Introduction to Windowsdownloads.lww.com/wolterskluwer_vitalstream_com/... · mouse pointers, the Desktop, button, Start menu, icons, the Taskbar, Title bar, Menu bar, toolbars, menus,

KEYWORDSDesktop

dialog box

graphical user interface

icon

menu

pointer

Properties

select

Taskbar

Title bar

toolbar

View

CHAPTER 2

Introduction to WindowsOBJECTIVES�Identify fundamental elements of the Windows’ graphical user

interface.�Recognize feedback mechanisms used in a graphical user interface.�Use various mouse techniques.�Ascertain version information for Windows and installed programs.�Describe concepts used by Windows and Windows-based programs:

View, Select, the Windows Clipboard, and Properties.�Control windows using Minimize, Maximize, Exit, Close, and Restore.�Identify common menus and locate the most common commands

found on those menus.

Introduction to WindowsUnderstanding the basics of a computer must start with anunderstanding of the computer’s operating system. The operating system allows you to give commands to the processor and other majorcomponents of a computer. The operating system sets up theenvironment for all other applications on that computer, managesresources, provides security, and establishes network connections. TheWindows family of operating systems includes versions for differenttypes of computers, including individual workstations, servers, andhandheld devices. Different versions and their corresponding uses areoutlined in Table 2-1. The current versions of Windows designed forindividual workstations include Windows XP, released in 2001, andWindows Vista, released in 2007.

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SECTION I: Technology for the Medical TranscriptionistSECTION I: Windows38

TABLE 2-2 EDITIONS OF WINDOWS XP AND VISTA

Version of XP and Vista Specific Use

Windows XP Home Edition Designed for the home user with simplified network capabilities, simplified troubleshootingtools, and more emphasis on family uses such as managing and sharing photos andmusic

Windows XP Professional Designed for use in the professional office setting including full networking capabilities,Edition more data security features such as encryption, and remote access capability forworking on the computer from another location using Internet connections

Windows XP Media Center Designed for managing a complete home entertainment system including access to digitalEdition TV content, ability to record and play back digital TV programs, ability to playDVDs and CDs, and the ability to create and view slide shows and home movies

Windows XP Tablet Edition Designed for tablet PCs with the added ability to use digital pens and touch screenmonitors, translate handwriting into typewritten text, use digital ink, and recognize voicecommands

Windows Vista Home Designed for the home user with features similar to Windows XP Home Edition Basic Edition

Windows Vista Home Premium Vista Home Edition plus all media center capabilities and tablet PC capabilities (replacesWindows XP Media Center Edition)

Windows Vista Business Edition Designed for professional use including advanced networking and remote accesscapabilities. Does not include media center features

Windows Vista Enterprise Edition Designed for large enterprises with full networking and remote access capabilities andmore security features. Does not include media center features (Enterprise Edition is notavailable through retail stores)

Windows Vista Ultimate Includes all features in the Home Premium, Business, and Enterprise editions

TABLE 2-1 MICROSOFT WINDOWS VERSIONS

Version of Windows Use

Windows 98, Windows 2000, Designed for PCs for home use (hobbies, home management) and professionalWindows Me, XP, and Vista use including a small office, home office, or workstations in a large company

Windows NT Server and Windows 2000 Designed specifically for operating serversWindows Server 2003 R2Windows Server 2008

Windows Mobile Designed for handheld devices such as PDAs and smart phones and includes application software (eg, word processor, email, calendar) and utilities

Windows CE (compact edition) Embedded operating system for handheld devices such as cell phones with minimal or no applications or utilities

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CHAPTER 2: Introduction to Windows 39

Early versions of Windows were designed to control only the most essentialfunctions of a computer, but Microsoft has continued to incorporate more featuresand functionality into each new release of Windows. Current versions now includesoftware for managing email (Outlook Express in XP and Windows Mail in Vista),browsing the Internet (Internet Explorer), playing, managing, and editingmultimedia files such as music, pictures, and movies (Windows Media Player,Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, Windows Movie Maker in Vista, and WindowsPhoto Gallery in Vista), chatting and collaborating over the Internet (WindowsMessenger). Windows also includes basic tools such as a calculator, basic wordprocessing software (WordPad), a graphics editor (Paint), an address book, utilitiesfor performing maintenance, and accessibility tools for computer users withdisabilities.

Windows XP and Windows Vista each have several editions that are customized tomore specific uses of a workstation. Table 2-2 describes the different editions ofWindows XP and Vista and how they are used.

The Windows InterfaceTo give a computer commands, the user must beable to interface with the computer. Originally,computer interfaces were text-based andinvolved command lines. Figure 2-1 is anexample of a command line interface.

A graphical user interface (GUI), on the otherhand, uses icons (images) to represent commandsand files. Instead of typing text, a pointingdevice, such as a mouse, can be used to executecommands. The GUI (pronounced goo-ey) hasmade it possible for many people to usecomputers because it does not require theindividual to understand a complex computer language. The Windows OperatingSystem uses a graphical user interface.

Since Windows uses a GUI, it is important to become familiar with the graphics that areused to give the computer commands as well as the way the graphics give backinformation to the user (Fig. 2-2). Key elements to become familiar with include themouse pointers, the Desktop, button, Start menu, icons, the Taskbar, Title bar,Menu bar, toolbars, menus, dialog boxes, and task panes. The following pagesdemonstrate the major elements shared by all programs based on the WindowsOperating System. Windows has many conventions that, once mastered, make learningall other programs much easier. Understanding basic concepts and recognizing themain elements will help tremendously in your overall efforts to become proficient andefficient with your computer. Time spent now will pay off tenfold as you go forward.

Start

FIGURE 2-1 A command line interface requires the user to knowcomputer commands in order to give the computer instructions.

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SECTION I: Windows40

The Windows Desktop

The Desktop, as shown in Figure 2-3, is the main screen that appears after a fullstartup of your computer. The Desktop is meant to emulate the working surface of atraditional desk by providing convenient access to the items you use most. TheDesktop may contain icons for programs and files that you want to access easily.The Taskbar runs along the bottom edge of the Desktop. As you will learn inChapter 7, the Desktop can be customized.

FIGURE 2-3 The Desktop showing icons to the left and right of the tulips and the Taskbar along the bottom edge.

FIGURE 2-2 A graphical user interface uses icons as both commands and as a mechanism for user feedback.In this screen shot, the toolbar icons are orange to indicate currently active settings.

Icons change color to give the user feedback

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Quick Launch bar

Empty area of Taskbar

Notification area

Buttons for applications, folders and files currently running

FIGURE 2-4 The Taskbar sits along the bottom edge of the screen.

The Taskbar

The Taskbar sits along the bottom edge of the Desktop with buttons to manageapplications or folders that are currently running. There are four areas of the Taskbaras shown in Figure 2-4.

The Quick Launch bar sits between and the Taskbar and can be customized withshortcuts to launch applications with a single click.

The Notification area (formerly called the System Tray) sits at the far right of theTaskbar and shows the status of certain processes that are running in thebackground such as Internet or network connections and virus scanners. Learn howto customize the Taskbar and the Notification Area on page XX and how to managewindows using the Taskbar on page XX.

Folders

Windows uses folders to sort and organize files. Just as a traditional office uses filefolders to sort papers, Windows uses folders to organize computer files. Folders canhave folders within them, called subfolders. Folders can contain a mixture of filetypes (documents, graphics, audio files) and are primarily used to sort and locateinformation in a way that is meaningful to the user. Figure 2-5 shows various foldersfor sorting information. Folders can be created, deleted, copied, or moved to a newlocation, just as in a traditional office. Folders are managed using Windows Explorer,which is described in Chapter 3.

Start

FIGURE 2-5 Folders are used to sort information on a computer.

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User Profiles

Windows allows several users to use the same computer, yet each user can customizethe computer to fit their personal needs. Each user on any one computer has theirown User Account with their own passwords, files, and programs. Each user’ssettings are stored in a User Profile. When a user logs onto the computer, Windowsuses the profile to establish the Desktop, load the user’s files and folders, and setprogram preferences. Windows creates a basic set of folders for each user. In XP, thefolders are named My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, etc. Vista also establishesa set of folders with the same names, only the “My” has been dropped and thefolders are simply named Documents, Pictures, Music, etc. (Fig. 2-5). Users aredivided into account types, which determine the user’s level of control, referred toas privileges. Administrators have the most privileges and can make any type ofchange to the computer. Limited users and guests have varying levels of controlbased on policies established by the administrator. Learn more about managing UserAccounts on page XX.

Pointers

Next to the keyboard, the mouse and the touch pad on a laptop computer are thesecond most common input devices. The mouse and touch pad control the pointer.Trackballs may also be used to control the mouse pointer. The pointer is used toselect items anywhere on the display. Selecting an item singles it out on the displayso the computer will know that it is the item you want to work with. A selected itemtypically changes color or the background changes color (also described as“backlit”). The pointer not only points to items on the screen, it also gives the userfeedback to indicate the computer’s mode. The mode is indicated by the shape ofthe pointer or by another icon attached to the pointer as described in Table 2-3.

Be sure you do not confuse the pointer with the cursor (also called the inser-tion point). The cursor blinks, indicating the point where text will be inserted orthe next action will take place. The pointer never blinks.

Mouse Techniques

Although a mouse may have only two buttons, there are many ways to use themouse to give commands. Combining mouse techniques with modifier keys (ALT, CTRL, Shift) further expands its capabilities. The following describes mousetechniques that are used by Windows-based programs.

Left-click: Point to an object on the screen and click (press) the mousebutton located in the upper left corner. This is by far the most commonway to use the mouse, and unless noted otherwise, assume a “click” is aleft-click. When an item is selected, the background color will change.

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TABLE 2-3 POINTER ICONS AND MODES

Normal select Use to point and click on any object

Help mode Indicates Help mode. Click the question mark (?), especially in dialog boxes, tochange to Help mode, then use the modified pointer to click an object orcommand for specific help

Busy mode Indicates Windows is working in the background. You may be able to continueworking, but the response time may be slower while the hourglass is displayed

Wait mode Indicates Windows is busy and the current application will ignore you until the taskis completed. You may be able to switch to another application and continueworking

Precision select Commonly used when working with graphics. Allows the user to more preciselyselect and manipulate objects on the screen

Text mode Insertion point or I-beam. Used to indicate the program is in text mode or that thepointer is hovering over an area that accepts text input. When the pointer turns to an I-beam, click in an area to begin typing. The I-beam can also be used to selecttext by dragging the mouse over the text

Not allowed Indicates the action you are trying to take is not allowed or the item you are pointingat is unavailable

Resize mode Double-headed arrows used to resize a window, column, or graphic. Hover themouse over a window border, column separator, or graphic until the resize arrowappears, then hold the left mouse button and drag the border in or out to makesmaller or larger

Resize and Move Use to move a graphic or to move or resize an mode individual window

Link Indicates the cursor is pointing to a link. Click the link to move to a new webpage, open a related topic, or jump to another location in the same or anotherdocument

Right-click: Point to an object on the screen and click the mousebutton located in the right upper corner of the mouse. This willopen a shortcut menu with helpful commands.

Drag: Point to an object on the screen, press and hold the left mouse button whilemoving the pointer to a new location. Release the mouse button when the object isin the new location. Holding down the right mouse button while dragging an objectwill open a shortcut menu when the button is released. From the shortcut menu,choose Copy here, Move here or Create shortcut here.

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Drag and drop: Point to an object, hold down the left mouse button and dragthe object toward another object. Continue holding the mouse button andhover the pointer over the target object (often a program button on the Taskbaror folder icon). When the target object is selected (backlit), release the mousebutton. Use this technique to move graphics, text, files, and folders. You can alsodrag and drop objects while holding down the right mouse button. In this case,releasing the mouse button opens a shortcut menu with three different options:Copy here, Move here, or Create shortcut here.

The drag-and-drop technique is possible because of Windows’ graphical userinterface, which uses icons to represent files and commands. In this context,icons become more than merely pixels on the screen. Dragging items acrossthe computer screen and dropping them onto another item on the screen islike giving the computer a specific command or even a series of commands.Drag-and-drop can be used to attach files to email or open files with aspecific program by dropping the item’s icon onto an application’s button onthe Taskbar. You can drag objects from one folder window to another folderwindow, or you can drag and drop icons directly onto the folder icon to getthe same results.

Double-click: Point to an item and click the left mouse button twice in rapidsuccession without moving the mouse. Be careful! If there is a delay between clicks,Windows will interpret two separate clicks. A double-click typically opens a file orfolder without having to select the file first. To change the way the mouse respondsto clicks and double-clicks, see page XX.

In Windows XP (only), you can drag a folder icon to the edge of theDesktop to instantly create a toolbar. The folder contents become buttonson the toolbar! One of my favorite tricks is to drag icons from the Title bar offolders or websites to the Desktop to instantly create shortcuts to that folderor website. In Outlook 2003, you can drag email messages to the Calendaror the Task icons to create a new appointment or a new task with the emailinformation automatically attached. To create a shortcut to a Word document,select a snippet of text from a Word document and drag the selection to theDesktop to create a shortcut on the Desktop. Click the shortcut and thedocument will open with the cursor at that exact spot in the document. Thistype of shortcut is often called a “document scrap.”

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Modifier key � drag: (CTRL � drag, ALT � drag, or Shift � drag). Use the dragtechnique as above while holding down one or more modifier keys. Dragging anicon with the CTRL key pressed copies the icon (ie, copies the file, folder, or shortcutassociated with the icon). The results of pressing ALT and Shift along with draggingan object vary across different programs.

Modifier key � double-click: (Shift � click, CTRL � click, ALT � click). Hold downthe modifier key while double-clicking an object with the mouse button. Forexample, in Windows ALT � double-click opens Properties for the clicked object.The results of pressing Shift and CTRL vary across different programs.

Scroll: Scroll bars are used to move the contents of the screen up, down, left, and right.If the window is too small to display the entire contents, a scroll bar will appear on theright edge of the window (the vertical scroll bar), and when necessary, across thebottom of the window (the horizontal scroll bar). Click the arrows located at either endof a scroll bar to move the screen in the corresponding direction, as in Figure 2-6. Youcan also use the mouse to drag the scroll bar, which is especially helpful when movinglarge distances. When a scroll bar is present, you can also use the scroll wheel that islocated on top of the mouse between the left and right buttons. Spin the wheelforward and back to scroll up and down the screen. Some scroll wheels will also tilt sideto side so you can scroll the contents of a window left and right.

Click the arrows at either end of the scroll bar to move in the corresponding direction

Drag scroll button up and down using the left mouse button to move the contents of the display

FIGURE 2-6 Use the scroll bar to move the window up and down.

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Current user

Pinned items (above line)

Recently used item (below line)

Access all programs on your PC

Search for files and folders

Access to other files and folders

Access to Windows’ controls

Current user’s personal folders

Switch users Turn off computer

FIGURE 2-7 The Windows XP Start menu. Generally speaking, the icons on the left represent programs, andicons on the right represent files and folders.

The Start Menu

The Start menu, shown in Figure 2-7 and 2-8, is the main menu in the Windowsoperating system and your gateway to the files and programs installed on your PC.Access the Start menu by clicking / in the bottom left corner of your screen.You will learn more about using the Start menu in Chapter 3.

Icons

Icons are small pictures that represent an action (a command), an application, afolder, a file, a file storage disk, or a website. Everything associated with Windows isrepresented by an icon including disks, files, folders, programs, printers, andcommands. Icons are integral to the concept of a graphical user interface.

You can gain a lot of information by looking carefully at an icon. The icon itselfgives you information about its purpose or the type of file it represents. Manyapplications have icons that are easily recognizable, such as Word’s blue “W” andExcel’s green “X”.

Start

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FIGURE 2-8 The Windows Vista Start menu.

Pinned items (above the line)

Recently accessed programs and places (below the line)

Opens All Programs menu

Type here to locate an item on your computer

Power down, sleep, lock or restart computer

Frequently needed items and links to important places

Current user’s name and user’s personal folders

The following icons represent drives—the first icon of each pair represents a driveon your computer and the second icon represents a drive connected to yourcomputer by a network.

Local and Network drives (XP) Local and Network drives (Vista)

This next set of icons represents folders from XP (top row) and the correspondingicons in Vista (second row). The first icon in each set is a plain folder and mightrepresent any folder. The second icon represents the My Documents folder and isdistinguighed by a document popping out of the folder, and likewise, My Music hasa music note. The fourth icon represents the Recycle Bin, a folder that contains filesthat have been “deleted” but can still be retrieved if needed.

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The next four icons have a “page” with the application icon superimposed,indicating these are files with associated applications. Within each set, the first iconrepresents a PDF file that will open with Adobe Reader; the second is a documentthat will open with MS Word. The third icon represents a spreadsheet that will openwith Excel, and last is a media file that will open with Windows Media Player.

The following sets of four icons represent specific applications as they appear in XP(top row) and Vista (second row): Internet Explorer, MS Word, MS Excel, andWindows Media Player.

The following icons represent shortcuts to items, as indicated by the small curvedarrow in the bottom left corner of the icon. Shortcuts are simply that—icons thatwill take you to a specific place or open a particular file, but they do not representthe actual item they point to. The first icon in each set is a shortcut to a folder, thesecond is a shortcut that will open Internet Explorer, and the third is a shortcut to aspecific website that will be viewed using Internet Explorer. Learn more aboutshortcut icons on page XX.

Window

Windows, the operating system, takes its name from the individual windows(written with a lowercase w), or rectangles, used to visually separate programs orfolders displayed on your monitor’s screen. These rectangular areas share certainelements including a Title bar, a Menu bar, toolbar(s), Status bar, and an active areawhere actual work is performed such as typing a document or writing an email. Awindow may also be a component of the operating system and display a list of filesand folders. Figure 2-9 shows examples of various windows.

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Title Bar

One of the most overlooked, yet extremely useful, elements of every window is the Titlebar. The Title bar is the colored bar that creates the uppermost border of all windowsand dialog boxes. The Title bar has many important functions, not the least of which isto identify the window you are viewing. Always look at the name of the window asdisplayed within the Title bar. This will keep you oriented and often prevent confusionwhen working with new software or navigating the Internet. The Title bar, shown inFigure 2-10, also contains the window-control commands for managing the window.

FIGURE 2-9 Examples of windows: (clockwise from upper left) a Word document window, an emailmessage window, a folder window from Windows XP, and one from Windows Vista.

Folder name listed in the Address bar in Windows Vista

Program icon and name of open file

FIGURE 2-10 The Title bar shows the file name and contains the window-control buttons. The Title bar ofVista folder windows incorporates the Address bar, which displays the name of the folder.

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FIGURE 2-11 The Title bar indicates the active window.

Another important function of the Title bar is to indicate the active window. Theactive window is the actual part of the screen that will accept commands from thekeyboard. Figure 2-11 shows the Title bar of an active window with a message box.This could be a dialog box, a message box, or the application itself. The activewindow is always identified by a colored Title bar (not grayed or dimmed). Comparethis to the inactive window, which may still be performing a task in the backgroundsuch as downloading or printing a file. Inactive basically means you are ignoring thewindow. Learn more about the active window and using keyboard commands in Chapter 6.

Right-click the Title bar to display the Control menu

Minimize, Maximize and Close commands

FIGURE 2-12 Window control buttons and the Control menu.

Window Controls

The Windows Operating System allows the user to run several different programs atthe same time with each program occupying its own window. Each program can becontrolled individually. Commands for controlling windows are found on the rightside of the Title bar and also on the Control menu, which drops from the Title barwhen clicked with the right mouse button. The Title bar of the active applicationwill be in color as opposed to grayed or dimmed. Figure 2-12 shows the windowcontrol buttons and the Control menu.

The following commands are used to manage individual windows:

Close : This button will close the current file and remove the current file’sinformation from RAM. Most programs will ask the user if they want to savechanges to the file before closing it. Some programs allow the user to open morethan one file within the same application. For example, Microsoft Word allowsyou to open more than one Word document at the same time. If there is onlyone open file associated with the application, will also quit theapplication.

Close

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Exit: The Exit command is used to quit a program, meaning the program and anyfiles associated with that program will be closed and removed from RAM. The Exitcommand is found on the File menu (see below), but the button performsthe same function if there is only one open file associated with the program (ie,with only one file open, closes the file and quits the program at the sametime).

Minimize : Minimize means the window is no longer the active window (in theforeground) but is still in RAM and immediately available to the user. Minimizingmoves an application out of the way but does not close the file or quit theapplication. The program button will still appear on the Taskbar. Click the file’sbutton on the Taskbar and it will become the active window again.

Maximize : The maximize command forces the window to occupy themaximum amount of space on the display, which may be either the full width and length of the display or the maximum size allowed by the application’sprogramming.

Restore : Windows that have been maximized can be restored to the previous window size (the size of the window before maximizing it) using restore.

Resize: Since several windows can be open at one time, theuser may choose to arrange the windows so that severaldifferent windows can be seen at one time (although only onewindow will be the “active” window). Almost all windows can be resized (dialog boxes and message boxescannot be resized). Program windows, folder windows, panesthat divide windows, and even some toolbars, such as theTaskbar can be resized and reshaped. To resize a window,hover the mouse pointer over the border of a window until itchanges to a double-headed arrow (Fig. 2-13). Hold downthe left mouse button and drag the border left or right. Windows can also be resized by dragging the bottom rightcorner (note the faint gray diagonal lines in the bottom rightcorner of many windows). Maximized windows cannot be resized; click first and then drag the edges to resize.Restore

Close

Close

You may also encounter applications that display a icon for the file itself inaddition to the button on the Title bar.Close

Close

Use this X to close the file but keep the application running

Hover the mouse over the edge of a window or the lower right corner to change the pointer to the sizing arrows

FIGURE 2-13 Hover the mouse over the edge of a windowuntil the double arrow appears. Drag the arrow left andright to resize the window.

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Status Bar

The Status bar forms the lowermost border of most windows. As its name suggests,the Status bar reports the status of a particular operation, gives feedback on certaincommands, and gives statistical data about the program or the folder window. If youdo not see the Status bar, open the View menu and choose Status bar. Develop a habitof glancing at the Status bar for pertinent information while you are working. Figure2-14 shows the Status bar in MS Word and the Status bar from a folder window.

FIGURE 2-14 The Status bar from a Word document (top) and the Status bar from a folder window with aWord document selected (bottom).

Toolbars

Toolbars are collections of icons (buttons) that execute commands (Fig. 2-15). Toolbarsmay also be used to give the user information. Many toolbar buttons change color toindicate the command is active, a feature is currently turned on, or the format isapplied at the current location of the insertion point. As shown in Figure 2-15, theparagraph icon is orange, indicating that formatting marks are displayed (in MS Word).Depending on the color scheme you have selected for displaying windows, toolbarbuttons may change color or they may appear clear or depressed. Also, look carefully attoolbars and you will see that some icons have down arrows (�) next to them. Clickthese arrows to open a drop-down list of more options related to that command. If theprogram window is too narrow to display all the toolbar icons, the last few icons willbe “rolled up” into a drop-down list, as shown at the far right of Figure 2-15. Thedouble arrows at the far right of the toolbar indicate more icons are available. Click thearrow to display the remainder of the icons. Hovering the mouse over a toolbar buttonoften reveals a yellow box, called a ToolTip, with information about the command.

Toolbar handle (dotted line) select and drag toolbar to a new position

Separator bar for grouping similar icons

Click here to see more icons

Hover mouse over icon to reveal a tool tip

Click the down arrow for additional options related to this icon

Grayed-out commands are unavailable. Select a related object to make icon available

Backlit option is turned on

FIGURE 2-15 A toolbar from Microsoft Word showing typical toolbar elements.

Figure 2-16 shows a group of four different toolbars docked together. Each toolbarhas a dotted gray line at the far left of the toolbar called the toolbar handle (two ofthe four handles in Figure 2-16 are marked with a red circle). Drag the toolbarhandle with the left mouse button to move toolbars to a new location on thedisplay, to rearrange the toolbars, or to change the length of a toolbar.

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FIGURE 2-16 A group of four different toolbars docked together (taken from Internet Explorer).

The pale gray vertical bar can be “grabbed” with the mouse pointer in orderto resize or reposition a toolbar. Using this “handle” you can drag toolbars tothe top, bottom, left, or right side of the screen, make the toolbars shorter orlonger, and in some applications, you can make them “float” in the middle ofthe display.

File menu

Icons associated with commands for visual clues

Commands followed by ellipsis (. . .) open a dialog box

Grayed-out command not available

List of previously viewed files

Shortcut key associated with command

Right arrow indicates a submenu will open

Menu with option checked

Underscore designates hot key for this command (x)

FIGURE 2-17 The File menu showing typical elements of a drop-down menu and a submenu.

Menus

The Menu bar sits directly below the Title bar and typically contains between fiveand ten different drop-down menus. Menus are a list of commands that are groupedby specific types of tasks. Menus often “drop down” from the Menu bar or slideopen to the right (submenus). Figure 2-17 shows a typical File drop-down menu.Menus are rich with information that is easily overlooked. Every menu commandhas an underscored character to designate the hot key for that command. Hot keysare used instead of the mouse to carry out a particular command. Keyboardcommands are listed to the right of commands that already have shortcut keysassigned. Use shortcut keys instead of opening the menu. Learn more about usingkeyboard commands in Chapter 6.

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A right arrow (�) next to a menu command indicates a submenu will open, anda command followed by an ellipsis (p) will open a dialog box. Some menusinclude items with check marks to the left of the command to indicate featuresthat can be turned on or off or items that can be displayed or hidden. Icons tothe left of the command name correspond to the icons used on toolbars torepresent the same command. Click the menu name to open the menu, thenclick on a specific command. Some menu commands are grayed-out to indicatethey are not currently available. To make a command available, move theinsertion point to an associated object or select an item associated with theparticular command.

Shortcut Menus

One of the best timesaving features in Windows is the shortcut menu. Shortcutmenus appear when you right-click an object (files, folders, icons, toolbars, etc).Almost every element displayed on the screen has a right-click menu associatedwith it. These menus are “context sensitive” because the menu choices changedepending on the object clicked. One of the most common features of right-clickmenus in Windows is the Properties command. Most often, Properties refers to theway something appears or behaves.

Figure 2-18 shows two typical shortcut menus. The menu on the left shows theshortcut menu that appears when you click on a file name. The menu on the rightappears when you right-click on a misspelled word in a Word document.

FIGURE 2-18 A right-click menu associated with a file (left) and a right-click menu associated with grammarand spell check in MS Word (right).

Remember, whenever you want to change something, right-click it. To use ashortcut key to access Properties, select the item and press ALT � Enter.

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Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes allow you to change settings and options. A typical dialog box isshown in Figure 2-19. Menu commands and buttons that open dialog boxes arealways listed with an ellipsis (p) after the button or command name (as in the

button in Figure 2-19). Dialog boxes have , radio buttons, check boxes,lists, slide bars, and input (text) boxes. Use the mouse to select options or to scrollthrough a drop-down list of options. Click the to display help specific to thatdialog box. Learn more about navigating dialog boxes using the keyboard on page XX.

tabsDefault

Title bar with name of dialog box

Tabs for related dialogs

Use the scroll bar to see more choices

Click the down arrow to open the drop-down list for more choices

Button with ellipsis (. . .) indicating another dialog box will open

Underscore indicates hot key (combine with ALT to select)

Click ? to open Help specific for this dialog box

Dotted line around command indicates “hot spot.” Tap the Spacebar to select

Click Apply to save changes and keep dialog open. Click Cancel to close without keeping changes. Click OK to save changes and close the dialog

FIGURE 2-19 Examples of dialog boxes: the Font dialog box in MS Word and the Time and Date dialogbox from the Windows Control Panel.

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Click double arrows to hide or reveal more options

Click down arrow to reveal a list of additional task panes

Links to related dialog boxes are displayed in blue text

FIGURE 2-20 Task pane from Windows (left) and the Reveal Formatting task pane from MS Word (right).

Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and other applications included in Office 2003include Startup task panes that open automatically when the application isstarted. If you would rather not display the Startup task pane in the Officesuite of programs, open the Tools menu and choose Options. Clickand remove the check mark at Startup Task Pane.

View

Task Panes

A task pane combines features of drop-down menus and dialog boxes. As their nameimplies, task panes assist the user in accomplishing specific tasks, and the optionsand commands differ depending on the type of task to be completed. For example,MS Word includes task panes for creating a new document, revealing textformatting, and referencing a dictionary, encyclopedia, and thesaurus. Task panesrun vertically along the left or right side of a window. Unlike dialog boxes, you donot have to close a task pane in order to continue working. Figure 2-20 shows theCommon Tasks pane from a folder window (left) and the Reveal Formatting taskpane in MS Word. Common Tasks has links to other folders and to common file andfolder tasks while the Formatting task pane contains links to font and paragraphdialog boxes.

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Use System Information to provide information to technical supportpersonnel. This dialog will tell you about your version of Windows, how muchRAM is on your PC, the size of your hard drive, and other pertinentinformation. When communicating to technical support by email, use PrintScreen to paste an image of System Information in your email message.See page XX to learn how to use Print Screen.

FIGURE 2-21 System Information from XP (top) and Vista (bottom).

System Information and Versions

The version number of Windows as well as other vital information about yourcomputer can be found in the System Information dialog box. Click �

Programs � Accessories � System Tools � System Information. Figure 2-21 showsSystem Information in XP (left) and in Vista (right).

Start

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FIGURE 2-22 Examples of Properties dialog boxes in Windows XP (left) and Vista (right).

Windows ConceptsWindows-based programs share fundamental concepts and conventions.Studying these concepts and techniques will help tremendously in your overallunderstanding of your computer and decrease the learning curve for Windowsand Windows-based programs. The following concepts are fundamental to agood working knowledge of Windows and will be referenced throughout theremainder of this text.

Properties/Personalize

In Windows, the term properties usually refers to characteristics that describe anobject or its behavior. All objects (icons, programs, disks, folders, files, Startmenu, Taskbar, etc) in Windows have a Properties dialog box with specificinformation about the object. Properties relate to the way an object appears orthe way it behaves. In reference to files, Properties refers to information such asthe date created, the author, the file location, passwords, and read-only status.Not all properties can be changed from the Properties box; some are created byeither Windows or the file’s associated program and cannot be modified. Right-click any object and choose Properties to view information about the object or tomake changes to the object. For example, to change the way the Start menulooks or behaves, right-click and choose Properties. See Figure 2-22 forexamples of Properties dialog boxes. Note: In some circumstances, Vista uses theterm Personalize instead of Properties. You will learn more about changing anobject’s properties throughout this text.

Start

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Select

Although this term was described above under mouse techniques, it bears repeatingbecause it is so fundamental to using a computer. The term select means todistinguish the item on the screen from everything around it in order to perform anaction on that particular item. Typically, the color behind the item changes when it isselected. Items can be selected by clicking one time with the left mouse button. It isalso possible to select items using the keyboard (learn more about using the keyboardin Chapter 6). The selected object also determines what commands are available onmenus, toolbars, and shortcut menus. Many commands only affect specific types ofobjects, and those objects must be singled out (ie, selected) by the user so thecomputer will know which object should be the target of the command. For example,if you are working with a document that has three tables and you want to change theformat of the second table, the cursor must be located within the second table. If thecursor is not situated in a table or the table is not selected, many of the commands onthe Table menu will be grayed-out (unavailable). Since there is more than one table inthe document, you must specify which table should be changed when the commandis used. Simply having the table displayed in the window (so you can see it) does notspecify to the computer which table is to be changed.

In most cases, you can select more than one object at a time and apply thecommand to all the objects at the same time. To select more than one file in a folderlist, hold down CTRL while clicking each file icon with the mouse. If the files are in arange (ie, next to each other in the list), click the first icon in the list, hold Shift, andthen click the last file in the range. All files between the first and last will be selected.Learn more about managing files in Chapter 3.

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Cut, Copy, and Paste commands go hand-in-hand and are among the most commonand useful commands in Windows. The Copy command copies files, folders (andcontents), shortcuts, graphics, text—almost any item that can be selected—andplaces the information on the Windows Clipboard, a temporary “container” forinformation. The copy routine is completed when you use the Paste command toplace information in another location. Any item copied to the Clipboard remainson the Clipboard and can be pasted multiple times. Copying a new item replacesthe contents of the Clipboard. The Cut command is actually two commandscombined: Copy and Delete. When you use the Cut command, the selected item isremoved from the original location and stored on the Clipboard in the same way asitems that are copied. The item can then be pasted in a new location. The Cut, Copy,and Paste commands are located on the Edit menu, and many programs includeicons for these commands on the toolbar. If the window does not have an Edit menu(as is the case with dialog boxes and message boxes), use the shortcut keys CTRL � X(Cut), CTRL � C (Copy), and CTRL � V (Paste).

If you accidentally press Cut instead of Copy, use Paste to place the itemback in its original location or use the Undo command (see below).

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Using Copy and Paste, you can:

copy a shortcut icon to one or several folders.copy text from a website to a document.copy graphics from a web page to a document.copy files from one folder to another.copy folders from a hard drive to a removable drive such as a floppy or a

USB flash drive.copy text from one area of a document to another area or to an

entirely different document.copy text from a dialog box to a document.copy text from a document into the text area of a dialog box.copy Internet addresses from documents into the Address bar of

your browser.

There seems to be no limit to the ways you can use Copy and Paste. Develop a habitof using these commands for managing files and folders, editing documents, andgathering research information.

Common Menu Commands

The elements of the Menu bar are very consistent throughout Windows andWindows-based programs. Most Menu bars contain five basic drop-down menuswhich are explained in detail here.

File menu: Every Windows-based application has a File menu as the first item onthe Menu bar. This menu always contains commands for opening, closing, saving,naming, and printing files. Many other commands that relate to the file as a wholecan be found under File.

Edit menu: With rare exceptions, the second menu item on the Menu bar is Edit.This menu invariably contains Cut, Copy, and Paste.

Another important command found on most Edit menus is Undo. This commandallows you to reverse or “undo” the last action performed. This particular commandcan be a lifesaver, especially when you accidentally delete a file or a section of text.The Undo command in Windows will reverse a file name change, replace a file thatwas just deleted, or return a moved file to its original folder.

In MS Word, Undo will definitely save you time and frustration! It will removethe last few words typed, reverse an automatic change (those mysteriouschanges that Word tends to make when you least want them), replace textthat was accidentally deleted, reverse a bad formatting command, andreverse an AutoCorrect entry that is not needed in that instance.

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View menu: One of the most important computer concepts is called view. Viewallows you to change the way information is displayed without deletinginformation. Since changing the way you see information is such an integral part ofmanaging information effectively, almost every application’s Menu bar includes theView drop-down menu. The View menu allows you to change the way informationis displayed in order to sort or emphasize information as needed.

In folder windows, View changes the way the files are listed: large or small icons,tiles, list, or detail (which includes the date modified, file type, file size, etc.). Whenworking on a Word document, different views allow you to hide headers, footers,and graphics so you can concentrate on just the text. Remember, changing the viewdoes not delete or remove information from your computer; it merely hides oremphasizes information as needed. Also, the view does not affect the way a fileprints. The view setting only affects what you see on the monitor. The View menualso includes commands for displaying or hiding toolbars including the Status bar,rulers, and other helpful tools relevant to a particular application.

Changing a folder view to display thumbnails is the perfect way to scan afolder for a particular picture without having to open every file.

FIGURE 2-23 The same document displayed at a Zoom setting of 90% (left) and 200% (right).

Another important concept related to view is zoom. This feature allows the user tochange the magnification of text and objects on the display. A typical zoom setting isaround 90 to 100%, but zoom settings above that will make the text appear larger, andof course, lower settings cause the objects and text to appear smaller. Higher zoomsettings are especially helpful for files with small font sizes such as Times New Roman10 point. Like other view settings, zoom does not affect the way the file will print. Itdoes not actually change the text size, only the way the text appears on the monitor.Figure 2-23 shows the same document at a zoom setting of 90% and at 200%.

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In most Microsoft applications, you can quickly change the zoom by holdingdown CTRL while moving the mouse wheel forward or back.

I typically change the zoom setting to about 150% when proofing adocument. At this setting, the text is large and easy to read and greatlyreduces eye strain. It also prevents me from hunching forward in order tobetter focus on the monitor. After proofing, I return the zoom setting to about90% to make sure paragraph formatting and margins are correct and otherelements are properly placed on the page.

Tools menu: Most applications developed by Microsoft include a Tools menu on theMenu bar. The most consistent feature of the Tools menu is the Options command.Within most Microsoft programs, Options opens a collection of dialog boxes thatallows you to change many features and functions of the program. If you do not likethe way the application is behaving, there is a very good chance you will find theoption to modify that behavior in the Options dialog box.

Often, the first thing I do when I open a new application is head straight forthe Tools menu and click Options. You will gain a lot of insight into theprogram by examining the Options dialog box and reading the help filesassociated with this dialog box.

The Tools menu also contains the features relevant to the particular application’spurpose. For example, the Tools menu of MS Word contains word processing toolssuch as a spelling and grammar checker and productivity tools such as AutoText andAutoCorrect.

Help menu: All Windows-based applications include a Help menu at the far right ofthe Menu bar. The Help menu, as its name suggests, includes commands foraccessing information about the application. This menu often contains links to themanufacturer’s website as well as utilities for updating or repairing the software. Atthe end of every Help menu is About. This command opens a dialog box, as shownin Figure 2-24, which describes the application, the manufacturer, the currentversion, and any updates or service packs that have been applied.

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System Info button will open System Properties as shown in Figure 2-22

FIGURE 2-24 The About information box in MS Word.

To learn the version number of any application running under Windows aswell as information about updates and service packs, open the particularapplication, select Help from the Menu bar, and choose About.

See page XX for more information on versions. Learn more about service packs onpage XX.

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Special Interest

The Birth of Microsoft

The early years of computer development did not see widespread use of computers.In fact, it was never really anticipated that computers would become commonplace.Computers were mostly used by the government or the military as well as a fewresearch institutes. In 1953, IBM produced the Model 650, the first computerdesigned for “wide-scale” use with an anticipated market for 50 units. To theirsurprise, they actually sold more than 1000 computers. By 1959, IBM was able toreduce computers to the size of a desk instead of the size of an entire room, makingcomputers useful and more attainable for business and education. Largecorporations such as IBM and Digital Equipment Corporation sold computers tolarge manufacturers, businesses, and government entities, but none anticipated theroutine use of computers that we now take for granted.

Oddly enough, these large corporations, which played such a key role in thedevelopment of computer science, did not initially contribute to the developmentof what we now call the personal computer—that being an affordable, general-purpose computer designed for the consumer and based on a microprocessor. In the1960s, IBM marketed the 610 Auto-Point computer as a “personal computer” andcalled it thus on the premise that it was operated by a single person. But at $55,000,it was hardly within the reach of the single user. Xerox regrettably abandoned anearly prototype of a personal computer, believing there was not sufficient interest orneed. Most appropriately, hobbyists and electronics enthusiasts provided the initialdriving force in the development of what we know today as the home computer.

In the early 1970s, Texas Instruments (TI) released an inexpensive hand-heldscientific calculator. The product was an immediate success for TI but was adevastating blow to Ed Roberts of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who made his livingselling calculator kits to electronics enthusiasts. To recover his business, Robertsbegan searching for a new product line. Through his work with the calculator kits,Roberts was familiar with the latest chip sets and microprocessors developed byIntel. He somewhat hastily put together a kit using the Intel 8080 microprocessorand marketed the kit to hobbyists interested in electronics. The kit was named Altair8800 (named for a fictitious planet from a Star Trek episode) and sold for $439.Roberts was overwhelmed by the thousands of orders he received within the firstfew weeks.

The Altair 8800, which had no software, keyboard, mouse, or even a monitor, wasfeatured on the cover of the January 1975 edition of Popular Electronics. This simplecomputer caught the imagination of electronics and computer enthusiasts, mostnotably Paul Allen and his friend Bill Gates. At the time, Gates was a sophomore atHarvard and Allen was an employee of Honeywell.


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Gates and Allen had grown up together and were both obsessed with computers.Before graduating high school, the two had already written and sold several softwareprograms. In the early 1970s, computers were relatively scarce and very expensive,but these two insightful teenagers imagined a time when computers would not belimited to the scientific and business elite. They believed the key to makingcomputers more available, useful, and user-friendly was to create general-purpose,reusable software. Today, we take for granted the enormous variety and low cost ofsoftware, but that was a radical thought in the 1960s when software was writtenspecifically for a given computer and for a very specific purpose.

Paul Allen saw the Altair 8800 on the cover of Popular Electronics and immediatelygrasped its significance. It was the beginning of the revolution he and Bill Gates hadbeen waiting for. Fearing someone would beat them to the punch, Gates and Allenworked around the clock to write the first software program for the Altair 8800,which many consider to be the first “home computer.” As a result of thiscollaborative effort, Allen and Gates formed a partnership, initially called Micro-Softand later renamed Microsoft. The software giant was conceived!


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????

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Describe three ways to move a file from one folder to another.

2. Describe the main differences between a program window, a dialog box, and a message box.

3. Describe how each of the following elements in Windows gives the user feedback:

Toolbar icons

Status bar

Title bar

Mouse pointers

Folder icons

4. Windows XP: Open My Documents (Click > Documents > My Documents).Change the view to each of the options on the View menu. Describe eachview and how each view might be used to easily locate information.

Windows Vista: Open Documents ( > Documents). Press ALT to revealthe View menu. Change the view to each of the options on the View menu.Describe each view and how each view might be used to easily locate infor-mation.

5. Describe how you might change the picture or background that appears onyour Desktop.

Vista logo

Start


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