Windows XP, Introduction to

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
In this first lesson, we'll start at the beginning by defining all the terms that everybody else assumes you already know. You'll discover the simple meanings behind words like keyboard, mouse, shortcut, click, right-click, drag, desktop, menus, scrollbars, title bars, toolbars, the taskbar, dialog boxes, and more. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll know how to apply what you've learned to opening and closing programs, working with multiple programs, and much more.

Lesson 2
With some basic skills and terminology under your belt, you're ready to go through the process of creating, printing, editing, saving, and reopening you first document. In this lesson, you'll learn valuable skills for working with text and how to copy and paste. You'll learn how to place a document in a folder, then find and reopen it again at any time in the future with ease. You'll also learn tricks of the trade for finding lost files on your system.

Lesson 3
Have a digital camera or scanner? Looking to get some pictures into the computer, or work with the pictures you already have? Then you'll love this lesson. Here you'll learn about opening, editing, cropping, and resizing pictures. Undo the changes you don't like, and keep the changes you do like. Organize your pictures so they're easy to find. Print your pictures or view them in a slide show. Send pictures to family and friends through e-mail. And use your own pictures as you Windows desktop background!

Lesson 4
In today's lesson, you'll learn about making music with Windows XP. You'll find out how to control the sound volume on your PC. Then we'll go over how to create your own collection of favorite songs and play them right from your computer. Finally, we'll discuss how to make your own custom music CDs of favorite songs and how to copy songs to a portable music player. It's easier than you'd think!

Lesson 5
Most people have heard of viruses that can infect your computer. In today's lesson, you'll learn all about protecting your computer from those and other threats to your computer's security. You'll discover the importance of using free automatic updates to keep your computer secure. You'll learn to use the free Windows firewall to protect your PC from Internet hackers. And you'll see how to use antivirus and other programs to shield your PC from harmful programs and irritating ads.

Lesson 6
In this lesson, we'll take a tour through the network of files and folders on your computer's hard disk. You'll see how everything that's in your computer is actually stored in files, and those files are organized into folders. You'll learn about tools and techniques for navigating and exploring your computer's folders and the files within them. You'll also find out about external computer disks like floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs. You'll even learn how to create your own folders!

Lesson 7
In today's lesson, we'll build on the tools and terminology you learned in Lesson 6 to take your skill level to new heights. Here you'll learn what words like kilobyte, megabyte, and gigabyte really mean. You'll learn how to move and copy files between folders and different kinds of disks. And you'll discover the tricks to renaming and deleting files, as well as recovering files you erased by accident. As an added bonus, you'll learn how to create your own custom shortcut icons, making it easy to get to the files and folders you use most.

Lesson 8
Don't like something about the look and feel of your computer screen? In this lesson, you'll learn how to personalize Windows XP. First, you'll learn about Control Panel, where most options for personalizing your PC are stored. You'll see how easy it is to change the appearance and size of things on your screen. And you'll discover techniques for customizing your mouse and keyboard to you own needs. You'll even learn to create user accounts, which allow each person who uses a computer to have his or her own personal files and settings, separate from others who share the same computer.

Lesson 9
In today's lesson, we'll get into some of the technical hardware that makes the whole computer work. You'll learn about RAM, the CPU, and other major computer components. You'll learn to discover the capabilities of your own computer, and how to keep it in peak condition. You'll discover new ways to troubleshoot problems and get the information you need, when you need it, without always having to ask some knowledgeable person.

Lesson 10
Did you know that there are over 100,000 different programs available for Windows XP? Nobody has them all or needs them all. But it's nice to know you have choices. In this lesson, you'll learn about acquiring and installing new programs. You'll also learn how to remove any programs you don't want. And you'll learn about adding hardware devices like printers, scanners, and cameras to your computer.

Lesson 11
Pictures are fun, but did you know you can also create your own movies with Windows XP? In today's lesson, you'll find out how to use the Movie Maker program that's built right into Windows XP. With it, you can create your own slide shows and videos complete with custom titles, credits, background music, and special effects.

Lesson 12
These days, it's not unusual to have two or more computers in a household. In our final lesson, we'll discuss the art of networking, or getting multiple computers within the home to talk to each other. You'll learn how several computers can share a single Internet account, printer, and even files.