Windows shouldn't really enter into it. You should be viewing them in, and opening them from, Bridge. PLEASE don't wait too long to take the Bridge Class. It's only $10, and packed full of really important info.
Now that you can open them, the first step is to zoom in to 100% on one of them in ACR, and make sure the image quality is ok. There's a known issue where some DNG files don't work in older ACR, they have a weird grid pattern when viewed up close.