Windows Basics

Start Menu

Start Menu

Log off - Log off the current user.

Turn Off Computer - shutdown, restart and standby.

Run - Used to manually start executable files (programs).

Search - Search your PC for pictures, music, documents,

files and folders.

Help and Support - Opens the built-in Windows help

including various help topics, windows updates and also

allows you to request remote assistance from a

friend/colleague via the internet or network.

Start Menu

Control Panel - The control panel is used to

configure various Windows settings.

My Computer - Gives you access to your

computer's disk drives and files.

My Music - Links to a folder created by

Windows which is used (by default) to store any

music files on your hard drive.

Start Menu

My Pictures - Links to a folder (again created

by Windows) used (by default) to store any

pictures/images on your hard drive.

My Documents - Gives access to a folder

created by Windows which is used (by default)

to store any documents on your hard drive.

All Programs Menu

From this menu you can access

the programs currently

installed on your PC.

Desktop

Once operating system loads a programme and screen you see, is called the desktop.

Desktops vary from one operating system (OS) to another, even are different from version to version.

Whatever type of OS you use, it is very important to know how to use the desktop correctly, because it is the base for all computer operations.

Desktop brief Overview

Desktop brief Overview

MS Windows are build with Graphical User Interface or GUI.

which means that the OS uses graphics and pictures to access programs and other OS applications. Simply this graphic or picture called Wallpaper .

Icons are another important graphic feature of the desktop. Icons are small pictures that are linked to actual programs.

Double-clicking on the icon enable us to run the program.

Right-clicking on icon offers a menu of options, actions and properties.

The user can put other icons on the desktop that will quickly access programs or files - like a shortcut. Icons can be moved around on the desktop by clicking and dragging them.

Desktop

Applications

Arrange icon by:

Name

Size

Type

Modified

Refresh:

Paste:

Paste shortcut:

Desktop Applications

Desktop

Applications

New:

Properties:

Clicking properties will lead you to system’s display properties or setting.

It contains the setting and information about:

Themes

Desktop

Screen Saver

Appearance

Setting

Desktop

Applications

Themes:

Themes are set or

programme of soft colors,

animations and graphical

presentation as per desired of

user.

Themes introduced in WIN

98 and PLUS!98. It features a

more appealing Hi-color

wallpaper, coordinated icons,

animated cursors and more.

Desktop

Applications

Desktop

Applications

Desktop:

Desktop tab contains the

information about the

background on system’s

desktop and advanced

CUSTOMISE DESKTOP

features.

Desktop

Applications

Customize Desktop features:

My computer, My documents, My Network Places and Internet Explorer’s icon are check or set by default, if you want to customize and uncheck anyone then these icons can not be visible on Desktop.

Here we can set desktop icons.

Desktop

Applications Change Icon Button:

Clicking this button user can change the picture of icon on desktop to his/her choice of picture.

Also user have option to browse an icon of choice.

Restore Default button:

It will set your desktop on genuine Microsoft Operating system’s setting.

Cleanup Now button:

This feature makes unused desktop icons and place in one folder.

Desktop

Applications

Web button:

Clicking this button enable

user to set particular

webpage on the desktop.

User can add webpage by

clicking New button.

One the webpage is set, it

will visible on desktop.

Desktop

Applications

Screen Saver:

When user is absent or unavailable from screen for a certain time, then system automatically apply screen saver.

User can set predefined Microsoft’s Screen saver and also browse other of his/her choice.

Setting button offers colors, shapes, size, min-max setting options.

Pre-review shows us its view before apply.

Wait shows period that after set time screen saver should be implemented.

and whether it is password protected or not once the user come back on screen.

Desktop

Applications

Appearance:

It show that how MS windows and its

buttons, color and font size should to

be looked or visible.

Effects use large icons, show shadows

under menus, shows windows menus

and hide underlined letters for

keyboard.

Advance appearance shows that user

can apply setting on any one of

application. i.e. desktop, title bar and

icons with choice of size.

Desktop

Applications

Setting:

It show monitor’s display

setting whether in pixels.

User sets here screen resolution

and color quality options.

Advance button options is for

setting or information about

hardware.

Desktop

Applications

Typical computer programs and software's used for Business, Education, Research, Multimedia, CD/DVD writing, Browsers, Word processors and Desktop publishing (Adobe, Corel, Quark) are desktop applications.

In other words icons on desktop are basically desktop applications.

Windows Accessories

The following are some basic windows accessories:

WordPad – Has a Ribbon and lets you highlight and indent

text, format it with bullets and insert pictures into a

document.

Calculator

Paint – Has a Ribbon and the same basic shape tools that

were in Word 2003 and natural media brushes like

watercolor, pencil and crayon (Colored chalk).

Word Pad

Windows Accessories

Calculator

The fresh calculator in Windows 7 also

support new elements, which are to be

found under the Options menu.

These let you calculate the duration

between two periods of time (date

calculation), access a set of four templates

designed to calculate lease (rent) and

mortgage (advance) payments, gas mileage

and give you a wage (salary/pay/income)

estimation (opinion/judgment).

All you have to do is pick the desired

worksheet and complete the fields

available for the application to calculate

the result.

Windows Accessories

Paint

A new ribbon—the strip across

the top of the window that

shows what Paint can do—makes

this tried-and-true program easier

to use, with choices displayed out

in the open rather than in menus.

And Paint's new realistic digital

"brushes" will bring your pictures

to life in shades of watercolor,

crayon, and calligraphy.

Windows Accessories

My Computer Window Double click on My Computer icon on desktop.

A rectangular portion of the display on a computer monitor

screen will appear that presents its contents (e.g., the contents of

a directory, a text file or an image) seemingly independent of the

rest of the screen.

Parts of a Window

Title Bar

Minimize Button

Maximize Button

Restore Button

Close Button

Menu Bar

Menu On a menu an option appears with a small

arrow pointing to the right means that that option contains other options.

An option that contains three dots, (for example Sharing and Security...) it means that the option needs more information to be executed; a dialog box will open in which you can enter info.

An option that is grey or lighter colored it means that it is not possible to select it at that moment.

Standard Toolbar

Contains icons to immediately execute some of

the most often used commands.

Back Button – last page

Up Button – up one level

Search Button – search for files

Folders Button - folder's structure on the left

side of the screen

Views Button - change the views on the folders

(view details, Thumbnails,... )

Scrollbar

Allow us to move through out the page in a

quick and simple manner.

Status Bar

Used to give the user certain information. This

information varies depending on the window

that is opened at the time.

Closing A Window

With the mouse, click the button

Through the menu.

File Close or Exit.

Close closes the active window, whereas Exit closes

the entire application.

Keyboard: ALT + F4

Windows Explorer

Start All

Programs

Accessories

Windows

Explorer

Start Run

type Explorer

Windows Explorer

A – folders list

B – Files and

Folders

Windows Explorer Views

Windows explorer allows us to see

the folder's information in

different ways or views to

facilitate specific searching:

Tiles: The files and folders are

shown with large images with the

name, file type and size in KB; if it is

a picture file the size is shown in

pixels

Windows Explorer Views

Icons: The files are represented with an icon smaller than a tile. The only information shown is the name of the file.

List: Shows small icons, one below the other, so it's easier to search by name.

Windows Explorer Views

Details: Icons are shown one below the other, with

some of their properties.

Windows Explorer Views

Thumbnails: A small representation of the content will appear with the format of the image, such as jpg., jpeg., bmp., gif., etc.

Filmstrip: This view is only available for images. On the bottom part a strip will appear with the images in thumbnail format and on the top we will see a larger representation of the image selected on the bottom.

Address Bar

Address Bar: Address bar is well known for

Internet because it shows the address of the web

we are viewing. With Windows Explorer it

functions the same way, but it shows the name

of the folder we are working with.

Creating a new folder or folders

using windows explorer

Right click anywhere in the white space and

hover the mouse over new

Click on folder from the sub-menu that appears.

Creating a new folder or folders

You will then be prompted to name the folder,

simply type in the name and then press the enter

(return) key.

Copying, Deleting, and Renaming

Files and Folders

Navigate to the folder

where the file or folder is

stored, then right click on

the file/folder of interest.

Copy

Delete

Rename

Shortcut Keys

Ctrl + C - Copy

Ctrl + X - Cut

Ctrl + V - Paste

Drag and Drop

Selecting Files

To select consecutive elements - Click on the

first element and then click on the last element

while keeping Shift key pressed.

To select several elements that are not

consecutive - Select the first element and

continue to select the desired elements while

keeping the Ctrl key pressed.

File and Folder Properties

Select the file/folder and

choose Properties option

from File menu.

Right click on the file/folder

and select Properties.

Sharing Tab Sharing: Sharing a folder

means allowing the users of other computers to access determined information within a network. Sharing applies to folders and not to files.

Right click on the folder Properties Sharing Tab Check ―Share this folder on to the network‖

Allow network users to change my file

Showing Hidden Files/Folders

Select the Tools menu and the option Folder options....

Select the tab View.

On the window the option Show hidden files and folders must be checked, if not click on it.

Click OK.

Searching Files

Click Start

Select on the

menu Search

Internet Explorer