EZ-REF Introduction User Manual
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:
ΠDouble 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:
ΠClick 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:
ΠSelect 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:
ΠClick 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:
ΠClick 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:
ΠSelect 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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