San Diego Association of Governments Technical Workshops Basic Skills

Building Mouse Skills • Click – press left mouse once – used to select options in menus or to your cursor Exercise 1: Solitaire • Double click – press left twice without moving the mouse pointer – used on icons to programs or make other START / PROGRAMS / selections ACCESSORIES / • Drag – press left mouse button down and hold it down while GAMES / SOLITAIRE moving the mouse – used to move selected items • Right-click – press right mouse button once – used to open the “quick menu” in Windows 95 and most Windows applications

I. Introduction

A. Advantages of Windows 95 1. Intuitive environment 2. Consistency among application programs 3. Long file name capabilities 4. Multi-tasking

B. Disadvantages of Windows 95 1. Some DOS programs may have difficulty running in Windows 95 2. Hardware requirements are severe a) Minimum: 386DX processor, 4 MB of memory, 45 MB of available disk space (will vary based on features you choose to install), -ROM b) Recommended: Pentium processor, 166 MHz, 32 mb of memory (but 64 mb is better), 2 gigabyte hard drive, CD-ROM

II. Basic Elements of Windows 95 Exercise 2: Start a A. A quick tour of the Windows 95 screen program (WordPad) and load a file B. Application windows 1) START / PROGRAMS / ACCESSORIES / 1. Close WORDPAD 2. Minimize window 2) FILE / OPEN / C:\WORKSHOP\BASICW IN\BWS.DOC San Diego Association of Governments Technical Workshops Basic Windows 95 Skills

3. Maximize / Restore buttons put the window into full screen (maximize) or windowed (restore) mode 4. Resize a window by dragging a border or corner to the desired position. 5. Scroll bars control horizontal and vertical positioning in a document by the sliders on the right (vertical) and bottom (horizontal) of the screen. 6. The Menu bar contains all of the commands available to the user of an application. 7. The Button bar offers fast mouse access to the application's most frequently used commands. 8. The Status bar, if present, is almost always the bottom of the window. 9. The bar displays the "owner" of the window and the name of the current file, if any. It is also used to reposition a window on the screen (drag the window by its title bar to a new location).

C. Editing 1. The insertion bar indicates where text will be inserted as you . 2. The delete key erases characters to the right of the cursor; the backspace key erases characters to the left.

3. Select text by dragging Exercise 3: Sharing Information the mouse cursor over 1) Load the Paint program. START / the text. PROGRAMS / ACCESSORIES / PAINT 4. When text is selected, 2) Create a masterpiece! 3) Resize the windows of Wordpad and Paint on anything entered from the so that you can see both. the keyboard will 4) Select a portion of the drawing using the the selected text. select tool (the one with the dashed line). 5. text by selecting it, 5) Copy it to the (Cntl+C). then Copy (Cntl+C). 6) Paste the picture that is on the clipboard into WordPad. 7) Can you paste the picture than once?

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Place the cursor at the desired position and paste (Cntl- V). 6. Move text by selecting it, then Cut (Cntl+X). Place the cursor at the desired position and paste (Cntl-V).

III. Task bar and Notification area

A. A Task bar button appears for each running program.

B. Clicking on a button activates that program.

C. The behavior of the Task bar can be modified by right-clicking on a open area of the Task bar and selecting "Properties". 1. Always on top. When checked the Task bar will always overlay any window. 2. Autohide. When on, the Task bar hides itself on the margin of the screen. It reappears when the mouse cursor comes near.

D. Move the Task bar to the top of the screen or the side by dragging it (start the cursor in an open area).

E. The Notification area is a handy location that programmers use to make utility applets available.

IV.

A. Programs – displays programs that you can run from your . 1. Launching applications – double-click icon to open program or single click in the start list 2. Methods for switching among applications a) Click anywhere in the window of the desired, inactive application if it is visible. b) Click the desired application button on the Task bar. 3. Short-cut key (ALT+TAB) – Hold the ALT key down while tapping the TAB key. This will let

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you scroll through all of your open applications.

B. Documents – displays a list of documents that you recently opened. Clicking on the document name automatically opens the document in the workspace of the application that was used to create it.

C. – displays system settings which you can change (, Printers, and ).

D. – allows you to search for files or folders.

E. – shows a list of help topics and a help index.

F. Run – starts a program or opens a folder when you type an MS- DOS command.

G. – shuts your computer down or lets you restart the computer.

Which option should you select?

1. Shut Down the Computer? (Use when you are finished on the computer. Wait to power down your machine until you see the message that says it’s ok.) 2. Restart the computer? (Will restart your computer without turning your system off. Use this instead of CTRL-ALT- DELETE.) 3. Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode? (Some earlier programs may not run under Windows 95. This mode will boot up in DOS and let you run those programs. When finished in DOS, type or WIN to open Windows 95.) 4. Close all programs and log on as a different user? (For those on a network)

H. New Office Document (Only if MS Office is installed) – Opens a list of Office 97 Templates (defaults and customized templates)

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I. Open Office Document (Only if MS Office is installed) – Automatically points to the folder and lists all Office 97 documents

V. Desktop

A. The Desktop provides a visual context for windows, icons, and shortcuts.

B. Arranging items on the Desktop 1. Drag a /icon to a new location. 2. Right-click on an open space on the Desktop. Choose Arrange Icons or Line up Icons.

C. Other characteristics of the Desktop can be set by right-clicking on an open area and choosing Properties.

VI. File Management Through Explorer

A. A tool to organize and manage your files (START / PROGRAMS / WINDOWS EXPLORER)

B. Displays a drive’s folder and file structure.

C. Naming files 1. File names can be up to 255 characters long 2. File extensions may have more than three characters 3. File name characters a) These characters may not be used in a : \ / : * ? “ < > |

D. File extensions – Most file names end with a three-letter extension that tells Windows what kind of file it is. The following are some of the file extensions that windows uses: 1. .exe – a program 2. .txt – a 3. .doc – a Word document

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4. .xls – an Excel worksheet

E. File association - Opening applications by clicking on existing files

F. Renaming a file – Select a file or folder. Click on the file or folder a second to enter rename mode.

G. Selecting multiple files 1. To select non-adjacent files, hold Control key down while clicking on all of the files. 2. To select adjacent files, click on the first file in the list, then hold the Shift key down while clicking on last file in the list. 3. To select all files, click on Edit on the menu bar, and click on Select All.

H. Creating a new folder 1. Select the folder that is one level above the place that you want the new folder to appear. 2. Select File:New Folder from the menu bar. This procedure will give you a new folder in the directory your are currently in. The name of the folder is New Folder. This name is highlighted and the insertion point is flashing – waiting for you to type the new name of the folder.

I. Folder and file operations (Move and Copy Files) 1. Using the menus to move or copy files a) Move folders/files (Edit - Cut) b) Copy folders/files (Edit - Copy) c) Delete folders/files (delete key) 2. Using the “safe” mouse method to move or copy files a) Open the folder that contains the file you want to move or copy

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b) Use the RIGHT mouse button to drag the file to the location you want to move or copy it. Then release the mouse button c) Select either move or copy from the menu. 3. Using the “quick” mouse method to move or copy files a) Click on the file you want to move or copy b) Drag it to the location you want c) Dragging a file between two folders on the same drive MOVES the file. Dragging a file between different drives makes a COPY instead.

J. Copy folders or files between drives (floppy drive and/or hard drive) 1. Drag and Drop 2. Send To – Copies a folder or a file to a diskette: FILE / SEND TO: / THE A DRIVE 3. Open two windows of Explorer to drag and drop between two directories on the same drive.

K. Update file listing – F5

L. Hard disk space used – to check on how much space is available for use: 1. Open My Computer (the icon on the desktop) 2. Right-click on the C:\ folder 3. Select Properties from the quick menu list

VII. Configuring and Customizing the Desktop

A. Control Panel – desktop options (START:SETTINGS:CONTROL PANEL) 1. The Control Panel allows you to change the way Windows looks and works. What you see in this folder will depend upon what hardware and software you have installed on your computer.

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2. Display – where to change your desktop (also right-click on the desktop and select Properties to open this display window 3. Mouse – modify mouse speed and mouse clicking

B. Date/Time

C. StartUp – Any shortcut program files that are in the StartUp Folder will automatically open when you start your computer. 1. In Explorer, locate the program you want, and then use the right mouse button to click it. 2. Click “Create Shortcut”. (A shortcut icon appears.) 3. Click the plus signs next to the Windows folder, the Start Menu folder, and then the Programs folder. 4. Drag the shortcut icon to the StartUp folder, and then release the mouse button. 5. Now the program appears in the StartUp folder and will start each time you start Windows.

VIII. HELP

A. Windows 95 Help system (START:HELP)

B. Context sensitive definitions and cross referencing

C. Tips and Tour (START:PROGRAMS:ACCESSORIES:TIPS AND TOUR)

IX. KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

A. Common Shortcuts 1. Display Start menu – CTRL+ESC or the "Windows" key 2. Switch to other applications that are running – ALT+TAB 3. Minimize all windows - "Window" key + M 4. Cut – CTRL+X 5. Copy – CTRL+C

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6. Paste – CTRL+V 7. Delete – 8. Select all - CTRL+A 9. Undo – CTRL+Z

X. WINDOWS 95 Skills (Checklist)

A. Mouse 1. Click 2. Double-click 3. Drag 4. Right-click

B. Moving a window

C. Resizing a window

D. Minimize – restore - close window

E. Vertical / Horizontal scrolls

F. Start an application

G. Copy a file from the hard drive to diskette

H. Check the disk space available

I. Rename a file

J. Empty the recycle bin

K. Switch between applications

L. Close an application

M. Exit Windows 95

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