Andy Rathbone probably didn’t think “someday I’m going to be the world’s all-time best-selling tech how-to book author” when he was finishing his comparative literature degree. A stint writing for computer magazines led to him writing Windows For Dummies, published in October 1992. Since then the book has seen 18 editions published and sold millions of copies. When not helping people find the Start button, Andy enjoys bird watching and playing ukulele.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

How to Use This Book 3

Touchscreen Owners Aren’t Left Out 4

And What about You? 5

Icons Used in This Book 5

Beyond the Book 6

Where to Go from Here 6

Part 1: Windows 11 Stuff Everybody Thinks you Already Know 7

Chapter 1: what is windows 11? 9

What Is Windows, and Why Are You Using It? 10

What’s New in Windows 11? 12

What’s Missing from Windows 11? 14

Why Does Windows 11 Keep Changing? 16

Can My Current PC Run Windows 11? 16

The Different Flavors of Windows 11 18

Chapter 2: Starting with the Start Menu 19

Being Welcomed to the World of Windows 20

Understanding user accounts 22

Keeping your account private and secure 23

Signing up for a Microsoft account 25

Figuring Out the Windows 11 Start Menu 27

Launching a Start menu program or app 29

Finding something on the Start menu 29

Viewing, closing, or returning to open apps 31

Getting to know your free apps 32

Adding or removing Start menu items 35

Customizing the Start menu 36

Exiting from Windows 39

Temporarily leaving your computer 39

Leaving your computer for the day 41

Chapter 3: The Traditional Desktop 43

Finding the Desktop and the Start Menu 44

Working with the Desktop 45

Launching apps with the Start menu 47

Jazzing up the desktop’s background 48

Dumpster diving in the Recycle Bin 50

Bellying Up to the Taskbar 52

Shrinking windows to the taskbar and retrieving them 54

Switching to different tasks from the taskbar’s Jump Lists 54

Clicking the taskbar’s sensitive areas 55

Seeing the Action Center and Notifications 58

Viewing notifications 58

Seeing Quick Settings icons 60

Watching Widgets 60

Customizing the taskbar 62

Setting Up Virtual Desktops 63

Making Programs Easier to Find 66

Chapter 4: Basic Desktop Window Mechanics 69

Dissecting a Typical Desktop Window 70

Tugging on a window’s title bar 71

Navigating folders with a window’s Address bar 73

Figuring out your folder’s new Menu bars 74

Quick shortcuts with the Navigation pane 76

Moving inside a window with its scroll bar 78

Boring borders 80

Maneuvering Windows Around the Desktop 81

Moving a window to the top of the pile 81

Moving a window from here to there 82

Making a window fill the whole desktop 82

Closing a window 83

Making a window bigger or smaller 83

Neatly placing windows side by side 83

Making windows open to the same darn size 85

Chapter 5: Storing and Organizing Files 87

Browsing the File Explorer File Cabinets 89

Getting the Lowdown on Folders 92

Peering into Your Drives, Folders, and Other Media 93

Seeing the files on a drive 93

Seeing what’s inside a folder 95

Creating a New Folder 98

Renaming a File or Folder 100

Selecting Bunches of Files or Folders 100

Getting Rid of a File or Folder 101

Copying or Moving Files and Folders 103

Seeing More Information about Files and Folders 105

Writing to CDs and DVDs 107

Buying the right kind of blank CDs and DVDs for burning 108

Copying files to or from a CD or DVD 109

Working with Flash Drives and Memory Cards 112

OneDrive: Your Cubbyhole in the Clouds 113

Setting up OneDrive 114

Changing your OneDrive settings 116

Opening and saving files from OneDrive 118

Understanding which files live on OneDrive, your PC, or both places 120

Accessing OneDrive from the internet 122

Part 2: Working with Programs, Apps, and Files 125

Chapter 6: Playing with Programs, Apps, and Documents 127

Starting an App or Program 128

Opening a Document 130

Saving a Document 133

Choosing Which Program Should Open Which File 134

Navigating the Microsoft Store 138

Adding new apps from the Microsoft Store app 138

Uninstalling apps 141

Taking the Lazy Way with a Desktop Shortcut 142

Absolutely Essential Guide to Cutting, Copying, and Pasting 144

The quick ’n’ dirty guide to cut ’n’ paste 144

Selecting things to cut or copy 145

Cutting or copying your selected goods 147

Pasting information to another place 148

Chapter 7: Finding the Lost 151

Finding Currently Running Apps and Programs 151

Finding Lost Windows on the Desktop 153

Locating a Missing App, Program, Setting, or File 154

Finding a Missing File inside a Folder 158

Finding Lost Photos 160

Finding Other Computers on a Network 161

Chapter 8: Printing and Scanning Your Work 163

Printing from a Start Menu App 164

Printing Your Masterpiece from the Desktop 166

Adjusting how your work fits on the page 167

Adjusting your printer’s settings 169

Canceling a print job 171

Printing a web page 172

Troubleshooting your printer 174

Scanning from the Start Menu 176

Part 3: Getting Things Done on the Internet 179

Chapter 9: Cruising the Web 181

What’s an ISP, and Why Do I Need One? 182

Connecting Wirelessly to the Internet 183

Browsing the Web with Microsoft Edge 186

Moving from one web page to another 188

Making Microsoft Edge open to your favorite site 190

Revisiting favorite places 191

Finding things on the internet 193

Finding More Information on a Website 194

Saving Information from the Internet 195

Saving a web page 195

Saving text 196

Saving a picture 196

Downloading a program, song, or other type of file 197

Chapter 10: Being Social: Mail, Calendar, and Teams Chat 199

Adding Your Accounts to Windows 200

Understanding the Mail App 202

Switching among the Mail app’s views, menus, and accounts 202

Composing and sending email 205

Reading a received email 208

Sending and receiving files through email 209

Managing Your Contacts in the People App 212

Adding contacts 214

Deleting or editing contacts 215

Managing Appointments in Calendar 216

Meeting Online with Teams Chat 219

Starting Teams Chat 219

Sending text messages 221

Holding video chats 222

Chapter 11: Safe Computing 227

Understanding Those Annoying Permission Messages 227

Staying Safe with Windows Security 228

Avoiding and removing viruses 230

Avoiding phishing scams 232

Setting up controls for children 234

Part 4: Customizing and Upgrading Windows 11 237

Chapter 12: Customizing Settings in Windows 239

Finding the Right Switch 240

Flipping Switches with the Windows Settings App 241

Adjusting the System settings 242

Connecting and adjusting Bluetooth and other devices 249

Connecting to nearby Wi-Fi networks and internet 255

Personalizing your PC’s look and feel 256

Fixing and removing apps 260

Creating and changing accounts for others 263

Changing date, time, and language settings quickly 263

Setting up for video games 264

Adapting Windows for your special physical needs 264

Managing your privacy and security 266

Staying current and safe with Windows Update 267

Chapter 13: Keeping Windows from Breaking 269

Backing Up Your Computer with File History 271

Finding Technical Information about Your Computer 275

Freeing Up Space on Your Hard Drive 276

Setting Up Devices That Don’t Work (Fiddling with Drivers) 278

Chapter 14: Sharing One Computer with Several People 281

Understanding User Accounts 282

Changing or Adding User Accounts 284

Adding an account for a family member or friend 284

Changing existing accounts 288

Switching Quickly between Users 290

Changing a User Account’s Picture 292

Setting Up Passwords and Security 294

Signing in with Windows Hello 296

Chapter 15: Connecting Computers with a Network 299

Understanding a Network’s Parts 300

Setting Up a Small Network 302

Buying parts for a network 302

Setting up a wireless router 303

Setting up Windows computers to connect to a network 304

Sharing Files with Your Networked Computers 306

Setting your home network to private 306

Sharing files and folders on your private network 310

Accessing what others have shared 312

Sharing a printer on the network 313

Sharing with Nearby Sharing 314

Turning on Nearby Sharing 315

Sharing files with Nearby Sharing 316

Part 5: Music, Photos, and Videos 319

Chapter 16: Playing and Copying Music 321

Playing Music with the Groove Music App 322

Handing Music-Playing Chores Back to Windows Media Player 325

Stocking the Windows Media Player Library 328

Browsing the Windows Media Player Libraries 331

Playing Music Files in a Playlist 334

Controlling Your Now Playing Items 335

Playing CDs 337

Playing DVDs 338

Playing Videos and TV Shows 338

Creating, Saving, and Editing Playlists 339

Ripping (Copying) CDs to Your PC 341

Burning (Creating) Music CDs 342

Chapter 17: Fiddling with Photos, Videos, and Phones 345

Dumping Photos from a Phone or Camera to Your Computer 346

Making Photos and Videos with the Camera App 349

Grabbing Photos from Your Android Phone through the Your Phone App 351

Viewing Photos with the Photos App 354

Viewing your photo collection 355

Viewing photo albums 358

Viewing a slideshow 360

Part 6: help! 361

Chapter 18: The Case of the Broken Window 363

The Magic Fixes in Windows 364

Resetting your computer 364

Restoring backups with File History 368

Windows Keeps Asking Me for Permission 372

I Need to Retrieve Deleted Files 374

I Need to Fix Broken Apps 374

My Settings Are Messed Up 375

I Forgot My Password 377

My Computer Is Frozen Solid 378

Chapter 19: Strange Messages: What You Did Does Not Compute 381

Add Your Microsoft Account 382

Calendar Notifications 382

Choose What Happens with This Device 383

Deleted Files Are Removed Everywhere 384

Did You Mean to Switch Apps? 385

Do You Want to Allow This App to Make Changes to Your Device? 385

Do You Want to Pin This App to the Taskbar? 386

Do You Want to Save Changes? 386

Enter Network Credentials 387

How Do You Want to Open This File? 388

Keep These Display Settings? 389

Let’s Finish Setting Up 389

No Usable Drive Found 390

Save to OneDrive 391

Select to Choose What Happens with Removable Drives 391

Threats Found 392

USB Device Not Recognized 393

Verify Your Identity on This PC 394

We’re Not Allowed to Find You 394

You Don’t Currently Have Permission to Access This Folder 395

Your Privacy Settings Blocked Access to Your Location 395

Chapter 20: Moving from an Old PC to a New Windows 11 PC 397

Moving to Windows 11 the Microsoft Way 397

Hiring a Third Party to Make the Move 399

Buying Laplink’s PCmover program 399

Visiting a repair shop 401

Transferring Files Yourself 401

Chapter 21: Help on the Windows Help System 407

Getting Started with Windows 11 408

Contacting Support 409

Microsoft’s support options 410

Microsoft’s free support options 410

Part 7: The Part of Tens 413

Chapter 22: Ten Things You’ll Hate about Windows 11 (and How to Fix Them) 415

Knowing Whether Your PC Can Upgrade to Windows 11 416

There’s No Backup Program! 416

I Want the Start Button and Menu in the Lower-Left Corner! 417

Windows 11 Keeps Changing! 418

I Don’t Want a Microsoft Account 418

Windows Makes Me Sign in All the Time 419

I Can’t Line Up Two Windows on the Screen 420

It Won’t Let Me Do Something Unless I’m an Administrator! 421

I Don’t Know What Version of Windows I Have 421

My Print Screen Key Doesn’t Work 422

Chapter 23: Ten or So Tips for Tablet and Laptop Owners 425

Using the New Touchscreen Gestures 426

Switching to Airplane Mode 427

Connecting to a New Wireless Internet Network 428

Toggling Your Tablet’s Screen Rotation 429

Adjusting to Different Locations 430

Turning on the Traffic Widget 431

Backing Up Your Laptop Before Traveling 432

Accessing the Mobility Center 432

Turning Calculator into a Road Warrior Tool 433

Index 435

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