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2 © 2007 CustomGuide, Inc.

© 2007 by CustomGuide, Inc. 1502 Nicollet Avenue South, Suite 1; Minneapolis, MN 55403

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The names of software products referred to in this manual are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. CustomGuide is a registered trademark of CustomGuide, Inc.

Your Organization’s Name Here 3

Table of Contents The Fundamentals.................................................................................................................................................... 9

A Look at Windows Vista ...................................................................................................................................... 10 What’s New in Windows Vista .............................................................................................................................. 11 Starting and Logging On to Windows Vista .......................................................................................................... 12 Understanding the Windows Vista Screen ........................................................................................................... 13 Using the Mouse: Pointing, Clicking, and Double-clicking ................................................................................... 14 Using the Mouse: Clicking and Dragging, and Right-clicking............................................................................... 16 Using the Keyboard .............................................................................................................................................. 17 Using Help and Support ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Turning Off Your Computer ................................................................................................................................... 21

Working with a Window ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Opening a Window ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Understanding the Parts of a Window .................................................................................................................. 24 Using Window Sizing Buttons .............................................................................................................................. 26 Resizing a Window ............................................................................................................................................... 27 Moving a Window ................................................................................................................................................. 28 Switching Between Windows ............................................................................................................................... 29 Arranging Windows Automatically ........................................................................................................................ 31 Closing a Window ................................................................................................................................................. 32

Working with a Program ........................................................................................................................................ 33 Using a Menu ....................................................................................................................................................... 34 Using Toolbars ...................................................................................................................................................... 35 Understanding Controls ........................................................................................................................................ 36 Entering and Editing Text in WordPad .................................................................................................................. 38 Opening a File ...................................................................................................................................................... 39 Saving a File ......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Selecting and Replacing Text ............................................................................................................................... 42 Using Undo and Redo .......................................................................................................................................... 44 Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text ...................................................................................................................... 45 Previewing and Printing a Document ................................................................................................................... 47 Getting Help .......................................................................................................................................................... 49

Working with Folders and Files ............................................................................................................................ 51 Understanding What’s in Your Computer ............................................................................................................. 52 Opening Drives, Folders and Files ....................................................................................................................... 54 Navigating to Other Locations on the Computer .................................................................................................. 55 Folder and File Basics .......................................................................................................................................... 57 Selecting Multiple Folders and Files ..................................................................................................................... 59 Copying and Moving Folders and Files ................................................................................................................ 60 Changing the Window Layout and Views ............................................................................................................. 61 Using Heading Buttons ......................................................................................................................................... 62 Using Search ........................................................................................................................................................ 63 Working with Compressed Folders ...................................................................................................................... 65

Customizing the Taskbar and Desktop ................................................................................................................ 66 Understanding the Taskbar ................................................................................................................................... 67 Customizing the Taskbar ...................................................................................................................................... 68 Understanding the Start Menu .............................................................................................................................. 70 Customizing the Start Menu ................................................................................................................................. 72 Using the Quick Launch Bar ................................................................................................................................. 74 Starting a Program Automatically with Windows .................................................................................................. 76 Working with Desktop Icons ................................................................................................................................. 77 Using Windows Sidebar ....................................................................................................................................... 78


Customizing Windows ........................................................................................................................................... 79 A Look at the Control Panel .................................................................................................................................. 80 Changing Color and Appearance ......................................................................................................................... 81 Changing the Desktop Background ...................................................................................................................... 83 Using a Screen Saver ........................................................................................................................................... 84 Adjusting Display Settings .................................................................................................................................... 85 Adjusting Sound ................................................................................................................................................... 87 Adjusting the Mouse ............................................................................................................................................. 89 Changing the Date and Time ................................................................................................................................ 91 Changing Language and Region Options ............................................................................................................ 93 Customizing Folder View Options ........................................................................................................................ 95

Free Programs ........................................................................................................................................................ 97 Windows Calendar ............................................................................................................................................... 98 Windows Contacts ................................................................................................................................................ 99 Calculator............................................................................................................................................................ 100 Notepad .............................................................................................................................................................. 101 Paint .................................................................................................................................................................... 102 Snipping Tool ...................................................................................................................................................... 104 Sound Recorder ................................................................................................................................................. 105 Windows Explorer ............................................................................................................................................... 106 WordPad ............................................................................................................................................................. 107 System Tools ...................................................................................................................................................... 108 Games ................................................................................................................................................................ 109 Other Free Programs and Accessories .............................................................................................................. 110

Using the Internet ................................................................................................................................................. 112 Introduction to the Internet.................................................................................................................................. 113 Connecting to the Internet .................................................................................................................................. 114 Displaying a Specific Web Page ......................................................................................................................... 115 Browsing the Web .............................................................................................................................................. 116 Browsing with Tabs ............................................................................................................................................. 118 Using the Information Bar and Pop-Up Blocker ................................................................................................. 120 Searching the Web ............................................................................................................................................. 122 Changing the Home Page .................................................................................................................................. 123 Using Favorites ................................................................................................................................................... 124 Using Browsing History ...................................................................................................................................... 126 Downloading Pictures and Files ......................................................................................................................... 128

Using E-mail .......................................................................................................................................................... 129 Introduction to E-mail .......................................................................................................................................... 130 Composing and Sending E-mail ......................................................................................................................... 131 Adding a Name to Windows Contacts ................................................................................................................ 133 Receiving and Printing E-mail ............................................................................................................................ 134 Replying to a Message ....................................................................................................................................... 135 Forwarding a Message ....................................................................................................................................... 136 Deleting a Message ............................................................................................................................................ 137 Controlling Junk E-Mail ....................................................................................................................................... 138

Microsoft Windows Vista Review ...................................................................................................................... 139


IInnttrroodduucciinngg CCuussttoommGGuuiiddee CCoouurrsseewwaarree Thank you for choosing CustomGuide courseware as the solution to your training needs. A proven leader in the computer training industry, CustomGuide has been the key to successful training for thousands of students and instructors across the globe.

This manual is designed for computer users of all experience levels. Novice users can use it to learn skills such as formatting text, while advanced users can use it to create their own templates.

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Lessons Each chapter contains lessons on related topics. Each lesson explains a new skill or topic and contains an exercise and exercise file to give you hands-on-experience. These skills can also be practiced using CustomGuide Online Learning.

Review A review is included at the end of the manual. Use these quiz questions and answers to assess how much you've learned.

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Table of Contents In addition to the Table of Contents found at the beginning of each courseware title, 3rd generation courseware includes a Table of Contents at the beginning of each chapter, making it even easier to locate the lessons you need.

Smart Quizzes The Quiz section, located at the back of the book, automatically updates itself when the manual is customized. For example, if you remove a lesson regarding cutting and pasting text, there will be no questions in the Quiz section that relate to cutting and pasting text.

Easier customization The design of 3rd generation is simplified, which makes it easier to customize. All you have to do is click and drag or copy and paste, or press the <Delete> key to remove a lesson, and voila; you’re done!

Use as a reference tool 3rd generation courseware breaks tasks down into basic step-by-step instructions and can be used as a virtual help desk, answering “how-to” questions in minutes.

1. Open Microsoft Word Our customizable courseware is provided as simple-to-use, editable Microsoft Word documents—if you can use Microsoft Word you can create your own training materials in minutes!

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3rd Generation Courseware: What’s New?

CustomGuide is pleased to introduce 3rd generation courseware. Completely redesigned from years of customer feedback, 3rd generation courseware features a streamlined design that is easier to customize and use as a reference tool. Take a look at the table below for more information regarding these features.

Courseware Features

Lessons are presented on one or two pages, so you can follow along without wondering when a lesson ends and a new one begins.

Each lesson includes a hands-on exercise and practice file so users can practice the topic of the lesson.

Clear step-by-step instructions answer “how-to” questions. Anything you need to click appears like this.

Tips let you know more information about a specific step or topic as a whole.

Whenever there is more than one way to do something, the most common method is presented in the numbered step, while the alternate methods appear beneath.

Tables provide summaries of the terms, toolbar buttons, and options covered in the lesson.

The table of contents, index, tables, figures, and quiz questions automatically update to reflect any changes you make to the courseware.

Icons and pictures show you what to look for as you follow the instructions.

Working with Shapes and Pictures

Exercise

Exercise File: AmericanHistory7-3.docx

Exercise: Select the header row containing the month labels, the Income row, the Total Exp. Row, and the Net Inc. row (use the Ctrl key to select multiple rows). Create a 2-D Clustered Column chart.

© 2007 CustomGuide, Inc. 102

Whenever you insert a graphic into a document, it is inserted inline with text by default. This means that the text in the document moves in order to accommodate the graphic. This lesson will show you how to adjust text wrapping and how to use the grid to position objects.

Positioning Pictures

1. Double-click the object whose text wrapping you wish to adjust.

2. Click the Text Wrapping button in the Arrange group.

3. Select a text wrapping style from the list.

The Format contextual tab appears on the Ribbon.

Horizontal and vertical gridlines appear on the page.

Tip: Gridlines do NOT appear in the printed document.

Tips

If you want to use a graphic with other graphics or objects, they must be on a drawing canvas. See the lesson on Inserting Shapes for more information.

Adjust text wrapping To adjust how text reacts to the objects in your documents, change the object’s text wrapping.

A list of text wrapping styles appears. Take a look at the Text Wrapping Styles table for a description of each style.

The text wrapping style is applied to the image.

Other Ways to Adjust Text Wrapping: Right-click the image, point to Text Wrapping in the contextual menu, and select an option from the submenu.

Other Ways to Display the Grid: Press <Shift> + <F9>, or click the Format contextual tab on the Ribbon, click the Align button in theArrange group, and select View Gridlines from the list.

1. Click the View tab on the Ribbon.

2. Click the Gridlines check box in the Show/Hide group.

To display/hide the grid Just like the graph paper you used to use in geometry class, the grid consists of horizontal and vertical lines that help you draw and position objects.

Table 7-2: Text Wrapping Styles

In Line with Text

This places the object at the insertion point in a line of text in the document. The object remains on the same layer as the text.

Square Wraps text around all sides of the square bounding box for the selected object.

Tight Wraps text tightly around the edges of the actual image (instead of wrapping around the object’s bounding box).

Behind Text

This removes text wrapping and puts the object behind text in a document The object floats on its own layer.

In Front of Text

This removes text wrapping and puts the object in front of text in a document. The object floats on its own layer.

Top and Bottom

Wraps text around the top and bottom of the object, leaving the area to the right and left of the object clear.

Through Similar to the Tight style, this style wraps text throughout the image.

Figure 7-3: A document with the grid displayed.


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A Look at Windows Vista .................................. 10 Operating systems: a brief overview ....... 10 System requirements and editions .......... 10

What’s New in Windows Vista .......................... 11

Starting and Logging On to Windows Vista .... 12

Understanding the Windows Vista Screen ..... 13

Using the Mouse: Pointing, Clicking, and Double-clicking .................................................. 14

Using the Mouse: Clicking and Dragging, and Right-clicking ..................................................... 16

Using the Keyboard ........................................... 17 Use a keystroke combination .................. 17 Special keys and their functions .............. 18

Using Help and Support .................................... 19 Search for help ........................................ 19 Browse for help ........................................ 19

Turning Off Your Computer .............................. 21

Welcome to Windows Vista! If you’re new to Windows, or to computers altogether, you’re starting at the right place. This chapter covers the “bare-bones” basics about learning how to start your computer and load Windows. You’ll learn how to operate the mouse by clicking, double-clicking, clicking and dragging, and right-clicking. You’ll also learn about your computer’s keyboard. Finally, you’ll learn how to exit Windows and shut down your computer.

Before we start, take a deep breath and relax. You may find this difficult to believe, but computers aren’t nearly as difficult and complicated as you might think they are. This chapter keeps everything as simple as possible, so you’ll be able to follow along no matter what your previous computer experience. Actually, you may find that some of the lessons in this chapter are a little too easy. When you come across something you already know, go ahead and skip the lesson.

Ready? Then turn the page and let’s get started!

1


A Look at Windows Vista Before we start pointing and clicking, it will help to understand exactly what Windows Vista is.

Operating systems: a brief overview Windows Vista is an operating system. Okay, so what’s an operating system? An operating system is a software program that controls and runs just about everything on your computer, including:

• Controls Your Computer’s Hardware Windows controls the different devices on your computer system. It’s what makes your printer print, what makes graphics and text appear on your monitor, and what makes your mouse point and click. (Actually, you make the mouse point and click, but Windows is what puts the mouse pointer on the screen and electronically connects it to your mouse.)

• Runs Your Computer’s Programs Windows is what runs all your programs. Without Windows, your word processor, Web browser (Internet), and games wouldn’t work. Windows lets your programs “talk” to your hardware, so you can do things like print documents from your word processor on the printer.

• Organizes Files Windows stores information in files and folders on your computer’s hard disk, just as you store files and folders in a filing cabinet.

Think of the operating system as an orchestra conductor who makes sure all the parts of your computer—your hardware and programs—work together. Operating systems have been around for a long time; what makes Windows special is its ability to make computer operations easy by using a graphical user interface. With Windows, all you have to do is point and click to do something.

System requirements and editions Vista is a significant upgrade to the Windows line of operating systems and comes in the editions shown in Table 1-1: Windows Vista Editions. To use Windows Vista, your computer should meet the settings in Table 1-2: System Requirements.

If your computer doesn’t meet these requirements, you probably need to beef up your system before you make the switch to Windows Vista.

Exercise

• Exercise File: None required.

• Exercise: Identify the Vista edition installed on your computer. Understand how this edition is different from other editions.

Table 1-1: Windows Vista Editions

Home Basic A bare-bones version of Vista, offering a base of important features such as increased security and improved browsing, and easier networking connectivity. Many of the bells and whistles that make Vista unique are not included.

Home Premium

Provides improved background features, such as better security, networking and search features, along with premium features for home users such as Windows Media Center, Movie Maker and DVD Maker, and new games. Vista’s bells and whistles such as Aero, Flip 3D, and ad hoc networking are also included.

Business Offers improved business functions for networking, security, and mobility. Vista’s bells and whistles such as Aero, Flip 3D, and ad hoc networking are also included.

Ultimate Packages the Home Premium and Business editions together for a system that has all the professional features for an office and the entertainment features for home use.

Table 1-2: System Requirements

1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

Minimum 1 GB of system memory

40 GB hard drive with a minimum of 15 GB free disk space

Support for DirectX 9 graphics with: WDDM Driver 128 MB graphics memory Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware 32 bits per pixel

DVD-ROM drive

Audio Output

Internet access

The Fundamentals The Fundamentals


What’s New in Windows Vista Windows Vista is very different from previous versions of the program. Table 1-3: What’s New in Windows Vista gives you an overview of what to expect.

Tips

This table covers new features that are included in Home Premium, Business and Ultimate editions. For more information on your specific computer, open Windows Help and Support and click What’s new?

Table 1-3: What’s New in Windows Vista

Instant Search A new Search box appears in the upper right corner of every folder window, and in the Start menu. Windows filters the view based on what you type in the box, searching for words in the file name, tags, and other properties.

Updated user interface The user interface has gotten a fresh new look with Windows Aero, the premium visual experience of Windows. This includes features such as Flip 3D, a great way to preview and find your open windows.

Improved security Windows Firewall and Windows Defender keep your computer secure, while the Windows Security Center keeps security features up to date. User Account Control prevents unauthorized changes to your computer by requiring permission before performing actions.

Better browsing A new Internet Explorer makes surfing the Internet easier with tabbed browsing, RSS feeds and instant search.

Best choice for laptops The Windows Mobility Center and Tablet PC support make Windows Vista easy to pack up and go.

Easier networking connectivity

The Network and Sharing Center makes it easier to stay connected whenever and wherever you need.

Windows Sidebar An addition to the desktop, keep small applications and tools, called gadgets, quickly accessible here.

Exercise


• Exercise: Review the new features in Microsoft Windows Vista.

The Fundamentals

Starting and Logging On to Windows Vista After taking off your jacket and grabbing a cup of coffee, you probably begin your day by turning on your computer. This lesson explains what you need to do when the Welcome screen appears.

1. If prompted, press <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete>.

This keystroke combination is a security measure that can be turned on or off, so you may not need it to start using your computer.

The Welcome screen appears with the names of active accounts on the computer.

2. Click your account.

If required, a text box for the password appears.

3. Enter your password and press Enter.

Presto! You’re logged on to Windows Vista and are ready to get to work.

Tip: Remember that when you enter your password, Windows will display •••••• to protect your password from prying eyes.

Tips

Your log in process will be different if the Ctrl + Alt + Delete or Welcome screens are not turned on.

Exercise


• Exercise: Log on to your account in Windows Vista.

Figure 1-1: The Welcome screen.

The Fundamentals


Understanding the Windows Vista Screen When you log on to your account, the main screen where you do all your work appears. Called the desktop, it serves as a surface for your work. When you open programs or folders, they appear on the desktop. You can also put things on the desktop, such as files and folders, and arrange them however you want.

Desktop: This is the large background area of the Windows screen, where you put things that you want to work on. You can customize and change the appearance of the desktop.

Start button: The Start button opens the Start menu, where you open your programs and documents. You can also use the Start menu to find files and change Windows settings.

Recycle Bin: The Recycle Bin stores all the files you delete from your computer. The deleted files remain there and can be retrieved until you empty the Recycle Bin.

Quick Launch Bar: Quick Launch gives you quick access to desktop commands like Show Desktop and Flip 3D, and shortcuts to frequently used applications like Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.

Taskbar: The Taskbar appears at the bottom of your screen. Whenever you open a program, document, or folder, a button for that window appears on the taskbar. This lets you see which windows are open and allows you to switch between them.

Sidebar: The Sidebar contains small programs called gadgets that make information and tools easily accessible.

Exercise


• Exercise: Review and identify the parts of the Windows Vista screen.

The Fundamentals


Using the Mouse: Pointing, Clicking, and Double-clicking Just like you control your television set using a remote control, you control Windows by using the mouse. A mouse is a palm-sized device that lets you point to, select, and move objects on your computer screen. The mouse is linked to the pointer on your computer screen—when you move the mouse on your desk, the pointer moves on the computer screen. Think of the mouse as an electronic extension of your hand. This lesson will show you how to perform the most basic mouse actions.

Point Pointing is the most basic action you can do with the mouse. To point to something, simply place the mouse pointer over it by moving the mouse.

• Move the mouse so that the pointer is over the object.

A screen tip appears with a description of the object.

Click Clicking means pressing and releasing the left mouse button one time. The mouse makes a clicking noise whenever you press and release one of its buttons, hence the term “clicking”. The next steps will show you how to open the Start menu by clicking it. Also, Table 1-4: Click When You Want To… describes different times when you will want to click.

1. Point to the object.

2. Press and release the left mouse button.

Tip: Most mice have two buttons. You will use the left mouse button whenever you see the words click or double-click. The right mouse button has its own purpose, which we’ll discuss in an upcoming lesson.

Double-click Double-clicking means pressing and releasing the mouse button twice in rapid succession. You will usually open an object, such as a file or folder, by double-clicking it. See Table 1-5: Double-click When You Want To… to find out when you will need to double-click.

Exercise


• Exercise: Point to the Recycle Bin and view its screen tip. Click the Start button to open the Start menu and close the menu without selecting anything. Double-click the Recycle Bin to open it.

Figure 1-2: A screen tip appears when an object is pointed at with the mouse pointer.

Figure 1-3: Clicking the mouse.

Table 1-4: Click When You Want To…

Select something.

Open a menu.

Press a button on a toolbar or a control in a dialog box.

Move to the area or field you want in a program or dialog box.

The Fundamentals

“Click!” Click Press and release the left mouse button.

“Click!” “Click!”

Double-click Quickly press and release the left mouse button twice, in rapid succession.


• Point to the object and click the mouse button twice in rapid succession.

Tip: A lot of people have problems the first time they try double-clicking. If your double-click doesn’t seem to work, it’s probably because you’re either not holding the mouse steady, or you’re not clicking fast enough. If you press the mouse button too hard, you may accidentally slide the mouse and your double-click won’t register.

Table 1-5: Double-click When You Want To…

Open a file.

Open a folder.

Display the properties or settings for an object (in certain programs).

The Fundamentals


Using the Mouse: Clicking and Dragging, and Right-clicking This lesson shows you mouse commands that are a little more advanced: clicking and dragging, and right-clicking.

Click and drag You can move items around your computer screen by clicking and dragging them with the mouse. See Table 1-6: Things You Can Click and Drag to learn about items you can click and drag.

• Point to the object and click. While holding down the mouse button, drag the object to the desired location on the screen. Release the mouse button.

Right-click Whenever you right-click something, it brings up a shortcut menu that lists everything you can do to the object. Whenever you’re unsure or curious about what you can do with an object, point to it and click it with the right mouse button. A contextual menu will appear with a list of commands related to the object or area you right-clicked.

1. Point to the object and click the right mouse button.

A contextual menu of commands related to the object appears.

2. Select a command from the contextual menu with the left mouse button.

The selected command is issued.

Tip: To close the contextual menu without selecting a command, click outside the contextual menu.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Recycle Bin window. Right-click the Recycle Bin button on the taskbar and select Close from the contextual menu. Click and drag the Recycle Bin icon to the middle of the desktop.

Figure 1-4: Clicking and dragging the mouse.

Table 1-6: Things You Can Click and Drag

Do this… By doing this…

Move a window to a new location on the screen.

Drag the window by its title bar and drop it in a new location on the screen.

Move a file to a new folder.

Drag the file and drop it in the desired folder.

Change the size of a window.

Drag the borders or corners of the window.

Scroll a window to see something located off-screen.

Drag the scroll box (the little elevator) up or down the scroll bar and drop it in a new location.

Move just about anything on your computer’s screen.

Point to the object, click, and hold down the mouse button, drag the object to a new place, and then release the mouse button.

The Fundamentals The Fundamentals

Click Place the pointer over an object and press and hold down the left mouse button.

DragWhile you are still holding down the button, move the mouse to where you want to place the object and then release the mouse button.

Using the Keyboard Now that you’ve mastered the mouse, it’s time to move on to the other device that you use to control your computer: the keyboard. The keyboard may seem more familiar and easy to use than the mouse at first, but don’t be fooled! Computer keyboards sneak in some extra keys that are very useful. This lesson explains what these extra keys on the keyboard are and when to use them.

Tips

Check the menus of programs for shortcuts. If a letter is underlined in a menu, that usually means that pressing the <Alt> key in combination with the underlined key will have the same effect as clicking that menu item.

Use a keystroke shortcut Keystroke shortcuts are alternative ways to give commands. In many cases, they are much faster and easier to use than clicking a button or selecting commands from a menu. For example, the keystroke commands to copy, cut, and paste are wonderful time savers.

• Press and hold down the first key, press the second key, then release both keys. The command is given, just as if it was pointed out by the mouse.

Exercise


• Exercise: Press <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete> and start the Task Manager. Close the Task Manager.

The Fundamentals

Special keys and their functions Refer to Table 1-7: Special Keys and Their Functions for descriptions of some special keys.

Table 1-7: Special Keys and Their Functions

Windows logo key Press to open the Start menu. This can also be used in conjunction with other keys to enable such features as Flip 3D.

Alt The <Alt> key doesn’t do anything by itself—it needs another key to make things happen. For example, pressing the <Tab> key while holding down the <Alt> key switches between any programs that are currently running.

Ctrl Just like the <Alt> key, the <Ctrl> key doesn’t do anything by itself—you need to press another key along with it to make things happen. For example, pressing the <X> key while holding down the <Ctrl> key cuts whatever is selected.

F1 The <F1> key is the Help key for most programs. Pressing it displays helpful information about what you’re doing and answers your questions about the program.

Esc The <Esc> (Escape) key is the “Wait, I’ve changed my mind!” key. Its function is the same as clicking Cancel in a dialog box. For example, if you click something and an unfamiliar dialog box appears, you can close it by pressing the <Esc> key.

Enter The <Enter> key is the “Carry out my orders” key. Its function is the same as clicking OK in a dialog box. For example, after you’ve typed the name of a program you want to run in a dialog box, press <Enter> to run the program. The <Enter> key also adds new lines and starts new paragraphs if you’re entering text.

Tab When you’re in a dialog box, pressing the <Tab> key moves to the next field. When you’re using a word processor, the <Tab> key works just like you’d think it would: it jumps to the nearest tab stop whenever you press it.

Arrow Keys

The arrow keys move your computer’s cursor on the screen.

Delete Nothing surprising here. The <Delete> key deletes or erases whatever you select—files, text, or graphical objects. If you’re working with text, the <Delete> key erases characters to the right of the insertion point.

Backspace Use the <Backspace> key to fix your typing mistakes—it erases characters to the left of the insertion point.

The Fundamentals

Using Help and Support When you don’t know how to do something in Windows Vista, look up your question in the Help and Support files. The Help and Support files can answer your questions, offer tips, and provide help for all of Vista’s features.

Search for help

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar and select Help and Support from the right pane.

The Help and Support window appears.

Other Ways to Open the Help and Support Window: Press <F1>. (This only works if no other programs are open. Otherwise, F1 will open the Help files for another programs, not Vista.)

2. Type what you want to search for in the Search Help box near the top of the window and press <Enter>.

A list of results related to the help topics appears.

3. Click the topic that best matches what you’re looking for.

Information regarding the selected topic is displayed.

Browse for help If you’re not totally sure what you’re looking for, browsing the Help files is a great way to learn more about your computer.

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar and select Help and Support from the right pane.

The Help and Support window appears.

To browse, use the buttons along the top of the window as shown in Table 1-8: Help Buttons.

2. Click the category that you want to browse.

The topics are divided into six categories:

• Windows Basics: Covers the most basic tasks and functions of Windows.

• Table of Contents: Lists all the topics available in Help and Support.

• Security and Maintenance: Covers all the security features included in Windows Vista.

Exercise


• Exercise: Search a topic of your desire using Windows Help and Support, or just browse the files.

Figure 1-5: The Windows Help and Support window.

Table 1-8: Help Buttons

Back Click here to move back to the previous help topic.

Forward Click here to move forward to the next help topic.

Home Click here to return to the Help

home page.

Print Click here to print the current

help topic.

Show Table of Contents

Click here to browse for help using the Table of Contents.

Change Font Size

Click here to change the size of the text in the Help window.

Options Click here to change how the Help window works and is displayed.

The Fundamentals


• Troubleshooting: Displays solutions for common computer problems, such as if you are having trouble connecting to the Internet, or problems with sound on your computer.

• Windows Online Help: Online help has many more help topics to browse and search than the collection of help topics on your computer. (This category requires a connection to the Internet.)

• What’s new?: Review all the new features in Windows Vista.

3. Click the topic is closest to what you’re looking for.

Help and Support displays information regarding the selected topic.

Tips

You can also use the “Ask someone” section of Help and Support to ask questions of a friend or co-worker through Remote Assistance, use the resources of Windows communities, or contact Microsoft Customer Support.

The Fundamentals


Turning Off Your Computer When you’ve finished using your computer, it’s important to turn it off properly. This ensures that files are saved correctly and your computer stays secure. It also makes restarting the computer faster. There are several ways you can do this, as shown in Table 1-9: Power Modes.

1. Click the Start button and click the Power button in the lower-right corner of the Start menu.

The computer goes to sleep. When in sleep mode, your computer is in a very low power setting that allows you to leave programs and files open.

Other Ways to Turn Off the Computer: Click the Lock list arrow and select a power mode from the list.

2. Press the power button on your computer case to wake up your computer.

The screen looks exactly as it did when you put your computer into sleep mode.

Tips

Microsoft recommends that you always put your computer in sleep mode when you are finished using it, even for laptop users. Use Shut Down for when you are installing new hardware or a device that does not connect to a USB port.

You may have to log in to your account from the Welcome screen upon waking up the computer. This is a security measure.

Exercise


• Exercise: Put your computer in sleep mode, then wake it up and begin using it again.

Figure 1-6: The Lock button list in the right pane of the Start menu.

Table 1-9: Power Modes

Switch User

Allows you to work with several accounts on the computer at the same time.

Log Off This option appears only if your computer is connected to a network. This option closes all your programs and disconnects your computer from the network, preparing your computer to be used by someone else

Lock Locks the computer so your password is required to unlock it.

Restart Shuts down all programs and windows, shuts down the computer, and restarts it again. Try this if your computer is acting up.

Sleep This is the default power setting. Keeps all programs and files open on your desktop so you return to the desktop ready for you to jump in where you left off.

Hibernate Hibernate goes one step further than Sleep, allowing you to keep programs and documents open and shut off power. Hibernate saves your desktop status to the hard disk so the power can be turned off.

Shut Down Select this option to turn your computer off. It saves your Windows settings and saves any information stored in memory to the local disk.

The Fundamentals


WWoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh aa WWiinnddooww

Opening a Window ............................................ 23 Start a program ........................................ 23 Open a folder ........................................... 23

Understanding the Parts of a Window ............. 24

Using Window Sizing Buttons .......................... 26 Maximize a window .................................. 26 Restore a maximized window .................. 26 Minimize a window ................................... 26 Restore a minimized a window ................ 26

Resizing a Window ............................................ 27

Moving a Window .............................................. 28

Switching Between Windows ........................... 29 Taskbar buttons ....................................... 29 Flip 3D ..................................................... 29 Jump to a window .................................... 30

Arranging Windows Automatically .................. 31 Show the desktop .................................... 31

Closing a Window .............................................. 32

No doubt about it: computers are sophisticated, complex machines. To make computers easier to use, Microsoft designed Windows to operate similar to how you work at the desk in your office. When you work at your desk, you spread everything out, grab a piece of paper, work on it for a while, and then shuffle another piece of paper on top of it. That’s how Windows works, except instead of working with papers, you work with windows—boxes that contain programs and information.

You can shuffle these windows around the screen just like you shuffle papers on your desk—which is why the main Windows screen is called the desktop. Just like your desk, if you’re working with a lot of things at the same time, the Windows desktop can become messy and it can be very difficult to find things.

This chapter explains how to manage the windows and programs on your screen. First, you’ll learn how to open a window. Next, you’ll discover the parts that constitute a window (which are A LOT different than the ones on your house). Then you’ll learn how to change the size of a window—minimizing it to a tiny little button that appears only on the taskbar and maximizing it so that it fills the entire screen. You’ll also learn how to “shuffle” windows around, sending some to the background and bringing others to the forefront. Let’s get started!

2


Opening a Window A window is where everything happens in Windows Vista. By definition, it is a rectangular area on a computer screen in which programs and content appear. When you want to start doing something, you open a window. A window can be moved, resized, minimized, or closed.

The contents of folders are shown in windows. Programs also have their own windows. Here’s how to open both of them.

Start a program Programs allow you to create and work with documents. Most of your work is done within a program window.

1. Click the Start button.

Tip: Commonly used programs are pinned to Recent Items in the left pane of the Start menu. Click one of these programs to open it.

2. Click All Programs to view more options. Or, click a program in the left pane of the Start menu.

A list of all the programs installed on the computer appears. You may have to click through submenus to find the program you need.

3. Select the menu and any submenus where the program you want to run is located.

4. Click the name of the program you want to start.

Tips

The All Programs menu is a list of the programs available on your computer. Programs usually add themselves to the All Programs menu when installed.

Some people refer to starting a program as launching.

Open a folder Another common way to use windows is through folders. You can browse through folders and then double-click a file to open it in the required program. The best place to start is by opening one of the commonly used folders listed in the Start menu.


Tip: The right pane of the Start menu displays folders that are commonly used.

2. Click a folder on the right pane of the Start menu.

The folder opens in a new window.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the WordPad program (this is located in the Accessories folder under All Programs). Open the Documents folder from the Start menu.

Figure 2-1: Starting a program in the Start menu.

Working with a Window

Start a program View a folder


Understanding the Parts of a Window Most windows have the same basic parts, whether they are displaying a program, file, or folder. Take a look at the diagrams below for an overview of a couple different types of windows.

Title bar: Displays the name of the document and program. Menu bar: Controls what the program does. The menus listed on the menu bar change from program to program, but the menu bar’s location doesn’t—it’s always perched near the top of a window, right below the Title bar.

Minimize button: Hiding it from your screen but still running in your computer’s memory, ready for quick use. You can minimize a window you’re not using so that it is still running but is hidden in the taskbar.

Border: Click and drag a border or corner of the window to change its size.

Maximize/Restore button: Depending on the size of the window, this button toggles between maximize and restore.

Maximize: Enlarges the window so that it fills the entire screen. This lets you see more of the window’s contents. The Maximize button only appears when the window isn’t maximized (doesn’t fill the entire screen).

Restore: When a window is maximized (fills the entire screen), clicking the Restore button returns the window to its previous smaller size.

Scroll bar: There are both vertical and horizontal scroll bars: you use them to view and move in your document.

Close button: Closes the window or program when you’re finished working with it, removing it from the screen and the computer’s memory.

Status bar: Displays information about the document.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Have the WordPad program open.

• Exercise: Identify the parts of the window.

Working with a Window Working with a Window


Address bar: Displays the location of the folder that is being viewed.

Close button: Closes the window or program when you’re finished working with it, removing it from the screen and the computer’s memory.

Title bar: Click and drag to move the window on the desktop. Toolbar: Contains buttons for common commands that can be performed on the files in the folder.

Minimize button: Hiding it from your screen but still running in your computer’s memory, ready for quick use. You can minimize a window you’re not using so that it is still running but is hidden in the taskbar.

Scroll bar: There are both vertical and horizontal scroll bars: you use them to view and move in your document.

Maximize/Restore button: Depending on the size of the window, this button toggles between maximize and restore.

Maximize: Enlarges the window so that it fills the entire screen. This lets you see more of the window’s contents. The Maximize button only appears when the window isn’t maximized (doesn’t fill the entire screen).

Restore: When a window is maximized (fills the entire screen), clicking the Restore button returns the window to its previous smaller size.

Border: Click and drag a border or corner of the window to change its size.



Using Window Sizing Buttons One of the benefits of Windows is that it enables you to open and work with several windows at the same time. To make this easier, you can change the size of the windows. You can maximize, or enlarge, a window so it takes up the entire screen; or minimize, or reduce, a window so that it only appears as a button in the taskbar. This lesson explains how to change the size of a window by maximizing, minimizing, and restoring.

Maximize a window Some programs, such as word processors and Web browsers, are easier to work with when they fill the entire screen.

• Click the Maximize button in the window or double-click the title bar.

The window fills the computer screen.

Tip: If the Maximize button is not available, the window is already maximized.

Restore a maximized a window You can change a maximized window back to its original size by clicking the Restore button. The Restore button appears in place of the Maximize button whenever a window is already in a maximized state.

• Click the Restore button in the window or double-click the title bar.

The maximized window returns to its original size.

Tip: If the Restore button is not available, the window is not in its maximized state.

Minimize a window You can tuck windows away—keeping them running and ready for use, yet out of view—by minimizing them.

• Click the Minimize button in the window.

The window shrinks to a button located on the taskbar. The window is still open and running—it’s just hidden from view, ready for future use.

Restore a minimized a window It’s easy to display a minimized program or window when you’re ready to use it again.

• Click the window’s button on the taskbar.

The window appears on the screen.

Exercise

• Exercise File: WordPad window.

• Exercise: Maximize the WordPad window, then restore it to its original size. Minimize the WordPad window and open it again from the taskbar.

Figure 2-2: A maximized window filling the whole screen.

Figure 2-3: A window restored to its original size.

Figure 2-4: A window minimized in the taskbar.


Restore Down Minimize

Maximize

Program window minimized in the taskbar.


Resizing a Window This lesson explains how to fine-tune the size of a window.

1. Point at the window’s borders or corners until the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow .

You can change a window’s size by dragging its left, right, top, and bottom borders. You can also resize a window by dragging its corners just like you drag its borders.

2. Click and hold down the mouse button and drag the border or corner until the window is the size you want.

The window is resized. Table 2-1: Resizing Pointers describes different types of resizing pointers.

Exercise

• Exercise File: WordPad window in a restored state (not maximized or minimized).

• Exercise: Increase the width of the window.

Table 2-1: Resizing Pointers

The Vertical Resize pointer appears when you resize a window by its top or bottom border.

The Horizontal Resize pointer appears when you resize a window by its left or right border.

The Diagonal Resize pointers appear when you resize a window by its corners. Resizing diagonally allows you to resize vertically and horizontally at the same time.

Figure 2-5: Click and drag a window border to resize the window.



Moving a Window If you have several programs or windows open, you may find that one window covers the other windows or other items on your screen. When this happens, you can simply move a window to a new location on the screen, just like you would move a report or folder to a different location on your desk.

1. Click and drag the window by its title bar.

The title bar is the top border of a window.

2. Release the mouse button to drop the window in the desired location on the screen.

The window is moved, and will appear in that location when it is restored.

Tips

A window cannot be moved if it is in a maximized or minimized state.

Exercise

• Exercise File: WordPad window.

• Exercise: Move the WordPad window to another location on the desktop.

Figure 2-6: Click and drag the window’s title bar to move it on the desktop.


Switching Between Windows You can have several programs or windows open and running simultaneously, but you can only work in one window at a time. The window you’re working with is called the active window and always appears on top of any other windows that you have open. If you think about it, you do the same thing at your desk. When you want to work on a piece of paper, you place it on top of everything else.

This lesson shows you how to manage multiple windows so you can get to the window you want more quickly.

Taskbar buttons All open windows are represented by taskbar buttons. Switching between windows by clicking its taskbar button is fast and easy.

• Click the window’s taskbar button to make it active.

The window becomes the active window.

Other Ways to Bring a Window to the Front: Click any part of the window you want to make active.

Tip: If several windows of the same type are open, Windows will group them into one taskbar button to create more space. For example, if you have several Notepad documents open, a list of the open documents will appear when you click the Notepad taskbar button.

Tip: A live, thumbnail-sized window appears when you point to a button on the taskbar.

Flip 3D This is a great way to quickly preview all your open windows. Flip through the stack of windows until the window you want to make active appears on top. Minimized windows are not included in the stack.

1. Press the Windows logo key < > + <Tab>.

Flip 3D opens and the windows are shown in a stack.

Other Ways to Open Flip 3D: Click the Switch between windows button in the Quick Launch bar on the taskbar. Click a window in a stack to make it active, or click outside the stack to close Flip 3D without switching windows.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Have the WordPad program window, the Documents folder window, and an Internet Explorer window open. You may have other windows open as well.

• Exercise: Use the taskbar buttons to make each window active. Use Flip 3D and flip through the stack of open windows. Press Alt + Tab and cycle through the windows as a list.

Figure 2-7: Working with taskbar buttons.

Figure 2-8: Previewing open windows using Flip 3D.


Multiple open windows grouped into one taskbar button.

Click a taskbar button to make it the active window.

2. Hold down the Windows logo key < > and press <Tab> to cycle through the windows.

A preview of the window appears as you cycle through the stack.

Other Ways to Cycle through Flip 3D: Rotate the mouse wheel while the Windows logo key is pressed. Or, press the Right <→> and Down <↓> arrows to cycle forward: the Left <← > and Up <↑> arrows to cycle backward.

3. Release the Windows logo key < > to make the window in front of the stack active. Or, click a window in the stack to make it active.

Flip 3D closes and the window is displayed as the active window on the desktop.

Tips

To keep Flip 3D open without holding down the Windows logo key, press <Ctrl> + Windows logo key < > + <Tab>. Use Tab, the mouse wheel, or arrow keys to cycle through windows. Press <Esc> to close Flip 3D.

Jump to a window You can also jump to another open window using <Alt> + <Tab>. This method displays a list and thumbnails of the open windows on your computer.

1. Press <Alt> + <Tab>.

A list of the open windows appears. Each window is represented by a thumbnail preview.

2. Hold down the <Alt > key: press <Tab> to cycle forward through the windows; <Shift> + <Tab> to cycle backward.

3. Release the <Alt > key to make the selected window active.

The selected window is displayed as the active window on the desktop.

Tips

Press <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Tab> to keep the list open and use <Tab> to cycle through the windows. Press <Enter> to make the selected window active, press <Esc> to close without changing windows.

<Alt> + <Tab> and Flip 3D are especially useful when you use programs that fill the entire computer screen. When you can’t see the taskbar or any part of another window, these methods are the only way you can switch between programs and windows.

Figure 2-9: Pressing <Alt> + <Tab> displays thumbnails of the windows you have open.


Arranging Windows Automatically When you have several windows or programs open, you can have Windows automatically arrange them for you, instead of manually resizing and pushing them around yourself. Your windows can be arranged by stacking, cascading and side by side.

This lesson shows you how to arrange multiple windows in a way that makes sense and is easy to work with.

1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.

A contextual menu appears. There are three arrangements to choose from.

• Cascade Windows: Windows neatly overlap each other.

• Show Windows Stacked: View the contents of all open windows in a horizontal fashion.

• Show Windows Side by Side: View the contents of all open windows in a vertical fashion.

Tip: If a lot of windows are open, click the small blank area between the last taskbar button and the notification area.

2. Select the arrangement you want to use.

The windows are arranged on the desktop.

Tips

Windows that are minimized are not included in the automatic arrangement.

To go back to how your windows were arranged before, right-click the taskbar and select the Undo (arrangement) command.

Show the desktop Sometimes if you have many windows open, it can be overwhelming to sort and sift through the taskbar buttons to find the windows you want. Start with a blank slate by showing the desktop, and then click the taskbar buttons for the windows you want to work with.

• Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Show the Desktop. Or, click the Show desktop button in the quick launch area of the taskbar.

All the open windows are minimized into the taskbar.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Have the WordPad program window, the Documents folder window, and an Internet Explorer window open. You may have other windows open as well.

• Exercise: Experiment with arranging windows and minimizing the windows by showing the desktop.

Figure 2-10: Window arrangements.


Cascade

Stacked

Side by Side

Closing a Window When you’re finished working with a window or program, you can close it to remove it from the screen and computer’s memory. You can close any window or program by clicking its Close button, which appears in the upper-right corner of the window.

• Click the window’s Close button.

Other Ways to Close a Window: Select File → Exit from the menu. Or, right-click the window’s button on the taskbar and select Close from the contextual menu. Or press <Alt> + <F4>.

The window button no longer appears in the taskbar.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Open windows.

• Exercise: Close all open windows on the desktop.

Figure 2-11: Closing a window.


Close button

Window taskbar button

The window’s taskbar button disappears when you close the window.


WWoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh aa PPrrooggrraamm

Using a Menu ..................................................... 34

Using Toolbars ................................................... 35

Understanding Controls ................................... 36

Entering and Editing Text in WordPad ............ 38

Opening a File .................................................... 39

Saving a File ....................................................... 40 Save a new document ............................. 40 Save document changes ......................... 41 Save a document under a different name and/or location ......................................... 41 Save a document as a different file type . 41

Selecting and Replacing Text ........................... 42

Using Undo and Redo ....................................... 44 Undo an action ......................................... 44 Redo an action ......................................... 44

Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text ................. 45

Previewing and Printing a Document .............. 47

Getting Help ....................................................... 49 Search for help ........................................ 49 Browse for help ........................................ 49

Up until now, we’ve been focusing on how to use the Vista operating system. In this chapter, you’ll be working with a program. This chapter explains how to control programs using menus and toolbars. You’ll also learn what a dialog box is (you’ll see a lot of them in Windows), and how to use its controls.

While each program is different, the procedure for doing things in all programs is much the same. This chapter explains these basic generic tasks using the WordPad program. You’ll learn how to enter, edit, and delete text; how to open, save, and print a file; and how to get help when you need it. Once you’ve learned these basic skills in WordPad, you can apply them to just about every other Windows program. Let’s get started…

3

Using a Menu This lesson explains the most common way to issue commands to Windows programs—using menus. You can find a program’s menu near the top of a window just beneath the title bar. The words File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, and Help appear near the top of the WordPad window. Those words are menus, and they can be opened simply by clicking them. For a brief description of what each menu does, see Table 3-1: Menus in WordPad.

1. Click the menu name with the mouse.

The commands in the menu appear.

Other Ways to Open a Menu Press <Alt> and the underlined letter in the menu name. For example, <Alt> and <F> open the File menu.

Tip: Close a menu without selecting any commands by clicking anywhere outside the menu or by pressing the <Esc> key.

2. Select one of the commands from the menu.

The command is executed.

You’ll notice that some commands end with ellipses (…) and some do not. Commands without ellipses occur right away when clicked, and commands with ellipses open a dialog box.

Tip: In some programs, certain menus contain a submenu; that is, a smaller list of options within a menu item. To view the submenu, use the mouse to point to a menu item with a black triangle ( ).

The submenu will appear. Move the cursor straight along the highlighted choice into the submenu, and click to make a selection.

Exercise

• Exercise File: The WordPad program.

• Exercise: Explore the menus in WordPad.

Figure 3-1: The WordPad menu bar includes menus called File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, and Help.

Table 3-1: Menus in WordPad

File Commands to open, save, close, print, and create new files.

Edit Commands to copy, cut, paste, find, and replace text in a document.

View Commands to change how the document is displayed on the screen.

Insert Lists items that you can insert into a document, such as graphics, page numbers, and the current date.

Format Commands to format text, paragraphs, tab stops, etc. Strangely, the command to format the page (i.e. margins, etc.) is located in the File menu under Page Setup.

Help Get help on the program you are using.

Working with a Program

Edit menu

Paste command


Using Toolbars While menus contain every conceivable command for a program, toolbars contain buttons for the commands you use most frequently. Instead of having to wade through several menus to do something, you can click a single button.

Two toolbars appear in the WordPad program—the Standard toolbar and the Formatting toolbar. The Standard toolbar appears on top and contains buttons for the most frequently used commands in WordPad, such as saving and printing a document. The Formatting toolbar is located right underneath the Standard toolbar and has buttons for quickly formatting fonts and paragraphs.

Toolbar buttons have small icons to indicate what they do. For example, a small picture of a printer appears on the Print button. If you still don’t know what a button is used for, move the pointer over the button and wait a few seconds. Usually, a little window called a ScreenTip will appear with a brief description of the button.

1. Position the pointer over the toolbar button and wait a second.

A ScreenTip appears above the button.

2. Click the toolbar button.

The command is given in the program.

Tip: To hide a toolbar, click the View menu and select the toolbar.

Exercise

• Exercise File: A blank document in the WordPad program.

• Exercise: Click on Date/Time on the Toolbar. When the dialog box appears, click OK.

Figure 3-2: You can hide toolbars with the View menu.

Figure 3-3: The Toolbar and Format Bar in WordPad.


Toolbar

Format Bar

ScreenTip

Select a toolbar from the menu to uncheck the toolbar and hide it from view.

Understanding Controls Some commands are more complicated than others are. For example, saving a file is a simple process—all you have to do is click File on the menu bar and select Save from the menu, or click the Save button on the Toolbar. Other commands are more complex.

Whenever you want to do something relatively complicated in Windows, you need to fill out a dialog box. Filling out a dialog box is not much different than filling out a paper form. This lesson will show you how to use the various controls you will come across.

• Click the control with the mouse.

See Table 3-2: Common Controls in Vista for more information on controls.

Other Ways to Select a Dialog Box Control: Press <Tab> to move to the next control in the dialog box or <Shift> + <Tab> to move to the previous control until you arrive at the desired control. Press <Enter> to choose the control.

Exercise


• Exercise: Select File → Page Setup from the menu. Make changes to the paper size, orientation, and margins in the Page Setup dialog box. Click OK when complete.

Figure 3-4: Understanding different types of controls.


Tab

Option button Command button

Check box

Text box

List box

Command button

Scroll box

Drop-Down List

Slider


Table 3-2: Common Controls in Vista

Scroll bars There are several ways to use a scroll bar to display information that runs outside the space of the window. Click on the arrow buttons on either end of the scroll bar to move a small amount at a time. Click and hold the arrow buttons to scroll continuously. Click and drag on the scroll box to move quickly through a document. In addition, some input devices (such as a mouse) will have a wheel that you can turn to scroll up and down a page.

Command buttons When a dialog box appears, you will often need to click a command button to close it or continue to the next dialog box.

Text boxes Simply type the information directly into the text box at the insertion point. If there is no insertion point visible, click on the box first.

Drop-down list Click a drop-down list to display the options. Use the scroll bar or the arrow keys to move up and down through its options and click on your selection.

List boxes A list box is similar to a drop-down menu, but the list box displays several options. Again, use the scroll bar or the arrow keys to move up and down through the options that are not displayed and click to make a selection.

Option button Select an option by clicking one of the buttons. A marker will appear in the button once it has been selected. Only one option button may be selected.

Check box Unlike option buttons, several check boxes may be selected. Select options by clicking in one or more of the boxes. A check will appear in the box once it has been selected.

Sliders Click the slider control and drag it left and right (or up and down) to select from a range of options.

Tabs Tabs are separate pages that overlap one another. Click on a tab display its page in front of the rest.


Entering and Editing Text in WordPad This lesson explains how to create a document and edit using the WordPad program. Actually, there isn’t much to explain. All you have to do is type!

Enter text Entering text is as easy as it sounds: all you have to do is type!

1. Place the insertion point (the blinking bar) in WordPad by clicking in the WordPad screen.

2. Type your text.

Trap: Don’t press <Enter> when you reach the end of a line—WordPad will automatically move the text to the next line for you. This feature is called word-wrap.

Edit text After typing a document, you will often discover that you need to make some changes to your text. Editing a document by inserting and deleting text is very simple.

1. Move the insertion point by clicking where you want to remove text.

Other Ways to Move the Insertion Point: Use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

2. Press <Backspace> key to delete the text behind (to the left of) the insertion point one character at a time.

The text is deleted one character at a time. Press and hold the key to quickly delete text.

You can quickly delete a large amount of text as well. Select the text by clicking at the point where you’d like to start deleting, holding the mouse button and moving the cursor to the point immediately following the section you want to delete. Then just press <Delete> or <Enter>.

Other Ways to Delete Text: The <Delete> key deletes text before (to the right of) the insertion point one character at a time.

3. Type the text you wish to insert.

Other Ways to Insert Text: When you press the <Insert> key, all text you enter at the insertion point will automatically overwrite the text already in place. To turn this feature off, press the <Insert> key a second time.

Exercise


• Exercise: Type the first paragraph in this lesson, “This lesson explains how to create a document using the WordPad program. Actually, there isn’t much to explain. All you have to do is type!” Then delete the last sentence.

Figure 3-5: The insertion point in a WordPad document.


Insertion point

Opening a File Opening a document lets you work on a document that you or someone else has previously created and then saved. This lesson explains how to open a saved document.

1. Select File → Open from the menu.

The Open dialog box appears. Next, you have to tell Word where the file you want to open is located.

Other Ways to Open a Document: Press <Ctrl> + <O>.

2. Navigate to the location of the saved file.

The Open dialog box has several controls that make it easy to navigate to locations and find files on your computer:

• Address bar: Click a link in the Address bar to open it. Click the arrow to the right of a link to open a list of folder within that location. Select a folder from the list to open it.

• Favorite Links: Shortcuts to common locations on your computer, such as the Desktop and Documents Folder.

• Search box: This searches the contents—including subfolders—of that window for the text that you type. If a file’s name, file content, tags, or other file properties match the searched text, it will appear in the search results. Search results appear as you enter text in the search box.

3. Select the file you want to open and click Open.

The file is displayed in the application window.

Tips

WordPad and other programs will store the most recently used documents in the File menu to make them easier to find.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Resume.rtf

• Exercise: Open the Resume.rtf file.

Figure 3-6: The Open dialog box. To open a file, you must first navigate to the folder where it is saved.


Favorite Links

Address bar Search box

Saving a File After you’ve created a document, you need to save it if you want to use it again. Also, if you make changes to a document you’ll want to save it. You can even save a copy of an existing document with a new name, to a different location, or using a different file type.

Save a new document A document that is being saved for the first time needs a new name, and you also need to specify where you want the file to be saved so you can find it again.

1. Select File → Save from the menu.

The Save As dialog box appears.

Other Ways to Save: Press <Ctrl> + <S>. Or, click the Save button on the Toolbar.

Trap: The Save As dialog box in WordPad opens with Folders collapsed by default. Click Browse Folders so you can navigate to other locations on the computer.

2. Navigate to the drive and/or folder where you want to save your document.

The Save As dialog box has several controls that make it easy to navigate to locations on your computer:

• Address bar: Click a link in the Address bar to open it. Click the arrow to the right of a link to open a list of folder within that location. Select a folder from the list to open it.

• Favorite Links: Shortcuts to common locations on your computer, such as the Desktop and Documents Folder.

• Folders List: View the hierarchy of drives and folders on your computer by expanding the Folders list.

3. Enter the file name in the File name text box.

The file name should indicate the contents of the file.

File names can be up to 255 characters long and contain letters, numbers, and some symbols. You can’t use the symbols " \ / : * | < > in a file name.

4. Click Save.

The document is saved.

Exercise


• Exercise: Save the file under the name “Cover Letter”.

Figure 3-7: The Save As dialog box with Folders collapsed.

Figure 3-8: The Save As dialog box has controls that make it easy to navigate through your computer’s drives and folders.

Working with a Program Working with a Program

Click Browse Folders to view controls that allow you to navigate to other locations on your computer.

Favorite Links

Address bar

Folders list

Save document changes When you make changes to a document, make sure you save them. The program will not save them for you automatically.

• Click the Save button on the Toolbar.

Any changes you have made to the document are saved.

Other Ways to Save: Press <Ctrl> + <S>. Or, select File → Save from the menu.

Save a document under a different name and/or location Saving under a different name or in a different location will save a copy of the file, but also keep the file you started with in its original location.

1. Select File → Save As from the menu.


2. Enter a different name for the file in the File name text box and/or navigate to a new location to save the file.

3. Click Save.

Save a document as a different file type Just as some people can speak several languages, programs can read and write in other file formats. Saving a document in a different file type makes it easier to share information between programs. See Table 3-3: Common WordPad Formats for brief descriptions of file types in WordPad.

1. Select File → Save As from the menu.


2. Click the Save as type list arrow and select a file format.

3. Click Save.

The document is saved.

Table 3-3: Common WordPad Formats

Rich Text Format (.rtf)

The default format for WordPad. Although it uses formatting, this file type can be read by many different programs.

Text Document Only text is saved in this file type. Any document formatting is removed.

Text Document – MS DOS Format

A command line interface that can be used to control internal computer functions.

Unicode Text Document

Unicode format includes a set of letters, numbers, and symbols that represents almost all written languages in the world.

Selecting and Replacing Text Whenever you want to edit more than one character at a time, you must select the text first. A lot of editing and formatting techniques—such as formatting, cutting, copying and pasting text—also require that you select the text you want to modify. There are many reasons to select text in many Windows-based programs, so it pays to be an expert at it.

Select text Whenever you want to edit or format text, you first need to select it. See Table 3-4: Text Selection Shortcuts for different methods of selecting text.

1. Click at the beginning or the end of the text you want to select.

Selecting text is a useful skill because once text is selected, you can work with it by replacing, deleting, or formatting it.

2. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the insertion point across the text. Release the mouse button once the text is selected.

The text is highlighted to indicate that it is selected.

Other Ways to Select Text:

• Keystrokes: Press and hold the <Shift> key while using the arrow keys to select characters (Right and Left arrow keys) or lines (Up and Down arrow keys).

Add the <Ctrl> key to select by words (Right and Left arrow keys) and paragraphs (Up and Down arrow keys.

• Multiple blocks of text: Select the first block of text and hold down the <Ctrl> key as you select the remaining block(s) of text.

Exercise


• Exercise: Select the first sentence in the first paragraph. Delete it and replace it with the sentence, “I can help Central TechWork meet the changing demands of Administrative Coordinating Managers.”

Figure 3-9: Selecting and replacing text.

Figure 3-10: Text in this document has been selected.

Table 3-4: Text Selection Shortcuts

A word Double-click the word.

Several bits of text

Select the first block of text, then press and hold <Ctrl> as you select the remaining blocks of text.

A sentence Press and hold <Ctrl> and click anywhere in the sentence.

A line of text Click in the selection bar next to the line.

A paragraph Triple-click in the paragraph, or double-click in the selection bar next to the paragraph.

The entire document

Triple-click in the selection bar, or press and hold <Ctrl> and click anywhere in the selection bar, or press <Ctrl> + <A>, or click the Select button in the Editing group of the Home tab in the Ribbon and select Select All.


1. Position the insertion point before or after the text that you want to select.

2. Click and hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse across the text you want to select, and then release the mouse button.

3. If you want to replace the selected

text, simply type in the new text – it will overwrite the selected text.


Deselect text If you have selected a group of text and decided that you do not want to make any changes to it, all you need to do to deselect the text is simply click the mouse.

• To deselect text, click anywhere on the computer screen.

Other Ways to Deselect Text: Press an arrow key to move the insertion point.

Replace text When you start typing after you select text, the selected text is automatically deleted and replaced with the new text you type.

• Replace text by first selecting it, then typing the new text.


Using Undo and Redo You don’t need to be afraid of making a mistake because you can use the Undo feature to erase your actions. The Undo, Redo, and Repeat commands are very useful for working with text in a document.

Undo an action Undo does just that—it undoes any actions as though they never happened.

• Click the Undo button on the Toolbar.

Your last action is undone. For example, if you had deleted an item and then decided you wanted to keep it after all, undo would make it reappear.

Other Ways to Undo: Press <Ctrl> + <Z>.

Tip: Click the Undo button multiple times to undo multiple actions.

Redo an action Redo is the opposite of undo: it redoes an action you have undone. For example, if you decide that you do, after all, want to delete an item that you have just brought back with undo, you can redo the action.

• Press <Ctrl> + <Y>.

Tip: Press the Redo keystroke multiple times to redo multiple actions.

Exercise


• Exercise: Delete the first paragraph. Then undo the deletion.

Figure 3-11: The Undo Button.

Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text The cut, copy, and paste commands are very useful when you work with and edit your text. These commands let you easily work with and rearrange text in the document.

Tips

You may cut, copy, and paste any item in a document, such as clip art, a table, or an AutoShape—not just text.

Cut text When you cut text, it is removed from its original location and placed in a temporary storage area called the Clipboard.

1. Select the text or object you want to cut.

2. Select Edit → Cut from the menu.

The text is removed from the document and added to the Clipboard.

Other Ways to Cut Text: Press <Ctrl> + <X>. Or, right-click the selection and select Cut from the contextual menu.

Copy text When you copy text, the selected text remains in its original location and is also added to the Clipboard.

1. Select the text or object you want to copy.

2. Select Edit → Copy from the menu.

The text is added to the Clipboard. Notice that unlike cutting, the original text remains in the document.

Other Ways to Copy Text: Press <Ctrl> + <C>. Or, right-click the selection and select Copy from the contextual menu.

Paste text After cutting or copying, move the insertion point to a new location in a document and paste the item that you last cut or copied into the document.

1. Click where you want to paste the cut or copied text.

2. Select Edit → Paste from the menu.

The cut or copied text is inserted in the new location.

Exercise


• Exercise: Select and cut the first sentence. Paste it after the last sentence.

Figure 3-12: The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands.

Figure 3-13: The Paste Special dialog box.


Paste Cut

Copy

Other Ways to Paste Text: Press <Ctrl>> + <V>. Or, right-click where you want to paste and select Paste from the contextual menu.

Tips

You may also specify what you want to paste by using the Paste Special command. Select Edit → Paste Special from the menu. Choose a paste option from the Paste Special dialog box.


Previewing and Printing a Document Once you have created a document, you can print a copy of it—if your computer is connected to a printer. But before you do this, it’s usually a good idea to preview how it’s going to look.

Preview a document

1. Select File → Print Preview from the menu.

The document is shown in Preview mode. See Table 3-5: Print Preview Options for options available in this mode.

Tip: Use the commands in Print Preview to adjust margins and page setup settings. Click the Zoom In button to enlarge your view of the document.

2. Click the Close button to return to the document.

Tip: You can print directly from the Print Preview window by clicking the Print button in the Print group on the Print Preview tab.

Quick Print a document Quick printing a document bypasses the Print dialog box and sends the document directly to the printer.

• Click the Print button on the Toolbar.

Exercise Notes


• Exercise: Open the file. Print two copies of the document.

Figure 3-14: A document in Preview mode.

Table 3-5: Print Preview Options

Print Click Print to open the Print dialog box and specify print options before printing.

Zoom Click Zoom In for a larger display and Zoom Out for a smaller display. Click One Page to preview one page at a time, Two Pages to preview two pages at a time,

Preview Click Next Page and Prev Page to navigate between pages. Click Close to exit Print Preview mode.


Print a document

1. Select File → Print from the menu.

The Print dialog box appears. Here you can specify printing options, such as number of copies and which pages to print.

Other Ways to Print: Press <Ctrl> + .

Tip: If you select text before printing the document, click the Selection option in the Print dialog box to print only the selected text. For a description of the Print dialog box, see Table 3-6: Sections in the Print Dialog Box.

2. Specify printing options, then click OK.

Table 3-6: Sections in the Print Dialog Box

Select Printer Select which printer to send your document to when it prints. If you are connected to more than one printer, the currently selected printer is highlighted.

Preferences button: Displays a dialog box with options available to your specific printer. The Properties dialog box will change according to the type of printer you use, but here are some common print properties:

Tray Selection: Change the type of the paper you’re printing to, or whether pages will be fed into the printer by hand or run automatically.

Orientation: Change the paper orientation (portrait or landscape) or print on both sides of the sheet.

Color: Print in black and white or choose how you want to print colors in your document.

Page Format: If you’d like to fit more than one page of the document onto a sheet of paper, use this command to set the page layout.

Print to file: Prints the document to a file instead of sending it to the printer.

Page Range Allows you to specify what pages you want to print. There are several options here:

All: Prints the entire document.

Current Page: Prints only the page you’re currently on.

Selection: Prints only selected document content.

Pages: Prints only the pages you specify. Select a range of pages with a hyphen (5-8) and separate single pages with a comma (3,7).

Number of copies Specifies the number of copies you want to print. If you print multiple copies you can choose to have them collated, that is, printed in order all the way through before the second copy begins printing.

Figure 3-15: The Print dialog box.

Getting Help When you don’t know how to do something in WordPad (or any of the other programs in Vista) look up your question in the Help and Support files. The Help and Support files can answer your questions, offer tips, and provide help for all of WordPad’s features.

Search for help

1. Select Help → View Help from the menu.

The Help and Support window appears. See Table 3-7: Help Buttons for an explanation of the buttons that you can use here.

Other Ways to Open Help: Press <F1>.

2. Type what you want to search for in the Search Help box near the top of the window and press <Enter>.

A list of results related to the help topics appears.

3. Click the topic that best matches what you’re looking for.

Information regarding the selected topic is displayed.

Browse for help If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, browsing the Help files is a great way to learn more about WordPad.

1. Select Help → View Help from the menu.

The Help and Support window opens to frequently asked questions about WordPad. If your question is not listed here, you can browse through the other WordPad Help Topics.

Tip: To read an answer for any of the frequently asked questions, click the question. The answer will appear below it.

2. Click the Browse Help button.

Four categories are displayed. Since WordPad is not a very big program, there aren’t many help topics to browse here.

3. Click the link you want to browse.

Help and Support displays information regarding the selected question or sub-topic.

Tip: If you cannot find an answer to your question, click the back button to browse another category.

Exercise


• Exercise: Explore the Help menu in WordPad.

Figure 3-16: The Windows Help and Support window displays questions about WordPad.

Table 3-7: Help Buttons

Back Click here to move back to the previous help topic.

Forward Click here to move forward to the next help topic.

Help and Support Home

Click here to return to the Help home page.

Print Click here to print the current

help topic.

Browse Help Click here to browse for help

using the Table of Contents.

Ask Click here to find other sources for help.

Options Click here to change how the Help window works and is displayed.


Tips

You can also use the “Ask someone” section of Help and Support to ask questions of a friend or co-worker through Remote Assistance, use the resources of Windows communities, or contact Microsoft Customer Support.

“About WordPad” displays information that Microsoft would like you to know about the program.



WWoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh FFoollddeerrss aanndd FFiilleess

Understanding What’s in Your Computer ....... 52 Icons ........................................................ 52 Drives, folders, and files .......................... 52 Memory units ........................................... 53

Opening Drives, Folders and Files .................. 54 View an item’s properties ......................... 54 Navigating to Other Locations on the Computer ................................................. 55 Address bar ............................................. 55 Favorite Links .......................................... 55 Folders list ............................................... 56 Back and Forward buttons ....................... 56

Folder and File Basics ...................................... 57 Create a new folder ................................. 57 Rename a folder or file ............................ 57 Delete a folder or file ............................... 58 Restore a deleted folder or file ................ 58

Selecting Multiple Folders and Files ............... 59 Select multiple items ................................ 59 Select all .................................................. 59

Copying and Moving Folders and Files .......... 60 Copy or move by clicking and dragging .. 60

Changing the Window Layout and Views ....... 61

Using Heading Buttons ..................................... 62 Sort, group, or stack icons ....................... 62 Filter icons ............................................... 62

Using Search ...................................................... 63 Search box ............................................... 63 Search folder ........................................... 63 Search from the Start menu ..................... 64

Working with Compressed Folders ................. 65 Create a compressed folder .................... 65 Work with compressed folder files ........... 65

When you work at a desk, unless you make an effort to stay organized, all your papers and files begin to pile up and become disorganized. It takes a little more time, but the same phenomenon occurs when working with Windows—the files you create using your computer start to become cluttered, and are harder and harder to find.

In this chapter, you’ll take your first step beyond the Windows basics and enter the world of file management. You’ll learn how Windows stores information in files and folders, just like a file cabinet does, and see how the appearance of windows have changed from previous versions of Windows. You’ll find that you will need to clean and organize your files and folders from time to time, just like you would the contents of a file cabinet. This chapter explains how to organize your computer by creating folders to store related information, how to move and copy files between folders, how to delete and rename files and folders, and how to retrieve a deleted file if you change your mind.

4


Understanding What’s in Your Computer

Icons Everything in the computer is represented by its own picture, or icon.

A different icon represents each item as shown in Table 4-1: Common Icons. For example, the icons for disk drives on your computer look similar, but have details that distinguish them from each other. Folder icons almost always look like little manila folders.

Files have more variety, because a different icon is used for each file type. This makes it easier for you to tell the difference between spreadsheets, photos, and documents, for example.

Drives, folders, and files To see what’s in a file cabinet, you simply pull a drawer open. You can view the information stored on your computer’s disk drives in much the same way—by opening the disk drive you want to access. The contents of your computer can basically be categorized into three types of items:

Drives are like the “drawers” that contain the folders on your computer. A disk drive is the part of the computer that reads and writes information onto disks, whether it is a permanent hard disk like the one inside your computer, or a removable compact disc (CD). There are four main types of disk drives that computers use to store their information, as shown in Table 4-2: Common Computer Drives.

Table 4-2: Common Computer Drives

Drive type Drive Letter Description

Floppy Disk

A Floppy drives can’t hold a lot of information, but they’re ideal for moving small files. Because they hold very little information and are prone to damage, very few new computers have floppy disk drives.

Local Disk

C Local disks, or hard disks, hide permanently inside your computer. Your computer’s hard disk is its main filing cabinet—where it stores its programs and files.

CD-ROM or

DVD

D or above Compact discs, or CD-ROMs, are like the audio discs you play in your stereo. CD-ROMs are cheap and they can store a lot of information, which is why they’re used to install software for games and programs with a lot of multimedia.

DVDs are similar to CDs, but they hold even more information. DVDs are the most common storage device for movies and are often used to install programs and games.

Other Drives

D or above Network drives are drives that are available through the servers on a company’s network. They have an almost unlimited storage size. Removable storage drives include CD and DVD drives, and USB flash drives. External hard drives are like having another computer of storage space: 100 GB or more.

Table 4-1: Common Icons

Drive

Drives are the devices that store folders and files. Drives of different types have icons that indicate the type of drive; for example, the hard disk drive for your computer is indicated by the Windows logo.

Folder

Folders are used to organize and contain files and are stored on drives. Folder views with large icons allow you to see if a folder contains other folders or files

File

Files are the items that you actually work with when you use your computer. Whether it is a program or a document, the icon that represents a file indicates its type.

Exercise


• Exercise: Locate the disk drives on your computer, and understand the difference between a byte and a gigabyte.

Working with Folders and Files


Folders contain other folders or files. Folders allow you to keep related information in the same place. If anything happens to a folder, such as if it is moved or deleted, everything contained in the folder goes with it.

Files are the “meat” of your computer: drives and folders exist to store files. Files cannot contain other files or folders. Table 4-3: Common Types of Files displays some of the common types of that you will encounter.

There are two parts to every file: the file name and the file extension. The file name distinguishes the file from other files. Typically, you give the file its name.

The file extension tells Windows what type of file it is. Windows uses this information to determine which type of icon is used for the file, and it also tells Windows which program to use to open the file. The file extension is assigned to the file by the program in which the file was created. For example, Notepad always adds the file extension TXT to its files, so when you double-click a .txt file, Windows knows it has to open the file in Notepad.

Memory units Just as liquids are measured in quarts and gallons, computers save their information in units called bytes. Computers use the metric system, so 1,000 bytes make up a kilobyte and 1,000,000 (one million) bytes make up a megabyte. Table 4-4: How Memory is Measured lists memory units for computers.

Table 4-4: How Memory is Measured

Byte A byte is equivalent to a single character, such as the letter “J” or number “8”. A single character

Kilobyte (K or KB)

A kilobyte is about 1,000 bytes (1,024 to be exact). A kilobyte is equivalent to a page of double-spaced typing.

1,024 bytes

Megabyte (MB)

A megabyte (MB) is about one million bytes. A megabyte is equivalent to an average-length novel.

1,048,576 bytes

Gigabyte (GB)

A gigabyte (GB) is about one billion bytes. A gigabyte is equivalent to the text in several encyclopedia sets.

1,000,000,000 bytes

Terabyte (TB)

A terabyte (GB) is about one trillion bytes. A terabyte is equivalent to the text in a library.

1,000,000,000,000 bytes

Table 4-3: Common Types of Files

Application

(.exe)

Application or executable (.exe) files are the programs that run on your computer. When you open a program, you are opening an executable file.

Rich Text Format

(.rtf)

WordPad creates files of this type: this file type can hold basic formatting properties and objects like graphics: it’s not as advanced as a Microsoft Word (.doc) file, but it’s not as simple as a NotePad (.txt) file.

JPEG

Most photographs are JPEGs.

Shortcut

Shortcuts point to files and folders elsewhere on your computer so that you can quickly open that file, folder, or program without having to go to its actual location. All of the programs in the Start menu and some of the items on your desktop are actually shortcuts that point to files located elsewhere on your computer.



Opening Drives, Folders and Files To work with items in your computer, you need to open the drives, folders, and files where the data you want to work with is stored. This lesson shows you how to find the items you want to work with on your computer.

Open drives, folders and files Though drives, folders, and files all serve a different purpose on your computer, the process for opening each of them is the same. However, since they are located in different levels of your computer’s hierarchy, getting to each of them is a little different.

• Drives: Click the Start button and select Computer from the menu.

The Computer window appears. All the drives available on your computer are shown here—places where data can be stored—so you can access any folder or file on your computer from this location.

• Folders: Click the Start button and select the folder you want to open from the menu.

The folder window appears, displaying the folders and files saved in the folder.

Other Ways to Open a Folder: Open the drive where the folder is located and double-click the folder icon.

• Files: Open the folder where the file is located and double-click the file icon.

The file is displayed in the program that can read that file type.

View an item’s properties If you need to know the nitty gritty details about an item, view its properties. Properties allow you to see the attributes or variable values of an item.

• Right-click the item and select Properties from the contextual menu.

The Properties dialog box is displayed. Here you can see information such as the size of the item and where it is saved on the computer.

Tip: To view a drive’s properties, select the drive and click Properties on the toolbar.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Computer window. View the properties of the Local Disk drive. Open the Local Disk drive, and open a folder in the Local Disk drive.

Figure 4-1: The hierarchy of storing information on a computer.

Figure 4-2: The Properties dialog box of the Local Disk drive.


A computer stores information on disks.

Information on a disk is organized and grouped into folders.

A folder may contain several files and subfolders.

Navigating to Other Locations on the Computer The process of opening drives and folders to find the file you want to work with is called navigating. A path is the sequence of drives and folders that are opened as you navigate—think of it as a street address. The path includes the drive, followed by folders, and the name of the file.

There are several controls that make it easy to navigate to other locations on your computer.

Address bar The Address bar is a great tool for navigation. Each location in the path is a link, so you can click the location to open it in the window. These links are like breadcrumbs because they allow you to find your way back along the path.

• To open a location on the path, click a link in the Address bar.

The folders and files in the location are displayed.

• To jump to a location’s subfolders, click the arrow to the right of its link and select a folder from the list.

The contents of the subfolder are displayed.

• To view the path without links, click an empty area of the Address bar, or press <Alt> + <D>.

The path is shown without links. For example, the path to the Documents folder would appear like this: C:\Users\Melissa\Documents.

Tips

You can type the name of a common folder in the Address bar, such as Desktop or Documents, to open that folder.

Favorite Links The most common and popular folders for storing files are listed under Favorite Links.

• Click a link under Favorite Links to open the folder.

Documents: This is a good place to save any files that you are working on, such as WordPad or Notepad files. If you have other programs installed on your computer, such as the Microsoft Office Suite, this is a good place to store those files as well.

Pictures: Store all your pictures from your digital camera and graphics files here.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Documents folder. Use the Address Bar to open Computer. Open a location under Favorite Links and expand the Folders list. Use the Forward button list arrow to open the Public folder.

Figure 4-3: Use the Address Bar to navigate along locations in the path.

Figure 4-4: Favorite Links provide shortcuts to folders that are used most often.


Click the arrow to the right of a link to view the folders in the location.


Music: Keep your music in its own folder here.

Recently Changed: Displays files that you have worked with recently.

Searches: Displays search folders you have saved.

Public: Displays folders that can be shared among people.

Folders list View the hierarchy of drives and folders on your computer by expanding the Folders list under Favorite Links.

1. Click Folders under Favorite Links.

The Folders list expands to show the contents of the computer.

2. Point to a drive or folder in the Folders list.

An arrow appears to the left of the location. If the contents of the location are expanded and are shown in the Folders list, the arrow points down and to the right and is filled ( ). If the location is contracted, the arrow is hollow and points to the right ( ).

3. To display or hide subfolders in the Folders list, click the empty arrow ( ) to display subfolders, click the filled arrow ( ) to hide subfolders.

The Folders list expands or contracts accordingly.

4. Click Folders again to collapse the Folders list.

Back and Forward buttons As you navigate in a window, the locations you have visited are recorded in a list. You can move back or forward along the list by using the Back and Forward buttons.

• Click the Back or Forward button.

The contents of the location one step behind or ahead on the path are displayed.

• Click the Forward button list arrow to open a list of locations you have recently visited.

Figure 4-5: The Folders list displays the hierarchy of drives and folders on your computer.

Figure 4-6: Use the Back and Forward buttons to return locations pages you have visited while navigated.


Click the Forward button list arrow to see a list of locations you have visited recently.

Folder and File Basics This lesson covers some tasks that are very important in file management, but that are also very simple.

Create a new folder Use folders to group files of related information together. To do this, all you need to do is create a folder to put the files into.

1. Open the location where you want to create the new folder.

2. Click the Organize button on the toolbar and select New Folder.

Other Ways to Do Something: Right-click any empty area in the window and select New → Folder from the contextual menu.

3. Type a name for the folder and press <Enter>.

The folder is created.

Rename a folder or file You might want to rename a folder or file to distinguish it from other copies of the same file, or to change the name to something that identifies the contents of the file better.

1. Select the folder or file, then click the Organize button on the toolbar and select Rename.

The name of the item becomes highlighted, indicating you can change the name.

Other Ways to Rename: Right-click the folder or file and select Rename from the contextual menu.

2. Type a new name for the folder or file and press <Enter>.

The name of the item is changed.

Trap: If you change the name of a folder, the path for anything contained in that folder also changes. For example, a shortcut to an item contained in the folder will no longer work.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Windows Vista Practice folder

• Exercise: Create a new folder named “Practice Folder”. Rename the folder to “My Stuff”. Delete the “grocery list.txt” file, then restore it from the Recycle Bin.

Figure 4-7: Enter a name for the folder or file after it is created, or after selecting the Rename command.

Delete a folder or file If you are certain you no longer need a folder or file, you can delete it.

1. Select the folder or file, then click the Organize button on the toolbar and select Delete.

Other Ways to Delete: Select the folder or file and press <Delete>.

2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

The folder or file is sent to the Recycle Bin.

If you click No, the folder or file is not deleted and the dialog box closes.

Trap: Deleting a folder can be dangerous. Before you delete a folder, make sure it doesn’t contain any important files. If you don’t know what the contents of a folder are, you shouldn’t delete it.

Additionally, NEVER delete a file if you don’t know what it is.

Restore a deleted folder or file Just like a wastebasket, the Recycle Bin stores all of the folders and files you have deleted. If you change your mind and decide you need a deleted folder or file, it’s easy to find and retrieve it.

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin on the Desktop.

The Recycle Bin opens and displays all the files you have recently deleted.

2. Select the file you want to restore and click the Restore this item button on the toolbar.

The item is removed from the Recycle Bin and appears in the location it was deleted from.

Other Ways to Restore a Folder or File: Right-click the folder or file in the Recycle Bin and select Restore from the contextual menu.

Figure 4-8: Before a folder or file is deleted, you must confirm the deletion.

Figure 4-9: Restoring an item from the Recycle Bin.

Selecting Multiple Folders and Files Before you do anything with a folder or file, you must select it. You know that clicking the icon of a folder or file selects it, and double-clicking opens it. This lesson shows you how to select multiple folders and files.

Select multiple items

• Click and drag a rectangle around the items you want to select.

This works best for items that are next to each other, especially if an icon view is being used.

• Click the first item you want to select, press and hold down the <Shift> key, and click the last item you want to select.

This works best for items in a list or details view because of how items are arranged.

• If the items aren’t next to each other, you can select non-adjacent items by pressing and holding the <Ctrl> key and clicking the items you want to select.

This method works in any view.

Select all If you want to work with all the items in a folder, select all of them at the same time.

1. Click the Organize button on the toolbar and select Select All from the menu.

Other Ways to Select All: Press <Ctrl> + <A>.

Tips

Files and folders can be selected at the same time.

If folders and files are grouped or stacked, click the group heading or the stack to select all the folders and files in the group or stack.

Details about the selected items will appear in the Details pane if that pane is being displayed.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Windows Vista Practice folder.

• Exercise: Select several files by clicking and dragging a rectangle around them. Select the Paris.jpg, Accounting folder, and grocery list.txt items.

Figure 4-10: Click and drag to select multiple files.

Figure 4-11: When you want to select a group of adjacent files, select the first file you want to select, hold down the <Shift> key, and click the last file.

Figure 4-12: Use the <Ctrl> key when you want to select non-adjacent files.

Copying and Moving Folders and Files You probably don’t reorganize the folders in your file cabinet very often—and you probably won’t need to move or copy the folders on your computer very often, either. When you find you do need to move or copy a folder or file, the process is very similar to copying, cutting and pasting text in a program.

Copy a folder or file

1. Select the folder or file, then click the Organize button on the toolbar and select Copy.

Other Ways to Copy: Right-click the folder or file and select Copy from the contextual menu.

2. Open the location where you want to copy the folder or file, then click the Organize button and select Paste.

Other Ways to Paste: Right-click an empty area in the location where you want to paste the item and select Paste from the contextual menu.

Move a folder or file

1. Select the folder or file, then click the Organize button on the toolbar and select Cut.

Other Ways to Cut: Right-click the folder or file and select Cut from the contextual menu.

2. Open the location where you want to copy the folder or file, then click the Organize button and select Paste.

Other Ways to Paste: Right-click an empty area in the file list of the location where you want to past the item and select Paste from the contextual menu.

Copy or move by clicking and dragging

• Click and drag the folder or file to the desired location. Hold down the <Ctrl> key while you drag to copy the folder or file.

Tip: You can click and drag to a location in the Folders list of the Navigation Pane, or open another window that is open to the location to which you want to move or copy the item(s).

Exercise


• Exercise: Add a copy of the grocery list.txt file to the desktop. Move the copied grocery list.txt file into the Document folder.

Figure 4-13: Click and drag a folder or file to move it to another location. To copy a folder or file, press and hold the <Ctrl> key while dragging.

Figure 4-14: This dialog box appears if you try to copy or move a folder or file into a location where a folder or file of that name is already saved. Choose an option or click Cancel to continue.


Changing the Window Layout and Views When you work with files and folders on your computer, you may find that you need to change how you view the information in the Windows Explorer window. This lesson will show you how to change the appearance of a window to view its contents differently.

Layout Changing the layout of the window allows you to view more information and work with the files and folders in a window.

1. Click the Organize button on the toolbar and select Layout.

A submenu appears with these options:

• Menu Bar: Displays the menu bar found in previous versions of Windows.

• Details Pane: (Open by default) Displays detailed information about the selected item.

• Preview Pane: Displays a preview of a selected image, and also displays a preview of the contents of a file.

• Navigation Pane: (Open by default) Displays Favorite Links and the Folders list.

2. Select the layout option you want to use.

The window changes accordingly.

Views Change the view in the window to change how the contents of the window are displayed. See (table reference) for more information on the different views available.

1. Click the Views button list arrow on the toolbar.

A list of view options appears.

2. Select the view you want to use in the window.

The contents of the window change to reflect the selected view. See Table 4-5: Window Views for more information on choosing a view.

Tip: Click and drag the View slider to see a live preview of the views.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Practice folder. Change the layout to display the menu bar and Preview pane. Apply the Tiles view to the window. Return to the default layout and List view.

Figure 4-15: A window with all three panes displayed.

Table 4-5: Window Views

Icons The Medium, Large, and Extra Large icon views are great for looking at images because the file’s icon is a thumbnail preview of the image.

List Files and folders are displayed as small icons in a list. This view allows you to see the most files at a time.

Details Displays information about every file and folder, such as its name, size, type, and when it was last modified.

Tiles Files and folders are displayed as icons, but with more information. The type and size of a file is displayed to the right of the icon.


Details Pane

Preview Pane Navigation Pane


Using Heading Buttons The row of buttons that appears under the toolbar is called the Heading. You can use these buttons to change how the file list is displayed, no matter which view is being used.

Sort, group, or stack icons You can sort items in a variety of ways: sort arranges items by name, by size, or even by the date they were last modified or saved; group puts similar items together; stack arranges the files into piles.

1. Point to the Heading button you want to sort, group, or stack by and click the list arrow.

A list of options appears.

2. Select Sort, Group, or Stack by from the list.

The icons are arranged accordingly.

Other Ways to Sort: Right-click an empty area in the file list. Select Sort by, Group by or Stack by from the contextual menu.

Tip: Click the Heading button again to toggle between ascending and descending order.

Filter icons Filtering items lets you see only icons that match certain criteria. For example, if you can’t remember the name of a file you worked on yesterday, you narrow down the options by applying a filter that only displays files modified yesterday.

1. Point to the Heading button you want to filter by and click the list arrow.

A list of filtering options appears. The options that appear depend on the Heading button and the files in the file list. For example, the filtering options under the Type heading change according to the files located in the file list.

2. Click the check box next to the property by which you want to filter the file list.

The icons are rearranged and a checkmark appears next to the heading, indicating it is being filtered by that property.

Tip: You can filter by several properties under a heading, and by several headings. Just click the check box of the property you want to filter by under each heading.

Exercise


• Exercise: Stack the files by name. Go back to the Practice folder and sort by date modified. Filter the view so that only Text Documents are shown. Remove the filter.

Figure 4-16: These items are stacked by Type.

Figure 4-17: These items are grouped by Type.

Figure 4-18: Filtering by two file types.


Heading

Heading

Click the check box next to the property you want to filter by. You can filter by several properties and by several headings.

Using Search It’s just as easy to misplace a folder or file in your computer as it is to misplace your car keys—maybe even easier! The Search feature is a powerful solution for gathering up and finding your lost folders and files.

Search box The Search box appears at the top of every window in Vista. It searches the contents, including subfolders, of that window and for the text that you type. If a file’s name, file content, tags, or other file properties match the searched text, it will appear in the window.

For example, if the Documents folder is open and you search for “Sales” in the Search box, any file or folder with that word in its name or contained anywhere in the file will be displayed in the window.

• Type a word in the Search box.

As you type, the contents of the folder are filtered. The contents are searched as you type, so the search results are filtered with each character.

Once the file you want appears, you can stop typing: there is no need to press <Enter> to submit your search text.

Tips

Searching with the Search box is a good option when you have some idea where the folder or file you’re searching for is located.

After doing a search in an Explorer, you can open the Search Pane by clicking the Search Tools button and selecting Search Pane.

Search folder The Search folder lets you search from several locations and under several names or properties at the same time. Use this search option for more advanced searches.

1. Click the Start button and select Search from the Start menu.

The Search folder window appears.

2. Type a word in the Search box.

As you type, the contents of the folder are filtered.

Do any of these things to define the search further:

• Filter buttons: Click a filter button to show certain types of files, such as E-mail, Document, Picture Music, or another type that you define.

Exercise


• Exercise: Search the word “expenses” in the Practice folder. Open the Search folder and search for files modified on 3/22/07. Search “music” from the Start menu.

Figure 4-19: Search the contents of a folder using the Search box.

Figure 4-20: The Search folder with the Search pane expanded.


The results of the search change with each character typed in the Search box.

Click a filter button to show only a certain type of file that matches the search term.

Click Advanced Search to open the Search pane.

Use the Search pane to define the search.

• Advanced Search: This button opens the Search pane, which provides access to additional search filters.

• Change search location: Under the Search pane, you can use the Location list to change where Search looks. By default, it searches Indexed Locations, but you can also search your entire hard disk.

3. (Optional) Click the Advanced Search list arrow to open the Search pane and set search criteria.

When the search pane is open, you can perform a search that uses specific criteria and different locations.

Search from the Start menu The Search box in the Start menu is another easy and very accessible way to perform a search. Searching from the Start menu finds files and folders, but it also finds programs on the computer.


The insertion point indicates that you can enter text to start the search.

2. Type a word in the Search box.

As you type, items that match the text appear in the Start menu. The contents are searched as you type, so the search results are filtered with each character.

Once the item you want appears, you can stop typing: there is no need to press <Enter> to submit your search text.

Tips

By default, all searches are performed in Indexed Locations. Indexed Locations include all of the folders in your personal folder (such as Documents, Pictures, Music, and Desktop), e-mail, and offline files.

Indexed Locations is the fastest way to search because the items in these locations are already indexed. Searching outside of indexed locations is slower because these items are not indexed and must be searched individually.

Figure 4-21: Searching from the Start menu searches programs, files, and other items in Indexed Locations.


As you type in the search box, the search results change with each character.


Working with Compressed Folders You can reduce the size of a folder and its contents by using a compressed, or zipped, folder. Working with a compressed folder and its contents is just like working with a regular folder.

Create a compressed folder Compressed folders require less memory, which makes them easier to transfer and share with other computers.

1. Right-click an empty area on the desktop or in a folder window and select New → Compressed (zipped) Folder from the contextual menu.

The compressed folder is created.

2. Type the name of the folder.

3. Click and drag items into the compressed folder.

A copy of the item appears in the zipped folder.

Other Ways to Create a Compressed Folder: Right-click an existing folder or file (or select multiple folders and files) and select Send To → Compressed (zipped) Folder from the contextual menu.

Work with compressed folder files If you open a file directly from the compressed folder, it will open in read-only format. If you want to work with and make changes to a file, extract the file.

1. Open the folder and click the Extract all files button on the toolbar of the compressed folder.

The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders dialog box appears.

Other Ways to Extract Files: Click and drag the folders or files out of the compressed folder. Or, right-click the compressed folder and select Extract All from the contextual menu.

2. Click the Browse button and specify where you would like the extracted files to be located. Click Extract.

The files are extracted to the specified location.

Tips

Extracting a file causes a file to return to its original size.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Windows Vista Practice folder

• Exercise: Create a compressed folder named “Zip” and add the Seniors.txt file to the Zip folder. Extract the file to your Documents folder.

Figure 4-22: A zipped folder in the Practice folder.

Figure 4-23: Extracting files from a compressed folder.


A compressed folder has a zipper on the folder icon.


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Understanding the Taskbar .............................. 67

Customizing the Taskbar .................................. 68 Unlock the taskbar ................................... 68 Resize the taskbar ................................... 68 Move the taskbar ..................................... 68 Hide the taskbar ....................................... 69

Understanding the Start Menu ......................... 70

Customizing the Start Menu ............................. 72 Use the Classic Start menu ..................... 72

Using the Quick Launch Bar ............................ 74 Use a program shortcut ........................... 74 Add a program shortcut ........................... 74 Remove a program shortcut .................... 74 Resize the Quick Launch bar .................. 75 Hide the Quick Launch bar ...................... 75

Starting a Program Automatically with Windows ............................................................. 76

Working with Desktop Icons ............................ 77 Create a shortcut ..................................... 77 Add desktop icons ................................... 77

Using Windows Sidebar .................................... 78 Use a gadget ........................................... 78 Add a gadget ........................................... 78

When you turn on your computer and Windows loads and eventually pops to life on your screen, the first things you see are the desktop and taskbar and Start button. These are the most important parts of Windows. The taskbar is the control center for Windows—where you start and manage all your programs. The desktop is your workspace—where you actually get your work done.

Because the taskbar and desktop are so important, this entire chapter is devoted just to them. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to customize the taskbar and desktop so they work best for you. Customizing the taskbar and desktop is a lot like arranging furniture in an empty living room—there’s no right way to do it; just do whatever works best for you.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to move, resize, and hide the taskbar; how to customize the Start menu; and how to use the Windows Sidebar on the desktop.

5


Understanding the Taskbar The taskbar is the bar that is located across the bottom of the desktop and is visible all the time.

The taskbar has four main parts:

• Start button When clicked, this opens the Start menu.

• Quick Launch bar Lets you start programs with one click. Buttons for managing windows also appear here, such as Show desktop and Switch between windows.

• Middle section All open windows are shown as buttons in this area of the taskbar. Quickly switch between windows using these buttons.

• Notification area The system clock and icons that communicate the status of certain programs and computer settings—such as your network connection—are located here.

Exercise


• Exercise: Identify parts of the taskbar. Point at a window button on the taskbar to view its thumbnail preview.

Figure 5-1: The Windows Vista taskbar.

Customizing the Taskbar and Desktop

Start button

Quick Launch bar

Middle section

Notification area

A thumbnail preview of a window is shown when it is pointed to with the mouse pointer.


Customizing the Taskbar The taskbar is the command center for Windows, which is why it rests along the bottom of the desktop, ready for use. Still, some people think the taskbar should be located in a different location on the screen. Others don’t like how the ever-present taskbar occupies valuable desktop space, or wish the taskbar were larger so it could display more open window buttons.

This lesson will show you how to move the taskbar to a new location on the screen, how to change the size of the taskbar, and how to hide the taskbar to give you more room on the screen.

Unlock the taskbar By default, the taskbar is locked to the bottom of the desktop. When it is unlocked, it can be moved or resized.

• Right-click the taskbar and select Lock the taskbar from the contextual menu.

The taskbar is unlocked.

Tip: If the “Lock the taskbar” option is checked, it is locked. If the option is not checked, it is unlocked.

Resize the taskbar When the taskbar is unlocked, it can be resized. More useful is the fact that when the taskbar is unlocked, it can display more buttons for open windows.

1. Position the pointer over the top of the taskbar until it changes to .

When the pointer changes, the taskbar can be resized.

2. Click and drag the edge of the taskbar up.

When the taskbar is resized, there is more room to display buttons for open windows. For example, buttons for windows of the same type don’t have to be grouped together if there is more room for them to be displayed on the taskbar.

Move the taskbar Once the taskbar is unlocked, you can move it to the top, left, right, or bottom of the desktop.

• Position the pointer over a blank area of the taskbar. Click and drag the taskbar to the top, bottom, left, or right side of the desktop.

The taskbar is moved to the side of the desktop that you dragged it to.

Exercise


• Exercise: Resize the taskbar then move it to the right side of the desktop. Move it back to the bottom of the desktop. Turn on auto-hiding for the taskbar.

Figure 5-2: Click and drag to resize the taskbar.

Figure 5-3: The taskbar moved to the right side of the desktop.



Hide the taskbar If you don’t want the taskbar to take up valuable space on the desktop, you can hide it so that it only appears when you need to use it.

1. Right-click a blank area of the taskbar and select Properties from the contextual menu.

The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the Taskbar tab.

A group of formatting properties you can use to customize the taskbar appears. Refer to Table 5-1: Taskbar Appearance Properties for a description of these properties.

3. Click the Auto-hide the taskbar check box and click OK.

The taskbar is now hidden on the desktop.

Here’s how to make it appear again.

4. Point to the side of the desktop where the taskbar is located.

The taskbar appears once again.

Figure 5-4: The Taskbar appearance properties.

Table 5-1: Taskbar Appearance Properties

Lock the taskbar

Locks the taskbar at its current position on the desktop so that it cannot be moved to a new location. Also locks the size and position of any toolbar displayed on the taskbar so that it cannot be changed. This option is selected by default.

Auto-hide the taskbar

Hides the taskbar from view. To display the taskbar, position the mouse pointer near the bottom of the screen, or wherever the taskbar is located.

Keep the taskbar on top of other windows

Ensures that the taskbar is always visible, even when you run a program in full screen mode. This option is selected by default.

Group similar taskbar buttons

Displays taskbar buttons for files opened by the same program in the same area of the taskbar. This option is selected by default.

Show Quick Launch

Displays the Quick Launch bar on the taskbar. The Quick Launch bar is a customizable toolbar that lets you display the Windows desktop or start a program with a single click.

Show window previews (thumbnails)

When the taskbar button for an open window is pointed at, a thumbnail preview of the window appears. This option is selected by default when Windows Aero is being used.



Understanding the Start Menu When you want to start working on something, the Start menu is probably the first place you will go. As the gateway to your computer, use the Start menu to access your computer’s programs, files, and settings.

The Start menu has three main parts:

• Left pane The left pane displays programs that you use the most. Click All Programs to view a complete list of the programs on your computer.

• Search box Allows you to instantly search for files and programs on your computer. It searches file names and contents of files that match the search term. The left pane displays search results as you type.

• Right pane Commonly used folders are listed here, such as Documents and Pictures. You can also access computer settings and turn off the computer here.

To view the Start menu:

• Click the Start button.

The Start menu appears.

Refer to Table 5-2: Items in the Start Menu to learn about items in the Start menu.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Start menu and explore its contents.

Figure 5-5: The Start menu.


This area displays the programs that are used most often. If a program doesn’t appear here you can find it under “All Programs.”

Lists all the programs that are installed on your computer. Search your computer for files, folders, or programs.

The right pane of the Start menu gives you quick access to your documents, files, and system settings. You can also turn off or lock your computer here.

Default Internet browser and E-mail programs can be opened here.

Turn off or lock your computer here.


Table 5-2: Items in the Start Menu

Lef

t Sid

e

Internet Opens your default Internet browser.

E-mail Opens your default e-mail software.

Frequently Used Programs

Gives you quick access to the programs you use most often. If a program doesn’t appear here you will have to look under “All Programs”.

All Programs Gives you access to all the programs installed on your computer, although you may have to wade through several submenus in order to find the program you’re looking for.

Search Search your computer for files, folders, or programs.

Rig

ht P

ane

User Opens to folders that hold files that are unique to your account: Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, Pictures, Saved Games, Searches, and Videos.

Documents Provides a convenient location to save your files.

Pictures Provides a convenient location to save your photos and pictures.

Music Provides a convenient location to save your music files.

Games Opens the folder of computer games that are stored on the computer.

Search Finds a file on your computer. This folder provides more advanced search options than Search boxes.

Recent Items Opens files you have recently worked on.

Computer Gives you access to the drives, folders, and files on your computer. In previous versions of Windows, My Computer was located on the Windows Desktop.

Network Access the drives, folders, and printers on the network.

Connect To Choose the connection you want to use to connect to the Internet or a network.

Control Panel Opens the Control Panel for settings on your computer.

Default Programs Sets the default programs that handle certain activities on your computer.

Help and Support Gets help on how to use Windows.

Sleep Puts your computer in sleep mode when you are finished using it.

Lock Lock the computer so a password is required to open it. Click the list arrow for other power options, such as shut down and restart.



Customizing the Start Menu If you’ve gotten this far in the chapter, you’ve already learned the most important ways that you can customize the Windows Start menu and taskbar. This lesson deals with the remaining (but trivial) ways to customize the Start menu and taskbar. We won’t actually be covering any of these trivial options (as there are quite a few of them), but we will at least show you how to access them. Let’s get started!

Customize the Start menu You can control how items in the Start menu work, and which items are displayed in the Start menu.

1. Right-click a blank area of the Windows taskbar and select Properties from the contextual menu.


2. Click the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

The Customize Start Menu dialog box appears.

You can choose how the Start menu looks and behaves by selecting the options in this dialog box.

Several options appear here:

• The icon size and functionality for programs that appear in the Start menu.

• The number of frequently-used programs that appear in the Start menu.

• The Internet and E-mail applications that appear at the top of the Start menu.

3. Apply the changes you want to make and click OK.

The Start menu is customized.

Use the Classic Start menu If you don’t like the style of the Windows Vista Start menu, it’s easy to change back to the Classic Start menu from early versions of Windows.

1. Right-click a blank area of the Windows taskbar and select Properties from the contextual menu.


Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Customize Start Menu dialog box and display Computer as a menu. Change the number of recent items to display to 5. Then change to the Classic Start menu. Change or keep any settings you may want.

Figure 5-6: The Customize Start Menu dialog box.



2. Click the Start Menu tab.

You can choose how the Start menu looks and behaves by selecting one of the following two options:

• Start menu: Use the Windows Vista Start menu that gives you quick access to your favorite folders, programs, and search.

• Classic Start menu: Use a Start menu that has the same look and behavior as earlier versions of Windows. Also adds icons—such as Computer and Network—to the desktop.

3. Click the Classic Start menu option and click OK.

Now the Start menu will appear similar to Windows 2000 and earlier, and the User, Computer, Network, Internet Explorer and Control Panel icons are also added to the desktop.

Figure 5-7: The Start Menu tab of the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.



Using the Quick Launch Bar The Quick Launch bar is a location that stores shortcuts to your favorite programs. Microsoft has already added several buttons to the Quick Launch bar that launch programs they think you will use frequently, including:

Show desktop: Minimizes all the windows currently open so you can see the desktop.

Switch between windows: Opens Flip 3D so you can flip between previews of each open window on your desktop and choose the window you want to make active.

Microsoft Internet Explorer: This launches Internet Explorer so you can surf the Web.

Since the taskbar always appears at the bottom of the screen, the Quick Launch bar is probably the fastest and most convenient place to add shortcuts to your favorite programs.

Use a program shortcut As long as you can see the Quick Launch bar, you can use the buttons to open programs that are located in it.

• Click a button in the Quick Launch bar.

The command for the shortcut occurs, whether it’s the opening of a program or a desktop command.

Add a program shortcut As long as you can see the Quick Launch bar, you can add programs to it.

• Click and drag the program icon from the Start menu into the Quick Launch bar.

As you drag, a white bracket appears in the Quick Launch bar, indicating where the shortcut for the program will be placed.

Other Ways to Add a Program Shortcut: Right-click the icon and select Add to Quick Launch from the contextual menu.

Remove a program shortcut Removing a program shortcut from the Quick Launch bar is as easy as adding it.

• Right-click the shortcut on the Quick Launch bar and select Delete from the contextual menu.

The shortcut is deleted from the Quick Launch bar.

Exercise


• Exercise: Add Notepad to the Quick Launch bar. Resize the Quick Launch bar, then remove the Notepad shortcut from it. Hide the Quick Launch bar and display it again.

Figure 5-8: Adding a shortcut to the Quick Launch bar.


Click and drag a program from the Start menu into the Quick Launch bar to add its shortcut.


Resize the Quick Launch bar You can increase the size of the Quick Launch bar to view more of its shortcuts, or decrease its size to make more room on the taskbar.

1. Unlock the taskbar.

The Quick Launch bar can’t be resized until the taskbar is unlocked.

2. Drag the grip handle of the Quick Launch bar to the right or left.

You’ve just resized the Quick Launch bar.

Understand that as you change the size of the Quick Launch bar, you change the amount of space available in the middle section of the taskbar.

Tips

If you can’t see all the shortcuts in the Quick Launch bar, simply click the Expand button in the Quick Launch bar and a list of the other icons will appear.

Hide the Quick Launch bar If you don’t use the Quick Launch bar at all, you can hide it entirely and reclaim some valuable taskbar real estate.

1. Right-click any empty area on the taskbar and select Toolbars → Quick Launch from the contextual menu.

The Quick Launch bar disappears from view.

2. Point to the side of the desktop where the taskbar is located.

The taskbar pops up again. As long as the taskbar is visible, you can use it.

Figure 5-9: Drag a grip handle to resize the Quick Launch bar.

Figure 5-10: Click the Expand button to view more shortcuts in the Quick Launch bar.



Starting a Program Automatically with Windows If you always use the same programs, you can have them start automatically with Windows.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Open from the contextual menu.

The Start Menu folder appears.

Tip: To change the Startup folder for all accounts on the computer, select Open All Users from the contextual menu.

2. Double-click the Programs folder.

The Programs folder appears. Notice that the items in this folder are the same as those that appear in the Start menu.

3. Double-click the Startup folder.

Programs in this folder will open when Windows starts.

4. Copy and paste the program, file, or folder shortcut you want into the Startup folder.

To add an item, copy and paste it into the Startup folder.

Tips

You can rearrange how items in the All Programs folder appear by adding folders and clicking and dragging the program shortcuts into the different folders.

Exercise


• Exercise: Add Notepad to the Startup folder.

Figure 5-11: Shortcuts in the Startup folder will start automatically with Windows.



Working with Desktop Icons Since the desktop is the area where you work with all of your programs, files, and folders, you may want to put shortcuts to the programs, files, and folders you use most often on the desktop.

Create a shortcut A shortcut is a quick way to start a program or open a file or folder without having to go to its actual location.

1. Click and drag the program, file, or folder to the desktop with the right mouse button.

Make sure you click and drag with the right mouse button.

2. Select Create shortcuts here from the contextual menu that appears when you release the mouse button.

The shortcut is added to the desktop.

Tips

Since shortcuts only point to files or folders, moving, renaming, or deleting a shortcut does not affect the original program or file.

Add desktop icons You can add the icons that appeared in older versions of Windows to your desktop without changing to the Classic Start menu.

1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel.

The Control Panel window appears.

2. Click the Appearance and Personalization category and click Personalization.

The Personalization settings you can use appear.

3. Click the Change desktop icons link under Tasks.

The Desktop Icon Settings dialog box appears. You can add icons to the desktop and change how they appear here.

As you can see, the Recycle Bin icon is selected by default.

4. Click the check box next to Desktop icons you want to add and click OK.

The icon(s) are added to the desktop.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Trade Show Expenses folder

• Exercise: Add the Computer icon to the desktop. Create a shortcut to the Trade Show Expenses folder on the desktop.

Figure 5-12: This contextual menu appears when the right mouse button is released.

Figure 5-13: The Desktop Icon Settings dialog box.



Using Windows Sidebar Windows Sidebar is an area that is displayed along the right side of the desktop. It contains mini-programs called gadgets, which readily provide information and tools you use frequently.

Use a gadget Gadgets are mini-applications that you can specify settings for. For example, you can change the options of the clock to display a different time zone.

1. Point at a gadget.

Most gadgets have two buttons that appear when they are pointed at: the Options and Close button.

• Options: Displays settings for the specific gadget. For example, change the clock’s time zone.

• Close: Closes the gadget so it is removed from the Sidebar. The gadget is still saved on the computer so it is available if you want to use it again.

Tip: Some gadgets have other buttons you can use when you point to the gadget. For example, when you point to the Notes gadget, buttons to add or delete a note appear.

2. Click the button you want to use.

The settings of the gadget appear, or the gadget is closed and removed from the Sidebar.

Add a gadget By default, three gadgets appear in Windows Sidebar: the Clock, Slide Show, and Feed Headlines. However, there are more gadgets installed on your computer that you can add, and you can also install gadgets from the Internet.

1. At the top of the Sidebar, click the plus sign.

The Gadget Gallery appears. This window displays all the gadgets that are installed on your computer.

2. Double-click the gadget you want to add to the Sidebar.

The gadget appears in the Sidebar.

Other Ways to Add a Gadget: Right-click the gadget and select Add from the contextual menu.

Tips

To install more gadgets on your computer, click the Get more gadgets online link at the bottom of the Gadgets Gallery.

Exercise


• Exercise: Change the face of the Clock gadget. Add a gadget to the Sidebar from the Gadget Gallery.

Figure 5-14: The Windows Sidebar.

Figure 5-15: The Gadget Gallery.


The point at a gadget to view its buttons.

Click to open the Gadget Gallery.

Click to install more gadgets over the Web.


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A Look at the Control Panel ............................. 80

Changing Color and Appearance ..................... 81 Change window color .............................. 81 Change theme ......................................... 82 Save a theme ........................................... 82

Changing the Desktop Background ................ 83

Using a Screen Saver ........................................ 84

Adjusting Display Settings ............................... 85 Adjust screen resolution .......................... 85 Adjust font size ........................................ 86

Adjusting Sound ................................................ 87 Change system sounds ........................... 87 Adjust system volume .............................. 88

Adjusting the Mouse ......................................... 89 Change mouse pointers .......................... 89 Change mouse properties ....................... 89

Changing the Date and Time ............................ 91 View the date and time ............................ 91 Change the date, time, and time zone .... 91 Add a clock .............................................. 92

Changing Language and Region Options ....... 93 Change region format .............................. 93 Change keyboard language .................... 94

Customizing Folder View Options ................... 95

In the old days, computers had two settings: on or off. Today, Windows lets you adjust your computer to work the way you do.

This chapter will show you how to customize Windows settings to suit your own personal needs and tastes. You’ll learn how to adjust the date and time on your computer, the mouse settings so you can finally slow down that blasted double-click speed, and the sounds your computer makes. You’ll also learn how to give your computer character by adding your own custom wallpaper, screensaver, desktop themes, and screen colors. Once you’ve decorated Windows with your personal theme, you’ll want to make sure it looks as good as possible, so you’ll learn how to adjust the screen resolution and number of colors that appear on the screen at once.

6


A Look at the Control Panel The Control Panel is the place to go when you want to change the various settings of Windows. Since this chapter deals entirely with configuring your computer, you’ll be seeing a lot of the Control Panel in the upcoming lessons. That’s why this lesson is a quick introduction to the Control Panel. No exercises here—just a guided tour of the Control Panel to help you become familiar with it.


The Control Panel appears.

The window is categorized by topic so it is easier to find the setting you want to change. Click on one of the categories to view all the Control Panel settings under a topic.

Table 6-1: Control Panel describes the controls available in the topics of the Control Panel.

Tips

You can view all the Control Panel topics at once by clicking Classic View in the left pane of the Control Panel Home screen.

Table 6-1: Control Panel

System and Maintenance Increase space on your hard drive, schedule regular maintenance checks, or configure energy-saving settings.

Security Maintain the security settings for your computer, such as the Windows Firewall, Windows Defender and User Account Control to ensure your computer is protected.

Network and Internet Configure network settings, change Internet settings, connect to other Vista computers, and share files.

Hardware and Sound Change the system’s sound scheme or configure the settings for speakers and other sound equipment on your computer.

Programs Installs or removes programs and additional Windows components on your computer.

User Accounts Change settings and passwords for individual users.

Appearance and Personalization

Change display settings, apply a theme or screen saver, or change desktop background.

Clock, Language, and Region

Changes the date, time, and time zone information on your computer, the language to use, and region-specific display options for numbers, currency, time and dates.

Ease of Access Adjust settings for an individual user’s vision, hearing, and mobility needs.

Mobile PC (laptop only) Settings that are laptop-specific are located here, such as settings for Tablet PCs, pen input devices, power options, presentation settings, and synchronization.

Additional Options Control settings for hardware installed on your computer, such as your graphics card.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the Control Panel.

Figure 6-1: The Control Panel window.

Customizing Windows


Changing Color and Appearance Want to add a little color to Windows? Would you rather see things in the old Windows Classic theme? This lesson shows you how.

Change window color Personalize the screen color of Windows to reflect your personality or mood. The Window color affects all the basic parts of a window, such as the title bar, the menu, and scroll bars.

1. Right-click the desktop and select Personalize from the contextual menu.

Other Ways to Open Window Colors: Click the Start button, select Control Panel, select Appearance and Personalization category and click Customize Colors.

The Personalization area of the Control Panel appears.

2. Click Window Color and Appearance.

The window displays the colors you can apply.

3. Select a color and click OK.

The color is applied to windows, the Start menu, and the taskbar.

You can also use these options to personalize colors:

• Enable transparency check box: When this check box is selected, the edges of the window are transparent so you can see other objects beneath the window.

• Color intensity slider: Make the color you choose stronger by increasing the intensity.

• Show color mixer: Use the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness sliders to mix a new color option.

• Open classic appearance properties for more options: If you prefer the colors of classic Windows operating systems, click this link to open the Appearance Settings dialog box.

Exercise


• Exercise: Change the Window color, increase color intensity and turn off transparency. Save the settings under a new theme. Apply the Windows Classic theme. End the exercise with the Windows Vista theme applied.

Figure 6-2: The Window Color and Appearance window.

Figure 6-3: The Appearance Settings dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Change theme You can change the theme that Windows uses. A theme is a set of items, including the desktop background, sounds, icons and other elements.


Other Ways to Change Theme Settings: Click the Start button, select Control Panel, select Appearance and Personalization category and click Change the Theme.


2. Click Theme.

The Theme Settings dialog box appears.

3. Click the Theme list arrow and select a theme.

4. Click OK.

Save a theme If you apply a certain background and other elements, like window color, that you want to keep and make easily available to apply for different occasions, save those settings under a new theme.


Other Ways to Change Theme Settings: Click the Start button, select Control Panel, select Appearance and Personalization category and click Change the Theme.


2. Click Theme.

The Theme Settings dialog box appears.

3. Click the Save As button.

4. Enter a name for the theme and click Save.

Figure 6-4: The Theme Settings dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Changing the Desktop Background Few people work at an empty desk—we decorate our desktops with pictures, plants, and Dilbert calendars. Similarly, Windows lets you reflect your own personal tastes on your computer desktop.



Other Ways to Open Desktop Background: Click the Start button, select Control Panel, select Appearance and Personalization category and click Change desktop background.

2. Click the Desktop Background link.

The Desktop Background window displays the pictures you can apply.

3. Click the Picture location list arrow to select the location from which you want to choose a desktop background.

There are several pre-set locations to choose from, as shown in Table 6-2: Desktop Background Picture Locations.

Tip: If a picture that you want to use is not saved in any of these locations, click the Browse button and navigate to the picture file that you want to use.

4. Select the image you want to use.

5. Select how you want the picture to be positioned on the desktop.

There are three options, as shown in Table 6-3: Desktop Picture Positions. The different positioning options only work on small images.

6. Click OK.

Tips

Here’s one more wallpaper tip: if you’re surfing the Web with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and happen to see a picture you like, you can use it as your desktop background. Just right-click the picture and select the Set as Background option from the contextual menu.

Exercise


• Exercise: Apply a desktop background from the Windows Wallpapers collection.

Figure 6-5: The Desktop Background window.

Table 6-2: Desktop Background Picture Locations

Windows Wallpapers

Includes backgrounds that are formatted specially for the desktop.

Pictures Choose a picture saved in your Pictures folder.

Sample Pictures

Choose a picture saved in the Sample Pictures folder installed with Windows

Public Pictures

Choose a picture saved in the Public Pictures folder.

Solid Colors Choose a solid color as the desktop background.

Table 6-3: Desktop Picture Positions

Fit in window

Sizes the image so that it fills the entire desktop background.

Tile

Repeats the image across the background.

Center

Centers the full size of the image on the desktop.

Customizing Windows

Using a Screen Saver A screen saver is a moving image that appears when you haven’t used your computer for a while. You can also add security to your computer by requiring the logon screen to appear after the screen saver has started.


Other Ways to Open Screen Savers: Click the Start button, select Control Panel, click the Appearance and Personalization category and click Change screen saver.


2. Click Screen Saver.

The Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.

3. Click the Screen saver list arrow and select a screen saver.

A preview of the screen saver you selected is shown in the dialog box.

Tip: Some screen savers have settings. For example, the 3D Text screen saver requires you to enter the text you want to appear. Click the Settings button; if a screen saver has its own settings, you will be able to change them.

4. (Optional) Adjust the amount of time in the Wait text box.

This setting determines the amount of time the computer is idle before switching to the screen saver.

5. (Recommended) Click the On resume, display logon screen.

Turning this option on increases the level of security on your computer. Your password is required to get back in to your computer after the screen saver has started.

Tip: You can also lock your computer so it is password protected without having to wait for the screen saver to turn on. Press < > + <L> to lock your computer.

6. Click OK.

Exercise


• Exercise: Apply a different screen saver. Adjust the wait time for the screen saver, and turn on the “On resume, display logon screen” setting.

Figure 6-6: The Screen Saver Settings dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Adjusting Display Settings You can’t change the size of your monitor, but you can change how information is displayed on your monitor. These display settings help you adjust your monitor for your optimum working conditions.

Adjust screen resolution Screen resolution determines the amount of information that can be displayed on your monitor. A high resolution can fit a lot of information on the monitor, but the information also appears much smaller.


Other Ways to Open Screen Resolution: Click the Start button, select Control Panel, click the Appearance and Personalization category and click Adjust screen resolution.

2. Click Display settings.

The Display Settings dialog box appears.

3. Click and drag the Resolution slider to the resolution you want to use.

The size of the monitor icon changes as you drag the slider. The resolutions you can display depend on how much memory is installed on your video card.

Tip: Try to match screen resolution to your monitor size for best results. A wide screen monitor looks better with a wide resolution, like 1280 x 760, than 1024 x 768.

4. Click OK.

Exercise


• Exercise: Change the screen resolution on your computer. Increase the font size.

Figure 6-7: The Display Settings dialog box. This computer has two monitors, which is why there are two icons for monitors in the dialog box.

Figure 6-8: The image on the left shows the desktop in 800 x 600 resolution. The image on the right shows the desktop in 1024 x 768 resolution. Notice that while the images in the left example are larger and easier to read, there isn’t as much space on the desktop as the example on the right.

Customizing Windows


Adjust font size High screen resolutions are great for multitasking with several windows, but it can be difficult to see text. Fortunately, you can increase the dots per inch (DPI) scaling so that text is easier to read, and still have a high screen resolution.


2. Click Adjust font size (DPI) in the Tasks list.

The DPI Scaling dialog box appears. There are two options:

Default scale (96 DPI): Fits more information on the screen.

Larger scale (120 DPI): Makes text more readable and increases the size of other objects.

3. Select the DPI you want to use.

Tip: Some older programs are not optimized for high DPI. To accommodate these programs, click Custom DPI and click the Use Windows XP style DPI scaling check box to turn it on.

4. Click OK.

To see the changes in DPI, restart the computer.

Tips

Click the Colors list arrow in the Display Settings dialog box to change the color depth on your computer.

Click the Advanced button to change settings on your monitor, such as monitor flicker (refresh rate).

Figure 6-9: The DPI Scaling dialog box.

Figure 6-10: The image on the left shows the window in 96 DPI scale. The image on the right shows window in 120 DPI scale. Notice that the text and everything inside the window is larger in the example on the right.

Customizing Windows


Adjusting Sound Sounds are very useful in how you work with your computer. This lesson shows you how to control the system sounds on your computer.

Change system sounds Your computer “speaks” to you by making different sounds as you work. You can easily change the sounds that occur on different program events.


Other Ways to Open the Sound Dialog Box: Click the Start menu and select Control Panel. Click the Hardware and Sound category and click Change system sounds.


2. Click Sounds.

The Sounds tab of the Sound dialog box appears.

3. Select an event and click Test to hear the sound associated with it.

You can assign a different sound to an event.

4. When an event is selected, click the Sounds list arrow and select the sound you want to play. Or, click Browse to assign a sound on your computer.

When the sound associated with an even is changed, the sound icon next to the even changes color and the scheme changes.

5. After changing a program event, click Save As to save the change under a new sound scheme.

6. Click Save.

A new sound scheme is created.

7. Click OK.

Exercise


• Exercise: Online lesson file.

Figure 6-11: The Sound dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Adjust system volume Changing the volume can be a simple as changing the volume control on your computer’s speakers. But if the system volume control is very low or muted, your speakers won’t be effective.

1. Click the Volume icon in the notification area.

Other Ways to Change System Volume: Click the Start menu and select Control Panel. Click Hardware and Sound. Click Adjust system sound.

The Volume slider appears.

Tip: To view the Volume Mixer, click the Mixer link in the Volume slider. You can control the sounds from specific programs here.

2. Click and drag the volume slider to change the system volume.

A sound occurs when the volume is changed, giving you an idea of the new volume level.

Tip: To mute system sounds, click the Mute button below the volume sliders.

Figure 6-12: The Volume slider.

Figure 6-13: The Volume Mixer dialog box.

Customizing Windows

Click the Volume icon to adjust volume.


Adjusting the Mouse Many users complain that they don’t like how the mouse works. This lesson teaches you how to adjust the mouse, and how to change the mouse pointer’s appearance.

Change mouse pointers Give your computer a personal touch by changing the mouse pointer scheme.


Other Ways to Open Mouse Pointer Properties: Click the Start menu and select Control Panel. Click the Hardware and Sound category and click Change pointer appearance under Mouse.


2. Click Mouse Pointers.

The Pointers tab of the Mouse Properties dialog box appears.

3. Click the Scheme list arrow to select a different mouse pointer scheme.

When a different option is selected, a preview of the mouse pointers in the scheme is displayed in the dialog box.

4. Click OK.

Change mouse properties The mouse either is too slow or too fast, does not respond very well to your double-clicks, or worst of all, if you’re left-handed, its buttons are in the wrong places! Here’s how to make your mouse work better for you.

1. Click the Start menu and select Control Panel.

The Control Panel appears.

2. Click the Hardware and Sound category and click Mouse.

The Mouse Properties dialog box appears.

Refer to Table 6-4: Mouse Properties to decide which options you want to change to make the mouse work best for you.

3. Make the necessary changes and click OK.

Exercise


• Exercise: Change the mouse pointer scheme and adjust the mouse click speed.

Figure 6-14: The Pointers tab of the Mouse Properties dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Table 6-4: Mouse Properties

Button configuration Check the “Switch the primary and secondary buttons” check box if you are left-handed.

Double-click speed Drag the Speed slider to change the double-click speed.

Double-click the folder to test the double-click speed.

ClickLock Check the “Turn on ClickLock” check box to highlight or drag without holding down the mouse button.

Motion Drag the pointer speed slider to change the speed at which the pointer moves.

When checked, the “Enhance pointer precision” check box makes the pointer work more accurately when you're moving the mouse slowly.

Snap To Check the “Automatically move pointer to the default button in a dialog box” check box for quick navigation in dialog boxes.

Visibility Check the “Display pointer trails” check box to leave a trail of pointers as you move across the screen. This can be a good option for laptop users. Drag the slider to change the length of the pointer trail.

Clear the “Hide pointer while typing” check box to show the cursor on the screen at all times.

Check the “Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key” check box to find your cursor easily.

Vertical Scrolling Increase the number of lines scrolled at a time to scroll faster, decrease the number of lines to scroll slower.

Choose “One screen at a time” to scroll fastest.

Horizontal Scrolling Increase the number of lines scrolled at a time to scroll faster, decrease the number of lines to scroll slower.

*Not all mice are enabled with this type of wheel.

Customizing Windows


Changing the Date and Time Your computer’s clock doesn’t only tell you what time it is; it serves many functions, such as recording when you created or modified a file or sent an e-mail. Therefore, it is important that the date and time are set correctly on your computer. You can also add clocks to keep track of time in other parts of the world.

View the date and time

• Place your mouse pointer over the taskbar clock in the notification area.

A screen tip with the current date and time appears. It also displays the time for clocks you have added.

Change the date, time, and time zone By default, your computer clock is synchronized with an Internet time server, ensuring that your clock and date are accurate. If you need to change them for any reason, here’s how.

1. Click the taskbar clock in the taskbar notification area.

2. Click Change date and time settings.

Other Ways to Set the Time and Date: Click the Start button and select Control Panel. Click Clock, Language, and Region and click Set the time and date or Change the time zone.

The Date and Time tab of the Date and Time dialog box appears. There are two options here:

• Change date and time: Opens the Date and Time Settings dialog box where you can change date and time, down to the second.

• Change time zone: Opens the Time Zone Settings dialog box. Click the Time zone list arrow to select a different time zone.

3. Make the changes to date and time as necessary.

You probably won’t have to change the date or time if you have a connection to the Internet.

4. Click OK.

Tips

You may change the time zone for a clock, but if you want to apply other settings for a specific time zone, such as currency, language, or how time appears, you may want to change your computer’s regional and language settings instead.

Exercise


• Exercise: View the date by hovering over the taskbar clock in the notification area. Open the Date and Time dialog box. Add a clock that shows time from a different time zone. Check the time on the additional clock from the taskbar clock.

Figure 6-15: Point at the time in the notification area of the taskbar to view the date, time, and clocks you have added.

Figure 6-16: The Date and Time tab of the Date and Time dialog box.

Figure 6-17: The Time Zone Settings dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Add a clock You can add up to two clocks to keep track of the time in other parts of the world. The time for additional clocks appears when you hover over the taskbar clock in the notification area.

1. Click the taskbar clock in the notification area of the taskbar.

2. Click Change date and time settings.

The Date and Time tab of the Date and Time dialog box appears.

3. Click the Additional Clocks tab.

4. Click the Show this clock check box.

This enables another clock on the computer.

5. Click the Select time zone list arrow and select the time zone you want the clock to display.

6. Name the clock in the Enter display name text box.

Repeat if you want to add another clock.

7. Click OK.

The clocks are added.

Tips

By default, the clock on your computer is synchronized with an Internet time server. This means that once a week, your computer’s clock is synchronized with the server to ensure that your computer clock’s time stays accurate. An Internet connection is required for the synchronization to occur.

Figure 6-18: The Additional Clocks tab of the Date and Time dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Changing Language and Region Options The Language and Region settings are properties that are very useful if you are traveling with a laptop or are communicating in other languages frequently.

Change region format The region format controls how these things are displayed and entered on your computer:

• Numbers

• Currencies

• Dates

• Time

• Keyboard language

It even changes the languages displayed in some screen tips.



2. Click Clock, Language, and Region and click Change the country or region.

The Regional and Language Options dialog box appears.

3. Click the Formats tab.

4. Click the Current format list arrow and select the country or region you want your computer’s settings to use.

5. Click OK.

Tips

Click the Location tab and select a different location to enable local services in some software, such as news and weather.

To enable the keyboard layout, click the Language Bar on the taskbar and select the language you want to use.

Changing the region format does not change the time zone on the computer clock.

Exercise


• Exercise: Change your computer to another region format. Explore how this changes the display of date, time, and numbers.

Figure 6-19: The Formats tab of the Regional and Language Options dialog box.

Figure 6-20: The Keyboards and Languages tab of the Regional and Language Options dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Change keyboard language Change this setting if you want to use a different keyboard layout but don’t want to change the regional format.



2. Click Clock, Language, and Region and click Change keyboards or other input methods.

The Keyboards and Languages tab of the Regional and Language Options dialog box appears.

3. Click the Change keyboards button.

The Installed services area shows languages that have been added by selecting a certain region or country under the Formats tab.

4. If necessary, click Add to add a language.

5. Select the language you want to use and click OK.

Tips

After you change the keyboard layout, the characters on the screen may not correspond with the characters on the keyboard.

Keyboard language is not changed with the region format, it needs to be selected from the Languages bar in the taskbar. If you don't see the Language bar, right-click the taskbar and select Toolbars → Language bar from the contextual menu.

Figure 6-21: The General tab of the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box.

Customizing Windows


Customizing Folder View Options In addition to the many options you can customize in Windows, you can also change how you work with folders and their contents. For example, by default Windows displays a list of common folder and file management tasks along the left side of the folder window. If you don’t like this, you can view folders without the tasks.

1. Click the Start menu and select Control Panel.


2. Click Appearance and Personalization.

3. Click Folder Options.

4. Select the folder options you want to use and click OK.

The Folder Options dialog box appears. Refer to Table 6-5: General Folder Options and Table 6-6: Advanced Folder View Options for a review of the folder options available here.

Table 6-5: General Folder Options

The default options for folders are selected here.

Tasks Show preview and filters displays the Details and Preview panes in all folders.

Use Windows classic folders turns off the Details and Preview panes giving you more room to view files, and displays the menu bar that appeared in folders in previous versions of Windows.

Browse folders Open each folder in the same window specifies that the contents of each folder open in the same window.

Open each folder in its own window specifies that the contents of each folder open in a new window. The previous folder content still appears in a different window, so you can switch between the windows.

Click items as follows Single-click to open an item (point to select) specifies that you want to open items in folders and on the desktop by single-clicking them. To select an item without opening it, rest your mouse pointer on it.

Underline icon titles consistent with my browser Icon titles are underlined, just like links on a Web page.

Underline icons titles only when I point at them Icon titles are underlined only when you point at them.

Double-click to open an item (single-click to select) specifies that you want to select files and folders by clicking an item to select it, and double-clicking an item to open it.

Exercise


• Exercise: Change folder options so that file extensions are visible and classic folder menus are used.

Customizing Windows


Table 6-6: Advanced Folder View Options

Always show icons, never thumbnails

This option allows you to use static icons, which will increase your computer’s performance.

Always show menus Gives you access to the Classic menus, which are hidden by default.

Display file size information in folder tips

Displays the size of a folder in a ScreenTip when you at a folder with your mouse.

Display simple folder view in Navigation pane

Displays folders and subfolders in the Navigation pane with lines connecting them.

Show hidden files and folders Displays files and folders marked as hidden.

Hide extensions for known file types

Displays file name extensions. This way you can be sure what type of file you are working with.

Hide protected operating system files

Hides certain system files from view.

Launch folder windows in a separate process

Opens every folder in a separate part of the computer’s memory, thereby increasing the stability of Windows. Consider this option if your computer crashes often, however, know that doing this could slow down your computer’s performance.

Remember each folder’s view settings

Override custom view settings for folders and have them open using default settings instead.

Restore previous folder windows at logon

Select this option so that when you start your computer, Windows automatically opens the folders that you were using when you last shut down your computer. This allows you to continue working where you left off in your last session.

Show drive letters Show or hide the drive letter of each drive or device in the Computer folder. Use this setting if you only want to see the name of each drive.

Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color

If you select this option, encrypted or compressed NTFS files will appear as ordinary files, without any unique color-coding.

Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items

Turns on/off the ScreenTips that appear when you point to files.

Show preview handlers in preview pane

Allows you to hide or display contents of files in the Preview pane.

Use check boxes to select items This option adds check boxes to file views to make it easier to select several files at once.

Customizing Windows


FFrreeee PPrrooggrraammss Windows Calendar ............................................ 98

Windows Contacts ............................................. 99

Calculator ......................................................... 100

Notepad ............................................................ 101

Paint .................................................................. 102

Snipping Tool ................................................... 104

Sound Recorder ............................................... 105

Windows Explorer ........................................... 106

WordPad ........................................................... 107

System Tools.................................................... 108

Games ............................................................... 109

Other Free Programs and Accessories ......... 110

Windows Vista doesn’t really do much by itself—you need to run a program whenever you want to do something with your computer. But before you rush off to the local computer store to buy a software program to let you type a letter or paint a picture, read this chapter! Microsoft has included a handful of small but useful programs with Windows Vista.

This chapter explores the programs that Microsoft tossed in with Windows Vista. You’ll learn what all the “freebie” programs are, what they do, and if they’ll work for your purposes.

7

Windows Calendar Windows Calendar is not much different than a calendar you’d put on your wall, except that the Windows calendar can send you reminders about your appointments, and is very easy to update and share.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Windows Calendar from the menu.

The calendar program opens with today’s date. To change dates, click the arrows on either side of the month and then click the appropriate date.

Tip: Click the View button list arrow to change the view to week, work week, or month.

2. Click the date you want to add an appointment to and click the New Appointment button on the toolbar.

A box appears for the appointment.

Other Ways to Make Appointments: Press <Ctrl> + <N> or double-click the time slot for the appointment on the day.

3. Type the appointment name into the box.

The name should be something that is easy to identify and remember.

Tip: Click and drag the bottom edge of the box to make the appointment longer or shorter.

You can add more information in the Details pane, such as the appointment location, attendees, relevant web sites, and extra notes and you can also denote which appointments recur.

Exercise


• Exercise: Mark your next birthday as an annually recurring, day-long event in Windows Calendar.

Figure 7-1: The work week view of Windows Calendar

Figure 7-2: The Details pane in Windows Calendar.

Free Programs

Mark an event as an all-day appointment.


Windows Contacts You can use Windows Contacts to keep contact information for friends, family, coworkers, and associates close at hand. It’s like a business card organizer that’s on hand whenever you send out an e-mail.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Windows Contacts from the menu.

The Contacts program opens.

2. Click New Contact.

The Properties dialog box appears.

3. Enter the contact’s information in the fields provided.

Other Ways to Add Contacts: Contacts may be imported from other programs by clicking Import on the toolbar and selecting one of the four formats listed in Table 7-1: Importing Contact Formats.

Use the tabs along the top of the dialog box to enter more information about the person’s home, work, or personal life.

4. Click OK.

Once you are finished, the contact information is stored, and is accessible in Windows Mail and in your Contacts folder.

Exercise


• Exercise: Create a contact card with your information.

Figure 7-3: The first tab in Windows Contacts.

Table 7-1: Importing Contact Formats

CSV (Comma Separated Values)

A common format for databases and spreadsheets.

LDIF (LDAP Server)

A format that uses information from LDAP-based directories.

VCard (VCF File) The most common contacts format.

Windows Address Book File

A format used in earlier versions of Windows.

Free Programs


Calculator The Calculator accessory is one of the more useful programs included with Windows. You use the Calculator just like you would use any other calculator. The only difference between the two is that instead of pressing the calculator’s keys with your fingers, you click them with your mouse. You can also use the number keys or the numeric keypad on your keyboard to enter numbers into the Calculator program.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → Calculator from the menu.

The Calculator program opens.

2. Use the mouse to click the calculator buttons or type the numbers in with your keyboard.

The numbers are displayed in the calculator’s text box.

Tip: Use the View menu to switch between Standard and Scientific modes. You can also use Digit Grouping to separate large numbers into groups of three.

Exercise


• Exercise: Use the Scientific calculator to multiply pi by 4.

Figure 7-4: The Standard Calculator.

Figure 7-5: The scientific calculator using a decimal number system.

Free Programs


Notepad You can use Notepad to create or edit simple notes or text files that do not require any type of formatting. The Notepad program opens and saves text in ASCII (text-only) format. Notepad can only open or read files that are smaller than 64K. If you need to create or edit a file that requires formatting or is larger than 64K, use WordPad or a different program. Let’s take a closer look at Notepad.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → Notepad from the menu.

The Notepad program opens.

Notepad strips away all formatting from text pasted into it. This makes it a helpful tool for transferring text from one type program to another; for example, copying text from a web page and pasting it into a word processor.

Tip: When the font or word wrap are changed using Notepad’s Format menu, and then pasted into another program, they will revert to whatever the default formatting is in the new program.

Exercise

• Exercise File: Birthday Announcement.rtf

• Exercise: Open the Birthday Announcement.rtf file in WordPad. Copy all of the text from the document and paste it into Notepad.

Figure 7-6: Notepad uses a text-only format.

Free Programs


Paint Paint is one of the most complex of the free programs that come with Windows Vista. You can use Paint to create, manipulate, or view pictures and graphics—including maps, artwork, and photographs.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → Paint from the menu.

The Paint program opens.

2. Click the color you want to use in the Color Palette.

This will be the foreground color. Brushes and shape frames will use this color.

You can also right-click a color to use as the background color. Line fills and the eraser will use this color.

Tip: To choose a new color, select Colors → Edit Colors → Define Custom Colors from the menu. This replaces the foreground color.

2. Click a paint tool and then click and drag inside the drawing canvas to use it.

Paint provides a number of different tools for creating pictures. To see a tool’s description, position the mouse over the tool button for a few seconds. After a moment, the name of the tool will appear. In addition, a brief description of the tool appears in the Status bar at the bottom of the window whenever the pointer is over it. When you click a tool, the mouse cursor will change to the tool you chose.

See Table 7-2: Paint Tools for a complete list of Paint tools.

Exercise


• Exercise: Create a red ellipse with a black border. Then draw a blue box with a black border inside the ellipse.

Figure 7-7: The Paint program window.

Figure 7-8: The Color Palette with black selected as the foreground color and blue as the background color.

Free Programs

Paint Toolbar

Color Palette


Table 7-2: Paint Tools

Tool Name Description Submenu

Free Form Select

Use the mouse to draw a freehand outline around any shape to select it. Once you have selected an area, you can cut, copy, or move it.

The Solid background option (the first option) includes the background color in your selection when you move it. The Transparent background option does not move the background color.

Select Select part of the image with a rectangular frame.

Once you have selected an area, you can cut, copy, or move it.

The Solid background option (the first option) includes the background color in your selection when you move it. The Transparent background option does not move the background color.

Eraser Erases portions of the current picture by replacing it

with whatever the background color is. Four different eraser sizes are available.

Fill With Color

Fills an enclosed area (or the whole frame) with the selected color from the color palette.

None

Pick Color

Copies the color of one object to use on another. None

Magnifier Zooms in or out of the current image. Zoom in up to 800% or zoom out down to 12.5%.

Pencil Draw freeform objects with a fine tip, just as if you

were using a real pencil. None

Brush Paint freeform objects, just as if you were using a

real paintbrush. Brushes are available in three different sizes each for four different brush styles.

Airbrush Applies color freehand using an airbrush effect. Three different airbrush sizes are available.

Text Creates a box in which you can type and format text. Shows options between Solid background and

Transparent background. In addition, a font menu opens once a text box has been made.

Line Draws straight lines. They begin when the mouse is

clicked and end then the mouse button is released. Five different stroke widths are available.

Curve Draws curved lines. Five different stroke widths are available.

Rectangle Draws rectangles. Dragging the mouse changes the

diagonal of the rectangle. To create a perfect square, hold the shift key down while dragging.

Rectangles may be drawn with a frame only, with frame and fill of different colors, or as a solid-colored shape. Five stroke widths are available.

Polygon Draws polygons. The first side of the polygon begins

when the mouse is clicked and ends when it is released. Each click after that will add another side until the starting point is clicked again and the polygon is closed.

Polygons may be drawn with a frame only, with frame and fill of different colors, or as a solid-colored shape. Five stroke widths are available.

Ellipse Draws ellipses. Dragging the mouse changes the diameter of the ellipse. To create a perfect circle, hold the shift key down while dragging.

Ellipses may be drawn with a frame only, with frame and fill of different colors, or as a solid-colored shape. Five stroke widths are available

Rounded Rectangle

Draws rectangles with rounded edges. The same rules apply as to the rectangle.

Rounded Rectangles may be drawn with a frame only, with frame and fill of different colors, or as a solid-colored shape. Five stroke widths are available.

Free Programs


Snipping Tool Every so often, something will appear on your screen that you’ll want to share. The Snipping Tool allows you to take and edit a screen capture, or snip, which is like a photo of what’s on your monitor.

You can use the Snipping Tool to select the exact area of the page you’d like to snip. Here’s how to use it:

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → Snipping Tool from the menu.

The Snipping Tool program opens and your desktop fades slightly.

2. Click the New button list arrow and select the type of snip you want to use.

The process to create the snip changes depending on the type of snip being used. See Table 7-3: Snip Types for a list of the types of snips you can use.

Tip: The Snipping Tools program disappears when you capture the snip, so it won’t become a part of the snip.

3. Use the mouse to select the snip area.

A red border appears around the area to be snipped.

4. Click to create the snip.

The snip opens in the Snipping Tool window.

Once you have captured the snip you want to use, you can copy the snip and paste it into another document, or save it as its own file.

5. Copy or save the snip.

A snip may be saved as a .jpg, .png, .gif, or MHT file.

• .jpg: A small image file that sacrifices some image quality in its compression, ideal for photos.

• .png: A larger image file that preserves image quality, ideal for images with text.

• .gif: Similar to .png images, GIFs offer fewer available colors but are more widely used.

• .MHTML: Saved using HTML code, useful for saving to the Internet.

Exercise


• Exercise: Use the Rectangular Snip to capture the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop.

Figure 7-9: The Snipping Tool Capture Menu.

Figure 7-10: The Snipping Tool Editing Menu.

Table 7-3: Snip Types

Free-form Allows you to draw the capture frame freehand.

Rectangular Lets you draw a box around the area you wish to snip.

Window Automatically snips the entire window for a program.

Full-screen Automatically snips everything displayed on the monitor.

Free Programs

Rectangular snipping tool cursor


Sound Recorder To use the Sound Recorder program, you must have a sound card, speakers, and a microphone installed on your computer. If your computer system meets these requirements, then you can use Sound Recorder like a computerized tape recorder.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → Sound Recorder from the menu.

The Sound Recorder program window appears.

2. Click the Start Recording button.

The program begins to record sounds into your computer’s microphone. The green volume level bar indicates the level of sound being recorded, and the clock to the left of the green bar indicates how long the recording is.

Trap: If you don’t see a green volume bar, the program is not recording. Make sure that you have a sound card and microphone properly installed.

3. Click the Stop Recording button when finished.


4. Enter the name of the recording and click Save.

The Sound Recorder saves the recording in Window Media Audio File (.wma) format by default.

You can listen to your recording in Windows Media Player or any other program that supports .wma files.

Exercise


• Exercise: Record the first sentence of this lesson. “To use the Sound Recorder program, you must have a sound card and speakers installed on your computer.”

Figure 7-11: The Sound Recorder program window.

Free Programs


Windows Explorer Documents are saved in folders within folders within folders. Windows Explorer gives you a simple way to search through all of those folders without getting lost. The address bar marks exactly where you are amidst all of those folders and the Favorite Links list shows you the places you’re most likely to go.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → Windows Explorer from the menu.

The Windows Explorer window appears.

2. Use the controls to navigate to locations on the computer.

The contents of that folder are displayed in the file list as you navigate.

3. Double-click a file or folder to open it.

The file or folder opens.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open Windows Explorer and use the Address bar to jump to other folders in the path. Open the Pictures folder under Favorite Links. Then close Windows Explorer.

Figure 7-12: A Windows Explorer window.

Free Programs

Back and Forward buttons Return to locations you have visited while navigating. Click the Forward list arrow to view a list of locations you can visit.

Favorite Links The most common and popular folders for storing files are listed here.

Folders list View the hierarchy of drives and folders on your computer by expanding the Folders list.

Address bar As you navigate, the path is shown here. Each location in the path is a link, so you can click a link location to open it in the window. Click the arrow to the right of a link to open a list of folder within that location. Select a folder from the list to open it.

WordPad WordPad is a “stripped-down” word processor and is one of the best freebies Microsoft tossed in with Windows Vista. You can use WordPad to create letters, memos, and documents. You can also format your WordPad documents with various font and paragraph styles.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → WordPad from the menu.

The WordPad program window appears.

2. Enter text using the keyboard and use the WordPad commands to create a document.

A brief list of commands in WordPad can be seen in Table 7-4: Common Commands in WordPad.

Tip: Many commonly asked questions about WordPad can be answered by going into the WordPad help file. To open the file, click Help → View Help from the toolbar or press <F1>.

3. Click the Save button on the toolbar to save the document.

WordPad documents can be saved in four different formats:

• Rich Text Format: The default format for WordPad. Although it uses formatting, this file type can be read by many different programs.

• Text Document: This format is most commonly used in Notepad and does not allow text formatting.

• Text Document – MS DOS Format: A command line interface that can be used to control internal computer functions.

• Unicode Text Document: Unicode format includes a set of letters, numbers, and symbols that represents almost all written languages in the world.

Exercise


• Exercise: Type an invitation with date, time, and place in WordPad. Save it as Invitation.rtf.

Figure 7-13: A document in the WordPad program window.

Table 7-4: Common Commands in WordPad

Open

Opens a saved document (Ctrl +O)

Save

Saves changes in a document (Ctrl + S)

Print

Prints a document (Ctrl + P)

Undo

Undoes the last change made in the document (Ctrl + Z)

Cut

Deletes selected text and saves it to the clipboard (Ctrl + X)

Copy

Copies selected text to the clipboard (Ctrl + C)

Paste

Places text from the clipboard into the document (Ctrl + V)

Free Programs


System Tools Sometimes it can take a little elbow grease to make sure that your computer runs just the way you want it to. The System Tools folder is the home of the Control Panel, the Disk Defragmenter, System Restore, and a number of other programs designed to let you customize your computer and keep it running smoothly, even letting you bring it back to life after a computer crash.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories → System Tools from the menu.

The System tools menu will appear. A list of programs included in the System Tools folder can be found in Table 7-5: System Tools Accessories.

Table 7-5: System Tools Accessories

Backup Status and Configuration

You can specify a schedule for your files to be automatically backed up, so the programs can be restored in case they are deleted or unreachable.

Character Map Each font has a list of characters and symbols that don’t appear on the keyboard listed in the character map.

Computer Opens a Windows Explorer window with links to system information.

Control Panel An entire menu of programs to help you set preferences in everything from parental controls and internet options to input devices and monitor appearance.

Disk Cleanup This program deletes temporary files to free up disk space for other uses.

Disk Defragmenter

Files that were split into pieces are regrouped, so the computer can access them faster. Disk defragmenting also happens automatically in Vista.

Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)

This is a version of Internet Explorer that has no cookies or add-ons so it should always perform like new.

System Information

Shows a snapshot of what’s going on with your computer, including things like model numbers, directory names, and available memory.

System Restore Use system restore if your computer is acting buggy. It will revert the system back to what was on it yesterday, last week, or just before the trouble started.

Task Scheduler Helps you create a schedule for backing up drives, disk defragmenting, automated emails, and more.

Windows Easy Transfer

If you need to transfer to a different computer, files, settings and all, use this program to make the process easy.

Exercise


• Exercise: Identify the programs in the System Tools folder.

Figure 7-14: The Character Map for Times New Roman.

Free Programs


Games Microsoft includes a number of solitaire-style games. When you feel like taking a break, check out the Games Folder.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Games from the menu.

The Games menu appears. For a brief description of the games, see Table 7-6: Windows Games.

Other Ways to View Games: Open Games Explorer to see a larger menu of games with performance and content ratings on each.

2. Select the game you wish to play.

The game begins. Have fun!

3. Close the program window when you are done.

If you close the window in the middle of a game, a dialog box will appear asking if you want to save the game so you can continue it later.

Tips

Microsoft has given a numerical performance rating to each of the games. They recommend that your current system rating should be higher than the game it is trying to run. To check your computer rating, open the Performance Information and Tools in the Control Panel.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open Inkball. Play the first level. Don’t let anyone see you goofing off!

Table 7-6: Windows Games

Chess Titans

A chess game with 10 difficulty options. You can either play against the computer or against a friend.

FreeCell

A solitaire card game that gives you empty slots that allow you to move up to five cards at a time. To win, stack them in order in all four suits.

Hearts

A card game played against computer opponents, where the object is to avoid taking hearts and the queen of spades... or to take them all!

Inkball

Guide the balls into the same-colored holes by drawing barriers with your mouse. The barriers disappear after a ball touches them.

Mahjong Titans

Click matching pairs of tiles to make them disappear. You can only click the tiles that can be slid out of the puzzle (the game will tell you if the tile is free).

Minesweeper

A game of logic and luck. Each number indicates how many mines (or flowers) are around it. The goal is to click all the spaces that don’t have mines.

Purble Place

A card matching game, a cake decorating game and a guessing game intended for younger players.

Solitaire

The classic solitaire card game where you stack cards of alternating colors in descending order and then arrange them by suit in ascending order, Ace to King.

Spider Solitaire

A card game where the object is to sort each of the 104 cards by suit in descending order from King to Ace.

Free Programs


Other Free Programs and Accessories There are a number of other free programs and accessories that have not been covered in this chapter, even though they are very useful. The following tables provide a brief overview of these other freebies.

Free programs Microsoft included several robust programs that could each be a chapter unto themselves. Here’s a brief overview of what you’re in for when you explore the rest of the programs that come packaged with Vista.

• Click the Start button and select All Programs. Select the program you want to use.

See Table 7-7: Free Programs for a description of the other free programs you can use in Windows Vista.

Tips

The programs available here will depend on the edition of Windows Vista installed on your computer. For example, the Business edition does not have the Windows Media Center installed on it.

Table 7-7: Free Programs

Windows Defender This is a built-in spyware and virus detector. It can be used to scan your hard drive and weed out any malware that it finds.

Windows DVD Maker If your computer has a DVD burner, you can use this program to transfer footage from your camcorder or digital camera onto a DVD.

Windows Live Messenger

Live messenger, Microsoft’s chat program, isn’t really included with Vista, but you can go here to click a link where you can download it and have live conversations with friends or family.

Windows Mail Using your internet connection, you can send and receive email from this program, which used to be called Outlook Express.

Windows Media Center A one-stop hub for watching and recording TV, playing music or movies, and storing photos.

Windows Media Player This program allows you to play music or movies that have been downloaded from the internet or ripped onto a disk. It also allows you to buy music online or transfer data (say, from an mp3 player to a CD).

Windows Meeting Space You can arrange online meetings with up to 10 other people that let you control other people’s computers and send private messages.

Windows Movie Maker Vista includes a Movie Maker that lets you import and edit video, create scene-selection screens, and burn them onto a DVD.

Windows Photo Gallery Photo Gallery will help you import photos from your camera, organize them, and edit them. When you’re done, you can share your photos online.

Windows Update Whenever Microsoft issues small changes to their software, go to Windows Update to download the patch from the Internet so you can be certain you’re running the latest version.

Free Programs


Accessories Windows comes with a number of accessories meant to let users work in a variety of conditions and customize their PC just the way they want it. Table 7-8: Other Accessories offers a brief description of some of the other accessories included with Vista, including accessories for Ease of Access, Tablet PC users, and System tools.

• Click the Start button and select All Programs → Accessories from the menu.

The programs in the Accessories folder are displayed. More accessories are available in the Ease of Access, System Tools, and Tablet PC accessories listed in separate subfolders.

Table 7-8: Other Accessories

Command Prompt Microsoft’s original DOS interface still lurks for those who prefer typing out computer instructions to using the mouse.

Connect to a Network Projector

Network projectors will project images from your computer or any computer on your network, even if the computer isn’t in the same room as the projector. This program can determine if a network projector is available in your network, and connect it if it is.

Remote Desktop Connection

This program enables you to connect to another computer (provided you have the correct credentials) and operate it via remote control.

Run Enter commands or file paths into the command line to run programs, instead of searching for them in the start menu.

Sync Center Use this program to ensure that changes made (such as new contacts added) on one computer are reflected on your other computer(s). It even works with cell phones.

Welcome Center A good place to get started in Vista, the welcome center has links to add new users, explore new features, connect to the internet, and view computer details.

Windows Mobility Center

Laptop users can look at one window to see and change the status of their network connection, sync, volume, battery, and other features.

Windows Sidebar The sidebar lets you customize handy gadgets on your desktop, including a calendar, headline feed, stock ticker, contacts list, and even a puzzle.

Ease of Access Lists options to make the computer easier to use for people who are blind, deaf, or have difficulties using the keyboard or mouse.

Tablet PC Programs that allow you to use a stylus to write directly onto the screen, for people using Tablet PCs.

System Tools This is where to go to backup a hard drive, defragment a disk, set preferences, and track system information to make sure that your computer continues to run smoothly.

Figure 7-15: The Ease of Access Center is the main portal to explore Vista’s accessibility options.

Free Programs


UUssiinngg tthhee IInntteerrnneett

Introduction to the Internet ............................. 113

Connecting to the Internet .............................. 114

Displaying a Specific Web Page .................... 115

Browsing the Web ........................................... 116 Use hyperlinks ....................................... 116 Return to visited pages .......................... 116 Refresh a page ...................................... 117 Stop a page transfer .............................. 117

Browsing with Tabs ......................................... 118 Open a tab ............................................. 118 Use Quick Tabs ...................................... 118 Close a tab ............................................. 119

Using the Information Bar and Pop-Up Blocker ........................................................................... 120

Searching the Web .......................................... 122

Changing the Home Page ............................... 123

Using Favorites ................................................ 124 Add a favorite ......................................... 124 View favorites ........................................ 125 Organizing favorites ............................... 125

Using Browsing History .................................. 126 View your browsing history .................... 126 Delete browsing history ......................... 126

Downloading Pictures and Files .................... 128

The Internet has changed personal computing forever and continues to affect the way countless tasks are done. The Internet has introduced new ways of sharing recipes, buying music, playing games, paying bills, meeting new people and staying in touch with old friends.

Fortunately, the Internet is incredibly easy to use. Even the most computer-phobic users tend to feel right at home on the Internet.

This chapter gives a brief overview of how to navigate the World Wide Web, including bookmarking your favorite Web pages, filtering out pop-up advertisements, and downloading software.

There’s a lot to explore on the Internet, with more pages being added every day, so let’s get started!

8


Introduction to the Internet The Internet is the largest computer network in the world. It consists of millions of computers all over the planet, all connected to each other. It evolved from the ARPANET, which was created in the 1960s by the U.S. government to protect computer systems in case of a nuclear attack.

Although the Internet has been around since the 1960s, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the World Wide Web was born. The World Wide Web (or Web) is what you probably think of when you think of the Internet, although it’s really just a part of the Internet. The Web consists of millions of documents called Web pages, and you can find Web pages on every subject imaginable—from your local newspaper to online catalogs and airline schedules.

Web pages are stored on Web servers. A Web server is a computer, not unlike your own computer, only bigger and faster. Web servers are always connected to the Internet so that people can view Web pages stored on them 24 hours a day.

So what can you do once you’re connected to the Internet? Plenty. Table 8-1: Internet Activities shows just a few of things you can do once you’re online.

Table 8-1: Internet Activities

Send and Receive E-mail

Send and receive messages between people anywhere in the world, as long as you both have access to the Internet. E-mail is nearly instantaneous and sending messages is free, so it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with faraway friends and family.

Browse the World Wide Web

There are all kinds of documents to read on the World Wide Web, with information on every subject imaginable.

Join online discussions with newsgroups

Join a newsgroup and read and post messages to share your thoughts with people with similar interests. There are thousands of newsgroups that focus on topics including politics, religion, hobbies, computers, and more.

Chat with other online users

Chatting lets you communicate with people on the Internet instantly, no matter how far away they are. Although most chats are conducted by typing and sending responses, a growing number of chats have voice and even video capabilities, all without having to pay long distance charges.

Download software You can download pictures, demo programs, software enhancements, and even full programs for your computer.

Listen to music Many radio stations broadcast online, and you can also download and listen to music by your favorite artists.

Shop at online retail outlets

Not only do most retailers have an online presence that lets you shop without leaving the comfort of your computer desk, but there are innumerable specialty shopping web sites with a selection you can only find online.

Manage your accounts

You can pay bills, check your bank balances, and set schedules (and synchronize them with coworkers) online.

Keep a diary Web-logs, called blogs, are a popular way for people to document events in their lives and share them, either with select friends and family or with the whole world.

Watch videos Entire episodes of television shows can be viewed online, and you can purchase TV series and movies to download. Plus, the Internet is the only place to see thousands of homemade videos covering every topic.

Check Schedules You can plan a trip by checking airline schedules and train schedules, or check movie showtimes, or keep up with your favorite sports teams online

Play games There are a wide variety of games you can play including card games, puzzle games, video games, and more.

Exercise


• Exercise: Understand the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web.

Figure 8-1: MSN is the default home page in Internet Explorer.

Using the Internet


Connecting to the Internet There are three things you’ll need to connect to the Internet:

• An Internet Service Provider (ISP): An Internet Service Provider is a lot like a phone company, except instead of letting you make telephone calls to other people, an Internet Service Provider lets your computer connect to other computers on the Internet. Just like your telephone company, ISPs charge for their services.

• A Web Browser: A Web browser is a program that lets your computer view and navigate the World Wide Web. Windows comes with a built-in Web browser—Internet Explorer.

• A Phone Line and Modem or Other Connection: A modem is like a telephone for your computer. It lets your computer talk to other computers on the Internet.

There are several options for connecting your computer to the Internet. For a brief description of your choices, see Table 8-2: Types of Internet Connections.

1. Click the Start button and select Internet Explorer from the menu.

The Internet Explorer program window appears. If you are connected to the Internet, your Home page appears in the window.

Other Ways to Open Internet Explorer: Click the Internet Explorer icon in the Quick Launch toolbar.

2. Click the Tools button on the Command Bar and select Internet Options from the list.

The Internet Options dialog box appears.

3. Click the Connections tab and click the Setup button.

The Connect to the Internet Wizard appears.

4. Follow the instructions, choosing the connection type and entering connection information, such as a name for the Internet connection, and your ISP user name, and password.

The process for connecting to the Internet is different for each type of connection. But once a connection is established, it is always there.

Exercise


• Exercise: Make sure your computer has a connection to the Internet, and identify the type of connection being used.

Figure 8-2: Choose the type of connection you want to create to connect to the Internet.

Table 8-2: Types of Internet Connections

Dial-Up This is the slowest connection and it connects using your phone line (meaning you can’t connect to the Internet and talk on the phone at the same time).

DSL A Digital Subscriber Line provides high-speed Internet access through a separate phone line that does not interfere with your telephone. This is a broadband connection.

Cable This high-speed connection uses the cable hookup in your house. It will not interfere with cable television. This is a broadband connection.

Wireless A wireless router is an extension on another high-speed connection. With a wireless router, computers with wireless cards can connect to the Internet without being plugged into it physically.

Using the Internet

Displaying a Specific Web Page Every page on the Internet has its own Web address, called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Whenever you hear about www.something.com, people are referring to a specific Web page’s URL. Once you know the URL, getting to the Web page is a piece of cake!

1. Click the Start button and select Internet Explorer from the menu.

A browser window appears.

2. Type the URL in the Address bar and press <Enter>.

The Web page appears in the browser window.

Other Ways to Enter a URL: Press <Ctrl> + <L>, type the Web address, and press Enter.

Tip: URLs begin with a http:// prefix. In Internet Explorer (and most web browsers), this prefix does not need to be entered.

What does it mean when the Web page doesn’t load? Table 8-3: Reasons a Page Cannot Be Displayed lists some possibilities.

Exercise


• Exercise: Visit www.ebay.com through Internet Explorer.

Table 8-3: Reasons a Page Cannot Be Displayed

You’ve lost your connection to the Internet.

Check your Internet connection (or wireless signal) and try again.

The Web page does not exist.

Check the address you typed or use a search engine to find a new address.

Too many users are viewing the Web page at once.

Wait for a while (sometimes a few minutes or sometimes a few hours) and try again.

The server where the Web page is stored is down.

Wait for a while and try again.

Figure 8-3: An error message appears when a Web page can not be displayed.

Using the Internet

Address bar

Browsing the Web The World Wide Web is remarkably easy to navigate. It’s so easy that most users have an uncanny ability to browse through Web pages without any training, even if they have difficulty with other computer programs. This lesson explains how to find your way through the millions of Web sites that are on the Internet.

Use hyperlinks A journey of a million Web sites starts with a single page. You could browse the Internet just through hyperlinks. Clicking a hyperlink will:

• Take you to a page within the same Web site.

• Take you to a page in a different Web site.

• Take you to a part of the same Web page.

• Allow you to download a file.

• Send an e-mail to a specific e-mail address.

• Play a video, animation, or sound.

Whenever the cursor changes from an arrow to a pointing hand, it is on a hyperlink.

1. Click a hyperlink.

New information is displayed in the browser.

Tip: Press <Ctrl> as you click to open the link in a new tab.

Return to visited pages Internet Explorer has some same navigation controls that make it easy to browse among pages you have visited.

1. Click the Back button.

The page you previously viewed appears.

2. Click the Forward button.

The page you viewed before clicking the Back button appears.

Tips

Click the Recent Pages button to see the last ten pages you have viewed.

Click the Address bar list arrow to see a list of URLs recently typed into the Address bar.

Exercise


• Exercise: Browse to www.yahoo.com and click the Autos hyperlink. Return to the previous page. Go to the www.wikipedia.org page and stop the transfer of information.

Figure 8-4: The cursor changes shape when hovering over a hyperlink.

Figure 8-5: Controls you can use for browsing in Internet Explorer.

Using the Internet

Cursor

Using the Internet

Forward button Back button Stop

button

Address bar

Refresh button

Recent Pages

Recent URLs


Refresh a page Sometimes a page is slow to load. This usually happens when the computer that stores the Web page is handling a lot of data (for example, when many people are trying to view the page at once). Other times, changes are made to a page that don’t take effect right away. In either of these cases, refreshing the page may solve the problem.

• Click the Refresh button.

The data for the web page is automatically reset, and the page loads again.

Stop a page transfer If the Web page refuses to load, you may have to throw in the towel. The Stop button stops data from transferring so you can navigate somewhere else.

• Click the Stop button.

The data stops transferring and you can continue browsing the Internet.

Using the Internet

Browsing with Tabs Tabs allow you to open multiple Web pages in a single browser window. This makes it easy to switch between Web pages, and leaves more room on your taskbar.

Open a tab Internet Explorer starts with one tab open. You can add as many additional tabs as you want just by clicking the New Tab button.

1. Click the New Tab button.

A new tab opens.

Other Ways to Open a New Tab: Press <Ctrl> + <T>. Or, type the URL in the Address bar or Search box and press <Alt> + <Enter> to view the results in a new tab.

2. Type a new URL into the Address bar and press <Enter>.

The new tab displays the Web page.

Tips

To view another tab, click the tab. Or, press <Ctrl> + <Tab> to cycle through tabs.

Use Quick Tabs You can take a quick look at all of your tabs at once using Quick Tabs. This is a single page that lets you view thumbnails (small pictures) for the pages displayed in each tab.

1. Click the Quick Tabs button.

The Quick Tabs view opens. Each Web page that is open as a tab is displayed as a thumbnail preview.

Other Ways to Display Quick Tabs: Press <Ctrl> + <Q>.

2. Click a thumbnail.

The tab you selected is displayed.

Tip: Click anywhere on the page other than a thumbnail to exit Quick Tabs and return to the page you were viewing previously.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open tabs for customguide.com, microsoft.com, and msn.com.

Figure 8-6: Two or more Web pages can be viewed in a single window using tabbed browsing.

Figure 8-7: The Quick Tabs view.

Using the Internet

Quick Tabs button New Tab button

Close Tab button

Using the Internet

Close a tab Once you are done using a tab, you can close it without affecting the other tabs in the window.

1. Click the tab you’d like to close.

The tab must be active in order to close it.

2. Click the Close Tab button.

The tab closes.

Other Ways to Close a Tab: Press <Ctrl> + <W>. Or, click the Close Tab button in Quick Tabs view. Or, click the tab with the middle mouse button.

Tips

You can disable tabbed browsing altogether. Click Tools and select Internet Options. Under the General tab, click Settings and uncheck the Enable Tabbed Browsing check box.

Using the Internet


Using the Information Bar and Pop-Up Blocker Not all Web pages are safe. Some contain malicious code that could be downloaded onto your computer and some pummel you with a bevy of annoying pop-up ads. Internet Explorer uses the Information Bar to give you a warning, hopefully before either of these scenarios can take place.

This lesson shows you how to use the Information Bar and Pop-up Blocker and change their settings.

Use the Information Bar The Information Bar notifies you when a security action has taken place in order to protect you from harmful files. It may appear if you try to download a program, if a Web site tries to install an ActiveX control, active content tries to run on your computer automatically, or a pop-up is blocked. Here’s what to do when the Information Bar appears.

1. Click the Information Bar.

A menu appears, giving you options if you want to allow the action.

2. Select a command from the contextual menu.

The command occurs: for example, the file is downloaded to your computer.

Change Pop-up Blocker settings The Pop-up Blocker prevents annoying advertisement windows from disrupting your browsing on the Web. You can adjust the settings from heavy filtering to light filtering or even turn it off. Here’s how:

1. Click the Tools button on the Command Bar and select Pop-up Blocker.

The Pop-up Blocker submenu appears with two options:

• Turn off Pop-up Blocker: You can turn off the Pop-up Blocker completely, although you’ll probably find you prefer at least a little bit of filtering.

• Pop-up Blocker Settings: You can choose the filter level and specify Web sites that are always allowed to use pop-ups or never allowed to use pop-ups.

2. Select Pop-up Blocker Settings.

The Pop-up Blocker Settings dialog box appears.

Exercise


• Exercise: Add www.customguide.com to the Allowed sites list in Pop-up Blocker settings.

Figure 8-8: The Information Bar appears when a Web site tries to download a file onto your computer.

Figure 8-9: The Pop-Up Blocker Settings dialog box.

Using the Internet Using the Internet


Here, you can control exceptions, notifications and filter level for the Pop-up Blocker:

Exceptions: Add sites that you always want to view pop-ups from by adding them to the allowed sites list.

Notifications: Play a sound or have the Information Bar appear when a pop-up is blocked.

Filter level: Choose high, medium, or low filtering for pop-up ads

3. Configure the Pop-up Blocker settings.

4. Click Close.

Using the Internet

Searching the Web There are millions of Web pages on the Internet, and they’re not kept in any particular order. Fortunately, devices called search engines catalog almost all of the pages on the Internet so you can find Web pages on topics that interest you. The most popular search engines are briefly profiled in Table 8-4: Popular Search Engines. This lesson will teach you how to search the Web to find the pages you are looking for.

1. Click the Search box.

Anything you type here uses Windows Live Search to find results on the Web.

Tip: Windows Live Search is the default search provider in Search box of Internet Explorer. To add another search provider, click the Search box list arrow and select Find More Providers.

2. Type the word or phrase you want to search for and click Search.

The results of the search appear.

Tip: If you are looking for a specific phrase, (for example, “I Have a Dream”) you can group the words of the phrase together by putting them in quotation marks in the text box. Then the search engine will only search for results that match the entire phrase.

3. Click the hyperlink for the result you want to view.

The Web page opens.

Other Ways to Search for a Web Site: Type the Web address for a search engine in the Address bar (for example, www.yahoo.com) and press <Enter>. Then type the word or phrase you want to search for in the Web page’s Search box and press <Enter>.

Exercise


• Exercise: Use a search engine to find information about William Shakespeare.

Figure 8-10: Results for a search about William Shakespeare.

Table 8-4: Popular Search Engines

www.msn.com Microsoft’s search engine is the default home page and search engine for computers using Internet Explorer.

search.aol.com This is the default search engine for America Online subscribers.

www.google.com Google is consistently ranked as having the most relevant search results and has become the largest name in search engines.

www.yahoo.com Yahoo supplies a number of other services from its search page, including broad topics that can be narrowed down and browsed like a telephone directory.

Figure 8-11: Google is one of the most popular search engines in the world.

Using the Internet

Search box


Changing the Home Page If you find you’re making a beeline to the same Web page every time you get online, you might want to make it your home page. The home page is the page that appears as soon as you open your browser, and that appears when the Home button is clicked.

1. Browse to the page you’d like to make your home page. Open additional home pages in tabs.

The Web page appears.

2. Click the Tools button and select Internet Options.

The General tab of the Internet Options dialog box appears. Notice that there are several options for setting the home page:

• Use current: The current Web page and any additional pages currently open in tabs become the new home page(s).

• Use default: Revert to the default home page: go.microsoft.com.

• Use blank: No Web page is displayed for the home page.

3. Click the Use current button.

The current Web page and any Web pages open in tabs are set as your home page. Notice that if you are using multiple home pages, each URL is listed on its own line.

4. Click OK.

The page(s) are saved as your home page

Other Ways to Change Your Home Page: Navigate to the Web page and click Home button list arrow. Then select Add or Change Home Page and select the option you want to use from the dialog box.

Tips

Whenever you click the Home button in the Command Bar, you return to your home page.

Internet Explorer’s default home page is www.msn.com.

Exercise


• Exercise: Set www.google.com as your home page.

Figure 8-12: Change home page settings in the Internet Options dialog box.

Figure 8-13: You can choose to have one home page or several home page tabs.

Using the Internet

Using Favorites If you’ve finally found that Web page that’s been eluding you and you know you’ll want to return to it later, you don’t have to write the address down on a scrap of paper and tape it to the monitor. Just add the Web page to Internet Explorer’s Favorites list. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to save and view your favorite Web pages.

Add a favorite Microsoft has already given you quite a selection of Microsoft Web pages in your favorites. Here’s how to add some of your own choices to the list:

1. Open the page you want to add as a favorite.

The Web page is displayed.

2. Click the Add to Favorites button and select Add to Favorites.

The Add a Favorite dialog box is displayed.

Other Ways to Add a Favorite: Press <Ctrl> + <D>.

Tip: You can add a number of Web sites to the Favorites list at once. Display them all on tabs and choose Add Tab Groups to Favorites.

3. Type a nickname for the Web page in the Name text box.

The nickname should be something that is easy to recognize later. Many Web pages automatically have a nickname that works well.

4. Click the Create in list arrow and select the folder to save the Web page in.

Saving favorites in folders makes it easy to find the favorite when you need it. If you don’t choose a folder, it will be saved in the Favorites folder.

Tip: If an appropriate folder does not already exist, click New Folder to create a new one.

5. Click Add.

The Web page is added to the Favorites list so you can view the Web page at a later date.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open the www.customguide.com Web page and add it to your list of favorites. Create a new folder for CustomGuide in your favorites, and add the CustomGuide favorite to that folder.

Figure 8-14: Adding a Web page to Favorites.

Using the Internet

Add to Favorites button

Favorites Center button

View favorites Once a favorite has been added, you can view it again by accessing it in the Favorites list.

1. Click the Favorites Center button and click View Favorites.

The Favorites list appears.

Other Ways to Open the Favorites List: Press <Ctrl> + .

2. Click the favorite you’d like to view.

The Web page is displayed.

Tip: To display all of the pages saved within a folder as separate tabs, click the Open Tab Group button to the right of the folder name in the Favorites list.

Organizing favorites Favorites is such a handy feature that it can sometimes be overrun with saved Web addresses. Thankfully, there’s a window dedicated solely to keeping them organized.

1. Click Add to Favorites → Organize Favorites

The Organize Favorites dialog box appears, with a list of folders in alphabetical order.

2. Make changes to your Favorites.

You can create a new folder, or move, rename, or delete the current Web pages and folders in your favorites list.

Tip: You can move an entire folder into another folder. For example, you may want to put folders for North American Travel, European Travel, and South American Travel within a folder called Travel.

3. Click the Close button.

The Organize Favorites window closes.

Figure 8-15: Select a favorite from the Favorites list to view it in the browser.

Figure 8-16: Organize the Web pages that have been marked as favorites in the Organize Favorites dialog box.

Using the Internet

Using Browsing History Let’s say you found a great web site yesterday on custom-built ice sculptures that would make a great anniversary gift, but now you can’t remember the address. Internet Explorer saves all of your web searches for just such an occasion.

View your browsing history You can find a history of every Web page you’ve visited for the last several weeks in the Favorites Center.

1. Click the Favorites Center button on the toolbar.

The Favorites Center opens.

2. Click the History button.

Your browsing history is shown, grouped by date.

Tip: By clicking the arrow next to the History button, you can sort your history in the order the sites were visited, or by site, or by which site was visited most frequently.

Other Ways to Open Your Browsing History: Press <Ctrl> + <H>.

3. Click a date.

Folders for each of the Web sites you visited on that date are displayed. Each separate page on a site is stored within that site’s folder.

4. Click a folder.

The folder opens.

5. Click a specific Web page.

The page is displayed in the browser.

Delete browsing history Of course, if you know how the browsing history works, your spouse might know, too. To keep the ice sculpture gift a secret, you’ll have to remove the Web page from your browsing history, or delete the history entirely.

1. Click the Tools button and select Delete Browsing History.

The Delete Browsing History dialog box appears. You can delete the following:

• Temporary Internet Files: Copies of Web sites you have viewed that are saved so they load faster when you return.

Exercise


• Exercise: View your browsing history, then delete it.

Figure 8-17: A list of folders from today’s web browsing history.

Using the Internet

Keeps the browsing history displayed while you navigate the Web.

Browsing History button


• Cookies: Files stored that save data such as login information.

• History: A list of Web pages you have visited

• Form Data: Information that has been typed into forms.

• Passwords: Some sites automatically fill in passwords on your return visit.

2. Click the Delete History button.

A warning dialog box appears, asking if you’re sure you want to delete all items from your history.

3. Click Yes.

The browsing history is deleted.

Other Ways to Delete Your Browsing History: Delete one item at a time by right-clicking the date, Web site, or Web page and selecting Delete.

That’s all there is to working with your browsing history.

Figure 8-18: The Delete Browsing History dialog box.

Using the Internet


Downloading Pictures and Files Another common use of the Internet is to download files from a Web server and save them onto your local hard drive. These files include images, programs, software patches, music, and more.

There are some dangers to downloading content, so make sure your computer has a virus protection program installed before you download anything. The most common file types to carry a virus are .exe, .scr, .bat, .com, or .pif.

The other downside of downloading files from the Internet is that it can take a long time—especially if you use a dial-up connection.

1. Browse to the Web page with the information you’d like to download.

The Web page appears.

2. Right-click the image, file, or link to the item you want to save.

A contextual menu appears.

Other Ways to Download Files: Many Web sites offer step-by-step instructions for downloading programs or software.

Tip: Not all downloads are free, especially software upgrades and programs. Be sure to check if there is a cost associated with downloading a file.

3. Select Save Picture As for an image. Select Save Target As for a file.

An Internet Explorer dialog box appears, asking you to specify how you want to work with the file.

4. Select a folder you’d like to save the file in.

5. (Optional) Rename your file and specify a file type.

You can change the file type, although this is discouraged.

6. Click Save.

Exercise


• Exercise: Go to yotophoto.com and download a picture of your favorite animal.

Figure 8-19: A warning will appear when you try to download an .exe file.

Figure 8-20: Windows displays the progress of a download.

Using the Internet


UUssiinngg EE--mmaaiill Introduction to E-mail ..................................... 130

About e-mail addresses ......................... 130

Composing and Sending E-mail .................... 131

Adding a Name to Windows Contacts ........... 133

Receiving and Printing E-mail ........................ 134

Replying to a Message .................................... 135

Forwarding a Message .................................... 136

Deleting a Message ......................................... 137 Delete a message .................................. 137 Delete a message permanently ............. 137

Controlling Junk E-Mail .................................. 138

E-mail makes it easier than ever to keep in touch with distant relatives, old friends, and even businesses. It eliminates the need to pay for stamps, search for envelopes, and wait for delivery. Many e-mail programs, like the one included in Windows Vista, will let you attach photos and extra documents, and even check your spelling for you before you send a message.

This chapter deals with sending, receiving and sorting e-mail using Windows Mail. Once you are comfortable with the options that e-mailing has to offer, you may never want to pick up a pen and stationery again!

9


Introduction to E-mail E-mail has changed the world. It offers a way to communicate with people anywhere in the world instantaneously, and it’s often free. Vista includes Windows Mail, which lets you send and receive e-mails from your computer. Let’s get started:

• Click the Start button and select All Programs → Windows Mail from the menu.

The Windows Mail program opens.

About e-mail addresses If this is the first time Windows Mail is being used, an e-mail account needs to be set up. Information like user name, send and server type, and password should come from your Internet Service Provider or Network Administrator.

An e-mail address contains two parts: a user name and a domain name. The user name is the unique combination of letters and numbers to the left of the @ symbol. On the right of the @ symbols is the domain name, which reflects the location of the person’s account on the Internet.

Once the e-mail information has been set up, Windows Mail should look like the screen on the right. Microsoft has already provided mail for you to read. See Table 9-1: Folders in Windows Mail for an explanation of the different icons in Windows Mail.

Tips

This chapter deals with e-mail in Windows Mail, but there are a lot of other e-mail options out there. If you sign up for a Web-based e-mail, such as Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail, you’ll be able to check your e-mail account from any computer that has a connection to the Internet.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open Windows Mail or a Web-based e-mail account.

Figure 9-1: Welcome to Windows Mail.

Table 9-1: Folders in Windows Mail

Inbox

All incoming messages are stored here.

Outbox

Temporarily stores any messages that are composed but not yet sent.

Sent Items

Stores copies of messages you have sent.

Deleted Items

Temporarily stores any messages that you have deleted.

Drafts

A place for drafts of messages that you have not completed.

Junk E-mail

Microsoft detects unwanted e-mail and puts it in this folder.

Figure 9-2: An Internet e-mail address has two parts: a user name and a domain name, separated by the @ symbol.

Using E-mail

[email protected] User Name This is the name of the person’s e-mail account. It is similar to the person’s name on an envelope.

Domain Name This is the location of the person’s account on the Internet. It is similar to the address on an envelope.

Composing and Sending E-mail Writing an e-mail message is just like writing a letter. The only difference is the way that it is sent. Fortunately, Windows Mail makes this process easy.

1. Click the Start button and select All Programs → Windows Mail from the menu.

The Windows Mail program appears.

2. Select File → New → Mail Message from the menu.

The New Message window appears.

Other Ways to Compose E-mail: Click the Create Mail button on the toolbar, or press <Ctrl > + <N>.

3. Enter the recipient’s address in the To: or CC: field.

See Table 9-2: Ways to Address an E-mail Message for a description of sending options in Windows Mail.

Other Ways to Enter a Recipient’s Address: Click the To: button, then double-click a name on the recipients list. Click OK when you’re finished.

4. Click the Subject field and type the message’s subject.

The subject appears in the Inbox to let the recipient know the content of your message.

5. Type the message in the body of the New Message window.

Entering text in Windows Mail is just like working with other word processors, so you can format text and use cut, copy, paste, and undo shortcuts. Windows Mail even includes a few special tools for e-mail messages:

• Spell-check: Click the Spelling button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to check the message for misspellings, and view suggested alternatives to correct them.

• Name-check: If you’ve typed the e-mail address in yourself, click the Check Names button on the Standard Buttons toolbar to find any discrepancies with entries in the Contacts folder.

Exercise


• Exercise: Create a new e-mail message and send it to yourself and another person.

Figure 9-3: The New Message window.

Table 9-2: Ways to Address an E-mail Message

The To field sends the message to the primary recipient or recipients that you would like to send it to.

The Carbon Copy field sends a copy of the message to a recipient who may not be directly involved.

The Blind Carbon Copy field sends one or more people a copy of the message without the other recipients knowing about it.

Using E-mail


• Hyperlinks: Whenever you type an e-mail address—like [email protected]—or a website—like www.msn.com—Windows Mail inserts a hyperlink. Then, when your recipient clicks the link, a New Message window appears, or the Web site appears in a browser window. You can also add hyperlinks to normal text by clicking the Hyperlink button on the Formatting Bar.

• Attachments: Add a picture or an additional file to your e-mail by pressing the Attach File to Message button on the Standard Buttons toolbar.

When you’ve finished composing the message, it’s ready to be sent.

6. Click the Send button on the Standard Buttons toolbar.

The message is sent.

Tip: If your computer is not connected to the Internet, the message is held in your Outbox until you have connected to the Internet once again.

Using E-mail

Adding a Name to Windows Contacts It can be hard to keep track of e-mail addresses, especially if they have an e-mail address like [email protected]. That’s where Windows Contacts comes in handy. You can store contact information so it will come up whenever you type in a person’s name. But first, you need to add the contact information.

1. Click the Contacts button on the Windows Mail Toolbar.

The Windows Contacts window appears.

2. Click the New Contact button on the toolbar.

The Properties dialog box appears. Contact information may be added by filling in the text boxes. Use the tabs along the top of the dialog box to enter more information about the person’s home, work, or personal life.

Other Ways to Add Contacts: Contacts may be imported from other programs by clicking Import on the toolbar and selecting one of the four formats listed. For a description of the formats, see Table 9-3: Contact Formats.

Tip: When you reply to a message, Windows Mail can automatically add the sender’s e-mail address to your contact list. Select Tools → Options from the menu and click the Send tab. Click the Automatically put people I reply to in my Contacts list check box.

3. Click OK to save the information.

Now when you type a person’s first or last name into the To: field of a New Message window and press <Tab>, their preferred e-mail address will come up automatically.

Exercise


• Exercise: Add contact information for Julie Marie Capulet (nickname Mrs. M). Her e-mail address is [email protected]

Figure 9-4: The Name and E-mail tab in the Properties dialog box.

Table 9-3: Contact Formats

CSV (Comma Separated Values)

A common format for databases and spreadsheets.

LDIF (LDAP Server)

A format that uses information from LDAP-based directories.

VCard (VCF File) The most common contacts format.

Windows Address Book File

A format used in earlier versions of Windows.

Using E-mail

Receiving and Printing E-mail Receiving e-mail is easy, because someone else has done most of the work for you.

Receive an e-mail message Any new messages you’ve received will already be sitting in your Inbox when you open Windows Mail. All you have to do is open the message to read it.

1. Start Windows Mail and click the Inbox folder.

The Inbox appears. When Windows Mail is opened, it automatically checks for new messages and puts them in your Inbox.

2. Click the message you want to read.

The contents of the message appear in the Preview pane of the Inbox window.

Other Ways to Open an E-mail Message: Double-click the message to open it in a separate window.

Some messages arrive with attachments: a file or image that can be opened separately from the message. Attachments show up under the column marked with a paper clip.

3. To open an attachment, double-click the paper clip icon in the message.

The attachment opens in a new window.

Tip: Viruses can easily be hidden inside e-mail attachments. As a general rule, you should never open an attachment from someone you don’t know. No matter who sends it, if the attachment looks suspicious, think twice before opening it.

Print an e-mail message E-mail messages can be printed just like documents in word processor programs.

1. Select File → Print from the menu.

The Print dialog box appears.

Other Ways to Print an E-mail Message: Click the Print button on the Toolbar. Or, press <Ctrl> + .

2. Select the print options you want to use and click Print.

The message is sent to the printer.

Exercise


• Exercise: Open a new message in the Inbox and print it.

Figure 9-5: E-mail messages can be opened in a separate window.

Using E-mail


Replying to a Message You can save yourself the time and heartache of looking up and retyping someone’s e-mail address when you want to write back to them. Use the Reply button and you’re off!

1. Select the message you want to reply to.

There are two ways to reply to a message:

• Reply: Sends your response to the sender only.

• Reply All: Sends your response to everyone who received the original message.

Both options allow you to edit the message and add or remove addresses.

2. Click Reply or Reply All on the Standard Buttons toolbar.

The Reply window appears. The original message is visible underneath your reply.

Tip: When a message has been replied to, the original subject line will automatically get a Re: prefix.

3. Type your reply in the body of the Reply window.

You can also add attachments and hyperlinks to your reply.



Exercise


• Exercise: Use the Reply button to reply to a message.

Figure 9-6: The Reply window in Windows Mail.

Using E-mail


Forwarding a Message If you want to share information with a third party, or if you accidentally received a message intended for a coworker, you can forward the message. Windows Mail will send the original message along with any notes or instructions you add.

1. Open the message you want to forward.

2. Click the Forward button on the Standard Buttons toolbar.

The Forward window appears. The original message appears underneath the message you type.

Tip: When a message has been forwarded, the original subject line automatically gets an Fw: prefix.

3. Enter the new recipient’s address in the To: or CC: field.

Other Ways to Enter a Recipient’s Address: Click the To: button, then double-click a name on the recipients list. Click OK when you’re finished.

4. Type your message text in the body of the Forward window.

The original attachments from the message will be sent to the new recipient. New attachments can also be added to the message.



Exercise


• Exercise: Forward the Windows Welcome Message.

Figure 9-7: Forwarding a message

Using E-mail

Deleting a Message When you tire of seeing messages from years ago, it’s time to delete some messages. However, there’s a difference between deleting a message from the Inbox and getting rid of it entirely. This lesson explains how to do both.

Delete a message

1. Select the message(s) you want to delete.

2. Click the Delete button on the toolbar.

The message is moved to the Deleted Items folder.

Other Ways to Delete a Message: Select the message(s) and press <Delete> key.

Tips

If you decide that you’d rather not delete a message, it’s not too late. Open the Deleted Items folder and select Edit → Move to Folder from the menu. From there, select the folder to move the message to.

Delete a message permanently You can free up space on your hard disk by permanently deleting messages from the Deleted Items folder.

• To delete one message permanently, open the Deleted Items folder, select the message and click the Delete button.

The message is deleted permanently.

Other Ways to Permanently Delete a Message: Press the <Delete> key to permanently delete the message.

• To delete all messages permanently, select Edit → Empty ‘Deleted Items’ Folder from the menu.

All e-mail messages in the folder are deleted permanently.

Other Ways to Permanently Delete Messages: Press <Shift> + <Delete> at the same time to bypass the Deleted Items folder and permanently delete a message right from your Inbox.

Exercise


• Exercise: Delete a message from your Inbox. Delete all items from the Deleted Items folder.

Figure 9-8: A message from the Deleted Items folder.

Using E-mail

Delete button


Controlling Junk E-Mail If you’re getting a lot of unwanted mail, often called junk e-mail or spam, Windows Mail can automatically sort it into a separate folder. This lesson will help you sort through your sorting options.

1. Click the Junk E-mail folder.

The contents of the folder are displayed. If it’s looking crowded, see Table 9-4: Techniques for Avoiding Spam for tips on how to avoid junk e-mail in the first place.

It’s a good idea to check this folder from time to time if you subscribe to a mail list. Occasionally, a message you are expecting will be mistakenly labeled as spam. To minimize this, you can adjust the settings.

2. Select Tools → Junk E-mail Options from the menu.

The Junk E-mail Options dialog box appears. Here, you can choose how strictly junk mail should be monitored.

• Options: Choose to have e-mail messages filtered heavily, lightly, or not at all. Suspicious messages will be sent to the Junk E-mail folder.

• Safe Senders: Any e-mail from a contact on this list will automatically be sent to the Inbox, and never treated as junk e-mail.

• Blocked Senders: Any e-mail from a contact on this list will automatically be sent to the Junk E-mail folder.

• International: If you receive spam from a country where you don’t have any contacts, you can block mail from the entire country.

• Phishing: You can avoid receiving fraudulent e-mails requesting financial information by electing to protect your Inbox from e-mails with phishing links.

3. Click OK to save your changes.

Exercise


• Exercise: Add a friend’s address to the Safe Senders list.

Figure 9-9: Messages in the Junk Mail folder can be deleted permanently or sent to another folder.

Table 9-4: Techniques for Avoiding Spam

Use a disposable e-mail address.

Get a free e-mail address from Hotmail, Yahoo, or another service and use that for making online purchases and registering Web accounts.

Look out for newsletter offers.

When you sign up for a product or service, look out for pre-checked boxes that say “Yes, send me more information” and uncheck them.

Use AntiSpam software.

Third party commercial products like McAfee SpamKiller, Norton AntiSpam, and SpamNet can be more effective than Windows Mail for filtering out junk mail.

Don’t publish your e-mail address as a link online.

If you include spaces around the @ in your e-mail address, it will not automatically become a hyperlink, and address-seeking programs will be less likely to find it.

Using E-mail

Transfer mail to a different folder

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Quiz Questions

1. An operating system is: A. What organizes files. B. What controls the computer's hardware. C. What runs the computer's programs. D. All of these.

2. What are the four editions of Vista called? A. Okay, Good, Better, Best B. XP Plus, Home Media, Security, Home Security C. 97, 2000, XP, Vista D. Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate

3. Which of the following is NOT a new feature in Windows Vista? A. User Account Control B. Online help C. Instant Search D. Windows Aero

4. What does the <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete> screen do? A. It's a defense against hackers or worms that might try to hack into your computer while you're not using it. B. Restarts your computer. C. Logs into a guest user account. D. Opens the Network Security dialog box.

5. What is the Sidebar? A. What is used to scroll up and down in a document window. B. What appears when the Start button is clicked. C. An area where small programs are located on the desktop. D. A docking area for open windows.

6. What happens (most of the time) when you point at an object? A. The object is selected. B. A screen tip with a description of the object appears. C. The object is opened. D. The object is deleted.

7. You can move an object with click and drag. (True or False?)

8. To display a contextual menu for an object, do the following: A. Point to the object and press <Ctrl> + <C>. B. Right-click the object. C. Touch the object on-screen with your finger. D. Click the object.

9. A keystroke combination is: A. A way to lock your computer to prevent unauthorized access. B. Using the keyboard in conjunction with the mouse. C. A type of hopscotch. D. Pressing two or more keys at the same time, like pressing <Shift> with <Tab>.

10. What key can you press to get help? A. <F1> B. <Home> C. <Ctrl> + <H> D. <Esc>

11. In Vista, turning off your computer means putting it in sleep mode. (True or False?)

12. To start a program, do which of the following? A. Make sure the Program Manager is open, double-click the Program Group where the program you want to run is located, and double-click the Program. B. Click the Start button, click All Programs, click the menu and any submenus where the program you want to run is located, and click the name of the program you want to run. C. Click the Start button, point to the Run menu, click the menu and any submenus where the program you want to run is located, and then click the name of the program you want to run. D. None of the above.

13. Which of these statements is not true? A. Program windows display content on your computer. B. The left pane of the Start menu displays commonly used programs. C. The right pane of the Start menu displays commonly used folders. D. Some people refer to starting a program as launching.

14. The area that displays the program or folder name and is found at the top of a window is called the: A. Windows bar B. Title bar C. Program bar D. Very-top-of-the-window bar

15. You start your favorite word processing program to type a letter, but the program appears in a window that's too small to use. How can you maximize the window so it fills the entire screen?

A. Click the Maximize button located in the right side of the window's title bar. B. Select Window > Full Screen from the menu. C. Click the program's button on the taskbar. D. Click the window's title bar.

16. You can restore a minimized window by clicking its button on the taskbar. (True or False?)

17. To change the size of a window, click and drag by the window's borders or corners. (True or False?)

18. How to you move a window on the Windows desktop? A. Select the window and use the keyboard arrow buttons to move the window. B. Select File > Move from the menu. C. You can't move a window. D. Click and drag the window by its top border to a new location on the screen.

19. Which of the following won't allow you to switch between windows? A. Use <Alt> + <Tab> to scroll through a list of open windows. B. Click the program's button on the taskbar. C. Click the window icon in the notification area. D. Use Flip 3D to preview open windows.

20. Cascaded windows are arranged so that you can view the content of all the windows at the same time. (True or False?)

21. When you use the Show the Desktop arrangement, all open windows are closed. (True or False?)

22. Close a window by clicking the Close button. (True or False?)

23. Which of these is not a menu in WordPad? A. Format B. File C. Delete D. Help

24. To make a ScreenTip appear in a toolbar: A. Point the mouse cursor to the button in the toolbar without clicking. B. Point the mouse cursor to the button in the toolbar and click. C. Right-click to activate the ScreenTip toolbar. D. Open the ScreenTip document and type Display ScreenTips.

25. How do you enter information into a text box? A. Click the box and it will fill in automatically. B. Press <Ctrl> + <E>. C. Click the tabs until the information appears. D. Type text in it.

26. What is the difference between a check box and an option button? A. Nothing. They work in exactly the same way. B. Option buttons are used for menus and surveys, and check boxes are used for dialog boxes. C. Multiple check boxes can be selected at once, but only one option button can be selected at a time. D. Multiple option buttons can be selected at once, but only one check box can be selected at a time.

27. If there are too many options to fit into a text box, a scroll bar will help you reach the ones offscreen. (True or False?)

28. At the end of a line of text, WordPad automatically moves text to the next line. This is called: A. Text-drop B. Word-wrap C. Line-break D. Type-down

29. The Delete key deletes text to the left of the insertion point. (True or False?)

30. The Open button is located on the Toolbar. (True or False?)

31. When you save a document with a different name, the old document is deleted. (True or False?)

32. Which of these is not a way to select a word? A. Double-click the word. B. Click and drag with the mouse to select the word. C. Click the word and press <Ctrl> + <W>. D. Place the insertion point next to the word, press Shift, and use the arrow keys to highlight the word.

33. What happens when you deselect text? A. The text is deleted. B. The text is highlighted. C. The text is copied onto the clipboard. D. The highlighting around the text disappears.

34. What is a keystroke shortcut that you can use to paste text? A. <Ctrl> + <C> B. <Ctrl> + <V> C. <Ctrl> + D. <Ctrl> + <X>

35. You can cut and paste text between documents. (True or False?)

36. The text or object that was last cut or copied is what appears when you paste. (True or False?)

37. The feature that allows you to see how your printed document will look is called ______. A. Print View B. Print Layout C. Print Sampling D. Print Preview

38. Which of the following is NOT a way to print a document? A. Press <Ctrl> + . B. Click the Quick Print button on the Toolbar. C. Press <Ctrl> + <T>. D. All of these.

39. Which of the following computer devices does not store information? A. Hard disk drive B. Discus disks C. Network drive D. Removable disks

40. How much text is equal to a byte? A. A single character B. A novel C. A library D. An encyclopedia set

41. Do this to display the contents of a drive, folder or file: A. Right-click the item. B. Triple-click the item. C. Click the drive or folder while holding down the Alt key. D. Double-click the item.

42. To view an item's properties, right-click the item and select Properties from the contextual menu. (True or False?)

43. The Address bar’s only function is to display the path of the location currently being displayed. (True or False?)

44. You can create a new folder using the <Ctrl> + <N> shortcut. (True or False?)

45. The process for renaming and deleting a folder is the same for a file. (True or False?)

46. Delete a folder or file by clicking it, pressing the Delete key, and confirming the deletion. (True or False?)

47. Which of these will NOT select multiple files or folders? A. Click and drag a rectangle around any adjacent files you want to select. B. Click the first file you want to select, press and hold down the Shift key and click the last file you want to select. C. Hold down the <Ctrl> key and click the files you want to select. D. Click the Organize button and select Select Multiple Files, and then click the files you want to select.

48. If you hold down the <Ctrl> key while clicking and dragging a folder, what happens? A. The folder is copied to where it is dropped. B. The folder is moved to where it is dropped. C. The folder is deleted. D. The Organize button is clicked.

49. Which of the following methods is incorrect? A. To copy a file, press and hold down the <Ctrl> key as you click and drag the file to a new location. B. To move a file, click the Organize button and select Move from the menu. C. To copy a file, click the Organize button and select Copy from the menu. D. To move a file, right-click the file and select Cut from the contextual menu.

50. The menu bar appears in windows by default in Windows Vista. (True or False?)

51. Which of these is not a view you can use in a window? A. Picture B. List C. Details D. Tiles

52. You can only filter by one property. (True or False?)

53. Heading buttons only appear in Details view. (True or False?)

54. When you search using the Search box of a window: A. Only the contents of the window are searched. B. Only removable drives are searched. C. The entire computer is searched. D. Only Indexed Locations are searched.

55. Searching outside of Indexed Locations can be very slow. (True or False?)


56. The compression ratio is the same for all file types. (True or False?)

57. Which of the following is NOT true? A. When a file is moved into a compressed folder, a compressed version of the file is made and the original file is not effected. B. Compressed files are damanged after being extracted. C. A compressed folder icon is marked with a zipper. D. A compressed folder has a .zip file extension.

58. Used only for advanced networking settings, the Control Panel should never be touched by ordinary users. (True or False?)

59. The Window Color and Appearance window changes the color of windows, the Start menu, and the taskbar. (True or False?)

60. A theme includes settings such as desktop background, window color, sounds, icons, and other elements. (True or False?)

61. You can only use the preset images that come with Microsoft Windows as desktop background. (True or False?)

62. Which of the following is NOT an option found in the Screen Saver Settings dialog box? A. How many minutes to wait before displaying the screen saver. B. A list of screen savers you can use. C. Controls to change how your mouse works. D. Options to show the logon screen on resume.

63. The highest resolution you can display depends on what? A. How large your monitor is. B. How much free memory is available on your hard drive. C. The amount of memory on your video card. D. Your version of Windows.

64. The Volume icon appears in the Windows Vista notification area by default. (True or False?)

65. You can change the double-click speed of your mouse by clicking Mouse in the Hardware and Sound category of the Control Panel. (True or False?)

66. To display the current date, simply point to the clock on the taskbar for a few seconds. (True or False?)

67. An additional clock changes the time zone for your computer's clock. (True or False?)

68. What is the Language Bar? A. Create other languages in the Language Bar. B. Select a different keyboard input language from the Language Bar. C. A ribbon that translates languages for you. D. A toolbar that allows you to display information in other languages.

69. What is a file extension? A. Three letters after the file name that identify the file type.


B. Something added to a file name to make it longer. C. A feature that appears when working with HTML files. D. Something granted by your boss if you miss a deadline.

70. How can you make an appointment show up every month at the same time? A. After setting the appointment, click the arrow next to the month. B. Click the Recurrence list arrow and choose Monthly. C. Click the Reminder list arrow and choose 1 month. D. Import a Monthly Appointments calendar from the Internet.

71. Windows Contacts has space for both home and work addresses, as well as notes about family and personal life. (True or False?)

72. Windows Contacts can display contact information created in other programs. (True or False?)

73. If you want to perform advanced calculations such as calculating factorials or finding arc tangents, what should you do?

A. Use the standard calculator. B. Abandon any attempts to perform advanced calculations. C. Use Notepad. D. Use the scientific calculator.

74. The standard calculator will only work with numbers less than 1,000. (True or False?)

75. When text is copied from another source and pasted into Notepad: A. Only the text (and not the formatting) is transferred. B. Only the formatting (and no text) is transferred. C. Both formatting and text are transferred. D. An error message appears.

76. Which of these is not a tool in Paint? A. Rounded Rectangle B. Ellipse C. Triangle D. Rectangle

77. Although you can't create a photograph in paint, you can still view and edit them. (True or False?)

78. Once you have created a snip it cannot be changed. (True or False?)

79. A snip is also called a: A. Screen capture B. Freeze frame C. Pictobox D. Highlighter Tool

80. When you click on the Start Recording button: A. Nothing happens unless you say the word Start into the microphone at the same time. B. Sound Recorder starts to record, and the button automatically changes to Stop Recording C. Sound Recorder starts to record, and automatically records for exactly one minute.


D. A menu will appear asking how long the recording should last.

81. If a green volume bar doesn't appear while you are recording, you should: A. Click View > Volume Bar in the menu. B. Restart your computer. C. Make sure that your sound card and microphone are installed properly. D. Abandon your dreams of becoming a recording star.

82. The Back button: A. Lets you search though the backs of files. B. Brings you to the last screen you viewed in Windows Explorer. C. Goes back to open the last program you were running. D. Makes the controls run backwards.

83. Which of the following can not be done in WordPad? A. Printing a document. B. Spell-checking a document. C. Saving a document. D. Copying and pasting text in a document.

84. The Character Map only contains proofreaders marks and copyright information. (True or False?)

85. Once a character has been copied to the Character Map clipboard, it can be pasted into other programs, including WordPad, NotePad and Microsoft Word. (True or False?)

86. Which of these games is not available on Windows Vista? A. Chess B. Mahjong C. Solitaire D. Backgammon

87. What is ARPANET? A. The 1960s network developed by the U.S. to back up its computer systems. B. An insurance plan for AARP members. C. The system for sharing documents over the Internet. D. A computer that makes Web pages available on the Internet 24 hours a day.

88. Computers that store Web pages are known as: A. Standardized protocols B. University libraries C. Mega-puters D. Web servers

89. An ISP is: A. An Internet Service Provider, a device inside your computer that connects to the Internet. B. An Internet Service Provider, a company that charges you to connect to the Internet. C. An Information Sending Protocol, an encrypted language that is used to access the Internet. D. An Information Sending Protocol, a device that determines whether your computer uses Dial-up or Broadband access.


90. Your three options in the Connect to the Internet dialog box are: A. Wireless, broadband, or dial-up B. Modem, router, or landline C. DSL, cable, or broadband D. ISP, modem, or browser

91. Which of these is NOT a reason that a Web page would not load? A. You have misspelled the Web address. B. There are too many people viewing the Web page at one time. C. You have lost your connection to the Internet. D. The Internet is temporarily closed for cleaning.

92. If you do not type http:// before a web address, Internet Explorer will add it for you. (True or False?)

93. The Refresh button: A. Shows a number of Web pages related to the one you are currently viewing. B. Will reload a Web page. C. Lets your computer take a five minute break between tasks. D. Restores a Web page to the way it looked when it was first created.

94. The Back button will bring you to the last Web page you viewed. (True or False?)

95. You must double-click a hyperlink to activate it. (True or False?)

96. Quick Tabs allow you to: A. Quickly open a group of tabs that were saved to your favorites. B. View all of your tabs as thumbnails on one page. C. Quickly disable tabbed browsing in Internet Explorer D. View the current charges you owe to your Internet Service Provider.

97. If you close a tab: A. Nothing happens. B. The other tabs will remain open. C. All of the tabs will close. D. You get to watch an informative video on the uses of tabbed browsing.

98. If a pop-up window or download is blocked, you can override the action and continue the download from the Information Bar. (True or False?)

99. The Pop-Up blocker cannot be turned off. (True or False?)

100. You can allow pop-ups to appear from a Web site by adding it to the Allowed sites list. (True or False?)

101. If you want to search for a specific phrase, you should group the words in the phrase inside: A. parentheses B. brackets C. quotation marks D. asterisks

102. The default search engine for Internet Explorer is Yahoo. (True or False?)

103. The home page will appear when: A. You restart your computer. B. You click the Home button on the Command Bar. C. Your Internet connection is lost. D. You type www.homepage.com in the Address bar.

104. You can save more than one page as a home page. (True or False?)

105. When you add a favorite, you must add it to one of the existing folders. (True or False?)

106. You can display the Favorites list by pressing <Ctrl> + <F>. (True or False?)

107. How far back does Internet Explorer keep track of your browsing history? A. A few months. B. A few hours. C. A few weeks. D. Several years.

108. How do you access your browsing history in Windows Vista? A. Click the History button. B. Click the Favorites Center button on the command bar and choose View History. C. Select Tools > Histories > Browsing History from the command bar. D. Visit www.history.com

109. There is no risk to downloading files from the Internet. (True or False?)

110. Which of these in not a folder in Windows Mail? A. Junk E-mail B. Old Mail C. Inbox D. Outbox

111. Web-based e-mail can be checked from any computer with an Internet connection. (True or False?)

112. How do you create a new e-mail message? A. Click Create Mail on the toolbar. B. Press <Ctrl> + <N>. C. Click File > New > Mail Message from the menu. D. Any of these options will create a new message.

113. You can only enter names and e-mail addresses in Windows Contacts. (True or False?)

114. In Windows Contacts, you can use Groups to: A. Send a message to a group of addresses you have selected. B. Send a group of messages to a single address. C. Group your e-mail messages by length, date, or subject matter. D. Group your e-mail addresses by age, location, or relationship to you.

115. The attachment icon looks like: A. A red X. B. A flag. C. An attache case. D. A paperclip.

116. Pressing <Ctrl> + will print the e-mail message you are reading. (True or False?)

117. What does Reply All do? A. It sends your reply to everyone in your Contacts list. B. It sends your reply to everyone who received the original message. C. It sends replies to every message the original author has ever e-mailed to you. D. It sends your reply to everyone who has an Internet connection.

118. When a message has been replied to, the original subject line will automatically get a Re: prefix in the subject line. (True or False?)

119. If you do not include your own message in a forwarded e-mail: A. The forwarded e-mail will not be sent. B. Windows Mail will insert a boilerplate message into the e-mail. C. The forwarded e-mail will be sent anyway. D. The hard drive will be deleted.

120. Clicking the Forward button will automatically send the message back to the person who sent it. (True or False?)

121. Deleting a message in the Deleted Items folder will delete it permanently. (True or False?)

122. Once a message has been sent to the Deleted Items folder: A. It can never be restored to the Inbox. B. The message can still be restored to the Inbox. C. You have two minutes to restore it to the Inbox before the change is permanent. D. All of the other messages in the Deleted Items folder will disappear to make room for the new message.

123. When the Junk E-mail filter is set for low: A. Almost all junk e-mail is caught, although some regular mail may be caught as well. B. Spam is permanently deleted instead of moved to the Junk E-mail folder. C. Only phishing spam is sent to the Junk E-mail folder. D. Only the most obvious spam gets sent to the Junk E-mail folder.

124. Which of the following is an effective means for cutting down on the amount of spam you receive: A. Reply to each message telling them you might be interested later, but you definitely aren't interested right now. B. Use third party filtering software like SpamKiller, AntiSpam, or SpamNet. C. Get your e-mail address published on several Web sites run by people who dislike spam. D. Forward the spam on to everyone in your address book.

Quiz Answers 1. D. An operating system controls the computer's hardware, runs programs, and organizes files.

2. D. Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate are the four editions of Vista.

3. B. Online help is not a new feature in Windows Vista.

4. A. The <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Delete> screen is a defense against hackers or worms that might try to access your computer while you're not using it.

5. C. The Sidebar is an area where small programs, called widgets, are located on the desktop.

6. Most of the time, a description is revealed when you point at an object.

7. True. Click and drag an object, like a window or an icon, to move it.

8. B. Right-clicking most objects in Windows displays a list of options for the object.

9. D. A keystroke combination is when you press two or more keys at the same time.

10. A. Press the <F1> key to open Help and Support.

11. True. Microsoft recommends putting your computer to sleep, rather than shutting it down, when you are not using it.

12. B. To start a program, click the Start button, All Programs, click the menu and any submenus where the program you want to run is located, and click the name of the program you want to run.

13. A. Folder (not program) windows display content on your computer.

14. B. The Title bar appears at the top of a window and displays the name of the program or folder.

15. A. Clicking the window's Maximize button will maximize the window so it fills the entire screen.

16. True. Clicking the taskbar button of an open window restores the minimized window.

17. True. You must click and drag by the window's borders or corners to change the size of a window.

18. D. To move a window, click and drag the window by its top border to a new location on the screen.

19. C. Clicking the window icon in the notification area is not a way to switch between windows.

20. False. Windows shown stacked or side by side are arranged so that you can view the content of all the windows at the same time.

21. False. Show the desktop minimizes all open windows to the taskbar; it does not close them.

22. True. The easiest way to close a window is by clicking its Close button.

23. C. Delete is not one of the menus in WordPad.

24. A. Hold the mouse cursor over the button, and a ScreenTip should appear in a moment.

25. D. Enter information into a text box by typing text with the keyboard.

26. C. In a list of check boxes, each check box can be selected at the same time. In a list of option buttons only one button can be selected at any time.

27. True. A scroll bar can be used to see information that is offscreen.

28. B. Word-wrap drops the text to the next line automatically, so there's no need to press Enter.

29. False. The Backspace key deletes text to the left of the insertion point. The Delete key deletes text to the right of the insertion point.

30. True. The Toolbar contains buttons for some of the most commonly used commands, including Open.

31. False. The original document remains intact, with its original name.

32. C. You can select a word by double-clicking it or by highlighting it with the mouse or arrow keys.

33. D. The highlighting around the text disappears when it is deselected.

34. You would think <Ctrl> + would paste text — but it's <Ctrl> + <V>.

35. True. You can cut and paste text between two documents.

36. True. Typically when you paste, you paste the last item that was cut or copied.

37. D. The Print Preview feature allows you to preview how your printed document will look.

38. C. Pressing <Ctrl> + <T> is not a print command.

39. B. The discus is more suited for track and field than a computer.

40. A. A byte is equal to a single character.

41. D. Double-click an item to open it and display its contents.

42. True. You can view any item's properties by right-clicking and selecting Properties.

43. False. The Address bar can also be used to navigate to other locations on the computer.

44. False. You can't create a new folder using a keystroke shortcut, but you can right-click a window and select New > Folder to create a new folder.

45. True. If you know how to rename and delete a folder, you know how to rename and delete a file.

46. True.

47. D. Select Multiple Files is not a command under the Organize button.

48. A. A folder is copied if the <Ctrl> key is pressed when the folder is clicked and dragged. The same is true with a file.

49. B. The command to move a file under the Organize button is Cut, not Move.

50. False. If you want to use menus in windows, you must change the layout so that the menu bar is displayed.

51. A. Picture is not a view you can use, but there are several sizes of Icon views you can apply.

52. False. You can filter by several properties from several different Heading buttons.

53. False. You can use the heading buttons to arrange the file list in any view.

54. A. When you search in a window, only the contents of the window are searched.


55. True. Searching outside Indexed Locations can be very slow because the items that are not indexed need to be searched individually.

56. False. The amount a file can be compressed varies with each file.

57. B. Compressed files are NOT damanged after being extracted. They are quite safe and stable.

58. False. The Control Panel is where you go to make changes to Windows and your computer. While there are a few technical areas in the Control Panel, most of it is straightforward and easy to understand.

59. True. The windows, Start menu, and taskbar are all changed with the color.

60. True. The theme includes all these things.

61. False. You can use any image, such as those from a digital camera or the Internet, as a desktop background.

62. C. The Screen Saver Settings dialog box doesn't have any mouse options.

63. C. The highest resolution you can display depends on how much memory is installed on your video card.

64. True. The Volume icon appears in the notification area by default.

65. True. The double-click speed is probably one of the first things you should adjust if you're having trouble double-clicking with the mouse.

66. True. Point to the taskbar clock for a few seconds to display the system date.

67. False. An additional clock is merely a resource that allows you to view the time in another area of the world.

68. B. To change to a different keyboard language, you must select it from the Language Bar.

69. A. A file extension is the three letters after a file name that identify the file type.

70. B. The Recurrence detail lets you schedule appointments that take place every month, every year, every week, or every day.

71. True. Windows Contacts has extra tabs for Work Addresses, Home Addresses, Personal Information, and more.

72. True. Contacts made in other programs can be imported as long as they've been saved in a compatible file format like VCard or CSV.

73. D. The scientific calculator is able to perform more advanced mathematics, including factorials and arc tangents.

74. False. The standard calculator can perform basic calculations like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with large numbers as well as with small numbers.

75. A. Notepad strips away the formatting from text that is copied from another source.

76. C. There is no automatic tool for triangles in Paint, but triangles can still be created using the Polygon tool.

77. True. Paint can open drawings and photographs as long as they are saved in a format that Paint recognizes.

78. False. You can label a snip with the pen tool or highlight an important area with the highlghter.

79. A. Snips are often referred to as screen captures.


80. B. Sound Recorder will start recording as soon as the Start Recording button is clicked. When the Stop Recording button is clicked, it will stop

81. C. If the green volume bar does not appear in Sound Recorder, make sure that your sound card and microphone are installed properly, and that the sound is loud enough to be picked up by the microphone.

82. B. The Back button brings you to the last screen you viewed in Windows Explorer.

83. B. Spell-check is not available in Wordpad.

84. False. The Character Map contains characters for foreign languages, currency notation, fractions, bullets, symbols, and more.

85. True. Characters taken from the character map can be used in many different word processing programs.

86. D. Backgammon is not a free game installed in Windows Vista.

87. A. ARPANET is the 1960s network developed by the U.S. to back up its computer systems.

88. D. Computers that store Web pages are known as Web servers.

89. B. ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. It is a company, like a phone company, that charges you to connect to the Internet.

90. A. You can connect to the Internet with a Wireless, Broadband, or Dial-up connection.

91. D. If a web page does not load, it may mean that you have lost your connection to the Internet, you have misspelled the Web address, there are too many people viewing the Web page at once, or there is a problem with the computer the Web page is stored on.

92. True. You do not need to enter http:// before an address because Internet Explorer will add it for you.

93. B. The Refresh button will reload a Web page. This is useful if the page is loading slowly or if new information has come in since you opened it.

94. True. The Back button brings you to the last Web page you viewed.

95. False. Click once on a hyperlink to activate it.

96. B. Quick Tabs allow you to view all of your tabs as thumbnails on a single page.

97. B. If you close a tab, the other tabs will remain open.

98. True. You can overrule a blocked pop-up window or download and proceed with the action.

99. False. The pop-up blocker can be turned off, but you'll probably want at least a low level of filtering instead of turning it off altogether.

100. True. Pop-ups will always appear for Web sites on the Allowed sites list, regardless of the filter level.

101. C. To search for a specific phrase (as opposed to a group of words), put the phrase inside quotation marks.

102. False. The default search engine for Internet Explorer is Windows Live Search.

103. B. The home page will appear when you click the Home Page button on the Command Bar. It also appears whenever you open a new browser window.

104. True. You can save more than one page as a home page. Each page will appear in a separate tab.

105. False. You can create new folders and sub folders to store favorites. However, you aren't required to use folders when adding a favorite.

106. False. You can display the Favorites list by pressing <Ctrl> + .

107. C. Internet Explorer will keep track of the last 3 weeks of your browsing history.

108. B. In Windows Vista, you can access your browsing history by clicking the Favorites Center button and choosing View History.

109. False. Downloading viruses from the Internet could give your computer a virus, download spyware, or violate a copyright, which is why you should exercise caution when downloading.

110. B. The folders in Windows Mail are Inbox, Outbox, Junk Mail, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Drafts, and Junk E-mail.

111. True. Unlike Windows mail, which must be checked from your own computer, web-based email can be checked from any computer that is connected to the Internet.

112. D. You can create a new e-mail message by clicking Create Mail on the toolbar, pressing <Ctrl> + <N>, or clicking File > New > Mail Message from the menu.

113. False. Click on the other tabs in the Properties dialog box to enter addresses, phone numbers, and other information.

114. A. In Windows Contacts, a group refers to a group of e-mail addresses who can all receive a message at the same time.

115. D. The attachment icon looks like a paper clip.

116. True. E-mail messages can be printed by pressing <Ctrl> + , clicking the Print button on the toolbar, or selecting File > Print from the menu.

117. B. Reply All sends your reply to everyone who received the original message that you are replying to.

118. True. Windows Mail will automatically place a Re: prefix before the subject line when you respond to an e-mail message.

119. C. When you forward an e-mail, adding your own message is optional. The original message will be sent either way.

120. False. Forwarding a message will not send it back to the original sender, only to the addresses you specify.

121. True. Deleting an item in the deleted items folder will delete it permanently.

122. B. A message can be restored from the Deleted Items folder by selecting Edit > Move to Folder from the menu.

123. D. When the Junk E-mail filter is set for low, only the most obvious spam gets sent to the Junk E-mail folder.

124. B. Third party spam filtering software like SpamKiller, AntiSpam, or SpamNet can be more effective than the Windows Mail filter alone.