You have waited for a long time for this moment. Can’t wait to turn it on! Let’s get started.

Desktop

1. Connect the computer to the monitor.

There are different cables used to connect your monitor to your computer such as:

Most likely, you will use a VGA cable to connect your monitor to the back of your computer. (Red arrow above.)
Note: If your computer has both a VGA and a DVI connection, use the DVI connection. The DVI connection ofte

n overrides the VGA connection.

2. Connect the power supply and turn on the computer

3. Connect to the internet

Desktop

Use an Ethernet cable and plug it into the back of your desktop (network cable slot) and into your router connection.

The blue cable above (it may be any color) is the Ethernet cable. Plug it into the back of your computer and into your router.

If you are not able to use a cable, you can purchase a Wi-Fi antenna with a USB connection and plug it into the back of your computer. These are available on Amazon for about $15.00.

Wi-Fi Connection for Laptops and Chromebooks

Wi-Fi is a radio signal that is sent from your router to your computer. Your laptop and Chromebook have a built-in Wi-Fi connection.

They may also have an Ethernet connection, which is often faster than the Wi-Fi connection. But usually, the Wi-Fi is sufficient.

To activate and use the Chromebook, you will need to sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have a Google account, you will need to get one. It is free. 😊

Who wants a laptop named “Admin”? Or, how do I change the picture on my home page? Here are some suggestions to make your home page exactly as you would like it to be.

1. First, let’s change the name of your computer to whatever you would like. For Windows 11 –

• In the Settings app on your Windows device, select System > About, or use the following shortcut: About

• Select Rename this PC

• Enter a new name and select Next

• Select Restart now or Restart later

How easy was that! You are done. The computer name will be changed when you reboot.

2. How to shut down or restart your computer.

• Select Start.
• Select Power (left side of screen).
• Select Sleep, Shut Down, or Restart.

3. How do I change my Home Page picture?

• Select Start and Settings
• On Settings > Personalization > Background
• Choose your picture or Browse for more options.

Note: Later we will show how to add personal pictures and documents.

4. How to see your computer’s specifications

• Select Start and Settings  
• From Settings, select > System > About

Note: You can upgrade Windows 11 Pro to the latest version by selecting Home at the top of the page, which takes you back to Settings.

From Settings, select Update and Security > Windows Update
And then follow the instructions, such as “Install now.”

5. How to add an email account such as Google or Yahoo.

• Select Start and Settings 
• From Settings, select > Accounts > Email & Accounts > Add an account

6. How to change a password?

• Select Start and Settings  
• From Settings, Select > Accounts > Sign-in options > Password

Note: A password for your computer is optional and not necessary unless you want to secure your computer.

The password can be numbers, letters, or both.

But, don’t forget it!! Write it down somewhere. 😊

Quotes:

“For it is in giving that we receive” — Saint Francis of Assisi

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity” — Leo Tolstoy

It is actually fun to help others get started along a better path.

It is easy to add new programs to Windows 11. Two favorite additions are Google and Zoom.

Microsoft has a search engine called Bing. It is like Google.

1. How do I add Google to my computer?

• Open Microsoft Edge
• Type “download Google Chrome” in the search box.
• Follow the instructions, and Google Chrome will appear on your home page.
• You can choose it as your search engine or continue to use Bing as your search engine.

Note: When you download a program, make certain that you are downloading from the right site.
For Google Chrome, look for the Google name in the URL, such as:

https://www.google.com › chrome

Otherwise, you may download other programs or malware that you do not want. Some sites are very tricky. 😊

Now you have two search engines, and you can use Bing or Google.

Type anything in the search box and enjoy—Facebook, YouTube, or anything else.

Some of the sites you may want to download, such as Zoom.

Other sites you may want to bookmark to make it easy to find the site again later.

2. How do you bookmark a website in Google Chrome?

If you have a page or website on your computer that you want to save—

• Look for the star in the upper right-hand corner of your screen (as shown above with the green arrow). Click on the star.
• Type in a brief name for the site you are looking at and hit Done.
• Later, click on the double arrow (as shown above with the blue arrow) and choose the item that you want to see again.

3. How to add icons to your home page

If you use a program often, it is helpful to access it easily by just clicking on an icon on the home page. For example, you may want to put the symbol or icon for word processing, Calculator, or Snip and Sketch on your home screen.

• Select Start
• On the Start screen, you will see a list of your programs beginning with “A”.
• Scroll down the list until you find the program you want to place on your home screen.
• Hover over the icon, hold down the left click, and drag the icon to your home page. It is that simple.

You can then move the icon on your home page to any area you choose.

Motivational Quote:

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

There are many good free options for word processing.

• Microsoft Windows 11, which is installed on your computer, has a free option for Word and Excel.
  • Go to Start
  • Scroll down the list of programs and select “Word”

The free version is limited but it works. You may get all features by purchasing the 365 version. Also, if you are a student, your school may have a Word upgrade option available for free.

• Another word processing option is to download Google Docs.
  • It is free and is commonly used on Chromebooks.
  • Download Google Docs by searching “Download Google Docs” in your search engine and follow the instructions.
• Or, open Google Chrome
  • Click on the 9 dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
  • Select “Docs”

Save your documents and pictures

Windows 11 makes it easy to store documents and pictures.

Here are 3 ways to save a document:

1. Saving to Your Computer:

• • After you have entered text into your word processor, select “File” (top left side of the screen) and then select “Save As”.
  • Select “Browse” and then select “Documents”.
  • This stores the data on your computer.

Note: It is helpful to add file folders in Documents.

For example:

• Finances
• Legal
• Letters
• Other, etc.

To set up a file, right-click on the mouse and choose “New”.

2. Saving to the Cloud:

• • Another way to store documents is on the cloud.
  • There are many good cloud services available.
  • Microsoft OneDrive is one option. To use OneDrive, turn Auto Save ON for the data you want to save.
  • To use Google Drive:
    • Open Google Chrome.
    • Click on the nine dots (Google Apps menu).
    • Select Google Drive.

3. Download your information to an external drive.

• Plug your external device into a USB port on your computer.
• Select “File Explorer” (bottom of the screen).
• Find your device listed under “This PC” and click on it.
• You can then copy and paste Documents and Pictures to your device.

To copy, use Ctrl + C. To paste, use Ctrl + V.

Note:
In the example shown, under “This PC”, the external storage device is labeled Seagate Backup.
This is just an illustration—your external storage device may have a different name.

Inspirational Quote:

“We are all more able than we think; we’re all capable of infinitely more than we do, and we must not let our fears get in the way. … You have help, we are all children of God.”
— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

It happens. Programs stop working as they should. Sometimes it is because of malware; sometimes you just never know.

Installing Windows 11 Pro on your desktop or laptop is easy and doesn’t take long. Here are a few steps to follow:

Steps to Reinstall Windows 11 Pro:

1. Save your documents and pictures to an external drive or on the internet cloud.
2. Download the Windows disc image (ISO) file and create Windows Installation Media
   
   Windows 11 Download Link
3. Follow the instructions to load Windows 11 Pro onto your device.
4. When the program asks for the product key, select “I don’t have a product key” and continue.
   • You can enter the key later.
   • When you connect to the internet, the program will most likely be activated with a digital license linked to your account.
   • If not, look for a product key sticker on your computer and enter that number.

There are many shortcuts available to use with your computer. Here are a few commonly used shortcuts: