EZ-REF Introduction User Manual

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Introduction to

Microsoft® Windows® XP

Professional

Faculty & Staff Technology Center at Buffalo State College

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: WHY MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® XP?..............................................................1

THE WINDOWS DESKTOP...................................................................................................................2

USING THE TASKBAR..........................................................................................................................3

USING CTRL+ALT+DEL ........................................................................................................................6

LOCKING YOUR COMPUTE R.................................................................................................................6

LOGGING OFF YOUR COMPUTER.........................................................................................................6

SHUTTING DOWN YOUR COMPUTER ...................................................................................................6

CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD .............................................................................................................6

WORKING WITH MY COMPUTER......................................................................................................7

CHANGING VIEWS .................................................................................................................................8

ARRANGING YOUR DATA .................................................................................................................... 13

DISPLAYING A PARENT FOLDER ........................................................................................................ 14

SELECTING PREVIOUSLY VIEWED OBJECTS ..................................................................................... 14

USING THE ADDRESS BAR.................................................................................................................14

RENAMING AN OBJECT.....................................................................................................................15

MOVING/COPYING FILES AND FOLDERS....................................................................................16

SELECTING CONTIGUOUS FILES/FOLDERS ....................................................................................... 16

SELECTING NONCONTIGUOUS FILES/FOLDERS................................................................................ 16

MOVING FILES OR FOLDERS .............................................................................................................. 17

COPYING FILES OR FOLDERS ............................................................................................................ 18

WORKING WITH WINDOWS EXPLORER.......................................................................................19

ICONS WITHIN EXPLORER.................................................................................................................. 21

EXPANDING/COLLAPSING ICONS ....................................................................................................... 22

MOVING WITH DRAG & DROP ............................................................................................................. 23

COPYING WITH DRAG & DROP ........................................................................................................... 24

CREATING FOLDERS.........................................................................................................................25

RENAMING FILES/FOLDERS ............................................................................................................26

SETTING EXPLORER FOLDER OPTIONS.....................................................................................27

THE VIEW TAB..................................................................................................................................... 29

THE FILE TYPES TAB .......................................................................................................................... 30

THE OFFLINE FILES TAB ..................................................................................................................... 31

WORKING WITH SHORTCUTS.........................................................................................................33

PLACING A SHORTCUT ON YOUR DESKTOP...................................................................................... 33

PLACING A SHORTCUT IN THE START MENU..................................................................................... 34

MOVING A SHORTCUT........................................................................................................................ 35

DELETING SHORTCUTS ...................................................................................................................... 35

UNDELETING SHORTCUTS ................................................................................................................. 36

CUSTOMIZING THE DESKTOP.........................................................................................................37

ARRANGING ICONS ON THE DESKTOP .............................................................................................. 38

ALIGNING THE ICONS ON YOUR DESKTOP........................................................................................ 39

CHANGING THE DESKTOP APPEARANCE .......................................................................................... 40

CUSTOMIZING THE TASKBAR.........................................................................................................47

RESIZING THE TASKBAR..................................................................................................................... 47

REPOSITIONING THE TASKBAR ..........................................................................................................48

TASKBAR BUTTON GROUPING ........................................................................................................... 48

CUSTOMIZING THE NOTIFICATION AREA........................................................................................... 49

TASKBAR PROPERTIES ...................................................................................................................... 51

TASKBAR OPTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 52

WORKING WITH THE DESKTOP TOOLBARS ....................................................................................... 54

ADDING A TOOLBAR TO THE TASKBAR.............................................................................................. 54

THE ADDRESS TOOLBAR .................................................................................................................... 55

THE LINKS TOOLBAR .......................................................................................................................... 55

THE DESKTOP TOOLBAR.................................................................................................................... 56

THE QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR........................................................................................................... 56

MOVING ONE OF THE DESKTOP TOOLBARS...................................................................................... 57

PLACING A SHORTCUT ON THE QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR............................................................... 58

DOCKING A TOOLBAR ......................................................................................................................... 59

MODIFYING TOOLBAR PROPERTIES .................................................................................................. 59

INTRODUCTION: WHY MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® XP?

Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional is the most recent version of the Windows operating system. Windows XP has been selected to replace Windows 98 on all computer workstations across the Buffalo State College campus. It is anticipated that all workst ations will be converted to Windows XP by the end of 2003.

There are several key benefits to upgrading to Windows XP. First, Windows XP is much more stable than previous Windows operating systems.

LESS REBOOT - In most cases, for example, if one program crashes, the computer will continue running. This eliminates the need to reboot the system and allows you to continue working without the risk of losing your work.

MORE EFFICIENT - Windows XP manages the computer’s memory and processor more efficiently than ever before. This means the computer will run applications like Word, Excel and Access faster than before. In addition, Windows XP offers robust security features to help protect sensitive data.

FEWER VISITS FROM CTS - Windows XP allows all critical maintenance, including software updates, service packs and disk defragmentation to be automatically performed at night. This means that systems are always up to date and running at top performance with zero disruption during normal work hours. For this reason, it is critical that you always LOG-OFF the computer at the end of the day and leave the machine turned ON. Computers that are shut down and turned off cannot be updated.

This campus-wide upgrade to Windows XP has been undertaken in order to improve the quality and efficiency of the computers you work with every day. If you have any questions or concerns about using your Windows XP workstation, please contact the FAST Center at 878-4060 or fastcenter@buffalostate.edu. The FAST Center is located in Butler Library’s CyberQuad Room 315.

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THE WINDOWS DESKTOP

Once you log on, the Windows XP desktop will be displayed, as shown below:

As you continue to work with XP, you will probably want to add icons representing shortcuts to your applications, utilities, folders, documents, and other often-used objects. Since these icons are only shortcuts, deleting them from your desktop does not delete the application they represent. Deleting the icon simply removes the shortcut from your desktop. You can still access the application/object via the Start menu or My Computer utility.

Along the bottom of the Desktop is the taskbar which contains the Start menu, any opened applications, and the notification area (where you can take a tour of XP, access and view the current time).

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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.

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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.

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The following items are available within the Start menu:

Windows will provide a sub-menu displaying all programs installed on your system.

Select this item to view a list of the most recently used documents you have created or have been using. When you select one of the files, Windows automatically runs the application associated with the document and loads the file for you to begin editing.

Displays computer setting options including the Control Panel.

This option is used to locate files, folders, and other computers.

This item accesses the help screen.

This option runs DOS commands, programs that are not included in your menu or starts installation of a new application.

This item is used to log off from the current user and allows you to log back on using another ID.

This option is used to shut your system

down, switch to standby mode, or restart your computer.

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USING CTRL+ALT+DEL

The CTRL+ALT+DEL key sequence is important to remember when using Windows XP. You can use this key sequence to:

1. Lock your computer

2. Log off your computer

3. Shut down your computer

4. Change your password

LOCKING YOUR COMPUTE R

Whenever you leave your computer for a period of time (signing out for lunch, attending a meeting) you should get in the habit of locking your computer. Locking your computer is a convenient way to prevent access to your computer when you away from your desk without havi ng to close your applications and log off. To lock your computer press the key sequence CTRL+ALT+DEL. Then click on Lock Computer. To unlock your computer press the key sequence CTRL+ALT+DEL, enter your password and press enter.

LOGGING OFF YOUR COMPUTER

Each night you should log off your computer. After you have closed any open applications, you can log off your computer, by pressing the key sequence CTRL+ALT+DEL and clicking on Log off…

(NOTE: You can also log off your computer by clicking on the Start menu and choosing Log off…)

SHUTTING DOWN YOUR COMPUTER

Your workstation should function properly without shutting down or frequently rebooting. You should log off your computer at the end of the day as described above. However, in the event of a Windows problem, you may need to shut down your computer. To shut down, first log off completely. Once you are back to the login prompt, press the key sequence CTRL+ALT+DEL, then click on Shut

Down…

CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD

For security purposes, you should change your password periodically. To change your password press the key sequence CTRL+ALT+DEL and click on Change Password...

Type your old (current) password in the first field. Type your new password in the second field and then confirm this new password in the third field. To finish, click on OK.

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WORKING WITH MY COMPUTER

USAGE: My Computer is an easy tool for exploring the contents of your

folders, files, network drives, and printers. In addition, you can use My Computer to copy, move, rename and delete it ems from your system. You can also perform various tasks associated with your system (such as printing, displaying slide shows, and publishing files to a web site).

To access My Computer, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Double click on the My Compu ter icon

on your desktop.

• The following window will be displayed:

There is a menu across the top of the window along with a toolbar. Down the left side of the window are three collapsible panes. The System Tasks pane provides a list of tasks for the currently

selected folder or object.

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The Other Places pane displays a list of folders you can access through the current folder.

The Details pane displays information about the currently selected file or folder (such as the file type and date the file was last modified).

Each pane collapses to a title bar to save space on your screen. Simply click on the pane’s title bar to collapse it. Once collapsed, click the title bar a second time to expand the pane.

The center of the window contains the following information: Hard Disk Drives This list displays the hard drives

installed on the computer.

Devices with Removable This list displays all removable Storage devices (such as floppy disks, CD

drives, and Zip drives).

Network Drives This list displays any network

drives installed on your system to which you are currently attached.

If you have a camera or scanner connected to your system, they will be displayed below the list of network drives.

CHANGING VIEWS

Although the objects within a folder default to being shown as Tiles, there are several other views available while working with My Computer. Tiles show large icons and sorting information. If you need to see more information (such as the file type, their size, and the date they were last modifi ed), you can switch to Details view. If you are viewing photographs, you might want to switch to Thumbnail or Filmstrip view to see each photo.

To change the view, you can either access the View menu or use the toolbar, as shown below:

Click on the down arrow beside this tool (which is located across the top of the My Computer window) and then choose the view you wish to switch to.

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If you are viewing a list of folders that contain pictures and you are working in Thumbnail view, XP will display four of the photos contained within the folder on the folder’s icon, as shown below:

If the view contains several photo folders, it may take several minutes for XP to update the folder’s thumbnail picture.

To actually view the photos within a folder, double-click on the folder’s icon to display thumbnails of each picture, as shown below:

If you have many pictures in a folder, it may take XP several minutes to update each thumbnail.

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When viewing a folder containing pictures, an additional view option (called Filmstrip) will be available.

This view allows you to see a larger display of the currently selected picture in the top portion of the window.

In addition, this view allows you to adjust the window size to increase/decrease the display size of the current photo.

There are buttons to display the previous and next picture and also to rotate the currently displayed picture.

NOTE: Be careful when using the rotate option on pictures!

XP will automatically replace the original photo with the rotated version. You should make a backup copy of the original picture before choosing to rotate a photo.

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Icons view is similar to the Tiles view but displays smaller icons and does not include sorting information:

The List view offers an alphabetiz ed listing of each item name:

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The Details view offers more detailed information about each object. For example, when viewing the details of storage devices,

you will see the name of the device, the type of storage device, the capacity (total size) and the amount of free space available.

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ARRANGING YOUR DATA

If you are working in the ”Details” view and wish to arrange (sort) the information regarding your files based on one of the column headings, you can easily do so by clicking on the column header. When viewing the top level of My Computer (the one listing all of your drives), clicking on a column header will organize your drives according to the name, type or size. When viewing the actual contents of a drive or folder, clicking on a column h eader will sort that column in ascending (A-Z) or descending (Z -A) order.

Click once to sort in ascending order. Notice that an arrow appears

- indicating the current sort order for the selected column. Click a second time on the same heading to sort in descending order. The arrow will change direction to show the new sort order.

If you’re working in one of the icon views, you can arrange the icons by following these steps:

Œ Click your [RIGHT] mouse button

while pointing to a blank area.

• Select Arrange Icons By Ø from the pop-up menu.

Ž From the sub-menu, select the

way in which icons should be arranged.

In addition to sorting the icons by name, size, type and when they were last modified, you can break them into groups or have XP automatically arrange them. The last option (Align to Grid) is used to align the icons evenly if you are manually arranging them.

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DISPLAYING A PARENT FOLDER

As you view the contents of a drive, you will notice that each folder you open takes you further down the hierarchy of your system. If you are working with a computer containing a folder with several sub-folders, you may want to move up one level at a time. The folder above the current one is referred to as the “parent” folder.

The fastest way to move up one level at a time is to click on this button (located on the toolbar).

SELECTING PREVIOUSLY VIEWED OBJECTS

Click on this button to move back through your previously viewed items - one at a time. If you click

on the down arrow to the right of the button, you can choose from a pull -down list of previously viewed objects (e.g., drives or folders).

If you have been cycling back to previously viewed items, you can click on this button to move forward through your list of viewed items - one at a time. If

you click on the down arrow to the right of the button, you can choose from a pull -down list of previously viewed objects (e.g., drives or folders).

USING THE ADDRESS BAR

To quickly select another drive on your system (without moving through previously viewed objects), access the Address Bar:

Click on the down arrow

(located to the far right of the Address Bar) to access a pull -down list of available drives. From the list provided, click on the drive you wish to access.

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RENAMING AN OBJECT

USAGE: You might decide after saving a file or creating a folder that you

assigned the wrong name to it or misspelled it. If this occurs, you can rename the object.

To rename a file or folder, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the object to be renamed.

• Choose Rename this file from

the “File and Folder Tasks” pane (located along the left side of the My Computer window).

The selected object’s name will be highlighted, as illustrated below:

Ž When you see the name highlighted, you may begin entering

a new name. As you start typing, the original name will be replaced with the new entry.

• When done, press E.

TIP: You can also rename an object by clicking on it twice

(slowly). If you click once on an object, it will become selected. If you click a second time, you will be able to rename it. When done, click away. Be careful not to double-click on the object or you will be running it!

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MOVING/COPYING FILES AND FOLDERS

USAGE: There will be times when working with Windows XP that files or

folders will need to either be moved to a new location or copied from one location (disk drive) to another.

SELECTING CONTIGUOUS FILES/FOLDERS

To select a group of contiguous files or folders, follow these steps:

Œ Click on the first file or folder to be selected.

• While holding down the S key, click on the last file or

folder to be selected. All files between the first and last selected file or folder will be included in the selection.

SELECTING NONCONTIGUOUS FILES/FOLDERS

To select noncontiguous files or folders, follow these two steps:

Œ Click on the first file or folder to be selected.

• While holding down the C key, click on each additional

file or folder to be selected.

TIP: To quickly select all obj ects within the current view,

press C+a or access the Edit à Select All

menu.

TIP: You can also select a group of items by clicking the

[LEFT] mouse button on an empty space and

dragging a boxed outline around the items you wish to include.

If you use the [RIGHT] button, the shortcut menu will

appear when you release the mouse button.

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MOVING FILES OR FOLDERS

To move a file or folder, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the item(s) to be moved.

• Choose Move this file from the

“File and Folder Tasks” pane (located along the left side of the My Computer window).

Ž Choose the new location for the selected item(s) from the list

of available drives and folders. You can move the selected item into a new folder by selecting where the new folder

should be located and then clicking on .

• When done, click on .

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COPYING FILES OR FOLDERS

To copy a file or folder, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the item(s) to be copied.

• Select Copy this file from the

“File and Folder Tasks” pane (located along the left side of the window).

Ž Choose the new location for the selected item(s) from the list

of available drives and folders. You can copy the selected item into a new folder by selecting where the new folder

should be located and then clicking on .

• When done, click on .

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WORKING WITH WINDOWS EXPLORER

USAGE: The Windows Explorer is the main interface through which you

interact with Windows XP. You use the Explorer to access your drives, folders, files, and other system resources.

The Explorer runs the Desktop, taskbar, and all of the other visual components within Windows XP. However, we typically see the Explorer only when working within an Explorer window (such as My Computer, Network Connections, Control Panel, etc.)

The Explorer operates in two modes: Open and Explorer. The open mode displays a single folder or drive at a time and provides

task panes along the left side of the window for quick and easy access to your most commonly used functions. When you run My Computer, you are basically opening the My Computer folder within the Explorer.

The Explorer mode replaces the task panes with a Folders pane. This pane displays your drives and folders in a hierarchal format (referred to as a Directory Tree). If you are used to quickly moving up and down a directory with your mouse, you will probably prefer working within the Explorer mode over the Open mode.

To switch from Open mode to Explorer, click on this button (which is located on the toolbar).

To access Explorer directly from your desktop, follow these steps:

Œ Right click on the Start button; choose

Explore.

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The Explorer window will appear, as illustrated below:

By having an efficient filing system, you can easily locate a file. On computers, folders are used to accomplish this task. Each folder on a disk is used to store a different group of files or additional folders. Because hard drives have the capacity of storing hundreds or thousands of files, it is essential to organize these files in a manner which is as structured as possible so that finding them is simple.

To display the files for a particular computer, disk drive, or folder simply select the object you wish to display from the left side of the window and Explorer will list the contents of the selected object on the right side of the window.

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ICONS WITHIN EXPLORER

Along the left side of the window you may see these icons:

The Desktop icon represents your entire desktop, which includes your computer, drives, folders, and

other computers you have access to. The My Computer icon represents your computer

system.

The Floppy Drive icon represents floppy drives.

The Hard Drive icon represents installed hard drives. It is usually named Local Disk (C:)

The Shared Drive icon represents a drive or folder on your system that has been shared with other users.

The Removable Drive icon represents a drive (such as a Zip drive or a Compact Flash Reader) that is removable from your system.

The CD ROM Drive icon represents any CD ROM drives that may be installed on your system.

The Network Drive icon represents a drive letter that is connected to another computer.

The Folder icon represents existing folders.

In addition to the icons shown above, Explorer provides quick access to some of the system objects via the following icons:

The Control Panel folder provides access to various system settings, such as modems, mouse, network,

passwords, and sound. The My Documents folder contains frequently used

documents and templates for new files.

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The My Network Places icon is used to display additional computers on your network and to provide

access to their resources (e.g., drives or printers). The Recycle Bin folder contains any deleted items.

EXPANDING/COLLAPSING ICONS

An icon in the left portion of the window containing a plus sign indicates that the icon may be expanded to display information stored beneath it.

An icon containing a minus sign indicates that the icon has been expanded and can now be collapsed to hide the information stored beneath it.

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MOVING WITH DRAG & DROP

You learned how to move and copy objects using My Computer but you can also move or copy items using Drag & Drop within Explorer. This feature allows mouse users to "drag" an item to a new location. Once the location is reached, you "drop" the selected item off.

To move an item or group of items using the drag & drop feature, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the file(s) or folder(s) to be moved - from within the

right pane of the Explore window.

• Point to one of the selected items but do not click.

Ž Begin dragging the selected item(s) with your [RIGHT]

mouse button to the location in the directory tree within the left pane. Do not use the [LEFT] mouse button to drag!

• When you reach the correct location,

release the mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear asking if you want to move or copy the selected item(s). Choose Move Here from the list.

NOTE: If you are dragging an object to a location on the same

drive, Explorer will assume you want to move the item and will automatically bold that selection in the pop-up menu. However, if you are dragging the object to another drive, Explorer will assume you want to copy the item rather than move it.

NOTE: You can also move an object by dragging it with the

[LEFT] mouse button. However, if you are moving to

a different drive, you will need to hold the S key

while dragging in order to ensure the object is moved rather than copied. Be sure to let go of the mouse button first once you reach the destination.

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COPYING WITH DRAG & DROP

To copy an item or group of items using the drag & drop feature, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the fil e(s) or folder(s) to be copied - from within the

right pane of the Explore window.

• Point to one of the selected items but do not click.

Ž Begin dragging the selected item(s) with your [RIGHT]

mouse button. Do not use the [LEFT] mouse button to drag!

• When you reach the correct location,

release the mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear asking if you want to move or copy the selected item. Choose Copy Here from the pop-up list.

NOTE: If you are dragging an object to a location on the same

NOTE: You can also copy an object by dragging it with the

[LEFT] mouse button. However, when copying to the

same drive, you will need to hold down the C key

while dragging in order to ensure the object is copied rather than moved. Be sure to let go of the mouse button first once you reach the destination

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CREATING FOLDERS

USAGE: To define your own levels of organization, you can create a

hierarchy of folders that can be used to organize your documents. For example, you could have a folder named Documents which may contain two sub-folders labeled Business and Personal. All

business documents would be stored within the Business folder while all personal documents would be stored within the Personal folder. Having the two separate folders would allow you to keep your business and personal files stored separately.

To create a new folder, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the drive/folder (from the left side of the Explorer

window) under which the new folder should be placed.

• Access the following menu:

MENU:

file new Ø

Ž Choose folder from the

sub-menu. Explorer will add the new folder to the bottom of your list, as shown below:

• Enter a name for new folder - up to 255 characters.

• When done, press E.

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RENAMING FILES/FOLDERS

USAGE: Once a document or folder has been created, you may decide that

its name is not descriptive enough and that you would like to assign a different name to it.

Follow the steps outlined below to rename a file or folder:

Œ Click once to select the file or f older to be renamed.

• Click a second time to edit the file or folder’s name.

NOTE: Be careful - clicking twice too quickly will open the

file/folder!

Ž A cursor appears indicating that you may now edit the

existing file or folder name.

Use the normal editing keys (e.g., ¢, =, R, and Q)

to edit the name. The file or folder name can contain up to 255 characters - including spaces.

NOTE: If a file name ends with an extension (3 characters

after a period), do not remove that portion from the filename. Windows uses that extension to identify the file type and application associated with the file.

• When done, press E.

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SETTING EXPLORER FOL DER OPTIONS

USAGE: In addition to the standard viewing options (such as displaying large

icons, small icons, list format), you can further customize what will be displayed and how folders will look within Explorer. You can customize each folder to look and act differently or you can assign your customized settings to be used by all folders as the default.

To set folder options, access the following menu:

MENU:

tools

Folder options...

The following dialog box will be displayed:

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THE GENERAL TAB The first tab is divided into four sections which allow you to specify

the Desktop style to apply, as discussed below: Tasks This section is used to define whether the Task

pane (showing common tasks) is displayed while viewing folders. Selecting the Windows

classic folders option simply removes the left pane from the view.

Browse folders Use this section to have Explorer open each

folder within the same window (replacing the last accessed folder’s contents) or in a new window. Choosing the second option may cause confusion by having too many folders opened.

Click items as You can use this section to determine whether follows you want to single click on items to open or run

them (just as you would to access a link on a Web page) or if you prefer to double-click to open or run items (as is typical in previous Windows environments).

If you choose Single-click, you will be able to highlight items by simply pointing to them. If

you choose Double-click, you will need to actually click on an item to highlight it.

If you have made changes and then decide you want to reset the options within this dialog box, click on .

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THE VIEW TAB

Use this tab to customize specific settings that affect what information should be displayed within the folders:

Click on to make all folders use the same settings as the currently selected folder. Click on to

restore the original settings that were in effect when Windows was installed.

Use the section labeled Advanced settings to enable or disable such items as displaying the contents of system folders, showing

hidden files and folders, and hiding file extensions. Check the applicable box to enable a feature. Remove the checkmark to disable it. Some options include radio buttons which allow you to choose one of the items.

If you have made changes but don’t want to keep them, click on

to reset the options to their original settings.

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THE FILE TYPES TAB

Use this tab to associate files with specific extensions and applications. This allows you to simply double-click on a file while in Explorer and have the document automatically opened in the application associated with it.

Most common types of files have already been associated with applications and when a new application is installed, its file type will normally be registered with Windows. You should only need to make a change or addition if you wish to associate a file type with a different application than originally specified or if your application’s file type has not registered or is not being recognized.

If you know the exact location and name of the application, choose

. Click on to remove an association.

Select to modify the current association. Click on

to change settings affecting all selected file types.

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THE OFFLINE FILES TAB

Offline files lets you store copies of files located on a network drive to your local drive so that you can work with them when your computer is no longer connected to the network.

This allows you to keep copies of network files that you work on in a local folder on your computer. This folder is automatically named Offline Files. This means that you can work on those files even if you lose the connection to the network. However, keep in mind that you will need to synchronize the files on a regular basis to ensure you have the latest versions.

The Offline Files tab contains the following options:

Use this tab to enable/disable the Offline Files option and to define when offline files should be synchronized. You can choose how often (if at all) to alert you when a networked computer goes offline. You can also choose to create a shortcut on your desktop and encrypt the offline files to keep them more secure.

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Click on to delete any files stored within your Offline Files folder. This will not delete the original files on the network.

Click on to view the list of files available offline.

Click on to define how your computer should behave if you lose a connection to a network computer you are working on. You can choose to begin working with the offline version of the file or to quit working.

When done, click on to save all changes made.

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WORKING WITH SHORTCUTS

USAGE: Shortcuts are icons that provide a quick means of opening a file or

folder or to launch a program. They can be added to the Desktop, the Quick Launch toolbar or the Start menu. A shortcut is a pointer to an existing object (e.g., file, folder, disk) but is not a copy of it.

PLACING A SHORTCUT ON YOUR DESKTOP

To place a shortcut on your desktop, follow these steps:

Œ From within Explorer or My Computer window, select the

object for which you want to create a shortcut.

• While pointing to the selected

object, click the [RIGHT] mouse button once and select Send To Ø from the pop-up menu.

The options within this pop-up menu will vary depending on the type of item you have selected.

Ž From the sub-menu,

choose Desktop (create shortcut).

From the Desktop, check to see that your shortcut has been added. You can, then, edit the shortcut’s name by clicking on it twice

(slowly) or by highlighting it and pressing F2 @.

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PLACING A SHORTCUT IN THE START MENU

To place a shortcut in the Start menu, follow these steps:

Œ Select the object for which you want to create a shortcut.

• Drag the selected object to th e Start

button (which is located along the left side of the taskbar). Do NOT release

the mouse button!

Ž After a brief delay, the menu will open. Drag the object to

the menu item to be associated with the selected object.

• To place the object in an existing sub-menu, drag the object

on top of the menu item and wait until the menu opens. Next, drag the object to the desired sub-menu.

A horizontal line appears ( ) as you drag the object indicating where the shortcut will be placed when you release the mouse button.

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MOVING A SHORTCUT

Moving a shortcut from the Desktop to a new location is a simple matter of clicking and dragging.

To move a menu shortcut involves the steps outlined below:

Œ Select the menu shortcut you wish to move by highlighting it

- without actually clicking on it!

• Once highlighted, click and drag the shortcut to the new

menu location. A horizontal line appears ( ) as you drag the object - indicating where the object will be placed when you release the mouse button.

Ž When you reach the desired location, release the mouse

button. The shortcut will have been placed in the new menu.

DELETING SHORTCUTS

You may decide that a shortcut is no longer needed and shoul d be removed from your desktop.

To remove an unwanted shortcut from the Desktop, follow the two steps outlined below:

Œ Select the shortcut you wish to remove.

• Drag the shortcut into the .

NOTE: When you drag a shortcut to the Recycle Bin,

Windows will ask you to confirm the deletion.

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To remove a shortcut from the Start menu, follow these steps:

Œ Point to the unwanted shortcut and then

click the [RIGHT] mouse button once.

• From the pop-up list of options, select Delete.

NOTE: When you delete a shortcut from the Start menu,

Windows will ask you to confirm the deletion.

UNDELETING SHORTCUTS

If you accidentally deleted a shortcut and want to restore it, you can do so by following the steps outlined below:

Œ Double-Click on the Recycle Bin (which is

located on the Desktop).

• Select the shortcut to restore from the list of deleted items.

Ž Click on this task - which appears on the

left side of the Recycle Bin window when an item is selected.

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CUSTOMIZING THE DESKTOP

USAGE: Since you will access your desktop on a daily (or regular) basis,

you will want to customize it to suit your particular needs/wants. For example, just as you would decide what colors to have in your office, you can customize your desktop colors.

Windows XP allows you to customize your desktop in a variety of ways. You can rearrange your icons, change background colors and patterns, customize the screen saver, customize Windows colors, and change video resolution.

Before continuing, be sure that the Desktop is visible.

Follow these two steps to customize your desktop:

Œ Click your [RIGHT] mouse button

while pointing to a blank spot on your desktop.

• Select the desired option to customize from the pop-up

menu.

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ARRANGING ICONS ON THE DESKTOP

When working with Windows XP, you should know that icons are used to represent computers, folders, and programs/documents stored on your computer system.

As you add shortcuts and new icons to your desktop, you may notice that they are placed randomly on your desktop which can become messy if you add several icons. You can reorganize your desktop by rearranging the icons by name, type, size or date. These are the same choices as arranging icons through the Explorer window.

Although you can rearrange them manually by clicking and dragging them to their new location, you can also instruct Windows to Auto Arrange the icons, which will automatically arrange new icons.

To arrange icons on your desktop, follow these three steps:

Œ Click your [RIGHT] mouse button

while pointing to a blank spot on the Desktop.

• Select Arrange Icons By Ø from the pop-up menu.

Ž From the top of the sub-

menu, select the way in which icons should be arranged.

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ALIGNING THE ICONS ON YOUR DESKTOP

If you have a tendency to manually rearrange the icons on your desktop, you may find that after awhile the icons no longer look neatly arranged.

If you like the icons to be neatly arranged in rows and columns, you can have Windows re-align and evenly space your icons.

Before continuing, be sure that the Desktop is visible. To align the icons on your desktop, follow these steps:

Œ While pointing to a blank spot on

your desktop, click your [RIGHT] mouse button.

• Select Arrange Icons By Ø from the pop-up menu.

Ž Select Align to Grid from

the sub-menu.

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CHANGING THE DESKTOP APPEARANCE

You can customize the appearance of your desktop by changing background colors, changing the colors of your windows, or adding pictures to your background.

To change the Desktop appearance, follow these steps:

Œ Click your [RIGHT] mouse button

while pointing to a blank spot on the Desktop.

• Select Properties from the resulting pop-up menu.

Ž Using the five tabs (displayed on the next several pages),

set the options you would like to customize your desktop.

• Once you have customized the Desktop, click .

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The tab labeled Themes is used to quickly change the entire look of your desktop by selecting one of the built -in themes. Each

theme consists of a custom background, associated colors, font styles and sizes, sounds, mouse pointers, icons and a screen saver.

Click on the down arrow beside the section labeled Theme to specify which theme you would like applied to your desktop. Notice the sample in the middle of the dialog box offers a preview of the currently selected theme.

Click on to apply the selected theme to your desktop. You can create a custom theme by selecting one from the list and

then modifying it. Once you have customized the theme, click on

to save it. You’ll be asked to assign a name to it.

If you have saved a custom theme and now want to remove it from the list, select it from the pull -down list and then click .

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By default, Windows XP displays the graphic “Bliss” on your desktop. However, you can use the tab labeled Desktop to specify another background pattern or image that will be displayed.

Scroll through the list of available backgrounds or if you prefer using one of your own pictures, you can click on to

search your system for the file. Click on the down arrow beside the box labeled Position to

specify how to position the selected image on your screen. You can choose to tile the picture across the entire screen, place it in the center of the screen or stretch it to fit the screen.

Click on the down arrow beside the box labeled Color to specify a background color to apply to your desktop. You can only use this

option if you have not assigned a background picture.

Click on to specify which items should be displayed on your desktop.

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The tab labeled Screen Saver displays the following dialog box that is used to set or change your screen saver:

The computer screen at the top of this dialog box provides a sample of the currently selected screen saver. To view the current

screen saver, click on .

Click on the down arrow beside the box labeled Screen saver to specify which screen saver you would like to activate.

You will also be able to specify the time to wait (if there is no mouse or keyboard activity) before the screen saver is activated. Click on

to increase or decrease the wait time.

To protect your system, you can add a password so that once the screen saver is activated, that password will be required to access your computer.

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Each screen saver has its own unique settings which may be modified. For example, if you select Marquee as the type of screen saver, you can add your own personalized message text.

You can also modify the font and colors being applied to the marquee text and background, the screen position for the text, and the speed at which the marquee moves across the screen.

Click on to modify the current screen saver. Notice the bottom section of the dialog box allows you to set energy

saving options for your monitor, such as switching to standby mode after a set amount of idle time (when the computer is not in use).

Click on to adjust your current computer power settings. The tab labeled Appearance displays the following box:

The sample across the top displays the currently selected choices.

Windows Click on the down arrow beside this box to and buttons select either the new XP style buttons or the

classic Windows buttons.

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Color scheme Click on the down arrow beside this box to

select the color scheme you would like applied.

Font size Click on the down arrow beside this box to

select a font size for text items on the Desktop.

Click on to specify what visual effects (if any) you would like applied. For example, you can choose to display a fade effect and/or shadows when using menus.

Click on to further customize the size and color of desktop items.

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The tab labeled Settings displays the following box:

This tab defines the screen resolution and the number of colors your computer can display. The options available will depend on the video graphics card and monitor installed on your system.

Screen resolution Drag the slider to increase or decrease

the resolution (quality) of your monitor.

Color quality Click on to select the number of

colors that can be displayed on your screen.

If you are having display problems, click on to display the Troubleshooting Wizard, which will attempt to determine the problem and help you to fix it.

Click on to change the video card adapter and other display settings.

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CUSTOMIZING THE TASKBAR

USAGE: The taskbar is used to quickly switch between active applications

and is located at the bottom of the screen. Whenever you run an application, the taskbar appears on top of any other window so that it is always available. The name of each program that is running is placed on the taskbar. However, the more applications you have running, the smaller the icons become.

You can adjust the taskbar to show more than one line of icons.

RESIZING THE TASKBAR

To stretch the taskbar out so that you can see more than one line of icons, follow these three steps:

Œ By default, the taskbar is locked

and cannot be resized so your first step will be to unlock it.

While pointing to the taskbar, click your [RIGHT] mouse button and choose Lock the Taskbar to

deselect this option.

• Once the taskbar has been unlocked, XP adds a small

border to the top edge of the taskbar (shown below). Point to this top border until you see a double-sided arrow .

Ž Click and drag the border until the taskbar reaches the

desired size. When done, release the mouse button.

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REPOSITIONING THE TASKBAR

By default, the taskbar appears across the bottom of your screen and is locked so that it cannot be moved. However, you can unlock it and then move it to the top or along the left or right border, as outlined in the steps below:

Œ Be sure to unlock the taskbar.

If locked, point to the taskbar and click your [RIGHT] mouse button. From the pop-up menu that appears, choose Lock the Taskbar to deselect this option.

• Once unlocked, point to the clock on the taskbar and begin

dragging the bar to the left, right or top borders. When the taskbar is in place, release the mouse button.

TASKBAR BUTTON GROUPING

When the taskbar becomes too crowded, XP combines multiple windows within a single application and groups them together as one button. For example, if you have four Explorer windows open, XP might display a single button to represent them all.

Click on the taskbar button representing the program and then select the actual window you wish to access. To close all of the

windows, point to the taskbar button and click your [RIGHT] mouse button. Choose Close Group from the pop-up menu.

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CUSTOMIZING THE NOTIFICATION AREA

The notification area (also referred to as the System Tray) is located along the far right side of the taskbar and contains the clock as well as information and alerts when appropriate.

By default, the notification area is collapsed so that only the icons you have most recently used are displayed.

Click on (which is located along the left side of the n otification area) to expand it and display all of the other available icons.

Once opened, you can click on the button to collapse it again.

To customize the notification area, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ While pointing to the notification

area, click your [RIGHT] mouse button.

• From the pop-up menu that appears, choose Customize

Notifications...

Ž A dialog box containing options for customizing the

notification area is displayed. Use this box to specify when an icon should be displayed.

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The following options are available:

From the list provided, select a notification item and then choose what behavior that item should have.

For each item listed, you can choose to hide it when it is inactive, always hide it or always show it.

Click on the button to reset the original options within this dialog box.

• When done, click on .

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TASKBAR PROPERTIES

You can cust omize the taskbar to display exactly what you most often want to see so that working with XP is as easy as possible. For example, you can choose to automatically hide the taskbar so that it is not distracting.

To customize the taskbar properties, follow the steps, as outlined below:

Œ Point to a blank spot on the

taskbar and click your [RIGHT] mouse button once.

• From the pop-up menu that appears, choose Properties

Ž A dialog box containing two tabs (displayed on the next few

pages) will appear.

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TASKBAR OPTIONS

This tab is used to specify the following options:

Several checkboxes are available, as discussed below: Lock the taskbar Check this box to ensure that the taskbar

remains locked at its current screen position and cannot be moved or resized.

Auto-hide Check this box to hide the taskbar from view. the taskbar It will reappear only when you point to the area

on the screen where the taskbar is located. This gives you extra room on the screen.

Keep the taskbar Check this box to ensure that the taskbar on top of other remains visible no matter what other program windows you may run - even if that program’s window

has been maximized.

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Group similar Check this box to allow XP to group multiple taskbar buttons windows of the same application (such as four

or five Internet Explorer windows) under one taskbar button instead of having four or five separate taskbar buttons.

If the taskbar becomes too crowded, a single button will be used to represent all of the opened files within a single application. For example, if you are running Explorer and have four windows opened at the same time, XP would combine them into a single taskbar button.

If this occurs, you would click on the taskbar button representing Explorer to display a list of the opened windows. From the list, you could then select the window you wish to access.

Show Quick Check this box to include the Quick Launch Launch bar on the taskbar. The Quick Launch bar can

be customized to display your most-often accessed applications so that you can run them with a single click on the taskbar. This bar also contains a button for accessing the Desktop - without having to first minimize the current window you are working with.

Show the clock Displays the time on the taskbar. Hide inactive Check this box to hide those icons which have

icons not recently been used. A Show Hidden

Icons button is placed on the taskbar so that

you can access those icons in the future if you need to.

Click on to customize the behavior of the various icons within the notification area of the taskbar. For each icon, you can choose to always show it, always hide it, or hide it when it is inactive.

Click on to apply the changes you have made.

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WORKING WITH THE DESKTOP TOOLBARS

USAGE: There are four Windows toolbars that you can place on the taskbar

along the bottom of the screen, as discussed below: Address This toolbar offers access to Internet Explorer

directly from your Desktop and can be used to enter the Web addresses you want to visit.

Links This toolbar contains the links from Internet

Explorer. Although the initial links are the standard ones that come with Internet Explorer, you can customize the links to include your most-often accessed web sites.

Desktop This toolbar displays an icon for each Desktop

item as well as the more important Windows folders (such as My Computer). To work more efficiently, you can display this bar as a single button that, when clicked, expands to list the items on your Desktop.

Quick Launch This toolbar provides quick access to the

programs and documents you most often use.

ADDING A TOOLBAR TO THE TASKBAR

To add one of the four toolbars discussed above to your taskbar, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Point to the taskbar and click the [RIGHT] mouse button

once.

• Point to toolbars and choose the toolbar

you would like to add to your Desktop.

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THE ADDRESS TOOLBAR

This toolbar is very similar to the Address Bar within Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser. Simply enter a Web address in the box provided to access a web site directly from the Windows Desktop. The Address Bar can also display local drives and folders.

In the box provided, enter the Web address you want to access and

then click on the button or press E.

Click on the down arrow beside the Address box to display a list of previously visited web sites.

THE LINKS TOOLBAR

This toolbar displays the standard links that come with Internet Explorer, as shown below:

You will probably want to customize this toolbar to display the web sites you most-often access.

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THE DESKTOP TOOLBAR

This toolbar displays the Desktop icons as well as the key Windows folders (such as My Computer).

NOTE: This toolbar displays what is currently on your Desktop

so its contents will vary depending on what your current settings are.

To save space on the taskbar, you can customize this toolbar to display as a single button that, when clicked, lists the items contained on it.

THE QUICK LA UNCH TOOLBAR

This toolbar can be used to quickly access your most often-used programs and documents directly from the taskbar.

Instead of having to open the Start menu or access the Desktop, you can run a program directly from the taskbar.

You will need to customize the bar to include those programs and documents that you wish to have quick access to.

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MOVING ONE OF THE DESKTOP TOOLBARS

To move one of the toolbars, follow the steps outlined below:

Œ Point to the dotted handle located on the far left side of the

bar you want to move. Your mouse pointer should change to a double-sided arrow .

• Click and hold the [LEFT] mouse button down to drag the

bar up off the taskbar. The mouse pointer will initially change to until you drag the toolbar to the Desktop where

the pointer will change to .

Ž Once the toolbar is on the Desktop, release the mouse

button. When you release the mouse button, the bar will be

displayed in its own window on the Desktop. You can then drag the window by its title bar to any location desired.

NOTE: To return the toolbar to the taskbar, simply drag it back

on top of the taskbar.

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PLACING A SHORTCUT ON THE QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR

To place a shortcut on the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps:

Œ Select the object for which you want to create a shortcut.

• While pointing to the selected object, click and drag the

object down to the Quick Launch toolbar (along the taskbar at the bottom of your screen).

A vertical line appears ( ) as you drag the object onto the Quick Launch toolbar - indicating where the shortcut will be placed when you release the mouse button.

Ž When you reach the desired location, release the mouse

button. The shortcut should have been added to the Quick Launch toolbar.

• You can now rename the shortcut by pointing to the shortcut

and clicking your [RIGHT] mouse button once. From the pop-up menu that is displayed, choose Rename.

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DOCKING A TOOLBAR

In addition to placing a toolbar on your desktop, you can also dock toolbars along the four sides of the screen. The bottom of your desktop is already occupied by the default taskbar so if you try to place a toolbar along this area, it will automatically merge with the taskbar. However, if you drag a toolbar to one of the sides or top of the screen, it will attach (dock) itself to that edge.

MODIFYING TOOLBAR PROPERTIES

Each toolbar has a set of properties that can be modified. These properties include showing larger icons, displaying descriptions, and auto-hiding.

To access these additional properties, follow the steps below:

Œ Click your [RIGHT] mouse button while

pointing to a blank spot on the toolbar you wish to modify.

• From the pop-up menu, select one of the following options:

View Select this option to switch between

large and small icons.

Open Folder Select this menu option to open the

folder containing the items on the selected toolbar. This will allow you to add or remove toolbar items.

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MODIFYING TOOLBAR PROPERTIES (CONT’D)

Show Text This option displays/hides the names of

each icon on the toolbar.

Show Title Displays the name of the toolbar beside

the toolbar handle.

Close Toolbar Select this option to close the toolbar. Toolbars Use this option to display or create

additional toolbars.

Always on Top Select this option to ensure that the

toolbar is always visible on top of any application that may be running.

Auto-Hide This option causes the toolbar to hide

itself from view when it is not in use. To access a hidden toolbar simply point to the edge of the location where the toolbar is docked and it will reappear.

TIP: If you happen to have closed all of your toolbars,

simply point to a blank spot on the taskbar and click your [RIGHT] mouse button once. From the resulting pop-up menu, select Toolbars and then the name of the toolbar you wish to display.

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