Windows for dummies

[s2kjock]

After an exasperating hour on the phone to my father helping him to download, complete, save, and email a form to someone (which involved me having to use Google Duo on our phones to show me the screen on his laptop so he could find Teamviewer .........) I am looking to for some way of "training" him.

Has anyone any experience of using online resources or even a decent book, some other tool etc to train older people to use the likes of Windows 10 and Outlook for fairly basic tasks?

I thought I had trained him to use basic functions on his Android phone (which he sort of can) and had rashly assumed he would be able to find his way around Windows and an email programme but it's like starting from scratch. (Oddly he still manages to find all sorts of weird and useful crap on t'internet and youtube though.)

I am not near enough him regularly enough (and banned in Scotland now anyway) from visiting to do face to face "training".

[Taita]

I had this with my mum.

I would STRONGLY recommend he gets a small grasp of the basics. Eg what an icon, a file, folder, a shortcut is etc. Nothing advanced, just why some things are single click, others are double, what right click does etc.

Otherwise he will end up like her, as soon as something is marginally different from the process they memorised they will be flummoxed and terrified it will blow up etc!

Eg understand a tiny bit what is going on when they do something, not just blindly follow a process of 'click here, type Google, click top result, type in online banking, click top result'....etc!

Edit. Does youtube or Microsoft themselves have some introduction videos or anything appropriate?

Edited by Taita on Friday 25th September 07:48

[sgrimshaw]

Smiths used to sell the BDM range of Magazine Books ...

https://bdmpublications.com/buy/for-seniors/window...

[megaphone]

You can set up Teamviewer for unattended access, as long as his PC is on, you can login. I do this with my mums PC.

[s2kjock]

Thanks. TeamViewer set up sounds good so will look into that.

If I could find an online tutorial that would help, I'd maybe just give him some stuff to learn then check on him periodically.

[AJB88]

Put all the icons on the desktop he needs and delete the rest. Also make a little how to guide for the basics?

[Anubis]

Buy an iPad. Seriously

The amount of time and effort wasted teaching elderly loved ones only for Microsoft to release another update and move things around again is like chasing your own tail. They are terrified of doing anything on a computer...an iPad they seem to love and understand.

Since buying iPads for those above 60 I’ve had very few “how do I do this?” (Just turn off all the multi touch controls etc so it is super basic).

Edited by Anubis on Saturday 26th September 07:29

[mikeiow]

Anubis said:

Buy an iPad. Seriously

The amount of time and effort wasted teaching elderly loved ones only for Microsoft to release another update and move things around again is like chasing your own tail. They are terrified of doing anything on a computer...an iPad they seem to love and understand.

Since buying iPads for those above 60 I’ve had very few “how do I do this?” (Just turn off all the multi touch controls etc so it is super basic).

Edited by Anubis on Saturday 26th September 07:29

Or a chrome book.
My (now late) FIL bumbled along with one for a few years after spending countless hours explaining how to login to his windows machines prior to that!
We got my technophobe sister one as well. Not had any “support calls” in 2 years now!

Can’t recommend any, ‘cos hers was the last one we sorted, but they are decent machines, imho.

[s2kjock]

The iPad route is one my OH has used successfully for her mother, but my dad has already got an Android tablet and phone which he can find his way around (sort of). Adding another system would just further complicate things, plus I am an Android person and don't want to have to learn Apple!

Another issue I have is that the laptop is shared with my mother and if I change anything to make it "simpler" there will be hell to pay for

Chromebook makes a lot of sense as they don't use the laptop for anything complex (and regularly manage to bugger it up despite only using it for email and internet browsing) but that is perhaps a later step when I am feeling braver. (See above re going to hell)

Talk of the tablet though it has occured to me he could watch a tutorial on his tablet with the laptop to one side which might be a good way of learning.