******
AN
INTRODUCTION TO
MICROSOFT
WINDOWS XP
*****
PREPARED BY
RICHARD NELSON
2/14/07
Computers are extremely stupid! They only understand two numbers zero and one, and they only do one baby step operation at a time. So operations that would be easy for humans to do in one operation, takes a computer several operations to perform. That is why it seems that computers are very complex to use. Actually they are simple to use as long as you remember that they can only perform one simple operation at a time. This will come clearer as we move thru this instruction.
Computer hardware cannot do anything by itself. Hardware needs software instructions to make it work. Windows is software instructions called an Operating System used to make the hardware of Personal Computers do operations for you. An operating system controls the hardware and the computers peripheral equipment like printers, keyboards, and mice, and finally Windows controls the computer applications software that do work for humans. Windows is what computer people call a graphical user interface. (GUI). It took the invention of the mouse, before a graphical user interface became practical. It allows humans to use a computer mouse as a substitute for memorizing a large number of computer commands, to make the computer to do work for them. Simply by clicking with a mouse on a word on the Menu bar or Icon gives the computer instructions to do work for you.
Windows software is resident on your hard drive. Windows has many utilities, versions and options, but an average Windows XP size is very large taking up a lot of space in RAM.
The number of different operations that Windows can perform is almost endless. Therefore it is only possible to cover just a part of them in a reasonable amount of time. The goal in this instruction is to cover the ones people use most often.
One very interesting past time is to take an hour or so time some day and just check out some of the possibilities that are available in Windows. Just be a little careful not to change anything. There are a number of good books covering the different versions of Windows. (Windows XP for Dummies)
WINDOWS VERSIONS
Windows started out as version 3.1. It was pretty bad
Windows 95 was a real winner, and then soon after Windows 98 appeared and that too was a winner.
Then there was Windows 2000 and Windows Me (Millennium edition)
The current version is Windows XP. The Windows XP desktop is quite different from its predecessors; however much of the operation is the same to you the user.
This instruction concentrates on Window XP. However there are two versions of Windows XP – Home and Professional. This instruction does not cover the differences.
APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE
As described above Windows is classified as systems software. Applications software are programs that do specific kinds of work for humans like Microsoft Word for doing typing, or Microsoft Excel for doing numbers and text. Microsoft Paint for doing simple graphics.
WHAT DOES AN OPERATING SYSTEM LIKE WINDOWS DO?
Below is a very limited list of the functions that a windows operating system performs.
STARTING THE COMPUTER AND THE DESKTOP
When you turn on the power to your computer, windows software is loaded into the RAM (Random Access Memory) of your computer, and the result is the Windows Desktop that displays Icons of applications software on the computer monitor’s screen. (PLEASE SEE THE DIAGRAM OF THE DESKTOP)
THE START BUTTON ON THE TASK BAR
Another important operation is the appearance of the Task bar at the bottom of the Desktop screen. The Task Bar includes the master “Start” button. Among many other things, the Shut Down procedure is activated using the Start button. The Start button also gives you access to all the applications programs that are installed on your computer.
You can access all the programs by clicking on the Start button and then sliding your mouse arrow up to All Programs (Windows XP) or Programs (Windows 98).
Do not click at this point, and you will see all the software listed
WINDOWS CONNECTS THE COMPUTER TO ITS PERIPHERAL COMPONENTS
The operating system connects to the keyboard and mouse to the computer applications software.
So when you peck a certain key or keys on the keyboard, the operating system responds, and displays the results on the screen of the monitor, and similarly when you point and click with the mouse it interprets what you are doing and calls another program that responds with the proper action.
Accordingly, it is responsible for displaying the information on your monitor. It calls the monitor program that knows how to display information on your monitor.
When you are using an application program like a word processor, the operating system manages the communication between word processor and the keyboard and mouse. So when you type a character on the keyboard the operating system finds an empty place in memory (RAM) and posts it to that address, and makes a record of where it put it.
Windows also include subprograms (sometimes called subroutines or utilities) that are designed to create and manage the files. The operating system calls these programs into action when you attempt to save a document you have prepared. This is called document management. When you tell the computer that you want to save a document to your hard drive or USB flash drive the windows knows which program to call to make this happen.
As stated above when you turn on your monitor and console the first screen you will see is called the Windows Desktop. (PLEASE SEE THE DIAGRAM OF THE DESKTOP)
Windows XP has the option of having two different Desktop displays. One display is the new XP desktop with few icons, or the older Classic desktop display what you are used to in Windows 95, 98, and Me with all the icons you have chosen to display on the Desktop as short cuts. On the XP Desktop you will have to click on the Start button to see the icons of the software you have used most frequently
There are many variations in between these two because you can customize your Desktop.
When you turn on your computer, Icons appear on the screen, with a Task bar on the bottom. This is called the CLASSIC desktop.
ICONS CAN BE SHORTCUTS TO FILES OR APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE
ICONS CAN BE STORAGE SPACE LIKE DOCUMENT FOLDERS
ICONS CAN BE BARS ON THE DESKTOP (TASKBAR)
THE MASTER START BUTTON IS AN OBJECT ON THE DESKTOP
The XP desktop is very plain and almost vacant. To get to the icons of the programs that you use the most frequently, you must click on the Start button. If you want to access all the programs on your computer, after clicking on the Start button, then click on “All Programs”.
(PLEASE SEE THE DIAGRAM OF THE DESKTOP - THE TASKBAR IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DESKTOP)
When you turn on your monitor and console, the first screen that is presented is the Windows Desktop. On the bottom of the Desktop screen in the left corner is the master Start button. The bar where the Start button is located is called the Taskbar. Next to the Start button is an area on the Taskbar called the Quick Launch. Not all computers have the Quick Launch area activated.
TO ACTIVATE THE QUICK LAUNCH AREA
To activate the Quick Launch area, right click on a blank space on the Task Bar. You will get a menu. Slide your mouse up to Toolbars and wait. A new menu will pop out. Now left click on Quick Launch. That will open the Quick Launch area with a few icons in it.
ENLARGE THE QUICK LAUNCH AREA
It may be necessary to enlarge the Quick Launch area. This can be done by locating the fence on the right end of the Quick Launch area and putting your mouse arrow on top of it you should get a double arrow. Now drag the fence to the right. That will frequency cause more icons to appear in the Quick Launch area and in addition provide more space for you to drag other icons from your desktop into the Quick Launch area. If you do not find the fence then you will have to unlock the task bar
UNLOCKING THE TASKBAR
To unlock the Task bar, right click on a blank space on the Task Bar. Again you will be presented with a menu. On that menu you will see that the Lock the Taskbar has a check in front of it. Click on Lock the Taskbar that will remove the lock and the cheek mark. Now you should be able the find the fence at the right end of the Quick launch area
LOCKING THE TASKBAR
After you have unlocked the taskbar it is usually a good idea to lock it again.
To lock the Task bar, right click on a blank space on the Task Bar. Again you will be presented with a menu. On that menu you will see that the Lock the Taskbar has no check in front of it. Click on Lock the Taskbar that will put the check back, and lock the taskbar. Now you should not be able the find the fence at the right end of the Quick launch area
THE SHOW DESKTOP; ICON IN THE QUICK LAUNCH
One of the most useful icons that will automatically appear in the Quick Launch area is the Show Desktop icon. It is used to quickly get back the desktop when you have programs open and you want to get to the desktop quickly.
The other big advantage of having icons in the Quick Launch area is that only one left click is necessary to open a program, and they are always present even when you have several programs open.
On the right end of the Task bar, is an area called the System area or System Tray. Displayed in the System area are icons that can be used to change some system parameters such as the level of the sound and the fidelity of your monitor screen. In some cases when you open certain software, an icon will appear in the System Tray that will allow some control of that software. As and example if you have plugged in some devices such as a Flash Drive, an icon will appear in the System Tray indicating such a device is recognized and will allow unplugging of that device without causing problems
Finally, as you open applications software, you will see evidence of it on the Task Bar. These will appear between the Quick Launch area and the System area. For each different kind of application you will see its identification on the Task bar.
IF YOU LOOSE YOUR TASKBAR
On rare occasions you my loose your complete taskbar so it would be impossible to see your Start button. By pecking the MICROSOFT FLAG KEY located to the right of the Ctrl key on the left corner of your keyboard, you will not only see the Start button but the whole Start Menu. Also sometimes it might be easier to peck this MICROSOFT FLAG KEY instead of clicking the Start button. Also it is possible to hide the taskbar, so the MICROSOFT FLAG KEY can be used to bring up the Start Menu.
The Windows Explorer program can be found under Programs in Windows 98, and by right clicking on the Start button on the left end of the Task bar. That will give you a menu, now click on Explore. That will give you the Start Menu with all the storage units and folders that are installed on your computer. Most of the information is located on the left side of the display. You may have to maximize the screen display to see all that is on the screen. You can do that by clicking on the middle button in the upper right corner of the screen. Now on the left side of the screen you may have to use the horizontal or vertical scroll bar to see all you need to.
ANOTHER VIEW OF WINDOWS EXPLORER
The Windows Explorer program can also be found under My
Computer and Folders located on the Tool Bar for Windows XP. It allows you to
look at all the software on your computer, and all your folders and files.
(Note files are what you have created and saved to your computer storage units
such as a hard drive, floppy drive,
EXERCISE:
Try right clicking on the My Computer Icon on the Desktop and then left click Open. That will give you the My Computer Screen. Now left click on the word Folders in the Tool bar of that screen. Then click on Local Disk (C:). That will show all the folders on the hard drive.
THE MOUSE
As you already know the mouse used with Windows has two mechanical buttons: A left one and a right one. (Note the left mouse button is sometimes called the primary button and the right mouse is sometimes called the secondary button)
POINTING
Putting the mouse arrow on the screen on an icon, button or other object is called pointing. A mouse can have several different personalities other than an arrow. Some of them are a pointing finger, an I beam, and several others.
CLICKING
After you have pointed at an icon, button, or other object, clicking is done with either the left or right mouse button. Clicking is two operations: quickly pressing the mouse button down and quickly releasing it without moving the mouse. .
DRAGGING
Pointing the mouse at an icon or a scroll bar then holding the left button down and while still holing it down, move the mouse.
DRAGGING AND DROPPING
Pointing the mouse at an icon or a scroll bar then holding the left button down and while still holding it down, move the mouse. When you get to the appropriate place, you let up on the left button. That is called dragging and dropping
+ Left clicking is done to select as follows: First point the mouse arrow at an icon or menu and then click. That is called selecting. Selecting is done when you want to
* Select an applications program
* To select a menu on the menu bar
* To activate an electronic button on a dialog box screen
* To select a link on an Internet site
+ Left clicking is also done for action telling the computer to DO IT! Examples of this are to left click on an OK button or OPEN button, or SAVE button
+ Left clicking is done to position a cursor by positioning the I-beam where you want the cursor and clicking, then moving the I-beam out of the way.
+ Left clicking is done to get a menu by clicking on one of the buttons on the Menu Bar.
+ Finally, left clicking is done to get rid of a menu you no longer need by left clicking on an open place on the screen
Double left clicking the mouse on an icon can be used to open the software the icon represents. Double clicking is tricky because if the move the mouse during this operation the results are unpredictable. The best alternative to double clicking is to single left click on the icon and then peck the Enter Key.
Right clicking ALWAYS gives you a menu,
To right click do the following:
Left clicking on one of the words like File or Edit on the Menu Bar of an applications software program will result in getting a dropdown menu.
There are also dropdown menus in many of the transactions that are performed by the applications software such as the Save As transacting when a word processing user is saving a document for the first time. These menus are exposed by left clicking on the little down arrows at the right side of a dialog box.
Right clicking on an open space on the monitor display will usually give a pop out menu.
You can try all of these operations if you open Microsoft Word and compose a short text document.
Below are the instructions for selecting the Classic Desktop.
Some people don’t like the XP version of the Desktop, and XP allows you to change to the Classic Desktop, the one you were used to in Windows 98 and Me.
To switch to the classic desktop right click in the blank area of the desktop. Then left click on Properties. Now choose Windows Classic from the Theme dropdown menu.
One of those has to do with the arrangement of the icons on the desktop.
Another interesting one is to left click on “Properties” on this menu. This will give you a dialog screen that will allow you to change the following on you desktop screen:
The Background, Screen saver, Appearance, Effects, Web, and Settings
The Background lets you change the wallpaper on your desktop among many other things
The Appearance allows you to change the color of your desktop background among many other things.
I suggest you look at each one of these but do not change things until you know what you want to do, and how to do it.
RIGHT CLICKING ON AN ICON
When you right click on an icon on your desktop you will get a menu. By clicking on “Open” you will start the software that is represented by that icon. You will probably use this feature the most. You can also get information about your software by clicking on “Quick View” or “Show Revisions” You can also click on “Properties”. That will give you information on the software’s location address, and the compatibility of the software with Windows XP.
The windows accessories software can be started by first clicking on the Master Start button on the lower left of your desktop. Then slide your mouse arrow up to All Programs (Windows XP). Don’t click.
Another menu will pop out and show all the software on your computer including some that are icons on the desktop. don’t click.
This time slide you mouse arrow up to Accessories. Again Don’t Click (Sometimes it is necessary to click on the expansion arrows at the bottom to get the entire menu)
Another menu will pop up. On this menu you will see all the accessories software on your computer. You can now open any one of them by clicking on the word describing the software. Note: Sometimes to see all the software under All Programs you will have to click on the expansion arrows either at the top or bottom of the Programs listing..
WordPad is a text editor for producing simple text
documents.
As indicated above WordPad is found in Accessories in All Programs
FIRST click on the master “Start” button on the task bar. A menu will pop up. Now slide the mouse arrow up to “All Programs”. DON’T CLICK A new menu will pop out of the side. Move the arrow to “Accessories”. AGAIN DON’T CLICK Again a new menu will pop out. Move the mouse over to WordPad and left click.
Paint is a graphics software package.
You can import graphics pictures into Paint and edit the picture.
The Paint program is found under Accessories similar to
WordPad covered above. The paint program is frequently used to display computer
graphics that you download from the Internet or scan into the computer. The
paint program can be used as a free lance painting software, or it can be used
to resize and/or crop imported graphics.
Solitaire is inside of the Games folder
Solitaire is a simulation designed to teach you how to use the mouse operations. The mouse operation includes pointing, single clicking, double clicking, dragging, and dropping. People can sharpen their mouse skills using Solitaire. There are other games in that folder like Freecell, Hearts, Minesweeper, and others.
To get to the Games, FIRST click on the master “Start” button on the taskbar. A menu will pop up. Now slide the mouse arrow up to “All Programs”. DON’T CLICK A new menu will pop out of the side. Move the arrow to “Games”. AGAIN DON’T CLICK Again a new menu will pop out. Move the mouse over to Solitaire and left click.
Windows provides several utility software packages. Some examples of this software are covered below. You will be using the My Computer icon to do this.
Utility programs provide information about the
computer hardware
On the desktop click on My Computer Icon and peck the Enter key, or My Computer can be found by clicking on the Start button.
Then right click on the Icon with a (C:), then left click on Properties. That will show how much of your hard drive you have used and how much is spare. This can be done for any of your storage devices inclucing your flash drive.
Format a floppy disk.
Go to your Desktop and click on My Computer icon, then peck the Enter key.
Right click on the 3½ Floppy (A:) icon, you will get a menu
On the menu, left click on “Format”, then give the disk a label name, and check the Quick box
To Copy disks: one to another
First take the source disk, the disk to be copied, and open the write protect tab.
Then put this disk to be copied (source disk) in the floppy drive
Go to your Desktop and click on My Computer icon, then peck the Enter key.
Right click on the 31/2 Floppy (A) icon that will give you a menu, and then left click on “Copy Disk”
Defragmenting your hard drive
This capability provided in the utilities programs of Windows should probably be on the top of the list of programs available. Defragmenting the files on your hard drive is one of the processes you should run every month if you are a heavy user of your computer. Otherwise you computer system will slow down and sometimes even stop if you don’t do this important operation.
First click on the Master Start button on the left of the Task bar then without clicking slide up to Programs. A new menu will pop out. Again without clicking slide up to Accessories. Another menu will pop out. Slide over to the next menu and down to “System Tools”. Again a menu will pop out carefully slide over to the “System Tools” menu and click on “Disk Defragmentation”
Just make sure you are defragging the “C” drive when you turn it on. Warning it will take several hours to defrag a busy “C” drive (Hard Drive)
Scan Disk (WINDOWS 98
& Me only)
ScanDisk scans your hard drive for errors.. It is a good idea to do a “Thorough” scan disk about every six months. A “Thorough” takes several hours so be prepared. Scan disk is in “System Tools”. Do this before defragmenting..
First click on the Master Start button on the left of the
Task bar then without clicking slide up to Programs. A new menu will pop out.
Again without clicking slide up to Accessories; another menu will pop out.
Slide over to the next menu and down to “System Tools”. Again a menu will pop
out carefully slide over to the “System Tools” menu and click on Scan Disk. In
the next frame select Thorough by putting the bullet in the circle, and then
click on “Start”.
Getting into the Settings or the Control Panel can be done several ways depending on what version of Windows you are using. On some versions of windows you get into the Control Panel by clicking on the Start button and then click on Settings. On other versions (Windows XP) click on the Start button, and then find the Control Panel and click on it. That will open the Control Panel.
MANAGING YOUR PRINTER
On the Control Panel find the Printer Icon, then left click on the Printer Icon and peck the Enter key. Now right click on the printer Icon you want to change that will give you a menu. Now you have choices of what you want to do. Normally you will want to change your default printer. So select “Set as Default” by left clicking on it. That will do it.
MANAGING YOU MOUSE
Click on the Mouse Icon and then peck the Enter key. Now you have choices of what you want to do to your mouse such as Buttons, Pointers, Pointer Options, etc.
Click on the master Start button and slide up to Programs if you are on the classic Window 98 desktop.
If you are on the XP desktop, click on the master Start button and on the next screen slide up to “All Programs”. Don’t click. Now slide up to Microsoft Office Tools and a new menu will pop out at the side. Explore each to the items on the pop out menu by clicking on each one separately.
GETTING TAGS (BANNERS) WITH YOUR MOUSE
Tags, sometimes called banners, are little identifiers that tell you the purpose of an icon. Using your mouse to see tags is a neat trick. Just take your mouse arrow and put it on top of any icon and wait a couple of seconds. Be patient it sometimes takes more. The tag will appear explaining the purpose of the icon.
THOSE LITTLE DOWN ARROWS IN DIALOG BOXES
One of the most used devices in most Windows dialog boxes is the little down arrows at the end of “Text Boxes”. These little arrows are very important in getting lists of options for that dialog box. They expand you options.
DELETING FILES AND FOLDERS
Windows software has the ability to delete file (documents) and/or folders from either a floppy or hard drive. First you must find the file or folder that you want to delete, and then select it by left clicking on it. Then click on the selected file or folder with your right mouse button. That will give you a menu. Left click on Delete. That will give you a dialog box asking you to verify your action. Just click yes and the item will be deleted.
AN
Find the file or folder that you want to delete and select it by left clicking on it. Now peck the Delete key on the keyboard. You will get a dialog frame “Confirm File Delete”. Just left click on yes. That will delete the item.
DELETING MORE THAN ONE FILE AT A TIME
Windows software has the ability to delete more than one file at a time. Pick out the files you want of delete, then holding down the Ctrl key and at the time left click on the files you want to delete. Each of these files will be highlighted when you click on them. Now right click on one of the files you want to delete that is highlighted. That will give you a menu. Left click on Delete. That will give you a dialog box asking you to verify your action. Just click yes and the item will be deleted
If the files that you want of delete are all together in a group, then left click on the first one in the group. Now holding down the Shift key left click on the last one in the group. All the files in between will be highlighted. Now right click on one of the files you want to delete that is highlighted. That will give you a menu. Left click on Delete. That will give you a dialog box asking you to verify your action. Just click yes and the item will be deleted
FINDING THE FILE YOU WANT TO DELETE
Finding the file that you want to delete is easy in most cases. Open your My Computer icon. If the file is on a floppy put the floppy into the floppy drive and click on the 31/2 Floppy icon. If the file is in a folder on the hard drive, you will have to find the folder and then the file.
You can also delete files when you are in the “Open” mode by clicking on File on the menu bar and then on Open
SEARCHING FOR FILES
If you can’t remember where you saved a file then it may be necessary to do a “SEARCH”. To do this click on the master Start button on the lower left corner of the screen. Slide up to “Search” and click. (On Windows 98 it is called “Find”). Do what it tells you to do. Be patient it may take awhile to find your file.
Right click on the blank area of the desktop. This will give
a menu. Left click on Properties. This will give another menu with several
labels. Left click on the Appearance label. That will give the Display
Properties frame. Down at the bottom of this frame it will say Font Size. Left
click on the little down arrow at the end of the box. That will produce three
choices:
There are several ways to enlarge the text on the screen of your computer when you are using a applications software. One of the ways is to find a small field on the tool bar towards the right end. It usually says 100%. By clicking on the little down arrow on the side of this field you will be presented with new %’s that allow you to increased or decrease the text size.
Another way of doing this is to hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and turn the scroll wheel on your mouse that will usually make the text size bigger or smaller. However when you do it this way the value in the field mentioned above will also change. Try it!
Another way to change the text size is to highlight the text you want of change and then go up to the Format Bar and change the size in the field where the text size is displayed, by again clicking on the little down arrow and selecting a new size.
Finally, a way of changing the default text size is to go up to the Menu bar and click on Format and then click on Font. That will bring up a dialog box where the default text can be changed, as well as other features.
There are several ways to print screen. You might have to try both of the methods below to get results
USING JUST THE PRINT SCRN KEY
If you are working under Windows XP then all you have to do is have the page you want to screen print on your screen. Then peck the Print Scrn key. That will put a copy of the screen on the clipboard. Once its on the clipboard you can paste it to any document including a Word document. That’s the way I make Exhibits for my handouts.
USING THE ALT KEY
Have the page you want to screen print on your screen. Hold down the Alt key and while still holding it down peck the Print Scrn key. This will put a copy of the screen on the clipboard. Now open the appropriate software package (usually word processing software) to paste the screen print to. This will usually be your word processing program. And from here you can change it or save it or print it out.
ANOTHER WAY TO SCREEN PRINT USING THE SHIFT KEY
Have the page you want to screen print on your screen. Hold down the shift key and while still holding it down peck the Print Scrn key. This will put a copy of the screen on the clipboard. Now open the appropriate software package (usually word processing software) to paste the screen print to. And from here you can change it or save it or print it out.
ON A LAPTOP KEYBOARD
Laptop keyboard are different. For one thing they don’t have a number pad on the right side of the keyboard, and there are several other features that are different. One is doing a Print Screen operation.
Have the page you want to screen print on your screen. Hold down the Fn key usually to the right to the Ctrl key. While still holding down the Fn key, peck the Print Scrn key. This will put a copy of the screen on the clipboard. Now open the appropriate software package (usually word processing software) to paste the screen print to. And from here you can change it or save it or print it out.
APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE.
There are many kinds of applications software available for the windows operating system.
Some of the most commonly types are:
Word processing – producing text - example Microsoft Word
Spread Sheets – keeping a record of your finances. - Example Microsoft Excel
Data Base -- keeping a record of things like the furniture in your house-example Microsoft Access
Browsers –used to navigate the Internet. - Example Internet Explorer.
I hasten to say this is just an extremely small sample to the types of applications software.
ADDING AND REMOVING SOFTWARE
Click on the master Start button on the left end of the Task bar. Then click on “Settings” and then on “Control Panel”. That will open the control panel desktop. Now look for “Add/Remove Programs” and click on it to select it. Now peck the Enter key and that will open the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. Using the scroll bar find the program you want to remove and click on it, and then click on the Add/Remove button on this dialog box. A new overlay screen will appear and ask it you are sure you want to remove that program and if you do click “yes” and the program will be removed.
CREATING SHORTCUTS
CREATING APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE OR FOLDERS
A shortcut is a software program or a folder icon on the desktop. (or other places but usually on the desktop) A shortcut icon can be identified by a little arrow on the side of the icon. There are also permanent icons on the desktop that do not have an arrow. The permanent icons cannot be deleted, but the shortcut icons can be deleted.
USING THE RIGHT BUTTON ON YOUR MOUSE
Find the program or file that you want to create a shortcut for. Right click on it. That will give a menu. Move your mouse to “Sent To” DON’T CLICK, and then go to “DeskTop(create shortcut)” and left click. That will create a shortcut on your desktop
CREATING WEBSITE SHORTCUTS
Go to the website your want to make a shortcut for. When you get to the desired website, click on File on the Menu bar, then on Send and then on Shortcut to Desktop. You have now created a shortcut to that web site.
There are many times it is desirable to select continuous files. As an example when you want to delete files that are all in a sequence, or selecting a sequence of email addresses. One way is to hold down the CTRL key and click on each file. A faster way is to click on the first file in the sequence and then before you click on the last file, hold down the Shift key and then click. All the files in between will be highlighted.
To get to Settings, click on the master Start button and then slide up to Settings, a new menu will pop out at the side. Go to the Control panel and choose what you want to change. One of the things you can change is how your mouse operates. Like you can switch mouse buttons for left handed persons, or change the speed of your mouse.
Clipboard is a special place in RAM to hold text or graphics that has been “Cut” or “Copied”. There is access to a Clipboard Viewer in System Tools in Accessories on some computers. But there is a clipboard in all computers. It comes standard with all Windows versions.
System Restore is very powerful. Sometimes when bad things have happened to your computer, it is possible to take it back a to where it was a few days or weeks ago to where it was operating OK. This is called a System Restore or just Restore. To do this, do as follows:
Note that you have several choices on this display:
Computer folders are similar to paper folders you have used in a file cabinet drawers..
Your computer’s hard drive has room for almost unlimited folders that you will create over time. Also there are several permanent document folder already built on the hard disk of your computer when it is assembled. One is called “My documents”
You have other prebuilt folders on your hard drive like the ones that hold your programs. The folder construct is like a pyramid with the root folder on the top and all the other folders under the root. Building or creating folders on your hard drive is an important part of windows files and folder management. Details covering how to build new folders is covered in an attachment to this instruction however below is an overview of this process.
Within the last few years there has been a significant increase in the devices that are used to store files such as text, graphics, sound, and even video. Accordingly, managing the files and folders is one of the most important jobs you will have to do when operating your personal computer. It is important to realize that a document is just a nameless piece to text or graphics until it is saved to a storage device like a floppy disk, a folder on the hard drive, a folder on a Flash drive, a folder on a Zip drive, or a CD. Once it is saved it can now be called a file. All files on a computer storage device have a unique File Name that you gave it when you saved it. If you didn’t give it a name the computer software will give it a default name. The default name is usually not desirable.
WHERE TO SAVE IT?
In the process of saving a document you must decide where you want to save it, and it is VERY important to save it where you will be able to find it at a later date. This is the purpose of creating folders on the hard drive or Flash drives.
And of course it is possible to save to a floppy disk or a CD disk
As stated above there is one folder on the hard drive that was put there when the computer was built. It is called My Documents, and it is permanent. It cannot be deleted like the folders that you created. Some people save all their documents to the My Documents folder because it is the easiest. But after awhile this folder gets awfully full and it becomes very difficult to find the files you saved to that folder. Some people create all their new folders as subfolders under the My Documents folder. That makes it easier to back up.
My system is to create new folders directly under the C: \ hard drive or the Flash drive. Each new folder that I create will carry the name that identifies the type of files that are saved to that folder.
USB FLASH DRIVES
Within the last few years a new storage devise has come on
the market that is great. It is called the
Flash drives come in capacities of 32 Mega Bytes to 4 Giga Bytes, and they are quite reasonable price wise. I use Flash Drives to back up my most important folders and files on my hard drive. This can easily be done by dragging the Icon of a folder from the hard drive and dropping it on the Icon for the Flash Drive- When you do this the folder on the hard drive is not deleted but a copy is made and placed on the Flash Drive. This operation only takes a second or two. It is very fast. Flash drives are very portable so I use them to transport files from my desktop computer to my laptop and visa versa. Also when I use another computers or go on out of town I carry my flash drive with me so I can do work on any computer that has a USB port and Windows XP installed.
Attachment 2 covers the detailed use of these Flash drives.
HARD WIRED NETWORKING
When a computer is standing alone it is useful, but not near as useful if several computers are connected together. When computers are connected together they can share printers and software and data. Connecting computers together is called networking. Networked computers are attached to a server computer in a relationship called client/server. Computers that people use are called the client. The computer that serves the network is called the server.
A networked client computer has a network interface card (NIC) plugged into its motherboard that provides a port on the back. A networking cable is plugged into that port and attached to a server computer someplace near by. Networking software is also installed on the networked computers and the server computer. That software on the client computer is responsible for creating the messages that are sent over the network to the server computer. These messages are broken up into data packets of a predetermined length by the client networking software. Every packet that is sent from the client has the unique address of the client computer that is made available from the networking card (NIC). In addition to the client address, very packet has the address of the server computer so it knows where the packet is directed to go. Also in the packet is the data that is being sent to the server. When the server gets the packet it responds to the request and sends packets back to the client using the address of the client that was included it the original packets. Detailed information about computer networking is available on the web site www.howstuffworks.com
WIRELESS NETWORKING AT SHELL POINT
Wireless networking is often called WiFi. Another way of describing them is a wireless hotspots. You can save money and a maze of wires by not running networking cable all over your home or office, because the cost of wireless networking equipment is now very reasonable, in the neighborhood of $250.
Probably the most popular reason to go to wireless networking is to allow several computers to have access to the Internet, as well as sharing printers and/or scanners. .
In wireless networking for Internet access, there is a piece of equipment called a wireless Access Point (AP) popularly called a wireless router or wireless hub that is connected to a modem. The modem then is connected to an Internet access jack where there is access to the Internet. This can be DSL (digital subscriber line) or TV Cable access.
Each computer on a wireless network must have a wireless network interface adaptor. Most laptops come with this adaptor already installed. Names for these adaptors are 802.11b/g wireless, Wireless 802.11b/g integrated or Wireless 802.11b/g networkability. It is usually necessary to install one of these adaptors in a desktop computer before it can access the wireless network router.
Shell Point has recently installed permanent WiFi equipment
or hotspots in the Commons at the Woodlands and in the
LINKS TO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS
Angelfire Home Pages
Free Web Building Help
Angelfire HTML Library
