Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows XP in 24 Hours
- 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
- 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
Miscellaneous Tips
Although Windows offers hundreds of shortcuts and tips that you'll run across as you use Windows, your 24 hours is almost over. The following sections round out the final Windows tips offered here.
Save the Scraps
Suppose that you work within a word processor and want to copy a paragraph or two from the word processor to several different programs over the next few days. The Windows Clipboard will hold data only as long as you don't replace the Clipboard with additional contents or until you shut down Windows.
You can create a scrap, a portion of a data file, by dragging selected text and data from an application to your desktop. When you release the data, a scrap icon appears on the desktop. Keep in mind that a scrap is not a complete document but only text you've selected and copied to the desktop.
The scrap stays on your desktop until you delete it. Therefore, as long as the scrap remains on your desktop, you can copy it to any file.
Stop a Copy or Move
Sometimes you begin a copy or move operation with your mouse by dragging something from one location to another, and you realize that you want to cancel the copy or move. Press Esc to cancel the current copy or move in process.
Laptop Security
If you use a laptop, you can help get your laptop back if you lose it. Right now, before you forget, tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop. If you leave the laptop in an airport or hotel, the finder of your PC will be able to contact you to return the laptop. Sure, if a thief steals your laptop with a business card, he will know whom to thank!
Delay On-the-Road Printing
Without a laptop printer, you cannot get a hardcopy (a printout) of your data. You can, however, print all your data to an offline printer. When you print to an offline printer, you appear to print but your laptop stores the printing for later.
To convert your laptop to offline printing, open your Control Panel's Printers and Faxes folder and select File, Use Printer Offline to request the offline printing option. All subsequent printing goes to the disk. You can print as much as you want, and Windows XP stores the output for when you eventually connect a printer to your laptop. When you get back to the office, plug a printer into your laptop, choose File, Use Printer Online, and the laptop will print every file you sent to the printer while on the road.
Print to a Hotel Fax
When you create something with your laptop while you're on the road, you probably won't have your printer with you. Although you can back up your files to a disk, you might feel better if you print your data. You'll then have the printed hardcopy in case something happens to your disk. If you don't have a printer, fax your document to the hotel fax machine. You will, in a few seconds, have a printout of your document.
Purchase a Desktop Infrared Transmitter
If you transfer files between your desktop and laptop more than once a week, you'll soon tire of the cable connection that you have to make. If you use a network, plug the network cable into your laptop's PC card slot, perhaps also removing your PC card hard disk or modem first and inserting the network PC card. If you use a Direct Cable Connection or network, you might have to unplug your desktop's printer or modem before you can cable the desktop to your laptop.
An infrared device frees you from the cables. People who use an infrared transmitter to transfer files between their laptop and desktop are more likely to keep their files up to date than users who must use cables.
Purchase a Digital Camera Interface
If you have a digital camera with a USB port that connects directly to your computer, you can transfer pictures from your camera directly to your PC. Over time, however, connecting your camera directly to your PC causes extra wear on your camera's motor.
Most digital camera makers produce a desktop device that attaches to one of your USB ports into which you can insert your camera's memory chip. For example, Sony cameras use a memory stick to store photos internally in the camera. You can eject the memory stick and insert the memory stick into Sony's Memory Stick Reader, a small box that sits on your desktop. The reading device enables you to transfer pictures from the stick to your computer without using your camera.
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