shurma computer world: August 2009

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Questionnaire for IT Training

I
Questionnaire for IT Training
Introduction:

Merlin Pakistan is conducting an IT Survey among all Merlin computer users within Pakistan in order to design the IT Training Course.

Questionnaire Instructions:
Rate your skills using the following chart…
4
3
2
1
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience
… or to the left of the letters type “YES” or “NO” that best describes your ability.
Note:
· Please be honest in responding to this questionnaire. We will use it to evaluate your skills and design a training course to suit your needs.
· Last date to submit this form to the IT department is 12th of September 2006 please send it to:
techsupport@merlin-pakisan.org
Thank you for your time!
First Name: Last Name: Date:
Department / Job Title:
General to Advance Skills
Question
Basic Computing
How would you rate your basic computer skills?
(Select one from below)
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

Type “YES” or “NO” in the left column of the questions below.

1
I am able to turn a computer on and off and to Log on and off.

2
I can use mouse/keyboard effectively.

3
I know how to create, copy, move, rename, and delete files and folders.

4
I can Navigate in different folders, and use a flash disk and CD drive.

5
I can multitask by opening and using multiple applications and can easily maneuver between multiple applications using the Quick Launch toolbar.

6
I can open a file from a flash disk or a local or network hard drive; save a file to a flash disk or to a specific location on a local or network hard drive.

7
I know how to format a flash disk.

8
I can use a digital camera and computer and can transfer files from that medium to the computer.

9
I can use a scanner to scan pictures and documents.

10
I can use advanced features of the Find or Search command to find files on my computer.
Microsoft Outlook
How would you rate your Microsoft Outlook skills?
(Select one from below)
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

Type “YES” or “NO” in the left column of questions below.

11
I know how to setup/create a email account.

12
I know how to Secure my account.

13
I know how to create and send messages

14
I know how to format e-mails

15
I know how to how to create contacts/distribution lists

16
I know how to create a New Folder/Group in address book

17
I know how to delete a Folder/Group from address book

18
I know how to block sender

19
I know how to create/use signature file

20
I know how to add attachment

21
I know how to send e-mail messages in text or html format.

22
I know how to send/receive attachments.

23
I know how to use “Option” menu.
Internet
How would you rate your Internet skills?
(Select one from below)
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

Type “YES” or “NO” in the left column of questions below.

24
I know how to log on internet using various connection types (LAN, WiFi, Dialup etc. )

25
On the Internet I can create, organize, and use bookmarks/favorites.

26
I can search the Web using a variety of search engine tools.

27
I can download and save Internet files and web pages.

28
I can check e-mail using web-mail server.

29
I can delete temporary internet files.

30
I can configure network settings at my work place.
Microsoft Word
How would you rate your Microsoft Word skills?
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

Type “YES” or “NO” in the left column of questions below.

31
I can Create a “New Word Document”.

32
I know how to insert “Table”.

33
I know how to insert “Clip Art”.

34
I can use “Auto Text” (e.g. Header & footer)

35
I know how to insert “Page Break”.

36
I can use spell-check, grammar check, and thesaurus tools

37
I know how to use “Page Settings”

38
I know how to apply “Track Changes”.

39
I know when to use “Save” & “Save as” option.
Microsoft Excel
How would you rate your Microsoft Excel skills?
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

Type “YES” or “NO” in the left column of questions below.

40
I know how to use template documents

41
I know how to insert tables

42
I know how to insert graphics

43
I know how to create/apply formulas

44
I know how to cut/paste cell, column and row.

45
I know how to apply “Track Changes”.

46
I know how to hide/unhide column.

47
I know how to protect “Workbook”

48
I know how to insert Picture.

49
I know how to Import External data.

50
I know how to set permissions on “Workbook”

51
I know how to use “Help” option.
Back-up
Type “YES” or “NO” in the left column of questions below.

52
I am able to successfully backup important computer data using flash drives, external Hard drives and/or WinZip.

53
I know how to use “Backup or Restore Wizard” to perform routine back-up
Communication Equpiment

54
Have you used V-PTCL wireless telephone for internet connectivity?
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

55
Have you used Thuraya (SAT Phone) for Voice and Data connectivity?
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

56
Have you used INMARSAT (SAT phone) for Voice and Data connectivity?
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

57
Have you used RBGAN for data connectivity?
Expert
Skilled
Basic skills
No experience

Please take a moment to reflect and answer the following questions.Short answers are fine.
1) What training would you personally like to have? List all that apply. (desktop publishing, word processing, databases, spreadsheets, World Wide Web, e-mail, creating and publishing web documents, presentation software, other)

2) What would you need to be able to better use & integrate technology into your daily work?

3) When would you be willing and able to take training sessions? List all that apply.

Note: Please return this questionnaire to the Merlin-Pakistan Technology Department ASAP, so we can schedule the training program for different groups as per skill level.
You can also send the hard copy to the Islamabad office at the address given below.
For further details/inquiries please feel free to contact:

Atif Khan IT Officer
Email: techsupport@merlin-pakistan.org
Cell: (92) 300 954 6222
Ph: (92) 51 227 0333
Postal Address: Attention: IT Department, Merlin – Pakistan
House 12-B, Street 61, Sector F-7/4, Islamabad.

USING THE MOUSE

USING THE MOUSE

Within all Windows applications, the mouse is used for accessing the menu system, scrolling, positioning the cursor/insertion bar and selecting blocks of text/data.

Below is a list of how the mouse buttons are typically used:

Button

Action

[RIGHT]

Used to access shortcut menus.

[LEFT]

Used to select menu options or commands by pointing to the command/option and "clicking" (pressing) this button once. To cancel a pull-down menu, click this button away from the menu.

Wheel

If you are using Microsoft’s IntelliMouse, you will notice a rubber wheel between the two buttons. You can roll the Wheel to scroll quickly through long documents.

Basic mouse functions include moving, clicking, dragging and double-clicking, as described below:

Moving Refers to moving the mouse around on the screen. You should be aware, however, that the current typing position within a document (cursor location) does not change until you click the [LEFT] mouse button.

Clicking Refers to pressing the [LEFT] mouse button once. Selects an item from the menu or moves the insertion point if done within an application.

Double-clicking Refers to quickly pressing the [LEFT] button twice. Acts as the E key while within menus. It is also used in selecting text in word processors.

Dragging Refers to clicking and holding the [LEFT] button down while moving the mouse. This is used to select text or move objects.

WORKING WITH A WINDOW

WORKING WITH A WINDOW

USAGE: There are two types of windows within the system: Application and Document. An application window is the window containing the actual program you are currently working with (e.g., Excel or Word) - which may consist of one or more document windows. A document window is a sub-window of an application that contains the current file you are working on. For example, when working with a word processing application, you may have two or more documents open simultaneously - each in its own window.

To efficiently work with Windows XP, you need to be able to control an individual window. Most windows allow you to change their size and position.

Each window can be one of three sizes, as discussed below:

Ø Minimized This temporarily puts aside the current window and includes it in the taskbar. The program has not been closed but merely set aside. You can return to where you left off by clicking on the taskbar button representing the program.

Ø Maximized The current window is enlarged to take up the full screen. The window cannot be moved or resized while it is maximized. This gives you "maximum" working area and is useful when working within applications, such as a word processing program.

Ø Restored This is the size of a window before maximizing or minimizing. This is the only setting that you can use to manually change the window size.
MINIMIZING A WINDOW

To minimize a window, click on the button shown below:

Click on this button (located in the upper right corner of the window you wish to minimize).

If you are minimizing a document window, the window shrinks to a miniature title bar located at the bottom of the application window. If you are minimizing an application window, the application is placed as a button on the taskbar. Keep in mind that if you have minimized an application, it is still running and that you have only set it aside temporarily.

MAXIMIZING A WINDOW

To maximize a window, click on the button shown below:

Click on this button (located in the upper right corner of the window you wish to maximize).

The current window expands to fill up the entire screen (or application window if it was a document window).
CLOSING A WINDOW

Closing a document window closes the file you are currently working with while closing an application window actually exits the program itself. This second operation removes the program from memory.

Click on this button (which is located in the upper right corner of the window you wish to close).

NOTE: If you close an application containing a document that has not been saved, you will be prompted to save the file before the program is closed.

USING THE TASKBAR

USING THE TASKBAR

USAGE: Along the bottom of the screen is the Taskbar which is used to quickly access programs, documents, help screens, and Windows settings with the click of a button.

It is also used to display currently running programs so that you can quickly switch between opened applications (referred to as multi-tasking).

The far right side of the bar displays various information and alerts.

The taskbar typically consists of the following parts:

This button is used to access the Start menu which is where all of your installed programs are typically listed.

Taskbar Buttons These buttons represent currently running applications. To quickly switch to any opened application click on its corresponding button.

Notification Area This last section is used to display information and alerts.

TYPICAL WINDOWS ICONS

TYPICAL WINDOWS ICONS

Although only the Recycle Bin is initially placed on your screen, there are several icons that most users add. Below is a list of some of the Windows icons that can be added to your desktop:

Use the My Documents folder to access your most-often used files.

Use My Computer to view and manage the disks, folders, and files stored on your computer.

If you are connected to a network, use My Network Places to display a list of computers and resources on the network.

This icon represents the Recycle Bin folder which stores your recently deleted files until you choose to empty the trash.

This icon is used to access the Internet using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer program.

This icon represents Outlook Express, which is the Microsoft application used to access and manage your e-mail.

This application is used to play video, music and other multimedia files.

window START

START
Most of your activity will begin with the button which displays a menu where you can launch applications, utilities and accessories. When you click on the button, a pop-up menu appears, as shown in the diagram below:

Windows displays a list of available items (e.g., programs, documents, settings) to choose from.

Items containing an arrow indicate additional choices are available. For example, if you select Windows will provide a sub-menu displaying all programs installed on your system.
The following items are available within the Start menu:

Select this item to run Internet Explorer and begin browsing the Net.

Choose this item to open Outlook Express so that you can work with your e-mail.

This program is a basic video-editing application which allows you to transfer home movies from your video camera to your computer for editing purposes. You can capture stills from the video and add narration or sound tracks to it.

This multimedia program is used to play your audio and video files. You can also copy CDs to your hard drive using this application.

If you use MSN as your Internet provider, click on this item to connect to the Internet.

Click on this item to take a tour of Windows XP and learn the basics.

Select this item to display the folder labeled My Documents where Windows automatically stores your standard data files. These files typically do not include video, music or graphics. They, instead, are stored in separate folders.

SHUTTING DOWN THE SYSTEM

SHUTTING DOWN THE SYSTEM

USAGE: While working with Windows, there are many system and data files open. You should never physically turn your computer off without first allowing Windows to update, save and close all of the necessary system files. Doing so, can cause Windows to be damaged to the point where you cannot work with your computer. Therefore, you should always let Windows shut down your system.

Follow the steps outlined below to shut down Windows:

Œ Click on this button (located on the taskbar). The following pop-up menu appears:

Select from the menu.
The following box will be displayed:

This option places your computer in a low-power mode when it is idle but remains available for immediate use. This is typically used for laptops and portable devices, but can also conserve power with desktop systems. Be sure to save your work before going into standby mode as your data is not saved to disk if the power fails while in this mode. All information within the computer’s memory will be lost.

Saves any changes to Windows settings and writes any unsaved data to the hard drive before turning off your computer system.

Saves any recent changes to Windows settings and writes any unsaved data to the hard drive. It, then, restarts the computer. Use this option if your system seems to be bogged down or having problems.

Ž Select one of the three options.

NOTE: If you change your mind and decide you do not want to perform any of these actions, click on to cancel this box.

Outlook Introduction and usage

Outlook Introduction and usage
In this training, whenever I indicate that you need to click the mouse, it will mean to click the left mouse button – unless I indicate that you should click the right mouse button. So, always “click left” unless I tell you otherwise.
Introducing Outlook Express
Microsoft Outlook Express puts the world of online communication on your desktop. Whether you want to exchange e-mail with colleagues and friends or join newsgroups to trade ideas and information, the tools you need are here.
Introduction to Outlook Toolbar
In this image you see a standard outlook toolbar, we will use these option time to time as per our requirement.
Create a new mail message
To send an e-mail message
On the toolbar, click the Create Mail button.
In the To or Cc boxes (see white box in front of To), type the e-mail name of each recipient, separating names with a comma or a semicolon ( ; ).
In the Subject box, type a message title.
Type your message, and then click Send on the toolbar.
Notes
If you are composing a message offline, your message will be saved in the Outbox. It will be sent automatically when you go back online.
To save a draft of your message to work on later, on the File menu, click Save.

To read your messages
After Outlook Express downloads your messages, or after you click the Send/Recv button on the toolbar, you can read messages either in a separate window or in the preview pane.
Click the Inbox icon on either the Outlook bar or the Folders list.
To view the message in the preview pane, click the message in the message list.
To view the message in a separate window, double-click the message in the message list.

(If got enough time then)
To reply/reply all/forward messages
Don’t close the message window if you want to reply, reply all or forward this email message just click one of the available option from the Toolbar which shows as
If you click reply it mean that you want to send an email to the same address you received this email. Reply all with include the address in Cc options. Forward will allow you to send the same email to a new email address.

Basic Computer Information Chat

Basic Computer Information Chat

Hardware
Software
Media
Media Capacity
Processor
Operating System
Hard Disk Drive
40GB to 200GB
Motherboard
Office
Floppy Disk Drive
1.44 MB
Hard disk
Drivers
USB Flash Drive
64MB to 5GB
RAM
Media Player
ZIP Drive
100MB to 1GB
Keyboard / Mouse
CD / DVD Burner
External Hard Drive
20GB to 200GB
Modem / LAN
All Computer Program
IPod MP3 Player
64MB to 80GB
Bit to Gigabyte Chat
1 Byte = 8 Bit1 Kilobyte = 1024 Bytes1 Megabyte = 1048576 Bytes1 Gigabyte = 1073741824 Bytes

Introduction

Introduction

Background
Computers are showing up everywhere you look, and even in places you can't see. Computers check out your groceries, pump your gas, dispense money at the ATM, turn the heat on and off, control the way your car runs. They're everywhere! They're everywhere!
In fact, the computer is rapidly becoming, if it hasn't already gotten there, as tightly woven into the fabric of our lives as the automobile. The analogy runs quite deep.
When automobiles were new, many people said "Those smelly, loud, complicated things will never replace the horse!" And "Those things break down in just a few miles, while my faithful horse goes on and on and repairs itself!" Nowadays it's hard to imagine the world without all the variety of four-wheeled, internal combustion vehicles. How many can you name? Sedans, pickup trucks, fire engines, front-end loaders, 4-wheelers, golf carts, bulldozers, cranes, vans, dump trucks... We have an "automobile" for every purpose under heaven - and in different models and colors, too.

So it is with computers. There are different kinds of computers for different purposes. They are just as varied in size, expense, and ability as our more familiar 4-wheeled vehicles are.
Working with computer make life easy, its now possible to carry 10000+ Files & folders in your pocket. It’s easy to maintain filing system using computer no cupboard required to store you files.

What is computer?
A computer is an electronic device that executes the instructions in a program.
Computer is a human created machine. And it can be called logical machine. We have to produce a command to executes e.g. in calculator you can only execute digits with multiplication division add and subtract commands like 44+44 = 88. Idea is same in Computer but we not only deal with digits. We can do a lot using this computer machine as a BASE Station, Scientific research, Designing, Keeping Record (Database), and as a best communication device using internet. Most recent research on computer and its benefits made this easy to realize that computer make life more easy for those who use this machine as a Machine. A computer has four functions:

Input
Processing
Output
Store results

Input
To communicate with computer we need to type or click any available command to process called Input.

Processing
All computers are based on Micro Chip Processor, process of executing the command is performed by processor for e.g. calculation, if you type any number to get the required result typing the digits for further action is called input, when computer process your query using the processor, called processing. Result (Output) is based on the available processor speed.

Output
Output is the result of the input command we made for further processing action.

Store Results.
Compute have a built-in storage media we called Hard Disk, to store you processed documents, we can use this computer to create a documents, save the documents and store this documents using Computer filing system.

Following is the

The Information Processing Cycle

Mouse & Keyboard
Normally we use keyboard and mouse to communicate with computer. We call these devices Input devices.
Left Key to perform a task/query. Right Key is to get more details.
The movement of curser between the Computer screens is possible with mouse/mouse pad. Scrolling the pointer from one to another place with speed is only possible with mose.
Keyboard can be divided into 3 main categories:
1 NUM Pad
2 Alphabets
3 Function Keys
On a laptops keyboard normally 86 to 88 keys are available.

Programs & Documents
Programs are designed for different work fields as per the requirements e.g. MS Office is a program to perform office Usage. It handle writing to creating data base.
Documents are the files we create using Different programs, normally we cant open a document without the appropriate Program. Following are few examples;

Document Application Program
Text files (Report) MS WORD MS Office
Text with Numbers MS EXCEL MS Officer
Picture View/Edit MS Picture Manager MS Officer

We will learn more about Applications & Programs in next training module.

USING THE MOUSE

basic computr for all computer used

Guidance for all computer users

Content:

Chapter 1 ……………………………………………. 3
Beginners I: Guidelines for the uninitiated
Get some help for the hard parts
Take the pressure off
Save and save again
Make backups
Keep your bearings
Learn the lingo
Chapter 2 ……………………………………………. 5
Beginners II: Start it up
Switch it on
Introducing the Desktop
A tour of the Desktop
Customizing the Desktop
Shutting down
Chapter 3 ……………………………………………. 12
Beginners III: Icons and shortcuts in Windows XP
Icon placement
An aside about the mouse
Organizing your icons
A readable Desktop
Shortcuts
Creating drive shortcuts
Shortcut properties
Quick Launch shortcuts
Chapter 4 …………………………………………….. 19
Beginners IV: What’s in a name?
A digital filing cabinet
Name that file
Windows’ long filenames
A disciplined approach
File extensions
Unique filenames
Disks, paths and filenames
Give it a try
Chapter 5 …………………………………………….. 24
Beginners V: My Documents in Windows XP
Three ways to organize files
What is My Documents?
Exploring My Documents
Organising with sub-folders
Working with folders
The folder tree

Chapter 6 …………………………………………….. 29
Moving files via the Task Pane
Copying files via the Task Pane
Deleting files
And undeleting them...
Custom recycling
Hot tip 1: Finding files
Hot tip 2: Selecting multiple files
Hot tip 3: Selecting files by corralling them
Hot tip 4: Creating Desktop folders

Chapter 7 …………………………………………….. 34
Setting up a printer in Windows XP
Follow the wizard
When the wizard won't work

Chapter 8 …………………………………………….. 34
Setting up a V-PTCL wireless in Windows XP

Guidance for all computer users

Basic Computing for All Computer Users
Chapter 1
Beginners I: Guidelines for the uninitiated
Welcome to Beginners. This is the place to come when you’re ready to take the first steps with your computer. Perhaps you’ve bought your first PC and are raring to go. Or maybe you’ve had one sitting on a desk for a while, but you’ve been too intimidated to do anything more than switch it on. Perhaps you’ve advanced as far as using a couple of programs, but find yourself reeling with all the new things you need to learn before you’ll feel competent.
Well, now’s the time to take the plunge. But before you even flick that ON switch, here are a few ground rules that will make you more comfortable while learning about the electronic beast in front of you.
1. Get some help for the hard parts
Get someone knowledgeable to help set up your computer for you.
If you’re a complete newcomer to computing, setting up a PC is not the place to start. Admittedly, many new PCs are much easier to set up than in years gone by and Windows itself is much easier to deal with. But even with new ‘easy-to-install’ PCs, there are all sorts of little things that can cause hiccoughs, especially if you want to get yourself connected to the Internet.
So, let someone else deal with this part – either the company that provides your computer or a knowledgeable relative or friend.
2. Take the pressure off
While you’re learning, don’t work on anything important or urgent. The last thing you need is the pressure of a deadline hanging over you or having others dependent on the fruits of your labour. Choose something innocuous to work on, such as a letter to a friend. Even better, start out by playing one of the simple games provided with Windows. Then, if something does go wrong, you won’t have to worry.
3. Save and save again
Get into the practice of saving your work at regular intervals. If you save your work early and often it doesn’t matter if you mess up. You can experiment and putter around exploring your programs without feeling a mistake will put you back at square one.
How often is ‘often’? When using a word processor, saving after each paragraph is not too frequently. When using another program, such as a graphics editor or a spreadsheet, save after each major change you make. It only takes a second to save a document, so if you turn it into a habit now, you’ll avoid heartache later.
A good way to measure whether it’s time to save is the ‘Agony of Loss’ indicator. Every now and then ask yourself “How upset would I be if there was a blackout right now and everything I’ve just done was lost?” If you wince at the thought, click the Save button. When I’m struggling to write the first paragraph to an article, I frequently save after each sentence.
Every program you work with will include an option to save the work in progress. In most programs, you’ll find a Save option in the File Menu (more about menus and the mechanics of saving later).
4. Make backups
A backup is a copy of your work. Just as saving ensures you don’t lose documents that you’re currently working on, creating regular backups ensures you don’t lose any of the files you have stored on your computer in case something goes wrong.
You can make backups on floppy disks or other removable disks or, if you have a CD Writer (also called a CD burner) on your computer, on special writeable compact discs known as CD-Rs or CD-RWs. Backing up on floppy disk is useful if you’re saving small files or if you want to share a file with someone else. But it’s slow and exceedingly tedious, and is no solution at all if you want to back up all the information on your computer.
Atif Khan.technote
Floppy disks hold 1.44 megabytes of data. That’s roughly equivalent to a 500-page Microsoft Word document, which seems sizable enough; but just a couple of good-sized digital photos will fill up the same space, and a single music track recorded in the popular MP3 format is likely to exceed a floppy’s capacity by a factor of two or three.
That’s why companies have invented high-capacity alternatives to floppy disks, such as Zip and Flash. Each of these disks holds many times the data you can store on a floppy and they work faster, too. Writeable CDs hold even more information, making them very useful for backing up large amounts of information.
5. Keep your bearings
Usually when beginners run into strife, they have no idea how they got into their predicament. That’s because they fail to take notice of what’s going on in front of them. You’ll find plenty of information on the screen providing feedback. Take the time to examine each new element that’s displayed. Investigate the help menus you’ll find in almost all programs (including the one you’ll find if you click the Start button at the bottom-left of the Windows screen). Look at information displayed at the top and bottom of the screen. Open a couple of programs and notice the elements they have in common. You’ll find most programs share a whole pile of features, even though their functions are entirely different.
6. Learn the lingo
One of the hardest things about learning computers is that you not only have to learn many new techniques and processes, but you also have to learn an enormous number of new concepts. It’s those concepts that usually bring people unstuck. Once you get them in place, you’ll find everything else flows. To fix those concepts in your brain, read and re-read information about them. If you have no clue what the ‘operating system’ is, for example, read about it in as many different places as you can – in this series of online articles, in magazine articles, in a ‘Windows for beginners’-style book, in computer dictionaries, elsewhere on the Internet. Don’t worry if at first you don’t understand; after you’ve digested enough definitions, it’ll all gradually start to fall into place.
Follow the steps outlined above and it won’t matter if you make some mistakes. Everybody does. And if you can’t keep up with something in this column, rest easy. In most cases we’ll come back and explore technical subjects – such as how to save a file or how to back up – in a future issue, or point you to some useful resources on the Internet where you can find out more for yourself.
Chapter 2
Beginners II: Start it up
The first time I sat down in front of a personal computer was at programming school, where we were tossed in the deep end with minimal instruction. For a good five minutes (after I’d finally figured out where the On switch was located!) I did nothing, fearing that if I typed in the wrong command the whole machine might self-destruct or do something else nasty that would call attention to my ignorance.
It’s a pretty common fear. Fortunately, it’s one that is largely unfounded.
Yes, you can erase all the information stored on your computer, but doing so really takes an awful lot of effort. Doing so accidentally is close to impossible. And I’ve yet to see a personal computer (commonly called a PC) self destruct.
It’s certainly possible to cause more limited havoc, but if you stick to basic safe computing practices – save your work frequently, make backups, use anti-virus protection, store your original program discs carefully in an accessible place – there’s really nothing you can do that will lose you more than an hour or so’s work.
The greatest problem most beginners encounter is losing their bearings. Why’s that window open? Where did the rest of my text go? How do I get out of here? Those are the sort of difficulties you’re likely to encounter when you start using your computer and they’re the very things we’ll start to explore in this article.
Switch it on
Let’s start at the very beginning: turning the PC on.
Your computer’s instruction manual or the person who sold it to you can show you the location of your PC’s power switch. Each of the major components – monitor, printer, modem, speakers, scanner and so on – is likely to have its own power switch as well.
To facilitate getting your computer up and running and to protect it from electricity fluctuations, it’s well worth getting yourself a surge protection power strip with its own on/off switch. If possible, buy a strip which includes a connection for the phone cord from your modem.
Into this power strip you can plug your computer, monitor, printer, modem and any other component with its own power supply. Once you’ve done that, you can leave each component’s on/off switch in the On position and power everything up simply by switching the power strip on. You may still need to press the PC’s power switch to turn it on, as many modern PCs turn themselves off automatically when you close down Windows.
When you turn the computer on, it will go through a process called booting. That’s short for bootstrapping. When you flick the On switch, a small program called a bootstrap loader runs. This program, in turn, loads the operating system which controls your PC’s functions. The process is, in effect, the computer ‘pulling itself up by its own bootstraps’.
During bootup, you’ll normally see a black screen with text summaries as the system checks itself over. After a half a minute or more, you’ll see the Windows startup screen displayed and then Windows itself will start and you’ll be presented with the Windows Desktop, your working – and playing – environment.
Introducing the Desktop
The Windows Desktop is a metaphor for your real-world desk, although it’s more like an office-top than a desktop. The Desktop is highly customisable, so no two Windows Desktops look exactly the same. However, if you’re starting off on a new computer or a cleanly installed version of Windows XP, you’ll see something very similar to the Desktop displayed in Figure 1 (click the image to see a full-size screenshot).
If your system came with Windows pre-installed by the manufacturer, chances are your Desktop will have been customised somewhat. Figure 2 shows a slightly customised version of the standard Windows XP Desktop (click the image to see a full-size screenshot):
Figure 2 shows Windows XP with the Start Menu open (you open it by clicking the Start button in the bottom left corner). Windows XP is the latest in the line of Microsoft operating systems which includes Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium (aka Windows Me) and Windows 2000. If you’re using any of Windows XP’s predecessors your Desktop will look a little different but all the key features and functions will be present.
Get to know the Desktop. It is, essentially, Windows Central, and once you become comfortable with the Desktop’s features, it’ll be much harder to lose your bearings.
By the way, before you go exploring, you may want to familiarise yourself with using the mouse, as it’s one of the most important ways you communicate with the computer. If you’re all thumbs when it comes to using the mouse.
A tour of the Desktop
Figure 3 shows the same Desktop displayed in Figure 2, with each major feature labelled.
Here’s a quick guide to the features you can see in Figure 3:
A. The Start button. This is where everything springs from. Click this button to display the Start Menu.
Atif Khan.technote
The term button is used frequently in Windows, when in everyday use it conjures up something quite different (usually something round and plastic). The Start button in Windows looks like this:
To ‘push’ the button, click it once with the left mouse button and then release the mouse button. Use the same technique with any other buttons you encounter, such as the Yes, No, Open, Save, OK, Cancel and Browse buttons you’ll come across frequently:
What happens if you click a button and then decide you don’t want to carry through with that action? For instance, what if you’re asked whether you want to delete a file and you click OK, then suddenly realise you need the file after all? Well, if you haven’t yet released the mouse button, you can simply move the mouse pointer away from the OK button and then release the mouse button.
B. The Start Menu. The Start Menu provides access to all your programs and Windows settings, a Help And Support guide, a Search facility for locating documents and other items on your computer or on the Internet, and several other options. Notice how some menu items have a small black arrow to the right of their name. Selecting any of these options will display a sub-menu (also known as a cascading menu) of related items. Selecting any item without an arrow beside it will immediately activate that item.
To select an item, click the Start button, move the mouse pointer up the list of options until you highlight the one you want, then click once more.
C. Icons. The little pictures you see are called icons. Each icon represents a function, program or document on your computer. To open an icon, double-click it. You can move icons around the Desktop by dragging and dropping them with the mouse.
D. Recycle Bin. This is the equivalent of the wastepaper bin in your office. Dump unwanted documents and programs in here either by dragging and dropping them with the mouse or by selecting them and then pressing the Delete (or Del) key on your keyboard. If you accidentally delete a file, you can ‘undelete’ it by opening the Recycle Bin, selecting the item and choosing Restore from the File Menu.
E. My Documents. The icon that looks like a folder bulging with documents provides central storage for all the documents you create or store on your computer. Think of it as a huge filing cabinet, which you can fill with documents neatly sorted into their own folders for easy retrieval.
F. My Computer. My Computer stores information about your computer system. It contains icons which give you access to your disk drives. It also provides access to the Control Panel (also accessible via the Start Menu), where you can adjust settings for your system.
G. Desktop. The vast expanse of space is the Desktop itself. You can rearrange the items on the Desktop by dragging the icons to new positions, and you can change the look of the Desktop by adding a background image, called Desktop wallpaper. You can also change the Desktop’s colour. To see some of the options for changing the Desktop, right-click any vacant space on the Desktop; you’ll see a pop-up menu displayed. Choose Properties from the menu and a Display Properties dialog box (an information box which requires feedback or input from you) will appear containing settings. Once you’ve finished with the Display Properties box, click the OK button at the bottom of the box to close it.
H. Notification Area. This section of the Desktop not only houses the time, it also contains icons for handy little programs which run all the time your computer is on. As you install more applications on your computer, you’ll find the Notification Area filling up with more icons. You can usually discover an icon’s purpose by letting the mouse pointer linger on top of it; after a few seconds, a tooltip will pop up telling you its purpose. Right-click or double-click an icon to display its functions.
I. The Taskbar. This is the long blue strip at the bottom of the screen which contains the Start button, Quick Launch bar and Notification Area. The Taskbar lets you quickly switch between any programs you have running (you can run more than one program at a time). So, if you have a Web browser and a word processor open at the same time and the word processor window is currently obscuring your view of the Web browser, you can click the Web browser’s button in the Taskbar to have it spring into view.
J. The Quick Launch bar. The Quick Launch bar provides a quick way to start programs you use frequently, such as your Web browser and email program. You can drag shortcuts to other programs, such as your word processor or personal finance manager, into the Quick Launch bar to gain quick access to them as well. The icon that looks like a desk blotter with a writing pad and pen on top is a little different. It’s called the Show Desktop icon, and clicking it quickly hides all open program windows so you can get a clear view of your Desktop.
Customising the Desktop
Your Desktop is sure to look somewhat different from the one in the example. That’s because Windows is designed to be tailored to your needs. You can make all sorts of changes to Windows, some cosmetic and some functional.
We’ll delve into customising the Desktop more in later articles in this series. In the meantime, take a look at Figure 4 below to see just how different your Desktop can look.
Figure 4. One example of a customised Desktop
This screenshot shows a Windows Me Desktop customised. Although elements such as the Start Button and Taskbar look somewhat different from their Windows XP equivalents, you can see that, despite the customisations, the two Desktops have a lot in common. That’s one way Microsoft tries to make it easy for people to upgrade from one version of the operating system to another: Most of the main elements remain intact. That means once you learn one Windows operating system, you have a flying start for using computers running any version of Windows.
Note how this Windows Me Desktop is customised: It features a narrow background image, additional shortcuts, carefully positioned icons, and a plethora of programs running in the System Tray (the Windows Me equivalent of the Notification Area in Windows XP) and accessible via the Quick Launch bar. Note that two programs are running, even though their windows are not visible on the Desktop. You can tell this because there are two program buttons (one for a Microsoft Word document, the other for a Paint Shop Pro graphic) showing in the Taskbar.
Shutting down
We’ll look at the Taskbar and other parts of the Desktop in more detail in future articles. For now, we’ll finish up with one of the most important techniques: shutting your computer down.
It’s important you turn your computer off correctly. Simply hitting the power switch without closing down properly is a sure way to lose documents you’ve been working on or even to scramble data or programs on your system.
Here’s how to exit from Windows in an orderly fashion:
Close any open programs or documents. Do so by clicking the little X in the top right-hand corner of each open window. If there appear to be two Xs one above the other in a window, click the topmost X.
Click the Start button and select Shut Down. A Shut Down Windows dialog box will appear.
If you’re using Windows XP, click the Start button and select Turn Off Computer. A Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear. Click Turn Off. If you’re using Windows 95 or Windows 98, click Start, then Shut Down, then click beside the Shut Down option in the list (so there’s a dot beside that option) and then click OK. If you’re using Windows Me, click Start, then Shut Down: You should see the option Shut Down displayed in the box underneath the words ‘What do you want your computer to do?’ If it isn’t displayed, click the small downward arrow at the right-hand end of that box and select Shut Down from the list. Then click OK.
A coloured screen will appear indicating that Windows is shutting down. After a little while, your computer should shut off automatically, or you’ll see a black screen with the words ‘It’s now safe to turn off your computer’. Switch the computer off (using the power strip switch, if you have one). If the ‘It’s now safe to turn off your computer’ message fails to appear, wait 30 seconds or so and then switch your computer off at the power strip.
Unplug the power strip or computer from the power outlet and disconnect the modem cord from the telephone outlet. It’s important you do this, as your computer can be damaged by lightning strikes even while it is not switched on.

Chapter 3
Beginners III:Icons and shortcuts in Windows XP
In the second tutorial in this series, we explored a typical Windows Desktop and gained an overall picture of the function of each of the Desktop components. This time, we’re going to explore some features of the Desktop in detail and do some redecorating to make the Desktop a more efficient place.
Take a look at the Desktop in Figure 1. It’s a typical Windows Desktop. It has been customised to some degree, by adding icons to the Desktop and changing the background.
There’s a lot more you can do to make your Desktop both utilitarian and easy on the eyes.
Figure 1. A sample Windows XP Desktop
How can this Desktop be improved? Here are some things wrong with this setup:
The icons are all corralled in the top-left corner.
The icons are not in logical groupings.
It’s lacking shortcuts to the most frequently used programs.
The background makes it a little hard to see the contents of the Desktop.
That’s all fixable. One of the delightful things about Windows is that you can tailor most aspects of it to suit your own desires. We’re going to steer clear of some of the more exotic things you can do to liven up your Desktop and instead focus on two goals:
1. Making the Desktop as easy to use as possible.
2. Adding a little individuality to the Desktop.
Icon placement
Let’s start with a cosmetic but very important change by rearranging the icons. It’s simple to do and in the process you’ll get to practice your mouse technique and learn about a great time-saving feature called shortcuts.
An aside about the mouse
If your mousing technique isn’t solid, I recommend you spend some time practicing before you go messing with your computer. In particular, you should practice double-clicking (two clicks of the left mouse button in rapid succession, without moving the mouse in the slightest between clicks) so you can do it correctly each time.
A good way to practice double-clicking is to double-click the My Computer icon on your Desktop. This opens a window titled My Computer (you can see the window’s title in the coloured strip across its top). Once it’s open, close it by clicking the Close button (the little X in the top-right corner of the window). Repeat this over and over until you can do it faultlessly. Make sure you use the left mouse button and that your hand doesn’t move between clicks.
(Note: If the My Computer icon is not currently displayed on your Desktop, you can display it by clicking the Start Button, right-clicking My Computer in the Start Menu and selecting Show On Desktop. While you’re at it, do the same thing for My Documents if it’s not yet displayed on the Desktop.)
I know I’m harping on mouse technique a lot; that’s because poor mousing technique is the cause of more problems and confusion for beginners than almost anything else. So spend the time now to get it right.
Organising your icons
Enough mousing around. Let’s get down to work.
Start by right-clicking in an empty spot on the Desktop. A pop-up menu will appear. Select Arrange Icons to display a sub-menu. In the sub-menu, make sure there is no tick (checkmark) beside the Auto Arrange option. If there is a tick, select the Auto Arrange option to remove the tick/checkmark.
Now right-click once more in a blank spot on the Desktop, select Arrange Icons By and then select Align To Grid (unless there is already a tick/checkmark beside that option, in which case you can leave it as is).
Once you’ve done that, take a look at the icons in Figure 1 once more. The purpose of Desktop icons is to give you quick access to programs, documents and important functions. This task can be made easier by organising your icons into logical groups. For starters, move the Recycle Bin to its own space, away from other icons. The Recycle Bin is where you dump unwanted items; it makes sense to get it away from a crowded area, so you don’t accidentally delete something you wish to keep. I stick mine in the lower-right corner of the screen.
To move the Recycle Bin, drag-and-drop it to its new location. Remember, you drag-and-drop an item by pointing to it with the mouse pointer, depressing the left mouse button and, while keeping it depressed, moving the mouse pointer to a new location. Once there, you release the mouse button.
Move your other icons to more useful positions, too. For instance, you may want to group all folders and files in one section of the Desktop, put shortcuts to programs in another section, and leave special items such as My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places and any other system items you may have in their own corner. The only thing to watch out for when moving icons is to make sure you don’t cover one icon with another. Not only can you lose an icon that way, but you can also accidentally delete an icon or run a program by dropping an icon in the wrong place. So make sure you move those icons to a bit of vacant Desktop real estate.
A readable Desktop
There’s no much point in organising your Desktop icons efficiently if the background wallpaper you’ve chosen makes them hard to decipher. Although it’s tempting to use a high-energy wallpaper and tastes differ widely, while you’re still becoming comfortable with Windows it makes a lot more sense to use a simple background which makes it easy to find everything on the Desktop.
Windows comes supplied with a selection of wallpapers and you can download others from many sites on the Internet. Webshots, in particular, offers a great choice of free wallpapers. You can also do away with the wallpaper and simply have a solid colour background.
Here’s how to change your wallpaper:
Right-click in a vacant spot on the Desktop and choose Properties from the pop-up menu to show the Display Properties dialog box.
Click the Desktop tab.
Scroll through the Background list and click each of the offerings in turn until you find something suitable. Click Apply to see that background applied to your Desktop; click OK once you’re satisfied with your choice.
If you decide to choose no background (by selecting None at the top of the Background list) you can select a colour instead by clicking the down-arrow in the Color box and then clicking one of the colours.
Now take a look at Figure 2. It shows another Desktop, with the icons organised quite differently and a less intrusive, although still interesting, background. You’ll see special system items in the top left; shortcuts to drives down the right side; the Recycle Bin in the lower right; and folder and file icons along the top centre. That leaves a fair-sized space in the centre to open a program window and still be able to see and get at all the Desktop icons.
You don’t have to organise your Desktop in this way, but it pays to have a logical and tidy Desktop scheme when you’re learning how to use your PC. Choose something that suits you.
Figure 2. A Desktop organised along functional lines
Shortcuts
I’ve been tossing around the term shortcuts so it’s about time you became acquainted with this handy Windows feature. A shortcut is a quick way to start a program or open a file or folder without having to search for its exact location on your computer.
If you take a careful look at Figure 2 you’ll see some of the icons have tiny black arrows in their bottom-left corner. The black arrow indicates the icon is a shortcut. Each shortcut points to the location of a file, folder, drive or program.
To create a shortcut:
1. Open the folder which contains the item to which you want to create a shortcut.
2. Locate the item in the folder and right-drag-and-drop (that’s using the right mouse button) the item onto a vacant spot on the Desktop. A pop-up menu will appear asking what you want to do. Choose Create Shortcut Here.
Creating drive shortcuts
Let’s try a practical example by creating shortcuts to your CD-ROM and floppy drives – shortcuts that will come in handy when you want to explore the contents of a CD or copy a file to a floppy. Create the floppy shortcut first:
1. Double-click My Computer to open it. If the My Computer window obscures the Desktop, resize it by moving the mouse pointer to the bottom-right corner where you can see a triangular set of dimples and, when the mouse cursor changes shape click-and-drag the window’s edge diagonally up towards the left.
2. Right-drag-and-drop the floppy drive icon to your Desktop.
3. Select Create Shortcut Here from the pop-up menu.
Follow the same procedure to create a shortcut to your CD-ROM drive.
Tip: Windows XP actually provides a simpler method for creating drive shortcuts: You (left) drag and drop the icon onto your Desktop. But for consistencies’ sake, I’ve described the right-drag-and-drop method because it can be used for any item in your computer.
Now, whenever you want to copy a file onto a floppy disk, you can simply drag the file from its location on your hard disk onto the floppy disk shortcut you’ve created on the Desktop (make sure to place a floppy disk in the drive first, of course). And, if you place a disc in the CD drive and it fails to AutoPlay (that is, load automatically), you can double-click its shortcut on the Desktop to open it and load it manually.
Shortcut properties
It’s important to distinguish between shortcuts and the objects to which they point: They are not the same thing. For instance, you can make multiple shortcuts to the same file (perhaps one shortcut on your Desktop, another in a folder you often use). Creating a shortcut to the file doesn’t copy the file, so you can create shortcuts without wasting your hard disk space.
You can delete a shortcut and the file or program it points to remains on your computer. However, if you delete the file or program itself, not only will it be gone for good but any existing shortcuts to that object will no longer work.
You can rename a shortcut without affecting the file, too. This means you can give your shortcuts highly descriptive names. To rename a shortcut, right-click it and choose Rename from the pop-up menu, then type in the new name and press Enter. You can test your shortcuts by putting a disk in the drive and then double-clicking the shortcut to display the disk’s contents.
Quick Launch shortcuts
To finish up, we’re going to make one final shortcut, this time to a program instead of a drive, and instead of placing it on the Desktop we’ll stick it in the Quick Launch bar to the right of the Start Button. The Quick Launch bar is the ideal place for shortcuts to the programs you use most often, because it only takes a single click (instead of the usual double-click) to launch a program from the Quick Launch bar. If it sounds like laziness to bother about whether you single or double-click to open something, just wait until you’ve had to do so several thousand times – it makes a difference!
The shortcut we’ll create is to a word processing program called WordPad, which is supplied free with Windows. Chances are you’ll have your own word processing program installed, but we’ll use WordPad as an example because all Windows computers include it. We’ll create the WordPad shortcut a little differently because there’s already a shortcut to it on your Start Menu (all the items on the Start Menu are shortcuts, although they don’t sport the usual black-arrow shortcut symbol). So, in effect, we’ll be making a copy of a shortcut.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Click the Start button, select All Programs, then Accessories.
2. Right-click-and-drag WordPad from the menu onto the Desktop, then release the mouse button. When the pop-up menu appears, select Copy (remember, you’re creating a copy of a shortcut).
3. Now drag the shortcut you just created from the Desktop onto the Quick Launch bar. Don’t release the mouse button until you see a dark insertion point, a solid black line to the left of the shortcut icon like this:
When you see the insertion point, release the mouse button. Your shortcut will be added to the Quick Launch bar.
You may need to resize the Quick Launch bar so you can see all the items in it. To do so, right-click in a blank space on the Taskbar and select Lock The Taskbar. Now you will be able to resize the Quick Launch bar by dragging the dimpled section of the Taskbar to the right. Once you can see all the icons, right-click in a blank spot on the Taskbar and select Lock The Taskbar once more.
That’s it. You can now run WordPad by clicking its icon in the Quick Launch bar. If you like, you can delete the interim shortcut to WordPad which you created on the Desktop.
Chapter 4
Beginners IV: What’s in a name?
Everything you work with on your computer is stored in the form of files. A letter you write in your word processor; an image you scan in and edit using a graphics program; a database containing thousands of inventory items; an MP3 music file you’ve downloaded from the Internet. They’re all stored on your hard disk – or other storage medium, such as a Zip disk – as files. Even programs are stored as files. Windows itself, for instance, consists of thousands of files, with each file contributing its own little bit to the general functioning of your computer. It’s not uncommon for a PC with Windows and a few applications installed to have as many as 50,000 files stored on the hard disk.
This mass of files can easily disintegrate into a mess of files if you don’t know how to whip them into line.
A digital filing cabinet
Windows provides a simple mechanism for organising files. It lets you create folders, in which you can store related files.
The terminology is reminiscent of an office filing cabinet, and that’s a pretty fair analogy. You can think of your hard disk as the filing cabinet; the folders as file folders to which you attach labels so you can quickly locate the correct one; and the files themselves as documents containing text, graphics and other information. Of course, the types of documents you can store on a computer are more varied than anything you can shove into a filing cabinet. As well as bills, correspondence, receipts, brochures and photos, for example, you can also store such things as video clips, music tracks and programs.
Windows goes one step further than the average filing cabinet, and lets you store folders within folders. The added level of organisation provided by these sub-folders makes it remarkably easy to keep track of files even when your hard disk is crammed with documents and programs.
Name that file
A nicely organised folder structure provides one step towards organising your files effectively. Equally important is the need to name your files and folders in clearly identifiable ways, so you – and your software – can locate the correct file.
Each file on your computer has a filename which uniquely identifies it. In pre-Windows times, when people used DOS as their operating system (the acronym stands for Disk Operating System), filenames were limited to a name of up to eight characters followed by a full stop (that’s a period for my US readers) followed by an extension of up to three characters. If you ever see the term 8.3 filename this is what it refers to.
The extension usually indicates the type of file: DOC for documents, BMP for pictures in bitmap format, XLS for Excel spreadsheets, and so on. Valid DOS filenames include names such as Budget01.xls, Let2mum.doc, Cameo.ps. Naming files so they were easily identified under DOS’s restrictive 8.3 rule required ingenuity and the creation of a set of naming conventions.
Windows’ long filenames
Windows is much more liberal with filenames. It lets you use up to 215 characters, including spaces.
There are a few characters that you can’t use in Windows’ filenames. They are:
/ \ : * ? " < >
That last symbol is called ‘pipe’ and you’ll usually find it on your keyboard directly above the backslash (\) key. Apart from those excluded characters, you have free rein when naming your files.
Such liberality makes it much easier to create meaningful filenames, but also has its drawbacks. First, you should try to avoid very long filenames (say over about 65 characters) because many programs choke on ultra long filenames.
Second, it’s easy to waffle when using such long filenames, instead of using a disciplined approach. So try to establish a consistent approach to naming files while taking advantage of the ability to be descriptive.
A disciplined approach
For example, say you have two Excel spreadsheet files, one containing a household budget and the other a budget for your business. Instead of naming the files:
Budget for the Jones family household for the year 2001.xls
Jones Enterprises 2001 business budget.xls
try something a little more precise, thus:
Jones household budget 2001.xls
Jones Enterprises budget 2001.xls
The consistency will not only help you locate files, it will also help keep files sorted in a logical order, which is handy when you’re searching for a file in a File Open dialog box.
A combination of consistency, precision and descriptiveness when naming your files will make them easy to locate later.
File extensions
Note that each of the example filenames above includes a three-character file extension, a hangover from DOS days. In Windows, while you’re not limited to a three-character extension, the characters after the full stop are still, by convention, used to indicate the filetype – whether it’s a WordPerfect document, an Excel Spreadsheet, a video clip, or some other file. Under Windows, the names of filetypes mostly contain three characters (largely inherited from their DOS predecessors), but you’ll find some with one or two (such as WP for some word processing documents) and some with four or more (such as HTML for some Web documents).
Unfortunately, when it created Windows 95, Microsoft deemed file extensions too befuddling for users and so hid them from view.
Although designed to make things easier, this ploy really leads to more confusion for beginners rather than less, so my advice to you is to unhide those extensions. Here’s how, in Windows XP:
1. Click Start -> My Computer.
2. In the My Computer window, select Folder Options from the Tools Menu.
3. In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab at the top.
4. In the list of settings, locate the option Hide Extensions For Known File Types and, if it’s ticked (checked), remove the tick/checkmark by clicking the option.
5. Click OK and close the My Computer window.
In Windows 9x or Windows Me:
1. Double-click My Computer.
2. In the My Computer window, select Folder Options from the Tools Menu (if you’re using Windows 95 or Windows 98, use Options on the View Menu).
3. In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab at the top.
4. In the list of settings, locate the option Hide File Extensions For Known File Types and, if it’s ticked (checked), remove the tick/checkmark by clicking the option. (In Windows 95, the option is labelled Hide MS-DOS File Extensions For File Types That Are Registered.)
5. Click OK and close the My Computer window.
Atif Khan.technote: Apply versus OK
If you followed the steps described above to unhide your file extensions, you may have noticed that the dialog box in which you made the change had three buttons at the bottom: OK, Cancel and Apply. Lots of dialogs have those same three buttons.
It’s pretty easy to figure out that clicking Cancel will let you exit the dialog box without implementing any changes you’ve made. But what’s the difference between clicking OK and Apply?
Apply implements any changes you’ve made in a dialog without exiting the dialog. OK implements the changes and exits the dialog. That’s why the Apply button is usually inactive (greyed out) if you have not yet made any changes. If you make some changes, click Apply and then click Cancel, it’s too late to undo the changes – they’ve already been applied.
The Apply button is particularly useful when you’re making changes that are immediately visible. For instance, you can change the background on your Desktop by right-clicking in a vacant space on the Desktop and choosing Properties from the pop-up menu. This displays the Display Properties dialog. If you make a change in the dialog and click Apply, you can see the effect of that change immediately. If it’s not the effect you’re after, try another setting and click Apply once more. When you’re happy with your settings, click OK.
You’ll find almost every program you use appends a default file extension to files you create. For example, Microsoft Word adds the extension .doc to documents you create (unless you specify otherwise). Because this is done automatically, you usually don’t have to bother about file extensions when naming files – simply provide a descriptive filename and let the program add the correct extension. Just make sure you don’t end your filename with a full stop. If you do so, the program will think you want a blank extension and won’t add the correct filetype extension.

If you have an ’orphan’ file (that is, one for which you can’t find the program that created it), you can often identify the file by its extension. Use the File Extension Search Engine to check a list of over 1600 file extensions.
Unique filenames
Earlier I said that each file has a name which uniquely identifies it. You may be wondering why it is, then, that you can have a file called Jumbo.jpg sitting on your Desktop and have a file with the same name sitting in your My Documents folder. How does Windows tell which Jumbo.jpg is which?
The answer is that Windows does exactly what you do to distinguish the two files: it notes the different locations. One is on the Desktop; the other is in the My Documents folder. Clearly they’re not the same file (although they may be copies of the same file).
What Windows does, in fact, is identify files using three pieces of information: the name of the disk on which they reside, the folder path, and the filename.
Disks, paths and filenames
Disks are identified by a drive letter. On most computers, the floppy drive is called A: (note the colon is part of the drive name), the hard disk is C:, the CD-ROM is D:. If your computer has additional drives these identifiers may differ a little, but this is the usual setup.
(What happened to B:? In earlier times many computers had two floppy disks and frequently no hard disk; the first floppy was A: and the second was B:.)
A folder path is the list of folders and sub-folders you must traverse to find a file. The folder path of a file you place in the Correspondence sub-folder within the My Documents folder is:
\My Documents\Correspondence\
The backslashes are used to separate each element in the path.
(Actually, in Windows XP, the My Documents folder is a sub-folder within other folders, so the path is more likely to look something like this:
\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\Correspondence
where username is your Windows log on name. For simplicity’s sake and because the location differs depending on how your computer is set up, we’ll stick with the shorter pathname.)
So, a full filename takes the form:
driveletter:\folderpath\filename
Thus the full filename of the elephant photo we have in our My Documents folder consists of:
C:\My Documents\Jumbo.jpg
while the full filename of the elephant photo on the Desktop is:
C:\Windows\Desktop\Jumbo.jpg
So, despite initial appearances, the two filenames are unique. If you make a copy of Jumbo.jpg on a floppy, it’s unique filename will be A:\Jumbo.jpg.
By the way, don’t worry about the case of the filenames – I’ve used mixed case to make the names more readable, but Windows ignores the case when determining filenames (in the jargon, Windows is not case sensitive when it comes to filenames.) You’ll also notice that the Desktop, which you think of as your screen, is really just another sub-folder, stored within the Windows folder.
Give it a try
You can see how Windows deals with filenames for yourself by trying this:
1. Right-click a vacant spot on the Desktop and, from the pop-up menu, choose New -> Text Document. Windows will create an empty text file called New Text Document.txt.
2. Repeat the procedure. Note how Windows calls the second document New Text Document (2).txt to give it a unique name.
3. Rename the second document by right-clicking it and choosing Rename from the pop-up menu. Try to replace the existing name with the name New Text Document.txt. When you press Enter, Windows won’t let you and warns you that a file already exists with that name.
4. Drag New Text Document.txt into the My Documents folder to move it there.
5. Now try renaming the second document on your Desktop New Text Document.txt. This time, you’ll succeed because there’s no conflicting filename.

Chapter 5
Beginners V: My Documents in Windows XP
Windows is a remarkably flexible tool. It usually offers you two, three or more ways to accomplish the same task, leaving it up to you to choose the method that seems best.
Take a simple example such as renaming a file. You have your choice of four ways of doing this:
Method 1. Click the file once to highlight it, wait a second, then click it once more (it’s important to pause between the two clicks or otherwise Windows will think you’re double-clicking the file in order to open it). The name will be selected and you can type the new name directly over the old name or click with the mouse within the name to edit it. Once you’ve changed the name, press Enter.
Method 2. Right-click a file and choose Rename from the pop-up menu that appears, then edit the name as in method 1.
Method 3. Right-click a file to display the pop-up menu and press M, then edit the name as in method 1. (Are you wondering why this works? Take a look at the pop-up menu and you’ll see that the ‘m’ in Rename is underlined. When you open any menu, you can quickly activate an option in the menu by pressing its underlined letter. This technique works equally well in your word processor or graphics program as it does in Windows itself.)
Method 4. Click the file you wish to rename then click the Rename This File option in the list of File And Folder Tasks on the left. Type the new name for the file and press Enter. (Note: This method is not available in versions of Windows prior to Windows XP.)
You’ll find a similar choice of methods for almost anything you do in Windows. That’s certainly the case when it comes to organising your files.
Three ways to organise files
Most beginners start off by organising files directly via the My Documents icon or via My Computer. The first provides quick access to documents you have saved within the My Documents folder on your hard disk; the second provides shortcuts to files and folders on all of your disks, including hard disks, floppies and CD-ROM. A third alternative is to use a program called Windows Explorer.
Because it’s the simplest method, we’ll start by using My Documents.
What is My Documents?
The My Documents icon on the desktop is a shortcut to the My Documents folder on your hard disk. This folder is created automatically by Windows as a convenient repository for any files you create. You’re under no obligation to store your files in My Documents, but it makes sense to use it.
Why? Because storing your files in a central folder makes it easy to locate them and easy to back them up. As My Documents is already provided, why not use it? You can then create as many sub-folders as you like within the My Documents folder to organise your files further.
Another reason for using My Documents is that many Windows programs automatically assume you’ll use My Documents as your central storage folder. Microsoft Word, for instance, automatically saves documents in the My Documents folder unless you specify another location.
With each new release of Windows, Microsoft has placed increasing emphasis on My Documents as a central file store, encouraging customers to use it. Its special desktop icon is an indication of this status and, in the most recent versions of Windows, Microsoft has gone a step further by placing other special folders including My Pictures and My Music within My Documents.
In fact, you’ll find that Windows Explorer, the file management tool in previous versions of Windows, has faded into the background and has barely maintained its identity as a separate entity. Instead, XP encourages you to access all your files by clicking the Start Button and then selecting My Documents.
That’s one click too many, in my book, for something you use so often. So why not stick a shortcut to My Documents in your Quick Launch bar so you can open it with a single click:
Open the Start Menu, right-click the My Documents icon and select Show On Desktop from the pop-up menu.
Drag the My Documents icon from the Desktop onto the Quick Launch bar, immediately to the right of the Start button.
If you can’t see the icon in the Quick Launch bar, unlock the Taskbar (right-click in an empty spot on the Taskbar and, if there’s a tick (checkmark) beside the Lock The Taskbar option, select the option to disable it). Now drag the horizontal divider between the Quick Launch area and the program launch area to the right until your new icon is visible. Then relock the Taskbar by reselecting the Lock The Taskbar option.
If you desire, remove the Desktop My Documents icon by clicking Start, right-clicking the My Documents icon on the Start Menu and reselecting Show On Desktop.
Exploring My Documents
When you open My Documents, or any folder window for that matter, one of the biggest changes in XP becomes apparent. On the right of the window you can see a list of sub-folders and files contained within the My Documents folder, while along the top is a menu bar with a toolbar underneath, much like Windows 98 and Me. Down the left side of every folder window you’ll find something new: A Task Pane. The contents of the pane alter depending on the type of folder you have opened or the files you have selected. The overall structure of each pane, however, is the same: A list of tasks at the top; an Other Places section in the middle; and a Details section at the bottom. For special folders such as My Pictures, there’s an additional specialised tasks section at the top. You can hide or display any of these sections by clicking the chevron icon near the top right of the section.
Figure 1: A typical (albeit somewhat overstuffed!) My Documents folder in Windows XP. Click the image to see a full-size screenshot.
When you select one or more items, you’ll see the Task Pane options change. For single files, the options are Rename, Move, Copy, Publish to the Web, E-mail, Print and Delete. For folders, the print option isn’t available (shame, Microsoft!) but you gain a Share option, which lets you share the folder with other users on your computer or network.
The Task Panes supplement the old techniques for managing files. If you want to use the options on the File and Edit menus, or right-click commands or toolbar-based commands, you can do that, but you’ll usually find it easier to avail yourself of the Task Pane options.
Organising with sub-folders
You can create any sub-folders you like within the My Documents folder. If you share your computer with others, for example, you may wish to create a sub-folder for each person who uses the computer. Each user, in turn, can create their own sub-folders within their named folder.
Alternatively, you might like to organise your folders according to the type of file each contains or the function they perform (correspondence, budgetting and so on).
Working with folders
Try this yourself. To create a new folder, either:
Click Make A New Folder in the Task Pane, type a name for the folder and press Enter.
or
· In the My Documents window click the File Menu, select New, then Folder. Type a new name for the folder and press Enter.
or
· Right-click in an empty space within the folder, choose New, Folder from the pop-up menu, name the folder and press Enter.
To create a sub-folder within the folder you’ve just created, double-click the folder to open it and then repeat the step above, using whichever method you prefer. You can do this to your heart’s desire, creating sub-folder within sub-folder. To navigate between the folders, simply double-click to open a folder, then click the Up icon on the toolbar to move back up to the parent folder.
The folder tree
By creating folders within folders, you build a folder hierarchy, or tree. This is much easier to understand if you click the Folders button on the toolbar. When you do so, the Task Pane is replaced with a Folders list displaying a hierarchical list of folders. If you click a folder in the Folders list its contents are displayed on the right. Click through the folders on the left and watch the contents change in the right-hand pane.
The Task Pane is especially geared towards beginners, making a myriad of tasks easier to perform. But sometimes it makes sense to use the Folders List. Many experienced users prefer this two-paned view because it makes it easy to move files by dragging and dropping them.
For instance, to move the file Adagio for Strings.wma from its current location in the My Documents folder (see Figure 2) into the My Music sub-folder, all you have to do is drag the file onto the My Music icon on the left – the icon will be highlighted when you have the file in the correct position – and then release the mouse button. If you make a mistake, right-click in a vacant space in the right-hand pane and choose Undo Move from the pop-up menu.
Figure 2. Clicking the Folders button on the toolbar gives you a hierarchical, two-paned view of your files. This is akin to using Windows Explorer in Windows 98 and Windows 95. Click the image to see a full-size screenshot.
Chapter 6
Beginners VI:Moving, copying & deleting files in Windows XP
This is the final article in this series for the present. To end off, I’m going to show you a handful of techniques for moving, copying and deleting files, then throw in a bunch of tips to make your computing life less frustrating.
In the last article, you learnt one technique for moving files from one folder to another. That technique – dragging-and-dropping in an Explorer window – is certainly the simplest, but not necessarily the safest. For instance, it’s fairly easy to drop a file accidentally onto the wrong folder; you may then have trouble locating its whereabouts. Also, how can you tell whether you’ve copied a file or moved it?
Moving files via the Task Pane
Windows has always provided multiple methods for moving and copying files. Windows XP has introduced a new set of techniques which make the process about as simple as can be. The techniques revolve around the Task Pane.
The Task Panes provide a far more intuitive way of managing files than we’re accustomed to in Windows. All you do is select a file (or Ctrl-click to select multiple files – that is, hold down the Ctrl key while you click each file) then click the required task. If needed, a dialog will appear prompting you for information, such as a destination folder for copying or moving files.
So, to move a file all you do is:
Click the file in the right-hand pane.
Click Move This File in the Task Pane. A Move Items dialog box will appear.
Use the Move Items dialog to locate the destination folder. If you scroll all the way to the top of the folder list within the dialog box, you’ll find the Desktop and My Documents. If you need to move the file to a sub-folder, click the + sign beside the containing folder’s name to expand its contents and locate the appropriate sub-folder. Once you’ve found the destination folder and clicked it, click the Move button to complete the move.
To move a file to a new folder:
Follow the first two steps above.
In the Move Items dialog box, locate the folder within which you want to create the new folder and click it.
Click the Make New Folder button. This will create a new folder called New Folder within the selected folder.
Right-click New Folder and select Rename from the pop-up menu, type in a descriptive name, and press Enter.
Click Move to complete the move.
For example, to move a file to a new folder called Archives on your Desktop:
Click the file to select it.
Click Move This File in the Task Pane.
Scroll to the top of the list in the Move Items dialog and click the Desktop.
Click Make New Folder.
Right-click the New Folder, name it Archives and press Enter
Click Move.
Copying files via the Task Pane
To copy a file using the Task Pane, the process is identical to moving a file except you select the Copy This File option in the Task Pane instead of the Move This File.
For beginners, it’s often a good idea to copy files rather than move them. That way, if something goes amiss you still have the original file in its original location. Once you’re sure the new file is safely tucked away in the new location, you can always delete the original.
The process for copying and moving multiple files is the same as for copying and moving single files, except that you must select all the files you wish to copy/move. The easiest way to do that is to hold down the Ctrl key while clicking each file you wish to copy or move. If you accidentally select a file, you can unselect it by keeping the Ctrl key depressed while clicking it once more. Once you’ve selected all the files, you can release the Ctrl key, then click the Copy The Selected Items or Move The Selected Items task in the Task Pane.
Note you can move and copy folders as well as files using the same techniques, too.
One advantage Windows XP has over its predecessors – the simplified Task Pane options for copying and moving files and folders. This screenshot shows multiple files being moved. (Click the image to see a full-size screenshot.)
Deleting files
Deleting files is even easier than copying and moving them. If that sounds a little dangerous, never fear! In Windows, deleted files are first placed into a sort of limbo – which you and I know as the Recycle Bin. Deleted files can rise, Phoenix-like, from the Recycle Bin and be restored to their original locations.
To delete an unwanted file or folder, click it once to select it and click the Delete This File option in the Task Pane, or simply press the Delete (or Del) key. If Windows asks whether you’re sure you want to delete it, click Yes.
Alternatively, you can drag-and-drop the file directly into the Recycle Bin (although in this case you won’t see the prompt asking whether you’re sure). Either way, the Recycle Bin will hold all your deleted files until you either choose to empty the bin or you run out of space in the bin. When the Recycle Bin is full, Windows will automatically start permanently deleting files in it, starting with the files you deleted first.
And undeleting them...
This double deletion method gives you a good chance to undelete files, a lifesaver when you find you’ve been too quick with the Delete key. On these occasions, all you need to do is:
1. Double-click the Recycle Bin to open it.
2. Locate the file you wish to undelete. If you’re having trouble locating the file, click the Views button and select Details. Then click the heading at the top of the Date Deleted column so there’s a grey down-arrow beside the heading. This places the most recently deleted files at the top of the list.
3. Right-click the file you wish to undelete to display a pop-up menu and choose Restore to restore the file to its previous location.
4. If you don’t want to place the file in its old location, instead of right-clicking it you can drag it onto the Desktop or into an open folder window.
Remember, the earlier you act, the more chance the file will still be in the Recycle Bin.
Custom recycling
You can change the features of your Recycle Bin to allow it to store more discarded files before deleting them permanently, and to adjust other settings. First, right-click the Recycle Bin and choose Properties from the pop-up menu to display the Recycle Bin Properties dialog. Now, try this:
· If you prefer not to be asked whether you’re sure about deleting a file, remove the tick beside the Display Delete Confirmation Dialog option.
· Move the Maximum Size Of Recycle Bin slider bar to adjust the size of the bin. Windows usually sets this at 10 percent of the space on your hard disk (or on each hard disk, if you have more than one). For the current generation of Godzilla-sized hard disks, this is overkill. If your hard disk capacity is 10 gigabytes or more, one to three percent is more than enough to devote to deleted files. By reducing the size of the Recycle Bin, you’ll reserve a little more hard disk space for your everyday files.
To permanently delete all files in the Recycle Bin, right-click the Bin and choose Empty Recycle Bin from the pop-up menu.
Change the way your Recycle Bin works by adjusting its properties.
Hot tip 1: Finding files
Can’t remember where you stuck a file? Perhaps you can’t remember the filename, and all you recall is the subject of a file. No problem:
Click Start -> Search to open Search Companion.
Choose the appropriate type of search (if you’re not sure what type of file you’re trying to locate, select All Files And Folders).
Type the search criteria into the boxes provided. The search criteria change depending on the type of search. For example, if you’re searching for multimedia files, you can specify whether you’re looking for audio, video or graphics; if you’re searching for a document, you can specify the time frame in which it was created and enter any part of the filename which may help identify it.
Click Search to start the search.
When the search has completed, you can either refine the search or click Yes, Finished Searching to close the search panel and display a Task Pane.
Hot tip 2: Selecting multiple files
Often you’ll want to copy, move, delete or open more than one file at a time. To do this, you need to select multiple files simultaneously. Here’s how:
· Hold down the Ctrl key while you click each file you wish to select (this is called Ctrl-clicking).
· To deselect an already selected file, Ctrl-click it.
· To select a whole list of files or folders, click the top file in the list, hold down the Shift key and click the last file in the list.
Hot tip 3: Selecting files by corralling them
For an even quicker method of selecting multiple files, you can click-and-drag a box around the files. This is best experimented with on the Desktop, so minimise any windows you have open so you can see the Desktop clearly. Now, click in a vacant spot on the Desktop and drag the mouse slightly downwards and to the right. Notice how, as you do so, a dotted outline of a box appears? (It disappears as soon as you released the mouse button.) This is called a selection rectangle.
Of course, this technique didn’t appear to do much because you tried it on a vacant part of the Desktop. If you now try the same technique and this time ensure that one or more icons are included in the selection rectangle you draw, you’ll notice that each of the included icons is highlighted (selected) when you complete the box (and release the mouse button).
You can use this same corralling technique in Windows Explorer, folder windows, and even in Open and Save As dialog boxes within applications.
Hot tip 4: Creating Desktop folders
You’re not restricted to creating folders within My Documents or via Windows Explorer. You can also create folders on the Desktop. This is especially useful when you need a folder on-the-fly or temporarily. You can easily delete it when it’s no longer needed. To create a folder on the Desktop:
1. Right-click a vacant spot on the Desktop.
2. From the pop-up menu displayed, choose New, Folder.
3. Right-click the new folder, choose Rename, type in a name and press Enter.
4. Using your mouse, drag the folder to an appropriate spot on your Desktop.

Chapter 7
Setting up a printer in Windows XP
Printers used to be the bugbear of computer users. They were difficult to set up and ornery in operation. That's no longer the case and it's likely you'll have no problems getting your printer up and running. This is particularly the case if your printer comes packaged with your computer system or if you stick to well-known brands such as Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Lexmark and Canon.
Connecting a printer involves four steps:
Unpacking your printer, removing any packaging material and installing the ink or toner cartridge. Refer to your printer's instructions to guide you.
Connecting the printer cable to the printer and to the back of your computer.
Connecting the printer's power cord to a power outlet.
Installing the printer driver and any additional software. The printer driver is a piece of software that tells your computer how to interact with your printer.
If your printer comes as part of your system, you may find that its driver is already installed. In that case, all you'll need to do is unpack it, connect the printer cable and power cord and switch on your computer.
Atif Khan.tip: Get a cable
One word of warning: Make sure you purchase a printer cable! Often, this is not included in your computer system, despite it being an essential item. You'll need the correct type of cable for your printer: If it's a USB-enabled printer, you need a USB cable (note, the new USB 2 cables work with older USB 1 printers, too; so if in doubt, get a USB 2 cable); if it's a parallel printer, you'll need a parallel cable.
Make sure you get a cable long enough to reach easily from your printer to your computer. However, you should avoid cables longer than 10', because long cables can cause problems with communication between printer and computer. Try to position your printer so a 6' (or shorter) cable can make the connection.
Follow the wizard
If your printer's software has not been pre-installed, read any installation instructions that accompany your printer and follow those instructions. If no instructions are provided, follow this procedure:
(Note: This procedure applies to printers which use a parallel connection. If your printer uses a USB connection, you should connect it while Windows is running and it will be recognised.)
Make sure you have your original Windows CD-ROM handy. You may need it.
Switch the computer off.
Connect the parallel printer cable to your computer.
Connect the printer's power cord to a power outlet.
Switch on the printer and the computer.
In most cases, Windows will detect that you've attached a new hardware device and it will launch the Add Hardware Wizard and attempt to search for the appropriate software. If the wizard doesn't launch and Windows appears to ignore your printer, you can launch the Add Printer wizard yourself by clicking the Start button, selecting Control Panel, clicking Printers And Other Hardware, and then clicking Add Printer.
If the printer is directly connected to your computer, select the Local Printer Attached To This Computer option. If you will be connecting to the printer via a network connection, select the Network Printer option, then click Next.
The wizard will first try to search for any Plug and Play devices (these are components that should, by rights, automatically notify Windows when they're first connected). If the wizard discovers your printer, it will display further instructions to complete the installation. You may need to restart your system to finish.
Atif Khan.tip: Update your drivers
Often by the time you buy a printer its drivers are out of date. Before you install the printer, visit the manufacturer's Web site and check to see if there are more recent drivers available for download. Up to date drivers are especially important if you're installing on the latest operating system or if you've been experiencing problems with the original, supplied drivers.
A 'driver', by the way, is simply a piece of software which tells the operating system how to work efficiently with a particular device - in this case, a printer.
When the wizard won't work
If the wizard doesn't detect your printer successfully, you can install the printer yourself using the Add Printer Wizard.
When the Wizard checks for Plug and Play printers and fails to find one (step 8 above) it will let you add a printer manually. Click Next to do so.
You'll be asked for the printer's port. If you have a single parallel connector on your computer, the printer's port is LPT1 (it stands for line printer 1). Select that and click Next.
You'll then be asked to select the printer's manufacturer and model from a list. Select your printer's Manufacturer then scroll through the list of Printers and select yours from the list. Click Next and follow the prompts.
If your printer is not listed but it came supplied with an installation disk, insert the disk in the drive and click Have Disk. From the Copy Manufacturer's Files From list, click the location of the disk you inserted (if it's a floppy disk, it will be the A: drive; if it's on a CD it will most likely be the D: or E: drives) and click OK. Windows will search the disk for drivers and display a list of matches. Choose the one which most closely matches your printer and then follow the prompts to install the driver.
In the final dialog, select Yes to have Windows print a test page to ensure your printer is working correctly, and then click Finish.
Atif Khan.tip: Parallel or USB?
Many printers come with both parallel and USB connections. It's usually easiest if you can use the USB connector, but if you encounter any problems with a USB connection, uninstall your printer and remove any drivers, then do a reinstallation following the instructions for a parallel connection. I've noticed that Hewlett-Packard printers in particular can cause problems with USB connections.

Chapter 8
Setting up a V-PTCL wireless in Windows XP

V-PTCL used to be the problem of computer users. They were difficult to set up and ornery in operation. That's no longer the case and it's likely you'll have no problems getting your V-PTCL up and running. Installing drivers for V-PTCL is quite tricky; connecting a ZTE V-PTCL involves four steps:
· Insert the DATA CD supplied with ZTE wireless Desktop set into CD Rom Drive, and Install the Drivers with the Help of Wizard.
Connecting the V-PTCL cable to the back of your computer.
You will receive this pop-up window “New Hardware Found” , follow the instructions to Install the Drivers DON’T FORGET THE LOCATION OF DRIVER IS “C:\Program Files\ZTE\USB”
“Installing the V-PTCL driver”. The V-PTCL driver is a piece of software that tells your computer how to interact with your V-PTCL.
And you’re done!

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