WINDOWS XP WINDOWS XP FUNDAMENTALS

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1 WINDOWS XP WINDOWS XP FUNDAMENTALS

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3 ABOUT GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE, INC. Global Knowledge, Inc., the world s largest independent provider of integrated IT education solutions, is dedicated to improving the way companies and individuals learn, use, and master technology. The company s educational solutions empower customers with choice, allowing them to determine when, where, and how they want their IT education programs to be designed and delivered. Global Knowledge s blended IT education solutions combine vendor-authorized content with Global Knowledge developed curricula and deliver this through the right mix of intensive hands-on classroom training and interactive e-learning. Global Knowledge has a large, growing portfolio of e-learning content, products, and services. For large businesses, the company offers complete program management including enrollment, assessment, progress tracking and certification. COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS Copyright 2002 Global Knowledge Network, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including interior design, cover design, icons or content may be reproduced by any means, be it transmitted, transcribed, photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form, without the prior written permission of Global Knowledge Network, Inc. ( Global Knowledge ). Trademarks: All brand names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. CustomDOC is a registered trademark of Global Knowledge, Inc. Courseware Express, Global Knowledge, and the Global Knowledge logo are trademarks of Global Knowledge. DISCLAIMERS LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: Author and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book. Global Knowledge makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. There are no warranties that extend beyond the descriptions contained within this paragraph. No warranty may be created or extended by any sales representative or sales materials. The accuracy and completeness of the information contained herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any particular results, and the advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every individual. Global Knowledge, Inc. shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Published By: Global Knowledge Network, Inc. Knowledge Products Division 475 Allendale Road, Suite 102 King of Prussia, PA PTS Learning Systems Page i

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5 WINDOWS XP FUNDAMENTALS ABOUT GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE, INC... I COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS... I DISCLAIMERS... I LESSON 1 - LEARNING THE BASICS...1 Working with Windows XP Features...2 Starting Windows XP...2 Exploring the Windows XP Desktop...5 Using the Mouse...7 Closing a Window...10 Exploring the Start Menu...11 Opening My Computer...14 Working with Files and Folders...15 Using Menu Commands...17 Exercise...20 Learning the Basics...20 LESSON 2 - EXPLORING WINDOW FEATURES...23 Working with Window Sizes...24 Minimizing and Restoring Windows...24 Restoring Down and Maximizing Windows...26 Moving a Window...28 Changing a Window's Size and Shape...29 Scrolling Open Windows...30 Exercise...32 Exploring Window Features...32 LESSON 3 - USING PROGRAMS...33 Opening a Program from the Start Menu...34 Working with Text...35 Using a Dialog Box...36 Saving a File to My Documents...39 Closing a Program...41 PTS Learning Systems Page iii

6 Opening a File from My Documents...42 Exercise...45 Using Programs...45 LESSON 4 - WORKING WITH VIEWS AND TOOLBARS...47 Using Views and Toolbars...48 Displaying and Hiding the Status Bar...48 Hiding and Displaying a Window Toolbar...50 Using the Back and Forward Buttons...52 Changing Views in a Window...54 Sorting a Folder in the Details View...57 Adding Columns to the Details View...59 Arranging and Grouping Icons...62 Changing Folder Options...64 Exercise...68 Working with Views and Toolbars...68 LESSON 5 - ORGANIZING FILES AND FOLDERS...71 Using the Common Tasks Pane...72 Using the Folders List...73 Selecting Multiple Items...76 Renaming a Folder or File...78 Creating a New Folder...80 Copying/Moving Files and Folders...81 Copying/Moving with Drag and Drop...84 Creating a Shortcut...87 Deleting Files, Folders, or Shortcuts...89 Using the Undo Feature...90 Using Windows Explorer...92 Exercise...94 Organizing Files and Folders...94 LESSON 6 - WORKING WITH MULTIMEDIA FILES...97 Customizing a Folder...98 Working with Picture Tasks Using the Picture and Fax Viewer Opening the Windows Media Player Page iv PTS Learning Systems

7 Using the Windows Media Player Using Compressed Folders Exercise Working with Multimedia Files LESSON 7 - WORKING WITH MULTIPLE WINDOWS Switching between Open Windows Showing the Desktop Cascading Open Windows Tiling Open Windows Using Grouped Taskbar Buttons Using the Grouped Taskbar Button Menu Exercise Working with Multiple Windows LESSON 8 - USING THE SEARCH COMPANION Working with the Search Companion Searching for Files and Folders Using Advanced Search Options Searching by Date Changing Search Preferences Searching for Multimedia Files Exercise Using the Search Companion LESSON 9 - USING THE DESKTOP AND RECYCLE BIN Creating a Folder on the Desktop Renaming an Item on the Desktop Using Cut/Copy and Paste Sending a Shortcut to the Desktop Arranging Items on the Desktop Deleting Desktop Items Restoring a Deleted Item Emptying the Recycle Bin Configuring the Recycle Bin Exercise Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin PTS Learning Systems Page v

8 LESSON 10 - WORKING WITH STORAGE DEVICES Viewing Storage Device Properties Mapping a Network Device Sending a Folder or File to Diskette Copying Files to CDs Formatting a Diskette Exercise Working with Storage Devices LESSON 11 - USING THE CONTROL PANEL Opening the Control Panel Adding or Removing Programs Viewing Audio Settings Viewing System Properties Managing Windows Updates Setting Date and Time Properties Using Accessibility Options Exercise Using the Control Panel LESSON 12 - WORKING WITH PRINTERS AND HARDWARE Adding and Changing Hardware Changing Mouse Settings Changing Keyboard Settings Adding a Printer Setting a Printer as the Default Setting Printing Preferences Working with the Print Queue Exercise Working with Printers and Hardware LESSON 13 - CUSTOMIZING THE DISPLAY Viewing the Display Properties Changing the Desktop Background Changing the Appearance of Windows Using Themes Activating a Screen Saver Page vi PTS Learning Systems

9 Using the Settings Page Displaying Desktop Icons Using the Desktop Cleanup Wizard Exercise Customizing the Display LESSON 14 - USING THE START MENU Working with the Start Menu Adding Shortcuts to the Start Menu Removing Shortcuts from the Start Menu Rearranging Items - All Programs Menu Changing Start Menu Settings Changing Advanced Settings Exercise Using the Start Menu LESSON 15 - USING THE TASKBAR Customizing the Taskbar Hiding the Taskbar Customizing the Notification Area Displaying a Toolbar on the Taskbar Unlocking the Taskbar Adding a Quick Launch Toolbar Shortcut Exercise Using the Taskbar LESSON 16 - USING ACCESSORIES Using the Calculator Performing a Basic Calculation Opening a File in a Text Editor Using the Windows Clipboard Using the Paint Program Exercise Using Accessories LESSON 17 - USING THE HELP AND SUPPORT CENTER Exploring the Help and Support Center PTS Learning Systems Page vii

10 Printing Help Topics Searching for Help Topics Changing Search Options Using the Help Index Using Favorites and History Lists Changing Help Options Using Support Options Creating a System Restore Point Using a System Restore Point Exercise Using the Help and Support Center LESSON 18 - GETTING STARTED WITH INTERNET EXPLORER Starting Internet Explorer Entering URLs in the Address Bar Using Hyperlinks to Open Other Web Pages Navigating Web Pages Returning to Your Designated Home Page Using the Favorites List Opening Pages from the History List Searching the Internet for Information Exercise Getting Started with Internet Explorer LESSON 19 - USING ACCOUNTS AND SHUTTING DOWN Adding Users Switching Users Closing a Locked Program Using the Windows Security Dialog Box Restarting Your Computer Shutting Down with the Start Menu Exercise Using Accounts and Shutting Down INDEX Page viii PTS Learning Systems

11 LESSON 1 - LEARNING THE BASICS In this lesson, you will learn how to: Work with Windows XP features Start Windows XP Explore the Windows XP desktop Use the mouse Close a window Explore the Start menu Open My Computer Work with files and folders Use menu commands

12 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals WORKING WITH WINDOWS XP FEATURES Discussion Windows XP is Microsoft s new operating system for the personal computer. XP stands for experience; experience that comes from all the previous versions of Windows. Former versions of the Windows operating system for personal computers belonged to one of two categories. The first category included Windows 95, 98 and Windows Me. These versions targeted the consumer market and were inherently unstable. The other category was aimed at the professional/corporate market, and was known as Windows NT. Previous NT versions include 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 and Windows NT, while more limited in compatible hardware and software, provided a much more stable environment than Windows 9.x. Windows XP was created to meet the demands of both the consumer and corporate marketplace. There are two versions of Windows XP, the Home Edition and the Professional Edition. The Professional Edition incorporates all the features of the Home Edition with additional features for connecting to corporate networks and domains, and features for accessing office resources from remote locations. In both versions, Windows XP has taken the complexity out of setting up your computer by including wizards for connecting to printers, networks, and the Internet, and for performing various system and administrative functions. There are even wizards to help you send files to a Web server or your own Web site, print photos, and remove unused items from your desktop. Microsoft has designed Windows XP with a fresh, new interface that is simpler in design and easier to use. Windows XP provides a context-sensitive environment; sensing your current setting and presenting the most commonly used tasks. In addition, user tasks are grouped into logical, hierarchical categories for easier access. STARTING WINDOWS XP Discussion Windows XP is an operating system that starts automatically when you turn on your computer. After starting Windows XP, a logon screen appears. The logon screen that appears depends upon your network identification and membership, and system setup. If you are a member of a domain, the Welcome to Windows screen appears, informing you that you need to use the [Ctrl+Alt+Delete] key combination to begin. Once Windows XP starts, you are then required to log on before you can access the Page 2 PTS Learning Systems

13 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics computer. If you are not connected to a server (domain), you can log on to your local computer. However, whether or not you are connecting to the network, you must supply a password if your system is set to use one. If you are not a member of a domain, Windows XP may start with the new Windows XP Welcome screen displaying the names of all users who have accounts set up on that system. To log on, you simply click your account name and enter a password, if you have one. In addition, the Welcome screen includes a picture next to each user s name. The picture can be changed to another picture or even a photograph of each user. Once you are logged on, your personal settings are loaded and your desktop appears. These settings can be different for each individual who uses the computer. The first time Windows XP starts, the Start menu appears, with your user name displayed at the top. When you close the Start menu, a message balloon appears inviting you to take a tour of Windows XP. Clicking the pop-up starts the Windows XP tour. Clicking the Close button in the pop-up description closes it without starting the tour. Even if you are not a member of a domain, your setup may still prompt you with a traditional Log On to Windows dialog box instead of the new Welcome screen. You can start the Windows XP tour at any time by selecting the Start button, pointing to All Programs, pointing to Accessories, and then selecting Tour Windows XP. Procedures 1. Turn on your computer. 2. Press [Ctrl+Alt+Delete]. 3. Select the text in the User name box. 4. Type your user name, if necessary. 5. Select the Password box. 6. Type your password in the Password box, if necessary. 7. Select Options, if necessary. 8. Select the Log on to list. 9. Select the desired domain, if necessary. PTS Learning Systems Page 3

14 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals 10. Select OK. 11. Click in a blank area of the desktop to close the Start menu, if necessary. 12. Click the Close button in the Take a tour of Windows XP pop-up description, if necessary. Step-by-Step Start Windows XP. Turn on your computer. Note: If you are not a member of a domain, a Microsoft Windows XP screen appears prompting you to click your user name when you start Windows XP. Click your name, enter your password if prompted and press [Enter]. If you are a member of a domain, the Welcome to Windows screen should be open. Steps 1. Press [Ctrl+Alt+Delete]. The Log On to Windows dialog box opens. 2. Select the text in the User name box. The text in the User name box is selected. 3. Type your user name, if necessary. Your user name appears in the User name box. 4. Select the Password box. The insertion point appears in the Password box. 5. Type your password in the Password box, if necessary. An asterisk appears in the Password box for each character typed. 6. Select Options, if necessary. The dialog box expands to display additional options, including the Log on to list. Practice Data Press [Ctrl+Alt+Delete] Double-click in the User name box Type the name indicated by your instructor Press [Tab] Type the password indicated by your instructor Click Options >>, if necessary Page 4 PTS Learning Systems

15 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Steps 7. Select the Log on to list. The Log on to list appears. 8. Select the desired domain, if necessary. The domain name appears in the Log on to box. 9. Select OK. The Log On to Windows dialog box closes, you are logged on to the system, and the Windows XP desktop appears. Practice Data Click Log on to Click the domain indicated by your instructor Click OK If the Start menu appears, click in a blank area of the desktop to close it. If the Take a tour of Windows XP pop-up description appears in the lower right corner of the screen (may take a moment or two), close it by clicking the Close button (X) in the upper right corner of the pop-up description. Close any additional pop-up descriptions that may appear. EXPLORING THE WINDOWS XP DESKTOP Discussion When you start Windows XP, the desktop appears. This desktop is similar in concept to an actual desktop. You can use the desktop to organize the tools and data you frequently use to accomplish your tasks. Windows XP uses small pictures, called icons, to represent the programs, documents, and services available to your computer. This pictorial appearance is called a graphical user interface, or GUI (pronounced goo-ey). A default installation of Windows XP only displays the Recycle Bin on the desktop. However, your system may display other icons, if already customized. Although some icons may appear automatically on the Windows XP desktop, you can add and remove icons for programs, files, folders, and printers as desired. Shortcuts, which are links to programs or files, may also appear as icons on the desktop. Shortcuts behave just like the other icons, but can be identified by the small arrow that appears on the icon s lower left corner. The desktop is completely customizable; you can make it look and work in the way that is most suitable for you. All the objects on the desktop have properties that you can view and modify. The desktop itself is also an object that you can customize by changing properties, such as the background color. When the desktop is active, you can point to default icons, such as the Recycle Bin, to see a pop-up description of the icon. PTS Learning Systems Page 5

16 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals The taskbar, which appears at the bottom of the desktop by default, includes the Start button on the left, with its cascading menu structure, and the notification area on the right. The Windows XP desktop Folders organize your computer programs, services, and documents by grouping related objects. You can create and name your own folders. You can also use the desktop to display content that changes throughout the day, which is called active content. For example, you can have business, sports, or travel information from the Internet delivered to your desktop. Procedures 1. Point to an icon to display the pop-up description about the icon. 2. Point to a blank area of the desktop to hide the description. Page 6 PTS Learning Systems

17 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Step-by-Step Explore the Windows XP desktop. If necessary, click in a blank area of the desktop to close the Start menu and click the Close button inside the Take a tour of Windows XP pop-up description to hide it. Click in a blank area of the desktop. Steps 1. Point to an icon to display the pop-up description about the icon. A text box appears with information about the item displayed. 2. Point to a blank area of the desktop to hide the description. The text box disappears. Practice Data Point to Point to a blank area of the desktop Practice the Concept: Point to the Start button. USING THE MOUSE Discussion Windows XP uses icons to represent the programs, documents, and services available to your computer. You can easily access these resources using the mouse. The mouse pointer image changes depending upon the current environment. The pointer appears as a white arrow when it is ready to select objects. Other common pointers include a double-headed arrow, an I-beam (looks like the uppercase letter I), and a pointing hand. There are several actions that you can perform with a mouse. They include pointing, single-clicking, double-clicking, dragging, and right-clicking. When you point to certain icons or objects, a pop-up description supplies information about the function corresponding to that object. This pop-up description appears not only on the desktop, but also when you point to objects such as toolbar buttons in programs. You can open any resource in Windows XP by double-clicking (two rapid clicks) the left mouse button on its associated icon. Regardless of the type of resource, it opens into a window. A program opens directly in a window, a file opens in its associated application within a window, and a folder opens with its contents (subfolders and files) displayed in a window. PTS Learning Systems Page 7

18 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals Single-clicking, clicking once on a object with the left mouse button, is often used when you want to select an icon without opening it. Menu commands, taskbar icons and hyperlinks (underlined blue text) also only need to be clicked once to open their associated menus, windows or applications. Dragging is the term used to describe the action of moving an object. Dragging is performed by holding down the left mouse button on an object while you move it. You can also click the right mouse button on an object. This is known as rightclicking. Right-clicking an object displays a shortcut menu. A shortcut menu provides access to the commands most commonly used for that object. The term dragging is also used when selecting text in a document. Dragging to select text is done by pointing to the left of the first character you want to select, holding down the left mouse button, dragging the mouse pointer over all the text you want to select, and then releasing the mouse button. The selected text appears with an inverted or highlighted background. You can customize your computer to open objects with a single-click. Objects that open with a single-click appear with an underline when you point to them. Single-click objects are often called hyperlinks, or just links. Procedures 1. Point to an object to display the pop-up description about the object. 2. Click the left mouse button once on the object you want to select. 3. To move an object, hold down the left mouse button and drag the object to the desired position. 4. Click the right mouse button once on the desired object. 5. Click in a blank area to close the shortcut menu. 6. Double-click on the object you want to open. 7. Point to a hyperlink to view its description. 8. Click the left mouse button once on a hyperlink to open the associated object. Page 8 PTS Learning Systems

19 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Step-by-Step Use the mouse. Steps 1. Point to an object to display the popup description about the object. A text box appears with information about the item displayed. 2. Click the left mouse button once on the object you want to select. The object is selected. 3. To move an object, hold down the left mouse button and drag the object to the desired position. The object moves as you drag it and appears in the new location when you release the mouse button. 4. Click the right mouse button once on the desired object. A shortcut menu appears. 5. Click in a blank area to close the shortcut menu. The shortcut menu closes. 6. Double-click on the object you want to open. The object opens in a window. 7. Point to a hyperlink to view its description. The mouse pointer changes to a pointing hand, an underline appears under the hyperlink text, and a pop-up description appears. 8. Click the left mouse button once on a hyperlink to open the associated object. The associated object opens in a window. Practice Data Point to the time displayed on the right end of the taskbar Click Hold down the left mouse button, drag the to the middle of the desktop and release the mouse button Right-click Click in a blank area of the desktop Double-click Point to My Documents in the left pane Click My Documents in the left pane Leave the My Documents folder window open. PTS Learning Systems Page 9

20 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals CLOSING A WINDOW Discussion When you are finished working in an application window, or are done working with the contents of a folder window, you can close the window. Every window in Windows XP has a Close button in the right corner of the title bar. Clicking the button closes the window. There is a small icon in the far left corner of every window s title bar. Double-clicking the icon also closes the window. You can also close a system window by selecting the File menu, available in most system windows, and selecting the Close command. Procedures 1. To close a window, click the Close button on the window s title bar. Step-by-Step Close a window. If necessary, double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and click the My Documents link in the left pane. Steps 1. To close a window, click the Close button on the window s title bar. The window closes. Practice Data Click on the My Document window s title bar Page 10 PTS Learning Systems

21 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics EXPLORING THE START MENU Discussion The Start menu contains options to access programs, folders, files, and other resources. You can display the Start menu by clicking the Start button on the taskbar. Unlike the desktop, which may be covered by an open application, the Start button is part of the taskbar and is normally visible on your screen. Therefore, the Start menu provides a quick and easy way to open an object. Like any other object, the Start menu is also customizable. The Start menu opens to display two columns. The user s name appears at the top of the Start menu and the Log Off and Shut Down buttons appear at the bottom. The All Programs menu also appears near the bottom of the Start menu. Pop-up description boxes appear when you point to items on the Start menu. The pop-up boxes may contain a description of the item or the location where the item is stored. The Start menu contains a list of options you can use to work with Windows XP. Some menu options are followed by an arrow (). The arrow indicates that a submenu is available for that item. When you point to the option, its submenu appears. Options without an arrow must be selected to open a window or program. When a menu option is followed by an ellipsis ( ), selecting it opens a dialog box. A dialog box requires you to enter additional information before a command is executed. The left side of the Start menu contains three sections separated by horizontal divider lines. The middle section displays icons to frequently-used programs. When you open a program, Windows places an icon in this section so that you can easily open this program at a later time. Some of the menu options are described in the following table: Option Internet All Programs My Documents My Recent Documents My Computer Function This option opens your browser so that you can connect to the Internet. This option opens your editor. This option displays a cascading submenu of available programs. This option opens the My Documents folder, the default folder in many programs for storing files. This option displays a list of previously opened documents. This option opens My Computer, a window that allows you to access files stored locally or on your network. PTS Learning Systems Page 11

22 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals Option Control Panel Help and Support Search Run Log Off Shut Down Function This option opens the Control Panel where you can customize various display, hardware, and connection settings. This option opens Windows XP online Help. This option opens the Search Companion which allows you to find a folder, file, shared computer, multimedia files, items on the Internet, or names of people stored in an address book or located on the Internet. This option opens the Run dialog box, which allows you to enter a MS-DOS command to open a program, folder, document, or Internet resource. This option allows you to log off of your computer, leaving the computer running. This option opens the Shut Down Windows dialog box, which contains commands to shut down, log off, or restart your computer. The Start menu You can clear the list of frequently-used programs below the top divider line on the left side of the Start menu. You can also set the number of programs that can be displayed in this area. Page 12 PTS Learning Systems

23 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Newly installed programs appear on the Start menu with a background color. The background color disappears after the program is used. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. To view a description, point to an item on the Start menu. 3. To view installed programs, point to All Programs. 4. Continue selecting menu commands as necessary. Step-by-Step Explore the Start menu. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. Practice Data Click Start 2. To view a description, point to an item on the Start menu. A pop-up description appears. Point to My Pictures 3. To view installed programs, point to All Programs. The All Programs submenu appears. 4. Continue selecting menu commands as necessary. The items are selected. Point to All Programs Follow the instructions below to complete this step Point to the Accessories command to display the submenu. Click WordPad to open the program. Click the Close button to close the WordPad window. PTS Learning Systems Page 13

24 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals OPENING MY COMPUTER Discussion My Computer, available from the Start menu, organizes the contents of all of your computer s storage devices into one window. You can use My Computer to view and access any storage resource available to your computer, such as folders and files located on your hard drive, floppy disk drive, or any network drive to which you have access. When you open My Computer, the common tasks pane appears on the left side of the window. The tasks pane displays the most common tasks for the contents of the window, arranged in groups. The Details group provides information about the selected object. If you select a storage device, such as a drive, you can see the amount of free space and the total capacity of the drive. The Other Places group provides links to other folders and tools to customize your computer. You can open another folder, such as My Documents, by clicking the appropriate link. When you do this, the My Computer window is replaced by the window corresponding to the selected link. The icons representing the resources in My Computer are grouped under categories. The categories include Hard Disk Drives and Devices with Removable Storage. Other categories that may appear include: the Network Drives category if you are mapped to a network drive, and the Files Storage on This Computer category if your system is part of a workgroup rather than a domain. The first time you open the Local Disk (C:), Windows and Program Files folders, you may have to click the Show the contents of this folder link to view the folder contents. The Files Stored on This Computer category shows the shared folders that are available. A Shared Documents folder contains documents that are available to all users with accounts on the current system. Procedures 1. Click the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select My Computer. Page 14 PTS Learning Systems

25 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Step-by-Step Open My Computer. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. Practice Data Click Start 2. Select My Computer. The My Computer window opens. Click My Computer Double-click the Local Disk (C:) icon. If necessary, click the Show the contents of this folder link in the right pane of the window. Click the My Computer link in the common tasks pane to return to the My Computer window. WORKING WITH FILES AND FOLDERS Discussion In Windows XP, file management is based on files and folders. Files are stored in folders. Folders can also store other folders, as well as files, and can be created, renamed, moved, copied, and deleted. You can use two programs, My Computer and Windows Explorer, to explore the resources available to you. Both programs offer the same organizational tools to work with your folders and files. Double-clicking a folder opens a folder window which displays the contents stored within that folder. Files inside folders appear as icons of spreadsheets, documents, or other objects to indicate their content. You can also start programs by double-clicking the icon representing the program, executable (*.exe), or associated data file stored on your computer s hard drive, network drive, or any storage device. Windows XP supports long file names up to 255 characters for naming files or folders. For example, XYZ Company Sales and Analysis is a legitimate file name and Pending Contracts is a legitimate folder name. When you use files or folders with long file names on a system that does not support long file names, you will see the first six characters of the long file name followed by a tilde (~) and a sequential number. For example, My Memo 9-13 and My Memo 9-15 become Mymemo~1 and Mymemo~2. PTS Learning Systems Page 15

26 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals Older applications and some network drives may only support an 8.3 format. In an 8.3 format, a legal name may contain a maximum of eight characters and then optionally, a period (.) followed by a maximum of three more characters. Long file names can include the following additional characters not supported by the 8.3 format: plus (+), comma (,), semicolon (;), equal sign (=), brackets ([ ]), and spaces. Illegal characters include: \, /, :, *,?,, <, >, and. Procedures 1. Open My Computer. 2. Double-click the storage device containing the folder you want to open. 3. Double-click the folder you want to open. 4. Continue opening folders as necessary. 5. Double-click the file you want to open. Step-by-Step Work with files and folders. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Steps 1. Double-click the storage device containing the folder you want to open. The storage device opens in a window. 2. Double-click the folder you want to open. The contents of the folder appear. Practice Data Double-click Floppy (A:) Double-click Student Data 3½ Page 16 PTS Learning Systems

27 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Steps 3. Continue opening folders as necessary. The contents of the folder appear. 4. Double-click the file you want to open. The file opens in its parent program. Practice Data Double-click Accounting Double-click Textfile1 Click the Close button on the Textfile1 - Notepad title bar to close the window. Click the My Computer link in the common tasks pane to return to the My Computer window. USING MENU COMMANDS Discussion The menu bar, located under the window title bar, provides access to the features available in a window. Each menu contains commands grouped by function. When you select an item on the menu bar, a list of corresponding commands appears, from which you can select the desired command. Some menu commands are dimmed, which indicates that the command is not available for the current task. Menu commands in a window follow the same syntax as menu commands on the Start menu; a command followed by an arrow () indicates that a submenu is available for that item and a command followed by an ellipsis ( ) indicates that the command opens a dialog box. In addition to the standard menus on the menu bar, you can access shortcut menus by right-clicking text or an object. Shortcut menus provide commonly used commands and are context-sensitive. Therefore, the options available on a shortcut menu vary, depending on the object clicked. Navigation indicators provide a keyboard alternative to selecting a menu command. When navigation indicators are present, menu commands include an underlined letter. You can activate the navigation indicators by pressing the [Alt] key and then typing the underlined letter to display a menu. To select a command from a displayed menu, just type the underlined letter of the desired command. PTS Learning Systems Page 17

28 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals You can permanently enable navigational underscores by selecting the Appearance tab in the Display Properties dialog box, selecting Effects, and deselecting the Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key option. Procedures 1. Open the desired folder window. 2. Select the desired command from the menu bar. 3. Select the desired menu command. 4. Continue selecting menu commands as needed. 5. To use a shortcut menu, right-click the desired object. Step-by-Step Use menu commands. If necessary, open My Computer. Steps 1. Select the desired command from the menu bar. The desired menu appears. 2. Select the desired menu command. Either the command executes, a dialog box opens, or a submenu appears. 3. Continue selecting commands as needed. The commands execute. Practice Data Click Tools Click Folder Options... Click Cancel 4. To use a shortcut menu, right-click the desired object. A shortcut menu appears. Right-click Floppy (A:) 3½ Click in a blank area to close the shortcut menu. Page 18 PTS Learning Systems

29 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Practice the Concept: Use navigation indicators to select menu commands. Press [Alt] and then type the letter t to display the Tools menu. Type the letter o to select the Folder Options command. Press [Esc] to close the Folder Options dialog box. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 19

30 Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE LEARNING THE BASICS Task Learn the basics of Windows XP. 1. If necessary, start your computer and log onto Windows XP. 2. Point to the Start button on the taskbar to view the pop-up description. 3. Display the Start menu, display the All Programs submenu, and then display the Accessories submenu. 4. Open the Calculator program from the Accessories submenu. Notice the Calculator button on the taskbar. 5. Close the Calculator window. 6. Open My Computer from the Start menu. 7. Insert the student data diskette and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 8. Display the contents of the Sales folder. Open the Weekly folder. Page 20 PTS Learning Systems

31 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 1 - Learning the Basics 9. Select the Favorites menu and then select the Organize Favorites command. 10. Close the Organize Favorites dialog box by clicking the Close button in the lower right corner of the dialog box. 11. Close the Weekly window. PTS Learning Systems Page 21

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33 LESSON 2 - EXPLORING WINDOW FEATURES In this lesson, you will learn how to: Work with window sizes Minimize and restore windows Restore down and maximize windows Move a window Change a window's size and shape Scroll open windows

34 Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features Windows XP - Fundamentals WORKING WITH WINDOW SIZES Discussion When you open a resource (program, folder, file, printer, etc.) in Windows XP, it opens into a window. The name of the window appears in a button on the taskbar. All windows contain certain common features regardless of their contents. You can display a window in three sizes: minimized, maximized, or normal. In normal size, the window is open with borders displayed around its edges. A normal size window is often called a restored window. An open window typically includes a title bar at the top of the window that displays the name of the open resource. On the right side of the title bar are the Minimize and Maximize (or Restore Down) buttons, which are used to change the size of the window, and the Close button, which is used to close the window. If the window has more objects than it can display, a vertical scroll bar may appear on the right side of the window and a horizontal scroll bar may appear at the bottom of the window. The contents of the window appear in the middle of the window. You can resize and move a window as needed. MINIMIZING AND RESTORING WINDOWS Discussion Minimizing a window reduces the window to a button on the taskbar. You may want to minimize windows when you have a number of them open or when you are multitasking (using several open applications) to reduce the clutter on your desktop. Applications in a minimized window continue to run. Therefore, if you minimize a spreadsheet that is calculating, it will continue to calculate in its minimized state. A fast way to minimize a window is to use the Minimize button in the right corner of the title bar. Windows XP assists you in identifying the buttons by displaying the name of a button when you point to it. Restoring a minimized window returns the window to its previous size and shape. A convenient way to restore a minimized window is to click the button on the taskbar representing the window. Page 24 PTS Learning Systems

35 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features A minimized window displayed as a taskbar button You can minimize all open windows by right-clicking a blank area of the taskbar and selecting the Show the Desktop command on the shortcut menu. You can close a minimized window directly from the taskbar by right-clicking its button on the taskbar and selecting the Close command. Procedures 1. To minimize a window, click the Minimize button on the window s title bar. 2. To restore the window from the taskbar, click the button with the title corresponding to the name of the item you want to restore. Step-by-Step Minimize and restore a window it to its original size. PTS Learning Systems Page 25

36 Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features Windows XP - Fundamentals Open My Computer from the Start menu. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. To minimize a window, click the Minimize button on the window s title bar. The window is minimized and a button with its title appears on the taskbar. 2. To restore the window from the taskbar, click the button with the title corresponding to the name of the item you want to restore. The window is restored to its previous size and shape on the desktop. Practice Data Click on the 3½ Floppy (A:) window s title bar Click the 3½ Floppy (A:) button on the taskbar RESTORING DOWN AND MAXIMIZING WINDOWS Discussion You can work with the contents of a window when it is maximized or in normal (restore) size. When a window is maximized, it fills the full screen. This option is useful if the window contains numerous icons or objects, or if you are working in an application that appears better in full screen view, such as a word processor. A fast way to maximize a window is to use the Maximize button in the right corner of the title bar. Normal size windows do not fill the full screen. When a window is in normal size, the desktop and other open windows are visible in the background. In addition, borders appear around the window. Normal size windows can be resized and moved. The most convenient method of changing a maximized window to normal size is to click the Restore Down button in the right corner of the title bar. The Maximize and Restore Down buttons share the same button position. When you select the Maximize button, it is replaced by the Restore Down button and vice versa. Page 26 PTS Learning Systems

37 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features A maximized window You can also maximize a window by double-clicking the window s title bar. Double-clicking the window s title bar again restores the maximized window to its previous size and location. Procedures 1. To display a window in normal size, click the Restore Down button on the window s title bar. 2. To maximize a window, click the Maximize button on the window s title bar. Step-by-Step Restore down and maximize a window. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. If the window opens in normal size, reverse the following steps. PTS Learning Systems Page 27

38 Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 1. To display a window in normal size, click the Restore Down button on the window s title bar. The window changes to restore size and the Maximize button replaces the Restore Down button on the window s title bar. 2. To maximize a window, click the Maximize button on the window s title bar. The window appears in full screen view and the Restore Down button replaces the Maximize button on the window s title bar. Practice Data Click on the 3½ Floppy (A:) window s title bar Click on the 3½ Floppy (A:) window s title bar Double-click the 3½ Floppy (A:) window s title bar to change it to its previous size. MOVING A WINDOW Discussion You can move and arrange open windows in Windows XP using the drag and drop method. Dragging a window s title bar to a new location moves the entire window. This method is useful when you are working with multiple open windows or applications that you want to view simultaneously. A window cannot be moved when it is maximized. Procedures 1. Point to the title bar of the window you want to move and drag the window to the desired location. Page 28 PTS Learning Systems

39 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features Step-by-Step Move a window. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Display the window in normal size. Steps 1. Point to the title bar of the window you want to move and drag the window to the desired location. The window moves as you drag and then the window appears in the new location. Practice Data Point to the title bar at the top of the 3½ Floppy (A:) window and drag it down approximately 1 inch Practice the Concept: Practice moving the window to different locations on the desktop. Make sure that you keep the entire title bar visible on the desktop. CHANGING A WINDOW'S SIZE AND SHAPE Discussion Windows XP allows you to adjust the size of a window manually. Sizing a window allows you to control how much of a window s contents you can view at one time and can improve the visibility of other windows or areas on your desktop. Sizing a window involves dragging the window s borders to enlarge, reduce, or change the shape of the window. You can change the window s width by dragging the left or right border of the window. Dragging the top or bottom border changes the vertical size, while dragging from a corner adjusts the window size horizontally and vertically at the same time. When resizing windows, the mouse pointer must first appear as a double-headed arrow before you can drag a window border. A window cannot be sized when it is minimized or maximized. PTS Learning Systems Page 29

40 Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Point to one of the window borders. 2. Drag the border to the desired position. Step-by-Step Change a window s size and shape. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Display the window in normal size. Steps 1. Point to one of the window borders. The mouse pointer changes into a double-headed arrow. 2. Drag the border to the desired position. The border moves as you drag and then the size and shape of the window change accordingly. Practice Data Point to the top right corner of the 3½ Floppy (A:) window Drag the top right window corner down to the left about 1 inch Practice the Concept: Enlarge the 3½ Floppy (A:) window by dragging the right window border to the right about 1 inch and then dragging the top window border up about 1 inch. SCROLLING OPEN WINDOWS Discussion If an open window contains more objects than the window can display, a scroll bar appears to the right and/or at the bottom of the window. You can use the scroll bars to view objects not currently visible in the window. Scroll bars consist of buttons with arrows that allow you to scroll through the information in a window line-by-line, as well as a scroll box that you can drag to quickly advance to a particular area of a window. Additionally, you can scroll rapidly by clicking in a scroll bar on either side of the scroll box. Page 30 PTS Learning Systems

41 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features If your mouse is equipped with a mouse wheel, you can use the wheel to vertically scroll a window. You may have to configure your mouse wheel in Windows XP to activate it. Procedures 1. Click a scroll bar button to move line-by-line through the window. 2. Drag the scroll box until the items you want to view appear in the window. Step-by-Step Scroll an open window. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Display the window in normal size and resize the window until a scroll bar appears on the right side of the right pane. Steps 1. Click a scroll bar button to move lineby-line through the window. The contents of the window move one line at a time. 2. Drag the scroll box until the items you want to view appear in the window. The scroll box moves as you drag and then the items appear in the window. Practice Data Click on the vertical scroll bar in the right pane Drag the scroll box in the vertical scroll bar in the right pane down to the end of the scroll bar Practice the Concept: Drag the scroll box to the middle of the scroll bar. Click in the scroll bar, below the scroll box. Move the scroll box to the top of the scroll bar. Close the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. PTS Learning Systems Page 31

42 Lesson 2 - Exploring Window Features Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE EXPLORING WINDOW FEATURES Task Explore window features. 1. If necessary, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Open My Computer and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 3. Change the 3½ Floppy (A:) window to normal size. 4. Move the window to the bottom of the desktop and then to the top of the desktop. 5. Drag the bottom border of the window up to decrease its length. 6. Size the 3½ Floppy (A:) window so that scroll bars appear. Practice scrolling the window. 7. Minimize the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. 8. Use the taskbar button to restore the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Notice that the window restores to its previous size and position. 9. Maximize the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. 10. Close the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Page 32 PTS Learning Systems

43 LESSON 3 - USING PROGRAMS In this lesson, you will learn how to: Open a program from the Start menu Work with text Use a dialog box Save a file to My Documents Close a program Open a file from My Documents

44 Lesson 3 - Using Programs Windows XP - Fundamentals OPENING A PROGRAM FROM THE START MENU Discussion Although there are many ways to start a program in Windows XP, the most common is to use the Start menu on the taskbar. Since the Start button is always visible on your desktop, it is a convenient method of starting a program. When a Windows-based program is installed, shortcuts to the program are added to the All Programs submenu on the Start menu. Programs that include several shortcuts are usually installed in a submenu that cascades from the All Programs submenu. Some installed programs also place shortcuts on your desktop. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. If applicable, continue to point to options until the item you want to open appears. 4. Select the item you want to open. Step-by-Step Open a program from the Start menu. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. 2. Point to All Programs. The All Programs submenu appears. Practice Data Click Start Point to All Programs 3. If applicable, continue to point to options until the item you want to open appears. The option appears highlighted and, if the option has an arrow displayed to its right, a submenu appears. Point to Accessories Page 34 PTS Learning Systems

45 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 3 - Using Programs Steps 4. Select the item you want to open. The item opens in a window on your desktop. Practice Data Click WordPad Notice that the Document - WordPad button appears on the taskbar. WORKING WITH TEXT Discussion Once a program is open, you can usually start to enter text. You can use a word processing program to create a letter, a spreadsheet program to create a budget, or a presentation program to create a slideshow for a sales conference. Text is entered in the location currently selected in a document. The current location is marked by the appearance of a cursor. In a new document, this is usually at the top of the page. The cursor changes depending upon the application. In a word processing program, the cursor appears as a blinking vertical line called an insertion point, and in a spreadsheet program, the cursor appears as a border around the active cell in a worksheet. Creating a document in WordPad PTS Learning Systems Page 35

46 Lesson 3 - Using Programs Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the desired application. 2. Move the cursor to the location where you want to enter text. 3. Type the desired text. Step-by-Step Work with text. If necessary, open WordPad. Steps 1. Move the cursor to the location where you want to enter text. The cursor appears in the new location. Practice Data Press [Enter] 2. Type the desired text. Type Dear Tom, Press [Enter] twice, type the text Thank you for all your help. and press [Enter] again. USING A DIALOG BOX Discussion A dialog box is a type of window containing controls that set options and establish an application s appearance and function. Some of the most common dialog box options include the following: Option Text box Command button Check box Option button Function Used to enter text-based information. Initiates an action when clicked. Allows you to enable an option (by checking the box), or disable an option (by unchecking the box). Allows you to select one option out of a group of options. Page 36 PTS Learning Systems

47 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 3 - Using Programs Option List box Combo box Scroll bar (Slider) Spin box Function Displays a list of choices. Displays a combination text and list box. Allows you to set a value from a range by moving an indicator to a desired value. Pair of arrows that allow you to increase or decrease a numeric value. The Font dialog box There are two ways to get help with the options in a dialog box. If a dialog box contains a question mark (?) button in the title bar, you can click the question mark and then click the option for which you want help; a pop-up description then appears displaying the help information. You can also display the pop-up description by right-clicking an option and selecting the What s This? command. Procedures 1. Open the desired dialog box. 2. To select from a list box, scroll until you see the desired option. 3. Click the desired option from the list box. PTS Learning Systems Page 37

48 Lesson 3 - Using Programs Windows XP - Fundamentals 4. To enter text in a text box, select the text box and any existing text. 5. Type the desired entry. 6. To select or deselect a check box option, click the check box next to the desired option. 7. To select from a drop-down list, click the list arrow. 8. Select the desired option. 9. Click OK to apply the changes. Step-by-Step Use a dialog box. If necessary, open WordPad and type the text Dear Tom,. Double-click the word Tom. Then, select the Format menu and the Font command. Note: If the Georgia font is not available, select another font in steps 1 and 2. Steps 1. To select from a list box, scroll until you see the desired option. The list box scrolls to display the options. 2. Click the desired option from the list box. The option is selected and appears in the corresponding text box, if applicable. 3. To enter text in a text box, select the text box and any existing text. The text box is selected. 4. Type the desired entry. The text appears in the text box. Practice Data Click the in the Font list box until you see Georgia Click Georgia Click the 10 in the Size text box Type To select or deselect a check box option, click the check box next to the desired option. A check mark appears in or is cleared from the check box. Click Underline Page 38 PTS Learning Systems

49 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 3 - Using Programs Steps 6. To select from a drop-down list, click the list arrow. A drop-down list appears displaying the available options. 7. Select the desired option. The list collapses and the selected option appears in the list box. 8. Click OK to apply the changes. The dialog box closes and the changes are applied. Practice Data Click Color Click Red Click OK Click in a blank area of the document to deselect the text. Practice the Concept: Select the Format menu and the Font command. Display help about underlining by clicking the question mark (?) button in the title bar and then clicking the Underline option. Then, right-click in the Font size list box and select the What s This? box. Click in a blank area of the dialog box to close the pop-up description. Cancel the Font dialog box. SAVING A FILE TO MY DOCUMENTS Discussion After creating a new file, you can save it to a disk so that you can retrieve it at another time. When you save a file for the first time, Windows-based programs usually open the Save As dialog box, in which you can enter the desired file name and location. A file name can consist of multiple words and should be descriptive enough for you to recognize the contents. The default folder for saving files created with Windows-based applications is usually the My Documents folder. If My Documents is not the default folder, it is easily opened using the Places Bar, which appears on the left side of the Save As dialog box. If you want to save the document in a different drive or folder, you can use the Save in list to select the desired location. Once a document has been saved, its file name appears in the application title bar. From then on, you can save the file without specifying the name or location. PTS Learning Systems Page 39

50 Lesson 3 - Using Programs Windows XP - Fundamentals When you are naming a document, the following characters cannot be used in file names: forward slash (/), backslash (\), greater than symbol (>), less than symbol (<), asterisk (*), quotation marks (, ), question marks (?), pipe symbol ( ), colon (:), or semicolon (;). You can also save changes to a file in an application by clicking the Save button, if one appears on a toolbar. This procedure will save an existing file with the name you have already assigned to it or open the Save As dialog box for a new file. You can also save a new document by selecting the File menu and then the Save command. Procedures 1. Select the File menu. 2. Select the Save As command. 3. Type a new file name. 4. Click My Documents in the Places Bar. 5. Select Save. Step-by-Step Save a file to My Documents. If necessary, open WordPad and type the text Dear Tom,. Steps 1. Select the File menu. The File menu appears. 2. Select the Save As command. The Save As dialog box opens with the text in the File name box selected. 3. Type a new file name. The text appears in the File name box. Practice Data Click File Click Save As... Type Ltr to Tom Page 40 PTS Learning Systems

51 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 3 - Using Programs Steps 4. Click My Documents in the Places Bar. The contents of the My Documents folder appear. 5. Select Save. The Save As dialog box closes, the file is saved in the selected folder, and the file name appears in the application window title bar. Practice Data Click My Documents in the Places Bar Click Save CLOSING A PROGRAM Discussion When you have finished working in a program, you can close it. If you exit a program without saving the most recent changes to the current document, the program prompts you to save the changes to the document. You can also close an application by clicking the Close button on the right side of the title bar. Procedures 1. Select the File menu. 2. Select the Exit command. Step-by-Step Close a program. If necessary, open WordPad and type the text Dear Tom. PTS Learning Systems Page 41

52 Lesson 3 - Using Programs Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 1. Select the File menu. The File menu appears. 2. Select the Exit command. The document closes. Practice Data Click File Click Exit If a message box opens, asking if you want to save the changes to the current document, select No. OPENING A FILE FROM MY DOCUMENTS Discussion You can view or edit an existing file by opening it from a disk. The method you use to open an existing file is the same in most Windows application. You do not need to remember the file name, because the Open dialog box displays a list of folders and files in the current drive and folder. If you saved a file to the My Documents folder, the Places Bar provides a quick method of accessing that folder. If the file resides in a different drive or folder, you can use the Look in list to select the correct location. After locating the folder containing the file you want to open, you can select the desired file from the list, or you can type the name of the file. If you open a file and make additional changes to it, you should save your changes. The Save command on the File menu saves the file with its original name and location. If you want to save the file with another name or to another location, you can use the Save As command on the File menu to save a copy of the file. Page 42 PTS Learning Systems

53 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 3 - Using Programs Opening a file from My Documents Windows-based applications usually display the names of the four most recently opened documents at the bottom of the File menu. When you click a file name in the list, the corresponding document opens. You can also open a document directly from the My Documents window by double-clicking the file you want to open. The file will open in the application in which it was created. You can open the My Documents window by opening the Start menu and selecting the My Documents command. If you recently created a document, it will also appear in the My Recent Documents list. You can open the file by opening the Start menu, pointing to the My Recent Documents command, and selecting the file you want to open. Procedures 1. Select the File menu. 2. Select the Open command. 3. Click My Documents in the Places Bar. PTS Learning Systems Page 43

54 Lesson 3 - Using Programs Windows XP - Fundamentals 4. Select the file you want to open. 5. Select Open. Step-by-Step Open a file from My Documents. Open WordPad by clicking the Start button and clicking the WordPad icon on the left side of the Start menu. (Note: If the WordPad icon does appear on the left side of the Start menu, point to All Programs, then Accessories, and then click WordPad. Steps 1. Select the File menu. The File menu appears. 2. Select the Open command. The Open dialog box opens. 3. Click My Documents in the Places Bar. The contents of the My Documents folder appear. 4. Select the file you want to open. The file name appears in the File name box. 5. Select Open. The Open dialog box closes and the file opens in the application. Practice Data Click File Click Open... Click My Documents in the Places Bar Click Ltr to Tom Click Open Click the Close button on the right side of the title bar to close WordPad. Select No if you are prompted to save any changes. Page 44 PTS Learning Systems

55 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 3 - Using Programs EXERCISE USING PROGRAMS Task Use programs. 1. Use the Start menu to launch the WordPad application from the Accessories submenu. 2. Select the Insert menu and the Date and Time command. 3. Select a format from the list and apply the changes. 4. Press [Enter] two times and type Quarterly Sales Report. 5. Save the file with the name Q1rpt to the My Documents folder. 6. Close WordPad. 7. Open the WordPad application and then open the Q1rpt file from the My Documents folder. 8. Close WordPad. 9. Use the Start menu to open My Documents. Notice the Q1rpt file that you saved. 10. Close the My Documents window. PTS Learning Systems Page 45

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57 LESSON 4 - WORKING WITH VIEWS AND TOOLBARS In this lesson, you will learn how to: Use views and toolbars Display and hide the status bar Hide and display a window toolbar Use the Back and Forward buttons Change views in a window Sort a folder in the Details view Add columns to the Details view Arrange and group icons Change folder options

58 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals USING VIEWS AND TOOLBARS Discussion Windows XP provides a variety of appearance options that you can use to view your files and folders. Some changes affect the current window only, while other changes affect all windows. Folder windows contain toolbars that you can use to quickly navigate through folders and accomplish file management tasks. Toolbar buttons provide alternatives to using the window s menu system. You can hide toolbars to view more of the current window or display toolbars to complete common tasks. You can also display or hide the status bar, which provides additional information on the selected item or tells you the number of items selected. In addition to hiding and displaying various window elements, you can change how the contents of the window appear. You can change the size of the icons, view more detailed information about each item in a window, and sort and group window items by properties. Menu commands may display with navigation indicators (underlined letters) if that option is enabled. You can permanently display navigation indicators by opening the Display object in the Control Panel, selecting the Effect tab, and deselecting the Hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the Alt key option. DISPLAYING AND HIDING THE STATUS BAR Discussion When the status bar appears at the bottom of a window, it displays descriptive information. The status bar provides information about the commands, menu items, and objects associated with the current window. For example, when several files are selected, the status bar indicates the number of objects selected and their total size. The Status Bar command on the View menu acts as a toggle; when a check mark appears next to the Status Bar command, the status bar is active. Selecting the Status Bar command when it is active removes it from the screen; while selecting the Status Bar command again redisplays it. Page 48 PTS Learning Systems

59 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars The status bar is hidden by default since the Details group in the common tasks pane displays almost the same information. The status bar displayed in a window Procedures 1. Open a folder window. 2. Select the View menu. 3. Select the Status Bar command. Step-by-Step Display and hide the status bar. Open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Select the View menu. The View menu appears. Practice Data Click View PTS Learning Systems Page 49

60 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 2. Select the Status Bar command. The status bar appears or disappears from the bottom of the window. Practice Data Click Status Bar to select it Notice that the status bar indicates the number of objects on the left and the total size of the files on the right in the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Click the View menu and point to the Status Bar command. Notice the description in the status bar. Select the Status Bar command to hide the status bar. HIDING AND DISPLAYING A WINDOW TOOLBAR Discussion Two toolbars appear by default when you open a folder window; the Standard Buttons toolbar and the Address bar. The Standard Buttons toolbar appears above the Address bar and contains a variety of buttons. These toolbars, along with other available toolbars, can be displayed or hidden using the Toolbars submenu on the View menu. Check marks appear next to the appropriate toolbar commands on the Toolbars submenu to indicate which toolbars are active. If you do not want certain toolbars to appear, you can remove them from the folder window by deselecting the appropriate toolbar commands. The Standard Buttons toolbar contains shortcuts to the most commonly used features. These buttons are described in the following table: Button Button Name Back Forward Up Function This button allows you to move backwards to a previous view. The down arrow displays a list of the views you recently accessed. This button allows you to advance through windows you have already viewed. The down arrow displays a list of the views you accessed before you used the Back button. This button opens the parent window of the current window, which is one level up. When the Up button is dimmed, you are at the highest available level. Page 50 PTS Learning Systems

61 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Button Button Name Search Folders Views Function This button displays or hides the Search Companion pane that you can use to locate a file or folder. This button alternates between the common tasks and the folder list in the left pane. This button displays options for viewing objects in the current window as tiles (large icons), icons (small icons), in a list format, with detailed information, or as thumbnails. The Address bar allows you to enter an address to locate items such as files, folders, or web pages. The Links toolbar contains buttons that are configured to open specific web pages. You can use the Customize command from the Toolbars submenu on the View menu to modify the Standard Buttons toolbar. Customization options include displaying or removing the text descriptions on the buttons, changing the size of the buttons, adding buttons to or removing buttons from the toolbar, and rearranging the order of the buttons. The changes that you make to the appearance of the toolbars in the current window affect other windows containing folders and files. For example, if you hide the toolbars in My Computer, then open the Recycle Bin or another window, the toolbars will be hidden there as well. If another window is open but inactive, any changes you made to the current window will not affect the open window until you close the window and then reopen it. By default, menu and toolbars are locked, and cannot be moved to another location. Deselecting the Lock the Toolbars command allows you to reposition the menu and toolbars. You can also display and hide toolbars by right-clicking any toolbar and selecting the desired toolbar command. Changes made to a window s view only affect the current window. PTS Learning Systems Page 51

62 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open a folder window. 2. Select the View menu. 3. Point to the Toolbars command. 4. Select the desired toolbar command. Step-by-Step Hide and display a window toolbar. If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Select the View menu. The View menu appears. 2. Point to the Toolbars command. The Toolbars submenu appears. 3. Select the desired toolbar command. The toolbar is removed from or appears at the top of the current window. Practice Data Click View Point to Toolbars Click Standard Buttons to deselect it Practice the Concept: Display the Standard Buttons toolbar again. USING THE BACK AND FORWARD BUTTONS Discussion As you explore the contents of a drive by moving through its folders, the open window changes to display the items in the current folder. The Back and Forward buttons allow you to move between windows you have previously viewed. Using the Back button, you can display the contents of a previously viewed window. For example, if you are currently viewing the contents of the Local Disk (C:) window and have previously viewed the contents of the My Computer window, you can use the Back button to return to that window. Page 52 PTS Learning Systems

63 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Once you have used the Back button to return to a window that you have previously viewed, you can use the Forward button to advance through windows you have already viewed. This method is often easier than closing and opening windows. You can use the Back and Forward button lists to display a list of available windows you have viewed. When you select an option from the list, that window opens. The Up button allows you to move to the parent window of the current window. For example, the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive contains a folder named Sales Reports, which contains a folder named Weekly. Using this hierarchy, the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive is the parent of the Sales Reports folder and the Sales Reports folder is the parent of the Weekly folder. If you were viewing the contents of the Weekly folder, clicking the Up button would display the contents of the Sales Reports folder; and clicking the Up button again would display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) folder. When the Up button is dimmed, you are at the highest level (parent) window. In disk management terms, the path, or address, to the Weekly folder is A:\Sales Report\Weekly. Procedures 1. Open a folder window. 2. Open a folder to view its contents. 3. Click the Back button. 4. Click the Forward button. 5. Click the arrow to the right of the Back button. 6. Select a window to view its contents. 7. Click the arrow to the right of the Forward button. 8. Select a window to view its contents. Step-by-Step Use the Back and Forward buttons. If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Student Data folder and the Weekly folder. PTS Learning Systems Page 53

64 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 1. Click the Back button. The previously viewed window appears. 2. Click the Forward button. A previously viewed window appears. 3. Click the arrow to the right of the Back button. A list of previously viewed windows appears. 4. Select a window to view its contents. The selected window appears. 5. Click the arrow to the right of the Forward button. A list of previously viewed windows appears. 6. Select a window to view its contents. The selected window appears. Practice Data Click Click Click the arrow on Click My Computer Click the arrow on Click Student Data Click the Up button (third button from the left) and notice that the window displays the parent folder, the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. CHANGING VIEWS IN A WINDOW Discussion You can change the way in which the contents of a folder appear in a window. When you open a folder, Windows XP senses the contents of the folder and automatically selects the appropriate view. The default view for most folders is the Tiles view. In addition to displaying the file or folder name, this view shows additional information, such as file type, size, or author. You can change the view by increasing or decreasing the size of icons displayed in a window, by displaying the icons in a list format, or by viewing icon details. The Icons and List views are both useful when there are numerous icons in the window. The Details view provides additional information relevant to the selected object. For example, this view is useful in determining the creation date of a file/folder or the size of a file. The Thumbnails view is a special view used to preview graphics. If Windows XP recognizes the graphic file format, a miniature of the graphic appears in this view. If Windows XP does not recognize the format, an icon representing the program associated with that file type appears in the thumbnail area. The Thumbnails view is Page 54 PTS Learning Systems

65 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars not available when My Computer first opens. The command appears when you display the contents of a drive or disk. Filmstrip view, available in some folders, is another view for working with graphics. View changes only affect the current window. If you open a folder from a window with a view you have changed, the contents of the new folder window will display the Tiles view by default. In addition, a window will retain its view until you change it. If you change the Sales folder to the Details view and then close it, the Sales folder will open in the Details view the next time you access it. Changing the view in a window You can also use the View menu to change the view in any window. Filmstrip view is divided into two panes. The bottom pane displays all the images in the folder in thumbnail size across one row, as if in a filmstrip. The top pane displays the selected picture in magnified size. This view also includes tools to navigate through your pictures and rotate them. You may need to refresh a folder in order to access a particular view. Refreshing a folder causes Windows to reload the contents. You can refresh a folder by selecting the View menu and the Refresh command. PTS Learning Systems Page 55

66 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. 2. To display small icons, select the Icons command. 3. To display a column format, select the List command. 4. To display a column format with details, select the Details command. 5. To display large icons, select the Tiles command. 6. To display previews of graphics, select the Thumbnails command. Step-by-Step Change views in a window. If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available views appears. 2. To display small icons, select the Icons command. The window displays its contents with small icons. 3. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available views appears. 4. To display a column format, select the List command. The window displays its contents in a column format. 5. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available views appears. Practice Data Click Click Icons Click Click List Click Page 56 PTS Learning Systems

67 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Steps 6. To display a column format with details, select the Details command. The window displays its contents with type, size, and date modified details. 7. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available views appears. 8. To display large icons, select the Tiles command. The window displays its contents with large icons, which is the default view. 9. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available views appears. 10. To display previews of graphics, select the Thumbnails command. The window displays miniature previews of its graphics. Practice Data Click Details Click Click Tiles Click Click Thumbnails Scroll down, if necessary, and view the thumbnails for the graphic files. Practice the Concept: Open the Pictures folder. Display the folder in Filmstrip view, if available. Click a thumbnail at the bottom of the view. If Filmstrip view is not available, select Thumbnails view. Use the Back button list to display the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Switch to the Tiles view, if necessary. SORTING A FOLDER IN THE DETAILS VIEW Discussion The Details view displays information about the contents of a folder in a table format in the right pane of the window. The column headings at the top of the table usually include the Name column, which displays the file or folder name; the Size column, which displays the size of a file in kilobytes; the Type column, which displays the object type (e.g., Shortcut or File Folder) or application (e.g., Microsoft Word Document); and the Date Modified column, which includes the last modification date of the files or creation date of the folders displayed. You can use the column headings in the Details view to sort the files and folders in the pane in ascending or descending order. The view is associated with the folder; the next time you open the folder, the contents will appear in the Details view. PTS Learning Systems Page 57

68 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals The Details view and the ability to sort by column headings are available in any system folder or window; including My Computer, Windows Explorer, or the Recycle Bin. The column headings and information displayed will vary depending upon the type of window displayed. For example, the column headings in the Recycle Bin window differ from the headings in a folder window. Folders that contain other media files may include contextsensitive details such as the date the picture was taken for folders containing graphics or the album title for folders containing music. Procedures 1. Select the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. 2. Select the Details command. 3. Click the gray column heading of the column by which you want to sort. 4. To reverse the sort order, click the gray column heading again. Step-by-Step Sort the contents of a folder in the Details view. If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Student Data folder and the Memos Sent folder. Steps 1. Click the Views button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available views appears. 2. Select the Details command. The window displays its contents with type, size, and date modified details. Practice Data Click Click Details Page 58 PTS Learning Systems

69 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Steps 3. Click the gray column heading of the column by which you want to sort. The folder contents are sorted by the column heading and an arrow next to the heading indicates the direction of the sort. 4. To reverse the sort order, click the gray column heading again. The folder contents are sorted by the column heading in reverse order and an arrow next to the heading indicates the direction of the sort. Practice Data Click the Date Modified column heading Click the Date Modified column heading Practice the Concept: Sort the folder by Name in ascending order. Use the Back button list to display the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Switch to Tiles view, if necessary. ADDING COLUMNS TO THE DETAILS VIEW Discussion The Details view provides information about the items in a folder arranged in columns for easy viewing. Default detail information about files and folders include the type of file, the size, and date modified. If a folder contains only pictures or music, other details may be included in the Details view. For example, the Details view for a folder containing pictures includes detail columns for the Date Picture Taken and Dimensions (horizontal and vertical size of pictures in pixels). Although the Details view provides some information about the items in a folder, Windows XP allows you to add other columns of information to the view. Furthermore, you can move and change the order of the detail columns to suit your needs. Another way to view detail information is to point to the folder item until a pop-up description appears. The information in the pop-up varies according to the item selected. Pop-up information for a file includes file type, date modified, and size. If summary information has been added to a file, such as author or subject, that information may also appear. PTS Learning Systems Page 59

70 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals The Choose Details dialog box You can also add and remove details by right-clicking the gray column headings in the Details view and selecting the desired detail. You can also move a column in Details view by dragging the gray column heading to the desired position. When you point to a folder, the pop-up description includes the folder size and the names of the first few items in the folder. Procedures 1. In My Computer, open the folder whose details you want to modify and switch to the Details view. 2. Select the View menu. 3. Select the Choose Details command. Page 60 PTS Learning Systems

71 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars 4. Select the check box of the detail(s) you want to add. 5. Select the detail you want to move. 6. Select Move Up or Move Down to position the detail. 7. Select OK. Step-by-Step Add columns to the Details view. If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Pictures folder and switch to the Details view. Steps 1. Select the View menu. The View menu appears. 2. Select the Choose Details command. The Choose Details dialog box opens. Practice Data Click View Click Choose Details Select the check box of the detail(s) you want to add. The check box is selected. Click Subject 4. Select the detail you want to move. The detail is selected. 5. Select Move Up or Move Down to position the detail. The detail is positioned accordingly. 6. Continue customizing details as desired. The details are customized. 7. Select OK. The Choose Details dialog box closes and the changes to the Details view are saved. Click Subject Click Move Up until Subject is at the top of the list Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step Click OK If the Date Picture Taken and Dimensions details are not already selected, scroll down and enable the check boxes for these details. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 7). PTS Learning Systems Page 61

72 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals Use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the right pane to scroll to the right and then back to the left to view the details. Practice the Concept: Right-click anywhere in the gray column headings and select Attributes. Scroll as necessary to view the Attributes column. Open the Choose Details dialog box, deselect the Subject and Attributes details and click OK. Use the Up button on the toolbar to display the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Switch to Tiles view, if necessary. Point to the Doctor1 file until the pop-up displays. Display the pop-up for the Pictures folder. Notice the details in the pop-up. ARRANGING AND GROUPING ICONS Discussion You can arrange icons based on a property; such as the file name or modification date using the Arrange Icons by command. The options available depend upon the folder s contents. Icons in a folder can be sorted by details, such as name, size, type, and modification date. However, if a folder contains pictures, you can arrange icons by the date the pictures were taken or by dimensions. Folders that contain music can be arranged by artist, album title, year, track number and duration (length of musical file). In addition to arranging icons according to properties, you can also group icons using the Show in Groups option. The My Computer folder is an example of grouped icons. The icons are grouped under categories. You can also group file and folder icons. The position of an icon in a window is controlled by the sort property selected. However, you can manually move icons to other positions in a window by disabling the Auto Arrange option. If you manually reposition icons, you can enable the Align to Grid option, which helps you align icons by snapping them to an invisible grid. Page 62 PTS Learning Systems

73 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Grouped icons The Show in Groups option is not available in the Details view. The Auto Arrange and Align to Grid options are not available in the List and Details views. Procedures 1. Open the folder whose icons you want to arrange or group. 2. To arrange icons in a folder, select the View menu. 3. Point to the Arrange Icons by command. 4. Select the desired detail. 5. To group icons in a folder, select the View menu. 6. Point to the Arrange Icons by command. 7. Select the Show in Groups command. Step-by-Step Arrange and group icons. PTS Learning Systems Page 63

74 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Pictures folder and display it in Tiles view. Steps 1. To sort icons in a folder, select the View menu. The View menu appears. 2. Point to the Arrange Icons by command. The Arrange Icons by submenu appears. 3. Select the desired detail. The contents of the folder are arranged by the selected detail. 4. To group icons in a folder, select the View menu. The View menu appears. 5. Point to the Arrange Icons by command. The Arrange Icons by submenu appears. 6. Select the Show in Groups command. The folder icons are grouped by the selected sort detail. Practice Data Click View Point to Arrange Icons by Click Dimensions Click View Point to Arrange Icons by Click Show in Groups Practice the Concept: Arrange the icons by Name and notice how the group feature affects the display. Deselect the Show in Groups command. Click the 3½ Floppy (A:) link in the common tasks pane to open the 3½ Floppy (A:) folder window. CHANGING FOLDER OPTIONS Discussion You can use the Folder Options dialog box to change the look of all your folders. You can select settings that affect all folders, or apply the view of the current folder to all folders. Page 64 PTS Learning Systems

75 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Options selected on the View page apply to all folders. These options include controlling the display of file extensions, hidden and system files, and pop-up descriptions. You can try enabling and disabling different options to see which settings you prefer. By default, an icon view selected from the View menu only affects the current folder. If you decide to display all your folders with the same view settings, you can use the Apply to All Folders button in the Folder Options dialog box to apply these settings to all folders. The Reset All Folders button resets the view for all folders back to the default. You can use the General page to display the Windows classic folders, which displays folders without the common tasks pane. You can also change options to open each folder in its own window while browsing, instead of using the same window, and open items with a single-click instead of a double-click. The Restore Defaults button on each page allows you to reset the options to their default settings. Setting folder options Users often select single-clicking to eliminate the confusion that arises from single-clicking hyperlinks and double-clicking Windows icons. PTS Learning Systems Page 65

76 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals When single-clicking is enabled, you select an item by pointing to it. You can select multiple items by holding the [Shift] or [Ctrl] keys and pointing to the desired items. Procedures 1. Open the desired folder window. 2. Select the Tools menu. 3. Select the Folder Options command. 4. Select the View tab. 5. Select or deselect the desired options. 6. Select the General tab. 7. Select the desired option. 8. Select OK to save your changes and close the Folder Options dialog box, or select Apply to apply your changes and leave the dialog box open. Step-by-Step Change folder options. If necessary, open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Select the Tools menu. The Tools menu appears. 2. Select the Folder Options command. The Folder Options dialog box opens. 3. Select the View tab. The View page appears. 4. Select or deselect the desired options. The options are selected or deselected. Practice Data Click Tools Click Folder Options... Click the View tab Scroll as necessary and click Hide extensions for known file types to deselect it Page 66 PTS Learning Systems

77 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Steps 5. Select the General tab. The General page appears. 6. Select the desired option. The desired option is selected. Practice Data Click the General tab Click Open each folder in its own window 7. Continue selecting options as desired. The options are selected. 8. Select OK to save your changes and close the Folder Options dialog box, or select Apply to apply your changes and leave the dialog box open. The changes are saved and the Folder Options dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the dialog box remains open. Click Single-click to open an item (point to select) Click OK Notice that files, such as Bike.jpg appear with their 3-character type extensions and that file and folder objects display as hyperlinks. Click the Multiple Objects folder link once to open the folder. Notice that the folder opens in its own window; the taskbar contains buttons for both the 3½ Floppy (A:) and Multiple Objects folder windows. Point to the Document 1.txt file and then point to the Document 3.txt file. Notice that you only have to point to select. Click the Close button on the Multiple Objects folder window title bar to close the window. Practice the Concept: Open the Folder Options dialog box and select the Restore Defaults button on the General page and then on the View page. Select OK to save the changes. Close the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. PTS Learning Systems Page 67

78 Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE WORKING WITH VIEWS AND TOOLBARS Task Work with views and toolbars. 1. If necessary, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Open My Computer and then the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. 3. Open the Student Data folder. Open the Accounting folder. 4. Display and then hide the status bar. 5. Hide the Address bar and then redisplay it. 6. Go back to the Student Data window. 7. Go forward to the Accounting window. 8. Change the Accounting window to the Icons view. 9. Use the Back list to return to the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. 10. Change the view of the 3½ Floppy (A:) window to display graphic preview files. 11. Use the Forward list to return to the Accounting window. 12. Change the Accounting window to the Details view. 13. Use the column headings to sort the details by file size. 14. Add the Author detail to the view and position it after the Name detail. (Hint: Use the Choose Details dialog box.) 15. Change to Tiles view and point to the Change file. Notice that the Author detail appears in the pop-up description. 16. Group the icons and then arrange them by author. 17. Disable icon grouping. 18. Remove the Author detail. 19. Move up to the parent folder, the Student Data folder. 20. Change folder options. Select the option to open items with a singleclick. Change the view option to display the full path in the title bar. Page 68 PTS Learning Systems

79 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 4 - Working with Views and Toolbars 21. Notice that the files and folders appear as hyperlinks. Click once on the Accounting folder icon. Notice the full path in the A:\Student Data\Accounting window title bar. 22. Restore the general and view defaults for all folders. 23. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 69

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81 LESSON 5 - ORGANIZING FILES AND FOLDERS In this lesson, you will learn how to: Use the common tasks pane Use the Folders list Select multiple items Rename a folder or file Create a new folder Copy/Move files and folders Copy/Move with drag and drop Create a shortcut Delete files, folders, or shortcuts Use the Undo feature Use Windows Explorer

82 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals USING THE COMMON TASKS PANE Discussion You can use the common tasks pane in My Computer to organize the files, folders and resources located on your hard drive, floppy disk drive, or any network drive to which you have access. The common tasks pane appears on the left side of the My Computer window. The common tasks pane is context-sensitive. Windows XP senses the currently selected object and displays tasks related to that object in the tasks pane. When you first open My Computer, and no objects are selected, the System Tasks group appears, providing links to system-related tasks. When a file or folder is selected, the File and Folder Tasks group appears in the common tasks pane displaying related tasks. Common folder tasks include renaming, moving, copying, publishing, sharing (depending on your permission level), e- mailing, and deleting the folder. Common file tasks include renaming, moving, copying, publishing, ing, printing, and deleting the file. As you select objects, the information in the Details group changes to display file properties, such as the file size, date modified, or dimensions if the file is a graphic. Scroll arrows appear in the common tasks when the contents of the pane exceeds the window size. Procedures 1. Open My Computer. 2. Select a folder to view folder tasks in the common tasks pane. 3. Select a file to view file tasks in the common tasks pane. 4. To hide the tasks in a group, click the up arrows in the task group. 5. To display the tasks in a group, click the down arrows in the task group. Page 72 PTS Learning Systems

83 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Step-by-Step Use the common tasks pane. Open and maximize the My Computer window. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Select a folder to view folder tasks in the common tasks pane. The File and Folder Tasks group changes to display folder tasks. 2. Select a file to view file tasks in the common tasks pane. The File and Folder Tasks group changes to display file tasks. Practice Data Click WinXP Scroll as necessary and click Sample Document 3. To hide the tasks in a group, click the up arrows in the task group. The tasks are hidden accordingly. 4. To display the tasks in a group, click the down arrows in the task group. The tasks display accordingly. Click the File and Folders Tasks the tasks Click the File and Folders Tasks display the tasks to hide to Practice the Concept: Select the Bike file. Expand the Details group and use the scroll bar in the common tasks pane to view all the information in the Details group. USING THE FOLDERS LIST Discussion The Folders button on the Standard Buttons toolbar alternates the left pane of the folder window between the common tasks pane and the Folders list. The Folders list displays a hierarchy of items representing available resources; including folders, network resources, and peripherals, such as CD-ROM drives. The hierarchy in the Folders list appears in a tree view. As an item is selected and expanded in the tree, items that are stored within the selected item (i.e. files within a selected folder) appear in the right pane of the window. Each item is graphically represented within the tree by an icon. If an item appears in the tree with a plus sign (+), it can be expanded to another level within the tree. If an item appears with a minus sign (-), then it has been fully expanded to view all items PTS Learning Systems Page 73

84 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals within it. If an item has no plus (+) or minus (-) sign, then it contains no folders; only files or nothing at all. The items in the Folders list are hyperlinks. You only have to click an item once to display its contents in the right pane. While the common tasks pane makes it easy to perform tasks in a folder, the Folders list is a good way to navigate to a desired folder. The Folders button is a toggle. Once you have navigated to the desired folder, you can switch back to the common tasks pane by clicking the button again. The Folders list displayed Clicking the plus sign (+) for a drive or folder in the left pane does not display the contents of the item in the right pane, it only expands the item. Procedures 1. Open My Computer. 2. Click the Folders button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to switch to the Folders list. 3. To expand an item in the tree, click the plus sign (+) to the left of the item. Page 74 PTS Learning Systems

85 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders 4. Select the desired folder in the Folders list. 5. To collapse an item in the tree, click the minus sign (-) to the left of the item. 6. Click the Folders button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to switch to the common tasks pane. Step-by-Step Use the Folders list. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Click the Folders button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to switch to the Folders list. The left pane switches to display the Folders list. 2. To expand an item in the tree, click the plus sign (+) to the left of the item. The tree expands to display the items within the item in the left pane and the plus sign (+) to the left of the item changes into a minus sign (-). Practice Data Click Folders Click the to the left of Multiple Objects 3. Select the desired folder in the Folders list. The item is selected and the contents of the selected folder appear, if applicable. Click Done 4. To collapse an item in the tree, click the minus sign (-) to the left of the item. The tree collapses to hide the items within the item in the left pane and the minus sign (-) to the left of the item changes into a plus sign (+). Click the to the left of Multiple Objects 5. Click the Folders button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to switch to the common tasks pane. The left pane switches to display the common tasks pane. Click Folders PTS Learning Systems Page 75

86 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals SELECTING MULTIPLE ITEMS Discussion You can select multiple items in a folder window, or any resource window. Once the items are selected, you can move, copy, open, delete, or print them at the same time. Multiple items are selected in the right pane only and all items must be located in the same window. You can select multiple items with the [Shift] key or the [Ctrl] key. When you use the [Shift] key, all items between the first and last selected item are selected. When you use the [Ctrl] key, you can select non-adjacent items. Multiple items can be selected in any window view. Selecting multiple items Selecting a folder automatically selects all the items in the folder. The Details group in the common tasks pane displays the number of items selected and the total file size. You can select all the items in a folder by selecting the Edit menu and the Select All command. Page 76 PTS Learning Systems

87 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Procedures 1. Open the drive or folder containing the items you want to select. 2. To select adjacent items, select the icon of the first item you want to select. 3. Hold the [Shift] key and click the last item you want to select. 4. Release the [Shift] key. 5. To deselect all items, click in a blank area of the window. 6. To select non-adjacent items, select the icon of the first item you want to select. 7. Hold the [Ctrl] key and click each item you want to select. 8. Release the [Ctrl] key. Step-by-Step Select multiple items. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Multiple Objects folder. Switch to the Details view. Steps 1. To select adjacent items, select the icon of the first item you want to select. The item is selected. 2. Hold the [Shift] key and click the last item you want to select. The adjacent items are selected. 3. Release the [Shift] key. The [Shift] key is released. 4 To deselect all items, click in a blank area of the window. The items are deselected. Practice Data Click Document 2 Hold [Shift] and click Document 4 Release [Shift] Click in a blank area in the right pane PTS Learning Systems Page 77

88 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 5. To select non-adjacent items, select the icon of the first item you want to select. The item is selected. 6. Hold the [Ctrl] key and click each item you want to select. The non-adjacent items are selected. 7. Release the [Ctrl] key. The [Ctrl] key is released. Practice Data Click Document 2 Hold [Ctrl] and click Document 4 and Document 5 Release [Ctrl] Notice that the tasks in the File and Folder Tasks group have changed to read...the selected items because multiple items are selected. If necessary, expand the Details group to display the information about the number of items selected and the file size of the selection. Click in a blank area of the right pane to deselect the selected items, and then change to the Tiles view. RENAMING A FOLDER OR FILE Discussion You can use the common tasks pane to rename a folder or file. Renaming changes both the title displayed with the object as well as the internal name used by the computer to recognize the object. You can quickly rename a folder or a file by selecting it, pressing the [F2] key, and typing a new folder name. You can also click once on a folder name that is already selected and edit the existing name. When renaming a file, you must be careful about extensions. If you rename an extension, the parent application may not be able recognize the file type and open the file. Page 78 PTS Learning Systems

89 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Procedures 1. Open the folder containing the item you want to rename. 2. Select the folder or file you want to rename. 3. Select the Rename this folder or Rename this file task in the File and Folder Tasks group. 4. Enter a new name for the folder or file. 5. Press [Enter]. Step-by-Step Rename a folder or file. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Multiple Objects folder. Display the common tasks pane, if necessary. Steps Practice Data 1. Select the folder or file you want to rename. The file or folder is selected. 2. Select the Rename this folder or Rename this file task in the File and Folder Tasks group. The current folder or file name is placed in edit mode. Click Click folder New Folder Rename this 3. Enter a new name for the folder or file. The new name for the folder or file replaces the existing name. 4. Press [Enter]. The folder or file is renamed. Type My Projects Press [Enter] Practice the Concept: Select Document 1 and rename the file to Sales memo. PTS Learning Systems Page 79

90 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals CREATING A NEW FOLDER Discussion You can create folders within any folder or storage device window, such as from within the C: drive window of My Computer. You can use the Make a new folder task in the common tasks pane to create a new folder. However, you must deselect all window items to access this task. By default, new folders are named New Folder; however, you can change this name at any time. You can also create a folder by right-clicking in a blank area in the right pane of the drive or folder window where you want to create the new folder. From the shortcut menu, select the New command and the Folder command. You can also use the menu bar to create a new folder by selecting the File menu, the New command, and the Folder command. When you create a new folder, Windows usually places the new name in edit mode so that you can immediately type a new name for the folder. If it does not place the name in edit mode, you can either use the Rename this folder task or click the New Folder name two times to rename the folder. Procedures 1. Open the folder in which you want to create a new folder. 2. Deselect all window items. 3. Click the Make a new folder task in the File and Folders Tasks group. 4. Type a name for the folder. 5. Press [Enter]. Step-by-Step Create a new folder. Page 80 PTS Learning Systems

91 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Multiple Objects folder. Display the common tasks pane, if necessary. Steps 1. Deselect all window items. All window items are deselected and the Make a new folder task appears in the File and Folder Tasks group. Practice Data Click in a blank area of the right pane 2. Click the Make a new folder task in the File and Folders Tasks group. A New Folder folder is created. Click folder Make a new 3. If necessary, place the folder name in edit mode. The folder name appears in edit mode. 4. Type a name for the folder. The name appears next to the folder icon. 5. Press [Enter]. The folder is named. Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step Type Proposals Press [Enter] If necessary, click the folder name to select it and then click again to place it in edit mode. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 4). Practice the Concept: Use the My Documents link in the common tasks pane to open the My Documents folder on the local drive. Create a new folder named My Memos. Then use the Back button to return to the Multiple Objects folder. COPYING/MOVING FILES AND FOLDERS Discussion Windows XP provides many methods that can be used to move and copy files and folders. Moving a file or folder removes it from the original location and places it in a new location. Copying files or folders creates a copy of the item and places the copy in the new location. You can move and copy items using the tasks on the common tasks pane. Depending upon the items selected, the text of the task changes. The task text changes to Move this file or Copy this file when a single file is selected, Move this folder and Copy PTS Learning Systems Page 81

92 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals this folder when a single folder is selected, and Move the selected items and Copy the selected items when multiple files or folders are selected. A move task opens the Move Items dialog box, while a copy task opens the Copy Items dialog box. Both dialog boxes provide options to browse resources and select a destination for the moved or copied items. In addition, you can create a new folder in any location during the process, and then move or copy the items to the new folder. You can use the Cut, Copy and Paste commands on the shortcut or Edit menus to move and copy files and folders. New folders created in the Move Items and Copy Items dialog boxes are automatically named New Folder. You can rename the folder before you complete the move/copy process or after the process is complete. To rename the folder while in the dialog box, select the New Folder folder, press the [F2] key, type a new name, and press [Enter]. Procedures 1. Open the drive or folder from which you want to move or copy items. 2. Display the common tasks pane, if necessary. 3. Select the first item you want to move or copy. 4. Continue selecting the items you want to move or copy. 5. To move or copy the selected item(s), select the appropriate Move... or Copy... task under the File and Folder Tasks group. 6. Select the drive where you want to move or copy the item(s). 7. Select the folder where you want to move or copy the item(s). 8. To create a new folder, select Make New Folder. 9. Select the desired folder. 10. Select Move or Copy. Step-by-Step Copy and move files and folders. Page 82 PTS Learning Systems

93 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Multiple Objects folder. Display the common tasks pane, if necessary. Steps 1. Select the first item you want to move or copy. The item is selected. 2. Continue selecting the items you want to move or copy. The items are selected. 3. To move or copy the selected item(s), select the appropriate Move... or Copy... tasks under the File and Folder Tasks group. The Move Items or Copy Items dialog box opens accordingly. Practice Data Click Document 2 Hold [Ctrl] and click Document 5 Click Copy the selected items 4. Select the drive where you want to move or copy the item(s). The contents of the drive appear. 5. Select the folder where you want to move or copy the item(s). The folder is selected. Click Click 3½ Floppy (A:) Completed 6. To create a new folder, select Make New Folder. A New Folder folder appears under the current folder. Click Make New Folder 7. Select the desired folder. The folder is selected. Click New Folder 8. Select Move or Copy. The item(s) are moved or copied accordingly. Click Copy Practice the Concept: Use the Move this file task to move Document 6 to the Completed folder. Display the Folders list and click the Completed folder in the left pane to confirm that the folder contains the file that was moved and the new folder. Click the New Folder folder in the right pane. Display the common tasks pane and rename the folder to Check status. PTS Learning Systems Page 83

94 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals COPYING/MOVING WITH DRAG AND DROP Discussion You can move and copy files and folders by dragging them from the right pane of the folder window and dropping them in the desired location in the Folders list. Dragging a folder automatically moves or copies all the items in that folder. Windows XP provides two methods for moving and copying items with drag and drop. One method is to drag items with the left mouse button from the right pane to the desired folder in the Folders list. However, with this method, the end result differs depending whether the source and destination are on the same drive or on different drives. Items are moved if the destination is within the same drive and copied if the destination is on another drive. To safely use this method, you should hold down the [Shift] key to move items, and hold down the [Ctrl] key to copy items. The keys should not be released until the move or copy is safely completed, or the incorrect action may occur. In addition, when you are copying items, make sure that a plus sign (+) appears when you are dragging them. A safer method is to use the right mouse button to drag items from the right pane to the desired folder in the Folders list. When you release the right mouse button, a shortcut menu appears allowing you to select if you want to move the items, copy the items, or create shortcuts to the items. You can also create a copy of a file or folder within the same location. Windows XP differentiates the copy from the original by adding the words Copy of to the file or folder name. Newly copied or moved items may not appear in the left pane of Windows Explorer until the window is refreshed. You can also move and copy files and folders by dragging them to a folder link in the Other Places group in the common tasks pane. If you attempt to move an executable file (.exe), the results may vary depending upon the type of executable file. However, it is recommended that you do not move executable files. Instead, you should uninstall the program and then reinstall it in the desired location. Page 84 PTS Learning Systems

95 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Procedures 1. Open the folder containing the item for which you want to move or copy and display the Folders list. 2. Select the item(s) you want to move in the right pane. 3. Hold the [Shift] key and drag the selected items to the desired location in the Folders list. 4. Release the mouse button and then release the [Shift] key. 5. Select the item(s) you want to copy in the right pane. 6. Hold the [Ctrl] key and drag the items to the desired location in the Folders list. 7. Release the mouse button and then release the [Ctrl] key. 8. Select the item(s) you want to move or copy in the right pane. 9. Using the right mouse button, drag the items to the desired destination in the Folders list and release the mouse button. 10. Select the Move Here command to move the item or the Copy Here command to create a copy of the item. Step-by-Step Copy and move items with drag and drop. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Display the Folders list. Expand the Completed folder. Select the Student Data folder on the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Select the item(s) you want to move in the right pane. The items are selected. 2. Hold the [Shift] key and drag the selected items to the desired location in the Folders list. A shadow image moves as you drag the items. Practice Data Click Timesheets Hold [Shift] and drag Timesheets in the right pane to Completed in the left pane PTS Learning Systems Page 85

96 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 3. Release the mouse button and then release the [Shift] key. The Moving dialog box shows the items being moved to the new location. Practice Data Release the mouse button and then release [Shift] 4. Select the item(s) you want to copy in the right pane. The items are selected. Click Timesheet1 5. Hold the [Ctrl] key and drag the items to the desired location in the Folders list. The shadow image with a plus sign (+) moves as you drag the items. 6. Release the mouse button and then release the [Ctrl] key. The Copying dialog box shows the items being copied to the new location. Hold [Ctrl] and drag Timesheet1 in the right pane to Timesheets (under Completed) in the left pane Release the mouse button and then release [Ctrl] 7. Select the item(s) you want to move or copy in the right pane. The items are selected. Click Delete 8. Using the right mouse button, drag the items to the desired destination in the Folders list and release the mouse button. A shadow image of the item moves as you drag and then a shortcut menu appears. 9. Select the Move Here command to move the item or the Copy Here command to create a copy of the item. The item is moved or copied to its new location. Hold the right mouse button on Delete in the right pane and drag it to Completed in the left pane and release the mouse button Click Copy Here Click the Timesheets folder under the Completed folder in the left pane to view its contents. The right pane should display the icon for the Timesheet1 file. Practice the Concept: Select the Student Data folder and display the common tasks pane. Drag the Delete folder to the My Documents link on the common tasks pane to copy the folder. Since you are copying to another drive, you do not need to use the [Ctrl] key. Notice that a plus sign (+) appears when you drop the folder on the My Documents link. Click the My Documents link to see if the Delete folder was copied. Click the Back button to return to the Student Data folder. Page 86 PTS Learning Systems

97 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders CREATING A SHORTCUT Discussion A shortcut is a pointer to a folder or file that provides quick access to the documents and applications you use most often. When you double-click a shortcut icon, whatever object the shortcut points to is immediately launched. You can create shortcuts to access any object; including programs, folders, diskette drives, printers, or other computers. In addition, once a shortcut is created, you can move it or place copies of it in another folder or on the desktop. Shortcut icons appear with an arrow in the bottom left corner. You can rename a shortcut using the same procedures that you use to rename a file or folder. If you choose to rename your shortcuts, use meaningful names to help you remember the application or document to which they point. A shortcut to a file You can also create a shortcut using copy and paste. Rightclick the item for which you want to create a shortcut and select the Copy command. Open the folder where you want the shortcut to appear, right-click in the folder, and select the Paste Shortcut command. PTS Learning Systems Page 87

98 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the folder containing the item for which you want to create a shortcut and display the common tasks pane. 2. Right-click the item for which you want to create a shortcut. 3. Select the Create Shortcut command. 4. Select the Move this file task under the File and Folder Tasks group. 5. Select the folder where you want the shortcut to appear. 6. Select Move. Step-by-Step Create a shortcut. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Student Data folder. Display the common tasks pane. Steps 1. Right-click the item for which you want to create a shortcut. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Create Shortcut command. A shortcut to the item is created in the same folder and the shortcut is selected. Practice Data Right-click Accounting Click Create Shortcut 3. Select the Move this file task under the File and Folder Tasks group. The Move Items dialog box opens. Click Move this file 4. Select the folder where you want the shortcut to appear. The folder is selected. 5. Select Move. The shortcut is moved to the desired folder. Scroll as necessary and click My Documents Click Move Page 88 PTS Learning Systems

99 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Close the Student Data folder window. Open the Start menu and select My Documents. The My Documents folder contains a Shortcut to Accounting icon. Notice the arrow in the bottom left corner of the icon, indicating that it is a shortcut. Use the rename task to rename the shortcut to My Accounting Folder. Test the shortcut by double-clicking it. Notice that the shortcut opens the Accounting window. Use the Up button to return to the Student Data folder. DELETING FILES, FOLDERS, OR SHORTCUTS Discussion You can delete files, folders and shortcuts you no longer use. When you delete an item in Windows XP, it is not immediately removed from your hard drive. It is moved to the Recycle Bin, which provides an area used to store deleted objects. The Recycle Bin appears as an icon on your desktop. Although no longer visible in their previous locations, deleted objects are not actually deleted from your hard drive until you empty the Recycle Bin. You can delete multiple items at the same time. When you delete a shortcut, you are deleting only the shortcut and not the file or application with which it is associated. You can also delete items using the Delete this file, Delete this folder, or Delete these items tasks in the common tasks pane. Files that are deleted from a storage device other than your hard drive (such as files on a diskette or network drive) are not moved to the Recycle Bin, but are deleted directly and cannot be restored. Procedures 1. Open the folder containing the item you want to delete. 2. Select the item you want to delete. 3. Press [Delete]. PTS Learning Systems Page 89

100 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals 4. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. Step-by-Step Delete a file, folder, or shortcut. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Student Data folder. Steps Practice Data 1. Select the item you want to delete. The item is selected. Click Delete Me Document 2. Press [Delete]. The Confirm File Delete message box opens, asking you to confirm the deletion. 3. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. The Confirm File Delete message box closes and the item is moved to the Recycle Bin. Press [Delete] Click Yes Practice the Concept: Select the Delete folder and the Timesheet1 document and delete both items at the same time. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. USING THE UNDO FEATURE Discussion If you make a mistake, or change your mind after moving or copying files and folders, you can use the Undo feature to reverse the action. The Undo feature will reverse the last operation you performed. If you undo a copy, the copied objects will be deleted from the new location, but will not be deleted to the Recycle Bin. If you undo a move, the objects will be moved back to their original location. In addition to undoing your last action, Windows XP can undo multiple actions. Each time you repeat the Undo command, the next previous action will be reversed. When you use the Undo command on the Edit menu, the action you are reversing is included with the command (e.g., Undo Move). Page 90 PTS Learning Systems

101 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders You can also use the Undo feature to undo a deletion from a local hard drive. This action restores the object from the Recycle Bin. You cannot undo a deletion from a floppy disk drive or network drive. Procedures 1. Open My Computer. 2. Select the Edit menu. 3. Select the Undo action command. 4. If the Confirm Delete dialog box opens, select Yes to confirm the deletion. Step-by-Step Use the Undo feature. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Multiple Objects folder. Display the common tasks pane and use the Move this folder task to move the Done folder to the My Documents folder. Click the My Documents link to open the folder. Then, delete the Done folder in My Documents and select Yes to confirm the deletion. Steps 1. Select the Edit menu. The Edit menu appears. 2. Select the Undo action command. The last action is reversed. Practice Data Click Edit Click Undo Delete Notice that the Done folder reappears in the My Documents folder. Practice the Concept: Use the Undo command again to undo the move. Use the Back button to return to Multiple Objects folder to verify that the Done folder has been restored. Close the Multiple Objects window. PTS Learning Systems Page 91

102 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals USING WINDOWS EXPLORER Discussion You can use either My Computer or Windows Explorer as a file management tool. Both programs are the same, except that My Computer opens with the common tasks pane displayed and Windows Explorer opens with the Folders list displayed. No matter which window you open, you can use the Folders button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to switch between panes. By default, Windows Explorer opens to your My Documents folder. The Windows Explorer window Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. Point to Accessories. 4. Select Windows Explorer. Page 92 PTS Learning Systems

103 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Step-by-Step Use Windows Explorer. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. 2. Point to All Programs. The All Programs submenu appears. Practice Data Click Start Point to All Programs 3. Point to Accessories. The Accessories submenu appears. Point to Accessories 4. Select Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer opens with the contents of the My Documents folder in the right pane and the Folders list in the left pane. Click Windows Explorer In the Folders list, expand My Computer, and then the Local Disk (C:). Click the Close button on the Folders list title bar to close the Folders list. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 93

104 Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE ORGANIZING FILES AND FOLDERS Task Organize files and folders. 1. If necessary, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Open My Computer and then the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. 3. Display the contents of the Accounting folder located in the Student Data folder. 4. Select the Change, Recommendation and Transfer Request files. (Hint: Use the [Ctrl] key to select multiple files.) 5. Copy the selected files to a new folder in My Documents. Name the new folder My Reports. (Hint: If the name does not appear in edit mode, select New Folder, press [F2], type the new name and press [Enter]. 6. Use the link in the common tasks pane to display the My Documents folder. 7. Rename the My Reports folder to Sales Reports. 8. Delete the Sales Reports folder. 9. Use the Undo command to undo the folder deletion. Then, undo the rename action. 10. Display the Folders list. Expand the contents of My Computer and the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive, if necessary. Using the right mouse button, move the My Reports folder from the My Documents folder to the Exercise folder on the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 11. Display the Exercise folder. Using the common tasks pane, create a new folder named Shortcuts. 12. Display the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive window. Use the shortcut menu to create a shortcut to the Sales folder. Then, using the common tasks pane, move the shortcut file to the Shortcuts folder. 13. Display the Shortcuts folder and try the Shortcut to Sales shortcut. Close the Sales window. Page 94 PTS Learning Systems

105 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 5 - Organizing Files and Folders 14. Open Windows Explorer from the Start menu. (Hint: Use the Accessories menu.) Expand My Computer and the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive in the Folders list. Display the Exercise folder and delete the My Reports and Shortcuts folders. 15. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 95

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107 LESSON 6 - WORKING WITH MULTIMEDIA FILES In this lesson, you will learn how to: Customize a folder Work with picture tasks Use the Picture and Fax Viewer Open the Windows Media Player Use the Windows Media Player Use compressed folders

108 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals CUSTOMIZING A FOLDER Discussion Folders are based on templates. The template assigns a type to the folder. Template types include Documents, Pictures, Photo Album, Music, Music Artist, Music Album, and Videos. The applied template determines the features available in a folder. Folder features include the tasks available in the common tasks pane. In addition, Filmstrip view is only available in folders based on the Pictures and Photo Album templates. You can further customize a folder by selecting a picture to display on the folder icon when the folder is displayed in Thumbnails view. Furthermore, you can change the icon for the folder. By default, folders appear with the standard folder icon. You can select another icon from a Windows XP icon file or from another icon file you may have on your computer. You cannot apply templates to folders saved to a floppy disk. You can also customize a folder by right-clicking the folder icon, selecting the Properties command, and then selecting the Customize tab. Procedures 1. Open the folder you want to customize. 2. Select the View menu. 3. Select the Customize This Folder command. 4. Select the Use this folder type as a template list. 5. Select the desired folder type. 6. To select a folder picture, click Choose Picture. 7. Browse as necessary and select the desired picture. 8. Select Open. 9. Select OK. Page 98 PTS Learning Systems

109 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Step-by-Step Customize a folder. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Display the common tasks pane. Copy both the Advanced Files and Pictures folder to the My Documents folder. Click the My Documents link to open the folder. Open the Advanced Files folder in the My Documents folder. Notice the tasks available on the common tasks pane. Display the Views list and notice that the Filmstrip view is not available. Click in a blank area to close the list. Steps 1. Select the View menu. The View menu appears. 2. Select the Customize This Folder command. The <Folder> Properties dialog box opens with the Customize page displayed. 3. Select the Use this folder type as a template list. A list of folder types appears. 4. Select the desired folder type. The folder type is selected. 5. To select a folder picture, click Choose Picture. The Browse dialog box opens. 6. Browse as necessary and select the desired picture. The picture file is selected. 7. Select Open. The selected picture appears on the Preview folder. 8. Select OK. The <Folder> Properties dialog box closes and the folder properties are saved. Practice Data Click View Click Customize This Folder... Click Use this folder type as a template Click Pictures (best for many files) Click Choose Picture... Click COLOGO Click Open Click OK Notice the Picture Tasks group now appears in the common tasks pane. Display the Views list to see if the Filmstrip view is available. Click in a blank area to close the list. Use the Up button to on the Standard Buttons toolbar display the My PTS Learning Systems Page 99

110 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals Documents folder and switch to the Thumbnails view. Notice the Cologo image on the Advanced Files folder icon. Delete the Advanced Files folder from the My Documents folder using either the [Delete] key or the Delete this folder task and select Yes to confirm the deletion. WORKING WITH PICTURE TASKS Discussion Windows XP includes tools to work with media files. If Windows XP senses that a folder contains pictures, the common tasks pane includes a Picture Tasks group. These tasks include viewing all the pictures in the folder as a slide show, ordering prints online, printing pictures, and setting a picture as the desktop background. The slide show can be used in a business presentation or just to view your digital photographs. The pictures automatically advance and keep repeating until you stop the show. You can manually advance to the next picture by clicking the left mouse button. If you move your mouse during the slide show, a toolbar appears with buttons to restart the show, pause, move to the previous or next picture, or end the slide show. The Print pictures task opens the Photo Printing Wizard, which guides you through the setup pages. The Picture Selection page displays thumbnails of all the pictures in the folder. You can select the check box next to the pictures you want to print. The Printing Options page allows you to select your printer and pick printing preferences such as page orientation, and advanced features such as graphics quality. Using the Layout Selection page, you can select a size for the printed pictures and the layout of the pictures on the page. Examples include; four 3.5 x 5 inch prints on a page, walletsize pictures, and contact sheets, which print up to 35 thumbnails on a page. Finally, you can select the number of times each picture can be used to fill a page. The My Pictures folder under My Documents is a custom folder specially set up to store and work with pictures. You can also use various keyboard keys to move through the slide show. For example, you can use the [Page Down], [Page Up], and directional arrow keys to view the next and previous pictures. The Set as desktop background task only shows when a picture file is selected. If you set a picture as your desktop background, you can return to the default desktop by right-clicking the desktop, selecting Properties, and selecting Windows XP from the Theme list. Page 100 PTS Learning Systems

111 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Procedures 1. In My Computer, open a picture folder. 2. Select the View as slide show task in the Picture Tasks group. 3. Click the mouse button to display the next picture. 4. Press the [Esc] key to end the slide show. 5. Select the Print pictures task in the Picture Tasks group. 6. Select Next. 7. Click the check box to select or deselect the desired pictures. 8. Select Next. 9. Select the desired options, if necessary, and select Next. 10. Select the desired layout from the Available layouts list. 11. Select Next to print the pictures, Back to reselect options, or Cancel to cancel printing. Step-by-Step Work with picture tasks. If necessary, open My Computer. Copy the Pictures folder from the student data diskette to the My Documents folder. Then, open the My Documents folder. Open the Pictures folder in the My Documents folder. Switch to Filmstrip view, if necessary. Steps 1. Select the View as slide show task in the Picture Tasks group. The screen changes to display the first picture. 2. Click the mouse button to display the next picture. The slide show displays each picture in the folder. Practice Data Click View as a slide show Click the mouse 5 times PTS Learning Systems Page 101

112 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 3. Press the [Esc] key to end the slide show. The slide show ends. Practice Data Press [Esc] 4. Select the Print pictures task in the Picture Tasks group. The Photo Printing Wizard opens. Click Print pictures 5. Select Next. The Pictures Selection page appears. 6. Click the check box to select or deselect the desired pictures. The pictures are selected or deselected accordingly. 7. Select Next. The Printing Options page appears. 8. Select the desired options, if necessary, and select Next. The Layout Selection page appears. 9. Select the desired layout from the Available layouts list. The selected layout appears in Print preview. 10. Select Next to print the pictures, Back to reselect options, or Cancel to cancel printing. The selected action occurs. Click Next > Click to deselect the second picture Click Next > Click Next > Scroll as necessary and select the option under 3.5 x 5 in. Prints Click Cancel Select any picture. Notice that the Picture Tasks group now includes the Set as desktop background task. Use the Up button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to display the My Documents folder, delete the Pictures folder, and select Yes to confirm the deletion. Use the Back button list to return to the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive window. USING THE PICTURE AND FAX VIEWER Discussion The Windows Picture and Fax Viewer opens when you open a picture, unless the file type is associated with another graphic application. Page 102 PTS Learning Systems

113 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files The Windows Picture and Fax Viewer provides a few basic tools for viewing. You can use the viewer to magnify, rotate, delete, print, or copy a picture. Other tools allow you to open the image in a graphics editing application or run a slide show of all pictures in the current folder. If you open a TIFF file or fax, additional tools are available for annotation. They include highlighting, drawing lines, or adding text. The Windows Pictures and Fax Viewer If you annotate a TIFF or fax, you will be prompted to save your changes. Selecting Yes opens the Copy To dialog box where you can overwrite the file or save it with a different name or to another location. Procedures 1. In My Computer, open the folder containing the picture you want to view in the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. 2. Double-click the desired file name or thumbnail. 3. Use the desired tool. 4. Click the Close button on the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer title bar. PTS Learning Systems Page 103

114 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Use the Picture and Fax Viewer. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Display the folder in Thumbnails view. Steps 1. Double-click the desired file name or thumbnail. The picture or fax opens in the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. 2. Use the desired tool. The picture changes accordingly. 3. Click the Close button on the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer title bar. The Windows Pictures and Fax Viewer closes. Practice Data Scroll as necessary and double-click the Bullseye thumbnail Click (to rotate the image counterclockwise) Click Close the open window. OPENING THE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER Discussion The Windows Media Player is an application that comes installed with Windows XP. This multimedia player allows you to listen to music and other audio files and watch DVDs. However, you will need a sound card and speakers or earphones to listen to audio files, and the appropriate hardware devices to listen to music on CDs or watch DVDs. There are several ways to access the Windows Media Player. You can access the Windows Media Player from the Start menu. When Windows XP is first installed, a shortcut to the player may appear in the left pane. However, you can always use the Entertainment submenu under Accessories to start the player. If you insert a music CD into your CD-ROM drive, the Windows Media Player starts automatically. However, the first time you insert a music CD, a dialog box may open asking what you want Windows to do. If you have multiple players installed, you can select which player to use or you can open the CD in a folder to view the files. If you select the Always do the selected action option, the dialog box will not appear again. Page 104 PTS Learning Systems

115 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files You can create your own folders for music files or use the My Music folder under My Documents, a custom folder specially set up to store and work with music. Another way of opening the Windows Media Player is to double-click an audio file. However, another media player may open when you double-click an audio file if that player is associated with that audio file type. The Windows Media Player opens in Now Playing unless the Start player in Media Guide option in the Options dialog box is selected. The Windows Media Player command also may appear directly on your All Programs menu. Procedures 1. Click the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. Point to Accessories. 4. Point to Entertainment. 5. Select the Windows Media Player command. Step-by-Step Open the Windows Media Player. Steps 1. Click the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. 2. Point to All Programs. The All Programs submenu appears. Practice Data Click Start Point to All Programs 3. Point to Accessories. The Accessories submenu appears. Point to Accessories PTS Learning Systems Page 105

116 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 4. Point to Entertainment. The Entertainment submenu appears. 5. Select the Windows Media Player command. The Windows Media Player opens. Practice Data Point to Entertainment Click Windows Media Player If necessary, click Now Playing in the taskbar on the left. USING THE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER Discussion When you open the Windows Media Player, the Features taskbar appears on the left side. You can use the taskbar to change the function of the media player. Now Playing is used to listen to an audio file or CD. The Playlist pane appears on the right side of the media player window. When you select a playlist from the Select Playlist box, all the tracks in the playlist appear in the pane. Windows XP provides a Sample Playlist, and you can create your own. When you play music, the media player displays visualizations, which are color designs that keep time to the music. The player also includes buttons to mute or adjust the volume; play, pause, or stop the audio file; move to the next or previous track; select other visualizations; and display or hide the graphic equalizer and the playlist. You can point to a button and read the pop-up description to view its function. The Windows Media Player has a menu system that appears automatically when you move the mouse pointer above the player window. You can use the menu system to change player settings. You can customize the Windows Media Player by changing its skin. The skin is the graphical design of the player. You can choose from a variety of designs or download other skins from the Internet. Furthermore, you can view the media player in full mode or skin mode. Skin mode is a smaller version of the Windows Media Player window. You cannot access the menu system in skin mode, but right-clicking the skin provides access to most options. Page 106 PTS Learning Systems

117 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files The Windows Media Player You can return the media player to full mode by right-clicking the skin and selecting the Switch to Full Mode command. You can display the menu bar at all times in full mode by selecting the Show menu bar button. Selecting the button again, returns it to its autohide default. Procedures 1. Open the Windows Media Player. 2. Click the Select Playlist box. 3. Select the desired playlist. 4. Click the Pause button to pause the audio file. 5. Click the Play button to play the current selection. 6. Click the Stop button to stop playing the current audio file. 7. To view the menus, move the mouse pointer above the top border of the player window. 8. Click the Close button to close the Windows Media Player. PTS Learning Systems Page 107

118 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Use the Windows Media Player. If necessary, open the Windows Media Player. Steps 1. Click the Select Playlist box. A list of playlists, audio and video files, and radio presets appear. 2. Select the desired playlist. The tracks of the playlist appear and the first track starts playing. 3. Click the Pause button to pause the audio file. The audio file pauses. 4. Click the Play button to play the current selection. The audio file resumes playing. 5. Click the Stop button to stop playing the current audio file. The audio file stops playing. 6. To view the menus, move the mouse pointer above the top border of the player window. The menu bar appears. 7. Click the Close button on the Windows Media Player title bar. The Windows Media Player closes. Practice Data Click Sample Playlist Click Sample Playlist Click Click Click Move the mouse pointer above the Windows Media Player window Click Practice the Concept: Open My Computer and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Music folder and double-click the Mozart s Symphony No. 40 file. Notice that not all audio files show visualization. Click the small Close button at the top of the Playlist pane to close the Windows Media Player. Page 108 PTS Learning Systems

119 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files USING COMPRESSED FOLDERS Discussion The Windows XP operating system includes compression tools to free up space on your hard drive. Since multimedia files generally require much more disk space than documents, you may want to store them in a compressed folder. There are several ways you can compress files into a folder in Windows XP. One method is to create a new compressed folder and then drag the files you want to compress to the compressed folder. This option allows you to assign a name and location to the folder when it is created. You can extract all files in a compressed folder by opening the folder and selecting the Extract all files task in the Folder Tasks group. This opens the Extraction Wizard, where you can select a location for the extracted files. However, you do not have to extract files to use them; double-clicking a file in a compressed folder opens the file in its source application. You can also create a compressed folder by selecting the files to be compressed, right-clicking the selection, selecting the Send To menu, and then the Compressed (zipped) Folder command. The folder is created in the current folder and is automatically named after one of the zipped files. Later, you can rename the folder and move it to another location. You can also compress an existing folder containing files on a local or network drive. To compress a folder, right-click the folder, select Properties, select the Advanced button on the General page, select the Compress contents to save disk space option, and select OK two times to close both open dialog boxes. When prompted to confirm attribute changes, select the Apply the changes to this folder, subfolders and files option and select OK. Procedures 1. Display the folder containing the files you want to compress. 2. Select the File menu. 3. Point to the New command. 4. Select the Compressed (zipped) Folder command. PTS Learning Systems Page 109

120 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals 5. Type a name for the folder. 6. Press [Enter]. 7. Select the file(s) to be compressed. 8. Drag the selected files to the compressed folder. Step-by-Step Use compressed folders. If necessary, open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Music folder. Display the Music folder in Details view. Steps 1. Select the File menu. The File menu appears. 2. Point to the New command. The New submenu appears. 3. Select the Compressed (zipped) Folder command. A folder appears with the name New Compressed (zipped) Folder selected. 4. Type a name for the folder. The new name appears. 5. Press [Enter]. The folder is named. 6. Select the file(s) to be compressed. The files are selected. 7. Drag the selected files to the compressed folder. The files are added to the compressed folder. Practice Data Click File Point to New Click Compressed (zipped) Folder Type Classical Press [Enter] Click the first file, hold [Ctrl] and click the second file Drag the files to the Classical folder Notice that the music files, which add up to 39 KB, are compressed to 12 KB in the Classical compressed folder. Double-click the Classical compressed folder. Double-click either of the compressed music files. The file automatically decompresses and opens the Windows Media Player. Close the media player and click Page 110 PTS Learning Systems

121 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files the Music link in the Other Places group. Delete the Classical folder and select Yes to confirm the deletion. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 111

122 Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE WORKING WITH MULTIMEDIA FILES Task Work with multimedia files. 1. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Open My Computer and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive in Tiles view. 3. Select the Bullseye, Doctor1, and Meeting2 files and copy them to a new folder in My Documents. Name the folder My Clips. (Hint: If the name does not appear in edit mode, select New Folder, press [F2], type the new name and press [Enter]. 4. Open My Documents and open the My Clips folder. Customize the folder by applying the Photo Album template, if necessary, and choosing the Bullseye picture for the folder thumbnail. 5. View the clips as a slide show. Then, close the slide show. 6. Open the Doctor1 clip in the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. 7. Use the Closes this program and opens the image for editing button. (Hint: Second button from the right.) Close the editing program. 8. Switch to Details view and create a new compressed folder named Clip art in the My Clips folder. 9. Select the Doctor1 and Meeting2 files. Notice that the size of the file selection in the Details group is 20.5 KB. Add the files to the Clip art compressed folder. Notice the difference in size. 10. Delete the Clip art compressed folder and move up to display My Documents. 11. Change My Documents to the Thumbnails view to see the image on the My Clips folder. 12. Open the My Music folder in My Documents and then open the Sample Music folder. Double-click one of the audio files to open the file in the Windows Media Player. 13. Stop the file from playing. 14. Use the Playlist to display All Audio files on your computer. Page 112 PTS Learning Systems

123 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 6 - Working with Multimedia Files 15. Select a file to play and then pause it. Close the Windows Media Player. 16. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 113

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125 LESSON 7 - WORKING WITH MULTIPLE WINDOWS In this lesson, you will learn how to: Switch between open windows Show the desktop Cascade open windows Tile open windows Use grouped taskbar buttons Use the grouped taskbar button menu

126 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals SWITCHING BETWEEN OPEN WINDOWS Discussion Windows XP allows you to open multiple windows. Then, you can work with the contents of those open windows, using them together to complete a task. Although you can work with multiple windows, only one window can be active at a time. When one window is active, the other windows are inactive. The title bar of the active window is highlighted and usually appears in the forefront, while the title bar of an inactive window is dimmed. Each open window displays a corresponding button on the taskbar. You can switch quickly between open windows by clicking the appropriate button on the taskbar. Since the taskbar is visible on your desktop by default, you can always see which programs or windows are open and quickly switch to them. You can also use the keyboard to switch between open windows with the [Alt+Tab] key combination. Pressing this key combination displays a pane with icons of all open folders and applications. As you hold the [Alt] key and press the [Tab] key, different folders or applications are selected within the pane. A description of the selected icon appears at the bottom of the pane. When you release the [Alt] key, the selected icon, whether a folder or application, is restored and becomes the active window on your screen. Procedures 1. Click the button on the taskbar with the title corresponding to the name of the item you want to access. 2. Switch to another opened item by clicking another button on the taskbar. 3. To switch windows using the keyboard, hold the [Alt] key and press the [Tab] key. 4. Continue holding the [Alt] key and press the [Tab] key to cycle through the icons for the item you want to open. 5. Release the [Alt] key. Page 116 PTS Learning Systems

127 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Step-by-Step Switch between open windows using the taskbar and keyboard. Open the Recycle Bin. Use the Start menu to open My Computer. Then, use the Start menu again to open My Documents. Notice that buttons for all open windows appear on the taskbar. Click the Restore Down button to place the My Documents window in normal size. Steps 1. Click the button on the taskbar with the title corresponding to the name of the item you want to access. The selected window appears at the forefront of the desktop with its title bar highlighted and the corresponding button on the taskbar appears depressed. 2. Switch to another opened item by clicking another button on the taskbar. The selected window appears at the forefront of the desktop with its title bar highlighted and the corresponding button on the taskbar appears depressed. 3. To switch windows using the keyboard, hold the [Alt] key and press the [Tab] key. The task switching pane appears with icons for the active items displayed. 4. Continue holding the [Alt] key and press the [Tab] key to cycle through the icons for the item you want to open. The desired icon in the task switching pane is selected. 5. Release the [Alt] key. The selected window appears at the forefront of the desktop with its title bar highlighted and the corresponding button on the taskbar appears depressed. Practice Data Click the Recycle Bin button on the taskbar Click the My Computer button on the taskbar Hold [Alt] and press and release [Tab] (keep [Alt] depressed) Press [Tab] until the My Documents icon is selected Release [Alt] PTS Learning Systems Page 117

128 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals SHOWING THE DESKTOP Discussion You can minimize all open windows at the same time using the Show the Desktop command on the taskbar shortcut menu. Although you can minimize each window separately, the Show the Desktop command provides a quick method of returning to your desktop when you have several windows open. When all windows are minimized, the Show the Desktop command changes to the Show Open Windows command, which restores all your minimized windows to their previous settings. You must right-click a blank area of the taskbar to display the taskbar shortcut menu. Right-clicking a taskbar button displays the shortcut menu for the application instead. Procedures 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 2. Select the Show the Desktop command. 3. To restore all minimized windows, right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 4. Select the Show Open Windows command. Step-by-Step Show the desktop. If necessary, open three windows. Place the active window in normal size. Steps 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. The taskbar shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Show the Desktop command. All open windows are minimized. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Click Show the Desktop Page 118 PTS Learning Systems

129 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Steps 3. To restore all minimized windows, right-click a blank area of the taskbar. The taskbar shortcut menu appears. 4. Select the Show Open Windows command. All windows open to their previous size and position. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Click Show Open Windows Notice that all windows opened to their former sizes and positions. CASCADING OPEN WINDOWS Discussion Windows XP allows you to arrange open windows to appear on the desktop in a cascaded view. When you cascade windows, they overlap one another and are automatically sized to optimize cascaded viewing. Cascading open windows is accomplished using the Cascade Windows command on the taskbar s shortcut menu. Once windows are cascaded, the Undo Cascade command appears on the taskbar s shortcut menu, allowing you to reverse the action. This command restores windows to their previous size and position on your desktop. Only windows that are not minimized are affected by the Cascade Windows command. You must right-click a blank area of the taskbar for the Cascade command to appear. Right-clicking a non-blank area, such as a button, produces a different shortcut menu. PTS Learning Systems Page 119

130 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals Cascaded windows Procedures 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 2. Select the Cascade Windows command. 3. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 4. Select the Undo Cascade command. Step-by-Step Cascade open windows and then undo all cascaded windows. If necessary, open three windows. Page 120 PTS Learning Systems

131 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Steps 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Cascade Windows command. All open windows appear cascaded. 3. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. A shortcut menu appears. 4. Select the Undo Cascade command. All cascaded windows are restored to their previous settings. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Click Cascade Windows Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Click Undo Cascade TILING OPEN WINDOWS Discussion To make all open windows visible on your screen, you can tile them. When you tile windows horizontally, they display edge-to-edge on top of one another, with the windows stretching from the left to the right of the display. When you tile windows vertically, they display edge-to-edge next to one another, with the windows stretching from the top to the bottom of the display. If more than three windows are open, they tile both vertically and horizontally in a view that is automatically set by Windows XP. Only windows that are not minimized are affected by the Tile Windows command. You can undo all tiled windows using the Undo Tile command on the taskbar s shortcut menu, which appears once the windows are tiled. This command restores windows to their previous size and position on your desktop. You must right-click a blank area of the taskbar for the Tile commands to appear. Right-clicking a non-blank area, such as a button, produces a different shortcut menu. PTS Learning Systems Page 121

132 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals Tiled windows Procedures 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 2. Select either the Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically command. 3. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 4. Select the Undo Tile command. Step-by-Step Tile open windows and then undo all tiled windows. If necessary, open three windows. Steps 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. A shortcut menu appears. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Page 122 PTS Learning Systems

133 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Steps 2. Select either the Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically command. All open windows appear tiled accordingly. Practice Data Click Tile Windows Vertically 3. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. A shortcut menu appears. 4. Select the Undo Tile command. All tiled windows are restored to their previous settings. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Click Undo Tile Close all open windows. USING GROUPED TASKBAR BUTTONS Discussion The taskbar displays a button for each open program. Many applications, such as Office XP, display a taskbar button for each open document as well. With all these buttons, the taskbar can become quite crowded. Windows XP solves this problem with a new feature that groups similar taskbar buttons under one button, when the taskbar becomes too crowded. For example, you have My Computer and seven Word documents open. Windows will group all the Word taskbar buttons as one button. When you click the button, a list of all the open Word documents appears. To view a document, simply click the document name from the list. Grouped taskbar buttons display the common application name plus the number of open windows. A grouped button for six Word documents would display the button name, 6 Microsoft Word. A grouped taskbar button is also distinguished by a small white triangle on the right side of the button. You can turn off the taskbar grouping feature by right-clicking the taskbar, selecting Properties, and then deselecting the Group similar taskbar buttons option. If you disable grouping for taskbar buttons, the taskbar can display buttons for ten open windows. If you open more than ten windows, the taskbar adds another row and a scroll bar appears allowing you to scroll up and down the rows. If you prefer, you can also unlock the taskbar and increase its height so that all rows are displayed. PTS Learning Systems Page 123

134 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. To display one of the grouped windows, select the group button on the taskbar. 2. Select the desired window. Step-by-Step Use grouped taskbar buttons. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Hold the [Ctrl] key and click the following folders, Advanced Files, Completed, Data, Exercise, Multiple Objects, and Music. Then, select the File menu and the Explore command to open all folders in separate windows. If your open windows have not grouped under one Windows Explorer taskbar button, continue opening folders with the Explore command until all the windows group under one button. Steps 1. To display one of the grouped windows, select the group button on the taskbar. A list of open windows appears. 2. Select the desired window. The contents of the selected window appear. Practice Data Click the Windows Explorer taskbar button Click Completed USING THE GROUPED TASKBAR BUTTON MENU Discussion When open windows are grouped under one taskbar button, you can use the shortcut menu for the group button to work with the whole group. All the open windows in the group can be cascaded, tiled horizontally or vertically, minimized, or closed at the same time. Page 124 PTS Learning Systems

135 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Cascaded grouped windows Procedures 1. Right-click the grouped taskbar button. 2. Select the desired option. Step-by-Step Use the grouped taskbar button menu. You should have all your open windows grouped under one Windows Explorer taskbar button. Steps 1. Right-click the grouped taskbar button. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the desired option. The open windows change accordingly. Practice Data Right-click the Windows Explorer button Click Cascade PTS Learning Systems Page 125

136 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals Practice the Concept: Close all the windows at the same time by right-clicking the Windows Explorer taskbar button and selecting the Close Group command. Page 126 PTS Learning Systems

137 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows EXERCISE WORKING WITH MULTIPLE WINDOWS Task Work with multiple windows. 1. Use the Start menu to launch the Notepad application from the Accessories submenu. 2. Open My Computer from the Start menu. 3. Open My Documents and place it in normal size. 4. Use the taskbar to display the Untitled - Notepad window. 5. Use the keyboard to switch to the My Computer window. 6. Show the desktop by minimizing all open windows. 7. Use the taskbar to restore the My Computer window. 8. Use the taskbar to restore the My Documents window. 9. Tile the open windows horizontally. Notice that only the open windows are tiled. PTS Learning Systems Page 127

138 Lesson 7 - Working with Multiple Windows Windows XP - Fundamentals 10. Undo the tiled windows. 11. Use the taskbar to restore the Untitled - Notepad window. 12. Cascade the open windows. Then, undo the cascaded windows. 13. Close all open windows. 14. Insert the student data diskette in the floppy disk drive, open My Computer and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 15. Open the Multiple Objects folder and select all five text files. Open all the files by selecting the File menu and the Open command. 16. Use the 5 Notepad button on the taskbar to display Document Horizontally or vertically tile the Notepad files. (Hint: Remember to right-click the Notepad button not the taskbar.) Minimize all the Notepad files and then close all the files in the group. 18. Close all open windows. Page 128 PTS Learning Systems

139 LESSON 8 - USING THE SEARCH COMPANION In this lesson, you will learn how to: Work with the Search Companion Search for files and folders Use advanced search options Search by date Change search preferences Search for multimedia files

140 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals WORKING WITH THE SEARCH COMPANION Discussion Windows XP includes many ways to find files and folders. Although you can use Windows Explorer or My Computer to browse folders until you locate a desired folder or file, Windows XP provides a search feature called the Search Companion. This feature allows you to locate files and folders stored on your computer or any network to which your computer may be connected. In addition, you can search for other computers on your network, or for people in your address book or an Internet directory. Selecting the Search command on the Start menu opens the Search Results window, with the Search Companion displayed in the left pane. The Search Companion is where you enter your search criteria. Search criteria can be simple, such as entering part of a file name, text that you know is included in the file for which you are searching, and the drive or folders to search. You can also enter more detailed criteria such as the modification date or file size. After performing a search, the right pane lists the search results. You can open a found file or folder from the right pane simply by double-clicking it. In addition, you can right-click the found item and select the desired action from the shortcut menu, for instance, printing the file. You can also access the Search Companion from a folder window by clicking the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. When you open the Search Companion from a folder window, only the current folder and its subfolders are searched, unless you change the search location. You can save your search criteria in a file using the File menu and the Save Search command in the Search Results window. To reuse the search, double-click the saved search file to open your criteria in the Search Companion. Then, select Search to perform the search. SEARCHING FOR FILES AND FOLDERS Discussion When using the Search Companion to search for files or folders, the first step is to select the type of item for which you are searching. You can search for media files, Page 130 PTS Learning Systems

141 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion such as pictures, music and video; documents, such as those created with word processing and spreadsheet programs; or all files and folders. The second step is to enter your search criteria. You can simply search for a file or folder by name, search for any file containing particular text, or search for a specific file containing specific text. Search options are context-sensitive. The Search Companion displays different search fields depending upon the type of item you are searching for. By default, Windows XP searches all folders and subfolders in the drive selected. If you want to search a particular folder, you can use the Browse option in the Look in list to select the folder. Once the criteria has been entered, you can perform the search. After the found files appear in the Search Results window, you have three choices. If you are satisfied with the results, you can select Yes, finished searching. This closes the Search Companion, but leaves the Search Results window open with the found files listed. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can use the links under No, refine this search and... to change your search criteria. Finally, if you want to conduct another search, you can select Start a new search. Searching for files using the Search Companion Selecting the Start a new search link does not clear the previous search criteria. The search criteria is not cleared until you close the Search Companion. PTS Learning Systems Page 131

142 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals When performing a search, you can use wildcards such as asterisks (*). For example, if you want to search the C: drive for a file named Myfile.exe, you could specify the C: drive as the location and enter my*.exe as the file name. The search would find all.exe files with names beginning with the characters my (e.g., myfile.exe, mysched.exe, and mytime.exe). If a file extension is not included, Windows XP finds all files containing the valid file name regardless of the extension (e.g., myfile.ini, myfile.exe, and myfile.com). Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select Search. 3. If necessary, maximize the Search Results window. 4. Select the All files and folders link. 5. To search for files or folders with a specific name, type the name of the file or folder you want to locate. 6. To search for files containing specific text, select the A word or phrase in the file box. 7. Type the text for which you want to search. 8. Select the Look in list. 9. Select the drive or folder you want to search. 10. Select Search to perform the search. 11. Select the desired link to finish searching and close the Search Companion, refine the search, or start a new search. Step-by-Step Search for files and folders. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Page 132 PTS Learning Systems

143 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Steps Practice Data 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. Click Start 2. Select Search. The Search results window opens with the Search Companion in the left pane. 3. If necessary, maximize the Search Results window. The window maximizes to its full size. 4. Select the All files and folders link. The Search Companion changes to display the search fields and the insertion point appears in the All or part of the file name box. Select Click Click folders Search, if necessary All files and 5. To search for files or folders with a specific name, type the name of the file or folder you want to locate. The name appears in the All or part of the file name box. 6. To search for files containing specific text, select the A word or phrase in the file box. The insertion point appears in the A word or phrase in the file box. 7. Type the text for which you want to search. The text appears in the A word or phrase in the file box. 8. Select the Look in list. A list of available drives appears. Type hours Press [Tab] Type adams Click Look in 9. Select the drive or folder you want to search. The drive or folder is selected. Click 3½ Floppy (A:) 10. Select Search to perform the search. The results of the search appear in the right pane of the Search Results window. Click Search 11. Select the desired link to finish searching and close the Search Companion, refine the search, or start a new search. The selected action occurs. Click search Start a new PTS Learning Systems Page 133

144 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals Practice the Concept: Start another search for all files and folders. Type transfer*.doc in the All or part of the file name box to look for all files beginning with the word transfer, and with a.doc extension. Delete adams from the A word or phrase in the file box. If necessary, select 3½ Floppy (A:) from the Look in list. Perform the search. Notice that all the files found begin with the word transfer. Click the Start a new search link. USING ADVANCED SEARCH OPTIONS Discussion The Search Companion includes links to advanced options to further narrow your search criteria and make your searches more productive. Using the links, you can search by date, file size, or other advanced options. These links include When was it modified?, What size is it?, and More advanced options. The When was it modified? link allows you to search by modification date. Date options include searching for files modified last week, last month, within the past year, or you can specify a date range. If you are not sure of the date, you can select Don t remember, which is the default. You can limit the search to files of a certain size using the What size is it? link. You can specify that files be of a maximum or minimum size, or a specific size. Then only the files that fall within the size parameters you specify will be found. The More advanced options link includes options for searching system folders, hidden files and folders, subfolders, and tape backups. By default, the Search system folders and Search subfolders options are selected. You can also perform a Case sensitive search. When this option is enabled, found files must contain the text entered in the A word or phrase in the file box, as well as match the case of the text. Page 134 PTS Learning Systems

145 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Using advanced search options to search When you select the Documents (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.) link, the When was it modified? options appear by default. Options selected in the More advanced options group are saved with the search type. If you previously set options, you may need to reset them the next time you search using the same search type. For example, if you enable the Case sensitive option for an All files and folders search, it will remain enabled each time you select an All files and folders search. Procedures 1. Open the Search Companion. 2. Select the desired type of search. 3. Expand the When was it modified? link. 4. Select the desired date option. 5. Expand the What size is it? link. PTS Learning Systems Page 135

146 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals 6. Select the desired size option. 7. Expand the More advanced options link. 8. Select the desired options. 9. Select Search. Step-by-Step Use advanced search options. If necessary, open the Search Companion and insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Start a new search of all files and folders. Delete any criteria in the All or part of the file name box, if necessary. In the A word or phrase in the file box, enter the criteria to search for files containing the word Meeting. Make sure that you capitalize Meeting. In the Look in box, select the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive, if necessary. Steps 1. Expand the When was it modified? link. A list of date options appears. 2. Select the desired date option. The option is selected. 3. Expand the What size is it? link. A list of size options appears. 4. Select the desired size option. The option is selected. 5. Expand the More advanced options link. A list of advanced options appears. Practice Data Click When was it modified? Click Don t remember, if necessary Scroll as necessary and click What size is it? Click Small (less than 100 KB) Scroll as necessary and click More advanced options 6. Select the desired options. The options are selected. Click Case sensitive 7. Select Search. The results of the search appear in the right pane of the Search Results window. Click Search Click the Start a new search link. Start a new All files and folders search. Scroll down the Search Companion and notice that the Case sensitive option is still enabled. Page 136 PTS Learning Systems

147 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Reset the option by deselecting the Case sensitive check box. Use the Back button in the Search Companion to return to the first search pane. SEARCHING BY DATE Discussion The Search Companion includes options that allow you to search for files and folders that were modified in the last week, month or year. To narrow the search, you can also search for files or folders that were created, modified, or accessed between a specific starting and ending date. Limiting a search to a specific time period enables you to make your search faster and more productive when you need to search numerous files or folders. The files found match the criteria in the When was it modified? section of the Search Companion, as well as any other search criteria entered in the other available search fields. Using the date options to search You can also enter dates into the from and to boxes by selecting parts of the date and either typing the number or using the arrow keys on the keyboard to increase or decrease the number. PTS Learning Systems Page 137

148 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the Search Companion. 2. Clear any existing search criteria, if necessary. 3. Select the Look in list. 4. Select the drive you want to search. 5. Select the Use advanced search options link, if necessary. 6. Expand the When was it modified? link. 7. Select the Date option. 8. Select the Date list. 9. Select the desired option. 10. To search for files created or modified within a range of dates, select the from list. 11. Select the month from the pop-up calendar. 12. Select the date from the pop-up calendar. 13. Select the to list. 14. Select the month and date from the pop-up calendar. 15. Select Search. Step-by-Step Search by date. If necessary, open the Search Companion, maximize the window, and insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Start a new search for all files and folders. Delete any criteria in the All or part of the file name box, if necessary. In the A word or phrase in the file box, enter the criteria to search for files containing the word supplies. Select 3½ Floppy (A:) from the Look in list. Widen the Search Companion pane by dragging the border between the panes to the right about one inch. Steps 1. Expand the When was it modified? link. A list of date options appears. Practice Data Click When was it modified? Page 138 PTS Learning Systems

149 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Steps 2. Select the Specify dates option. The options under Specify dates become available. 3. Select the Specify dates list. A list of available options appears. 4. Select the desired option. The desired option is selected. Practice Data Click Specify dates Click Specify dates Click Modified Date 5. To search for files created or modified within a range of dates, select the from list. A pop-up calendar appears. 6. Select the month from the pop-up calendar. The pop-up calendar displays the desired month. 7. Select the date from the pop-up calendar. The date appears in the from box. 8. Select the to list. A pop-up calendar appears. 9. Select the month and date from the pop-up calendar. The date appears in the to box. 10. Select Search. The results of the search appear in the right pane of the Search Results window. Click from Click as necessary to March, 2002 Click 1 Click to Click Today at the bottom of the pop-up calendar Click Search Click the Start a new search link. CHANGING SEARCH PREFERENCES Discussion You can change the way the Search Companion works by selecting the Change preferences link. There are a number of search options that you can modify. The Search Companion includes an animated dog, named Rover. If you find the animated dog annoying, you can turn it off, or select another animated character. PTS Learning Systems Page 139

150 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals An indexing service speeds up searching for files on your computer. When you enable indexing, the service scans the contents of your computer to extract key words, properties, and characteristics about your files to speed searching. The Search Companion has two modes, Standard and Advanced. The Standard mode breaks the search process into steps and includes links to walk you through the steps. The Advanced mode is used by more advanced users who prefer to manually enter their criteria. For example, in Advanced mode, the opening options, What do you want to search for? does not appear. The Search Companion is used by Internet Explorer to search the Internet. You can use preferences to select the default search engine you want the Search Companion to use. Search engines include MSN, AltaVista, Google, Ask Jeeves, Fast, DirectHit, Excite, GoTo, NorthernLight, and Yahoo. If you don t like using the Search Companion to search the Internet, you can enable the Classic Internet search instead. Other preferences include turning off the display of balloon tips and turning off AutoComplete. The AutoComplete feature stores previous search criteria. Therefore, if you begin typing a file name or text you entered previously, a list of possible matches appears. You can then select the matching option instead of retyping the file name or text. Procedures 1. Open the Search Companion. 2. Click the Change preferences link. 3. Select the desired option(s). Step-by-Step Change search preferences. If necessary, open the Search Companion and click the Start a new search link. Page 140 PTS Learning Systems

151 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Steps 1. Click the Change preferences link. The Search Companion changes to display the How do you want to use the Search Companion? options. Practice Data Click Change preferences 2. Select the desired option(s). After the options are selected, the Search Companion changes to display the What do you want to search for? options. Click Without an animated screen character Practice the Concept: Change the search preferences to display the animated screen character. SEARCHING FOR MULTIMEDIA FILES Discussion The Search Companion can search for specific types of multimedia files. You can limit the search to pictures and photos, music, or videos. Entering all or part of a file name narrows the search. You can leave this blank if you want to find all the files of a specific media type stored on your computer. The results of a multimedia file search PTS Learning Systems Page 141

152 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the Search Companion. 2. Select the Pictures, music, or videos link. 3. Select the type(s) of multimedia files you want to find. 4. To refine the search, select the Use advanced search options link. 5. Select the desired options. 6. Select Search. Step-by-Step Search for multimedia files. If necessary, open the Search Companion, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive, and click the Start a new search link. Steps 1. Select the Pictures, music, or videos link. The Search Companion displays the types of multimedia files. Practice Data Click Pictures, music, or videos 2. Select the type(s) of multimedia files you want to find. The multimedia file types are selected. Click Photos Pictures and 3. To refine the search, select the Use advanced search options link. The search options appear in the Search Companion bar. 4. Select the desired options. The options are selected. 5. Select Search. The results of the search appear in the right pane of the Search Results window. Click Use advanced search options Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step Click Search Change the Look in list to search the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Page 142 PTS Learning Systems

153 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 5). Close the Search Results window. Practice the Concept: Open My Computer. Open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive and the Student Data folder. Click the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar and search for pictures, music, or video. Display the advanced search options. Notice that the Look in box is automatically set for the Student Data folder. Perform the search. Close the Search Results window. PTS Learning Systems Page 143

154 Lesson 8 - Using the Search Companion Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE USING THE SEARCH COMPANION Task Use the Search Companion. 1. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Open the Search Companion and maximize the window, if necessary. 3. Perform a document search with the word document as part of the document name. Limit the search to the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 4. After running the search, refine the search results by changing the file name or keywords. This time, search anywhere in the file for the word document and perform the search again. 5. Start a new search. Search the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive for music files that are less than 1 MB. 6. Close the Search Results window. Page 144 PTS Learning Systems

155 LESSON 9 - USING THE DESKTOP AND RECYCLE BIN In this lesson, you will learn how to: Create a folder on the desktop Rename an item on the desktop Use cut/copy and paste Send a shortcut to the desktop Arrange items on the desktop Delete desktop items Restore a deleted item Empty the Recycle Bin Configure the Recycle Bin

156 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals CREATING A FOLDER ON THE DESKTOP Discussion When you start your computer, the first thing that appears is the desktop. Therefore, the desktop is a convenient place to store files and folders, and shortcuts to files, folders, and programs that you frequently use. You can create folders on the desktop using the desktop s shortcut menu. By default, new folders are named New Folder; however, you can change this name at any time. You can easily copy and move items to the desktop from My Computer. The Desktop is listed at the top of the Folders list and the Copy Items and Move Items dialog boxes. You can select the Desktop as a destination, just as you would any other folder. Creating a folder on the desktop Procedures 1. Right-click a blank area of the desktop. 2. Point to the New command. 3. Select the Folder command. Page 146 PTS Learning Systems

157 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin 4. Enter a name for the folder. 5. Press [Enter]. Step-by-Step Create a folder on the desktop. If necessary, close any open windows. Steps 1. Right-click a blank area of the desktop. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Point to the New command. The New submenu appears. Practice Data Right-click the desktop Point to New 3. Select the Folder command. A folder is created on the desktop with the default title, New Folder, selected. Click Folder 4. Enter a name for the folder. The new name replaces the default name. 5. Press [Enter]. The new folder appears on the desktop. Type Test Press [Enter] Drag the Test folder to the upper right corner of the desktop. Click a blank area of the desktop to deselect the folder. RENAMING AN ITEM ON THE DESKTOP Discussion You can rename an item on the desktop, such as a folder, file or shortcut, using the shortcut menu. Renaming an item changes both the title displayed with the object as well as the internal name used by the computer to recognize the object. PTS Learning Systems Page 147

158 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals You can quickly rename a folder, file or shortcut by selecting it, pressing the [F2] key, and typing a new name. You can also click once on an item name that is already selected and edit the existing name. Procedures 1. Right-click the desktop item you want to rename. 2. Select the Rename command. 3. Enter a new name for the folder or file. 4. Press [Enter]. Step-by-Step Rename an item on the desktop. If necessary, create a folder on the desktop named Test. Steps 1. Right-click the desktop item you want to rename. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Rename command. The current name associated with the folder or file is selected. 3. Enter a new name for the folder or file. The new name for the folder or file replaces the existing name. 4. Press [Enter]. The folder or file is renamed. Practice Data Right-click Click Rename Type My Projects Press [Enter] Page 148 PTS Learning Systems

159 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin USING CUT/COPY AND PASTE Discussion You can move or copy files and folders in Windows XP. When a folder is moved or copied, all folders and files that reside in it are moved or copied to the target destination as well. Moving the icon for a file or folder physically relocates the file to another location. Likewise, copying an icon for a file or folder creates a duplicate in another location. Windows XP provides several methods for moving and copying items on the desktop. You can use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands on the shortcut menu; drag an item with the right mouse button; or drag an item with the left mouse button. When you use the Cut or Copy command, the folder or file is stored on the Windows Clipboard. The Windows Clipboard is an area of memory specified by Windows XP to temporarily hold information. You can then use the Paste command to paste the folder or file from the Windows Clipboard to the desired location. The Windows Clipboard can hold only one object; cutting or copying new information overwrites what is on the Windows Clipboard. Therefore, you must paste the current object on the Windows Clipboard before cutting or copying a new one. When you copy a file or folder to the same location, Windows XP differentiates the copy from the original by adding the words Copy of to the file or folder name. You can use the [Ctrl] key to select multiple files to move or copy. You do not have to open the destination window when moving or copying files or folders. You can right-click the icon representing the destination location and then select the Paste command from the shortcut menu. Procedures 1. Right-click the item you want to move or copy. 2. Select the Cut or Copy command. 3. Right-click the location to which you want to move or copy the desired item. 4. Select the Paste command. PTS Learning Systems Page 149

160 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Use cut, copy and paste. If necessary, create a My Projects folder on the desktop. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Switch to List view. Change the window to normal size. Resize the window, if necessary, so that you can also view part of the desktop. Steps 1. Right-click the item you want to move or copy. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Cut or Copy command. The item appears dimmed and is temporarily stored on the Windows Clipboard. 3. Right-click the location to which you want to move or copy the desired item. A shortcut menu appears. 4. Select the Paste command. The item is moved or copied to its new location. Practice Data Right-click Multiple Objects Click Copy Right-click the desktop Click Paste Practice the Concept: Copy the Bike graphic from the 3½ Floppy (A:) window to the desktop. Then, close the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive window. Use drag and drop to move desktop items. Drag the Multiple Objects icon to the My Projects icon and release the mouse button. Open the My Projects folder and change the window to normal size. Move and resize the window, if necessary, so that you can also view the Bike icon on the desktop. Drag the Bike icon to a blank area in the My Projects folder window. Close the My Projects folder window. SENDING A SHORTCUT TO THE DESKTOP Discussion A shortcut is a small file that links to, and opens a file, folder, or other resource. Shortcuts can be used in many ways. For example, you may want to create a folder for all of your accounting-related documents. These documents may be stored in various Page 150 PTS Learning Systems

161 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin folders on your local drive and on assorted network drives. You can create shortcuts to all of these documents, placing all the shortcuts within a folder on your desktop and leaving the files in their original locations. Anyone requiring the files will still be able to locate them in their original location, and you can access all the files from within one folder. Since the desktop is easily accessible, it provides a convenient location to place your shortcuts. There are several ways to create a shortcut on the desktop. One of the simplest is to find the item for which you want to create a shortcut and use the Send To submenu to send a shortcut to the desktop. A shortcut on the desktop You can also use the File menu to access the Send To submenu. You can also create a shortcut on the desktop by right-clicking the item for which you want to create a shortcut and selecting the Copy command. Then, right-click the desktop, or any folder on the desktop, and select the Paste Shortcut command. PTS Learning Systems Page 151

162 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Right-click the folder or file for which you want to create a shortcut on the desktop. 2. Point to the Send To command. 3. Select the Desktop (create shortcut) command. Step-by-Step Send a shortcut to the desktop. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Steps 1. Right-click the folder or file for which you want to create a shortcut on the desktop. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Point to the Send To command. The Send To submenu appears. 3. Select the Desktop (create shortcut) command. A shortcut to the selected item is created on the desktop. Practice Data Right-click Completed Point to Send To Click Desktop (create shortcut) Practice the Concept: Open the Shareware folder and create a shortcut on the desktop to the Rname-it program. Close all open windows. Test the Shortcut to Completed shortcut by double-clicking the icon. Notice that you no longer need to open My Computer to view the contents of the Completed folder. Close the Completed window. Double-click the Shortcut to Rname-it shortcut to start the program. Then, close the program. Page 152 PTS Learning Systems

163 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin ARRANGING ITEMS ON THE DESKTOP Discussion Using the Arrange Icons command, you can arrange icons on the desktop using the same properties you use to arrange icons in a folder; name, type, size, or modification date. All icons that you have created or added to the desktop will arrange themselves in columns starting on the left side of the screen in the order that you specify; however, system icons will always return to their default positions regardless of what you choose. The Auto Arrange feature automatically arranges icons in an orderly view on your desktop or within a window. When the Auto Arrange feature is active, you cannot freely reposition icons. A check mark appears next to the Auto Arrange command when it is enabled. When no check mark appears, it is disabled. Even if the Auto Arrange feature is disabled, icons will automatically align vertically and/or horizontally to the nearest invisible grid point if the Align to Grid option is enabled. The Align to Grid feature organizes desktop icons in orderly rows and columns. For complete manual control, you should disable both the Align to Grid and Auto Arrange options. Icons arranged by property on the desktop PTS Learning Systems Page 153

164 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. To manually arrange icons, right-click a blank area of the desktop. 2. Point to the Arrange Icons By command. 3. Deselect the Auto Arrange command. 4. Drag the icon you want to move to the desired location on the desktop or in a window. 5. To arrange icons based on a property, right-click a blank area of the desktop or window. 6. Point to the Arrange Icons By command. 7. Select the desired property command. 8. To automatically arrange icons, right-click a blank area of the desktop or window. 9. Point to the Arrange Icons By command. 10. Select the Auto Arrange command. Step-by-Step Arrange items on the desktop. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Change the window to the normal size and display the contents in List view. Select the Data and Exercise folders. Copy the folders by dragging them to the desktop. Select the Multiple Objects and Music folders. Display the shortcut menu and use the Send To submenu to create shortcuts on the desktop. Close the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive window. Disable Auto Arrange by right-clicking a blank area of the desktop, pointing to the Arrange Icons By command and deselecting the Auto Arrange command. If the command is already deselected, click in a blank area of the desktop. Steps 1. Drag the icon you want to move to the desired location on the desktop or in a window. The icon moves as you drag and then it appears in the new location. Practice Data Drag to the top right corner of the desktop Page 154 PTS Learning Systems

165 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Steps 2. To arrange icons based on a property, right-click a blank area of the desktop. A shortcut menu appears. 3. Point to the Arrange Icons By command. The Arrange Icons By submenu appears. 4. Select the desired property command. The icons are arranged according to the selected property. 5. To automatically arrange icons, rightclick a blank area of the desktop. A shortcut menu appears. 6. Point to the Arrange Icons By command. The Arrange Icons By submenu appears. 7. Select the Auto Arrange command. The Auto Arrange feature is enabled. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the desktop Point to Arrange Icons By Click Type Right-click a blank area of the desktop Point to Arrange Icons By Click Auto Arrange Drag an icon to the middle of the desktop. Notice how it automatically returns to the left side of the desktop. Practice the Concept: Disable the Auto Arrange feature and then arrange the icons by Name. DELETING DESKTOP ITEMS Discussion You can delete icons from the desktop using many of the same procedures that you use to delete items from a window. For example, you can use the [Delete] key or the Delete command from the shortcut menu. When you delete a file, folder, or shortcut from the desktop, it is moved to the Recycle Bin, which provides an area used to store deleted objects. You can also drag files or folders to the Recycle Bin to delete them. When you drag files to the Recycle Bin, you are not prompted to confirm their deletion. PTS Learning Systems Page 155

166 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals When you delete a shortcut, you are deleting only the shortcut and not the file or application with which it is associated. Procedures 1. Select the desktop item you want to delete. 2. Press the [Delete] key. 3. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. Step-by-Step Delete desktop items. If necessary, create three folders on the desktop named Data, Exercise and My Projects. Steps 1. Select the desktop item you want to delete. The item is selected. 2. Press the [Delete] key. The Confirm <item> Delete message box opens, asking you to confirm the deletion. 3. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. The Confirm <item> Delete message box closes and the item is moved to the Recycle Bin. Practice Data Click Press [Delete] Click Yes Practice the Concept: Delete the Data and Exercise folders and select Yes to confirm the deletion. If the following shortcut icons appear on the desktop, select them all and delete them: Shortcut to Completed Shortcuts to Multiple Objects Shortcut to Music Shortcut to Rname-it Page 156 PTS Learning Systems

167 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin RESTORING A DELETED ITEM Discussion You can restore a deleted file, folder, or shortcut from the Recycle Bin. When you restore an object from the Recycle Bin, it is automatically returned to its previous location on your hard drive. In addition to restoring deleted items, the Recycle Bin provides quick access to information about deleted objects; including previous location, date of deletion, file type, and size. You can select a single item to restore or use the [Ctrl] key to select multiple items. Then from the common tasks pane, you can use the Restore this item link or the Restore selected items link to restore the selected items. If no items are selected, you can use the Restore all items link to restore all the items in the Recycle Bin. You can also restore an item from the Recycle Bin by selecting the item, selecting the File menu, and then selecting the Restore command. In addition, you can right-click and item and select the Restore command from the shortcut menu. Procedures 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. 2. Select the item you want to restore from the Recycle Bin. 3. Click the Restore this item or the Restore selected items task in the Recycle Bin Tasks group. Step-by-Step Restore a deleted item from the Recycle Bin. If necessary, create a folder on the desktop named My Projects and then delete it. Steps 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens with the common tasks pane displayed. Practice Data Double-click PTS Learning Systems Page 157

168 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 2. Select the items you want to restore from the Recycle Bin. The item is selected. Practice Data Scroll if necessary and click My Projects 3. Click the Restore this item or the Restore selected items task in the Recycle Bin Tasks group. The deleted item is restored from the Recycle Bin and returned to its previous location. Click Restore this item Close the Recycle Bin and delete the My Projects folder that you just restored. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. EMPTYING THE RECYCLE BIN Discussion You can delete all the items in the Recycle Bin at one time. If the files in the Recycle Bin are not going to be used again, the Recycle Bin should be emptied. Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently removes the items stored there, allowing you to obtain additional hard disk space. You can also empty the Recycle Bin by right-clicking the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and selecting the Empty Recycle Bin command. You can delete an item from the Recycle Bin by right-clicking it and selecting the Delete command. After the Recycle Bin has been emptied, you can no longer retrieve the items it contained. Page 158 PTS Learning Systems

169 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Procedures 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. 2. Click the Empty the Recycle Bin task in the Recycle Bin Tasks group. 3. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. Step-by-Step Empty the Recycle Bin. Steps 1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens. 2. Click the Empty the Recycle Bin task in the Recycle Bin Tasks group. The Confirm File Delete or Confirm Multiple File Delete message box opens, asking if you are sure that you want to delete the item(s). 3. Select Yes to confirm the deletion. The Confirm File Delete or Confirm Multiple File Delete message box closes and the item(s) are removed from the Recycle Bin and deleted from the hard drive. Practice Data Double-click Click Empty the Recycle Bin Click Yes Close the Recycle Bin and any other open windows. CONFIGURING THE RECYCLE BIN Discussion You can specify the size of the Recycle Bin for the hard drives on your computer. Each drive can be configured separately, or a global setting can be created to apply to all the hard drives. Additionally, you can configure the Recycle Bin so that files are deleted from the hard drive immediately and never stored in the Recycle Bin. PTS Learning Systems Page 159

170 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals By default, you are asked to confirm a file deletion. You can disable this confirmation if you do not want to display the confirmation message box. The Recycle Bin Properties dialog box If you select the Configure drives independently option in the Recycle Bin Properties dialog box, you can select the tab of the drive you want to configure and specify the percentage of that drive to be used for the Recycle Bin. Procedures 1. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon. 2. Select the Properties command. 3. Select the Configure drives independently or Use one setting for all drives option. 4. If you selected the Use one setting for all drives option, drag the slider to indicate the percentage of the drive you want to use for the Recycle Bin. 5. Select OK. Page 160 PTS Learning Systems

171 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin EXERCISE USING THE DESKTOP AND RECYCLE BIN Task Use the desktop and Recycle Bin. 1. If necessary, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Create two new folders on the desktop. Name the first folder Exer8 and the second folder Exer9. 3. Change the name of the Exer8 folder to Practice. 4. Move the Exer9 and Practice icons to the bottom of the desktop. 5. Open My Computer and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive in Icons view. Resize and position the window so that you can still see the Practice icon on your desktop. 6. Send a shortcut of the Sales folder to the desktop. 7. Use the Cut and Paste commands to move the Exer9 folder to the Completed folder on the student data diskette. 8. Open the Completed folder on the student data diskette. 9. Use the Copy and Paste commands to copy the Document 7 and Document 8 files to the desktop. 10. Close all open windows. 11. Try the Shortcut to Sales shortcut. Close the Sales window. 12. Position the Document 7 and Document 8 icons at the bottom of the desktop. 13. Using the right mouse button, move the Document 7 file into the Practice folder on the desktop. 14. Copy the Document 8 file to the Practice folder using the method of your choice. 15. Enable the Auto Arrange feature and try to move the Practice icon to the center of the desktop. 16. Arrange the icons by type. 17. Disable the Auto Arrange feature. PTS Learning Systems Page 161

172 Lesson 9 - Using the Desktop and Recycle Bin Windows XP - Fundamentals 18. Move the Practice icon to the center of the desktop and then arrange the icons by name. 19. Delete the Shortcut to Sales shortcut. 20. Retrieve the deleted shortcut. Close the Recycle Bin window. 21. Delete the Document 8 file, the Practice folder, and the Shortcut to Sales shortcut from the desktop. 22. Empty the Recycle Bin and confirm the deletion. 23. Close all open windows. Page 162 PTS Learning Systems

173 LESSON 10 - WORKING WITH STORAGE DEVICES In this lesson, you will learn how to: View storage device properties Map a network device Send a folder or file to diskette Copy files to CDs Format a diskette

174 Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Windows XP - Fundamentals VIEWING STORAGE DEVICE PROPERTIES Discussion You can view the general properties of a storage device, such as your hard drive or a diskette, to determine the total capacity of the device and how much space is available. The General page in the <Drive> Properties dialog box not only provides a graphic display of storage device capacity and available space, but also allows you to assign a label to the device. Setting a diskette s label is useful when you are working with numerous files associated with one project or program stored across multiple diskettes. The <Drive> Properties dialog box includes other pages with commands to access system tools. The pages available depend upon the storage device selected. In addition, certain features may only be available to users with Administrator rights. Viewing hard drive properties Page 164 PTS Learning Systems

175 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Depending upon your setup, you may be able to use the Properties dialog box for a folder to share the folder with other users. To do this, navigate to the desired folder using My Computer, right-click the folder, and then select the Sharing and Security or Properties command. On the Sharing page in the <Folder> Properties dialog box, you can share the selected folder as desired and set permission levels. Procedures 1. Open My Computer. 2. Right-click the storage device for which you want to view the properties. 3. Select the Properties command. 4. View the properties on the General page and then select OK. Step-by-Step View the properties of a storage device. Open My Computer and maximize the window, if necessary. Steps 1. Right-click the storage device for which you want to view the properties. A shortcut menu appears. 3. Select the Properties command. The <Drive> Properties dialog box opens with the General page displayed. 4. View the properties on the General page and then select OK. The <Drive> Properties dialog box closes. Practice Data Right-click Disk (C:) Click Properties Click OK Local PTS Learning Systems Page 165

176 Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Windows XP - Fundamentals MAPPING A NETWORK DEVICE Discussion You may need to use files on a network computer or folder, but access to that network resource does not appear in My Computer. If you have permission to access the computer or folder, you can map a network drive so that you can quickly locate it in My Computer, Windows Explorer, or the Folders list. When you map a network drive, you need to assign a letter to the drive and then provide the server name and share name of the folder in the appropriate format, such as \\corpserver\docfiles. You can also map to other network resources, such as printers. By default the Reconnect at logon option in the Map Network Drive dialog box is selected. When enabled, this option allows you to reconnect to the drive each time you log on to your computer. If you do not want to reconnect to the mapped drive, you can deselect this option. If you do not know the server name and share name of the resource, you can use the Browse button in the Map Network Drive dialog box to locate it. You can disconnect from a network drive by selecting the Tools menu, selecting the Disconnect Network Drive command, selecting the drive you want to disconnect, and then selecting OK. You can then map the drive letter to another drive, if desired. Procedures 1. Open My Computer. 2. Select the Tools menu. 3. Select the Map Network Drive command. 4. Select the Drive list. 5. Select the desired letter. 6. Type the server name and share name in the Folder box. 7. Deselect the Reconnect at logon option, if desired. Page 166 PTS Learning Systems

177 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices 8. Continue to select the desired options. 9. Select Finish. SENDING A FOLDER OR FILE TO DISKETTE Discussion You can quickly copy folders and files to a diskette using the Send To command on the shortcut menu. You can also use this method of copying files and folders to a diskette when you are browsing a window and want to send only selected objects to the diskette. You can also create a copy of a diskette in My Computer. Right-click the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive, select the Copy Disk command, and then the Start button. When prompted, insert the diskette you want to copy and click OK. When prompted, insert the diskette you want to copy to and click OK. The Copy Disk command deletes all the existing content on the destination diskette. If you are copying to a used diskette, make sure that you do not need any of its files. In addition, it is a good idea to write-protect the disk you want to copy by moving the slider at the top of the diskette up to expose the square opening. Procedures 1. Insert a diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Right-click the desired folder or file. 3. Point to the Send To command. 4. Select the 3½ Floppy (A) command. PTS Learning Systems Page 167

178 Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Send a folder or file to diskette. If necessary, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Open My Documents and create a folder named My Memos. Steps 1. Right-click the desired folder or file. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Point to the Send To command. The Send To submenu appears. Practice Data Right-click My Memos Point to Send To 3. Select the 3½ Floppy (A) command. The folder or file is copied to the diskette. Click 3½ Floppy (A) Click the My Computer link in the Other Places group and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive to confirm that the My Memos folder was copied. Then delete the My Memos folder from the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Close all open windows. COPYING FILES TO CDS Discussion CDs provide a method of storing, transporting, or backing up your files. If you have a CD-ROM burner (CD-RW), you can copy files to a CD. The procedure for copying files to a CD is a two-step process. The first step is to select and copy the files. You use the same Copy <items> task you use to copy files to another folder, except you designate the CD drive as the location to receive the files. However, when you copy to a CD, files are not written immediately, as they are when you copy to a hard drive or network drive. Instead, they are held in a temporary storage area. If you have files in other folders you want to copy, you can repeat the copy procedure until you have gathered all the files you want to write to your CD. When you have finished copying all the files you want to write to the CD, you open the folder for your CD drive. Your selected files are listed under the Files Ready to be Written to CD category. You are now ready to use the Write these files to CD task, which opens the CD Writing Wizard. CDs are given a default volume name using the current date. You can change the name before writing your files. Page 168 PTS Learning Systems

179 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices If you change your mind and do not want to write the copied files to a CD, you can use the Delete temporary files task in the CD drive folder to remove all the files from the temporary storage area. After files are copied to the temporary storage area for your CD, a balloon may appear in the notification area announcing that you have files waiting to be written. Clicking the balloon opens the folder for the CD drive. A pictures folder contains a Copy to CD task in the Pictures Task group to copy files to the temporary storage area. You do not have to select the CD drive when you use this task. If you are using a combination DVD/CD-RW drive, you may have to use the special CD software that came with your system instead of using the CD copy feature in Windows XP. Procedures 1. In My Computer, open the folder containing the files you want to copy. 2. Select the files you want to copy to a CD. 3. Select the appropriate Copy <items> task in the File and Folder Tasks group. 4. Select the CD drive. 5. Select Copy. 6. Click the My Computer link in the Other Places group. 7. Open the CD drive folder. 8. Click the Write these files to CD task under the CD Writing Tasks group. 9. Change the CD name if desired and click Next to write the files. 10. Select Finish. Step-by-Step Copy files to CDs. PTS Learning Systems Page 169

180 Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Windows XP - Fundamentals Note: Your system must have a writable CD drive in order to complete this step-bystep. You will also need a blank CD. Depending on the write speed of your CD drive, the writing process may take a few minutes. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Open the Multiple Objects folder in Tiles view. Display the common tasks pane. Insert a blank CD into your writable CD drive. If a dialog box appears, select Cancel. Steps 1. Select the files you want to copy to a CD. The files are selected. 2. Select the appropriate Copy <items> task in the File and Folder Tasks group. The Copy Items dialog box opens. 3. Select the CD drive. The CD drive is selected. 4. Select Copy. The files are copied to a temporary holding area. Practice Data Click Document 2, hold [Ctrl] and click Document 4 Click Copy the selected items Click the drive letter for your CD drive or the drive indicated by your instructor Click Copy 5. Click the My Computer link in the Other Places group. The My Computer window opens. Click My Computer 6, Open the CD drive folder. The CD drive folder opens displaying the copied files under the Files Ready to be Written to the CD category. 7. Click the Write these files to CD task under the CD Writing Tasks group. The CD Writing Wizard opens. 8. Change the CD name if desired and click Next to write the files. After the files are written, the CD Writing Wizard informs you that your files have been successfully written. 9. Select Finish. The CD Writing Wizard dialog box closes. Double-click the drive letter for your CD drive or the drive indicated by your instructor Click Write these files to CD Click Next > Click Finish Page 170 PTS Learning Systems

181 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Insert your CD into the drive, if necessary, and view the files. Then, eject the CD from the CD drive, close the drive drawer and then the folder window. Close all open windows. FORMATTING A DISKETTE Discussion Floppy diskettes must be formatted in order to save information. Formatting a diskette prepares its physical media to store computer files. Although most new diskettes are preformatted, you may need to format a new or used diskette for your system. If desired, you can set a label for the diskette you are formatting by typing a label in the Volume label text box. Setting a diskette s label is useful when working with numerous files associated with one project or program but stored across multiple disks. The Quick Format option can be used only on a diskette that has been previously formatted. You can use this option to erase all files from a diskette quickly. The Quick Format option does not check the diskette for bad sectors and should be used only if you are sure the diskette is not damaged. If you do not select this option, Windows XP performs a standard full format. It is usually unnecessary to select options other than the defaults in the Format dialog box since Windows XP recognizes what kind of diskette drives you have on your computer and your file system configuration. The Enable Compression option, which compresses files so that they occupy less room on a diskette, is only available in the Format <drive> dialog box if you are using a file system that supports disk compression (NTFS file system). You can use the Create an MS-DOS startup disk to create a system disk that can be used to start your system if a hard drive problem makes it impossible for you to boot your computer. Formatting deletes all the existing content from a diskette. If you are formatting a used diskette, make sure that you do not need any of the files. PTS Learning Systems Page 171

182 Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer. 2. Insert the diskette you want to format into the floppy disk drive. 3. Right-click the drive that contains the diskette you want to format. 4. Select the Format command. 5. Select formatting options as desired. 6. Select Start. 7. Select OK. 8. Select OK. 9. Select Close. Page 172 PTS Learning Systems

183 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 10 - Working with Storage Devices EXERCISE WORKING WITH STORAGE DEVICES Task Work with storage devices. 1. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. 2. Use the My Computer window to see how much space is free on your local or network drive. 3. View the general properties of the student data diskette to see how much space is free and how much space is used on the student data diskette. 4. Open My Documents and create a folder named Letters. Then send the folder to the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 5. Open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive to confirm that the Letters folder was copied. Then delete the Letters folder from the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. 6. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 173

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185 LESSON 11 - USING THE CONTROL PANEL In this lesson, you will learn how to: Open the Control Panel Add or remove programs View audio settings View system properties Manage Windows updates Set date and time properties Use accessibility options

186 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals OPENING THE CONTROL PANEL Discussion You can use the Control Panel to adjust your computer settings. The Control Panel can be opened from the Start menu, from the common tasks pane in My Computer, or from the Folders list. The tools in the Control Panel are grouped in categories. Selecting a category opens another window where you can pick a task or an icon. Although icons appear for all the features in the Control Panel, you may not have the rights to modify all the settings. As you move through the various category windows, you will find using the Back button on the Standard Buttons toolbar a convenient way to return to the Control Panel window. While most category windows replace the current window, the Add or Remove Programs and User Accounts categories open in separate windows. The categories in the Control Panel are described in the following table: Category Appearance and Themes Network and Internet Connections Add or Remove Programs Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices Performance and Maintenance Description This category allows you to change the appearance of the desktop by selecting a theme or background, have a screen saver appear after a specified period of inactivity, and change screen resolution. This category allows you to create or change dial-up and LAN connections to the Internet and your network. This category enables you to remove a program, install a new program, or modify the components of an existing program. This category provides options to adjust speaker and microphone volume, and create a sound scheme. You can select or change hardware settings for recording and playback and use troubleshooters to solve problems with audio hardware. This catch-all category allows you to view system properties, adjust visual effects such as how menus and pop-up descriptions appear, access tools to clean up and rearrange your hard disk for better performance, and create a backup of your data. You can also access tools to configure your system, schedule automatic tasks, and select power options. Page 176 PTS Learning Systems

187 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Category Printers and Other Hardware User Accounts Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options Accessibility Options Description This category allows you to add a printer to which you can print and access printer options for controlling print jobs. You can change the settings for other hardware including your mouse and keyboard, game controllers, telephone and modem, and scanners and cameras. This category allows you to add other users to your computer, manage passwords, and add or change Passport settings with the.net Passport Wizard. This category allows you to change the date, time, and time zone settings, select how you want numbers, dates and times formatted, and select language options. This category allows you to adjust input and output devices to work with users who have special vision, hearing, and mobility requirements. Visual tools include an on-screen magnifier; hearing tools include using visual notifications instead of audible ones; and mobility tools include an on-screen keyboard. There are two ways to view the Control Panel: Category view, which is the default for Windows XP; and Classic view, which is the default for previous versions of Windows. You can use the Switch to Classic View/Switch to Category View link in the common tasks pane to switch between views. The Control Panel PTS Learning Systems Page 177

188 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select Control Panel. 3. Select the desired category. 4. To return to the Control Panel, click the Back button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. 5. Select the desired category. 6. Click the Close button on the window title bar to close the separate window. Step-by-Step Open the Control Panel. Steps Practice Data 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. 2. Select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. Click Click Start Control Panel 3. Select the desired category. The new window replaces the Control Panel window. Click and Themes Appearance 4. To return to the Control Panel, click the Back button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. The Control Panel appears. Click Back 5. Select the desired category. A separate window opens on top of the Control Panel. 6. Click the Close button on the window title bar to close the separate window. The separate window closes. Click Add or Remove Programs Click Page 178 PTS Learning Systems

189 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel ADDING OR REMOVING PROGRAMS Discussion The Add or Remove Programs category in the Control Panel is used to install software applications to and remove software applications from your Windows XP computer. You can also use the Add or Remove Programs window to modify existing programs as well as install Windows Components. However, to complete many of these tasks, you need Administrator rights. In addition, you can only add or remove programs written for Windows operating systems, such as Windows XP or Windows 2000, using the Add or Remove Programs window. When the Change or Remove Programs option is selected, all currently installed programs appear on the right side of the window. When you select a program, it expands to display the approximate program size and the date on which you last used it. In addition, it displays a label, rarely, occasionally, or frequently, to indicate how often you used it in the last 30 days. A Change/Remove button also appears for the selected program, allowing you to add or remove components or completely remove the program from your computer. When the Add New Programs option is selected, the right side of the Add or Remove Programs window displays a few options for adding new programs to your computer. You can use the CD or Floppy button to add a program from a CD-ROM or floppy disk. You can use the Windows Update button to access the Windows Update web site. If available, you can also install programs available to you from your network; such programs are listed in the Add programs from your network list box. If you are an administrator on your computer, you can add other Windows services to your computer with the Add/Remove Windows Components option. For example, you can select the Fax Services option to add software for sending and receiving faxes. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Add or Remove Programs category. 3. Select the desired options. 4. Select Close. PTS Learning Systems Page 179

190 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals VIEWING AUDIO SETTINGS Discussion Computer applications are no longer just text and graphics driven as many applications now incorporate sound. Your computer must be equipped with sound devices to use these features. Sound devices include input and output devices. A microphone for recording would be an example of an input device, while speakers are an example of an output device. Your computer may have built-in speakers and a microphone, or you can attach external devices to work with sound files. Sound events include listening to music or multimedia presentations, adding music or speech to a slide show presentation you have created, assigning sounds to specific events such as when new arrives, or using speech recognition applications that allow you to use speech to create documents and control commands. The settings for audio devices are adjusted using the tabs in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box. If a device is not working, you can select the device in the Hardware tab and use the Troubleshoot option to diagnose the problem. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box Page 180 PTS Learning Systems

191 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel If your system has speakers, you can control the volume using the Volume icon in the notification area. You may need to click the Show hidden icons arrow in the notification area to view the icon. Clicking the Volume icon once displays the Volume slider. Double-clicking the icon displays the Volume Control dialog box, that you can use to control multiple devices. If you have installed a speech recognition program, you can use the Speech Recognition tab in the Speech Properties dialog box to configure your microphone and create training profiles. You can open the dialog box using the Speech icon in the Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices window. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices category. 3. Select the Sounds and Audio Devices icon. 4. After selecting the desired tab, select the desired option. 5. Continue selecting options as desired. 6. Select OK. Step-by-Step View audio settings. If necessary, open the Control Panel. Steps 1. Select the Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices category. The Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices window appears. Practice Data Click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices PTS Learning Systems Page 181

192 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 2. Select the Sounds and Audio Devices icon. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box opens with the Volume page displayed. 3. After selecting the desired tab, select the desired option. The option is selected. 4. Continue selecting options as desired. The options are selected. 5. Select OK. The changes are saved and the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box closes. Practice Data Click Sounds and Audio Devices Click Advanced... (under Device volume) Click Click OK Use the Back button to return to the Control Panel window. VIEWING SYSTEM PROPERTIES Discussion The System Properties dialog box provides one location to view and modify the hardware settings for your computer. If a device is not working properly, such as a modem is not dialing, the System Properties dialog box can be used to check for hardware conflicts and make adjustments. Furthermore, the dialog box now includes many of the settings previously found in the Network dialog box in older versions of Windows. While each page of this dialog box provides various options, some options are only available to users with Administrator rights. If you do not have Administrator rights and attempt to access such settings, a message box will open, advising you that you do not have the necessary security privileges. In addition, the System Restore and Automatic Updates tabs only appear if you have Administrator rights. You can access the Systems Properties dialog box using the System icon or See basic information about your computer task in the Performance and Maintenance category in the Control Panel. You can also open the System Properties dialog box using the View system information link in My Computer or by rightclicking My Computer on the Start menu and selecting the Properties command. Page 182 PTS Learning Systems

193 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Performance and Maintenance category. 3. Select the System icon. 4. Select the tab containing the information you want to view. 5. Continue to select options until the desired information appears. 6. Select OK if a security warning box opens. 7. View the desired information. Step-by-Step View system properties. If necessary, open the Control Panel. Steps 1. Select the Performance and Maintenance category. The Performance and Maintenance window opens. Practice Data Click Performance and Maintenance 2. Select the System icon. The System Properties dialog box opens. Click System 3. Select the tab containing the information you want to view. The selected page appears. 4. Continue to select options until the desired information appears. The desired information appears. 5. View the desired information. The desired information appears. Click the Hardware tab Click Device Manager Follow the instructions below to complete this step PTS Learning Systems Page 183

194 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals If a security warning box opens, click OK. Then, click the plus sign (+) to the left of Keyboards. Click the Close button on the Device Manager window title bar to close the window. Select OK to close the System Properties dialog box. MANAGING WINDOWS UPDATES Discussion New components, hardware drivers, and security patches are frequently added to Windows XP. You can update your system files with Windows Update and an Internet connection. You can select how you want Windows XP to notify you when updates are available on the Automatic Updates page in the System Properties dialog box. System updates are handled through the Internet. There are three ways to handle updates; two are automatic and one manual. If you frequently connect to the Internet, it is easier to choose one of the automatic methods. Otherwise, it is best to manually update. The default setting is to have Windows XP notify you when updates are ready to be downloaded. When an update is ready, a balloon appears in the notification area. You can click the balloon or Windows Update icon in the notification area to connect to the Windows Update site. The second option you can select is to have the updates downloaded automatically and then notify you that the updates are ready for installation. When you click the balloon or double-click the icon in the notification area, you can view the details and select which updates you want to install. The last option is to turn off automatic updates and take care of updating your system manually. When you connect to the Windows Update site on the Internet, you can click Scan for updates and confirm Yes to install the suggested changes. If you decide not to update when notified, you can update manually at a later time. If you decline certain updates and decide not to install them, you can install them at a later time by selecting the Restore Declined Updates option in the Automatic Updates page. You must be logged on to your computer as a member of the Administrators group to access the Automatic Updates page in the Systems Properties dialog box. Page 184 PTS Learning Systems

195 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Setting Automatic Update options You can run Windows Update by selecting the Start menu, pointing to All Programs, and selecting the Windows Update command. You can also open the System Properties dialog box by rightclicking My Computer on the Start menu and selecting the Properties command. No other users should be logged onto your computer when you install system updates. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Performance and Maintenance category. 3. Select the System icon. PTS Learning Systems Page 185

196 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals 4. Select the Automatic Updates tab. 5. Select the desired option under Notification Settings. 6. Select OK. Step-by-Step Manage Windows updates. If necessary, open the Control Panel and select the Performance and Maintenance category. Steps 1. Select the System icon. The System Properties dialog box opens. 2. Select the Automatic Updates tab. The Automatic Updates page appears. 3. Select the desired option under Notification Settings. The option is selected. 4. Select OK. The System Properties dialog box closes. Practice Data Click System Click the Automatic Updates tab Click Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually. Click OK If you have an Internet connection, select the Start menu, point to All Programs and select Windows Update. Internet Explorer opens the Microsoft Windows Update web page. Close the Internet Explorer window. Practice the Concept: Open the System Properties dialog box and select the Automatic Updates page and the Notify me before downloading any updates and notify me again before installing them on my computer. option. Select OK to save the setting. Use the Back button to return to the Control Panel window. Page 186 PTS Learning Systems

197 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel SETTING DATE AND TIME PROPERTIES Discussion The Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options window provides options for setting the date and time for your computer. The Date and Time icon opens the Date and Time Properties dialog box. Options to set the correct month, year, day and time are available on the Date & Time page. You can use the Time Zone page to select the time zone. If your region uses daylight savings time, you can enable the option to automatically adjust the clock. The Internet Time page is used to synchronize your computer s time with an Internet time server. To use this feature, you need to be able to connect to the Internet. Two servers are already listed in the Server list, but you can enter another time server that uses the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP). The Update Now button synchronizes your computer s time with the time server. You must be logged on to your computer as a member of the Administrators or Power Users group to change date and time properties. You can also open the Date and Time Properties dialog box by double-clicking the time in the notification area. The options to format numbers, currency, dates and times, as well as support other languages, are located in the Regional and Language Options dialog box. You can open this dialog box using the Change the format of numbers, dates, and times, Add other languages, or Regional and Language Options link. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options category. 3. Select the Date and Time icon. 4. Select the desired option under Date or Time. 5. Select additional tabs as desired. 6. Select the desired option. PTS Learning Systems Page 187

198 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals 7. Continue selecting options as desired. 8. Select OK. Step-by-Step Set date and time properties. If necessary, open the Control Panel. Steps 1. Select the Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options category. The Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options window opens. 2. Select the Date and Time icon. The Date and Time Properties dialog box opens with the Date & Time page displayed. 3. Select the desired option under Date or Time. The option is selected. 4. Select additional tabs as desired. The selected page appears. 5. Select the desired option. A list of time zones appears. 6. Continue selecting options as desired. The options are selected. 7. Select OK or Cancel. The Date and Time Properties dialog box closes. Practice Data Click Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options Click Date and Time Click yesterday s date Click the Time Zone tab Click on the Time Zone page Click any time zone Click Cancel Use the Back button to return to the Control Panel window. Page 188 PTS Learning Systems

199 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel USING ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS Discussion Windows XP provides a variety of settings in the Accessibility Options dialog box to assist people with disabilities. You can modify your computer s keyboard, display, mouse, and sound effects to make the computer easier to use. The accessibility options on the Keyboard page include the Use StickyKeys option. If you activate StickyKeys, you can use modifier keys ([Ctrl], [Shift], or [Alt]) with another key by pressing one key after the other, instead of having to press multiple keys simultaneously. For example, to type a capital A, you could press and release the [Shift] key and then type the letter a. The Sound page includes options to show visible notification of sounds and display information that is only conveyed by sound in captions. Options on the Display page can be used to select an existing high contrast color scheme or create a new custom color scheme. Mobility impairments may make it difficult to use a mouse. When the Use MouseKeys option on the Mouse page is enabled, the user can then use the cursor keys on the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer. The General page includes settings that affect all accessibility options, such as disabling certain accessibility features after your computer is idle for a period of time. Most accessibility options also include a Settings button, which allows you to modify features specific to that option. For example, you can use the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box to enable or disable a sound notification when a modifier key is pressed. PTS Learning Systems Page 189

200 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals The Accessibility Options dialog box You can use the Accessibility Wizard to walk through a number of steps and questions to select the best settings to meet your vision, hearing, and mobility needs. You can start the Accessibility Wizard by selecting the Start button, pointing to All Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to Accessibility, and finally selecting Accessibility Wizard. The Accessibility submenu also includes other programs you can use for additional services. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Accessibility Options category. 3. Select the Accessibility Options icon. 4. Select the tab containing the options you want to enable. 5. Select the options you want to enable. 6. Select Settings, if desired. Page 190 PTS Learning Systems

201 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel 7. Select the desired options. 8. Select OK. 9. Select OK or Apply. Step-by-Step Use accessibility options. If necessary, open the Control Panel. Steps 1. Select the Accessibility Options category. The Accessibility Options window appears. Practice Data Click Accessibility Options 2. Select the Accessibility Options icon. The Accessibility Options dialog box opens. Click Options Accessibility 3. Select the tab containing the options you want to enable. The selected page appears. Click the Mouse tab 4. Select the options you want to enable. The desired options are selected. Click Use MouseKeys 5. Select Settings, if desired. The selected Settings dialog box opens. 6. Select the desired options. The desired options are selected. 7. Select OK. The selected Settings dialog box closes. 8. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Accessibility Options dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the dialog box remains open. Click Settings Click Off next to Use MouseKeys when NumLock is Click OK Click Apply Position the mouse pointer in the middle of the Accessibility Options dialog box. Press the [Num Lock] key to disable the numeric keypad, if necessary. Hold [8] on PTS Learning Systems Page 191

202 Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel Windows XP - Fundamentals the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer up. The mouse pointer will start to move slowly, then accelerate after you hold the key for a few seconds. Press the [Num Lock] key to enable the numeric keypad. Practice the Concept: Use the Settings button to open the Settings for MouseKeys dialog box, select the On option and then select OK. Deselect the Use MouseKeys option and then select OK to close the Accessibility Options dialog box. Close the Accessibility Options window. Page 192 PTS Learning Systems

203 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 11 - Using the Control Panel EXERCISE USING THE CONTROL PANEL Task Use the Control Panel. 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Use the Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options category to open the Regional and Language Options dialog box. Close the dialog box. 3. Return to the Control Panel and use the Performance and Maintenance category to open the System Properties dialog box. View the Hardware page and open the Device Manager window. Expand the Floppy disk drives device. 4. Double-click the Floppy disk drive icon to open its Properties dialog box. Close the Floppy disk drive Properties dialog box and the Device Manager window. 5. If necessary, select the automatic update option to notify you before downloading updates and again before installing them. Close the System Properties dialog box and return to the Control Panel. 6. Use the Windows Update command on the All Programs submenu to connect to the Microsoft Windows Update web page. Close the Internet Explorer window. 7. Open the Accessibility Options dialog box from the Control Panel. 8. Press the [Alt] key to enable navigational underscores. Then, press the [Alt+S] key combination to access the Settings button for StickyKeys. Select Cancel to close the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box. 9. Enable the Use StickyKeys option on the Keyboard page and apply the change. 10. Press and release [Alt] and then press and release the s key. The Settings for StickyKeys dialog box should open. 11. Select Cancel to close the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box. Disable the Use StickyKeys option and apply the change. Close the Accessibility Options dialog box. 12. Close the Accessibility Options window. PTS Learning Systems Page 193

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205 LESSON 12 - WORKING WITH PRINTERS AND HARDWARE In this lesson, you will learn how to: Add and change hardware Change mouse settings Change keyboard settings Add a printer Set a printer as the default Set printing preferences Working with the print queue

206 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals ADDING AND CHANGING HARDWARE Discussion The Printers and Other Hardware category in the Control Panel window allows you to add a printer, fax or other hardware. In addition, the Printers and Other Hardware window contains links to control your game controllers, keyboard, mouse, phone and modem options, and scanners and cameras. If you are having problems with devices attached to your computer, you can access Troubleshooters for hardware, printing, and home and small office networking using the links on the common tasks pane. Most new hardware devices are Plug-and-Play, which means they automatically configure themselves. Windows automatically detects when you attach a new Plug-and-Play device and starts the Found New Hardware Wizard or the wizard corresponding to your device. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. Step-by-Step Add and change hardware. Open the Control Panel by selecting the Start button and the Control Panel command. Steps 1. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. The Printers and Other Hardware window opens. Practice Data Click Printers and Other Hardware Page 196 PTS Learning Systems

207 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware CHANGING MOUSE SETTINGS Discussion A mouse is one of the primary input devices for communicating with your computer. You use the mouse to select objects and text, open windows and menus, and move and copy files and folders. Using the options in the Mouse Properties dialog box, you can customize your settings to effectively use your mouse. The default settings for a mouse designate the left mouse button as the primary button and the right mouse button as the secondary button. These settings can be reversed for left-handed users on the Buttons page. You can also set your double-click speed and test to see if it is a suitable setting. The Pointer Options page contains options to control the mouse speed. The speed at which the mouse pointer moves on the screen can be adjusted to make it faster or slower with the same level of mouse manipulation. The slower the mouse pointer moves, the easier it is for most people to control. You can use the visibility options to make it easier to find the mouse pointer. In addition, you can use the Pointers page to change the mouse pointer image, the Wheel page to set the number of lines scrolled when using a mouse wheel, and the Hardware page to view or adjust device settings and troubleshoot problems with your mouse. PTS Learning Systems Page 197

208 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals The Mouse Properties dialog box To set your ideal double-click speed, adjust the Speed slider on the Buttons page in the Mouse Properties dialog box until you can consistently open or close the folder to the right each time you double-click it. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. 3. Select the Mouse icon. 4. Select the desired tab. 5. Select the desired option. 6. Select OK or Apply. Page 198 PTS Learning Systems

209 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Step-by-Step Change mouse settings. If necessary, open the Control Panel and select the Printers and Other Hardware category. Steps 1. Select the Mouse icon. The Mouse Properties dialog box opens with the Buttons page displayed. 2. Select the desired tab. The selected page appears. 3. Select the desired option. The desired option is selected. 4. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Mouse Properties dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the dialog box remains open. Practice Data Click Mouse Click the Pointer Options tab Click trails Click Apply Display pointer Move the mouse around the screen and notice that a trail of pointers is added to the mouse pointer. Deselect the Display pointer trails option and click OK to close the Mouse Properties dialog box. CHANGING KEYBOARD SETTINGS Discussion The Keyboard Properties dialog box contains options to adjust the typing speed of your keyboard. For example, you can change the length of the delay before a key repeats when you press and hold it down. Moving the Repeat delay slider to the left lengthens the time before a key repeats, while moving it to the right shortens the time. If you find that you type a lot of repeated letters in a word, you may want to increase the length to create a longer repeat delay. You can also change the rate at which a key repeats once it starts repeating. Moving the Repeat rate slider to the left slows down the time before the key repeats, while moving the slider to the right speeds up the time for a faster repeat rate. For instance, you may want a fast repeat rate if you like to create a series of asterisks across a page as a divider. PTS Learning Systems Page 199

210 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals In addition, you can adjust the rate at which the cursor blinks between a slow blink and a very rapid blink. If you are having a hard time locating your cursor (also called an insertion point) in a document, increasing the blink rate may help you find it. The Keyboard Properties dialog box The Repeat rate affects the speed that the [Backspace] key deletes characters. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. 3. Select the Keyboard icon. 4. Drag the slider of the setting you want to change. 5. Select OK or Apply. Page 200 PTS Learning Systems

211 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware ADDING A PRINTER Discussion You can add a printer using the Add a printer task in the Printers and Other Hardware category. This task opens the Add Printer Wizard dialog box, where you indicate if you are setting up a local or network printer. To set up a network printer, you must select the printer you want to add. To find a printer, you can browse for it, enter the name of the printer you want to find, or enter a URL (Internet address) if you are connecting over the Internet or a home or office network. If you are browsing for a printer, the Add Printer Wizard displays a list of installed printers from which you can select the desired printer. To set up a local printer, you need to indicate the port, select the printer manufacturer and model. In addition, you may be prompted to supply the driver if Windows XP cannot find one. If you are sharing a local printer with other users, you can enter a share name for the printer. After completing the process to add a printer, the Printers and Faxes window opens. You can then select a printer and select a printer task from the Printer Tasks group in the common tasks pane. You can also open the Printers and Faxes window by selecting the Start menu and the Printers and Faxes command. If this command does not appear on your Start menu, you can add it using the Advanced page of the Customize Start Menu dialog box. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. 3. Select the Add a printer link under Pick a task. 4. Select Next. 5. Select the Local printer attached to this computer or A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer option. 6. Select Next. PTS Learning Systems Page 201

212 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals 7. To view all the available printers, select the Browse for a printer option. 8. Select Next. 9. Select the printer you want to use. 10. Select Next. 11. Select Yes or No to use the printer as the default printer. 12. Select Next. 13. Select Finish. Step-by-Step Add a printer. You will need access to the network to add a shared network printer. If necessary, open the Control Panel and select the Printers and Other Hardware category. Steps 1. Select the Add a printer link under Pick a task. The Add Printer Wizard opens. 2. Select Next. The Local or Network Printer page appears. 3. Select the Local printer attached to this computer or A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer option. The option is selected. 4. Select Next. The Specify a Printer page appears. 5. To view all the available printers, select the Browse for a printer option. The Browse for a printer option is selected. Practice Data Click Click Next > Add a printer Click A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer, if necessary Click Next > Click Browse for a printer, if necessary Page 202 PTS Learning Systems

213 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Steps 6. Select Next. The Browse for Printer page appears with a list of printers. 7. Select the printer you want to use. The name of the printer appears in the Printer box. 8. Select Next. The Default Printer page appears. Practice Data Click Next > Click the printer indicated by your instructor Click Next > 9. Select Yes or No to use the printer as the default printer. The option is selected. Click Yes, if necessary 10. Select Next. The Completing the Add Printer Wizard page appears. 11. Select Finish. The Add Printer Wizard closes and the printer appears in the Printers and Faxes window. Click Next > Click Finish Use the Back button to return to the Printers and Other Hardware window. SETTING A PRINTER AS THE DEFAULT Discussion If you have several printers installed on your system, one printer should be designated as the default printer. This printer should be the one you use most often. When you print a file in a program, the file is sent to the default printer automatically; however, in most cases, you can select a different printer before the file is sent to print. Some programs, however, do not allow you to select a different printer. In this case, you should select the printer to which you want to print and make it the default in Windows XP before using the program. A white check mark within a black circle appears next to the icon for the default printer. Setting another printer as the default automatically removes the check mark from the original printer. You can also print a document by dragging the document icon from any folder window to the desired printer icon in the Printers and Faxes window. PTS Learning Systems Page 203

214 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals You can also send a document to the default printer with the Print this file task in the common tasks pane. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. 3. Select the Printers and Faxes icon. 4. Right-click the printer you want to set as the default. 5. Select the Set as Default Printer command. Step-by-Step Set a printer as the default. If necessary, open the Control Panel and select the Printers and Other Hardware category. Steps Practice Data 1. Select the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes window opens with the icons for all available printers displayed. Click Faxes Printers and 2. Right-click the printer you want to set as the default. A shortcut menu appears. 3. Select the Set As Default Printer command. A check mark appears next to the printer icon indicating it is the default printer. Right-click any printer icon without a check mark Click Set as Default Printer Practice the Concept: Reset Windows XP to its original default printer, if necessary. Page 204 PTS Learning Systems

215 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware SETTING PRINTING PREFERENCES Discussion You can select the default printing preferences for each printer installed on your system using the Printing Preferences dialog box. Printing preferences on the Layout page include selecting the orientation of the paper. Orientation options include Portrait, with the short edge of the paper at the top, or Landscape, with the long edge of the paper at the top. If your printer is capable of duplex printing, you can select the option to print on both sides of a page. On the Paper/Quality page, you can choose the tray selection, which indicates where the paper is being fed to the printer. Although the options available depend upon your printer, they may include upper tray, lower tray, manual feed, and envelope feed. When you use the Automatically Select option, the printer determines which tray to use depending upon the size of the paper you selected in the application from which you are printing. The Advanced Options dialog box can be accessed using the Advanced button on either page in the Printing Preferences dialog box. Advanced options include selecting defaults for the paper size, number of copies printed, and a number of other document options. Again, the options available depend upon the capabilities of the installed printer. Changes you make in the Printing Preferences dialog box affect all newly created documents. If you want to change the setting for an individual document, you can use the program in which it was created. You can only change your printing preferences if you have sufficient permissions. Some applications use their own paper defaults. If you change your printing preferences, you should check an application s printer and page defaults before printing a document. Depending on your printer, other options may appear. For example, your printer may also include a Rotated Landscape orientation option or an option to set the printed page order. PTS Learning Systems Page 205

216 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. 3. Select the Printers and Faxes icon. 4. Select the printer with the settings you want to change. 5. Click the Select printing preferences task in the Printer Tasks group in the common tasks pane. 6. Select the desired Orientation option. 7. Select the Paper/Quality tab. 8. Select the Paper Source list. 9. Select the desired paper source option. 10. Select Advanced. 11. Select the desired advanced options. 12. Select OK to close the Advanced Options dialog box. 13. Select OK to close the Printer Preferences dialog box. Step-by-Step Set printing preferences. If necessary, display the Printers and Faxes window. This window can be opened from the Control Panel by selecting the Printers and Other Hardware category and the Printers and Faxes icon. Steps 1. Select the printer with the settings you want to change. The printer is selected. 2. Click the Select printing preferences task in the Printer Tasks group in the common tasks pane. The Printing Preferences dialog box for the selected printer opens with the Layout page displayed. Practice Data Click your default printer icon Click Select printing preferences Page 206 PTS Learning Systems

217 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Steps 3. Select the desired Orientation option. The desired option is selected. 4. Select the Paper/Quality tab. The Paper/Quality page appears. 5. Select the Paper Source list. A list of paper source options appears. 6. Select the desired paper source option. The selected paper source option appears in the Paper Source box. 7. Select OK to close the Printing Preferences dialog box. The Printing Preferences dialog box for the selected printer closes and the print preferences are saved. Practice Data Click Landscape Click the Paper/Quality tab Click Paper Source Click any available option Click OK Open Notepad using the Start menu, All Programs command, and the Accessories menu. Select the File menu and then select the Page Setup command. Notice that the selections in the Source and Orientation fields reflect your printer changes. Close the Page Setup dialog box and Notepad. Practice the Concept: Open the Printing Preferences dialog box. Reset the options on the Layout and Paper/Quality pages to their original settings and close the Printing Preferences dialog box. WORKING WITH THE PRINT QUEUE Discussion Documents that are waiting to be printed are stored in the print queue. You can view the print queue to see a list of the documents waiting to print and the order in which they will print. Each installed printer has its own print queue. For each print job, you can also view the file name of the document, the status of the print job, such as Printing or Paused, as well as the user name of the person who sent the job to the printer. Other helpful information in the print queue includes the number of pages printed and the total number of pages to print, the size of the document, the date and time the document was sent to the printer, and the port being used by the printer. Using commands in the print queue, you can pause a print job and resume it again when you are ready. You can also restart an entire print job, if desired. In addition, you can cancel a print job from the print queue. When a print job that is currently printing is canceled, it may not stop printing instantly because the printer must print PTS Learning Systems Page 207

218 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals the data that is still in its memory buffer. If the buffer is large enough, it could contain the remainder of the print job. Therefore, canceling a print job may have no effect. For various reasons, you may need to pause your printer while it is in the middle of printing. This action pauses the printing of all print jobs, although you can continue to send jobs to the printer. When you resume printing, the printer continues with the print jobs. If you are printing to a network printer, you may not have the access rights to pause your printer. A printer icon displays beside the clock in the notification area on the taskbar when documents are sent to a printer. You can double-click the printer icon to open the print queue. You can also pause and resume the printer from the Printers and Faxes window using the Pause printing and Resume printing tasks in the common tasks pane. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Printers and Other Hardware category. 3. Select the Printers and Faxes icon. 4. Double-click the icon for the desired printer. 5. Select the print job you want to pause, resume, restart or cancel. 6. Select the Document menu. 7. Select the desired command. 8. If canceling a print job, select Yes. 9. To pause or resume printing, select the Printer menu. 10. Select or deselect the Pause Printing command. Step-by-Step Work with the print queue. If necessary, display the Printers and Faxes window. This window can be opened from the Control Panel by selecting the Printers and Other Hardware category and the Printers and Faxes icon. Page 208 PTS Learning Systems

219 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Steps Practice Data 1. Double-click the icon for the desired printer. The print queue window for the selected printer opens. Double-click default printer) (the Select the Document menu and notice the commands to Pause, Resume, Restart or Cancel a specific print job. Select the Printer menu and notice the commands to Pause Printing and Cancel All Documents. Close all open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 209

220 Lesson 12 - Working with Printers and Hardware Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE WORKING WITH PRINTERS AND HARDWARE Task Work with printers and hardware. 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Use the Printers and Other Hardware category to open the Printing Troubleshooter window. Close the Help and Support Center window. 3. View the installed printers or fax printers. 4. Select a printer. 5. Open the printing preferences dialog box for this printer. Then close the Printing Preferences dialog box. 6. Open the print queue for the printer. (Hint: Double-click the printer icon.) 7. Select each menu in the print queue window to view the commands it contains. Notice that many commands are unavailable since there are no print jobs in the queue. Close the printer queue window. 8. Return to the Printers and Other Hardware window and open the Mouse Properties dialog box. 9. On the Pointer Options page, move the Motion slider until it is positioned on the third hatch mark from the left. Move the mouse pointer sideways and notice how slowly it moves. Move the slider until it is positioned on the third hatch mark from the right. Move the mouse pointer sideways and notice how quickly it moves. 10. Return the Motion slider to a middle position and close the Mouse Properties dialog box. 11. Close the Printers and Other Hardware window. Page 210 PTS Learning Systems

221 LESSON 13 - CUSTOMIZING THE DISPLAY In this lesson, you will learn how to: View the Display properties Change the desktop background Change the appearance of windows Use themes Activate a screen saver Use the Settings page Display desktop icons Use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard

222 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals VIEWING THE DISPLAY PROPERTIES Discussion The Display Properties dialog box controls the background and appearance of the desktop, the appearance of icons and screen savers, and the settings for the monitor. Display changes are made using the options on the Themes, Desktop, Screen Saver, Appearance, and Settings pages. As you make changes, you can use the Apply button to save and apply settings before closing the Display Properties dialog box. You can access the Display Properties dialog box from the Control Panel by selecting the Appearance and Themes category. The Display Properties dialog box opens when you select any link under the Pick a task category or the Display icon under the or pick a Control Panel icon category. You can also open the Display Properties dialog box by rightclicking a blank area of the desktop and selecting the Properties command from the shortcut menu. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. Step-by-Step View the Display properties. Open the Control Panel using the Start menu. Steps 1. Select the Appearance and Themes category. The Appearance and Themes window appears. Practice Data Click Appearance and Themes Page 212 PTS Learning Systems

223 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Steps 2. Select the Display icon. The Display Properties dialog box opens. Practice Data Click Display Leave the Display Properties dialog box open. CHANGING THE DESKTOP BACKGROUND Discussion You can use the Desktop page in the Display Properties dialog box to display different backgrounds on your desktop. Background designs, often called wallpaper, include photographs, patterns, and solid colors. You can center, tile, or stretch a background design to position it on the desktop. When a design is centered on the desktop, a small image of the design appears in the middle of the display. When a design is tiled, the image covers the entire screen. When a design is stretched, the image is enlarged. As an alternative to a design or picture, you can display a solid color on the desktop by selecting a color from the Color list and selecting (None) from the Background list. You can use a design and a color together if you choose the Center option for the design. The Center option allows the design to occupy only the center of the desktop, with the rest of the desktop filled with the selected color. Depending upon your screen resolution, you may not be able to center some wallpapers. In addition to the designs and pictures supplied by Windows XP, you can create or obtain a bitmap or JPEG file, or use an HTML document as a background on your desktop. For example, you could scan an image of a photograph, save the file in the.jpg format, and use the Browse button on the Desktop page in the Display Properties dialog box to select the graphic file as a background. You can preview your design and color selections using the monitor on the Desktop page in the Display Properties dialog box. PTS Learning Systems Page 213

224 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals Selecting a desktop background The Bliss background is the default background for the Windows XP desktop. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Desktop tab. 5. Select a design from the Background list box. 6. Select OK or Apply. Page 214 PTS Learning Systems

225 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Step-by-Step Change the desktop background. If necessary, open the Display Properties dialog box. Steps 1. Select the Desktop tab. The Desktop page appears. 2. Select a design from the Background list box. A sample of the design appears on the monitor. 3. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Display Properties dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the dialog box remains open. Practice Data Click the Desktop tab Click Azul Click OK Close the Appearances and Themes window to view the changes to the desktop. Practice the Concept: Right-click the desktop, select the Properties command and the Desktop tab. Click the Color list and select the light blue in the third row, third column. Select (None) from the Background list and click the Apply button. Leave the Display Properties dialog box open. CHANGING THE APPEARANCE OF WINDOWS Discussion You can change the look a window s components using the Appearance page in the Display Properties dialog box. This page provides a few basic customizations from which you can choose. There are two basic styles for windows and buttons. The Windows XP style is the default for Windows XP. However, those upgrading from earlier versions of Windows may prefer to switch to the Windows Classic style. Standard color schemes include the Default (blue), Olive Green, and Silver and standard font sizes include Large Fonts, Extra Large Fonts, and Normal, the default. To change individual window elements, you can use the Advanced button. PTS Learning Systems Page 215

226 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals The Effects button contains options you can enable or disable as desired. You can choose to: show fade or scroll transition effects when windows, menus, or lists are opened or closed; display screen fonts with smooth edges; display large icons; display shadows under menus; show the contents of a window while dragging; and display menu and dialog box options with underlined letters for keyboard navigation. Changing the appearance of a window If you are using a laptop or a flat monitor, you may want to turn on the ClearType feature to improve the visibility of screen fonts. You can enable this feature by selecting the selecting Effects option, and selecting ClearType from the Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts list. Reapplying the Windows XP style resets the changes in the Advanced Appearance dialog box to the default settings. Page 216 PTS Learning Systems

227 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Appearance tab. 5. Select the Color scheme list. 6. Select the desired color scheme. 7. Select the Font size list. 8. Select the desired font size. 9. To customize a component, select Advanced. 10. Select the Item list. 11. Select the item for which you want to change the settings. 12. Select the attribute you want to format. 13. Select the desired setting. 14. Select OK to close the Advanced Appearance dialog box. 15. Select OK or Apply. Step-by-Step Change the appearance of windows. If necessary, open the Display Properties dialog box. Steps 1. Select the Appearance tab. The Appearance page appears. 2. Select the Color scheme list. A list of color schemes appears. 3. Select the desired color scheme. The color scheme is selected and the preview changes accordingly. 4. Select the Font size list. A list of font sizes appears. Practice Data Click the Appearance tab Click Color scheme Click Silver Click Font size PTS Learning Systems Page 217

228 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 5. Select the desired font size. The font size is selected and the preview changes accordingly. 6. To customize a component, select Advanced. The Advanced Appearance dialog box opens. 7. Select the Item list. A list of available desktop items appears. 8. Select the item for which you want to change the settings. The item is selected and any associated size and color options appear to the right. 9. Select the attribute you want to format. A list of available settings appears. 10. Select the desired setting. The desired font is selected. 11. Select OK. The changes are saved and the Advanced Appearance dialog box closes. 12. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Display Properties dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the Display Properties dialog box remains open. Practice Data Click Large Fonts Click Advanced Click Item Click Menu Click Color 1 Click red (second row, first column) Click OK Click Apply Notice the changes to the taskbar and the Display Properties dialog box. Select the Start menu and My Computer to view the color and font size changes to a window. Select the View menu and notice the menu color. Close My Computer. Leave the Display Properties dialog box open. Page 218 PTS Learning Systems

229 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display USING THEMES Discussion Display elements in Windows XP are saved as a theme. A theme includes the settings for the desktop background and icons, screen saver, and the appearance of windows and buttons. If you want to change the appearance of a group of screen elements, you can select one of the themes from the Theme list on the Themes page in the Display Properties dialog box. If a selected theme does not suit all your needs, you can change individual elements of the theme, such as the desktop background or font type and size, using the other pages in the Display Properties dialog box. If you customize your display settings, it is a good idea to save it as a theme with another name to preserve your settings. You can use the More themes online option on the Theme list to download themes from the Internet. If you prefer the look of a previous version of Windows, you can use the Themes page to switch to the Windows Classic look. This theme changes the background on the Desktop page to (None) and applies the Windows Classic style to windows and buttons on the Appearance page. You can use the Delete button to delete a saved theme you no longer want. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Themes tab. 5. To save the current display settings, select Save As. 6. Type a new file name. 7. Select Save. 8. To select another theme, select the Theme list. PTS Learning Systems Page 219

230 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals 9. Select the desired theme. 10. Select OK or Apply. Step-by-Step Use themes. If necessary, open the Display Properties dialog box. Steps 1. Select the Themes tab. The Themes page appears. 2. To save the current display settings, select Save As. The Save As dialog box opens with the text in the File name box selected. 3. Type a new file name. The text appears in the File name box. 4. Select Save. The Save As dialog box closes, the theme file is saved and the theme name appears in the Theme box. 5. To select another theme, select the Theme list. A list of themes appears. 6. Select the desired theme. The selected theme appears in the Theme box and a preview appears in the Sample box. 7. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Display Properties dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the Display Properties dialog box remains open. Practice Data Click the Themes tab Click Save As... Type My new theme Click Save Click Theme Click Windows XP Click Apply Practice the Concept: Select My new theme from the Theme list and use the Delete button to delete the saved theme. Then apply the Windows XP theme. Leave the Display Properties dialog box open. Page 220 PTS Learning Systems

231 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display ACTIVATING A SCREEN SAVER Discussion A screen saver is designed to start automatically after a specified period of inactivity (called wait time). Once started, the screen saver changes the image on the screen continually or blanks out the screen completely. When you move the mouse or press a key, the screen saver image is replaced by the desktop, window, or application that was running when the computer was last used. When you press a key to remove the screen saver image, the underlying program ignores the keystroke. You can enable a screen saver using the Screen Saver page in the Display Properties dialog box. The settings for each screen saver can be modified using the Settings button, although the setup options will vary depending upon the screen saver selected. Screen savers can also include passwords to ensure the privacy of your work if you walk away from your computer. When password protection is enabled, you will be prompted to press the [Ctrl+Alt+Delete] key combination and then type your logon password to clear the screen saver. Activating a screen saver PTS Learning Systems Page 221

232 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals The Power button in the Monitor power area on the Screen Saver page opens the Power Options Properties dialog box, which includes options to conserve energy. You can disable screen saver password protection by deselecting the On resume, password protect option. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Screen Saver tab. 5. Select the Screen saver list. 6. Select a screen saver. 7. Select additional options as desired. 8. To temporarily start the screen saver on the full screen, select Preview. 9. Move or click the mouse, or press a key to cancel the screen saver preview. 10. Select OK or Apply. Step-by-Step Activate a screen saver. If necessary, open the Display Properties dialog box. Steps 1. Select the Screen Saver tab. The Screen Saver page appears. 2. Select the Screen saver list. A list of available screen savers appears. Practice Data Click the Screen Saver tab Click Screen saver Page 222 PTS Learning Systems

233 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Steps 3. Select a screen saver. A sample of the screen saver appears on the monitor. 4. Select additional options as desired. The options are selected. 5. To temporarily start the screen saver on the full screen, select Preview. The screen saver preview starts. 6. Move or click the mouse, or press a key to cancel the screen saver preview. The screen saver preview stops. 7. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Display Properties dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the dialog box remains open. Practice Data Click Beziers Click Wait to 5 Click Preview Click the mouse Click Apply Apply the Windows XP screen saver with a wait time of 10 minutes. Leave the Display Properties dialog box open. USING THE SETTINGS PAGE Discussion The Settings page in the Display Properties dialog box is used to change color quality and screen area (resolution) settings. In order to change the screen area setting, you need a monitor and an adapter card that support a resolution greater than 640 by 480 pixels. Using a higher resolution makes the objects on the desktop appear smaller with greater definition. In addition, a higher number of pixels allows your screen to display more information and fit more objects on the desktop. After Windows changes your settings, you will be prompted if you want to keep them. If the settings you choose are unsatisfactory, you can select No to return to the previous resolution setting. PTS Learning Systems Page 223

234 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals Additional monitor settings are available using the Advanced button on the Settings page in the Display Properties dialog box, but you may not have the rights to change these settings. If you are having trouble with the display of your monitor, you can use the Troubleshoot button on the Settings page to open the Video Display Troubleshooter in the Help and Support Center. You can display all the video modes (settings) available for your video adapter by selecting the Advanced button and then selecting the List All Modes button on the Adapter page. If the settings you select cause a display problem, your original settings will be restored in 15 seconds. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Settings tab. 5. Select the desired options. 6. Select OK or Apply. DISPLAYING DESKTOP ICONS Discussion With a default installation of Windows XP, the Recycle Bin is the only icon that shows on the desktop. Using the Desktop Items dialog box, you can add the My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and Internet Explorer icons to your desktop. Furthermore, you can use the Change Icon option to select another picture for the icon. Page 224 PTS Learning Systems

235 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Adding icons to the desktop You can also add shortcuts on the desktop to My Computer, My Documents and My Network Places by right-clicking these commands on the Start menu and selecting the Show on Desktop command. You can add shortcuts to files and folders on your desktop by right-clicking the file or folder, selecting the Send To command, and then selecting the Desktop (create shortcut) command. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Desktop tab. 5. Select Customize Desktop. PTS Learning Systems Page 225

236 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals 6. Select the icon you want to display under Desktop icons. 7. Continue selecting options as desired. 8. Select OK. 9. Select OK or Apply. Step-by-Step Display desktop icons. If necessary, open the Display Properties dialog box. Steps 1. Select the Desktop tab. The Desktop page appears. 2. Select Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items dialog box opens. Practice Data Click the Desktop tab Click Customize Desktop Select the icon you want to display under Desktop icons. The icons are selected. 4. Continue selecting options as desired. The options are selected. Click Click My Documents My Computer 5. Select OK. The Desktop Items dialog box closes. 6. Select OK or Apply. The changes are saved and the Display Properties dialog box closes, or the changes are applied and the Display Properties dialog box remains open. Click OK Click Apply If necessary, move the Display Properties dialog box and minimize any open windows so that you can see the icons on the left side of the desktop. Open the Desktop Items dialog box and deselect the My Documents and My Computer icons. Apply the changes and close all open dialog boxes and windows. Page 226 PTS Learning Systems

237 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display USING THE DESKTOP CLEANUP WIZARD Discussion Your desktop may become cluttered as you use your computer. Many program installations add one or more shortcuts to your desktop for easy access. In addition, you may have added shortcuts to files, folders and programs. While it is convenient to access an item from the desktop, a desktop cluttered with shortcuts for files and programs you rarely use is not efficient. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard helps you organize your desktop by removing shortcuts you haven t used for 60 days or more. Before the shortcuts are removed, you can review the list and decide which ones to keep. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard moves the selected icons to an Unused Desktop folder and places a shortcut to that folder on your desktop. If you change your mind, you can open the folder and restore icons that were removed. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Select the Appearance and Themes category. 3. Select the Display icon. 4. Select the Desktop tab. 5. Select Customize Desktop. 6. To automatically clean your desktop, select the Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days option. 7. To clean your desktop at this time, select Clean Desktop Now. 8. Select Next. 9. Select the shortcuts to remove and deselect the shortcuts to remain on your desktop. 10. Select Next. 11. Select Finish. 12. Select OK. 13. Select OK. PTS Learning Systems Page 227

238 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. If necessary, insert the student data diskette in the floppy disk drive. Open My Computer and display the contents of the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Hold the [Ctrl] key and click the Completed and Sales folders. Right-click one of the selected folders, point to Send To, and select the Desktop (create shortcut) command. Close the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Double-click the Shortcut to Sales icon and then close the Sales window. Right-click the desktop and select the Properties command to open the Display Properties dialog box. Steps 1. Select the Desktop tab. The Desktop page appears. 2. Select Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items dialog box opens. 3. To automatically clean your desktop, select the Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days option. The Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days option is selected. 4. To clean your desktop at this time, select Clean Desktop Now. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard opens. 5. Select Next. The Shortcuts page appears. 6. Select the shortcuts to remove and deselect the shortcuts to remain on your desktop. The shortcuts are selected or deselected accordingly. 7. Select Next. The Completing the Desktop Cleanup Wizard page appears with the shortcuts to be removed listed. Practice Data Click the Desktop tab Click Customize Desktop... Click Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days to select it, if necessary Click Clean Desktop Now Click Next > Click Shortcut to Sales to select it Click Next > Page 228 PTS Learning Systems

239 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Steps 8. Select Finish. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard closes, the selected shortcuts are removed, and an Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder is created on the desktop. 9. Select OK. The Desktop Items dialog box closes. 10. Select OK. The Display Properties dialog box closes. Practice Data Click Finish Click OK Click OK Double-click the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder. Notice the shortcuts that were removed. Close the Unused Desktop Shortcuts window. Then, remove the folder by right-clicking it, selecting the Delete command and Yes to confirm the deletion. PTS Learning Systems Page 229

240 Lesson 13 - Customizing the Display Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE CUSTOMIZING THE DISPLAY Task Customize the display. 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Use the Appearance and Themes category to change the display. Select the Radiance background and apply it. Minimize the Appearance and Themes window to view the desktop background. 3. Add the My Network Places and Internet Explorer icons to the desktop and apply the changes. 4. Use the Appearance page of the Display Properties dialog box to apply the Windows Classic style to windows and buttons. 5. Maximize the Appearance and Themes window and notice the changes. Minimize the Appearance and Themes window. 6. Use the Advanced Appearance dialog box to change the appearance of icons. Change the icon font to Times New Roman and the font size to 12. (Hint: Use the Size spinbox on the Font row.) Apply the changes and notice the changes to the Recycle Bin icon. 7. Apply the 3D FlowerBox screen saver and preview it. 8. Save the settings as a theme with the name Exercise theme. 9. Apply the Windows XP desktop theme. Remove the My Network Places and Internet Explorer icons from the desktop. 10. Open My Computer and right-click the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive icon. Use the Create Shortcut command to create a shortcut and select Yes when asked if you want to place it on the desktop. Close My Computer. 11. Run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard and clean up only the Shortcut to 3½ Floppy (A:) shortcut. 12. Delete the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder from the desktop. 13. Close all open dialog boxes and windows. Page 230 PTS Learning Systems

241 LESSON 14 - USING THE START MENU In this lesson, you will learn how to: Work with the Start menu Add shortcuts to the Start menu Remove shortcuts from the Start menu Rearrange items - All Programs menu Change Start menu settings Change advanced settings

242 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals WORKING WITH THE START MENU Discussion The Start menu is a multiple column pane divided into several sections. The left side of the Start menu contains three sections; the pinned items list, the frequently used programs list, and the All Programs button. The sections are separated by divider lines. Entries in the pinned items list, above the first divider line, are fixed. You can add new shortcuts to this area. These shortcuts remain on the Start menu until you remove them. Shortcuts to programs you have recently used appear below the first divider line, in the most frequently used program list. These shortcuts vary, depending on how many programs you use and how recently you opened the program. After reaching your limit of shortcuts to most frequently used programs, Windows XP removes older shortcuts as you continue to open new ones. After a default installation of Windows XP, several shortcuts may appear in this area; including MSN Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker, Tour Windows XP, and the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. The most frequently used programs list only displays shortcuts to registered programs. A recently opened program may take a few moments to appear on the Start menu. The default number of shortcuts on the Start menu to most frequently used programs is six programs. However, you can change this number. Procedures 1. Open a registered program. 2. Close the program. 3. To use a shortcut on the most frequently used programs list, click the Start menu. 4. Select the desired shortcut. Page 232 PTS Learning Systems

243 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Step-by-Step Work with the Start menu. Steps 1. Open a registered program. The program opens. 2. Close the program. The program closes. Practice Data Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step Click 3. To use a shortcut on the most frequently used programs list, click the Start menu. The Start menu appears with shortcuts to the most frequently used programs appearing on the left side, below the divider line. 4. Select the desired shortcut. The program opens. Click Click Start Paint Open the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click the Paint command. Then, click the left mouse button on any color in the color palette to select a foreground color and the right mouse button to select a background color. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 2). Close the Paint program. Note: If you cannot get Paint to appear in the frequently used programs list, open WordPad, type your name, and then close WordPad without saving the changes. ADDING SHORTCUTS TO THE START MENU Discussion The top section of the Start menu is reserved for fixed shortcuts. These shortcuts remain until you remove them. This section of the Start menu is called the pinned items list. Shortcuts are added to this list using the Pin to Start menu command. This command appears when you right-click a program (executable) file or shortcut in any folder, on the desktop, or on the Start menu itself. PTS Learning Systems Page 233

244 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals A shortcut added to the Start menu As you increase the number of pinned shortcuts, Windows may remove shortcuts to recently used programs to make room for the new shortcuts. Procedures 1. Open the menu or folder containing the program you want to add to the Start menu. 2. Right-click the desired program. 3. Select the Pin to Start menu command. Step-by-Step Add shortcuts to the Start menu. Page 234 PTS Learning Systems

245 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Steps 1. Open the menu or folder containing the program you want to add to the Start menu. The name of the program appears. Practice Data Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step 2. Right-click the desired program. A shortcut menu appears. Right-click Calculator 3. Select the Pin to Start menu command. A shortcut to the program is added to the Start menu. Click Pin to Start menu Click the Start menu, point to All Programs, and point to Accessories. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 2). Click in a blank area of the desktop to hide the Start menu. Display the Start menu and use the Calculator shortcut above the first divider line to open the program. Close Calculator. REMOVING SHORTCUTS FROM THE START MENU Discussion You can easily remove shortcuts from the Start menu. Depending on how a shortcut was added to the Start menu, you can use either of two commands to remove it. If you right-click a shortcut from the most frequently used list, you can use the Remove from This List command to delete the shortcut. If you are removing a pinned shortcut, you have the choice of using either the Unpin from Start menu or Remove from This List command to delete the shortcut. Procedures 1. Click the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Right-click the shortcut to the frequently used program you want to remove. 3. Select the Remove from This List command. 4. Right-click the pinned shortcut you want to remove. 5. Select the Unpin from Start menu command. PTS Learning Systems Page 235

246 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Remove shortcuts from the Start menu. Your Start menu should contain shortcuts to Paint and Calculator. Steps 1. Click the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. Practice Data Click Start 2. Right-click the shortcut to the frequently used program you want to remove. A shortcut menu appears. Right-click Paint 3. Select the Remove from This List command. The shortcut is removed from the Start menu. 4. Right-click the pinned shortcut you want to remove. A shortcut menu appears. 5. Select the Unpin from Start menu command. The shortcut is removed from the Start menu. Click Remove from This List Right-click Calculator Click Unpin from Start menu Hide the Start menu. REARRANGING ITEMS - ALL PROGRAMS MENU Discussion New folders and shortcuts added to the All Programs menu usually appear at the bottom of the menu. You can rearrange the items on the All Programs menu to better meet your needs by dragging them to the desired location. You can move items you have created, Windows XP system items, or items created automatically during a program installation. Page 236 PTS Learning Systems

247 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu You can also add new folders and shortcuts to the All Programs menu by right-clicking the Start button, selecting the Open command, and double-clicking the Programs folder. You can then create new folders or paste shortcuts using the same procedures you use with other folders. Your folders and shortcuts will appear when you open the All Programs menu. You can remove a shortcut from your All Programs menu by right-clicking it and selecting the Delete command. Usually, shortcuts to installed programs are removed automatically from the All Programs menu when you use the Add or Remove Programs category in the Control Panel to remove the program. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. Drag the item to the desired position on the All Programs menu. Step-by-Step Rearrange items on the All Programs menu. Click the Start button on the taskbar and point to All Programs. Steps 1. Drag the item to the desired position on the All Programs menu. A horizontal black bar moves to indicate the item location as you drag. The item appears in the new location when you release the mouse button. Practice Data Drag the Startup item up two positions Practice the Concept: Drag the Startup folder back to its original position. Hide the Start menu. PTS Learning Systems Page 237

248 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals CHANGING START MENU SETTINGS Discussion You can change the look and performance of the Start menu using the options in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. There are two Start menu styles; the Start menu, which is the default for Windows XP, and the Classic Start menu, the style used in previous versions of Windows. The Customize button allows you to modify the settings of the selected style. Customizing the default Start menu style opens the Customize Start Menu dialog box, which contains two pages. The General page contains options to change the left side of the Start menu. The Small icons option decreases the size of the icons on the left side of the Start menu to fit more items on the menu. While the Start menu displays shortcuts to the six most recently used programs, you can increase or decrease this number. However, if the number of shortcuts exceeds the size of the Start menu, Windows XP will suggest that you change the display to small icons. In addition, you can clear all the shortcuts on the most frequently used programs list. Clearing the list only clears the shortcuts, not the programs. The options under the Show on Start menu section allow you to select which programs open when you click the Internet and links on the Start menu. Page 238 PTS Learning Systems

249 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu The Customize Start Menu dialog box If you select the Classic Start menu style, new features such as pinning shortcuts and showing shortcuts for frequently used programs will not be available. Procedures 1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select the Properties command. 3. Select the Start menu or Classic Start menu option, as desired. 4. Select Customize. 5. Select the desired options. 6. Select OK. 7. Select OK or Apply. PTS Learning Systems Page 239

250 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Change Start menu settings. Steps 1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Properties command. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box opens with the Start Menu page displayed and the Start menu option selected. 3. Select Customize. The Customize Start Menu dialog box opens with the General page displayed. Practice Data Right-click Start Click Properties Click Customize Select the desired option. The option is selected. Click Small icons 5. Continue selecting options as desired. The options are selected. 6. Select OK. The settings are saved and the Customize Start Menu dialog box closes. 7. Select OK or Apply. The properties are saved and the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box closes, or the properties are applied and the dialog box remains open. Click Number of programs on Start menu to 3 Click OK Click Apply Display the Start menu. Notice that the shortcuts on the left side of the Start menu appear with a smaller icon and that only three items appear in the frequently used programs list. Hide the Start menu. Practice the Concept: Open the Customize Start Menu dialog box. Select the Large icons option and return the number on the frequently used programs list to 6. Select OK to close all open dialog boxes. Page 240 PTS Learning Systems

251 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu CHANGING ADVANCED SETTINGS Discussion You can use the Advanced page in the Customize Start Menu dialog box to control how submenus work and how newly installed programs should appear. Options in the Start menu items list control the display and function of the Start menu. For example, you can change the function of the My Computer link to display a menu instead of opening the My Computer window. You can also choose whether or not you want to display links to items such as the Control Panel, the Favorites menu, Help and Support, or the Run command. In addition, you can hide, display, or clear the shortcuts in the My Recent Documents list, a list of your most recently opened documents. The Start menu includes the My Recent Documents submenu, which contains a list of recently opened documents. The list of recently opened documents includes files you created or modified in your applications such as Notepad, Paint, or WordPad. From this list, you can select a document to open it again. You can clear this list at any time. Deselecting the List my most recently opened documents option removes the My Recent Documents command from the Start menu. Procedures 1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select the Properties command. 3. Select the Start menu option. 4. Select Customize. 5. Select the Advanced tab. 6. Select the desired option. 7. Select additional options as desired. 8. To clear the shortcuts in the My Recent Documents list, select Clear List. 9. Select OK. 10. Select OK or Apply. PTS Learning Systems Page 241

252 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Change advanced settings on the Start menu. Display the My Recent Documents submenu on the Start menu. If no documents currently appear on the submenu, open My Computer, insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Double-click the WinXP Note icon to open the document in Notepad, and then close the Notepad window and the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Display the My Recent Documents submenu again to verify that the WinXP Note text document appears on it. Then, hide the Start menu. Right-click the Start button and select the Properties command to open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. If necessary, display the Start Menu page and make sure that the Start menu option is selected. Steps 1. Select Customize. The Customize Start Menu dialog box opens with the General page displayed. 2. Select the Advanced tab. The Advanced page appears. 3. Select the desired option. The option is selected. 4. Select additional options as desired. The options are selected. 5. To clear the shortcuts in the My Recent Documents list, select Clear List. The documents are removed from the Documents submenu and the Clear List button becomes unavailable. 6. Select OK. The settings are saved and the Customize Start Menu dialog box closes. Practice Data Click Customize... Click the Advanced tab Scroll the Start menu items list as necessary to My Computer and click Display as a menu Scroll the Start menu items list as necessary and click Run command to deselect it Click Clear List Click OK Page 242 PTS Learning Systems

253 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Steps 7. Select OK or Apply. The properties are saved and the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box closes, or the properties are applied and the dialog box remains open. Practice Data Click Apply Display the Start menu. Notice that the Run command no longer appears on the menu. Point to My Computer and notice that the command opens a submenu instead of opening the My Computer window. Point to My Recent Documents and verify that it is empty. Hide the Start menu. Practice the Concept: Display the Advanced page of the Customize Start Menu dialog box and select the options to display My Computer as a link and display the Run command. Close all open dialog boxes. PTS Learning Systems Page 243

254 Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE USING THE START MENU Task Use the Start menu. 1. Customize the Windows XP Start menu to display small icons. Increase the number of programs on the Start menu to eight. Apply and view the changes to the Start menu. 2. Clear the frequently used programs list of all shortcuts on the Start menu and apply the changes. (Hint: Remember to select the Clear List button.) View the changes to the Start menu. 3. Change the advanced settings on the Start menu to display the Favorites menu and display My Documents as a menu. Apply the changes. 4. View the changes to the Start menu. Notice that a Favorites menu has been added. Click the My Documents link to confirm that a menu appears instead of a window opening. 5. Change the following properties of the Start menu: display large icons; change the number of recently used programs to six; remove the Favorites menu item; and display My Documents as a link. Apply the changes and close the dialog box. 6. Open the Windows Media Player from the All Programs menu and then close the player window. 7. Display the Start menu. (If the shortcut does not appear in the left pane, close the Start menu and open it again.) Use the new Windows Media Player shortcut to open the Windows Media Player, then close the player window. 8. Pin the Windows Explorer program to the Start menu. (Hint: The program is located on the Accessories menu.) 9. Use the new Windows Explorer shortcut to open Windows Explorer, then close the window. 10. Move the Windows Explorer shortcut in the pinned items area to the top of the Start menu. 11. Remove the Windows Media Player shortcut from the frequently used programs list. Unpin the Windows Explorer shortcut from the pinned items list. Page 244 PTS Learning Systems

255 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 14 - Using the Start Menu 12. Close the Start menu. PTS Learning Systems Page 245

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257 LESSON 15 - USING THE TASKBAR In this lesson, you will learn how to: Customize the taskbar Hide the taskbar Customize the notification area Display a toolbar on the taskbar Unlock the taskbar Add a Quick Launch toolbar shortcut

258 Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Windows XP - Fundamentals CUSTOMIZING THE TASKBAR Discussion The function of the taskbar is to display buttons for open windows and house the notification area. You can use the Taskbar page of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box to customize the appearance of the taskbar and the notification area. Taskbar options include unlocking it so that you can move it or change its height; hiding the taskbar; and displaying the Quick Launch toolbar, which contains shortcuts to common system programs such as Internet Explorer. The taskbar automatically groups buttons from the same program if you open more windows than can fit on the taskbar. However, you can disable this feature, if desired. If you disable grouping for taskbar buttons and open more than ten windows, the taskbar adds another row and a scroll bar appears allowing you to scroll up and down the rows. You can also unlock the taskbar, which allows you to increase its height so that all rows are displayed. When you make changes in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, you can use the Apply button to change various settings before closing the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box Page 248 PTS Learning Systems

259 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar You can also right-click the taskbar and select commands to lock or unlock it or display toolbars. Procedures 1. Right-click the taskbar. 2. Select the Properties command. Step-by-Step Customize the taskbar. Steps 1. Right-click the taskbar. A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Properties command. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box opens with the Taskbar page displayed. Practice Data Right-click the taskbar Click Properties Leave the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box open. HIDING THE TASKBAR Discussion You can hide the taskbar so that you can see more of the screen using the Auto-hide the taskbar option on the Taskbar page in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. When you hide the taskbar, it becomes a thin line at the bottom of the screen. You can redisplay the taskbar by pointing to the thin line at the bottom of the screen. After you use the taskbar, it reverts back to a thin line again. You may not be able to access the taskbar in a maximized window when the taskbar is hidden. To avoid this problem, you should make sure that the Keep the taskbar on top of other windows option is selected in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box when you hide the taskbar. PTS Learning Systems Page 249

260 Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Right-click the taskbar. 2. Select the Properties command. 3. Select the Auto-hide the taskbar option. 4. Select the Keep the taskbar on top of other windows option, if necessary. 5. Select OK or Apply. Step-by-Step Hide the taskbar. If necessary open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box and display the Taskbar page. Steps 1. Select the Auto-hide the taskbar option. The Auto-hide the taskbar option is selected and the preview changes accordingly. 2. Select the Keep the taskbar on top of other windows option, if necessary. The Keep the taskbar on top of other windows option is selected and the preview changes accordingly. 3. Select OK or Apply. The taskbar disappears from the screen and the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box closes or remains open. Practice Data Click Auto-hide the taskbar Click Keep the taskbar on top of other windows, if necessary Click Apply Open the Recycle Bin and maximize the window, if necessary. Point to the bottom edge of the screen and notice that the taskbar appears. Close the Recycle Bin window. Practice the Concept: Deselect the Auto-hide the taskbar option in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. Select Apply to save the changes and leave the dialog box open. Page 250 PTS Learning Systems

261 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar CUSTOMIZING THE NOTIFICATION AREA Discussion The right side of the taskbar is called the notification area. Depending upon your previous version of Windows, it may have been called the taskbar tray or system tray. The notification area displays the time, as well as shortcuts to programs, such as volume controls and virus protection. The notification area also includes icons that provide information about ongoing events. For example, when a new Windows update is available, a message appears telling you to click the notification area icon to update. Most notifications are hidden when inactive. However, for each notification icon, you can select if you want to always hide it, always show it, or hide it when it is inactive. The Customize Notifications dialog box Right-clicking the notification area and selecting the Customize Notifications command opens both the Customize Notifications dialog box and Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box at the same time. PTS Learning Systems Page 251

262 Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Right-click the taskbar. 2. Select the Properties command. 3. Select Customize. 4. Select the item to customize. 5. Select the Behavior list for the item. 6. Select the desired option. 7. Select OK. 8. Select OK. Step-by-Step Customize the notification area. If necessary open the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box and display the Taskbar page. Steps 1. Select Customize. The Customize Notifications dialog box opens. 2. Select the item to customize. The item is selected and the Behavior list is activated. 3. Select the Behavior list for the item. A list of options appears. 4. Select the desired option. The option is selected. 5. Select OK. The Customize Notification dialog box closes. 6. Select OK. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box closes and the properties are saved. Practice Data Click Customize... Click the Windows Messenger item, or the item indicated by your instructor Click the Click Always hide Click OK Click OK Page 252 PTS Learning Systems

263 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Note: If a pop-up description opens indicating that your notification icons are hidden, click the Close button in the pop-up to close it. Notice the arrow on the notification area. Click the arrow to see the hidden icons. Right-click a blank area in the notification area and select the Customize Notifications command. Change the behavior of the Windows Messenger item, or the item you changed, to Hide when inactive. Then, close all open dialog boxes. DISPLAYING A TOOLBAR ON THE TASKBAR Discussion Windows XP includes several toolbars you can display on the taskbar or the desktop. The Quick Launch toolbar includes shortcuts to display the desktop quickly, as well as launch Internet Explorer and the Windows Media Player. Furthermore, you can add your own shortcuts to the toolbar. The Address bar displays a text box in which you can enter the URL address of a web page. If you enter the path to a folder, the folder opens in a window on your desktop. The Links toolbar displays shortcuts to web pages. The Desktop toolbar displays all the objects on your desktop as toolbar icons. In addition, you can use the New Toolbar command to display any folder as a toolbar. You can right-click a blank area of the toolbar or the vertical dotted bar located to the left of a toolbar to display the toolbar s shortcut menu. The menu contains options to show the title of the toolbar or descriptive text for the shortcuts. If the taskbar is locked, you cannot resize toolbars displayed on the taskbar. If toolbar icons are hidden, you can access them by clicking the right-pointing arrows that appear on a toolbar when it contains additional icons. Procedures 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 2. Point to the Toolbars command. 3. Select the desired toolbar command. PTS Learning Systems Page 253

264 Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Display a toolbar on the taskbar. Steps 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. The taskbar shortcut menu appears. 2. Point to the Toolbars command. The Toolbars submenu appears. 3. Select the desired toolbar. The selected toolbar appears on the taskbar. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Point to Toolbars Click Quick Launch UNLOCKING THE TASKBAR Discussion By default, the taskbar, and the toolbars displayed on it, are locked into position. Unlocking the taskbar allows you to move the taskbar to the top or either side of the desktop. Furthermore, unlocking the taskbar allows you to resize the toolbars displayed on the taskbar to view or hide the toolbar icons. Once the taskbar is unlocked, you can also change the height of the taskbar by dragging its top border. This feature is useful if you disable the grouping of taskbar buttons and open more windows than can fit on the taskbar. Page 254 PTS Learning Systems

265 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar The unlocked taskbar Procedures 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. 2. Select the Lock the Taskbar command to deselect it. Step-by-Step Unlock the taskbar. If necessary, display the Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar. Steps 1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar. The taskbar shortcut menu appears. 2. Select the Lock the Taskbar command to deselect it. The top border of the taskbar appears and dotted bars appear next to taskbar toolbars. Practice Data Right-click a blank area of the taskbar Click Lock the Taskbar to deselect it PTS Learning Systems Page 255

266 Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Windows XP - Fundamentals Drag the dotted bar to the right of the Quick Launch toolbar 1 inch to the right. ADDING A QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR SHORTCUT Discussion You can add shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar. Adding a shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar provides an alternative to accessing a program, file, or folder from the Start menu. Adding a folder shortcut opens the folder in a window, while adding a file or program shortcut opens the application. You can delete a shortcut from the Quick Launch toolbar by right-clicking the shortcut s icon, selecting the Delete command, and selecting Yes to confirm the deletion. You can also add a shortcut to a toolbar when the taskbar is locked or unlocked. Procedures 1. Display the Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar. 2. Display the icon of the file or folder for which you want to add a shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar. 3. Drag the object for which you want to create a shortcut to the desired position on the Quick Launch toolbar. Step-by-Step Add a shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar. If necessary, display the Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar, unlock the taskbar and widen the toolbar about 1 inch. Open My Computer. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Scroll as necessary to display the WinXP Note icon. Page 256 PTS Learning Systems

267 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Steps 1. Drag the object for which you want to create a shortcut to the desired position on the Quick Launch toolbar. A shadow of the object appears as you drag and a vertical bar indicates the position on the toolbar. The object appears in the desired position on the Quick Launch toolbar when you release the mouse button. Practice Data Drag WinXP Note to a blank area at the end of the Quick Launch toolbar Close the 3½ Floppy (A:) window. Click the Shortcut to WinXP Note icon on the Quick Launch toolbar. The document should open in its corresponding application. Close the Notepad window. Delete the shortcut by right-clicking the Shortcut to WinXP Note icon, selecting the Delete command, and selecting Yes to confirm the deletion. Use the taskbar shortcut menu and Toolbars submenu to hide the Quick Launch toolbar. Then, display the taskbar shortcut menu again and lock the taskbar. PTS Learning Systems Page 257

268 Lesson 15 - Using the Taskbar Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE USING THE TASKBAR Task Use taskbar features. 1. Autohide the taskbar. 2. Open My Computer and practice displaying the taskbar in the window. Close My Computer. 3. Disable the autohide feature. 4. Display the Quick Launch and Address toolbars on the taskbar. (Hint: Use the taskbar shortcut menu.) Lock the taskbar, if necessary. 5. Double-click the Address toolbar. Notice that you cannot display it. 6. Unlock the taskbar. Then, double-click the Address toolbar and notice that it expands on the taskbar. 7. Insert the student data diskette, if necessary. Type a:\student data into the Address bar in the taskbar and press [Enter]. 8. Increase the width of the Quick Launch toolbar by about 1. Create a shortcut on the Quick Launch toolbar to the Accounting folder in the Student Data window. (Hint: Drag the folder icon to the Quick Launch toolbar.) Then close the Student Data window. 9. Use the new shortcut to open the Accounting folder. Close the Accounting window. Delete the Shortcut to Accounting icon on the Quick Launch toolbar. (Hint: Right-click the icon, select Delete and then Yes to confirm the deletion.) 10. Hide the Quick Launch and Address toolbars and lock the taskbar. 11. Change the notifications to always show the icon of your choice. Apply the changes and view the icons in the notification area. 12. Restore the defaults in the notification area. 13. Close all open dialog boxes. Page 258 PTS Learning Systems

269 LESSON 16 - USING ACCESSORIES In this lesson, you will learn how to: Use the Calculator Perform a basic calculation Open a file in a text editor Use the Windows Clipboard Use the Paint program

270 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals USING THE CALCULATOR Discussion Windows XP includes the Calculator accessory, which can be used in two different views. The Standard view can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as be used to find the square root and display a multiplication as a percentage. The Scientific view is more advanced. You can use this view to calculate the common and natural logarithm; calculate a factorial; find squares and cubes; raise a number to any power; calculate sine, cosine, and tangent; and perform statistical calculations such as average, sum, and standard deviation. The Standard Calculator view If you need more information about a Calculator function, you can right-click on the function and select the What s This? pop-up to assist you. Changing the calculator to another view clears the current calculation, but not the numbers stored in the Calculator s memory. Page 260 PTS Learning Systems

271 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. Point to Accessories. 4. Select Calculator. 5. Select the View menu. 6. Select Scientific or Standard. 7. Right-click a calculator button. 8. Select the What s This? command. 9. Click in a blank area of the desktop when you have finished reading the help information. Step-by-Step Use the Calculator. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. 2. Point to All Programs. The All Programs submenu appears. Practice Data Click Start Point to All Programs 3. Point to Accessories. The Accessories submenu appears. 4. Select Calculator. The Calculator opens. Point to Click Accessories Calculator 5. Select the View menu. The View menu appears. 6. Select Scientific or Standard. The other Calculator view appears. 7. Right-click a calculator button. The What s This? command appears. Click View Click the view that is not currently displayed Right-click a Calculator button PTS Learning Systems Page 261

272 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 8. Select the What s This? command. A pop-up box containing help information about the button appears. 9. Click in a blank area of the desktop when you have finished reading the help information. The pop-up box closes. Practice Data Click What s This? Click in a blank area of the desktop when you have finished reading the help information Practice the Concept: If necessary, change the Calculator back to the Standard view. PERFORMING A BASIC CALCULATION Discussion In principle, using the Windows XP Calculator is the same as using a regular calculator. You can use the mouse or the keyboard to perform calculations. When entering numbers with the keyboard, you can use either the standard typewriter keys above the letters or the numeric keypad. For some calculations, such as when you are calculating a square root, it is not necessary to press the [Enter] key or type or click the equal sign (=). You can display the numbers in the Calculator window with digit separators by selecting the View menu and then selecting the Digit grouping command. Digit grouping symbols and numeric formatting are controlled in the Regional Options dialog box. To open this dialog box, double-click the Regional Options icon in the Control Panel. The settings are based upon the location selected on the General page, but you can modify them, if desired. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. Page 262 PTS Learning Systems

273 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 16 - Using Accessories 3. Point to Accessories. 4. Select Calculator. 5. Click the number buttons to enter the number or type the number. 6. Click the button or type the symbol for the mathematical operation. 7. Complete the equation. 8. Press [Enter], type the equal sign (=), or click the equal button. Step-by-Step Perform a basic calculation. If necessary, open the Calculator. Steps 1. Click the number buttons to enter the number or type the number. The number appears in the Calculator display. 2. Click the button or type the symbol for the mathematical operation. The Calculator accepts the selection. 3. Complete the equation. The Calculator accepts the additional data. 4. Press [Enter], type the equal sign (=), or click the equal button. The calculation is performed and the answer appears in the Calculator display. Practice Data Type 1000 Type * (asterisk) Type 500 Click Select the View menu and then select the Digit grouping command to display the number with formatting. Remove the digit grouping and close the Calculator. PTS Learning Systems Page 263

274 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals OPENING A FILE IN A TEXT EDITOR Discussion Notepad and WordPad are basic word processing programs that can be started from the Accessories submenu on the Start menu and used as text editors. Notepad is used for small text files that do not require formatting. For example, you can use Notepad when you need to modify a file using a text editor. Limited formatting is available in Notepad. You can format text by changing the font and font size, and applying bold and italics. WordPad is also used for short documents but contains more features than Notepad, allowing you to set tabs, format text, add bulleted lists, align paragraphs, and find specified text strings. The procedures used in WordPad are similar to the procedures used in Microsoft Word. Since WordPad is a basic program, however, it does not check spelling, create headers and footers, generate tables, etc. Notepad and WordPad both allow you to open an existing file. The method you use to open an existing file is the same as in any other Windows application. Notepad only correctly reads text formatted files. Although you may be able to open files in other formats, their content will appear as code on the screen. WordPad is capable of reading files in several formats, including; Rich Text Format (.rtf), Microsoft Word files (.doc), Write files (.wri), and ASCII text files (.txt). When opening a file in WordPad, you may need to specify the file type in order to view the file name in the folder. For example, if WordPad is looking for a Word document, the Open dialog box will not display the names of documents saved in Rich Text Format. Page 264 PTS Learning Systems

275 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Opening a file in a text editor Procedures 1. Open Notepad or WordPad. 2. Select the File menu. 3. Select the Open command. 4. Select the Look in list. 5. Select the drive containing the file you want to open. 6. Open the folder containing the file you want to open. 7. Select the Files of type list. 8. Select the desired file type. 9. Select the file you want to open. 10. Select Open. Step-by-Step Open a file in a text editor. PTS Learning Systems Page 265

276 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals Open WordPad using the Start menu, All Programs command, and the Accessories menu. Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Steps 1. Select the File menu. The File menu appears. 2. Select the Open command. The Open dialog box opens. 3. Select the Look in list. A list of available drives appears. 4. Select the drive containing the file you want to open. A list of available folders appears. 5. Open the folder containing the file you want to open. A list of available files appears. 6. Select the Files of type list. A list of file types appears. 7. Select the desired file type. The file type appears in the Files of type box. 8. Select the file you want to open. The file name appears in the File name box. 9. Select Open. The Open dialog box closes and the file opens in the text editor. Practice Data Click File Click Open... Click Look in Click 3½ Floppy (A:) Double-click the Sales folder Click Files of type Click Word for Windows (*.doc) Click Transferal Form Click Open USING THE WINDOWS CLIPBOARD Discussion In Windows XP, you can move or copy information from one window and paste it into another. When you first move or copy the information, it is stored on the Windows Clipboard, an area of memory specified by Windows XP to temporarily hold information. You can then paste the information from the Windows Clipboard to the destination window. Moving or copying new information overwrites what is on the Windows Clipboard. Page 266 PTS Learning Systems

277 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 16 - Using Accessories The Cut, Copy and Paste features are available from the Edit or shortcut menu. Some applications contain toolbar buttons to access the Cut, Copy, and Paste features. Procedures 1. Open the desired file. 2. Select the information you want to move or copy to another application. 3. Right-click the selected information. 4. Select either the Cut command to move or the Copy command to copy the information to the Windows Clipboard. 5. Open or switch to the window to which you want to copy the information. 6. Right-click the location where you want to paste the information from the Windows Clipboard. 7. Select the Paste command. Step-by-Step Use the Windows Clipboard to copy and paste information between Windows programs. If necessary, open WordPad and open the Transferal Form document located in the Sales folder on the student data diskette. Open Notepad using the Start menu, All Programs command, and the Accessories menu. Then, use the taskbar to display the Transferal Form - WordPad window. Steps 1. Select the information you want to move or copy to another application. The information is selected. 2. Right-click the selected information. A shortcut menu appears. Practice Data Drag to select the text from Waterside Hospital to in the WordPad window Right-click the selected text PTS Learning Systems Page 267

278 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 3. Select either the Cut command to move or the Copy command to copy the information to the Windows Clipboard. The information is cut or copied to the Windows Clipboard. 4. Open or switch to the window to which you want to copy the information. The desired destination window opens or appears. 5. Right-click the location where you want to paste the information from the Windows Clipboard. A shortcut menu appears. 6. Select the Paste command. The information is pasted to the new location in the destination window. Practice Data Click Copy Click the Untitled - Notepad button on the taskbar Right-click the first line Click Paste Notice that Notepad removed all the formatting from the pasted text. Close the Notepad window and select No when you are prompted to save the changes. Close the WordPad window. USING THE PAINT PROGRAM Discussion The Paint accessory is a drawing program. Although it is not as sophisticated as other drawing programs, it has some versatile features. Paint contains a number of drawing tools including a pencil, a paintbrush with various tips, and an airbrush with different spray volumes, all of which are located in the toolbox on the left side of the screen. When you point to a drawing tool in the Paint program, the name of the tool appears. Paint tools allow you to draw straight and curved lines, rectangles, ellipses, and polygons. When you select a tool, additional options for that tool appear at the bottom of the toolbar. Options for enclosed shapes include drawing an unfilled shape; drawing a filled, bordered shape that uses the foreground color for the border and the background color for the fill; and drawing a filled, unbordered shape that uses the foreground color for the fill. Page 268 PTS Learning Systems

279 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 16 - Using Accessories The color box at the bottom of the window displays the current color palette from which you can select foreground and background colors. In addition, you can mix custom colors and add them to the palette. Areas of a Paint picture can be selected and then copied and pasted to another Paint picture, or to another application. You can also flip, rotate, skew, and stretch an entire picture or a selected area of a picture. You can use Paint to create backgrounds for your desktop. After saving the image as a bitmap file, you can choose to display the image as a tiled or centered background design. You can also open other graphic files, save them as bitmaps, and use them for backgrounds. When you save a picture as a background, it is added to the Desktop page of the Display Properties dialog box. Using the Paint program Pictures saved in a bitmap format can be used as backgrounds by selecting the File menu and then selecting the Set As Background (Tiled) or Set As Background (Centered) command. You can select a foreground color by clicking the left mouse button on the desired color. Conversely, you can select a background color by clicking the right mouse button on the desired color. PTS Learning Systems Page 269

280 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. Point to Accessories. 4. Select Paint. 5. Click the desired drawing tool. 6. Move the mouse pointer to the desired location in the drawing area. 7. Draw the desired shape. Step-by-Step Use the Paint program. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. 2. Point to All Programs. The All Programs submenu appears. Practice Data Click Start Point to All Programs 3. Point to Accessories. The Accessories submenu appears. 4. Select Paint. The Paint program opens. Point to Click Paint Accessories 5. Maximize the window, if necessary. The window is maximized. 6. Click the desired drawing tool. The tool is selected and additional options for the tool appear at the bottom of the toolbox. 7. Move the mouse pointer to the desired location in the drawing area. The mouse pointer changes into a crosshair and moves to the new location in the drawing area. Click on the Paint window title bar Click Move the mouse pointer to the middle of the drawing area Page 270 PTS Learning Systems

281 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Steps 8. Draw the desired shape. An outline of the shape appears as you drag and then the shape appears in the drawing area. Practice Data Drag down and to the right approximately 1 inch Practice the Concept: Click any color blue in the color palette at the bottom of the window to select a foreground color. Right-click any color red to select a background color. Select the middle rectangle from the three rectangles below the drawing tools and draw another ellipse in the lower right corner. Close the Paint program and select No when you are prompted to save the changes. PTS Learning Systems Page 271

282 Lesson 16 - Using Accessories Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE USING ACCESSORIES Task Use Windows XP accessories. 1. Open WordPad and maximize the window, if necessary. 2. Open the Charges for Supplies document from the Accounting subfolder in the Student Data folder on the student data diskette. (Hint: You need to change the file types to view files with a.doc extension.) 3. Add the following text at the end of the first paragraph: Your new service charge will be $ Open the Calculator. View both the scientific and standard calculators. 5. Use either calculator to compute the following: 192 * Your answer should be Copy the answer to the Windows Clipboard. (Hint: Use the Edit menu. You do not have to select the answer.) 7. Switch to the Charges for Supplies document. 8. Drag to select the text and paste the copied text over the selection. (Hint: Right-click or use the Edit menu.) 9. Close WordPad and select No when prompted to save the changes. Close Calculator. 10. Open Paint and maximize the window, if necessary. 11. Select the Rectangle tool and draw a rectangle. Select red from the color palette. Click the Fill With Color tool (second row, second column) and click inside the drawn rectangle to fill it with color. 12. Close Paint without saving the changes. Page 272 PTS Learning Systems

283 LESSON 17 - USING THE HELP AND SUPPORT CENTER In this lesson, you will learn how to: Explore the Help and Support Center Print help topics Search for Help topics Change search options Use the Help Index Use Favorites and History lists Change Help options Use Support options Create a system restore point Use a system restore point

284 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals EXPLORING THE HELP AND SUPPORT CENTER Discussion Windows XP includes an extensive help facility called the Help and Support Center that you can use to search for help on a variety of topics. The home page for the Help and Support Center includes a navigation bar (toolbar), a Search box, and links to information arranged under categories. Major topic headings are listed under the Pick a Help topic category. You can select a link and drill down until you find the desired information. Other categories appear on the right side of the Help and Support Center window. These may include the Ask for Assistance, Pick a Task, and Did you know? categories or categories specific to your computer manufacturer. Links under these categories open specific help pages. For example, the Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems link opens a list of tools to help you manage your system. Selecting a link under one of the categories opens a two-pane window. On the left is the navigation pane, which displays topic and subtopic headings. On the right is the topic pane, which displays help information or links to other help topics. A toolbar appears above the topic pane. You can use the Change View button to display only the topic pane so that you can view your desktop and the help information at the same time. As you move through the help windows, you can use the buttons on the navigation bar to navigate to previously viewed windows. You can always return to the opening Help and Support Center page by clicking the Home button on the navigation bar. Page 274 PTS Learning Systems

285 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center The Help and Support Center window The Help and Support Center can also be opened from any folder window by selecting the Help menu and the Help and Support Center command. Some links require an Internet connection to find information. Most of the links under the Did you know? category are Internet based. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select Help and Support. 3. Select the desired link. 4. To expand a topic in the navigation pane, click the plus sign. 5. Click a subtopic in the navigation pane. 6. Continue expanding links in the topic pane until the desired information appears. 7. Click the Change View button to display only the topic pane. PTS Learning Systems Page 275

286 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals 8. Click the Change View button to display the entire Help and Support Center window. 9. Click the Home button on the navigation bar to return to the home page. Step-by-Step Explore the Help and Support Center. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. Practice Data Click Start 2. Select Help and Support. The Help and Support Center window opens with the insertion point in the Search box. Click Support Help and 3. Select the desired link. The window changes to display a list of related topics in the navigation pane and help information in the topic pane. Click Windows basics under Pick a Help topic 4. To expand a topic in the navigation pane, click the plus sign. A list of expanded topics appears. Click tasks Core Windows 5. Click a subtopic in the navigation pane. Help information or links appear in the topic pane. 6. Continue expanding links in the topic pane until the desired information appears. The help information appears in the topic pane. Click Customizing your Start menu Click Display a program in the Start menu in the topic pane 7. Click the Change View button to display only the topic pane. The Help and Support Center window collapses to display only the topic pane. Click Change View Page 276 PTS Learning Systems

287 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Steps 8. Click the Change View button to display the entire Help and Support Center window. The Help and Support Center window expands to its full size. 9. Click the Home button on the navigation bar to return to the home page. The Help and Support Center home page appears. Practice Data Click Change View Click PRINTING HELP TOPICS Discussion You can print topics in the Help and Support Center. Since it is not always convenient to open Help, it is useful to be able to print a help topic so that you can refer to it easily. You might even want to print several help topics to which you refer often and create a help booklet. The Print button prints the current topic in the topic pane. It opens the Print dialog box, which allows you to print specific pages or a specific selection. You can also enter the desired number of copies. To print all the subtopics under a topic heading, right-click the heading in the navigation pane and select Print. A dialog box opens describing your print selection. You can also print pop-up descriptions in a dialog box by right-clicking the pop-up box and selecting the Print Topic command. You can also copy a help topic and paste it into another application. To copy a topic, right-click in the right pane, select the Select All command, right-click in the right pane again, and then select the Copy command. You can then open the desired application and use the Paste feature to paste the help text into the application. PTS Learning Systems Page 277

288 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Select the Print button to print the topic in the topic pane. 3. Select the desired options in the Print dialog box and then select Print. 4. Right-click a topic heading in the navigation pane to print all subtopics. 5. Select the Print command. 6. Select Print or Cancel. Step-by-Step Print a help topic. If necessary, open the Help and Support Center and display the home page. Select the Customizing your computer link under Pick a Help topic. Select the Your Start menu link in the navigation pane and the Add items to the Start menu link in the topics pane. Steps 1. Select the Print button to print the topic in the topic pane. The Print dialog box opens. 2. Select the desired options in the Print dialog box and then select Print. The print options are selected, the Print dialog box closes, and Windows XP prints the help topic. Practice Data Click Print... Click Print 3. Right-click a topic heading in the navigation pane to print all subtopics. A shortcut menu appears. 4. Select the Print command. A Help and Support Center dialog box opens indicating the topic hierarchy to be printed. Right-click menu Click Print... Your Start Page 278 PTS Learning Systems

289 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Steps 5. Select Print or Cancel. The topics are printed or the printing is canceled. Practice Data Click Cancel Click the Home button on the navigation bar to return to the home page. SEARCHING FOR HELP TOPICS Discussion You can use the Search box on the Help and Support Center home page to search for information about a topic. You should enter one or more words related to the topic you want to find. The topics that match your search words appear in the Search Results pane. Search results are displayed in categories. Help topics contain a list of keywords to speed up searching. The topics listed in the Suggested Topics category have keywords that match your search text and provide the closest match to your criteria. Topics listed under the Full-text Search Matches category contain some of your search words in the topic text, but since they do not contain matching keywords, they may not be as relevant to the information for which you are looking. With an Internet connection, you can also use the Microsoft Knowledge Base category to search Microsoft s online store of information. If your search produces too many results, you can narrow the search by selecting the Search within previous results option and entering more specific text in the Search box. You should only enter the specific words related to the topic in the Search box, not full sentences or questions. Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Click in or select the current text in the Search box. 3. Enter words relating to the information for which you want to search. 4. Press [Enter] or click the Start searching arrow. PTS Learning Systems Page 279

290 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals 5. Click a link under the Suggested Topics category. 6. To view other matches, click the Full-text Search Matches or the Microsoft Knowledge Base category in the Search Results pane. Step-by-Step Search for Help topics. If necessary, open the Help and Support Center and display the home page. Steps 1. Click in or select the current text in the Search box. The insertion point appears in, or the current text is selected in the Search box. 2. Enter words relating to the information for which you want to search. The text appears in the Search box. 3. Press [Enter] or click the Start searching arrow. The Search Results pane appears displaying links to matching topics. 4. Click a link under the Suggested Topics category. The help information appears in the topic pane. 5. To view other matches, click the Fulltext Search Matches or the Microsoft Knowledge Base category in the Search Results pane. A list of matches appears. Practice Data Click in the Search box Type printers Press [Enter] Click Search for printers Click Full-text Search Matches (# results) category Practice the Concept: To find information about using color printers within the current search results, select the Search within previous results check box above the Search Results pane. Replace the text in the Search box with the text color and press [Enter]. Select Synchronize color between a monitor and printer under the Suggested Topics category. Click the Home button on the navigation bar to return to the home page. Page 280 PTS Learning Systems

291 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center CHANGING SEARCH OPTIONS Discussion Settings in the Set search options page affect the number of search results found. You can adjust the options to find more or fewer matches. For Full-text Search Matches, you can narrow the search to match words in titles only, or broaden the search to match similar words. Furthermore, you can omit search categories completely from a search. For example, if you want to search keywords only, you can leave only the Suggested Topics category enabled. If you are conducting an online search, you can change the options for the Microsoft Knowledge Base category. You can limit the search to titles only, select a product to search, and select how search words are matched. Setting search options You can also open the Set search options page by clicking the Options button in the navigation bar and selecting Set search options in the navigation pane. PTS Learning Systems Page 281

292 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Click the Set search options link under the Search box. 3. Select the desired options. 4. Deselect the options you want to omit. 5. Enter the search text in the Search box, if necessary, and perform the search. Step-by-Step Change search options. If necessary, open the Help and Support Center and display the home page. Type workgroup into the Search box and press [Enter]. Notice the number of results in the Suggested Topics and Full-text Search Matches categories. Steps 1. Click the Set search options link under the Search box. The Set search options page opens in the topic pane. 2. Select the desired options. The options are selected. 3. Deselect the options you want to omit. The options are deselected. 4. Perform the search. The search is performed using the new search options. Practice Data Click Set search options Click Search in title only under Full-text Search Matches Click Suggested Topics to deselect it Click Search Notice that the Suggested Topics category is not included in the results. The results in the Full-text Search Matches are limited to topics containing the word workgroup in the title. Practice the Concept: Select the Set search options link. Select the Suggested Topics option and deselect the Search in title only option. Click the Home button in the navigation bar to return to the home page. Page 282 PTS Learning Systems

293 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center USING THE HELP INDEX Discussion The Help and Support Center has an Index, which you can use to view an alphabetical list of help keywords or search for a specific keyword. If one topic matches the keyword, it appears in the topic pane. If multiple topics match, the Topics Found dialog box opens for you to select the desired topic. The Index button on the navigation bar opens the Index pane, where you can enter the keywords for which you are searching. You can also select a topic from the alphabetical list. After finding help information, you can use the Locate in Contents button on the toolbar above the topic pane to find the help topic in a table of contents. Using the Help Index The Help and Support Center also provides an alphabetical glossary to look up terms. While the Windows Glossary or Glossary links often appear when you are searching for topics, you can open the glossary by searching for the keyword glossary in the Index pane. PTS Learning Systems Page 283

294 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Click the Index button on the navigation bar. 3. Type the desired keyword. 4. Double-click the keyword you want to view. 5. If the Topics Found dialog box opens, double-click the desired topic. 6. Click the Locate in Contents button to locate the topic in the table of contents. Step-by-Step Use the Help index. If necessary, open the Help and Support Center and display the home page. Steps 1. Click the Index button on the navigation bar. The Index pane appears with the insertion point in the Type in the keyword to find box. 2. Type the desired keyword. The text appears in the Type in the keyword to find box. 3. Double-click the keyword you want to view. The help information appears in the topic pane or the Topics Found dialog box opens. 4. If the Topics Found dialog box opens, double-click the desired topic. The help information appears in the topic pane. Practice Data Click Index Type compressed Double-click overview Double-click Compressed folders overview Page 284 PTS Learning Systems

295 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Steps 5. Click the Locate in Contents button above the topic to locate the topic in the table of contents. The location of the topic and other related topics appear in the navigation pane. Practice Data Click Locate in Contents Click the Windows Glossary link under the See Also group. Click a letter to view the glossary terms. Click the Home button on the navigation bar to return to the home page. USING FAVORITES AND HISTORY LISTS Discussion The Help and Support Center employs several tools that you can use to return to topics that you previously viewed. The Favorites list is used to bookmark help topics you want to easily find again. Once you find a topic you would like to bookmark, you can use the Add to Favorites button on the topics pane toolbar to add it to the Help and Support Favorites list. When you want to view the Favorites list, you select the Favorites button on the navigation bar. You can then redisplay any bookmarked topic. In addition to displaying topics, you can also rename them and remove them from the list. The History list is another way of locating a help topic you previously viewed. Every topic you have viewed appears in the History list in the order in which they were viewed. You can use the History button on the navigation bar to open the History list and select a topic to redisplay. The Help and Support Favorites list is not the same Favorites list found in Internet Explorer or in a folder window. Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Display the topic you want to add to your Favorites list. PTS Learning Systems Page 285

296 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals 3. Click the Add to Favorites button. 4. Select OK. 5. Continue adding topics to the Favorites list as desired. 6. To view the list of favorites, click the Favorites button on the navigation bar. 7. Double-click the topic you want to open. 8. To view a list of previously viewed topics, click the History button on the navigation bar. 9. Double-click the topic you want to open. Step-by-Step Use the Favorites and History lists. If necessary, open the Help and Support Center and display the home page. Select the Windows basics link from the Pick a Help topic category. Select the Keeping Windows up-to-date link in the navigation pane and then the Turn on automatic updates link in the topic pane. Steps 1. Click the Add to Favorites button. A message box opens announcing that the page has been added to the Help and Support Favorites list. 2. Select OK. The message box closes. 3. Continue adding topics to the Favorites list as desired. The topics are added to the Favorites list. Practice Data Click Add to Favorites Click OK Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step 4. To view the list of favorites, click the Favorites button on the navigation bar. The Favorites list appears in the navigation pane. Click Favorites Page 286 PTS Learning Systems

297 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Steps 5. Double-click the topic you want to open. The topic appears in the topic pane. 6. To view a list of previously viewed topics, click the History button on the navigation bar. The History list appears in the navigation pane. 7. Double-click the topic you want to open. The topic appears in the topic pane. Practice Data Double-click Downloading available updates Click History Double-click Turn on automatic updates Select the Related Topics link in the topic pane and the Downloading available updates topic. Add the topic to your Favorites list. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 4). Practice the Concept: Display the Favorites list and use the Remove button to delete each topic. CHANGING HELP OPTIONS Discussion You can customize various Help and Support Center options using the Options button on the navigation bar. For instance, you can use the Change Help and Support Center options link to modify the icons that appear on the navigation bar and change the size of the font used for content in topic pane. Other links in the Options pane include Set search options to modify search settings and Install and share Windows Help to install other Help content and share the content with other users on your network. Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Click the Options button on the navigation bar. 3. Select the Change Help and Support Center options link. 4. Select the desired options. PTS Learning Systems Page 287

298 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Change Help options. If necessary, open the Help and Support Center. Steps 1. Click the Options button on the navigation bar. The Options pane appears in the navigation pane. 2. Select the Change Help and Support Center options link. The Help and Support Center options page appears in the topic pane. Practice Data Click Options Click Change Help and Support Center options 3. Select the desired options. The options are selected. Click labels Show all text To increase the size of the font in the topic pane, select the Large option. Practice the Concept: Return the options to their defaults by selecting the options for Medium font size and Show only default text labels. Click the Home button on the navigation bar to return to the home page. USING SUPPORT OPTIONS Discussion When you are having a problem with your computer, the Help and Support Center provides information and troubleshooters that you can use to try to solve your problem. However, there are other ways you can get help with a problem. The Support button on the navigation bar in the Help and Support Center opens the Support pane, which provides several methods for obtaining assistance from other sources. If you are having a problem with a document, an application, or with your computer system, you may have a friend or co-worker who can help you. Remote Assistance lets you ask that friend for help, and then connects your computer to your friend s computer in another location. The friend can see what you are doing and advise you, or even take control over your system to show you how to solve your problem. You communicate with your friend using online chat tools. You can start Remote Assistance by selecting the Ask a friend to help link in the Support pane. Page 288 PTS Learning Systems

299 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center You can use the Get help from Microsoft link to find expert help at the Microsoft Online Assisted Support site. Professionals are available to provide answers to your questions. The Go to a Windows Web site forum connects you to newsgroups. Newsgroups are forums for people to exchange information and advice. You can communicate with other Windows users to see if they can help you with your problem. The Tools page in the Help and Support Center provides a variety of diagnostic utilities. You can open the Tools page by selecting the Performance and maintenance link on the Help and Support Center home page and the Tools link under See Also. Procedures 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Click the Support button on the navigation bar. 3. Select the desired link. CREATING A SYSTEM RESTORE POINT Discussion If you encounter problems with your system due to installing new hardware, drivers or software, System Restore allows you to reverse your actions and return your system to a previously working state. As you work, the system creates restore points. A new restore point is created every day, and after a significant change to your computer, such as installing new software or a new driver. These restore points are used to restore a system. You can also create your own restore points and name them. When you encounter a problem, you can return to one of the restore points when your system was previously working. The number of restore points you can set is dependent upon the amount of space you allocate. You can set the amount of disk space and enable or disable System Restore on the System Restore page of the System Properties dialog box. You must be logged on to your computer as a member of the Administrators group to access the System Restore Wizard or change restore settings. System Restore is PTS Learning Systems Page 289

300 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals automatically enabled on systems that have 200 MB or more of available disk space. Otherwise, you need to manually enable it. There are several ways you can access the System Restore Wizard to create a new restore point. The Help and Support Center provides a setting where you can not only start the System Restore Wizard, but also get detailed help with the various restore tasks. You can also start the System Restore Wizard by selecting the Start menu, pointing to All Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then selecting the System Restore command. You can click the System Restore Settings link on the Welcome to System Restore page of the System Restore Wizard to open the System Restore page of the System Properties dialog box. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select the Help and Support command. 3. Click the Performance and maintenance link under Pick a Help topic. 4. Click the Using System Restore to undo changes link. 5. Click the Run the System Restore Wizard link under Pick a task. 6. Select the Create a restore point option. 7. Select Next. 8. Type a description for the restore point. 9. Select Create. 10. Select Home to leave the System Restore Wizard open or Close to close it. Step-by-Step Create a system restore point. Page 290 PTS Learning Systems

301 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center If necessary, open the Help and Support Center and display the home page. Steps 1. Click the Performance and maintenance link under Pick a Help topic. The Performance and maintenance category opens in the navigation pane. 2. Click the Using System Restore to undo changes link. The Using System Restore to undo changes page opens in the topics pane. 3. Click the Run the System Restore Wizard link under Pick a task. The System Restore Wizard opens with the Welcome to System Restore page displayed. Practice Data Click Performance and maintenance Click Using System Restore to undo changes Click Run the System Restore Wizard 4. Select the Create a restore point option. The Create a restore point option is selected. Click point Create a restore 5. Select Next. The Create a Restore Point page appears with the insertion point in the Restore point description box. 6. Type a description for the restore point. The text appears in the Restore point description box. 7. Select Create. The Restore Point Created page appears displaying information about the new restore point. 8. Select Home to leave the System Restore Wizard open or Close to close it. The System Restore Wizard stays open or closes accordingly. Click Next > Type my restore point Click Create Click Home Practice the Concept: Click the System Restore Settings link on the left side of the Welcome to System Restore page of the System Restore Wizard. The System Properties dialog box opens to the System Restore page. Notice you can adjust the amount of disk space used and disable System Restore. PTS Learning Systems Page 291

302 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals Close the System Properties dialog box, the System Restore Wizard, and the Help and Support Center. USING A SYSTEM RESTORE POINT Discussion Windows XP creates new restore points every day, after you install new software or new hardware drivers, or manually create a new restore point. If you encounter a system problem, you can return to one of these restore points. When you return to a restore point, Windows XP removes all installed programs and drivers that were installed after the restore point. However, personal data files are not affected when you do a system restore. When restoring your system, the System Restore Wizard displays a calendar with the dates that contain restore points. Selecting a date displays the descriptions of the restore points set on that date. After Windows XP restores your system, you can undo the restoration or select another restore point if you are not satisfied with the results. The System Restore Wizard adds the Undo my last restoration option after you complete your first system restore. Selecting a restore point Page 292 PTS Learning Systems

303 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center You can use the Help link in the System Restore Wizard to get help with each page of the wizard. Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select the Help and Support command. 3. Click the Performance and maintenance link under Pick a Help topic. 4. Click the Using System Restore to undo changes link. 5. Click the Run the System Restore Wizard link under Pick a task. 6. Select Next. 7. Select a date in bold from the 1. On this calendar, click a bold date. calendar. 8. Select a restore point on the 2. On this list, click a restore point. list. 9. Select Next. 10. Select Back to select a different restore point or Next to continue. 11. After System Restore restarts your system, log on to your system. 12. Select OK. Step-by-Step Use a system restore point. Open My Computer, insert the student data diskette in the floppy disk drive, and open the 3½ Floppy (A:) drive. Right-click the Multiple Objects folder, point to Send To, and select the Desktop (create shortcut) command. Then, close the 3½ Floppy (A:) window and remove the student data diskette. Open the Help and Support Center. PTS Learning Systems Page 293

304 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 1. Click the Performance and maintenance link under Pick a Help topic. The Performance and maintenance category opens in the navigation pane. 2. Click the Using System Restore to undo changes link. The Using System Restore to undo changes page opens in the topics pane. 3. Click the Run the System Restore Wizard link under Pick a task. The System Restore Wizard opens with the Welcome to System Restore page displayed with the Restore my computer to an earlier time option selected. 4. Select Next. The Select a Restore Point page appears displaying a calendar on the left and restore points on the right. 5. Select a date in bold from the 1. On this calendar, click a bold date. calendar. A description of the restore points appear in the 2. On this list, click a restore point. list. 6. Select a restore point on the 2. On this list, click a restore point. list. A restore point is selected. 7. Select Next. The Confirm Restore Point Selection page appears listing the selected restore point. 8. Select Back to select a different restore point or Next to continue. The Select a Restore Point page appears or System Restore restores the system and displays the logon screen when the system is restored. Practice Data Click Performance and maintenance Click Using System Restore to undo changes Click Run the System Restore Wizard Click Next > Click today s date, if necessary Click my restore point Click Next > Click Next > Page 294 PTS Learning Systems

305 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Steps 9. After System Restore restarts your system, log on to your system. The system is restarted and the Restoration Complete page appears. 10. Select OK. The System Restore Wizard closes. Practice Data Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step Click OK Press [Ctrl+Alt+Delete], if prompted, enter your logon information and select OK. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 10). Notice that the System Restore Wizard removed the shortcut that was added after the restore point was set. PTS Learning Systems Page 295

306 Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center Windows XP - Fundamentals EXERCISE USING THE HELP AND SUPPORT CENTER Task Use the Help and Support Center. 1. Open the Help and Support Center. 2. Use the Windows basics link to find information about Keeping Windows up-to-date. Find out how to Change settings for automatic updating. 3. Print the topic. 4. Add the topic to your Favorites list. 5. Change the view so that you can see the topic pane and the desktop at the same time. Change the view back to display the entire Help and Support Center window. 6. Display the Help and Support Center home page. 7. Search for information about compressed folders. 8. Change the search options. Omit the Microsoft Knowledge Base categories. Limit the Full-text Search Matches to finding topics with the search text in the title. 9. Search for information about groups. 10. Display the Show files and folders in groups topic and add it to your Favorites list. 11. Reset the search options to include the Suggested Topics and Microsoft Knowledge Base categories and deselect the option to search titles only. 12. Change the options for the Help and Support Center to display Help content in a small font size. 13. Use the Help Index to find information about volume controls. Display the topic about adjusting speaker volume. Notice the size of the font. 14. Reset the font size for Help content to a medium font size. 15. Use the Favorites list to display information about how to change settings for automatic updating. Page 296 PTS Learning Systems

307 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 17 - Using the Help and Support Center 16. Remove all entries in the Favorites list. 17. Use the History list to redisplay the topic about adjusting speaker volume. 18. Close the Help and Support Center. PTS Learning Systems Page 297

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309 LESSON 18 - GETTING STARTED WITH INTERNET EXPLORER In this lesson, you will learn how to: Start Internet Explorer Enter URLs in the Address bar Use hyperlinks to open other web pages Navigate web pages Return to your designated home page Use the Favorites list Open pages from the History list Search the Internet for information

310 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals STARTING INTERNET EXPLORER Discussion The Internet is a vast collection of worldwide networks. The World Wide Web is one part of the Internet. The Web includes documents, also known as web pages, located in a collection of web sites. Viewing different pages on the World Wide Web is often referred to as browsing. The software used to perform this task is typically called a web browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer, included with Windows XP, is a web browser that allows you to take advantage of many of the features found on the World Wide Web. Before you can use Internet Explorer to browse the World Wide Web, you must be attached to the Internet. Typically, your network administrator will set up your connection to the Internet. The first time you start Internet Explorer, you may see a page to select your country or region. The next time you start Internet Explorer, the default home page for Microsoft Internet Explorer will open. A home page is the starting point of your web browsing activities. The Internet Explorer window includes all the controls present in a standard window, including a title bar with control buttons, a menu bar, scroll bars, the Standard Buttons toolbar, and the Address bar. The status bar, which appears at the bottom of the Internet Explorer window, displays information such as the link to which you are pointing, the transfer progress of a file that you are downloading, and the security zone to which you are connected. Other ways to open Internet Explorer include: the Launch Internet Explorer Browser button on the Quick Launch toolbar, and the Internet Explorer command on the All Programs submenu. The home page continues to open each time you start Internet Explorer unless you change it. If desired, you can use the Internet Options dialog box to select another page as your home page. Page 300 PTS Learning Systems

311 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Procedures 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. 2. Select the Internet command. Step-by-Step Start Internet Explorer. Steps 1. Select the Start button on the taskbar. The Start menu appears. Practice Data Click Start 2. Select the Internet command. Internet Explorer opens. Click Internet If necessary, maximize the Microsoft Internet Explorer window. ENTERING URLS IN THE ADDRESS BAR Discussion Each location on the Internet is identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The URL is the unique address for that location. If you know the URL of a web page, you can quickly jump to it by entering its URL in the Address bar. You can also open an HTML file stored on a local or network drive by entering the path and name of the file. When you start to type a previously entered address into the Address bar, AutoComplete displays a drop-down list of addresses that match what you are typing, if a match is available. You can then stop typing and select the desired address from the list to complete the URL. If an exact match does not appear on the list, the list disappears when you stop typing or when what you are typing no longer matches any addresses on the list. If you finish typing a URL that has a match on the list and do not select the match, the list disappears when you press the [Enter] key or click the Go button to open the desired web page. Internet Explorer retains a list of the URLs of web pages that you have opened. After visiting different web sites and opening HTML files, you can select a URL from the Address list on the Address bar to open the desired web page. Only those pages originally opened using the Address bar can be recalled using the Address list. PTS Learning Systems Page 301

312 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals You can also edit a URL in the Address bar by selecting it and then clicking within the URL to position the insertion point. This option eliminates the need to type the entire URL again if you enter it incorrectly. Procedures 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. Click once in the Address bar to select the existing URL. 3. Type the URL of the web page you want to open. 4. Select the matching URL from the drop-down list, if available, or press [Enter] to open the desired web page. Step-by-Step Enter a URL in the Address bar. If necessary, open Internet Explorer. Steps 1. Click once in the Address bar to select the existing URL. The text in the Address bar is selected. 2. Type the URL of the web page you want to open. The URL appears in the Address bar and, if applicable, a drop-down list of possible matching URLs appears. 3. Select the matching URL from the drop-down list, if available, or press [Enter] to open the desired web page. The web page opens. Practice Data Click once in the Address bar Type Press [Enter] Practice the Concept: Insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Open a locally stored web page by typing the address a:\advanced files\default.htm into the Address bar and pressing [Enter]. Page 302 PTS Learning Systems

313 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Use the AutoComplete feature. Start typing in the Address bar and then select the match from the drop-down list to open the web page. Use the Address list at the right end of the Address bar to recall the a:\advanced files\default.htm web page. USING HYPERLINKS TO OPEN OTHER WEB PAGES Discussion Hyperlinks make jumping to other web pages easy. Clicking a link takes you to the target page related to that link. The target page may be on your computer s hard drive, a local area network, or a computer connected to the Internet on the other side of the world. Clicking the link transfers the page to your computer and displays it in Internet Explorer. Links can also perform a variety of other actions, such as opening a graphic file, activating an animation or sound file, opening your message composition window, or downloading a file. Hyperlinks may appear as underlined text, buttons, or graphic images on a web page. You can detect a link by pointing to it with the mouse pointer. If the object to which you are pointing is a hyperlink, the mouse pointer changes into a pointing hand and the URL appears in the Internet Explorer status bar. Some hyperlinks open a new web page, while other hyperlinks display a different section of the same document. If you are having trouble opening a web page, you can use the Stop button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to stop the page from downloading. If the loading of a web page is stopped or interrupted, you can use the Refresh button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to download the page again. Procedures 1. Open Internet Explorer and a web page containing links. 2. Point to a graphic to determine if it is a hyperlink. 3. Click the hyperlink. 4. Point to an underlined word to determine if it is a hyperlink. 5. Click the hyperlink. PTS Learning Systems Page 303

314 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals 6. Point to a button to determine if it represents a hyperlink. 7. Click the hyperlink. Step-by-Step Use hyperlinks to open other web pages. If necessary, open Internet Explorer and insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Open the Worldwide Sporting Goods Web page by typing a:\advanced files\default.htm into the Address bar and pressing [Enter]. Scroll to the bottom of the web page to view the book graphic. Steps 1. Point to a graphic to determine if it is a hyperlink. If the graphic is a hyperlink, the mouse pointer changes into a pointing hand. 2. Click the hyperlink. The linked web page opens. 3. Point to an underlined word to determine if it is a hyperlink. If the word is a hyperlink, the mouse pointer changes into a pointing hand. 4. Click the hyperlink. The linked web page opens. 5. Point to a button to determine if it represents a hyperlink. If the button is a hyperlink, the mouse pointer changes into a pointing hand. 6. Click the hyperlink. The linked web page opens. Practice Data Point to Click Point to [Return to the WSG Home Page] Click [Return to the WSG Home Page] Scroll as necessary and point to Click Use the Return to the WSG Home Page hyperlink to open the Worldwide Sporting Goods Web page. Page 304 PTS Learning Systems

315 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer NAVIGATING WEB PAGES Discussion The Back and Forward navigation buttons on the toolbar allow you to move between any web pages you have previously viewed in the Internet Explorer window, including web pages located on the Internet, or on a local or network drive. You can also move between web pages using the Back and Forward button lists. These lists display the last nine web pages you have viewed. When you select a web page from one of the lists, that page opens in the Internet Explorer window. If the Back or Forward button is grayed out and not available, then you are at the beginning or end of the list of web pages you have visited. Some web sites leave cookies on your computer. A cookie is a small file that contains information about the links you clicked while you visited that site. Depending upon your Privacy settings, a Privacy dialog box may appear when you open a web page that is trying to leave a cookie. Depending upon your Security settings, a Security dialog box may appear when you open certain web pages. Procedures 1. Open Internet Explorer and view several web pages. 2. To move to the last page you viewed, click the Back button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. 3. To move forward to the page you just left, click the Forward button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. 4. To move to a page you have already visited, click the arrow to the right of the Back button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. or the Forward button 5. Select the desired web page to view its contents. PTS Learning Systems Page 305

316 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Navigate web pages. If necessary, open Internet Explorer and insert the student data diskette into the floppy disk drive. Open the Worldwide Sporting Goods Web page by typing a:\advanced files\default.htm into the Address bar and pressing [Enter]. Open the following three web pages, in the given order: and If a Privacy dialog box opens, click OK. Steps 1. To move to the last page you viewed, click the Back button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. The previously viewed web page opens. 2. To move forward to the page you just viewed, click the Forward button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. The previously viewed web page opens. 3. To move to a page you have already visited, click the arrow to the right of the Back or Forward button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. A list of available previously viewed web pages appears. 4. Select the desired web page to view its contents. The desired web page opens. Practice Data Click twice Click Click Click Yahoo! Practice the Concept: Use the Forward button list to move to the Ask Jeeves - Ask.com page and the Back button list to return to the Yahoo! page. RETURNING TO YOUR DESIGNATED HOME PAGE Discussion The home page, or start page, is the web page that opens by default when you open Internet Explorer. It is called a home page because it is the page from which you Page 306 PTS Learning Systems

317 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer always begin exploring the web. The Home button on the toolbar provides a quick way to return to the point from which you began browsing. A default home page is set to open in Internet Explorer; however, you can set any Web page as your home page in the Internet Options dialog box. To open this dialog box, select the Tools menu and then select the Internet Options command. Procedures 1. Click the Home button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. Step-by-Step Return to your designated home page. If necessary, open Internet Explorer and then open another web page. Steps 1. Click the Home button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. Your designated home page opens. Practice Data Click USING THE FAVORITES LIST Discussion Internet Explorer allows you to collect your favorite web pages so that you can access them quickly. These favorite pages (referred to as bookmarks in other web browsing programs) appear in the Favorites list. As you add to your collection of favorite pages, your Favorites list grows. You can organize your Favorites list structure to include subfolders and then access any of your favorite sites simply by selecting them from within one of the folders. PTS Learning Systems Page 307

318 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals The Favorites list appears in a pane called the Favorites bar. When you click the Favorites button on the toolbar, the browser window splits into two panes, with the Favorites bar appearing in the left pane. As you come across web pages that you find useful or entertaining, you can add them to your list of favorites. When a favorite page is saved, the first text line of the page is used as the name of the favorite. If there is no text line, then the URL location is used as the name of the favorite page. You can change the name of a favorite page to make it easier to identify. You can list favorite web pages individually, or create folders to organize similar pages. You can close the Favorites bar by clicking the Favorites button or by clicking the Close button on the Favorites bar title bar. Adding a page to the Favorites list To expand a folder in the Favorites list, click it once. To hide the contents of the folder, click the folder again. You can also add a shortcut to a folder on a local or network drive to the Favorites list from any folder window. To display the Favorites bar, select the View menu, point to the Explorer Bar command, and select the Favorites command. You can also use the Favorites menu on the menu bar in the Internet Explorer window, or any folder window, to open a favorite or add a new one to the list. Page 308 PTS Learning Systems

319 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Procedures 1. Start Internet Explorer, if necessary. 2. Click the Favorites button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to open the Favorites bar. 3. Open the web page you want to add to the Favorites list. 4. Click the Add button on the Favorites bar. 5. Select the text in the Name box. 6. Type a name for the web page to replace the default name, if desired. 7. Select OK. Step-by-Step Use the Favorites list. If necessary, open Internet Explorer. Open the web page. Steps 1. Click the Favorites button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to open the Favorites bar. The Favorites bar opens, with the Favorites list displayed. Practice Data Click Favorites 2. Click the Add button on the Favorites bar. The Add Favorite dialog box opens. Click Add Select the text in the Name box. The text in the Name box is selected. 4. Type a name for the web page to replace the default name, if desired. The name appears in the Name box. 5. Select OK. The Add Favorite dialog box closes and the link is added to the Favorites list. Drag to select the text in the Name box Type Ask Jeeves Click OK PTS Learning Systems Page 309

320 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals Steps 6. Continue adding to the Favorites list as desired. The links are added to the Favorites list. 7. Click the link for the web page you want to open. The corresponding web page opens in the right pane. Practice Data Follow the instructions shown below the table before continuing on to the next step Click Ask Jeeves in the Favorites bar Open the web page and add the page to your Favorites list with the default name Yahoo!. Return to the table and continue on to the next step (step 7). Close the Favorites bar. Select the Favorites menu and notice that the links appear there as well. Try the Yahoo! link. OPENING PAGES FROM THE HISTORY LIST Discussion Internet Explorer saves links to all the sites you visit in the History list. By default, a link is stored for 20 days, but this time period can be adjusted to suit your needs. Internet Explorer saves links in folders within the History list. Every time you visit a site, a folder is created that contains the starting page for the site and any subsequent pages you access within the site. The History list appears in the History bar. When you use the History button on the toolbar, the History bar opens in the left pane of the Internet Explorer window. The History bar is divided into sections by day or by week, with each section displaying a list of the history folders visited during that time period. These folders contain links to sites you accessed and can be expanded or contracted to display or hide all the pages visited within that site. You can open a web page directly from the history list in the History bar by clicking the desired page s link. This method is helpful when you are searching for a site you visited previously, but no longer remember its URL. You can close the History bar by clicking the History button again or by clicking the Close button on the History bar title bar. Page 310 PTS Learning Systems

321 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Procedures 1. Click the History button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to open the History bar. 2. Select the day you want to expand. 3. Select the folder you want to expand. 4. Click the link for the desired web page. Step-by-Step Open a web page from the History list. If necessary, open Internet Explorer. If you have not already opened these two web pages, open the page and the page. Steps 1. Click the History button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to open the History bar. The History bar opens with the History list displayed. 2. Select the day you want to expand. The corresponding links appear in the History list. 3. Select the folder you want to expand. A list of available web pages appears. 4. Click the link for the desired web page. The desired web page opens in the right pane. Practice Data Click Click Today, if necessary Scroll as necessary and click ask ( Click Ask Jeeves - Ask.com Practice the Concept: Expand another folder in the History list and open a page it contains. Close the History bar. PTS Learning Systems Page 311

322 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION Discussion The Internet contains a vast amount of information. Although you can use hyperlinks to jump to various web pages and locate sites of interest, locating specific information using this method would be time consuming and tedious. Instead, you can use a search engine to help you find information on the Internet more efficiently. Numerous search engines are available on the Web for your use. Since the various search engines use different technologies for searching the Web, the same search text may yield different results. To simplify the process, you can enter your search text into the Search Companion, which then uses one of the search engines to find your results. When you select the Search button on the toolbar, the Search bar opens in the left pane with the Search Companion displayed. You can enter your search criteria as a full sentence, using natural language, into the What are you looking for? box. For example, if you are planning a trip to San Francisco and want to book a room, you can enter Find places to stay in San Francisco as your search question. The Search Companion, using a search engine, searches the Internet and displays the results in the right pane. The results consist of a list of hyperlinks to web pages that match the search text. Depending on the broadness of your criteria, the results can number into the hundreds of thousands, or more. However, the web sites that most closely match your criteria usually appear at the beginning of the list. In addition to the results in the right pane, the left pane may display a list of categories. If the links in the right pane do not relate closely enough to what you are searching for, you can try using the category links in the left pane. You can use search preferences to select which search engine you want the Search Companion to use. Search engines include MSN, AltaVista, Google, Ask Jeeves, Fast, DirectHit, Excite, GoTo, NorthernLight, and Yahoo. Page 312 PTS Learning Systems

323 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Performing a search If you open the Search Companion from the Start menu or from a folder window, you can select the Search the Internet link to perform an Internet search. To change search engines, open the Search Companion or start a new search, select the Change preferences link, select the Change Internet search behavior link, select the desired engine, and select OK. Procedures 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. Click the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. 3. Type the desired search text. 4. Select Search to perform the search. PTS Learning Systems Page 313

324 Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer Windows XP - Fundamentals Step-by-Step Search the Internet for information. If necessary, open Internet Explorer. Steps 1. Click the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. The Search bar opens in the left pane. 2. Type the desired search text. The text appears in the What are you looking for? box. 3. Select Search to perform the search. The results of the search appear in the right pane of the window and a list of categories appears in the left pane. Practice Data Click Search Type Find places to stay in San Francisco Click Search Scroll to view the search results and then click the first hyperlink listed to open a web page containing the search text. Close the Search bar. Close the Internet Explorer window and any open windows. Page 314 PTS Learning Systems

325 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 18 - Getting Started with Internet Explorer EXERCISE GETTING STARTED WITH INTERNET EXPLORER Task Get started with Internet Explorer. 1. Open Internet Explorer and maximize the window, if necessary. 2. Use the Address bar to open the web page. 3. Click any hyperlink. 4. Use the Address bar to open the web page and then open the web page. 5. Use the Address list to recall the URL. 6. Use the Back and Forward buttons to move through previously viewed web pages. 7. Use the Back or Forward list to display the NASA Home Page web page. 8. Return to your home page. 9. Open the page and add it to your favorites list. Name the shortcut ESPN. 10. Open the page and add it to your favorites list. Name the shortcut WSG. 11. Use the favorites list to open each page you just added to it. 12. Open the History bar. 13. Select one of the folders under Today in the history list and open any site. 14. Return to your home page. 15. Close the History bar. 16. Use the Search Companion to search the Web for information about Pompeii, Italy. Close the Search Companion. 17. Close Internet Explorer and any open windows. PTS Learning Systems Page 315

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327 LESSON 19 - USING ACCOUNTS AND SHUTTING DOWN In this lesson, you will learn how to: Add users Switch users Close a locked program Use the Windows Security dialog box Restart your computer Shut down with the Start menu

328 Lesson 19 - Using Accounts and Shutting Down Windows XP - Fundamentals ADDING USERS Discussion Multiple users can share the same computer and be logged on at the same time if your computer is connected to a workgroup instead of a domain, or you are using the Home Edition of Windows XP. When multiple accounts are set up on the same computer, Windows XP creates a personal My Documents folder for each user, identified by the user s name. Each My Documents folder contains a My Music and My Pictures folder. When you share a computer with other users, or your computer is shared through a workgroup, your folders can be marked as private, for you only; or public, to be shared with other users. In addition, Windows XP creates a Shared Documents folder. Files stored in this folder are available to all users sharing the computer. If you are an administrator on your computer, you can create new users by opening the Control Panel and selecting the User Accounts category. After selecting the Create a new account link, you enter the user s name, which will appear on the Welcome screen and at the top of the Start menu. A user account can be created as a computer administrator or limited account. Computer administrators can install programs; create, change or delete other accounts; and change system settings. Users with a limited account can view their own files, and files in the Shared Documents folder; change their own password, picture on the Welcome screen, and desktop appearance; and add a.net Passport to the account. A computer administrator has the additional privileges of changing a user s name and account type. Page 318 PTS Learning Systems

329 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 19 - Using Accounts and Shutting Down Creating a new user account If you create a password and your computer uses an NTFS file system, you may be prompted if you want to make your files private. When creating a password, you can also create a password hint. A link to the password hint appears on the Welcome screen. You can use the Remove password link to remove a password. Removing a password also removes personal certificates and passwords stored on other network or web sites. Procedures 1. Open the Control Panel. 2. Click the User Accounts category. 3. Click the Create a new account link. 4. Type the user name. 5. Click Next. PTS Learning Systems Page 319

330 Lesson 19 - Using Accounts and Shutting Down Windows XP - Fundamentals 6. Select an account type. 7. Click Create Account. 8. To add a password, double-click the account. 9. Click the Create a password link. 10. Type the password in the Type a new password box. 11. Press [Tab]. 12. Type the password again in the Type the new password again to confirm box. 13. If desired, type a hint in the Type a word or phrase to use as a password hint box. 14. Click Create Password. 15. If prompted, select the desired option to make your files private. SWITCHING USERS Discussion Fast User Switching is a feature that allows multiple users to be logged onto the same system at the same time. Each person s settings are retained while switching users. To use Fast User Switching, the current user selects the Log Off button on the Start menu and then selects Switch User or Log Off. Switch User suspends all running programs and allows another user to log on, while Log Off closes all programs and saves the current settings. Fast User Switching is available if you are using Windows XP Home Edition. If you are using the Professional Edition of Windows XP, Fast User Switching is not available if the traditional Welcome screen, with the classic logon is selected, or if your computer is part of a domain. If Fast User Switching is unavailable, the Log Off button closes your programs and logs you off, but leaves your system running so another user can log on. Page 320 PTS Learning Systems

331 Windows XP - Fundamentals Lesson 19 - Using Accounts and Shutting Down Procedures 1. Click the Start menu on the taskbar. 2. Click Log Off. 3. Click the Switch User button. CLOSING A LOCKED PROGRAM Discussion Windows XP includes a Task Manager that can close locked programs. While you are working in an application, it may freeze or lock up on you. Often when a program locks up, you are unable to proceed and cannot access the program s menu system to close the program. Even more unfortunate, you may not be able to access your other open programs to save open files. The Applications page in the Windows Task Manager dialog box displays all open windows and running applications. A locked program displays a Not Responding comment next to the program name. You can select an open task and use the End Task button to close it, or use the Switch To button to switch from the frozen application to one that is running. If you are connected to a domain, pressing the [Ctrl+Alt+Delete] key combination in Windows XP opens the Windows Security dialog box, from which you can open the Task Manager. If you are connected to a workgroup, the [Ctrl+Alt+Delete] key combination directly opens the Task Manager. The other pages in the Task Manager include: the Processes page that monitors programs and processes that are running; the Performance page that displays measures of your system s performance; if a network card is installed, the Networking page displays the performance of the networks running on your system; and if Fast User Switching is available on your system, the Users page displays the users who are logged onto the system. PTS Learning Systems Page 321

332 Lesson 19 - Using Accounts and Shutting Down Windows XP - Fundamentals The Windows Task Manager When ending a program, you may need to select the End Now button if the End Program dialog box opens. In addition, you may be prompted if you want to use the Internet to send an error report to Microsoft reporting your problem. If you have a Users page, you can use the Send Message button to send messages between users. You can also open the Windows Task Manager by rightclicking on the taskbar and selecting the Task Manager command. Procedures 1. Press [Ctrl+Alt+Delete]. 2. If the Windows Security dialog box opens, select Task Manager. 3. Select the program you want to close. Page 322 PTS Learning Systems