WORKING WITH THE "CLASSIC VIEW":

Your computer can easily be configured back and forth to the Windows XP Classic View.  The Classic View will display your Start menu and folders in a view that looks very similar to older operating systems such as Windows 2000.  It is not the Standard XP view.   

Switching to the Classic View

If you wish to change your settings to the Classic View:

·        Right-click on the Start menu.

·        Select Properties.

·        Click on the Start Menu tab.

·        Select Classic Start Menu.

·        Click on OK.

To change your folder options to the Classic View:  

·        Click on Start.

·        Select Settings.

·        Select Control Panel. 

·        Go to Tools and select Folder Options.

·        Select the General tab.

·        Within the "Tasks" section, select Use Windows Classic Folders.

·        Click on OK.

Switching from Classic View to regular XP View

If your computer is configured for the Classic View setting and you wish to change it to the standard XP look:

·        Right-click on the Start menu.

·        Select Properties.

·        Click on the Start Menu tab.

·        Select Start Menu.

·        Click on OK.

To change your folder options to the standard XP view:  

·        Click on Start.

·        Select Control Panel. 

·        Go to Tools and select Folder Options.

·        Select the General tab.

·        Within the "Tasks" section, select Show Common Tasks in Folders.

·        Click on OK.

Note:  This class will be taught using the standard XP view – not the Classic View. 

OPENING "MY COMPUTER":

The "My Computer" window is an organizational tool designed to help you organize your files in an efficient manner.  Within the My Computer window you will be able to create new folders and subfolders and move and copy files from one location to another.  

To access the My Computer window:

·        Click on Start on the task bar.

·        Go to My Computer.

In previous versions of windows, My Computer was located on the desktop.  If you performed a "clean" install of Windows XP the My Computer icon will no longer be available on the desktop. 

When you open the My Computer window, three categories will be displayed to the left side of the window in the task pane:  System Tasks, Other Places and Details.

·        Within System Tasks are three subcategories of information:

o       View System Information – Click this link to open another window displaying information about your computer system such as the type and size of processor, amount of RAM, etc.  

o       Add or Remove Programs – Click this link when you wish to add or remove various software programs.  Another window will open listing all currently installed software.   

o       Change a setting -  Click this link to open the Control Panel of your computer and modify a variety of settings within the computer.

·        Other Places contains links to commonly used locations on the computer:

o       My Network Places – Click this link to access the network drives of your computer.

o       My Documents – Click this link to access the My Documents folder on the hard drive.  The My Documents folder is where most of your files should be saved.   

o       Control Panel – Click this link to open the Control Panel of your computer and modify a variety of settings. 

·        The Details section lists details about the My Computer window, such as the amount of free space available. 

The right side of the window displays all of the drives available within the computer. 

NAVIGATING WITHIN MY COMPUTER:

To display the contents of a drive, double-click on the desired drive.  The right-side of the window will display the folders within that particular drive.  To view the contents of a folder, double-click on the folder.  As you continue to select drives and/or folders, the left side of the window will change to reflect options available to you within that particular drive or folder.  The following toolbar is also available within the My Computer window:

1.       Back.  Click the Back button to return to the previous window you viewed.

2.       Forward.  Click the Forward button to navigate forward to a window you viewed.

3.       Up.  Click the Up button to navigate up one level within the drive or folder.

4.       Search.  Click the Search button to locate a missing file or folder.

5.       Folders.  Click the Folders button to transition the My Computer view to the Windows Explorer view.  (Windows Explorer is another view that can be used to navigate through drives and folders.)   

6.       Views.  Click the Views button to change the view of the window as described below.    

CHANGING THE VIEW:

When you open the My Computer window, the options available on the right side of the window can be displayed in different views.  The default of the My Computer window is to list the contents of a folder using large icons. 

To change the view of a window to small icons or to a list:

·        Select the View button  on the toolbar or choose View from the menu bar and select from one of the following options:

o       Thumbnails – Displays the contents of a selected folder as a small thumbnail.

o       Tiles – Tiles the contents of the selected folder within the window.

o       Icons – Lists the contents as icons across the window.

o       List – Lists the contents of a folder vertically within the window.

o       Details – Displays the size, type and the date modified beside the contents of the folder.

To globally change folders so all windows maintain the same view:

·        Change the existing window to the desired view. 

·        Select Tools from the menu bar.

·        Within the Tools menu, select Folder Options. 

·        Go to the View tab.

·        Within the "Folder Views" section of the dialog box, select Apply to All Folders.

·        Click on OK.   

Sorting the contents of a window

To sort the contents of a window:

·        Change the window to the Detail view.  (You cannot sort in any other view.)

·        Click on the appropriate column header to sort.  For example:  to sort by name, click the Name column header.  To sort by date, click the Date column header. 

By default, windows will first sort the contents in ascending order.  Click the column header a second time to sort the contents in descending order.

Folder Options

There will be times when you need to display file extensions such as .doc, .xls, .mdb, etc.  These file extensions reveal the document’s file type.  For example, .xls is an Excel spreadsheet, .mdb is an Access database, .doc is a Word document. 

To display these file extensions follow the steps below:

·        Select Tools from the menu bar and go to Folder Options. 

·        Select the View tab.  

·        To display the extensions, deselect Hide extensions for known file types.

By default, files and folders that are needed to run the system are hidden from view within Windows Explorer.  These files and folders are sometimes needed when creating shortcuts to programs or troubleshooting the computer.  To display these hidden files:

·        Select Tools from the menu bar and go to Folder Options. 

·        Select the View tab.  

·        Select Show hidden files and folders.   

CREATING NEW FOLDERS OR SUBFOLDERS:

Folders are created in order to organize and track your documents.  Each document you create should be saved to a specific folder.  It is suggested that your folders be created within the My Documents folder. 

To create a new folder or subfolder:

·        Select the drive or folder under which the new folder should reside.   

For example, if you wish to place a subfolder within My Documents, navigate to the My Documents folder by clicking the link to the left within the task pane titled My Documents. 

·        After selecting where you wish to place the new folder, select the Make a New Folder link  within the task pane to the left.  Or, select File from the menu bar, move to New, then click on Folder.  A blank folder icon will be created in the selected location. 

·        Key in the new folder name.

·        Press the Enter key on the keyboard to accept the name. 

RENAMING FILES AND FOLDERS:

To rename a file or folder:

·        Select the file or folder you wish to rename.

·        Select the Rename this Folder link  from the task pane to the left or right-click on the file or folder and select Rename.  Backspace or delete the original name and key in the new name. 

·        Press the Enter key on the keyboard to accept the name. 

SELECTING A FILE OR MULTIPLE FILES:

To select a single file:

·        Point with the mouse to the file and click once to highlight it.

To select all files in a folder:

·        Select or click on the first file in the folder.

·        Press the Shift key on your keyboard, and select the last file.  All files/folders between the first and last selection will be highlighted. 

·        Or, select any file in the folder and press Ctrl-A on the keyboard.

To select several non-contiguous files:

·        Select the first file in the folder.

·        Press the Control key on the keyboard and continue selecting other non-contiguous files.  All selected files should be highlighted.   

MOVING FILES:

Selected files may be moved from folder to folder or from drive to drive.  There are several ways to move files and folders from one location to another:

·        Use the Task Pane to the left. 

o       Select the file or folder you wish to move. 

o       Click on Move this folder/file  within the task pane. 

o       A window will be displayed in which you select the destination where you wish to move the file or folder to. 

o       If you wish to create a new folder into which to place the selected files/folders, click the Make New Folder button which is available within the dialog box.  Type in a name for the folder and press the Enter key on the keyboard. 

o       After selecting the folder you wish to move the folder/file to, click on Move.  The file/folder will be moved. 

·        Use the menu bar.

o       Select the file or folder you wish to move. 

o       Select Edit from the menu bar. 

o       Click on Cut. 

o       Select the new folder or drive where you wish to place the selected object. 

o       Click on Edit and choose Paste.  The object has now been moved to a new destination.

·        Use the Windows Explorer View.

o       Click the Folders button  on the toolbar.

When you open the Windows Explorer view, folders are displayed on the left portion of the screen and the contents of the selected folder are displayed on the right portion.

To display the contents of a folder, single-click on the folder to select it.  The contents of the folder will be displayed on the right portion of the window.

To view a folder's subfolders, double-click on the folder or click on the plus sign next to the folder.

o       Select the file you wish to move from the right-side of the window and drag and drop the file or folder to the drive or folder where you wish to move the object to on the left-side of the window.  Note:  If you drag and drop a selected object to a different drive, it will copy the object.

Go into the Edit menu and click the Undo command if you move a file or folder in error.

COPYING FILES:

Selected objects may be copied from folder to folder or from drive to drive.  Most commonly, objects are copied from the hard drive (C:) to a floppy disk.  There are several ways to copy files and/or folders:

·        Use the Task Pane to the left. 

o       Select the file or folder you wish to copy. 

o       Click on Copy this folder/file  within the task pane. 

o       A window will be displayed in which you select the destination where you wish to copy the file or folder to. 

o       If you wish to create a new folder into which to place the selected files/folders, click the Make New Folder button which is available within the dialog box.  Type in a name for the folder and press the Enter key on the keyboard. 

o       After selecting the folder you wish to copy the folder/file to, click on Copy within the dialog box.  The file/folder will be copied. 

·        Use the menu bar.

o       Select the file or folder you wish to copy. 

o       Select Edit from the menu bar. 

o       Click on Copy. 

o       Select the new folder or drive where you wish to place the copied file. 

o       Click on Edit and choose Paste.  The object has now been copied to a new destination.  The original file remains in its original location, and a copy of the file exists in the new location. 

·        Use the Windows Explorer View.

o       Click the Folders button  on the toolbar.

When you open the Windows Explorer view, folders are displayed on the left portion of the screen and the contents of the selected folder are displayed on the right portion.

To display the contents of a folder, single-click on the folder to select it.  The contents of the folder will be displayed on the right portion of the window.

To view a folder's subfolders, double-click on the folder or click the plus sign next to the folder.

o       Select the file or folder you wish to copy from the right-side of the window. 

o       If you are copying the file or folder to the same drive, press the Control key on the keyboard and drag and drop the file from the right-side of the window to the left. 

o       If you are copying the file or folder to a different drive, simply drag and drop the file/folder from the right-side of the window to the left.  (Windows automatically generates a copy of the selected file/folder when dragging and dropping objects between different drives.)

If a current copy of the file already exists in the destination location, a "Confirm to Replace" message box will be displayed.  Click on Yes to replace the original file in the destination location.

Go into the Edit menu and click the Undo command if you copy a file or folder in error. 

DELETING FILES OR FOLDERS:

To delete files or folders:

·        Select the file(s) or folder(s) you wish to delete.

·        Select Delete this file (or folder)  from the task pane to the left.

·        Or, go to the Edit menu on the menu bar.  Select Delete. 

·        Or, right-click on the file and select Delete. 

·        A "Confirm File Delete" box will be displayed.  (Read this confirmation box carefully before clicking on Yes.)

·        Note:  If you delete a folder, all the contents of the folder will also be deleted. 

UNDELETING FILES OR FOLDERS:

To undelete objects, go into the Edit menu and select Undo. 

The Undo feature only works if you perform it immediately after the command.  If you perform other commands before clicking on Undo, then go into the Recycle Bin and restore the file(s).

THE RECYCLE BIN:

Any folders, shortcuts or files that have been deleted will reside in the Recycle Bin on your desktop until deleted.  

To display a list of deleted items:

·        Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.

To restore a deleted item:

·        Select the file you wish to restore.

·        Go into the File menu and click on Restore.  This will restore the item to the original location where it was stored on your computer. 

To permanently remove the deleted item(s) from the Recycle Bin:

·        Select the item(s).

·        Go into the File menu and click on Delete.

To delete all items in the Recycle Bin folder:

·        Right-click on the Recycle Bin and select Empty Recycle Bin from the shortcut menu.  All items in the Recycle Bin will be permanently deleted. 

SEARCHING FOR FILES:

To search for a file or folder that you are unable to locate:

·        Click on Start on the taskbar. 

·        Go to Search.  

·        From the list on the left, select what you wish to search for:

o       Pictures, music or video

o       Documents

o       All files and folders

o       Printer, computers, or people 

·        After making your selection, enter in the appropriate search criteria.

·        Click on Search to activate the search.  

For more advanced searches, click the More Advanced Options link within the main "Search" window. 

DISK COPY:

To copy one disk to another:

·        Go to the My Computer window.

·        Insert the floppy disk and select the floppy disk drive (A:). 

·        Right-click on the drive and select Copy Disk. 

·        In the Copy Disk dialog box, click the Start button to activate the copy process.  You will be prompted to insert the disk you wish to copy it to after a minute or so.

SHORTCUTS:

Shortcuts are icons located on the desktop which when double-clicked open the specified application or file.  A shortcut can be created for a folder, file or executable program such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.    

To create a new shortcut using the desktop menu:

·        Right-click on the desktop, click on New, and select Shortcut.

·        The Create Shortcut dialog box is displayed.

o       If the pathname for the file, folder or application is known, key it in the command line text box.  Otherwise, click the Browse button to locate it on the hard drive. 

o       Click the Next button to go to the next window of the dialog box. 

o       Enter a name for the shortcut and click on Finish.

To create a new shortcut using My Computer:

·        Open My Computer.

·        Double-click on the hard drive (C:) to open the folder window.

·        Locate the folder where the desired file, folder or application exists. 

o       Executable program files such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., are typically stored in the following directory:

§         C:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/Office 10 

·        Select the file.  For example, to create a shortcut for Microsoft Word, select the Winword.exe file.

·        Right-click on the file and select the Send to command.

·        Select Desktop.

·        After creating a shortcut, the shortcut icon ALWAYS HAS AN ARROW ON THE LEFT-BOTTOM CORNER.  BE SURE THIS IS THE CASE BEFORE GOING TO THE NEXT STEP.  If an arrow does not exist, the shortcut has not been created correctly. 

To delete a shortcut:

Deleting the shortcut from your desktop will not delete the original file or application.   To delete a shortcut:

·        Drag and drop the icons to the Recycle Bin icon located on the desktop.

·        Or, right-click on the shortcut and select Delete. 

COMPRESSING FILES:

When sending a large number of files that are large in size, it is necessary to compress or zip the files.  This process reduces the size of the file and reduces the time it takes to transfer the file to another individual via internet or network.  In prior versions of Windows, you had to make certain that you had the appropriate software (such as WinZip) to compress the files.  Windows XP has included a built-in wizard that is used to compress and unzip files.  This eliminates the need for additional software.

To compress a file:

·        Create a folder into which you will place all zipped files.  To do this:

o       Open My Computer and navigate to the folder in which you wish to place the compressed folder.

o       Right-click an empty area of the window within the folder.

o       Point to New on the shortcut menu and select Compressed (zipped) Folder.

o       Type a name for the folder and press Enter on the keyboard.  (The folder will be a zippered folder icon.)

·        Select the files you wish to compress.  (Press the Control key on the keyboard to select multiple files.)

·        Drag the selected files into the Compressed Folder.  By dragging the files into the Compressed Folder, they are automatically compressed.  This process does NOT move the original files, but rather creates a compressed copy of the files. 

·        Change the window to Detail view and look at the size of the files.  Note that they are significantly smaller in size than the originals.

To unzip or extract the files:

·        Within My Computer, double-click on the Compressed folder containing the zipped files to open the folder.

·        In the left pane under Folder Tasks, click Extract all files to start the Extraction Wizard.

·        Click the Next button to continue through the wizard.

·        In the next window, specify a location for where you would like the extracted files to be saved.

·        Click the Next button.

·        Click on Finish.