[ WELCOME TO WINDOWS ]
®
Microsoft® Windows® is an operating system, a program that manages all other software
applications on your computer and its peripherals such as the mouse and printer. Software
applications that run under Windows have many common features. Depending on the
version of your operating system, some features may look, work, or be named slightly
differently on your computer.
The Desktop
When your computer is turned on and ready to be used, a Welcome screen showing the
names of every computer user on the computer will display. Click your user icon, key your
password in the textbox, and then click the Next button to access the desktop. The
illustration below shows a Windows XP desktop, which is the main working area. Your
desktop will have many of the same features. Your desktop may look different depending
on the programs installed on your computer and the way the desktop has been arranged.
Icons
Taskbar
Start button
Program button
The desktop displays icons and a taskbar. Icons provide an easy way to access programs
and documents that you frequently use. Desktop icons will vary. Two common icons are:
My Computer displays the disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and printers that are
attached to your computer.
Recycle Bin stores files and folders that have been deleted from the hard drive.
Documents in the Recycle Bin may be restored and returned to their folders.
However, once you empty the Recycle Bin, the documents are deleted and
cannot be restored.
The bar at the bottom of the desktop is the taskbar. The taskbar displays the Start button
on the left, a button for each program or document that is open, and the system clock on
the right (your taskbar may have additional icons). The taskbar enables you to open
programs and navigate on your computer.
Welcome to Windows ®
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The Mouse
Windows requires the use of a mouse or other pointing device such as a touch
pad built into your keyboard. The Windows software utilizes the left and
right mouse buttons. The left button is used to select text or commands, to
open files or menus, or to drag objects. The right button is used to display
shortcut menus.
The pointer (arrow)
indicates your location on the screen. To move the pointer, you
must first move the mouse. If you have a touch pad on your keyboard, move the pointer by
moving your finger on the touch pad. The mouse or touch pad is used to perform four
basic actions.
Point: Move the mouse so that the pointer touches something displayed on the screen.
Click: Point to an item, quickly press the left mouse button once, and release it. You will
always use the left mouse button unless directions tell you to right-click; which means click
the right mouse button.
Double-click: Point to an item; quickly press the left mouse button twice, and release it.
Drag: Point to an item, then hold down the left mouse button while you move the mouse
to reposition the item.
The mouse pointer changes in appearance depending on its location on the desktop and
the task being performed.
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The vertical blinking bar indicates the current position of the cursor.
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The I-beam indicates the location of the mouse pointer. To reposition the cursor at
this point, you must click the mouse button.
The arrow indicates that you can select items. It displays when the mouse is
located outside the text area. You can point to a toolbar icon to display the
function of that icon.
The hourglass indicates that Windows is processing a command.
A double-headed arrow appears when the pointer is in the border of a window; it is
used to change the size.
The Start
Button
The Start button opens the Start menu, which lists a variety of items from which to choose
such as programs and documents.
The Start menu is divided into three sections and displays some of the programs and
folders on your computer. The top of the menu displays the user icon and name. The
middle section contains two columns of commands. The bottom section contains the
Log Off and Turn Off Computer commands.
Let’s take a closer look at the middle section of the Start menu. Separator lines divide
sections of the Start menu. The section in the upper left is called the pinned items list,
which contains an icon for your Web browser and your e-mail program. The next section
below contains icons for your six most frequently used programs. The top right section
contains commands to access various folders and My Computer. If your computer is
connected to a network, the My Network Places command displays below My Computer.
The next section contains commands to customize the computer and peripherals. The
bottom section contains commands for Help, searching, and launching programs (Run).
Welcome to Windows ®
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If you do not see the program you need displayed, point to the All Programs arrow to
display a full list of programs available on your computer. To open an item listed on the
Start menu, point to the item and click the left mouse button. A right arrow beside a menu
item indicates that a submenu with more options is available for that item. (Note If an icon
is displayed on the desktop, you can double-click the icon to open the program, document,
or folder that it represents.)
User icon/name
Pinned items list
Folders
My Computer
Frequently used
programs
Separator line
Customize
computer and
peripherals
Help/search/launch
Windows
Fe a t u r e s
Windows displays folders, applications, and individual documents in windows. A window is
a work area on the desktop that can be resized or moved. To resize a window, point to the
border. When the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag the window to the
desired size. To move a window, point to the title bar, drag it to the new position, and
release the mouse button.
Close
Title bar
Menu bar
Toolbar
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The basic features of all windows are the same. Each window contains the following:
Menu bar: Displays commands available in the software.
Toolbars: Display icons that offer a convenient way to access frequently used commands.
Applications programs have different toolbars for different tasks.
Scroll bars: Enable you to see material that does not fit on one screen. You can click the
arrows on the scroll bars or drag the scroll box to move through a document.
Title bar: Displays the name of the application that is currently open and the path (folder
name). The Title bar also includes several buttons at the right.
Minimize button: Reduces the window to a button on the taskbar. To restore the
window, click the button on the taskbar.
Maximize button: Enlarges a window to full-screen size.
Restore button: When you maximize a window, the Maximize button is replaced with
a Restore button that, when clicked, returns the window to its original size.
Close button: Closes the application.
Minimize
Help
Index button
Maximize
Close
Restore
Help is available for Windows. Help is also available with each software application that you
use. Generally you will use the Help feature provided with the application. To access Windows
Help, click the Start button, and then click Help and Support. You can choose from the list
of Help topics displayed, or key your
topic in the Search box and click the
green arrow.
You can also click the Index button
on the toolbar to display a list of
specific items in alphabetical order.
As you key the characters of the
topic in the entry box, the program
automatically moves to items
beginning with the keyed letters.
When the correct topic displays,
highlight it and choose Display. If
you prefer, you can scroll through
the list of topics until you find what
you are looking for.
Search box
D r i l l
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1. Click the Start button. Choose Help and Support.
2. Click What’s new in Windows XP from the Help topics.
3. Click Taking a tour or tutorial in the left pane.
4. Choose Take the Windows XP tour in the right pane. Follow the directions on the screen
to complete the Windows XP Tour. When finished, close the Help and Support Center.
Welcome to Windows ®
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