Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows XP in 24 Hours

By Greg Perry

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • Introduction
  • Part I: Wake Up with Windows XP
  • Hour 1. Taking a Bird's-Eye Look at Windows XP
  • Hour 2. Getting Started with Windows XP
  • Hour 3. Managing the Windows XP Interface
  • Part II: Morning Windows Desktop Exploration
  • Hour 4. Working with the My Computer Window
  • Hour 5. Navigating Files with Windows Explorer
  • Hour 6. Calling for Help
  • Hour 7. Improving Your Windows Desktop Experience
  • Part III: Early Afternoon Windows Exploration
  • Hour 8. Installing Programs with Windows XP
  • Hour 9. Finding Files, Folders, and Friends
  • Hour 10. Using the Desktop Accessories
  • Part IV: Late Afternoon Internet Integration
  • Hour 11. Surfing the Web with Internet Explorer
  • Hour 12. Tying Windows into the Web
  • Hour 13. Networking with Windows XP
  • Hour 14. Managing E-mail and Newsgroups with Outlook Express
  • Part V: An Evening with Advanced Windows
  • Hour 15. Exploring Your Hardware Interface
  • Hour 16. Understanding Printing and Fonts
  • Hour 17. Using Windows on the Road
  • Hour 18. Giving Windows XP a Tune-Up
  • Hour 19. Managing Your Hard Drives
  • Hour 20. Tinkering with the Advanced System Tools
    • Check Your System
    • Dr. Watson, Come Right Away
    • Using the Task Manager
    • Scheduling System Tasks
    • Using System Restore
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Workshop
  • Part VI: Having Fun at Nighttime
  • Hour 21. Using Media Player
  • Hour 22. Picturing Windows XP Graphics
  • Hour 23. Making Movies with Windows XP
  • Hour 24. Advanced Windows XP Tips
  • Part VII: Appendixes
  • Appendix A. Differences Between the Windows Home and Professional Edition
  • Appendix B. Glossary
  • Appendix C. Answers to Quizzes

Workshop

The quiz and exercise questions are designed to test your knowledge of the material covered in this hour. The answers are in Appendix C, "Answers to Quizzes."

Quiz

1. Which program graphically shows you memory and CPU usage?

2. How might you use the Task Manager to determine if your PC needs more memory?

3. Why does Dr. Watson provide the option of taking a system snapshot?

4. Which system program enables you to revert your computer to a previous time?

5. What is the difference between Dr. Watson and System Restore?

Exercises

1. Run Task Manager and click the Performance tab to display the resource graphs. Click the window's Minimize button to minimize the window. After you work on your computer for a few hours, click the Task Manager's taskbar button to see how your computer resources are holding up. If resources approach 80%, you should close your open programs and restart Windows XP. Doing so will help prevent your system from freezing up as it can do when resources run low.

2. The next time you want to install a program, first use System Restore. Install the program and then run System Restore to revert your PC to its pre-install state. You should see no traces of the program except, perhaps, a data folder. System Restore is better than an uninstallation routine because System Restore not only uninstalls software but also ensures that Windows XP is untouched by any of the software's stray programs that sometimes stick around long after you've attempted to uninstall the program.

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