Introduction to MS WINDOWS PART II

 MS WINDOWS PART II

Any MS Windows operating system comes with the default settings from the manufacturer. The Control panel allows users to customize various computer settings. Some of the basic settings include user accounts, display and background, time zone and language, date and time, and many others.

This article today is to introduce you to working with the control panel and managing folders and files. As part of this Lesson, Programs under Windows accessories are also highlighted.

Control Panel

Control Panel is a part of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface which allows users to view and manipulate basic system settings. Some of the common computer settings done in the control panel include screen saver, adding/removing hardware such as printers, uninstalling programs, display options, controlling user accounts, and changing accessibility options. Other settings that can be done in the Control panel are timezone settings, date and time, language and regional options, sound, speech, and audio devices, accessibility options, performance and maintenance, and security center. All Network and Internet Connections are also covered here.

 Screen Saver 

A screen saver is a program that displays an image or animation on your screen when your PC is idle. Screen savers are fun and often entertaining. Windows comes with many inbuilt screen savers. There are many more screen savers available commercially which can be downloaded from the internet. To get a screen saver, right-click on a blank spot on the Desktop and choose Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box.

On the Screen Saver tab, select an option from the drop-down list. Click OK to make this your screen saver.

 Customizing your System

If you do not like the standard color scheme on your Desktop, you can change it. You can use predefined color schemes or make up your own. If your color selections are too wild they may cause eye strain. To select a wallpaper or pattern for the Desktop, right-click on the Desktop, then select Properties. 

The Display Properties dialog box appears. Select a pattern or wallpaper, but not both. If you select both, the wallpaper takes precedence. Then click Okay. To change any of the screen elements, right-click on the Desktop, then select Properties. Click on the Appearance tab. Display the Scheme drop-down menu and select the color scheme that tickles your fancy.

Working with Files and Folders  

Working with files and folders, you can copy, move, delete, rename, open, share and check properties. All of these tasks are simple can all be achieved using the same method. First, navigate to the folder where the file or folder is stored, then right-click on the file/folder of interest, you will be presented with a menu. From the menu, select any option you want. Note that, deleting a File or a Folder, is temporarily moved to the Recycle Bin on the Desktop. If you change your mind, you can restore the file. 

However, when you empty the Recycle Bin, all of its items are permanently deleted from your computer. To delete a file or folder, right-click it and then select the Delete command. Click Yes when prompted to confirm the deletion. It is not a good idea to delete program files. If you want to get rid of a program, uninstall it.

What is a File?

A file is a collection of information, with a unique name, stored in your computer or on a removable disk. The last three letters (suffix) of a file name designate an extension.  An extension identifies the format of the file. It is preceded by a period. Examples of file extensions are .doc for MS Word file version of 2003, .docx for MS Word file version of 2007, .xls for MS Excel file, .pdf for PDF files, .exe for Executable files, etc. 

Every file is in a specific format. There are many different formats. By naming a file with an extension, you tell the computer which format the file is in. That way the computer knows what format to use each time you want to work with that file.

What is A Folder?

Folders are special files that can hold multiple documents. They allow you to organize information. Folders can hold both files and other folders (subfolders).

Creating a New Folder

To create a folder, navigate to the location where you want a new folder to appear. Right-click and select New menu, then select Folder. Also, you can create a new folder by pointing the mouse on the File menu, then point to New, and then click Folder or right-click a blank area in the window. A new folder appears. Lastly, type a folder name, and then press Enter. The new folder appears in the location you selected. Be as descriptive as you can when naming folders but avoid using any punctuation symbols in the names.

Creating Folder Overview

  Scrollbar

A scrollbar is a gray rectangle with small black arrows on both ends. It lets you select the portion of the window you want to see. It is on the right side of a window for vertical scrolling and on the bottom for horizontal scrolling. When a document is so big it cannot completely be displayed on the monitor, a scroll bar appears so you can see all of its contents by moving the document up and down the screen, or right and left. 

The Page Up key scrolls the document up and the Page Down key scrolls it down one full page rather than one line at a time. By clicking the up/down scroll arrow one time, you will move the document one line at a time. By clicking on a blank spot above or below the scroll indicator, you will move the document up/down one page. You can continuously scroll by depressing the mouse button steadily instead of just clicking it.

 Menu and Menu Bar

A menu is a list of commands displayed on your screen, which allows you to perform tasks. A Menu Bar is an onscreen display that lists available categories of commands. It is usually located at the top of the program window. To choose a category or command, just click on it. To use Menus and Sub-Menus, choose the category of the command that you want on the menu bar. The menu opens then click on the command you want. If a sub-menu opens, it is just giving you more options of how to accomplish your task at hand. 

A shortcut menu is a hidden menu that can be opened at any time. To close a program, always remember to close a program when you are finished working on it. Otherwise, it will be taking up memory that other programs may need. Remember to save your work. To close a program, click the Close (x) button in the title bar of the window of the program.

 Window Accessories 

Windows includes a few programs called accessories, such as the clock, notepad, Bluetooth, calculator, and Paint. You can start any accessory from the Start menu. If the program already appears on the Start menu, just click the program name. You can also find most of these programs by choosing: Start→All Programs→Accessories, where you see all the accessories. Also, you can type the program name in the search results after clicking the Star button. 

Other important tools in Windows Accessories include the Snipping Tool that captures all or part of the computer display screen as a picture, WordPad, and Sticky Notes which puts yellow notes directly on your computer’s desktop. Under the Windows Accessories, you will also find programs that facilitate easier computer accessibility by choosing Start→All Programs→Accessories→Ease of Access. Some of these programs include Magnifier to enhance part of the screen, On-Screen Keyboard which allows text to be entered using a mouse to click on the on-screen keyboard, Narrator for users with visual impairment to read text displayed on the monitor by telling current cursor position, and describes certain events, like warning and error messages generated by OS, and finally, a Windows Speech Recognition which enables speech recognition, i.e. recognizes spoken word, transfers it to text and enters it into a document; therefore it enables you to dictate a text to a computer, to browse the web using your voice, etc.