Overview
Get a smart start with your new PC! In seven simple steps, awarding-winning computer journalist Ed Bott shares his expert, real-world advice on how to get up and running the right way. Ed shows you how to go from basic, out-of-the-box setup to installing a printer, moving files and e-mail from your old PC, creating network connections, and more—using the same, tried-and-true checklists and tips he uses to help his own friends, family, and colleagues. You’ll learn what, when, and how to do exactly what it takes to get your system just the way you want it—so you can get to the fun stuff faster!
The guide that’s like having your own consultant by your side every step of the way!
- Learn what to do before you dive in, and which tasks to perform first
- Follow Ed’s easy, step-by-step checklists
- Get tips for simplifying painstaking chores
- Test and troubleshoot along the way
- Know when—and how—to check under the hood
- Avoid common missteps and pitfalls
- Save time—so you can get to work or play faster!Covers Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewGiving someone a new PC? Getting a new one yourself? Get them (or you) off on the right foot, with Ed Bott’s Your New PC. Sure, that PC’s gonna come with some big poster that tells how to plug everything in. And, sure, there are lots of introductory books out there. But this one answers the questions and captures the details those other books miss.
For instance: how to set up security before you connect to the Internet (yes, before). How to protect your account with a password (stunningly, Setup doesn’t ask you to). And, once you’ve done that, how to create a password reset disk (someday you’ll be awfully glad you did).
You’ll learn how to check your hard disk’s storage size when you get home -- and why it’s OK if it’s slightly different from what the store promised. How, also, to check your disk’s format: why you should convert to NTFS if you’re not running it already, and how to do it.
You’ll walk through setting up digital cameras, printers, whatever your heart desires. Bott, who’s edited two of the leading PC magazines and written more than a dozen books on Windows and Office, also offers some great ideas for personalizing and organizing your computer right from the get-go.
Finally, you’ll learn how to clear all your personal data off your old PC before you get rid of it. Most computer users forget this step -- and in an age of identity theft, that can be a huge mistake. Bill Camarda
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.