Computer notes



Computer notes

General

When you first turn on the computer you will be at the Desktop. This screen will have many icons, pictures with words under the pictures. The icons connect your to some of the programs in your computers. These icons or program connections, also called shortcuts, activate or start the program or open a folder. They are normally activated by a double left click of the mouse. Some of the icons might include outlook express, internet explorer, trash, and my documents.

If you think of your compute as a large filing system that lets you go very quickly to many parts of your computer. These are the folders that you might see in many screens on the computer. Think of the folders as containers that can hold, programs more folders, and files which would be like the pieces of paper in a file cabinet. The programs are directions telling the computer how to do things like go to the internet, write pages of text, work with numbers or organize information. They can do many other things.

The mouse today has 3 parts. There are 2 buttons and a wheel.

The left button is the one that is used the most and is the oldest. Its main function is to tell the computer this is what I am talking about. It can be used to select pictures text, or choose an icon and start or open the icon.

All of this can be very confusing because 1 object seems to do so many things. It does even more but this is enough for now.

The right mouse button will bring up a list of choices and you pick which one you want by left clicking on it.

The wheel is used to move up and down on the page. It is most often used on the internet. It can also be used in large documents. When the document is larger than one screen, you can move up and down by rolling the wheel. If you push on the wheel an arrow pointing up or down will appear and by moving the mouse above that point it will go up. By moving the wheel below the arrows you will move down on the page. The farther you get away from the arrows the faster you will move. If you move just a little, it will move just fast enough to let you read the page.

The most common thing you will do on the desktop is to double left click on an icon. The biggest problem most people have is that they move the mouse between left click and nothing seems to happen. The computer does not see this as a double click but as 2 single clicks which means nothing to the computer. If you have trouble double left clicking try a right click and a left click on the open choice. It will do the same thing.

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My documents

This is a folder that often holds documents that you have created and a few standard folders in windows XP. The folders are for music, videos, pictures and games. Most of the time, the folders have My in front of the name.

My documents is the dumping ground for files that the computer does not know where else to put. If you save a file and don’t tell the computer where to put it in the file system it will dump it in my documents. In this folder you can create more folders to organize your files. Again a file is like the paper in a filing cabinet. The folders can be like the file folders or the draws of the cabinet. You get to organize them any way you want. You can call a folder auto bills, car bills, transportation bills, vehicle bills or automobile bills. Call them anything you want. Anyone else that uses them needs to understand what will be in that folder.

The trash can is just that. This is where files you delete (not email) normally go. They can sit. I time they will be removed from the computer. If you let them sit and later need them you can get them back. If you delete them again they are gone and you can’t get them back. Just let them sit.

Email

Much of this depends on what program you use. Many people have outlook express. This program permits you to send and receive email and keep a list of information in an address book. This address can be used in MS word and other MS programs. It can keep more than just name and email address but that is how it is most often used

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You can think of this like many programs it has a number of parts

At the top with file edit---help are drop down menus. Under that are tool bars with icons. On the left is a list of folders most pre made. On the right is the work area for what you click on (on the left). Most of the time, you will use the inbox. This is for incoming mail. Depending on the setting it may be split between a list of mail and a preview of the email you have chosen at the top of the work area. By default it will choose the email at the top of the page. NOTE default means the computer’s guess at what you want if you don’t choose something. Example above or putting files in the My Documents folder.

The icons on the tool bar are just an easy way to do some of the same things in the drop down menu. They are often what someone thought were the most used choices.

Create mail is where you start to send a new message. Left click on this to bring up the message window.

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Again we have the same type drop down menus, tool bar, work area including to and subject.

Lets start with the to top left under the send button. In the white area to the right of to: we will type in the email address of the person we are sending the email to.

If we use the address book; we will put in the name of the person getting the email. The address book connects the name with the email address in the address book. This is much like a real address book, where we look up the name to find the phone number and address of the person.

If you have the address in the address book just left on the To: and the address book will come up in front.

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Here you can see the list of names on the left under name. I don’t have any names in mine as I use another email program. Find the name you want and left click. Then left click on To: to put it on the right under message recipients. When you have chosen all of the names you went this message to go to, left click on the OK at the bottom. This will put the name or names on the To: line in the email.

Now you need a subject. Left click in the subject box and type in a subject. The subject should identify you as the sender so the person receiving the message will not delete it as junk.

Finally you are ready to click in the large white area at the bottom. This is where you write your message or letter. When you are finished with your letter, you have only 1 step left. Left click on the send at the top left. This will send your email.

To get out of the program; just left click on the X in the top right corner.

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