Windows 7 For Dummies, Enhanced Edition E-Book

Andy Rathbone

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

The perfect plain-English guide to the much-anticipated release of Windows 7

Whether you're new to computers or just eager to start using the newest version of Windows, Windows For Dummies, Enhanced Edition answers all your questions about the changes and new tools in Windows 7, enhanced with detailed video tutorials. Windows expert Andy Rathbone walks you step by step through the most common Windows 7 tasks, including managing files, applications, media, and Internet access. You’ll learn how to navigate the interface, customize the desktop, and work with the file system. You’ll then go deeper into the system, discovering new features and improvements, and finding tips and techniques for getting the most out of Windows 7.

• Covers basic management of applications, files, and data; creating and printing documents; setting up an Internet connection and e-mail account; and online security
• Includes specially produced videos explaining features and illustrating techniques in greater depth
• Explores using Windows to edit and manage audio, video, and photo files, and how to create CDs, DVDs, and playlists with Media Center
• Helps you tweak and customize Windows 7 to operate your way and set up user accounts, build a home network, and maintain your PC
• Provides troubleshooting advice, helps you find missing files and use the Help system, and explains common error messages

Windows 7 For Dummies, Enhanced Edition will have you up and running on the newest version of Windows quickly and easily.

Leseprobe

Windows® 7 For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

How to Use This Book

And What about You?

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know

Part II: Working with Programs and Files

Part III: Getting Things Done on the Internet

Part IV: Customizing and Upgrading Windows 7

Part V: Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)

Part VI: Help!

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know

Chapter 1: What Is Windows 7?

What Is Windows 7, and Why Are You Using It?

Should I Bother Switching to Windows 7?

Why Vista owners will like Windows 7

Why Windows XP owners should switch to Windows 7

Can My PC Still Run Windows 7?

The Seven Flavors of Windows 7

Chapter 2: The Desktop, Start Menu, Taskbar, Gadgets, and Other Windows 7 Mysteries

Being Welcomed to the World of Windows 7

Fiddling around with user accounts

Keeping your account private with a password

Working on the Desktop

Cleaning up a messy desktop

Jazzing up the desktop’s background

Dumpster diving in the Recycle Bin

The Start Button’s Reason to Live

The Start menu’s buttons

Starting a program from the Start menu

Customizing the Start menu

Bellying Up to the Taskbar

Shrinking windows to the taskbar and retrieving them

Switching to different tasks from the taskbar’s Jump Lists

Clicking the taskbar’s sensitive areas

Customizing the taskbar

The taskbar’s crazy toolbars

A Gaggle of Gadgets

Logging Off from Windows

Chapter 3: Basic Windows Mechanics

Dissecting a Typical Window

Tugging on a window’s title bar

Navigating folders with a window’s Address Bar

Finding the hidden menu bar

Choosing the right button for the job

Quick shortcuts with the Navigation Pane

Working with the Details Pane

Moving inside a window with its scroll bar

Boring borders

Filling Out Bothersome Dialog Boxes

Poking the correct command button

Choosing between option buttons

Typing into text boxes

Choosing options from list boxes

Drop-down list boxes

Check boxes

Sliding controls

Maneuvering Windows Around the Desktop

Moving a window to the top of the pile

Moving a window from here to there

Making a window fill the whole screen

Closing a window

Making a window bigger or smaller

Placing two windows side by side

Making windows open to the same darn size

Chapter 4: Flipping Through Files, Folders, Flash Drives, Libraries, and CDs

Browsing Your Computer’s File Cabinets

Getting the Lowdown on Folders and Libraries

Peering into Your Drives, Folders, and Libraries

Seeing the files on a disk drive

Seeing what’s inside folders

Managing a library’s folders

Creating a New Folder

Renaming a File or Folder

Selecting Bunches of Files or Folders

Getting Rid of a File or Folder

Copying or Moving Files and Folders

Seeing More Information about Files and Folders

Writing to CDs and DVDs

Buying the right kind of blank CDs and DVDs for burning

Copying files from or to a CD or DVD

Working with Flash Drives and Memory Cards

Part II: Working with Programs and Files

Chapter 5: Playing with Programs and Documents

Starting a Program

Opening a Document

Saving a Document

Choosing Which Program Opens a File

The wrong program loads my file!

No program will open my file!

Taking the Lazy Way with a Shortcut

The Absolutely Essential Guide to Cutting, Copying, and Pasting

The quick ’n’ dirty guide to cut ’n’ paste

Selecting things to cut or copy

Cutting or copying your selected goods

Pasting information to another place

Windows 7’s Free Programs!

Writing letters with WordPad

Converting, adding, and balancing with Calculator

Finding symbols like © with Character Map

Chapter 6: Briefly Lost, but Quickly Found

Finding Lost Windows on the Desktop

Locating a Missing Program, E-Mail, Song, Document, or Other File

Finding a Missing File inside a Folder

Arranging and Grouping Files

Finding Lost Photos

Finding Other Computers on a Network

Finding Information on the Internet

Saving Your Searches

Chapter 7: Printing Your Work

Printing Your Masterpiece

Adjusting how your work fits on the page

Adjusting your printer’s settings

Canceling a print job

Printing a Web page

Troubleshooting your printer

Part III: Getting Things Done on the Internet

Chapter 8: Cruising the Web

What Is the Internet?

What’s an ISP, and Why Do I Need One?

Setting Up Internet Explorer the First Time

Navigating the Web with Internet Explorer 8

Moving from Web page to Web page

Revisit favorite places

Finding things on the Internet

The Web Page Says It Needs a Weird Plug-In Thing!

Saving Information from the Internet

Saving a Web page

Saving text

Saving a picture

Downloading a program, song, or other type of file

It Doesn’t Work!

Removing Unneeded Plug-Ins

The Pages Won’t All Fit on My Screen

Internet Explorer Now Fills My Entire Screen!

Chapter 9: Sending and Receiving E-Mail

Understanding E-Mail Options in Windows 7

Web-based e-mail

PC-based e-mail programs

Installing Windows Live Mail

Setting Up Windows Live Mail

Sending and Receiving E-Mail in Windows Live Mail

Composing and sending an e-mail

Reading a received e-mail

Sending and Receiving Files through E-Mail

Attaching a file or files to an e-mail

Saving an attached file

Embedding photos in an e-mail

Saving embedded photos

Managing Your Contacts

Reducing Your Spam

Chapter 10: Safe Computing

Understanding Those Annoying Permission Messages

Assessing Your Safety in the Action Center

Changing the firewall settings

Changing Windows Update settings

Avoiding viruses

Staying Safe on the Internet

Avoiding evil add-ons and hijackers

Avoiding phishing scams

Avoiding and removing spyware and parasites with Windows Defender

Setting Up Parental Controls

Part IV: Customizing and Upgrading Windows 7

Chapter 11: Customizing Windows 7 with the Control Panel

Finding the Right Switch in the Control Panel

System and Security

User Accounts and Family Safety

Network and Internet

Changing Windows 7’s Appearance (Appearance and Personalization)

Changing the desktop background

Choosing a screen saver

Changing the computer’s theme

Changing the screen resolution

Hardware and Sound

Adjusting volume and sounds

Installing or setting up speakers

Adding a printer

Installing or adjusting other computer parts

Clock, Language, and Region

Adding or Removing Programs

Removing or changing programs

Adding new programs

Add/remove parts of Windows 7

Modifying Windows 7 for the Physically Challenged

Chapter 12: Keeping Windows from Breaking

Creating a Restore Point

Tuning Up Windows 7 with Built-In Maintenance Tools

Backing up your computer

Finding technical information about your computer

Freeing up space on your hard drive

Empowering your power button

Setting up devices that don’t work (fiddling with drivers)

Cleaning Your Mouse

Chapter 13: Sharing One Computer with Several People

Understanding User Accounts

Setting Up or Changing User Accounts

Switching Quickly between Users

Sharing Files among Account Holders

Changing a User Account’s Picture

Setting Up Passwords and Security

Chapter 14: Connecting Computers with a Network

Understanding a Network’s Parts

Setting Up a Small Network

Buying parts for a network

Installing a wired network

Connecting Wirelessly

Setting up a wireless router or access point

Setting up Windows 7 to connect to a wireless network

Setting Up a Homegroup

Sharing Files within a Homegroup

Choosing what items to share in a Homegroup

Accessing what others have shared

Connecting to and Sharing Files with Windows XP and Windows Vista PCs

Letting older PCs notice your Windows 7 PCs

Accessing a Windows 7 PC’s shared files from an older PC

Accessing a Windows XP or Vista PC’s shared files from your Windows 7 PC

Sharing a Printer on the Network

Troubleshooting a Network

Part V: Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)

Chapter 15: Playing and Copying Music in Media Player

Stocking Media Player’s Library

Browsing Media Player’s Libraries

Controlling Your Now Playing Items

Playing CDs

Playing DVDs

Playing Videos and TV Shows

Playing Music Files (MP3s and WMAs)

Creating, Saving, and Editing Playlists

Ripping (Copying) CDs to Your PC

Burning (Creating) Music CDs

Copying Songs to Your Portable Player

Working with Media Center

Browsing Media Center’s menus

Getting the most out of Media Center

Chapter 16: Fiddling with Photos and Movies

Using Your Computer as a Digital Shoebox

Dumping the camera’s photos into your computer

Browsing your photos in the Pictures library

Viewing a slide show

Copying digital photos to a CD or DVD

E-mailing photos

Printing pictures

Fixing photos with Windows Live Photo Gallery

Creating a DVD Movie or Slide Show with Windows DVD Maker

Creating, Editing, and Viewing Digital Movies

Step 1: Import video, pictures, and music

Step 2: Edit your movie

Step 3: Save your edited movie

Part VI: Help!

Chapter 17: The Case of the Broken Window

Windows 7 Keeps Asking Me for Permission

I Need System Restore to Fix My PC

I Need to Retrieve Deleted or Damaged Files

Undeleting accidentally deleted files

Retrieving previous versions of files and folders

My Settings Are Messed Up

I Forgot My Password

My Folder (Or Desktop) Doesn’t Show All My Files

My Mouse Doesn’t Work Right

My Double-Clicks Are Now Single Clicks

I Can’t Run Older Programs under Windows 7

I Can’t Find the Folder Menus

My Computer Is Frozen Up Solid

Chapter 18: Strange Messages: What You Did Does Not Compute

Activate Windows Now

Could Not Perform This Operation Because the Default Mail Client Is Not Properly Installed

Device Driver Software Was Not Successfully Installed

Do You Trust This Printer?

Do You Want to Allow the Following Program to Make Changes to This Computer?

Do You Want to Install (Or Run) This Software?

Do You Want to Save Changes?

Do You Want to Turn AutoComplete On?

Find an Antivirus Program Online

Installing Device Driver Software

Set Up Windows Internet Explorer 8

View Important Messages

Windows Can’t Open This File

You Don’t Currently Have Permission to Access This Folder

Chapter 19: Moving from an Old Computer to a New Windows 7 PC

Preparing to Move into Your New PC

Choosing how to transfer your old information

Installing your old PC’s programs onto your new PC

Transferring Information Between Two PCs with Windows Easy Transfer

Transferring through an Easy Transfer cable

Transferring through a network

Transferring through a portable hard drive or flash drive

Picking and choosing the files, folders, and accounts to transfer

Disposing of Your Old Computer

Chapter 20: Help on the Windows 7 Help System

Consulting a Program’s Built-In Computer Guru

Finding the Information You Need in Windows Help and Support Center

Summoning the Windows 7 Troubleshooters

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Chapter 21: Ten or So Things You’ll Hate about Windows 7 (And How to Fix Them)

I Can’t Stand Those Nagging Permission Screens

I Can’t Copy Music to My iPod

The Menus All Disappeared

The “Glass” Effects Slow Down My PC or Laptop

My Quick Launch Toolbar Is Gone!

Windows Makes Me Log On All the Time

The Taskbar Keeps Disappearing

I Can’t Keep Track of Open Windows

I Can’t Line Up Two Windows on the Screen

It Won’t Let Me Do Something Unless I’m an Administrator!

I Don’t Know What Version of Windows I Have

My Print Screen Key Doesn’t Work

I Can’t Upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows XP!

Chapter 22: Ten or So Tips for Laptop Owners

Adjusting Your Laptop’s Settings Quickly

Choosing What Happens When You Close Your Laptop’s Lid

Adjusting to Different Locations

Changing your time zone

Connecting to a wireless Internet hotspot

Dialing a modem from a new location

Backing Up Your Laptop Before Traveling

Appendix A: Upgrading to Windows 7

Windows® 7 For Dummies®

by Andy Rathbone

Windows® 7 For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN: 978-1-118-01431-8

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Andy Rathbone started geeking around with computers in 1985 when he bought a 26-pound portable CP/M Kaypro 2X. Like other nerds of the day, he soon began playing with null-modem adapters, dialing computer bulletin boards, and working part-time at Radio Shack.

He wrote articles for various techie publications before moving to computer books in 1992. He’s written the Windows For Dummies series, Upgrading and Fixing PCs For Dummies, TiVo For Dummies, PCs: The Missing Manual, and many other computer books.

Today, he has more than 15 million copies of his books in print, and they’ve been translated into more than 30 languages. You can reach Andy at his Web site, www.andyrathbone.com.

Author’s Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Dan Gookin, Matt Wagner, Tina Rathbone, Steve Hayes, Nicole Sholly, Virginia Sanders, and James Kelly.

Thanks also to all the folks I never meet in editorial, sales, marketing, proofreading, layout, graphics, and manufacturing who work hard to bring you this book.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Nicole Sholly

Executive Editor: Steve Hayes

Copy Editor: Virginia Sanders

Technical Editor: James F. Kelly

Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katherine Crocker

Layout and Graphics: Christin Swinford, Ronald Terry

Proofreaders: Laura L. Bowman, John Greenough

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Introduction

Welcome to Windows 7 For Dummies, the world’s best-selling book about Windows 7!

This book’s popularity probably boils down to this simple fact: Some people want to be Windows whizzes. They love interacting with dialog boxes. Some randomly press keys in the hope of discovering hidden, undocumented features. A few memorize long strings of computer commands while washing their hair.

And you? Well, you’re no dummy, that’s for sure. But when it comes to Windows and computers, the fascination just isn’t there. You want to get your work done, stop, and move on to something more important. You have no intention of changing, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

That’s where this book comes in handy. Instead of making you a whiz at Windows, it merely dishes out chunks of useful computing information when you need them. Instead of becoming a Windows 7 expert, you’ll know just enough to get by quickly, cleanly, and with a minimum of pain so that you can move on to the more pleasant things in life.

About This Book

Don’t try to read this book in one sitting; there’s no need. Instead, treat this book like a dictionary or an encyclopedia. Turn to the page with the information you need and say, “Ah, so that’s what they’re talking about.” Then put down the book and move on.

Don’t bother trying to memorize all the Windows 7 jargon, such as Select the Menu Item from the Drop-Down List Box. Leave that stuff for the computer enthusiasts. In fact, if anything technical comes up in a chapter, a road sign warns you well in advance. Depending on your mood, you can either slow down to read it or speed on around it.

Instead of fancy computer jargon, this book covers subjects like these, all discussed in plain English:

Keeping your computer safe and secure

Finding, starting, and closing programs

Locating the file you saved or downloaded yesterday

Setting up a computer for the whole family to use

Copying information to and from a CD or DVD

Working with your digital camera’s photos and making slide shows

Printing your work

Creating a network between PCs to share an Internet connection or printer

Fixing Windows 7 when it’s misbehaving

There’s nothing to memorize and nothing to learn. Just turn to the right page, read the brief explanation, and get back to work. Unlike other books, this one enables you to bypass the technical hoopla and still get your work done.

How to Use This Book

Something in Windows 7 will eventually leave you scratching your head. No other program brings so many buttons, bars, and babble to the screen. When something in Windows 7 leaves you stumped, use this book as a reference. Look for the troublesome topic in this book’s table of contents or index. The table of contents lists chapter and section titles and page numbers. The index lists topics and page numbers. Page through the table of contents or index to the spot that deals with that particular bit of computer obscurity, read only what you have to, close the book, and apply what you’ve read.

If you’re feeling spunky and want to find out more, read a little further in the bulleted items below each section. You can find a few completely voluntary extra details, tips, or cross-references to check out. There’s no pressure, though. You aren’t forced to discover anything that you don’t want to or that you simply don’t have time for.

If you have to type something into the computer, you’ll see easy-to-follow bold text like this:

Type Media Player into the Search box.

In the preceding example, you type the words Media Player and then press the keyboard’s Enter key. Typing words into a computer can be confusing, so a description follows that explains what you should be seeing on the screen.

This book doesn’t wimp out by saying, “For further information, consult your manual.” Windows 7 doesn’t even come with a manual. This book also doesn’t contain information about running specific Windows software packages, such as Microsoft Office. Windows 7 is complicated enough on its own! Luckily, other For Dummies books mercifully explain most popular software packages.

Don’t feel abandoned, though. This book covers Windows in plenty of detail for you to get the job done. Plus, if you have questions or comments about Windows 7 For Dummies, feel free to drop me a line on my Web site at www.andyrathbone.com.

Finally, keep in mind that this book is a reference. It’s not designed to teach you how to use Windows 7 like an expert, heaven forbid. Instead, this book dishes out enough bite-sized chunks of information so that you don’t have to learn Windows.

And What about You?

Chances are good that you already own Windows 7 or are thinking about upgrading. You know what you want to do with your computer. The problem lies in making the computer do what you want it to do. You’ve gotten by one way or another, perhaps with the help of a computer guru — either a friend at the office, somebody down the street, or your fourth-grader.

But when your computer guru isn’t around, this book can be a substitute during your times of need. (Keep a doughnut nearby in case you need a quick bribe.)

How This Book Is Organized

The information in this book has been well sifted. This book contains seven parts, and I divide each part into chapters relating to the part’s theme. With an even finer knife, I divide each chapter into short sections to help you figure out a bit of Windows 7 weirdness. Sometimes, you may find what you’re looking for in a small, boxed sidebar. Other times, you may need to cruise through an entire section or chapter. It’s up to you and the particular task at hand.

Here are the categories (the envelope, please).

Part I: Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know

This part dissects Windows 7’s backbone: its opening screen and username buttons, the mammoth Start button menu that fetches all your important stuff, and your computer’s desktop — the background where all your programs live. It explains how to move windows around, for example, and click the right buttons at the right time. It explains the Windows 7 stuff that everybody thinks that you already know.

Part II: Working with Programs and Files

Windows 7 comes with bunches of free programs. Finding and starting the programs, however, often proves to be a chore. This part of the book shows you how to prod programs into action. If an important file or program has vanished from the radar, you discover how to make Windows 7 dredge your computer’s crowded cupboards and bring it back.

Part III: Getting Things Done on the Internet

Turn here for a crash course in today’s computing playground, the Internet. This part explains how to send e-mail and globetrot across Web sites. Best yet, an entire chapter explains how to do it all safely, without viruses, spyware, and annoying pop-up ads.

A section explains Internet Explorer’s built-in security tools. They stop evil phishing sites from tricking you and keep Web parasites from attaching themselves to your board as you Web surf.

Part IV: Customizing and Upgrading Windows 7

When Windows 7 needs a jolt, fix it by flipping one of the switches hidden in its Control Panel, described here. Another chapter explains computer maintenance you can easily perform yourself, reducing your repair bills. You discover how to share your computer with several people in your family or in a shared apartment — without letting anybody peek into anybody else’s information.

And when you’re ready to add a second computer, head to the networking chapter for quick instructions on linking computers to share an Internet connection, files, and a printer, as well.

Part V: Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)

Turn here for information on playing music CDs, DVDs, digital music, and movies. Buy some cheap CDs and create your own greatest hits CDs from your favorite tunes. (Or just copy a CD so that your favorite one doesn’t get scratched in the car.)

Digital camera owners should visit the chapter on transferring pictures from your camera to your computer, organizing the pictures, and e-mailing them to friends. Bought a camcorder? Head to the section that explains how to edit out the dopey parts with the Windows Live Movie Maker program and save your completed masterwork onto a DVD the relatives will enjoy for a change.

Part VI: Help!

Although glass doesn’t shatter when Windows crashes, it still hurts. In this part, you find some soothing salves for the most painful irritations. Plus, you find ways to unleash the Windows 7 program’s team of troubleshooters.

Stuck with the problem of moving your files from an old computer to a new one? You can find help here, as well. (If you’re ready to upgrade your Windows XP or Vista computer to Windows 7, check out the appendix, too, which holds complete instructions.)

Part VII: The Part of Tens

Everybody loves lists (except during tax time). This part contains lists of Windows-related trivia, such as ten aggravating things about Windows 7 (and how to fix them). As a bonus for the laptoppers, I’ve collected Windows 7’s most useful laptop tips and placed them into one chapter, complete with step-by-step instructions for the most frequently used laptopping tasks.

Icons Used in This Book

It just takes a glance at Windows 7 to notice its icons, which are little push-button pictures for starting various programs. The icons in this book fit right in. They’re even a little easier to figure out.

Watch out! This signpost warns you that pointless technical information is coming around the bend. Swerve away from this icon to stay safe from awful technical drivel.

This icon alerts you about juicy information that makes computing easier: a tried-and-true method for keeping the cat from sleeping on top of the monitor, for example.

Don’t forget to remember these important points. (Or at least dog-ear the pages so that you can look them up again a few days later.)

The computer won’t explode while you’re performing the delicate operations associated with this icon. Still, wearing gloves and proceeding with caution is a good idea.

Are you moving to Windows 7 from Windows Vista? This icon alerts you to areas where 7 works significantly differently from its predecessor.

More than a few folks skipped Windows Vista altogether. If you’re a Vista skipper, this XP icon alerts you to the many places where Windows 7 works significantly differently from Windows XP. (Keep an eye out for the New in Windows 7 icon, too, because you’ve missed quite a few changes.)

Where to Go from Here

Now, you’re ready for action. Give the pages a quick flip and scan a section or two that you know you’ll need later. Please remember, this is your book — your weapon against the computer nerds who’ve inflicted this whole complicated computer concept on you. Please circle any paragraphs you find useful, highlight key concepts, add your own sticky notes, and doodle in the margins next to the complicated stuff.

The more you mark up your book, the easier it will be for you to find all the good stuff again.

Part I

Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know

In this part . . .

Most people are dragged into Windows 7 without a choice. Their new computers probably came with Windows 7 already installed. Or maybe the office switched to Windows 7, and everyone has to learn it except for the boss, who still doesn’t have a computer. Or maybe Microsoft’s marketing hype pushed you into it.

Whatever your situation, this part gives a refresher on Windows basics and buzzwords like dragging and dropping, cutting and pasting, and tugging at vanishing toolbars.

This part explains how Windows 7 has changed things for the better, and it warns you when Windows 7 has messed things up completely.

Chapter 1

What Is Windows 7?

In This Chapter

Getting to know Windows 7

Discovering the new features in Windows 7

Understanding how Windows 7 affects your old programs

Figuring out whether your PC is powerful enough to run Windows 7

Knowing which version of Windows 7 you need

Chances are good that you’ve heard about Windows: the boxes and windows and mouse pointer that greet you whenever you turn on your computer. In fact, millions of people all over the world are puzzling over it as you read this book. Almost every new computer sold today comes with a copy of Windows preinstalled — cheerfully greeting you when first turned on.

This chapter helps you understand why Windows lives inside your computer and introduces Microsoft’s latest Windows version, called Windows 7. I explain how Windows 7 differs from previous Windows versions, whether you should upgrade to Windows 7, and how well your faithful old PC will weather the upgrade.

What Is Windows 7, and Why Are You Using It?

Created and sold by a company called Microsoft, Windows isn’t like your usual software that lets you write term papers or send angry e-mails to mail-order companies. No, Windows is an operating system, meaning it controls the way you work with your computer. It’s been around for more than 20 years, and the latest whiz-bang version is called shown in Figure 1-1.