The Bottom Line

Installing, removing, and launching programs with Windows XP are all fairly common-sense activities. Just remember these important points:

• Whenever possible, use the built-in installation program that comes with a new software program.

• If you have to install a program manually, use Windows XP's Add or Remove Programs utility; you can also use this utility to uninstall programs from your hard disk.

• If you're looking for freeware or software programs to download, be sure they're Windows XP/2000-compatible. If you're not downloading from a major software archive, be sure you check the files for viruses.

• With Windows XP, you can launch programs from the Start menu, from My Computer, from a desktop shortcut icon, or from the Run command.

• To switch between open programs, click the appropriate Taskbar button or press Alt+Tab to cycle through all open programs.

• To manually close a frozen program, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the Windows Task Manager, and then select the program and click the End Task button.