Category: Using Microsoft Windows XP

When you can’t figure out how to perform a particular task, it’s time to ask for help. In Windows XP, this is done through the Help and Support Center. TIP Search for Help You can also use the Search box to search for specific help topics. If you’re connected to the Internet, Windows will search…

Screensavers display moving designs on your computer screen when you haven’t typed or moved the mouse for a while. This prevents static images from burning into your screen and provides some small degree of entertainment if you’re bored at your desk. TIP Configure the Screensaver Click the Settings button to configure settings specific to an…

If you have multiple people using your PC, you should assign each user in your household his or her own password-protected user account. Anyone trying to access another user’s account and files without the password will then be denied access. TIP Change Your Picture You can change an account picture by returning to the User…

The default Windows XP desktop uses a predefined combination of colors and fonts. If you don’t like this combination, you can choose from several other predefined schemes.

Although changing themes is the fastest way to change the look of all your desktop elements, you can also change each element separately. For example, you can easily change your desktop’s background pattern or wallpaper. You can choose from the many patterns and wallpapers included with Windows or select a graphic of your own choosing.…

Desktop themes are specific combinations of background wallpaper, colors, fonts, cursors, sounds, and screensavers all arranged around a specific look or topic. When you choose a new theme, the look and feel of your entire desktop changes. Windows’s default theme is called Windows XP. TIP More Themes You can find additional themes in the Microsoft Plus! SuperPack…

You can configure your computer’s display so that the desktop is larger or smaller than normal, by changing Windows’s screen resolution. A larger desktop lets you view more things onscreen at the same time even though each item is smaller than before. A smaller desktop displays fewer items, but they’re larger. NOTE Resolution and Pixels…

The Windows Control Panel is used to manage most (but not all) of Windows’s configuration settings. The Control Panel is actually a system folder (like My Computer and My Documents) that contains several individual utilities that let you adjust and configure various system properties. NOTE Configuring Individual Settings When you open a configuration utility, you’ll…

Windows’s My Computer utility lets you access each major component of your system and perform basic maintenance functions. For example, you can use My Computer to “open” the contents of your hard disk and then copy, move, and delete individual files. TIP View Drive Contents To view the contents of a specific drive, double-click the…

Some Windows programs put the most frequently used operations on one or more toolbars, typically located just below the menu bar. A toolbar looks like a row of buttons, each with a small picture (called an icon) and maybe a bit of text. You activate the associated command or operation by clicking the button with your mouse.…