Windows Part-1

Part-A

Operating System

Windows is also an operating system (OS). The operating system is a special type of program that loads automatically when you start your computer. The operating system allows you to use the advanced features of a modern computer without having to learn all the details of how the hardware works.

DOS

There are a number of different types of operating system in common use. The IBM PC (Personal Computer) was introduced way back in 1981 and was originally supplied with an operating system called DOS (Disk Operating System). It is single user and single tasking operating system.

Windows

Later on Microsoft introduced Windows and this is the operating system that is most widely used on PCs today. There are a number of different types of Windows. The first widely used version of Windows was called Windows 3.1. This was more powerful than DOS and far easier to use. It had a Graphical User Interface (GUI), i.e., you could ‘drive’ it using a mouse and drop down menus. Later Windows NT and Windows 95, 98, 2000, Millennium and XP were introduced. The good news is that Windows 95 and Windows NT look almost identical and are both even easier to use than Windows 3.1.

Application Program

An application program is the type of program that you use once the operating system has been loaded. It is used to solve particular problem.

e.g.

Word-processing programs, for producing letters, memos etc.
Spreadsheets for doing accounts and working with numbers.
Databases for organizing large amounts of information.
Graphics programs for producing pictures, advertisements, manuals etc.

These specific packages are also generally called application software utility packages.

How to Start Windows?

As you know that Windows is an operating system and operating system automatically loads when you start your computer, so turn ON your computer and wait, after some time you will see that Windows has started automatically.

Desktop

The Windows Desktop (i.e., the background screen) looks uncluttered and almost inviting. The emphasis is on encouraging you to work with applications (word-processors, databases etc.) with the last amount of hassle and without a detailed technical knowledge of Windows.

Desktop Shortcut

Icon can be added to the Desktop to serve as pointers to installed applications (more commonly referred to as ‘Shortcuts’). Double clicking on a shortcut icon will open the related application or file. It is important to realize that creating a shortcut will NOT copy or move the original file, but merely create a shortcut pointer that points the original file.

Taskbar

The Taskbar is normally positioned at the bottom of the screen.

It provides a constant view of which application is running on the system and an easy way to switch between them.

The Taskbar provides a holding place for displaying icons of all applications that are running. As you start to run more programs the Taskbar automatically re-sizes-its icon view of the applications to ensure that they can always be seen.

The Taskbar also provides additional information such as the time power consumption information (on laptop computer), display properties, Virus scan, Task Scheduler and volume control if you have a sound card fitted.

Programs (Start Menu)

It contains shortcuts of the installed programs so that you can easily start the program by clicking it.

To open a program from Programs

Click Start, and then point to Programs.
Click the program you want to open.

Displaying programs on the Start and Programs menus

When you click Start and then point to Programs, the Programs menu appears. The folders (which appear as submenus) and programs on the Programs menu come from several places:

If you upgraded from a previous version of Windows, your old program groups are now folders on the Programs menu.
During Setup, Windows adds several programs and folders. Each folder contains a group of programs.
Windows also adds a StartUp folder during setup. Programs in the StartUp folder start automatically every time you start Windows.
The setup programs for any software you install may add folders to the Programs menu.
You can modify the contents of the Programs menu.

To open a Program or Folder on Desktop

Double click the Programs shortcut or Folder if your computer is using Classic Style or single click Programs shortcut or Folder if your computer is using Web Style.

Note

You can choose Classic or Web Style from Folder Option in Windows Explores.

Using the mouse on desktop

The choice of single-clicking or double-clicking is yours. If you want to extend the way you click in the browser to folders and the desktop, you will want to choose single-clicking. If you want to work the way you always have in Windows, you will want to continue double-clicking.

The table below compares the two methods of clicking.

Task	Double-click mode	Single-click mode
Select an item	Click the item.	Point to the item.
Open an item	Double-click the item.	Click the item.
Select a range	Press and hold down the SHIFT key, and click the first and last item in group.	Press and hold down the SHIFT key, and point to the first and last item in group.
Select multiple items	Press and hold down the CTRL key, and click individual items in group.	Press and hold down the CTRL key, and point to individual items in group.
Drag and drop	Point to an item, press and hold down the mouse button, and drag item to new location.	Same as Classic style

Notes

Single-click mode works only in certain dialog boxes (such as Open), on the desktop, and in folder windows, such as My Computer or Windows Explorer. It does not apply to other programs.
For Help on an item, click “?” at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

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Right Click on Desktop

Normally if you click the right key of the mouse on Desktop the following Commands menu will appear:

Video Modes and Active Desktop

Will be discussed in Display Properties in Control Panel.

Arrange Icons

It arranges the icons according to Name, Type, Size and Date. And it also On/Off Auto Arrange option.

Line Up Icons

It arranges icons in a grid.

Refresh

It refreshes the contents of the current page.

Paste

Inserts the items you have cut or copied into the selected location.

Paste Shortcut

Creates shortcuts to the items you have cut or copied into the selected location.

Undo

Reverses the last command.

New

It is used to create new Folder or Shortcut.

Properties

It is used to open Display Properties, will be discussed in detail in Display Properties (Control Panel).

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Right Click on any shortcut on Desktop

Normally if you click the right key of the mouse on shortcut the following Commands menu will appear:

Open

It will open the selected Folder or File.

Send To

Will send the selected Folder or File to another location.

Cut

Removes the selected items and copies them onto the clipboard.

Copy

Copies the selected items to the clipboard. To put them in the new location, use the Paste command.

Create Shortcut

Creates shortcuts to the selected items.

Delete

Deletes the selected items.

Rename

Renames the selected items.

Properties

Displays the properties of the selected items. You can also change any settings for the items, such as what kind of window it starts in, change icons etc.

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Start Menu

Start menu includes the following:

Shut Down, Log Off…., Run, Help, Find (Files or Folders, On the Internet, etc.), Settings (Control Panel, Printer, Taskbar, etc.), Documents, Favorites, Programs, etc.

Shut Down

Note

To display the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Start, and then click Shut Down.

Stand-by

A state in which your computer consumes less electric power when it is idle, but remains available for immediate use. Typically, you’d put your computer on standby to save power instead of leaving it on for extended periods.

While on standby, information in computer memory is not saved on your hard disk. If the computer loses electric power, the information in memory will be lost.

Shut Down

Saves any Windows settings that you changed and writes any information that is currently stored in memory to your hard disk. This prepares your computer to be turned off.

Restart

Saves any Windows settings that you changed, writes any information that is currently stored in memory to your hard disk, and then restarts your computer.

Restart in MS-DOS Mode

Saves any Windows settings that you changed, writes any information that is currently stored in memory to your hard disk, and then restarts your computer in MS-DOS mode.

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Logoff

It is used to quickly log off and log on again as a different user.

To log off your computer so someone else can use it.

· Click Start, click Log Off, and then click Yes.

· This closes all your programs, disconnects your computer from the network, and prepares your computer to be used by someone else.

To log off the network

Click Start, and then click Log Off.
Click Yes.
To use the computer without connecting to the network, in Enter Network Password, click Cancel.

· Or, to let another user log on to the network from this computer, in Enter Network Password, enter the new User name and Password and then click OK.

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Run

It provides a place for you to type the location and file name of the program you want to run. If you are not sure of the program's location or file name, click Browse.

To start a program by using the Run command

Click Start, and then click Run.
In Open, type the location and name of the program you want to start.

Notes

To select the location or name of the program, click Browse.
To select a program you started recently, click the arrow in Open, click a program in the list, and then click OK.
You can open a file or folder or connect to a shared computer by typing its path in Open.
You can connect to an Internet or intranet site by typing its address for example, www.microsoft.com in Open.

To specify a path

Type the drive letter followed by a colon (:) and backslash (\). See the examples in Note.
Type the names of the folders and subfolders that contain the file, typing backslashes before each folder name.
Type the name of the file. A backslash should precede the file name.

If you use file names that contain spaces or exceed eight characters in length, enclose the path in quotation marks.

Note

You can specify a path from within a program, from Run, or from the MS-DOS prompt:

· To specify the location of Disk Defragmenter, which is located on drive C in the Windows (or Win95) folder, type:

·      c:\windows\defrag.exe

· To specify the location of a document named Party List.doc, which is located in the Holiday folder within the Social Events folder on drive C, type:

·     c:\social events\holiday\party list.doc

· To specify the location of a bitmap named Canyon, which is located in a shared folder named Scenic on a computer named Pictures, type:

·      \\pictures\scenic\canyon.bmp

Or, map the shared folder to a drive (for example, drive D), and then type:

d:\canyon.bmp

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Help

It is used to get Help and to learn more about Windows.

· Find answers to your questions.

· Browse the online version of the Getting Started book.

· Connect to the Web to get software updates.

· Troubleshoot your system.

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Find

It is used to find files or folders.

To find a file or folder

· Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.

· In Named, type all or part of the file name.

· Enter a word or phrase in Containing text if you do not know the name of a file but know a distinctive word or phrase it contains.

· If you want to specify the location to start the search, click Browse.

· Click Find Now.

Note

If you want the search to be case-sensitive, click the Options menu and make sure a check mark appears next to Case Sensitive. Click to create the check mark; click again to clear it.

To save the results of a search for files or folders

· After you finish searching, on the Options menu, click Save Results.

· A check mark appears by Save Results.

· On the File menu, click Save Search.

· An icon representing the search results or search criteria appears on your desktop.

Note

You can reinitiate the search or update the search results by clicking the search results icon, and then clicking Find Now.

To find a computer on your network

· Click Start, point to Find, and then click Computer.

· If you know the name of the computer you are looking for, type it in Named. For example:

·   marketing

· If you know the path to the Shared Folder (a folder on another computer that is available for you to use on the network) you are searching for, you can specify both the computer and folder name. For example:

·   \\marketing\reports

· Click Find Now.

Note

You can also find a computer by double-clicking Network Neighborhood on the desktop.

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