BASIC WINDOWS 98/ME/XP INSTRUCTIONS

I. Using the Mouse

SINGLE VS. DOUBLE-CLICKS

1) Generally, you want to single-click with the left mouse button on anything that looks like a button and double-click with the left mouse button on anything that looks like an icon (a tiny cartoon) to open or start it. [Unless otherwise stated, "click" or "double-click" below means "with the left mouse button."]

RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON

1) Use a single-click with the right mouse button on any blank area on the Desktop to bring up a menu pad that allows you to change the color of or turn on the screen-saver for the Desktop.

2) Use a single-click with the right mouse button on a blank area of the Task Bar (the gray strip at the bottom of the screen) to bring up a menu pad that allows you to minimize the size of all open windows, or tile or cascade the windows (tile means to arrange the open windows into equal areas like your bathroom tiles; cascade means to stack them all so their upper left corners, for example, are all on a diagonal).

SELECTING MULTIPLE ITEMS, FILES, FOLDERS, ETC.

1) In Windows Explorer or on the Desktop, if you want to click on more than one file and they are not all together in one block, you can hold down the Control key and click on the files you want to highlight.
Or, you can click on one file, and then, while holding down the Shift key, you can click on a file further down the list if you wish to select those two files and all the files in between.
To open Windows Explorer, right-click on the Start button at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, then click on Explore.

II. Opening windows

1) Double-click on the icon to open the file, program or folder. You can move the position of the window on the Desktop by clicking on and dragging the color bar that runs all the way across the top of each window. (This color bar is called the "Title Bar.")

III. Closing windows

1) You can completely close down and get rid of a window by clicking on the X button at the top right-hand corner of the open window.

2) You can minimize a window to a button on the Taskbar below by clicking on the button that has what looks like an underline or underscore ( _ ) character on it.

IV. Maximizing the Size of a Window/Restoring the Size of a Window to its Original Size

1) You can make the window completely fill the screen by clicking on the button that looks like a square with a bar along the top (the middle button).

2) After doing the above, you will see a different button where the Maximize button was. This is the Restore button.

Click on this button to restore the window to its original size (slightly smaller than full-screen) so you can see the My Computer, Recycle Bin, Inbox, and Microsoft Network icons on the Desktop again.

V. The Taskbar



1) The Taskbar at the bottom of the screen displays which programs and/or windows are open. You can quickly move a window in the background forward on the screen by clicking on these buttons.

VI. Changing the Size of Icons

1) Double-click on the My Computer icon, then on the C: Drive icon.

2) If you wish to see larger icons associated with each file, click on View at the top of the screen, and then on Large Icons.

3) If you wish to see more information about each file, click on View and then on Details. (Or to see just the file names, click on List.)

VII. Sorting the Files

1) To sort the files by:

Name: Click on the Name button above the list of files.

Size: Click on the Size button above the list of files.

Type: Click on the Type button above the list of files.

Age: Click on the Modified button above the list of files.

VIII. Copying files from one folder to another

1) Copying to another folder on the C: drive (Hard Disk) -

i) Click on the file that you wish to copy with the left mouse button to highlight it.

ii) Then click and drag the file with the right mouse button to where you want to copy the file.

iii) Release the right mouse button.

iv) Click on Copy Here with the left mouse button.

2) Copying to a floppy disk -

i) Highlight the file you wish to copy and then click on File.

ii) Click on Send to, and then 3½" Floppy (A).

IX. Moving Files

1) Copying a file leaves the file in the original location and generates a copy in the destination folder. To move a file out of a location and not leave behind a copy, use your right mouse button to click and drag the file and then click on Move Here on the menu pad that pops up on the screen when you release the right mouse button.


X. Deleting Files or Folders (The Recycle Bin)

1) Highlight the file/folder you want to delete by single-clicking on it, and then press the Delete key on the keyboard. Click on Yes on the "Confirm Delete" dialog box that next pops up on the screen.

2) If you wish to permanently delete a file, hold down the Shift key while pressing the Delete key. Release the Shift key.

3) If you wish to bring back a file you have deleted, double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop. Click once on the file you wish to undelete, then click on File and Restore. The computer will automatically place the restored file back to its original location.


XI. Renaming Files or Folders

1) Click on the file or folder you want to rename.

2) Click on File at the top of the screen, and then on Rename.

3) Type in a new file name.

4) Press the Enter key, or just click anywhere else.

XII. Creating Shortcuts

1) Highlight the file or program that you want to make a shortcut of, and then click on File and Create Shortcut. You can then click on and drag this shortcut icon to the Desktop or into any window or folder you wish.


XIII. Exiting Windows

1) Click on the Start button, then click on Shut Down. Then click on Yes. When you see a message on the screen that says "You can now safely turn off your computer." you can then turn off the power. (If the computer is a more recent one, it will shut down by itself.)