- Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional in 10 Minutes
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Tell Us What You Think!
- About the Authors
- Introduction
- Conventions Used in This Book
- Lesson 1. Navigating Windows 2000 Professional
- What Is Windows 2000 Professional?
- Starting Windows 2000
- Understanding the Windows Desktop
- Using the Mouse
- Using the Start Button
- Using the Taskbar
- Shutting Down Windows 2000 Professional
- Lesson 2. Working with a Window
- What Is a Window?
- Opening a Window
- Sizing a Window with Maximize, Minimize, and Restore
- Sizing a Window's Borders
- Using Scroll Bars
- Moving a Window
- Viewing a Window's Contents
- Closing Windows
- Lesson 3. Using Menus
- Using Toolbar Buttons
- What Is a Menu?
- Choosing Menu Commands
- Reading a Menu
- Using Shortcut Keys Instead of Menus
- Using Shortcut Menus
- Lesson 4. Using Windows 2000 Professional Help
- Getting Help in Windows 2000
- The Help Window
- Using Windows Online Help
- Using Web Help
- Lesson 5. Using Dialog Boxes
- What Is a Dialog Box?
- Using the Components of a Dialog Box
- Using the What's This? Feature
- Using Text Boxes
- Using Option Buttons
- Using Check Boxes
- Using Command Buttons
- Using Property Sheets and Tabs
- Lesson 6. Working with Multiple Windows and Applications
- Opening a Windows Application
- Viewing an Application's Window
- Exiting an Application
- Arranging Windows on the Desktop
- Moving Between Applications
- Moving Between Windows in the Same Application
- Lesson 7. Copying, Moving, and Linking Between Windows and Applications
- Using the Clipboard
- Selecting Text for Copying or Moving
- Selecting Graphics
- Copying Information Between Windows
- Moving Information Between Windows
- Sharing Information Between Applications
- Understanding Linking
- Creating Links
- Understanding Embedding
- Embedding Objects
- Using the ClipBook Viewer
- Lesson 8. Using My Computer
- What Is My Computer?
- Browsing Folder Options
- The My Computer Menu
- The My Computer Toolbars
- Customizing View Columns
- Lesson 9. Managing Files with My Computer
- Selecting Files and Folders
- Moving Files and Folders
- Copying Files and Folders
- Deleting Files and Folders
- Renaming Files and Folders
- Using Windows Explorer
- Creating Shortcuts
- Searching for Files and Folders
- Lesson 10. Using WordPad
- What Is WordPad?
- Moving the Text Insertion Point
- Inserting and Deleting Text
- Selecting, Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text
- Formatting a Document
- Saving a Document and Exiting WordPad
- Lesson 11. Understanding File Properties and the Recycle Bin
- Filenames
- File Size
- File Creation Date and Time
- File Attributes
- Viewing Properties
- Managing the Recycle Bin
- Opening the Recycle Bin
- Emptying the Recycle Bin
- Restoring Files
- Recycle Bin Properties
- Lesson 12. Printing
- Installing a Printer
- Printing from an ApplicationControlling the Print Job
- Working with the Print Folder
- Controlling the Print Job
- Using Drag and Drop
- Lesson 13. Using My Network Places
- What Is a Network?
- About Clients and Servers
- What Is My Network Places?
- Logging On to a Network
- Accessing My Network Places
- Logging Off a Network
- Lesson 14. Using the Control Panel
- What Is the Control Panel?
- What Can You Accomplish in the Control Panel?
- Selecting a Screen Saver
- Configuring Video Options
- Configuring Sound Options
- Configuring Multimedia Devices
- Configuring Your Keyboard and Mouse
- Lesson 15. Using Outlook Express Mail
- Opening and Closing Outlook Express Mail
- The Outlook Express Mail Window
- Sending a Message
- Using the Windows Address Book
- Retrieving and Reading Your Messages
- Saving a File Attached to a Message
- Replying to a Message
- Deleting Old Messages
- Lesson 16. Sharing Workstations and Setting Passwords
- Assigning Passwords to Screen Savers
- Changing Your Password
- Sharing Resources on Your Computer
- Sharing Folders and Disk Drives on Your Computer
- Setting File Permissions
- Creating and Sharing a Printer
- Sharing an Already-Defined Printer
- Setting Printer Permissions
- Lesson 17. Using Internet Explorer 5
- Starting Internet Explorer 5
- Navigating the IE5 Window
- The IE5 Toolbars
- Navigating a Web Page
- Reading URLs
- Visiting a Web Site
- Understanding Links
- Understanding Caching
- Lesson 18. Web Site and Document Searching
- Understanding Searches
- Creating a Web Search
- Searching for Text on a Web Page
- Lesson 19. Troubleshooting, Restarting, and Disaster Planning
- Task Manager
- Restarting Windows 2000
- What is a Computer Virus?
- Curing and Preventing Computer Viruses
- Creating a Startup Disk
- Troubleshooting Windows 2000
- Lesson 20. Customizing the Windows 2000 Environment
- Creating Shortcuts
- Arranging Icons
- Choosing Colors and Backgrounds
- Changing Fonts
- Customizing the Taskbar
- Changing the Time or Date
- Creating Custom Toolbars
About Clients and Servers
Modern computer networks are based on a client/server model, in which some computers are servers and others are clients. Servers make certain network resources available to the rest of the computers on the network. Those other computers, when they are accessing resources made available by a server, are clients. Both the server and client computers generally have to run special software that enables them to work with each other, although often the client and server functions are built right into the operating system.
The most common kinds of servers include file servers, print servers, communication servers, and application servers. File servers store users' files in one place. They usually have lots of disk capacity. Users are allotted some amount of that space for their personal file storage needs. The rest of it may be allotted for shared file storage. The shared files may be files that users create and make available to each other. Or they may be programs that are available to all users. A big benefit of storing files centrally this way is that one can back them up more easily and reliably than if they are stored on local workstations.
For another example, instead of connecting a printer and a modem to each computer (and providing each computer with its own telephone outlet), you can connect one or more printers or modems to the network and people can take turns using them. Typically, a single computer will control the printers or modems and mediate between computers competing for their use. Computers that fill this role are called "print servers" and "communication servers."
As a final example, some computers may be designated "application servers." For example, one computer may be a mail server, another a fax server, and yet another a database server.
In the early days of network computing, servers were usually dedicated to their tasks, while users' workstations were solely clients. Today's operating systems, however, allow you to designate any computer as a server of some sort, and it can act as a server while simultaneously being a user's workstation.
On most corporate networks these days, most computers are still dedicated to either a server or a client role. However, small networks (especially the ones people set up at home or in small offices) may consist solely of workstations doing double-duty as servers and clients. Such networks are sometimes called "peer-to-peer" networks. Peer-to-peer networks are networks that you can install at home to share computers and printers. At work, your PC is likely a Windows 2000 client or an earlier version of Windows, such as Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT Workstation attached to one or more servers running Windows NT, Novell NetWare, or Microsoft LAN Manager. At work, you might attach (log onto) more than one server: a file server on which you are storing files, a server running messaging software through which you send and receive mail, or a server that runs a specific software program such as Lotus Notes.
When you connect to a network, you gain certain advantages:
- Access to shared resources, such as modems and printers.
- Access to shared data, such as files and databases.
- The capability to send and receive electronic mail messages with others on the network using a mail program.
- Access to shared software programs, such as Microsoft Word or Excel.
- The capability to store your files on the server, where the system administrator will be backing them up religiously, and you don't have to worry about it.
If you are new to networking, you may need a little time to become accustomed to choosing resources you need—such as printers and disk drives. But, for the most part you'll find working on a network is the same as working on a standalone PC.