NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ONLINE USER S GUIDE 2004 Windows XP Pro: Basics 1 Getting on the Northwest Network Getting on the Northwest network is easy with a university-provided PC, which has Windows XP Professional as its operating system. Simply turn on the computer, log on and get connected. Here s how: 1. Push the power button on the monitor. The power indicator light should come on at the front of the monitor. 2. Push the power button on the computer. The power indicator light should come on the front of the computer along with the hard disk drive light. 3. Press the [Ctrl][Alt][Delete] keys down simultaneously at the Welcome to Windows notice to begin. 4. Click OK at the Northwest Missouri State University message window. 5. By clicking OK you are Accepting Northwest s Electronic Campus policies as stated in the User s Guide. 6. At the Log on to Windows screen, type your username in the Username text box. (See Figure 1) 7. Press the [Tab] key (this will automatically place the cursor in the Password textbox). 8. You can also click inside the Password text box to move the cursor into the Password text box. 9. Type your password. Your password is case sensitive. 10. Check the Domain text box to ensure NWMSU is listed. If not, click the down arrow and select NWMSU for the Domain. The network username and password are required for printing and server file storage for PC based applications. To obtain a personal username for printing from PC based applications, see the professional staff in the Data Processing Office, which is located on the floor of the Administration Building. 11. Click OK and the desktop will appear with the Notices of the Day displayed. If you want to get on the Internet, simply double-click the Internet Explorer icon on the PC. If you do not get NOTICES OF THE Day that is a good indication that your network connection is having a problem. For assistance call the Information Systems Client Computing Help Desk at 660-562-1634. Figure 1. The Welcome to Windows dialog box.
The Windows Desktop (See Figure 2) Feature Description Desktop My Documents My Computer My Network Places Recycle Bin Taskbar Start Button Quick Launch Toolbar This is the background area of the Windows screen. You can customize the desktop by adding shortcuts to your favorite programs, documents, and printers. You can also change the look of the desktop by inserting an image to fit your mood and personality. My Documents is a folder that provides a place to store files and documents you create on your computer. My Computer lets you see everything on your computer. Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop to browse through your files and folders. The My Network Places icon will appear on your desktop if you are on a network or connected to the Internet. You can double-click the My Network Places icon to browse through the computers in your workgroup and the computers on the network. The Recycle Bin stores all the files you delete from your computer. You can use the Recycle Bin to retrieve files you ve accidentally deleted and to create more disk space by emptying the Recycle Bin. The Taskbar usually appears at the bottom of your screen, and contains the Start button, which you use to access and start your programs. Whenever you open a program, document, or window, an icon for that program appears on the taskbar. This lets you see which programs are currently running and allows you to easily multitask. The Start button lets you quickly open your programs and documents. You can also use the Start button to find files and change the settings for Windows. The Quick Launch Toolbar gives you access to your most frequently used applications. Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, the Windows desktop, and several Web sites, called channels, are already included on the Quick Launch Toolbar by default. Start Menu Figure 2. The Windows XP Desktop items. These are the basic components of the Windows XP screen. More items could appear on your computer, depending on how it is configured. Page 2
Windows Start Menu Items Feature Description Internet Explorer Microsoft Outlook All Programs My Documents Opens Internet Explorer. Opens your email software. Gives you access to all the programs installed on your computer. Note: There may be many submenus. Provides you with a convenient location to save your files. Recent Documents My Pictures My Music My Computer Opens files you have recently accessed. Provides a convenient location to save your photos and pictures. Provides a convenient location to save MP3 files. Allows you to access the drives, folders, and files on your computer. My Network Places Allows you to access the drives, folders, and printers on the network. Control Panel Connect To Printers and Faxes Help and Support Search Run Log Off Shut Down Opens the Windows Control Panel. Connects you to the internet or a network. Allows you to see installed printers or allow you to add a new printer. Provides you with help on how to use Windows XP. Allows you to search and find a file on your computer. Allows you to run a program. Allows you to Log off of Windows so that another user can log on the computer. Provides you with options for turning off or restarting your computer. WINDOWS XP Page 3
How to Use Your Mouse Your mouse allows you to move easily through the Windows environment by clicking on program icons, files, folders, etc. Important terms: Point - Move the mouse so that the pointer (default is typically a white arrow) is over the object. Click - Point to the object and press and release the left mouse button. Left click - Click and release the left mouse button. Right click - Click and release the right mouse button. Drag - Click and hold the left mouse button while moving the mouse. Drop - Release the left mouse button. Drag & Drop - Place the pointer over an icon, file or folder and hold down the left mouse button. While you are still holding the button, move the mouse to the where you want to place the object and then release the mouse button. Double click - Click the left mouse button twice quickly. Drag & drop how-to: You can use the drag method to move files, folders or icons with your mouse. Drag and drop is typically used to transfer a file, folder or icon to another folder, window, etc. Note: You will need to double-click to open a window. Doubleclicking is typically used to run an application. 1. Using the mouse move the mouse pointer and point at the My Computer icon. 2. Click with the left mouse button. Always use the left mouse button except when instructed to use the right mouse button. 3. Select the My Computer icon by clicking on it. 4. Move the My Computer icon by dragging it to another place on the desktop. Right & left clicking with your mouse: 1. Point at My Computer and click the right mouse button. This will display a pop-up menu used for quick access of most often-used menu commands. This feature works in some applications, but the menu contents are commands featured in the application you are using, and thus, will appear differently than what is on the desktop. 2. Left-click anywhere on the desktop, outside of the menu to close it. 3. Point at My Computer and double-click the left mouse button. 2. You will now be in the My Computer window. Guidelines for When to Double or Single Click with Your Mouse Click when you want to: Double-click when you want to: Select something. Open a file or folder. Open a menu. Display the properties or settings for an object (in certain programs). Click a button on a toolbar or in a dialog box. Move to the area or field you want in a program or dialog box. Displaying & Closing a Shortcut Menu with Your Mouse To display an item s shortcut menu: 1. Point to the object and click the right mouse button. 2. Select items from the shortcut menu with the left mouse button. To close a menu without selecting anything: Click anywhere outside the shortcut menu with the left mouse button, or press the [Esc] key. Page 4
Examples of When You Can Use the Drag & Drop Method with Your Mouse Action Moving a window to a new location on the screen Move a file to a new folder Drag & Drop Method: Drag the window by its title bar and drop it in a new location on the screen. Drag the file and drop it in the desired folder. Change the size of a window Drag the borders or corners of the window. Scrolling in a window Move just about anything on your computer s screen Drag the scroll box (the little elevator) up or down the scroll bar and drop it in a new location. Point to the object, click and hold down the mouse button. While keeping the mouse button held down, you can now drag the item to a new location, and then release the mouse button to drop the item where you want it to be. Using the Recycle Bin, Windows Clock & the C: Drive The Recycle Bin: The Recycle Bin is where deleted items are stored. To use the Recycle Bin and delete the items within this storage area, do the following: 1. Move the pointer over the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and click the right mouse button. 2. A shortcut menu appears with a list of commands related to the Recycle Bin. 3. Right-click an object to open a shortcut menu that lists everything you can do to the object. 4. Click the Empty Recycle Bin option on the shortcut menu with the left mouse button. 5. You still use the left mouse button to select menu items, even if they are found in a right mouse button shortcut menu. 6. A dialog box will appear, asking if you want to delete the contents of the Recycle Bin. 7. Click No or Yes, depending on what you want to do. The Windows Clock: The Windows clock is displayed on the right side of the taskbar. To display the clock s properties right-click the clock. 1. Move the pointer over the clock, located on the right side of the Windows Taskbar, and click the right mouse button. 2. Another shortcut menu appears, with commands related to the Windows clock. One of the commands listed on the shortcut menu is Adjust Date/Time. 3. You would select this menu item if you really wanted to adjust the date and/or time. Local C: Drive: To access information on the local C: drive, such a disk space, etc., do the following: 1. Double-click the My Computer icon. 2. The My Computer window opens, displaying the contents of your computer. 3. If you want to see how much space is left on your computer s local disk, right-click the Local disk (C:) icon. 4. A shortcut menu will then appear, with a list of commands related to the local disk. 5. Click the Properties option on the shortcut menu with the left mouse button. 6. A dialog box will now appear, showing a graph with how much space remains on your hard drive. Click Cancel to close the Local Disk (C:) Properties dialog box. The Recycle Bin is located on the Desktop and allows you to store and delete unwanted items. The Windows Clock is located on the bottom right hand side of the screen. The Local C: Drive icon is located within My Computer. WINDOWS XP Page 5
Using Your Keyboard & Commonly Used Special Function Keys Your keyboard will allow you to do most of the things that your mouse does. (See Figure 3) For instance, if you press and hold down the [Alt] key and the [F4] key, and release both at the same time, this will close a currently running program. Since you re using the Windows Desktop, the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears. Click Cancel if you do not want to shut down. Figure 3. The standard IBM keyboard with special function keys. Key Function You can also press the [Esc] key. Pressing [Esc] does the same thing as clicking the Cancel button. The Shut Down Windows dialog box disappears and you re back at the Windows desktop. The [Alt] key doesn t do anything by itself, it needs another key to make things happen. For example, if you press the [Alt] and [Tab] at the same time, this will switch between programs that are currently running. Just like the [Alt] key, the [Ctrl] key will not do anything by itself. For example, if you press the [Ctrl] in conjunction with the [X] key, this will cut (remove) whatever is selected. The [F1] key is the help key, and pressing this key will usually display helpful information about what you are in the process of doing on the computer. The [Esc] key, which is short for Escape, is the equivalent of Cancel. For example, if a program opens that you do not want to be in, you can press [Esc] and close the program. The [Enter] key is essentially the same as clicking OK. For example, if you enter your username and password in a dialog box, you can press the [Enter] key to log on to the computer. The [Tab] key jumps to the next tab spot. For example, when you re in a dialog box, press the [Tab] key to move to another field within a dialog box. The 4 arrow keys (that look like the one displayed here) move your computer s cursor across the screen in the appropriate direction for which they point (Up, Down, Left and Right). The [Delete] key removes whatever you select to be deleted. The [Backspace] key is used primarily to correct typing mistakes and removes characters to the left of the insertion point. The [Home] key jumps to the beginning of the current line of text that you are working with. The [End] key jumps to the end of the current line when you re working with text. Page 6
Exiting Windows and Turning Off Your Computer To save your work and exit all your programs if you are ready to log off or shut down your computer is a simple process. Saving files that you ve recently been working on is the most important step of the shut down process. It is also strongly encouraged that you back up all vital information to a floppy disk, Zip drive, or other backup device before closing out of a program such as Microsoft Word. To exit and shut down your computer do the following: If you left a floppy disk in the drive, it will also warn you of its presence and the shut down process will be paused, until you can remove the floppy from the a: drive. Once you have saved the file or removed the floppy disk, Windows will then finish shutting down and will automatically turn off your computer. Lastly, you will manually shut off the monitor by pressing the power button on the front of the monitor. 1. Click the Start button. 2. The Start menu will appear. 3. Click the Shut down option from the Start menu. 4. The Shut down Windows dialog box appears. (See Figure 4) 5. Make sure the Shut down option is selected and click the OK button. 6. Another way to shut down your computer is to press the [Ctrl] [Alt] [Delete] keys down simultaneously and release them at the same time. A dialog box should appear, and you can choose to shut down. If Windows notices you haven t saved a file that you were recently working on, it will asks if you want to save the changes you made to the file before it completes the shut down procedure. Figure 4. The Windows Shut down dialog box. Windows Shut Down Options Shut Down Windows Options Stand by Shut down What they do Use Stand by if you have a laptop and are going to leave your computer briefly but want to conserve as much energy as possible while you are away. Be sure to save all unfinished work before placing the computer in stand by mode. Use this option if you want to turn your computer completely off. Be sure to save all unfinished work before shutting down your computer. Restart Log Off As This will restart your computer. You often have to restart your computer after installing new software. Be sure to save all unfinished work before restarting your computer. This option will only appear if your computer is connected to a network, and will close out your personal settings, and allow another user to log on to the computer. Page 7
Starting a Program in Windows Starting a program in Windows XP is as simple as a click here and a click there, and it typically begins by clicking on the Start button. Remember that the Start button is located at the bottom-left corner of your Windows Desktop. Once you have left-clicked on the Start button, the Start Menu will appear. Then do the following: 1. Point to All Programs. A menu listing the various program categories will appear above the Start Menu. 2. Point to Accessories. The Accessories Menu will now appear to the right side of the All Programs Menu. 3. Click on WordPad, which should be listed in the Accessories Menu. This will launch the WordPad Program, which is a simple word processing program included with Microsoft Windows. Figure 5. The Windows All Programs and Accessories Menu. The Components of a Microsoft Window Located in every Microsoft Window are buttons and menus that you can use to control the program and window. (See Figure 6) Title bar Menu bar Toolbars Minimize button Maximize button Close button Main Window or Document Area Status bar Figure 6. The components of a standard Microsoft Window. Page 8
How the Components of a Microsoft Window Function Component Title bar Minimize button Maximize/Restore button Close button Menu bar Toolbar Description of function Displays the name of the program or window. This will minimize the program, such as Microsoft Word, hiding it from your screen but keeping it running in your computer s memory, and places it as a button on the Taskbar at the bottom of your Desktop. Depending on the size of the window, this button has two functions: maximize and restore. Here is the difference: Maximize: This will enlarge the window so that it fills the entire screen. This lets you see more of the window s contents. Restore: When a window is maximized (fills the entire screen), clicking the Restore button returns the window to its previous size. This closes the window or program when you re finished working with it, removing it from the screen and the computer s memory. This controls what the program does. The items listed on the Menu bar change from program to program, but the Menu bar s location does not change. It will always appear at the top of a window directly below the Title bar. Some (but not all) windows and programs have one or more toolbars, which contain buttons you point and/or click to access frequently used commands. Main Window or Document Area This is where you work on whatever you re working on. If you were using Microsoft Word, this is where your text would appear. If you were browsing the Internet, this is where a Web page would appear. Status bar This displays information such as messages about the state of the computer or your location in the window. Minimizing, Maximizing & Restoring a Window Windows gives you the ability and flexibility of multitasking. In short, you can work in several programs at the same time by minimizing, maximizing and restoring windows. Open WordPad: 1. If you have already closed WordPad, reopen it. You can find WordPad by clicking on the Start button. Point to All Programs. A menu listing the various program categories will appear above the Start Menu. Point to Accessories. The Accessories Menu will now appear to the right side of the All Programs Menu. Click on WordPad, which should be listed in the Accessories Menu. Here s how to maximize, minimize and restore the WordPad window: 1. Once WordPad is open, click the WordPad window s Maximize/Restore button. The Maximize button always appears between the Minimize and the Close buttons. The WordPad program maximizes, filling the entire screen. 3. You can change a maximized window back to its original size by clicking the Restore button. The Restore button appears in place of the Maximize button whenever a window is already in a maximized state. 4. To minimize WordPad, click the WordPad window s Minimize button. The Minimize button always appears to the left of the Maximize/Restore button. 5. The WordPad program shrinks to an icon located in the Windows Taskbar. But WordPad is still open and running. To redisplay the minimized program or window, click the WordPad icon in the Windows Taskbar. The WordPad program will maximize and fill the screen. Page 9
Resizing a Window Figure 7. How to resize a Window. To manually resize a window, first make sure the program appears as a window and doesn t fill the entire screen. Position the mouse pointer over the right border of the window until it changes to a double-ended arrow. (See Figure 7) The double-ended arrow will allow you to drag the window's border left or right. It will also allow you to drag the top or bottom of the window up or down if you position the pointer over the top or bottom of the window. Once the double-ended arrow appears at the edge of the window, click and hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to the right to move the window border. You will immediately notice that the window stretches as you drag the mouse. When the window is the size you want, you can release the mouse button. The window will now be displayed in its new size. Moving & Closing a Window When you have several programs or windows open, one window may hide another window or cover icons to a program that you need access to. To visually aid you in getting to the window or program that you need, simply move the window to a new location on the screen. Moving a Window: 1. Place the mouse pointer (by default the mouse pointer appears as a white arrow) over the Title bar of a window. The Title bar is the colored bar (usually blue) at the very top of a window or program, and it will display the name of the active program or window. 2. Click the Title bar and hold down the mouse button (using the drag and drop method) to move the window to a new location on the screen. An outline of the window follows your mouse as you drag the window. 3. Release the mouse button to drop the window to a new location. When you re finished working with a window or program, you can close it and remove it from the screen. Closing a Window: 1. Click the Close button, which appears in the upper-right corner of the window. (See Figure 6) 2. The program or window will close. In some cases, particularly when working in Microsoft Word, a window will appear asking you if you want to save your information before closing the program. It is always wise if you receive such a message to click Yes. If a program has more than one window open, you can close all of its open windows by holding down the [Shift] key when you click the Close button for any window. Page 10
Switching Between Multiple Windows with Your Mouse You can have several programs or windows open and running simultaneously, but you can only work in one window at a time. The window you re currently working with is called the active window and will be in front of any other windows that you have open. Switching between multiple windows is simple, but there are several ways to move from one window to another window. Here s one way to easily switch between windows using your mouse: 1. Open WordPad, which is located within Accessories on the Start Menu by clicking on the Start button and doing the following: Point to All Programs. A menu listing the various program categories will appear above the Start Menu. Point to Accessories. The Accessories Menu will now appear to the right side of the All Programs Menu. 2. Click on WordPad. You will notice the WordPad program icon now appears on the Taskbar. 3. Now, open the Windows XP Calculator program, which is also located within Accessories on the Start Menu. Be sure not to close WordPad. 4. The Calculator program will now appear in front of the WordPad program, and an icon for the Calculator program will appear on the Taskbar next to the WordPad icon. (See Figure 8) You will note that the calculator program icon is depressed on the Taskbar, indicating that it is the active window. 5. Now, click the WordPad button on the Taskbar. The WordPad program will now appear in front of the Calculator program, and its icon on the Taskbar will be depressed, which indicates that it is now the active window. 6. If you had another open window, you could make it the active window by simply clicking on any visible part of the window or by clicking on its icon on the Taskbar. Switching Between Multiple Windows with Your Keyboard You can have several programs or windows open and running simultaneously, but you can only work in one window at a time. The window you re currently working with is called the active window and will be in front of any other windows that you have open. Switching between multiple windows is simple with your mouse, but you can also use your keyboard to move from one window or program to another. Here s one way to easily switch between windows using your keyboard: 1. Press and hold down the [Alt] key, then press and release the [Tab] key, but keep holding down the [Alt] key. 2. The task window will appear, listing all the windows and programs that are currently running. To retrieve a program or window from the task list do the following: 1. While still holding down the [Alt] key, press and release the [Tab] key until the program you want is selected, and then release the [Alt] key. 2. When you release the [Alt] key, the selected window or program becomes active and will be displayed in front of any other windows. 3. The [Alt] and [Tab] key method is particularly useful when you use programs that fill the entire computer screen, because when you can t see the taskbar or any part of another window, the [Alt] and [Tab] method is the only way you can switch between programs. Active Not Active Figure 8. Switching between Windows. The active window s program icon is typically a darker blue than the nonactive window on the Taskbar and its Title bar. Page 11
Tiling & Cascading Windows When you have several windows or programs open, Windows can automatically arrange them for you, instead of you resizing and moving them manually. Windows can organize your windows in two different ways by tiling and cascading. How to Tile Windows: 1. First, open both WordPad and the Windows Calculator by clicking the Start button, selecting All Programs and then the Accessories. 2. Now, open the My Pictures window, by clicking on the Start menu. My Pictures will be located on the right side of the Start Menu. When you double-click the My Pictures icon, its contents will appear in their own window. You can find the My Pictures icon on the right side of the Start menu. When you double-click My Pictures, its contents appear in their own window. Once you have the appropriate windows open, please do the following: 1. Click an empty area on the Taskbar with the right mouse button. A shortcut menu will appear where you right click. Be careful and make sure you right-click an empty area of the taskbar, otherwise the wrong shortcut menu will appear. 2. Now, click Tile Windows Vertically from the shortcut menu. Windows organizes all the open windows by tiling them vertically on the screen. However, had you chosen the Tile Windows Horizontally option from the shortcut menu, the windows would have been tiled horizontally giving each window equal space. How to Cascade Windows: Cascading Windows is the other method of automatically arranging your windows. It is particularly useful when you have several windows open and want to quickly find all of them, but not display their contents. 1. Click an empty area on the Taskbar with the right mouse button. A shortcut menu will appear. 2. Click Cascade Windows from the shortcut menu. Windows will now organize all the open windows by overlapping them over one another. Page 12