Computer Basics
Parts of the Computer
Storage Devices
Flash (USB)
Drive
Hard Drive
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CD/DVD
Floppy Disk
The hard drive is inside the case. A lot of information can be stored there, but it is not
portable.
Flash or USB drives can hold quite a lot of data and are a safe way to transport your
documents. The biggest danger is probably misplacing them.
CDs hold more information than a floppy. (A 650 MB CD is equal to approx. 450 floppy
disks)
Floppy disks are an old technology but can still be used in older computers. New
computers do not automatically come with floppy drives anymore.
Computer Basics
Updated: January 2011
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The “Desktop”
The Desktop is the first screen you see once the computer has finished starting up.
Background
Recycle Bin
My
Computer
Icon / Shortcut
Folder
Taskbar
Start
Button
System
Button
Examples of Desktop Icons
Each icon gives you access to a “tool” (often called a program or application) that enables you
to do a specific task with your computer. For example:
Allows you to see what’s
on your computer’s
storage devices.
Computer Basics
Web browsers like
“Internet Explorer”
and “Firefox” allow you
to view websites.
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Word processors like
“Microsoft Word” are used
for typing letters, resumes
and other documents
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The Mouse
We use the keyboard and mouse to tell the computer what we want it to do.
Scroll
wheel
Mouse Parts
Left button
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Left
button
Right button
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Brings up menu of options related to what
the mouse is pointing at.
Scroll Wheel
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Right
button
Single click: to select an icon OR follow a web link
Double click: to open a file or a program.
Used to move up and down on pages
Holding the Mouse
1. Put your hand over the mouse.
2. Rest the heel of your hand on the desk at the
bottom of the mouse, with the mouse buttons facing
away from you.
3. Rest your index finger over the left mouse button.
The Mouse Pointer
Exercise: Pointing & Clicking
-What shape is your mouse pointer?
-Move the pointer around the
desktop
- Point at an icon and left click once
- Point at another icon and left click
twice (double click)
- Point at an icon and right click
- Point at the background and right
click
- Point at the “Start” button and left
click
By moving the mouse around on the table we can “point” at different things on the computer’s
monitor. The “mouse pointer” can take different shapes, and shows us where the mouse is
currently pointing.
I
Mouse pointer shapes
• Arrow – it is most often an arrow
• Hourglass - when the computer is “thinking
• Hand – when pointing at a web link
• Bar – when over a place where you can type
Using the Mouse to Drag an Icon
1.
2.
3.
4.
Move the mouse pointer over the item.
Click the left mouse button once and hold it down.
Drag the item to its destination.
Release the left mouse button.
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Exercise: Dragging an icon
- Point at an icon
- Click and hold down the left
button
- Move the mouse. The icon
moves too!
- Stop moving the mouse and
let go the left button.
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The Keyboard
The Cursor
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Before you use the keyboard,
you need to position the
“cursor”. The “cursor” looks
like a black flashing vertical
line. It shows you where on
the screen you will be typing.
Letters appear to the left of the
cursor and it moves to the
right as you type.
Exercise: Putting the Cursor into a Box
- Double (left) click on the Internet Explorer icon
- Use your mouse to point at the “Ask a Librarian” button
and left click once.
- Point at the white box under “name” and left click once.
(Did you notice the “I” shape of the mouse pointer? Do you
see the flashing bar in the box now?)
- Find another box where the mouse pointer becomes an
“I” and click there to relocate the curser.
- Return the cursor to the “Name” box
Caps
Shift
Backspace
Space
Enter
Special Computer Keys
Exercise: Typing in a Box
Arrow Keys: Move your cursor
Space bar: Adds a space
Enter/Return: Puts your cursor on a new line
Shift: Hold down the shift key while typing a letter to
get a capital letter. When there are two symbols on a
key, you can hold the shift key down to type the
upper symbol
Caps Lock: After you press caps lock, all the letters
you type will be capital letters. To go back to typing
lowercase letters, press caps lock a second time.
The caps lock has no effect on number or symbol
keys
Backspace: Deletes everything to the left of your
cursor
Computer Basics
Arrow Keys
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(Continued from cursor exercise)
- Type your first and last names in
the box. (Hint: you will need the
shift key and the space bar.)
- Use the backspace button to
delete your names.
- Press the Caps Lock key once.
Type something. Press the Caps
Lock key again. Type some more.
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Windows
A “window” is a framed square where information is displayed.
Opening a Window
Double (left) click on an icon to open a window. In the previous exercise you double clicked on
the Internet Explorer icon which opened a window like the one below. When you open a window
a new button appears on the taskbar (see illustration of desktop on page 2 if you can’t
remember where the taskbar is.)
The Window Frame
Although the stuff in the middle changes depending on which icon you click on, the window
frame always looks the same and has the same functions.
Top Blue Bar
Buttons
Edges
Scroll
Bar
Application
menus and
buttons
Content
Corners
Computer Basics
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Buttons:
Maximize
Minimize
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Close
Minimize: Click here to hide the window. Helpful if you want to see stuff underneath
the window. You can get the window back by clicking on the button on the task bar.
Maximize: Click on the middle button to expand the window to the size of the entire
screen. Once the window is maximized, clicking the button again will shrink the
window back down to its original size.
Close: Closes the window completely. To bring it back you will have to double click
on the icon again.
Top Blue Bar:
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Provides information about the application (e.g. Windows Internet Explorer) and what
you are using it for (e.g. to view the Home web page for Halifax Public Libraries)
When a window is not maximized, you can use the blue bar to drag a window to a new
position.
o Point at the blue bar with your mouse
o Press and hold down the left mouse button
o Move the mouse, and the window will move too.
o Release the mouse button once you have the window where you want it.
Edges and Corners:
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When the window is not maximized, you can
use the edges and corners to resize the
window.
o Hover over the edge/corner until the
mouse pointer becomes a little
double arrow.
o
o
o
Press and hold down the left mouse
button
Move the mouse and the
edge/corner will move too, resizing
the window.
Release the mouse button.
Computer Basics
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Exercise: Manipulating Windows
- Double click on the Internet Explorer
icon to open a window.
- Click the “minimize” button. The
window is now hidden.
- Double click on the Firefox icon.
- Find the buttons for your two windows
on the taskbar.
- Click the buttons to alternate which
window is on top.
- Close one of the windows. (Notice
that its button is no longer on the task
bar.)
- Use the edges and corners to resize
the remaining window.
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Scroll Bar:
When a window is too small to show all the
information on a page, scroll bars will appear
on the bottom and/or right of the window
frame.
Exercise: Scroll Bars
1. Click the arrows on either end
to move a little at a time.
2. Click the lighter area to move
more rapidly.
3. Drag the darker part of the
bar:
- point at it with your mouse
- press and hold the left mouse
button
- move the mouse
Try these other ways to scroll too:
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Roll the mouse scroll wheel
Use the arrow keys on the keyboard
Websites
You now have all the basic skills you need to start looking at websites and surfing the internet!
The Internet – Lots of computers, all over the world, connected and able to communicate with
one another. This makes e-mail, surfing the web and online chatting possible. Information
available via the internet that can be displayed visually by a “web browser” is called the “World
Wide Web” (i.e. web sites).
Web Browsers – Programs (software applications) on your computer that allows you to view
web sites. Examples of browsers include Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox,
Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari.
Hyperlinks – Clicking your Way to More Web Pages:
Hyperlinks are text or pictures on a web page that can
be clicked on to take you to another web page. Words
that are hyperlinks are often (but not always) a
different colour than their neighbours and they are
sometimes underlined.
You can tell when your mouse is over a
hyperlink because the mouse pointer will
become a hand.
Computer Basics
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Exercise: Clicking on Hyperlinks
1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Move your mouse around in the
window and find some hyperlinks.
(Hint – look for words or pictures
3. Point
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Website Addresses – Going Directly to Your Favourite Sites
A website address is the information your browser needs to connect to another computer on the
internet and retrieve a web site for you to view. They often begin with “www.” and are
sometimes called URLs (Uniform Resource Locator). They need to be typed into the browser’s
address bar.
Examples of Website Addresses / URLs :
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Halifax Public Libraries: www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca
Halifax Regional Municipality: www.halifax.ca
Halifax Chronicle Herald: www.thechronicleherald.ca
Government of Nova Scotia: www.gov.ns.ca
Nova Scotia Tourism Site: www.novascotia.com
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: www.cbc.ca
Environment Canada’s Weather Office: www.weatheroffice.gc.ca
The Canadian Encyclopedia: www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com
Steps for Going to a Website:
1. Point your mouse anywhere in the
browser’s address bar and left click
once.
2. Press the backspace button on the
keyboard to delete the address that
was in the box.
3. Type the address for the website you
want to visit.
4. Press the Enter key on the
keyboard.
Computer Basics
Exercise: Going to the CBC Website
1. Open a web browser by double clicking on
its icon.
2. Find the browser’s address bar. What address
is currently in it?
3. Click in the address bar and delete what’s
currently in there.
4. Type www.cbc.ca and press the Enter key.
5. Enjoy looking at the CBC website and try
clicking on a few hyperlinks.
6. Now see if you can repeat these steps to visit
another website from the list above.
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Search Engines - Finding Websites
Search engines are special websites that make it
possible for you to find other websites even when you
don’t know their web addresses. The most widely
used search engine is Google.
Website Address: www.google.ca
Exercise: Using Google
1. Go to www.google.com
2. Click in the Google search box
3. Type Halifax health
4. Press Enter.
5. A list of websites related to health
in Halifax will appear. Do you
recognize any?
6. Each item in the list has a blue
heading followed by some text. Click
on one of the blue headings to go to
the associated website.
Finishing Up for Today
We hope you’ve enjoyed your introduction to computers!
FINAL EXERCISE: Shutting
Down the Computer
Shutting Down the Computer
Whenever you’re finished using a computer you should shut it
down. For the computer it’s a bit like tidying up your desk and
filing important papers away so you can find them again.
Practice is Essential!
The only way to improve your computer skills is to practice
what you have learned. If you don’t have a computer at home
you can use the library computers to practice.
Here are the website addresses for two excellent tutorials.
Use them to perfect some of your new skills. (The library’s
information desk staff can help you to get to these exercises.)
• www.mesalibrary.org/research/mouse/page01.htm
• www.pbclibrary.org/mousing
1. Single left click the Start
button, click Shut down. A
little window will open.
2. Click Shut down. Click OK.
3. Your computer will start
shutting down and switch
itself off. (If you see a
message saying “It is now
safe to turn off your
computer” you can push
the power button to turn it
off.)
Want to Learn More?
The library offers many computer classes. You can learn how to search the internet, use email
and type using word processors. To find out about upcoming classes call or visit your nearest
branch or visit this page on the library’s website:
• www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/computers
Computer Basics
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Basic Computer Terms
Application:
a computer program designed for a specific task or use. Examples: a word processing
application to write letters, a communication application to do email
Background:
the image that fills the background of the desktop. Could be a picture, scenery, etc.
Buttons:
found on the taskbar; represent open applications and include images and text describing
the application.
Desktop:
the first screen you see after the operating system loads and contains icons, buttons,
task bar, shortcuts, etc.
Icon:
a picture that acts as a shortcut to a particular file, directory, window, option, program or
application.
My Computer:
icon that, when clicked, will open a window displaying a list of disk drives found in
your computer (A drive, C drive, CDROM drive, etc.)
Operating system: also known as the “OS”; software designed to make hardware and applications work
together; Examples: Windows, MS-DOS, UNIX, MacIntosh
Program Menu:
a list of programs installed on your computer; can be accessed from the Start menu.
Recycle Bin:
When you delete a file from your computer, it does not get “completely” deleted from your
computer; instead it is moved into the Recycle Bin. From the Recycle Bin you choose
then to completely delete the file from your computer or restore it.
Shortcut:
a time-saving link to an application
Software:
a set of instructions that 1) tells the computer what to do, 2) talks to and controls
hardware, and 3) tells the computer how to display information.
Examples: Operating system software like Windows and application software like
Internet Explorer for viewing websites.
Start Button:
can be opened by clicking on Start button at the bottom left corner of the desktop. It
gives access to programs, recently used documents, settings for particular hardware and
software applications, search function for files and folders, and a help option.
System tray:
Is a section of the taskbar that displays the time and contains icons for constantly running
applications.
Taskbar:
a horizontal bar located at the bottom of the computer screen that lists applications that
are currently in use
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Computer Basics
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