Computing with Windows 7 for the Older and Wiser: Get Up and Running on Your Home PC

By Adrian Arnold

Computing with Windows® 7 for the Older & Wiser is a user friendly guide that takes you step-by-step through the basics of using a computer.  Written in an easy-to-understand, jargon free language, it is aimed at complete beginners using PCs running on Microsoft Windows® 7. 

Inside, you will find step-by-step guidance on:

• Using the keyboard & the mouse
• Navigating files and folders
• Customising your desktop
• Using Email and the Internet
• Word processing
• Organising your digital photos
• Safely downloading files from the Internet
• Finding useful websites and much more

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Oct 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9780470980057

Book preview

1

Introduction

This book is written for those who are about to use their first home computer or those who have yet to explore the wider opportunities afforded by a computer beyond searching the Internet and sending the occasional email message. You have my word that there will be very few acronyms and those that do appear will be fully explained in the text. I will assume no previous computing knowledge or experience and technical jargon will be noticeable only for its complete absence. The book is written in plain, understandable English. I could describe Windows 7 as an operating system that comes in both 32- and 64-bit versions which is far less power hungry than its predecessors - words that would scare the living daylights out of you while you quickly put it back on the bookshelf determined to return to your gentler pastimes of bridge or stamp collecting. Instead I will tell you that Windows 7 is just a new way of getting your computer to do what you want. You do not have to understand the technical intricacies of computers themselves or Windows 7 any more than you need to understand the mechanics of a fuel injection system in order to drive a family car.

The book is aimed solely at users of PC computers; Apple Mac computers work in a very different way. Sorry!

The early chapters take you gently through the basic processes of turning the computer on and off; the appearance and function of the monitor screen and the basics of the keyboard and mouse controls before slowly introducing you to the easier functions of a computer such as typing a letter, sending a message and exploring the Internet. At this point complete beginners may even be asking What is the Internet? Have no fear, concepts such as the Internet, World Wide Web and email will be explained in words that you can understand with many comparable examples with everyday activities such as driving a car, using a washing machine or using a credit card reader - all of which use computers without you knowing it.

Age considerations

You may have been discouraged from taking up computing by watching the younger generation at the computer keyboard - their fingers fly across the keys while unintelligible images flash across the screen. You may even have seen someone open up the computer box to reveal a forest of cables, cityscapes of little plastic boxes and the hieroglyphics of circuit boards while they attempt to carry out a minor repair to the machine. I do not expect you to acquire the knowledge to perform such tasks any more than I would expect you to rewire a roadside telephone exchange. In my years of teaching I have had the pleasure of teaching more than a dozen 90 year olds-a couple of whom are now running their own websites.

As we get older the mind may be a little slower and the memory slightly less reliable but if you are fortunate enough to have retained sufficient faculties to drive a car or use a dishwasher you will have little difficulty in following the instructions of this book. If you can program a video recorder to record a television programme successfully you are eligible for Class 3 never mind the beginners’ class.

Our joints may become stiffer and our eyesight may need the help of glasses as we get older but we gain compensating advantages such as experience and, above all, we have more time than our offspring who rarely have the benefit of such luxury. This book allows you to set your own learning pace. There is no exam deadline. Bear in mind that if you have a car accident you may land up in hospital but if you make a mistake on the computer you can always switch it off and make yourself a cup of tea.

Some familiarity with the typewriter keyboard is an advantage but not a necessity. I have been computing for more than 30 years and still only use about 4½ fingers. You may find yourself becoming frustrated by the need to ‘hunt and peck’ for the correct keys when you begin but with practice comes familiarity.

Stretching the mind

So what do you need to use a computer? Apart from a computer, two essentials are enthusiasm and a desire to learn. Computers are not essential to a happy fulfilling life. If your time is already taken up with committee meetings, golf rounds, bridge clubs, gardening and frequent caravan holidays - forget it. Put this book back on the shelf and continue to enjoy your life. But, if you have the time and desire to expand your knowledge of anything from ancient civilisations to the care of orchids then the Internet is your oyster. It is a reference library of limitless capabilities.

Guardian angels

These people are invaluable. They may be neighbours, friends or relatives. They might be 16 or 60 but they have been around the computer world for some while. They are not so much there to teach you but to help you buy a new computer, set up your system so that it works properly and put it right when things go horribly wrong. They are worth their weight in gold but are usually very happy to accept remuneration in the form of a cup of coffee, bottle of wine or an offer to babysit. I will be referring to these divine helpers throughout the book.

The uses of a home computer

A computer linked to the outside world (the Internet) offers far more than knowledge. It enables you to maintain communication with friends and relatives across the globe - even to the extent of free video communication with other continents.

You can send photographs which have been rescued from ‘red-eye’ distortion, oddly-angled landscapes, telegraph poles appearing from a subject’s head and even torn prints of great-grandma’s favourite portrait.

You can keep your personal finances using a variety of programs, track your collections in a database or spreadsheet, listen to music and play games - even with those sitting at their own computer a world away from where you sit. The possibilities of using a home computer are virtually endless.

If all this sounds daunting, fear not. In this book, we will just barely scratch the surface of what is possible. But by the time you have finished reading, you will be well prepared to continue your explorations, perhaps even with additional books from the Older and Wiser series.

Using the Internet

The Internet is essentially a vast network of computers linked by cable, satellite and wireless connections. These machines vary in size from the humblest home laptop machine to huge computers that are housed in air-conditioned office blocks. The World Wide Web, or Web for short, is the information stored in and accessible from these Goliaths of the computing world. The concept of the Internet is explained in Chapters 9 and 10.

Communication

Research has shown that the most popular function of the home computer is email. This is a form of almost instant communication between two or more computers. You simply type your message, enter the recipient’s address, possibly add a photo or report and click on the Send button. Within seconds it is delivered to the addressee’s mailbox awaiting collection. The concept of emailing is explained in Chapter 9 and its use is covered in Chapter 16.

Information

Today’s parents often lead such hectic lives that they have little time to sit down with their offspring, but grandparents with basic computing skills can communicate with the youngsters on familiar terms while passing on their experiences of a lifetime. While I am not suggesting that we can help a great deal with advanced maths homework, we can help them with their research into the history of the Second World War while adding our personal experiences of that time. We can get the full facts about the long-term effects of solvent abuse as well as discussing the merits of the latest boy band - although, personally, I would prefer to investigate the life history of Charles Dickens.

Information on the Web is, in most cases, completely free. You may have to register your name and address to get full benefit from some websites but subscription is usually free. There are a few websites that charge for membership, but these are usually academic or financial sites offering instant information.

Chapter 11 deals with the question of obtaining information.

Shopping

Buying goods and services across the Internet is the second most common use of the home computer. There are significant savings to be made by shopping on a computer. Books and music CDs were among the first items to be sold in any large numbers, but now almost anything is up for sale. Hotel bookings, travel tickets, utility services, credit cards, furniture and food are all for sale on the Web.

You can have your weekly supermarket shop delivered to your door, avoiding the need to carry heavy items to and from the car. You can even stipulate the time of day when you would like the order delivered. The subject of Internet shopping is comprehensively covered in Chapter 12.

Hobbies

You may have an urge to take up woodworking, ballroom dancing or Tai Chi. No matter what your interest or enthusiasm you will find information and tutorials on every subject under the sun. Many of the tutorials are available in the form of a video. For instance, it would be difficult to write a lesson on how to perfect your sliced tennis serve but a video could explain the technique much more easily.

Sports

Every sport and pastime devised by man can be researched on the Internet. If you feel the need to view the scorecard of the second Test match against the Australians at Lords in 1993 you simply have to click through a few links to get the information. Facts and figures about the Beijing Olympics are easily available, together with the latest women’s lacrosse match between the North Carolina Tarheels and the NorthWestern Wildcats! Anyone know the rules of pelota?

Holidays

How far is it from the centre of Paris to a village just North of Frankfurt? How long would it take to drive by car? No problem. The Internet will supply the answers. Fancy a weekend break in the Scottish highlands? What did previous guests think of the hotel? The answers are just waiting around the computer corner. All aspects of travel using the computer are covered in Chapter 13.

Fears of using a computer

One of the main objects I had in mind when writing this book was to allay, or at least reduce, the fears that many older people experience when contemplating the use of a computer for the first time. There are many such fears but three stand out - fear of breaking it, fear of losing all your work (and other people’s!) and the very human fear of looking stupid.

Fear of breaking it

For all their electronic intricacy computers are remarkably tolerant of abuse. Laptop computers frequently fall from table tops without affecting their capabilities; desktop machines are accidentally kicked without detriment and keyboards occasionally suffer a drenching of spilt coffee. None of these actions are to be recommended but it takes something like a lightning strike to incapacitate the modern computer. Even if you drown the keyboard in tea a new one will only cost you a few pounds to replace.

I am not saying that computers don’t go wrong. They do and some with irritating regularity, but at this stage it is unlikely to be your fault. Cars occasionally fail in the fast lane of a motorway but they are the exception rather than the rule. There is a reassuring exercise in Chapter 2.

Fear of looking stupid

Embarrassment is a peculiarly human emotion. We feel that everyone else knows the answer to the silly questions that keep nagging at the back of our minds. They don’t! They would prefer to forego the knowledge rather than appear ‘stupid’. We have made mistakes throughout our lives. They are the tools of learning. Using this book will allow you to hide yourself away from superior eyes, make mistakes, laugh at yourself and try again. You will inevitably meet a number of well-meaning friends who will offer to show you how to do something on your computer. Thank them kindly, even watch what they do, but do not feel the need to learn from them. If they cannot ‘teach’ you to do it yourself their advice is of little value. ‘Teaching’ and ‘showing’ are completely different techniques.

Fear of losing all your hard work

This worry is much more understandable. You will find that your first newsy email to your Australian cousin may take the best part of an hour to complete while pecking at the keys with a couple of fingers and the last thing you need is to lose all your hard work. Fortunately the computer can often prevent this kind of disaster by reminding you to save your work when you have finished. The most likely cause of losing your work is a cut in the power supply and even then you may find that the computer has been quietly saving part of your efforts so that you only lose the last few minutes before the electricity supply failed. The power failure is not your fault.

Pornography

Several pupils - usually men - have expressed a fear that had never occurred to me, that of accessing pornographic websites by accident. This is a natural fear in our modern times. Forensic computer scientists can extract the smallest details from your web browsing activity. It is possible that you may access an unsuitable site - for instance, you may search for some information about the Knights of the Round Table but enter an incorrect search phrase such as ‘Nights of the Round Table’, which brings up a site for pornographic material. Don’t beat yourself about the head when such an accident occurs, your computer is not going to light your head up with a red light to advertise your shame. The authorities recognise that such errors occur.

Financial security on the Internet

The majority of my pupils have a natural anxiety about revealing details of their bank accounts and credit cards to the potentially criminal-minded population of the Internet. It seems as though we read about identity theft in the media every other day. We also read about fatal train accidents but we are less worried about rail travel. Let’s face it, we are probably in more danger of being mugged and losing our credit cards in that way than having our encrypted financial transactions intercepted on the Internet. Worries about financial security are addressed in Chapter 12.

Equipment needed

Let us assume that you have decided to take the plunge and buy a computer. What sort of computer will you need? How much RAM are you likely to need? Should you go for a 2.1 MHz chip? How big is a 180 GB hard disk? All questions that you may not understand, let alone be able to answer effectively. This is where your guardian angel can help. He or she will be able to translate this esoteric jargon into words of one or two syllables and advise you about the most suitable machine for your needs.

There are, however, a number of decisions that you will need to make before visiting the store:

• First of all there is the type of computer. Laptops are smaller and incorporate the monitor screen and keyboard. They take up less room and can usually be used in different parts of the home. Laptop batteries, which negate the need for a power supply, last longer nowadays but even the best ones will only provide 6-8 hours of use and there is nothing more frustrating than a battery that suddenly dies on you. Desktops or tower units have separate screens, keyboards and mice. They need more wired connections but you will get more computing power for your money and larger screens are more economical.

• Where are you likely to use the computer? If you have a spare bedroom or study then a desktop with a large screen and its cables tidied away behind the desk may be the best option but if you are restricted for space and only have a kitchen table then a laptop would be more suitable.

• You will need a number of power sockets but an extension unit with 4 points should be adequate. If you are going to use the Internet then you are going to need a connection to the telephone system. This can be achieved by a wireless router, otherwise you will need to install the computer close to a telephone socket.

• How much money are you prepared to spend? A new computer with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed could cost less than £500. You will probably need a printer (around £80); you may need a scanner at a later date (£50); a wireless router may be provided free of charge by the company that supplies your Internet connection and an extra-large screen for easier viewing may add another £150 to your budget.

Now comes the technical bit! For the benefit of your guardian angel, I would suggest the following minimum specifications that will work for everything that’s described in this book - and beyond:

• A 17 desktop screen or at least a 15.4 laptop machine.

• A processor speed of at least 1.9 GHz.

• 2 GB of RAM or 4 GB if you are going to take digital photography seriously at a later date.

• An 80 GB hard disk.

• Windows 7 operating system.

• An internal modem or external wireless router to reduce the number of wires you might trip over.

• If you opt for a desktop machine, you will need a separate keyboard and mouse. These can be wireless as well.

Please do not try and interpret these guidelines. They are simply included for the benefit of your guardian angel.

How to use this book

The book is laid out in parts to be taken sequentially. Part I takes you through the very basics of the monitor, keyboard, mouse and Windows Desktop functions towards opening your first program and simple word processing. We also look at getting help online and installing software. This is followed in Part II by an explanation of the concepts of email and the Internet towards the composition of your first email. Then we approach the whole question of the Internet and how to get the most out of this resource with the use of search engines and web addresses. This part also introduces you to the use of the computer for shopping, booking travel and participating in online auctions. Part III develops a few more advanced techniques regarding word processing, email and the Internet, while introducing the basics of digital photography. The Glossary offers a number of websites that I have found useful in recent years. The final Index will enable you to find answers to your specific questions and interests.

This is not to say that the book must be followed slavishly from front to back. You may be fully conversant with the use of the monitor, keyboard and mouse so you can skip these chapters to get to the meat of what you really want to learn.

Windows 7 makes some comprehensive changes to the earlier versions of Windows such as XP and Vista. Even if you have used these versions of Windows before, I would strongly recommend that you study Chapters 3, 4 and 5 before assuming that your experience with these systems will carry you through. Windows 7 seems to be a much more user-friendly system than Windows Vista and compares very well with the old XP system, but it does many things in a different way and this is what this book is designed to teach you. If you’ve never used any version of Windows before, fear not as this book will provide all the basics you need to get started.

One final word of advice: This book is supposed to be fun. You will make mistakes - they are part of the learning process. Don’t sit and tear your hair out or beat yourself about the head when things do not turn out as you expect. Paint a smile on your face, turn off the computer and make yourself a cup of tea. The machine will still be there tomorrow.

Summary

Using a home computer can open up a whole new world of communication, information and fun. If you have someone in mind as your guardian angel, now is the time to ask them to be available to provide assistance, should you need it. Remember, it’s unlikely that you will do permanent damage to your new home computer, and we all make mistakes while we are learning new things. The important thing is to have fun learning while you gain confidence in using your new computer.

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Brain Training

There may be more than one correct answer to the following questions.

1. What is an operating system?

a. A method of removing your appendix.

b. A form of technological wizardry that makes your computer do what you want.

c. A traffic control system

d. Something only understood by people with university doctorates in computing technology.

2. What do I need to use a computer?

a. Time

b. Enthusiasm

c. An ability to touch type

d. A sense of humour

3. What are the advantages of a laptop computer?

a. It is faster

b. It takes up less space

c. Only laptops