Computers for Seniors for Dummies (ISBN - 0470534834)

435 Pages·2021·20.83 MB·English

Nancy C. Muir
Coauthor of Using the Internet Safely
For Seniors For Dummies

Learn to:
• Choose the right computer, get set
up, and get online

• Exchange e-mails and photos with
family and friends

• Work with files and folders, and
create and print documents

• Simplify your finances and be
safer online

Computers
For Seniors

2nd Edition

Making Everything Easier!™

Open the book and find:

• How to use the keyboard and
mouse

• Tips for making the computer
do what you want

• How to install a printer

• Advice for interacting with a
computer if you have vision,
hearing, or dexterity challenges

• How to create and edit
documents

• Directions for organizing your
photos

• Internet safety tips

• How to chat online

Nancy C. Muir owns a writing and consulting company that
specializes in business and technology topics. She is the author
of over 50 books including all editions of Computers For Seniors
For Dummies. Nancy provides free online safety tips through
the Web site ilookbothways.com and contributes columns on
www.RetireNet.com.

Hardware/Personal Computers/PCs

$24.99 US / $29.99 CN / £17.99 UK

ISBN 978-0-470-53483-0

Go to Dummies.com®
for videos, step-by-step photos,
how-to articles, or to shop!

With this friendly, hassle-free
guide, you can finally benefit from
all the Internet has to offer

If you’d like to be able to exchange e-mails with your
grandchildren, share photos with friends far away, and
enjoy the convenience of shopping and paying bills
online without checks and stamps, this book is just the
ticket. It explains what you need, where to get it, how
to use it, and how to stay safer, with plenty of examples
and illustrations.

• Choose wisely — investigate different types of computers,
price ranges, and how to set up the computer when you get
it home

• Learn about Windows® 7 — practice all the basics from
turning on the computer to managing files and using the
Help system

• Get things done — use Microsoft® Works software to create
documents, plan budgets with spreadsheets, and get
organized

• Photos, music, and more — work with photos from your
digital camera, listen to music, and play games

• The world online — connect to the Internet, set up an
e-mail account, read and write blogs, and shop more safely

• Enlarge your circle — explore social networking sites
like Facebook and Eons and meet people who share your
interests

• Keep your computer happy — use routine maintenance,
virus protection, and updates

Computers For Seniors

Muir

2nd Edition

spine=.864”

Start with FREE Cheat Sheets

Cheat Sheets include

• Checklists

• Charts

• Common Instructions

• And Other Good Stuff!

Get Smart at Dummies.com
Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s
of answers on everything from removing wallpaper
to using the latest version of Windows.

Check out our

• Videos

• Illustrated Articles

• Step-by-Step Instructions

Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering
our Dummies.com sweepstakes. *

Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on

• Digital Photography

• Microsoft Windows & Office

• Personal Finance & Investing

• Health & Wellness

• Computing, iPods & Cell Phones

• eBay

• Internet

• Food, Home & Garden

Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com

*Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules.

Get More and Do More at Dummies.com®

To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to
www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/computersforseniors

spine=.864”

Computers
For Seniors

FOR
DUMmIES

‰

2ND EDITION

by Nancy Muir

A

A

D

Computers For Seniors For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under
Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of
the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance
Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone]. Requests to the
Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111
River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/
permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the
Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything
Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its
affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any prod-
uct or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REP-
RESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CRE-
ATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CON-
TAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING,
OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES
OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR
THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZA-
TION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE
OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES
THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT
MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS
WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND
WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department
within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].
For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not
be available in electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009936394
ISBN: 978-0-470-53483-0
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Nancy Muir is the author of over 50 books on technology and business
topics, as well as two books on Internet safety. In addition to her writ-
ing work, Nancy is the VP of Content and Curriculum for a non-profit
online safety education organization called LOOKBOTHWAYS
Foundation (ilookbothways.com). Prior to her writing career Nancy was
a manager at several publishing companies, and a training manager at
Symantec. Nancy lives in the Pacific Northwest where she dabbles in
singing and acting in her spare time.

Author’s Acknowledgments

I was lucky enough to have Blair Pottenger, the absolute best editor in
the world, assigned to lead the team on this book. Thanks, Blair, for
once again making the process a pleasure. Thanks also to my friend and
colleague Lisa Bucki for her always able work, in this case as technical
editor. Last but not least, thanks to Katie Mohr, Acquisitions Editor, for
hiring me to write the second edition of this book.

Dedication

To my wonderful husband, Earl, who seems to put up with all my
foibles happily. Thanks, honey, for your love and support, for lots
of laughter, and for letting me wander through life at your side!

r

o/

-

P-
E
T
E-
-
E
G,
S
R
A-
E
S
T
S
D

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com.
For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974,
outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions and Editorial

Project Editor: Blair J. Pottenger

Acquisitions Editor: Katie Mohr, Tiffany Ma

Technical Editor: Lisa Bucki

Editorial Manager: Kevin Kirschner

Editorial Assistant: Amanda Graham

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katie Crocker

Layout and Graphics: Ronald Terry

Proofreaders: Laura L. Bowman, Melissa Cossell,
Rebecca Denoncour

Indexer: Ty Koontz

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................. 1
About This Book ........................................................................................1
Foolish Assumptions .................................................................................1
Why You Need This Book .........................................................................2
How This Book Is Organized ....................................................................2
Get Going! ..................................................................................................3
Part I: First Steps with Your Computer ...................................... 5

Chapter 1: Buying a Computer .......................................... 7
Understand All You Can Do with Computers .........................................8
Understand Hardware and Software .......................................................11
Explore Types of Computers ...................................................................13
Choose a Version of Windows ................................................................15
Choose a Price Range ...............................................................................16
Select a Monitor .......................................................................................18
Choose an Optical Drive .........................................................................19
Understand Processor Speed and Memory ............................................21
Determine How You’ll Connect to the Internet ....................................22
Buy a Customized Computer ..................................................................23

Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Computer .............................. 25
Connect the Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse ........................................26
Log On and Off Windows 7 ....................................................................26
Use the Mouse ..........................................................................................28
Set the Date and Time .............................................................................29
Create a New User Account .....................................................................31

➟

vi

Computers For Seniors For Dummies, 2nd Edition

P

Switch User Accounts ...............................................................................33
Change Your User Account Picture .........................................................34
Shut Down Your Computer ....................................................................35

Chapter 3: Getting Around the Windows 7 Desktop ........ 37
Understand the Desktop ..........................................................................38
Work with the Start Menu .......................................................................40
Work with Frequently Used Programs ....................................................43
Arrange Icons on the Desktop .................................................................44
Empty the Recycle Bin .............................................................................45
Find a File with Windows Explorer ........................................................47
Create a Shortcut to a File or Folder .......................................................48
Start a Program .........................................................................................50
Resize Windows .......................................................................................52
Switch between Programs ........................................................................54
Close a Program .......................................................................................55

Chapter 4: Setting Up Your Display ................................. 59
Customize Windows’ Appearance ..........................................................60
Set Your Screen’s Resolution ...................................................................61
Change the Desktop Background ...........................................................62
Choose a Desktop Theme ........................................................................64
Set Up a Screen Saver ...............................................................................66
Change the Color and Appearance of Windows ...................................68
Modify Windows Transparency...............................................................69

Chapter 5: Getting Help with Vision, Hearing,
and Dexterity Challenges .............................................. 73
Use Tools for the Visually Challenged....................................................74
Replace Sounds with Visual Cues ...........................................................76
Make Text Larger or Smaller ....................................................................78
Set Up Speech Recognition......................................................................80
Modify How Your Keyboard Works .......................................................83
Use the On-screen Keyboard Feature ......................................................85

➟

vi

➟

vii

Table of Contents

Set Up Keyboard Repeat Rates ................................................................87
Customize Mouse Behavior .....................................................................88
Change the Cursor ...................................................................................90

Chapter 6: Setting Up Printers and Scanners .................... 93
Install a Printer .........................................................................................94
Set a Default Printer .................................................................................97
Set Printer Preferences .............................................................................99
View Currently Installed Printers ......................................................... 101
Remove a Printer ................................................................................... 103
Install a Scanner .................................................................................... 104
Modify Scanner Settings ....................................................................... 106

Chapter 7: Getting Help ................................................. 109
Explore the Help Table of Contents .................................................... 110
Search for Help ...................................................................................... 112
Post a Question in Windows Communities ....................................... 114
Access Windows Online Help .............................................................. 117
Connect to Remote Assistance ............................................................. 118
Change Windows Help and Support Display Options ...................... 121
Contact Microsoft Customer Support .................................................. 122
Part II: Having Fun and Getting Things Done with Software ... 125

Chapter 8: Working with Software Programs ................ 127
Launch a Program ................................................................................. 128
Move Information between Programs ................................................. 130
Start a Program Automatically ............................................................. 132
Set Program Defaults ............................................................................ 134
Remove a Program ................................................................................ 136

Chapter 9: Working with Files and Folders .................... 139
Understand How Windows Organizes Data ....................................... 140
Access Recently Used Items .................................................................. 142
Locate Files and Folders in Your Computer ........................................ 144

3
4
5

7
8
0
3
4
5
7
8
0
2
4
5

9
0
1
2
4
6
8
9

3
4
6
8
0
3
5

➟

vii

➟

viii

Computers For Seniors For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Search for a File ..................................................................................... 145
Move a File or Folder ............................................................................ 147
Rename a File or Folder ........................................................................ 149
Create a Shortcut to a File or Folder .................................................... 151
Delete a File or Folder .......................................................................... 152
Create a Compressed File or Folder ..................................................... 153
Add a File to Your Favorites List .......................................................... 155
Back Up Files to a Read/Writable CD or DVD .................................... 157

Chapter 10: Using the Desktop Gadget Gallery
and Gadgets ............................................................... 159
Open the Gadget Gallery and Add Gadgets to the Desktop .............. 160
Check the Time ..................................................................................... 162
Display a Continuous Slide Show ....................................................... 163
Use the Windows Calendar .................................................................. 165
Play with a Puzzle ................................................................................. 166
Convert Currency .................................................................................. 167
Use the Feed Headlines Gadget ........................................................... 168
Monitor Your CPU ................................................................................ 170

Chapter 11: Creating Documents with Works
Word Processor .......................................................... 171
Open a New Document and Enter and Edit Text ............................... 172
Save a Document .................................................................................. 173
Open an Existing Document ................................................................ 174
Cut, Copy, and Paste Text .................................................................... 175
Format Text ............................................................................................ 176
Insert a Table ......................................................................................... 179
Add Graphics ......................................................................................... 181
Resize Objects ........................................................................................ 182
Check Spelling ....................................................................................... 184
Change Page Setup ................................................................................ 185
Print a Document .................................................................................. 187

➟

viii