Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Windows XP Introduction
Introduction
My Documents............................................................................................................................. 6
Targeting a Different Folder..............................................................................................................7
My Pictures .................................................................................................................................. 8
Viewing Images in Filmstrip View .....................................................................................................8
My Music .................................................................................................................................... 10
My Computer ............................................................................................................................. 10
My Computer Toolbar .....................................................................................................................12
My Network Places.................................................................................................................... 12
Recycle Bin................................................................................................................................ 13
Working with the Recycle Bin .........................................................................................................13
Window Controls....................................................................................................................... 15
Desktop Cleanup....................................................................................................................... 22
Logging Off................................................................................................................................ 25
Logging on ......................................................................................................................................26
Creating Folders........................................................................................................................ 31
Formatting Diskettes................................................................................................................. 38
Hidden Files............................................................................................................................... 45
Mouse Settings.......................................................................................................................... 65
Mouse Pointers...............................................................................................................................67
Regional Settings...................................................................................................................... 68
Keyboard Options ...........................................................................................................................69
Windows Colours...................................................................................................................... 76
Themes....................................................................................................................................... 77
Creating a Theme ...........................................................................................................................78
Startup Programs...................................................................................................................... 79
Sounds ....................................................................................................................................... 81
Something Else to Try... .................................................................................................................82
Cascade Windows..................................................................................................................... 90
Maintaining Links...................................................................................................................... 95
The desktop is the area of Windows XP from which most tasks begin, including the following:
Launching applications
Creating folders
Adding and configuring printers
Setting Windows options such as Screen savers
Connecting to other resources on the network
Desktop icons
Click on the links below to learn more about the standard desktop icons:
Icon Description
My Documents Used to store files created in the various applications installed - can be accessed any
time by double clicking on this icon on The Desktop.
My Computer Used to display and work with the contents of your computer and manage the files
stored on various drives of your computer.
My Network If your computer is attached to a network, this icon is used to work with available
Places network resources such as shared folders and printers.
Recycle Bin Used as a temporary storage place for deleted files, this icon can be used to restore
files deleted by mistake.
Internet Launches Internet Explorer to provide access to information on the World Wide Web.
Explorer
My Documents
My Documents is the default folder in which applications will store any files you create. As this folder is
accessible from the desktop, it is easy to open and edit documents stored here.
Double click on the My Documents icon on the Windows Desktop to view all files and folders stored here. A
default folder named My Pictures is created inside My Documents - this is where any images you create should
be stored.
My Documents can be accessed from the Windows Desktop and is always shown at the top of The Windows
Explorer. As such, it can make finding and accessing your files much easier. However, you may not want to store
your files on the C: drive in the default My Documents folder.
Windows XP allows you to change the location of My Documents, pointing this folder to another folder on a local
or network drive.
My Pictures
A default folder named My Pictures is created inside My Documents - this is where any images you create should
be stored. The reason this folder should be used is that it has a tool that allow you to view in detail any images
stored here.
When you double click on the My Pictures folder inside My Documents, a thumbnail of each image is displayed.
When you position the mouse over a thumbnail, more information about the image is given.
Folders containing only image files can be view in Filmstrip view. With this view, each image is shown as a
thumbnail, with the selected image shown larger as a preview.
Button Description
You can show the images in My Pictures as a slide show that fills your entire screen. To do this:
My Music
A default folder named My Music is created inside My Documents - this is where any sounds you create should
be stored. The reason this folder should be used is that it has a tool that allow you to view in detail any images
stored here.
When you double click on the My Music folder inside My Documents, an icon of each image is displayed,
showing the name of the track, the artist and the album name. When you hover the mouse pointer over a
thumbnail, more information about the music file will be displayed.
To play a music clip, double click on the file. Alternatively, right-click over the file and choose Play.
My Computer
My Computer is used to display and work with the contents of your computer, and to manage the files
stored on various drives of your computer.
Hard disk drives are stored permanently inside the system unit and are usually the main storage medium of
a PC. Hard disks are large in capacity and as such are used to store the programs that you install on the
computer, as well as any data you enter.
Floppy disk drives are used to write data onto floppy disks - usually 3½ inches in size. Floppy disks can only
hold a limited amount of information so are not used to store programs or large amounts of data.
CD ROM drives are becoming increasingly popular, using laser technology to read from compact disks.
Each storage drive is assigned a letter by the operating system. The letters are usually as follows:
Letter Drive
A Floppy disk drive
B Second floppy disk drive - if available
C Hard drive
D CD ROM drive
E-Z Additional hard drives or network drives
My Computer Toolbar
A toolbar can be displayed to offer shortcuts to commonly used features. Choose View, Toolbars and Standard
Buttons to view the following toolbar:
My Network Places
My Network Places gives you access to the resources of the network your computer is connected to,
including the following:
File servers
Print servers
Other members of your workgroup
Shared folders
Web folders
FTP Sites (see note below)
Any other network resources such as scanners, plotters, etc.
When you double click on the My Network Places icon, you will be able to view resources on all
computers of the network or only those computers in your workgroup. You can also add new network
resources that you will be able to reconnect to at a later stage.
Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is used as a temporary storage place for deleted files and can be used to restore
files deleted in error. Only files deleted from local drives will be sent to the Recycle Bin, although it is
possible to see if a file will be recycled by the confirmation message displayed when the file is
deleted:
The following message shows that the file will be sent to the Recycle Bin:
While the following message shows that the file will be deleted permanently:
It is possible to see whether the Recycle Bin contains files that can be restored. The following icons
show a Recycle Bin containing files and an empty Recycle Bin respectively.
To empty the Recycle Bin, right click on the Recycle Bin icon and choose Empty Recycle Bin. Files
cannot be restored once the Recycle Bin is empty.
It is also possible to delete all files when the Recycle Bin is open, or to restore all files back to their original
locations.
Internet Explorer
The Internet Explorer icon on The Desktop launches Internet Explorer - a web browser that allows you to access
information from the computers that make up the World Wide Web, one of the many services offered on the
Internet.
Once Internet Explorer is open, type the URL of the web page you wish to visit in the address bar, then click on
Go to view the page.
Window Controls
A title bar is located along the top of each window, displaying the name of the window as well as the
Minimise, Maximise and Close Buttons.
X Click on Minimise to hide the window and place on the Task bar. Click on the Task bar button to
restore the window.
X Click on Maximise to enlarge the window so that it fills the entire screen. Use the Restore button
to return the window to its original size
X Click on the Close button to close the window
Windows can also be resized manually by positioning the mouse pointer at the edge of the window
and dragging as required. To change both the width and height of the window, position the mouse
over the bottom right corner.
A non-maximised window can be moved by positioning the mouse pointer anywhere on the Title Bar
and dragging as required.
View Options
The icons in Window Explorer or My Computer can be displayed in the following ways:
View Description
Thumbnail This will display a thumbnail of any images in the folder. A thumbnail is a small copy of
the image itself. Documents such as Word and Excel files will show as large icons, while
PowerPoint presentations will show the first slide in the presentation.
Tiles Files are displayed as large icons with additional information such as the file type
displayed:
View Description
Icons Files appear as standard-sized icons with only the file name displayed.
Details File names are displayed as small icons with the file size, type and modification date and time.
In details view, you can sort files by clicking on the heading of the column you want to sort by e.g. click on Name
to sort in ascending order of file name, then on Name again to sort in descending order.
Grouping Files
When any view except list is selected, you can group files by any information about that file e.g. by the letter that
the file name starts with, or by the date on which the file was last modified.
X Click on the heading you wish to group files by e.g. Name to group alphabetically
X Choose View, Arrange Icons By and Show in Groups
The following image shows files sorted by Type, then displayed in groups.
Using Help
Help can be obtained in the following ways:
Button Description
Back Display the previous help screen
Forward If Back has been used, this button will move forward to the page viewed before the
current page.
Home Go to the Help and Support home page
Index Browse for help topics in the index
Favourites Quickly view help pages that you have saved
History View pages that you've read in this help session
Support Get online help
Options Customise your help and support centre experience
Help about a specific dialogue box option can be obtained by clicking on the question mark icon at the
top-right of the dialogue box. Click on the option to display help as a screen tip.
X Position the mouse over the clock to view the current date
X Double click over the clock to set the date and/or time.
The taskbar also displays all applications that are currently open. In the following example, both Word
and PowerPoint are open.
Right click on a blank area of the task bar to view the following options:
Option Description
Toolbars This allows you to view multiple toolbars on the task bar. The Quick
Launch toolbar is displayed by default - a toolbar containing all Desktop
icons can also be viewed, as well as Address and Links bars for web
browsing
Adjust Date and Time This allows you to set the date and time.
Cascade Windows This will restore all open applications and open them one behind the other
on screen
Tile Windows Vertically This will arrange all open applications vertically on screen, except those
applications that have been minimised
Option Description
Tile Windows Horizontally This will arrange open applications horizontally
Minimise all Windows This will minimise all open application windows
Task Manager This displays the task manager which allows you to switch between active
programs or close a program that is no longer running correctly
Properties This displays the current task bar and start menu settings and allows these
to be customised as required
Desktop Cleanup
The Desktop Cleanup wizard looks for shortcuts on your desktop that you haven't used for some time, asking if
you want to hide these to avoid cluttering the desktop.
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Appearance and Themes option
X Click on the Change the Desktop Background link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Display icon, then click on the Desktop
tab.
The shortcuts will be moved to a folder on your desktop named Unused Desktop Shortcuts. This folder can be
removed if you no longer need these shortcuts.
In addition to this:
You are responsible for ensuring that no one else knows your network password. Do not write down or store
network passwords where others can find them.
When the computer is locked, a dialogue box will display, explaining that the computer is in use but
locked.
All applications and files you were working on will still be available when you lock then unlock your computer.
Logging Off
When you end your Windows XP session you have a number of choices:
It is common policy to logoff Windows XP when you will be away from your computer for some time
e.g. at lunchtime or if you will be in a meeting for a few hours. Shut the system down at the end of
each day.
A message will display asking if you are sure you want to logoff. Click on Yes to do this or No to
return to Windows XP.
A dialogue box will display asking what you want the computer to do. Click on the drop-down arrow
and choose Shut Down. Click on OK.
Logging on
To log on after you have switched off or logged off your machine:
X Type your user name - this will be provided by your system administrator
X Click the mouse pointer in the Password box and type your password - again, this will be
provided
X Click on OK
Windows Explorer
Although it is possible to Manage files and folders through My Computer, Windows XP contains a
separate application that can be used to manage your computer drives. This application is called the
Explorer and can be accessed in the following way:
You can also open Windows Explorer by pressing the Windows key á and E.
X The left section shows the drives on your computer, the Windows XP settings folders and the
Recycle Bin
X The right section shows the folders and files contained in the drive selected on the left.
A toolbar can be displayed to offer shortcuts to commonly used features. Choose View, Toolbars and Standard
Buttons to view the following toolbar:
X To select multiple files that are not listed continuously, click once on the first file and hold [Ctrl]
while clicking on each remaining file.
X To select all files in the current folder, choose Edit, Select All or press [Ctrl A].
X To select all files in the current folder except those currently selected, choose Edit, Invert
Selection.
Common Tasks
You can show common tasks for the selected file, so that you can perform common actions with the single click
of the mouse.
Common tasks will only show if the Folders and Search explorer bars are not displayed.
X If the folder list is showing on the left of the screen, click on the Folders button on the toolbar to
hide this
X If the search pane is showing on the left of the screen, click on the Search button on the toolbar
to hide this
The tasks shown on the left will change depending on the type of folder that the file you have selected is in, for
example:
These tasks will show for documents e.g. Word or Excel files:
To change the folder type, to ensure the correct tasks are showing:
Creating Folders
Instead of storing all files in one place, which would make it difficult for you or the computer to find them, files are
stored in folders on the various drives. The following is a typical folder structure - the hard drive contains a folder
named Data which in turn contains two sub-folders named Excel and Word.
If you common tasks pane is showing, you can create a new folder as
follows:
You can also move files using the Move to Folder or Copy to Folder option:
The following shortcut keys can be used to move and copy files:
Keystroke Action
Ctrl C Copy
Ctrl X Cut
Ctrl V Paste
Files can also be moved or copied using drag and drop. This is especially useful in Windows Explorer
where all folders are displayed:
It is also possible to drag files between folders using the right mouse button. When the mouse button is released,
you will be given the choice to move or copy the file.
X Choose Move Here to move the file from the original to the new location
X Choose Copy Here to leave the file in the original location while placing a copy in the new
location. If either copy is updated in any way, the other will not be affected.
X Choose Create Shortcut(s) Here to leave the file in the original location while creating a pointer
to that file in the new location. Regardless of which copy is accessed, all changes will be made to
the original file.
X Click once on the file you wish to rename, wait a second and click on the file again. Alternatively,
press [F2].
X A box will appear around the file name. Type a new name and press [Return].
You can rename a number of files in a single step in Windows XP. The files will be named in sequence e.g. if you
change the name of the first file to report.doc other files will be named report (1).doc, report (2).doc, etc.
X Click on the first file you wish to rename, then hold [Shift] and click on the last file in the list. All
files in between will be selected
X Right-click over the first file and choose Rename from the shortcut menu displayed
X Type a name for the series of files - remember to end this with a full stop and the file extension
X Press [Return]
Naming Conventions
Windows XP can accept filenames up to 215 characters in length, although this must include the drive letter and
folder path. File names can include spaces, but cannot include the following characters:
\ / > <
* ? " |
: ;
Something to Consider
Always take care when using long filenames if you use applications that were created for Windows 3.1 or MS
DOS. These programs will not accept long filenames and will rename the files.
There is no way to see which is which from the DOS file names.
A single file or folder can be deleted by simply clicking on the file or folder and choosing one of the
following options. Multiple files must be selected before they can be deleted in a single step.
A confirmation dialogue box will be displayed. Click on Yes to delete the file(s) or No to leave the files
as is.
If the following message box is displayed, the file will not be deleted immediately. Instead, it will be
placed in the Recycle Bin where it can be restored at a later stage if required.
The selected files can be deleted permanently without placing them in the Recycle Bin:
The following message shows that the file will be sent to the Recycle Bin:
While the following message shows that the file will be deleted permanently:
It is possible to see whether the Recycle Bin contains files that can be restored. The following icons
show a Recycle Bin containing files and an empty Recycle Bin respectively.
To empty the Recycle Bin, right click on the Recycle Bin icon and choose Empty Recycle Bin. Files
cannot be restored once the Recycle Bin is empty.
It is also possible to delete all files when the Recycle Bin is open, or to restore all files back to their original
locations.
Formatting Diskettes
Formatting prepares a new floppy disk so that data can be stored on it. Although most diskettes now
come pre-formatted, you may sometimes want to reformat a disk to clear all data and ensure the disk
is in proper working order before storing important documents on the disk.
When a disk is formatted, any data already stored on the disk will be deleted and cannot be restored!
Copying Diskettes
This command allows you to duplicate disks to create an exact copy of all data stored on the disk.
X Click on Start.
X Ensure the disk containing the data you wish to copy is in the disk drive and click on OK. The
data will be copied to memory.
X When prompted, insert the disk you wish to copy the data to and click on OK.
X Click on Close when the dialogue box displays a message that the copy completed successfully.
Any data current stored on the destination diskette will be removed during the operation!
Using Send To
The send to command allows you to copy files quickly to common locations e.g. floppy drives or email
messages.
If you repeatedly copy files to the same location e.g. a specific folder, this can be set as a new item in
the Send to menu.
X Open The Windows Explorer using Start, Programs, Accessories, Windows Explorer.
X Locate the folder you wish to add to the Send to list and ensure this folder is selected.
X Choose Edit, Copy.
X Locate and open the Documents and Settings folder, then double click on the folder showing
your login name.
X If the Send to folder is not displayed by default, choose Tools, Folder Options and the View tab.
In the Advanced Settings list, choose to show hidden files and folders.
The location will now be added to the Send to list. The shortcut can be renamed by pressing [F2] and
entering a new name. When the Send To command is used, the new location will be given as an
option:
If you're not sure of the type of file you're looking for, click on All files and folders
X Use the When was it modified? option to find a file that has been created, modified or last
accessed between specific dates - or over any number of months or days.
X Use the What size is it? option to find files above or below a specific size.
X Use More advanced options to specify whether subfolders should be searched and whether the
search text is case sensitive.
Click on Search to begin searching. Any files located will be listed in the right pane of the Search
window.
Found Files
All found files from a search are collected together in a temporary folder called Search Folders.
You can now use the common tasks to rename, move, copy, email, print or delete a selected found file.
Wildcards allow you search for files by entering only some of the characters from the file name. The
wildcards are used to indicate that other characters could be inserted at the wildcard position. The
following wildcard characters can be used:
* Any characters D*.doc would locate all Word documents starting with the letter D
? Any single D??.doc would find all Word documents starting with the letter D that
character only have 3 characters in their filename
Properties for the selected file can be displayed in one of the following ways:
The following file attributes can also be set in the properties dialogue box:
It is also possible to set additional properties for the selected file, such as a rating or keywords
associated with the file.
You can turn the Read Only setting on or off for all files in a folder by right-clicking over the folder name and
choosing Properties. When you click on OK, you'll be asked if you wish to apply the change to all files or the
selected file only.
Hidden Files
System files needed to run Windows XP are hidden and don't automatically show in My Computer or Windows
Explorer. You can hide your own files, to avoid selecting or editing them accidentally.
To hide a file:
The following file list shows the budget.xls file in a lighter colour, indicating that this is a hidden file that will not
display unless hidden files are shown:
Printing Files
Any file can be printed through My Computer or Windows Explorer - there is no need to first open the application
in which the file was created.
The application in which the file was created will be launched automatically and the document printed
without any further options being displayed. When the document has been printed, the application will
close automatically.
It is also possible to drag and drop files to print them - this is especially useful if you have shortcuts to
commonly used printers on your desktop.
When a document is printing, a printer icon will display at the end of the task bar. This can be double clicked to
view the queue on the printer being used.
If there is an error with printing e.g. the printer is switched off, or out of paper, the print icon will show a question
mark:
Sharing Printers
If you have access to a local printer, you can set the printer as shared so that other network users can access
this printer. Shared printers appear with a hand under then in the Printer dialogue box:
To connect to a shared printer, double click on Add Printer and click on Next. Click on Next again, then enter
the name of the shared printer in the Name box. Click on Next then on Finish.
To connect to such a network drive, you will need to know the full path of that drive, and your password for that
drive if this is different to your standard Windows network password.
If you have a different password for this network drive, click on the Different User Name link before clicking on
Finish. Type the user name and password used to access the drive, then click on OK.
You can disconnect the drive by right clicking on it and choosing Disconnect.
Creating Shortcuts
Shortcuts can be created for commonly used applications, files, folders and printers. Shortcuts are
placed directly on The Desktop and are accessed by double clicking the icon.
A shortcut can be identified by the black curved arrow at the bottom-left of the icon. When the shortcut
is deleted, the original file will remain in its original location.
X Find the application, file, folder or printer you wish to create a shortcut to
X Click once on the object to select it
X Right click over the object and choose Send To
X Choose Desktop (create shortcut)
The Create Shortcut command in the menu will create a shortcut and place it in the same folder as the original
file - this will not place the shortcut on the desktop.
Shortcut Icons
The following files contain general icons that can be assigned to any shortcut. Add the name to the end of the
File Name box, after the last backslash (\).
SHELL32.DLL
PIFMGR.DLL
A keystroke can be assigned to a shortcut. When the key is pressed with [Ctrl] and [Alt] held down,
the shortcut will be launched.
If you always want the shortcut to be launched as a minimised window, choose Minimized from the Run drop-
down list in the shortcut's Properties dialogue box.
The Quick Launch Bar can be customised to contain shortcuts to commonly used applications and files. As the
task bar is always visible, these shortcuts will be available when any application is running.
If the quick launch bar does not show by default, right-click over a blank area of the task bar and choose
Toolbars then Quick Launch.
X Find the application, file, folder or printer you wish to create a shortcut to
X Click once on the object, then drag it to the quick launch bar - a black line will indicate the position
of the object on the bar.
X Release the mouse button to create the shortcut.
When a shortcut is created in this way, the actual file stays in its original location while the shortcut acts as a
pointer to this file. When you click on the shortcut, the original file is opened.
X Position the mouse pointer over the shortcut you wish to remove.
X Click the right mouse button to display a menu.
X Choose Delete.
Zipping Files
The zip option lets you compress your files - making them much smaller and therefore easier to copy or send via
email.
To view the contents of the zipped file, double click on the zip file icon. The original files will be listed and can be
opened, copied or deleted as normal.
Unzipping Files
If you are sent a zip file, you can extract the files so that they appear normally in your folder.
X Click on Next
X Click on Finish to show the unzipped files in a new window
It's also possible to extract specific files from the zipped folder:
X In Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click over the drive you wish to check.
X Choose Properties from the shortcut menu
Keep the following in mind when trying to make the most of your disk space:
Empty your Recycle Bin. If you simply delete files, they are just being moved from their original
location to the Recycle Bin and still taking up the same disk space. Only when you empty your
Recycle Bin will you be freeing up space.
Temp files are created by many programs and should be deleted regularly. Search for all files with
the .TMP extension and delete all files that are found.
Defragment your disk drives to ensure the minimum amount of space is being used for your files.
Choosing Columns
If you are using the details view in the Explorer or My Computer, it is possible to choose the
information that is displayed about each file and folder listed.
You can show additional columns by right-clicking over the column headings currently displayed. Click on the
column you wish to show from the list displayed.
The Windows XP start menu shows options in two columns, with all recently accessed programs showing
on the left. You can add programs to the top of this column so that they show here permanently, and can
control which icons appear in the right column e.g. My Documents, BBC Computer, etc.
The Classic start menu is similar to the start menu of Windows 98 and 2000, but can be customised by
adding and removing programs
X In the Start Menu Items list, check each item you wish to appear on the right of the start menu.
To show your Internet Explorer favourites, for example, check the Favorites option
X Click on OK when all settings have been changed
Under Advanced Start Menu Options, choose each item you wish to display in the Start menu. Click on OK
when complete.
X Right-click over the Start button and choose Explore from the shortcut menu
X The Start Menu folder will open automatically, with a subfolder called Programs
This new folder... Would show like this in the Classic Start menu
X Open Windows Explorer or My Computer without closing the Explorer that you have created the
new Start menu folder in
X Locate and select the files you wish to add to the start menu - click on the first, then hold [Ctrl]
and click on each additional file in turn
X Choose Edit, Copy or press [Ctrl C]
X Switch back to the window containing the new Start menu folder
X Choose Edit, Paste Shortcut
If you are using the XP-style Start menu, you can add any program to the top of the left-hand side of the menu as
follows:
Right-click over a program on the top-left of the Start menu and choose Unpin from Start Menu to remove it
from the top of the Start menu.
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Date, Time, Language and Regional Options category
X Click on the Change the Date and Time link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Date and Time icon.
X Change the date by choosing the required month, year and day:
X Click on the hour, minute or second in the Time box and increase or decrease as required.
X Choose OK when complete.
You can also change the date and time by double clicking on the time display at the end of the task bar.
Mouse Settings
The following mouse settings can be changed:
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Printers and Other Hardware option
X Click on the Mouse link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Mouse icon.
X To set the mouse for left-handed use, click on the Buttons tab and check the Switch Primary
and Secondary Buttons check box
X Change the double-click speed by changing the slider on the Buttons tab.
X Click on the Pointer Options tab and set the speed of the mouse pointer. Test the new speed by
moving the mouse around the screen.
X Show a trail as the mouse moves across the screen by checking the Display Pointer Trails
option.
X If you wish the mouse to move to the main button of a dialogue box automatically, so you can
click the button without any further mouse movement, check the Snap to box.
X Click on OK.
Pointer trails are useful if you are using a laptop computer with poor screen display as they help you to locate
the mouse pointer on the screen.
Mouse Pointers
Different mouse pointer shapes can be set to show completely different pointers or just larger or
different coloured arrows. This is done using the Pointers tab of the Mouse properties dialog box:
Regional Settings
Regional settings control many options used by the applications installed on your PC. Settings such
as the currency symbol used by Excel and the date format used by Access can be set as follows:
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Date, Time, Language and Regional Options category
X Click on the Change the format of numbers, dates and times link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Regional and Language Options icon.
Ensure the correct region is selected in the first drop-down list, then choose all other options as required:
Customise the country’s setting using the remaining tabs of the Region Settings dialogue box and
choose OK when complete.
Tab Description
Numbers Used to set the decimal symbol, negative number format and measurement unit
Currency Used to set the currency symbol and format
Time Used to set the format in which times will be displayed and inserted
Used to set the format in which both long and short dates will be displayed and
Date
inserted
Input
Used to ensure the keyboard is set for the correct language (see below)
Locales
Keyboard Options
If your keyboard is set for the wrong language and keys are not displaying the required characters, this can be
rectified as follows:
X In the Regional and Language Options dialog box, click on the Languages tab
X Click on the Details button
X If the correct language is not displayed, click on Add
X Choose the required language from the drop-down list and click on OK
X Choose the language you wish to use as the default from the Default Input Language drop-down
list
X Choose OK when complete
The following desktops are set with the Vortec Space and Soap Bubbles pictures respectively:
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Appearance and Themes option
X Click on the Change the Desktop Background link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Display icon, then click on the Desktop
tab.
To set a display image, choose from the standard Windows images in the Background list, or choose a custom
image as follows:
Setting Description
Centre The image will show in its original size, in the centre of the desktop. If the image is smaller than
the desktop size, the selected desktop colour will show around the image.
Tile The image will show in its original size, but repeated from left to right and top to bottom across the
screen
Stretch The image will be resized to fit the entire desktop
Display properties can also be set pointing to a blank area of The Desktop and clicking the right mouse button.
Choose Properties from the shortcut menu displayed.
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Appearance and Themes option
X Click on the Choose a Screen Saver link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Display icon, then click on the Screen
Saver tab.
Select the required Screen Saver from the list of choices and set the Wait box to the number of
minutes that should pass before the screen saver is activated.
X If you wish to assign a password to the screen saver, check the Password Protected box and
click on Change. Type and confirm the new password and choose OK.
X If you wish to set further options such as the speed of the screen saver and text displayed in the
3D Text and Marquee Display options, click on Settings and choose the required settings.
Choose OK when complete.
X Click on Preview to view the screen saver. Move the mouse to return to the dialogue box.
X Click on OK when complete.
It's a good idea to password protect your screensaver. This means that if you are away from your computer and
your screensaver is activated, you will need to enter your login password to clear it. This is a good security
measure as it means no-one else can access your email and shared data drives while you away from your
computer.
X In the screen saver window, check the On resume, password protect box
X Click on OK
If you move the mouse or use the keyboard while your screensaver is showing, you will need to enter your
password before continuing to use the computer.
X The Locked Computer dialog box will show - press [Ctrl Alt Delete]
X Type your network password in the Password box
X Click on OK or press [Return]
My Pictures Slideshow
Choose the My Pictures Slideshow screen saver to show the images in any folder at random as a slide show
when the screen saver is activated.
Display properties can also be set pointing to a blank area of the desktop and clicking the right mouse button.
Choose Properties from the shortcut menu displayed.
Setting a Marquee
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Display icon, then click on the Screen
Saver tab.
X Select the Marquee Display option from the list of screen saver choices.
X Click in the Wait box and enter the number of minutes you wish to pass before the screen saver
is activated.
X Click on Settings and enter the appropriate details:
X Click on Preview to view the screen saver. Move the mouse to return to the dialogue box.
X Click on OK when complete.
Windows Colours
You can set the colours used in all Windows dialog boxes, menus, and other elements.
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Appearance and Themes option
X Click on the Display icon
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Display icon.
If you want to change a single colour in your new scheme, you can click on the Advanced button.
Themes
Windows XP has a number of built-in themes that can be applied to your desktop. A theme controls
the appearance of your desktop by setting a wallpaper image, screensaver, colour scheme and other
options. The Windows XP theme is used by default, but you can switch to the classic Windows look if
you prefer:
To select a theme:
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Appearance and Themes option
X Click on the Change the Computer's Theme link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Display icon, then click on the Theme tab.
X Click on the drop-down arrow of the Theme box and choose the theme you wish to use
X Click on Apply to apply the theme and keep the Display Properties window open, or on OK to
apply the theme and close the window
Creating a Theme
You can save all of your display settings in a single theme that you can apply in a single step if your settings
change in the future.
Your theme will now be available in the drop-down list and can be selected in the same way as described
above.
Startup Programs
If you always need to use the same programs or files when you first switch on your PC, you can save time by
adding them to your startup folder so that they launch automatically when Windows XP is launched.
X Click on the Start menu to locate the program you want to create a shortcut to. To add a shortcut
to an Office XP program, for example, choose All Programs then Microsoft Office
X Right-click over the program you want to create a shortcut to
X Choose Copy
X Right-click on the Startup option in the All Programs menu
X Choose Open
X Choose Edit, Paste Shortcut
If a program is added to your startup menu, it will be launched each time Windows XP starts. To start Windows
XP without launching programs in your startup folder, enter your login name and password as normal but hold
[Shift] while clicking on OK, releasing only when Windows XP has finished loading.
Scheduled Tasks
The task scheduler allows you to specify a time to complete certain tasks such as cleaning up your hard drive to
delete unnecessary files. By scheduling these tasks, they can be carried out when you are not using your
computer e.g. late at night or on a Saturday.
X Click on Next and enter the time you wish to task to begin. Enter other details specific to the
chosen interval. If you have chosen to run the task each week, for example:
X Click on Next.
X Enter your Windows user name and password and click on Next.
X Click on Finish to complete the task.
To change the details of a schedule task e.g. the time it will run, right click over the task and choose Properties.
Use the Schedule tab to change timing details.
Once you have set a scheduled task, it is enabled by default. This means that the task will run at the
specified time without any further instructions. It is possible to disable a task to stop it from being run
without the need to delete it.
Sounds
By default, certain sounds are played when Windows XP or your programs behave in certain ways. For example:
If you prefer, you can turn off all sounds so that these do not play automatically.
X In the XP Start menu, choose Control Panel or in the classic Start menu choose Settings,
Control Panel
X Click on the Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices option
X Click on the Change the sound scheme link
If your control panel is displayed in classic view, double-click on the Sounds and Audio Devices icon, then
click on the Sounds tab.
If you often play music or other sounds on your computer, you can add the volume icon to your task bar tray so
that you can change your volume quickly and easily.
X In the Sounds and Audio devices window of the Control Panel, click on the Volume tab
X Check the Place volume icon in the taskbar option
X Click on OK
You can change your computer volume by clicking on the sound icon in the task bar tray:
All buttons currently on the toolbar will be listed on the right-hand side of the screen. To add a new button to the
toolbar:
X Scroll down the left-hand list to find the button you wish to add
X Click on the button you wish to add
X Click on the Add button
X Click on the new button on the right-hand side of the screen, then use the Move Up or Move
Down button to move it to the correct place on the toolbar
X From the Text Options list, choose how you want text to appear on the toolbar - for all buttons,
selected buttons or not at all
X From the Icon Options list, choose the size of icons - large or small
X Click on OK when complete
X Close the character map by clicking on the close button in the top-right corner of the dialogue box.
X Activate the application you wish to paste the characters into.
X Choose Edit, Paste or press [Ctrl V].
It may be necessary to format the inserted characters to the same font under which they were found in the
character map.
Font Sets
Arial Generic text font that include fractions and international characters
Multiple Applications
It is possible to run multiple applications under Windows XP, and to cut or copy data between these
applications. The application from which you are copying is the source while the application to which
you are copying is the target.
To switch to another open application, click on the application's icon on the task bar along the bottom
of the screen.
X Hold [Alt] and press [Tab] – do not release the Alt key
X Press [Tab] to select the application you want to switch to
X Release [Alt] to show the selected application on screen
Arranging Applications
It is also possible to display multiple applications on-screen at the same time. Right click in a blank
area of the task bar and choose one of the following options:
Option Description
This will tile any open applications that are not minimised, arranging them vertically
Tile Vertically
across the screen
Tile Horizontally This will tile any open applications that are not minimised, arranging them horizontally
Cascade
This will arrange applications one behind the other on screen
Windows
Tile Vertically
The following screenshot shows two applications - Word and Excel - tiled vertically on screen.
Tile Horizontally
The following screenshot shows two applications - Word and Excel - tiled horizontally on screen.
Cascade Windows
The following screenshot shows two applications - Word and Excel - cascaded on screen.
To cascade applications:
X Right click in a blank area of the task bar and choose Task Manager.
X To activate an application, choose the application on the list and click on Switch To.
X If an application is not running correctly, it can be terminated by choosing the application and
clicking on End Task.
X Close the dialogue box using the button in the top-right corner when complete.
You can also display the Task Manager by pressing [Ctrl Alt Delete] and clicking on the Task Manager button.
This is particularly useful if your computer has "hung" and your mouse is not working.
X Press [Alt] and [Tab] until the correct application is selected. Release [Alt] only when the correct
application is highlighted or
X Click on the application's icon on the Task Bar along the bottom of the screen.
The Copy, Cut and Paste buttons on the Standard Toolbar can be used to copy data from one
application to another.
X In the source application, select the text or item you wish to move or copy.
X Choose Edit, Copy or click on the Copy button on the Standard Toolbar.
X Activate the target application and ensure the correct document position is selected.
X Choose Edit, Paste or click on the Paste button on the Standard Toolbar.
If the data does not paste in the correct format, choose Edit, Paste Special for more options e.g. Unformatted
text or Picture.
The following shortcut keys can be used to move and copy text:
Keystroke Action
Ctrl C Copy
Ctrl X Cut
Ctrl V Paste
It is also possible to link data between applications. The data will be stored in the source application
with a reference to the data stored in the target. The target will be updated each time the source is
changed.
Linking keeps document sizes to a minimum as the original data is stored in the source file while only a
representation of this is stored in the target document.
X Press [Alt] and [Tab] until the correct application is selected. Release [Alt] only when the correct
application is highlighted or
X Click on the application's icon on the Task Bar along the bottom of the screen.
Linking Data
X In the source application, select the text or object you wish to copy.
X Choose Edit, Copy or click on the Copy button on the Standard Toolbar.
X Activate the target application and ensure the correct document position is selected.
X Choose Edit, Paste Special and click on Paste Link.
X Ensure the correct paste format is selected and click on OK.
Maintaining Links
By default, links are updated automatically each time the target document is opened. This can be
changed to manual updating if required - the linked data will only update when the user chooses.
Open the document that contains the linked data and choose Edit, Links.
X Change to Manual updating and click on Update Now each time you wish to update the links.
X Choose Open Source to open the source application and document.
X Choose Change Source if the source file has been moved or renamed.
X Choose Break Link to remove the link without deleting the data from the target document.
Screen Shots
It is sometimes necessary to take a snapshot of the screen in Windows XP. This can be for a number for a
number of reasons, including:
Shortcut Description
[Print Scrn] Copies the entire screen to the clipboard - as marked in blue below
[Alt] + [Print Scrn] Copies only the active window to the clipboard - as marked in red below
For Example
In this example, [Print Scrn] would result in the entire screen being copied (marked in green), while
[Alt] + [Print Scrn] would result in only the top dialog box being copied (marked in red).
X Activate the document that you wish to contain the screen shot and position the cursor where the
screen shot should appear.
X Choose Edit, Paste or press [Ctrl V].
If the screen shot does not paste in the correct format, choose Edit, Paste Special for more options e.g. Picture
or Bitmap.