Introduction to Windows XP
General Introduction
This second module is for people who have learned the computer basics (computer-related terms, how to use a keyboard, how to use a mouse). In this session you will learn the basics of Windows XP. This session is somewhat long, you may not want to go over it all at once.
First, a note about Windows. There are many methods to accomplish tasks (ways to do things) in Windows. This guide will show you a few ways to operate your computer but there are many more. Feel free to explore and ask your instructor for help.
The Windows XP Desktop
The Desktop is like a background for windows, it goes underneath everything you do on your computer, much like a desk would go beneath the things you do on it. You can cover your desktop up with a nearly limitless number of Programs. Programs are software that you use to accomplish different tasks, like writing a paper or finding information on the internet. We will get to these in a moment, first we need to familiarize you with your desktop.
The Desktop Background, Icons, and Task Bar
The default Windows XP Desktop will look something like this:
Don't worry, yours will probably look different. In fact our tutorial's desktop will look like this:
Take a minute to compare your desktop to ours. Everything you see on the screen is your desktop. The picture in the background is your Desktop Background. See the little pictures with text underneath them? These are called Icons. You can use Icons on your desktop to do several things. They might start a program or take you to a place on your computer. They might also represent a file or folder full of files.
- A file is a piece of information on your computer. There are different types of files. For instance one file might be a text document while another file might be a video recording. In Windows XP you can usually tell what a file is by looking at its icon (picture).
- A folder is a place on your computer that can contain files. Usually folders (which are also sometimes referred to as directories) hold multiple files or even other folders (like a folder in a filing cabinet).
- Programs are a special type of file and are used for tasks, like writing a letter or playing a video. Some of the icons on your desktop start programs (begin a task).
At the bottom of your desktop is the Task Bar. This is the long gray or blue bar that spans the length of the bottom of your screen.
- On the far left side is the Start Button. If you left-click on it with your mouse (go ahead and try this) it will open the Start Menu. You can find files and start programs from your Start Menu. Left-click on the Start Button again to close the Start Menu.
- In the lower right-hand corner is the System Tray. You can see a clock there and very small icons (pictures) that represent programs that are already running (tasks that have been started already for you). Don't worry too much about the system tray for now.
- You may also have very small icons (pictures) on the task bar that are used to start programs. This area is called the quick launch menu. Don't worry about it for now.
Okay, time to start a program (task)!
Note to Instructors: The following section uses instructions that work for the default Windows XP setup. If you have altered or removed start menu items, use the 'classic' start menu interface, or have hidden the Recycling Bin icon on the desktop you may have to change the instructions. For students who are unfamiliar with the western analogies of desks, folders, icons, and filing cabinets you may have to create or adapt different words.Parts of a Window
Before you can learn to use specific programs you have to learn how to operate the basic functions of Windows. The program that performs the basic functions of Windows XP is called Windows Explorer (or just Explorer for short). Go ahead and left-click on the Start Menu like shown and then left-click on "My Computer." This will start Windows Explorer. It should look something like this:
A box will open on your screen. This entire box is call a Window.
Here we can see several important parts of a Window. The top bar area is called the Title Bar and will be labeled based on where you are on your computer. Right now you're looking at the whole computer. In the middle of the Window you can see files, folders, and places on your computer. You might also see devices attached to your computer, like CD-rom drives.
- Remember the hardware you learned to identify in session 1? See if you can identify them both in the Window and on the front of the computer.
- You may have other folders or hardware listed here than what is seen in the picture, this is okay.
In the upper right you can see three little boxes. These boxes are very important. They control your ability to hide, resize, and close a window. The box on the left is the Minimize Button, the box in the center is the Maximize button, and the box on the right is the Close Button.
Adjusting Windows
 The maximize button. |
 Resize a window. |
Do the following:
- Try left-clicking on the Maximize button. Notice how the window expands to fill your entire screen? See how you can see a lot more now? Go ahead and left-click on the Maximize button again. The window will return to the size it was before.
- Go ahead and move your mouse over the Title Bar. Hold down the left-click mouse button and move your mouse around. See how you can move the window?
- Now, double-click on the Title Bar. It will now expand to fill your entire screen. Remember how we said there are many ways to do accomplish tasks in Windows? This is a good example. You can make a window fill your screen (maximize) with the Maximize button or by double-clicking on the Title Bar.
- Hit the Maximize button once more so your window doesn't fill the entire screen. Move your mouse to one of the lower corners of the window.
See how your mouse cursor changes? Hold down the left mouse button and move your mouse. You can move the border of the window to resize it. When you let go the window will then be a new size. Practice resizing your window.
See these actions on video:
Okay, now go ahead and hit the button on the left, the Minimize button. Your window will shrink and go away. Don't worry, it's not really gone, it's just hiding on your Task Bar.
The Task Bar
 A window hiding on the Task Bar. |
 Multiple windows of the same type stack like this. |
The long bar (it's probably blue or gray) at the bottom of the screen is your Task Bar.
You should be able to see your window hiding, you will know which one it is by its title. If you have multiple windows open you can hide all of them on your task bar.
- If you left-click on the window it will expand and be visible on your screen. You can always minimize it again. Keep it up on your screen for now.
Go ahead and open "My Documents" on the Start Menu. Not sure how to do that? Go to your Start Menu and left-click on "My Documents" to open another window.
- Try hitting the Minimize Button' to shrink this new window. See how you can now see the old one? Minimize the old one, too. Now you can see your Desktop again. Pick one of the two minimized windows on your Task Bar and left-click on it. Then do the same for the other one. See how one covers the other? You can choose which one you want to look at by clicking on it on the Task Bar or on the screen. You can tell which one you have selected (open on top) if it looks "pressed inwards" on the task bar. Have your instructor help you to practice.
- If you have many windows open with the same program (for instance, if you had 6 documents open at the same time) they will be grouped together as one task bar item.
- You can minimize windows by left-clicking on them on the Task Bar. Try left-clicking on a 'Task Bar' window once, see what happens, and then left-click on it again.
 The System Tray is in the lower right corner. You can see the time here. |
 The Recycle Bin looks like this. |
 The Close button. |
Take another look at your Task Bar. See in the lower right-hand corner? There is probably a clock and some little icons (pictures). This is the System Tray. You can always check the time here. The little pictures can be used to start programs. Don't start any of them right now.
Okay, now minimize both of your windows. Find the Recycling Bin icon on your desktop. If you double-click on your Recycling Bin icon on the desktop, it will open a window. You can start a program with an icon on your Desktop by double-clicking on it. When you start a program, like Windows Explorer (by left-clicking "My Computer" on your Start Menu or as an icon on your Desktop) it usually opens a window. You can also stop a program by closing it. Go ahead and hit the Close Button in the very upper right of the window. This will make the window disappear. Don't worry, it's not gone forever, you just stopped it for now.
See these actions on video:
Navigating the Start Menu and Folders
You can use the Start Menu to start many programs on your computer. Left-click on your Start Menu and take a look at all of the options on the menu. Left-click on "programs" and watch what happens. Another large menu will open on top of the other one. You can then left-click on any programs that have a triangle arrow next to them and open another menu with more names.
Have your instructor help you to find a folder or hard drive with folders inside of it. Do this by starting Windows Explorer with the "My Computer" button. Take another look at the window. See the buttons in the top-left of the window? Take a look at the picture:
You can travel between places on your computer with Windows Explorer. The arrows let you go back and forth between places you have been, a lot like turning the pages of a book. Double-click on a folder in your window. This will open that folder. Now click on the Go-Up button, this will move you back out of that folder to the one that holds it. Now left-click the Back Button. This will take you back to where you just were. Click on the Forward Button to go forward again. You can use either one of these methods to move around your computer. Going forward and back is like turning the pages of a book and double-clicking on folders and hitting the Go-Up button is like opening folders full of folders in a filing cabinet and closing them.
You can also change how you see the files and folders in your window. Hit the Fold Views button on the right and pick between different options on the menu. Watch and see how they change the way files are arranged. Have your instructor help you to practice navigating between different folders and places on your computer.
If you find a folder with too many files to see in the space provided on the screen a Scroll Bar will appear. A Scroll Bar can be horizontal or vertical and probably looks like one of these:
You can move a Scroll Bar by holding down the left mouse button and moving it up and down for a vertical Scroll Bar or left and right for a horizontal one. This will change which files or folders you are viewing in the window. You can also left-click on the arrows on either end of the scroll bar to move your view in that direction. You can often use the arrow keys on the keyboard to also do this. Try scrolling around a window with too many files to see at once.
- If you left-click on a file or folder you will highlight it. This is called "selecting" a file (or folder). You can move to other files or folders quickly if you select one and then press the first letter of a file or folder you wish to find.
- Some computer mice have what is called a "scroll wheel". You can use these to scroll up and down by turning the wheel with your finger. Have your instructor help show you.
 A selected folder. |
 Mouse scroll wheel, credit to yum9me on Flickr. |
Using Menus, Buttons, Bars, and Boxes
Please review the "Menus, buttons, bars, and boxes" section of the Microsoft Windows Vista guide.
Instructors: Make sure to hit the back button to bring the student back when you are done. The Vista guide does not match Windows XP well for other tasks and features.Some Important Tips and Tasks
Here are a few useful tips and tasks:
 An example right-click menu. It will look different depending on what you right-click on. |
 The Windows Key, credit to yum9me on Flickr. |
 Drag a box over multiple files and folders to select all of them. |
- Practice and review all of the tasks you just learned with the instructor. See if you can remember how to do them yourself.
- Right-clicking is usually something you do to provide additional options or actions. You can right-click on most objects (folders, files, your Desktop, the Start Menu and Task Bar) and be presented a menu related to that object. Left-click is generally about making actions happen, like starting a program. Feel free to try right-clicking on different objects and see what you get.
- The Windows Key is a very powerful and helpful key. It will have a little waving flag picture on your keyboard, ask your instructor to help you find it. It should be nearby the "Alt" and "Ctrl" keys. When you hit this button is makes the Start Menu open. You can also use it in combination with other keys to make other actions happen. You can try some of these in the advanced exercises section.
- You can customize your Desktop to make it look like you want by moving icons. Hold-down the left mouse button on an icon on your desktop to select it. Now move your mouse and let go of the button. This will move the icon to wherever your mouse was when you let go of the left mouse button. You can select more than one icon by holding down left mouse button on an empty spot on the desktop and moving your mouse. This will create a box and you can cover up icons with. When you let go of the button you will select all of the covered icons. You can then hold down the left mouse button on any one of them and move all of them at the same time. You can also use this same technique in a Windows Explorer" window. Don't be afraid to ask your instructor or friends for help.
What to Do If You Need Help Or the Computer Has a Problem
Sometimes you'll have trouble learning how to use your computer. This is okay! It is important to not be afraid to ask for help. You can ask your instructor, or if you're in a class or using a computer nearby other people you can ask them for help too. Don't ever feel ashamed if you need help with the computer. Everybody has to learn!
If a program doesn't want to close or doesn't seem to do anything when you try to click on any part of it, the program may be what we commonly refer to as "frozen". To stop a program that is not responding to your mouse or keyboard in any way you can hit a special key combination, ctrl-alt-del all at the same time. This will bring up a big window like this:
If you get a different looking window with 6 buttons, select "Task Manager" and you will come back to your original screen.
You will now have a window listing the programs going on your computer right now. If one of them is labeled as "Not Responding" you can left-click it to select it and then go to hit the "End Task" button. This will force the program closed. Ask your instructor for more help.
Exercises
Here are some exercises to help you practice operating your computer. Feel free to add or invent your own.
Simple Tasks
- Find the Desktop - See if you can find the folder that represents your Desktop. See anything familiar?
- Sorting folders and files - Change your folder view to "details". See the column headers? Each file or folder has information attached to it, like its date, name, type, the amount of space it takes up on your computer and more. Left-click on a column header and watch what happens. It will sort all of the items in a folder by whatever column you picked. Have your instructor help you try this with multiple columns. This can make it easier to find certain files in a folder with many of them.
- Get to important places on your computer quickly - Right-click on your desktop, a menu will pop up. Move your mouse over the label "New" and then Left-click on "Shortcut". Left-click on the browse button and select a folder on your computer that you would like to get to easily. This will add a shortcut icon to your Desktop that you can double-click on. When you do this it will automatically take you to this folder.
Advanced Tasks
Here are some more advanced tasks and tricks with Windows XP:
Make Things Bigger - You can adjust the size of things on your screen in a couple of easy ways. If you want everything to be bigger, including icons, text, and the start menu you can adjust what is called your Screen Resolution. Be aware though, if you do this you will be able to see less overall on your screen at once. An alternative is to adjust your "Font Size", which will make all text bigger and easier to read but still allow you to fit a lot of things on your screen at once. To adjust your resolution or enlarge your text right-click on an empty part of your Desktop and go to "Properties". Alternatively you can go to "Control Panel" on your Start Menu and select "Display". If you want to change your resolution go to... If you want to increase your text size go to...
Change the Picture on Your Desktop - It's easy to change your desktop wallpaper or background picture. Just right-click on an empty part of your Desktop and go to "Properties". Alternatively you can go to "Control Panel" on your Start Menu and select "Display". Pick the tab that...
Turn Up (or Turn Off) the Volume! - You can adjust your volume in the lower-right hand corner of the screen in the System Tray. Left-click on the volume icon and...
Shortcuts with the Keyboard - Launch Windows Explorer with the windows key and e; hide all of your windows with windows key and d...
Thinking Exercises
- Can you think of a time that a computer stopped working? Who or what was responsible? How could computers be designed better?
- What is the best way to arrange your desktop? How do you like to organize in day-to-day life? How might this apply to your computer organization?
Turning off Windows XP and shutting down the Computer
When you're done using a computer it's often a good idea to turn it off. Turning off a computer isn't like turning off a light, though, you shouldn't just press the power button. Instead, open the Start Menu and go to "Turn Off Computer". The computer will present you with another window asking if you want to shut down the computer, restart the computer, or log off. Pick "Shut Down" to turn the computer off. See the picture below:
PICTURE OF TURNING OFF THE COMPUTER
Additional Links and Resources
- The Vista guide to files and folders, can be used as an alternative
- The Vista explanations for the: