Site Map
Click on any of these links to go to the section of the
map that you require.
Unlike most mistywindow hyperlinks, those on this page are underlined for
extra clarity.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Looking after emails is a little different to backing up other types of data. The good oil is here.
General tips for email users.
What is it, why do you get it, how to avoid it and deal with it. Get a free disposable email address.
Hardware
A short overview of the hardware required in a Windows XP PC.
What hard disk drives, floppy disks and optical disk drives do, and what you need to know about them.
What RAM and graphics cards do, what you need, and why. What happens if you don't have enough.
What the brains behind your computer do and what you need in yours.
How to ensure that you get a good view of the world. CRT and LCD screens. What you need to know.
The Mouse, Keyboard and other Components
What you need and what you don't. Mouse, keyboard, modem, speakers, furniture.
What you need for your new PC. A table of the bare minimum specifications and mistywindow's recommendations.
Looking After Your PC
Connecting it all up, power protection, turning on, and the correct procedure for turning it off.
Fragmentation, ScanDisk, error checking, System File Checker, system restoration. Easy steps you can take to avoid deterioration in your PC's performance.
Using imaging software to create a backup of your windows installation.
Protection Against Threats, Nuisances and Data Loss
Avoid having your bank account and credit card accessed by the crooks.
Protection Against Viruses and other Malware
Easy steps which you can and must take to guard against outside attack when your computer is connected to the outside world.
- Data loss avoidance
- Protection Against Loss of Data How to protect your documents, music, photos, computer settings and any other data you may have against loss. Saving, backing up and storage.
- Using external disks or drives? Avoid cache data loss.
Looking after emails is a little different to backing up other types of data. The good oil is here.
What is it, why do you get it, how to avoid it and deal with it. Get a free disposable email address.
Buying or Upgrading a Computer
All the questions you need to ask before you make a purchasing decision. This page leads to other pages explaining the functions of the most important hardware and software components and how they affect you as a buyer. What you need and, just as importantly, what you don't need.
Upgrading to Windows VistaThe pros and cons.
Software
An overview of the types of software you need in your PC. Or don't! Operating systems, office software and applications. Good free stuff/versus good expensive stuff.
Notes on Windows XP and earlier versions. Reference to Linux and Apple. What you need on your computer. Precautions for purchasers.
Do you need an Office Suite? Probably. What you get for your money, what you get free, what you need.
What they do and the choices available to you.
What these powerful calculating tools can do, examples, and your options.
Graphics
IrfanView: a really useful freeware graphics program for viewing, manipulating, and converting images.
Photoshop: the expensive Rolls Royce of graphics programs.
GIMP: almost as good as Photoshop and absolutely free.
Utilities
Process Monitor – a top utility from Microsoft
System File Checker. Repair Windows.
The Internet
- Setting up Internet Explorer's General Properties and Security.
- Tabbed browsing and organizing your toolbars.
Information about the IE's competition: Firefox and Opera.
About the Internet and setting up Internet Explorer's Toolbars.
Finding information on the World Wide Web.
What they are, the threat they pose and how to deal with them in IE and Firefox.
Finding Information on the Internet.
Windows
What's new in Windows XP, the minimum system requirements. Upgrades.
Setting up Your Windows Display
How to use the Display Properties Dialogue Box to set up the way Windows looks, your wallpaper and screen saver, take control of your monitor, set up power settings, the way in which your PC turns off and many other settings.
Setting up automatic shut down, sleep mode and hibernation.
Setting up Your Monitor (Screen)
Setting up your screen resolution and refresh rate.
Finding your way around your Computer. Copying and moving data.
Windows Vista Notes on the latest release of Microsoft Windows.
Windows Tips
Increase your efficiency, speed things up and reduce fatigue by using your keyboard rather than the mouse.
Handy Windows hints.
Handy Internet tips.
Site Pages
What this site is about. A brief overview of the potential problems facing Windows users and their easy solutions.
How to find your way around a website for beginners.
The reasons behind the site, the aims, and the perpetrator.
Alphabetical list of links to items in the site. Needs work!
Links to other sites which will be useful to users or which I hope you'll find interesting.
Daily quotes, Information and jokes.
The latest additions and changes to the site.
View through a mistywindow
Rantings about the world in general.
A one way rant about my country.
