1. Sounds like your Model Canon has trouble with White Balance. Yes, you have to go and manually set it to incandescent. The camera will adjust for the more yellow light of incandescing bulbs and increase the blue.
As far as exposure control, you can set the camera in auto, aperture preferred and open the lens as far as possible.
That would be the lowest F-stop available to you. The camera will then adjust shutter speed. Of course when going outside switch it back to program mode.
2.There is one other option (using the camera in auto mode) that depending on if you are doing it or not and that is to depress the shutter button down halfway while pointing the camera at the darkest part of the room, then holding the shutter button swing the camera to the main part of the room that you want the photo and take the photo. This will set the exposure of the room and not be influenced by bright light, such as light coming through windows. This would be the best solution if you are not doing it.
Another trick when possible is to shoot indoors with overcast skies.
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