Computer Basics: Step-by-Step Guide (Session 2)

Table of Contents
ABOUT PROGRAMS AND OPERATING SYSTEMS ............ 2 THE DIALOGUE BOX ..................................................... 18

THE WINDOWS 10 DESKTOP ......................................... 4 EXPLORING TASKBAR BUTTONS .................................. 18

OPENING PROGRAMS ................................................... 6 STACKED TASKBAR BUTTONS ............................................ 18

DESKTOP ICON ................................................................. 6 SKILLS REVIEW ............................................................. 20

START MENU ................................................................... 6 MORE MULTITASKING PRACTICE ................................. 21

Sections of the Start Menu ...................................... 7 PRACTICE 1 ................................................................... 21

THE WINDOWS SEARCH BOX .............................................. 9 PRACTICE 2 ................................................................... 21

EXAMINING A WINDOW ............................................. 11 PRACTICE 3 ................................................................... 22

SEARCHING FOR AND OPENING WORDPAD .......................... 11 CLOSING A WINDOW USING THE TASKBAR
(SUPPLEMENTAL) ........................................................ 23
LOOKING AT THE WORDPAD WINDOW ............................... 12
SNAP ASSIST (SUPPLEMENTAL).................................... 23
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TASKBAR ............................... 13
SAVING A FILE (SUPPLEMENTAL) ................................. 24
THE WINDOW CONTROL BUTTONS ............................. 14
CREATING A DOCUMENT................................................... 24
OPENING MULTIPLE WINDOWS .................................. 15
SAVING THE FILE ............................................................. 24
ACTIVE WINDOW............................................................ 16

MULTITASKING PRACTICE ........................................... 17

Created by:
The MC-NPL Computer Lab
MONTGOMERY COUNTY-NORRISTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
WWW.MC-NPL.ORG

Note to Home Students:

If you are taking this course from home, you can download handouts
and other materials for this class from our Class Resources page:
www.mc-npl.org/class-resources
 COMPUTER BASICS: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE (SESSION 2) Revised: 11/25/2019

About Programs and Operating Systems

Teacher’s note:
Explain to the students that we will be giving them a skills test at the end of class.
 There is no time limit.
 Reassure them that if they don’t pass, they can come back and retake it.

Now that we have become familiar with how to interact with our computer using a mouse and
keyboard, we will begin to learn how to access programs on the computer.
Tasks performed on a computer are always done through a program. For the Show Slide 11
user, the program is an application – a tool – for accomplishing a task. For
the computer, it is a set of instructions on knowing how to perform this task. During today’s class, we
will show you how to open a basic word processing program (WordPad), an advanced word processing
program (Word 2016), and a program used to access the Internet (Internet Explorer).
Sometimes programs can be called “apps”, and vice versa, particularly in the Windows 10
environment. The difference between true programs and apps is that apps are obtained through the
“Microsoft Store”, which is itself an app, whereas programs are obtained in other ways such as
downloading from the Internet or installing from a disc. In class we will use the terms programs and
apps interchangeably.

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The most important program on the computer overall is the operating

system (OS), which manages all of the computer’s resources and decides how Show Slide 12
to treat input from the user. The OS is the brains that turn your computer
into an effective tool. The operating system “opens” when the computer is powered on.
There are several different computer operating systems in circulation:
macOS: Apple desktop computers and laptops.

Linux: Free, but requires more technical

knowledge to use. Some libraries that are on a
budget use Linux in their computers.
iOS: Apple iPhones and iPads.

Android: Used in smart phones and tablets.

Made by Google.
Windows: The most commonly used operating
system. It is what we will be using in class.

Microsoft is the name of the company that makes Windows. There have been several different
versions of Windows. In 2017 the computers in the lab were updated to a version of Windows called
“Windows 10”. If you have some experience with the older versions of Windows, you will notice that
things look and act a bit different on Windows 10. While older versions of Windows mainly ran on
desktop and laptop computers, Windows 10 is also designed to run equally well on tablets.

Close PowerPoint

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The Windows 10 Desktop

The first thing you see when you log on to the computer is the Desktop. The Desktop is the display
area you see when Windows opens. The following items are the most common items on the Desktop:

Mention Handout 6

 Mouse pointer or Cursor: The indicator on the screen that you use to select and move objects. It
moves as you move the mouse and changes appearance depending on what program you are using
and what tool you have selected.
 Icon: A picture representing a program or app, a file, or folder (a place to store files).

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 ScreenTip (not shown): When dwelling on a Windows element on the screen, a small descriptive
message called a ScreenTip may display
o Hover (hold the mouse pointer over but do not click) your mouse pointer over the bright
orange icon located at the top of the desktop.

Teacher’s note:
If no ScreenTip appears, click on the Desktop and try again. If that doesn’t work,
try pointing to a different icon, then back to the first icon.

o Note the descriptive message.

 Taskbar: The black bar at the bottom of the computer screen. A program running on your
computer is represented by a button on the taskbar. Important sections of the taskbar include:
o Start Button – A single left click on this button opens a menu that includes many options.
You can start programs, shutdown your computer, switch users, log off, lock, restart, or put
your computer to sleep. We will explore this section more closely later in the lesson.
o Search Windows Box – Enter keywords to search for Apps/Programs, Files or Settings on
the computer.
o Pinned and Open Programs – This section of the taskbar contains buttons for frequently
used programs (pinned) and programs that you open and run on the computer.
o Notification Area – The bottom right corner next to the time and date. It contains miniature
icons for easy access to system functions that are always running in the background, such as
antivirus settings, printer status, network connection, sound volume, and battery status.
Sometimes referred to as Notification Tray or System Tray.
 Hover over or click an icon to view and access details and controls
o Clock – Displays the current date and time.

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Opening Programs
One way to open a program on a computer is to double-click on the desktop icon for the program.
Desktop Icon
Icons are either placed on the desktop by the computer user or appear automatically when a new
program is installed. Icons can also be removed by the computer user.
We’re going to open Word 2016 using the desktop icon.
1. Move your cursor over the icon for Word 2016.
2. Notice what the ScreenTip says. This is a program that lets you create documents.
3. Double-click the icon to open the program.

Tip: If double-clicking is difficult for you, try one of these alternatives:

 Single click on the icon and tap the Enter key on your keyboard.
OR
 Right-click on the icon and select Open from the context menu.

4. The window that opens fills the entire desktop except for the taskbar.
5. Look at the upper right hand corner of your computer screen and locate the button with the X on
it.
6. Point to the X. Notice how it turns red when we point to it. This is the Close button.
7. Click on the X to close the program.

Start Menu
Another way to open a program involves first browsing for it using the Start menu. Then, once a
program is located on the menu, a single click of the mouse will open it. Browsing takes time, of
course, and is valuable only when you do not know the name of the program you want to open.
1. To open the Start menu, tap the Windows logo key on the keyboard. On most newer
keyboards, the Windows logo key looks just like the Start button on the screen.
2. Note that some black panels display.

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3. Note also that a cursor is blinking in the Search Windows Box. This box is not part of the Start
menu but it does aid in locating and opening programs. We will look at this functionality in more
detail later in the lesson. (The blinking may stop after a while, but the line remains and typing can
be entered)
4. To dismiss the menu simply tap the Windows logo key on the keyboard again.
5. Tap the Windows logo key or click the Start button to open the Start menu again.
Sections of the Start Menu
Let’s examine the menu.
There are three sections in the Windows 10 Start menu.

Mention Handout 7

Expand
button

App Tiles
list

Windows Search Box –search for apps

by name

Left pane
The narrow pane on the left has icons that go to the user account and to power options. (Tip: these
two options are defeated in the Computer Lab.)
1. In order to see the text labels for the icons click the Expand button at the top of the pane.
2. Click the Expand button again to collapse the section.
Center pane – App List
The center pane or App List contains all the Programs a.k.a. Apps on the computer. It purports to be
an alphabetical list. That claim is misleading. Some apps are not listed alphabetically because they are
nested inside of “folders” in the App List. The App List is good for browsing or exploring for programs,
but it has little value when you are looking for a specific program.

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Let’s take a closer look at the App list.

1. Note Calculator app in the list and click on it to open it. Note the Start menu disappears as soon as
an app opens.
2. Close Calculator using its Close button.
3. Open the Start menu again. (Tap the Windows logo key)
4. Note that when you point to the App list a scroll bar appears.
a. Note that the scroll bar is very narrow, but it becomes bigger when you point to it.

b. Use the scroll bar to browse the App list.

5. Note that menu items on the list have icons and a corresponding name. Most of the icons
represent programs. However, the items with an icon that looks like a yellow manila folder are not
programs but rather containers for programs.
6. Scroll down until you see Windows Accessories. This is not a program. This is a container for
programs. Along with the folder icon, the arrow to the right of the name also indicates this menu
item is not a program. When the arrow points downwards that means the programs inside this
folder are hidden from view.
7. To reveal the programs inside the Windows Accessories folder, click anywhere on the Windows
Accessories menu item to expand the menu.
8. Note the list of programs that displays. Scroll this list to see the programs Mouse Tutorial,
Mousercise, and WordPad. These three programs are used extensively in our Computer Basics
classes.

Teacher’s note:
Remind students not to confuse “Mouse Tutorial”
with “Mousercise” to prepare them for the test.

9. Click the Window Accessories menu item again to collapse the menu.

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Right pane – Tiles

The Tiles pane is a good place to store programs you frequently use for quick and easy access to them.
The tiles are graphical representations, much like a desktop icons, of programs on the computer.
Focusing your cursor on a tile will produce a ScreenTip with the name of the program. A single click on
a tile will open the program.
Your favorite programs can be dragged from the App list to the Tiles pane. This is called Pinning. You
can create groups of Tiles, naming the groups anything you want. We have pinned some frequently
used programs in the Computer Lab to the Tiles pane.
Unfortunately, we cannot demonstrate naming groups of tiles because of our security measures in the
Computer Lab. In fact we can’t actually pin a tile either but we can show you how it is done.
Pinning a tile is as easy as dragging an icon from the App list and dropping it in the Tiles pane.
1. Click and hold the Weather app and drag it to the Tiles pane.
2. Normally, when you let go of the mouse, the program is pinned. In the Computer Lab this does not
work. That is what that little red circle symbol is trying to show us.

3. Tap the Windows logo key to collapse the Start menu.

The Windows Search Box
Using the Windows Search Box is the best way to quickly find and open a program that you have not
pinned to your Tiles pane. You need only type the first letter or first few letters of the program name.
Based on what you type a suggested search results list will populate above the search box. When you
see the program you want, a single click on the program name will open it.
Windows Search can also search for files, computer settings and even the Internet, but for security
reasons, we have disabled that functionality in the Computer Lab.

Teacher’s note:
On your Windows 10 computer, a digital assistant may launch when you click the search
box, asking you what you want to do. The digital assistant is disabled on Computer Lab
computers.

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Let’s try using the Windows Search Box to search for Mouse Tutorial app.
1. Click into the Windows Search Box where it says “Type here to search”.

2. Start the search by typing an m(capitalization doesn’t matter). As soon as we start typing a search
term, note that a search results panel appears above.

3. Typically, at the top of the search results list is a Best Match section. Note that the Best Match item
is highlighted (blue). A highlighted item can be opened by tapping Enter on the keyboard or by
clicking once on it.
4. You may have noticed that you have a different Best Match than what is on the classroom screen.
The search results list can offer up varying results based on what you type into the search box.
Typically, the more letters of your search term that you type, the faster the results list will populate
with the program you are looking for. In addition, if you have searched for or opened a particular
program recently, that program may be offered up on the search results more readily.
5. Typically, the results list is divided into different categories of results.
a. Locate the Apps section to see if it lists Mouse Tutorial.
b. If you don’t see your result in the Apps results list, clicking on the Apps subheading will take
you to more apps that contain the letter “m” somewhere in the name of the app.
c. Click on the Apps subheading and more apps will display. You may need to scroll, but you
should see Mouse Tutorial in the list.
6. A better search strategy is to add letters to the search if you don’t see what you want in the main
results panel. Add the letter o after the m in the Windows Search Box. (You don’t have to click, just
type.) You should now be able to see Mouse Tutorial in the main results list.
7. Dismiss the Start menu by tapping the Windows logo key twice on the keyboard.

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Examining a Window
First, what exactly is a Window? Older computers could only manage one program at a time, which
took up the entire screen. Until you exited that program, you could not do anything new. The
advantage of current operating systems such as Windows is that we can do more than one thing at a
time, and each program is put in its own little compartment called a Window.
The window can take up the entire screen or just part of it, or it can even be (temporarily) hidden from
view altogether. However, it is an essential concept to understand that even if you don’t specifically
intend to, at some points, the computer will be Multi-Tasking. Multi-tasking is the act of having two or
more on-going processes at the same time, such as typing a document and then pausing to look at
something on the Internet.
We are going to use the Windows Search Box again to find and open a program called WordPad.
WordPad is a Microsoft Windows program that you can use to create documents such as letters, notes
and posters. It is less complicated than a full word processing program such as Microsoft Word but it
still lets you perform a considerable range of tasks.
Searching for and Opening WordPad
1. Click into the Windows Search Box and type a w (capitalization doesn’t matter)
2. Look for WordPad in the search results.
o If you see WordPad in the Best match section of the search results, it will be highlighted,
and you can open it by tapping the Enter key on the keyboard.
o Alternatively, you can use the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard to navigate to an
item in the search results list. Once highlighted, the program can be opened by tapping the
Enter key on the keyboard.
o If you can see WordPad elsewhere in the search results, you can point to it and click to open
it.

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Looking at the WordPad Window Mention Handout 8

This program opens in a window that is filling the desktop, except for the Taskbar. Every program
opens in a separate window. All windows have some common elements.
WINDOW
CONTROLS
Maximize /
Minimize Close
Quick Access button Restore down button
Title Bar
Toolbar button

Ribbon

This vertical line will be blinking in

the actual window and is the starting
point for typing your text.

 Title Bar: Top most bar with title of file and name of program.
 Ribbon: In WordPad and in Microsoft Office 2016 programs, the ribbon is a set of tools placed on
several tabs. This makes the tools used in a program more visible. Not all programs have a ribbon,
but most programs have tools in some form.
 Window Controls: This is a group of three buttons common to all windows. We will talk more
about these buttons shortly.
Click the Close button to close WordPad.

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A Closer Look at the Taskbar

At the very bottom of the screen is the Taskbar.
 The left end of the taskbar contains the Start button and the Windows Search box.
 The right end contains the Notification Area and the Clock.
 The center section of the taskbar can contain two types of buttons.
o One is a shortcut to a program you use frequently. The icon you see on the taskbar now
is one of these. Shortcuts to programs can be “pinned” to the taskbar by the user.
o Another is a button that represents a program that is open and running on the
computer. Any time a new window opens, it will be represented on the taskbar.
Let’s open a program so we can see the difference between a pinned program and an open program.
1. Click into the Windows Search box, and search for and open WordPad.
2. Note there is now another icon in the center section of the taskbar. This icon represents the
WordPad program.

3. Note how the WordPad icon has a blue line underneath it. This blue line is how you tell the
difference between a pinned program (a program that is not currently open and an open program.
Note: a pinned program can also be opened and will then have a blue line under it as well.
4. Point to the icon for the pinned program (the one without the blue line). Note the ScreenTip that
appears, giving the name of the program, File Explorer.

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5. Point to the icon for WordPad. Note that instead of a ScreenTip, a preview window displays. You
will not get a preview window unless a program is open.

6. Now point somewhere else and note the preview window disappears. This preview window is
actually an important tool we will be using going forward in the lesson.

The Window Control Buttons

There are three buttons in the upper right corner of the WordPad screen and we’ve only looked at the
one on the right, the Close button.
1. Notice the left-most button. Point to it and notice the screen tip. This is
the Minimize button.
a. Click the Minimize button. When you do, the WordPad window
should disappear. However, is the program truly gone?
b. Look at your taskbar; there is still a button representing WordPad there, and it has a blue
underline.
c. Point to the taskbar button. Note the preview window. This means the program is still open
and running. We have only hidden it out of view. Just as we might shove a paper off to the side
on a real desktop, the advantage of doing this is to put something else in your workspace,
which we will do later. For now, let us worry about how to get the WordPad window back so we
can work in it.
2. To get the full screen window back, point to the WordPad taskbar button and click on the preview
window. Your WordPad window returns!
3. Notice to the middle window control button. This is the Restore Down button. That’s a kind of
funny term, but it essentially means to de-maximize a window.
a. Note the symbol on the button. It looks like two boxes or squares,
one slightly behind the other. This is what the button looks like when
the window is in full screen mode or, in other terminology, its
maximized state.

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b. Click the Restore Down button and notice what happens – the window will shift from full-
screen mode to using just part of the screen.

Why would I ever want to click Restore Down?

Making the window smaller seems like an inconvenience. But
it’s actually very useful for multi-tasking because it allows you
to view two or more windows side-by-side.

c. Notice how the middle button now looks different. It looks like a single
box or square. This means that if you click the button it will return the
window to a maximized state.
d. Click the Maximuze button and note the window is using the full screen.

Opening Multiple Windows Time check: 6:00pm / 11:00am

We now have one program currently running in a full screen window. Let’s open another program.
1. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open Internet Explorer.
2. Look at the taskbar and note that there is a button representing both programs.

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Active Window
The Internet Explorer (IE) window is filling the desktop. Even though there are two programs running,
the computer can only focus its attention on one program at a time. That is called the active window
and it is always the window that is on “top”. Where is the WordPad window? It is actually right behind
the IE window. How can we make our WordPad window the active window? Let’s take a closer look
at the taskbar.
1. Point to the taskbar button representing WordPad. We saw earlier that a small preview window
appears.
2. Point to the preview window and look at the computer screen.

3. Notice how the WordPad window appears to be in full screen mode again, but it really isn’t. Note
that there are no visible window control buttons. This is a clear sign you are looking only at a full
screen preview, not an active window.
4. Move your cursor away and the WordPad window disappears. This was just a full size preview.
We still haven’t made the WordPad window the active window yet, but we will use the preview
window to do so.
5. Point to the WordPad preview window again and, this time, click on the preview window. The
WordPad window is now in the forefront and the Internet Explorer window is behind.
6. Click on the preview window for Internet Explorer. Now the Internet Explorer window is in the
forefront. Clicking on a program’s preview window is how to switch between open programs in
order to place them in Active mode.
7. Close the Internet Explorer window.
8. Close the WordPad window.

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Multitasking Practice
Now that we know how to find and open programs and switch between them, let’s do an exercise that
reinforces those skills as well as reviews skills we learned in Computer Basics 1, highlighting text and
copying and pasting.
1. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open Mouse Tutorial.
2. Note, by the appearance of the taskbar button, that the Mouse Tutorial webpage has opened in
Internet Explorer.
3. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open WordPad.
a. Note that the WordPad window is now “in front of” the Internet Explorer window and is
therefore the active window.
b. Look at the WordPad window and notice that there is an insertion point (blinking cursor).
When you start typing; your words will start there.
c. Type your name.
d. Tap the Enter key on the keyboard to get to a new line.
4. We now want to go back to the open Internet Explorer window, Copy and Paste steps
so point to the taskbar button and click on the preview window. are on Handout 9
The Internet Explorer window is now in front and is the active
window.
a. Highlight a few words of the black text.
b. Use your keyboard combination Ctrl + C to copy the words to the computer’s memory.
5. Make WordPad the active window again. In other words, go back to the WordPad window by
clicking on its preview window.
6. Use your keyboard combination Ctrl + V to paste the words into the WordPad document.

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The Dialogue Box

A dialogue box appears when a program requires more information from the user. We have entered
content into our WordPad document and we are now going to close the document. WordPad will
recognize that we have created content and will prompt us about saving the document.
1. Close WordPad.
2. Notice the dialogue box that pops up. This dialogue box must be dealt with before we can do
anything else.

3. Watch what happens if you try to click in the body of the document or on the close button again.
The dialogue box flashes to get your attention.
4. Since we are not going to be saving this document, click Don’t Save. The WordPad program will
close.

Exploring Taskbar Buttons

Stacked Taskbar Buttons
For purposes of multi-tasking it is possible to have two instances of the same program open at one
time.
In older versions of Windows, every open program was represented by a separate button on the
taskbar. In newer versions, however, when you have more than one instance of a program open, the
buttons will “stack”.
We currently have one Internet Explorer window open. We are going to open another Internet
Explorer window.
1. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open Internet Explorer.
2. The Google website has opened in it.

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3. Look at the taskbar and note you don’t see two separate buttons but instead one button stacked
behind the other.

4. Point to the Internet Explorer button on the taskbar and you will see previews for both Internet
Explorer windows side by side. You see previews for both IE windows, but the screen of your
computer is displaying the IE page showing the Google website.

5. Point to the preview window showing the Mouse Tutorial webpage and see what happens to the
screen. The screen fills with the Mouse Tutorial webpage, but again, it is only displaying a full-
screen preview.
6. Move your cursor away and the Google screen comes back in view. When you simply point at the
preview window you can get a better look at what it represents on the screen but you will not
make it the active window until you click on the preview.
7. Point to and click on the preview window showing the Mouse Tutorial webpage to make it the
active window. Point and click on the preview window for the Google webpage to make it the
active window.
8. Close all open windows. Check the taskbar to be sure that there are no programs still running. In
the computer lab, there is no need to log off or shut down the computer.

CB2 Proficiency should be started no later than 7:00pm / 12:00pm

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Skills Review
Steps to open a program:
Mention Handout 9
1. Tap Windows logo key on keyboard

2. Click on a tile if there is one

3. If not, click into the Windows Search Box, and type the first couple of letters of the program
name and click on a search result.

How to switch between open windows:

1. Point to the taskbar button for the program you want to switch to and then
2. Point to the preview window and click it

How to Copy and Paste:

1. Select (highlight) what you want to copy
2. Use Ctrl + C key combination to copy
3. Insert cursor where you want to paste
4. Use Ctrl + V key combination to paste

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More Multitasking Practice

Teacher’s note:
These exercises focus on searching for programs rather
than using tiles, although use of tiles is not prohibited.

Practice 1
1. Using a desktop icon, open “Library Website”. What app opened up? (ans: Internet Explorer)
2. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open Word 2016 and then type your first
and last name.
3. Go back to the Internet Explorer window and copy “Select Main Library or Branch” (in the orange
box on the left).
4. Go back to the Word window and paste.
5. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open a new Word 2016 window and then
type the name of a color.
6. Go to the Internet Explorer window and copy the library hours (in the box on the left).
7. Go to the Word window with the name of a color and paste.
8. Close all the windows without saving changes.
Practice 2
1. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open the Mousercise app.
2. Click into the Windows Search Box, and search for and open Word 2016 and type your favorite TV
show.
3. Go back to the Internet Explorer window that has Mousercise in it and copy the words “Welcome
to the Mousercise!”
4. Go back to the Word window that has your TV show in it and paste.
5. Using the Windows Search Box, open a new Word 2016 window.
6. Go back to the Internet Explorer window that has Mousercise in it and copy the words “This
exercise will help you practice”.
9. Go back to the second Microsoft Word window you opened, the blank one and paste.
10. Close all the windows without saving changes.

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Practice 3

Teacher’s note:
Practice 3 most closely resembles instructions
as they are worded on the Skills Test.

1. Open Mouse Tutorial.

2. Open Word 2016. Type your favorite sports team.
3. Go back to the Internet Explorer window that has the Mouse Tutorial in it and copy the words “We
will concentrate”.
4. Go back to the Word 2016 window that has your sports team in it and paste.
5. Open a new Word 2016 window.
6. Go back to the Internet Explorer window that has the Mouse Tutorial in it and copy the green text.
7. Go back to the second Word 2016 window you opened and paste
8. Show your work to the instructor.
9. When instructed close all the windows without saving changes.

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Closing a Window using the Taskbar (supplemental)

1. Open two instances of Internet Explorer.
2. Point to one of the two Preview Windows and note that a tiny Close button appears in the Preview
Window. This button can be used to close the window.

3. You can also close multiple windows at the same time using the Taskbar button.
a. Point to the stacked Internet Explorer Button and right-click. The menu will list a command
to close all windows. Clicking on that command will close all the IE windows
b. Click on Close all windows.

Snap Assist (supplemental)

Snapping windows facilitates multi-tasking by allowing two windows to be viewed side-by-side. It is a
feature that was added in Windows 7.
1. Open any two programs.
2. Left-click the window title bar of one of the programs, hold your mouse down, and then drag it to
either the left or right edges of your screen. You'll see a transparent overlay appear, showing you
where the window will be placed. Release your mouse button to snap the window there.
3. Then, the right side of the screen will populate with a “thumbnail” of the other program window.
When you click on the on the preview window it will snap to the other side.

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 COMPUTER BASICS: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE (SESSION 2) Revised: 11/25/2019

Saving a File (supplemental)

Creating a document
1. Use the Start menu to open WordPad
2. Note the WordPad Title Bar which indicates a default file name of Document.

3. When WordPad opens, it will display a blank document ready for you to type in. The words that
you type and the formatting that you use become your document.
4. Type your first name.
5. Each document you create is temporary unless you save it as a file with a unique name and
location.
Saving the File
1. Point to the File tab and read the ScreenTip.

2. Click on the File tab to expand the menu.

3. Slide down to the Save As command. Save As is the command we use when we are saving a file for
the first time or if we want to save an existing file with a different name or a different storage
place.
4. Slide straight across and up to Rich Text document and click on it.

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5. Notice that a smaller window appears in front of our work. This small window is called a dialogue
box. Because the computer needs to know more than just “OK, save,” the dialogue box is where we
tell it how we want to save our work

6. When it comes to saving, there are two important things to identify for the computer: the location
where the file is going to be saved to, and what name you want to give the file.
7. The location where it will be saved is displayed for us in the Address field. In this case, note that
the Documents library under the Libraries directory is the default save location, but we want to
save our file somewhere else.

8. Notice other available folders and devices can be seen in the left pane, called the Navigation pane.
If we wanted to save to one of these alternate locations, we would have to click on it.

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9. We are going to save our file to the Temporary Patron Drive (P:). We must first point our cursor to
the words “Temporary Patron Drive” in the Navigation pane and then click.

10. Next, click on the words in the File name field. They will get a blue background.

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11. The blue background means the field is ready to accept typing so type a file name of me. Then click
the Save button.

12. The dialogue box disappears and your file is saved. Verification of this can be made by looking again
at the Title bar in the WordPad window. Note how instead of Document, the title is me.rtf.

13. Close the WordPad document.

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