BASIC WINDOWS

1
BASIC WINDOWS
"Provided by the New York State Library, NOVEL is
an online virtual library connecting New Yorkers
to 21st century information via local libraries
statewide. NOVEL is currently supported with
temporary federal Library Services and Technology
Act funds. New Century Libraries is an important
statewide funding initiative currently before the
Legislature that proposes permanent state funding
for NOVEL."
By Jan Aguirre
2
CLASS OBJECTIVES

• The Fundamentals
• Starting and logging on to Windows
• Understanding the Windows Screen
• Using the Mouse
• Using the Keyboard
• Exiting Windows and Turning off Your Computer
• Working with a Windows Program

• Working with a Window
• Starting a Program
• Understanding the Parts of a Window
• Minimizing, Maximizing and Restoring a Window
• Closing, moving and sizing a Window
• Switching Between Windows
• Tiling and Cascading Windows
• Working with Folders and Files

3
WHAT IS WINDOWS?

• Windows is an operating system
• An operating system is a software program that
  controls and runs just about everything on your
  computer.
• Windows controls the different devices of your
  computer system. Its what makes your printer
  print, your graphics and text appear, and what
  makes your mouse point and click
• Windows is what runs all your programs. Without
  Windows, your word processor, Web browser
  (Internet), and games wouldnt work. Windows lets
  your programs talk to your hardware, so, for
  example, your word processor can print things to
  the printer.
• Windows stores information in files and folders
  on your computers local disk, just like you
  store files and folders in a filing cabinet.

4
BASIC TERMINOLOGY

• Icon Just about everything in windows is
  represented by a little picture or Icon
• There may be several different Icons that appear
  on your desktop

5
STARTING AND LOGGING ON TO WINDOWS

• Turn on your computers monitor
• The On/Off switch for most monitors is located
  just below the monitors screen. Most monitors
  wont display anything until the computer is
  turned on.
• Turn on your computer
• Finding your computers On/Off switch for the
  first time can be a little tricky. Refer to your
  manual if you cant find it. Your computer should
  make a whirring sounds and several clicks and/or
  beeps after you turn it on and as it powers up

6
IMPORTANT

• Remember, do not use the power strip to turn on
  and off your printer, especially an Inkjet
  printer. This may actually damage these
  components. Make sure you use the on and off
  switch on your printer, NOT the power strip to
  turn on and off your printer.

7
Oh no, nothing happens

• If nothing happens when you turn your computer
  on, first check the computers power cord,
  is it plugged into the wall or power strip?
• Is the power strip plugged in and the light on?
• Check the other end of the power cord, is it
  securely plugged into the back of the computer?
• Make sure the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
  is plugged in and turned on
• If everything looks right, try pressing the
  On/Off switch again and hold it in for a few
  seconds

8
DIALOG BOX

• Eventually you will see the Welcome to Windows
  dialog box.
• The Windows Log On dialog box appears only in
  Windows 2000
• No Log On dialog box will appear in
• Windows XP, instead you will see an icon on
  the desktop
• Clicking on the icon logs you into Windows

9
Major Parts of the Windows Screen

• The desktop is the large background area of the
  Windows screen.
• You can customize the desktop by adding shortcuts
  to your favorite programs, documents, and
  printers.
• You can also change the look of the desktop to
  fit your mood and personality
• My Documents is a special folder that provides a
  convenient place to store files and documents you
  create on your computer
• My Computer lets you see everything on your
  computer. Double-click the My Computer icon on
  the desktop to browse through your files and
  folders
• My Network Places, if youre on a network, will
  appear on your desktop. You can double-click the
  My Network Places icon to browse through the
  computers in your workgroup and the computers on
  the network

10
EXERCISE

• Lets see how much free space you have on your
  Hard Drive
• Right Click on My Computer
• Left Click on Open
• Right Click on Properties
• Right Click on Local Disk C
• Left Click on Properties
• Select the General Tab and note the amount of
  Free Space left on your Hard Drive

11
Major Parts of the Windows Screen

• The Recycle Bin stores all the files you delete
  from your computer. You can use the Recycle Bin
  to retrieve files you accidentally deleted and
  create more disk space by empting the Recycle Bin
• The Taskbar usually appears at the bottom of your
  screen and stretches the length of the screen. It
  contains the famous Start button, which you use
  to start your programs, a clock and possibly some
  other icons to the right.
• The area where these icons reside is called the
  System Tray. These are programs that may be
  running in the background. Whenever you open a
  program, document, or window, an icon for that
  program appears on the taskbar. This lets you see
  which programs are currently running and allows
  you to easily switch between them.

12
Major Parts of the Windows Screen

• The Start Button lets you quickly open your
  programs and documents. You can also use the
  Start button to find files and change the
  settings for Windows.
• The Quick Launch Toolbar gives you quick access
  to your most frequently used applications. Some
  programs are already included on the Quick Launch
  Toolbar by default i.e. Internet Explorer,
  Outlook Express, etc.
• Dont worry too much about these right now, they
  will make more sense after youve actually had a
  chance to use them in the upcoming lessons

13
THE START MENU

• Click the Start button.
• The Windows Start menu appears
• If you have Windows XP, the Start menu may look a
  little different

14
ITEMS IN THE START MENU

• Programs a list of all Programs on your
  computer
• Documents a list of all recent Documents you
  have worked on
• Settings contains the Control Panel for
  changing the display, information on printers and
  the start menu
• Search find files and folders on your computer,
  search the Internet and search your address book
• Help search the Help index for Windows
  troubleshooting
• Run use Run to access files on your computer or
  other drives
• Shutdown use the Shutdown command to shutdown,
  restart or log in as another user

15
USING THE MOUSE

• Just like you control your television set using a
  remote control, you control Windows by using the
  mouse and keyboard.
• The mouse lets you point at, select, and move
  objects on your computer screen.
• The mouse is linked to the pointer on your
  computer screen, when you move the mouse on your
  desk, the pointer moves on the screen.

16
USING THE MOUSE

• Pointing is the most basic action you can do with
  the mouse
• To point to something, simply place the mouse
  pointer over it by moving the mouse.
• You must point to objects in order to click or
  double click them
• The pointer is also called the cursor or arrow

17
Tools to Help Learning to Use a Mouse

• http//www.ckls.org/crippel/computerlab/tutorials
  /mouse/page1.html
• Solitaire Start Programs Accessories
  Games - Solitaire

18
STARTING A PROGRAM

• Now we will learn how to start a program with
  your mouse
• Click on the Start Button
• Navigate to the Solitaire Icon
• Open the Solitaire Game
• Click on the X to close Solitaire

19
EXERCISE

• http//www.ckls.org/crippel/computerlab/tutorials
  /mouse/page1.html
• Lets open this link by opening Windows Explorer.
  It should be an icon on your desktop.
• Copy the url into the address bar.
• Practice your mouse skills by completing the
  tutorial

20
THINGS YOU CAN DRAG AND DROP

• You can do this
• Move a window to a new location on the screen
• Move a file to a new folder
• Change the size of a window
• Scroll a window to see something located
  off-screen
• Move just about anything on your computer screen

• By dragging this to
• Drag the window by its title bar and drop it in a
  new location on the screen
• Drag the file and drop it in the desired folder
• Drag the borders or corners of the window
• Drag the scroll box (the little elevator) up or
  down the scroll bar and drop in a new location
• Point to the object, click, and hold down the
  mouse button, drag the object to a new place, and
  then release the mouse button

21
USING THE MOUSERIGHT-CLICKING

• You already know that the left mouse button is
  the primary mouse button, used for clicking and
  double clicking, and its the mouse button you
  will use over 95 percent of the time when you
  work with Windows.
• So whats the right mouse button used for?
• Whenever you right click something, it brings up
  a shortcut menu that lists everything you can do
  to the object.
• Whenever youre unsure or curious about what you
  can do with an object, point to it and click it
  with the right mouse button.
• A shortcut menu will appear with a list of
  commands related to the object or area you
  right-clicked.

22
USING THE MOUSERIGHT-CLICKING

• Move the pointer over the Recycle Bin icon on
  your desktop and click the right mouse button
• A shortcut menu appears with a list of commands
  related to the Recycle Bin, as shown to the right

23
USING THE MOUSERIGHT-CLICKING

• Point to and click the Empty Recycle Bin option
  on the shortcut menu with the left mouse button
• You still use the left mouse button to select
  menu items, even if they are found in a
  right-mouse button shortcut menu.
• A dialog box appears, asking if you are sure you
  want to delete the contents of the Recycle Bin.
  Better play it safe and.
• Click No with the left mouse button.

24

• Next, you realize the clock displayed on the far
  right of the taskbar is ten minutes fast. You can
  display the clocks properties by right-clicking
  on the clock.
• Move the pointer over the CLOCK, located on the
  far right side of the Windows Taskbar, and click
  the right mouse button.
• Another shortcut menu appears, with commands
  related to the Windows clock.

25
Adjusting the Clock

• Notice one of the commands listed on the shortcut
  menu is Adjust Date/Time. You would select this
  menu item if you really wanted to adjust the date
  and/or time.
• Click anywhere outside the Clock shortcut menu
  with the left mouse button to close the menu
  without selecting anything.

26
Review

• Youre done! Youve learned all the actions you
  can perform with a mouse
• Pointing
• Clicking
• Dragging and dropping
• Right-clicking
• Great job!

27
USING THE KEYBOARD

• Now that youve mastered the mouse, its time to
  move on to the other device that you use to
  control your computer the keyboard. The keyboard
  may seem more familiar and easy to use than the
  mouse at first, but dont be fooled.
• Computer keyboards sneak in some extra keys that
  you need to know about.
• We will identify what those keys are and when to
  use them
• Press and hold down the key, press the
  key and release both buttons.
• Pressing closes the currently
  running program. Since youre using the desktop,
  the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears.
• Were not ready to shut down Windows yet so Press
  the key.
• Pressing the does the same thing as
  clicking the Cancel button. The Shut Down Windows
  dialog box disappears and youre back to the
  Windows desktop

28
Special Keys and Their Functions

• The key doesnt do anything by itself it
  needs another key to make things happen. For
  example, pressing the key while holding
  down the key switches between programs that
  are currently running
• Just like the key, the doesnt do
  anything by itself you need to press another
  key with it to make things happen. For example,
  pressing the key while holding down the
  keys cuts whatever is selected.
• The key is the help key, and pressing it
  displays helpful information about what youre
  doing
• The (Escape) key is the Wait, Ive changed
  my mind key and is the same as clicking cancel
  in a dialog box. For example, if you click
  something and an unfamiliar dialog box appears,
  you can close it by pressing the key.
• The key is the Carry out my orders key
  and is the same as clicking the OK button in a
  dialog box. The key also adds new lines
  and starts new paragraphs if youre entering text.

• Alt
• Ctrl
• F1
• Esc
• Enter

29
Special Keys and Their Functions

• When youre in a dialog box, the key moves
  to the next field. When youre using a word
  processor, the key works just like youd
  think it would and jumps to the nearest tab stop
  whenever you press it.
• The arrow keys more your computer cursor across
  the screen
• Nothing surprising here, the key deletes
  or erases whatever you select files, text, or
  graphical objects. If youre working with text,
  the key erases characters to the right
  of the insertion point.
• Use the key to fix your typing
  mistakes it erases characters to the left of
  the insertion point.
• The key jumps to the beginning of the
  current line when youre working with text.
• The key jumps to the end of the current
  line when youre working with text.
• The key moves up one screen.
• The key moves down one screen.

• Tab
• Arrow Keys
• Delete
• Backspace
• Home
• End
• Page Up
• Page Down

30
Special Keys and Their Functions

• When youre in a dialog box, the key moves
  to the next field. When youre using a word
  processor, the key works just like youd
  think it would and jumps to the nearest tab stop
  whenever you press it.
• The arrow keys more your computer cursor across
  the screen
• Nothing surprising here, the key deletes
  or erases whatever you select files, text, or
  graphical objects. If youre working with text,
  the key erases characters to the right
  of the insertion point.
• Use the key to fix your typing
  mistakes it erases characters to the left of
  the insertion point.
• The key jumps to the beginning of the
  current line when youre working with text.
• The key jumps to the end of the current
  line when youre working with text.
• The key moves up one screen.
• The key moves down one screen.

• Tab
• Arrow Keys
• Delete
• Backspace
• Home
• End
• Page Up
• Page Down

31
TIP

• Holding down the Windows key and pressing the
  letter D on the keyboard minimizes all current
  programs running and brings you to the desktop
• This eliminates the need to minimize each program
  to get to the desktop
• Go ahead and try it!

32
WORKING WITH A WINDOW

• To make computers easier to use, Microsoft
  designed Windows to operate how you work at your
  desk in the office.
• When you work at your desk, you spread everything
  out, grab a piece of paper, work on it for
  awhile, and then shuffle another piece of paper
  on top of it.
• Thats how Windows works, except instead of
  working with papers, you work with windows
  boxes that contain programs and information.
• You can shuffle these windows around the screen
  just like you shuffle papers on your desk which
  is why the main Windows screen is called The
  Desktop.

33
WORKING WITH A WINDOW

• Just like your desk, if you're working with a lot
  of things at the same time, the Windows desktop
  can become messy and difficult to find things on.
  
• We will learn how to manage the windows and
  programs on your screen.
• You will learn how to open a window, and discover
  the parts that make up a window.
• Youll learn how to change the size minimizing
  it to a tiny little icon that appears only on the
  Taskbar and maximizing it so it fills the entire
  screen.
• You will learn how to shuffle windows around,
  sending some to the background and bringing
  others up to the forefront.

34
STARTING A PROGRAM

• To do just about anything with your computer, you
  need to run a program. A program is a complex set
  of instructions that tells your computer how to
  do something. Your word processor is a program,
  and so is the Solitaire game that comes with
  Windows. The easiest way to start a program is by
  clicking the Windows Start button and then
  selecting the program from the Programs menu.
• Click the Start button, the Start menu pops up.
• Point to Programs, a menu listing the different
  program categories pops out above or to the right
  of the Start menu.
• Point to the word Accessories, another menu, the
  Accessories menu shoots out to the side of the
  Programs menu. The program you want to load,
  WordPad, is in the Accessories menu.
• Click the word WordPad, the WordPad program
  appears on the screen in its own window. WordPad
  is a simple word processing program that is
  included with Microsoft Windows.

35
Word Pad

• Navigate to the Word Pad program
• Open it and follow along while I explain the
  different parts of the main window

36
Understanding the Parts of a Window
Title Bar
Minimize button
Maximize button
Menu Bar
Close button
Toolbars
Main Window or Document Area
Status bar
37
Understanding the Parts of a Window

• Located in every window are several little
  buttons, menus, and controls that you use to
  control the program and window.
• Because they appear in every Windows program,
  youre going to have to learn what these little
  buttons, menus, and controls are and how to use
  them.
• However, once you can find your way around a
  window in one program, youll be familiar with
  the windows for most programs since this
  window/menu/button concept appears in just about
  every Windows program.

38
Understanding the Parts of a Window

• Title Bar
• Minimize button
• Maximize/
• Restore button
• Close button
• Menu bar
• Toolbar

• Displays the name of the program or window
• Minimizes a window, hiding it from your screen
  but keeping it running, ready for quick use. You
  can minimize a program youre not using so that
  it is still running, but is out of sight.
• Depending on the size of the window, this button
  toggles between maximize and restore. Heres what
  each one does
• Maximize Enlarges the window so that it fills
  the entire screen. The Maximize button only
  appears when the window isnt maximized doesn't
  fill the entire screen
• Restore When a window is maximized (fills the
  entire screen), clicking the Restore button
  returns the window to its previous size.
• Closes the window or program when you're finished
  working with it, removing it from the screen.
• Controls what the program does. The items listed
  on the menu bar change from program to program,
  but the menu bars location doesnt. Its always
  perched near the top of a window, right below the
  Title bar.
• Some (but not all) windows and programs have one
  or more toolbars, which contain buttons you point
  and/or click to access frequently used commands.

39
Understanding the Parts of a Window

• Some windows will have an address bar to tell you
  where you are
• Most windows have a scroll bar that allows you to
  scroll up and down the window
• This is where all the action takes place, where
  you work on whatever youre working on. If you
  were using a word processor, this is where your
  letter would appear. If you were browsing the
  Internet, this is where the Web pages would
  appear.
• Displays information such as instructions,
  messages about the state of the computer, or your
  location in the window

• Address Bar
• Scroll Bar
• Main Window or Document Area
• Status bar

40
Minimizing, Maximizing, and Restoring a Window

• Lets look at how to maximize a window. Some
  programs such as word processors and Web browsers
  are easier to work with and fill the entire
  screen. To enlarge a window to fill your computer
  screen, click the Maximize button.
• Click the WordPad windows Maximize button the
  middle button in WordPads title bar.
• The WordPad program maximizes, filling the entire
  screen. You can change a maximized window back to
  its original size by clicking the Restore button.
  The Restore button appears in place of the
  Maximize button whenever a window is already in a
  maximized state.
• Click the WordPad windows Restore button to
  restore the WordPad window back to its previous
  size.

41
EXERCISE

• Practice maximizing, restoring and minimizing
  Word Pad

42
Minimizing, Maximizing, and Restoring a Window

• You can run more than one program at a time. For
  example, you can work on a letter while your Web
  browser is open and downloading a file. You can
  tuck programs away, keeping them running and
  ready for use, yet away from view, by minimizing
  them.
• Click the WordPad windows Minimize button to
  minimize the WordPad program.
• The WordPad program shrinks to an icon located in
  the Windows taskbar. WordPad is still open and
  running its just hidden from view, tucked away
  and ready for future use. If a program is doing
  something, such as downloading a file from the
  Internet, it will keep going, even when the
  program is minimized.
• Find and click the WordPad icon in the Windows
  taskbar.
• The WordPad program springs back to life and
  appears on the screen.

43
Closing a Window

• When you are finished working with a window or
  program, you can close it to remove it from the
  screen. You can close any window or program by
  clicking its Close button, which appears in the
  upper right hand corner of the window.
• Click the WordPad windows Close button
• The WordPad program closes. Notice the WordPad
  icon no longer appears in the Windows taskbar at
  the bottom of the screen. Thats all there is to
  closing a window or program.
• NOTE If a program has more than one window open,
  you can close all of its open windows by holding
  down the key when you click the close
  button for any window.
• NOTE If the program happens to be minimized, you
  will need to restore it by clicking its icon on
  the taskbar before you can see and click the
  windows close button

44
Moving a Window

• Navigate to the Word Pad Program and open it up
• When you have several programs or windows open,
  you may find that one window covers the other
  windows or other items on your screen. When this
  happens, you can simply move a window to a new
  location on the screen.

45
Moving a Window

• Position the mouse pointer over the title bar of
  the WordPad program
• Remember that the title bar is the colored bar at
  the very top of a window or program. It displays
  the name of the program or window.
• Click the title bar and move the mouse while
  still holding down the mouse button. An outline
  of the window follows your mouse as drag the
  window, showing you where you are moving it.
• Release the mouse button to drop the window to a
  new location

46
Sizing a Window

• You should already know how to change the size of
  a window by minimizing, maximizing and restoring
  it. Now we will learn how to fine-tune the size
  of a window to meet your specific needs.
• Make sure the WordPad program appears as a window
  and doesnt fill the entire screen
• Position the mouse pointer over the right border
  of the WordPad window until it changes to a
• The two arrows point in the directions that you
  can drag the windows border, in this case, left
  and right.
• Had you positioned the pointer over the top or
  bottom of the window, the pointer would have
  changed to a
• indicating that you could drag the top or
  bottom of the window up or down.

47
EXERCISE

• Open Word Pad if it is not open already and
  resize the window until you feel comfortable
  doing so

48
Sizing a Window

• Sometimes it can be tricky finding the exact spot
  where the pointer changes. Its there just move
  the pointer slowly over the border until you find
  it.
• Click and hold down the left mouse button and
  drag the mouse to the right 1 inch to move the
  window border.
• Notice that the window stretches as you drag the
  mouse, When the window is the size you want, you
  can release the mouse button.
• The window is displayed in its new size.

49
Sizing a Window

• So youve learned how to resize a window by
  adjusting the right border.
• You can also change a windows size by dragging
  its left, top, and bottom borders. You can also
  resize a window by dragging its corners just like
  you drag its borders

50
Sizing a Window

• Another way to change the size of a window is to
  use the Control Box.
• The Control Box is located in the upper left hand
  corner of the screen.
• The Control Box is useful if for some reason you
  have lost control of the mouse.
• It contains all the commands needed to resize
  your window
• Holding down the key while pressing the
  opens the Control box.
• Using your arrow keys to move up and down the
  menu allows you to move, size, minimize, maximize
  or close a window without using the mouse.

51
Switching Between Windows

• You can have several programs or windows open and
  running simultaneously, but you can only work in
  one window at a time. The window youre working
  with is called the active window and always
  appears on top of any other windows that you have
  open. Its title bar will also be darker and not
  grayed out, which indicates it is an inactive
  window.
• If you think about it, you do the same thing when
  you work at your desk. When you want to work on a
  piece of paper, you place it on top of everything
  else on your desk.
• We are now going to learn how to switch between
  the programs youre running.

52
Switching Between Windows

• Make sure the WordPad program is still open
• Start the calculator by clicking the Start button
  and selecting
• Programs Accessories Calculator.
• The Calculator program appears in front of the
  WordPad program. An icon for the Calculator
  program also appears in the taskbar, next to the
  WordPad icon.
• Notice that the Calculator program appears in
  front, and its icon is depressed on the taskbar,
  which indicates it is the active window. You can
  make WordPad the active window by clicking its
  icon on the taskbar.

53
Switching Between Windows

• Click the WordPad button on the taskbar. The
  WordPad program appears in front, and its icon on
  the taskbar is depressed, which indicates it is
  the active window.
• You can make another open window the active
  window by clicking on any visible part of the
  window.
• Click any portion of the Calculator window. The
  Calculator window is now the active window
• Another method of switching between windows is
  using the keystroke combination
• Press and hold down the key, press and
  release the key, BUT dont release the
  key. The task window appears. The task
  window lists all the windows and programs that
  are currently running. Pressing and releasing the
  key while still holding down the key
  will run through the programs currently running.
  When you release the key, the selected
  window or program is activated and displayed in
  front of any other windows.

54
Switching Between Windows

• is especially useful when you use
  programs that fill the entire screen. When you
  cant see the taskbar or any part of another
  window, is the only way you can
  switch between programs.
• When youre working with multiple programs, be
  careful not to accidentally run a second copy of
  the same program. This wastes memory and makes
  things confusing.
• For example, if you have been using the
  Calculator and want to bring it back up, make
  sure you check the taskbar to see if its already
  running. (The calculator icon appears on the
  taskbar).
• If it is, use any of the methods youve learned
  to switch to it. If a program is already running
  and you load it again from the Start menu, a
  second copy of the program opens and two icons
  for that program appear on the taskbar.

55
Tiling and Cascading Windows

• When you have several windows or
• programs open, you can have Windows
• automatically arrange them for you,
• instead of manually resizing and pushing
• them around yourself. Windows can
• organize your windows in two different
• ways by tiling and cascading.

56
Tiling and Cascading Windows

• In order to demonstrate how to tile and cascade
  windows we need to open yet another program.
• Make sure WordPad and Calculator are running.
• These programs should still be running from
  before. If they're not, open them by clicking the
  Start button and selecting them from the All
  Programs Accessories menu.
• The third window well load for this exercise is
  the Microsoft Word window
• Click the Start button -- All Programs
  Microsoft Word.
• Now youre ready to have Windows arrange your
  windows

57
Tiling and Cascading Windows

• Click an empty area on the taskbar with the Right
  mouse button.
• A shortcut menu appears where you right click. Be
  careful and make sure you right click an EMPTY
  area of the taskbar, otherwise the wrong shortcut
  menu will appear. Your shortcut menu should look
  like this one

Click the Tile Windows Vertically from the
shortcut menu Windows organizes all the open
windows by tiling them vertically on the screen.
Had you selected the Tile Windows Horizontally
option from the shortcut menu, the windows would
have been tiled horizontally giving each window
equal space. Tiling windows is useful when you
only have a few windows open and want to view
their contents at the same time
58
Tiling and Cascading Windows

• Click an empty area on the taskbar with the Right
  mouse button
• A shortcut menu appears
• Click Cascade Windows from the shortcut menu.
• Windows organizes all the open windows by neatly
  overlapping them over one another
• Cascade Windows is the other method of
  automatically arranging your windows. Its useful
  when you have several windows open and want to
  quickly find all of them, but not display their
  contents.

59
EXERCISE

• Lets practice tiling vertically, horizontally
  and cascading the three programs we have open

60
Windows Menus

• There are some commands that will be common to
  all Windows programs, they are
• Menu Bar
• Drop Down Menus
• Undo
• Dialog Box
• Option Groups
• Check boxes
• Note Many popular menu items will have keyboard
  equivalents next to them.

61
Windows Menus

• Menu Bar
• You will notice across the top of the program
  something that is called the Menu Bar
• Open up Solitaire if it isn't open already and
  notice the Menu Bar across the top
• Clicking on an option in the Menu Bar brings up a
  Drop Down Menu
• A Drop Down Menu lists additional features or
  functions available in that program
• You will notice under the Game option in the Menu
  bar of Solitaire the option Undo
• You will find the command Undo in one form or
  another in most Windows programs.
• The Undo command basically is used to fix a
  goof. If you do something and change your mind
  and want to cancel your action, using the undo
  command will revert back to what your document
  looked like before you used the Undo command.

62
Windows Menus

• Lets look under the Game option on the Menu Bar
  again.
• Notice the Options Feature.
• Lets click on that
• What opens up is called a dialog box.
• Its called a dialog box because you are
  initiating a dialog between the user and the
  computer.
• Within the Dialog Box, you will see a set of
  boxes, theses are called Option Groups.
• They are called Option Groups because you can
  pick one or more options
• Note that you can click on the little circle or
  the word next to the circle. These circles are
  called radio buttons.

63
Windows Menus

• Below the Option groups you will notice some
  Check boxes.
• Check boxes are either on or off. If theyre
  checked, theyre on, if theyre not checked,
  theyre off.
• If you decide to keep the changes, make sure you
  click on the OK button. This will save your
  changes.
• If you decide not to save your changes, simply
  click on the Cancel button.
• Pressing the Escape key is the same thing
  as clicking on the Cancel button.

64
HELP

• Most Windows applications have some form of a
  Help system that is designed to teach you how to
  use the program
• Many Help systems are very basic in nature, while
  others can be rather complicated.
• We are going to look at some basic menu options
  in the Solitaire Help System that are available,
  such as Contents, Index, Search and About.

65
HELP

• So, open Solitaire once again and click on Help
• A Drop Down menu will appear, lets click on Help
  Topics or Contents
• You will see three tabs, Contents, Index and
  Search. This generally how you are going to find
  information in the Help System.
• Lets click on the Contents tab
• You will see three topics listed. Clicking on one
  of them displays to the right, information about
  that topic.
• You may also see certain words underlined in
  blue. These are called hyperlinks. You can click
  on the hyperlinks to see more information.

66
HELP

• You can click on the Index tab to see an index of
  terms used in this Help System
• To see any of these topics, click on one and then
  click on Display. The information is displayed in
  the right.
• The Search tab if you cant find what you are
  looking for under Contents or Index, you can
  click on Search and type in the terminology, then
  click on List Topics.
• The Help System can be different than you see
  here but they generally contain this three
  choices, Contents, Index and Search

67
HELP

• Lets close down the Solitaire Help Topics and
  select from the Help Drop Down menu, About.
• Most programs have an About feature. This simply
  tells you more about the program. It can tell you
  what version of the program you are using,
• This information may be handy when you call a
  support person

68
Shutting Down Your Computer

• Believe it or not, shutting down your computer is
  very important
• The first thing you should do, is save your data.
• If you have any Word documents open or Excel
  spreadsheets, make sure you save your data before
  shutting down.
• Next, close all applications or any programs that
  happen to be open.
• Once that is done, you will click on Start
  Shutdown
• A Shutdown Window will appear, what do you want
  to do?
• Shutdown means we will be turning the computer off

69
Shutting Down Your Computer

• Standby basically turns the computer almost all
  the way off but is waiting for you to hit a key.
  Not all computers have that option.
• Restart means you want to shut down the computer
  and then restart it again
• Choosing Shutdown will do one of two things,
  either it will shut down the computer and turn
  itself off
• Or you will see a screen that says Windows is now
  shutting down. It is now safe to turn off your
  computer.

70
Shutting Down Your Computer

• Sometimes you will see the screen that says
  Windows is shutting down and it will stay on that
  screen for 10-15 minutes. This happens when an
  application does not close properly and the
  computer freezes
• If the computer freezes on the Windows in
  shutting down screen for more than a few minutes
  you can try a couple of things.
• You can try hitting the num lock key or the caps
  lock key, see if little lights go off and on. If
  you see lights going on and off or sounds or any
  kind of movement on the screen whatsoever, it
  could mean the computer is still thinking.
• If it sits there for five minutes, and nothing is
  working, chances are the computer is locked up.
  If this happens you're just going to have to shut
  it off, find the power switch on the computer and
  push it.

71
Shutting Down Your Computer

• On newer computers, the power switch has to be
  held in for five seconds in order for the
  computer to power itself off.
• The next time you start your computer, you may
  see the message, Windows was not shut down
  properly, dont panic, this happens occasionally
  and Windows will now run a program called Scan
  Disk. You will see a blue screen and different
  things go by. Thats all normal.
• Windows 2000 will have a slightly different
  shutdown screen. There will be an arrow to the
  right that will display the different shut down
  options. One may be Log off. This just enables
  you to log off as one user and log in as a
  different user.

72
Shutting Down Your Computer

• If for whatever reason you do not have a mouse
  and you need to shut down your computer, you can
  press the Windows key, located on the lower left
  of the keyboard. This opens up the Start menu and
  allows you to use your arrow keys to get to the
  shutdown menu options.

73
Creating a Shortcut

• Click on the Start button
• Find the Solitaire icon
• Right Click on the Solitaire icon
• A Pop Up menu will appear
• In Windows XP, select the Show on Desktop option
• In previous versions of Windows, select the
  Create shortcut option
• Now you will see the Solitaire icon on the desktop

74
Creating a Shortcut

• If there is not an option to Show on Desktop, you
  can accomplish the same thing by dragging the
  icon to the desktop.
• In Windows XP, a pop up menu will display and you
  can then select the Create Shortcuts Here option.
• This will then create a shortcut to the program
  on your desktop.
• A shortcut is basically a copy of an icon
• Removing a shortcut is easy, simply click on it
  with your left mouse button, hold the left mouse
  button down an drag it to the Recycle Bin.

75
EXERCISE

• Lets create a shortcut for the Solitaire Program

76
File Management Files Folders

• In the real world, we create documents, like
  letters and invoices, etc. and we store those
  files in Folders. Those file folders are then
  stored in a file cabinet.
• On a computer, we will create files and we will
  store those files inside File Folders in the
  computer, those file folders will then be stored
  on your computer, either on your hard drive or on
  a floppy disk.

77
Kinds of Files

• There are many different kinds of files, for
  example, there are Word documents, Excel
  workbooks, Graphic files, like clip art and
  pictures, Media files, like sound clips and
  videos, Web page files, Compressed files and
  Executable or Program files to name a few.

78
Kinds of Files

• Some files, like executable files will already be
  on your computer because someone has already
  created them.
• Other files, you will create yourself, like Word
  documents or text files.
• You can see the different files on your computer
  by browsing through My Computer on your desktop
  if you have Windows XP or by opening up Windows
  Explorer.
• You will see the different drives. The drives in
  your computer are assigned different drive
  letters, C for the first hard disk drive,
  usually, A for a floppy drive and E for your CD
  ROM drive. You may also have a zip drive or a
  tape drive which will have a different letter.
• If you want to see whats in that drive, simply
  double click on it. That will open up the
  contents of that drive for you to view all the
  files and folders inside of it

79
More about Folders

• Lets double click to open the C drive either
  from My Computer or Windows Explorer
• If you are using Windows Explorer, open it and
  double click on the My Computer icon, then double
  click on the C drive.
• Notice in the address bar above, this appears

80
More about Folders

• Notice that some folder have a plus sign next
  to them. This indicates that there are folders
  within that folder.
• Clicking once on the plus sign opens up that
  folder and allows you view the sub folders
  inside.
• Double clicking on the icon next to the plus
  sign opens up that folder in a separate window to
  the right
• Clicking once on the plus sign closes that
  folder

81
More about Folders

• Lets open up the Programs folder by double
  clicking on it
• Check the address bar again, now it should say
  C\Program Files or simply Programs.
• This means you are looking on the C drive and in
  the Program File Folder
• The Programs Folder contains all the Programs on
  your computer
• We want to find the My Documents folder, so you
  see this folder with an arrow pointing up on it?
  Left click on that to go up one level.

82
More on Folders

• Now you can see that its a bit complicated and
  time consuming to find and open the My Documents
  folder this way.
• Thats why it is useful to create a shortcut for
  My Documents so you have access to it right on
  the desktop
• So you can either open the My Documents folder
  using the Start Documents My Documents
• Or open My Documents by double clicking on the My
  Documents icon on your desktop

83
Views

• You can customize the way the contents of your
  folders are displayed
• In Windows 2000, the View Menu lists several
  different ways to view your files
• Large Icons
• Small Icons
• List
• Details
• Thumbnails

84
Views

• Large Icons look like this
• Small Icons look like this
• List looks just like the small icon view
• Details look like this

85
Views

• Thumbnails look like this

As you can see, there are several ways the
contents of your folders can be displayed Use
the one that is the most comfortable for you
86
EXERCISE

• Change the view of your files to small icons,
  then to details

87
C\Data\Letters\Mom.doc
C\
Data
Letters
The Folder Hierarchy
Mom.doc
88
Windows Explorer File Extensions

• Using Windows Explorer is another way to browse
  through your folders and files
• Creating a Shortcut to Windows Explorer on your
  desktop will make it even easier to find
• Do you remember how to do that?

89
EXERCISE

• Lets now create a shortcut to Windows Explorer
  on our Desktop

90
Windows Explorer File Extensions

• Find Windows Explorer listed
• Right Click on Windows Explorer
• Select Create Shortcut
• A Shortcut to Windows Explorer now displays on
  your Desktop
• TIP - The Windows Key the E key will launch
  Windows Explorer

91
Windows Explorer File Extensions

• We talked earlier about different kinds of files
  you can find on your computer, documents,
  spreadsheets, graphics, etc.
• There is an important attribute on each file that
  Microsoft hides from you
• This is called a file extension
• The file extension basically tells Windows what
  kind of file it is
• The extension goes on the end of the file name,
  and it tells you more clearly what kind of file
  it is

92
Common File Extensions
Word Document Excel Workbook Graphic (Bitmap,
GIF, etc.) Text File Media File (Video,
Sound) Web Page Microsoft Publisher
File Executable (Program) File Compressed (ZIP)
File
.DOC .XLS .BMP .GIF .JPG .TXT .AVI .MPG
.WMV .HTM .HTML .PUB .EXE .BAT .COM .ZIP
93
Common File Extensions

• Why is this important?
• Knowing these different extensions can help you
  from getting viruses
• A lot of viruses come through email as an
  attachment
• Generally files that end in .doc or .xls cannot
  contain viruses
• If you see that an attachment has an extension of
  .exe, you now know that this is an executable
  file, like a program and could contain a virus

94
Common File Extensions

• Here is a short list of extensions that could
  contain a virus. This is not a complete list but
  are the most common
• BAT, COM, EXE, DLL, VBS, VBE, JE, JS, JSE, PIF
• This doesnt mean that these are viruses, only
  program files that can run on your computer, and
  if you get an email attachment that contains one
  of these, you might want to think very carefully
  before you open it. In fact, check these
  attachments out with a virus protection program

95
Common File Extensions

• Sometimes these file extensions do not display,
  here is how to display them
• In Windows Explorer, Click on Tools, and Folder
  Options.
• Click on the View tab and under Advanced
  Settings, scroll down until you see the checkbox
  that says Hide extensions for known file types
• Turn that box off by removing the check mark,
  then click on Apply then OK
• Your files will now display the file extension

96
Common File Extensions

• Become familiar with the different kinds of file
  extensions, learn how to identify what program a
  file was created in just by the extension.
• This will help protect you in the long run from
  getting a virus

97
Creating a file

• Lets start by opening up WordPad
• Start Programs Accessories WordPad
• WordPad is a basic word processor that comes with
  Windows
• Lets create a brief business letter and save it
• You can see the blinking cursor, thats where the
  text will start

98
Creating a file

• Type in your return address
• Type in the address of your recipient
• Use Finger Lakes Library System
• 119 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY 14850
• Type in today's date
• Type in Dear Ms Creenan,
• This letter is to inform you that your order
• is ready for pickup. Please contact me at your
  
• earliest convenience to arrange a date.
• Cordially, Your Name

99
Creating a file

• Thats our basic business letter
• Lets go ahead and save this letter by clicking
  on the save button
• That brings up the Save As dialog box and you can
  see the different places where you can save it
• Lets save it in the My Documents folder
• If you wanted to change the location, click on
  the down arrow located to the right of the Save
  in box

100

• Notice that in the file name box, the file has
  been assigned the extension .rtf, Thats Rich
  Text Format, which is just another kind of text
  format. Its not just plain text, you can do some
  formatting in it, bold, change the font, etc.
• Lets click in the file name box and give our
  file a name
• Lets name our letter Letter to Karen Creenan
  and click on save
• Notice at the top of the window, it now says
  Letter to Ms. Creenan.rtf

101
Creating a file

• Minimize WordPad and now lets go back to the My
  Documents folder
• Scroll down to the bottom until you see the file
  you created
• Notice the icon for Microsoft Word next to it.
  Thats because if you double click on the file to
  open it, it will open it using the Microsoft Word
  program
• Lets click on our letter in the task bar

102
Creating a file

• Lets say we want to send the same letter but to
  a different person
• Highlight the name and change it to Rex Helwig
• Now lets click on the File menu and Save As
• This will allow us to save this file with a
  different file name
• Change the name to Letter to Rex but dont change
  the extension on the end
• The application will assign the extension, there
  is no need to put it in yourself

103
Creating a file

• Lets minimize WordPad, scroll down in the My
  Documents folder and now you can see we have two
  files listed there
• Lets close WordPad
• You should have the My Documents folder listed
  Open this folder
• TIP Please keep in mind that filenames
• cannot contain / \ ?

104
Opening Files, Copy Paste, Deleting Files

• Lets scroll down to the two files we created
• If you want to open one of those files, all you
  have to do is double click on the file
• Notice that if you have Microsoft Word installed
  on your computer, this file will open using that
  program
• Now close the file

105
Opening Files, Copy Paste, Deleting Files

• We learned how to make a copy of a file by
  opening it up and using the Save As feature
• You can also make a copy using a different method
• Lets make a copy of the letter to Ms Creenan
• Click once on it
• Then right click on it using the right mouse
  button
• Select Copy
• That has now copied that file to the clipboard
• Now point the arrow to a blank section in that
  same area, right click again and select paste

106
Opening Files, Copy Paste, Deleting Files

• That will paste a copy of the Letter to Ms
  Creenan in that folder
• That is the easiest way to copy and paste a file,
  there are other ways to do it, but that is the
  easiest
• You could have chosen to use the Copy/Paste
  commands under the Edit Menu
• You can also use keyboard shortcut commands, Ctrl
  C for Copy Ctrl V for Paste

107
Opening Files, Copy Paste, Deleting Files

• Lets rename the copy of the file
• There a couple of ways to rename a file
• You can right click on it and select Rename or
• Click on it once to select it, and then click on
  it a second time
• You now have a blinking cursor at the end of the
  file and can retype the new name, then press
  enter after renaming the file

108
Opening Files, Copy Paste, Deleting Files

• If you decide you do not want this file, you can
  delete it
• Right click on it and select Delete or
• Select the file and press the Delete key on your
  keyboard
• A window pops up, Are you sure Select Yes
• The file has now been deleted

109
Creating a Folder

• Lets start by organizing the My Documents Folder
• We will separate files according to the program
  that was used to create them
• We will create new folders to put them in
• You may want to use a different kind of filing
  system

110
Creating a Folder

• You may want to separate your files according to
  subject matter
• A folder for Financial Reports
• A folder for Pictures
• A folder for Addresses
• A folder for Recipes
• A folder for Christmas List, whatever works for
  you

111
Creating a Folder

• There are a couple of different ways to create
  new folders
• You can select the File Menu New Folder,
  thats one way
• You can also right click in a blank area of My
  Documents, Select New then Select Folder
• Lets do that, and now you see a New Folder icon
  at the bottom of your list of files and its all
  ready for you to type in a new name for that
  folder
• Lets rename that new folder to Word Documents
  and press enter

112
Cut Paste

• If you click on the Word Documents Folder, you
  can see that it is now empty
• Were going to put some files in there now
• Click back on My Documents
• There are several different ways to get files
  into that folder
• Scroll down and find the letters you created
• You can simply cut and paste the files into the
  new folder
• Cut and paste is slightly different than Copy and
  Paste in that it removes the original.
• Where Copy and Paste leaves the original there,
  and you only make a Copy of the original, Cut and
  Paste removes the original

113
Cut Paste

• Lets find your letter and right click on it
• Select Cut
• Notice the icon fades to a paler color
• Click on your word Document folder and then to
  the right, right click and Select Paste
• If you go back to My Documents now, you can see
  that the original letter is now gone

114
Moving Files to a Folder

• There is an easier way
• Find your letter, left click on it and holding
  the left mouse button down, drag it over to the
  Word Document folder, releasing when the Word
  Document folder is highlighted
• Be careful using this method that the folder you
  are dragging this file to is in fact the correct
  folder

115
Selecting Multiple Files

• Lets say you want to move two files at once into
  the Word Documents Folder
• Using the Control key will allow you to move
  multiple files at one time
• Lets try that, left click on your letter,
  holding down the control key, left click on your
  other letter

116
Selecting Multiple Files

• Notice how that let you select two different
  files
• Let go of the control key, left click on one of
  the files and drag it over to the Word Document
  folder
• Notice how it is dragging BOTH files at the same
  time
• Open up your Word Document folder and see if the
  files are there

117
Using the Shift Key

• Lets create a new folder called Excel
  Spreadsheets
• Lets move the four Excel files over into the
  Excel Folder
• Only this time, lets use the Shift key
• Left click on the First file
• Holding the Shift key down, left click on the
  Fourth file
• The Control key lets you pick individual files,
  the Shift key lets you select a range of files
• Now Left click and drag those four files to the
  Excel Folder

118
Moving Folders within Folders

• Notice the Folder entitled Financial Reports
• Lets move that entire folder to our Excel Folder
• Left Click, and holding down the left mouse
  button move the folder to the Excel Folder
• Notice how a sign appears next to the Excel
  Folder
• What this means is that now there is another
  level, another folder, WITHIN our main Excel
  Folder

119
Sorting Files

• Its easy to sort your files simply by clicking
  on the heading the way you want to sort at the
  top of the window
• Where you see the little arrow
• is the current sort order
• Selecting a different heading sorts by that
  heading, this is most useful when using the
  Details view

120
Folder Views

• Each folder needs to have the view set.
• What I mean by that is that the Tile view is
  the default view for any new folders created. If
  you want your files displayed in the Details
  view, this must be done in each folder
• However there is a trick to set your folders to
  all look the same

121
Folder Views

• Under the Tool Menu in Windows Explorer, select
  Folder Options.
• Select the View tab
• If you would like all your folders to look the
  same as the one you are currently working in,
  select the Apply to All Folders option.
• This will set all the folders on your computer to
  match the current folders view settings
• Select Yes and the change will apply the next
  time you open the folder
• Then click OK

122
Creating Sub Folders

• Lets go to our Word Document Folder
• Right click and Select New Folder
• Lets name this folder Letters
• Lets create another new folder and call it Memos
• Lets move all the letters to the Letter folder

123
Creating Sub Folders

• Just a general rule of thumb, if you have more
  than 10-15 documents in one folder, it might be
  time to separate them even more into another
  folder.
• It just makes things easier to find
• Another tip on naming files, try not to use just
  a date as a file name. Use a word or phrase that
  will clue you in as to what that file is about. A
  date doesnt tell you much

124
Undo

• Its easy sometimes to accidentally move a file
  or folder into the wrong folder or location
• Look under the Edit Menu
• Use the Undo Move feature to cancel your last
  action

125
Copying a Folder

• If you right click on a folder and select Copy,
  you will copy the entire contents of that folder
  too, so everything in it will also be copied
• The same with Delete, if you right click on a
  folder and select Delete it will delete the
  entire contents of that folder

126
Select All

• You can also select all your files in a folder by
  opening up the Edit Menu and selecting the
  Select All feature
• That will highlight everything in the current
  folder
• Then you can do your cut, copy and paste functions