Instructor: Shayna Keces

1
Introduction to Computers and the Windows
Operating System

• Part 2

February 2004
2
Agenda

• Handling files
• Using Windows Explorer
• Saving files
• Opening files
• Deleting files
• Creating shortcuts
• Hard drive maintenance
• Appendix -- customizing your desktop
• Further study

3
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)

4
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

5
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

6
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 Cdrive
• Double click on My documents Folder in the big
  white box underneath the Save In box so that it
  appears in Save in box

7
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 whats there and type Sample page
• Click on Save button

8
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

9
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

10
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

11
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.

12
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 its not already highlighted
• Press delete on the keyboard and click yes to
  delete the file

13
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

14
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

15
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

16
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

17
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

18
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)

19
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

20
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).

21
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.

22
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

23
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

24
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

25
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

26
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

27
Further Study Internet Sites

• Using Windows 98
• http//www.microsoft.com/windows98/usingwindows/d
  efault.asp
• Using computers http//www.elmlane.com/usingcomput
  ers/index.asp
• Windows help www.plugandwork.com/Help/Windows_Help
  .htm
• How to use Windows Explorer http//www.learnthat.c
  om/courses/computer/windows/explorer.shtml