Table of Contents · when printing is complete. When notifications are not considered urgent those icons will hide by default. If you would like to unhide icons in order to see what

Page 2 of 28

Table of Contents

Microsoft Windows XP ...................................................................................................... 4 New features of Windows XP include:............................................................................... 4 Objects found on the FAU Windows XP Desktop: ............................................................ 5 The Taskbar: ....................................................................................................................... 5

To unlock Taskbar: ......................................................................................................... 5 The Notification Area: ........................................................................................................ 5 The Quick Launch Toolbar:................................................................................................ 5

To display the Quick Launch Toolbar: ........................................................................... 5 The Language Bar:.............................................................................................................. 5

To move the Language Bar to the Desktop: ................................................................... 5 To Minimize the Language Bar to the Taskbar: ............................................................. 5 To Close the Language Bar completely:......................................................................... 5 To re-display the Language Bar once closed:................................................................. 5

The Start Menu: .................................................................................................................. 5 Shortcut Menus: .................................................................................................................. 5 Working with Windows:..................................................................................................... 5 Moving and Sizing Windows: ............................................................................................ 5 Active Windows: ................................................................................................................ 5 Moving between windows: ................................................................................................. 5

Ways to move between open windows:.......................................................................... 5 To Tile or Cascade windows: ......................................................................................... 5

Changing Views in windows: ............................................................................................. 5 Window View Options: .................................................................................................. 5 To change views: ............................................................................................................ 5

Show in Groups feature: ..................................................................................................... 5 To show your files in groups: ......................................................................................... 5

Back, Forward and Up buttons: .......................................................................................... 5 Shortcuts: ............................................................................................................................ 5

To Create a Shortcut on the Desktop: ............................................................................. 5 Programs: ............................................................................................................................ 5 My Recent Documents:....................................................................................................... 5

To Clear My Recent Documents Area:........................................................................... 5 Control Panel and Printers: ................................................................................................. 5 Printers and Faxes:.............................................................................................................. 5

To Pause a Print Job:....................................................................................................... 5 Search:................................................................................................................................. 5 Help:.................................................................................................................................... 5 Using the Recycle Bin: ....................................................................................................... 5

There are several ways to delete an item in Windows XP.............................................. 5 To take something out of the Recycle Bin (to restore something): ................................ 5

WARNING!........................................................................................................................ 5 To change the size of the Recycle Bin:........................................................................... 5 To Permanently Delete (Purge) Items from the Recycle Bin: ........................................ 5

Logging Off: ....................................................................................................................... 5 To Log Off: ..................................................................................................................... 5

Page 3 of 28

Hibernate:............................................................................................................................ 5 To Lock your Screen:..................................................................................................... 5 To Unlock your Screen: .................................................................................................. 5

Logging In:.......................................................................................................................... 5 To Log In: ....................................................................................................................... 5

This handout is designed to be used in conjunction with attendance in training classes provided to the FAU community by Academic Computing Services (ACS).

Page 4 of 28

Microsoft Windows XP

Windows XP is the newest graphical operating system from Microsoft that still offers all of the incredible versatility of previous versions of Windows, in addition to many new and exciting features that make your computer more efficient, reliable and simply fun to run. Overall security has been improved, communication has been greatly advanced, system performance is at an all time high – allowing you to use more programs and have them run faster. Windows XP has the dependability and stability of Windows 2000 and overall compatibility with other programs has been greatly improved. New features of Windows XP include: Help System – the help system has been greatly improved offering digital tours and online help. Overall New Interface – the new “look” of XP greatly enhances functionality and efficiency. Items that once had to be accessed through multiple steps are now easily accessed. The Start Menu and Taskbars are now smarter – providing easier manipulation and the Desktop has new, eye pleasing themes that can be replaced, modified or changed.

Page 5 of 28

When you log into Windows XP, you will see the new Windows XP Desktop. The Desktop is your work environment – just like the desktop in your office is where you do your office work.

On the Desktop are some objects that are designed to help you do your work. By default, the only object visible on the XP Desktop is the Recycle Bin – typically found in the lower right corner. However, here at FAU, a standard installation of Windows XP will include some of the familiar objects that we are used to seeing on the Desktop.

Objects

Start Menu

Quick Launch Toolbar

TaskbarLanguage

Bar

Notification Area

Page 6 of 28

Objects found on the FAU Windows XP Desktop:

The My Documents object is a Desktop folder that provides a convenient place to store your documents. Found within this folder are sub-folders where you can save your music and graphic files.

The My Computer object provides access to your computer’s disk drives, control panel, printers and network resources.

The My Network Places object provides access to shared resources on other FAU computers.

The Recycle Bin object is used for deleting and restoring items from and to your computer system.

The FAU Applications folder is an object that contains shortcuts to commonly used FAU supported programs such as Microsoft Word, etc.

The FAU Services folder is an object that contains shortcuts to commonly used FAU services such as connection to NorthWest, SAMAS and WebMail.

The Taskbar:

The Taskbar, located at the bottom of the screen by default, contains the Start Menu button, any open and/or minimized objects, the Language bar (if Office XP is installed), the Notification area and the Quick Launch Toolbar (if displayed). The Taskbar is “locked” into its current position by default. However, you can unlock it and move it around the screen if you desire.

Page 7 of 28

To unlock Taskbar:

1. Right click on an empty area of the Taskbar. 2. Click Lock the Taskbar option to unlock (remove the checkmark).

When the Taskbar is unlocked, you can change the location and size of the bar. The Notification Area: The area on the Taskbar to the far right of all the Taskbar items is the Notification Area. The Notification Area displays the time and can also contain shortcuts that provide quick access to programs, such as Volume Control and Power Options. Other shortcuts can appear temporarily, providing information about the status of activities. For example, the printer shortcut icon appears after a document has been sent to the printer and disappears when printing is complete. When notifications are not considered urgent those icons will hide by default. If you would like to unhide icons in order to see what is currently displayed on the Notifications Area, click the left-pointing Arrow Icon on the Notification Area to unhide icons. To hide them again, click the right-pointing Arrow Icon. The Quick Launch Toolbar: A feature of the Taskbar that isn’t displayed by default is the Quick Launch Toolbar. The Quick Launch Toolbar (when displayed) appears just after the Start button and holds shortcuts to installed programs such as Internet Explorer that you can quickly launch with just one click of the mouse. You can also add and remove objects to and from the Quick Launch Toolbar by dragging. To display the Quick Launch Toolbar:

1. Right click on an empty area of the Taskbar. 2. Choose Toolbars from the Shortcut menu. 3. Choose Quick Launch.

Page 8 of 28

The Language Bar: A new item that you may find on the Taskbar is a new toolbar called the Language Bar. This bar will display automatically if you have Microsoft Office XP also installed on your computer. The Language Bar usually found on the bottom, right side of the Taskbar is used to help perform tasks related to entering text. For example, if you are entering text with a handwriting input device, such as a PDA, you can use the buttons on the Language bar to open the Writing Pad window from which you can insert handwritten text into your document. The buttons and options that are displayed on the Language Bar depend on the text services you have installed and the software program that is currently active. For example, Microsoft Word 2002 (XP) supports speech recognition, while Notepad does not. If both programs are running, the speech buttons on the Language Bar are displayed when Microsoft Word 2002 is active, but disappear when you make Notepad the active program window. You can move the Language Bar anywhere on your screen, minimize it to the Taskbar or make it nearly transparent. If you do not use it, you can close it. You should remove text services that you do not use as they require computer memory and can affect performance. To move the Language Bar to the Desktop:

1. Click on the Language Bar. 2. Click on the Restore button (far right, upper icon). 3. The Language Bar should appear on your Desktop.

To Minimize the Language Bar to the Taskbar:

1. Click the Minimize button on the Language Bar (far right, upper icon) 2. The Language Bar should appear on the Taskbar to the immediate left of the

Notification Area. To Close the Language Bar completely:

1. Right click on the Language Bar. 2. Choose Close Language Bar from Shortcut menu.

Page 9 of 28

If you’ve closed the Language Bar and then later require it again, you can re-display it from the Regional and Language Options area found under Date, Time, Language and Regional Options in the Control Panel. To re-display the Language Bar once closed:

1. Open Control Panel. 2. Click Date, Time, Language and Regional Options. 3. Click Regional and Language Options. 4. Click Languages Tab. 5. Click the Details… button in the Text Services and Input Languages section. 6. Click Language Bar… button in the Preferences section. 7. Check the Show Language Bar on the Desktop checkbox. 8. Click OK three times. 9. Close Control Panel window. 10. Language Bar should appear on Desktop

The Start Menu:

The Start Menu will now show you who is logged on the computer at the top of the menu.

Easier access to your most frequently used folders.

The Start Menu is now divided into two parts:

Pinned Items List – programs that display above the separator line. Browser and Email programs automatically are added, in addition to items that you can add.

Most Frequently Used Programs List – programs that display below the separator line are programs that you have used recently or very frequently.

By pointing to All Programs a sub-menu of all programs currently installed on your system will appear. This area resembles the old Start Menu configuration.

Control Panel, Printers, Help and Search are within easier reach.

Options to Log Off and Shut Down are conveniently displayed at the bottom right of Start Menu.

Page 10 of 28

Shortcut Menus: When you click with your right (or secondary) mouse button on certain areas within Windows XP, a Shortcut menu will appear. Shortcut menus are context-sensitive – meaning that depending on where you right-click will determine what options on the Shortcut menu will appear. For example, Right-clicking on the Desktop brings up this Shortcut menu: While right-clicking on My Computer will bring up this Shortcut Menu:

Shortcut Menus display options and information regarding just the area on which you clicked.

DESKTOP

MY COMPUTER

Page 11 of 28

Working with Windows: When you double-click an object a window will display.

Every window has many of the same components. Although each window is designed to display unique items or features, each will have an overall similar design layout. For example, every open window has a Title bar.

Title Bar

Menu Bar

Minimize, Maximize & Close

Standard Toolbar

Address Bar

Common Tasks Area

Status Bar

Page 12 of 28

Components found within most Windows:

The Control Menu Icon found in the upper left corner of the Title bar looks different depending on which window that has been opened. You can minimize, maximize, move, size, restore and close windows from here.

The Minimize button allows you to keep windows open and running, but not fully displayed on the screen. It places the window in a minimized state visible on the Taskbar.

The Maximize button enlarges any window so that it takes up the whole screen. It’s a good idea to maximize any window that you’ll be spending a large amount of time in.

The Close button will close any open window whether maximized or restored. A closed window will not appear on the Taskbar or Desktop.

The Title bar appears at the very top of all windows and displays the name of the window and possibly the name of the active document within that window.

The Menu bar displays directly beneath the Title bar and that allows you to choose commands and options for use within the current window.

The Standard Toolbar allows you to choose options and commands quickly. Typically the Menu Bar and Standard Toolbar have similar options – the Standard Toolbar simply allows you to access certain ones faster.

Page 13 of 28

The Address bar allows you to quickly move to another area in your computer or even to a website.

The Common Tasks Area displays on the left side of certain windows and gives you options to perform common tasks, such as move to another location or get system information, etc.

The Status bar appears at the bottom of the window and gives current information about the active window, such as how many objects it holds or whether the printer is active, etc.

Sizing Handles appear as double-headed arrows and allow you to resize restored windows both vertically and/or horizontally.

Scroll Bars will appear on the bottom and/or right sides of certain windows when the window isn’t large enough to display all of the contents therein. Scroll Bars allow you to move or scroll to see the entire contents of the window.

Page 14 of 28

Moving and Sizing Windows: You can change the size of a restored window by placing the mouse pointer along any edge of a window until a double-headed arrow appears, then click and drag in the direction you wish to size the window.

You can move a window by putting the mouse pointer anywhere in the main part of the window’s Title Bar, click and then drag the window where you wish to place it on the screen.

Page 15 of 28

Active Windows: You can open multiple windows at the same time in Windows XP. Once you’ve opened one window, simply open another. Once you’ve opened more than one window, only one of the windows will be “active”. The active window will have the darker Title Bar, its button on the Taskbar will also be the darkest one, and it may jump in front of any other open windows. Although you can have multiple open windows, you can only work in one window at a time. You are always working in the active window.

By default, when opening an object from within an already opened window, the new window will occupy the same area on the screen as the previous window – always displaying a single window. However, this feature can be changed to display individualized areas for each open window by choosing Tools, Folder Options from the Menu Bar in the My Computer window and choosing the Open Each Folder In It’s Own Window option.

Active Window

Page 16 of 28

Moving between windows: There are many different ways to move from open window to open window. In order to work in a particular window you must make it active, and to make it active you must move to it. Ways to move between open windows:

If you can see the window to which you wish to move, simply click on it. You can “toggle” between open windows by holding down the Alt key, and

pressing Tab until the icon representing the desired window is highlighted, then simply let go of both keys.

If you want to activate a minimized window, simply click its button on the Taskbar.

You can also organize your windows on the Desktop by tiling or cascading, and then activating each one by clicking on it.

To Tile or Cascade windows:

1. Right-click on an empty area of the Taskbar. (if Taskbar is crowded, you can right-click on the Taskbar clock).

2. Choose Cascade Windows, Tile Windows Vertically or Tile Windows Horizontally.

Only windows that are currently “restored” on the Desktop can be tiled or cascaded. Minimized windows are NOT included in this organizational process. Changing Views in windows: You have multiple options when it comes to the way you wish to view each of your open windows. Window View Options:

1. Thumbnails – this view displays the files a window contains as images so that you can quickly identify the contents of that window. For example, if you have a folder that stores pictures, by using Thumbnail view it’s easy to see the pictures themselves instead of just the names of the files.

2. Tiles – this is the default view. This view displays your files and folders as icons. The icons are larger than those in Icon view, and the sort information you select is displayed under the file or folder name. For example, if you sort your files by type, “Microsoft Word document” appears under the file name for any Microsoft Word files.

Page 17 of 28

3. Icons – this view displays your files and folders as icons. The file name is displayed under each icon. However, sort information is not displayed. In this view you can display your files and folders in groups.

4. List – this view displays the contents of a window as a list. This view is useful if your window contains many files/folders and you want to scan the list to find a certain file name. You can sort your files/folders in this view; however you can not display your files in groups.

5. Details – this view lists the contents of the open window and provides detailed information about each file; including name, type, size and data modified. In Details view you can also show your files in groups.

To change views:

1. Choose View from Menu bar of the active window. 2. Choose the desired view from list.

Show in Groups feature: Show in Groups allows you to group your files by any detail of the file, such as name, size, type or date modified. For example, if you group by file type, image files appear in one group, Microsoft Word files appear in another group, Excel files appear in another group, etc. Show in Groups in available in Thumbnail, Tiles, Icons and Details view. To show your files in groups:

1. Choose View on Menu bar. 2. Choose Arrange Icons by. 3. Click Show in Groups.

Each window is independent of the others when it comes to changing views. Each view setting established works on that window only. For example, you can have one window display its contents in Thumbnail view, while another window displays its contents in List view.

Objects have been arranged in groups.

Page 18 of 28

Back, Forward and Up buttons:

In Windows XP, the Standard Toolbar displays the Back and Forward buttons. This feature works just like in a browser window. If you open a window, then open another object from that window, you can go back to the previous

window by clicking the Back button. To return to the former window, simply click Forward. Don’t confuse the Back button with the Up button. The Up button will move back up to a previous folder in the directory structure. Shortcuts: Shortcuts are objects that you place in convenient locations, such as the Desktop, to provide quick access to programs, documents, folders, drives, printers and anything else that you frequently use. Shortcuts allow a quick way of accessing needed items without having to hunt for where those items have been stored or having to literally move them to the Desktop or some other convenient location. Shortcuts can be created from a window or menu. You can also add Shortcuts to the Start Menu or Quick Launch bar. To Create a Shortcut on the Desktop:

1. Display the window that contains the object for which you’d like to make a Shortcut (or find the object in the Start Menu).

2. Make sure you can see the Desktop behind any open windows. 3. With your right mouse button, click and hold on object. 4. Drag the object to the Desktop. 5. Release the mouse button. 6. Choose Create Shortcut here with left mouse button.

Page 19 of 28

You will now have an object on the Desktop that has an arrow attached to it and the name of the icon may contain the word “shortcut”.

Remember to drag the object with your Right Mouse button.

Page 20 of 28

Programs: All installed Programs on your system can be found from the Start Menu. Menu items that have arrows to the right indicate that a sub-menu is available. To display the sub-menu either click on or simply point to the menu item. Under All Programs you will find the Accessories Category. Accessories contains commonly used programs such as Notepad, Wordpad, Paint & Calculator. To access one of the programs listed in the menu, simply click on it and that program window will open. You don’t double click menu items. You only double click window objects. My Recent Documents: This feature keeps a copy of all recently worked on documents and files. The My Recent Documents area holds approximately 15 separate items. As you create and/or modify additional documents, they will be added to the My Recent Documents list and the oldest items will be removed. These are, in essence, shortcuts to the items and not the real items themselves. You can clear this list by completing the following steps: To Clear My Recent Documents Area:

1. Right-click on an empty area of the Taskbar. 2. Choose Properties. 3. Click the Start Menu tab. 4. Choose Customize. 5. Click Advanced tab. 6. Choose Clear List.

Page 21 of 28

Control Panel and Printers: In Windows XP there is no longer a Settings option on the Start Menu. The Control Panel and Printers, which used to be under Settings, are now fully displayed on the main part of the Start Menu. The Control Panel allows you to control the look and feel of your computer by changing display settings, keyboard and mouse functions, program installation options, plus much more.

When you first open the Control Panel, you will see some of the most commonly used Control Panel items organized by category. To find out more information about an item in the Control Panel while in Category view, hold your mouse pointer over the icon or category. To open one of these items, single click its icon or category name. Some of these items will open a list of tasks that you can perform as well as a selection of individual Control Panel items. For example, when you click Appearance and Themes, you will see a list of tasks such as Choose a Screen Saver along with individual Control Panel items.

Page 22 of 28

If you open the Control Panel and do not see the item you want, you can change back to the “classic” look of the Control Panel by clicking Switch to Classic View in the Common Tasks area on the left side of the window. Printers and Faxes: The Printers and Faxes feature on the Start Menu allows you to access any installed printers, whether they are local or networked. You can pause and/or cancel a print job easily by selecting the proper printer from the Printers and Faxes window and then choosing the desired option from the Common Task area on the left side of the screen. To Pause a Print Job:

1. Choose Start, Printers and Faxes from the Taskbar. 2. Select the proper printer. 3. Click Pause Printing from the Common Tasks area on the left side of screen.

To resume printing, click the Resume Printing option.

Page 23 of 28

Search:

The Search feature offers a new user friendly interface. You are greeted by an animated assistant that offers you choices of what type of items you wish to search for. By clicking on an item, you will be presented with other options that will help define your search. Once you are ready to perform the search, simply click on the Search button. The results of your search will appear in the right pane of the window. If you wish to access any of the found items, double-click on the name of the item.

Page 24 of 28

Help:

The Windows XP help system has a new, updated interface making finding information more efficient. You can use the Search, Index and/or Table of Contents areas to gain access to the extensive online Help system and you can even trade questions and answers with other Windows XP users and experts with Windows newsgroups. Whether you are new to Windows XP or new to computers in general, take a tour of Windows XP to discover its exciting new features. Then delve more deeply into some of the major features of XP. In addition to using the Help system from the Start Menu, you can also access help at any time by press the F1 key while you are in any open window or folder.

Page 25 of 28

Also, in some windows you have Context-Sensitive Help. Context-Sensitive Help is the ? symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the window. When you need help on a particular component of a window, click the ? symbol, then click on the item in the window on which you are needing help. A small yellow information box will appear briefly describing the clicked-on item. Using the Recycle Bin: The Recycle Bin can be thought of as a recycling basket on your Desktop. When you want to delete an item, just place it in the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin provides a safety net when deleting items. When you delete anything from your hard disk, Windows places it in the Recycle Bin and the Recycle Bin icon changes from empty to full.

Page 26 of 28

Items in the Recycle Bin remain there until you decide to permanently delete them from your computer. Items remaining in the Recycle Bin still take up hard disk space and can be undeleted or restored back to their original location. There are several ways to delete an item in Windows XP.

1. You can simply highlight the items and press Delete on the keyboard. 2. You can right-click on the item and choose Delete from the Shortcut menu. 3. You can drag the item to the Recycle Bin.

When something has been placed in the Recycle Bin, the Recycle Bin icon will change to a “full” basket indicating that it contains items. Items remaining in the Recycle Bin can be easily restored to their original location. To take something out of the Recycle Bin (to restore something):

1. Open the Recycle Bin. 2. Select the item(s) you wish to restore. 3. Choose File, Restore from Menu bar. 4. Close the Recycle Bin.

The restored items will have returned to their original locations before being deleted. WARNING! Items that you are deleting from a floppy disk (A:\ or B:\) or from any Network Drive (M:\, N:\, O:\, P:\, etc.) DO NOT go to the Recycle Bin! They are permanently purged and can not be retrieved. Only items that have been saved to the hard disk (typically C:\) of your local computer can go into the Recycle Bin. In addition, a deleted item that is larger than the storage capacity of the Recycle Bin will not be saved. It will be permanently deleted. However you will receive a warning message first. The Recycle is configured by default to hold 10% of your hard drive space. So if you have a 10 GB hard drive, the Recycle bin will hold 1 GB worth of data. If you go over this amount, those files will be permanently deleted. However, you can increase the size of the Recycle Bin, if desired.

Page 27 of 28

To change the size of the Recycle Bin:

1. Right-click on Recycle Bin icon. 2. Choose Properties. 3. Drag the Slider Handle to the right to increase the capacity of the Recycle Bin.

To Permanently Delete (Purge) Items from the Recycle Bin:

1. Open the Recycle Bin. 2. Choose File, Empty Recycle Bin from Menu bar. 3. Click “Yes” at the confirmation window.

All the items in the Recycle Bin will be purged from your system. There is no option to undelete or restore items that have been purged. Logging Off: Once you are through working on your computer and wish to turn the computer off, you must log off properly. Improper log off procedures can cause severe system errors. Windows XP has a specific way in which it closes down programs and windows. By logging off the system correctly, you are allowing Windows XP to do its proper shut down sequence which ensures that everything will be in the right place and functioning correctly when you log back on. To Log Off:

1. Close all open windows 2. Click Start Button on Taskbar. 3. Choose Shut Down from the bottom, right corner of the Start Menu. 4. Choose Shut Down from the list of options in the pull-down menu. 5. Click OK.

Windows XP will begin to shut down. This procedure can take a few minutes. Once a message appears that says its safe to turn off your computer, you can then power off the system.

Page 28 of 28

Hibernate: A new choice that you may see on your shut down options list is Hibernate. Hibernate is a feature that allows you to keep any open programs or documents in their current state when you shut down. This way, when you power on your system again, the programs and/or documents will return to their pre-hibernate state – allowing you to quickly start working with them again. A true Shut Down differs from Hibernate in that all windows are closed before the computer is powered off. If you choose to use the Hibernate option, you should still do a true Shut Down periodically to allow your computer to rest. If you would like to keep your computer running, without having to Hibernate or Shut Down, but are concerned about security – you can simply Lock your screen. To Lock your Screen:

1. Press Ctrl, Alt & Delete keys together on your keyboard. 2. Click the Lock Computer button.

To Unlock your Screen:

1. Press Ctrl, Alt & Delete again. 2. Type in your username and password. 3. Press Enter.

Logging In: When you press the Power button on your computer, you will be greeted by the Windows XP Login screen. You must press the Ctrl, Alt & Delete keys together in order to get to the login window where you can type in your username and password. You must login to use your Windows XP computer. To Log In:

1. Press and hold Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys down. 2. Release all keys. 3. Type in your username (if required). 4. Type in your password. 5. Choose the proper domain (if required). 6. Press Enter or click OK.

Within a few seconds you should be taken to the Windows XP Desktop.