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
    • First Things First
    • Shut Down Before Leaving
    • I Do Windows!
    • Manually Changing Window Sizes
    • Moving Windows
    • Closing a Window
    • A Window's Menu
    • A Window's Toolbar
    • One Last Note About Windows
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Workshop
  • 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
  • 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

Shut Down Before Leaving

You are probably anxious to get started, but before you learn more about Windows XP, you should learn how to quit Windows XP properly. Because of the integration of Windows XP and your computer's hardware and software, you must take a few quick steps to quit your Windows XP session and turn off your computer.

Your Start menu contains commands necessary to shut down Windows XP and also your computer. Master the Windows XP shutdown process and get used to performing it to ensure that your files remain intact.

The most important command on the Start menu is the Turn off computer command. Before you do too much, even before you really master the ins and outs of the rest of the Start menu, learn how to shut down your computer safely. You don't want to write the first chapter of a best-selling novel only to find that Windows XP sent the chapter into oblivion because you did not shut down the computer properly before turning off the power.

The following To Do item explains how to turn off your computer safely.

To Do: Turning Off Your Computer

1. Close all programs.
2. Press the Start button to display the Start menu.
3. Select the Turn off computer command by clicking on it. Figure 2.5 shows the resulting Shut Down window.
   

   Figure 2.5 You must decide how you want to shut down the computer.

4. Select Stand By (by clicking the option) if you want to shut down much of your computer's power but keep your current programs open until you press a key. This option is useful for laptop users who want to temporarily stop working on their computer but who want to save battery life.
5. Select Turn Off to close all programs (if you didn't close them first) and shut down your computer. Depending on your monitor's support for XP's power-off signals, your computer screen might also power down.
6. Select Restart to simulate a power-down and power-up sequence to refresh your computer and restart Windows XP, displaying the log on screen.

If you change your mind about the shut down, you can select Cancel to return to your Windows session.

Develop the habit of shutting down Windows XP properly before turning off your computer. Perhaps you can stick a note to the computer's on/off switch until you get used to running the command. Again, this proper shut down procedure is cheap insurance against data loss, and a good habit to develop.

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