Windows 11 Simplified E-Book

Paul McFedries

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech)
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 225

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Learn Windows 11 quickly and painlessly with this beginner's guide

Windows 11 Simplified, 2nd Edition is your absolute beginner's guide to the ins and outs of Windows. Fully updated to cover Windows 11 and the latest updates from Microsoft, this highly visual guide covers all the new features in addition to the basics, giving you a one-stop resource for complete Windows 11 mastery. Every page features step-by-step screen shots and plain-English instructions that walk you through everything you need to know, no matter how new you are to Windows. You'll master the basics as you learn how to navigate the user interface, work with files, create user accounts, and practice using the tools that make Windows 11 the most efficient Windows upgrade yet.

This guide gets you up to speed quickly, with step-by-step screen shots that help you follow along with the clear, patient instruction.

• Shed your beginner status with easy-to-follow instructions
• Master the basics of the interface, files, and accounts
• Browse the web, use media features, and send and receive email
• Customize Windows to look and work the way you want

Learning new computer skills can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Even if you have no Windows experience at all, this visually rich guide demonstrates everything you need to know, starting from the very beginning. If you're ready to become fluent in Windows, Windows 11 Simplified, 2nd Edition is the easiest, fastest way to learn.

Leseprobe

WINDOWS® 11 SIMPLIFIED®

To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “WINDOWS 11 SIMPLIFIED Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter 1: Getting Started with Windows

Explore the PC Screen

Explore the Start Menu

Start and Close an App

Connect to Your Wireless Network

Put Windows to Sleep

Restart or Shut Down Windows

Install an App

Switch Between Running Apps

Arrange Running Apps

Uninstall an App

Chapter 2: Customizing Windows

Pin an App to the Start Menu

Open the Settings App

Change the Lock Screen Background

Choose a Lock Screen Status App

Customize Syncing Between Devices

Access an App’s Features

Pin an App to the Taskbar

Change the Theme

Adjust the Volume

Set the Time Zone

Configure Windows to Work with Multiple Monitors

Customize the Taskbar

Chapter 3: Surfing the Web

Open a Web Page

Open a Web Page in a Tab

Navigate Web Pages

Find Text on a Page

Navigate with the History List

Change Your Startup Page

Save Favorite Web Pages

Take Advantage of the Favorites Bar

Share a Web Page

Search for Sites

Download a File

Chapter 4: Sending and Receiving Email

Launch the Outlook App

Add Your Microsoft Account

Configure More Email Accounts

Send an Email Message

Format the Message Text

Add a File Attachment

Save a Draft of a Message

Receive and Read Email Messages

Reply to a Message

Forward a Message

Open and Save an Attachment

Delete a Message

Create a Folder for Saving Messages

Chapter 5: Performing Day-to-Day Tasks with Apps

Create a Contact

Import Contacts

View Your Calendar

Add an Event to Your Calendar

Create a Recurring Event

Add an Event Reminder

Search Your PC

Write a Note

Make a To-Do List

Display a Location on a Map

Get Directions to a Location

Check Your Weather Forecast

Check Another City’s Weather Forecast

Chapter 6: Working with Images

Import Images from a Digital Camera

Navigate the Pictures Folder

View Your Images

Start a Slide Show

Mark a Photo as a Favorite

Repair an Image

Add a Photo Effect

Crop an Image

Rotate an Image

Delete an Image

Take a Picture with Your PC Camera

Chapter 7: Working with Multimedia

Import Videos from a Digital Camera

Navigate the Videos Folder

Watch a Video

Trim a Video

Buy or Rent a Movie or TV Show

Navigate the Music Folder

Play Music

Create a Playlist

Chapter 8: Editing Documents

Create and Save a Document

Open a Document

Edit Document Text

Find Text

Replace Text

Insert Special Symbols

Chapter 9: Working with Files

Select a File

Change the File View

Preview a File

Copy a File

Move a File

Rename a File

Create a New File

Delete a File

Restore a Deleted File

Chapter 10: Implementing Security

Understanding Windows Security

Check for Security Problems

Scan Your PC for Threats

Display the Sign-In Options

Sign In with a PIN

Set Up a Fingerprint Sign-In

Sign In with Facial Recognition

Lock Your Computer

Configure Your PC to Lock Automatically

Browse the Web Privately

Chapter 11: Making Windows More Accessible

Increase the Text Size

Magnify Screen Areas

Have Screen Text Read to You

Change to a High-Contrast Theme

Apply a Color Filter

Flash the Screen During Audio Notifications

Make the Keyboard More Accessible

Control Windows Via Voice

Chapter 12: Putting AI to Work with Copilot

Understanding Microsoft Copilot

Chat with Copilot

Generate Text from a Prompt

Rewrite Existing Text

Generate an Image from a Prompt

Add an Image to a Chat Session

Voice Chat with Copilot

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Begin Reading

Index

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WINDOWS® 11 SIMPLIFIED®, SECOND EDITION

Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada and the United Kingdom.

ISBNs: 9781394279876 (paperback), 9781394279890 (ePDF), 9781394279883 (ePub)

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permission.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley logo, Visual, the Visual logo, Simplified, Read Less - Learn More and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Windows is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Windows® 11 Simplified®, 2ndEdition is an independent publication and is neither affiliated with, nor authorized, sponsored, or approved by Microsoft Corporation.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2024952176

Cover photograph: Screenshot: Courtesy of Paul McFedries

Front cover: © style-photography/Getty Images

Cover design: Wiley

About the Author

Paul McFedries is a full-time technical writer. Paul has been authoring computer books since 1991 and has more than 100 books to his credit. Paul’s books have sold more than four million copies worldwide. These books include the Wiley titles Teach Yourself VISUALLY Microsoft 365; Windows 10 Portable Genius; Office 365 All-in-One For Dummies; Google Workspace For Dummies; HTML, CSS, & JavaScript All-in-One For Dummies; and Web Coding & Development For Dummies. Paul invites you to drop by his personal website at https://paulmcfedries.com.

Author’s Acknowledgments

It goes without saying that writers focus on text, and I certainly enjoyed focusing on the text that you’ll read in this book. However, this book is more than just the usual collection of words and phrases. A quick thumb-through the pages will show you that this book is also chock full of images, from sharp screenshots to fun and informative illustrations. Those colorful images sure make for a beautiful book, and that beauty comes from a lot of hard work by Wiley’s immensely talented group of designers and layout artists. I thank them for creating another gem. Of course, what you read in this book must also be accurate, logically presented, and free of errors. Ensuring all of this was an excellent group of editors that included project manager Sarah Hellert, technical editor Eric Butow, copy editor Kim Wimpsett, managing editor Moses Ashirvad, and content refinement specialist Saravanan Dakshinamurthy. Thanks to all of you for your exceptional competence and hard work. Thanks, as well, to acquisitions editor Jim Minatel for asking me to write this book.

How to Use This Book

Who This Book Is For

This book is for the reader who has never used this particular technology or software application. It is also for readers who want to expand their knowledge.

The Conventions in This Book

Steps

This book uses a step-by-step format to guide you easily through each task. Numbered steps are actions you must do; bulleted steps clarify a point, step, or optional feature; and indented steps give you the result.

Notes

Notes give additional information — special conditions that may occur during an operation, a situation that you want to avoid, or a cross reference to a related area of the book.

Icons and Buttons

Icons and buttons show you exactly what you need to click to perform a step.

Tips

Tips offer additional information, including warnings and shortcuts.

Bold

Bold type shows command names, options, and text or numbers you must type.

Italics

Italic type introduces and defines a new term.

Chapter 1

Getting Started with Windows

To do something useful with your computer and with Windows, you need to learn a few basic tasks and techniques. In this chapter, after exploring the screen, you learn how to put your computer to sleep, how to restart and shut down your computer, and how to connect to your network. You also learn how to work with apps, including installing them, starting them, and switching between and arranging them when you have multiple apps running. This chapter also shows you how to uninstall apps.

Explore the PC Screen

Explore the Start Menu

Start and Close an App

Connect to Your Wireless Network

Put Windows to Sleep

Restart or Shut Down Windows

Install an App

Switch Between Running Apps

Arrange Running Apps

Uninstall an App

Explore the PC Screen

Before getting to the specifics of working with Windows, take a few seconds to familiarize yourself with the basic elements of the screen. These include the desktop, the Start button, and the taskbar. In most cases, the Start button and the taskbar are always visible. If they do not appear, move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen.

Desktop Icon

An icon on the desktop represents a program or Windows feature. A program you install often adds its own icon on the desktop.

Mouse Pointer

When you move your mouse, this pointer () moves along with it.

Desktop

This is the Windows “work area,” meaning that it is where you work with your programs and documents.

Start Button

Click Start () to start programs and launch many of the Windows features.

Search Icon

Click Search () to search for items on your PC or on the Internet.

Taskbar Icons

You use these icons to launch some Windows features with just a mouse click.

Taskbar

Icons for the programs you have open appear in the taskbar. You use this area to switch between programs if you have more than one running at a time.

Notification Area

This area displays small icons that notify you about things that are happening on your computer. For example, notifications appear if your printer runs out of paper or if an update to Windows is available over the Internet.

Time and Date

This is the current time and date on your computer. To display the full date, position the mouse pointer () over the time. To change the date or time, right-click the time.

Notifications

This icon tells you whether you have notifications that you have yet to view. Notifications give you information about what your computer and its apps are doing.

Explore the Start Menu

To get the most out of Windows, you need to know the layout of the Start menu. As its name implies, the Start menu is your main Windows starting point. Most of the tasks you perform with Windows — such as running apps, searching your PC, working with your Microsoft account, and restarting or shutting down your PC — are launched via the Start menu.

This section gives you an overview of the Start menu. The tasks you can run via the Start menu are covered in the rest of this chapter and throughout this book.

Start Menu

Click Start () or press to open the Start menu on the Windows desktop.

User Account

This icon represents your Windows user account. Clicking this icon displays a menu of user account-related tasks.

Power Icon

Click Power () to restart, shut down, or sleep your computer.

Recommended

This area displays recently added apps as well as documents you have worked with recently. Click an item to launch the app or open the document. You can also click More to display a longer list of recent apps and documents.

Pinned

This area displays apps that have been given a fixed position on the Start menu. Click an app’s icon to launch the app. You learn how to pin apps to the Start menu in Chapter 2.

All Apps

Click All apps to display the full list of apps on your computer.

Search Box

You use this text box to search for items on your PC or on the Internet.

Start and Close an App

To perform tasks of any kind in Windows, you can use one of the apps installed on your computer. The application you use depends on the task you want to perform. For example, to surf the World Wide Web, you use a web browser application, such as the Microsoft Edge app that comes with Windows. To use an app, you select the one you want to run from the Start menu.

When you are done with an app, you should close it to reduce resources and keep the desktop uncluttered.

Start and Close an App

Start an App

Click Start ().

The Start menu appears.

If the app you want appears on the main Start menu, you can click the app icon and then skip the rest of these steps.

Click All apps.

The All Apps list appears.

Click the app you want.

To quickly navigate apps alphabetically, you can click any letter and then click the letter that contains the app you want.

If the app is in a submenu, you can click the submenu and then click the app icon.

The app runs.

Close an App

Click Close () or press  + .

Note:If the app asks if you want to save changes, click Yes to ensure you do not lose any work.

Windows closes the app.

simplify it

Is there an easier way to locate an app?

Yes, you can perform a search to locate it. Click Search () on the taskbar and then begin typing the name of the app. As you type, Windows displays a list of apps and other items that match the characters. When the app you want appears, click it to run the program.

How do I navigate the pinned apps?

Some Start menus have two or more pages of pinned apps. To navigate the pages, click Next Page () () and Previous Page () (not shown), which appear to the right of the pinned apps. Refer to Chapter 2 to learn how to add your own pinned apps to the Start menu.

Connect to Your Wireless Network

If you have a wireless access point and your computer supports wireless networking, you can connect to the device to access your network. If the access point is also a router that is connected to the Internet, then connecting to the wireless network gives your computer Internet access, as well.

Most wireless networks are protected with a security key, which is a kind of password. To connect, you need to provide Windows with the key. However, after you connect to the network once, Windows remembers the key and connects again automatically whenever your computer is within range of the network.

Connect to Your Wireless Network

Click Network ().

Click Manage Wi-Fi Connections ().

Windows displays a list of wireless networks in your area.

Click your network.

If the list of wireless networks does not appear, you can click the Wi-Fi switch to On ( changes to ) to turn on your computer’s wireless capability.

Note:For home use, the terms wireless and Wi-Fi are synonymous.

To have Windows connect to your network automatically in the future, click Connect automatically ( changes to ).

Click Connect.

If the network is protected by a security key, Windows prompts you to enter it.

Type the security key.

If you want to be certain that you typed the security key correctly, you can temporarily click and hold Display Password Characters ().

Click Next.

Windows connects to the network.

The network icon changes from Disconnected () to Connected () to indicate that you now have a wireless network connection.

simplify it

How do I disconnect from my wireless network?

To disconnect from the network, follow these steps:

Click Network ().

Click your network.

Click Disconnect. Windows disconnects from the wireless network.

Put Windows to Sleep

You can make your computer more energy efficient by putting Windows into sleep mode when you are not using the computer. Sleep mode means that your computer is in a temporary low-power mode. This saves electricity when your computer is plugged in, and it saves battery power when your computer is unplugged.

In sleep mode, Windows keeps your apps open. This is handy because it means that when you return from sleep mode, after you sign in to Windows again, you can immediately get back to what you were doing.

Put Windows to Sleep

Click Start ().

The Start menu appears.

Click Power ().

The Power options appear.

Click Sleep.

Windows activates sleep mode.

Note:To return from sleep mode, press your computer’s power button.

Note:To learn about the Lock command, refer toChapter10.

Restart or Shut Down Windows

You can restart Windows, which means that it shuts down and starts up again immediately. This is useful if your computer is running slowly or acting odd. Sometimes a restart solves the problem.

Alternatively, when you complete your work, you could shut down Windows. However, do not just shut off your computer’s power because doing so can cause problems: If you have documents with unsaved changes, you may lose those changes; you also could damage one or more Windows system files, which could make your system unstable. Therefore, you should always follow the proper steps when shutting down your PC.

Restart or Shut Down Windows

Shut down all your running programs.

Note:Be sure to save your work as you close your programs.

Click Start ().

The Start menu appears.

Click Power ().

The Power options appear.

Click one of these commands:

You can click Restart to shut down and then start your computer.

You can click Shut Down to turn off your computer.

Install an App

If Windows does not have an app that you need, you can obtain the app and then install it on your computer. You usually obtain apps from the Microsoft Store, which is an app that is preinstalled with Windows. Many Microsoft Store apps are free, but some require a payment using the credit card you have on file with your Microsoft account.

You can also install apps that are not available via the Microsoft Store. In this case, you obtain (and usually pay for) the app on the web and then download the app to your computer. However, it is important to only install apps that you obtained from a reputable and secure site.

Install an App

Click Start ().

Click Microsoft Store.

You can also click Microsoft Store ().

Note:You need a Microsoft account to install from the Microsoft Store.

The Microsoft Store app appears.

Click Apps.

Microsoft Store displays the Apps screen, which enables you to browse apps by category.

Alternatively, if you know the name of the app you want to install, you can use the Search box to locate the app.

For each category, you can click the category name to display all the apps in the category.

Click the app you want to install.

Click Install.

Alternatively, if the app is not free, you can click the price button and then follow the prompts to set up a payment method and complete the purchase.

Windows installs the app.

simplify it

How do I install software downloaded from the Internet?

Follow these steps:

Click File Explorer ().

Open your Downloads folder.

Note:If you saved the downloaded file in a folder other than Downloads, use File Explorer to find the downloaded file. To view a file with File Explorer, refer toChapter9.

The Downloads folder appears.

Double-click the file.

The software’s installation app begins.

Note:For compressed files, extract the files and then double-click the setup file.

Follow the installation instructions the app provides.

Switch Between Running Apps

If you plan on running multiple apps at the same time, you need to know how to easily switch from one application to another. In Windows, after you start one application, you do not need to close that application before you open another one. Windows supports a feature called multitasking, which means running two or more applications simultaneously. You can switch from one program to another using the taskbar, the Task View feature, or the keyboard.

Switch Between Running Apps

Switch Apps Using the Taskbar

Windows displays a line under the icon of the current app.

Position the mouse pointer () over the taskbar icon of the app you want to switch to.

Windows displays a thumbnail version of the app window.

Click the app’s taskbar icon.

Note:An app does not have to be minimized to the taskbar for you to use the app’s taskbar icon.

Windows brings the app’s window to the foreground.

Note:If any part of the app’s window appears, you can also switch to the app by clicking its window, even if the window is in the background.

The taskbar icon of the foreground app is displayed with a long, blue line underneath.

The taskbar icons of other running apps are displayed with a short, gray line.

Switch Apps Using Task View

In the taskbar, click Task View () or press  + .