Laptops For Dummies

Recording Info about Your Laptop

Make a point of writing down some pertinent details about your laptop and file the info someplace other than on your laptop. These details are good to have in general and come in very handy in case you need to describe your portable computer after a loss of some kind.

The details to write down include

• Brand name

• Make and model number of your laptop and of your laptop’s battery

• Serial number

• How many megabytes (MB) of RAM (random-access memory) your laptop has

• Your hard drive capacity in GB (gigabytes)

• Which key to press when the computer first starts to access your laptop's Setup program

Recording Info about Service Providers for Your Laptop

Your laptop doesn’t function in isolation, it connects to the Internet to let you browse the Web, get mail, social network, and do whatever you like online. And your laptop and you may need occasional technical support. Having contact information about your Internet service provider (ISP) and the vendor who sold you your laptop only makes sense.

Information to record includes the following:

• The seller’s name, phone number and e-mail address

• Tech support phone number and e-mail

• The name, phone number, e-mail and Web page of your ISP

• The specifics of your ISP account, including domain name, e-mail POP3 server name, and e-mail SMTP name

• Your Internet login name (save your Internet password elsewhere)

• Your e-mail address (again, save your e-mail password elsewhere)

Keyboard Commands for Your Laptop

Your laptop keyboard is a bit different from the keyboard you use with a full-size PC — it’s smaller, for one thing, which means that some keys serve double duty and you have to activate certain functions in a whole new way.

To help get familiar with your laptop’s keyboard and its functions, make note of how to accomplish these tasks:

• Activate Num Lock

• Adjust the monitor’s brightness and contrast

• Put your laptop into hibernate and standby modes

• Switch to an external monitor

• Turn the volume up, down, and off (with mute)

PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts for Your Laptop

If you make a lot of presentations, your laptop and your PowerPoint program are probably your two best technology tools. Being able to maneuver through PowerPoint with the touch of a key can make your presentations run smoothly and professionally. The list here shows various options for sliding through PowerPoint commands:

• Display next slide: Spacebar; Enter; N; down arrow; right arrow

• Redisplay previous slide: Up arrow; left arrow; P; Backspace

• Go back to the first slide: 1, Enter (press 1 and then the Enter key)

• Go to slide number n: n, Enter

• Display a black screen: B; . (period)

• Display a white screen: W; , (comma)

• Cancel the show: Esc; – (hyphen)

• Hide the pointer or navigation box: A; = (equal sign)

Laptop Bag Checklist

You got your laptop so that you can be mobile, right? And, you may be happy carrying just your laptop if you’re going out for a cup of coffee and some social networking online, but if you’re doing serious — or not-so-serious — traveling, items you may want to stuff into your laptop case or backpack include:

• Laptop

• Power adapter

• Extra battery

• External mouse

• Ethernet cable

• Phone cable

• Pens, paper, stickies

• Screen wipes

• Headphones

• USB flash drive(s)

• Recordable optical discs

• Lock or cable

• Tiny toolkit

• Cooling fan

• Business cards

• Snacks

• Laptops For Dummies

The more you pack, the heavier the bag!

Tips for Curing Laptop Troubles

If your laptop is acting up, there’s no point in giving it a timeout — or, on second thought, maybe there is if the laptop needs some downtime and an electrical outlet to recharge. For simple cures to a range of possible laptop problems, try these tips:

• Restart Windows. This fixes many common problems.

• If it was working yesterday, try System Restore.

• Changes cause problems. Upgrading software or hardware or changing the settings in Windows usually causes whatever new problems your laptop encounters.

• Use antivirus software.

• Use anti-spyware software.

• Use a firewall.

• Put a personal label or asset tracking sticker on your laptop.

• Hunt down those AC power outlets!

How to Save Your Laptop Battery

You want to make your laptop battery last as long as possible and you have lots of ways to conserve battery power and get more power from each charge; just use these tips:

• Dim the monitor.

• Mute the speaker.

• Disable the modem.

• Disable the optical drive.

• Run only necessary programs.

• Set a solid-color desktop.

• Enable low-battery warnings.

• Use a spare battery.

• Close unused programs.

• Use power management.