|
Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, August 22, 2004
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Windows XP User Accounts
Featured Computer Term: System Unit
This Week's Topic: Using Floppy Disks
Questions: Windows XP – My Documents Icon
Websites of Interest: Photojournalism; Amateur Consumer Reports; Professional Consultants; Lonely Planet Travel Info
**************************************************************
Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to
many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on
how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on
it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your
screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address
bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on
the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open
your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet
Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then
click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the
keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
**************************************************************
Special Feature: Windows XP User Accounts
Everyone who uses Windows XP has a user account. A user account helps Windows recognize who is sitting at the keyboard, and, most importantly, what that person is allowed to do at the computer.
Your Windows XP computer starts out with one user account. You can choose an name for your account and customize it with your own pictures, colors, programs and other settings. Other users of your computer can create their own accounts with their own preferred settings.
You can view your own files and setup your account so that other users cannot view, open or edit your files.
When you log on to your account and customize it your own pictures and colors, the changes you make will only affect your account.
There are three types of user accounts: Administrator, Limited, and Guest. Each type of account gets to do different functions on the computer. The account that your computer started with is an Administrator account. If additional accounts were added to your computer, the person who created the account can choose the type.
The administrator controls the entire computer, deciding who gets to use it and what they can do on it. An Administrator can add and remove programs, make changes to the setup of the computer and customize their accounts and files. The Administrator has access to all the other accounts on the computer and all non-private files and can change passwords.
Limited accounts can use most of the computer, but they can't make any big changes to it. They cannot add or remove any programs but have access to all programs on the computer.
Guests can use the computer, but because the computer doesn't recognize them, their actions are tightly restricted. The guest account is intended for someone to check e-mail or browse the Internet.
On your computer, you might see an account with the name Owner. The owner account, with computer administrator privileges, is created during installation if no user accounts are set up at that time. You can rename this account.
To do so, click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts. Under Pick a task, click Change an account.
Click the account that you would like to change. Click Change my name. Type in the new name and click the Change Name button.
Add a New User Account
If someone else will use your computer, you can create a new user account for them. To add a new account to your computer, you administrator.
must have a computer
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts. Under Pick a task, click Create a new account.
Type a name for the new user account, and click Next.
Click either Computer administrator or Limited, depending on the type of account you want to assign to the new user, and then click Create Account.
Create a Password for a User Account
When sharing a computer, your settings, programs, and files are more secure when you assign a password to your user account.
Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
Click your user name.
Click Create a password.
In Type a new password and Type the new password again to confirm, type your password.
You can also enter descriptive or meaningful text in Type a word or phrase to use as a password hint to help you remember your password.
Click Create Password.
**************************************************************
Featured Computer Term: System Unit
The System Unit houses the main parts of a personal computer. it includes the chassis, microprocessor, also knows as the CPU or Central Processing Unit, memory, also known as RAM or Random Access Memory, bus, which is like a cable connecting all the components inside the computer, and ports, which is where all the peripherals get plugged in. it does not include the keyboard, monitor, mouse or any peripheral devices.
On a Desktop Computer, the System Unit is usually called the Tower. On a notebook, the system unit is usually the base, which has the keyboard built into it.
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of?
Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its
definition in an upcoming newsletter.
**************************************************************
Today's Topic: Using Floppy Disks
Some people who are new to computers save all their files on floppy disks instead of using the computer’s hard disk. They think this is safer, in case the hard disk has a problem.
This may have been true years ago when hard disks were just being introduced into computers, but the technology has been improved enough to make hard disks reliable.
There are a number of reasons not to use floppy disks to store your documents:
-- They take much longer to open and save files.
-- Floppy disks are more likely to have disk errors than hard disks.
-- They do not hold many files.
-- Some files, such as picture files, may be too large to fit on a floppy disk.
-- Floppy disks are becoming obsolete. Many laptop computers no longer include a floppy drive; desktop may soon no long include this drive, too.
-- It is too easy to misplace a floppy disk.
External storage should be used to back up important files, but the hard disk should be used while working with a file. Because of the reasons cited above, ROM disks are the better choice for external storage.
Newsletter Archives
To learn how to back up files onto a CD, visit our website
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/032104.html
Learn how to copy files from a floppy disk to the hard disk:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/030203.html
**************************************************************
Question: Windows XP – My Documents Icon
On the computer I used in your class, there was an icon for My Documents, the folder where I store all my files. I do not have that on my computer. How can I get it there? I’m using Windows XP.
Answer:
Right click on a blank spot on the desktop. Left click Properties from the resulting menu. Click the Desktop tab at the top of the Display Properties window that you now see. Click the Customize Desktop button.
In the Desktop Icons, area, click the small box to the left of My Documents – a checkmark will appear. Click the OK button to close all windows.
You should now see the My Documents icon on your desktop.
Note: if you would like to remove some icons from your desktop, you can follow the steps above to do so. You can remove My Computer, Internet Explorer and My Network Places.
**************************************************************
Websites of Interest:
Photojournalism
See Photojournalism at its very best! Some amazing pictures are captured at this web site.
http://poy.org/
Amateur Consumer Reports
This website has a extensive collection of reviews by consumers with details on what people think about products, along with comparative price quotes. Take a look before you buy something new – see what owners of that product have to say.
http://www.epinions.com/
Professional Consultants
At this website, you can consult an expert for advice, answers, help, on thousands of topics, all for free.
http://www.allexperts.com
Lonely Planet Travel Info
Lonely Planet is an invaluable resource for travel, atlas, demographic, cultural, and anthropological information.
http://lonelyplanet.com/ |
