KroyTech
Top Sites, Help and Tech Support

[Home Page] [About KroyTech]

[Top Sites and Help] [Services and Rates] [HELP Sites] [Site Map]

Fast, expert computer repair and network services for Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Pompano, West Palm
Most emergency calls serviced within 2 hours

For immediate service call (954) 946-8539

Top Sites, Help & Free Tech Support Page

Lots of help pages and links to the best free tech support, free computer tutorials & anti-virus sites
Especially for beginners and new computer users, plus lots of good info for everyone.

TOP SITES, HELP AND TECH SUPPORT MENU

Ÿ Start here for free tech support sites
Ÿ Reference
Ÿ Internet Search
Ÿ Featured Sites

Ÿ Tutorials, Help, Viruses, Spyware & More
Ÿ Tech Support Sites (Free & Pay)
Ÿ Data Recovery & Lost Files
Ÿ Traveling Fun

Other Stuff

Ÿ Jesus and Eternal Life
Ÿ ESD Workbenches
Ÿ Other Links
Ÿ Site Map

**Warning: Top Sites and Help page is HUGE (over 300k). Please give it time to fully load.
If you have a Broadband connection (DSL or Cable) it will be almost instantaneous.

Hint: For fast up and down scrolling

1. Click anywhere on the page (except on a link) to make it active.
2. Use your
[Page Up] and [Page Down] keys on your keyboard.
3. Use your
[é] [ê] arrow keys for line by line scrolling.
4. Hold them down for fast repeat.
5. Press
[Home] and [End] for top and bottom of page.

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Introduction to the Website

This site is best viewed at 800x600 display resolution

This website has lots of help pages and carefully selected links to the best free tutorials, free tech support, and PC help sites on the web. If you are new to computing or want to learn how to better use your computer and the Internet, this site is for you! Some of the best anti-virus and virus info sites can also be found here. We help you compute!

The focus of this site is especially on helping new computer users.

For now, the site will mainly consist of free help pages and links that I, the owner, have found to be some of the best in their categories or that are especially beneficial in some way, both for you and your computer.

How to use your computer's search or "Find" feature on this page

Press <Ctrl>-F

Find dialog box

On your keyboard, press <Ctrl>-F (together) or at top left, click "Edit", then "Find". Type a word (or part of a word) in the Find what box, such as "illegal" (for "Illegal operation error") and press your <Enter> key (or click [Find Next]). This searches "down" the page. For "training", use "train" which will find all forms of the word.

You can keep pressing <Enter> or clicking [Find Next] in the Find box as many times as you want, until you get a "Finished searching..." or "...not found" message. In the "Direction" box, you can then click "Up", and then [Find Next] to search back up the page. Press your <Esc> key or [Cancel] to close the Find box. You can do this on any website.

Definitely take a look under Top Sites, Help and Free Tech Support. This is the link to the most important stuff on the KroyTech website. I have compiled some of the best free training, tutorial, and help sites on the Internet here. Also things you should know about viruses and hoaxes under Tutorials, Help, Viruses & More!

You can find out more about myself, the company, the services we offer, and service rates at About Kroytech.

I have also included spiritual topics on this web page. The Old and New Testament scriptures speak a lot about why we're here and where we're going. They explain about what's coming in "the last days", and about eternal life (you won't need computers or Microsoft). Take a look under Jesus and Eternal Life.

Special thanks to Bible Gateway and to those who created and continually improve it for making their scripture hyperlink database available to all.

May you be richly blessed!
Kroy Ellis

Top of Page

How to fast scroll with your keyboard...

1. Click anywhere on the page (except on a link) to make it active.
2. Use your
[Page Up] and [Page Down] keys on your keyboard.
3. Use your
[é] [ê] arrow keys for line by line scrolling.
4. Hold them down for
fast repeat.
5.
Press [Home] for top of page and [End] for bottom of page.

If your scroll keys don't work on a web page, try clicking on the page with your mouse first to make the page "active".

You can also click and "drag" the gray scroll button on the far right of your screen up and down to move quickly through the page. (Hold your left mouse button down on the gray scroll button and "drag" it up and/or down.)

For ALL known Windows keyboard shortcuts, see Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts table.

You can usually use your ïBack button (top left of your browser) to go back to previous links.

America Under Attack -- Some helpful words...

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Top Sites Summary

Top of Page

ØReference: Some of the best and most popular computer and online reference sites on the Internet.

ØInternet Search: Lists the most popular and effective search engines.

ØTutorials, Help, Viruses & More and Tech Support sites: The best of the best free help, tutorials, and tech support sites for new and beginner level computer users. (And lots of good stuff for the more advanced!) If you need to know where to go to get free or low cost help, or you want to learn more about your computer and the Internet, these are the sites to visit. I have compiled the best of these sites in such a way that you as a new or beginning computer user can learn step by step how to become a pro with your computer and the Internet. (There are many other excellent tech sites not listed here that cover more technical aspects of computing and the Internet, but would be beyond the scope of what this website is about right now.)

ØFeatured Sites: Specially selected sites you should know about.

ØJesus and Eternal Life: About Jesus and eternal life, lots of links and comments.

ØEverything Else: Some helpful and fun sites that have been carefully chosen to give you a hint, a tiny glimpse of the kinds of things you can find, use, and do on the Net.

TOP SITES, HELP AND TECH SUPPORT MENU

Ÿ Reference & Info Sites
Ÿ Internet Search
Ÿ Featured Sites

Ÿ Tutorials, Help, Viruses, Spyware & More
Ÿ Tech Support Sites
Ÿ Data Recovery & Lost Files
Ÿ Traveling Fun

Other Stuff

Ÿ Jesus and Eternal Life
Ÿ ESD Workbenches
Ÿ Other Links
Ÿ Site Map

Top of Page

Wayne DuMond

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REFERENCE & INFO SITES
Main Menu | Top of Page

What's here?

Some of the best and most popular reference sites on the Internet.

Computer Reference Sites

Smart Computing (in Plain English): A must visit for all computer users.

CNet - The Computer Network

Price Watch: Compare street prices from many online computer/electronics stores. Displays the most current prices on everything relating to computers, peripherals and electronics. Prices are submitted to Price Watch by retailers.

Shopping.com: Probably the most popular product price comparison and review site. Prices are submitted to Shopping.com by retailers.

CNet Shopper.com Price Scanner: Another site for checking the latest street prices. Prices are submitted to Shopper.com by retailers.

Blue Book for Everything: The current "fair market values for the most popular products based on actual transactions from online auctions and prices from online retailers. Strong Numbers sorts the raw data into specific related categories based on how consumers actually search for products." (But never depend on one source for current prices. Just searching Google can turn up prices that don't show up in these services.)

ZDNet: One of the popular computer resources on the Internet. (Used to be the one of the biggest and best, but they have downsized.)

ZDNet Reviews: Lots of product reviews by ZDNet. See also ZDNet's Editor's Top Products. A good place to start, but always look at several sources for reviews when researching a product or solution you are considering.

PC Magazine Online: One of the popular computer magazines in the industry. (But watch for a little too much favoritism to their advertisers.)

Webopedia:ïNew window Definitions for every computer term ever invented (almost)! A bit technical sometimes, but clicking on the underlined "hypertext" links can help. ("Hypertext" links are what tie the whole World Wide Web together. Look up hypertext by clicking on it.) Know what "MODEM" stands for? Here's DSL and broadband. What is a "computer" anyway? Do you know what "software" is? What is a program? How about CPU, BIOS, CMOS, USB, CD-ROM, CD-RW, and DVD? What does "boot" your computer mean? (No, it doesn't mean kick it.) What do "Internet" and "World Wide Web" mean? Where did "bugs"come from (the ones computers get, that is)? What's the difference between megabytes and gigabytes? Microsoft Windows is a GUI ("gooey") based operating system. What is that? If you have an older version of Windows (9x thru ME), it actually runs on top of another much older, basic operating system originally developed for the first IBM PC in 1981 called DOS. I'm sure you know that PC stands for "personal computer", but how did it all begin? And finally, what's a FAQ? (Here's a sample comparison of DSL speeds from BellSouth.)

Webopedia Did You Know? ESD (Static Electricity) and Computers: A good brief in lay terms on what you should know about Electrostatic Discharge (static electricity) and computers.

What is...: More definitions for every conceivable "computereez" term, very thorough.

Online Reference Sites

Internet Public Library: One of the best collections of quality online references and resources in every conceivable category. Reference websites, online encyclopedias and reference works, exhibits, magazines and newspapers, etc. etc.

Internet Public Library Reference Resources: Dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, biographies, experts & how to, genealogy, geography, news resources, periodical directories...

Librarians' Index to the Internet: One of the best sources of information and reference. Open the page to see what's here. Under each category, be sure to click on "more" to see the entire category listing!

Librarians' Index to the Internet - Ready Reference and Quick Facts: Dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, biographies, experts & how to, genealogy, geography, news resources, periodical directories...

eLibrary.com: Very comprehensive online library, "premium" articles available with subscription.

Refdesk.com: One of the best places on the Internet for facts, info, and reference resources about anything.

Reference.com: One of the best places on the Internet for reference resources (online almanacs, dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, literature databases, etc).

OneLook Dictionary: Searches more than 731 online dictionaries for your word or phrase. Dictionaries in seven languages are available. Be sure to note the "hints" given below the search box for truly effective ways to find what you want!

FindArticles.com: "A vast archive of published articles that you can search for free. Constantly updated, it contains articles dating back to 1998 from more than 300 magazines and journals."

Encyclopedia Britannica Online: By far the most thorough of the online encyclopedias, but... They now charge a fee to view articles. (You can buy the entire Encyclopedia Britannica Deluxe edition on CD-ROM for as little as $25 when it's on sale, which I would highly recommend!)

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Online: You now have to pay a fee to view many articles, unless you own the CD version.

Encyclopedia.com: Part of eLibrary.com. Probably provides the most free content of the subscription based encyclopedias. Additional articles available upon subscription.

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia (English): "Wikipedia is a multilingual project to create a complete and accurate open content encyclopedia." Started in January 2001, there are over 1 million articles in the English version and growing at the rate of about 1,700 articles per day (from ZDNet). This online encyclopedia is constantly improving and becoming very comprehensive. It is the MOST comprehensive of any free online encyclopedia and is actually copied by many other websites on the Net. Anyone can contribute to or create an article. The quality and accuracy can be very poor to excellent. Note that "truth" is NOT in their interest, "The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth," and that Wikipedia "...does not publish original thought or original research [nor allow it]." (From Wikipedia's Official Policy on Verifiability.) You should check your research in Wikipedia against more established works, such as the latest releases of commercial encyclopedias and reputable news sources who DO have truth in reporting and research as their aim/interest. (And correct Wikipedia's articles when you find anything wrong. J )

Answers.com: Highly categorized, comprehensive "answers" on any reference topic you are searching for. See Why Answers for a good description of what this site is about as compared to other reference sites. (Uses Wikipedia as one of many of it's sources for articles.)

HowStuffWorks.com

Spartacus Educational Reference: Educational and history reference

Historyplace.com: History reference

World History: History reference. Guess what my favorite subject is? (Next to prophecy and eternal life, that is. You need to look in both directions to know where you're going!)

American Secular Holidays Calendarnew: Official American holidays for any year past, present or future.

Online Locators
Online "yellow pages", Maps, Zip Lookup

These people/business finders are white and yellow pages on steroids. Very powerful ways to look up any company or person (if listed), including reverse lookup by phone no, and other options.

AT&T AnyWho: Find addresses, phone nos., businesses, etc. (if listed)

Switchboard: One of the most popular and complete people/business finders on the Net

SmartPages: Another good people/business finder. (If you can't find what or who you're looking for on one site, try the others.)

Maps On Us: Detailed street maps of any address in the US. Includes detailed, customizable to your traveling preferences, turn by turn route planner. Very customizable, and you can save your customizations and preferences.

MapQuest: Detailed street maps of any address in the US and other countries. This one often provides a lot more detail than Maps on Us, and has been more accurate in some cases. Also, includes arial photo view, customizable, turn by turn route planner with various options and features to make it as easy as possible to find your way with their maps.

Google Maps: Similar to the others (each has their strengths and weaknesses), but fancier, slicker, overlay street maps over satellite/photo images, drag the map with your mouse, covers the entire globe. Or just type an address with commas in the Google search bar (eg 4550 nw 18th ave, pompano beach, fl) or a phone no.

US Postal Service Zip+4 Lookup

US Postal Service Postage Calculator

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INTERNET SEARCH
Main Menu | Top of Page

What's here?

The best and most popular search engines. These search engines vary in their comprehensiveness. No one search engine indexes more than 20 to 30% of the total content of the World Wide Web.

You'll get much better satisfaction from searching the Internet if you spend a few minutes learning how to use these tools. Many of the searches done on the Internet bring up tons of results, yet miss most of the best websites or pages containing what the searcher is really looking for.

For example, with most search engines, sometimes using double quotes (") around exact phrases you are looking for, such as <"gettysburg address"> (ignore the pointed brackets < >), gets you the web pages containing that exact phrase, leaving out a lot of junk that has nothing to do with your search. However, for a topic such as <scanner help>, you're better off not using quotes. There's much more you can do to get the best pages containing just what you're looking for, but that's a start. Most search engines have "help" links or "hints" that give you a brief list of tips to make the search work better for you.

Google: Currently the most popular search engine on the Net. Very fast, and usually gives the most results or "hits". Try Google Advanced for advanced options. Will also find addresses with maps if you type in an address. Google Answers even connects you to an expert Google researcher who will do research for you (for a small fee). You pay them if and when you're satisfied.

Google - All services, specialized search and tools: Over 35 useful services, tools and free utilities and growing.

Yahoo: Yahoo is far more than a search engine or index. This is what is known as a "portal" -- an array of many resources and services.

Ask.com: Formerly AskJeeves.com. Easy to use, very thorough, plain English search engine that searches the search engines. Quoting from ZDNet:
"Ask.com [has] a new customizable "toolbox" with shortcuts to 10 default search tools including maps, images, weather, dictionary and local search.
Ask.com also has beefed up its maps and driving directions tools to add walking directions, dragable location pins that automatically recalculate directions, the ability to right-click on a spot on a map to add it to a route, aerial photography that can be combined with regular street views, and the ability to print aerial shots for a fee.
The new tools also include encyclopedia search that displays direct answers from Wikipedia, Houghton Mifflin and others at the top of the results page, and Web-based desktop search for looking for information on the computer's hard drive. The company already offers a standalone desktop search application."
Basically,
ask.com is trying to match and even go beyond Google.

Alltheweb: Very thorough, and very fast

Dogpile: Searches all the major search engines. Use this if nothing else finds what you're looking for.

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FEATURED SITES
Main Menu | Top of Page

What's here?

Specially selected sites you should know about.

Featured Sites of the Month: Featured sites for this month: CNet's Internet Price Scanner, Price Watch, Buy.com, Best Buy, Mr. Ink Jet, ComUSolv.

Integrity.com: Integrity is a good, family-safe internet provider. They protect you and your family from unsafe and obscene websites and email, spyware, viruses and spam (junk email). They state that their service, "will effectively shield you from over 99% of the most objectionable web material." Its not perfect (nothing is) -- you still need the standard firewall and protection software installed on your computer. Their "email filtering technology will stop over 90% of your email spam and protect you from 99.9% of all email viruses." High speed dial-up (5-7x faster overall than standard dial-up, except email and file downloads) ($22/mo) or DSL ($49/mo). Or add their internet filter software to your existing service ($50/yr for up to 3 PCs). They use Netsweeper for their filtering service.
Pros: Probably about as good and balanced a filtering provider service as you will find at these prices. Good internet and email protection. No special software to install. Phone support, but some long hold times at peak hours (as with any service). Their DSL service includes basic computer support as well.
Cons: DSL service is slow (relatively) and pricey ($49/mo.) at 384kbps (kilobits per second) compared to others. (Christian-Net is $50/mo. for 1500k/256k, $60 for 3000k/384k compared to non-filtered DSL with Bellsouth FastAccess DSL Xtreme at $38 for 3000k/384k.) ALL internet chat rooms/services are blocked. No custom "white list" or "black list" capability. They will take requests to make blocked websites available or to block websites you want blocked, but they make the final decision. You can't turn off the protection service if you want temporary total access to the internet. (Other family-safe providers are more flexible but may cost more.) Can be bypassed by connecting to an alternate internet provider. (Someone would need a credit card or PayPal account or be able to send money to the alternate provider to sign up and connect. However, this would not work if you purchased Integrity's protection software instead of the service.) Support staff does not seem particularly computer-knowlegable, but adequate for basic support.
Finally, If you need more flexibility to modify what's blocked and what isn't, you can obtain or use any standard internet service and add Integrity's software for $50/yr. You can then also disable the protection software with a password if you ever need total internet access, but a real computer-knowledgeable kid can bypass the software if he/she tries hard enough. Plus, you can't control what they're doing at their friends' houses. The bottom line is that you still need to watch your kids and know what they are doing, and ideally, be able to trust them. Those who are technically skilled and determined to get around it can, but this makes it more difficult. This type of service can be a great help to protect everyone, but as everything else, is not perfect.

Previously Featured Sites

Mister InkJet: Discount printer supplies, hi res. & photo quality paper & card stocks, compatible printer cartridges. All inks are custom formulated by Mister InkJet for each printer model to duplicate the formula used by the original manufactures such as HP, Epson and Canon. They provide first-class tech support if you have any problems. Discount prices on ink jet supplies. An Epson Stylus 600 compatible black ink jet cartridge is $8. Retail is $24.95.
Click here to find out more.

MyInks.com: Discount inkjet cartridges. Usually has the lowest prices, depending on the quantity ordered. Be alert to the lower quality of ink. Your print quality may not be as good as the real thing.

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Free Tutorials, Help, Virus Info, and More
Main Menu | Top of Page

For fast up and down scrolling

1. Use your [Page Up] and [Page Down] keys on your keyboard.
2. Use your
[é] [ê] arrow keys for line by line scrolling.
3. Hold them down for fast repeat.

***Note on links to Virtualdr.com***: All tutorial services at virtualdr.com have been discontinued. All links to these are no longer valid. I will be removing and/or replacing those links in the future.

Ÿ Getting Started Ÿ Internet Tutorials Ÿ Viruses, spyware, hoaxes & scams
Ÿ Windows Tips & Tutorials Ÿ Software & Hardware Tutorials Ÿ Other Goodies
Ÿ America Online Ÿ Windows & Software Errors Ÿ Site Map

ØAn easy way to search for things on this page×

     
 

Tech Support Sites

 


What's here?

These free tutorial training, anti-virus, and help sites cover just about everything you need to know to become a real pro with your computer and the Internet, and stay protected from virus attacks. Some are even kinda fun! Most of them are also good reference sites you can come back to any time you need help with something. Bookmark the ones you find useful into your Favorites so you can go back to them easily.

Most of these are free. There are many fee-based online training sites that offer their courses on the Net for a small charge that are better. I have chosen at this point just to list the training sites that don't cost you anything, and many of them are just as good or sometimes better than the fee based ones. Support them every way you can, as they can't go on for ever without some way to pay the bills.

How to use your computer's search or "Find" feature on this page

Press <Ctrl>-F

Find dialog box

On your keyboard, press <Ctrl>-F (together) or at top left, click "Edit", then "Find". Type a word (or part of a word) in the Find what box, such as "illegal" (for "Illegal operation error") and press your <Enter> key (or click [Find Next]). This searches "down" the page. For "training", use "train" which will find all forms of the word.

You can keep pressing <Enter> or clicking [Find Next] in the Find box as many times as you want, until you get a "Finished searching..." or "...not found" message. In the "Direction" box, you can then click "Up", and then [Find Next] to search back up the page. Press your <Esc> key or [Cancel] to close the Find box. You can do this on any website.

Back to Tutorials, Help, and Viruses Menu

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More About Training/Tutorials and Technical Support
(Primarily applies to Windows 95/98/ME, also known as 9x)

The best training is live with an instructor, next to that are interactive computer based training (CBT) courses that teach you right on your computer. Some excellent Windows and Microsoft CBT courses can be found for as little as $15. You already have a really good CBT course for starters that comes with every Windows 95/98 based computer, called "Discover Windows". See below for info on how to find it. I highly recommend going through this, if you haven't already.

By all means, if you are having a problem and need tech support, call the companies where you bought your hardware or software first! If you are having trouble with your Internet connection, call your Internet Service Provider (for AOL users, that's AOL). You can usually get much faster help that way (if you don't have to wait on hold too long). The next option is to go to their website.

Some companies have excellent website support sections for their products, such has HP, Epson, Lexmark, Dell, Gateway, Microsoft, Symantec (Norton), etc. See TechAdvice for a list companies, including websites and phone nos. PC-Help Online and PC Mechanic also list many of these. Most hardware purchases come with one to three year warranties with unlimited free tech support included. Software purchases usually come with one to three months free support from the date of your first call. Most Microsoft purchases (such as Windows or MS Office) come with unlimited free tech support.

If you are just starting out with your computer, I would begin with the Windows tutorial called "Discover Windows" that comes with Windows 95/98. You can get to it through the "Welcome to Windows" feature. You can usually find Welcome to Windows by clicking your <Start> button, and going to Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Welcome to Windows. (Once you start Welcome to Windows, it will start every time you restart your computer, unless you uncheck the "Show this screen each time" box at the bottom.)

One word of caution about Discover Windows (Windows 95/98 only). It's one of the best CBT tutorials on the basics that I've seen, but it does have some flaws. You will have to experiment in some cases when things don't work in this tutorial the way they're supposed to! Also, skip the Internet portion of the tutorial, especially if you use AOL!

Here's the game plan to follow if you are new to computing or you want to get all the bases covered:

  1. Begin with Discover Windows that's already on your computer (skip the Internet section if you use AOL.)
  2. Next, come here and begin with Getting Started

How to "bookmark" a website in your Favorites menu

If you don't know how to "bookmark" a website in and use your Favorites menu, you must learn about this. It is the one tool that is used more than anything else to get around the Internet. If the browser you use is Internet Explorer, Ctrl-D saves the current web page and Ctrl-B brings up the list. You use your Favorites to quickly and easily get to all your favorite websites and files on your computer. It's really easy to store and use Favorites, but it helps to learn how to organize them, which is also easy. Get some experience with the Windows tutorials first, and then go to these links to learn about bookmarking your "Favorites":
Using your Favorites for IE users:DISCONTINUED -- VirtualDr - IE 5.0: Adding Favorites
DISCONTINUED -- VirtualDr - IE 5.0: Using Your Favorites
DISCONTINUED -- VirtualDr - IE 5.0: Adding and Organizing Favorites (Video)

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Back to Tutorials, Help, and Viruses Menu




Getting Started
Back to Tutorials, Help and Viruses Menu

KroyTech - Web Surfing Tutorial: What is a link? How do you (easily) go back to a previous web page? What is a browser? What to do about blank or garbled web pages. Common Internet and computer errors will be covered soon!

Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101: Nicely done basic tutorial taken from lessons which this site owner taught in her computer literacy coarse at a state college in Tennessee.

EzInstructions.com: Basic instructions on Windows, your computer hardware, and some popular programs.

DISCONTINUED -- virtual Dr - The Basics Tutorial

DISCONTINUED -- virtual Dr - Up and Running Tutorial

DISCONTINUED -- virtual Dr - Computer Basics (Main Menu)

Webopedia:ïNew window Definitions for every computer term ever invented (almost)! A bit technical sometimes, but clicking on the underlined "hypertext" links can help. ("Hypertext" links are what tie the whole World Wide Web together. Look up hypertext by clicking on it.) Know what "MODEM" stands for? What is a "computer" anyway? Do you know what "software" is? What is a program? How about CPU, BIOS, CMOS, USB, CD-ROM, CD-RW, and DVD? What does "boot" your computer mean? (No, it doesn't mean kick it.) What do "Internet" and "World Wide Web" mean? Where did "bugs"come from (the ones computers get, that is)? What's the difference between megabytes and gigabytes? Microsoft Windows is a GUI ("gooey") based operating system. What is that? Windows runs on top of another basic operating system called DOS (Windows version 9x thru ME, that is). I'm sure you know that PC stands for "personal computer", but how did it all begin? And finally, what's a FAQ?

..

What is a program?
(All links open new windows to Webopedia. Click on them for complete definitions.)

A computer programïNew window is classified as "software". (Click on the links for a more complete explanation.) When you double-click an icon or click on a menu item, you are running a program. In fact, everything that your computer does comes from programs stored in your computer. Microsoft Windows is actually a huge program, called an operating system, that runs and controls everything on your computer, including all other programs.

Using your computer is something like how you use your car. You drive your car by controlling it with the gas pedal, brake, and steering wheel. But these things are merely people-friendly "interfaces" or "input devices" (like your mouse and keyboard on your computer) through which you manipulate or control the complicated machinery that makes your car do what it does. These "interfaces" transmit your actions to the engine which turns your transmission thousands of times per minute, to your brake pads, and to the steering mechanism. This all gets your car to take you where you want to go. (Something Microsoft wants to do for you!)

In the same way, programs reside in your computer unseen by you directly (stored on your hard disk drive inside your computer). You are actually running and controlling one or more programs every time you click on an icon or button with your mouse. This causes your computer to hopefully do what you want it to do. (Cars are definitely more reliable!)

A program is a series of coded instructions stored in your computer which have been written by programmers. Everything your computer does comes from these hidden program instructions telling your computer and it's components what to do in minute detail. Your computer and screen are merely responding to thousands of hidden instructions per second telling them what to do in response to the actions of your mouse and keyboard.

A program application is a finished program or set of programs. Some commonly used programs or applications are Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Intuit Quicken, and Norton AntiVirus. (Viruses are just programs that are written by technically experienced pranksters or criminals.)

Dissecting AOL

If you connect to the Internet through AOL, you first click on the AOL icon. That action causes a very large program application named AOL.EXE to start executing (or running) in your computer. (AOL.EXE is the main startup program which is stored as a file on your hard drive. You will see it if you look in your America Online program folder.) The millions of instructions in this program instruct your computer -- through Windows -- to do many things which eventually results in your sign-on box popping up on your screen.

When you click the sign-on button, this triggers many more thousands of specific instructions to "execute" (run on your computer). This causes your computer (through Windows) to perform more steps which eventually result in your computer connecting to the AOL service through your cable or DSL modem or, if you use a dial-up modem, to "automatically" dial the AOL number and connect. Everything you do from then on causes the AOL program to run specific batches of instructions on your computer and on computers attached to the Internet.

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Windows 9X/ME/XP/Vista Tips & Tutorials
Back to Tutorials, Help, and Viruses Menu

Microsoft.com Insider: Free Interactive Tutorials on Windows XP, Internet Explorer and FrontPage. The best free tutorials on these topics I've seen so far.

Trainingcenter.com: Free sample tutorials from MindLeaders to give you a feel for their paid plans. These MindLeaders tutorials are about the best, most comprehensive, easiest to understand graphic online tutorials I've seen on the Net. These tutorials have lots of realistic, interactive simulation. Check the list of courses to be sure they cover the topics you want, and be sure you are prepared to put the time into it for the next year before you fork over the money! If you can do it, it's well worth it!

Virtual DR Support Forum - Windows XP

TechAdvice - Windows XP Page: Covers some how-to info, known problems, and issues with Windows XP

TechAdvice - Windows ME Page: Covers most how-to info, known problems, and issues with Windows ME

CNet Help.com

TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED -- MSWebbie Does Windows (95/98): This girl really knows her stuff! Easy to follow "how to" pages and tips on every conceivable thing you can do in, with, and to Windows on your computer. (Windows 95 / 98 only, but most tips also apply to XP).

TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED -- MSWebbie Does Windows - Windows 9x Keyboard Shortcuts: Comprehensive tables listing all known keyboard shortcuts. Print them out and keep them handy. You can do things a lot faster on your keyboard than with a mouse, especially if you're a typist!

Microsoft Keyboard Shortcuts: Shortcuts for leading Microsoft products.

HelpwithPCs - Windows XP keyboard shortcuts: A few additional shortcuts.

The Elder Geek on Windows XP:new This guy is definitely a Windows geek, but provides help and info that anyone can follow. Excellent, easy to follow instructions, articles and info on Windows XP.

The Elder Geek on Windows Vista:new

HelpwithWindows:new A good Windows help resource for all versions.

HelpwithWindows - All about Windows "system resources": Trying to figure out what all the hoopla is about "resources too low" and why you keep running out of them (Windows 9x)? This help document with additional links explains everything.

File Extensions:new One of the best sources for finding out what a file is for or what program or software uses it based on its "extension". That three or four letter extension after the period in the name of a file, like .doc (MS Word), .xls (MS Excel), .pdf (Adobe or other PDF reader), .htm (Internet Explorer or other Internet browser, etc. You can find out a lot more about such files on this site as well. Keep in mind that in Windows, file extensions can actually be almost any length. The extensions usually only have meaning for identification and program/software association when they are 3 or 4 characters in length.

"FILExt is a database of file extensions and the various programs that use them. If you know the file extension you want to learn about simply enter it into the search box on the left and click on the Search button. If it's in any of the FILExt databases the data we have on that file extension will be shown on a results page. If it's not in any of the databases you will be given a link to a page with hints on how to do further research."


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