WINDOWS EXPLORER
Microsoft Windows
Windows is an operating system and Graphical User Interface
(GUI) created by Microsoft and found on most computer systems (but not al!).
Allows for easy “point and click” operations between the user
and the different files and programs with which they wish to work.
While there are many different versions of Windows, the
fundamentals are the same.
Microsoft
makes the Windows operating system used in many computers. The operating system
is a set of instructions that tells your computer how to run and how to manage
the different programs that you install. There are several versions of Windows
currently in use including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, and Windows
Vista. The newest version of the Windows operating system is called Windows 7.
When you
install a newer version of your operating system, you “upgrade” to the more
recent version.
How to Boot
the Computer
This is the process of switching on the Computer.
Steps
1.
Power your mains (Socket on
the wall).
2.
Power your UPS.
3.
Power your Monitor or VDU
4.
Power your System Unit
(Computer)
Shutting the Computer
Down
1.
Click at the “Start” button
on the task bar at the foot of the screen.
2.
On the Start menu, click on
“TURN OFF”.
3.
On the TURN OFF dialogue
box, click on “Turn Off” again.
4.
Switch off your Monitor.
Desktop
The “Desktop” is the general work area of your computer. It
gives you access to programs, folders and documents that you use frequently.
This area is customizable on your own computer.
The
desktop is your work surface representing a physical workspace at home or work.
It is the screen you see once your computer has finished booting up and you are
ready to get started.
Icons - An icon is a
symbol/picture that acts as a button to open up a folder, document, application
or other object. The small pictures (icons) are
shortcuts to programs. Double-click icons to start a program. Clicking the
Start button also shows a list of programs and other options on the computer.
Icons vs. Programs
•
You double click on the icon
to execute the program.
•
When inside of the program,
you single click on the commands or icons for that program. (Examples: MS
Office, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Windows Media Player, etc.)
Different Types of Icons
•
Application Icons open up a
program (an executable file), like Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, etc.
•
Folder Icons store and
organize documents and applications. Often you will find folders within
folders.
•
Document icons represent
a specific file, like a word document, picture, etc. These files typically have
an association with the program that is used to open them.
Taskbar - the blue bar across the bottom
of the screen is called the Task Bar. It contains the “Start” button, the
“Windows” and also the “System Tray”.
Wallpaper (Desktop Background) - the
image on your desktop is called Wallpaper or Desktop Background.
Start - Clicking
on the “Start” button will give you access to settings, help, other programs
and documents and many other features.
Windows
The “window” refers to a program or document or other object
that is open
•
You can have multiple
windows open at once and easily switch back and forth between them.
•
You can move windows around,
resize them or have a particular window expand onto the entire screen.
Types of Windows…
•
Program Windows –
Applications like Word, Internet Explorer
•
Document Windows – Open to
a specific document within the applicable program window
•
Folder Windows – A
folder, like “My Documents” that may contain other folders, documents,
programs, etc.
System Tray – the area where you can
access programs that are running in the background. The more programs you have
in this area, the longer it takes for your computer to boot up.
System
Tray
The
system tray of your desktop area has icons to indicate which programs are
running in the background. Single click on the left-facing arrow button to open
it and see what else is there. Place your mouse cursor over top of the icons to
see what they are. (Don’t click. A small explanation box will pop up.)
Antivirus
Software - The Norton antivirus program looks like a yellow
shield. If you have a different antivirus program you will have to look through
the icons to see which one it is. To see options for using this program, either
right click on the icon to see a menu or double click on the icon to open the
program window.
Volume
Controls – The speaker icon will open the volume controls.
Single
click on the icon to make a quick volume change. Click and drag on the bar to
raise or lower the overall volume, or click in the check box to mute all sound.
Either
double
click on the sound icon OR right click on the sound icon and left click
on Open Volume Control to see all of the sound settings. Click and drag
the volume bars up or down to raise or lower the volume in specific categories.
Click and drag the balance bars left and right to change the balance settings.
Click in the box at the bottom of the categories to mute the sound.
External
Hardware – Another icon you may run across quite often is your
external hardware icon. This is only shown when you have a piece of external
hardware plugged in. Examples include things like flash drives, digital
cameras, external hard drives, etc. When it’s time to remove the device, it is
recommended that you tell the computer to stop the connection with the device.
That way your hardware isn’t damaged when you pull the device out.
To
stop the device, left click one time on the icon. Choose which device you would
like to remove, and left click on it one time. (Flash drives are commonly
called USB Mass Storage Devices.) You will be informed when it’s safe to remove
the device.
Windows Updates – If you see a
yellow shield with an exclamation mark on it, that means your computer has
updates from Microsoft that need to be downloaded. Single click on the icon to
see what needs to be done. Your computer will walk you through the steps.
Power (Laptop only) – There are two
symbols for power. One is a battery. The other is a power cord with a blue
lightning bolt. The latter symbol means that the laptop is plugged in to the
wall outlet and is charging. The battery symbol means that the laptop is running
purely off of battery power. Placing your mouse cursor on top of the symbol
will allow you to see how much of the battery is charged.
Wireless (Laptop only) – Laptop
computers are capable of connecting to a wireless network to gain access to the
Internet. To connect to a network, right click on the wireless icon and choose View
Available Wireless Networks. In the window that appears, choose the network
from the list that you desire to connect to and click on the Connect button
that will appear in the lower right corner.
Add
or Remove Desktop Icons
You
can add or delete Icons or Desktop Shortcuts from the Desktop area.
To add an Icon:
•
Click on the Start button.
•
Put your mouse over All Programs. A
menu will appear with all of your programs.
•
Go to the program that you want to create a
shortcut for and Right-click on it. A menu will appear.
•
Point to Send To
•
Left click on Desktop (create shortcut).
•
Left click on the desktop area to see your
new icon.
To remove an icon:
•
Left click on the icon.
•
Hit the Delete button on your
keyboard.
•
When your computer asks if you are sure you
would like to delete this program, click on the Delete Shortcut button.
The window that popped up is called a Dialogue Box.
Dialogue
Box
A
dialog box is window that appears when your computer has a question for you. In
order to continue using the computer, you must first answer its question. (We
saw one example of a dialog box when we told the computer to delete an icon
from the desktop.)
Sometimes
a dialog box appears merely to inform you of something. You must click on the OK
button to acknowledge that you have read the message before you can
continue. For example:
•
Double click on the My Documents folder
on the desktop.
•
Locate the any folder, and right click on it.
•
Left click on Rename.
•
Try Typing another name that another folder in that location has and
press the enter key on the keyboard.
•
A dialog box will appear to inform you that
you cannot rename the folder to that name because an item by that name already
exists.
Setting the Computer
Time
1.
Double click on the Computer
time in the System tray, on the Task Bar.
2.
On the date and time
dialogue box displayed on the screen, click and select your Month, click within
the year and set using the drop-down arrow.
3.
Select your day simply by
clicking at the number.
4.
Click within the hour,
minute and second area and then set with the arrows one by one or you can
highlight each of them and type in the number(s).
To check the time in different part of the world, click on
the time zone tab.
Customizing the Window
Desktop/Changing the background or its look
Find
Images Online
Now
that you have a folder to place things in, let’s find something to put in it.
•
Double click on the Internet Explorer icon on
your desktop.
•
In the Search box type what type of
picture you want to find (like sunsets) and hit the enter key on your keyboard.
•
When the Google page loads, click on the word
Images in the upper left corner.
•
Click on an image that you like.
•
When that new page loads, click on See
Full Size Image at the top of the page to see the picture by itself.
•
Right click anywhere on the image and left
click on Save Picture As… (Note: You can make this image your
desktop background immediately if you do not wish to save it on your computer
first. Just click on Set as Background from the right click menu.)
•
In
the window that opens, left click on Desktop on the left side.
•
Find
the folder you just created and double click on it.
•
Either
change the name of the file or keep it as it is.
•
Then
click on the Save button.
•
Minimize
the Internet Explorer window to see the desktop.
•
Double
click on your folder to see your saved image.
Wallpaper
The
wallpaper, or image, that is on your desktop can be changed. To change your
wallpaper:
•
Find an empty area on your
desktop with no icons or windows in the way.
•
Right click on the empty space
•
Left click on Properties
•
Left click on the Desktop tab
at the top of that window
OR
•
Click on the Start button
•
Click on Control Panel
•
Click on Appearance and Themes
(or Display for older versions of Windows and skip the next step)
•
Click on Change the Desktop
Background. The Display Properties Dialog box will appear.
•
Choose your wallpaper or background image from the list in the center.
•
Choose how you would like it
positioned from the drop-down list (centered, tiled, or stretched).
•
Then click on Apply. The
image that you have chosen will appear on your desktop. If you don’t like it,
choose another one.
If you
would prefer a solid color background:
•
Click on the down arrow next to Color.
•
Choose a color from the list.
•
Click on Apply.
Creating wallpaper from images saved on your Computer.
1.
Right click on your desktop.
2.
From the pop-up menu, click
at “Properties”.
3.
On the dialogue box
displayed click on desktop tab.
4.
Click on the Browse button.
5.
The Browse dialog box will appear. Navigate to
the correct folder (where you saved the image) (left click on Desktop from the
left and double click on your new folder) and select your image by clicking on
it once.
6.
Click on the Open button and
7.
Apply on the Display
Properties dialog box. The image will appear as your wallpaper.
Drop-Down Lists & Scroll Bars
We have
seen many drop-down lists and scroll bars while searching for a desktop
background image. Look at our Display Properties window.
There are two drop-down lists on the right side of the window. One
is used to position your image on the computer screen and the other is to
choose a solid color.
Notice how there is a downward-facing arrow or triangle on the
right side of each box? That indicates that there are more options to see for
that category. In order to select a different option, you must first click on
the down arrow.
A
scrollbar also indicates that there are more options to see for any given list.
It is also found on the right side of Internet and Word documents to see more
of the page.
To navigate an area that has a scroll bar, either:
•
Repeatedly left click on the up
or down arrow to navigate up or down the area.
OR
•
Click and hold down the left
mouse button on the small bar between the up and down arrows.
•
Move your mouse up or down while
holding the button down to navigate up or down the area.
Appearance
Notice
the tabs at the top of the Display Properties window. The fourth one over says Appearance.
Click on it to see what options are there.
Notice we see three drop-down lists. Click on the down arrows to
change the Windows style, the color scheme, or the font size. Click Apply when
finished.
Settings
The fifth
tab over on our Display Properties window says Settings. Click on that
to see the display settings.
Use the
options here to activate a second desktop area (for use when hooking up a
second monitor or connecting to a projector), change the screen resolution (the
larger the number, the smaller everything will appear), or set the color
quality.
Click on Apply when finished.
Screen Saver and Power Schemes
The third
tab over is called Screen Saver. This area allows you to add a screen
saver to your computer, although LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors do not
need to have a screen saver activated. Choose a screen saver from the drop-down
list if desired and choose a length of time to wait for it to begin.
More importantly, the power option button (computer shutting down
on its own or go into standby mode) found on the lower half of this window is
very helpful. (It can also be found by going to your Start menu, Control
Panel, Performance and Maintenance, and Power Options.)
Pick
a premade power scheme from the drop-down list at the top, or decide how many minutes
or hours you would like your monitor and computer to wait before it turns off
or goes into standby mode by changing the settings on the lower half of the
window.
Folder
Folder
is a yellow box-like object for collection of related Files together. Folders
help us to organize a File or Files. Some people like to keep folders on their
desktop to keep important files in. (You could also use the My Documents folder
for this purpose.)
File
is the collection of related information stored with a name in a drive.
To create a folder:
•
Find an empty area on your desktop with no
icons or windows in the way.
•
Right click on the empty space.
•
Point to New. (You
do not need to click.)
•
In the menu that pops out, left click on Folder.
•
Your new folder has been created and is
waiting for a name. Don’t click! Just start typing to give the
folder a name.
•
When finished, hit the enter key on the
keyboard or click beside the folder. Your new folder is ready to receive files.
Accessing a Folder
Simply double click at it or right click on it to
activate a menu from which to choose the “Open” command.
Creating a File inside a Folder
1.
Open
the Folder by double clicking or right clicking to activate a menu to choose
the open command.
2.
Right
click within the Folder window and from the menu displayed, place your mouse
over New.
3.
Select
either Text Document or Word Document.
4.
When an
object representing any of this file appears, type a name and press Enter.
To Type within the File
1.
Double
click at it to open it.
2.
Type
your sentence or information and choose SAVE from File menu or MS Office
button.
Renaming Folder or File
•
Simply
right click on the Folder or File and click on Rename, the name of the Folder
or File will be highlighted.
•
Type in
the new name and press Enter on your Keyboard.
Deleting Folder or File
•
Simply
right click on the Folder or File and click on Delete.
•
A
dialogue box will appear asking if your want to delete, click Ok.
Features of Windows
1.
Title Bar – at the top of the
window. This shows the name of the program running.
Most contain these buttons:
•
Minimize
•
Maximize/Restore They are called the “Control” buttons
•
Close
2.
Menu
Bar:
this gives list of menus with commands in them. Each menu has commands in it. On many windows you will see a menu bar, which allows you to
access features within that particular program. Office 2010/2007 programs have
a menu bar as well, but it’s configured differently and is called “the ribbon”
Scroll Bar helps
to view the unseen items.
3.
Scroll Bars
•
Scroll bars often appear at
the bottom and even more often on the right hand side of a window, if there is
a lot of content.
•
Scroll bars are disabled
when the content displayed is limited enough to fit within the dimensions of
the window.
4.
Task Bar displays the Start
button, Minimized programs and the System Tray.
Adjusting the size and
position of a window…
You can click and drag on the title bar to move your window
to another position
You
can resize your window by clicking on the “resize” button here.
Cut, Copy and Paste
Cut, copy, and paste commands can be used with to move text,
graphics and other items from one application to the next (from Corel Draw to
Microsoft Word, for instance).
•
Copied or cut items are
placed in temporary storage (the Clipboard) and can be retrieved as long as the
computer is on or if the item hasn’t been replaced by another that you select.
•
An item on the Clipboard can
be pasted multiple times.
Copy and Paste
1. Select
the item (text or graphic) to be copied by either highlighting the text or
right clicking on the graphic.
2. Once
you have made your selection, in the case of text, notice that it remains
highlighted
3. You
can now right click on your selection and select Copy OR Press [Ctrl]+
[C]
4. Now
you have copied the material and you can use it to paste into another
application…
Paste
•
Once you have copied the
item, go to the application where you would like to paste it.
•
Place your cursor where you
want to paste the item in the document (a word file, email, etc.)
•
Right Click and then select Paste
OR Press [Ctrl+[V]
Cut and Paste
1. Select
the item (text or graphic) to be cut by either highlighting the text or right
clicking on the graphic.
2. Once
you have made your selection, in the case of text, notice that it remains
highlighted
3. You
can now right click on your selection and select Cut OR Press [Ctrl]+ [X]
4. Now
you have copied the material and you can use it to paste into another
application…
Paste
•
Once you have copied the
item, go to the application where you would like to paste it.
•
Place your cursor where you
want to paste the item in the document (a word file, email, etc.)
•
Right Click and then select Paste
OR Press [Ctrl+[V]
CHANGING THE View of
Items in a Location
Click view and select Thumbnails, Tiles, Icon, List or
Detail.
Managing Multiple Windows
Your
taskbar area shows which windows are open. If you open a lot of windows from
the same program, they will start to stack up.
•
In Microsoft Word, click on the File
menu and then on New.
•
In the editing screen type Mr.
Frank is a fisherman and go back on the File menu and click New
to open another document
•
Repeat the first two steps at
least 5 times and keep typing in each of them. Your taskbar will start to
get full. Once you have seven windows open, they will all group together under
one item.
Normally,
if your items aren’t grouped together, you would be able to select one item
from the task bar to navigate to that window. When they are all stacked, you
have to click on the group and go from there.
•
Left click on the group of
stacked word documents in the taskbar to open the list.
•
Not Notice you can see which of the
documents each one represents. Click on the one you would like to see.
(Note:
If you have multiple word documents open and want to see the desktop right
away, right click on the group and click minimize group to minimize all documents.)
To close:
Instead of opening each window separately and clicking on the “X” in the upper
right corner, you can close them all at once. To do so:
•
Right click on the group in the
taskbar.
•
Left click on Close Group.
The Keyboard
A computer keyboard is very much like a typewriter keyboard, but
it has some extra keys.
The ESC
key in the upper left corner will close any menus you have opened but do not
want to select an item from. (Try opening the Start menu and then click
on the Esc key.)
The Function keys along the top of the keyboard each have special
uses, often in conjunction with the ALT or CTRL keys, depending on the program you
are using. F1 usually open the program’s Help options. It is different for
every program.
In the
bottom left corner are three keys unique to the keyboard – CTRL, Windows, and
ALT.
The CTRL
key is used in conjunction with other keys to perform various functions. (CTRL
+ P will open the print window when in Microsoft Word.)
The Windows
key works like pressing the Start button on the screen.
The ALT key is another helper key used in conjunction with
other keys.
The Caps Lock
key is used in typing. Pressing this key once will make all letters you
type CAPITALIZED. Press the Caps Lock key again to turn off this feature.
The Shift key is used in typing to make one capital letter.
To capitalize a letter, press the Shift key and hold it down, then press the
letter you want capitalized. Release the Shift key and continue to type.
The Arrow
keys help you move the cursor around the screen (when using a program like
Microsoft Word) or across a line of text when typing in a text box.
The Insert
key is used when typing to type over words you have already typed.
The Delete key is used to remove text you have typed that
is to the right of the cursor or to send selected items to the Recycle
Bin.
Pressing
the Home key sends your cursor to the beginning of a line of text.
Pressing the End key sends the cursor to the end of a line.
Page Up and Page Down move the
cursor through a document page by page, either up or down.
To the
right of the space bar you see another Alt key, Windows key, and Ctrl key.
Notice the new Application key. Pressing this key is the same as
pressing the right mouse button (right clicking).
The Backspace
key is used to remove text you have typed that is to the left of the
cursor.
The Enter key gives a new line (like a carriage return)
when you are typing. At other times the Enter key works like a left mouse
click.
Common Windows Commands
One feature of Windows is that there are usually many ways to
perform an action. This table shows the Windows Command, with the Menu,
Keyboard and Toolbar ways to tell the computer to perform that action.
|
Command
|
Menu
|
Keyboard
|
Toolbar
|
|
Help
|
Help
|
F1
|
|
|
New document
|
File or MS Office button >New
|
CTRL + N
|
|
|
Open
|
File or MS Office button >Open
|
CTRL + O
|
|
|
Close
|
File or MS Office button >Close
|
ALT + F4
|
|
|
Save
|
File or MS Office but ton >Save
|
CRTL + S
|
|
|
Print Preview
|
File or MS Office button >Print Preview
|
CTRL + F2
|
|
|
Print
|
File or MS Office button >Print
|
CTRL + P
|
|
|
Select All
|
Edit or MS Office button >Select All
|
CTRL + A
|
(none)
|
|
Copy
|
Edit or MS Office button >Copy
|
CTRL + C
|
|
|
Cut
|
Edit or MS Office button >Cut
|
CTRL + X
|
|
|
Paste
|
Edit or MS Office button >Paste
|
CTRL + V
|
|
|
Undo
|
Edit or MS Office button >Undo
|
CTRL + Z
|
|
|
Bold
|
Format or MS Office button >Font
|
CTRL + B
|
|
|
Italics
|
Format or MS Office button >Font
|
CTRL + I
|
|
|
Underline
|
Format or MS Office button >Font
|
CTRL + U
|
|
|
Find
|
Edit or MS Office button >Find
|
CTRL + F
|
|
|
Spell check
|
Tools or MS Office button >Spelling and
Grammar
|
F7
|
|
Steps to Formatting a Disk Drive
1.
Load Windows Explorer
2.
Select MY COMPUTER from the Left Pane to view
or see your disk drives on the right pane.
3.
Select the drive you want to format from the
right pane (e.g. Drive A: E: C:)
4.
Click File menu then “Format”.
5.
On the Format dialogue box, check quick
format, type a volume label in the space provided and click start.
6.
On the warning dialogue box, click at OK t
perform the action.
