system, 13, 160. See also
Administrator-level account,
Windows
setting up, 310–311
optical character recognition (OCR)
blocking programs, 314
software, 279
cyberbullying, dealing with, 316
optical discs
gaming controls, 313–314
booting from, 78
overview, 309
burning, 215–219
time limits, 313
CD/DVD Player format, 217, 218–219
viewing activity of children, 315–316
degradation over time, 218
web filtering, 313
disposing of, 221
Password Protected Sharing
ejecting from drives, 84
option, 242, 243
erasing RW discs, 219–220
passwords, Windows login, 43–44
general discussion, 212–215
patches, software, 176
inserting in drives, 83
Pause key, 107
installing software from, 173
PCI (Peripheral Component
labeling, 220
Interconnect), 124
live file system format, 216, 217–218
PCs. See also hardware
mastered format, 217, 218–219
advantages over mobile devices, 11
overview, 80
buying, 14–15
USB flash drive format, 216, 217–218
function of, 12–13
optical drives
general discussion, 10–11
on console, 21, 22
leaving on, 50
ejecting discs, 84
plugging in to power supply, 35–40
emergency eject button, 82
software, 13
external, 85
turning off, 44–49
general discussion, 80
turning on, 41–42
inserting discs, 83
unpacking, 29–30
interface, 81
peer-to-peer network, 227
labels on, 82
Pentium processors, 58
overview, 76
Peripheral Component
output, 12
Interconnect (PCI), 124
peripherals, connecting to console, 31–35
• P •
phishing, 264
photo printers, 126
Photobucket, 300–304
Page Up/Down key, 105
photos
pairing Bluetooth devices, 250–253
digital cameras, 274
Pandora Internet Radio, 296
file formats, 281, 282–283
340 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
photos (continued)
Power Options window, 150–151
image resolution, 283–284
power outages, 37
importing, 275–276
power plans, choosing, 150–151
overview, 273
power strips
photo-sharing websites, 300–304
plugging hardware into, 35–37
picture files, 279–283
turning on, 42
saving from Internet, 260
power supply
scanning, 276–279
in console, 54, 63
storing in Windows, 280–281
power strips, using, 35–37
uploading to Facebook, 298–299
UPS, 38–40, 63, 152, 325
viewing in Windows, 282
press operation, for touchscreens, 114
photo-sharing websites, 300–304
previous versions, restoring, 206–207
Picasaweb, 300–304
primary storage media, 78–79
picture files
Print dialog box, 134–135
changing formats, 282–283
Print Screen key, 105, 107
overview, 279–280
Printer port, 123
storing in Windows, 280–281
printers
viewing in Windows, 282
canceling printing, 136
pictures. See photos
connecting, 34, 131–132
Pictures folder, 280–281
control panels on, 128
Pin area, 165
default, setting, 133
pinch operation, for touchscreens, 115
ink, 128–129
pinning icons
laser, plugging in, 37
to Start menu, 172
overview, 18, 125
to taskbar, 172
paper for, 129–131
pixels, 99
parts of, 126–127
PNG files, 281
photos, printing, 274
point action, mouse, 112
printing on, 133–135
Pointer Options tab, Mouse Properties
sharing over networks, 226, 245–246
dialog box, 113
types of, 125–126
pop-ups, 264
Windows settings for, 132–133
ports
printer’s Properties dialog box, 135
I/O panel, 25–28
printing, 133–135
legacy, 123–124
processing, 12–13
overview, 117–118
processors
USB, 117
finding information about in Windows, 59
posting to Facebook, 298
function of, 12–13
posture, 322
GPU, 92–93
power button, on console, 22, 23, 46, 47
names of, 58
power connector, 23, 24, 28
overview, 57
power management
role of, 58
battery-powered PCs, 152
speed of, 58–59, 66
hibernation command, assigning to
programs
console power button, 151–152
antispyware, 268
overview, 149–150
blocking, 314
power plans, choosing, 150–151
defined, 170
Index 341
image editing, 280
recording
installing from optical discs, 173
audio, 145–146
from Internet, 174–175
TV, 290
Nero, 215
recovering files
running from desktop, 171–172
with File History, 204–205
running manually, 172
overview, 200–201
Sound Recorder, 145–146
restoring previous versions, 206–207
starting in Windows, 170–171
Recycle Bin, 187, 201
uninstalling, 175–176
recycling computer parts, 150
updating, 176–177
reformatting hard drives, 326
upgrading, 176–177
refreshing web pages, 258
video-editing, 70
reinstalling Windows, 326
Windows, updating, 177–178
Remember icon, 5
Windows, upgrading, 178
removable storage
Programs and Features window, 175–176
drives for, 81–82
Public folder, 243
ejecting, 84
Public Folder Sharing option, 242
inserting, 83
public networks, 237–238
overview, 79
types of, 76, 79–81
• Q •
renaming files, 199–200
reset button, on console, 23
quarantined files, 269
resolution, 99, 283
QuickTime player, 288
Restart command, 49
restoring previous versions, 206–207
• R •
reverse printing, 135
reviewing activity of children, 315–316
R label, on optical drive, 82
right button, mouse, 111
radio, Internet, 295–296
right-click action, mouse, 112
RAM (random access memory)
right-drag action, mouse, 112
adding, 71
ripping music from CDs, 293–294
amount needed, 70–71
RJ-45 adapter, 229
bytes, 68–70
ROM (read-only memory), 67
flash memory, 67
root folder, 187
general discussion, 65–66
rotate operation, for touchscreens, 115
limit of, 72
routers, 230, 233
memory chips, 66–68
Run dialog box, 172
overview, 13, 65, 67
RW discs, erasing, 219–220
shared video memory, 73
RW label, on optical drive, 82
sizes of, 69
testing amount of, 71
• S •
video memory, 72–73
viewing in System window, 59, 70
SATA (Serial Advanced Technology
virtual memory, 72
Attachment), 77
RAM label, on optical drive, 82
satellite modems, 234
read-only memory (ROM), 67
Save As dialog box, 181–182
Save command, 76, 320
342 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
Save screen, 182
shutdown options
Saved Games folder, 188
finding, 44–46
scanners
other options, 48–49
general discussion, 276–277
overview, 322
images, scanning, 277–279
Shutdown command, 46–47
screen, defined, 92
Sleep mode, 50
Screen Resolution dialog box, 97, 98, 99
signing in, to Windows, 42–44
Screen Saver Settings dialog box, 100
signing up
screen savers, 100
Facebook, 298
screen snapshots, 107
photo-sharing websites, 300–301
Scroll Lock key, 105
SkyDrive, 85, 86
SCSI port, 123
Slacker Personal Radio, 296
search engines, 259–260
Sleep mode, 48, 49, 50
Searches folder, 188
slide operation, for touchscreens, 115
searching for files, 201–202
slots, expansion, 124
second monitors, adding, 97–98
small footprint PCs, 21
security
smartphones, 11
Action Center, 265–266
SmartSockets-brand power strips,
antivirus software, 265, 268–269, 321
Kensington, 37
avoiding malware, 321
Snap To option, Mouse Properties
Bluetooth, 248
dialog box, 113
cyberbullying, dealing with, 316
social networks
e-mail, 321
Facebook, 298–299
tools, 263–265
overview, 297
UAC warnings, 269–270
Twitter, 299–300
Windows Defender, 268
software
Windows Firewall, 266–267
antispyware, 268
selecting files, 194–196
antivirus, 265, 268–269, 321
Serial Advanced Technology
blocking, 314
Attachment (SATA), 77
image editing, 280
servers, 227
installing from optical discs, 173
service, PC, 15
installing from Zip files, 211
shared video memory, 73
from Internet, 174–175
sharing over networks
learning about, 324, 327
enabling, 241–243
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
folders, 243–244
software, 104
printers, 245–246
memory requirements, 70
ShieldsUP!, 267
Nero, 215
Shift key, 104
OCR, 279
Shift+drag action, mouse, 112
overview, 13, 169
shortcuts, creating, 198–199
PC purchases based on desired, 14
Show Location/Ctrl Key option, Mouse
printer, installing before connecting, 131
Properties dialog box, 113
running from desktop, 171–172
Shutdown command, 46–47
running manually, 172
Shutdown menu, 44–46
Sound Recorder, 145–146
Index 343
starting in Windows, 170–171
storage, 13. See also mass storage;
terms for, 169–170
temporary storage
uninstalling, 175–176
stylus, 21, 111
updating, 176–177
subfolders, 185–186
upgrading, 176–177, 321
subwoofers, 25, 27, 138
video-editing, 70
support, PC, 15
Windows, updating, 177–178
surge protection, 37, 63
Windows, upgrading, 178
surges, 37, 63
solid-state drive (SSD), 76, 79
surround sound, 26, 28, 138–139
sound
S-video connector, 28
alerts, 143–144
swipe operation, for touchscreens, 115
hardware for, 137–138
Switch User command, 48
headphones, 140
switches, 230
microphones, 140
symbols for PC connectors, 27–28
overview, 137
System Request key, 105, 107
recording, 145–146
System window, 59, 70
speaker options, 138–139
speech recognition, 146–147
• T •
Windows settings for, 141–143
Sound Blaster Audigy system, 138
Tab key, 106
Sound dialog box, 141, 142, 144
tablets, 11, 21
Sound Recorder program, 145–146
tagging photos, Facebook, 299
spam e-mail, 321
tap operation, for touchscreens, 114
SPDIF in/out connectors, 26
taskbar, 164–165, 172
speaker connector, 25, 28
TBs (terabytes), 68, 69
speakers
Technical Stuff icon, 4
connecting, 34–35
technical support, PC, 15, 324
overview, 18
temperature, effect on consoles, 30
surround sound, 138–139
temporary storage, 13, 73.
switching between microphones and, 143
See also memory
Windows setting for, 142
terabytes (TBs), 68, 69
speech recognition, 146–147
testing amount of memory, 71
speed
thumb drives
of modems, 154
ejecting, 84
of processors, 58–59, 66
general discussion, 76, 80
spike protection, 37
inserting, 83
spikes, 37, 63
TIFF files, 281
spread operation, for touchscreens, 115
time, viewing, 60
spyware, 264
time limits for children, 313
SSD (solid-state drive), 76, 79
time server, 61
Standard User accounts, 309–310
timeline of PC, 10
Start button, 164
Tip icon, 5
Start menu, 165–166
toner, 128–129
Start screen, 161–162, 170–171
tool, defined, 170
static electricity, 56
touch and hold operation, for
touchscreens, 115
344 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
touch operation, for touchscreens, 114
removing, 121
touchscreen monitors, 91, 93, 94, 114–115
sound devices, 138
tower console, 20
TV tuners, 290
trackballs, 111
USB-powered devices, 120
transparency adapters, 277
USB flash drive format for optical discs,
Trojans, 264
216, 217–218
turning off PCs, 44–49
USB hubs, 121–122
turning on PCs, 41–42
USB ports
TV, watching on PC, 289–291
expanding storage with, 84–85
TV tuners, 290
general discussion, 118
tweets, 299
on I/O panel, 26, 28
Twitter, 299–300
keyboards, connecting, 102
typewriter keys, 103
mouse, connecting, 109
typing, learning how to, 104
thumb drives, ejecting, 84
thumb drives, inserting, 83
• U •
USB-powered devices, 120
User Profile folder, 187–189
(UAC) User Account Control warnings,
utility, defined, 170
269–270
uninstalling software, 175–176
• V •
uninterruptible power supply (UPS),
38–40, 63, 152, 325
VGA video connectors, 26, 28, 95
unpacking PC, 29–30
video
unpairing Bluetooth devices, 253
connectors, on I/O panel, 26, 28
unselecting files, 197
editing, 288–289
updating
file formats, 287
software, 176–177
HDTV, 291–292
Windows, 177–178, 322
importing, 286
upgrading
overview, 285
external storage, 85
TV, watching on PC, 289–291
hardware, 321, 325–326
uploading to Facebook, 298–299
memory, 71
Videos folder, 287
software, 176–177, 321
viewing, 288
video adapters, 93
YouTube, 304–305
video memory, 72
video cameras, 286
Windows, 178
video card
uploading
general discussion, 92
to Facebook, 298–299
GPU, 92–93
to photo-sharing websites, 301–302
graphics memory, 92
to YouTube, 304
overview, 89–90
UPS (uninterruptible power supply), 38–40,
types of monitors, 91
63, 152, 325
understanding graphics, 90–91
USB devices. See also USB ports
video driver, 97
Bluetooth adapters, 249
video memory, 72–73
cables, 117–120
video RAM (VRAM), 92
connecting, 120
video-editing programs, 70
Index 345
Videos folder, 287
folders in, 186–187
virtual memory, 72
hibernation command, assigning to
viruses, 264, 269
console power button, 151–152
voltage switch, 24
keyboard settings, 108–109
volume, adjusting, 142–143
logging in, 42–44
VRAM (video RAM), 92
mass storage, viewing in, 86–88
memory, finding information about in, 70
• W •
monitor settings, 96–100
mouse settings, 113–114
wallpapers, setting web images as, 260
network settings, 239–241
Warning! icon, 5
network sharing, setting up, 241–243
warranty cards, 30
notification area, 166–167
watts, power supply measured in, 63
operating system, function of, 160
WDS (wireless distribution system), 233
overview, 159, 160–161
web browsers, 263, 315
picture files, 279–283
web filtering, 313
power plans, choosing, 150–151
web pages
printer settings, 132–133
copying text from, 261
processors, finding information
printing, 259
about in, 59
saving images from, 260
reinstalling, 326
searches for, 259–260
scanning images with, 277–279
sharing, 261
sound settings, 141–143
web resolution, 284
Start menu, 165–166
webcams, 286
Start screen, 161–162
websites
starting programs in, 170–171
blocking, 313
System window, 70
Crucial, 71
taskbar, 164–165
Facebook, 298–299
updating, 177–178
filtering, 313
upgrading, 178
photo-sharing, 300–304
Windows 7
Twitter, 299–300
Control Panel, 167
wheel button, mouse, 111
disconnecting from networks, 239
widescreen monitors, 94
dual monitor features, 98
Wi-Fi
libraries, 188, 190–191
connecting to, 236
previous versions of files,
connecting to unknown networks, 238
restoring, 206–207
hardware connections, 230–233
shutdown options, 45–46, 48–49
overview, 226
starting programs in, 171
WiMAX, 234
wireless networks, connecting to, 236–237
window buttons, on taskbar, 165
Windows 8
Windows
charms bar, 162–163
Bluetooth settings, 249–250
Control Panel, 167
charms bar, 162–163
desktop, 163
Control Panel, 167–168
dual monitor features, 98
date and time, setting, 60–61
File History feature, 204–205
desktop, 163–164
libraries, 188, 190–191
346 PCs For Dummies, 12th Edition
Windows 8 (continued)
wired networks
memory requirements, 69
connecting to, 235
Search command, 202
hardware connections, 227–230
Shutdown command, 46
overview, 226
shutdown options, 44–45, 48–49
wireless distribution system (WDS), 233
signing in using Microsoft Live e-mail
wireless keyboards, 102
address, 43
wireless mice, 110
Start screen, 161–162
wireless networks
starting programs in, 170–171
connecting to, 236
time and date information, 60
connecting to unknown, 238
videos, viewing in, 288
hardware connections, 230–233
volume, adjusting, 143
overview, 226
wireless networks, connecting to, 236
wireless NICs, 232
Windows Defender, 264, 268
WMV files, 287
Windows Firewall, 264, 266–267
worms, 264
Windows key, 104
wrist pads, 322
Windows Media Center, 290
Windows Media Player, 288, 293, 295, 307
• Y •
Windows Movie Maker, 288, 289
Windows Photo Gallery, 280
YouTube, 291, 304–305
Windows Security Center, 266
Windows Update, 177–178, 264, 322
• Z •
Windows Vista
disconnecting from networks, 239
Zip files
dual monitor features, 98
compressing files, 208–209
previous versions of files,
extracting contents of, 210
restoring, 206–207
installing software from, 211
shutdown options, 45–46, 47, 48–49
overview, 208
starting programs in, 171
viewing contents of, 209–210
wireless networks, connecting to, 236–237
zooming, on web pages, 258
Windows XP
shutdown options, 46, 47, 48–49
wireless networks, connecting to, 236–237
