Paul McFedries' Web Home


The Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows Millennium Edition The Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows Me (Millennium Edition)

Table of Contents




Part 1: Getting Comfy with Windows Millennium

Chapter 1—The New ME: What's New in Windows Millennium Edition
The "Look-and-Feel" Looks and Feels a Bit Different
Newfangled Internet and Networking Doohickeys
New Tricks for Pics
Other New Features to Write Home About

Chapter 2—The Shallow End of the Pool: Some Windows Basics
What's What In the Windows Screen
The Desktop
The Taskbar
Some Mouse and Keyboard Fundamentals
Basic Mouse Maneuvers
Common Keyboard Conveniences
Quittin' Time: Shutting Down Windows

Chapter 3—Making Your Programs Do What You Want Them to Do
How to Start a Program
Maneuvering Around the Start Menu
A Start Menu Summary
Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't: Personalized Menus
Launching a Program with the Run Command
Now What? Getting a Program to Do Something Useful
Making It Go: Selecting Commands from Pull-Down Menus
Your Click Is My Command: Toolbar Basics
Dealing with Dialog Boxes
Switching From One Program to Another
When Enough's Enough: Quitting a Program

Chapter 4—Your 20-Minute Window Workout
Warming Up: A Window Walkabout
Breaking a Sweat: Window Exercises
Minimizing a Window
Maximizing a Window
Restoring a Window
Moving a Window
Sizing a Window
Cascading and Tiling Windows
Window Weightlifting: Using Scrollbars
Scrolling with the IntelliMouse

Chapter 5—Saving, Opening, Printing, and Other Document Lore
Starting a New Document
Getting It Right: Document Editing for Beginners
The All-Important Save Command
Saving a New Document
Saving an Existing Document
Using the Save As Command to Make a Copy Of a Document
Opening an Existing Document
Sending a Document to the Printer
Closing a Document

Chapter 6—Using My Computer to Fiddle with Files and Folders
My, Oh, My: Learning About Your Computer Using My Computer
Getting Around In My Computer
Taking Advantage of the Handy Folders List
Workaday File and Folder Maintenance
Creating a New File or Folder
Selecting Files and Folders
Copying and Moving a File or Folder
Renaming a File or Folder
Deleting a File or Folder
Dialog Box-Based File and Folder Maintenance
Finding a File In That Mess You Call a Hard Disk
My Computer and Web Integration

Part 2: Jumping On the Internet Bandwagon

Chapter 7—Getting Yourself Online
What to Look For In an Internet Service Provider
The Step-By-Step Net: Using the Internet Connection Wizard
Signing Up for a New Internet Account
Transferring an Existing Internet Account
Manually Setting Up an Existing Internet Account
Tidbits You Need to Know
Feeding Those Tidbits To the Wizard
More Morsels: Setting Up Your Internet Email Account
Another Route: The Online Services Folder
Making the Connection
Severing the Connection
What the Heck Do I Do Now? The Windows Millennium Internet Programs

Chapter 8—It's a Small Web After All: Using Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer Nuts and Bolts
Web Page Navigation Basics
The Weirdness of Web Addresses
More Address Bar Fun
To and Fro: More Web Navigation Techniques
The Links Bar Links
Plucking Page Needles from the Net's Haystack: Searching for Sites
The Favorites Folder: Sites to Remember
The Way You Were: Using the History List

Chapter 9—The Savvy Surfer: More Internet Explorer Fun
Reading Pages Offline
Customizing the Handy Links Bar
Caveat Surfer: Internet Explorer and Security
A Few More Useful Internet Explorer Options

Chapter 10—Sending and Receiving Email Missives
A Brief Email Primer
How Does the Email System Work?
Message Anatomy
Minding Your Email Manners
Learning the Lingo: Email Jargon and Acronyms
The Lay of the Outlook Express Land
The Outbox: Sending an Email Message
The Basics: Composing and Sending a Message
Easier Addressing: Using the Address Book
Inserting Attachments and Other Hangers-On
The Inbox: Getting and Reading Email Messages
Getting Your Messages
Reading Your Messages
Attending to Attachments
What to Do with a Message After You've Read It

Chapter 11—More Email Bonding: Extending Outlook Express
Taking Charge of Your Message Folders
Some Handy Message Maneuvers
Better E-Letters: Setting the Default Message Font
Working with Stationery
Setting Up a Signature
Seven Useful Sending Settings
Dealing with the Onslaught: Filtering Messages
Sharing Outlook Express with Others: Setting Up Identities
Creating a New Identity
Switching From One Identity to Another
Logging Off Your Identity
Finding Folks on the Internet

Chapter 12—Spreadin' the News: Participating In Newsgroup Conversations
A Brief Newsgroup Primer
Some Words You Should Know
Figuring Out Newsgroup Names
Understanding Articles and Threads
Getting a Handle On Newsgroup Jargon
Some Netiquette Niceties for Newsgroups
Lurk Before You Leap
Check Out the Newcomer Newsgroups
Read the Frequently Asked Questions Lists
Follow Proper Posting Procedures
Avoid Follow-up Faux Pas
Setting Up a News Account
Newsgroup Subscribing and Unsubscribing
Subscribing to a Newsgroup
Unsubscribing from a Newsgroup
Downloading Newsgroup Messages
Step 1: Downloading the Message Headers
Step 2: Downloading the Message Text
Posting a Message to a Newsgroup

Chapter 13—Real-Time Conversations: Instant Messages, Net Phone Calls, and Chat
Using MSN Messenger to Fire Off Instant Messages
Setting Up MSN Messenger
Adding Contacts
Sending an Instant Message
MSN Messenger and Outlook Express
Phone Free: Using NetMeeting to Place Calls over the Internet
Getting NetMeeting Ready for Action
Reach Out and Touch Someone: Placing NetMeeting Calls
Other Things You Can Do After You're Connected
Using NetMeeting to Chat Over the Internet

Part 3: Making It Work: Useful Windows Millennium Chores

Chapter 14—From Word Amateur to Word Pro: Windows' Writing Programs
What's In an Icon? Styles of Writing Files
Text Editing with Notepad
Word Processing with WordPad
WordPad and Word Processing Files
Tip Sheet: Text-Selection Tricks
Formatting Frippery I: Fonts
Formatting Frippery II: Paragraphs
Formatting Frippery III: Bullets
Formatting Frippery IV: Tabs
Finding and Replacing Text
Using Character Map for Foreign Letters and Other Symbols

Chapter 15—Image Is Everything: Windows Millennium's Graphics Tools
The Art of Windows Millennium: Using Paint
A Look Around the Paint Canvas
The Basic Paint Procedure
Wielding the Paint Tools
A Master Class in Paint
Getting a Bigger Picture
Dragging-and-Dropping a Cutout
Creating Sweeps
Flipping a Cutout
Inverting a Cutout's Colors
Stretching and Skewing a Cutout
Pasting a File into Your Drawing
Setting the Image Attributes
Creating Custom Desktop Wallpaper
Capturing a Picture of the Screen
Checking Out the New My Pictures Folder
Graphics Gadgetry: Working with Scanners and Digital Cameras
Using the Imaging Program with Older Scanners
Using the Scanner and Camera Wizard with Newer Scanners

Chapter 16—Bells and Whistles: Windows Millennium Multimedia
Notes About Multimedia Files
Notes About Multimedia Hardware
Audio Hardware
Audio CD Hardware
DVD Hardware
Using Media Player to Make Multimedia Whoopee
Using DVD Player to Play DVD Movies
Keeping It Down to a Dull Roar: Adjusting the Volume
Rolling Your Own: How to Record Sounds

Chapter 17—Windows Millennium and Your Notebook Computer
Power Management Techniques for Preserving Batteries
Setting Battery Alarms
Specifying a Power Scheme
Expanding Your Notebook's World with PC Card Devices
Sliding In a PC Card Device
Popping Out a PC Card Device
You Can Take It with You: Using My Briefcase
From Laptop to Desktop and Back: Running Direct Cable Connection
Step 1: Configuring a Computer as the Host
Step 2: Configuring a Computer as the Guest
Making the Connection
Direct Cable Connection and the Briefcase

Part 4: "A Style of One's Own": Customizing Windows Millennium

Chapter 18—Refurbishing the Desktop
Getting Out Your Tools: Displaying the Display Properties
Redoing the Desktop Background
Choosing One Of the Windows Wallpapers
Creating a Wallpaper Of Your Own
Revamping the Desktop Colors and Fonts
Rejiggering the Desktop Icons and Visual Effects
Desktop Dynamism: Working with the Active Desktop
Your Desktop Disguised As a Web Page
Adding Stuff to the Active Desktop
Messing with the Screen Area and Color Depth
Wholesale Changes: Applying Desktop Themes

Chapter 19—Remodeling the Start Menu and Taskbar
Tweaking the Taskbar
Moving the Taskbar Hither and Yon
Resizing the Taskbar for a Better Icon Fit
Taskbar Options You Should Know About
Making the Quick Launch Toolbar Your Own
Displaying and Tweaking Taskbar Toolbars
Reconstructing the Start Menu
Understanding the New Personalized Menus
Toggling Some Start Menu Settings On and Off
Adding to the Start Menu I: The Create Shortcut Wizard
Taking Stuff Off the Start Menu
Adding to the Start Menu II: The Start Menu Folder
More Ways to Monkey with the Start Menu

Chapter 20—Renovating My Computer
Points of View: Changing the My Computer View
Toggling My Computer's Bars On and Off
Customizing the Standard Buttons Toolbar
Views You Can Use: Changing How Folders and Files Are Displayed
Ordering My Computer Around: Sorting Files
The Long View: Applying a View to All Folders
A Folder Face-Lift: Customizing a Folder
Refurbishing the Folder Background and Text
Adding a Folder Comment
Changing the Web View Folder Template

Chapter 21—Installing and Uninstalling Programs and Devices
The Welcome Wagon: Installing a Program
Installing a Windows Millennium Component
Bringing a New Program Into Your Computer Home
The Bum's Rush: Uninstalling a Program
Uninstalling a Windows Millennium Component
Giving a Program the Heave-Ho
Device Advice I: Installing Hardware
Understanding Hardware Types
Running the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard
Installing Specific Devices
Device Advice II: Removing Hardware

Part 5: When Good Data Goes Bad: Millennium Maintenance and Repair

Chapter 22—Smooth System Sailing: Wielding the System Tools
The Three Hard Disk Musketeers: Some Useful Disk Tools
The Electronic Yard Sale: Using Disk Cleanup to Get Rid of Junk Files
Using ScanDisk to Avoid Hard Disk Hard Times
Disk Defragmenter: The Digital Neat Freak
Staying Regular: Using the Maintenance Wizard
Just in Case: Creating an Emergency Startup Disk
Is That All There Is? Windows Millennium's Other System Tools
Getting the Latest and Greatest from the Windows Update Web Site
Getting to the Windows Update Web Site Directly
Using the New Automatic Updates Feature

Chapter 23—Getting a Good Night's Sleep: Backing Up Your Precious Data
Installing Microsoft Backup
Backing Up: A Few Things to Keep In Mind
Running the Backup Program
Creating a Backup Job
Using the Backup Wizard
Creating a Backup Job with Your Bare Hands
Saving and Reusing Backup Jobs
If Worst Comes to Worst: Recovering Backed Up Files
Using the Restore Wizard
Restoring Files by Hand

Part 6: Networking with Windows Millennium

Chapter 24—Using Windows Millennium to Set Up a Small Network
Networking Advantages
Stuff You Need: Understanding Network Hardware
The Connection Point: The Network Interface Card
The Connection: The Network Cable
Deciding How to Structure Your Network
The Star Structure
The Bus Structure
Decisions, Decisions: What Route Should You Take?
Setting Up Your Network
Using the Home Networking Wizard
Dealing with Non-Millennium Machines
One Last Chore: Setting Up the Shared Internet Connection

Chapter 25—Using Windows Millennium's Networking Features
Your Starting Point: The My Network Places Folder
Playing Nicely with Others: Sharing Your Resources
Sharing Folders and Disks
Sharing a Printer
Checking Out the Workgroup's Shared Resources
Setting Up Network Places
Making Network Folders Look Like Drives on Your Computer
Printing over the Network
Accessing a Shared Internet Connection

Chapter 26—Remote Network Connections with Dial-Up Networking
A Mercifully Brief Introduction to Dial-Up Networking
Setting Up a Network Computer to Accept Incoming Calls
Getting the Dial-Up Server Ready to Serve
Monitoring the Connected User
Creating a Dial-Up Connection to Your Network
Remote Network Connecting and Disconnecting
Locations: Wrangling with Area Codes, Calling Cards, and All That
Setting Up Calling Cards and Long-Distance Carriers
Adding a New Calling Card or Long-Distance Carrier

Appendix A—The Jargon Jar: The Complete Archive

Return to The Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows Millennium Edition home page


Copyright © 1995-2008 Paul McFedries and Logophilia Limited