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Microsoft Windows Basics Notes

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321 views6 pages

Microsoft Windows Basics Notes

Uploaded by

douglasocharo725
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MICROSOFT WINDOWS BASICS NOTES

MICROSOFT WINDOWS BASICS


WINDOWS DESKTOP
The desktop is your work area on which program and files icons are located. It is
basically a workspace where you can access everything you need to operate your
computer, such as system components, applications, the Internet, etc
Parts of the Desktop
1. Start button: The start button allows you to open menus and start applications.
2. Taskbar: It is primarily used to switch between open windows and applications.
3. Icons: These are pictorial representations of applications, files, folders and other parts
of the operating system.
4. My Computer: The “My Computer” icon provides access to the resources on your
computer e.g. Disk drives such as Drive C
5. Internet Explorer: The internet explorer icon launches the Internet Explorer browser.
6. My Network Places: If you are working on a network, this displays all of the computers
on the network.
7. System Tray: The part of the taskbar that holds the clock, volume control, and icons
for other utilities that runs in the background of your system.
8. Recycle Bin: This is a temporary storage location for deleted files and folders.

PARTS OF AN APPLICATION WINDOW


Title Bar: This is a bar across the top of the window that displays the name of the
current application program or task.
Menu Bar: Menu bar provides a list of commands that can be used to manipulate a
task. E.g. Insert, Page Layout, View, etc.
Toolbars: These are buttons arranged in a row that are shortcuts to menu commands.
Work Area: This is where you organize your work within a program.
Status Bar: Displays information about the program e.g. page number, number of
words, etc.
Scroll Buttons: They are used to move the window up/down or left/right in order to
view the hidden parts of the window.
Minimize button: It reduces a window to appear as a button on the taskbar.
The restore/maximize button: It stretches the window to cover the entire desktop or
restores it to its original size.
Close button: It is used to exit an application.
CHANGING THE DESKTOP BACKGROUND
1. Click Start button.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Appearance & Personalization.
4. Click Change desktop background.
5. Choose the background you want to set.
6. Click Save Changes.

SCREENSAVER
A screensaver is a computer program that blanks the screen or fills it with moving
images or patterns when the computer is not in use.
Importance of a Screensaver
1. Screensavers increase your privacy, as well as security. If you are working with
confidential data you wouldn’t want others to see, the screensaver will eventually cover
this data on your screen up after a certain amount of time.
2. A screensaver is used for entertainment purposes.
CREATING A SCREENSAVER
A. SETTING THE IMAGE
1. Click Start button
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Appearance and Personalization.
4. Under Personalization, click Change screen saver.
5. Under screensaver area, select the screensaver required e.g. Bubbles, Mystify,
Photos, Ribbons, etc.
6. Click OK.

B. SETTING A 3-D TEXT SCREENSAVER


1. Click Start button
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Appearance and Personalization.
4. Under Personalization, click Change screen saver.
5. Under screensaver area, select 3-D Text.
6. Click Settings.
7. In the Custom Text area, type your name/ text.
8. Set the Rotation Type, Colour, Rotation Speed and Size.
9. Click OK.

CHANGING THE COLOR OF THE WINDOW PARTS


1. Click Start button
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Appearance and Personalization.
4. Under Personalization, click Change window glass colors.
5. Choose one of the available colors.
6. Click Save Changes.

FILES AND FOLDERS MANAGEMENT


A computer file is a resource for storing information, which is available to a computer
program.
A folder is a location that stores multiple files and other folders.
Creating a File on the Desktop
1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Point to New.
3. Click Microsoft Word Document/ Excel/ Access/PowerPoint
4. Type the name of the file.
Creating a Folder on the Desktop
1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Point to New.
3. Click Folder.
4. Type the name of the folder.
Renaming a File/ Folder
1. Right click on the file/folder you want to rename.
2. Click Rename.
3. Type a new name.
Deleting Files/ Folders
1. Right click on the file/ folder you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.
3. Click YES in the confirmation box.
Restoring Files/Folders from the Recycle Bin
1. Open the recycle bin.
2. Right click on the file/folder to be restored.
3. Click Restore.
Emptying the Recycle Bin
1. Open the recycle bin.
2. Click File menu.
3. Click Empty Recycle Bin.
COPYING AND MOVING FILES AND FOLDERS
The cut command is used to move an item to another location while
the copy command is used to create a duplicate of an item.
(a) Copying a File/Folder to another Folder
1. Right click on the file/ folder you want to copy.
2. Click Copy.
3. Open another folder in which it is to be copied to.
4. Click Edit menu, and then click Paste.

(b) Moving a File/ Folder to another Folder


1. Right click on the file/ folder you want to move (cut).
2. Click Cut.
3. Open another folder in which it is to be moved to.
4. Click Edit menu, and then click Paste.

MY DOCUMENTS
(a) Creating a File in “My Documents”
1. Click Start button, click Documents.
2. Right click on an empty space and point to New.
3. Click on Microsoft Office Word/ Excel/ Access/ PowerPoint
4. Type the name of the file.
(b) Creating a Folder in “My Documents”
1. Click Start button, click Documents.
2. Right click on an empty space and point to New.
3. Click Folder.
4. Type the name of the folder.

Exercise 1
1. Create a folder on the desktop called “Parents” (2mks)
2. Create 2 folders on the desktop called “Mum” and “Dad” (2mks)
3. Copy the folder “Mum” into “Parents” (2mks)
4. Move the folder “Dad” into “Parents” (2mks)
5. Open “Mum” folder, and then create 2 files namely “Boy” and “Girl” (2mks)
6. Rename the file “Girl” and call it “Lady” (2mks)
7. Delete the file named “Boy” (2mks)

SORTING FILES AND FOLDERS


Sorting means arranging files and folders in a particular order,
either alphabetically or by size or date of last modification.
(a) Sorting Files/ Folders on the Desktop
1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Point to Sort By
3. Click on one of the available sorting options e.g. Name, Size, Item Type or Date
modified.

(b) Sorting Files/ Folders in “My Documents”


1. Open “My Documents”
2. Right click inside “My Documents”
3. Point to Sort By
4. Choose Name, Type, Date modified, Size, Ascending, Descending, etc.

(c) Sorting Files/ Folders in the Recycle Bin


1. Open the Recycle Bin.
2. Right click inside the recycle bin.
3. Point to Sort By
4. Choose either Name, Original Location, Date Deleted, Size, etc.

ACCESSORIES
These are programs designed with windows operating system to accomplish some
routine tasks.
Examples of accessories include:
1. Calculator: Used for performing mathematical calculations.
2. Notepad/WordPad: Used for text formatting and editing.
3. Paint: It is used for drawing shapes, images and making handwritings.
4. Disk defragmenter: It is used for arranging programs and file parts on the disk.
Procedure for Starting Accessories
1. Click Start button.
2. Point to All Programs.
3. Click Accessories.
4. Click on the accessory required e.g. Calculator, Notepad, Paint, WordPad, etc.
SEARCHING FOR FILES AND FOLDERS
In case you are not sure where you stored a file or folder, use the search box.
Procedure
1. Click Start button.
2. In the search dialog box, type the name of the file/ folder you want to search.

3. From the list that appears, double click on the file/ folder to open it.

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