Transcript Introduction to Computers and the Windows Operating System

Introduction to Computers and the
Windows Operating System
Part 2
Instructor: Shayna Keces
236-0302, ext. 441
February 2004
Agenda
Handling files
Using Windows Explorer
Saving files
Opening files
Deleting files
Creating shortcuts
Hard drive maintenance
Appendix -- customizing your desktop
Further study
Handling files
Organized hierarchy
My Documents (equivalent of filing cabinet)
Folders (drawers)
(eg. House related items)
Subfolders
(folders within drawer,
eg. Letters)
Documents
(eg. letter to landlord)
Windows Explorer
Open from “Programs” menu or right click on
“Start” button or “My Computer” and click on
Explore
Left-hand pane is hierarchical organization of
your computer (includes folders only, no files)
+ means subfolders are available under
heading
- means all folders have been displayed
Right-hand pane lists all folder or files of the
highlighted folder
Saving Files
Saving files for first time is “Save as”
“Save” will save previously saved item in
same place as before wiping out original
When saving a file always remember to check
that “Save in” box is correct, (i.e. my
documents)
Failure to change to correct folder can make it
difficult to find file when needed
Hands on practice
Open Internet Explorer and try to save the
page on your “C” drive in a folder called
“Internet Pages” inside the “My Documents
Folder.
Press on down arrow beside the “Save in”
box to reveal the menu
Click on “C”drive
Double click on My documents Folder in
the big white box underneath the “Save In”
box so that it appears in “Save in” box
Hands on practice cont.
Click on icon for Create New folder
Type “Internet pages”
Double click on folder labeled “Internet
pages” so that “Internet pages” appears in
“Save in” box
Click on Box entitled “File Name”
Erase what’s there and type “Sample page”
Click on “Save” button
Opening files
Put cursor on word “File” in file menu and
click. Move down the drop-down menu to
“Open” and click
If you do not get the Dialog box with the “Look
in” box in it, click on the box labeled “Browse”
Make sure you have the correct folder in the
“Look in” box and file should appear in the big
white box below the “Look in” box
You can also open a file by finding it in
Windows Explorer and double clicking on it
Hands on practice
Open the web page you saved, using
Windows Explorer
Open Windows Explorer by right clicking
on “Start” button and select “Explore”
On the left pane, select “C” drive by
clicking it
The content of the C drive will be displayed
on the right pane
Double click on the folder “My documents”
Hands on practice cont.
Double click on the folder Internet pages
Double click on the file with the “Internet
Explorer” icon to open the web page
Deleting files
Deleting files must be done from a place
where a file can be highlighted (eg. Windows
Explorer or the big white box when you are
opening or saving files)
Highlight the file you want to delete and press
the delete key.
You can also, if your screen is not taking up
the whole screen left click on the file and drag
it to the recycle bin.
Hands on practice
Delete the web page you saved from
the “C” drive
Close Internet Explorer
In Windows Explorer, highlight the file you
wish to delete if it’s not already highlighted
Press delete on the keyboard and click yes
to delete the file
Creating Shortcuts
A shortcut is a pointer to a file or
program on your hard drive
A shortcut can be identified by an arrow
in the icon
Shortcuts can be deleted without
deleting the original program
To create a shortcut, open Windows
Explorer
Creating Shortcuts, cont
Find the file or program you want to
make a shortcut for and click on it once
to highlight it.
Then right click on the item and select
“Copy”
Next open the folder where you want to
put the shortcut and right click again.
Highlight and click on “Paste Shortcut”
Hands on practice
Open Windows Explorer
In the left hand pane:
Click on the + sign in front of the “C” drive
Click on the + sign in front of “Program Files”
Double-click on the “Accessories” Folder
In the right hand pane:
Right-click on the icon Mspaint
Left-click on “Copy”
Hands on Practice cont.
In the left-hand pane click on Desktop
(on the right you will see the contents of the
Desktop)
Right-click in the right-hand pane and
left click on “Paste Shortcut”
Minimize Windows Explorer and you will
see you have added a shortcut for Paint
to your Desktop
Hard Drive Maintenance
Monthly scan of your hard drive
Checks your drive for bad segments and
marks them so that hard drive does not try to
save things there
Monthly or semi-annual defragmentation
Checks to make different parts of same file are
not stored in different places on hard drive
(happens when files are resaved many times)
in order to improve performance of hard drive
Step By Step
Double-click on “My Computer”
Right-click on the “C” drive
Click on Properties
Click on folder labeled “Tools”
Click on “Check now” under “Error-checking
Status” (Will take a few minutes)
Click on “Defragment Now” under
“Defragmentation status” (Will take at least an
hour and maybe longer)
Customizing Your Desktop
Windows allows you to make adjustments to
your desktop
Double-click on the icon “My Computer”
Double-click on the icon “Control Panel”
Double-click on the icon “Display”
Allows you to change background and screen
saver
Allows you to fool around with the colours for
your window panes and bars (be very careful
with changes to this, as you may have to live
with it
Customizing Your Desktop
cont.
Settings is where you change the
number of colours and size of screen
(usually set to optimize your monitor but
some programs may require you to
change the settings).
Changing Your
Background/Wallpaper
Click on the “Background” tab
On left side is pattern that you can use
instead of the standard green
You can also use any other picture by saving
it as bmp (bitmap) file in the Windows folder
on the “C” drive
Scan it or take it from internet and save it
using “Paint” program
Can save as bitmap directly if you have a
graphics program that will do it.
Can usually use right click to save as
wallpaper immediately if do not need to edit.
Hands on practice
Go to Altavista (www.altavista.com)
Select images tab
Enter a search term in Find box
Select picture size (Wide wallpaper, 800X600)
Right click on picture
Left click on Set as Background
Adding a Screen Saver
A screen saver produces a constantly
moving screen after a computer has
been idle for a certain amount of time to
prevent a single image from burning
itself onto the screen
To access screensavers available, click
on tab that says “Screen Saver”
Then click on down arrow in box under the
title “Screen Saver”
Adding a Screen Saver, cont.
Choose the screen saver you prefer (You can
see how it will look on your screen by clicking
on the Preview button) To exit Preview just
move your mouse.
You can adjust the amount of time it will take
for the screen saver to be implemented by
clicking on the up and down arrows in the box
beside the word “Wait”
Further Study - Books
Russ, Walter. The secret guide to computers :
the world's top-rated computer tutorial
004.16 W233 2001
Gookin, Dan. PCs for dummies
004.16 G659pc 1998
Microsoft Windows 98 step by step
005.4469 W5cat2
Maran, Ruth. Windows 98 simplified
005.4469 W5mar6
Ericksen, Linda. Quick simple Microsoft
Windows 98 005.4469 W5er
Further Study - Videos
Microsoft Windows 98 video tutorial
[videorecording] V005.4469 W5n
Learning Microsoft Windows 98
[videorecording] V005.4469 W5Lp
Teach yourself Windows 95/98
[videorecording] V005.4469 W5vi
Working with Windows 95. Volume 1. Getting
to know the new Windows environment
[videorecording] V005.4469 W5v1
Volume 3.
Managing your documents [videorecording]
V005.4469 W5v3
Further Study – Internet Sites
Using Windows 98
http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwi
ndows/default.asp
Using computers
http://www.elmlane.com/usingcomputers/inde
x.asp
Windows help
www.plugandwork.com/Help/Windows_Help.
htm
How to use Windows Explorer
http://www.learnthat.com/courses/computer/w
indows/explorer.shtml