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GETTING STARTED WITH WINDOWS
by
Sharon Bond
There are many reasons for running Windows on a
personal computer. Some people do so simply because their favorite
application----a word processing program, a spreadsheet, or even a
game-----won’t work without it.
Other people run Windows to take advantage of a
particular feature the software itself supplies---such as the Explorer or
the Paint program that comes with the Windows package. Still others like
Windows because it allows them to coordinate all their computer work in a single
software environment---an environment that supplies a common set of simple mouse
and keyboard operations as well as convenient ways to exchange information among
programs.
You will start out with your own particular
reasons and you may find yourself amplifying those reasons over time. But no
matter what you plan to use Windows for, there are certain basic features and
skills that you will want to master when you first begin. You will need to know
how to make your way around the “desktop” that appears on your screen; how to
use the mouse and the keyboard; and how to select and run the programs that
Windows puts at your fingertips. In this first lesson you will begin developing
these important skills.
SHARON’S TIP CORNER:
TASKBAR
1. If you have not taken the Windows Welcome
Tour, this is a good place to start.
2. Click the Start button
in the bottom left corner of your taskbar and choose the
Run
command.
Enter
Welcome in the box labeled Open, and then
click the Ok button.
The Welcome window appears over your current work
on the desktop. Take the tour about using Windows. This is a great place to
start.
3. Windows allows you to run more than one
program at once. A button on the Taskbar represents each running program. I will
have Adobe PhotoShop, Windows Folder, Microsoft Word and Netscape open on my
taskbar and ready to use with just the click of my mouse.
4. You can use the keyboard to navigate the
Start menu. To view the Start menu, press the Ctrl+Esc. Press the up or down
arrow key to select and highlight a menu entry. Press the right-arrow key to
view another menu.
When you have highlighted the program you want,
press Enter to run it.
HOW TO USE THE MOUSE:
1. Hold the mouse like a raw egg…..don’t choke
the poor thing.
2. Double-clicking is often a quick technique
for opening a document or starting program. For example, double-click the My
Computer
icon to open that folder.
3. To drag an object, point to the item
and hold down the left mouse button.
Release the mouse button to settle the
object in its new location. Try moving the
title bar at the top of the window, and dragging
the window to a new position on the desktop.
4. To pull down a menu
in an open window, use the mouse to click the menu’s name in the menu bar.
You can then choose a command by clicking an entry in the menu. In
response, Windows carries out the command you have chosen.
5. Great Features.
Look at the blue title bar at the top of the
window. On the far right are three icons. To change the appearance of a
window you can do the following:
a.
Click the Dash  and this will minimize your window to your taskbar. This program
will be running in the background while you are working on other programs. To
redisplay the window, move the mouse over the minimized window and just press
the left button.
b. Click the square icon and this will
maximize your window. When you maximize the size of an open window, the maximize
button is replaced by the restore button, a small icon representing two
overlapping windows. Click the restore button to return to its previous size.
6. How to change Mouse
Settings.
a. Click Start and select Settings.
b. Move the mouse over and click (open) Control
Panel.
c. Double click on the Mouse Icon and Mouse
properties will appear.
d. If you are left-handed, you can switch.
You are able to increase or decrease the double-click speed you would like to
use
.
7. Using the mouse with two buttons:
a. Use the left button—the primary button—for
most tasks.
b. The right button enables you to quickly accomplish
common
tasks. If you click an item by using the right button,
a menu is displayed
containing commands specific to the item.
I use this right button all the
time.........IT IS GREAT!!!!!!
HOW
TO START A PROGRAM.
THE Start Button
gives you quick access to programs, files and Windows Help.
Sharon’s Tip Corner:
a. To display the Start menu using the keyboard, press and
hold down the Ctrl Key and then press the ESC key.
b.
b.
To select a
menu item using the keyboard, press the key for the underlined letter.
(Example: O for Open, E for Explore).
You can also
press P for Programs in the Start Menu.
The start button  will
allow you to access Programs, Favorites, Documents (up to 15), Settings, Find,
Help, Run, Log Off, and Shut Down.
To start a program just move the mouse over the
program you want to start and then press the left button.
Note: To
close the Start menu without selecting a program, move the mouse outside the
menu area and then press the left button.
HOW TO SIZE A WINDOW:
You can easily change the size of a window
displayed on your screen. Enlarging a window lets you view more of its
contents. Reducing a window lets you view items behind or covered by the
window.
1. Position the mouse over the title bar of
the window you want to move.
2. Press and hold down the left button as you
drag the mouse to where you want to place the window.
3. You can change the size by positioning the mouse over an
edge of the window you want, press and hold down the left button as you drag the
mouse until the window displays the size you want.
I call it the CLICK, HOLD AND DRAG MOTION.
SWITCH BETWEEN WINDOWS:
You can have more than one window open at a time. You can
easily switch between all the windows you have opened. Each window is like a
separate piece of paper. Switching between windows
lets you place a different piece of paper at the top of the pile.
You can work in only one window at a time.
The active window appears in front of all other windows and displays a blue
title bar.
The taskbar displays a button for each open
window. If you want to work with another window just move the mouse over the
taskbar to that program and click.
SHUT DOWN WINDOWS:
When you finish using your computer, you should
shut down Windows before turning off the computer.
1. Move the mouse over Start and then press the
left button.
2. Move the mouse over Shut Down and press and
then Select Shut down and click OK.
3. DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER UNTIL THIS
MESSAGE APPEARS ON YOUR SCREEN
IT’S SAFE TO
TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER.
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