Windows XP A Quick Tour of Windows XP Features
Windows XP Windows XP is an operating system, which comes in several versions: Home, Media, Professional. The Windows XP computer uses a graphics-based operating system featuring fast, easy access to files and a user-friendly interface. All files and folders appear as icons on the Desktop,, which is the empty space on your screen when all windows are closed, showing My Computer, Recycle Bin,, and several program shortcuts. Windows XP requires a administrator account for desktop access so in this lab you will first log on to Windows using lab as the Username and lab as the password.
Windows XP An icon is a small picture representing an object, a file, or a folder, usually associated with the item's name. There are also menus which allow you to use certain commands on the computer.
Windows XP When you are using a program, you will see a colored title bar with the name of the program on the top. Under it, you will see a line of words such as File and Edit. These are the drop down menus. If you click on one of these words, a menu will drop down. You can also call up a menu of frequently used commands by clicking the right mouse button. The mouse is an integral part of navigation through Windows, although many operations can also be performed with keyboard shortcuts.
Working with Windows Windows is very easy to understand. If you think of the computer desktop as a real-life desk on which you work, then Windows is like books or folders on that desk. Most of the time these books are closed. However, if you need to work with a book you can simply open it up by double-clicking on the item. And if you need to work with multiple books, you can open multiple windows and spread them out. But just as you can only read one book at a time, you can only use one window at a time, called the "active" window. (Similarly, while you can have many application programs open at once, only one of them can be active.) When a window is active, it's like an open book that you move to the top of your pile of other open books. And if it's a large book then it might hide some of the smaller books underneath it.
Working with Windows The idea of a small book hiding behind a larger book is important when working in Windows. Sometimes you may click on a window that takes up your full screen and it will cover up smaller windows that are then hidden behind it. However, the smaller windows have not disappeared. Notice that their corresponding Task Bar buttons are still at the bottom of the screen, so that you can easily bring them back to the front if you want to see them. To do this, click on the appropriate button at the bottom of your screen and the window will appear.
Working with Windows Unlike books, you have the option of resizing a window to move it aside or adjust its arrangement on the screen. You can change a window's size by positioning your mouse over the border edge of the window. When positioned over the edge like this, the pointer will turn into a black arrow with two ends. Simply click down to "hold" the edge of the window and drag the edge until the window is the size you want, then release the mouse. You can also move a windows to another location on the desktop by pointing to its Title bar and dragging.
Working with Windows
Using the Desktop When you turn on your computer, you will see the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen, which displays all the programs you have opened; if you click on one of the programs listed, you will bring up the program. You will also see the Desktop, containing several icons including My Computer, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin. My Computer allows you to look through the drives and files available on your computer. When you double click My Computer, you are presented with drives marked by letters. The letters given to each drive vary according to what types of drives are on a particular computer. However, if you note a drive's icon, it is easy to determine which drive it represents.
The Recycle Bin The Recycle Bin is much like the trash can in real life. This is where you drag files that you no longer want. However, files do not get deleted immediately. So if you made a mistake and need a file that you placed in the Recycle Bin, you can still double click on Recycle Bin and it will be there. Restore lets you return a file to its original location on your hard drive. Simply double click on Recycle Bin, highlight the file, go to the File menu, and select Restore. You can empty the Recycle Bin by right- clicking on it and selecting Empty Recycle Bin. Or you can wait until the Recycle Bin is full (taking up 10% of your hard drive space) and let it automatically empty files to make room for new discards. If you choose to empty the Recycle Bin in this method, you will be asked to confirm the deletion of the contents of the Recycle Bin once it is full, so nothing will be deleted without your knowledge. In this class the Recycle Bin works a little differently because we are using a customized version of XP.
Using the Desktop Windows is organized using directories called folders. You can look through these folders by opening the My Computer window. The Windows XP Explorer is an alternate way of viewing information on your computer. Simply right-click on the Start button or on the My Computer icon on your desktop and select Explore. My Computer also shows you devices that are active.
Windows Explorer Explorer is comprised of two windows. The window on the left shows how the information is organized into folders and sub-folders. When you select one of these folders by clicking on it (as My Computer is selected in the example to the right), all the sub-folders in that folder are shown below it and all the files in that folder are shown in the window on the right.
Windows Explorer The plus and minus signs before each icon indicate whether or not the folder's structure is expanded below it. The plus sign means that there are more folders contained within that particular folder. If you click on the plus sign, it will expand the folder and show you what's inside. On the other hand, the minus sign means the folder's structure has already been expanded below it. If you click on the minus sign it collapses the folder's structure and hides the folders stored within.
Mouse Actions in XP The mouse is equipped with two buttons, one on the left and one on the right. The left button is the one most often utilized in navigating Windows XP. If you are instructed to click on something, you should click with the left button. The right mouse button is also extremely useful. It is the key to many shortcuts and properties windows. For instance, if you are editing a Word document and find it distracting to always reach up to the cut and paste menu items, you can simply right-click on highlighted text and a pop-up menu will appear with Cut and Paste options. Play around by right-clicking on windows and icons to see what interesting menus pop up. You can never do any harm by clicking on something with the right mouse button.
Mouse Actions in XP Additionally, you might come across instructions that tell you to double-click on something. Double-clicking is usually done when you want to open a file, folder or application. A double-click is a quick succession of two clicks in the same spot. If you do not do this succession quickly enough or if you accidentally move the mouse in between the clicks, the desired result will not occur. (Again assume that double-click means double left-click. There is never any reason to double-click with the right mouse button.)
Mouse Actions in XP A final action that the mouse performs is dragging and dropping. Dragging and dropping lets you move items around in windows or on the desktop. To drag, position your cursor over an item, click and hold the mouse button down, and move the cursor. This will drag the item along with the mouse. To drop, release the mouse button. The item will now be dropped to this new location. If you use the right mouse button to dragand-drop, you will have the option of moving the item (removing it from its former location as in dragging to the desktop or another folder) or copying the item (leaving the old item in place and creating a new copy of it elsewhere, like when dragging to a floppy disk or the network). What's the deal with that wheel? Those of you who have a new computer may have a mouse with a gray wheel between the left and right buttons. This is handy on web pages and documents as a quick way to scroll up and down in the document. This type of mouse is called an "IntelliMouse."
My Computer The My Computer window is organized in sub-groups, which makes working with the computer easier. You save to myhome (network drive) not to the C: drive like you might on your own computer.
Hard Disk Drives The C drive is the hard drive in this computer. The hard drive contains all the operating system software and program files (Microsoft Office, MicroType, etc.). It is also where the document folders are located.
Devices with Removable Storage The 3½ Floppy A drive is for floppy disks. Newer computers don t have floppy drives any longer as floppy disks don t hold very much data. The DVD/CD Drive D is for reading DVDs and CDs.
Files Stored on This Computer There are two document folders, which are convenient and easy places to store files. However, in the computer lab you will not be saving anything in these folders. If you use these folders by accident, they will be gone the next day due to a program stored on the computer that reimages the computer daily.
Network Drives The network drives are located on a file server, which you can connect to by logging in with a user name and password. You will save ALL your files on the U: drive (myhome).
Organizing Files Computer files are organized within a hierarchy of folders. You can change the view of a window by choosing a different criterion under the View menu. To make a new folder, right-click in a window and select New Folder, then rename it to something descriptive. Now you can move files inside this new folder simply by dragging them over the folder icon. This is known as Drag-and-Drop, and it is very convenient for moving files. You can also copy files in a similar fashion by clicking the right mouse button on the file and choosing Copy, then right-click within the folder and choose Paste.
Creating Folders on the U Drive Open the myhome directory. Right click inside the window and choose New, then Folder from the shortcut menu. While the folder is active (it says New Folder, type in the correct folder name. Press Enter to accept the name. In CB10 (Survey of Info. Tech.) we will create folders as we create projects to store them in.
V drive (shared) on this computer is the place for you to find teacher-created created files. These files will help you work on certain projects.
Other The only item under other is the Control Panel.
The Control Panel is for adjusting computer settings.
Printers Black and White Color Printer Default Black and White (4000n)
Start Menu The Start menu can be used to access different areas in the computer and to start programs. The Start menu adjusts as you use XP and organizes programs for you.
Start Menu The Start menu contains shortcuts which lead to different areas and programs on the computer.
Taskbar The taskbar (the bottom bar on your window) can have many icons on it. Quick Launch Bar Current Applications Volume Control and Clock
Quick Launch Bar You may start programs on the Quick Launch bar with a single click. The Quick Launch bar allows you to skip the Start menu for certain programs. This helps you load commonly used programs faster than going through the Start menu. Quick Launch Bar
Current Applications The current applications are the programs that you have open. You may have several programs opened at once. This is called multi-tasking. tasking. To move from one program to another, simply click on the program you want to use (or use Alt-Tab). This also helps you work faster on the computer. Current Applications
The Volume Control The speakers for your system are built in to the monitor. You can adjust volume on the monitor. You can also double click on the speaker, you can change the sound properties and the volume.
Ending Class Different procedures will be shut down your computer, depending upon which hour your class meets. You will be told which procedure to use. But... first you will close any open applications by going to the File menu and selecting Exit or by clicking on the X in the top right corner of any windows that are still running. Next click on the Start menu, which is the 'Start' button on the bottom left of your screen, and then click on Shut Down. If your class is NOT turning off the computers, then in the box that pops up, choose Shut Down and then Log off Lab. If your class has been told to turn OFF the computers, then the box that pops up, choose Shut Down and then Shut down.
Error Messages Occasionally, your computer might freeze (stops working) or an application might quit responding. If you this happens, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to display the Windows Task Manager. You can end the application that is not working or you can choose to select Shut Down from the menu provided).
Quick Reference to Common Tasks Getting help The Help menu, located in the Start menu, contains information about using your computer, with step-by by-step instructions for a variety of tasks and other information about your computer and its i system software. Search Opening disks, folders, & files Go to Start Menu > Find.. Use the pop-up menu to specify where you want to search. You can search for files or folders on your computer, and also for computers connected to the network. Specify the criteria for your search and the results will appear in a window. Click once on an item to see its location, or double-click to open the item. Disks, folders, and files are all represented by an icon and a name. n An item may be opened by right-clicking on the item and choosing Open,, or by double-clicking on the item.
Quick Reference to Common Tasks Moving files Copying files To keep a disk organized, documents or files often need to be moved. To move a file or a folder, drag it (point to the icon, hold h down the mouse button, and move the mouse) to its new location. Files may be moved into or out of folders and items can be moved between windows by dragging the item from one window to the other. To move more than one item, point at each item and click while holding down the Ctrl (Control) key. Drag the item you are copying onto the item of the other disk (you may move it into a folder afterwards). Or you may copy from disk to disk by having a window open from each disk and dragging the item between windows. When you move an item to another disk a copy will be left on both disks. (When moving an item from one window to another window on the same disk, the item is actually moved but a copy is not made. To make a copy, use the right mouse button to drag the item and choose Copy from the pop-up menu.)
Quick Reference to Common Tasks Creating new folders Naming files Right-click and choose New,, and then Folder,, from the pop-up menu. A folder will appear in the active window. Rename it by right-clicking on it and choosing Rename,, and then press the Enter key. To name or rename a file, folder, or disk, click on its icon once, then click once on the name of the icon. A rectangle will surround the name, and the letters will be highlighted. Type the new name and press the Enter key. If you wish to alter an existing name, click on the name box and you will see the entire name highlighted and the cursor will look like the letter "I." Move the "I" beam cursor where you wish to add or delete letters and click. The cursor will be inserted where you clicked, and you may then alter the name a letter at a time.
Quick Reference to Common Tasks Deleting files Ejecting disks Finishing up To delete a file from a disk, drag the file into the Recycle Bin. Drag the item until the pointer is inside the Recycle Bin and the Recycle Bin darkens in color. When you have dragged something to the Recycle Bin, the Recycle Bin appears to be filled with paper per to let you know there's something in it. To permanently remove the deleted items, right-click the Recycle Bin and choose Empty Recycle Bin. To eject a floppy disk or CD-ROM, simply wait until the LED indicator (the small light) beside the drive is NOT illuminated, and then press the eject button Choose Shutdown from the Start menu and select Shut Down from the drop-down down menu. Click on the OK button. This will clear the PC's memory and prepare your hard drive for being shutdown. You may then have to physically turn off your computer, although in most cases it automatically powers off.
I Hope That You Have Fun in This Class and Learn Many Valuable Computer Skills And try not to get too frustrated if your computer won t cooperate!!!