Windows Basics: What you will learn What the desktop is and the important elements of the desktop How to open a program or window The parts of a window How to move a window How to switch between multiple windows How to use menus and toolbars What a file is, how to save a file How to use the recycle bin What alert boxes and dialog boxes are In accordance with the provisions of the ADA, this document may be requested in an alternate format. PPLD / BR 1
What the Desktop Is Desktop is the term used to describe the main screen where icons, folders, and documents appear. Icons are graphical symbols that represent programs, documents, or parts of the computer, such as a hard drive or floppy drive. The task bar, at the bottom of the screen, keeps track of all the windows that are open, displaying a button for every open window. The task bar also contains the Start button. Icons Task Bar Start Button How to Open a Program Programs can be opened either by using the Start menu on the Task bar, or by using icons that represent the programs. To open a program from the Start menu: Click the Start button on the Task bar to open the Start Menu. Move the mouse cursor to the Programs line. Move the mouse cursor into the programs sub-menu, and click on the name of the program you wish to start. 2
To open a program or document using its icon: Double-click the icon representing the program or document you wish to open. or Click the icon once and then press the Enter key on the keyboard. sample icons The Parts of a Window A window is an enclosed rectangular area on the screen which displays graphical information. Every window has common physical parts: The title bar shows the name of the document and/or program being displayed, and has the minimize, maximize/restore, and close buttons in the upper right corner. The minimize button shrinks the window so that it exists as only a button on the task bar. The maximize button expands the window to fill the desktop. When a window is maximized, this button becomes the restore button, which returns the window to its original size. The close button closes the window and/or whatever program is being displayed in the window. The menu bar is located just below the title bar. It has drop-down menus and submenus that give you access to all the commands in a program. Toolbars provide buttons that give you quick access to the most frequently used commands available in the menus. They are usually located just beneath the menu bar. Scroll bars allow you to move the content of a window up and down, or left and right. Title Bar Minimize Maximize Close Menu Bar Toolbar Scroll Bars 3
How to Move a Window A window can be moved around on the desktop by clicking and dragging the title bar at the top of the window. To drag the title bar, place the tip of your mouse cursor anywhere in the blue title bar, hold down the left mouse button, and move the mouse. Either the whole window, or a gray outline of the window, will be dragged with your cursor. Let go of the mouse button when you reach the spot where you want the window to be located. (Note: windows cannot be moved while they are maximized.) How to Switch Between Multiple Windows Every window that is open on the desktop will be represented by an individual button on the taskbar. These windows will usually overlap or will be stacked one on top of another, like a stack of papers on a desk. To bring a particular window to the top of the stack so that you can see the window and interact with it, you simply click the button on the taskbar that represents that particular window. Three windows open on a desktop How to Use Menus and Toolbars The menu bar is located at the top of a window just below the Title Bar. It has drop-down menus and submenus that give you access to all the commands in a program. Toolbars, usually located just beneath the menu bar, provide buttons that give you quick access to the most frequently-used commands available in the menus. Menu Bar Toolbars To use a menu, click on the name of the menu, and when the drop-down menu opens, click on the command you want to use. To use a toolbar button, simply click on the button representing the command you want to use. Hold the mouse cursor over a button without clicking to see which command the button represents. 4
What a File Is, How to Save a File A file is a collection of data that is stored as a unit with a specific name. You can think of it as a document. It contains specific information, and is stored in a specific location. Files are often organized and stored inside of folders, much like documents in a filing cabinet. In programs which allow you to save your work, you can access the Save command in the File menu on the menu bar. If the document has been saved before, the old version will be replaced by the new version. If it has not been saved before, you will prompted by a dialog box to provide a file name and choose a location to save the document. Make sure you look at the dialog box and pay attention to where the document is going to be saved (the Save in: box at the top) and what name it will have (the File name: box at the bottom). You can also access this dialog box by choosing the Save As command from the file menu. After you have given the document a name and noted where it will be saved, click the Save button A new icon will be added to whatever folder or location you specified as the place to save the document. That icon will have the name you supplied for the file. You will use that icon when you want to access the file in the future. How to Use the Recycle Bin The recycle bin is represented by an icon that sits on your desktop. The recycle bin is used to store files you wish to delete from your computer. The files remain on your hard drive until you empty the bin, and until then you can retrieve the files. 5
To put a file in the recycle bin: drag the icon representing the file to be deleted to the recycle bin and drop it into the bin To empty the recycle bin: double-click the recycle bin icon to open the recycle bin click the Empty Recycle Bin button on the left of the recycle bin window or click File on the menu bar and click the Empty Recycle Bin command To retrieve a file from the recycle bin: open the recycle bin (double-click its icon) and drag the icon representing the file you want to keep onto the desktop or into whatever folder you want to store it in What Alert Boxes and Dialog Boxes Are An alert box is a box that pops up on your screen when the computer needs to alert you to important information or to confirm some information. When an alert box appears, you must read the message and respond by clicking a button on the box. When an alert box is on the screen, the computer will not let you do anything else until you respond to the alert box. Some alert boxes offer multiple buttons when there are multiple ways to respond. Some alert boxes offer only a single button when there is just one way to respond. A dialog box is used by the computer to get specific information from you before it carries out a command. For example, when you save a document, you can tell the computer where to save the document and what name to give it. Or when you print a document, you might specify how many copies you want. 6
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