Terminology
Click Press the left mouse button once then release it immediately.
Double Click Press the left mouse button twice in quick succession.
Right Click Press the right mouse button once then release it immediately.
Drag and Drop Press the left mouse button and hold it down while moving the mouse. Let go when you have dragged the object to the required position.
Screen buttons In this leaflet, on-screen button icons are indicated by bold text, as are Menu items.
Key Shortcuts: You may choose to use the key combinations in this leaflet such as <Ctrl>+<Z> - this means, hold down the first key(s) (e.g.<Ctrl>), whilst pressing once, the last key (e.g. <Z>).
The Windows XP Interface
The main visible features of Windows XP are:
- The Desktop
- The Taskbar
- The Start Menu
Logging In
When you switch on a PC at the BSO you must first press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> and then log in to the Network.
Username
Enter your username which is issued to you for the duration of your time at the BSO.
Password
You also need to enter a password which you may alter from that issued.
To change a Password:
- Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> and then click on Change Password.
- Enter Old Password, New Password (at least six characters) and confirm New Password.
Once you have logged-in to the network you can use any of the software packages available and you can access a network drive to save all your files and folders (yourname on ‘bsodata’ H:).
The Desktop
The Desktop is the computer screen you see when you start up the computer. It usually contains desktop shortcut icons for programs and, possibly, files. By double-clicking on a shortcut, you can open its associated program or file.
Using Desktop ShortCuts
To create a Desktop Shortcut:
- Right click on the Desktop
- Click on New then Shortcut and Browse for the required file. (Right click on a Shortcut to rename it).
Windows Basics
Sizing and closing windows
These icons are found at the top right hand corner of all windows:
 - Minimise  - Maximise  - Close
 - Restore (click this to be able to resize the window).
By dragging the bottom right corner of a window you can determine the size and shape of each window.
The Taskbar
The Taskbar runs along the bottom of your screen. It contains a Quick Launch Bar which allows you to quickly start certain programs by a single click. The Taskbar allows displays a button for each of the programs that you are running at any one time. If the programme is not visible on the screen, you can click on its button and it will come to the front. Right clicking on the button will give you a small menu with which you can size or close the window.
You can run several programs at once. Minimise the one that you may need later while you maximise the one that you need now. Opening many programs may cause the computer to become slow due to a shortage of memory.
The Task Manager
Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> and select Task Manager to Switch To or End Tasks.
The Start Menu
The Start menu displays a list of commands and shortcuts that you can use to accomplish many tasks. You can start programs, open documents, customise your system, get Help, search for items on your computer, and more. Some items on the Start menu have a right-facing arrow, which means that additional choices are available on a secondary menu, called a submenu.
The main options in the Start menu are as follows:
Programs
- Click on the Start button on the Taskbar and click on Programs
- Move the mouse pointer straight across to the list of programs and then straight up or down to the program you require (or program submenu, then the program) and single click on it.
Documents
Clicking on this item will give you a list of recently used files. Click on the file you want - if the program is not already running, Windows XP will automatically start it for you.
Help
This item will give you the Help window. As well as searching using the Index tab, you can also use the Search tab box to find topics containing a word or phrase. In the Contents tab look at the topics under Introducing Windows XP, for a summary of WindowsXP.
Search
You can store files and folders in many locations - on a hard disk drive, a network drive, a floppy disk, and so on. To quickly locate them in any of these locations, use the Search command on the Start menu.
To search for a file or folder:
- Click the Start button, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.
To search for the name of the file or folder, type it in the Search for files or folders named: box - if you are not sure of its full name, type just part of it e.g. ‘Word’ (or include the ‘wildcard’, *, e.g. ‘Wor*’, or ‘*or*’) …OR…
To search for files containing certain text e.g. the word ‘BSO’, type the text in the Containing Text: box.
- Select the drive to be searched in the Look In: box
- Then click the Search Now button.
- Note: to speed up the search, include the file type, e.g. Microsoft Word in the search, using Search Options, Type (beneath the Search Now button).
Advanced Searching
For more advanced searching, use the methods described below, alone, or together with the To search for a file or folder options, above:
- Click on Search Options
- Choose from Date, Type, Size and Advanced Options, checking the box(es) you require to be applied and entering the search criteria accordingly. Then click the Search Now button.
Note: ensure here, under Advanced Options, that the Search Subfolders checkbox is checked, else your searches will only search the top level (root) folder of the drive(s) you are searching through.
My Computer
Double click on My Computer on the Desktop to quickly and easily browse through your files and folders. Instead of opening disks and folders in separate windows, you can browse through them in a single window.
If necessary, click on the Folders button to see two window panes. The left pane contains a list of your disks and folders, and the right pane displays the contents of the selected folder. This is especially useful for copying and moving files.
You can use the View menu to change how the icons in the right pane appear.
Folders
Folders provide a useful way of organizing the files on your system, providing logical places to create and store files. Create folders for categories that match the way you want to organize your information, and then save your files in the most appropriate folder.
You can perform basic file and folder tasks, such as creating, deleting, copying, and moving files and folders, and more advanced tasks, such as changing file and folder properties and managing shared folders. You can move files from other locations, such as another folder or a network drive, to new folders you create. You can even create folders within folders.
Browse Drives & Folders
- Open My Computer, then click on a local disk (e.g. C:) - the disk root contents appears on the right.
- Navigate (i.e. move between folders) your local disk by…
Double clicking on folders on the right to view lower level folders.
Using the Up icon on the Standard toolbar in the window to move back up to a higher level folder (or to the drive root) again.
Create a new Folder
- Navigate to the required root folder
- Click on File, New Folder
Note: In the next three subsections, navigate to the folder where your file or folder is and right click on the file/folder, then do as below:
Move and copy Files or Folders
- Click on Cut or Copy. Navigate to the new folder, right click on a blank space, and then click on Paste.
…OR… use drag and drop to move the file (with the Ctrl key held down to copy the file) into the new folder, if it’s visible.
Change File or Folder Names
- Click on Rename - this highlights the file’s name. Click into the name to change part of it, or type immediately to replace all of it.
Copy a File or Folder to a floppy disc
- Click on Send to, then on 3 ½ floppy (A). The file/folder will be copied to the floppy disc, as long as there is enough space on it.
Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer may be used as an alternative to My Computer.
To use Windows Explorer:
- Right click the Start button, and then left click on Explore.
Saving
You have your own file space on BSO servers. You can save your work to the following locations:
yourname on ‘bsodata’ (H): 20 mb of space on BSO servers
A: for floppy disks
Emergency Save Drive: C Use only if network is down
Note: It is your responsibility to make back-up copies of work.
Logging off
When you want to log-off:
- Click the Start button, click on Log off (your username)…. and click on Yes.
IMPORTANT: If you do not log off properly, other users can access your network drive with your saved files and your email.
Turn off the monitor but NOT the PC (in order that automatic anti-virus checking software can run).
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