Tutorial

What is a window?

2009-04-08T17:08:00.001-07:00

What is a window?

A window is an area on your desktop within which all Windows-based programs run.

Can you explain the parts of a window?

Yes. I will use WordPad as an example.

Control Box	The control box provides a menu that enables you to restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, or close a window.
Border	The border separates the window from the desktop. You resize the window by dragging its borders outward to expand it and inward to contract it.
Title bar	The title bar displays the name of the current file and the name of the current program.
Minimize button	Use the Minimize button to temporarily decrease the size of a window or remove a window from view. While a window is minimized, its title appears on the taskbar.
Maximize button	Click the Maximize button and the window will fill the screen.
Restore button	After you maximize a window, if you click the Restore button, the window will return to its former size.
Close button	Click the Close button to exit the window and close the program.
Menu bar	The menu bar displays the program menu. You send commands to the program by using the menu.
Toolbars	Toolbars generally display right below the menu, but you can drag them and display them along any of the window borders. You use the icons on the toolbars to send commands to the program.
Work area	The work area is located in the center of the window. You perform most of your work in the work area.
Status bar	The status bar provides you with information about the status of your program.

Can I have more than one window open at a time?

Yes.

How do I switch between windows?

If you have several windows open at the same time, the window on top is the window with focus. You can only interact with the window with focus. To change windows, do one of the following:

Click anywhere on the window you want to have focus.
Hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key (Alt-Tab) until you have selected the window to which you want to change.
All active files display on the taskbar. Click the taskbar button for the window you want to have focus.

How do I move a window around on my desktop?

To move a window around on your desktop, left-click the window�s title bar and drag the window.

What does it mean to "cascade your windows"?

Cascading your windows is a way of organizing your windows on your desktop. Cascading windows fan out across your desktop with the title bar of each window showing.

How do I cascade my windows?

To cascade your windows:

Right-click the taskbar. A menu will appear.
Click Cascade Windows.

What does it mean to "tile your windows"?

Tiling your windows is a way of organizing your windows onscreen. When you tile your windows, Windows XP places each window on the desktop in such a way that no window overlaps any other window. You can tile your windows horizontally or vertically.

How do I tile my windows?

To tile your windows:

Right-click the taskbar. A menu will appear.
Click Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically, whichever you prefer.

What are scrollbars?

In many programs, if the contents of the work area do not fit in the window, scrollbars will appear. A vertical scrollbar will appear at the right side of the window and a horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the window, depending on the fit. The vertical scrollbar provides a way to move up and down. The horizontal scrollbar provides a way to move from left to right.

The scroll box indicates where you are in your document. If the scroll box is at the top of the scrollbar, you are at the top of the document. If the scroll box is in the center of the scrollbar, you are in the center of the document.

How do the scrollbars work?

To move up and down one line at a time:

Click the arrow at either end of the vertical scrollbar.

To move from side to side one character at a time:

Click the arrow at either end of the horizontal scrollbar.

To move approximately one window at a time:

Click above the scroll box to move up.
Click below the scroll box to move down.

To scroll continuously:

Click the appropriate arrow and hold down the mouse button.

To move to a specific location:

Left-click the scrollbar and hold down the left mouse button until you arrive at the location. For example, if you want to go to the center of the document, click the center of the scrollbar and hold down the left mouse button.
Or, drag the scroll box until you arrive at the desired location.

What is an icon?

An icon is a graphic image. Icons help you execute commands quickly. Commands tell the computer what you want the computer to do. To execute a command by using an icon, click the icon.

What is a menu?

Menus provide a way for you to send commands to the computer (tell the computer what you want the computer to do). When you open a window, menu options are listed from left to right just below the title bar on the menu bar. When you click a menu item, a drop-down menu appears. Select the command you want to execute from the drop-down menu. An ellipsis after a drop-down menu item signifies that there are additional options; if you select that option, a dialog box will appear.

What is a shortcut key?

You can use shortcut keys to execute a command quickly by pressing key combinations instead of selecting the commands directly from the menu or clicking on an icon. When you look at a menu, you will notice that most of the options have one letter underlined. You can select a menu option by holding down the Alt key and pressing the underlined letter. You can also make Alt-key selections from drop-down menus and dialog boxes.

In this tutorial and on this Web site, we use the following notation: a key name followed by a dash and a letter means to hold down the key while pressing the letter. For example, "Alt-f" means to hold down the Alt key while pressing "f" (this will open the File menu in many programs). As another example, holding down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl-b) will bold selected text in many programs. In some programs, you can assign your own shortcut keys.

What is a selection?

A selection is a highlighted area on which you can perform a command. For example, if you are using a word processing program, you can highlight a word and then execute the Underline command to underline the highlighted word.

How do I make a selection?

To make a selection:

Left-click where you want to start your selection.
Hold down your left mouse button and drag the mouse until you have highlighted the area you want.

Left-click where you want to start your selection.
Hold down the Shift key while you use the arrow keys to highlight the area that you want.

Note: Typing over highlighted text replaces the old text with the new text you type.

Explain cut, copy, and paste.

The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands are nearly universal. These three functions are used by almost every Windows program and perform more or less the same function in each of them. You can cut, copy, and paste programs, disks, and text, to name just a few things.

Cut: When you cut something, it is deleted from its current location and saved to the Clipboard. Information saved to the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste the same Clipboard information as often as you like.

Copy: Copy is similar to Cut except the original item is not deleted. When you copy something, a copy of the item is saved to the Clipboard. Information stored on the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste Clipboard information as often as you like, until you replace it with something else.

Paste: You can place information on the Clipboard wherever you like. Execute the Paste command and information you have cut or copied is placed wherever your cursor is located.

Clipboard: The Clipboard is the storage area for items that have been cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste Clipboard information as often as you like, until you replace it with something else.

There are three major methods of cutting, copying, and pasting. The three methods are using the menu, using keyboard shortcuts, and using icons. We will review all of them. In most programs, they will work exactly as described here.

Using the Menu:

Cut

Select what you want to cut.
Click Edit, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Cut.

Paste

Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard.
Click Edit. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Paste.

Copy

Select what you want to copy.
Click Edit, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Copy.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts:

Cut

Select what you want to cut.
Press Ctrl-x.

Paste

Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard.
Press Ctrl-v.

Copy

Select what you want to copy.
Press Ctrl-c.

Using Icons:

Cut

Select what you want to cut.
Click the Cut icon.

Paste

Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard.
Click the Paste icon.

Copy

Select what you want to copy.
Click the Copy icon.

Are there any universals that apply to almost all programs?

Yes, there are and I list a few of them here. I use the following convention to indicate a menu path: View > Toolbars. When you see View > Toolbars, it means choose View from the menu bar and select Toolbars from the drop-down menu. The following list applies to many, but not all programs. Check each program's documentation for information specific to the program.

Icon	Shortcut Key	Menu Path	Command Description
	Ctrl-n	File > New	Create a new file.
	Ctrl-o	File > Open	Open an existing file.
	Ctrl-s	File > Save	Save the current file.
	Ctrl-p	File > Print	Print the current file.
	Ctrl-f	Edit > Find	Find text in the current document.
	Ctrl-x	Edit > Cut	Cut (delete and place on Clipboard) the current selection.
	Ctrl-v	Edit > Paste	Place the material currently on the Clipboard in the file at the current location.
	Ctrl-c	Edit > Copy	Copy the current selection to the Clipboard.
	Ctrl-z	Edit > Undo	Reverse the most recent command. Place the program in the state it was in before executing the last command.
	Ctrl-y	Edit > Redo	Reverse the last undo. Place the program in the state it was in before executing Undo.
		Format > Font	Apply a font to the current selection.
		Format > Font	Set the size of the font for the current selection.
	Ctrl-b	Format > Font	Bold the current selection.
	Ctrl-i	Format > Font	Italicize the current selection.
	Ctrl-u	Format > Font	Underline the current selection.
	Ctrl-l		Left-align the selection.
	Ctrl-r		Right-align the selection.
	Ctrl-e		Center the selection.
	Ctrl-j		Justify the selection.
		View > Toolbars	Select the toolbars you want to display.

Can you explain how to save a file?

Yes. I will use WordPad as an example.

To save a file:

Click File, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Save. A dialog box similar to the one shown here will appear.

Field/Icon	Entry
Save In field	Click to open the menu-box and select the drive and folder to which you want to save the file.
Up One Level icon	Click this icon to move up one level in the folder hierarchy.
View Desktop icon	Click this icon to move to the Desktop folder.
Create a New Folder icon	Use the Create a New Folder icon to create a new folder: Click the Create New Folder icon. Type the folder name and press Enter. Click the folder you just created to open the folder.
List icon	Your program displays files and folders in the center of the dialog box. To have the files display without the size, type, and date modified, click the List icon.
Detail icon	Your program displays files and folders in the center of the dialog box. To have the files display with the size, type, and date modified, click the Detail icon.
File/Folder box	Your program displays files and folders in File/Folder box. Click a folder to open the folder. Click a file if you want the current file to write over (replace) that file.
File Name field	Enter the name you want your file to have in this field.
Save As Type field	Click to open the drop-down box and select a file type.
Save button	Click the Save button to save your file.
Cancel button	Click the Cancel button if you have changed your mind and do not wish to save your file.

What is a dialog box?

Whenever you see an ellipsis (�) after a menu option, selecting that option causes a dialog box to appear. You use dialog boxes to send commands to the computer. Most dialog boxes provide an OK button and a Cancel button. Press the OK button if you are satisfied with your entries and you want to send the commands to the computer. Press the Cancel button if you have changed your mind and do not want to send the commands to the computer.

What are tabs?

Some programs provide dialog boxes with several pages of options. You move to a page by clicking on the tab or by using Ctrl-Tab (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the Tab key to flip through the pages).

What are fields?

You type entries into fields (also referred to as text boxes). For example, in the Save As dialog box, you type the name you want the file to have in the File Name field.

What are list boxes?

List boxes enable you to make a choice from a list of options. To make your selection, simply click the option you want. In some list boxes, you can choose more than one item. To choose more than one item, hold down the Ctrl key while you make your selections. If there are more options than can be displayed in the box, a scrollbar appears on the list box. Use the scrollbar to view the additional choices.

What is a drop-down or pull-down menu?

Fields with a drop-down menu have a small downward-pointing arrow next to them. You click the arrow and a list of options appears. You select the option you want from the list. You can also open the drop-down menu by holding down the Alt key and pressing the down arrow.

You can use the arrow keys to move up and down in a drop-down menu. You can also move to an item by typing the first few letters of the option.

What are radio buttons?

Windows XP and programs that run under Windows XP use radio buttons to present a list of mutually exclusive options. You can select only one of the options presented. Radio buttons are usually round. A dot in the middle indicates that the option is selected.

What are checkboxes?

Check boxes are another method used to select options. You click the checkbox to select the item. An X or a checkmark appears in a selected box. You toggle checkboxes on and off by clicking in the box.

What is a slider?

You use a slider to increase or decrease a value. You increase a value by moving the slider from left to right; you decrease a value by moving the slider from right to left.

What is a spinner?

A spinner is a set of arrows located on the side of a text box. You use the up arrow to increment a value and the down arrow to decrement a value. You can also type the value you want directly into the text box.

Would you explain the Windows XP color box?

Yes. The Windows color box provides 48 basic colors. You select a color by clicking on the square of the color. You can save 16 custom colors. To select a custom color, expand the window by clicking on the Define Custom color button. A color matrix box and a luminosity slider will appear. Move the pointer in the color matrix box horizontally to adjust the hue. Move the pointer vertically to adjust the saturation. Use the luminosity slider to adjust the luminosity. The Hue, Saturation, Luminosity (HSL) values and Red, Green, Blue (RGB) values display at the bottom of the window. After you have selected a color, you can add the color to a Custom Color square by clicking on the Add to Custom Colors button.

The Color|Solid box may display two colors. The left side of the box displays the dithered color and the right side of the box displays a closely related non-dithered color. There are 256 non-dithering colors. Non-dithering colors should display the same on all computer monitors; consequently, Web developers prefer them.

What are drives?

2009-04-08T17:07:00.003-07:00

What are drives?

Drives are used to store data. Almost all computer come with at least two drives: a hard drive (which is used to store large volumes of data) and a CD drive(which stores smaller volumes of data that can be easily transported from one computer to another). The hard drive is typically designated the C:\ drive and the CD drive is typically designated the D:\ drive. If you have an additional floppy drive, it is typically designated the A:\ drive. If your hard drive is partitioned or if you have additional drives, the letters E:\, F:\, G:\ and so on are assigned.

What are folders?

Folders are used to organize the data stored on your drives. The files that make up a program are stored together in their own set of folders. You will want to organize the files you create in folders. You will want to store files of a like kind in a single folder.

How does Windows XP organize files and folders on drives?

Windows XP organizes folders and files in a hierarchical system. The drive is the highest level of the hierarchy. You can put all of your files on the drive without creating any folders, but that is like putting all of your papers in a file cabinet without organizing them into folders. It works fine if you have only a few files, but as the number of files increases, there comes a point at which things become very difficult to find. So you create folders and put related material together in folders.

A diagram of a typical drive and how it is organized is shown here.

At the highest level, you have some folders and perhaps some files. You can open any of the folders and put additional files and folders into them. This creates a hierarchy.

Can you explain the Windows Explorer window?

Yes. When you open Windows Explorer, the screen shown here will appear.

Windows XP separates the window into two panes. If you click an object in the left pane, the contents of the object display in the right pane. Click Desktop and the contents of the Desktop folder display on the right. Click My Computer and your computer resources display on the right. To see the contents of a drive, click the drive. To see the contents of a folder, click the icon for the folder in the left pane.

How do I create a new folder when in Windows Explorer?

To create a new folder:

In the left pane, click the drive or folder in which you want to create the new folder.
Click any free area in the right pane. A context menu will appear.
Highlight New.
Click Folder.
Type a name for the folder.

Can you explain Windows Explorer views?

Yes. Views control how Windows Explorer displays information in the right pane. Windows Explorer provides you with the following choices: Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, and Details.

Thumbnails view displays images. These images represent the contents of folders and files. For example, if a folder contains pictures, up to four of the pictures in the folder will be displayed on the folder icon.
Tiles view and Icons view display icons to represent drives, folders, and the contents of folders. The icons displayed when you choose Tiles view are larger than the icons that display when you choose Icon view.
List view displays all of the files and folders without supplying the size, type, or date modified.
Details view displays the size, type, and date modified.

To change the view:

Right-click any free area in the right pane. A context menu will appear.
Highlight View.
Select the view you want from the drop-down menu.

How do I delete a file or folder?

To delete a file or folder:

Right-click the file or folder you want to delete. A context menu will appear.
Click Delete. Windows Explorer will ask, "Are sure you want to send this object to the recycle bin?"
Click Yes.

How do I copy a file or folder?

To copy a file or folder:

Right-click the file or folder you want to copy. A context menu will appear.
Click Copy. The file or folder should now be on the Clipboard.

How do I cut a file or folder?

To cut a file or folder:

Right-click the file or folder you want to cut. A context menu will appear.
Click Cut. The file or folder should now be on the Clipboard.

Note: Cutting differs from deleting. When you cut a file, the file is placed on the Clipboard. When you delete a file, the file is sent to the Recicle Bin

How do I paste a file or folder?

To paste a file or folder:

After cutting or copying the file, right-click the object or right-click in the right pane of the folder to which you want to paste. A context menu will appear.
Click Paste.

How do I rename a file or folder?

To rename a file or folder:

Right-click the file or folder. A context menu will appear.
Click Rename.
Type the new name.

What is a screen saver?

Computer monitors display images by firing electron beams at a phosphor-coated screen. If the same image stays on the screen too long, there is a danger that the image will leave a permanent imprint on the screen. Screen savers help prevent this by providing a constantly changing image.

How do I select a screen saver?

To select a screen saver:

Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop. A context menu will appear.
Choose Properties. The Display Properties dialog box will appear.
Click the Screen Saver tab.
The Screen Saver field provides the list of available screen savers. Select the screen saver you want from the list.
Click Preview to preview your screen saver.
Click Esc to return to the Display Properties dialog box.
In the Wait field, set the number of minutes of inactivity before the screen saver starts.
Click OK.

What is a desktop shortcut?

2009-04-08T17:07:00.001-07:00

What is a desktop shortcut?

A desktop shortcut, usually represented by an icon, is a small file that points to a program, folder, document, or Internet location. Clicking on a shortcut icon takes you directly to the object to which the shortcut points. Shortcut icons contain a small arrow in their lower left corner. Shortcuts are merely pointers�deleting a shortcut will not delete the item to which the shortcut points.

How do I create a desktop shortcut?

To create a shortcut to an item located on the Start menu:

Click Start. The Start menu will appear.
Locate the item to which you want to create a shortcut. If the item is located on a submenu, go to the submenu.
Click and drag the item to your desktop.

To create a shortcut to items visible in Windows Explorer:

Open Windows Explorer.
Minimize the Windows Explorer window.
Locate in Windows Explorer the item to which you want to create a shortcut.
Hold down the right mouse button and drag the item onto the desktop.
Release the right mouse button. A context menu will appear.
Click Create Shortcuts Here.

How do I turn a Web link into a desktop shortcut?

To turn a Web link into a desktop shortcut, click the link in your browser window (usually underlined text) and drag it to the desktop. An icon will appear on your desktop. When you click the icon, your browser will open and you will go directly to the Web page.

How does the desktop shortcut wizard work?

Right-click the desktop. The context menu will appear.
Click New. A submenu will appear.
Click Shortcut. The Create Shortcut dialog box will appear.
Type in the location and name of the item to which you want to create a shortcut. Alternatively, browse to find the item.
Click Next. A dialog box will appear.
Accept the default name or type in a new name.
Click Finish.

How do I rename a desktop shortcut?

To rename a shortcut:

Right-click the shortcut.
Click Rename.
Type the new name.

How do I delete a desktop shortcut?

To delete a shortcut:

Click the shortcut.
Press the Delete key.
Click Yes.

How do I change the icon associated with an object?

To change the icon associated with an object:

Right-click the icon. The context menu will appear.
Click Properties.
Click the Change Icon button.
Click the icon of your choice.
Click OK.

Note: Not all icons can be changed. If you do not see the Change Icon button, the icon cannot be changed.

What is wallpaper?

Wallpaper is the background that displays on your desktop.

How do I change my wallpaper?

To change your wallpaper:

Right-click your desktop.
Highlight Properties.
Click the Desktop tab.
Select the wallpaper you want from the list that appears in the Background box.
Note: If you would like to display an image you created, you can click Browse to find the image.
Select how you want your image to appear on the screen. Choose from the following:

Center	Place the image in the center of the screen.
Tile	Have the image display as tiles across and down the screen.
Stretch	Stretch the image so the image covers the entire screen.

What is a font?

A font is a set of characters represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is created by using the same basic style.

Can you explain font size?

Fonts are measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch. The number of points assigned to a font is based on the distance from the top to the bottom of its longest character.

How do I install a new font?

To install a new font:

Click the Start button.
Highlight Settings.
Click Control Panel.
Click Fonts. The Fonts window will open.
Click File, which is located on the menu bar.
Click Install New Font.
Specify the drive and folder where the font you want to install is currently located.
Select the font you want to install from the fonts listed in the List of Fonts box.
Select Copy Fonts to Fonts Folder (this will put a copy of the font you are installing in the Fonts folder).
Click OK.

What is the Character Map?

The Character Map displays the characters available in a selected font. To view the Character Map dialog box:

Click the Start button.
Highlight Programs.
Highlight Accessories.
Highlight System Tools.
Click Character Map.

The dialog box shown here will display.

Select a font from the Font field drop-down menu. The characters of the font are in boxes in the center of the window. Click a character box to display an enlarged version of the character. The keystroke necessary to produce the character displays in the lower left corner of the screen. Double-click a character or select the character; then click the Select button to send the character to the Characters to Copy field. You can send multiple characters to the Characters to Copy field. Click the Copy button to move the Characters to Copy field contents to the Clipboard.

Where are the games?

2009-04-08T17:06:00.001-07:00

Where are the games?

Several games are included with Windows XP. To access the games:

Click the Start button, which is located in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Programs. A submenu will appear.
Highlight Games. Another submenu will appear.
Click the game you want to play.

How do I change the date and/or time?

To change the date and/or time:

Click the Start button, which is located in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel will open.
Click Date/Time. The Date/Time Properties dialog box will appear.

In the Date frame, select the month and year.
In the Month field, click to open the drop-down menu and select the current month.
Type the year in the Year field or use the arrows next to the field to move forward or backward until you get to the current year.
The Time field is divided into four segments: hour, minutes, seconds, and AM and PM. To make an adjustment:
- Click in the segment and either type in the correct information or use the arrow keys on the right side to select the correct hour, minute, second or AM or PM.

Time Zone:

Click the Time Zone tab.
Choose the correct time zone from the drop-down menu.
If you want the clock to automatically adjust to daylight saving time, check the box on the screen.
Click the Apply button.
Click OK.

How do I install a new printer?

To install a new printer:

Make sure your printer is plugged in, connected to your computer, turned on, and has paper in it.
Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear.
Double-click on Add Printer. The Add Printer Wizard will open.
Follow the onscreen instructions.

How do I cancel a print job?

To cancel a print job:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear.
Double-click the printer to which you sent the print jobs. The Printer window will open.
Click the job you want to stop. If you want to stop more than one job, hold down the Control key while you click the additional jobs.
Click Document, which is located on the menu bar.
Click Cancel.

How do I cancel every print job?

To cancel every print job:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear.
Double-click the printer to which you sent the print jobs. The Printer window will open.
Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar.
Click Cancel All Documents.

How do I temporarily stop selected jobs from printing?

To temporarily stop selected jobs from printing:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear.
Double-click the printer to which you sent the print job. The Printer window will open.
Click the document you want to pause. If you want to pause more than one document, hold down the Control key as you select the additional documents.
Click Document, which is located on the menu bar.
Click Pause. A checkmark should appear next to Pause.

How do I restart print jobs I temporarily stopped?

To restart a print job you temporarily stopped:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear.
Double-click the printer to which you sent the print job. The Printer window will open.
Click the documents you paused. If more than one document has been paused, hold down the Ctrl key as you click the additional documents.
Click Document, which is located on the menu bar.
Click Pause. The checkmark next to Pause should disappear.

How do I temporarily stop all jobs from printing?

To temporarily stop all jobs from printing:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers. The Printer control panel will appear.
Double-click the printer to which you sent the print jobs. The Printer window will open.
Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Pause Printing. A checkmark should appear next to Pause Printing.

I temporarily stopped all of the print jobs and now I want to restart them. How do I do that?

To restart a print queue that has been stopped:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Printers and Faxes. The Printer control panel will appear.
Double-click the printer to which you sent the print job. The Printer window will open.
Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Pause Printing. The checkmark next to Pause Printing should disappear.

Windows XP

2009-04-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

What is a desktop?

When you start your computer, the first thing you see is the desktop. The desktop is your work area.

Can you explain the Windows XP desktop?

Yes.

Taskbar	By default, the taskbar is located on the bottom edge of the desktop. You can click the taskbar and drag it to other locations. The Start button, active program buttons, icons for quick access to programs, and the current time are located on the taskbar.
My Computer	The My Computer icon provides access to the resources on your computer. You can access your drives and other peripherals by clicking on the My Computer icon.
Internet Explorer	The Internet Explorer icon launches the Internet Explorer browser.
The Recycle Bin	When you delete an object, Windows XP sends it to the Recycle Byn. You can restore objects that are located in the Recycle Bin or you can permanently delete them.
Shortcut icon	Icons with an arrow in the lower left corner are shortcut icons. Click the icon for quick access to the object they represent (program, document, printer, and so on).
Program, folder, and document icons	Program, folder, and document icons do not have an arrow in the lower left corner. They represent the actual object and provide direct access to the object.

How do I shut down my computer?

To shut down your computer:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear.
Click the Turn Off icon. Your computer will shut down.

How do I restart my computer?

You may need to shut down and restart your computer after installing a new program or if your system becomes unstable. To shut down and immediately restart your computer:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear.
Click the Restart icon. Your computer will restart.

What is Standby mode?

When your computer is in the Standby mode, your computer consumes less electricity, but is ready for immediate use. However, if the computer loses electrical power while in the standby mode, any information you have not saved will be lost.

How do I put my computer in Standby mode?

To put your computer in Standby mode:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear.
Click the Stand By icon.

How do I start a program?

To start a program:

Click the Start button, located in the lower left corner of your screen.
Highlight Programs. The Program menu will appear.
Move to the Program menu and highlight the program you want to start. If you see a right pointer next to your selection, a submenu will appear. Refine your choice by highlighting the appropriate selection on the submenu. Continue until you get to the final submenu.`
Click the program name to start the program.

Note: A chevron at the bottom of the list of options means that there are additional options. To view the additional options, click the chevron.

How do I add an item located on my desktop to the Start or to a Program menu?

To add an item on the desktop to the Start or to a Program menu:

Click and drag the item on top of the Start button.
Release the mouse button when the Start menu appears.
The item will appear on the Start menu.
If you would prefer to have the item on a Program menu or submenu of the Start menu, drag the item from the Start menu to the Program menu or submenu.

What is Windows Explorer?

Windows Explorer is a place where you can view the drives on your computer and manipulate the folders and files. Using Windows Explorer, you can cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete folders and files.

How do I Open Windows Explorer?

To open Windows Explorer:

Click the Start button, located in the lower left corner of your screen.
Highlight programs.
Highlight Accessories.
Click Windows Explorer.

Alternatively, you can open Windows Explorer by holding down the Windows key and typing e (Windows-e).

How do I add an item located in Windows Explorer to the Start menu or to a Program menu?

To add an item located in Windows Explorer to the Start menu or to a Program menu:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Taskbar and Start Menu. A dialog box will appear.
Click the Start Menu tab.
Click the Customize button.
Click Add.
Type the path to the item you want to add, or use Browse to navigate to the item.
Click Next.
Double-click an appropriate folder for the item.
Click Finish.
Click OK.
Click OK again. The item will appear on the menu.

How do I remove an item from the Start menu or from a Program menu?

To remove an item from the Start menu or from a Program menu:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear.
Click Taskbar and Start Menu. A dialog box will appear.
Click the Start Menu tab.
Click Customize.
Click the Remove button.
Find and click the item you want to remove.
Click the Remove button. You will be prompted.
Click Yes.
Click Close.
Click OK.
Click OK again.

How do I copy an item that is located on the Start menu or on a Program menu?

To copy an item located on the Start menu or on a Program menu:

Highlight the item.
Right-click. A context menu will appear.
Click Copy.

How do I rename an item on the Start menu or on a Program menu?

To rename an item on the Start menu or on a Program menu:

Highlight the item.
Right-click the item.
Click Rename. The Rename dialog box will appear.
Type the new name in the New Name field.
Click OK.

How do I delete a file from the Start menu or from a Program menu?

To delete a file from the Start menu or from a Program menu:

Highlight the item.
Right-click.
Click Delete. You will be prompted.
Click Yes.

How do I re-sort the Start or a Program menu?

To resort a menu:

Go to the menu.
Right-click.
Click Sort By Name.

Note: Some menus cannot be re-sorted.

How do I quickly find files and folders?

Windows XP enables you to quickly locate files and folders on your drives. The search option provides you with four search options: Pictures, music, or video; Documents; All files and folders; and Computers and people. To quickly find a file or folder:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Search.
Click Files or Folders. The Search Results dialog box will open.

Choose an option.
Enter your search criteria. Use the table that follows to help you.
Click search. The results of your search will appear in the right pane.

Field	Entry Type
All or part of the file (document) name: Computer name:	Enter the filename, the first few letters of the filename, or any letters found in the filename. Use the * as a wild card. For example, to find all of the files that begin with r and end in the extension .doc, enter r.doc. To find files that begin with resume and have any extension, enter resume.. If you are looking for a file that has a specific word or phrase in the filename, enter the word or phrase in this field.
A word or phrase in the file:	If you are looking for a file that has a specific word or phrase in the file, enter the word or phrase in this field.
Look In:	Select the drive or folder you want to search.
Specify Dates:	Select from Modified, Created, or Last Accessed. Select Modified to find all files modified since the date criteria you enter, select Created to find all files created since the date criteria you enter, or select Last Accessed to find all files accessed since the date criteria you enter.
Between/During the Previous	Specify the date search criteria you want to use. Between allows you to search for files modified, created, or accessed between two dates. During allows you to search for files modified, created, or accessed during the previous number of days or months you specify.

What is the Most Recently Used Document list?

As you work, Windows XP tracks the last 15 files you used. It lists these files on the Most Recently Used Document list. To view the Most Recently Used Document list:

Click the Start button.
Highlight Documents. The most recently used documents will display.

To open a file listed on the Most Recently Used Document list, click the file name.

How do I clear my Most Recently Used Document list?

To clear the Most Recently Used Document list:

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear.
Highlight Settings.
Click Taskbar and Start menu. A dialog box will appear.
Click the Start Menu tab.
Click Customize.
Click Clear.
Click OK.
Click OK again.

Tutorial

2009-04-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista
What is Windows Vista?
What is Program?
What is desktop shortcut
What are drives?
What is windows

Word 2007
Lesson 1
Getting Familiar with Microsoft Word 2007 for Windows.
Lesson 2
Microsoft Word 2007 Basic Features
Lesson 3
More Basic Features
Lesson 4
Formatting Paragraphs and Working with Styles

Excel 2007
Lesson 1
Entering Text and Numbers
Lesson 2
Entering Excel Formulas and Formatting Data
Lesson 3
Creating Excel Functions, Filling Cells, and Printing
Lesson 4
Creating Charts

Power point
Lesson 1
The PowerPoint Screen
Lesson 2
PowerPoint Overview
Lesson 3
Creating Your First PowerPoint Presentation

Flash 8
Tutorial Flash 8
The Grid
Creating symbol
Pencil-tool
Drawing Car
Creating Your Movie
Adding-New-Layer
Add-Grass
Keyframes

What is Windows Vista?

2009-04-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

Operating systems control the functions performed by a computer . For example, the operating system on your computer controls the input from the keyboard and mouse to your computer, the opening and closing of programs, the transfer of information to a printer, the organization of the files on your computer, and the screen display. To function, every computer must have an operating system. Windows Vista is an operating system. It was released by the Microsoft Corporation in late 2006.

Windows Vista comes in several versions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise. The features available to you depend on the version of Windows Vista you have.

Windows Vista Enterprise is for large global organizations and is only available to organizations with desktops covered by Software Assurance agreements or organizations with a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement that includes the Windows desktop component.

Windows Vista Home Basic is the entry-level edition. Geared toward home computer users, Home Basic has features that allow you to search your computer, search the Web, browse the Internet, view photos, send and retrieve e-mail, and set parental controls. Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are included with Windows Vista Home Basic. Windows Defender helps protect your computer from spyware. Spyware is malicious software you install on your computer inadvertently or is put on your computer without your consent. Windows Firewall helps protect your computer from malicious software and unauthorized access to your computer.

Windows Vista Home Premium has most of the features found in Windows Vista Home Basic plus additional features such as Aero, Windows Media Center, Windows Meeting Space, Windows Mobility Center, Windows SideShow, and Tablet PC support. Windows Aero features translucent windows and smooth animations, including the capability to do three-dimensional flips through open windows. It also provides a thumbnail preview of the contents of open windows when you pause your mouse pointer over the window’s identifier on the taskbar or Alt-Tab through windows. With Windows Media Center, you can record and watch TV shows, listen to Internet and FM radio, view home movies, create slide shows, and burn CDs or DVDs. You can use Windows Meeting Space to set up meetings in which you can share documents, programs, or your desktop with others. Windows Mobility Center provides a convenient location for you to adjust the settings for your mobile PC. With Windows SideShow, you can send information from your computer to other devices such as mobile phones, hand-held computers, and TVs. A tablet PC is a mobile computer that you can interact with by writing on the screen or by using your finger or a pen. You can use Windows Vista Premium with a tablet PC.

Windows Vista Business is designed for small businesses. It is simple to use and has mechanisms that protect your information from unauthorized viewing.

Windows Ultimate includes all the features of Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Business and has extra features such as DreamScene, Language Packs, and BitLocker Drive Encryption. With DreamScene, you can use full-motion video as your wallpaper. Language packs allow you to install multiple languages on a single PC. BitLocker Drive Encryption encrypts your data to protect it from unauthorized viewing.

Windows Vista Feature Comparison
Features	Basic	Home Premium	Business	Ultimate
Windows Defender	X	X	X	X
Windows Firewall	X	X	X	X
Instant Search	X	X	X	X
Network and Sharing Center	X	X	X	X
Internet Explorer 7	X	X	X	X
Parental Controls	X	X
Windows Aero		X	X	X
Mobility Center		X	X	X
Tablet PC Support		X	X	X
Windows Meeting Space		X	X	X
Windows Sideshow		X	X	X
Windows Media Center		X		X
Windows Complete Backup and Restore			X	X
Windows Fax and Scan			X	X
Scheduled Backup		X	X	X
Remote Desktop Connection			X	X
Window BitLocker Drive Encryption				X
Windows DVD Maker		X		X
Windows Movie Maker in High Definition		X		X
If you do not have Windows Vista or if the version of Windows Vista you have does not have the features you need, you can upgrade your operating system.

What is a desktop?

If you are using Windows Vista, after you start your computer the first thing you see is the desktop. The desktop is your work area.

Can you explain the Windows Vista desktop?

The following table explains the various features of the Windows Vista desktop.

Feature	Explanation
Taskbar	By default, the taskbar is located on the bottom edge of the desktop. You can click the taskbar and drag it to other locations. The Start button, active program buttons, icons for quick access to programs, and the notification area are located on the taskbar.
Recycle Bin	When you delete an object, Windows Vista sends it to the Recycle Bin. You can restore objects from the Recycle Bin or you can permanently delete them.
Shortcut icon	Icons with an arrow in the lower-left corner are shortcut icons. Click the icon for quick access to the object it represents (program, document, printer, and so on).
Program, folder, and document icons	Program, folder, and document icons do not have an arrow in the lower-left corner. These icons represent the actual objects and provide direct access to the objects. Be careful: When you delete a program, folder, or document icon, you are deleting the actual program, folder, or document.
Sidebar	The default placement for the Windows Vista sidebar is along the right side of your desktop. You can use the sidebar to display gadgets. Gadgets are small programs with which you can display a clock, post notes, track stocks, or perform other miscellaneous tasks.

Can you explain the taskbar?

The taskbar is a long bar that by default runs along the bottom of your desktop. The Start button, Quick Launch toolbar, active program buttons, and the notification area are located on the taskbar.

1	Start	2	Quick Launch Toolbar
3	Active Program Buttons	4	Notification Area

You click the Start button to display the Start menu. You use the Start menu to open programs and to perform other functions such as searching for files.

On the taskbar, right next to the Start button is the Quick Launch toolbar. Using the Quick Launch toolbar, you can open a program or file simply by clicking its icon. To add an icon to the Quick Launch toolbar:

Locate the program you want to add.
Right-click. A context menu appears.
Click Add to Quick Launch. Vista adds the program to the Quick Launch toolbar.

Show Desktop

Switch Between Windows

Two icons appear on the Quick Launch toolbar by default: the Show Desktop icon and the Switch between Windows icon. You can display the desktop by clicking the Show Desktop icon. You can use the Switch between Windows icon to display all open windows in 3D flip if your version of windows has Aero or you can use the Switch between Windows icon to tab through open windows if your version of Vista does not have Aero.

When using Vista, each program, document, or other type of file opens in its own window. You can have multiple programs, documents, and files open at a given time. A button for each open program, file, or document window displays on the taskbar. You can quickly move from one open file to another open file by clicking the files button. If you have a large number of files open, Vista may group all files of a given type together. For example, if you have several Microsoft Word Document open, Vista may group them together. When you click the button for Microsoft Word, Vista displays a menu of open Word files. You can click the document you want to open.

The notification area is located on the right side of the task bar. It displays several icons and the current time. The icons that display depend on the way in which your computer is configured. You can move your mouse pointer over an icon to see the current settings for the option the icon represents. In many cases, you can click the icon to change the settings. For example, the Volume icon is located in the notification area. When you pause your over the Volume icon the volume setting for the speakers on your computer appears. You can click the icon to adjust the volume.

When I finish working with my computer, what should I do?

When you finish working with your computer, you should put your computer in sleep mode:

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click the Power button. Vista puts your computer in the sleep mode.

When you click the Power button, Vista saves all of your work, turns off the display screen, and puts your computer in sleep mode. To indicate that your computer is in sleep mode, some of the lights on your computer may blink and/or change color.

What do you mean when you say my computer is in sleep mode?

In sleep mode, your computer consumes very little electricity. When you need to use your computer again, you can press your computer’s power-on switch to resume work quickly. Instead of shutting your computer down when you are not using your computer, you should put your computer in sleep mode.

I am using a laptop. Won’t putting my computer in sleep mode drain my computer’s battery?

A sleeping computer uses very little energy. Microsoft, the maker of Windows Vista, recommends that you put your computer, whether a desktop or a laptop, in sleep mode when you are not using it. A sleeping computer should not drain your computer’s battery. However, if your power becomes dangerously low, Vista saves your work to your hard drive and then shuts your computer down.

How do I wake up my computer?

To wake up your computer, press your computer’s power-on switch.

Do I ever need to shut down my computer?

Generally, when you are not using your computer, you should put your computer in sleep mode. However, if you are making changes to your computer hardware, such as installing memory or adding a hard drive, you should shut your computer down. You may also need to shut your computer down when you add hardware to your system, such as a new printer.

How do I shut down my computer?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the start menu. A menu appears.
Click Shut Down. Your computer shuts down.

When you need to restart your computer, press your computer’s power-on switch.

What is a program?

2009-04-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

You use programs, also referred to as software, to perform tasks when using a computer. For example, if you want to use your computer to write a letter, you can use a word-processing program such as Microsoft Word. If you want to keep accounting records, you can use an accounting program such as QuickBooks.

How do I start a program?

To start a program:

Click the Start button, located in the lower-left corner of your screen. A menu showing the programs you use most frequently appears on the left, and commonly performed tasks appear on the right.
Click the program you want to open. Vista starts the program.

I do not see the program I want to open. What should I do?

After you click the Start button, a search box appears just above it. You can use the search box to locate programs or anything else that is located on your computer, including documents that contain the word you type. Type the name of the program, e-mail, file, or whatever you are looking for in the Search box. Vista searches your computer. The results of the search appear on the Start menu. When you see the program you are looking for, you can click the program name to open the program.

Is there a menu that lists all my programs?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click All Programs. A listing of programs and program folders appears.
Click a program to open a program, or click a folder to open a folder and then click the program name. Vista starts the program.

Note: You may not be able to view all of your programs on the screen at one time. Click and drag the scrollbar up or down to change which programs are in view.

Can I customize the Start menu?

You can customize the Start menu to suit your personal style. If you right-click the Start menu, a context menu appears (a context menu performs an action related specifically to the object you click). You can click an option on the context menu to perform all of the actions discussed in the next several questions.

How do I add a program to the first page of the Start menu?

Find the program name in the All Programs list.
Right-click the program name. A context menu appears.
Click Pin To Start Menu. The program appears on the first page of the Start menu above the horizontal line.

How do I remove a program from the first page of the Start menu?

Right-click the program name. A context menu appears.
Click Unpin From Start Menu. Vista removes the program from the first page of the Start menu.

If the program is located below the horizontal line, right-click the program name and then click Remove from This List.

How do I copy an item that is located on the Start menu or the Program menu?

Right-click the item. A context menu appears.
Click Copy. Vista copies the program.

You can paste the copy to your desktop to create a desktop shortcut.

Right-click your desktop.
Click Paste. Vista creates a desktop shortcut.

How do I rename an item on the Start menu or the Program menu?

Right-click the item. A context menu appears.
Click Rename. Vista highlights the name.
Type the new name.
Press Enter. Vista changes the name.

How can I quickly locate files and folders?

You can use the Vista Search feature to locate documents, folders, pictures, music, and e-mails that are located on your computer. You can also use the Vista Search feature to locate a document that includes a particular word or phrase. When you click Search on the Start menu, the Search window appears. A search field is located in the upper-right corner of the window. In the search field, type the name of the file or folder you are looking for, the date it was last modified, or even the author of the file. As you type, Vista searches for the file. Vista also provides you with a several options to narrow your search. You can click All to search everything, E-mail to search e-mail, Document to search documents, and so on.

Click the Start button.
Click Search. The Search dialog box appears.
Type the filename, the folder name, the date the file was last modified, or the author of the file in the Search field. As you type, Vista attempts to locate the file. The results of the search appear in the window. You can click the filename to open the file.

By default, vista searches indexed locations. Indexed locations are locations that are stored in your Personal folder. To close the Search window, click the X in the upper-right corner.

What does the Advanced Search option do?

In the Search Explorer window, you can click the button next to the words Advanced Search to display several options with which you can refine your search. The advanced search option enables you to search by date, location, file size, or property.

Field	Entry Type
Date	Find any file that was created or modified on, before, or after a specified date.
Location	Specify where you want to look. Indexed locations are locations that are stored in your Personal folder.
Size	Specify that you want to look for files that are above or below a certain size.
Property	Limit your search to files that have a specific name, tag, or author.

To close the Search window, click the X in the upper-right corner.

What is the Most Recently Used Document list?

As you work, Windows Vista tracks the files and programs you have used. It lists these files and programs on the Most Recently Used Document list. To view the list:

Click the Start button.
Click Recent Items on the right side of the Start menu. A list of recent files and programs appears.

To open a file listed on the Most Recently Used Document list, click the filename.

How do I set the number of files that display on my Most Recently Used Document list?

Right-click the Start button. A context menu appears.
Click Properties. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears.
Click the Start Menu tab.
Click Customize. The Customize Start Menu dialog box appears.
Type the number of files you want Vista to display in the Number of Recent Programs to Display field. You can enter any number between 0 and 30.
Click OK. The Customize Start Menu dialog box closes.
Click Apply.
Click OK. Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box closes and Vista resets the number of files that display on the Most Recently Used Document list.

How do I disable my Most Recently Used Document list?

Right-click the Start button. A context menu appears.
Click Properties. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box appears.
Click the Start Menu tab.
Deselect Store and Display a List of Recently Opened Files.
Deselect Store and Display a List of Recently Opened Programs.
Click Apply.
Click OK. Vista clears and stops maintaining your most recently used document list.

Where are the games?

Several games are included with Windows Vista. To access the games:

Click the Start button, which is located in the lower-left corner of the screen. The Start menu appears.
Click Games. The Games Explorer window appears.
Double-click the game you want to play. The game starts.

How do I change the date and/or time that displays on my computer?

You can use the Date and Time dialog box to change both the date and the time your computer displays.

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control panel. The Control Panel appears.
Click Clock, Language, and Region. The Clock, Language, and Region pane appears.
Click Set Time and Date. The Time and Date dialog box appears.
Click Change Date and Time. The User Account Control dialog box may appear, if so click Continue. The Date and Time Settings dialog box appears.

To change the day of the month:

Click the day of the month you want.

To change the month:

Click the month and year. All of the months of the year display.
Click the month you want. Vista changes the month.

To change the year:

Click the month and year. All the months of the year appear.
Click the year. A list of years appears.
Click the year you want. If you do not see the year you want, use the arrow keys on your keyboard to scroll forward or backward through the list.
Click OK.

How do I change my Time Zone?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Click Clock, Language, and Region. The Clock, Language, and Region dialog box appears.
Click Change the Time Zone. The Date and Time dialog box appears.
Click Change Time Zone.
Click the down-arrow on the Time Zone field and then select the correct time zone.
Click OK. The Time Zone Settings dialog box closes.
Click OK. The Date and Time dialog box closes. Vista changes the time zone on your computer.

If you want your computer to automatically adjust for daylight savings time, click the Automatically Adjust Clock for Daylight Savings Time checkbox.

How do I install a new printer?

A USB port is a socket on your computer that allows you to plug devices such as a printer, digital camera, or scanner into your computer. If your printer can be connected to your computer via a USB port, Vista may be able to automatically install your printer. To add a network, Bluetooth, or wireless printer:

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Click Hardware and Sound. The Hardware and Sound window appears.
Click Add a Printer. The Add Printer Wizard appears.
Click Add a Network, Wireless, or Bluetooth. The Add Printer Wizard finds all available printers.
Select the printer you want to install.
Follow the steps outlined by the wizard to complete the installation.

How do I cancel a print job?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Click Hardware and Sound. The Hardware and Sound window appears.
Click Printers. The Printers window appears.
Double-click the printer you are using. The printer’s dialog box appears.
Click the job you want to stop. If you want to stop more than one job, hold down the Ctrl key while you click the additional jobs.
Click Document, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu appears.
Click Cancel. You asked if you are sure you want to cancel the print job.
Click Yes. Vista cancels the print job.

When you start a print job, a print icon may appear on the taskbar in the notification area. You can click the icon to open the printer’s dialog box mention in step 5.

How do I cancel every print job?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Click Hardware and Sound. The Hardware and Sound window appears.
Click Printers. The Printers window appears.
Double-click the printer you are using. The printer’s window appears.
Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar.
Click Cancel All Documents. The document you are printing may finish, but Windows Vista cancels all other documents.

How do I temporarily stop selected jobs from printing?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Click Hardware and Sound. The Hardware and Sound window appears.
Click Printers. The Printers window appears.
Double-click the printer you are using. The printer’s window appears.
Right-click the document you want to pause. A menu appears.
Click Pause Printing. Vista pauses the printing of your document.

How do I restart print jobs I temporarily stopped?

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
Click Hardware and Sound. The Hardware and Sound window appears.
Click Printer. The Printers window appears.
Double-click the printer you are using. The Printer window appears.
Right-click the document that you want to resume printing. A menu appears.
Click Resume. The document starts printing again.

What is a desktop shortcut?

2009-04-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

A desktop shortcut, usually represented by an icon, is a small file that points to a program, folder, document, or Internet location. Clicking on a shortcut icon takes you directly to the object to which the shortcut points. Shortcut icons contain a small arrow in their lower-left corner. Shortcuts are merely pointers; deleting a shortcut does not delete the item to which the shortcut points.

How do I create a desktop shortcut?

If the item is located on the Start menu:

Click Start. The Start menu appears.
Locate the item to which you want to create a shortcut. If the item is located on a submenu, go to the submenu.
Right-click the item. A context menu appears.
Click Send To. A submenu appears.
Click Desktop (Create Shortcut). Vista creates a shortcut to the item.

If the item is visible in the Windows Explorer:

Open Windows Explorer.
Locate the item for which you want to create a shortcut.
Right-click the item. A context menu appears.
Click Send To. A submenu appears.
Click Desktop (Create Shortcut). Vista creates a shortcut to the item.

How do I create a desktop shortcut to a Web page?

If you are using Internet explorer:

Click the icon that precedes the URL on the address bar.
Drag the icon to your desk top. Vista creates the shortcut.

Now, when you click on the shortcut, the Web page will open.

How do I turn a Web link into a desktop shortcut?

Click the link in your browser window (usually underlined text) and drag it to the desktop. An icon appears on your desktop.
Click the icon to go directly to the link’s destination. If your browser is not open, clicking the icon starts the browser.

How does the Create Shortcut Wizard work?

You can use the Create Shortcut Wizard to add a shortcut to your desktop.

Right-click the desktop. A context menu appears.
Click New. A submenu appears.
Click Shortcut. The Create Shortcut dialog box appears.
Type in the location of the item to which you want to create a shortcut. Alternatively, browse to find the item.
Click Next. The next Create Shortcut dialog box appears.
Accept the default name or type in a new name.
Click Finish. Vista creates the shortcut.

How do I rename a desktop shortcut?

The name of the desktop shortcut displays below its icon. For example, if you create a shortcut to the program Microsoft Word, the name Microsoft Word displays below the icon. To rename a shortcut:

Right-click the shortcut. A context menu appears.
Click Rename.
Type a new name.
Press Enter. Vista renames the icon.

I have a shortcut that opens a program on my desktop. How do I add it to the Start menu?

Right-click the shortcut icon. A menu appears.
Click Pin To Start menu. The program appears on the Start menu, above the horizontal line.

How do I change the icon associated with an object on the desktop?

Right-click the icon. The context menu appears.
Click Properties. The Properties dialog box appears.
Click the Change Icon button. The Change Icon dialog box appears.
Click the icon of your choice.
Click OK. The Change Icon dialog box closes.
Click Apply.
Click OK. Vista closes the Properties dialog box. Vista changes the icon.

Note: Not all icons can be changed. If you do not see the Change Icon button or if the change icon button is dimmed, the icon cannot be changed.

How do I delete a desktop shortcut?

Click the shortcut.
Press the Delete key. Vista asks if you are sure you want to delete the shortcut.
Click Yes.

Remember, shortcuts have an arrow in the lower-left corner. If the icon you delete does not have an arrow in the lower-left corner, it is not a shortcut and deleting the icon deletes the object.

What is wallpaper?

Wallpaper is the background that displays on your desktop.

How do I change my wallpaper?

Click the Start button.
Click Control Panel, which is located on the right side of the Start menu. The Control panel appears.
Click Change the Desktop Background. It is listed under Appearance and Personalization.
Select the wallpaper you want from the ones that appear or click the down-arrow in the picture location field to select another wallpaper category. Note: If you would like to display an image you created, you can click Browse to find the image.
Click to select how you want your image to appear on the screen. Choose from the following:

Option	Explanation
Center	Place the image in the center of the screen.
Tile	Have the image display as tiles across and down the screen.
Stretch	Stretch the image so the image covers the entire screen.

What is a font?

A font is a set of characters represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is created by using the same basic style.

Can you explain font size?

Fonts are measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch. The number of points assigned to a font is based on the distance from the top to the bottom of its longest character.

How do I install a new font?

You must purchase or otherwise obtain the font you want to install. Then:

Click the Start button.
Click Control Panel.
Click Appearance and Personalization.
Click Install or Remove a Font, which is located under Fonts. The Fonts window appears.
Click File, which is located on the menu bar of the Fonts window. Press the Alt key if you do not see the menu bar.
Click Install New Font.
Specify the drive and folder where the font you want to install is currently located. The fonts appear in the List of Fonts box.
Highlight the font you want to install.
Select Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder (this puts a copy of the font you are installing in the Fonts folder).
Click Install. If you are prompted for permission to continue, click Continue.Vista installs the font.
Click Close. The Add Fonts dialog box closes.

What is the Character Map?

The Character Map displays the characters available in a selected font. To view the Character Map dialog box:

Click the Start button.
Click All Programs. The All Programs menu appears.
Click Accessories. A submenu appears.
Click System Tools. A submenu appears.
Click Character Map.

The dialog box shown here appears.

Select a font from the Font field drop-down menu. The characters of the font appear in the boxes in the center of the window.
Click a character box to display an enlarged version of the character.
Double-click a character to send the character to the Characters To Copy field.
Click Copy. Vista places the character on the Clipboard. You can paste it into other programs.

Note: You can send multiple characters to the Characters to Copy field. Click the Copy button to move the Characters To Copy field contents to the Clipboard.

What are drives?

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What are drives?

Drives are hardware components used to store data. Almost all computers come with at least two drives: a hard drive (for storing large volumes of data) and a CD or CD/DVD drive (for storing smaller volumes of data that you can easily transport from one computer to another). The hard drive is typically designated the C:\ drive, and the CD drive is typically designated the D:\ drive. If you have an additional internal drive, it may be designated the A:\ drive. If your hard drive is partitioned (divided into several parts) or if you have additional drives, the letters E:\, F:\, G:\, and so on are assigned.

What are folders and files?

Folders are used to organize the data stored on your drives. A file is a collection of related information or a computerized document. The files that make up a program are stored together in their own set of folders. When you create files, a good idea is to organize them in folders and to store files of a like kind in a single folder. Microsoft recommends that you store your documents under the Documents folder, your pictures under the Pictures folder, and your Music under the Music folder.

How does Vista organize files and folders on drives?

Vista organizes folders and files in a hierarchical system. The drive is the highest level of the hierarchy. You can put all of your files on a drive without creating any folders, but that is like putting all of your papers in a file cabinet without organizing them into folders. It works fine if you have only a few files, but as the number of files increases, there comes a point at which things are difficult to find. To avoid this, create folders and put related material together in folders.

A diagram of typical drives and how they are organized is shown here.

At the highest level, you have some folders and perhaps some files. You can open any of the folders and put additional files and folders into them. This creates a hierarchy.

Will you explain Explorer windows?

You use Explorer windows to search for and manage the files on your computer. When you open your Personal folder or click Documents, Pictures, Music, Games, Computer, or Network on the Start menu, an Explorer window appears. Explorer windows consist of several parts: the Forward and Back buttons, the Address bar, the Instant Search box, the Command bar, the Menu bar, the Navigation pane, the File List, the Headings, the Preview pane, and the Details pane.

No	Area	No	Area
1	Forward and Back buttons	2	Address bar
3	Instant Search box	4	Command bar
5	Menu bar	6	Navigation pane
7	File List	8	Headings
9	Preview pane	10	Details pane

Area	Description
Forward and Back Buttons	You can use the Forward and Back buttons to move forward and backward through your searches.
Address Bar	The Address bar provides drop-down menus for the current navigation path. A navigation path is the sequence of folders on a drive that you must open to get to the file for which you are looking. The folders are ordered from the highest to lowest point in the hierarchy. You can use the Address bar to move up or down the navigation path. You can also use the Address bar to find recently visited Web sites and prior searches.
Instant Search Box	In the Instant Search box, you can search for folders and files on your computer by typing the folder or filename. You can also use the Search box to find all documents that contain a particular word or phrase or have a specific property.
Command Bar	By using the Command bar, you can perform a variety of tasks related to managing and organizing the files on your computer. For example, you can use the Command bar to cut, copy, and paste files.
Menu Bar	For the most part, the Menu bar has the same features as the Command bar. By using the Menu bar, you can perform a variety of tasks that relate to managing and organizing the files on your computer. Because the Command bar and the Menu bar perform many of the same functions, by default the Menu bar does not display. To display the Menu bar, press the Alt key.
Navigation Pane	You can use the Navigation pane to open a folder. For easy access, commonly used folders are listed at the top of the Navigation pane.
File List	When you open a folder, Vista lists the contents of the folder in the File List.
Headings	Headings appear at the top of the File List. Headings identify the file properties.
Preview Pane	For programs that support this feature, the Preview pane shows you the contents of a document without opening the document.
Details Pane	You can use the Details pane to view, add, and/or change a document’s properties. Properties are characteristics that are either automatically assigned to a file or assigned to a file by you. Properties include such things as the date the file was last modified, the author, and the document category.

How do I tell Explorer which parts of the Explorer window to display?

Start by opening an Explorer window:

Click the Start button.
Click the name of your Personal folder, Documents, Pictures, Music, Games, or Computer.
An Explorer window opens.

Select the parts you want to display:

Click Organize on the Command bar. A menu appears.
Click Layout. A submenu appears.
Click to select all the options you want to appear in the Explorer window. Choose from Menu Bar, Details Pane, Preview Pane, and Navigation Pane.

Note: Choosing Menu Bar causes the menu to permanently display.

What is a Personal folder?

When you log on to Windows Vista for the first time, you must create an account. Thereafter, you log on to your computer by clicking the account name. After you create an account, Vista creates a Personal folder for you. Vista stores the folders you will use most often, such as the Documents, Pictures, and Music folders, under your Personal folder. Vista gives your Personal folder the same name as your account name. For example, my account name is Denise Etheridge; Vista named my Personal folder Denise Etheridge. Clicking your Personal folder name opens an Explorer window. I will use the Personal folder to illustrate how to use an Explorer window.

How do I open my Personal folder?

Click the Start button.
Click the name you entered when you created your account. The name is located at the top of the Start menu’s right column.

When you open the Personal folder, an Explorer window similar to the one shown here appears.

How do I open a folder?

To open a folder that is located under the Favorite Links area of the Navigation pane, click the folder name. The contents of the folder appear in the File List.

If the folder you are looking for does not appear under Favorite Links:

Click Folders, which is located in the lower-left corner of the Navigation pane. Additional folders appear. The folders are structured in a hierarchy as they were in Windows XP, which is the previous version of the Windows operating system.
Click the folder you want to open.

To close the Folders area, click the word Folders again. It may have moved to the top of the Navigation pane.

How do I open a file or a folder that is located in the File List?

When you open a folder, the folders and files contained in the folder appear in the File List. To open a file, double click the filename. You can also open the folders that appear in the File List by double-clicking them.

How do I create a new folder?

To create a new folder:

Locate the folder in which you want to create the new folder.
Click Organize on the Command bar.
Click New Folder. Vista creates a new folder.
Type a name for the folder.
Press Enter. Vista changes the name of the folder.

Can I search for files and folders?

To search for a file or even for a word that is contained in a file, use the Instant Search box located in the upper-right corner of your Personal folder:

Type what you are searching for in the Instant Search box. As you type, Vista displays the results of the search in the File List.
Double-click a filename to open the file.

Can I save a search?

You can save a search so you can use it again.

Create your search.
Click Save Search. The Save As dialog box appears.
Type the name you want to give your search.
Click Save. Vista saves the search in the Searches folder.

To run your search again:

Click Searches in the Navigation pane. The Searches folder appears.
Double-click the search you want to run. Vista runs the search.

How does the Address bar work?

The Address bar is located in the upper-left corner of an Explorer window. You can use the Address bar to navigate through your folders. To open a folder:

Click the arrow next to the folder name. A list of the folders in that folder appears.
Click the folder you want to open.

You can move up and down the folder hierarchy (path) by clicking folder names.

Can I add folders and saved searches to the Navigation pane?

You can open the folders and execute the searches on the Navigation pane simply by clicking them. If you have a folder or search you access frequently, you may want to add it to the Navigation pane.

Locate the folder or search you want to add.
Click and drag the folder or search to the Navigation pane. You can now click the folder name or the search to open the folder.

If you use a saved search frequently, you can also add the search to the Navigation pane by clicking and dragging.

How do I display the Menu bar?

By default, the Menu bar does not appear. To temporarily display the Menu bar, press the Alt key. To hide the Menu bar, press the Alt key again. You can also choose to display the Menu bar permanently.

Click Organize. A menu appears.
Click Layout. A submenu appears.
Click Menu Bar. A check mark appears next to Menu Bar. The check mark indicates Menu Bar is selected. When Menu bar is selected, the menu bar permanently displays.

Will you explain Explorer views?

Views control how Explorer windows display information in the File List. The Views option on the Explorer Command bar provides the following choices: Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, List, Details, and Tiles.

Tiles view and Icon views display icons to represent drives, folders, and the contents of folders. You can choose from icons that are large, small, or medium in size.
List view displays all of the files and folders without displaying the properties.
Details view displays the filename and associated properties you have selected to display.

To change the view:

Click the down-arrow next to Views on the Command bar. A menu appears.
Drag the slider to select the view you want.

What are file properties?

File properties are pieces of information that are associated with a file. For example, Vista automatically saves the date and time each time you modify a file. You can also associate properties with a file. For example, you can place all files associated with sales in a category called sales.

To see a list of the properties you can assign to a file:

Right-click a Heading. A list of properties appears.
Click More if you do not see the property for which you are looking. The Choose Details dialog box appears.
Click to select the properties you want to use. A check mark appears next to selected properties.

You can search for files by entering the property in the Instant Search box. When you click a filename, the file properties display at the bottom of the Explorer window in the Details pane. To change a property listed in the Details pane:

Click in the property’s field.
Type the property you want to assign.

What is filtering?

When you filter a folder, you see only the files that have the property for which you are looking. You can filter by any file property. For example, by using a filter, you can view all the files by selected authors. You can apply multiple filters to a single folder. To filter:

Click the down-arrow next to a Heading. A context menu appears.
Click the property by which you want to filter. For example, if you want to filter by author, click the author’s name. A check mark next to the filter indicates that the property is selected. Vista only displays the files that have the selected properties.
Click the down-arrow next to another Heading to filter by that Heading and then repeat step 2.

To remove a filter:

Click the down-arrow next to the filtered Heading.
Click to remove the check mark next to each filtered property.

What is stacking?

To show all the files with a particular property together, you use stacking. For example, you can group all the files by a particular author together.

Click the down-arrow next to the property by which you want to stack files. A context menu appears.
Click the Stack option at the bottom of the menu. Vista stacks together all the files that have the same property.
Click the Stack icon. Vista expands the stack so you can see the files.

What is the purpose of Computer option on the Start menu?

The Computer option enables you to open the Explorer Computer window to view the drives on your computer and manipulate folders and files. The Explorer Computer window works much like the Personal folder. You can cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete folders and files. By selecting the Computer option, you can perform many of the functions you performed by using Windows Explorer in previous versions of the Windows operating system, such as Windows XP.

To access the Explorer Computer window:

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click Computer. Computer is located on the right side of the menu. Information about your computer becomes available to you.

Alternatively, you can open the Explorer Computer Window by holding down the Windows Logo key while typing e (Windows-e).

How does the Preview pane work?

If you have a file that was created in a program that supports Preview mode, in Explorer windows you can see the contents of the file without opening the file. To see a preview, click the filename. A preview appears in the Preview pane.

How do I delete a file or folder?

To delete a file or folder:

Right-click the file or folder you want to delete. A context menu appears.
Click Delete. Vista asks, "Are sure you want to move this file to the Recycle bin ?"
Click Yes. Vista places the file or folder in the Recycle Bin.

How do I copy a file or folder?

You can make a copy of a file or folder and place the copy in another location. Placing a file or folder in another location is a two-step process. First you make the copy and then you paste the copy in the new location. When you execute a Copy command, Vista stores the information you copied in a storage area called the Clipboard. Refer to the question “How do I paste a file or folder?” to learn how to paste.

Right-click the file or folder you want to copy. A context menu appears.
Click Copy. The file or folder is now on the Clipboard.

How do I cut a file or folder?

Cutting enables you to move a file to a new location. Moving a file to a new location is a two-step process. First you remove the file from its current location by cutting it. Then you paste it in the new location. When you execute a Cut command, Vista stores the information you cut in a storage area called the Clipboard. Refer to the question “How do I paste a file or folder?” to learn how to paste.

Right-click the file or folder you want to cut. A context menu appears.
Click Cut. The file or folder is now on the Clipboard.

Note: Cutting differs from deleting. When you cut a file, the file is placed on the Clipboard. When you delete a file, the file is sent to the Recycle Bin.

How do I paste a file or folder?

Pasting places information on the Clipboard in the location you specify. To paste a file or folder:

After copying or cutting the file, right-click in the File list to which you want to paste. A context menu appears.
Click Paste. Vista pastes the file in the new location.

How do I rename a file or folder?

Right-click the file or folder. A context menu appears.
Click Rename.
Type the new name.
Press Enter. Vista changes the name of the file or folder.

What is a screen saver?

Computer monitors display images by firing electron beams at a phosphor-coated screen. If the same image stays on the screen too long, the image may leave a permanent imprint on the screen. Screen savers help prevent this by providing a constantly changing image.

How do I select a screen saver?

Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop. A context menu appears.
Click Personalize. The Personalize window appears.
Click Screen Saver. The Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.
Click the down-arrow in the Screen Saver field. A list of screen savers appears.
Click to select the screen saver you want to use. A preview of the screen saver appears in the Screen Saver Setting dialog box.
In the Wait field, set the number of minutes of inactivity before the screen saver starts.
Click Apply.
Click OK. Vista sets your screen saver.

What is a window?

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A window is an area on your desktop within which a Windows-based program runs.

Will you explain the parts of a window?

I will use WordPad as an example. WordPad is a word-processing program that comes with Windows Vista. To access WordPad:

Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Click All Programs. The All Programs menu appears.
Click Accessories. The Accessories submenu appears.
Click WordPad. WordPad starts.

No	Area	No	Area
1	Control box	2	Menu bar
3	Title bar	4	Minimize
5	Maximize	6	Close button
7	Command bar	8	Border
9	Status bar	10	Work area

Part	Description
Control box	Provides a menu that enables you to restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, or close a window.
Menu bar	Displays the program’s menu. You can use the menu to send commands to the program.
Title bar	Displays the name of the current file and the name of the current program.
Toolbar	Displays icons you can click to send commands to the program. Toolbars generally appear directly below the menu, but you can drag them and display them along any of the window borders.
Minimize button	Click to temporarily decrease the size of a window or remove a window from view. While a window is minimized, its title appears on the taskbar.
Maximize button	Click to make the window fill the screen.
Close button	Click to exit a window or close a program.
Command bar	Displays icons you can click to send commands to the program.
Border	Separates the window from the desktop. Drag a window’s borders outward to expand it and inward to contract it.
Status bar	Provides information about the status of your program.
Restore button	Click to restore a minimized window to its former size.

Can I have more than one window open at a time?

You can have as many windows as you want open at the same time.

How do I switch between windows?

If you have several windows open at the same time, the window on top is the window with focus. You can only interact with the window with focus. To change windows, do any one of the following:

Click anywhere on a window to change the focus to that window.
Hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key (Alt-Tab). A preview of all open windows appears. While holding down the Alt key, click the Tab key until you have selected the window to which you want to change.
All active files display on the taskbar. Click the taskbar button for the window you want to have focus.

How do I move a window around on my desktop?

Left-click the window’s title bar and drag the window.

What does it mean to "cascade your windows"?

Cascading is a way of organizing windows on your desktop. Cascading windows fan out across your desktop, with the title bar of each window showing.

How do I cascade my windows?

Right-click the taskbar. A menu appears.
Click Cascade Windows.
Vista cascades the open windows.

What does it mean to "stack your windows"?

Stacking is a way of organizing your windows on your desktop. When you stack your windows, Windows Vista places each window on the desktop in such a way that no window overlaps any other window. The windows are stacked one on top of the other.

How do I stack my windows?

Right-click the taskbar. A menu appears.
Click Show Windows Stacked. Vista stacks your windows.

What does it mean to "show windows side by side"?

Showing your windows side by side is another way of organizing your windows on your desktop. When you show your windows side by side, Windows Vista places each window on the desktop in such a way that no window overlaps any other window. The windows display side by side.

How do I show my windows side by side?

Right-click the taskbar. A menu appears.
Click Show Windows Side by Side. Vista displays your windows side-by-side.

What are scrollbars?

In many programs, if the contents of the work area do not fit in the window, scrollbars appear. A vertical scrollbar appears at the right side of the window and a horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the window. The vertical scrollbar provides a way to move up and down. The horizontal scrollbar provides a way to move from left to right and from right to left.

How do the scrollbars work?

To move up and down one line at a time:

Click the arrow at either end of the vertical scrollbar.

To move from side to side:

Click the arrow at either end of the horizontal scrollbar.

To move approximately one window at a time:

Click above the scroll box to move up.
Click below the scroll box to move down.

To scroll continuously:

Click the appropriate arrow and hold down the mouse button.

To move to a specific location:

Left-click the scrollbar and hold down the left mouse button until you arrive at the location. For example, if you want to go to the center of the document, click the center of the scrollbar and hold down the left mouse button.
Or, drag the scroll box until you arrive at the desired location.

What is an icon?

An icon is a small image. Icons help you execute commands quickly. Commands tell the computer what you want the computer to do. To execute a command by using an icon, click the icon.

What is a menu?

Menus provide a way for you to send commands to the Computer (tell the computer what you want the computer to do). When you open a window, menu options are listed from left to right on the menu bar, just below the title bar. When you click a menu item, a drop-down menu appears. Select the command you want to execute from the drop-down menu. An ellipsis after a drop-down menu item signifies that there are additional options; if you select that option, a dialog box appears.

What is a shortcut key?

You can use shortcut keys to execute a command quickly by pressing key combinations instead of selecting the commands directly from the menu or clicking on an icon. When you look at a menu, most of the options have one letter underlined. You can select a menu option by holding down the Alt key and pressing the underlined letter. You can also make Alt-key selections from drop-down menus and dialog boxes.

In this tutorial and on this Web site, we use the following notation: a key name followed by a hyphen and a letter means to hold down the key while pressing the letter. For example, "Alt-f" means to hold down the Alt key while pressing "f" (this opens the File menu in many programs). As another example, holding down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl-b) bolds selected text in many programs. In some programs, you can assign your own shortcut keys.

What is a selection?

A selection is a highlighted area on which you can perform a command. For example, if you are using a word-processing program, you can highlight a word and then execute the Underline command to underline the highlighted word.

How do I make a selection?

Left-click where you want to start your selection.
Hold down your left mouse button and drag the mouse until you have highlighted the area you want.

Left-click where you want to start your selection.
Hold down the Shift key while you use the arrow keys to highlight the area you want.

Note: Typing over highlighted text replaces the old text with the new text you type.

Can you explain cut, copy, and paste?

The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands are used by almost every Windows program and perform more or less the same function in each of them. You can cut, copy, and paste programs, disks, and text, to name just a few things.

Cut: When you cut something, you delete it from its current location and save it to the Clipboard. Information saved to the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. While information is on the Clipboard you can paste it as often as you like.

Copy: Copy is similar to Cut except you do not delete the original item. When you copy something, a copy of the item is saved to the Clipboard. Information stored on the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. While information is on the Clipboard you can paste it as often as you like..

Paste: You can place Clipboard information wherever you like. When you execute the Paste command, you place the information you have cut or copied wherever your cursor is located.

Clipboard: The Clipboard is the storage area for items you have cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste Clipboard information as often as you like, until you replace it with something else.

There are three major methods of cutting, copying, and pasting: using the menu, using keyboard shortcuts, and using icons. In most programs, they work exactly as described here.

Using the Menu:

Cut

Select what you want to cut.
Click Edit, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu appears.
Click Cut.

Paste

Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard.
Click Edit. A drop-down menu appears.
Click Paste.

Copy

Select what you want to copy.
Click Edit, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu appears.
Click Copy.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts:

Cut

Select what you want to cut.
Press Ctrl-x.

Paste

Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard.
Press Ctrl-v.

Copy

Select what you want to copy.
Press Ctrl-c.

Using Icons:

Cut

Select what you want to cut.
Click the Cut icon.

Paste

Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard.
Click the Paste icon.

Copy

Select what you want to copy.
Click the Copy icon.

Are there any universals that apply to almost all programs?

Following is a list of commands that appear in many, but not all programs. Check each program's documentation for information specific to the program.

Note: I use the following convention to indicate a menu path: View > Toolbars. When you see View > Toolbars, it means choose View from the menu bar and select Toolbars from the drop-down menu.

Icon	Shortcut Key	Menu Path	Command Description
	Ctrl-n	File > New	Create a new file.
	Ctrl-o	File > Open	Open an existing file.
	Ctrl-s	File > Save	Save the current file.
	Ctrl-p	File > Print	Print the current file.
	Ctrl-f	Edit > Find	Find text in the current document.
	Ctrl-x	Edit > Cut	Cut (delete and place on Clipboard) the current selection.
	Ctrl-v	Edit > Paste	Place the material currently on the Clipboard at the current location of your cursor.
	Ctrl-c	Edit > Copy	Copy the current selection to the Clipboard.
	Ctrl-z	Edit > Undo	Reverse the most recent command. Place the program in the state it was in before executing the last command.
	Ctrl-y	Edit > Redo	Reverse the last undo. Place the program in the state it was in before executing Undo.
		Format > Font	Apply a font to the current selection.
		Format > Font	Set the size of the font for the current selection.
	Ctrl-b	Format > Font	Bold the current selection.
	Ctrl-i	Format > Font	Italicize the current selection.
	Ctrl-u	Format > Font	Underline the current selection.
	Ctrl-l		Left-align the selection.
	Ctrl-r		Right-align the selection.
	Ctrl-e		Center the selection.
	Ctrl-j		Justify the selection.
		View > Toolbars	Select the toolbars you want to display.

Will you explain how to save a file?

I will use WordPad as an example.

Click File, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu appears.
Click Save. If you have never saved the file before, the Save As dialog box appears.
Click the down-arrow in the Save As Type field and then select the file type you want your file to have.
Type the name you want to give your file in the File Name field.
Click the Browse button and then use the Explorer window to change folders if needed.
Click the Save button.

Field/Icon	Entry
Address bar	Select the folder to which you want to save the file.
Instant Search box	Search for folders and files on your computer by typing the filename here.
File Name field	Name your file by typing the name in this field.
Save As Type field	Click to open the drop-down box and select a file type.
Browse Folders button	Click to open an Explorer window in which you can perform all of the Explorer functions.
Save button	Click to save your file.
Cancel button	Click if you change your mind and do not wish to save your file.

What is a dialog box?

Whenever you see an ellipsis (…) after a menu option, selecting that option causes a dialog box to appear. You use dialog boxes to send commands to the computer. Most dialog boxes provide an OK button and a Cancel button. Click the OK button if you are satisfied with your entries and you want to send the commands to the computer. Click the Cancel button if you change your mind and do not want to send the commands to the computer.

What are tabs?

Some programs provide dialog boxes with several pages of options. You move to a page by clicking on its tab or by using Ctrl-Tab (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the Tab key to flip through the pages).

What are fields?

You type entries into fields (also referred to as text boxes). For example, in the Save As dialog box, you type the name you want your file to have in the File Name field.

What are list boxes?

List boxes provide multiple options from which you can choose. To make your selection, simply click the option you want. In some list boxes, you can choose more than one item. To choose multiple items, hold down the Ctrl key while you make your selections. If there are more options than can be displayed in the box, a scrollbar appears on the list box. Use the scrollbar to view the additional choices.

What is a drop-down or pull-down menu?

You can use the arrow keys to move up and down in a drop-down menu. You can also move to an item by typing the first few letters of the option.

What are radio buttons?

Windows Vista and programs that run under Windows Vista use radio buttons to present a list of mutually exclusive options. You can select only one of the options presented. Radio buttons are usually round. A dot in the middle indicates that the option is selected.

What are checkboxes?

Checkboxes are another method for selecting options. You click the checkbox to select the item. An X or a check mark appears in a selected box. You toggle checkboxes on and off by clicking in the box.

What is a slider?

You use a slider to increase or decrease a value. In the illustration, you increase a value by moving the slider toward the right; you decrease a value by moving the slider toward the left.

What is a spinner?

A spinner is a set of arrows located on the side of a text box. You use the up-arrow to increment a value and the down-arrow to decrement a value. You can also type the value you want directly into the text box.

Will you explain the Windows Vista color box?

Some programs allow you to adjust colors; for example, you can adjust the color of text in some programs. The Windows color box provides 48 basic colors. You select a color by clicking on that color’s square. You can save 16 custom colors. To create a custom color, expand the window by clicking on the Define Custom Color button. A color matrix box and a luminosity slider appear. Move the pointer in the color matrix box horizontally to adjust the hue. Move the pointer vertically to adjust the saturation. Use the luminosity slider to adjust the luminosity. The Hue, Saturation, Luminosity (HSL) values and Red, Green, Blue (RGB) values display at the bottom of the window. After you select a color, you can add the color to a Custom Color square by clicking the Add To Custom Colors button.

Keyframes

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Each layer of a Flash movie is divided into frames. Frame numbers appear along the top of the Timeline. At the current time, each layer in your movie is only one frame long. You want your movie to last 60 frames. Inserting a keyframe at Frame 60 will cause each layer to remain on the screen until Frame 60. You use keyframes to specify changes in the animation.

Extend the Sky Layer

Click in Frame 60 of the Sky layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu.

Extend the Buildings Layer

Click in Frame 60 of the Buildings layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu.

Extend the Trees Layer

Click in Frame 60 of the Trees layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu.

Create a Layer Named Car

Create a new layer. Name the layer Car.

Make the Trees layer the active layer by clicking on the Trees layer name.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Layer from the menu to create a new layer above the Trees layer.
Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu.
Type Car in the Name field.
Click OK.

Add the Car to the Stage

Click the first frame of the Car layer.
Move to the Library panel.
Click the icon next to the car and drag a copy of the car onto the Stage.
Choose the Free Transform tool. Handles appear around the car.
Click and drag a corner handle until the car is the appropriate size. Corner handles resize the selected object proportionally.

Motion Tween

Make the Car Move

Choose the Selection tool.
Click and drag the car to the right side of the Stage as shown here.

If the Property inspector is not open, choose Window > Properties > Property from the meun to open the Property inspector.
Click Frame 1 of the Car layer.

In the Property inspector, choose Motion in the tween field.
Click Frame 60 of the Car layer.

Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu to make frame 60 a keyframe.
Use the Arrow key to move the car to the left side of the Stage as shown here.

Choose Control > Play from the menu to play the movie. Your car moves across the Stage.

Adding Sound

To have a horn honk as the car rolls through town, you need to add sound.

Import the Sound

Open the Zip file and place the shorthrn.wav file in a folder.
Choose File > Import > Import to Library from the menu. Find and select shorthrn.wav and click Open. The file shorthrm.wav now appears in the Library.

Add the Sound

Create and name a new layer:

Click the Car layer name to make the Car layer the active layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline> Layer from the menu to create a new layer. The new layer appears above the Car layer.
Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu and type Horn in the Name field to name the layer Horn.
Click OK.

Add sound:

Click Frame 30 on the Horn layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu to make Frame20 a keyframe.
Move to the Library. If the Library is not already open, choose Window > Library from the menu.
Drag shorthrn.wav from the Library onto the Stage.
Click Frame 20.
Choose Event from the drop-down menu in the Sync field of the Property inspector.

Play the Movie

Choose Control > Test Movie from the menu to play the movie.
Click the Close button to return to Flash Professional 8.

Stopping the Action

If you published your movie now, the car would start moving as soon as the viewer entered the screen. You want the viewer to click on a button to make the car move. In this exercise you will add a behavior to stop any action before the viewer clicks a button. Later, you will add a button for the viewer to click to start the action. You will use behaviors to control the action. Generally you use ActionScript, a scripting language, to control the action in a Flash document. However, behaviors allow you to control some actions even if you do not know ActionScript.

Stop the Action

Add a new layer:

Click the Horn layer to make it the active layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Layer from the menu to add a new layer.
Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu. The Layer Properties dialog box opens.
Type Stop Action in the Name field.
Click OK.

Add a stop behavior:

Choose the Selection tool.
Click Frame 1 on the Stop Action layer.
Choose Window > Behaviors from the menu.
Click the plus sign in the Behavior panel. A context menu opens.
Choose Movieclip > Goto and Stop at Frame or Label. The Goto and Stop at Frame or Label dialog box opens.
Make sure there is a 1 in the Frame number field. This tells Flash to stop at Frame 1.
Click OK.

Play the Movie

Choose Control > Test Movie from the menu to play the movie. Your car should not move.
Click the Close button to return to Flash.

Adding a Button

Buttons have four states: up, over, down, and hit.

The Four Button States
Up	The appearance of the button when the pointer is not over it
Over	The appearance of the button when you place the pointer over it
Down	The appearance of the button when you click it
Hit	Defines the area that will respond to a click of the mouse

You want to create a button that is navy in the up state, green in the over state, and brown in the down state.

Create a New Layer

Click the Horn layer to make the Horn layer the active layer.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Layer from the menu to create a new layer.
Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu.
Type Button in the Name field to name the layer button.
Click OK.

Take the Start Button from the Library

Move to the Library. If the Library panel is not open, choose Window > Library from the menu.
Click on the icon next to Start Button and drag the Start Button onto the Stage.

Edit the Symbol

Choose Edit > Edit Symbols from the menu to change to the symbol-editing mode.

The Over Frame

Choose the Selection tool.
Click the Over frame to select it.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu. The Over frame becomes a keyframe.
Click outside the button to deselect it.
Click the fill Color to select it.
Click the Fill color box and select green to change the fill color to green.

The Down Frame

Click the Down frame to select it.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu.
Click outside the button to deselect it.
Click the fill color to select it.
Click the Fill color box and select brown to change the fill color to brown.

The Hit Frame

Click the Hit frame to select it.
Choose Insert > Timeline > Keyframe from the menu.
Choose Edit > Edit Document from the menu. You have created a button.

Add the Goto and Play Behavior:

Choose the Selection tool.
Click the button to select it..
Choose Window > Behaviors from the menu if the Behaviors panel is not open.
Click the plus sign in the Behavior panel. A context menu opens.
Choose Movieclip > Goto and Play at Frame or Label. The Goto and Play at Frame or label dialog box opens.
Make sure there is a one in the Frame number field.
Click OK.

Test the Movie

Choose Control > Test Movie from the menu. The Test Movie window opens.
Click the Start Button to make the car roll.
Close the window.

The Text Tool

You need to put a label on the Start Button and add a title to the movie. You will use the Text tool for this.

Add Text to the Button

Click the Text tool to select it.

Choose Text > Font from the menu and select a font. I used Arial Black.
Choose Text > Size > 24 from the menu to set the font size to 24.
Click the Fill color box and select gold as the color.
Type Start Movie on the button.
Click anywhere outside the Stage to close the text box.
Use the Selection tool to adjust the placement of the text. Remember, you can also use the arrow keys to change the placement.
Click anywhere outside the Stage to deselect the text box.

Add a Title

Choose the Text tool.
Choose Text > Size > 24 from the menu.
Click the lower left corner of the Stage.
Type My First Movie.
Click anywhere outside the Stage.

Test the Movie

Choose Control > Test Movie from the menu. The Test Movie window opens.
Click the Start Movie button. The movie should play.

Add Grass

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Choose the Selection tool.
Click the Buildings layer name to make the Buildings layer the active layer.
Click anywhere outside the Stage to deselect the buildings.
Choose the Rectangle tool.
Click the Stroke Color box and choose no color as the stroke color.
Click the Fill color box and choose bright green as the fill color.
Draw a rectangle below the buildings for the grass.

Add a Road

Click the Fill color box and choose bright gray as the fill color.
Draw a second rectangle below the green rectangle. The second rectangle is a road.

Add a Title Area

Click the Fill color box and choose purple as the fill color.
Draw the last rectangle, as shown.

Add Trees

Now you will add two trees to your movie.

Create a Trees Layer

Create a new layer and name it Trees.

Make sure Buildings is the active layer. (You click on the layer name to make a layer active.)
Choose Insert > Timeline > Layer from the menu. A new layer appears at the top of the Timeline.
Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu. The Layer Properties dialog box opens.
Type Trees in the Name field.
Click OK.

Get a Tree

Take a tree from the Library.

Move to the Library. If the Library panel is not open, choose Window > Library from the menu.
Click the icon next to Tree and drag a tree onto the Stage.

Resize the Tree

Choose the Free Transform tool. Handles appear around the tree.

Choose the Scale Modifier.
Drag a corner handle until the tree is the appropriate size.
Place the tree in front of a building.
Place another tree on the Stage and repeat the process.

Adding New Layers

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Create a new layer for the sky.

Choose Insert > Timeline > Layer from the menu to create a new layer above the active layer.
Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu. The Layer Properties dialog box opens.
Type Sky in the Name field.
Click OK.

Create the Sky

Make sure Sky is the active layer. When a layer is active, it is highlighted and there is a pencil icon on the layer. You click on the layer name to make a layer active.
Move to the Library panel. If the Library panel is not open, choose Window > Library from the menu to open the Library.
Click the icon next to Sky and drag a copy of Sky onto the Stage.

Rotate

You can use the Modify menu tool to rotate an object. You need to rotate the Sky instance to create the sky.

Note: When you take an object out of the Library, the object is referred to as an instance of a symbol.

Choose the Selection tool.

Click the Sky symbol to select it.
Choose Modify > Transform > Rotate 90 CW from the menu.

Resize

You need the sky to fill the top part of the Stage. You must resize the Sky instance. You can use the Property inspector to resize an object.

Choose Window > Properties > Properties from the menu if the Property inspector is not open.
Choose the Selection tool.
Click the Sky instance to select it.
Click the Proportional icon in the Property inspector to deselect the Proportional option. When the Proportional option is selected, adjusting the width changes the height proportionally, and vice versa.

Set the W field to 400.
Set the H field to 240.
Click and drag until the sky is over the buildings.

Changing the Order of Layers

You want to place the sky behind the buildings.

Click the Sky layer on the Timeline.
Drag the Sky layer downward to place it below the Buildings layer.

Creating Your Movie

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You have created all your graphics and have stored them as symbols. You are now ready to create your movie. Start by drawing buildings.

Draw the Buildings

Choose the Line tool.
Move to the Stage and draw buildings as shown in the illustration.

Add Color to the Buildings

Fill the first building with color:

Choose the Paint Bucket tool.
Click on the Fill color box and choose tan as the fill color.
Click in the first building to fill the building with color.

Fill the next building with color:

Click the Fill color box and choose green as the fill color.
Click in the second building to fill the building with color.

Fill the last building with color:

Click the Fill color box and choose pink as the fill color.
Click in the last building to fill the building with color.

Layers

Think of a layer as a transparent sheet on which you paint. You can see through each layer to the layers under it until you add color. You can add layers, delete layers, and change the position of layers. Each layer is independent of all other layers. The layer you are currently working on is called the active layer. You can view layer information on the Timeline.

Renaming a Layer

Change the name of the current layer:

Click the layer you want to rename.

Choose Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties from the menu. The Layer Properties dialog box opens.
Type Buildings in the name field.
Click OK.

Drawing a Car

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In this exercise you will create a car. You will use the car later.

Draw a Hubcap

Start your car by drawing a hubcap.

Choose View > Snapping > Snap to Grid from the menu.
Choose the Oval tool.
Click the Stroke Color box and choose gray as the stroke color.
Click the Fill color box and choose gray as the fill color.
Click in the upper corner of a square of the grid, hold down the Shift key, and drag diagonally to draw a circle. Holding down the shift key as you drag creates a perfect circle when you are using the Oval tool.

Convert the Hubcap to a Symbol

Converting the hubcap to a symbol places the hubcap in the Library. Later you will take two copies of the hubcap out of the Library and place one copy on each tire.

Choose the Selection tool.
Double-click the circle. Double-clicking the circle selects the fill and the stroke.
Choose Modify > Convert to Symbol from the menu. The Symbol Properties dialog box opens.
Type Cap in the Name field.
Choose Graphic as the Behavior type.
Click OK.
Press the Delete key to remove the hubcap from the Stage.

Draw the Tires

Draw two tires. Look at the graphic below and place the tires on the grid exactly as shown. Remember: When using the Oval tool, holding down the Shift key as you click and drag creates a perfect circle.

Choose the Oval tool.
Click the Stroke color box and choose black as the stroke color.
Click the Fill color box and choose black as the fill color.
If selected, deselect Obect Drawing mode.
Click and drag while holding down the Shift key to draw the two tires as show in the graphic.

Draw the Chassis

You use the Line tool to draw straight lines. Use the Line tool to draw the car chassis. But first, you need to set the Stroke line size.

Choose the Line tool.

Move to the Property inspector. If the Property inspector is not open, choose Window > Properties > Properties from the menu to open it.
Choose Solid from the drop-down menu.
Type 3 in the Stroke height field to set the line thickness.
Draw the chassis as shown in this graphic.

Fill the Car with the Color Red

Choose the Paint Bucket tool.

Click the Fill color box and choose red as the fill color.
Click the car to apply the fill color.

Fill the Headlights with the Color White

Choose the Paint Bucket tool.
Click the Fill color box and choose white as the fill color.
Click inside the headlight area.

Add the Hubcaps

Choose the Selection tool.
Move to the Library panel. Choose Window > Library from the menu if the Library is not open.
Click the icon next to Cap and drag a copy of Cap to the center of one tire.

Click the icon next to Cap again and drag another copy of Cap to the center of the other tire.
Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to adjust the location of the hubcaps. Your car should look like the one shown here.

Group the Car

You want Flash to view the car as a single object. You need to group the car.

Choose the Selection tool.
Create a rectangle around the car to select the car.
Choose Modify > Group from the menu.

Convert the Car to a Symbol

Choose Modify > Convert to Symbol from the menu. The Convert to Symbol dialog box opens.
Type Car in the Name field.
Choose Graphic as the Behavior.
Click OK. Flash stores the graphic in the Library.
Press Delete to remove the car from the Stage.

The Pencil Tool

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You use the Pencil tool to draw freehand shapes. You need to draw a tree trunk and a treetop to create a tree.

Create the Tree Trunk

Choose View > Grid > Edit Grid from the menu.
Deselect Snap to Grid.
Click OK.
Choose the Pencil tool.

Click the Stroke Color box and choose brown as the stroke color.
Click the Fill color box and choose brown as the fill color.
On the Modifier panel, if Object Drawing is selected, deselect Object Drawing.
On the Modifier panel, choose the Smooth option. This option rounds the corners of your drawing.

Draw the tree trunk. Make sure the starting point and the ending point connect.
Choose the Paint Bucket tool. You use the Paint Bucket tool to fill enclosed areas with color.
Click inside the trunk to fill the trunk with color.
Note: If your tree trunk does not fill with color, you might have gaps. To close the gaps, click on the Gap Size modifier and choose Close Large Gaps.

Create the Tree Top

Choose the Pencil tool.
Click the Stroke color box and choose green as the stroke color.
Click the Fill color box and choose green as the fill color.
Draw a treetop like the one shown here.

Choose the Paint Bucket tool.
Click inside the treetop to fill the treetop with color.

Create the Tree

Choose the Selection tool.
Double-click the treetop to choose the treetop.
Drag the treetop over the tree trunk.

Grouping

Flash Professional 8 views the tree as two objects, the treetop and the tree trunk. In the next exercise you will group the treetop and the tree trunk to cause Flash Professional 8 to view the tree as a single object. Then you will turn the tree into a symbol.

Choose the Selection tool.
Use the Selection tool to create a rectangle around the tree. This selects the tree.
Choose Modify > Group from the menu to make the treetop and the tree trunk a single object.
Choose Modify > Convert to Symbol from the menu. The Symbol Properties box will open.
Type Tree in the Name field.
Choose Graphic as the Behavior type.
Click OK. The tree now appears in the Library.
Press the Delete key to remove the tree from the Stage.

Creating a Symbol

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You are now ready to turn the graphic (the ellipse) you created into a symbol and store the graphic in the Library. Items stored in the Library can be used later.

Choose the Selection tool.

Click and drag to create a rectangle around the ellipse to select it.
Choose Modify > Convert to Symbol from the menu. The Convert to Symbol dialog box opens.

Type Start Button in the Name field.
Choose Button as the type of behavior.
Click OK.
Choose Window > Library from the menu. The Library panel opens. You should see Start Button in the Library window.

Press the Delete key to delete the ellipse from the Stage. Don�t worry. You have a copy of the Start Button in the Library.

Gradients

When you click a Fill Color box, the Fill dialog box shown here opens.

Gradients show gradations of color. They display on the bottom row of the Fill dialog box. You will use a gradient to create the movie�s sky. But first, you must create the gradient you will use.

To create the gradient:

Click the first Color box on the gradient row.
Choose Window > Color Mixer from the menu. The Color Mixer panel opens.

Choose Linear from the drop-down menu.
Double-click on the first Edit Gradient Range icon. Color boxes appear.

Click the color blue to select blue.
Double-click the second Fill Gradient Range icon. Click the color box and select white.

Click and drag the second Fill Gradient Range icon to the three-quarter point on the Gradient Range slider.
Click the Menu Options icon.
Click Add Swatch. Flash adds the gradient you created to the color box.

The Rectangle Tool

You use the Rectangle Tool to draw rectangles and squares. In this exercise you will create a rectangle and fill it with the gradient you just created. You will then turn the resulting graphic into a symbol and use it later to create the sky.

Choose the Rectangle tool.

Move to the Property inspector. If the Property inspector is not open, choose Window > Properties > Properties from the menu to open it.
Select NoColor in the Stroke color box.

In the Fill color box, select the gradient you created.
Click the Stage and drag diagonally to create a rectangle.

Later you will use the graphic you just created. For now, turn it into a symbol.

Choose the Selection tool.
Click the graphic.
Choose Modify > Convert to Symbol from the menu. The Convert to Symbol dialog box opens.
Type Sky in the Name field.
Choose Graphic as the Behavior.
Click OK to store the graphic in the Library. If the Library is not already open, click Window > Library to open the Library. You can see the graphic in the Library.
Press the Delete key to remove the graphic from the Stage.

The Grid

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In the exercises that follow, you will be creating graphics. When creating graphics, the grid is often helpful. To turn on the grid:

Choose View > Grid > Edit Grid from the menu. The Grid dialog box opens.

2.
Click the Color
box and select gray to have the grid lines display in gray.
3.
Choose Show Grid to cause the grid to display.
4.
Choose Snap to Grid to cause the edges of your graphic to align with the grid lines.
5.
Set the Horizontal field Horizontal field to 20 px to separate horizontal lines by 20 pixels.
6.
Set the Vertical field Vertical field to 20 px to separate vertical lines by 20 pixels.
7.
Set the Snap Accuracy to Normal.
8.
Click OK.

The Property Inspector

In the Property inspector, you can set the attributes of objects as you work. You will use the Property inspector frequently when working in Flash Professional 8. To open the Property inspector:

*

Choose Window > Properties> Properties from the menu. The Property inspector appears at the bottom of the screen.

The Property inspector is one of many panels found in Flash. When you are not working in a panel, you can collapse the panel. To collapse the Property inspector, click the Collapse icon. To open the Property inspector again, click the Expand icon.

The Oval Tool

In the exercise that follows, you will use the Oval tool to draw an ellipse. You will then turn the ellipse into a symbol. Symbols are reusable graphics you store in the Library. Later in the tutorial you will turn the ellipse into the button movie viewers press to start the movie.

To draw the ellipse:

Choose the Oval tool. There are two color boxes on the Modifier panel. These color boxes are used to set the stroke and fill colors. The stroke color outlines your drawing. The fill color fills the center of your drawing.

Click the Stroke Color box and then click the color black to choose black as your stroke color.
Click the Fill Color box and then click the color navy to choose navy as your fill color.
If selected, click to deselect the Object Drawing option. The Object Drawing option enables you to draw your ellipse as a grouped object that will not merge with other objects you draw. You want this option turned off.

You set the thickness of the Stroke line in the Property inspector. To set the thickness of the Stroke line:

If the Property inspector is not open, choose Window > Properties> Properties from the menu. The Property inspector appears at the bottom of the screen.

Choose Solid from the drop-down menu to select the type of line that will outline your drawing.
Type 3 in the Stroke Height field to set the line thickness.
Click on the Stage and drag diagonally to draw the ellipse.

Note: You can also use the Property inspector to set the stroke and fill colors.

Flash 8 Tutorial

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View Movie

Click Here to download Flash Player Then click on the Start Movie button to view my Flash 8 movie.

In this tutorial I take you step-by-step through the process of creating this Flash Professional 8 movie. You will learn how to create graphics, work with layers, and add motion, sound, and text to your movie.

You will need Flash Professional 8 to take this tutorial.
If you do not have a copyof flash proffesional 8, you can download trial version by clicking here

Getting Started

To begin, open Flash Professional 8. You will be presented with the screen shown here.

Click Flash Document. The screen shown here appears:

The upper left corner of the screen displays the Tools palette, which contains tools you can use to create or modify graphics and text. You select a tool by clicking on it. Tool modifiers for the selected tool display below the Tools palette. You use modifiers to set tool options.

The Timeline appears in the upper portion of the screen. You use the Timeline to lay out the sequence of your movie.

The Stage displays in the center of the screen. You create your movie on the Stage.

Movie Properties

You start creating your movie by setting the Frame Rate, Dimensions, Background color, and Ruler Units.

Frame Rate	The speed of the movie
Dimension	The size of the Stage
Background Color	The color of the Stage
Ruler Units	The unit of measure the ruler displays

You set these properties in the Movie Properties dialog box. To set the properties for the movie you are going to create:

Choose Modify > Document from the menu. The Document Properties dialog box opens.

Type 400 px in the Width field.
Type 400 px in the Height field.
Click the Background color box and choose white as the background color.
Type 12 in the Frame Rate field.
Choose Pixels from the drop-down menu in the Ruler Units field.
Click OK.

Lesson 1: The PowerPoint Screen

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You use PowerPoint to create effective slide show presentations. The PowerPoint screen has many elements.

Title Bar

The Title bar generally appears at the top of the screen. The Title bar displays the title of the current presentation.

Menu Bar

The Menu bar displays the menu. You use the menu to give instructions to PowerPoint.

Standard and Formatting Toolbars

PowerPoint has several toolbars. Toolbars provide shortcuts to menu commands. The most commonly used toolbars are the Standard and Formatting toolbars. You use the Standard toolbar to do such things as open a file; save a file; print a file; check spelling; cut, copy, and paste; undo and redo; or insert a chart or table. You use the Formatting toolbar to change the font, font size or font color; bold, underline, or italicize text; left align, right align, center, or justify; bullet or number lists; highlight; or decrease or increase the indent.

Rulers

Rulers are vertical and horizontal guides. You use them to determine where you want to place an object. They are marked in inches.

Placeholders

Placeholders hold the objects in your slide. You use placeholders to hold text, clip art, and charts.

Status Bar

The Status bar generally appears at the bottom the screen. The Status bar displays the number of the slide that is currently displayed, the total number of slides, and the name of the design template in use or the name of the background.

Outline Tab

The Outline displays the text contained in your presentation.

Slides Tab

The Slides tab displays a thumbnail of all your slides. You click the thumbnail to view the slide in the Slide pane.

View Buttons

The View buttons appear near the bottom of the screen. You use the view buttons to change between Normal view, Slider Sorter view, and the Slide Show.

Normal View: Normal view splits you screen into three major sections: the Outline and Slides tabs, the Slide pane, and the Task pane. The Outline and Slides tabs are on the left side of your screen. They enable you to shift between two different ways of viewing your slides. The Slides tab shows thumbnails of your slides. The Outline tab shows the text on your slides. The Slide pane is located in the center of your screen. The Slide pane shows a large view of the slide on which you are currently working. The Task pane is located on the right side of your screen. The Tasks pane enables you to select the task you want to perform.

Slide Sorter View: Slide Sorter view enables you to view thumbnails of all your slides. In Slide Sorter view you can easily add, delete, or change the order of your slides. When you are in Slide Sorter view, a special Formatting toolbar appears. It has options that allow you to make changes to your slides
.
Slide Show: Use the Slide Show view when you want to view your slides, as they will look in your final presentation. When in Slide Show view:

Esc	Returns you to the view you were using previously.
Left-clicking	Moves you to the next slide or animation effect. When you reach the last slide, you automatically return to your last view.
Right-clicking	Opens a pop-up menu. You can use this menu to navigate the slides, add speaker notes, select a pointer, and mark your presentation.

Drawing Toolbar

The Drawing toolbar generally appears near the bottom of the screen. It contains tools for creating and editing graphics.

Common Tasks Buttons

Using the common tasks buttons, you can select the type of tasks you want to perform.

Task Pane

The Task pane enables you to select the specific task you want to perform.

Vertical Splitter Bar

You can click and drag the vertical splitter bar to change the size of your panes.

Minimize Button

You use the Minimize button to remove a window from view. While a window is minimized, its title appears on the taskbar.

Maximize/Restore Button

You use the Maximize button to cause a window to fill the screen. After you maximize a window, if you click the Restore button, the window returns to its former size.

Close Button

You use the Close button to exit the window and close the program.

Lesson 2: PowerPoint Overview

2009-04-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

When you start PowerPoint, PowerPoint displays the Title Slide in the Slide pane. You can type the title of your presentation and a subtitle on this side. To enter text on the Title Slide:

* Click and type the title of your presentation in the "Click to add title" area.
* Click and type a subtitle in the "Click to add subtitle" area.

If you do not wish to use the Title Slide, choose Edit > Delete slide from the menu to delete it.
Create New Slides

After completing your title slide, you can create additional slides. To create a new slide:

1. Do one of the following:
* Choose Insert > New Slide from the menu.
* Click the New Slide button New slide button.
* Press Ctrl-M.

The Apply Slide Layout pane will appear on the right side of the screen. The Apply Slide Layout pane provides you with slide templates you can use when creating your PowerPoint presentation. There are four types of Text Layout templates.

Title Slide - The Title Slide contains two text placeholders that you can use to display a title and a subtitle of your presentation.

Title Only - The Title Only slide contains a single placeholder. You can use it to display a title.

Title and Text - The Title and Text template provides a placeholder for a title and a placeholder for text.

Title and 2 Column Text - The Title and Text template provides a placeholder for a title and two placeholders for text.

2. To select a layout, click the layout you want in the Apply Slide Layout pane. The layout will then appear in the Slide pane.

To add text, click inside the placeholder and type.
To add an additional slide to your presentation do one of the following:
- Right-click on the slide layout. A menu will appear. Choose Insert New Slide.
- Click the down arrow next to the slide layout. A menu will appear). Choose Insert New Slide.

Change Your Slides

After creating a slide, if you want to add text:

Place the cursor at the point at which you would like to add text.
Type the information you want to add.

If you would like to change text:

Highlight the text you want to change.
Type the new text.

You can use the backspace key to delete text. You can also delete text by highlighting the text and pressing the Delete key.

Apply a Design Template

Design templates provide attractive backgrounds for your PowerPoint slides. To apply a design template:

Do one of the following:
- Choose Format > Slide Design from the menu.
- Click the Slide Design
Design templates will appear on the right side of the screen.
To apply a design template to all of the slides in your presentation do one of the following:
- Click on the design template.
- Right-click on the template. A menu will appear. Choose Apply to All Slides.
- Click on the down arrow next to the template. A menu will appear. Choose Apply to All Slides.

Correct Spelling

Using the PowerPoint spell checker, you can check the spelling in you PowerPoint documents.

To start spell check, do one of the following:
- Choose Tools > Spelling from the menu.
- Press F7.
- Click the Spell Check icon.

If there are possible spelling errors, the Spelling dialog box will open.

Task	Procedure
Do not change spelling.	Click Ignore.
Correct spelling.	Click the correct spelling in the Suggestions box. Click Change.
Add to Dictionary.	Click Add.
Word is Correct. Do not change document.	Click Ignore All.
Word is incorrect. Change entire document.	Click Change All.

Sorter View

After you have created your PowerPoint slides, you can move, cut, copy, paste, duplicate, navigate, and view them in Sorter view. To view the slides in Sorter view, do one of the following:

Choose View > Slide Sorter from the menu.
Click the Slide Sorter View icon.

Slide Sorter View
Task	Procedure
Move to first slide.	Ctrl-Home
Move to last slide.	Ctrl-End
Move to next slide.	Right arrow
Move to previous slide.	Left arrow
Select a slide.	Single-click
Open slide in Normal view.	Double-click slide.
Select slides.	Select a single slide: Click the slide you want to select.
Select slides.	Select multiple slides: Hold down Ctrl key. Click the slides you want to select.
Delete a slide.	Select the slide or slides you want to delete. Press the Delete key.
Delete a slide.	Select the slide or slides you want to delete. Choose Edit > Delete Slide from the menu.
Copy a slide.	Select the slide. Choose Edit > Copy from the menu.
	Select the slide. Click the copy icon.
	Select the slide. Press Ctrl-C.
Paste a slide	Select the slide after which you want the new slide or slides to appear. Choose Edit > Paste from the menu.
	Select the slide after which you want the new slide or slides to appear. Click the paste icon.
	Select the slide after which you want the new slide or slides to appear. Press Ctrl-V.
Cut a slide	Select the slide or slides you want to cut. Choose Edit > Cut from the menu.
	Select the slide or slides you want to cut. Click the Cut icon.
	Select the slide or slides you want to cut. Press Ctrl-X.
Move a slide	Select the slide or slides you want to move. Drag to the new location.
Duplicate a slide	Select the slide or slides you want to duplicate. Choose Edit > Duplicate from the menu.
Duplicate a slide	Select the slide or slides you want to duplicate. Press Ctrl- D.

Run Your PowerPoint Slide Show

Once you have created your slides, you can run your Slide Show:

Do any one of the following:
- Press F5.
- Choose Slide Show > View Show from the menu.
- Click the Slide Show icon , which is located in the bottom left corner of your screen.

Your slideshow will appear on your screen.

Navigating the Slideshow
Task	Procedure
Go to the next slide.	Do one of the following: Press the Right Arrow key. Press the Enter key. Press the Page Down key. Left-click
Go to the previous slide.	Do one of the following: Press the Left Arrow key. Press the Backspace key. Press the Page Up key.

Print Your Slides

PowerPoint provides you with many printing options. You can print a large view of your slides or you can print your slides as handouts with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 9 slides per page. You can also print your Notes pages or the Outline view of your slides.

To print:

Choose File >Print Preview from the menu. The Print Preview area will open.
Click the down arrow next to the Print What field.
Select what you would like to print.
Click the Print icon. The Print dialog box will open.
Select whether you want your slides to print in colour, grayscale, or black and white. If you are using a black and white printer, choose black and white. You will use less ink or toner.
Check whether you want your slides to print vertically or horizontally.

Lesson 3: Creating Your First PowerPoint Presentation

2009-04-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

The following exercise steps you through creating your first PowerPoint presentation.

Create a Title Slide
1. Open PowerPoint.
2. Choose Blank Presentation on the Task pane. You will be presented with a Title slide.

Enter the information shown here. Type College Scholarships and Financial Aid in the Click to Add Title text box. Type Paying for College in the Click to Add Subtitle text box.

Insert a New Slide

Click the New Slide icon .
Click the Title and Text icon.

Enter the information shown here. Type Here is what to do: in the Click to Add Title area. Type the bulleted text in the Click to Add Text area.

Create a Hierarchy

Insert a new slide. Right-click the Title and Text icon. A context menu will appear. Choose Insert New Slide from the context menu.
Enter the information shown here. Click the Increase Indent icon to indent the bullets for Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans. If you ever need to decrease an indent, use the decrease indent icon .

Use Two-Column Text

Right-click the Title and 2 Column Text icon. A context menu will appear. Choose Insert New Slide.
Enter the information shown here. Type the information in the appropriate column.

Apply a Design Template

Click the design icon . Design templates will appear on the left side of the screen.
Scroll down to view the design templates.
Right-click the design template you want to apply. A context menu will appear. Choose Apply to All Slides. We used the Lock and Key design template.

Outline and Slides Tab

Use the Slides tab to view thumbnails of your slide.

Click the Outline tab to view the text of your presentation as an outline.

Slide Sorter View

Choose View > Slide Sorter from the menu to move to Slide Sorter view.

Double-click a slide to return to Normal view.

Run Your Slide Show

Press F5 to run the Slide Show.
Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move forward and backward through your slides.
Use the Esc key to return to Normal view.

Print Your Outline

Choose File > Print Preview from the menu.
Click the down arrow next to the Print What icon.

Select Outline view.

Click the Print icon.
Click Close.

Print Your Slides

Choose File > Print Preview from the menu.
Click the down arrow next to the Print What icon.
Select the slides you want to print.
Click the down arrow next to Options. A menu will appear.
Choose Color/Grayscale > Pure Black and White.
Click the Print icon.
Click Close.

Print Your Slides as a Handout

Choose File > Print Preview from the menu.
Click the down-arrow next to the Print What icon.
Select Handouts (2 Slides Per Page).
Click the Print icon.
Click Close.

Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers

2009-04-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Microsoft Excel Window
Microsoft Excel is an electronic spreadsheet. You can use it to organize your data into rows and columns. You can also use it to perform mathematical calculations quickly. This tutorial teaches Microsoft Excel basics. Although knowledge of how to navigate in a Windows environment is helpful, this tutorial was created for the computer novice.

This lesson will introduce you to the Excel window. You use the window to interact with Excel. To begin this lesson, start Microsoft Excel 2007. The Microsoft Excel window appears and your screen looks similar to the one shown here.

Note: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In Excel 2007, how a window displays depends on the size of your window, the size of your monitor, and the resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less information fits on your screen, but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more information fits on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, settings in Excel 2007, Windows Vista, and Windows XP allow you to change the color and style of your windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Excel 2007 window is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar gives you with access to commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You can use Save to save your file, Undo to roll back an action you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

Next to the Quick Access toolbar is the Title bar. On the Title bar, Microsoft Excel displays the name of the workbook you are currently using. At the top of the Excel window, you should see "Microsoft Excel - Book1" or a similar name.

The Ribbon

You use commands to tell Microsoft Excel what to do. In Microsoft Excel 2007, you use the Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the Excel window, below the Quick Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher in the bottom-right corner of a group. When you click the dialog box launcher, a dialog box makes additional commands available.

Worksheets

Microsoft Excel consists of worksheets. Each worksheet contains columns and rows. The columns are lettered A to Z and then continuing with AA, AB, AC and so on; the rows are numbered 1 to 1,048,576. The number of columns and rows you can have in a worksheet is limited by your computer memory and your system resources.

The combination of a column coordinate and a row coordinate make up a cell address. For example, the cell located in the upper-left corner of the worksheet is cell A1, meaning column A, row 1. Cell E10 is located under column E on row 10. You enter your data into the cells on the worksheet.

The Formula Bar

If the Formula bar is turned on, the cell address of the cell you are in displays in the Name box which is located on the left side of the Formula bar. Cell entries display on the right side of the Formula bar. If you do not see the Formula bar in your window, perform the following steps:

Choose the View tab.
Click Formula Bar in the Show/Hide group. The Formula bar appears.

Note: The current cell address displays on the left side of the Formula bar.

The Status Bar

The Status bar appears at the very bottom of the Excel window and provides such information as the sum, average, minimum, and maximum value of selected numbers. You can change what displays on the Status bar by right-clicking on the Status bar and selecting the options you want from the Customize Status Bar menu. You click a menu item to select it. You click it again to deselect it. A check mark next to an item means the item is selected.

Move Around a Worksheet

By using the arrow keys, you can move around your worksheet. You can use the down arrow key to move downward one cell at a time. You can use the up arrow key to move upward one cell at a time. You can use the Tab key to move across the page to the right, one cell at a time. You can hold down the Shift key and then press the Tab key to move to the left, one cell at a time. You can use the right and left arrow keys to move right or left one cell at a time. The Page Up and Page Down keys move up and down one page at a time. If you hold down the Ctrl key and then press the Home key, you move to the beginning of the worksheet.

EXERCISE 1

Move Around the Worksheet

The Down Arrow Key

Press the down arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves downward one cell at a time.

The Up Arrow Key

Press the up arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves upward one cell at a time.

The Tab Key

Move to cell A1.
Press the Tab key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right one cell at a time.

The Shift+Tab Keys

Hold down the Shift key and then press Tab. Note that the cursor moves to the left one cell at a time.

The Right and Left Arrow Keys

Press the right arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right.
Press the left arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the left.

Page Up and Page Down

Press the Page Down key. Note that the cursor moves down one page.
Press the Page Up key. Note that the cursor moves up one page.

The Ctrl-Home Key

Move the cursor to column J.
Stay in column J and move the cursor to row 20.
Hold down the Ctrl key while you press the Home key. Excel moves to cell A1.

Go To Cells Quickly

The following are shortcuts for moving quickly from one cell in a worksheet to a cell in a different part of the worksheet.

EXERCISE 2

Go to -- F5

The F5 function key is the "Go To" key. If you press the F5 key, you are prompted for the cell to which you wish to go. Enter the cell address, and the cursor jumps to that cell.

Press F5. The Go To dialog box opens.
Type J3 in the Reference field.
Press Enter. Excel moves to cell J3.

Go to -- Ctrl+G

You can also use Ctrl+G to go to a specific cell.

Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box opens.
Type C4 in the Reference field.
Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C4.

The Name Box

You can also use the Name box to go to a specific cell. Just type the cell you want to go to in the Name box and then press Enter.

Type B10 in the Name box.
Press Enter. Excel moves to cell B10.

Select Cells

If you wish to perform a function on a group of cells, you must first select those cells by highlighting them. The exercises that follow teach you how to select.

EXERCISE 3

Select Cells

To select cells A1 to E1:

Go to cell A1.
Press the F8 key. This anchors the cursor.
Note that "Extend Selection" appears on the Status bar in the lower-left corner of the window. You are in the Extend mode.
Click in cell E7. Excel highlights cells A1 to E7.
Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to clear the highlighting.

Alternative Method: Select Cells by Dragging

You can also select an area by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse over the area. In addition, you can select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet by doing the following:

Go to cell A1.
Hold down the Ctrl key. You won't release it until step 9. Holding down the Ctrl key enables you to select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet.
Press the left mouse button.
While holding down the left mouse button, use the mouse to move from cell A1 to C5.
Continue to hold down the Ctrl key, but release the left mouse button.
Using the mouse, place the cursor in cell D7.
Press the left mouse button.
While holding down the left mouse button, move to cell F10. Release the left mouse button.
Release the Ctrl key. Cells A1 to C5 and cells D7 to F10 are selected.
Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to remove the highlighting.

Enter Data

In this section, you will learn how to enter data into your worksheet. First, place the cursor in the cell in which you want to start entering data. Type some data, and then press Enter. If you need to delete, press the Backspace key to delete one character at a time.

EXERCISE 4

Enter Data

Place the cursor in cell A1.
Type John Jordan. Do not press Enter at this time.

Delete Data

The Backspace key erases one character at a time.

Press the Backspace key until Jordan is erased.
Press Enter. The name "John" appears in cell A1.

Edit a Cell

After you enter data into a cell, you can edit the data by pressing F2 while you are in the cell you wish to edit.

EXERCISE 5

Edit a Cell

Change "John" to "Jones."

Move to cell A1.
Press F2.
Use the Backspace key to delete the "n" and the "h."
Type nes.
Press Enter.

Alternate Method: Editing a Cell by Using the Formula Bar

You can also edit the cell by using the Formula bar. You change "Jones" to "Joker" in the following exercise.

Move the cursor to cell A1.
Click in the formula area of the Formula bar.

Use the backspace key to erase the "s," "e," and "n."
Type ker.
Press Enter.

Alternate Method: Edit a Cell by Double-Clicking in the Cell

You can change "Joker" to "Johnson" as follows:

Move to cell A1.
Double-click in cell A1.
Press the End key. Your cursor is now at the end of your text.

Use the Backspace key to erase "r," "e," and "k."
Type hnson.
Press Enter.

Change a Cell Entry

Typing in a cell replaces the old cell entry with the new information you type.

Move the cursor to cell A1.
Type Cathy.
Press Enter. The name "Cathy" replaces "Johnson."

Wrap Text

When you type text that is too long to fit in the cell, the text overlaps the next cell. If you do not want it to overlap the next cell, you can wrap the text.

EXERCISE 6

Wrap Text

Move to cell A2.
Type Text too long to fit.
Press Enter.

Return to cell A2.
Choose the Home tab.
Click the Wrap Text button . Excel wraps the text in the cell.

Delete a Cell Entry

To delete an entry in a cell or a group of cells, you place the cursor in the cell or select the group of cells and press Delete.

EXERCISE 7

Delete a Cell Entry

Select cells A1 to A2.
Press the Delete key.

Save a File

This is the end of Lesson1. To save your file:

Click the Office button. A menu appears.
Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears.
Go to the directory in which you want to save your file.
Type Lesson1 in the File Name field.
Click Save. Excel saves your file.

Close Excel

Close Microsoft Excel.

Click the Office button. A menu appears.
Click Close. Excel closes.