The basics you need to get more comfortable with laptops, without any of the fluff
Laptops For Seniors For Dummies is just for you. We help readers in the 55+ club get the most out of their laptops. You’ll discover how to choose the best laptop for your needs and how to use Microsoft Windows, to share photos, surf the web, use e-mail, and much more. With large text, clear graphics, and easy-to-follow instructions, this For Seniors For Dummies guide will get you up to speed on your new device in no time. Even if you’re upgrading from a typewriter, we can help you choose the right laptop to buy, understand your operating system, use files and folders, download and install software, and stay safe online. It’s all the stuff you need to know to make your laptop work for you.
Choose and purchase the right laptop for your needs Navigate your Windows 10 or 11 operating system with confidence and discover useful programs Connect to Wi-Fi, go online, send e-mails, and get started with social media Protect and secure your laptop and your personal data
Whether you’re purchasing your first laptop or upgrading from older technology, this Dummies guide will take you step by step through everything you need to know to get laptop savvy.
By:
Faithe Wempen (Computer Support Technician and Trainer)
Imprint: For Dummies
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: 6th edition
Dimensions:
Height: 236mm,
Width: 185mm,
Spine: 31mm
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9781394152162
ISBN 10: 1394152167
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 09 December 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Get Going! 5 Chapter 1: Buying a Laptop 7 What Is a Laptop? 8 What Can You Can Do with a Laptop? 10 Get Up to Speed on Laptop Hardware 13 Input Devices: Putting Stuff In 16 Output Devices: Getting Stuff Out 18 What Is Software? 18 What Ports Should a Laptop Have? 21 Choose a Display Type 22 Evaluate Your Storage Options 24 Consider How You Will Get Online 26 Where to Shop for Your New Laptop 27 Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Laptop 31 Out of the Box: Set Up Your New Laptop 32 Set Up Windows 36 Take a First Look at Windows 38 Use a Mouse, Trackball, or Touchscreen 40 Get Familiar with the Start Menu 43 Sign Out and In 46 Switch Accounts 48 Lock Windows While You’re Away 49 Restart Windows 50 Place the Laptop in Sleep Mode 51 Shut Down Your Laptop 51 Create Additional User Accounts 52 Change an Account’s Type 55 Manage Family Settings 57 Chapter 3: Buying and Setting Up a Printer 59 Do You Need a Printer? 60 Choose the Right Printer 60 Unpack and Install a New Printer 62 Set Up a Printer to Work with Windows 62 Set a Default Printer 65 Set Printer Preferences 67 Manage a Print Queue 70 Remove a Printer 71 Part 2: Getting Things Done with Software 73 Chapter 4: Working with Apps in Windows 75 Learn the Names of Things 76 Start an App 79 Exit an App 82 Find Your Way Around in a Desktop App 84 Find Your Way Around in a Microsoft Store App 88 Work with a Window 89 Switch Among Running Apps 92 Move and Copy Data Between Apps 95 Install New Apps 99 Remove Apps 102 Chapter 5: Six Great Apps That Come with Windows 105 Do the Math with the Calculator App 106 Write Brilliant Documents with WordPad 108 Jot Quick Notes with Notepad 112 Set Alarms and Timers 114 Keep Up on the Weather 117 Saving Time with Cortana 119 Explore Other Windows Apps 122 Chapter 6: Managing Your Personal Files 125 Understand How Windows Organizes Data 126 Explore the File Explorer Interface 130 Move Between Different Locations 132 Locate Files and Folders 135 View File Listings in Different Ways 138 Select Multiple Items at Once 140 Move or Copy an Item 141 Delete or Restore an Item 143 Rename an Item 144 Create a Shortcut to an Item 145 Create a Compressed File 146 Customize the Quick Access List 147 Back Up Files to an External Drive 149 Chapter 7: Managing Power 151 Change How Quickly Power-Saving Features Kick In 152 Change the Display Brightness 154 Adjust the Battery Saver 156 Choose a Power Plan 158 Create a Customized Power Plan 159 Define Power Button Functions 160 Chapter 8: Making Windows Your Own 163 Customize the Windows 11 Start Menu 164 Customize the Windows 11 Taskbar 166 Customize the Windows 10 Start Menu 167 Customize the Windows 10 Taskbar 170 Customize the Screen Resolution and Scale 171 Apply a Desktop Theme 173 Change Desktop Background Image 173 Change the Accent Color 175 Manage Desktop Icons 177 Add Widgets to the Desktop 178 Make Windows More Accessible 179 Part 3: Going Online 185 Chapter 9: Getting Connected to the Internet 187 What Is the Internet? 188 Explore Different Types of Internet Connections 190 Identify the Hardware Required 194 Set Up a Wi-Fi Internet Connection 197 Assess Your Software Situation 199 Chapter 10: Browsing the Web 201 Meet the Edge Browser 202 Search the Web 206 Find Content on a Web Page 209 Pin a Tab 210 Create and Manage a Favorites List 210 Use Favorites 213 View Your Browsing History 214 Print a Web Page 215 Customize the New Tab Page and the Home Page 217 Adjust Microsoft Edge Settings 219 Chapter 11: Staying Safe While Online 221 Understand Technology Risks on the Internet 222 Download Files Safely 224 Use InPrivate Browsing 226 Use SmartScreen Filter and Block Unwanted Apps 227 Change Edge Privacy Settings 229 Understand Information Exposure 231 Keep Your Information Private 233 Spot Phishing Scams and Other Email Fraud 235 Create Strong Passwords 237 Chapter 12: Keeping in Touch with Mail 241 Sign Up for an Email Account 242 Set Up Accounts in the Mail App 244 Get to Know the Mail Interface 246 Receive Messages 247 Reply to or Forward a Message 249 Create and Send Email 251 Manage Addresses 253 Send an Attachment 255 Change Mail Account Settings 256 Chapter 13: Working in the Cloud 259 Understand Cloud-Based Applications 260 Use Microsoft Office on the Web 262 Access Your OneDrive Storage 263 Add Files to OneDrive 265 Share a Folder or File Using OneDrive 267 Create a New OneDrive Folder 269 Use the Personal Vault 270 Adjust OneDrive Settings 271 Configure Online Synchronization 272 Chapter 14: Connecting with People Online 275 Use Discussion Boards and Blogs 276 Participate in a Chat 278 Understand Instant Messages 280 Explore Microsoft Teams 281 Explore Skype 284 Use a Webcam 286 Get an Overview of Collaborative and Social Networking Sites 288 Sign Up for a Social Networking Service 289 Understand How Online Dating Works 291 Part 4: Having Fun 295 Chapter 15: Let’s Play a Game! 297 Learn the Types of Game Delivery 297 Explore the Various Gaming Genres 299 Understand How Game-Makers Get Paid 305 A Few of My Favorites 307 Chapter 16: Creating and Viewing Digital Photos and Videos 313 Capture Pictures and Video with the Camera App 314 Make Audio Recordings with Voice Recorder 319 Make Audio Recordings with Sound Recorder 322 Find and Play Videos Using the Movies & TV App 324 Transfer Photos and Videos from a Camera or Phone 328 View and Edit Photos in the Photos App 329 Create a Video with the Video Editor 331 Chapter 17: Listening to Music on Your Laptop 335 Prepare to Listen to Digital Music 336 Get to Know Windows Media Player 339 Access Your Stored Music 342 Play Music 344 Create a Playlist 346 Rip a Music CD 349 Burn a Music CD 352 Acquire New Music 353 Part 5: Windows Toolkit 355 Chapter 18: Working with Networks 357 Plan and Set Up a Home Network 358 Enable Wireless Router Security 360 Set Up File Sharing on Your PC 362 Choose What Folders to Share 364 Share a Local Printer 367 Connect Bluetooth Devices to Your PC 370 Use Your Cell Phone as a Hotspot 371 Chapter 19: Protecting and Securing Your Laptop 373 Physically Secure Your Laptop 374 Choose Security Software 376 Update Windows 378 Check Windows Security Settings 381 Change Your Microsoft Account Password 383 Change How You Sign into Windows 385 Chapter 20: Troubleshooting and Maintaining Your Laptop 387 Troubleshoot Startup Problems 388 Troubleshoot Hardware Problems 388 Shut Down an Unresponsive Application 389 Troubleshoot Application Problems 392 Repair or Remove an App 393 Set an App to Run in Compatibility Mode 395 Restore Your System Files 396 Use Windows Troubleshooter Utilities 399 Reset Your PC: The Last Resort 401 Free Up Disk Space 403 Index 407
Faithe Wempen, M.A., CompTIA A+, is a computer information technology instructor at Purdue University. She also writes and designs online technology courses for corporate clients and is the author of over 150 books, including Office For Seniors For Dummies and Computers For Seniors For Dummies.