WINDOWS 7 COMPUTER BASICS Crystal Lake Public Library Adult Services Department 126 Paddock Street Crystal Lake, IL 60014 815-459-1687 ext. 7
WINDOWS 7 COMPUTER BASICS When you leave today, you will be able to Identify main parts of a window, open and close programs, save files, delete files, navigate the computer and shut down the computer. Agenda I. Introductions II. Anatomy of the Desktop III. The Start Button IV. Taskbar V. Search VI. Parts of a Window VII. Saving a File to the Desktop VIII. Deleting a File from the Desktop IX. Other features of Windows 7 X. Shutting down a computer XI. Review
IMPORTANT DESKTOP ICONS My Computer - shows the disk drives and hardware connected to your computer. My Documents lets you access letters, reports, and other documents on your computer. Internet Explorer an Internet browser. Helps you find web sites on the Internet. Recycle Bin contains files and folders you ve deleted.
Anatomy of the Desktop Icons When on the desktop, icons are little pictures that represent programs or files. Double-clicking on an icon will open the program or file. Start Button Command central. Click on the Start button to run programs, open files, and turn off (shut down) your computer. Active Programs Each program that is running has a button in the Active Program Tray. You can see an icon representing the program and your can hover over the icon to see the program s current screen view. Status Area - Shows you what processes Quick Launch Area Programs that have icons in the Quick Launch area can be accessed by only clicking once hence, quick launch. Clicking on the icon of the desk blotter is a quick way to clear your desktop and minimize all open programs. are actively running in the background of your computer s memory. Taskbar Lets you know what programs are open on your desktop, even if they are not currently visible to you. The Start button and the clock are located on the taskbar.
TASK BAR The task bar is located at the very bottom of your computer screen. It includes icons that you have pinned to it for easy opening and icons from additional programs you currently have open. Move your mouse over the icons on the task bar and windows will show a preview of any open programs.
The Start Button Start Button Command central. Click on the Start button to run programs, open files, and turn off (shut down) your computer.
START MENU
START MENU To see a full list of all programs installed on your computer, click on all programs within the start menu near the bottom. To open a folder, click on the folder. A list of items held within the folder will expand. To open a program within that list, simply click on it.
SEARCH The search option in the start menu is a quick way to find the program you are looking for, without browsing through the entire menu. The search option is located at the bottom of the start menu. Simply start typing in the box and it immediately retrieves results
Saving a File to the Desktop 1. Click on the File menu in the upper left hand corner of the window, or the Office button if you are in a Microsoft Office program. 2. Click on Save as. A new window will open, on top of your open window. 3. Click on Desktop, listed in the left hand side of this window. 4. Type the name of the file you are saving into the File name box. 5. Click on the save button. 6. The file will now appear as an icon on your desktop.
Deleting a File or Icon from the Desktop Method 1: Click and Drag. 1. Put the pointer in the middle of the icon you want to delete. 2. Click and hold down the left mouse button. 3. While holding the button down, drag the icon to the Recycle Bin. 4. Let go of the mouse button.
Deleting a File or Icon from the Desktop Method 2: Using the Menu. 1. Put the pointer in the middle of the icon you want to delete. 2. Click once with the right mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear near the icon. 3. Click (left button) on the menu option Delete. A confirmation window will appear, asking if you really want to move that icon to the Recycle Bin. 4. Click yes (if you do) or no (if you have changed your mind).
Parts of a browser window Menu bar Address bar Title Bar Icons Toolbar Minimize Restore down / maximize Bookmark Bar Close Scroll bar Size of text / images
Parts of a browser window - Definitions: Title Bar Allows you to see what program you are running and what file is open. Menu Bar Provides access to pull down menus that allow you to use basic commands such as save, print, etc. Toolbar Provides access to command buttons/icons that represent the mostly frequently used tasks. Icons In a window, icons represent tasks that are specific to the program running in that window. Click once on an icon in the toolbar to perform that task. Scroll Bar Navigation bars along the right side of the window, and sometimes across the bottom of the window. The size of the bar indicates how large the file is the smaller the bar, the larger the file. Use the scroll bar to access information that isn t currently in the window. Minimize The Minimize button looks like an underline, located in the upper right hand corner of a window. Clicking on the Minimize button will temporarily make the window go away it minimizes the window to the active program bar at the bottom of the screen. The window is still active, but not open.
Parts of a browser window Definitions Continued: Restore Down/Maximize The middle button of the three in the upper right hand corner of a window. The only command button that changes its appearance when clicked. When the window takes up the full screen, the Restore Down/Maximize button looks like two windows, one behind the other. Clicking on it at this point will make the window smaller (restore it down). After you make the window smaller, the Restore Down/Maximize button looks like one window. Clicking on it at this point will maximize the window to full screen. Close The big X, located in the upper right hand corner of a window (often black or red). Clicking on the X will close that window permanently. Address Bar When an Internet window is open, the address bar shows the Internet address of the website that is open. This is also where you type in the address of a website to access that site. Bookmark Bar- Choose websites that you visit often and click on the star to bookmark them. Next time you would like to access that website, simply click on the bookmark. Text / Image size- click on the percentage in the bottom right-hand corner to make text and images larger or smaller.
OTHER FEATURES THAT COME WITH WINDOWS 7 Windows Media Center Windows Live Software Snap screens Show desktop button Windows Paint Snipping Tool Jump Lists Parental Controls Desktop Slideshow
SHUTTING DOWN THE COMPUTER To shut down your PC: 1. Close all programs you have been working on. It is NOT a good idea to turn the PC off without closing down any open programs first. You will lose data in any files that have not been saved. 2. Remove all floppy disks and/or CD-ROMS, etc., and put them away. 3. Click on the START button, and click on Shut Down.
Shutting Down the Computer Your computer will shut down. It may turn itself off, or it may give you a message that it is now safe to turn off your computer. If you get that message, press the power button on the computer to turn it off. After the computer is off, you may turn off the monitor, printer, and any other hardware devices that are connected to your PC.
IN REVIEW In review, we have covered: The main parts of a Windows 7 desktop. The main parts of a browser window. Basic Windows 7 computer navigation. How to open and close programs. How to save and delete files. How to shut down the computer.