Newbie -- tutorial exercises reveal too much -- pdf download not "saveable"

Hi, I don't have adequate space to have PHP and MySQL on my local machine. Yes, need a new and better box. So, used my net site for some exercises. That is not satisfactory because I must reveal password and such in plain text to execute a php/mysql script. Maybe only a resource poor newbie could have this problem -- means I need to have some hurry up instruction on getting those secret words hidden -- or I should not continue with exercises and tutor. There is nothing on my site or in my database that is sensitive in any way -- but don't want to find it all gone or altered. Also, I can download some manuals, but I cannot save the .pdf variety or find the temp file to save it. Any suggestion? I'm on WIN95 with a Toshiba Laptop and do have the adobe acrobat reader and MS Office. Is there a tutorial on this "include" subject that I can find and use? I'm on digest mode so please CC or direct to me. Thanks, Lonnie C. Dugan http://www.eprofitsys.com/