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Faithe Wempen
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Published:
November 13, 2024

Computers For Seniors For Dummies

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Overview

Become a tech-savvy computer user, the beginner-friendly way

Computers For Seniors For Dummies gives you the confidence you need to connect with friends and explore the internet all from the comfort of your couch. This step-by-step guide walks you through the basics of buying and setting up a computer, working with Windows or Mac, and getting online. With large print and clear figures, you'll learn essential tasks like emailing, browsing the internet, creating and viewing digital photos, and staying safe from hackers and viruses. In no time you'll be shopping online and video calling family from across the country.

  • Get advice on purchasing a reliable, budget-friendly computer, along with accessories like printers
  • Create formatted documents and spreadsheets and share them with others
  • Organize and share family photos
  • Watch movies and listen to music online
  • Stay safe online, with tips to avoid hackers, scammers, and identity theft
  • Shop online for everything from groceries to life insurance

Those older and wiser who need help getting started with computers will love this no-nonsense For Seniors For Dummies guide.

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About The Author

Faithe Wempen, M.A., CompTIA A+, has spent the last 35+ years as an information technology instructor and learning designer. She designs and creates technology courses for online universities, and is the author of over 160 books, including Office for Seniors for Dummies and Outlook for Dummies.

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computers for seniors for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

Computers offer a world of convenience for seniors, but they can be a little intimidating, too. To get started off right, see this checklist for what to look for before buying your PC (Windows operating) computer. (Got a Mac computer? Click here.)After you’ve purchased your computer, follow these care and maintenance tips to prolong its life.
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As you begin to use your laptop, you might find the following sites to be good starting points for various types of online activities. Happy browsing! Hyperlink Address CNN News site Fool.com Financial news and advice Grandparents.com Resource for things to do with your grandkids Morningstar Stock and mutual
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Some of the cool features in Windows 10 are the enhancements for those who have touchscreen-enabled computers. In fact, you could use a computer without a mouse and keyboard for the most part, if you have a touchscreen machine (although you can still use a mouse and keyboard to get anything done).Windows 10 focuses on a desktop as its home base.
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Although you may think kids are the only active group using social networking, that isn’t the case. In fact, people 35–54 years old make up a large segment of social networkers.There are several types of sites where people collaborate or communicate socially. The following definitions may be useful: Wiki: A website that allows anyone visiting to contribute (add, edit, or remove) content.
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Cortana is a personal assistant feature that’s part of Windows 10. Cortana resembles apps on smartphones such as Siri on iPhones that reply to your voice requests for directions, a list of nearby restaurants, current weather conditions, and more.Cortana is also your central search feature in Windows 10, which can give you requested information verbally or take you to online search results.
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When you're purchasing your computer consider what type of computer model would work best for you and take into account the features that you find most important. Choose from these styles: Tower: A form of computer that has been around for quite a while is a tower. A tower is one style of desktop computer that, because of its size, people keep on or near a table or desk.
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You need to perform some basic maintenance on your computer to keep it running in top shape. Here's some advice to keep your computer secure and performing optimally: Windows Firewall: Turn on the Windows Firewall feature to stop people and programs from downloading malicious code and viruses to your computer from the Internet.
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Computers offer a world of convenience for seniors, but they can be a little intimidating, too. To get started off right, see this checklist for what to look for before buying your PC (Windows operating) computer. (Got a Mac computer? Click here.)After you’ve purchased your computer, follow these care and maintenance tips to prolong its life.
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In the recent past, most computers came with an optical drive where you could insert a DVD and play a movie or music. If you buy a software program, it may come on a DVD, so you can use a built-in or external drive to install it.Today, many new computers and laptops don’t include an optical drive for reading DVDs, partially because you can so easily stream video from an online source without ever handling a DVD.
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Quick Access offers a fast way to access frequently used folders. If you use your computer on a regular basis, you probably have information you use more than others. Quick Access lets you grab that information without sifting through all of the files on your computer. Just follow the steps below to add a fold to your Quick Access.
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If the work you do on your computer requires different sets of apps, you’ll be glad to hear that you can create different desktops in Windows 10. For example, you might want one desktop containing financial apps and calculators, and another containing the Music app, an online radio app, and iTunes. To create multiple desktops, click the Task View button and then click the New Desktop button, which looks like a plus sign (+) in the lower-right corner of the Task View.
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Windows 10 lets you create shortcuts so that you can quickly access whatever you need. Shortcuts are handy little icons you can put on the desktop for quick access to items you use on a frequent basis. To create a new shortcut, first click the Start button on the taskbar. Locate an app and then click and drag it to the desktop, as with the item called “Link” shown.
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Windows 10 allows you to create multiple user accounts; each account saves certain settings and allows you to control files and folders separately. Below are the procedures that you can follow to get a new user account set up on your new computer. You must have administrator status to create new users. When you first set up Windows 10, the first user created will automatically be an administrator account.
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When you take your computer out of the box, Windows 10 comes with certain preset, or default, settings such as the appearance of the desktop and a color scheme for items you see on your screen. Here are some of the things you can change about the Windows environment and why you might want to change them: Desktop and lock screen background: As you work with your computer, you might find that changing the appearance of various elements on your screen not only makes them more pleasant to look at, but also helps you see the text and images more easily.
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A firewall keeps outsiders from accessing your computer via an Internet connection. A firewall is built into Windows 10. T use the Windows Firewall, follow these steps. In the Cortana search box, enter Firewall. Click Windows Firewall in the search results. In the Windows Firewall window that appears, make sure that Windows Firewall is on.
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Sharing personal information with friends and family enriches your relationships and helps you build new ones. The key is to avoid sharing information online with the wrong people and shady companies because, just as in the real world, exposing your personal information is one of your biggest risks.Criminals come in all flavors, but the more savvy ones collect information in a very systematic way.
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After you’ve set up a scanner, you might want to look at or change the scanner default settings on your computer. This is easy to do on your computer. Just follow these simple steps. Go to Settings and click Devices. Click Printers & Scanners. Click Devices and Printers. In the resulting window, click the scanner or printer/scanner you have installed, and then click Start Scan.
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Most people who use a computer find the meed to move information between programs at one time or another. The process is easy enough. Just follow these simple steps. Click the File Explorer button in the taskbar to open it. Browse and open documents in two programs; in this example, open Microsoft Word and WordPad.
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There may come a time when you need to restore your PC. Sometimes, a program may not act as you’d like or might be causing issues with your system. To begin the process, follow these steps. Enter Create a restore point in Cortana’s search field and then press Enter. In the System Properties dialog box that appears, click the System Protection tab and then click the System Restore button.
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Select your online dating service carefully. Like anything on the internet, dating services can sometimes be used to target people for their personal information. You can take a few extra precautions to help protect yourself. Look for an established, popular site with plenty of members and a philosophy that matches your own.
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You can access Cortana’s Notebook to customize how Cortana deals with different topics. For example, you can make settings for Events, Finance, News, Getting Around, and more. To explore any of these categories, click in Cortana’s search box to open Cortana’s panel, click the Notebook button, and then click a category, in this example, Sports.
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You can set up keyboard repeat rates on your computer. Adjusting keyboard settings might make it easier for people with dexterity challenges to type. Just follow these simple steps. To see keyboard options, enter Keyboard settings in Cortana’s search field and then press Enter. In the Keyboard Properties dialog box that appears, click the Speed tab and drag the sliders to adjust the two Character Repeat settings, which do the following: Repeat Delay: Affects the amount of time it takes before a typed character is typed again when you hold down a key.
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Part of the fun of hopping around on the internet is finding new sites you like to frequent. You can allow Microsoft Edge to suggest sites you might like that are similar to the sites you visit most, and these are typically safe sites. Open Edge, click the Settings and More button, and then click Settings in the menu that appears.
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If you need to use your computer on the go or you aren’t a frequent user of the internet, you could use your cellular network to success the internet. It’s possible to use a smartphone’s 3G or 4G connection to connect to the Internet. You may have to pay your phone service provider a monthly fee for this service, called tethering or personal hotspot.
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When you activate SmartScreen Filter in the Edge browser, you allow Microsoft to check its database for information on the websites you visit. Microsoft alerts you if any of those websites are known to generate phishing scams or download malware to visitors’ computers. SmartScreen Filter is on by default, but if it gets turned off, to turn it on again, open Edge and follow these steps: Click the More Actions button, and then click Settings.
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Windows 10 comes packed with a ton of great features. You can use the Task View to see all of your open apps. Additionally, the Snap Feature lets you organize all of your apps on the desktop. Keep reading to find out more. Use Task View to see open apps Task View allows you to move among open apps easily and create multiple desktops.
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Many people think that if they aren’t active online, their information isn’t exposed. However, you aren’t the only one sharing your information. Consider how others might handle information about you. Employers: Many employers share information about employees. Consider carefully how much information you’re comfortable with sharing through, for instance, an employee bio posted on your company website.
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Use the following Windows keystroke shortcuts to handle common activities, such as cutting and pasting text, quickly and easily, or opening commonly used windows. Key or Keystroke Combination Effect Ctrl+X Cuts the selected text or object Ctrl+C Copies the selected text or object Ctrl+V Pastes copied or cut t
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When you start Windows 10 on your computer, you will see tiles adorning the Start menu. In the Start menu, tiles represent apps. These tiles are organized in groups, such as Life at a Glance or Play and Explore. Read on to discover what you can do with tiles. Name tile groups If you like, you can rename the group.
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