The Desktop is the on-screen work area on which windows appear, it’s the first screen that appears
when the operating system has initialized. In our case it will be the Windows XP desktop.
Once Windows XP has initialized, the following screen will appear. This screen is the default look of the
desktop which is the standard way of displaying information or performing a task in Windows It is possible
that it is not the same as the one on your computer because Windows allows us to customize the
background.
On the desktop we have icons that allow us to open the corresponding program.
For example, by clicking on the icon
Internet Explorer will open up.
The icons and shortcuts
are small images situated on the desktop of Windows XP. Just like buttons,
icons have the objective of immediately executing a given program. To start the related applications simply
double-click with the left mouse button. When we open up a program, the Active Window appears. The active
window refers to the window you are currently using.
Using the Mouse
A mouse is a palm-sized device used to control the movement of an object on the computer screen called the
cursor, or pointer.
The cursor is an arrow or other symbol on the screen that moves as you move the mouse. It is usually an
arrow, but its appearance will vary depending on whether it is over text, blank space, an image or a website
link.
To interact with objects on the screen, the cursor is moved over the object by moving the mouse and a button
on the mouse (usually the left button) is depressed or "clicked".
The mouse rests on the mouse pad (or desk) next to the keyboard with the cord pointing away from you toward
the back of the desk.
Right-handed people usually position the mouse on the right side of the keyboard. Lefties sometimes keep this
position, but may be more comfortable moving the mouse to the left side of the keyboard so that they may
easily use their dominant hand for mouse operation.
If you run out of room to move the mouse, you can lift it up and set it down a few inches over as needed. The
cursor will not move while the mouse is in the air.
Clicking the mouse button is one way of sending commands to the computer (another is using the keyboard).
To click, gently press and release the left mouse button without lifting your finger off the button. Be careful not
to move the mouse while you are clicking. The secret is to keep your hand relaxed on the mouse as you press
down and release the button. Use about as much pressure and speed as you would if you were idly tapping
your finger on a tabletop. If you press the button too hard or hold it down, the mouse will move, making your
click ineffective. Clicking should be a very gentle action, requiring only enough force to push the button down.
Remember, a quick and light depression of the button that produces a "click" sound is all you need.
Often, words are clicked to move to another page. Usually, these words (referred to as "links") are underlined
and appear in a different color than the rest of the text. The cursor will change to the pointing finger when it is
over a link.
"Clicking and dragging" is a way to move certain objects on the screen and to hi-light
text or images. To move an object, place the cursor over it, press and hold down the left
mouse button, then move the mouse while still holding down the left mouse button. When
you have "dragged" the object to the location you want, let go of the mouse button.
Clicking the right button of the mouse opens up what is called a ‘short cut menu.' This
action is called right clicking. A sample image is shown to the right. Notice that the short
cut menu allows you to perform common operations that are also available from the menu
bar at the top of the screen. If you accidentally open a short cut menu, you can close it
again by moving the mouse cursor off of the grey menu box and then clicking the left
mouse button. The term Shortcut refers to a link that you can place in any location that
gives you instant access to a particular file, folder, or program on your hard disk or on a network.
The usual way to start using the internet or other applications on your computer is to click on the
representational image known as an icon. Icons appear on "the desktop" -- the area that you see on the screen
when the computer is on, but no applications have been open.
To open an application, place the pointer over the icon and click the left mouse button twice in rapid
succession. This is referred to as double clicking.
Remember, do not move the mouse between clicks-- the application will not open if the mouse moves.
Double-click quickly -- about as fast as you can say "clickclick".
Task Bar. The task bar is what appears on the bottom of the screen. On the bottom left corner there is the
Start button. Next we have the area for shortcuts, then the programs running, and lastly the notification area.
The Start Button is the button through which we can access the entire breadth of options that Windows XP
offers us. If we browse it, a menu similar to the one below will be displayed.
On the middle part there are two areas, or
Panes, part of a window that is divided into two
or more sections.
The left area contains three separate areas
divided by a thin line.
On the top third we can see Internet Explorer
and Outlook Express. They are located here
because these are programs included with
WindowsXP. On the next third we find all the
programs that we have been using lately. In
this example, MSN, Windows Media Player, ...
This way we have quicker access to the
programs that we most frequently use.
To gain access to the rest of the programs we
have the green triangle All programs. By
clicking here, we can view all of the programs
that are installed on our computer.
On the right hand area there are icons to
access the different parts of WindowsXP that
are most often used: My documents, My
Recent Documents, My Pictures, My Music
and My Computer.
With the Control Panel icon we can configure and customize the appearance of our computer.
If we have any questions we can use the Help and Support that Windows offers us.
With the Search icon we can find files whose location we are not sure of.
At the bottom we have the options Log Off and Turn Off Computer. The first option allows us to close the
current session, and the second option allows us to restart or turn off our computer.
All the windows are formed by:
The title bar contains the name of the program you are working with (Notepad) and in some cases the
name of the opened document (aulaclic) also appears. In the top right corner we can find the minimize,
maximize/restore, and close buttons.
The minimize button
bar.
The maximize
The restore button
shrinks the window it turns it into a button located in the WindowsXP task
amplifies the size of the window to the whole screen.
restores the window to its original state.
closes the window. If we've modified the document, we are asked if we want to
The close button
save the changes before closing.
The menu bar has the program functions organized in menus. For
example, when we click on File, the different operations that can be
performed with files are displayed. All the operations that the program
allows us to do are located within the different menus of this bar.
If on a menu an option appears with a small arrow pointing to the right it
means that that option contains other options. If you want to open the menu
related to that option, you only need to maintain the option highlighted for a
few seconds and the menu will appear.
The tool bar contains icons to immediately execute some of the most often used commands. These
commands can also be executed from the menu bar.
The scroll bars allow us to move through out the page in a quick and simple manner. Simply drag the
bar with the mouse or click on the arrows. There are bars to move along the width of the page and bars
to move along the height of the page. The little square with dots on the right is used to change the size
of the window. Simply click and drag.
The Back button
will allow us to go to the last page that we have seen. The button next
to it, when activated, allows us to move one page forward. The Forward Button is an arrow located at
the top left corner of most programs, next to the back button. The forward button allows you to go
forward to the page you were previously viewing. It is usually a blue arrow that points to the right or
forwards. It is mostly used when searching the Internet.
will allow us to go up one level, which means going back to the folder that
The up button
contains the folder we are working with.
The search button
displays a window where we can search for the file we want.
The folders button
shows the folder's structure on the left side of the screen, or it can display an
area with the most frequent tasks, depending on the file we have selected. In this area we can find,
among others, the following buttons:
The last button
allows us to change the views on the folders (view details, Thumbnails,...).
The Address Bar is well known for Internet because it shows the address of the web we are viewing.
With Windows Explorer it functions the same way, but it shows the name of the folder we are working
with.
Getting to Know the Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is nothing more than a space on the hard disk reserved to store information that is
deleted so that in the event of deleting a file or folder by mistake it is possible to retrieve it. By default
the Recycle Bin restores files or folders to the place from where they were deleted. If, for example, a
file is deleted from D:\my documents, when it is restored it will go to that folder.
The Recycle Bin will maintain the deleted documents until it is emptied.
To open the Recycle Bin place the cursor on Desktop and double-click on the Recycle Bin icon.
Changing the name of a File or Folder
A Folder is a collection of files and/or other folders that helps you organize your disks. To change the
name of a folder
Select the file or folder that you want to change the name of.
With the right mouse button click on it.
Select Rename from the shortcut menu, then the name of the file or folder will be highlighted and with
the pointer blinking inside the name box.
Write the new name.
Click Enter or click outside the file or folder so that the changes take place.
Saving a File in a New Folder
Click on File and Save As
Click on the new folder icon
Type a folder name and hit Enter
Click on the File Name box and type the new document name
Click on Save or hit Enter on your keyboard
Cutting, Copying and Pasting Text
When working within a program, often you may want to manipulate, or move text around on your
document. The features, cut, copy, and paste allow you to do this without having to retype duplicate text
or delete a bunch of text and reenter in at another location in your document.
Copy is a command that places a copy of a selected item in the Clipboard to be pasted in another
location, but the text also remains in its original place in the document.
Cut is a command that removes a selected item from a file and places it on the Clipboard, usually to be
pasted in another location.
Paste is a command that copies the last item placed in the Clipboard and inserts it in the document.
Using the Internet
Looking for something, or someone? The Internet can be the quickest and
least expensive way to find information…as long as you know how to use
the search engines efficiently.
Remember, the purpose is finding, not searching. Here are a few tips for
successful searching:
The Home Button is the button that takes you to your personally selected (default) Internet home pagethe page that opens every time you start Internet Explorer.
Read the “hints” and “help” for each search engine. This will explain exactly how the search tool
operates.
Experiment with different search engines. Even though they are all similar, they all have important
differences. A search engine that is quick, but returns 40,000 pages may not be as effective as one that
may be slower but returns only 30 pages. Find the search engine that is best suited for your needs.
Here are some basic tips that will help you get the most out of your search:




Spelling is important for a successful search. If you aren’t getting the results you want, doublecheck the spelling.
The words you enter in the search box will have the most direct impact on the results you
receive. For that reason, we suggest that you use the most direct words you can. If you are
searching for information about Florida type “Florida”. If you want to find information about
vacationing in Florida type “Florida vacation.”
Enter words that you think will appear on the Web page you want.
Sample Search Engines include but are not limited to; google.com, dogpile.com, ask.com and
live.com.
References: Internet 101. (2009). Welcome to Internet 101. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://www.internet101.org/
TeacherClick. (2005). Windows XP. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://www.teacherclick.com/index.htm TLN Technology
Committee. (2008). New user tutorial. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us/tutor/