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What is Windows XP?
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Windows XP
is an operating system produced by Microsoft. Primarily
Windows XP Home is used for personal use and Windows XP
Professional is for business usage. We have
included detailed information on our Windows XP video training
here. You can download the samples towards the end of this XP
training. In addition we have also included screen shots that
will help you in learning windows xp.
You can buy our video tutorials at the
Windows XP Training page. In addition we have partnered up
with Lynda.com to get you access to
Windows XP training courses for Free!!
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Windows XP Tutorial– Working with the desktop | |
We kick off
this video training series on Microsoft Windows XP with
general layout of the Desktop including Start Button,
Quick Launch area, Active Programs and System Tray.
Next we cover the actual desktop area and properties like
Theme, Color Scheme, Layout, Background, Screen Saver,
Resolution and Appearance. Using the Desktop Cleanup Wizard
you can chnge the windows xp layout. Shortcuts make it easy to
work with commonly used files and folders. We demonstrate
multiple ways to create shortcuts and manipulate desktop
icons. You can have several applications running at the same
time in XP and we go over such topics as switching between
applications, closing program groups etc. Recycle Bin is the
holding place for files before they are permanently deleted.
We end the tutorial by highlighting features like the context
menu (right mouse button) and My Computer icon
(Running time
21:30 mins)
We have included some screen captures from
the desktop on Microsoft Windows XP right
below:
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Windows XP Tutorial – Word Processing |
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In this video lesson, we cover three different ways to do
word processing in Windows XP. First we talk about
Notepad which is installed by default. This
is a simple application to use but does not give you a lot of
formatting functionality. The files are saved as text (.txt)
and typically are small in size. Next we move onto
WordPad which is also installed
by default. With this you get a little more formatting options
compared to Notepad. You will also have access to a limited
Toolbar for quick changes. Files can either be saved as Rich
Text Format (.rtf) or Text document (.txt).
Finally we move onto
Microsoft Word which by far is
the most common word processing application in the market. You
do have to buy it as it is not installed by default. With
Microsoft Word, you get robust formatting and an extensive
toolbar functionality, not to mention compatibility with
applications like Excel and Outlook. Files are saved as .doc
and are much bigger in size compared to the other two formats.
We end the video training with keyboard shortcuts like
Ctrl + Home, Ctrl +End, Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Home, End, Page
Up, Page Down, Alt + Tab and Alt + F4.
(Running time 19:26 mins)
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We have
included some screen shots of Notepad, WordPad and
Microsoft Word in Windows XP
Professional
right below:
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Windows Tutorial on XP – My Documents |
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My Documents is the default
location when working with files in Windows XP.
We start
this video tutorial by going over the hierarchy of folders in My
Documents, parent and child folder structure. Next we move onto
general navigation concepts including menus like Title bar, File
Menu, Toolbar, Address, Task Pane, Details Section and Status Bar.
We demonstrate how to create a new folder, copy files from a source
folder to a destination folder, sort objects by different
parameters. We cover a little bit about My Computer where you can
browse other local disks and applications on your computer.
Shortcuts are an important productivity tool and we explain how to
create them in different ways. This discussion also talks about
keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+A to select all and Shift + Click to
select multiple files. We explain dragging and dropping files and
context menu functionality. Finally we end the session with Recycle
Bin and how to recover deleted files.
(Running time 17:50
mins)
In the figure below, you will
find screen images on My Documents in Windows
XP.
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Windows XP Training – Searching Files and Folders |
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In this Windows XP training video, we cover
searching files and folders on your machine. The default Search
feature can be launched from the Start button. We first search for a
file with the text bmw in it so we make use of wild characters like
this *bmw*. We also give you an idea about how to search for a
phrase or expression. Next we search for an Excel file type (*.xls)
in our computer. From the results section, you can sort by modified
date, file type, size and name in an ascending or descending manner.
Using advanced option, you can search by case sensitivity and sub
folder option.
Next we
discuss Google Desktop which is a powerful alternative to
native Windows search. You can download this application from
http://www.google.com. We
search for the same files with much faster speed and additional
functionality. Options like preview file, file type sort, open
folder, date and relevance are exposed next. With Google Desktop,
you can toggle between desktop and Internet search.
(Running time 17.22 mins)
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Working with Media in Windows XP: |
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Working with Media involves playing music or
movies, moving pictures to and from a digital camera/recorder,
working with external drives or USB flash drives, and finally
copying data to and from a computer. We start off the XP training
with Windows Media Player. We talk about the music library, ripping,
media center and other features. Next we look at a Sony digital
camera and download pictures to our computer. We cover different
views like Filmstrip and Slide Show. We rotate print, copy, paste
the pictures and show you how to open them with different
applications.
We move onto a USB flash drive which is
helpful in moving data back and forth. We use Windows Explorer to
get to the flash drive content and copy a file to My Documents
folder. After we make changes, we move the file back to the flash
drive. Last topic is burning (copying) a DVD using Sonic Digital
Media. We go over the steps of copying some files from the computer
to the DVD using the Data Disc option. In addition, we discuss read
write vs. read only disc options.
(Running time 22 mins)
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Windows
XP Tutorial – Control Panel |
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In this video lesson, we cover
Windows XP Control Panel. Here are some of the main
topics we discuss: Appearance tab, Display settings for start menu,
Screen Saver and Desktop, toggle between Window Classic and Window
XP layout, tweak the Taskbar settings and modify the Folder Options.
Using Network and Internet configuration, you can modify your
network properties. An important characteristic in Control Panel is
adding and removing a program which is also illustrated. Next we
discuss the Performance and Maintenance tab.
Some of these
topics are discussed more in detail in the Administrative Tools
video. We review the System Tab where you can change computer
hardware settings using the Device Manager. Next we demonstrate how
to add a local printer using the Add Printer Wizard. This leads us
to the section on User Accounts, Regional Settings and Security
options. We end this training session by going over Firewall,
Automatic Updates and Virus Protection.
(Running time 20:07 mins)
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Windows XP Tutorial – Administrative Tools: |
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This is an essential video training lesson on
Administrative Tools. We start off with data sources (ODBC) which
let you access other types of databases. In our demo we create a
data source to an Access database and then use an Excel sheet to
import the data from Access tables. We go over the Event Viewer
which gives you vital system information at the application and
security level. Performance Monitor will let you gain an insight
into physical counters like CPU, Memory usage and Disk I/O
utilization. The logs and alerts can enable you to manage your
machine in a proactive manner.
The Computer Management tab
has a wealth of knowledge on your computer. We review the Shared
Folders, Device Manager, Storage tab and Services area. Device
Manager is essential to troubleshooting hardware issues and updating
drivers. Services tab gives you insight into what all is running on
the machine so you can shutdown unnecessary ones. Finally we look at
the Component Services which is an advanced utility for managing COM
objects.
(Running time 15:30 mins)
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Free video samples on this Windows XP Tutorial:
Useful Windows XP Resources:
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