Windows 2000

This lesson consists of the following topics:

Microsoft Windows 2000
The Desktop and Taskbar
What is a Window?
The Mouse
Selection Cursor, Insertion Point, and Mouse Pointer
Menus and Menu Commands
Dialog Boxes
Exiting Windows

Topic: Microsoft Windows 2000

Introduction:
Microsoft's Windows 2000 is the program that governs all operations on your computer. Windows 2000 uses a graphical user interface (GUI) consisting of windows, menus, icons, and dialog boxes to help you tell your computer what to do. Windows 2000 presents options and commands to you, accepts your responses, and translates them into commands for the computer. Windows 2000 eliminates the need for you to remember and type complex commands that require exact syntax.

Using Windows 2000 to Interact With Your Computer:
You interact with your computer in a number of ways. You enter data and the commands into the computer using an input device. The mouse and the keyboard are the most common input devices. Floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and microphones are also input devices. The computer uses an output device to send information to you. Monitors, printers, and speakers are common output devices. Windows 2000 allows you to communicate with the computer and control these devices by using menus and dialog boxes to request and accept information from you.

Windows 2000 Features:
The following are some Windows 2000 features.

Multi-tasking: Perhaps the greatest advantage of windows is the ability to have several programs and documents open at the same time. Having this capability to work quickly and efficiently, namely by not having to exit a program when you want to access information from another program. You can quickly switch among programs to activate the one you need to use. For example, you can have a word processing program, a database program, and an Internet browser open at the same time. With a few simple keystrokes, you can copy information from one program to another, without having to close any windows.
Standard Menu System: Microsoft imposes strict formatting guidelines for Windows programs. All Windows 2000 programs must use a standard menu system. As a result, you will find the same menu system and similar choices in all Windows 2000 programs.
Menu Commands: Commands are directons for the computer. When you invoke a command you are telling the computer to perform a specific task. In Windows 2000, you enter commands by choosing them from menus listed on your screen.
Clipboard: The Clipboard is a temporary storage area. The Clipboard "holds" cut or copied information until you paste it or cut or copy new information. You use the clipboard whenever you move or copy information in one program to another program.
Recycle Bin: Whenever you delete a folder or file from your computer, Windows places the item in the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin allows you to retrieve items that you accidentally deleted or items you decided were important after all.

Topic: The Desktop and Taskbar

Introduction:
The Desktop and Taskbar always appear on the screen when you start Windows 2000. The Desktop and the Taskbar serve as the main graphical interface to your computer. Together, the Desktop and the Taskbar cover the entire computer screen. You can access all your programs and files from either the Desktop or the Taskbar.

With the default installation of Windows 2000 the desktop looks similar to this:

The Windows 2000 Desktop:
The Desktop takes up the majority of the space on the screen. The Desktop lists program icons which you can use to start a program. (Not every program on your computer is represented by an icon on the Desktop, however.) Each time you start a program, it appears on the Desktop. As a result, the program icons may not always appear on the screen.

Think of the desktop as being similar to the top of your desk. As you work, you may place several folders and documents from different projects on your desk at the same time. After a while, your folders and documents start to overlap and "pile up." Similarly, as you work in Windows 2000, you may open several programs and documents. These programs and documents appear on your electronic Desktop. Just as programs and documents you place on your office deskstop, eventually, your electronic folders and documents may overlap on the computer Desktop. Also like the folders and documents on your desk, you can reshuffle, close, and throw-away the folders and documents on your electronic Desktop.

The Taskbar:
The Taskbar is a thin, horizontal bar below the Desktop. By default, the Taskbar always appears on the screen, even when you have a program running. The Taskbar contains the Start button, buttons for open programs, and a clock. The Taskbar allows you to quickly start programs, manage tasks on the Desktop and on your computer, and exit Windows. From the taskbar, you can start any program on your computer and access any document.

Topic: What is a Window?

Introduction:
A window is simply a framed region on the Desktop. Each window contains a different program or document. The number of windows which can appear on the Desktop depends on your computer's memory, the Windows program, the amount of memory your programs require, and the manner in which you choose to display them.

Types of Windows:
Windows 2000 uses two types of windows, program windows and document windows.

Program Window: A computer program is a set of instructions that perform a specific task, such as word processing or data management. Each time you open a program, Windows 2000 opens a program window through which you enter commands for the program. The more programs you start, the more windows you open. As a result, you may have several program windows open on your Desktop at the same time. A program window might contain several document windows. You can only enter commands through a program window.
Document Window: A document is any information you create with a program, such as a letter, spreadsheet, or database file. When you open or create a document in a program, you open a document window. Each document window contains a single document and always appears in the program window's work area. This type of window is sometimes referred to as a child window.

Window Elements:
Most windows contain a combination of the following elements:

Window Borders: Window borders are the four edges that define a window.
Control Menu: The control menu lets you move, close, or change the size of a window.
Control-Menu Box: The Control-menu box is a button appearing in the top, left corner of the window. When you activate the Control-menu box the Control menu appears. In Internet Explorer, the Control-menu box appears as the following:
Title Bar: The title bar is a horizontal bar directly below the window's top border between the Control-menu box and the resize buttons. The title bar lists the window's name. The following is an example of a title bar:
Resize and Close Buttons: The resize and close buttons appear in the top, right corner of the window. You must use the mouse pointer to activate these buttons. The resize buttons perform the same tasks as the sizing commands on the Control menu. The Close button performs the same task as the Close command on the File menu. Therefore, you may find it easier to use the menu commands rather than these buttons. From left to right they are the minimize, maximize and close buttons. These buttons appear as the following on every window:
Menu Bar: The menu bar is a horizontal bar the length of the window. It appears at the top of a program window, directly beneath the title bar. The menu bar lists all menus for the program. In Internet Explorer, the Menu Bar appears as the following:
Work Area: Every window has a work area. What you do in the work area depends on the window. Generally, a window's work area holds information. For example, a program window's work area holds the document window.
Icons: Icons are small, graphic representations of programs, drives, folders, and documents. When you activate an icon you start the program, open the document, or access the contents of the drive or folder. By default, the Recycle Bin icon is located on your desktop.
Scroll Bar: A scroll bar is a bar along the right edge and/or bottom edge of a window that lets you scroll the contents of a window or list box to show information not currently visible on the screen. An example of a horizontal scroll bar is shown below:
Status Bar: The status bar is a horizontal bar beneath a document window. It lists status information such as page number, date, time, or status of task. In Internet ExplorerCommunicator, your status bar should like similar to the following:

Topic: The Mouse?

Introduction:
The mouse is an input device used to navigate through Windows 2000 and enter commands. You can use a keyboard shortcut to perform most tasks which are performed with a mouse. A keyboard shortcut is a single keystroke or a combination of keystrokes that executes a command.

You may encounter tasks that cannot be performed using a keyboard shortcut. To complete these tasks you must use the left and right mouse button keys.

Mouse Terminology:
Because you may need to use the mouse button keys, you should become familiar with terms associated with the mouse functions. The following terms are associated with the mouse:

Point: Point means to place the mouse pointer on a specific item.
Point to the File menu located in the upper left corner of your window.
Your mouse should look like .
Click: Click is the act of pressing and releasing the left-mouse button one time. When you click on an item, you are selecting it.
Click on the Recycle Bin icon located on your desktop.
Your icon should now be highlighted.
Right-Click: Right-Click is the act of pressing and releasing the right-mouse button one time. When you right-click in Windows 2000, a shortcut menu appears.
Right-Click on your desktop.
The following shortcut menu will appear:
Double-Click: Double-Click is the act of pressing and releasing the left (or right) mouse button twice in a rapid succession. When you double-click on an item, Windows selects and executes the command associated with the item. For example, you may double-click on a program icon to start the program.
Drag: Dragging is the act of moving a selected item to a different location on the screen.
Drag the Recycle Bin around your desktop.

Topic: Selection Cursor, Insertion Point, and Mouse Pointer

Introduction:
Windows uses the insertion point, the selection cursor, and the mouse pointer to indicate where on the screen the computer's attention, or focus, is directed. You can use keystrokes to control these items and direct the computer's focus to another area or object on the screen.

Selection Cursor: The selection cursor appears as a frame around a selected item or as a highlight, changing the color of the selected item. The selection cursor appears on menus to indicate which menu or command is selected. A selection cursor appears on menus to indicate which menu or command is selected and on dialog boxes to indicate which field is selected. A selection cursor also appears around text selected for editing functions, such as bolding and underlining. The computer does not do anything to the item in the selection cursor until you give it a command. For example, you must press Enter to tell the computer to execute a selected menu command; you must execute the Copy command in order to copy selected text. The selection cursor is sometimes referred to as simply the "highlight."
Insertion Point: An insertion point is a flashing vertical bar that indicates where the information you type will appear. The insertion point appears in documents and text boxes. The insertion point always appears to the right of the last character you typed. The insertion point is usually referred to as the "cursor."
Mouse Pointer: The mouse pointer indicates the position of the mouse on the Desktop. The mouse pointer always follows the movement of the mouse. As a result, the mouse pointer is not always in the same position on the screen as the insertion point or selection cursor. However, the computer ignores the mouse pointer until you activate it by clicking the left or right mouse button, either on the mouse itself or using the equivalent keystroke. When you activate the mouse pointer, you are telling the computer to direct its attention to the item or area on the screen where the mouse pointer appears.
Mouse Pointer Shapes: The shape of the mouse pointer depends on which program you are using, where the mouse pointer appears on the screem, and which task you are performing. The following list describes the different mouse pointer shapes and their functions.
1. I-Beam: The I-Beam indicates the mouse pointer is positioned on an area where you can type text such as on a document, text box, or combo box.
2. ()Arrow: The Arrow indicates the mouse pointer is positioned on an item that can be selected or activated, such as a button, menu, menu command, an item selected for dragging or resizing, or an inactive window.
3. Hand: The Hand indicates the text on which the mouse pointer is positioned is a hypertext link. When you activate a link, you change the computer's focus to another place in the document or to another document or program entirely. The Hand is commonly found in the Help program where text formatted as a hypertext link opens new Help topics or provides you with a definition.

Topic: Menus and Menu Commands

Introduction:
A menu contains a list of available commands in a program. Rather than having you memorize all the commands a program can accept, Windows organizes the commands into menus. While all Windows programs use a menu system to group related commands, the number and names of menus and the number and types of commands listed on a menu depend on the Windows program you are using. However, most Windows programs will have at least a File menu and a Help menu.

Some menu commands require you to enter additional information. When you select these commands, a dialog box appears prompting you for information. For example, when you choose the Shut Down command on the Start menu, a dialog box appears prompting yo to tell the computer which shut down option you want.

Other menu commands require you to select additional commands from a sub-menu which opens to the side of the main menu. For example, when you choose the Programs command on the Start menu, a sub-menu appears with a list of programs you can start or program folders you can open.

An example of a menu is the Start Menu:

Menu and Menu Command Hot Keys:
A hot key is a single key that represents the menu or menu command. The hot key is the underlined letter in the name of the menu or menu command. For example, the letter P in the Programs command is underlined indicating the P key is the hot key for this command. Often, a keyboard shortcut includes the command hot key.

Click on the Start button. Type the letter H.

The following should appear:

Close the Help Topics window.

Start Menu Commands:
The Start menu appears when you activate the Start button on the Taskbar. You use this menu to start programs, open documents, change your computer settings, find Help information, and shut down your computer. The number of commands that appear on your Start menu depends on your installation. However, the following commands appear on the Start menu by default.

Programs: The programs command brings up the Programs sub-menu. From the Programs sub-menu, you can choose to open a program folder or start a program. The P key is the hot key for this command.
Documents: The Documents command activates the Document sub-menu. The Documents sub-menu lists the last fifteen documents you worked with in Windows 2000. The D key is the hot key for this command.
Settings: The settings command activates the Settings sub-menu. From the Settings sub-menu, you can change your computer settings using the Control Panel, change your printer set-up, and change the Taskbar settings. The S key is the hot key for this command.
Find: The Find command activates the Find sub-menu. you can choose commands to find files or folders on your computer or find computers in your Network Neighborhood. The F key is the hot key for this command.
Help: The Help command opens the Windows 2000 Help program. You can use the Help program to find answers to your questions about Windows 2000. The H key is the hot key for this command.
Run: The Run command opens the Run dialog box. If you know the name and path of a program, you can use the Run dialog box to start the program. The R key is the hot key for this command.
Shut Down: The Shut Down command opens the Shut Down dialog box. From the Shut Down dialog box, you can choose to shut down, restart or logoff the computer. The U key is the hot key for this command.

Topic: Dialog Boxes

Introduction:
Windows uses dialog boxes to either display or request information. A dialog box is a rectangular window which varies in size and usually appears in the center of the screen. A dialog box can be very simple, displaying a brief message or listing just a few fields of information. Other dialog boxes have numerous fields and can contain menu and button bars.

You can either accept the information listed in the fields on the dialog box or change it. A field in a dialog box can be formatted as a Check Box, Command Button, Drop-down List Box, List Box, Option Button, Spin Box, or Text Box. A dialog box may also contain Tabbed Pages. Refer to the definitions below for more information about dialog box fields.

An example of a dialog box occurs when the Print option is selected from the File menu.

Another example occurs when Options... is chosen in a number of applications.

The following image is also a dialog box which occurs when inserting the date and/or time into a document.

Dialog Box Fields:
The following definitions describe the dialog box fields. Refer to the above image for the following fields.

Check Box: Check boxes appear next to options you can turn on or off. If the option is on, an X appears in the check box. If the box is empty, the option is off. You may check more than one option when they are formatted as check boxes. A check box field appears in the update automatically option in the dialog box above.
Command Button: A command button tells the computer to carry out an action. For example, the OK button tells the Windows to close the dialog box and accept the information listed in the dialog box. The Cancel button tells Windows to close the dialog box. The Cancel button tells the Windows to close the dialog box and ignore any changes made in the dialog box. The Print dialog box seen above consists of two command buttons; OK and Cancel.
Drop-Down List Box: Initially, a drop-down list box contains one option. However, when you press the Intermediate Down Arrow key a list of additional options descends from the box. You can only select one option from the list. The Print dialog box provides a drop-down list box in the Name: option. The arrow to the right is used to select a printer from the options available.
List Box: A list box contains a list of options. Usually, you can only select one option in a list box. The Date and Time dialog box consists of a list box.
Option Box: When you are allowed to only choose one in a list of options, the options are grouped together as option buttons. The currently selected option has a darkened circle. In the Print dialog box, the Print range consists of an option box. In this case, you can either print the entire document or you can specify the pages.
Spin Box: A spin box contains incremental values. You may type in a valid value, or use the Intermediate Up or Down Arrow key to select a higher or lower value from a defined list. Increments can be in terms of percents or whole numbers. Spin boxes are normally used when you are to set the size of the specific item, such as a margin. In the Print dialog box, a spin box is used to specify the number of pages.
Tabbed Pages: When a dialog box contains numerous fields, it is divided into tabbed pages. Tabbed pages look like hanging file folders in a file cabinet drawer. Each tabbed page contains a different set of fields. The Options dialog box consists of six tabbed pages.
Text Box: A text box allows you to enter text. When the text box is empty, an insertion point appears in the field. If the text box contains text, a selection cursor appears around the text. The Print dialog box contains two text boxes. They are found in the Print range box where you can select which pages you want to print.

Topic: Exiting Windows

Introduction: You should always exit Windows before you turn off your computer. Windows must save information to the hard drive as it closes. You may loose important information if you turn the power off before Windows closes completely.

In addition, you should always make sure all your documents and programs are closed before exiting Windows. If you attempt to exit Windows with a program open, Windows will prompt you to save any changes before Windows shuts down.

The message "It is now safe to turn off your computer" appears when Windows has closed completely. You can then turn off your computer.