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WORKING ON THE DESKTOP
By
Sharon Bond
The desktop is your own
workspace----the place where you run programs, open documents, and organize your
work in just the way you want to see it. Like a real desk, the Windows desktop
can accommodate many tasks at a time. Whatever you are currently working
on—writing a memo, reviewing an inventory database, working up a quarterly
budget worksheet, going online with your favorite network service, designing a
graphic letterhead, looking up information on a CD-ROM reference library, and
even playing a card game. On the side you can open any combination of programs
and documents on the desktop at once. You can neatly organize all open windows
in cascade and tile arrangements; and, to avoid clutter you can minimize any or
all of the windows you are currently working on, temporarily clearing them from
the desktop.
Windows has an extensive built-in Help
facility to guide you in your work on the desktop. When you have a question
about the steps of a procedure—or when you want to investigate a feature in
greater depth—you can quickly look up the relevant help topic.
In this lesson you will practice effective
techniques for switching among the programs you run on the desktop. You will
also learn how to organize your work and how to get help when you need it.
HOW TO USE THE TASKBAR:
The Taskbar gives you a useful list of all the
programs and documents that are open on the desktop. Whether you are
working on one job or several at a time, the Taskbar displays a button for each
program you are currently running.
REMEMBER:
The Taskbar’s shortcut menu—which you view by
clicking the
Taskbar itself with the right-mouse button—gives
you a variety of easy ways to organize your work.
Taskbar Skillbuilder: Sharon’s Tip Corner:
If you open many applications onto the desktop,
you may begin to challenge the capacity of your computer’s memory resources.
There are different ways to find out how much of
your computer’s memory is still available
1. Find your
My Computer
icon on your desktop.
2.
Right-click
your mouse on this icon.
3. Select
Properties
4. Choose the
Performance
folder.
The resulting dialog box below shows my computer
has 50% free System Resources.
I am using too much resource
memory.
HOW CAN I FIX THIS?
WHAT IS MAKING MY RAM MEMORY SO LOW?
Skillbuilder:
Part A:
Another way to find your computers memory resources.
1.
Right-click on My Computer.
2. Select the performance tab folder.
3. Write and tell the class how much System
Resource you have available in that application program.
4.
How much RAM (Random Access Memory) which
is temporary memory and allows you to run a number
of programs. When you run
out of this memory on your computer, you will have to close some of your
application programs. I call this memory the GAS of your computer……when you run
out you have to fill it
up again.
Freeing up system
resources do the following.
1, Select
Start Button on your task bar,
2. Choose
Programs, Accessories, System Tools
and choose
Disk Cleanu
3. Open
Disk Cleanup
a. Empty
Recycle Bin
b. Delete
Temporary Windows Files
c. Delete
Temporary Internet Files
You can also remove
unnecessary icons on your taskbar to clear up resource memory.
Right-click
a blank space on the taskbar and select
Properties.
You have two tab folders available
General
and
Advanced.
MOVING AND
HIDING THE TASKBAR:
Try some of these
tips:
Did you know that you can move the taskbar
from the bottom of the screen to either side or to the top? Just
click and drag the taskbar to the top or sides of your screen....drop it in the
spot that you like the best.
Be sure to click in an empty spot on the
taskbar, not on an open task or icon. You can see more tasks listed if it
is on the right (or left) of the screen.
You can widen the taskbar by passing the
mouse cursor over an edge until it changes to a double arrow. Click and
drag until it's the width you want.
Not "Always on top"
Normally, the taskbar is always visible
("on top") even when you have an application in full screen mode. This can
be annoying when you work on graphics or documents and need to see as much of
the application work area as possible.
To keep the taskbar from being "always on
top", click
1. Settings
2. Taskbar and deselect the "Always
on top" box.
3. When you need to see the taskbar
that is hidden by the current application, just press the Ctrl + Esc key
combination. This opens the Start Menu and brings the taskbar to the
front.
Try other tips
4. Right-click a blank space on the taskbar.
5. Select Toolbars.
6. Choose any of the toolbars you would like to
appear on the taskbar.
7.
Drag the top of the taskbar up or down to change its size.
*Note:
When the taskbar is at the top or bottom of the
screen, it will resize only in increments equal to the height of the
taskbar buttons.
8. Click on a blank spot on the taskbar and drag
the taskbar to one edge of the screen.
9. Point to the edge
of the taskbar. When the mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag
the edge to resize the taskbar.
To
Tile/Untile Task Windows:
Right-Click any blank spot on Taskbar, and you can Tile, Cascade, or Minimize
all Windows. Press Alt + T to change the status of the Toolbar.
Please visit the following links addressing
Taskbar Tips::
http://www.calawnet.com/computers/wstaskbar.html
http://www.softservepcs.com/taskbar.htm
http://www.computerhope.com/98tips.htm
http://www.computertips.com/Windows/Windows98/Taskbar/aheader.htm
Using the Keyboard to Access Menu Commands:
Press Alt+F to activate the file menu, Alt+E to activate the Edit Menu, etc.
You can then use arrow keys on keyboard to move through menus. Or can use
underlined characters (fastest method) to make menu choices . For example:
Under the File menu while the menu is open press N for New, O for Open, S
for Save As, etc.
In a dialog box that contains several command
buttons, the default button has a heavier black border than the others do. The
OK button is often the default. To select the default, you can simply press
Enter. Conversely, you can usually select the Cancel button by pressing Esc.
Pressing the ALT key activates the main menu; pressing again or ESC deactivates
the menu
Getting Out of Trouble:
Press the ESC
key to get out of menus or dialog boxes
Undo
(from Edit menu or CTRL-Z) to undo mistakes within application programs
Shortcut for Closing ANY active window:
ALT-F4
Careful!
This can also be used to close applications, and to quit Windows as well!
Getting Help:
F1 key—Help
key
You can also Select
Help from
the Start Menu
Help
is now simpler
& easier to use:
Contents, Index,
and Find. Index looks for the selected word or phrase as part of the titles of
Help topics. Find looks for the selected word or phrase anywhere within the Help
files. Within dialog boxes use the
"?"
button for Help Pointer
TIP:
Right-Click an object in a dialog box, then Left-Click once
on the "What's This" box Try this.
Troubleshooting
Problems Using Help
Go to the
Help Menu
and select
Contents and Index.
Type in the dialog box "Troubleshooting”. Notice all the topics you have
at your finger tips!!!!!!
Troubleshooters can step you through problem
solving for many topics, including printing, network connections, memory,
hardware conflicts and more
Shortcuts.
Important:
If you delete a shortcut you do not delete the application program.
A
Shortcut icon
can be created for any object, such as a program,
file, folder, tool, disk drive, or for any executable program. These
shortcuts can be placed anywhere on the desktop or in menus or folders.
Ways to Create a Shortcut:
Select the object and choose Create Shortcut from
the File menu.
Right-click the object and select Create
Shortcut.
Click and Drag the object with the Right Button,
or while holding down the CTRL-Shift keys
Creating Start Menu Shortcuts
Icons can be added to
the Desktop to serve as pointers to installed applications (more commonly
referred to as ('Shortcuts'). Double clicking on a shortcut icon will open the
related program or file. Shortcuts can be placed anywhere on the desktop for
convenience…but you might also want to place some within the Start Menu itself.
To do so
1. First Right-Click the Start menu and choose
Open to open the Start
menu window.
2. Next, open the window or locate whatever
icon you want to make a shortcut of. Try this: Select
Accessories, Programs and choose WordPad
3. Using the right mouse button, Right-Click
on
WordPad and drag the icon to the Start Menu window. A pop-up menu may
appear asking if you want to move, copy, or create a shortcut. Handy! Select
"create shortcut" and you're done! Sometimes it will just drop in. Check and
see if your short cut is in the Start menu.
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