You are on page 1of 240

Bridges to Digital Excellence

Basic Computer
Skills Training
Bridges to Digital
Excellence

Basic Computer
Skills Training

Table of Content
Bridges to Digital Excellence

Basic Computer Skills


Training
Content for this training manual was taken from the GCF Global
Learning website. Some content was altered due to size, grammatical
errors, or relevancy. GCF Global Learning owns the copyright to all the
content in this manual.

This training manual was compiled into print format by Rebecca Shuler,
Americorps VISTA/Program Manager.

Please visit their website for further courses: www.gcflearnfree.org

©1998-2007 GCF Global Learning. All rights reserved.


Revision 3 - June 2007

ii Table of Content ii
Bridges to Digital Excellence

Basic Computer Skills Training


Contents
Section 1: Introduction to Computers........................................................... 1
1. History of Computers ............................................................................................................ 3
o What is a Computer ........................................................................................................... 4
o A Brief History of Computers ............................................................................................ 4
o Parts of the Computer ........................................................................................................ 4
2. Input and Output Devices ..................................................................................................... 7
o Input Devices ..................................................................................................................... 8
o The Keyboard ............................................................................................................... 8
o Using the Mouse .......................................................................................................... 8
o Scanners ....................................................................................................................... 9
o Microphones and Joysticks ........................................................................................ 10
o Digital Camera ........................................................................................................... 10
o Output Devices ................................................................................................................. 11
o Printers ....................................................................................................................... 11
o Monitors ..................................................................................................................... 11
o Speakers and Earphones ............................................................................................ 12
o Modems ...................................................................................................................... 13
3. Data Storage ......................................................................................................................... 13
o Motherboards and Expansion Cards ................................................................................ 14
o The Central Processing Unit ............................................................................................. 14
o Storing Information .......................................................................................................... 14
o Floppy Disk Drives, CD-ROM Drives and More ............................................................ 15
4. Types of Computers ............................................................................................................. 17
o PCs and Macs ................................................................................................................... 18
o Types of Computers ......................................................................................................... 18
o Personal Data Assistants and Email-Only Devices ......................................................... 19
o Thinking of Buying a Computer? .................................................................................... 19
5. Software ................................................................................................................................ 21
o What is Software? ............................................................................................................ 22
o Types of Software ............................................................................................................ 22
o Licensing Basics .............................................................................................................. 23
o Types of Licenses ............................................................................................................ 23
o Software Piracy ................................................................................................................ 23
o Software Upgrade ............................................................................................................ 24
o An Overview of Installing ............................................................................................... 24
6. Cleaning a Computer ........................................................................................................... 27

iii Table of Content iii


Section 2: Introduction to Windows XP ...................................................... 29
1. Desktop and Start Menu ..................................................................................................... 31
o The Windows XP Desktop ............................................................................................... 32
o The Start Menu ................................................................................................................ 32
o Exploring Programs ......................................................................................................... 33
o Launching Internet Explorer From the Start Menu .......................................................... 34
o Understanding Icons ........................................................................................................ 34
o Understanding the Taskbar .............................................................................................. 34
o Log Off and Switch Users ................................................................................................ 35
o Turn Off and Restart the Computer ................................................................................. 35
2. Windows XP Windows ........................................................................................................ 37
o Windows XP Bars and Buttons ........................................................................................ 38
o Scrolling ........................................................................................................................... 39
o Minimizing, Maximizing, and Restoring Windows ........................................................ 39
o Sizing Windows ............................................................................................................... 39
o Moving a Window Using the Title Bar ............................................................................ 40
o Tiling and Cascading Windows ....................................................................................... 40
o Switching Between Windows .......................................................................................... 41
o Switching Using the Keyboard Method ........................................................................... 41
3. Customizing Windows XP ................................................................................................... 43
o Introduction to the Control Panel ..................................................................................... 44
o Navigate the Control Panel .............................................................................................. 44
o Set the Time and Date ...................................................................................................... 45
o Changing the Wallpaper .................................................................................................. 45
o Changing the Screensaver ................................................................................................ 46
o Customizing the Taskbar ................................................................................................. 46
4. Files and Folders .................................................................................................................. 47
o What is a File? ................................................................................................................. 48
o Creating, Renaming, and Deleting Files .......................................................................... 48
o What is a Folder? ............................................................................................................. 49
o Creating, Renaming, and Deleting Folders ...................................................................... 50
o What is a Drive? ............................................................................................................... 50
5. Using Files and Folders ....................................................................................................... 51
o Introduction to My Documents ........................................................................................ 52
o Exploring Windows Explorer .......................................................................................... 52
o Exploring My Computer .................................................................................................. 53
o Copying Files and Folders ............................................................................................... 53
o Moving Files and Folders ................................................................................................ 54
o Selecting More Than One File or Folder ......................................................................... 54
o Choosing Views ............................................................................................................... 54
6. Shortcuts and the Recycle Bin ............................................................................................ 55
o What is a Shortcut? .......................................................................................................... 56
o Adding a Shortcut ............................................................................................................ 56
o Right-Click to Add a Shortcut ......................................................................................... 56
o What is the Recycle Bin? ................................................................................................. 57
o Placing Files in the Recycle Bin ...................................................................................... 57
o Retrieving Files from the Recycle Bin ............................................................................. 57
o Emptying the Recycle Bin ............................................................................................... 57
iv Table of Content iv
7. The Search Companion ....................................................................................................... 59
o Opening the Search Companion ...................................................................................... 60
o Using the Search Companion ........................................................................................... 60
o Previewing Image Files .................................................................................................... 61
8. User Accounts ....................................................................................................................... 63
o Understanding User Accounts ......................................................................................... 64
o Managing User Accounts ................................................................................................. 64
o Creating a New Account .................................................................................................. 64
o Changing an Account ....................................................................................................... 65
o Changing User Log On/Log Off Procedures ................................................................... 65
9. Accessibility .......................................................................................................................... 67
o Accessibility and the Accessibility Options Dialog Box ................................................. 68
o Adjusting the Keyboard ................................................................................................... 68
o Adjusting the Sound ......................................................................................................... 69
o Adjusting the Display ...................................................................................................... 69
o Using MouseKeys ............................................................................................................ 69
o The General Tab .............................................................................................................. 70
o What is the Accessibility Wizard? ................................................................................... 71
o The Text Size Page .......................................................................................................... 71
o The Display Settings Page ............................................................................................... 72
o The Set Wizard Options Page .......................................................................................... 72
o The Magnifier .................................................................................................................. 73
o The Narrator ..................................................................................................................... 74
o The Onscreen Keyboard and Utilities Manager ............................................................... 74
10. The Help and Support Center ........................................................................................... 75
o Opening the Help and Support Center ............................................................................. 76
o The Index ......................................................................................................................... 76
o Favorites and History ....................................................................................................... 77
o Support ............................................................................................................................. 77
o Help’s Search Function .................................................................................................... 77
11. Printers and Faxes .............................................................................................................. 79
o The Printers and Faxes Folder ......................................................................................... 80
o Adding a Printer ............................................................................................................... 80
o Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................... 80
12. System Tools ........................................................................................................................ 83
o What Are System Tools? ................................................................................................. 84
o Disk Cleanup .................................................................................................................... 84
o Disk Defragmenter ........................................................................................................... 85
o The Scheduled Task Wizard ............................................................................................ 86
o Dealing With an Unresponsive Computer ....................................................................... 86

Section 3: Word 2003 ................................................................................... 87


1. The Word 2003 Window ..................................................................................................... 89
o The Basics of the Word Window ..................................................................................... 90
o Change in View ................................................................................................................ 91
o Changing Your Document View ..................................................................................... 91
o Pull-Down Menus ............................................................................................................ 92
o Operating the New Pull-Down Menus ............................................................................. 92
o Using the Task Pane ......................................................................................................... 93
v Table of Content v
2. Working With Word Files ................................................................................................... 95
o New Files ......................................................................................................................... 96
o Creating New Files .......................................................................................................... 96
o Creating New Files Using Templates .............................................................................. 97
o How to Save a File ........................................................................................................... 98
o The Difference Between Save and Save As .................................................................... 99
o Opening an Existing File ............................................................................................... 100
o The Open Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 100
o Opening an Existing File Using the Task Pane ............................................................. 101
o Recovering Lost Work ................................................................................................... 102
o The Document Recovery Task Pane .............................................................................. 102
o AutoRecovery ................................................................................................................ 103
o Preventing Lost Work .................................................................................................... 103
3. Working With Text ............................................................................................................ 105
o Inserting Text ................................................................................................................. 106
o Moving the Insertion Point ............................................................................................ 106
o Backspace and Delete .................................................................................................... 106
o Selecting Text ................................................................................................................ 107
o Troubleshooting Selection Techniques .......................................................................... 108
o Using Undo - Ctrl + Z .................................................................................................... 109
o Using Repeat - Ctrl + Y ................................................................................................. 109
o Moving and Copying Text and Graphics ....................................................................... 110
o Copying or Moving a Single Item ................................................................................. 110
o Copying Multiple Items ................................................................................................. 111
o Drag and Drop ................................................................................................................ 111
4. Setting Up the Page ............................................................................................................ 113
o Aligning Text ................................................................................................................. 114
o Line Spacing .................................................................................................................. 115
o Paragraph Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 116
o Paragraph Spacing ......................................................................................................... 116
o Using Page Setup to Specify Margins ........................................................................... 117
o Working With Columns ................................................................................................. 117
o Creating Columns Using the Columns Dialog Box ....................................................... 119
o Indent Text ..................................................................................................................... 120
o Hanging Indents ............................................................................................................. 120
o The Ruler ....................................................................................................................... 121
o Setting Tabs, Indents, and Margins Using the Ruler ..................................................... 121
o Adjusting Tabs and Margins on the Ruler ..................................................................... 122
o Insert Headers and Footers ............................................................................................. 123
o Header and Footer Toolbar ............................................................................................ 123
o Delete Header and Footer .............................................................................................. 123
5. Formatting Text ................................................................................................................. 125
o Formatting Toolbar ........................................................................................................ 126
o Bold, Italics, and Underline ........................................................................................... 126
o Using Color .................................................................................................................... 126
o Font Dialog Box ............................................................................................................. 127
o Font Size ........................................................................................................................ 128
o Use of Symbols .............................................................................................................. 129

vi Table of Content vi
o Insert Symbols ............................................................................................................... 129
o Why Display Non-Printing Characters? ........................................................................ 130
o Bullets and Numbering .................................................................................................. 131
o Create Bulleted and Numbered Lists ............................................................................. 131
o The Bullets and Numbering Dialog Box ....................................................................... 132
6. Spelling and Grammar ...................................................................................................... 133
o AutoCorrect .................................................................................................................... 134
o Find and Replace ............................................................................................................ 135
o Spell and Grammar Check ............................................................................................. 136
o Check Spelling as You Type .......................................................................................... 136
o Check Grammar as You Type ........................................................................................ 136
o Spelling and Grammar Dialog Box ................................................................................ 137
o Using the Thesaurus ....................................................................................................... 137
7. Inserting Items Into a Word Document ........................................................................... 139
o Create a Text Box .......................................................................................................... 140
o Moving and Resizing Text Boxes .................................................................................. 140
o The Format Text Dialog Box ......................................................................................... 141
o Working With Tables ..................................................................................................... 142
o Custom-Made Tables ..................................................................................................... 143
o Entering Text ................................................................................................................. 143
o Editing Tables ................................................................................................................ 143
o Inserting and Deleting Columns and Rows ................................................................... 144
o Resizing Tables .............................................................................................................. 144
o Adding Borders .............................................................................................................. 146
o Add Shading ................................................................................................................... 146
o Introduction to Word Graphics ...................................................................................... 147
o Drawing Objects ............................................................................................................ 147
o WordArt Drawing Objects ............................................................................................. 148
o Formatting Drawing Objects .......................................................................................... 148
o Inserting Clip Art ........................................................................................................... 149
o Inserting Pictures From Your Computer ........................................................................ 149
o Moving Clips ................................................................................................................. 150
o Sizing Handles ............................................................................................................... 150
o Changing the Appearance of Your Pictures ................................................................... 151
8. Printing ............................................................................................................................... 153
o Print Preview Toolbar .................................................................................................... 154
o Editing Text in Print Preview ........................................................................................ 155
o Page Setup ...................................................................................................................... 156
o Printing ........................................................................................................................... 157
o Troubleshooting Printing Problems ............................................................................... 157

Section 4: Introduction to the Internet .................................................... 159


1. The History and Definition of the Internet ...................................................................... 161
o A Brief History of the Internet ....................................................................................... 162
o What is the Internet ........................................................................................................ 162
o Servers ............................................................................................................................ 163
o Clients ............................................................................................................................ 163

vii Table of Content vii


o Servers and Clients Communicate ................................................................................. 163
o The World Wide Web (WWW) ..................................................................................... 164
2. Connecting to the Internet ................................................................................................ 165
o Modems and Web Browsers .......................................................................................... 166
o Internet Service Providers .............................................................................................. 166
o The Need for Speed ....................................................................................................... 167
o Data Transmission Rates ................................................................................................ 167
o All About Bandwidth ..................................................................................................... 167
o What Type of Access is Available to You? ................................................................... 168
3. Using Internet Explorer .................................................................................................... 169
o Browser Basics ............................................................................................................... 170
o Cache .............................................................................................................................. 170
o Refreshing and Stopping Web Pages ............................................................................. 171
o Search Engines ............................................................................................................... 171
o Tips for Effective Searching .......................................................................................... 171
o Toolbars ......................................................................................................................... 172
o Status Bar and Favorites Center ..................................................................................... 172
o Customizing Toolbars .................................................................................................... 173
o Understanding Tabbed Browsing .................................................................................. 175
o Setting a Home Pages .................................................................................................... 176
o Access Favorites ............................................................................................................ 177
o Add to Favorites ............................................................................................................. 178
o Organizing Favorites ...................................................................................................... 179
o Creating New Folders .................................................................................................... 180
o Renaming and Deleting Favorites .................................................................................. 181
o History ............................................................................................................................ 182
o Customizing Your History List ...................................................................................... 183
o Search ............................................................................................................................. 183
o Saving Pictures ............................................................................................................... 184
o Copying and Pasting Text .............................................................................................. 185
o Emailing Links ............................................................................................................... 185
o Print a Web Page ............................................................................................................ 186
o Highlighting ................................................................................................................... 187
o Changing Text Size ........................................................................................................ 188
o Changing Font ................................................................................................................ 188
o Changing Color .............................................................................................................. 188
4. Browser Security ................................................................................................................ 189
o The Importance of Being Safe ....................................................................................... 190
o Password Do’s and Don’ts ............................................................................................. 190
o E-Commerce .................................................................................................................. 191
o Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) .......................................................................................... 192
o 128-bit Encryption ......................................................................................................... 193
o Privacy Tips ................................................................................................................... 193
o Cookies .......................................................................................................................... 194
o Controlling Your Cookies .............................................................................................. 194
5. Internet Security ................................................................................................................ 195
o What Are the Threats? ................................................................................................... 196
o How Do You Protect Your Data and Computer? .......................................................... 196
o How Do You Keep Your Children Safe? ...................................................................... 196
viii
o What is a Virus? Table of Content viii
o What is a Virus? ............................................................................................................. 197
o What is a Worm? ........................................................................................................... 197
o What is a Trojan Horse? ................................................................................................ 197
o Hoaxes ............................................................................................................................ 198
o Email Spam .................................................................................................................... 199
o Hackers .......................................................................................................................... 199
o Identity Theft ................................................................................................................. 199
o Understanding the Importance of Anti-Spam Protection ............................................... 201
o Free Anti-Spam Tools on the Internet ........................................................................... 201
o Blocking Dangerous Attachments in Microsoft Outlook .............................................. 201
o Digital Signatures and Digital Certificates .................................................................... 201
o Commercially Available Anti-Spam Software .............................................................. 202
o The Importance of Anti-Spyware Protection ................................................................. 203
o How do Anti-Spyware Tools Work? ............................................................................. 203
o Free and Commercially Available Anti-Spyware Software .......................................... 205
o The Importance of Anti-Virus Protection ...................................................................... 206
o What Does Anti-Virus Software Do? ............................................................................ 206
o Updating Your Windows Operating System ................................................................. 207
o Free and Commercially Available Anti-Virus Software ............................................... 207
o The Importance of Firewall Protection .......................................................................... 208
o Using Your Router as a Firewall ................................................................................... 208
o Using the Windows Firewall ......................................................................................... 208
o Free Firewalls on the Internet ........................................................................................ 208
o Shopping on the Internet ................................................................................................ 209
o Risks Children Face When Browsing the Internet ......................................................... 211
o Learning to Recognize Quality Web Sites ..................................................................... 211
o Guidelines for Parents .................................................................................................... 212
o Create an Internet Use Agreement ................................................................................. 213
o General Guidelines for Communicating Online ............................................................ 214
o Help Children Understand the Risks of Online Communication ................................... 214
o Help Children Understand the Risks of Pornography .................................................... 215
o Help Children Understand the Risks of Email ............................................................... 216
o Help Children Understand the Risks of Cyber Stalking ................................................ 216
o Understanding File Sharing and Risks ........................................................................... 216
o Understanding Risks in Computer Games and Other Downloads ................................. 217
o How Filtering Software Works ...................................................................................... 218
o Defining Security Zones With Internet Explorer ........................................................... 218
o Using Content Advisor to Control Access ..................................................................... 219
o Free and Commercially Available Filtering Software ................................................... 220
6. Email ................................................................................................................................... 221
o What is Email? ............................................................................................................... 222
o Anatomy of an Email Address? ..................................................................................... 223
o Top-Level Domains ....................................................................................................... 223
o Email Clients .................................................................................................................. 224
o Web Mail ....................................................................................................................... 225
o Instant Messaging .......................................................................................................... 226
o Email Do’s and Don’ts ................................................................................................... 227
o Manners .......................................................................................................................... 228

ix Table of Content ix
x Table of Content x
I want to put another page number on here so here I go
2 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 2
Section 1-1:

History of Computers

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Define "computer"
 Discuss the history of computers
 Name the parts of a computer

3 Section 1-1: History of Computer 3


What is a Computer?
Whether you realize it or not, computers play important roles in our lives. When you get cash from an
ATM, get your groceries scanned at the store or use a calculator, you're using a computer.

A computer is a machine that manipulates information or "data." You can use a computer to type
documents, send email, and surf the Internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting,
database management, presentations, games, and desktop publishing.

A Brief History of Computers


The first electronic computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), was
developed in 1946. It measured 18 feet by 80 feet and weighed 30 tons. Today's desktop computers
weigh much less, can store a million times more information, and are 50,000 times faster.

The first personal computers or PCs were introduced in the 1970s. PCs came into widespread use
in the 1980s as costs decreased and machines became more powerful.

In recent years, notebook-size laptop computers and hand-held Personal Digital Assistants
(PDAs) have become popular.

Parts of the Computer


A computer is made up of several different parts.

The computer case is the metal and plastic box that contains the main components of the computer.
Computer cases come in different shapes and sizes. A desktop case lies flat on a desk, and the monitor
usually sits on top of it. A tower case, pictured below, is tall and sits next to the monitor or on the floor.

The front of the case usually has an on/off switch and two or more drives. (You'll learn more about the CD
ROM drive and 3 1/2" Floppy drive in later sections.)

On the back of the computer case are connection ports made to fit only one type of plug-in device. The ports include monitor
cable port, keyboard/mouse ports, network cable port, microphone/speaker/auxiliary input ports and printer port (SCSI
or Parallel). There's also a place for the power cord plug.

The monitor, which resembles a television, is where the computer displays text and pictures.

The keyboard lets you type information into the computer. It


resembles a typewriter keyboard.

4 Section 1-1: History of Computer 4


The Mouse

The mouse is the hand-held device that lets you point, click, and move objects on the
monitor screen. Some models have a ball underneath which allows you to easily move it
on a flat surface. The mouse got its name because of its size and shape.

Typically, a mouse has two or three buttons used to move a cursor around the screen.

The trackball, touchpad, and touchscreen are alternatives to the mouse. A trackball is similar to a mouse, but
the ball that helps maneuver the cursor is on top instead of underneath. When using a touchpad or touchscreen,
you can use your finger or a tool called a stylus to move around the screen.

The mouse and keyboard can also be used together to navigate around the computer screen.

More Computer Parts


The printer is a machine that prints a paper copy of what you see on the monitor.

A modem allows you to connect to the Internet and communicate with other computers via a
telephone line. An external modem plugs into the computer and sits on the desk. Most new
computers come with an internal modem.

5 Section 1-1: History of Computer 5


6 Section 1-1: History of Computer 6
Section 1-2:

Input and Output Devices

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 List and describe how input devices work
 List and describe how these output devices work - monitors, printers, speakers and earphones

7 Section 1-2: Input and Output Devices 7


Input Devices
Input devices are connected to the computer through ports or sockets. Some of these peripheral devices are used to enter
information into the computer. They include keyboards, scanners, joysticks and digital cameras.

The Keyboard
 The main part of a computer keyboard has alpha-numeric (letter and number) keys similar to a typewriter. However, the
keyboard also features keys that cause the computer to perform specific tasks.
 The Escape key, labeled Esc, allows you to stop a function or action. For example, if
your computer suddenly freezes up, you may be able to resume by pressing Esc.
 The Function keys, along the top of the keyboard, are labeled F1, F2, up to F12.
These shortcut keys allow you to quickly complete a specific task within certain
programs. For example, F1 opens Help in Microsoft Office.
 The Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause/Break keys are at the far right end of the keyboard. The Print Screen key takes a
"picture" of your screen that you can edit or save using a graphics program.
 The Enter key carries out commands. For example, while on the Internet, you can type in a website address, called a URL, and
press Enter to go to the site.
 The Control (Ctrl), Alternate (Alt), and Shift keys are designed to work with other keys. For example, if you press Ctrl + S at
the same time, you can save a file.
 The Backspace key erases the character to the left of the cursor.
 To the right of the regular keys is the cursor control pad. At the bottom are four arrow keys. Pressing any one of these keys
moves the cursor in the direction of the arrow. There are six keys above the arrows:
 The Delete key erases the character to the right the cursor.
 The Insert key switches between the insert mode and overtype mode. The insert mode is the normal mode for word processing.
 The Home key moves the cursor to the left or beginning of the current line.
 End moves the cursor to the right end of the current line.
 Page Up and Page down take you to the top or bottom of the screen.
 The Number pad, at the far right end of the keyboard, resembles a calculator keypad. Similar to the curser keys, you can use
the arrow keys on this keypad to move the cursor.

The Mouse
The mouse is the hand-held device that lets you point to objects on the screen, click on them, and
move them.

To properly use the mouse:


 Using your right hand, place your thumb on the desk or table top on the left side of the mouse
 Your index (pointer) finger should rest on the left button of the mouse.
 Place your middle finger on the right button of the mouse.
 Your ring finger and little finger should rest on the right side of the mouse.
 Click. Select an object on the screen by pressing the left mouse button down with your index finger and then release the
button.
 Drag an object on the screen by pressing and holding down the left mouse button with your index finger while moving the
mouse. When the object is where you want it, release the button.
 To double-click, rapidly press and release the left mouse button with your index finger.
 To right-click, press and release the right mouse button with your middle finger.

Left-handed computer users sometimes use their right hand to maneuver the mouse. However, if you're left-handed and
want to use your left hand, the mouse buttons can be switched.

8 Section 1-2: Input and Output Devices 8


Scanners

A scanner allows you to copy an image into your computer. It comes in handy if you want to email pictures of the kids to
grandma.

There are three main types of scanners:


 Hand-held scanners work like scanning guns used at department stores.
 Sheet-fed scanners look like a printer and can scan only loose, single pages.
 Flatbed scanners look and act like a copy machine.
Scanners vary in resolution, or sharpness. Most flatbed scanners have resolution of at least 300x300 dots per inch (dpi). The
more dots per inch, the better the resolution.

Most scanners come with a scanning utility and some type of image editing application. Many include software that allows you
to turn a printed page into a text document for your word processor.

The best way to learn how to use a scanner is to spend some time with it. Explore the image quality controls. Scan a picture or a
document in at the default setting. Then, scan it with different contrast settings until you learn what many of the settings control.
Learn how to use the image editing programs. Go through the tutorial or start guide usually found under the Help menu.

A scanner is connected to the computer via a parallel port, a USB port, or a SCSI connection. No matter which connection is
used, the images are stored on your PC's hard drive in a digital format.

Pictures Take Up Space


The images that you scan into your computer can eat up hard disk space. The amount of space a picture takes up on your PC is
determined by the size and the resolution you use when you scan it.

To get the most out of your scanner, remember:


 If you want to scan a picture to put on the Web or to email, a 72- or 100-dpi scan is OK. This saves disk space and saves time
when the image moves over the Internet.
 If you want to print a snapshot, a 300-dpi scan will give you as much detail as you need.
 If you scan a large photo, such as an 8 by 10, or if you scan a smaller original and plan to enlarge it, then you should use the
maximum resolution so you don't lose detail.
 Once you scan a picture, you can save it in different formats.
 A JPEG format, which has the file extension .JPG, is easy to email or use on the Web. The picture loses some detail when you
save it in this format so it takes up less of your system's memory.
 A TIFF format, which has the file extension .TIF, is the best if you plan to print an image because no details are lost from the
original. However, this format uses more hard drive space.

9 Section 1-2: Input and Output Devices 9


Microphones and Joysticks
A microphone is another type of input device. Connect the microphone to the computer and use the computer to record sound.
(Some computers have internal microphones.) You can also use a microphone to teleconference with another computer user.

A joystick is a lever used while playing a computer game. There are a variety of different joysticks. If you're looking for a
joystick, consider your system's requirements, and whether or not you have a USB port or a game port.

Digital Camera

A digital camera lets you capture a picture in digital (computer-readable) form and lets you transfer that image directly from the
camera to the computer. It's a handy tool for taking those pictures you want to email to friends or put on the Web.

A digital camera is similar to a standard 35 mm camera, but it doesn't use film. Instead, it uses an image sensor to capture
hundreds of thousands of tiny squares called pixels. These pixels make up a photo.

When you use a digital camera, you can also preview your pictures before printing them. If you don't like what you see, you can
edit or delete them.

Storing Your Images

Separate devices are used to record and store digital images. Older cameras have built-in fixed storage that can't be removed or
increased. This limits the number of pictures you can take before having to erase to make room for new ones.

Almost all newer digital cameras use some type of removable storage, usually flash memory cards or small hard disks, and even
a floppy disk. Flash memory uses chips to store your image files.

All of these devices can be removed from the camera and plugged into the computer or printer to transfer the images.

10 Section 1-2: Input and Output Devices 10


Output Devices
Output devices, such as computer monitors, deliver information to the user. Speakers, earphones, and printers are also output
devices. They allow you to hear sound and print pages, respectively.

Let's look more closely at these peripherals:

Printers

There are three main types of printers:


 Dot matrix printers produce characters and illustrations by striking pins against an ink ribbon. It's the least expensive
printer and doesn't provide the same high quality as that of an ink jet or laser jet printer. However, it can print multi
-page forms - a task laser and inkjet printers can't do.
 Ink jet printers shoot tiny drops of ink onto paper. They provide good quality printing and can print in color.
 A laser printer usually costs more than an inkjet. It produces better quality black text documents and usually turns out
more pages at a lower cost per page than inkjets.

Costs Associated with Printers


To print, laser jet printers use toner. Toner is much more expensive than ink used by inkjets, but toner lasts longer. If you do a
lot of printing, a laser printer is less costly to maintain in the long run.

Some printers use specially coated paper, which can cost three times as much as regular paper.

If you primarily need to print to multi-page forms, the a dot matrix printer will do the job. If you're a graphic artist who
wants photo-quality images, buy a laser jet. An ink jet is fine for home use, school work, or business documents.

Monitors
The monitor works with a video card, located inside the computer case, to allow you to see images and text on the screen.
Monitors come in different sizes, including 15, 17, 19 and 21-inch. Most new computers come with a monitor the size of a small
TV. However, you can buy a less bulky but more expensive flat panel monitor.

Your monitor has an on/off button and control buttons (visible or behind a small panel) that allow you to change your monitor's
display. To sharpen, brighten or center your display, check the manual that came with your monitor.

11 Section 1-2: Input and Output Devices 11


Speakers and Earphones
Speakers are devices that connect to a computer and make sound and music audible. Speakers, like the one pictured below, often
come in sets of two or may be built into a computer monitor.

Earphones are output devices. Plug earphones into your speaker, monitor, or case to listen to music, movie clips and other
media.

Modem Plays Dual Role


The modem, used for input and output, lets you communicate with other computers through phone lines. For example, a
modem allows your computer to connect to the Internet, so you can see this section and send email. Most modems come with fax
capabilities and are available in different speeds.

56K modems are the fastest type of modem you can use on a standard phone line. Computer users who want more speed may
replace a dial-up modem with a cable Internet connection or DSL Internet connection.

A cable modem allows you to connect your computer to a local cable television line and is about 26 times faster than a standard
56K phone modem. It is nearly equal to the data rate available to a DSL subscriber. A cable modem can be added to or integrated
with a set-top box that provides your TV set with channels for Internet access. In most cases, cable modems are furnished as part
of the cable access service and are not bought directly and installed by the subscriber.

12 Section 1-2: Input and Output Devices 12


Section 1-3:

Data Storage

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Discuss data storage
 Define computer short-term and long-term memory

13 Section 1-3: Data Storage 13


Motherboards and Expansion Cards
Here are some of the components that make your computer work:
The motherboard is the computers main circuit board. It's a thin plate that holds the CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory,
and expansion cards to control the video, audio and more. The motherboard connects directly or indirectly to every part of the
computer.

An expansion card is a card which you can install to expand a computer's capabilities. For example, your computer's video card
is an expansion card which plugs into the motherboard.

The sound card, also called an audio card, is another type of expansion card. It lets the computer play sounds through speakers.
Some motherboards feature integrated sound, and do not require a separate sound card..

The Central Processing Unit


The Central Processing Unit (CPU), called a microprocessor, is the brain of the computer. Its job is to carry out commands.
Whenever you press a key, click the mouse, or start an application, you're sending instructions to the CPU. Located inside the
computer case, this silicon chip is about the size of a fingernail.

The microprocessor determines how fast a computer can execute instructions. A microprocessor's speed is measured in mega-
hertz (MHZ), or millions of instructions per second.

Intel, and AMD are the two main CPU manufacturers for PCs. The PowerPC microprocessor, developed by Apple, Motorola,
and IBM, is used in Macintosh personal computers.

Storing Information
RAM (Random Access Memory) is your system's short-term memory. Data is temporarily stored here until you save your work
to the hard disk.

This short-term memory disappears when the computer is turned off, so always save your file before turning off the machine.
When you save a file, you are saving it to long-term storage.

The more RAM you have, the faster you computer performs. RAM is measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

To understand megabytes and gigabytes, you need to know about bits and bytes. A bit is the smallest unit of data in computer
processing. A byte is a group of eight bits. A megabyte is about one million bytes. A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes.

To put this into perspective, consider that a printed page of single-spaced text contains about 3,000 characters. One MB holds
about 400 pages of single-spaced text.

More About Storing Information


The hard disk drive (also called the hard disk) on your computer is where information is stored permanently. This is long-
term storage.

When you use a word processing program, the computer loads the instructions from long-term storage (your hard disk) into short
-term memory.

The hard disk drive is the data center inside of the computer. All of your programs are stored here. Hard disk speed determines
how fast your computer starts up and loads programs. The hard disk is called the C drive on most computers.

14 Section 1-3: Data Storage 14


Floppy Disk Drives, CD-Rom Drives and More
You can also use your floppy disk drive and other drives for long-term storage.

The floppy disk drive, a slot on the computer case, is used for data transfer and software installation. The floppy disk
drive, known as A Drive, is also used for storing data. The floppy disk is the tool used for these tasks. Sometimes
called a diskette, it can store 720 KB to 1.44 MB of data. That's about 360 to 720 pages in a book. These drives are be-
coming outmoded as CD-R drives become more common.

A CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory) drive accesses information on a CD-ROM similar to how a CD
player accesses music from a CD. CD-ROMs hold much more information than floppy disks - up to 650 MB or the
equivalent of about 450 average size books.

ROM (Read-only memory) means you can access the programs or data stored on CD-ROMs but you can't write or
store your own data or programs on them. (Recording information on a compact disk requires a special type of drive.)

A CD writer is a device that can write CD-RW (Compact Disk ReWritable) and CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable)
discs, and read CD-ROM discs. CD-RW discs may be written, erased and rewritten, while CD-R discs may be written
only once. The terms CD-RW and CD-R may also refer to the CD writer itself.

DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory), refers to the DVD media itself, or to the disk drive. DVD-
ROM drives can read DVD discs, all types of CDs, and can display movies from digital video discs.

A Zip drive stores 250 megabytes on disks similar to floppy disks, but Zip drives cannot read or write standard floppy
disks. Various versions of the Zip can connect to the computer via the parallel port, SCSI port, USB, IEEE 1394
(Firewire) or internally via the IDE interface. Expansion-bay versions of the Zip drive, compatible with many laptop
brands, are also available.

15 Section 1-3: Data Storage 15


16 Section 1-3: Data Storage 16
Section 1-4:

Types of Computers

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Discuss the different types of computers

17 Section 1-4: Types of Computers 17


PCs and Macs
Two popular types of personal computers are the IBM compatibles and the Macintosh.

IBM compatibles
The first personal computer produced by IBM was called the PC. The term PC came to mean IBM or IBM-compatible personal
computers -- excluding other types of computers, such as the Macintosh.

Both Macs and PCs are personal computers.

The Macintosh
Introduced in 1984 by Apple Computer, the Macintosh, or Mac, was the first widely sold personal computer with a graphical user
interface or GUI (pronounced gooey). The Mac was designed to provide users with a user-friendly interface. For example, the
use of icons or small images to represent objects or actions. Microsoft successfully adapted user interface concepts made popular
by the Mac.

Mac users represent about 5 percent of the total numbers of personal computer users. Macs are especially popular among graphic
designers.

Note: Our training is intended for people who use PCs and the Windows operating system. Some of our information also applies
to Macintoshes, but there are important differences.

Types of Computers
During this unit, we've primarily discussed personal computers. However, there are many other computers that serve a variety of
purposes.

Server
A server is a computer or device that manages a network of computers. It's typically used by businesses or organizations.

Laptops

A laptop computer, sometimes called a notebook computer because of its size, is a battery or
AC-powered personal computer. It's easy to carry and convenient to use in such places as airports,
libraries, and coffee shops.

Laptops usually cost more than desktop computers because of design and manufacturing costs.
While some models are full desktop replacements, others can be "transformed" into a desktop
computer with a docking station, which supplies connections for peripherals.

Laptops users typically don't use a mouse to navigate around the screen. Instead, they use a touch
pad, trackball or stylus. A serial port does, however, allow a mouse to be attached.

18 Section 1-4: Types of Computers 18


Personal Digital Assistants and Email-Only Devices
In recent years, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have also become popular.

The two major types of PDAs are the Palm OS Handhelds, and the Microsoft Pocket PC.

The Palm can help you easily organize appointments, addresses, and to-do lists.

The Pocket PC, designed as a near replacement for a laptop computer, can also easily manage appointments, addresses, and to-do
lists. You can add software to both models.

Small, email-only machines, marketed to home users, are dedicated to sending, receiving, and managing email. Users typically
must pay an access fee to use these devices.

Thinking of Buying a Computer?


When trying to decide which computer best fits your needs, consider:

 What will you primarily be using it for? Emailing or surfing the Internet? Playing games or organizing your life?
 Will you be working at home or in an office? Or, will you be moving around a lot? Would a stationary or portable machine
work best?
 How much can you afford to pay?
 Service and support. You may pay for it upfront but it's usually worth it. A service warranty calls for the manufacturer to fix
your computer if something breaks. On-site service, where someone comes to your home or office to fix the computer, is best.
Support is help in the form of phone support or training.

19 Section 1-4: Types of Computers 19


20 Section 1-4: Types of Computers 20
Section 1-5:

Software

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Name and discuss various types of software
 Discuss software licensing and piracy
 Discuss freeware and shareware
 Discuss upgrading and installing software

21 Section 1-5: Software 21


What is Software?
When you want your computer to perform a task, you give it instructions using software. Software is the name for the
applications or programs that run on your computer.

The operating system (OS) or system software is the most important program that runs on a PC. Operating systems recognize
input from the keyboard, send output to the monitor, keep track of files and directories, and control peripheral devices such as
printers.

An operating system lets you use different types of application software. For example, you can use a word processing applica-
tion to write a letter, and a spreadsheet application to track your financial information. To learn more about operating systems,
see the GCF Global Learning sections on Windows. To learn more about applications, see the GCF Global Learning sections on
Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Types of Software
Word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect allow you to create and edit documents, such as
letters, reports, and resumes.

A spreadsheet application allows you to store information, perform complex calculations, and get printed output. Microsoft
Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 are two popular spreadsheet applications.

Database management software organizes specific information in one or more tables. Databases utilize tables, created by the
user, to retrieve data for a variety of purposes. For example, if you are a business owner, you might use Microsoft Access to
analyze your customer information and ordering data. Retrieve data by asking questions, sorting or filtering, and creating reports.

Presentation software like Microsoft PowerPoint and Corel Presentations is designed for creating on-screen presentations,
reports, overhead transparencies, and slideshows. It allows you to combine text and graphics in a single document.

Desktop publishing software, also known as publishing software, offers tools for precise control over text and graphics
placement, and some image editing functions. This software can often handle layout for newsletters and other publications.
Adobe PageMaker, Quark Express and Microsoft Publisher are desktop publishing applications.

There's a World of Software Out There


There's software for completing just about any task or for engaging in any pastime you can imagine including needlepoint,
quilting, landscaping, home design, architecture, astrology, and genealogy.

Computer game software allows you to play interactive games on your computer, including card and board games, and flight
simulation.

With educational software, your computer becomes a virtual teacher covering such topics as reading, writing, math, geography,
foreign languages, and science.

Beta software is a version of commercial software that's released before the full version. Software companies use beta software
to test the product in the real world and to find and correct bugs before the final release hits the stores. Betas often expire after a
period of time, usually when the full version or the next beta is released. Developers sometimes have private beta testing that
you can apply to join. Or, they may have an open beta available to download.

Before you buy software, check its hardware requirements to make sure its compatible with your computer. If possible, try
software before you buy it. You can sometimes download a demo from a manufacturer's website or visit a computer store to see
it in action.

22 Section 1-5: Software 22


Licensing Basics
When you buy software, you are actually buying a license to use the product, not the programs themselves.

A software product license gives you the legal right to run a software program on your computer. When you buy software at a
store, the license comes in the box or appears online when you install the software.

To use the software legally, you must comply with the End User License Agreement (EULA). That's the agreement that
appears during the installation process.

Some software companies offer volume licensing or volume purchasing. An organization can save a lot of money if they choose
to buy multiple product licenses. The licensing options vary, depending on the product and the size and type of organization.

Types of Licenses
 Freeware (public domain) - This is a license that allows you to use a program at no cost. Freeware is copyrighted software that
you can download, use, and legally pass around to others.
 Shareware - This license allows you to download and sample shareware for a trial period. If you continue to use the program,
you must reimburse the producer of the program as noted on the documentation that comes with the program. Shareware is
copyrighted and includes games, screensavers, utilities, word processors, and more.
 Single-user license - When you buy the product, this license grants you use of the program. This license is typical for a home
user.
 A multiple-user license - This license is intended to be used in a network or multiple-installation situation. Network versions
are installed on a server and may allow a specified number of users to access the programs concurrently. In a multiple
installation situation, a certain number of copies are installed on several machines. This is a standard license for a business or
organization.

Software Piracy
Software piracy is the illegal distribution and/or copying of software for personal or business use. While it may not seem like a
big deal, sharing software with others violates federal copyright law.

End-User copying is one of the most common forms of software piracy. It typically involves friends loaning disks to each other
or organizations not reporting the total number of software installations on computers. Counterfeiting, or extensive duplication
and distribution of illegally copied software, is another form of software piracy. Consumers who buy counterfeit software get no
warranty, no technical support and no legal right to use the software. It can even carry viruses.

Penalties for software piracy can range from fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

Avoiding Software Piracy


 Keep your receipt as proof that you bought legal software.
 Register your product.
 Don't install or copy software onto more computers than allowed by the license agreement.
 Don't make copies of software (including fonts and images) other than allowed by the license agreement.
 Don't rent or lease the software.

In some cases, you may permanently transfer your rights to software that you have bought and used. Check your End User Li-
cense Agreement (EULA) for details. However, many Microsoft products distributed by original equipment manufacturers
(OEM) (companies such as Dell, Compaq or Gateway) may not be transferred under any circumstances. Check the EULA that
came with the OEM products to determine transferability.

23 Section 1-5: Software 23


Software Upgrade
Those who have purchased a software license agreement may want to upgrade the software at some point. A software upgrade
is software that typically includes new and enhanced features to simplify computer tasks. If you are considering an upgrade, do
research and decide if you need and can afford these features. Visit the software manufacturer's website, read PC magazine
reviews, and/or visit a computer store to see the product in action.

Some upgrades are free, while others require a fee. An upgrade costs less than the full version of the software.

To get a software upgrade:


 Load a CD-ROM and install the upgrade.
OR

 Download the software from the manufacturer's website.


A CD is convenient if you need to re-install the software later. Either way, read the instructions carefully before
installing and upgrading software.

How do you know when an upgrade is available?


If you register software, you provide your mailing address and e-mail address so you'll be notified when a new version of the
software is released. You can also get notified about product updates, promotions, and special offers. You can opt out of
receiving such notices.

The software publisher may also allow you to download corrected versions of software. These "patches" are pieces of computer
code that replace the faulty code in your software. Patches work only if you own the software.

An Overview of Installing
Most software comes with an installation wizard that provides on
-screen step-by-step instructions for loading software. As you are in-
stalling, you are putting parts of a program in different folders on your
computer.

During the installation, you may be asked where you want to install the
program and if you want to create a shortcut on your desktop. A
desktop shortcut allows you to launch a program without going to the
Start menu or other location on your computer.

If you're downloading from a website, you might see an "Install Now"


button like the one below for the Macromedia Shockwave Player. Click
the button to begin the installation process. Then, click through the
dialog boxes that appear.

A dialog box shows the progress of the installation on


the C:drive:

24 Section 1-5: Software 24


Help the Installation Go Smoothly
The installation of new software can be as complicated as you choose to make it. What you do before the actual installation plays
a major role. Follow the tips to make the process go smoothly.

 First, don't try to install new software while you have many other applications running. Close all applications, close your
anti-virus program and shut down your Internet connection.
 Run Scandisk to help make sure your computer is in good shape before you install additional software. This utility can prevent
or fix many common disk problems. You'll learn more about this tool in Unit 3.
 If you are downloading software from the Internet, make sure you scan it for viruses first.
 Always back up or copy your files to a floppy disk or CD so that they will be recovered if your computer fails. While backing
up is usually routine for businesses, personal computer users often neglect this necessary task.

Keep a Record and Watch Out for Incompatibility


Keep a record of the software you install. Record dates, title, any serial or registration numbers, and the program's location.
Write down any messages that appear on the screen during or after the installation. This may seem like a lot of work, but it will
be helpful if you start having technical trouble.

Some programs aren't compatible. They simply can't get along. Sometimes errors occur when you load new software or
upgrade software. Drivers that don't work well together could be causing the conflict. A driver converts the instructions of the
operating system to messages that the devices on your computer can understand.

If you change your operating system, the driver for your printer or other peripherals may need to be updated, too.

The Installation
The process of installing new software varies based on the software. However, most applications feature on-screen instructions.
For example, you can install a new Windows application using the automated Setup program included in most programs.

To install a Windows application:


 Insert the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive (or another drive that reads CDs).
 The setup program starts automatically.
 Click the Install button.
 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

OR

 If it doesn't start automatically, you will have to launch the Setup program manually.
 Click Start.
 Choose Run.
 Type a:\setup if using a floppy disk, or d:\setup if using the CD-ROM drive, in the Run dialog box.
 Click OK.

Sometimes when you install software, you do a partial installation. That means that you still need to insert the disk each
time you want to run the program. The computer will prompt you if you need to insert the disk.

25 Section 1-5: Software 25


26 Section 1-5: Software 26
Section 1-6:

Cleaning a Computer

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Clean a computer

27 Section 1-6: Cleaning a Computer 27


Giving Your Computer a Long Life
Cleaning your computer and doing preventive maintenance, such as scanning for viruses, helps keep it running smoothly.

Avoiding problems saves you money in the long run - cutting down on the amount of money you spend for new components or
repairs.

Preventative maintenance saves you time since it saves you the hassle of dealing with systems failures and data loss.

Keep it Cool and Neat


Don't restrict the airflow around your computer. Since it generates a lot of heat, an internal fan cools your computer. Dust
and dirt can cause the fan to fail. So, avoid putting your computer in an area with a lot of dust and don't stack papers, books or
other items on or around your computer.

Don't eat or drink while working at your computer. Liquid spilled on your computer or monitor can harm the components.

Cleaning the Keyboard, Mouse and More


If your keyboard keys get dirty, you can clean them with rubbing alcohol. Pour the alcohol onto a paper towel or anti-static
wipe - not directly on the surface you want to clean.

Make sure to turn off your PC and unplug it before doing this or any of the cleaning described in this section.

You can also use an anti-static wipe with rubbing alcohol to clean your mouse. Turn the mouse over, pop out the tracking ball
by either popping off the cover or unscrewing it, depending on your mouse brand. Then, clean the tracking ball and the inside of
the mouse.

Cleaning Computer Surfaces


Remember, dust is your computer's enemy. Use an anti-static wipe to lightly dust your monitor and surfaces. Don't use furniture
cleaners or strong solvents.

Use a can of compressed air with a narrow nozzle to blow out debris from between the keyboard keys and the air intake slots.

A safe cleaning solution for computer surfaces (not computer screens) is ammonia diluted with water or glass cleaner
comprised mostly of ammonia and water. (Check the label). Remember, the milder the solution, the better.

Cleaning the Monitor


Always turn the monitor off and unplug it before you start the cleaning process. Spray the cleaning solution (diluted ammonia
cleaner or glass cleaner) on a paper towel or anti-static wipe. Clean the monitor housing and case (not the monitor screen)
starting from the top and to the bottom

IMPORTANT: To clean the monitor screen, use a paper towel or soft, lint-free cloth moistened with water only.

You can also buy monitor-cleaning cloths. However, these are for regular monitors - not for laptops. Use a cloth moistened
with water on your laptop screen.

28 Section 1-6: Cleaning a Computer 28


29 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 29
30 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 30
Section 2-1:

Desktop and Start Menu

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Discuss the parts of the Windows XP desktop
 Discuss the parts of the Start menu
 Locate the Taskbar
 Locate the Recycle Bin
 Log off and switch users
 Restart and Turn off the computer properly
 Launch programs from the Start menu
 Launch Internet Explorer from the Start menu

Windows XP is an operating system that lets you use different types of applications or software. For example, it allows you to
use a word processing application to write a letter, and a spreadsheet application to track your financial information.

Windows XP is a graphical user interface (GUI). It has pictures (graphical) that you use (user) to communicate (interface) with
the computer. This type of system is popular because it's logical, fun and easy to use.

This operating system has multitasking capabilities, meaning it can run several applications at the same time. Multitasking allows
you to view this section on the Internet at the same time that you practice using other applications with Windows XP.

31 Section 2-1: Desktop and Start Menu 31


The Windows XP Desktop
Like previous versions of Windows, Windows XP uses a desktop for the standard interface. Think of the desktop as a workspace
where you can access everything you need to operate your computer, such as system components, applications, the Internet, etc.

The desktop contains:


 Start button: one of the most important tools
you will use while working with Windows XP.
The Start button allows you to open menus and
start applications.
 Taskbar: primarily used to switch between open
windows and applications. Learn more about
using the Taskbar in a later section.
 Icons (or graphical pictures): represent
applications, files, and other parts of the
operating system. By default Windows XP
provides you with one desktop icon, the Recycle
Bin. Learn more about the Recycle Bin in a later
section.

Your desktop's appearance may vary from


the example shown below, especially if you
bought a computer with XP preinstalled.

The Start Menu

To begin exploring Windows XP, click the Start button.

When you click the Start button, the Start menu appears. The Start menu
is your gateway to the applications that are on your computer. The left side
of the Start menu lists programs, and the right side allows access to
common Windows folders (My Documents, for example). It also provides
access to Help and Support, Search, and Run.

32 Section 2-1: Desktop and Start Menu 32


If you select All Programs, a pop-up menu appears. Pop-up menus
like this are called cascading menus. If a cascading menu is
available, a small black triangle appears next to the name of the
application or function.

In the example below, the Word program has been selected.

To explore the Start menu:


 Click the Start button.
 Move the mouse pointer to each option, and view the various
cascading menus.
 Click (or roll your mouse pointer over) All Programs.
 Move the mouse pointer to the right and view other cascading
menus.
 To exit the menus, click outside the menu area or press Esc on your
keyboard.

The Start menu remembers items you've recently opened and


places the icon on the Start menu so you can easily open it next time you
open the Start menu. For example, if you recently opened Microsoft
Word using Start All Programs Microsoft Word, the next time
you open the Start menu, simply click the Word icon on the left side of
the Start menu.

Exploring Programs
Programs enable you to do work on the
computer. For example, a word
processing programs such as Microsoft
WordPad allows you to create a basic
document. You can easily open a
program from the Start menu using the
All Programs button.

To open a program using


the Start menu:
 Click Start.
 Click All Programs and slide your
mouse pointer until you've selected the
program you want to open (it turns
blue).
 Click to open the program you've
selected. (Remember, programs with
small black arrows beside them will
open another cascading menu. Simply
drag your mouse pointer to make your
selection.)

 To close a program, click the


located at the top right of the window.

33 Section 2-1: Desktop and Start Menu 33


Launching Internet Explorer from the Start menu
Internet, another choice on the Start menu, opens Internet Explorer; the web browser that comes bundled with Windows XP.

To launch Internet Explorer from the Start menu:


 Click Start.
 Choose Internet.
 Click to open Internet Explorer.

 To close a program, click the located at the top right of the window.

Note: You must be connected to the Internet for Internet Explorer to open a web page.

Understanding Icons
The small pictures on the desktop are called icons. One type of icon is an object icon. Examples of object icons
are My Computer, Recycle Bin, and Internet Explorer. These icons allow you to open files and programs on
your computer.

Shortcut icons allow you to open an application quickly. These icons appear on your desktop and with little
arrow in the left corner. Desktop shortcuts are links to files and programs. You can add or delete shortcuts
without affecting the programs on your computer. You'll learn about creating shortcuts in a later section.

To open a program using an icon:


 Place your mouse over the icon.
 Text appears identifying its name or contents.
 Then, double-click the icon.

Understanding the Taskbar


The taskbar is the small blue bar you see at the bottom of your desktop. It contains the Start
menu and the Quick Launch bar, which contains icons for Internet Explorer, Windows Media
Player, and Show Desktop. Click an icon to open a program. Click Show Desktop to quickly view
your desktop without closing any programs or windows.

The box on the right is called the Notification Area. Here, you'll find the clock and several other icons
depending on what you have installed on your computer. Other icons appear in the Notification
Area detailing the status of your activity. For example, when you're printing a document, a printer
icon appears. Microsoft also uses the Notification Area to remind you when software updates are
available for download.

When you open or minimize a window or program, a rectangular button appears on the taskbar that shows the name of the
application. These buttons disappear when you close a window.

34 Section 2-1: Desktop and Start Menu 34


Log off and Switch Users
More than one person may use your computer. For example, many family members may use the same computer at home while
several coworkers may be able to access your computer on a computer network. Windows XP allows everyone who uses your
computer to have separate computer accounts. A computer accounts tracks each person's unique settings, documents, and email
accounts.

Windows XP even enables you to log off the computer so someone


else can log on without having to restart the computer.

To log off/switch users:


 Click the Start menu and click Log Off.
 A dialog box appears asking you if you want to Switch User or Log
Off.
 Switch User allows someone else to log on to the computer. If you
choose to Switch User, your applications will continue to run in the
background while the new user logs on.
 If you choose Log Off, your applications will close.
 In any case, you're taken to a Windows XP logon screen where
you're prompted to enter your username and password.

Turn Off and Restart the Computer


When you've finished using Windows XP, be sure to turn off (or shut down) the computer correctly.

To turn off the computer:


 Click the Start menu.
 Click Turn Off Computer.
 A dialog box opens. Click Turn Off.

If you're experiencing computer problems or have installed something


new, you can simply restart your computer.

To restart the computer:


 Click the Start menu.
 Click Turn Off Computer.
 A dialog box opens. Click Restart.

35 Section 2-1: Desktop and Start Menu 35


36 Section 2-1: Desktop and Start Menu 36
Section 2-2:

Windows XP Windows

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Recognize and use commonly used Windows XP toolbars
 Recognize and use commonly used Windows XP buttons
 Scroll
 Use and understand the function of the Minimize, Maximize, and Restore buttons
 Move a window using the Title bar
 Click and drag to resize a window
 Tile and cascade windows
 Switch between windows

37 Section 2-2: Windows XP Windows 37


Windows XP got its name from one its most basic elements: the
window. The rectangular work area for a program, file, or other
task is called a window.

To the right is an example of a Microsoft Word window. While


Word is a word-processing program, the example below features
many of the elements common in Windows XP.

The workspace is the white area inside the window. This is where
you do your work with a program, such as writing a letter.
Depending on what program you're working with, the workspace
will appear differently.

Windows XP Bars and Buttons


Windows XP offers several tools, menus, and commands that make the operating system easy-to-use.

The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top of a window. It's displayed as white text on blue background by default.

The Control menu button is the icon at the far left end of the title bar. The Control menu button opens a menu you can
use to control the window.

The Close button is at the far right end of the title bar. It looks like a box with an X in it. Click the Close button to close a
window or to exit a program. Next to the Close button, you'll see the Minimize and Maximize buttons. Learn more about
these buttons in the next section.

The menu bar is the below the title bar. It contains several menus, which let you see a list of commands.

Some menu options are followed by ellipsis, or... Choosing a menu option followed by an ellipses will
open a dialog box, which feature helpful tools to help you perform tasks.

Some Windows XP programs have toolbars across the top of the window. The toolbar buttons allow
you to print, cut, paste, or do other tasks. The options vary depending on the program.

38 Section 2-2: Windows XP Windows 38


Scrolling
The scroll bar appears at the right side or the
bottom of a window when all the information
in that window can't be seen at the same time.
Use the scroll bar to view hidden information.

To scroll:

 Click the arrow to scroll up.


 Click the arrow to scroll down.

 Click the arrows to scroll up one page at


a time.

 Click the arrows to scroll down one page


at a time.
 Click the button to open a browse menu.
OR

 Click and drag the scroll bars to view your document.

Minimizing, Maximizing, and Restoring Windows


Windows allows you to easily enlarge, hide, or shrink a window using the Minimize, Maximize, and Restore buttons.

The Minimize button is among the three buttons at the right end of the title bar. This button has a small dash (or minus sign). The
Minimize button shrinks the window and places it on the taskbar while leaving the program running.

The Maximize button, which looks like a small window, is used to enlarge a window to cover the entire desktop.

After a window is maximized, the Maximize button changes to the Restore


button. It looks like two windows near one another. If you click the Restore
button, the maximized window shrinks to its previous size (the size it was
before you maximized it).

Sizing Windows
Sizing window is slightly different from minimizing, restoring, or maximizing. Note: You cannot size a window if it's been
maximized.

To change the size of a window:


 Hover the mouse pointer over any corner of the window. (You can also place the pointer over
the borders of the window.)
 The mouse pointer changes into a double-headed arrow.
 Click and hold down the left mouse button.
 Drag the arrow out or in to make the window larger or smaller.

Make sure the mouse pointer change into a two-headed arrow before you try to size the window.

39 Section 2-2: Windows XP Windows 39


Moving a Window Using the Title Bar
Sometimes a window may obscure an item you want to click on or view.

To move a window:
 Place the mouse pointer over the title bar (at the top of the window).
 Click and hold down the left mouse button. (You cannot move a window that has been maximized other than to use the
Minimize button.)
 Drag the window to the place where you want it and release the mouse button.

Tiling and Cascading Windows


Sometimes, moving and sizing multiple windows can create confusion. To keep better track of multiple windows, try cascading
or tiling the windows.

Cascading windows are layered on top of each other.

Tiled windows are next to each other. Windows can be tiled horizontally or vertically. If windows are tiled horizontally,
they appear one above another. If windows are tiled vertically, they appear side by side.

To cascade or tile windows:


 With two or more windows open, right-click on a blank area of the taskbar.
 Choose Cascade Windows, Tile Windows Horizontally, or Tile Windows Vertically.

To return to your previous window arrangement:


 Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar.
 Select the Undo command.

To show the desktop:


 Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar.
 Choose Show the Desktop.

40 Section 2-2: Windows XP Windows 40


Switching Between Windows
Windows XP allows you to have more than one program open at the same time. It also allows you to easily move between open
windows. The window you select becomes the active window. When a window is active on the desktop, its title bar (and button
on the taskbar) is blue. When a window is inactive, the title bar is light blue.

To switch between windows:


 Open more than one program.
 Size the windows so they're open on the desktop.
 Click on any part of the window you want to work with.
OR

 Click the program buttons on the taskbar to activate the window you want to work with.
Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows XP keeps the taskbar from getting too cluttered. It groups the buttons when
too many accumulate on the taskbar. For example, when you open Outlook Express, you'll see one button on the taskbar.
However, if you have three or more email message windows open, one button represents the Outlook Express's open windows.

Simply click the button to select from the pop-up list of open windows.

Switching Using the Keyboard Method


When you have more than one window open, you can also switch between them using the keyboard.

To switch between window using the keyboard method:


 Open more than one program or window.
 Press and hold down the Alt key while pressing the Tab key.
 A menu featuring file and program icons appears.
 Tab to the window you want to view. Once it's outlined with a box, release both keys.

41 Section 2-2: Windows XP Windows 41


42 Section 2-2: Windows XP Windows 42
Section 2-3:

Customizing Windows XP

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Navigate the Control Panel
 Set the time and date
 Customize the screen with a screensaver and wallpaper
 Customize the screen resolution
 Customize the Taskbar

43 Section 2-3: Customizing Windows XP 43


Introduction to the Control Panel
You don't have to be a computer genius to use Windows
XP, but if you know something about how to set up
some basic features and functions, it will do a lot more
for you. Windows XP makes this easier than ever with
the Control Panel. The Control Panel features a number
of tools that will help you control how Windows XP
features look and act. But first you must learn how to
access the Control Panel.

To access the Control Panel:


 Click Start.
 Click Control Panel.
 The Control Panel opens.
OR

 Type Control Panel in the Address dialog box


found on any Windows XP window.

OR

 Many folders feature a link to the Control Panel in the See Also dialog box (only in XP view).

Navigate the Control Panel


If you're used to a previous version of Windows, you'll notice that the Control Panel in Windows XP looks very different.

The Windows XP Control Panel is divided into Categories. If you click a Category, the window presents a List of Tasks and
related Control Panel icons.

Note: Task and Control Panel icons perform basically the same functions. For example, notice that you can "Choose a
screen saver" in the Pick a Task list. Clicking this link opens the Display Properties dialog box. However, if you were to choose
the Display icon, the Display Properties dialog box opens.

If you look at the left side of the window, you'll notice that the See Also and Troubleshooters dialog boxes provides several
more related options.

The new Control Panel design provides multiple ways to do something, thereby making it more user-friendly. However, the
new Control Panel design doesn't provide you with access to every available Control Panel tool - it only provides you access
to the most commonly used tools.

To access ALL of your Control Panel tools, you must switch to Classic View.

To switch to Classic View:


 Click the Classic View link on the left side of your Control Panel.
 Click the Switch to Category View link to switch back.

Use the menu bar and toolbar buttons to navigate and further explore Control Panel options.

44 Section 2-3: Customizing Windows XP 44


Set the Time and Date
In the following pages, we'll explain how to perform some common Control Panel tools.

To change the time and date:


1. Open the Control Panel (located in Start menu).
2. Under Pick a Category, click Date, Time, Language,
and Regional Options.
3. Under Pick a Task, click Change the date and time.
4. The Date and Time Properties dialog box opens.
5. Use the drop down box to set the month and year.
6. Click the correct date on the calendar.
7. Click and select the current time to make a change.
8. If necessary, click the Time Zone tab and use the drop
down box to change the time zone.
9. Click OK to close the dialog box.
OR

1. Right-click the time in the lower right on your desktop.


2. Choose Adjust Date/Time.
3. The Date and Time Properties dialog box opens.
4. Follow above steps 5-9.

Changing the Wallpaper

Wallpaper is the background image that appears on your desktop. Windows XP offers many wallpaper choices.

To change the wallpaper:

 Open the Control Panel (located in Start menu).


 Under Pick a Category, click Appearance and Themes.
 Under Pick a Task, click Change the desktop background.
 The Display Properties dialog box opens with the Desktop tab selected.
 In the Background box, click or use the arrow keys to view the choices.
 Use the drop down boxes to alter wallpaper position or color.
Click OK to close the dialog box.

Advanced Users:

 Click Browse to choose a picture from the My Pictures folder (or navi-
gate to a picture located in another folder.)
 Click the Customize Desktop button to alter your desktop icons or display a web page on your desktop.

45 Section 2-3: Customizing Windows XP 45


Changing the Screensaver

In the early days of computing, screen savers helped prevent images from being burned into the monitor. Now, screen savers
entertain us, provide some privacy, and enhance or work or home environment. Windows XP comes with several screen savers.

To change the screensaver:

 Open the Control Panel (located in Start menu).


 Under Pick a Category, click Appearance and Themes.
 Under Pick a Task, click Choose a screen saver.
 The Display Properties dialog box opens with the Screen Saver tab
selected.
 Click the arrow to open a drop down box. Click or use the arrow keys to
view the choices. Or, click Preview to view each option on your computer
screen. Press any key on your keyboard to return to the dialog box.
 Click Settings to customize the appearance or your chosen screen saver.
(A dialog box will notify you if your choice doesn’t have any options.
 In the Wait box, determine how many minutes should pass before your
screen saver turns on.

Click OK to close the dialog box.

Customizing the Taskbar

You already know about the Taskbar, but did you know you can
customize its appearance?

To customize the Start menu:

 Open the Control Panel (located in Start menu).


 Under Pick a Category, click Appearance and Themes.
 Under Pick a Control Panel icon, click Taskbar and Start Menu.
 The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box opens with the
Taskbar tab displayed.
 Use the checkboxes to customize its appearance and click OK.

Click the Start Menu tab to switch between the XP Start


menu and Classic Start menu. Classic Start menu is the Start
menu featured in older versions of Windows.

46 Section 2-3: Customizing Windows XP 46


Section 2-4:

Files and Folders

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Create a file
 Create a folder
 Discuss drives

47 Section 2-4: Files and Folders 47


What is a File?
Files are collections of information. In fact, almost all of the information stored in a computer is stored in a file. There are many
different types of files, including operating system files, program files, and your own files.

Different types of files store different types of information. Each file is given a filename and has a three-letter filename
extension that identifies the file type. (The filename and filename extension are separated by a period.) For example, a document
created using WordPad might have the file name, letter to John.doc.

Some common file name extensions are:


 doc: Word or WordPad document
 txt: Notepad text file
 eml: Email file
 xls: Excel spreadsheet
 htm or html: HTML file (web page)
 ppt : PowerPoint presentation
 mbd: Access database

Creating, Renaming, and Deleting Files


With Windows XP, you can create a file using different programs such as WordPad or Notepad.

To create a file using Notepad:

 Click Start.
 Choose All Programs Accessories
Notepad.
 Notepad opens.
 Type, "This is my new document."
 Choose File Save from the menu
bar (Ctrl + S).
 The Save As dialog box appears.
 Save your file to the desktop.
 Name your document new document.
 In the Save as type drop down box, be
sure your document is saved as a text
document.
 Click Save. Your file is now saved to
the desktop.

Once you've created a file, you can re-


name it.

48 Section 2-4: Files and Folders 48


To rename a file:
 Locate your file (in this case, the file is located on the desktop).
 Right-click the file icon.
 Choose Rename.
 The filename is highlighted in blue, ready to be retyped.
 Type a new name and press Enter.
 The file is renamed.

To delete a file:
 Locate your file (in this case, the file is located on the desktop).
 Right-click the file icon.
 Choose Delete.
 A Confirm File Delete dialog box appears asking you if you are sure you want to send the
file to the Recycle Bin.
 Choose Yes.
 The file is moved to the Recycle Bin.

What is a Folder?
When you first start using Windows XP, you may only create a few files. Over time, you'll create MANY files. To keep your
files organized, create folders.

To open and view the contents of


the My Documents folder:
 Double-click the My Documents icon on the
desktop.
 The My Documents folder opens.
OR

 Right-click the My Documents icon (on the desk-


top).
 Choose Open.
OR

 Open the Start menu and choose My Documents.

All Windows XP folders include the following features:


 Title bar: contains the name of the folder  White space: displays contents of the folder (folders and
 Menu bar: contains the File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, and files)
Help menus.  File and Folder Tasks list: a convenient list of tasks
 Navigation bar: contains the Back, Forward, Up, Search,  Other Places: convenient list of your computer's places
Folders, and Views buttons.  Details: describes the folder
 Address bar: shows current folder location. Use the drop
down arrow to navigate your computer's places.

49 Section 2-4: Files and Folders 49


Creating, Renaming, and Deleting Folders
At some point, you may want to create a folder within a folder. Here, practice creating a Job Search folder in the My Docu-
ments folder.

To create a new folder in the My Documents folder:


 Open My Documents.
 Choose File New Folder.
 A new folder icon appears in My Documents, with its name highlighted.
(The default is New Folder.)
 Type a new, more descriptive name and click Enter.

OR

 Open My Documents.
 Choose the Make a New Folder link from the File and Folder tasks menu.

To rename a folder: To delete a folder:


 Locate your folder.  Locate your folder.
 Right-click the folder icon.  Right-click the folder icon.
 Choose Rename.  Choose Delete.
 The folder name is highlighted in blue, ready to be  A Confirm Folder Delete dialog box appears
retyped. asking you if you are sure you want to send the
 Type a new name and press Enter. file to the Recycle Bin.
 Choose Yes.
OR  The folder is moved to the Recycle Bin.

 Open your folder. OR


 Click the folder icon.
 Choose Rename this folder from the File and Folder  Open your folder.
Tasks menu.  Click the folder icon.
 Choose Delete this folder from the File and
Folder Tasks menu.

What is a Drive?
A drive, or disk drive, is hardware on which you can store files and folders. Disk drives are assigned a letter.

 Your hard drive (the drive inside your computer) is known as the (C:) drive.
 Your floppy disk drive is known as the (A:) drive.
 If your computer has a CD ROM drive, it is usually called (D:)

Choose where you'll save your files during the Save As process. Most computer users store their files on the (C:) drive.

50 Section 2-4: Files and Folders 50


Section 2-5:

Using Files and Folders

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Discuss My Documents, Windows Explorer, My Computer, and the Recycle Bin
 Navigate between files, folders, and drives
 Move files and folders
 Copy files and folders
 Select more than one file or folder
 Discuss the function on the Recycle bin
 Put files in the Recycle bin
 Retrieve files from the Recycle bin
 Empty the Recycle bin

51 Section 2-5: Using Files and Folders 51


Introduction to My Documents
My Documents is a folder that provides you with a convenient place to store your important files and folders.
Remember, you can quickly reach My Documents in the Start menu or by double-clicking the My Documents
icon on your desktop.

My Documents includes a few default


subfolders called My Music, My Pictures,
and My Videos. Feel free to use, rename, or
delete these folders.

Very important! When you save a file,


the file is automatically saved in My
Documents unless you've chosen a different
folder or drive.

Exploring Windows Explorer


Windows Explorer is a file management tool that lets
you create, rename, and delete folders. It also allows
you to copy, print, move, delete, rename, and manage
files.

To open Windows Explorer:


 Open My Documents.
 Click the Folders button on the Navigation toolbar.
 A list of folders opens in the left pane.

To explore Windows Explorer:


 With Windows Explorer open, scroll until you see the
Control Panel icon in the left pane.
 Click the Control Panel icon. The contents (of the
Control Panel folder) display in the right pane.
 Practice viewing other folders in the list.
 To close Windows Explorer, click the small black X in the upper right of the list OR click the Folder button.

52 Section 2-5: Using Files and Folders 52


Exploring My Computer
My Computer is another tool you can use to manage files and
folders. With this tool, you can create, rename and move
folders and copy, print, move, delete and rename files. It
also allows you to gain access to other system tools.

To open My Computer:
 Double-click the My Computer
icon on the desktop.
 My Computer opens.

OR

 Right-click the My Computer icon (on the desk-


top).
 Choose Open.
OR

 Open the Start menu and choose My Computer.

Copying Files and Folders


Windows offers several ways of working with files and folders. Copying and moving are two useful techniques.

To copy a file or folder:


 Open My Documents. Locate the file or folder you want to
copy in My Documents or its subfolders.
 Click the file or folder you want to copy.
 Under File and Folder Tasks, click Copy this file or Copy
this folder.
 In the Copy Items dialog box, select the place where you
want to copy the file or folder.
 Click the Copy button.

OR

 Choose Edit Copy. (Ctrl + C)


OR

 Right-click the file or folder and choose Copy.


THEN

 Locate the file or folder you want to copy and choose Edit Paste. (Ctrl + V)
OR

 Right-click the file or folder and choose Paste.

53 Section 2-5: Using Files and Folders 53


Moving Files and Folders
Moving files and folders is relatively easy using My Computer or Windows Explorer.

To move files and folders:


 Open My Documents. Locate the file or folder you want to move in My Documents or its subfolders.
 Click the file or folder you want to move. The file or folder
darkens when you select it.
 Under File and Folder Tasks, click Move this file or Move this
folder.
 In the Move Items dialog box, select the place where you want
to move the file or folder.
OR

 Choose Edit Cut. (Ctrl + X)


OR

 Right-click the file or folder and choose Cut.


 Locate the file or folder you want to copy and choose Edit
Paste. (Ctrl + V)
OR

 Right-click the file or folder and choose Paste.

Selecting More Than One File Or Folder


To copy or move more than one file or folder:
 Hold down the Ctrl key and click to select the files or folders you want to move or copy.
 The files or folders darken as they are selected.
 Copy or move the file or folder using one of the methods explained on the previous pages.

To select a consecutive group of files, click the first file, press and hold down the Shift key, and click the last file. All of the
files will be selected.

Choosing Views
You can choose how you want to display files and folders. Display them as thumbnails, tiles, large icons, small icons, as a list,
or as a list with details including size, type and date last modified.

To choose the view for your files or folders:


 Open My Documents.
 Click the Views button.
 A drop down menu appears. Choose your view.
 A large black dot appears next to your current choice.

54 Section 2-5: Using Files and Folders 54


Section 2-6:

Shortcuts and the Recycle


Bin

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Define a shortcut
 Add a shortcut
 Use the Recycle Bin

55 Section 2-6: Shortcuts and the Recycle Bin 55


What is a Shortcut?
A shortcut offers a way of doing a task more quickly such as starting a program or accessing a document.
The shortcut icon has a small arrow in the left corner to help you distinguish it from the actual icon that
represents programs and files.
The icon above is a desktop shortcut for the Things to Do document that's actually stored in this particular
user's My Documents folder.

When you delete a shortcut, the original item still exists on your computer in its original location.

Adding a Shortcut
In this section, you will learn three ways to create a shortcut.
Choose the one that works best for you.

To add a shortcut to the desktop using


Windows Explorer or My Computer:
 Open Windows Explorer or My Computer.
 Double-click a drive or folder.
 Click the file, program, or folder for which you want to make a
shortcut. The item darkens when you select it.
 Choose File Create Shortcut.
 Resize the window so you can see the desktop.
 Hover the mouse pointer over the shortcut icon and hold
down the left mouse button and drag the shortcut onto
desktop (in the left pane).
 Release the left mouse button and a shortcut is moved to the desktop.
Alternatively, press Ctrl + Shift while dragging the file to the desktop to create a shortcut.

Right-click to Add a Shortcut


One shortcut creation method works in both My Computer and Windows Explorer. This
method requires you to right-click.

To add a shortcut by right-clicking:


 Open Windows Explorer or My Computer.
 Double-click a drive or folder.
 Right-click the file, program, or folder for which you want to make a shortcut.
 A pop-up menu appears. Choose Create Shortcut.
 Hover the mouse pointer over the shortcut icon and hold down the left mouse button and drag
the shortcut onto desktop (in the left pane).
 Release the left mouse button and a shortcut is moved to the desktop.

56 Section 2-6: Shortcuts and the Recycle Bin 56


What is the Recycle Bin?
The Recycle Bin, the desktop icon that resembles a wastebasket, is where you put
a file or folder if you want to delete it.

You can open the Recycle Bin anytime and see what's inside by double-clicking
the Recycle Bin icon located on the desktop or using Windows Explorer.

Inside, you'll see a listing of deleted items.

Placing Files in the Recycle Bin


To move an item to the Recycle Bin from the Desktop, Windows Explorer, or
My Computer:
 Click and drag the file or folder to the Recycle Bin.
OR

 Right-click the file or folder you want to delete. .


 When the pop-up menu appears, choose Delete.
 A dialog box appears asking, "Are sure you want to send the file or folder to the Recycle Bin?"
 Click Yes.

Retrieving Files From the Recycle Bin


Placing an item in the Recycle Bin doesn't mean you can't retrieve it at a later date. Using the Restore all items link (located in
the Recycle Bin Tasks list) will move all files and folders in the Recycle bin back to its original location on your computer.

To restore all items in the Recycle Bin:


 Click the Restore all items link in the Recycle Bin Tasks list.
 The items are restored to their original location.
To restore one file, click to select the file.
 Restore all items changes to Restore this item.
 Click Restore this item.
 The item is restored to its original location.

Emptying the Recycle Bin


Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently deletes the items.

To empty the Recycle Bin:


 Click the Empty the Recycle Bin link in the Recycle Bin Tasks list.

57 Section 2-6: Shortcuts and the Recycle Bin 57


58 Section 2-6: Shortcuts and the Recycle Bin 58
Section 2-7:

The Search Companion

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Search for files and folders using the Search Companion

59 Section 2-7: The Search Companion 59


Opening the Search Companion
When you have trouble finding a file or folder on your computer, search for it using Microsoft
XP's Search Companion.

To open the Search Companion:


 Open and Start menu and choose Search.
OR

 Open My Documents and click the Search button.


OR

 Open My Computer and click the Search button.


 The Search Companion opens in the left pane and presents the following list of
options:

Using the Search Companion

Let's say you choose to search for a particular file. The Search
Companion prompts you with questions to help you refine your search. It's helpful if you can
remember something about the missing file such as all or part of the filename, file type, when
you last worked with the file, a word or phrase in the file, or what drive it's on, etc. The more
criteria contained in your search, the more refined the search becomes.

To search using the Search Companion:


 Enter as much information as you can remember into the Search Companion.
 Click the drop down arrows to add more criteria.
 Use the Back button if necessary.
 Click Search.

 Once you click Search, the Search Companion tells you


what it's searching.
 Your search results display in the white space.
 The Search Companion tells you when the search is complete and prompts you with more
Search options.
 If your search is complete, click Yes, finished searching.

Finding a file can take seconds, minutes or much, much longer depending on the type of search and
where you look. If you don't find the file or folder you're looking for on the first try, type in a
different name and/or location.

To quickly review files listed in your search results, hover your mouse pointer over the
filename. A yellow pop-up window displays, telling you its location, the file type, and size.
Double-click the file to open it.

60 Section 2-7: The Search Companion 60


Previewing Image Files
You can preview image documents (including fax documents) using the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer without opening
an image editing program. This is especially useful when browsing through a list of non-descriptive filenames. For example,
let's say you have a file named 09786.jpeg. You may wonder what the file looks like.

To preview an image file:


 Right-click the file and choose Preview from the pop-up menu.
 The Windows Picture and Fax Viewer opens, displaying the image file.
 Use the control buttons at the bottom of the window to perform basic tasks without opening an image editing program.
 Use the arrow buttons to view images as a slideshow.

61 Section 2-7: The Search Companion 61


62 Section 2-7: The Search Companion 62
Section 2-8:

User Accounts

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Understand the nature of user accounts
 Create a new account
 Change an account
 Change the way users log on and off

63 Section 2-8: User Accounts 63


Understanding User Accounts
A user is someone who uses a computer. A user account defines what a user can do using Windows XP. In Windows XP, there
are three types of user accounts.

1. Administrator account. The administrator can do everything with the computer and can go anything he or she desires -
essentially giving them control over the entire computer, including other accounts. The administrator account can never be
disabled or deleted.
2. Standard account. Users with standard accounts can install programs and hardware, change pictures and related personal data,
and create, change, or remove his or her password.
3. Guest account. The guest account doesn't require a password, can't add or remove programs from the computer, and is disabled
by default. This account type is great for kids or students.

Managing User Accounts


To easily manage user accounts, click the User Accounts icon in the Control Panel.

The User Accounts window presents you with an easy


-to-use interface.

Creating a New Account


You can create new user accounts as needed, giving
others access to your computer (without sharing your
password).

To create a new account:


 Click Create a New Account in the User Accounts
window.
 A User Accounts window appears. Enter the name of the
new account and click Next.
 The next window asks you to pick an account type.
Choose Computer Administrator or Limited by clicking
the appropriate radio button.
 If you're not sure, click each one and read the list of
actions that can be performed by the account type.
 When finished, click the Create Account button.
 The new account now appears in the User Account window.

64 Section 2-8: User Accounts 64


Changing An Account
Any account can be easily edited or changed from the User Accounts
window.

To change an existing user account:


 Click Change an Account in the User Accounts window.
 A window appears asking you which account you want to change.
 The next window (figure below) allows you to change the name on the
account, change the picture, change the account type, create a
password, or delete the account. Make necessary changes.
 Use the Back button to return to the original list to make any
additional changes.

Passwords provide security and prevent unauthorized users from


logging in using someone else's user account.

Changing User Log on/Log off Procedures


You can also select the way users log on and log off.

To change log on and log off options:


 Click Change the way users log on and off in the User Accounts window.
 You'll see two checkboxes that allow you to enable the Welcome screen and Fast User Switching. Fast User Switching
allows you to switch to another user account without closing any programs.

65 Section 2-8: User Accounts 65


66 Section 2-8: User Accounts 66
Section 2-9:

Accessibility

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Use the Accessibility Options dialog box
 Adjust Windows XP for vision, hearing, and mobility needs

67 Section 2-9: Accessibility 67


Accessibility & the Accessibility Options Dialog Box
As you know, a computer functions with both input (keyboard and mouse, for example) and output (monitor and printer, for
example) devices. In this section, we'll focus on how Windows XP allows you to configure your computer's input and output
behaviors to accommodate people with a range of disabilities.

To access the Accessibility Options dialog box:


 Open the Control Panel.
 Click the Accessibility Options link.
 The Accessibility Options window opens.
 Under Or pick a Control Panel icon, click the Accessibility Options link.
 The Accessibility Options dialog box opens.

Adjusting the Keyboard


When you open the Accessibility Options dialog box, notice that it is equipped with five tabs: Keyboard, Sound, Display,
Mouse, and General.

The Keyboard tab allows you to change the way your keyboard inputs information into Windows XP.

The following features are especially


helpful for users who have difficulty
using the keyboard.

StickyKeys. Enable StickKeys so you don't have to hold


down several keys at once on the keyboard. For example, if you
want to use Control + Alt + Delete, StickKeys allows you to press
one key at a time rather than having to hold them down all at
once. To use StickKeys, check the Use StickyKeys box and press
the Settings button to adjust your personal settings. Once you
enable or disable these, you can use them by pressing the Shift
key five times in a row.

Filterkeys. Enable FilterKeys to ignore brief or repeated


keystrokes. To use FilterKeys, click the Use Filterkeys checkbox
and click the Settings button to adjust your personal settings.

Togglekeys. Enable ToggleKeys if you want to hear tones


when pressing CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, and SCROLL LOCK.
To use ToggleKeys, click the Use ToggleKeys checkbox and
click the Settings button to adjust your personal settings.

68 Section 2-9: Accessibility 68


Adjusting the Sound
The Accessibility Options Sound tab allows you to enable
Windows sounds to help you operate Windows XP.

These features are especially helpful


for users who are hearing impaired.
Choose from two options:

SoundSentry. Windows XP uses sound to alert the user


to certain warnings or notices. Sound Sentry enables these
warnings to appear on your screen instead of as a sound. To
use Sound Sentry, click the Use SoundSentry checkbox.
Then choose the kind of visual warning you want to receive.

ShowSounds. Use ShowSounds to tell any programs to


show text for any sounds or speech they may use. To use
ShowSounds, click the Use ShowSounds checkbox.

Adjusting the Display


The Display tab allows you to use high-contrast colors and adjust the cursor to make reading easier.

These features are especially helpful for users who are visually impaired.
Choose from two options:

To enable High Contrast, click the Use High Contrast checkbox. Clicking the Settings button enables the shortcut for
High Contrast, ALT+SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN.

Use the sliders to change the cursor blink rate and the width of the cursor.

Using MouseKeys
The Mouse tab allows you to use the numeric keypad on
your keyboard to control the pointer. To use MouseKeys,
click the Use MouseKeys checkbox. Clicking the Settings
button enables the shortcut for MouseKeys, LEFT
ALT+LEFT SHIFT+NUM LOCK.

69 Section 2-9: Accessibility 69


The General Tab
The General tab provides some other accessibility control options.

Automatic reset. If accessibility features are turned on, users can turn off accessibility features after being idle for a
specific period of time. Use the drop down menu to select the desired time.

Notification. Receive a warning when turning a feature on or make a sound when turning a feature on or off.

SerialKeys. Turn on SerialKeys so other input devices (other than the traditional keyboard and mouse) can work with
Windows XP.

Administrative options. Computer administrators can apply all accessibility options to the logon desktop and apply all
accessibility settings for each new user.

70 Section 2-9: Accessibility 70


What is the Accessibility Wizard?
Wizards are helpful programs that lead you through
a series of steps. Usually, each step asks you to
input some information and then uses that informa-
tion to accomplish a certain task. Microsoft Win-
dows XP's Accessibility Wizard allows you to
customize your computer with tools designed to
help meet your vision, hearing, or mobility needs.

To open the Accessibility


Wizard:

 Choose Start All Programs


Accessories Accessibility
Accessibility Wizard.
 The Accessibility Wizard opens.
OR

 Open the Control Panel.


 Click the Accessibility Options link.
 The Accessibility Options window opens.
 Under Pick A Task, click Configure Windows to work for your vision, hearing, and mobility needs.
 The Accessibility Wizard opens.

The Text Size


Page
Once you've successfully opened the
Accessibility Wizard, click Next to
beyond the welcome screen.

In the Text Size window, click or use


the arrow keys to select the smallest text
you can read. Click Next.

While Windows XP provides basic


accessibility tools to users with special
needs, many users with disabilities
purchase additional programs and
devices to aid in their daily computer
use.

71 Section 2-9: Accessibility 71


The Display Settings Page
On this page, you'll see some checkboxes that allow you to select how your display appears. You can choose to change the font
size, use Microsoft Magnifier, and display personalized menus. You may also be able to switch to a lower screen resolution,
depending on your computer. Make your selection(s) and click Next.

The Set Wizard


Options Page
On this page, select the type of disability that you
have so the wizard can help you select some
options to meet your needs. For example, if you
choose, "I have difficulty using the keyboard or
mouse," the next several pages present you with
options to best meet your needs. Make your
selection(s) and click Next.

Continue using the Accessibility Wizard until


you reach a summary screen. Windows XP is now
configured for your needs.

72 Section 2-9: Accessibility 72


The Magnifier
Remember, the Accessibility Wizard, working with your responses, enables such utilities as magnifier, narrator, on-screen
keyboard, and utility manager. However, you can also turn them on via the Start
menu.

Microsoft Magnifier makes the screen more readable. It creates a separate window
that shows a magnified portion of your screen.

To open the Magnifier using the Start menu:

 Choose Start All Programs Accessories Accessibility Magnifier.


Whether you open the Magnifier using the Accessibility Wizard or using the Start
menu, the Magnifier Settings window opens.

Here, you can:


 Set the magnification level. The default setting is 2. Use the drop down arrow to
select the size that meets your needs.
 Follow the Mouse Cursor. By default, the Magnifier shows whatever you are
pointing to with your mouse.
 Follow Keyboard Focus. By default, the Magnifier follows what you do on the
keyboard.
 Follow Text Editing. When typing a document, the Magnifier follows the cursor and magnifies the text as you type or make
changes.
 Invert Colors. Inverts the colors in the magnifier.
 Start Minimized. The Magnifier starts as a minimized option on your computer.
 Show Magnifier. By default, the Magnifier shows at the top of the screen.

The Narrator
The Narrator can read items on the screen to you. However, the Narrator works only in English and may not work with every
program installed on your computer. Your computer will also need to be equipped with a sound card and speakers for the
narrator to function properly.

To open the Narrator using the Start menu:

 Choose Start All Programs Accessories Accessibility


Narrator.
Whether you open the Narrator using the Accessibility Wizard or
using the Start menu, the Narrator window opens.

Here, you can:


 Announce events on screen. Narrator announces new windows that
appear or system messages.
 Read typed characters. Narrator reads typed characters aloud.
 Move mouse pointer to the active item. Narrator moves your mouse pointer to the active window item for you.
 Start Narrator minimized. Narrator starts as a minimized option.

73 Section 2-9: Accessibility 73


The Onscreen Keyboard and Utilities Manager
The Onscreen Keyboard opens an onscreen keyboard on your screen. You can use the mouse to click the keys. This is a limited
version, but you can learn about other utilities such as this at http://www.microsoft.com/enable.

The Utilities Manager is a helpful tool that allows you to manage all of the Accessibility tools.

To start the Utilities Manager:


 Hold down the Windows key + U.
OR

 Choose Start All Programs Accessories Accessibility Utilities Manager.


 The Utilities Manager opens.

This window tells you which Accessibility tools are currently running and may help you troubleshoot any problems.

74 Section 2-9: Accessibility 74


Section 2-10:

The Help and Support


Center

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Use the Help and Support Center

75 Section 2-10: The Help and Support Center 75


Opening the Help and Support Center
You don't have to remember how to do everything with Windows XP. If you get stumped, Windows XP features an easy-to-use
Help and Support Center to assist you.

To access the Help and Support Center:

 Click Start Help and Support.


 The Help and Support Center
window opens.
 The home section is displayed.

When you first on the Help and


Support Center, you arrive in the home
section. Here, you can pick a help topic,
pick a task, search, and ask for outside
assistance. Notice that the Home section
looks and acts much like a web page. As
you use Help, notice that some Help
files are stored on your computer,
whereas others are stored on the
Internet.

The Index
Notice the buttons across the top of the home section. The Index option works
like any other index, providing you with a fast and easy way to locate topics and
resources.

To use the Index:


 Open the Help and Support Center.

 Click the Index button.


 The Index opens. The entire index is displayed in alphabetical order in the left
pane.
 Type in a keyword that pertains to the topic you're interested in.
 Double-click a topic you want to explore in the left pane. Information about the
topic displays in the right pane or a Topics Found dialog box appears.
 If a Topics Found dialog box appears, click Display or Cancel
 If you click Display, information about the topic displays in the right pane.
 Click Cancel to close the dialog box and begin a new search.

76 Section 2-10: The Help and Support Center 76


Favorites and History
Favorites
The Favorites option works much like Favorites in Internet Explorer. Whenever you find a help page
you want to visit again in the future, click the Add to Favorites button. The page will be added to a
Favorites list.

When you want to review your Help Favorites, open the Help and Support Center and click the Favorites
button.

History
The History option, as in Internet Explorer, keeps track of all of the Help and Support Center pages you have visited on the
Internet. To review pages you've visited in the past, click the History button. Double-click any of the links to display any of the
pages.

Support
If you are having trouble with Windows XP that you can't resolve on your own, there is support available to
you in the Help and Support Center. To access Support, click the Support button.

You can get support in a variety of ways:

Ask a friend to help. If you have an Internet connection, you can invite someone you trust to chat with you, view your
desktop, and work on your computer.

Get help from Microsoft. Using an Internet connection, you can allow a Microsoft support professional to answer your
questions via email, chat, view your screen, or work on your computer.

Go to a Windows Web site forum. Windows Newsgroups are online re-


sources that allow to you to communicate with other Windows users about any
problems you may be having.

Help's Search Function


Searching for help topics is perhaps the fastest and most useful way to use the Help
and Support Center.

To use search:
 Open the Help and Support Center.
 In the Search box, type in a keyword that pertains to the topic you're interested in
and click the green arrow key.

 Your search results are listed in the left pane.


 Click to choose a result that best answers your concerns.
 The explanation will display in the right pane.

77 Section 2-10: The Help and Support Center 77


78 Section 2-10: The Help and Support Center 78
Section 2-11:

Printers and Faxes

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 View installed printers or fax printers
 Add a printer
 Troubleshoot common printing problems

79 Section 2-11: Printers and Faxes 79


The Printers and Faxes Folder
Windows XP stores any information about any printer or fax machines connected to your computer in a Printers and Faxes
folder, making it easy to install, manage, and use printers and fax machines.

To view the Printers and Faxes folder:


 Open the Control Panel.
 Under Pick a Category, choose Printers and Other Hardware.
 The Printers and Other Hardware folder opens.
 Under Pick A Task, choose View installed printer or fax printers or Add a printer.
 The Printers and Faxes folder opens.
 In the left pane, you'll see several helpful links.
 In the right pane, you see a list of any printers or faxes that are installed on your machine.

Adding a Printer
Adding a printer is simple using the Add Printer Wizard available in the Printers and Faxes folder.

Before trying to add a printer:


 Make sure your printer is compatible with Windows XP. If buying a new printer, make sure to do your research before you
make a purchase.
 Get out your printer's manual or CD-ROM and read it.
 Set up your printer and attach it to your computer using a printer's cable and correct port on your computer.

Note: Many of the latest Plug and Play printers connect through a USB port. If your printer falls into this category, you may
not need the Add a Printer Wizard. If you do have to use the wizard and your printer isn't listed in the Windows XP list (which
usually displays when you try to add a new printer) you may have to contact the printer manufacturer for a driver. When you get
the driver, follow the Add a Printer instructions on your computer.

Having Trouble Printing It?


Try these troubleshooting techniques:
 Take care of the basics. Make sure the printer is plugged in, turned on and has paper in it.
 Make sure the printer cable is properly connected to the printer and to the computer.
 Check to see if there is a paper jam. Most printers have a flashing light to indicate a jam. Also, if the paper size selected differs
from the one in the paper tray, you will not be able to print. To choose a paper size, select File Page Setup. Click the Paper
Size tab.
 Check to see that the printer toner, cartridge or ribbon is fresh and adequate. If not, printed documents may appear streaky,
blotchy, or even blank.
 Make sure the printer switched to Online mode. There is usually a button on your printer's control panel. If it is switched to
Offline mode, it will not print.
 Make sure the computer knows what printer you are using. Check this by clicking Start Control Panel Printers and
Other Hardware View installed printers or fax printers. If an icon for your printer doesn't appear, try restarting your
computer. If you printer still doesn't appear, you may need to add it. Click Add a Printer and follow the instructions in the Add
Printer Wizard.

80 Section 2-11: Printers and Faxes 80


More Printer Troubleshooting Tips
Because so many issues can affect your printer, you should also consider these problem-solving tips:

 If you work in an office environment where several people share a printer, there may be a network problem. Contact
your Network Support person.
 If you can find the manual for your printer, read it to see if you can find the solution to the problem.
 If your printer still doesn't work, go to Help and Support Center. Under Pick a Help Topic, click Printing and
Faxing. Or, enter the term printer into the Search box.
 Open the Printing Troubleshooter. Answer the questions and follow the instructions so the computer can help you
figure out what's wrong.

To open the Printing Troubleshooter:

 Click Start Control Panel Printers and Other Hardware.


 In the left pane, open the Troubleshooters category.
 Click Printing.
 The Printing Troubleshooter opens.

81 Section 2-11: Printers and Faxes 81


82 Section 2-11: Printers and Faxes 82
Section 2-12:

System Tools

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Define Systems Tools
 Run Disk Defragmenter
 Run Disk Cleanup
 Open the Scheduled Task Wizard
 Deal with an unresponsive computer

83 Section 2-12: System Tools 83


What are Systems Tools?
Do some basic maintenance from time to time to keep Windows XP running smoothly.
Luckily, Windows XP provides you with some basic tools to make the maintenance
process as painless as possible. You can access these tools via the System Tools menu.

To open the System Tools menu:

 Choose Start All Programs Accessories System Tools.


 A cascading System Tools menu opens.

Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is another tool that helps keep Windows XP operating as it should.
It inspects your hard disk and looks for files that can be safely deleted. Deleting
unnecessary files frees up valuable disk space.

To run Disk Cleanup:

 Choose Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Disk


Cleanup.
 The Disk Cleanup window opens. Click the Disk Cleanup tab if it's not show-
ing.
 Disk Cleanup lists several potential files that can be deleted and the amount of
disk space you'll gain by emptying each one.
 To learn more about a file category, click it and click the View Files button. A
description appears.
 Click the checkboxes next to the categories you want to delete and click OK.
 A dialog box appears, stating, "Are you are sure you want to perform these
actions?" Click Yes or No as appropriate.

The More Options tab gives you even more disk cleanup options.

Note: It's recommended that you run Disk Cleanup every three
months.

84 Section 2-12: System Tools 84


Disk Defragmenter
All Windows XP computers have at least one hard disk. The hard disk acts as your computer's storage area. Almost everything
installed on your computer - applications, files, folders, and operating system - is stored here.

With general use, (creating new files,


deleting files, installing new software, etc)
your hard disk can become fragmented.
This means that parts of the same disk file
become scattered over different areas of the
disk. A fragmented hard disk slows down
your computer and hinders its
performance.

To keep your hard disk running smoothly,


you must routinely defragment or
"defrag" the hard disk. The Disk
Defragmenter tool can help you do this.

To use Disk Defragmenter:

 Choose Start All Programs


Accessories System Tools Disk
Defragmenter.
 The Disk Defragmenter opens.

To open Microsoft
Management Console:
 Open Disk Defragmenter.
 Open the Action menu.
 Click Help.
 A Microsoft Management Console
opens and explains how to run Disk
Defragmenter.

Note: You may need to be logged in


as an administrator or as a member of the
Administrators group to perform some
tasks associated with the Disk
Defragmenter. Disk Defragmenter should
be run every three months.

85 Section 2-12: System Tools 85


The Scheduled Task Wizard
Fortunately, you don't need to remember to run each of these utilities. Windows XP includes a Scheduled Task Wizard that runs
each of them for you.

To open the Scheduled Task


Wizard:

 Choose Start All Programs


Accessories System Tools
Scheduled Tasks.
OR

 Choose Start Control Panel


Performance and Maintenance
Scheduled Tasks.
 The Scheduled Tasks folder opens.
 Double-click Add a Scheduled Task.
 The Scheduled Tasks Wizard opens.
 Keep clicking Next to select the
program(s) you want Windows to run. If
the task you want is not listed, click the
Browse button to locate it. Then schedule
a convenient time.

Dealing with an
Unresponsive Computer
While doing regular maintenance on your computer should
keep it running smoothly, your computer may occasionally
freeze up or become unresponsive to the click of a mouse
or keyboard.

 If your computer freezes, try waiting it out.


Sometimes it takes your computer a few seconds
to complete a task.
OR

 Press the ESC on your keyboard.


OR

 Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on your keyboard. The


Windows Task Manager opens. Here, monitor
applications, processes, performance, networking,
and users. If you need to restart your computer,
choose Shut Down Restart. If you need to
turn off your computer, choose Shut Down Turn Off.

86 Section 2-12: System Tools 86


87 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 87
88 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 88
Section 3-1:

The Word 2003 Window

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Identify the parts of the Word 2003 Window
 Change the document view
 Operate the drop-down menus
 Identify the Task Pane

89 Section 3-1: The Word 2003 Window 89


The Basics of the Word Window
Let's briefly review the basic parts of the Word 2003 window before we move onto word processing.

Shown below is the Microsoft Word default window. When Word is launched, a new blank document, or default window, opens
in Print Layout view. Although window elements are fully explained in our Windows course, here is a brief explanation of the
Word window.

Title Bar Help


Displays the document name followed by a program name. Provides quick access to Help topics.

Menu Bar Scroll bars


Contains a list of Used to view parts
options to manage and of the document.
customize documents.
Status Bar
Standard
Toolbar Displays position
of the insertion
point and working
Contains shortcut mode buttons.
buttons for the most
popular commands.
Task Pane
Formatting
Provides easy
Toolbar access to
commonly used
Contains buttons used menus, buttons and
for formatting. tools.

Ruler View
Buttons
Used to set margins,
indents, and tabs. Changes the layout
view of the
Insertion Point document to
Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout
View, Print Layout View, or Outline View.
The location where the next character appears.

End-of-Document Marker Office Assistant


Links to the Microsoft Office Help feature.
Indicates the end of the document.

90 Section 3-1: The Word 2003 Window 90


Change in View
In an effort to provide various ways in which to view your work in progress and remain organized, Word 2003 offers six differ-
ent views for your document. The six views are Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout View, Print Layout View,
Outline View, and Full Screen View.

Normal view is best used for typing, editing, formatting and proofreading. It provides a maximum amount of space without rul-
ers or page numbers cluttering your view.

Web Layout view shows you what your text will look like on a web page.

Reading Layout view is best for documents that you do not need to edit. The goal of this view is to increase legibility so that the
user can read the document easily.

Print Layout view shows you what your document will look like when it is printed. Under Print Layout view you can see all
elements of the page. Print Preview shows you this as well.

Outline view is used to create and edit outlines. Outline view only shows the headings in a document. This view is particularly
handy when making notes.

Full Screen view displays ONLY the document that you are working on. All the other pieces of the Word window are removed
except for one button that allows you to Close View Screen.

Changing your Document View:


 Click View on the menu bar.

 Select the view of your choice.


OR
 Click one of the five buttons at the bottom left of your Word window (View Full Screen is not available in this

location).

91 Section 3-1: The Word 2003 Window 91


Pull-Down Menus
Each Office 2003 program features a menu bar. The menu bar is made up of many different menus. Each menu contains
commands that enable you to work within the program.

If you have used a previous version of Microsoft Word, you may notice the menu bar in Word 2003 operates a little differently
than before.

Word 2003 uses pull-down menus that initially display commands that users most often need.

Operating the new Pull-Down


Menus
To Open a Menu:

 Click on a menu name on the menu bar.


 View the commands listed under the pull-down menu.
 With the menu open, drag the mouse pointer to a command and click on it to select
the command. (As you drag your mouse pointer over the commands, each command
is highlighted in blue.)

 If there is a small black triangle next to a command, hover the mouse pointer over
the command with the triangle and a cascading menu with additional options will
appear. Point and click to make a selection from the cascading menu.

 Commands that are not used often in 2003 are initially hidden from the viewer. If you do not see
all the commands on a menu, click on the double arrows at the bottom of the pull-down menu. You
can also double-click the menu to expand it.

92 Section 3-1: The Word 2003 Window 92


Using the Task Pane
When opened, the task pane will appear on the right side of the Word window. The task pane
provides easy access to commonly used menus, buttons and tools. By default, the Task Pane
will appear when Word 2003 is first launched.

If you do not see your task pane, you can view it by either selecting certain commands or by
manually opening it.

To Open the Task Pane:

 Click on View in the menu bar.


 Select Task Pane.

Along the top bar of the task pane you should see
small backwards and forwards buttons on the left as
well as a down arrow on the right. To view different
task panes available to you, click on the down arrow.
Once you have opened different
task panes, you can navigate
through them by clicking on the
left and right arrow button on the
left. To close your task pane, click
the x symbol on the far right of
the bar.

93 Section 3-1: The Word 2003 Window 93


94 Section 3-1: The Word 2003 Window 94
Section 3-2:

Working With Word Files

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Create a new file in any Office 2003 program
 Create new documents using the templates feature
 Operate Save and Save As in Office 2003 programs
 Open an existing file in an Office 2003 program
 Learn about document recovery
 Use the document recovery task pane
 Learn to use Auto Recover
 Learn to save and backup work

95 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 95


New Files
Now that you've learned to open an Office 2003 program, you need to learn about files. A file is a collection of data, or
information. When you open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint 2003, you'll notice that a new, blank file conveniently appears, ready
for you to begin working.

The more you work with Office 2003, the more files you will create.

Creating a new file follows a similar process in most Office 2003 programs.

Important Terms:
 In Word 2003, a file is called a document.
 In Excel 2003, a file is called a workbook.
 In PowerPoint 2003, a file is called a presentation.
 In Access 2003, a file is called a database.
 In Outlook 2003, a file is called a mail message.

Creating a New File in Word 2003,


Excel 2003, and PowerPoint 2003
There is more than one way to create a new file.

To create a new file using the menu bar:

 Choose File New from the menu bar. (Ctrl + N)


 The New task pane opens on the right side of your screen, presenting several options.
 Hover your mouse pointer over your choice and click.

To create a new file using the Standard toolbar:

 Click the New button.


 A new file appears.

96 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 96


Creating New Documents Using the Templates
Feature

Microsoft Word provides several ways to create a new document. You can start with a new, blank document or you can use a
predefined template. A template is a sample document, or pattern, that you can personalize.

To Use a Template:

 Select File New from the main menu. The New Document task pane will appear.
 Look in the Templates section of the New Document task pane. You can access templates from three locations:
 Templates on Office Online
 On my computer
 On my websites
 Select On my computer to view templates
that are preloaded on your computer.
 Click one of the eight category tabs:
 General
 Legal Pleadings
 Letters & Faxes
 Mail Merge
 Memos
 Other Documents
 Publications
 Reports
 Select one of the templates to view it in the
Preview section
 Click OK. The template will appear in your
Word window.
 Insert your text into the template.
 Save and close the document.

97 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 97


How to Save a File
When working on an important file, you will want to save your work.

When saving a file


for the first time:

 Choose File Save from


the menu bar. (Ctrl + S)
 The Save As dialog box
appears.

OR

 Click the Save button


on the Standard toolbar.
 The Save As dialog box
appears.

OR

 Choose File Save As


from the menu bar.
 The Save As dialog box appears.

Before you click the Save button in the Save As dialog box, first name your file. Choosing a short, descriptive name will help
you remember what each file contains.

To name your file:


 Once the Save As dialog box is
open, the current file name
appears highlighted, ready for
you to change it.
 Type a short, descriptive name
in the File name box. File
names can include spaces and
capital letters.
 If you do not choose a file name,
Office 2003 programs will
assign a file name for you. By
default, it assigns the first line of
text in your document. If you
save a blank document, the file
will be saved as Doc1.

98 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 98


After you name your file, choose a file location. This will keep your files orderly and easy to find. My Documents is the default
file location in Office 2003.

To save a file in My Documents:


 Make sure that My Documents is the current file location by making sure the left column and Save in drop down box state My
Documents.
 Click the Save button

To save a file to an alternative lo-


cation:
 To save the file on your desktop, click the
Desktop button on the left side of the Save
As dialog box.
OR

 Click the down arrow to open the Save in


drop down list box.
 Double-click to choose another location
from the list.
 Click the Save button.

If you want to save a file in a


folder within a folder:
 Remember, folders can exist within folders. For example, the My Documents folder contains several default folders.
 Once you've chosen an initial file location such as My Documents, you can double-click a folder icon such as My Music to
save the file in that folder.
 Click the Save button.

The Difference Between Save and Save As


Save
When saving a file for the first time, it doesn't matter if you choose to save it using Save or Save As. Both commands open the
Save As dialog box.

After you save your work for the first time, you must continue to save in order to prevent lost work. To do this, choose File

Save (Ctrl + S) or click the Save button. The Save As dialog box will not open again.

Save As
Save As allows you to save an existing file under a new name, therefore creating a new file.

To save an existing file under a new name and create a new file:

 With the existing file open, choose File Save As from the menu bar.
 The Save As dialog box appears.
 Type a new name for your file in the file name box.
 Click Save.

99 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 99


Opening An Existing File
Once you've saved a file, you will want to open it.

To open a file:

 Choose File Open from the menu bar. (Ctrl + O)


 The Open dialog box appears.
OR

 Click the Open button on the Standard toolbar.


 The Open dialog box appears.

The Open Dialog Box

Use the Open dialog box to find the file you want
to open. Use the buttons along the left side of the
dialog box or the Look in drop down box to
navigate to where your existing file is located. Use
the arrow buttons to move between levels of
folders.

When you've located the file you


want to open:
 Single-click on the file icon and click the Open

button.
 The file opens.
OR

 Double-click the file icon.


 The file opens.

100 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 100


Opening an Existing File Using the Task Pane
To open an existing file using the task pane:
 Open an Office 2003 program (excluding Outlook 2003).
 Open the Task Pane by choosing View Toolbars Task Pane from the menu bar.
 The New Task Pane opens on the right side of your screen.
 Single-click the file name you want to open.
 The file opens.
 If you don't see the file you want to open listed, click More...
 The Open dialog box opens.
 Look for your file using the Open dialog box.

101 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 101


Recovering Lost Work
Sometimes, a Microsoft Office 2003 program will suddenly stop responding. If this happens to you, there are procedures you
should follow to try and recover any lost work. If the program stops responding, recover the program.

To recover a program:
 Open the Start menu.
 Choose All Programs Microsoft Office Tools Microsoft Office Application Recovery.
 In the Application list, click the program or file that is not responding.
 To try to recover the file, click Recover Application or Restart Application.
 To close the program, click End Application. (You will lose your most recent changes.)
 If you want to report the problem to Microsoft (you must have access to the Internet), click Report problem. Otherwise, click
Don't report problem.
 Open the Office program.
 Review the list of files in the Document Recovery task pane.

The Document Recovery Task Pane


The Document Recovery task pane helps you review, open, and save recovered files.

To review files in the Document Recovery task pane:


 Point to the file and click the arrow next to the file's name.
 In the drop down list, click Open.
 Open each one and save the best version.

To view what repairs were made to the file:


 Point to the file and click the arrow next to the file's name.
 In the drop down list, click Open.
 In the drop down list, click Show Repairs.

To begin working with the file:


 Point to the file and click the arrow next to the file's name.
 In the drop down list, click Open.

To save the file:


 Point to the file and click the arrow next to the file's name.
 In the drop down list, click Save As.
 Enter a name for the file. (If you use the same file, the original is overwritten.)
 A dialog box will appear, asking you if you want to replace the existing file. Click Yes.
 After opening and/or saved the files you want to keep, click Close in the Document Recovery task pane.

Note: If a file has the word [Recovered] added to its filename, it usually contains your most recent changes.

102 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 102


AutoRecover
By default, Office 2003's AutoRecover feature
automatically saves a temporary copy of your
work every 10 minutes. However, you can set
the AutoRecover to save your work more
frequently.

This feature, while turned on by default, must be


on for the Document Recovery task pane to
work properly.

To reset AutoRecover:
 Open the Office program.
 Choose Tools Options from the menu bar.
 The Options dialog box opens.
 Click the Save tab.
 Make sure the Save AutoRecover info every:
box is checked.
 Use the arrows to adjust how often AutoRe-
cover saves a temporary copy of your file.
 Click OK.

Preventing Lost Work


While the Document Recovery task pane and AutoRecover are helpful tools, it's in your best interest to do everything you can
to prevent lost work.

Save your work periodically and before you close a file. This is the best protection against losing work.

Backup your work. Backup is the process of copying files so they will be saved in the case of computer failure or other
problem. Many computers come with basic backup software, but you can also buy backup software. Since some files are more
important than others, choose a backup schedule that works best for you. For example, weekly backup may be adequate for the
latest family newsletter, but you may want to run a daily backup for that 10-page paper due next week.

There are two basic backup methods:


1. Local backup is good practice because having backup files allows you to reconstruct your work. Depending on your hardware
and the size of your files, use floppy disks, zip disks, or CD-Rs to perform a local backup. Make sure you store disks in a safe
place, such as a fireproof safe box.
2. Internet backup allows you to upload your files to another site for safekeeping. Internet backup services allow you to save by
folder or file type for a monthly fee.

103 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 103


104 Section 3-2: Working With Word Files 104
Section 3-3:

Working With Text

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Insert text
 Delete text
 Use backspace and delete
 Select text
 Use undo and repeat
 Cut, copy, paste
 Drag and drop

105 Section 3-3: Working With Text 105


Inserting Text
Now that you can create a new file in an Office 2003 program, you need to learn to insert and delete text.

The insertion point (also called a cursor) is the blinking line that indicates where text will be inserted when you begin typing.
In Word 2003, a small horizontal black line indicates the end of your file. You cannot move your insertion point below this line.

You'll also notice that your mouse pointer changes shape as you work within a file depending on which program you have open.

 In Word 2003, your mouse pointer changes from an arrow into an I-beam

 In Excel 2003, your mouse pointer changes from an arrow into a cross

 In PowerPoint 2003, your mouse pointer changes from an arrow into an I-beam

 In Outlook 2003, your mouse pointer changes from an arrow into an I-beam

Remember, the I-beam or cross indicates where the mouse pointer is located. The blinking insertion point indicates where
your text or numbers will be typed. Once the pointer leaves the Office 2003 file to perform a Windows function, it changes back
into an arrow.

Moving the Insertion Point


To move the insertion point:
 Use your mouse to move your insertion point anywhere within the file. Move your mouse until the I-beam or cross is where
you want your insertion point and click. Don't forget you can scroll through a long file and click.
 Use your keyboard's arrow keys to move your insertion point up, down, left, or right. These movements will move your
insertion point one space or line at a time. This method is especially useful if you only need to move a few spaces or lines back
in a file to make a correction.
 Hold the Ctrl key (Control key) and press up or down arrow keys to jump up or down a paragraph at a time.
 Press Pg Dwn (Page Down) to jump down the document one page at a time.

Backspace and Delete


Use the backspace and delete keys (on your keyboard) to erase text in your document.

 The backspace key erases the text to the left of the insertion point one character at a time.
 The delete key (located under the Insert key) erases the text to the right of the insertion point.

106 Section 3-3: Working With Text 106


Selecting Text
When creating a file, you might want to change the way text appears.

Before you can change the font style, size, or color, replace or delete text, you must first select, or highlight, it. There are many
different selection techniques. Remember: First, select what you want to change and then edit the text. Click anywhere outside the
selected area to deselect text.

First Method: Click and Drag to Select Text


 Move your pointer until the I-Beam (insertion point) is next to the text you want to edit.
 Click the left mouse button.
 Without releasing the mouse button, drag the insertion point to select text.
 Release the left mouse button when you have selected the text you want to change.

Pros: Cons:
 Highlights letters, words, and even entire documents. Lack of control may cause:
 Lots of control with individual letters, words, and phrases.
 Selecting the entire file when you don't want to.
 Selecting text to the right when you want to select to the left
and vice versa.

Second Method: Use the Pointer to Select the Entire Line of Text
 Move the I-Beam to the left margin until it becomes a right-slanted white arrow pointer
 Position the arrow pointer to the left of the line that you want to highlight.
 Click once to highlight a single line.
 Click and drag up or down to select as many lines as you want to edit.

Pros: Cons:
 Quick and easy.  Selects the whole line of text when you may not want it to.
 May take some practice to position the arrow pointer
correctly.

Third Method: Select All


Select All is helpful when you want to select the contents of an entire file.

 Choose Edit Select All from the menu bar. (Ctrl + A)


 All the text in your file will be selected instantly.

Pros: Cons:
 Great when you need to quickly select all text in a file  Selects all text when you may not need it.
(great for changing font style or size).

107 Section 3-3: Working With Text 107


Fourth Method: Use the Keyboard
Many people use the keyboard to select text.

Shift+right arrow Character to the right of the insertion point


Shift+left arrow Character to the left of the insertion point.
Shift+Home All the current line to the left of insertion point
Shift+End All the current line to the right of insertion point
Shift+PgUp A screen full of text from insertion point up
Shift+PgDn A screen full of text from insertion point down
Ctrl+Shift+ Right Arrow One word to the right of insertion point
Ctrl+Shift+ Left Arrow One word to the left of insertion point
Crtl+Shift+Home All text from insertion point to the beginning of document
Crtl+Shift+End All text from insertion point to the end of document
Alt+Ctrl+Shift+PgDn All text from insertion point to end of the displayed window
From insertion point in the direction of whichever arrow
F8 and arrow key
chosen
F8 turns on selection mode Press Esc to leave selection mode
Crtl+A Selects entire file

Troubleshooting Selection Techniques


When using the click and drag method to select text, have you ever selected LOTS of text without meaning to?

What can you do to avoid this frustration?


 Use the Shift key for more control:
 Click once at the starting point of the text you desire to be selected.
 Then, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard while clicking at the ending point of the text you desire to be selected.
 The text in between those two points should be selected.

When text is selected, pressing any key will delete it. The Undo button often comes in handy for this common mistake.

108 Section 3-3: Working With Text 108


Using Undo - Ctrl + Z
Have you made a mistake in your document and needed to go back and make changes, but you thought it was too late? Good
news! Word offers a feature that helps prevent this from happening.

The Undo command lets you "undo" or delete the last change made to your document. As you can imagine, this is a very useful
feature. If you make a change or mistake that you do not want or did not mean to do, you can simply "undo" your action.

Word remembers up to 300 actions in a document and allows you to undo any or all of them as long as you haven't closed the
document first.

To Use Undo:
 Click Edit on the menu bar.
 Select Undo - this command will change names depending on the action you just took. If you accidentally deleted a
sentence, it says Undo Clear.
 Press Ctrl + Z on your keyboard for a shortcut to Undo.
OR

 Undo all your recent actions by repeatedly clicking the Undo button located on the Standard toolbar.
Notice the small list arrow next to the Undo button. When you click on it, you see a list of all the separate actions you have
performed on the document you are working on. You can select as many actions as you want to undo.

IMPORTANT: If you undo an action in the middle of the list, you will also undo all the ac-
tions above the one you select. For example, if you undo the 15th action in your list, you will
also be undoing the 14 actions that came before the one you select.

Using Repeat - Ctrl + Y


The Repeat feature allows you to repeat the last action and can help to save a lot of time as you
create your document.

To Use Repeat:
 Click Edit on the menu bar.
 Select Repeat - this command will change names depending on the action you just took. If
you need to format a title on one page and wish to format another title the same way using
Repeat, it will say Repeat Style.
 Press Ctrl + Y on your keyboard for a shortcut to Repeat.

109 Section 3-3: Working With Text 109


Moving and Copying Text and Graphics
You don't have to retype text each time you want to use it. Cut and paste and copy and paste are two separate procedures that
allow you to move or copy items (text, numbers, or graphics) to another location.

Cut and Paste:


 The Cut procedure allows you to delete selected items from the screen and temporarily place them on the Office Clipboard.
 The Office Clipboard is a temporary storage file.
 The Paste procedure allows you to get items from the Office Clipboard and place them in another location in the file or even
into another file.

Copy and Paste:


 The Copy procedure allows you to copy selected items from the screen and temporarily place them on the Office Clipboard.
 The Office Clipboard is a temporary storage file.
 The Paste procedure allows you to get items from the Office Clipboard and place them in another location in the file or even
into another file.

Copying or Moving a Single Item


To copy or move a single item:
 Select the item you want to copy or move.
 Then, do one of the following:
 To copy the item, click the Copy button on the Standard toolbar. (Ctrl + C)
 To move the item, click the Cut button on the Standard toolbar. (Ctrl + X)

 If you want to move or copy the item to another file, switch to the file.
 Click where you want the item to appear.
 Click the Paste button on the Standard toolbar. (Ctrl + V)
 To format the pasted items, click an option that appears on the Paste Options
button that appears just below your pasted selection.

The cut, copy, and paste commands are also available on the Edit menu.

110 Section 3-3: Working With Text 110


Copying Multiple Items
When collecting multiple items to copy, it's helpful to display the Office Clipboard.

To display the Office Clipboard:

 Choose Edit Office Clipboard.


 The Office Clipboard displays in the right side of the window.
Note: If the Office Clipboard is not available, you are in a program or view that
doesn't support showing or pasting multiple items from the Office Clipboard.

If you want to collect items without showing the


Clipboard:
 Open the Office Clipboard, click the Options button, and check the Collect With-
out Showing Office Clipboard option.

To copy multiple items:


 Select the first item you want to copy.
 Click the Copy button on the Standard toolbar. (Ctrl + C)
 Continue copying items in any Office program until finished.
 With the Office Clipboard open, click where you want to the items to be pasted. You
can paste items into any Microsoft Office program.
 To paste items one at a time, click each item you want to paste on the Office
Clipboard.
 To paste all of the items you copied, click Paste All on the Office Clipboard task pane.
 To format the pasted items, click an option that appears on the Paste Options button that appears just below your pasted
selection.

Drag and Drop


The drag and drop method of moving items allows you to move selected text and graphics using your mouse.

To drag and drop:


 Select the item you wish to move.
 Place the mouse pointer anywhere on the selected items without clicking.

 Click and hold the left mouse button until the insertion point changes into a white arrow pointing up to the left.
 Drag the selected text to its new location.

To drag items between programs:


 Arrange the program windows so both files are open and visible. You must be able to see the items you want to drag and the
location where you want to drop it.
 Select the item, and click the left mouse button to drag the item its new location.

111 Section 3-3: Working With Text 111


112 Section 3-3: Working With Text 112
Section 3-4:

Setting Up the Page

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Use alignment buttons to align text
 Set line spacing
 Set paragraph spacing
 Use Page Setup Dialog Box
 Adjust Margins using the Page Setup Dialog Box
 Change Column Structure
 Indent text
 Create Hanging Indents
 Format text using the ruler
 Insert Headers and Footers on a page
 Delete Headers and Footers from a page

113 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 113


Aligning Text
Aligning text can be invaluable when trying to format your document to meet certain standards. Most documents have text that is
left aligned. However, if you were creating a greeting card or advertisement, you might need to know how to center align, right
align or justify your text.

Align Text Using the Alignment Buttons:


 Select the text you want to align.
 Click the Align Left, Center, Align Right, or Justify button on the Formatting toolbar.

Below you will view examples of text that are aligned using the left, right, center, and justified alignment buttons.

114 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 114


Line Spacing
Document text can be formatted to show a number of line spacing options. The most common spacing options are single-spaced
and double-spaced.

Line spacing is measured in lines or points.

When line spacing is measured in points, it is referred to as leading (rhymes with wedding). When you reduce the leading you
automatically bring the lines of text closer together, sometimes making it difficult to read. Increasing the leading will space the
lines out, allowing for improved readability. For example, the 10 point font usually uses 12 point leading. This is the default and,
in general, should be used.

To Format Line Spacing:


 Select the text you want to format.
 Choose Reveal Formatting on the Task Pane and click on any of the blue links under the Paragraph heading.
OR

 Click Format on the menu bar.


 Select Paragraph. The Paragraph dialog box appears.
 Click on the Indents and Spacing tab.
 In the Line spacing drop down menu, you may select single, 1.5, or double spacing. The default is
single spacing.
 Click OK.
OR

 Select the text you want to format.


 Click on the Line Spacing button on the Formatting Menu.
 Select an option from the drop-down menu.

115 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 115


Paragraph Dialog Box
You can use the At Least, Exactly and Multiple options in the
Paragraph Dialog Box to customize your line spacing. If you select
one of these options you will need to use the At: box to further define
your selection.

When you make a line spacing change, it affects only the text in a
paragraph that contains the insertion point.

Paragraph Spacing
Just as you can add spacing between lines in your document, you can
also choose spacing options between each paragraph. Typically, extra
spaces are added between paragraphs, headings, or subheadings. Extra
spacing between paragraphs adds emphasis and makes a document eas-
ier to read.

Choose extra space:


 Before each paragraph.
 After each paragraph.
 Or, before and after each paragraph.

To Specify Paragraph Spacing:


 Select the text you want to format.
 Choose Reveal Formatting on the Task Pane and click on any of the blue links under the Paragraph heading.
OR

 Click Format on the menu bar.


 Select Paragraph, The Paragraph dialog box appears.
 Click the Indents and Spacing tab.
 Alignment: Choose left, right, center, or justified.
 Indentation: Adjust the left and right margins by clicking the up and down arrows. Use the Special drop-down
menu to select the first line as having the indent or to create a hanging indent.
 Spacing: To emphasize a block of text, click the up and down arrows.
 Preview: Gives an idea how your text will look.

116 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 116


Using Page Setup to Specify Margins
In order to change the margins (space along the top, left, right and bottom) in your document, you will need to access the Page
Setup dialog box.

 Click File on the menu bar.


 Select Page Setup.
 Select Margins tab in the Page Setup dialog box.
OR

 Choose Reveal Formatting on the Task Pane and click on the blue link, Margin, under the Section heading.
 You can change the margin in precise steps by clicking on the up or down arrows next to the margin that you wish to change or
you may type a number in the text box next to the margin you wish to change.
 Click OK.

More Options on the Page Setup Dialog Box


The Page Setup dialog box gives you several other options for controlling
the look of your document. The Margins, Paper and Layout Tab all con-
tain valuable tools.

Margins Tab
 Click the Default button in the lower left corner of the Page Setup
dialog box to set (or reset) Word's default margins.
 You can choose to apply these new margins to the whole document or
from this point forward by using the drop-down menu, Apply to:.
 Change the Page Orientation by clicking on either the Portrait box (8.5
x 11) or the Landscape box (11 x 8.5).

Paper Tab
The default paper size is 8.5 x 11, but you can change the paper size en-
tirely. You can even customize the paper size to include note cards, enve-
lopes, photo paper, index cards, and much more.

Layout Tab
The Layout Tab includes options to customize page numbering, borders, and headers/footers. A nice feature on the Layout Tab
is creating a Title Page for your document.

To Create a Title Page for Your Document:


 Enter the text you want on your title  Under Vertical Alignment, you will find the following options:
page.  Top: Default. Text lines up with top margin.
 Click File on the Standard toolbar.  Center: Text on page is centered between the top and bottom margins.
 Select Page Setup from the menu bar.  Justified: Text is spread out so each line is same distance apart.
 Click the Layout tab.  Bottom: Text lines up with the bottom page.

117 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 117


Working with Columns
Displaying information in columns gives the writer more options for displaying
different types of information on a page while remaining easy for the viewer to read.
Certain kinds of information are best displayed using columns. Newspaper, newsletters,
flyers, reports, announcements, school projects, or other types of publications, often use
Word's column feature.

Working with columns can be challenging, but with practice, you'll have columns
mastered in no time. An approach we will first try will be to enter text into a single
column and then convert it into multiple columns.

Create Columns Using the Columns Button:

 Switch to Print Layout View

 To make equal columns, move the insertion point to the


end of the text and insert a continuous section break by
choosing Insert Break Continuous.
 Select the text you want to change to columns.

 Click the Columns Button on the


Standard Toolbar.
 The Columns Button will expand to give you four column
options:
 Choose one of the options to format your text into
columns.

You can adjust the spacing and alignment of the columns


by using the ruler. Drag the Right Margin, Left Margin
and Right Indent using your mouse until the columns
appear the way you want.

To Enter a Title that Spans a Column:


 Enter the title at the beginning of the first column.
 Select the title.
 Click the Columns button on the Standard toolbar, and drag to select number of columns.

118 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 118


Creating Columns Using the Columns Dialog Box
Using the Column Dialog Box versus the Columns Button will give you much more control and precision over your column
structure. The Columns Dialog Box will also give you a few more column options, including Left and Right columns as well as
the ability to create up to eight columns per page.

Using the Column Dialog Box:


 Switch to Print Layout View.
 To make equal columns, move the insertion point to the end of the text and insert a continuous section break by choosing Insert
Break Continuous.
 Select the text you want to change to columns.
 Click Format on the Menu Bar.
 Select Columns from the menu list. The Columns Dialog Box appears.

The Column Dialog Box gives you


the following options:
 Presets - Click a box to choose a preset number of
columns
 Number of Columns - Use the up and down arrow
keys to select between one and eight columns
 Line Between -Places lines between your columns
 Width and Spacing - Offers features that allow you
to specify an exact number for the height and width
of your columns, as well as the spacing between
your columns.
 Equal Column Width - Check this checkbox if you
want columns to be the same width
 Apply to: - Allows you to create columns out of the
selected text, the selected section, this point for-
ward, or the entire document
 Select your options and Click OK.

To Move Text into the Next Column:


 Move the insertion point in front of the text you want to move.
 Choose Format Columns. The Columns dialog box opens.
 Choose "From this point forward" in the Apply to: control.
 Click the Start New Column check box to move the text to the next column.

119 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 119


Indent Text
An indent is the space between your margin and your text. Don't confuse the margin and the indent. The indent feature is often
used to set a first-line indent for paragraphs.

To Indent One or More Lines of Text:


You can use the Paragraph dialog box or select the blue Indentation link under Paragraph on the Task Pane. This method
allows for a great amount of precision for setting left and right indents. Indenting is measured in inches. You can change the
indent in tenths of inches.

 In the Indentation section, you can click the increment arrows to enter the amount of indentation.
OR

 Use the Increase/Decrease Indent buttons on the Formatting toolbar.

Each time you click the Increase or Decrease Indent button your text is moved by the default .5 inches.

Remember, there is a difference between indents and tabs. If you set a tab, only one line of text is indented. If you click one of
the indent buttons or set an indent in the Paragraph dialog box, all of the text you type afterwards will be indented.

Hanging Indents
When all the lines in a paragraph are indented except the first line, a
hanging indent is created. Hanging indents are not standard in
documents such as business letters, but you may see examples of the
hanging indent on web pages, newsletters, and often on bibliographic
entries. Hanging indents are used for the MLA bibliographic format.

To Create a Hanging Indent:


 Choose Reveal Formatting on the Task Pane.
 Click the blue link, Indentation, under the Paragraph heading.
OR

 Click Format on the menu bar.


 Select Paragraph.
 In the Indentation section, you will see a Special: drop down menu with some options.
 Select the Hanging Indent option in the Special: drop down menu.
 You may specify the amount of indentation in the By: box by clicking on the increment
arrows. These increments are measured in inches.

120 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 120


The Ruler
You can adjust the width of margins, tabs, and indents in your document using Word's Ruler.

The Ruler is helpful when you need to create several columns, show column placement, or the distance between columns.

Hiding and Displaying the Ruler:


 Click View on the menu bar.
 Select Ruler.
 The Ruler will appear at the top of the document.

If you switch to Print Layout View (Choose View Print Layout View), a vertical ruler displays along the left hand side of
the screen. To hide this vertical ruler, switch to a different layout view.

Setting Tabs, Indents and Margins using the Ruler


The ruler provides a visual tool that allows you to quickly view, create and change your documents tabs, margins and indents.

Tabs
Click on the small gray box to the left of the ruler to move through the five different Tab Settings.

 Left tab : Moves text toward the right edge of the page as you type.

 Center tab : Centers text around the tab.

 Right tab : Moves text toward the left edge of the page as you type.

 Decimal tab : Aligns decimal numbers using the decimal point.

For example:

 Bar tab : Draws a vertical line on the document.

 Indent : Inserts the indent marking anywhere along the ruler

 Hanging Indent : Inserts a hanging indent anywhere along the ruler

To Place a Tab or Indent On The Ruler:


 Click the cursor anywhere in the block of text you want to format.
 Click the tab selection button (upper left of the ruler).
 Click the Ruler where you want your tab or indent to be set.
 If you set up a new tab, press the tab key to move your text to the new tab.
 If you set up a new indent, place the cursor at the new indent location.

121 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 121


Adjusting Tabs and Margins on the Ruler
To Move an Existing Tab or Indent on the Ruler:
 Point the mouse on the tab or indent that you want to move.
 Click and hold the left mouse button until a dotted line appears below the tab.
 Drag the mouse to move the tab or indent to a new location.
 Release the left mouse button.

To Remove a Tab from the Ruler:


 Point the mouse on the tab you want to remove.
 Click and hold the left mouse button until a dotted line appears below the tab.
 Drag the mouse off the Ruler.
 Release the left mouse button.

To Adjust a Margin using the Ruler:


 Point the mouse on the margin that you want to move.
 Click and hold the left mouse button once a double arrow appears over the margin until a dotted line appears below.
 Drag the mouse to increase or decrease the margin.
 Release the left mouse button.

Remember you can also increase or decrease your Indents by using the Increase/Decrease Indent buttons on the Formatting
toolbar.

122 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 122


Insert Headers and Footers
The Header and Footer usually contain title and author information, dates, and page numbers. The Header appears at the top of
the page and the Footer appears at the bottom of the page.

To Insert a Header and Footer:


 Click View on the Menu Bar.
 Select Header and Footer.
 The document will appear grayed out with a dotted Header
and Footer box showing at the top and bottom of the page.
 Locate the Header and Footer Toolbar on the page.
 Type inside the dotted boxes to insert your Header and/or
Footer.
 Click Close on the Header and Footer Toolbar when you are finished.

Header and Footer Toolbar


Some of the useful features located on the Header and Footer Toolbar are:
 Insert Auto-Text - drop-down menu showing commonly used header and footer information, including, author, page number
and date.
 Insert Page Numbers - inserts the page
numbers.
 Insert Number of Pages - inserts the
number of pages in the entire document.
 Format Page Number - opens the Page
Number Format Dialog box so that
you can format your page number in the
header and footer.
 Insert Date.
 Insert Time.
 Page Setup - opens the Page Setup Dialog box so that you can adjust the location of the header and footer.
 Switch between Header and Footer - allows you to jump quickly between the header and footer on a page.
 Close - closes the Header and Footer Toolbar.

Delete Header and Footer


If you choose to delete your Header or Footer, Word will automatically delete the Header or Footer within the entire document.

To Delete the Header or Footer:


 Click View on the Menu Bar.
 Select Header and Footer.
 Highlight the text within the Header or Footer (whichever text you would like to delete).
 Press Delete. The text is now removed.
You can delete the Header and Footer on just the first page of the document by choosing File - Page Setup. On the Page
Setup Dialog Box, choose the Layout Tab and place a checkmark next to Different First Page under Headers and Footers, then
click OK.

123 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 123


124 Section 3-4: Setting Up the Page 124
Section 3-5:

Formatting Text

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Change the Type Style of text
 Bold
 Italics
 Underline
 Color
 Adjust Font Size
 Insert Symbols
 Use Reveal Formatting
 Create Bulleted Lists
 Create Numbered Lists

125 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 125


Formatting Toolbar
The Formatting Toolbar contains buttons that allows you to change the appearance of your text. The formatting toolbar
contains buttons for font size, font style, colors and other options. There are many different types of fonts.

To View the Formatting Toolbar:


 Click View on the Menu Bar.
 Select Toolbars and then Formatting from the cascading menu.

Bold, Italics and Underline


Any text you type in Word, can be further customized by using the bold, italicized or underlined options. You can even do a
combination of all three options!

To Change the Type Style of Text:


 Select the text you want to change.
 Choose one or more of the following options: (to stress emphasis you might
want to try using the bold option)
 Click the Bold button on the Formatting toolbar. Ctrl + B
 Click the Italic button on the Formatting toolbar. Ctrl + I
 Click the Underline button on the Formatting toolbar. Ctrl + U
 Word automatically displays your changes.

To avoid frustration, remember to select text before you apply style. If you choose a type style without selecting any text, Word
uses your chosen styles on whatever text you type next.

Font Names

To select a font, you can scroll through the Font list. The list shows you all the fonts that are available on the computer you are
using.

As you scroll through the many different font names, take notice of those fonts that have TT beside their name. These TrueType
fonts will look the same on both the computer screen and when you print them on paper.

Using Color
The use of color can add emphasis to your words and make your document easier to read.

To Change the Color of Text:


 Select the text you want to change.
 Click the downward-pointing arrow on the Font Color button on the Formatting toolbar. A color
palette appears.
 Click the color you want to apply.
 Word changes the color of your text.
If you would like to see more color options, Click the More Colors button at the bottom of the color palette. You can choose
from a list of Standard Colors or Customize your own color by clicking the Customize Tab.

126 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 126


Font Dialog Box
The Font Dialog Box gives similar options as
the Formatting toolbar; however, it also offers
more advanced text features. You can use the
Font Dialog Box to change your font, font
style, size, color and many other font effects.

To Open the Font Dialog


Box:
 Click Format on the Menu Bar.
 Select Font from the menu list. The
Font Dialog Box will appear.

Remember you can also access the Font


Dialog Box from the Font menu on the Task Pane.

127 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 127


Font Size
You can change the Font Size from both the Font Dialog Box and the Formatting toolbar. You can use different font sizes to
give emphasis to different parts of your document. For example, the title of your document could be displayed larger than the
contents of your paper. Font size is commonly expressed in points. Font sizes range from 8 point (extremely small) to 72 point
(very big). Word allows you to choose sizes smaller than 8 point and larger than 72 point, but you must type these in manually
in the Font Size box.

Arial 10 Point

Arial 12 Point

Arial 20 Point
The standard Font size for most documents is 12 Point. You can preview different font sizes in the Preview window in the Font
dialog box.

 Select Reveal Formatting on the Task Pane.


 Click the blue link, Font: under the Font Heading. The Font dialog box appears.
 Click on a font from the Font list.
 Select a size from the Font Size list.
 Look at the text in the preview window as you try different sizes.

OR

 Click Format on the Menu Bar.


 Select Font from the menu list. The Font dialog box appears.
 Click on a font from the Font list.
 Select a size from the Font Size list.
 Look at the text in the preview window as you try different sizes.

Remember you can also change the font size from the Formatting toolbar.

Did You Know?


Word offers a variety of Templates that provide you with a pre-formatted document. Instead of having to create formats yourself,
you can quickly choose among a variety of Templates.

To Open the Templates Dialog Box:


 Click File on the Menu Bar.
 Select New from the menu list. The Task Pane New Document window appears to the right.
 Select an option under New from template.
 Letter Wizard - assists you in writing a standard letter
 Contemporary Letter - offers a letter template including artwork
 General Templates - preformatted documents including faxes, letters, memos, reports, etc.
 Templates on my Web Sites - allows you to search for templates on other web servers
 Templates on Microsoft.com - allows you to search among hundreds of templates offered through the Microsoft web-
site.

128 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 128


Use of Symbols
There are many Symbols that you might often see in publications that are not directly available from your keyboard. For
example, the Copyright symbol, ©, is not available on the keyboard but can be selected from Word's Symbol Dialog Box.

Other commonly used symbols that appear in the Symbol Dialog Box are:

 © Copyright
 ® Registration
 TMTrademark
 Checkmark
 -- Em Dash

Insert Symbols
To Insert Symbols into your Document:
 Click Insert on the Menu Bar.
 Select Symbols. The Symbols Dialog
Box appears.
 Click the Symbols Tab to select a
symbol from a Font type.

OR

 Click the Special Characters Tab to


view other commonly used symbols.
 Click on the Symbol or Special
Character you would like to select
and then Click Insert.
 The Symbol or Character will show
up in your document.
 Click Close.

The available symbols will depend on which fonts you have installed on your machine. Word comes with pre-installed
symbols for you use, but other fonts such as, Wingdings, will also offer numerous symbol options.

129 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 129


Why display non-printing characters?
Non-printing characters are automatically inserted into your document as you type. You will not see these characters unless you
choose to show the formatting marks. So why display these characters? Showing the document formatting can assist you when
editing.

For example:

A document that was created with numerous tabs could be quite difficult to edit if you needed to delete all the tabs. However, if
you display your non-printing characters, you will be able to quickly see where all the tabs exist. The tab symbol will appear as

an arrow pointing to the right, . Place the insertion point to the right of the tab symbol and press the Backspace key to
quickly delete these tabs.

To Reveal Formatting Marks:


 Click the Show/Hide button on the Standard Toolbar.

OR

 Select the Reveal Formatting Menu from the Task Pane.


 Check the Show all formatting marks checkbox at the bottom of the Menu under
Options.

When you select the Show/Hide button, codes for paragraph marks , tabs , and
spaces are visible in your document. If you prefer to display non-printing characters when
formatting your document, these symbols will not appear in your printed document.

130 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 130


Bullets and Numbering
Word lets you make two types of lists: bulleted and numbered. Bulleted and numbered lists help to simplify steps or items to
the reader. Teachers often use bulleted lists to highlight important pieces of their sections. Manuals often include numbered lists
to assist the reader in step-by-step instruction.

A bullet is usually a black circle but it can be any other symbol used to highlight items in a list. Use bullets to list items that do
not have to be in any particular order.

Numbers (or letters) are used when information has to be in a certain order. You can use the default Bullets and Numbering
settings by clicking on the appropriate button on the Formatting toolbar.

Create Bulleted and Numbered Lists


To Create a Bulleted List:

 Click the Bullets button on the Formatting toolbar.


 Type the first item on your list and press Enter.
 The next line will begin automatically with a new bullet.
 Type the next item on your list and press Enter.
 When your list is complete, press the Enter key twice to stop the bulleted list.

To Create a Numbered List:

1. Click on the Numbering button on the Formatting toolbar.


2. Type the first item on your list and press Enter.
3. The next line will begin automatically with the next number.
4. Type the next item on your list and press Enter.
5. When your list is complete, press the Enter key twice to stop the numbered list.

Review the following tips that will help you manage your numbered or bulleted lists.

 Remove a bullet by placing the insertion point to the right of the bullet or number and press backspace (you will not
be able to place your insertion point to the left of the bullet).
 If you want to change a bulleted list to a numbered list (or vice versa), select the entire list and click on the appropriate
button.
 To create a line break between items in a bulleted or numbered list, place your cursor where you want the line break
and press Shift + Enter.

131 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 131


The Bullets and Numbering Dialog Box
Word offers you many other options for your bullets and numbers, other than the default that you have seen so far.

You can view the type of bullets and numbers available to you by opening the Bullets and Numbering Dialog Box.

 Select the text you want to turn into a list.


 Click Format on the Menu Bar.
 Select Bullets and Numbering. The Bullets and Numbering Dialog Box appears.
 Click on the Bulleted Tab to view all the bullet options and click on the Numbered Tab to view all the number op-
tions.
 Select what kind of bullets or numbers that you want, and click OK.
The Bullets and Numbering Dialog Box also offers you Outline Numbered options. By clicking on the Outline Numbered Tab
you can view templates for creating an outline. The List Styles Tab allows you to create your own list style using similar
alignment, bullets and characters.

132 Section 3-5: Formatting Text 132


Section 3-6:

Spelling and Grammar

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Use AutoCorrect
 Use Find
 Use Replace
 Use Spell and Grammar Check

133 Section 3-6: Spelling and Grammar 133


AutoCorrect
Word's AutoCorrect feature can assist you in word processing tasks. AutoCorrect can help you locate misspelled words and
correct them as you type. AutoCorrect can also be customized so that commonly used words will be automatically entered
without having to type the entire word.

Examples:

When typing the misspelled word, stannd, Word will automatically convert this typo to the correct spelling, stand.

Instead of having to write a long proper noun like, GCF Global Learning, you can customize AutoCorrect to automatically
complete the rest of the proper noun once you type the letters GCF.

Modifying AutoCorrect:
 Click Tools
 Select AutoCorrect Options from the menu bar. The
AutoCorrect Options dialog box appears.
 Check or de-select any of the following options:
 Show AutoCorrect Options buttons.
 Correct two initial capitals.
 Capitalize the first letter of the sentence.
 Capitalize the first letter of table cells.
 Capitalize names of days.
 Correct accidental usage of Caps Lock key.
 Replace text as you type.
 Use the Replace: box to type a word you frequently
misspell or type a shorthand word to represent a longer
word or phrase, such as GCF Global Learning.
 Use the With: box to type the correct word.
 Click Add.

If you type a misspelled word into AutoCorrect's With:


box, AutoCorrect always misspells that word.

If AutoCorrect changes a word that you don't want it to change, you can hover the pointer over the area where the auto-correction
was made and a Smart Tag will appear that allows you to reset the original word. Click on the Smart Tag and a drop-down list
with options to reverse the action is displayed.

134 Section 3-6: Spelling and Grammar 134


Find and Replace
Word 2003 allows you to search for specific words in your document as well as fonts, special characters and formats. The Find
and Replace functionality can really help save you time and effort in your word processing goals.

For example, consider a document you are editing that displays Word XP needs to be updated to Word 2003. Currently the
document has the text, Word XP, typed again and again throughout the document. Using Find and Replace to replace Word XP
with Word 2003 will save you much time and effort in your editing process.

Using Find - CTRL + F


 Click Edit on the menu bar
 Select Find. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.
 Type a word, phrase or format in the Find What box.
 Click Find All to start the search.
 Word will jump to the first instance of this word and will
highlight the word for easy location.
 Continue Clicking the Find All button to find all other
instances of this word.

OR

Check the Highlight all items found in: box to find all instances of the word at the same time. Use the list box below to select
all, or portions of your document.

You can perform a more detailed search by clicking the More button on the Find and Replace dialog box:

 Click Edit on the menu bar


 Select Find. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.
 Type a word, phrase or format in the Find What box.
 Click More to conduct a detailed search.
 Click the Search list box if you want to limit your search to a specific part of the document.
 Use the check boxes to limit your search.
 Click Format if you want to limit your search to words in a specific Font, Paragraph, Tab, Language, Frame, Style or
Highlight.
 Click Special to search for punctuation marks or section breaks.
 Click Find Next to start the search.

Using Replace - CTRL + H


 Click Edit on the menu bar.
 Select Replace. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.
 Type the word, phrase or format in the Find What: box that you are searching for.
 Type the word, phrase or format in the Replace With: box that will replace what is in the Find What: box.
 Click Find Next to conduct your search.
 When Word finds a word of phrase, do one of the following:
 Ignore it.
 Click Replace.
 Click Replace All to replace every occurrence of the selected text with the replacement text.
 Click Find Next to bypass it and find the next.
 Click Cancel to quit.

135 Section 3-6: Spelling and Grammar 135


Spell and Grammar Check
Not only does Word allow you to Undo possible mistakes in your document and Paste corrections, it also automatically reviews
your grammar and spelling as you type. Green wavy lines are placed underneath possible grammar mistakes and a red wavy line
under possible spelling mistakes. All of Word's grammar and spelling errors may not be correct, so you can choose to ignore
these error markings and keep typing, or you can correct the mistakes and/or add the corrections to Word's dictionary.

Check Spelling as you Type


Word puts a red wavy line under possible spelling mistakes. If you click on the suspected misspelling, Word gives you one or
more suggested corrections.

To Use Spell Check as You Type:


 Place your I-Beam over the misspelled word and
right-click.
 A menu list displays the following options:
boldfaced suggested spellings, Ignore All, Add to
Dictionary, AutoCorrect, Language, Spelling and
Look Up.
 Select the boldfaced suggestion to replace
the incorrectly spelled word in the
document.
 Select Ignore, and Word ignores all future
instances of this spelling in this document.
 Select Add to Dictionary, and Word adds the underlined word to the dictionary so it won't be flagged as an error in
any other document you create.
 Select AutoCorrect to add the correct spelling to your list of words that Word automatically corrects as you type.
 Select Language to specify a word as part of another language, preventing Word from seeing this word as a mistake.
 If you select spelling, the Spelling and Grammar dialog box appears.
 If you select Look Up, a window opens in the Task Pane and you are given general search parameters. This feature is
helpful when dealing with words, such as proper nouns, that are not found in the dictionary.

Check Grammar as you Type


Word puts a green wavy line under possible grammar mistakes.

To Work on Suspected Grammatical Mistakes:


 Place your I-beam over the grammatical mistake and right-click.
 A menu list displays the following options: boldfaced grammar suggestion,
Ignore, Grammar, About this Sentence.
 Select Ignore, and Word ignores the grammatical mistake it
believes to exist.
 Select Grammar, and the Grammar dialog box appears.
 Select About this Sentence, and the Office Assistant will offer you
reasons as to why Word believes this to be a grammatical error.

136 Section 3-6: Spelling and Grammar 136


Spelling and Grammar Dialog Box

To Use the Spelling and Grammar Dialog Box:


Choose one of the following options, depending on what you think of Word's suggestions:

 Click Ignore Once to ignore this one instance of the grammatical error in your document.
 Click Ignore Rule to ignore this grammatical error and all other grammatical errors of this type in the document.
 Click Next Sentence to take you to the next grammatical error listed in your document.
 Click Change to replace the error with what is in the Suggestion box.
 Click Explain to open the Office Assistant, which will offer you reasons for this error.

If the red and green wavy lines distract you, you can turn them off:
 Choose Tools Options from the menu bar. The Options dialog box appears.
 Click the Spelling & Grammar tab.
 Un-check the Check Spelling as You Type or Check Grammar as You Type so the check box so that it is empty.
 Click OK.

Don't forget to use Spell and Grammar Check!

Have you ever realized after typing a long paragraph that you accidentally left the Caps Lock on and all your letters are in Upper
Case? Fortunately, you will not have to re-type the text to correct this mistake. Word offers a quick solution by allowing you to
either select the Upper Case text and pressing Shift + F3 or clicking Format on the menu bar and selecting Change Case.
Choose the correct option from the Change Case Dialog Box.

Using the Thesaurus:


 Click Tools on the Menu Bar.
 Select Language and then follow the cascading menu to Thesaurus.
OR

 Use the quick key combination, Shift + F7

137 Section 3-6: Spelling and Grammar 137


138 Section 3-6: Spelling and Grammar 138
Section 3-7:

Inserting Items Into a


Word Document

By the end of the section, students should be able to:


 Create a text box
 Move and Resize a Text Box
 Construct Tables
 Enter Text and Numbers into Tables
 Edit Tables
 Edit Objects
 Insert Pictures
 Edit Pictures

139 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 139


Create a Text Box
Placing text inside of a Text Box helps focus the reader's eye on the page content. Newsletters, flyers, reports, announcements,
school projects, or other types of publications, often use Word's text box feature.

Text boxes can be formatted with shadings, color, borders, and graphics, making for an impressive display of your Word skills.

To Create a Text Box:


 Click Insert on the Menu Bar.
 Select Text Box from the menu list.
 The mouse pointer becomes a crosshair and a drawing canvas appears.
 Place your insertion point where you want your text box.
 Left click and drag the text box until it is the appropriate size. Release the left mouse button when ready.

The text box will by default contain a white background color and a thin black border.

Note: When you create a text box in Word 2003, the drawing canvas appears by default. The canvas helps you arrange and resize
the objects you are working with.

To Insert Text into the Text Box:


 Click once inside the text box.
 The box is selected and a blinking insertion point appears inside the box.
 Begin typing.
 Format text (change font, font size, style, etc) in the usual manner. (Select text first, make changes later.)

Moving and Resizing Text Boxes


To Resize a Text Box:
 Click once on one of the box's borders. The box is now highlighted.

 Sizing handles (small circles) appear. Hover the mouse pointer over any of the sizing
handles (small circles) until it turns into a diagonally pointing arrow.
 Click and drag the sizing handle until the box is the desired size.

To Move a Text Box:


 Click once on the text box's border.
 Hover your mouse pointer over the border until it becomes a crosshair with arrows.
 Using this crosshair, click and drag the box until it is in the desired location.

140 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 140


The Format Text Dialog Box
As mentioned earlier, the default for the text box in Word is a white background with a thin, black border. Using the Format
Text Box dialog box, you can choose different fill colors and lines, size, layout, and textbox.

To Use the Format Text Box Dialog Box:


 Double click on a text box border. The Format Text Box dialog box appears.
OR

 Right-click on the text box border and select Format Text Box. The Format Text Box dialog box appears.

You can access the Text box feature from the Drawing toolbar.
 Click View on the Menu Bar.
 Select Toolbar and then Drawing from the cascading menu. The Drawing toolbar appears at the bottom of your document.

 Click the Text box button . Don't confuse this button with the Rectangle button. You cannot insert text using the
Rectangle button.

 The Text Box Dialog Box offers you several tabs to choose from:
 Color and Lines: Fill text box with color, define the border colors, styles and weight
 Size: Define a specific size
 Layout: Text wrap and alignment
 Textbox: Internal margins

141 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 141


Working with Tables
Tables allow large amounts of text and/or numbers to be presented in an organized and easy to read fashion.

Similar to columns, Tables can be challenging at first. Word has created an entire menu to help assist you in creating your first
Table.

A few important terms to know before you begin creating tables are:

Row - A row runs horizontal in a table and is divided by borders.


Borders - Separating lines in the table.
Column - A column runs perpendicular in a table and is divided by borders.
Cell - A cell is the box that is created when your rows and your columns intersect each other. The cell contains your data or
information.

Creating Tables Using the Insert Table Dialog Box:


 Click Table on the Menu Bar.
 Select Insert and then Table from the cascading menu. The Insert Table dialog box
appears.
 Determine the number of columns and rows you need in your table. You can add more later,
but save yourself some work. You can always add rows by pressing Tab at the end of a row.
 To create a table as wide as your page, leave the Fixed Column Width setting on Auto.
 Click OK. A table is inserted into your document.

Another automated way to create a quick table is by using the Insert Table Button on the
Standard toolbar.

Creating Tables Using the Insert Table Button:

 Click the Insert Table Button .


 Now, drag the number of columns and rows you want in your table.

142 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 142


Custom-Made Tables
The Insert Table Dialog Box and Insert Table button offer a quick solution to making tables. If you would like to custom
create your table by drawing it yourself, you can use the Draw Table button.

Creating Tables Using the Draw Tables Button:


 Open the Tables and Borders toolbar by clicking View on the Menu Bar, Select Toolbars and then Tables and Borders from
the Cascading Menu. The Tables and Borders toolbar will appear.
 Click the Draw Tables button on the Tables and Borders toolbar. The mouse pointer turns into a pencil.

 Drag the pencil to create a rectangle about the size of the table you want.
 Release the mouse button. The border of the table appears in your document.
 Use the pencil again to draw in column and row borders.
 Click the Draw Table button again to change the pencil back into an I-beam.

If you make a mistake while drawing your table, you can erase both rows and columns by using the Eraser on the Tables and

Borders toolbar. Once you select the Eraser, the pointer will change to resemble the Eraser Button. Drag the Eraser over
parts of the table you wish to erase. When you are finished erasing, click the Eraser button again to put the Eraser away.

Entering Text
Click inside any table cell to begin entering text or numbers.

Moving Around in a Table:


 Use the Tab key or right arrow key to move right.
 Use Shift + Tab or the left arrow key to move left.
 The up and down arrow keys will move the insertion point above or below its current location.

Selecting Text in Tables:


A cell: triple click inside cell.
A row: Move mouse to left of margins, point to the row, and click.
Multiple rows: Select the first row, click and drag the number of rows desired.
A column: Move the mouse above the column. It turns into a downward pointing arrow. Click once.
Multiple columns: Select the first column, click and drag the number of columns desired.
Entire Table: Choose Table and Select Table from the menu bar.

143 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 143


Editing Tables
Formatting Text in Tables
Fortunately, whatever you do to format text in a paragraph (make it bold green, for example), you can do to text in a table cell.
Formatting text within a table can be accomplished through a variety of means, including the Formatting menu, the Tables and
Borders toolbar, the Task Pane and keyboard shortcuts.

Rotating Text in Tables


Many advertisements, for sale signs, menus, and other creative documents use Word's text direction feature to change typical
horizontal text to eye-catching vertical text. You can rotate text so it runs vertically, facing either the right or the left.

To Rotate Text in a Table Cell:


 Select the cell(s) you want to rotate.

 Click the Change Text Direction button : on the Tables and


Borders toolbar.
 Clicking the Change Text Direction button once turns text to the
vertically left, the second click turns text to vertically right, and the
third click will bring your text back to a horizontal position.

The insertion point rotates when entering vertical text, but editing vertical text is really no different than editing horizontal
text.

Inserting and Deleting Columns and Rows


Therefore, it is important to know how to insert and delete rows and columns in your existing table.

To Add Rows to Your Table: To Delete Rows:


 Move the insertion point to the last cell in the table and press  Select the row(s) you want to delete.
Tab.
 Choose Table Delete Rows.
To Insert Rows in the Middle of the OR

Table:
 Right-click and choose Table Delete Rows
 Place the insertion point anywhere in the table. from the shortcut menu.

 Choose Table Insert Rows above OR Rows below. To Delete Single Table Cell:
 Place the insertion point inside the cell you wish to delete.
To Insert a Column:
 Choose Table Delete
 Position the mouse pointer where you want to column to be
located. Cells from the menu
bar. The Delete Cells dialog
 Choose Table Insert box appears.
 Click Shift cells left, Shift
Insert Columns to the cells up, Delete entire row,
Right or Insert Columns to or Delete entire column.
the Left.

144 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 144


Resizing Tables
You may need to adjust the size of columns, rows, and cells.

To Adjust Columns, Rows, and Cell


Size:
 Hover the insertion point over any line in your table that
borders the area you want to change.
 The insertion point changes to a double-headed arrow.
 Drag the border either left or right OR up and down.

To automatically adjust the size, select the entire Table and then choose Table AutoFit AutoFit to Contents.

AutoFormat
Just as Word offers document templates for memos, faxes, reports and other items; Word also offers templates for Tables.

To use AutoFormat:
 Create your table.
 Click anywhere in the table and choose Table and then
Table AutoFormat. The Table AutoFormat dialog
box appears.
 Scroll through the Table Styles until you find a table
you like. You can preview the Table Style in the
Preview Box.
 Check and uncheck the options in the Apply special
Formats to: sections to slightly change parts of your
table. Check out your changes using the Preview box.
 Click the New button to customize your own Table
Style.
 Click the Modify button to change parts of an existing
Table Style.
 Click OK.

145 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 145


Adding Borders
Many of the tables in the AutoFormat Dialog Box use unique borders and shading options. To add these special features to your
own table, you can use the Tables and Borders toolbar.

To Change Line Style or Line Weight on an Existing Table:


 Click the drop down arrows (next to the buttons) to view and select from the list of choices.

 The mouse pointer turns into a pencil


 Trace the line(s) you want to change.
 Click anywhere outside the table to change to pencil back into the I-beam.

To Change the Border Color on an Existing Table:


 Click the drop down arrow next to the Border Color button. A color menu appears.
 Select a color. The I-beam becomes the pencil.
 Using the pencil, trace the border(s) that you want to color.

To Apply a Border:
 Select the Line Style, Line Weight, and Border Color you would like.
 Select the cells you want bordered.
 Click the Outside Border button drop down menu and choose the location of your border.

Add Shading
To Apply Shading:
 Select or place the insertion point inside the cell(s) you want
shaded.
 Click the Shading Color button drop down arrow. A shading
color menu appears.
 Click on a color. Your cell(s) are automatically shaded.

You can access many of the features from the Table and Borders Dialog box on the Task Pane. Choose the Reveal Formatting
Menu and look for the Table and Cell Headings.

146 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 146


Introduction to Word Graphics
Now that you are comfortable adding and formatting text, headers and footers, columns, and tables, let's learn to enhance your
documents by adding objects and pictures.

The Drawing Toolbar offers many options for including lines, lines with arrows, and many types of shapes into your document.

Drawing objects include:


1. AutoShapes: including Lines, Curves, and Textboxes
2. WordArt drawing objects

Drawing Objects
To Draw Lines and Shapes:
 Open the Drawing toolbar by clicking View on the Menu Bar, Select Toolbars and then Drawing from the Cascading
Menu.
OR

 Right-click on any toolbar and select drawing.


OR

 Click the Drawing button on the Standard toolbar.


 The Drawing toolbar will appear.

 Choose an AutoShape from the AutoShape drop down menu.


OR

 Click any of the drawing tools in the first group of buttons.

 Line Tool -
 Arrow Tool -

 Rectangle Tool -
 Oval Tool -

 The mouse pointer changes to a crosshair .


 Drag the crosshair from a starting point until the object is the desired size.
 Release the mouse button to end the drawing object and turn off the Drawing tool.

Hold the Shift key down to create straight lines, perfect circles, or perfect squares.

AutoShapes are inserted (on their own layer) with the In front of text wrapping style applied.

147 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 147


WordArt Drawing Objects
Also included on the Drawing toolbar is the WordArt
Feature. Using WordArt, you can create text graphics that
bend, slant, and appear metallic or wooden and much, much
more. WordArt can even be shadowed, skewed, rotated, and
stretched.

Here are just a few examples of what WordArt allows you to do:

To Insert WordArt:
 Place the insertion point where you would like to insert
WordArt.

 Click the WordArt button on the Drawing toolbar .


The WordArt gallery opens.
 Choose (click) a WordArt style.
 The Edit WordArt Text dialog box appears.
 Edit the font, size, and style.
 Click OK.

Formatting Drawing Objects


Use the Drawing toolbar to format AutoShapes and WordArt.

To select several objects hold down the Shift key and click on each object, or use the Select Objects tool.

Fill color allow you to color all selected drawing objects. No fill is the color white.

Change the line color of a selected object.

Changes the text color of a selected object.

Changes the line style of a selected object.

Changes the line style of a selected object. Includes solid and dotted lines.

Changes the style of arrow.

Gives selected object some depth.

Gives selected object a 3D effect .

148 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 148


Inserting Clip Art
Word comes bundled with hundreds of Clip Art images that are copyright free and available for your personal use.

To Insert Clip Art:


 Place the insertion point where you want to insert the clip.
 Click Insert on the Menu Bar.
 Select Picture and then Clip Art from the cascading menu. The
Insert Clip Art menu opens on the Task Pane.
 Type a keyword in the Search Text: field.
 Click Search.
AND

 Specify your search by using the Other Search Options.


 Search in: - specifies where Word will search for clip
art. As long as the check box for Everywhere is
checked, Word will search through All Collections.
 Results should be: - specified what type of file Word
will search for (video, audio, photographs, clip art). As
long as the check box for All Media Types is checked,
Word will search through All Media Files.
 Double-click the clip art or picture to add to the document.

To change your Search For text: Click the Modify button below the clip art results

To preview video and sound clips, click the appropriate tab and click the Play button to preview the file.

To Delete a Picture:
 Select the image (click on it).
 Press the delete key on your keyboard.

Inserting Pictures from your Computer


A picture doesn't have to be in the Clip Gallery in order for you to insert
it into your document. The Clip Gallery is just an easy place to store
clips you want to use again and again.

To Insert a Picture that is NOT in the Clip


Gallery:
 Click Insert from the Menu Bar.
 Select Picture and From File from the cascading menu. The Insert
Picture dialog box opens.
 Locate and select the file to insert the selected picture into your
document.

149 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 149


Moving Clips
Once you have inserted a graphic into your document you can re-position the graphic until it is in the appropriate location.

By default, when a picture is imported into Word, it is aligned to the left margin. However, just as you would text, you can
change the alignment so the graphic is right-aligned or centered. You can also drag the image anywhere on the page.

To Move a Clip:
 Select the clip.
 Use your mouse to drag a selected clip to any position on the page.
 The I-beam turns into a white pointer with a little box under it as you move the
picture.
OR

 Use the Alignment buttons on the Formatting toolbar.

Sizing Handles
You have two options when sizing your graphics. If it is important to maintain proportions, which will prevent the image from
looking skewed, then you should use the corner handles to re-size the image. If you do not need to maintain the graphic's
proportions, you can use the top, bottom or side handles.

Changing Size While Maintaining Proportions:


 Click the image you want to re-size.
 Place the cursor over one of the corner handles. The cursor will change into a
double-headed arrow.
 Drag the handles until the image is the size you need.

To keep the center of an object in the same place, hold down the CTRL key while dragging the mouse.

Changing Size While Not Maintaining Proportions:


If any of the middle handles are dragged (top, bottom, right, or left handles), only
the height and width changes, thus changing the proportion, or scale, of the picture.

Be careful; using only the sizing handle can make your pictures blurry and distorted.

150 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 150


Changing the Appearance of your Pictures
Sometimes you may need to not only adjust the sizing of your pictures, but you may notice the picture is too dark or too bright
for your liking. You can adjust your picture using the Picture toolbar.

To use the Picture Toolbar:


 Right-click the picture.
 Choose Show Picture Toolbar from the shortcut menu.

Crop, Recolor Object, and Set Transparent Color buttons are used with areas of the picture. All other buttons affect the
entire picture.

Name of Button Use it to:


Insert another picture
Insert Picture from File

Automatic, Grayscale, Black & White, or Watermark


Color

Increase color intensity


More Contrast

Decrease color intensity


Less Contrast

Add white to lighten all colors


More Brightness

Add black to darken the color


Less Brightness

Cut the sides of an image


Crop

Each click turns the image by 90 degrees to the left


Rotate Left

Customize the border of an image


Line Style

Changes the Resolution of your image


Compress Pictures

Set how text wraps around the image


Text Wrap

Displays the Format Picture Dialog Box


Format Picture

Use eyedropper to make areas of the picture transparent (mainly for web graphics)
Set Transparent Color

Return picture to original format


Reset Picture

151 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 151


152 Section 3-7: Inserting Items Into a Word Document 152
Section 3-8:

Printing

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Use Print Preview
 Use Page Setup
 Print

153 Section 3-8: Printing 153


Print Preview
Print Preview allows you to see how your file looks before you print, preventing a
waste of paper and ink.

To use print preview:


 Open the file you want to preview.
 Choose File Print Preview from the menu bar. (Ctrl + P)

OR

 Click the Print Preview button on the Standard toolbar.

Once you have accessed Print Preview, your file will now be in Print Preview mode. It will look something like this:

154 Section 3-8: Printing 154


Print Preview Toolbar
Print Preview mode shows you how your file is formatted. The tools available on the Print Preview toolbar help you view and
edit your document before you print it.

 The Print button prints the file.


 The Magnifier button turns the mouse pointer into a small magnifying glass. When the magnifying glass has a + in the center of
it, the file will enlarge when you left click. When the magnifying glass has a - in the center of it, the file will decrease in size.
Click the button again to turn the magnifier off.
 The One Page button will display one page at a time.
 When you click the Multiple Pages button, a small drop down menu will display. Highlight the number of pages you wish to
display in Print Preview.
 The Zoom drop down box lets you view your file under a specified magnification level.
 The View Ruler button will display the ruler. Click the button again to turn the ruler off.
 The Shrink to Fit button will decrease the font size of each font used in the file, preventing small amounts of text on the last
page of a document. You can undo Shrink To Fit by clicking Undo Shrink To Fit on the Edit menu. Once you save the file, it's
difficult to restore the document to its original font sizes.
 The Full Screen button will display your file on your entire screen. Click the button again to turn the Full Screen feature off, or
click Close Full Screen on the floating Full Screen toolbar.
 The Close Preview button closes Print Preview mode, returning you to the previous view of the file.

Editing Text in Print Preview


You can edit text while in Print Preview mode.

To edit text in print preview:

 Choose File Print Preview or click the Print Preview button on the Standard toolbar.
 Click the text in the area you want to edit.
 The program zooms in on the area.
 Click the Magnifier (to turn off magnification). When the pointer becomes an I-beam, edit your file.
 To return to the original magnification, click the Magnifier, then click on the file.
 To exit print preview mode, click the Close button.

155 Section 3-8: Printing 155


Page Setup
Before printing your files, you may want to use the Page Setup feature to define
your page margins, paper size, and page orientation among other things.

To open Page Setup:

 Choose File Page Setup from the menu bar.


 The Page Setup dialog box appears. Page Setup appears slightly differently in
each of the Office programs.

Page Setup's Margins tab


 Click the Top, Bottom, Left, or Right boxes to define the margins.
 To define page orientation, click the Portrait (prints text so the page is taller
than it is wide) or Landscape (prints text so the page is wider than it is tall) op-
tion.
 Use the Multiple pages drop down box to determine how many pages you want
to print on each page and other margin options.
 Preview will show you a thumbnail view of how your document will appear
when printed.

Page Setup's Paper tab


 Click the Paper tab and click the Paper Size list box to define the paper size.
Use the Width and Height boxes to set a specific paper size.
 Use the Paper source section to determine what paper source you're using.
 Preview will show you a thumbnail view of how your document will appear
when printed.
 The Print Options button gives you more printing options.

Page Setup's Layout tab


 Use Sections to vary the layout of a file within a page or between pages by in-
serting section breaks to divide the document into sections. Then, format the sec-
tion the way you wish.
 Headers and Footers are in the top and bottom margins of each page in a file.
You can insert text or graphics in headers and footers. Use this section to adjust
header and footer layout.
 Preview will show you a thumbnail view of how your document will appear
when printed.
 The Line Numbers button opens the Line Numbers dialog box, allowing you to
add and position line numbering.
 The Borders button opens the Borders and Shading dialog box, allowing you
to add and customize borders, page borders, and shading.
 The Default button allows you to change the default setting for Page Setup.
 Click OK when you've made necessary changes.

156 Section 3-8: Printing 156


Printing
To print your work:

 Choose File Print from the menu bar. (Ctrl + P)


 The Print dialog box appears. Note: Print capabilities differ slightly in each of the Office programs.

OR

 Use the Print button on the Standard toolbar.


 The file automatically prints. The Print dialog box will not appear.

Troubleshooting Printing Problems


 Take care of the basics. Make sure the printer is plugged in, turned on and has paper in it.
 Make sure the printer cable is properly connected to the printer and to the computer.
 Check to see if there is a paper jam. Most printers have a flashing light to indicate a jam. Also, if the paper size selected differs
from the one in the paper tray, you will not be able to print. To choose a paper size, select File Page Setup. Click the Paper
Size tab.
 Check to see that the printer toner, cartridge or ribbon is fresh and adequate. If not, printed documents may appear streaky,
blotchy, or even blank.
 Make sure the printer is switched to Online mode. There is usually a button on your printer's control panel. If it is switched to
Offline mode, it will not print.
 Make sure the computer knows what printer you are using. In Windows 2003, check this by clicking Start Control Panel
Printers and Other Hardware View installed printers or fax printers. If an icon for your printer doesn't appear, try
restarting your computer. If you printer still doesn't appear, you may need to add it. Click Add a Printer and follow the
instructions in the Add Printer Wizard.

157 Section 3-8: Printing 157


158 Section 3-8: Printing 158
159 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 159
160 I want to put another page number on here so here I go 160
Section 4-1:

The History and Definition


of the Internet

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Briefly explain a short history of the Internet
 Briefly explain a local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN)
 Briefly explain servers and clients
 Understand how the Internet works (on a basic level)
 Briefly explain the World Wide Web
 Understand some important web-related terms

161 Section 4-1: The History and Definition of the Internet 161
A Brief History of the Internet
In 1969, the US Department of Defense started a project to allow researchers and military personnel to communicate with each
other in an emergency. The project was called ARPAnet and it is the foundation of the Internet.

Throughout the 1970's, what would later become the Internet was developed. While mostly military personnel and scientists used
it in its early days, the advent of the World Wide Web in the early 1990's changed all that.

Today, the Internet is not owned or operated by any one entity. This worldwide computer network allows people to communicate
and exchange information in new ways.

According to www.commerce.net, in April of 1999, there were 92.2 million Internet users over the age of 16 in the United States
and Canada. By 2005, it is predicted 75% of the total US population will be online.

What is the Internet?


The Internet is the largest computer network in the world, connecting millions of computers. A network is a group of two or
more computer systems linked together.

There are two types of computer networks:

Local Area Network (LAN): A LAN is two or more connected computers sharing certain
resources in a relatively small geographic location (the same building, for example).

Wide Area Network (WAN): A WAN typically consists of 2 or


more LANs. The computers are farther apart and are linked by
telephone lines, dedicated telephone lines, or radio waves. The
Internet is the largest Wide Area Network (WAN) in existence.

162 Section 4-1: The History and Definition of the Internet 162
Servers
All computers on the Internet (a wide area network, or WAN) can be lumped into two groups: servers and clients. In a
network, clients and servers communicate with one another.

A server is the common source that :


 Provides shared services (for example, network security measures) with other machines
AND

 Manages resources (for example, one printer many people use) in a network.
The term server is often used to describe the hardware (computer), but the term also refers to the software (application) running
on the computer. Many servers are dedicated, meaning they only perform specific tasks.

For example:
 An email server is a computer that has software running on it allowing it to "serve" email-related services.
 A web server has software running on it that allows it to "serve" web-related services.

Clients
Remember, all computers on the Internet (a wide area network, or WAN) can be lumped into two groups: servers and clients,
which communicate with one another.

Independent computers connected to a server are called clients. Most likely, your home or office computer does not provide
services to other computers. Therefore, it is a client.

Clients run multiple client software applications that perform specific functions.

For example:
 An email application such as Microsoft Outlook is client software.
 Your web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Netscape) is client software.

Servers and Clients Communicate


 Your computer (client hardware) is running a web
browser such as Internet Explorer (client software).
 When you want to surf the web, your browser connects to
a remote server and requests a web page.
 The remote server (server hardware) runs web server soft-
ware (server software).
 The web server sends the web page to your computer's
web browser.
 Your web browser displays the page.

163 Section 4-1: The History and Definition of the Internet 163
The World Wide Web (WWW)
As you now know, the Internet is the physical computer network (computer, monitor, modem, cables, phone lines, etc).

So, what is the World Wide Web?


 Tim Berners-Lee, a software engineer, invented the World Wide Web in 1991.
 The Web is a system of Internet servers that support specially-formatted documents.
 These specially formatted documents are text documents created in HTML, a formatting language. In conjunction with the
World Wide Web, your web browser interprets these text documents so they become web pages.
 Web pages contain formatted text, graphics, sound, animation, and video, allowing point and click navigation.

Before the Web, the Internet was mostly text-based. To use it, you had to know lots of keyboard command prompts, making
it largely unusable to the average person. The World Wide Web changed all that.

Some Important Web Terms:


WWW
Also called the Web or World Wide Web. See previous page for full definition.

Web Browser
A piece of software used to navigate the Web. Internet Explorer and Netscape are web browsers.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)


A GUI (pronounced GOO-ee) takes advantage of your computer's graphics (picture) capabilities to increase ease of use. For
example, the buttons you point and click to surf the web is part of your web browser's GUI. Most operating systems include a
GUI, such as Windows and Mac OS. In the past, there was no pointing and clicking; rather, the user had to know a command
language to operate the computer.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)


The formatting language used to create web documents.

Hypertext
The system of electronically linking words or pictures to other words or pictures.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)


Each web page has its own address on the Internet, which is called a URL. To recognize one another over the Internet, computers
convert human-friendly addresses like www.gcflearnfree.org to numerical IP addresses.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)


You may have noticed the http:// preceding URLs. For example: http://www.gcflearnfree.org. The first part of the URL, usually
HTTP, indicates the file type. HTTP, the system for transferring web documents, defines how messages are formatted and
transmitted over the Internet.

164 Section 4-1: The History and Definition of the Internet 164
Section 4-2:

Connecting to the Internet

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 List the four requirements necessary to access the Internet
 Define a modem
 Define a web browser
 Understand the function of an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
 Discuss the need for speed
 Discuss bandwidth
 Discuss the different levels of Internet access available
 Research the levels of access in your living area

165 Section 4-2: Connecting to the Internet 165


Connecting to the Internet
In the previous sections, you learned a short history of the Internet, how the Internet works, what the Web is, and some important
Web terms.

In this section, you will learn what you need to access the Internet:
1. Computer
2. Modem
3. Web Browser
4. Internet Service Provider

Modems and Web Browsers


To connect to the Internet, your computer requires a modem and a web browser.

What is a modem?
 A modem is a device that converts a computer's outgoing data to a format that can be transferred via telephone lines. Modems
can also convert incoming data so the computer can read it.
 A modem can be located inside or outside your computer. Some of the different types of modems are internal, external,
voice/data, and fax modems.

What is a web browser?


 Remember, along with a computer equipped with a modem, you need a piece of software called a web browser to navigate the
Web.
 Internet Explorer and Netscape are examples of web browsers.

Internet Service Providers


To access the Internet, you need a computer equipped with a modem and web browser, but you'll also need an ISP.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are companies that provide access to the Internet.

For a monthly fee (and an initial activation fee), you can purchase a software package from your ISP. These packages feature
different levels of Internet access. Flat-rate service will buy you unlimited hours, whereas a less-expensive hourly package buys
limited Internet access. In either case, the speed with which you access the Internet factors into how much you pay per month.

The ISP software package usually includes:


 Username. A unique name used to gain access to a computer system.
 Password. A combination of keyboard characters. Used in combination with a username, passwords allow access to restricted
computer information. It is important to keep passwords secret.
 Access phone number. For example, (919) 555-5555.

If you connect to the Internet at work, you may be part of a LAN (local area network) that shares network resources. To
gain Internet access, your employer contracted with an ISP.

166 Section 4-2: Connecting to the Internet 166


The Need for Speed
If you surf the Web frequently, you are probably used to waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more. Slow Internet access
means some users are unable to access certain web pages, especially those loaded with graphics, sound, and video. So, to access
the latest web technologies, users need more speed. In response to the need for speed, modems (a device used to access the
Internet) were built that were capable of faster data transmission rates.

Faster data transmission means:


 Faster web pages
 Faster email services
 Music, animation, and video plays smoothly

Data Transmission Rates


At higher speeds, modems are measured in terms of bits per second (bps). A bit is a unit of measurement that measures the
transfer of data, or information. For example, if you have a 56K modem, your modem may be capable of transferring 56,000 bits
per second.

Did You Know? Eight bits of data is roughly the amount that you enter each time you tap a key on your keyboard.

Data Transmission Rates:


 Early 90's
 19.2K bits per second
 28.8K bits per second
 33.6K bits per second
 1998-Present
 56K bits per second
 Almost 10 Million bits per second (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, (ADSL), Cable modems)

All About Bandwidth


A fast modem doesn't ensure fast transmission rates. Fast data transmission often depends on bandwidth. Bandwidth is the
amount of data actually being sent through a network circuit.

Let's say you want to estimate the time it takes for you to commute from home to work. You have to travel through a physical
network of roadways to travel from home to work.

To estimate your commute, consider:


 What is the speed limit?
 Where are you located (big city or rural setting?)
 How big (wide) is the road? (2-lane roads, 4-lane roads, or a 6-lane interstate?)
 How much traffic will be on the road at any given time?
 Is there any construction?

The Internet is similar to the roadway example. Remember, the Internet is a physical network (phone lines, etc). Data has to
travel through that physical network. Too much traffic on the network means you may be unable to connect at a fast rate, or at
all. The more open and wider your network is, the faster you can connect and surf.

167 Section 4-2: Connecting to the Internet 167


What Type of Access is Available to You?
Many ISPs offer different levels of Internet access.

56K Dial-up ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)

Pros: Pros:
 Uses existing phone lines.  Can provide 2-4 times the speed of a 56K modem.
 Lower cost-usually around $22.00 per month or less.  Uses digital rather than analog signals to transmit data.

Cons: Cons:
 Dial-up connection uses existing phone line, making it  Requires special equipment that can drive up your cost.
impossible to receive phone calls unless another line is  Data is not compressed so transmission rates can be
installed. comparable to 56k-at more cost.
 Slow -- Can be limited to speeds of 28.8K to 33.6K. Upload  May be replaced by other technologies.
speeds can be limited to as low as 28.8, with download
speeds approaching 56K under only perfect conditions.
 Service can be somewhat unreliable (busy signals,
spontaneously terminated sessions, etc).

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Cable Modem

Pros: Pros:
 Can fall back to slower speeds if the line cannot handle the  Uses coaxial and/or fiber-optic cable rather than phone
modem's fastest speed. lines for data transmission, so performance doesn't depend
 Uses the existing phone line in most cases. on your distance from a central cable office.
 Does not tie up existing phone line, leading to "always on"  Can fall back to slower speeds if the line cannot handle the
access. modem's fastest speed.
 More bandwidth results in improved streaming audio/video,  Convenient for homes already wired with cable access.
online games, application programs, telephone calling, video  Does not tie up existing phone line, leading to "always on"
conferencing and other high-bandwidth services. access.
 Can connect multiple computers on a single line.  More bandwidth results in improved streaming audio/
 Faster than a 56K dial-up modem. video, online games, application programs, telephone call-
ing, video conferencing and other high-bandwidth services.
 Can connect multiple computers on a single line.
Cons:  Faster than a 56K dial-up modem.

 Availability-limited to homes/businesses with a dedicated Cons:


copper wire running between it and the phone company's
nearest central office.
 Availability-limited to homes/businesses with cable access.
 Cost-includes installation fees and monthly charges (around
$50.00 per month).  Cost-includes installation fees and monthly charges
(around $40.00 per month).
 Need a firewall to ensure home network security
 Often requires commitment to a cable TV package.
 Service is not infallible.
 A firewall is necessary to ensure home network security
 Service is not infallible.

168 Section 4-2: Connecting to the Internet 168


Section 4-3:

Using Internet Explorer

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Review web browser basics
 Discuss cached web pages
 Refresh and stop web pages
 Define a search engine and provide an example
 Demonstrate effective searching techniques
 Identify IE's toolbars, Status bar, and Explorer bar
 Show and hide toolbars, Status bar, and Explorer bar
 Move and resize toolbars
 Customize the Standard button toolbar
 Understanding tabbed browsing
 Set a home page
 Access Favorites
 Add to Favorites
 Organize Favorites
 Rename and Delete Favorites
 Access History
 Customize History
 Search using Internet Explorer
 Save pictures
 Copy and paste text from a web page
 Email a link
 Print a web page
 Use the highlighting feature
 Change text size and font
 Change text and link color

169 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 169


Browser Basics
If you found our web site, you're already familiar with your web browser's basic tools such as the Back button, Forward button
and Address bar.

Here is a quick review of web browser basics:


 To return to the last page you viewed, click your Back button.
 To return to the page you visited before you clicked the Back button, click the Forward button.
 Click the drop down menu to the right of the back and forward buttons to view and select from a list of recently visited sites.
 To visit a web page, type the URL in the address bar and hit the Enter (Return) key on your keyboard.

Cache
Have you ever started typing your favorite
website's address, and the entire address
displays?

Or, have you tried clicking the address bar's


drop down menu to display a list of sites you've
recently visited?

What about the Back and Forward button's


drop down lists of recently visited sites?

If you've used any of the methods listed above to surf the Web, you are using your web browser's cache.

Your web browser stores recently visited sites (as temporary Internet files) on your computer's hard disk. When you revisit your
favorite sites, the browser displays the pages from the cache instead of requesting them from the web server.

This makes surfing the web faster and easier.

170 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 170


Refreshing and Stopping Web Pages
While using your browser's cache may increase ease of use, you may not be getting the most up-to-date information a site has to
offer. To do so, you need to refresh, or reload, a web page. Refreshing requests fresh pages from the web server rather than
from the cache stored on your machine's disk.

Most browsers include a Refresh button on the toolbar. (F5)

Most browsers include a Stop button on the toolbar. (Esc)

Refresh a web page when: Stop a web page when:


 You want to view the latest version of the page. For example,  You want to stop a web page from loading.
when viewing a discussion forum, or a news-driven website.  A page is taking too long to load.
 You get a message that a web page cannot be displayed. For  You mistyped a URL.
example, "Error 404, File Not Found."

Search Engines
Instead of trying to guess where certain information may be located on the Web, search engines allow you to search both the
Web and newsgroups.

A search engine searches for keywords and returns a list of documents where the keywords can be found. Most search engines
allow you to search using plain language relevant to the topic of interest, meaning you don't have to know any special
programming tricks to effectively search the Web.

Tips for Effective Searching


Beware of using slang or partial words. If you use slang or parts of words, you may have some luck, but your results may be
too broad. For example, flick instead of movie, or Macs instead of Macintoshes may yield different results.

Use correct spelling, and capitalization. Be aware of pluralizing your words, and spell them correctly. For example, good
will, goodwill, Goodwill, Goodwills, and Good Will may yield different results.

AND. Use AND (all caps) to search for multiple words that must appear in a web page. Some search engines support a plus
sign (+) in place of AND. For example, free AND coupon, or free + coupon.

NOT. Use NOT (all caps) to exclude certain words or phrases. For example, casserole NOT chicken NOT beef.

OR. Use OR (all caps) to include any of the search words (rather than most.) For example, George Washington OR Bush.

Wildcards. The percentage symbol (%) can be used to replace only one character. The asterisk (*) can be used to replace
multiple characters. For example, post* could produce postwar, postgame, or postmarital.

Phrases. Put quotes around a phrase so each word in the phrase isn't searched for separately. For example, if you put quotes
around "free online computer training," the search engine searches for that entire phrase in a web page. However, if you
simply type, free online computer training, the search engine searches for each of the words individually in a web page.

171 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 171


Toolbars
Internet Explorer features customizable toolbars to help you navigate the Web.

The Standard buttons bar displays commonly used buttons such as the Back, Forward, Favorites, History, and Print
buttons.

The Address bar displays the address, or URL, of the web page you are currently visiting. Type new URLs or search terms
into the Address bar. The Search Box is to the right of the address bar. You can search for something by typing in the box and
pressing the magnifying glass button. Also in the address bar are the Refresh and Stop buttons.

Status bar and Favorites Center


Internet Explorer's Status bar and Favorites Center offer additional web navigation methods.

The Status bar, located at the bottom of the IE window, indicates when a web site is found, loading, waiting for reply, or if
you have a secure connection. It is always a good idea to display the Status bar, particularly for security reasons.

The Favorites Center is a sidebar located in the left side of the IE window. It's a convenient way of accessing the Favorites
list, History list, and Search function. Note that the Favorites is not made visible unless you choose it.

172 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 172


Show and Hide Toolbars, Status Bar, Explorer Bar
and Favorites Center
In newer versions of Internet Explorer, you can show and hide the
toolbars, Status bar, Explorer bar, and Favorites Center.

To show or hide the toolbars, Status Bar,


Explorer Bar, or Favorites Center
 Click then choose Toolbars.
 Click the clear or show the checkmark for each item.

OR

 Right-click the toolbar and click to clear or show the checkmark for
each item.

Customizing Toolbars
In newer versions of Internet Explorer, you can move and resize the toolbars.

To move a toolbar:
 Look for the resize/move toolbar handle.

 Hover your mouse pointer over the resize/move toolbar handle.

 The mouse pointer becomes a double-headed arrow.


 Click and drag a toolbar up, down, left, or right.
 When moved, toolbars "snap" to the outer edge of the IE window.

To resize a toolbar:
 Look for the resize/move toolbar handle.
 Hover your mouse pointer over the resize/move toolbar handle.
 The mouse pointer becomes a double-headed arrow.
 Click and drag until toolbar is desired size.

173 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 173


Customizing the Standard Button Bar:
You can further customize the Standard button toolbar by adding or removing Standard buttons. You can even change the
appearance of your buttons.

Add or remove a button from the Standard button bar:


 Click then choose Toolbars Customize.
OR

 Right-click the toolbar and click Customize.


 The Customize Toolbar dialog box opens.
 In the left-hand scroll box, there is a list of Available toolbar buttons.
 In the right-hand scroll box, there is a list of Current toolbar buttons.
 In either scroll box, click to select a button you would like to add or remove.
 Click the Add or Remove button.
 The button is now added or removed from the toolbar.
 Click Close to display new options.

To change the text options featured on your buttons:


 Right-click the toolbar choose Customize Command Bar.
 Click to clear or show the checkmark for each item. Choose from:
 Show all text labels
 Show selective text
 Show only icons

To change the size of your button icons:


 Right-click the toolbar choose Use large icons.

174 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 174


Understanding Tabbed Browsing
Internet Explorer 7, besides having a new look, has incorporated a new feature known as tabbed browsing. In older versions of
Internet Explorer, if you wanted to have more than one web page open, you had to start a new browser window every time. Using
tabbed browsing, you can have more than one web page going without having to open another Internet Explorer window.

Each tab is it’s own webpage


Click here to create a new tab

Current tab

Creating a new tab


 Click on the small tab next to your current tab. The small tab will always be the last one on the right.
 Type the website in the address bar.

OR
 Press Ctrl + T

When you have more then one tab (webpage) open, the one you are currently looking at will appear to be in front of the other
tabs and highlighted in a darker, such as blue, while the non-active tabs will be in a lighter color, such as gray.

Opening a linked page in a new tab


 Right-click on a link.
 Choose Open in New Tab.
 The webpage will open in a new tab.

Closing tabs
(Note: You must have more than one tab open)

 Click the x on the right corner of the tab.


OR

 Press Ctrl + W

175 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 175


Setting a Home page
Your home page is the first page you see when you start Internet Explorer (IE). Change your home page to make surfing the
Web easier and more convenient.

For example, if you want to start each Internet session with GCF Global Learning, http://www.gcflearnfree.org should be your
home page. If you like to check the weather every time you log on, you might prefer http://www.weather.com as your home
page.

To change the Home Page:

 Choose Tools Internet Options from the IE menu bar. The Internet Options dialog
box opens.
 If not already selected, click the General tab.
 Type a new URL in the home page section of the General tab.
 Click OK.
OR

 If you like the current page and want to set it as your new home page, click the Use
Current button.
 The Use Default button sets www.microsoft.com as your home page.
 The Use Blank button sets a blank page as your home page. This option is beneficial to
those who don't want to begin each Internet session waiting for a home page to load.
 Click OK.

OR

 Click the arrow on the Home button on the toolbar, then choose Add or
change homepage.
 A dialog box asks you if you want to add the page you’re on to your home page tabs, or
if you want to use the webpage as your only home page. Click the circle next to the
option you’d like to choose.

 Click Yes.

176 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 176


Access Favorites
When surfing the Web, you have probably found a number of sites you'd like to return to in the future. You can keep track of
your favorite sites without having to remember long URLs using the Favorites feature.

This feature comes with some pre-existing Favorites you may or may not find useful. You can access, add to, find, and organize
your Favorites.

To access Favorites from the IE menu bar:


 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the menu bar.
 Choose Favorites from the IE menu bar. (Ctrl + I)
 A Favorites list appears. You may need to click the double arrow at the
bottom of the list to expand your choices.
 Click a Favorite to go to that web page.

To access Favorites from the Favorites Center:

 Press the Favorites Center button on the toolbar.


 The Favorites Center appears on the left. Click on Favorites if not already there
and the list will appear.
 Click a Favorite to go to that web page.

177 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 177


Add to Favorites
To add to Favorites using the IE menu bar:
 Go to the page you want to add to your Favorites. For example:
http://www.gcflearnfree.org.
 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the menu bar.
 Choose Favorites Add to Favorites from the IE menu bar.
 The Add Favorite dialog box opens.
 The page title appears in the Name text box. For example:
"Welcome to GCF Global Learning Community Center." Change
the page title if you wish. For example, "GCF" may be adequate.
 Click Add to add it to your Favorites list.

To add to Favorites using the Favorites Center:

 Click the Add to Favorites button on the toolbar.


 Click the Add to Favorites in the drop-down menu.
 The Add Favorite dialog box opens.
 The page title appears in the Name text box. Rename the page if you wish.
 Click Add to add it to your Favorites list.
 Your new Favorite appears in the Favorites list.

178 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 178


Organizing Favorites
Once you add several Favorites, you may want to organize them in folders. There are several methods of organizing your
Favorites.

To Organize Favorites:
 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up
the menu bar.
 Choose Favorites Organize Favorites
from the IE menu bar.
 The Organize Favorites dialog box opens.
 Click a Favorite you want to organize.
 Drag and drop any Favorite into a pre-
existing folder.

OR

 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the menu bar.
 Choose Favorites Organize Favorites from the IE menu bar.
 The Organize Favorites dialog box opens. Use this dialog box to Create a New Folder, Rename, Move to Folder,
and Delete.
 Drag and drop Favorites into folders.
OR

 Working in the Organize Favorites dialog box, click the Move to Folder button and drag and drop Favorites into
folders.

179 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 179


Creating New Folders
You may need to create new folders in order to keep your Favorites
organized.

To Create a New Folder:


 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the menu bar.
 Choose Favorites Add to Favorites from the IE menu bar.
 The Add Favorite dialog box opens.
 Click the New Folder button.
 The Create New Folder dialog box opens.
 Name the folder and click OK.
 Click OK again to close the Add Favorite dialog box and add the
new folder to your Favorites list.

OR

 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the


menu bar.
 Choose Favorites Organize Favorites from
the IE menu bar.
 The Organize Favorites dialog box opens. Click
the Create Folder button.
 A new folder is created, ready to be renamed.

180 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 180


Renaming and Deleting
Favorites
You may need to rename or delete Favorites.

To Rename a Favorite:
 In the Favorites Center list, right-click a Favorite. Choose rename from the
shortcut menu.
 The name is now highlighted, ready to be changed.

OR

 Use the Organize Favorites dialog box.

To Delete a Favorite:
 In the Favorites Center list, right-click a Favorite. Choose delete from the shortcut menu.
 A confirmation message appears. Choose Yes.

OR

 Use the Organize Favorites dialog box.

181 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 181


History
Using the History feature, you can find pages you've recently visited in the last few days.

To see a list of pages you've recently visited:


 Click the down arrow at the end of the Address
bar.
 To view, click any site from the list.

To access your History using the Favorites Center:


 Press the Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the menu bar.
 Choose View Explorer bar History
 The Favorites Center opens and the History list appears in the left side of the
window.
 Click a week or day.
 Click a folder to display individual pages.
OR

 Press the Favorites Center button on the toolbar.


 Click the History button.
 Click the web page icon to display the web page.

To hide the Explorer's bar's History list:

 Click the X in the upper right.

Customizing your History List


You can specify how many pages are saved in your History list.

To specify how many pages are saved in the History


list:
 Choose Tools Internet Options from the IE menu bar.
 Click the General tab
 In the Browsing history area, click the Settings button
 In the History area, change the number of days that the History list keeps track of
your pages. Click OK.
 Click the Delete button in the Browsing history area to clear your history and
temporarily free up disk space on your computer.

182 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 182


Search
You can also look for web pages using the Search function.

Searching with the Search bar:


 The Search bar is located to the right of the address bar.
 Plug in any key words you think the page contained in the Find a web page containing text box.

 Click the magnifying glass button to search.


 Results display in the bar. Click links that interest you.

Searching from the Address bar:


 Type in any key words you think the page may contain.
 Press Enter on the keyboard.
 Your chosen search provider’s results display in a web page.
 Choose a link that interests you.

183 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 183


Saving Pictures
It's easy to return to previously visited web pages using tools such as Favorites and History.

You can also save specific pictures, text, or links from web pages for later reference.

To save pictures:
 Go to the web page that features a picture you want to save.
 Right-click the item you want to save. The shortcut menu opens.
 Choose Save Picture As from the shortcut menu.
 The Save Picture dialog box opens.
 The default save location is My Pictures. Click the Save in drop
down box arrow to navigate to a new save location.
 Rename the image in the File name text box if needed.
 Click Save.

To set a web page image as desktop wallpaper:


 Go to the web page.
 Right-click the image, choose Set as Background from the shortcut menu.
 It will be saved in the list as Internet Explorer wallpaper.
 Minimize the window. Your new wallpaper should display.
 Each new graphic you set as wallpaper will replace the old one.

184 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 184


Copying and Pasting Text
You can save specific text from web pages for later reference. For example, if you want to save content from a site that features
regularly changing content, (an online newspaper, for example); you might want to copy and paste text.

To copy and paste text from a web page:


 Go to the web page.
 Select the text you want to copy.
 Choose Edit Copy from your web browser's menu bar or right
-click the text and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
 Open another application, such as Word, for example.
 Choose Edit Paste from the menu bar or right-click and
choose Paste from the shortcut menu to paste the text into the
document of choice (for example, a Word document).

Emailing Links
While surfing the Internet, you may come across an interesting site you want to share with friends or family. There are several
different methods of sending a web page via email.

To cut and paste a link:


 Go to the web page.
 In the Address box, select the URL. For example:
http://www.gcflearnfree.org.
 Right-click and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
 Open your email program.
 Compose your email message.
 Right-click the body of the email message, and choose Paste
from the shortcut menu.
 Send the message.

Some web pages include a "Tell A Friend" or "Email this Article" feature. This may be convenient, but you may want to be
wary of who you give your email address to.

OR

To send a link in email:


 Go to the web page.
 Press the Alt key on your keyboard.
 Choose File Send.
 Click Page by Email or Link by Email.
 Compose your email message, and then send the message.

You need to specially configure your e-mail program for the


send a link in email method to work.

185 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 185


Print a Web Page
Let's say you need to print a web page, such as a map, for offline reference.

To print a web page:


 Press the Alt key on the keyboard.
 Choose File Print. The Print dialog box opens.
 Set printing options as you normally would.
OR

 Click the Print button on the toolbar to print the page (no dialog box will appear)

To print a frame or item in a


web page:
 Right-click the frame or item. The shortcut
menu opens.
 Choose Print, Print Frame, or Print Target.
 The Print dialog box opens.
 Set printing options as you normally would.

186 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 186


Highlighting
Internet Explorer includes some accessibility features.

As you move around a web page, you've probably noticed the mouse pointer's various states: the insertion point, the mouse
pointer (arrow), and the finger.

Insertion Point
Displays when you roll your mouse over text that is not linked.

Mouse Pointer
Displays when you roll your mouse over images that are not linked.

Finger
Displays when you roll your mouse over text and images that are linked.

When your mouse pointer becomes the insertion point, you can double-click any text or image to highlight it. You can
highlight text if you have difficulty seeing the insertion point.

Changing Text Size


Changing text size can improve readability.

To increase text size:


1. Press the Alt key on the keyboard
2. Choose View Text Size from the
menu bar.
3. A cascading menu appears.
4. The default is Medium.
5. Choose Smallest or Largest as needed.
6. The text size decreases or increases,
depending on your selection.
7. Repeat steps 1-3 and choose Medium to
return to the default.

187 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 187


Changing Font
Sometimes, changing the font can increase readability.

To display text in a different font:

 Choose Tools Internet Options from the menu bar.


 Click the General tab.
 Click the Fonts button.
 In the Web page font and Plain text font lists, click the fonts you want.

Note: Graphics cannot be resized or changed in any way using a web browser.

Changing Color
While changing text size and font can increase readability, so can the use of color. Those with low vision and/or color blindness
may have difficulty viewing certain colors. However, web designers don't always take this into account when determining font
colors, sizes, and background colors.

To change how page colors are displayed:


 On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options.
 On the General tab, click Colors.
 The Colors dialog box appears.
 Change the color settings as needed.

Note: Graphics cannot be resized or changed in any way (including color)


using a web browser.

188 Section 4-3: Using Internet Explorer 188


Section 4-4:

Browser Security

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Discuss the importance of Internet security
 Discuss the importance of password protection
 Define e-commerce
 Determine if a website uses SSL
 Upgrade the level of web browser security
 Determine how websites use cookies to track data
 Control cookies

189 Section 4-4: Browser Security 189


The Importance of Being Safe
If you use the Internet on a semi-regular basis, you are probably concerned with Internet security. There's a lot to know
regarding Internet security. In this unit, you'll learn some of the basic things you can do to ensure that your computer, and the
sensitive data stored in your computer, will remain safe and secure.

Unfortunately, there are criminals (sometimes referred to as "hackers" or "crackers") who would like to break or "hack" into your
computer for a variety of reasons.

One of your first lines of defense against potential hackers is password protection.

Password Do's
Computers, programs, and files are often password protected. A password (along with a user name) grants you access to
protected computers, programs, or files.

 Do password protect computers, accounts, programs, files, etc. Whenever possible, add this basic level of security.
 Do change your password on a regular basis. Your local administrator and/or ISP may recommend when it's best to change
your password. Many people change their password once every three to four months. However, if you notice your account has
been compromised in any way, change your password immediately.
 Do use a password that is at least eight to ten characters long. Use a combination of numbers and letters. A longer password
provides greater security. Remember, some passwords are cAse-SeNSitiVE.
 Do memorize your password. While you may find it convenient to keep a list of your user names and passwords beside your
computer, this is a blatant security risk. Don't keep an electronic list of passwords on your computer, particularly if you use a
laptop.

Password Don'ts
 Don't let anyone look over your shoulder while you type in your password. Think the woman standing behind you while you
use the ATM is too close for comfort? She may be. Also, don't knowingly give your password to anyone. The purpose of a
password is that no one but you can log in and start using your account.
 Don't use a "one size fits all" password. Don't use the same password for your separate accounts. For example, use different
passwords for your employer's computer network, voicemail, ISP, web mail, etc.
 Don't choose a password that can be easily traced to you. For example, using your birth date, social security number, phone
number, the name of your spouse, child, relative, pet, etc is a bad idea.
 Don't use well-known abbreviations. For example, ASAP (as soon as possible) or NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) is far too familiar (and short, for that matter) to make a solid password.
 Don't use words that can be found in the dictionary. Hackers use dictionaries as a tool to discover passwords. That goes for
foreign dictionaries as well.
 Don't ever use your user name as your password. Or your name, for that matter. This is the easiest password to crack.

Creating a Good Password


 First, create a sentence or phrase. For example: In Tallahassee Playing Piano for Grandpa March 4.
 Next, base your password on that phrase. Your password would look like this: itpp4gpa34
 It's easy to remember, ten characters, a combination of letters and numbers based on a phrase, can't be found in the
dictionary, is not a common acronym, and the information is not personal. (I don't live in Tallahassee, and can't play piano
for anyone including my grandpa, in March or any other time.)
 Do not use the example just given as your password. Remember, it is on public display, available to anyone.

190 Section 4-4: Browser Security 190


E-Commerce
These days, you can buy books, clothing, toys, tickets, and more on the Internet. Online shopping is called e-commerce.

You usually buy goods and services online using a personal credit card or debit card. An electronic purchase form may look
something like this:

First Name
Last Name
Email
Password
Confirm Password
Street Address
City
State
Zip
Shipping Address
City
State
Zip
Credit Card Type
Credit Card Number
Expiration Date

Have you ever wondered what happened to that information once you click "send?" Is the information secure as it travels
over the Internet? How can you be sure?

191 Section 4-4: Browser Security 191


Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Most security measures involve passwords and data encryption. Data that is "encrypted" is just a fancy way of saying that data
is turned into secret code. To read an encrypted file, you have to have access to a secret key or password.

What is SSL technology?


Many e-commerce websites use SSL technology, an encryption method and industry standard, to protect the security of your
credit card. SSL transfers information securely across the Internet. Once your browser connects to the web server, sensitive
information is "scrambled," or encrypted, while being exchanged. This way, a third party can't intercept the data.

How can you be sure SSL in is effect?


First, check your browser window.

Depending on your browser, if you see an unbroken key or lock symbol , SSL is active, or in effect. For Internet Explorer,
look next to the address bar.

You can also make sure SSL is in effect by looking at your browser's URL address box. When accessing a secure web server, the
first part of the URL will change from http:// to https//:.

Next, check the Certificate.

Click on the lock symbol and then click on the View certificates link
at the button of the pop-up. Make sure the certificate is "Issued to" the Web
site and the "Valid from" dates are current.

192 Section 4-4: Browser Security 192


128-bit Encryption
What is the difference between 128-bit and 40-bit encryption?
Without getting technical, the main difference is that 128-bit encryption provides a significantly greater amount of protection
than 40-bit encryption. Roughly speaking, 128-bit encryption is millions of times stronger than 40-bit encryption. Your web
browser should have at least "128-bit encryption."

Verify Your Security Level on Secure Sites

For Internet Explorer, first press Alt on your keyboard, then choose File Properties from the menu bar.

With the increasing computing power of potential criminals, greater level of security is becoming more necessary. 128-bit
encryption remains a very strong method of security for the foreseeable future. If you have any doubt about a web site's security
level, consider placing your order by phone.

Privacy Tips
While you shouldn't be afraid to make an online purchase, you should be informed on how the online retailer will use your
personal information.

When filling out an online order form, don't blindly fill in every blank field. Instead, look for the fields that are required
to make the purchase. (Sometimes marked by an *asterisk* or different color.)

Read the order form. Watch out for areas that are "pre-selected" for your convenience (such as checkboxes); you may end
up with a lot of unwanted email. Ever wondered how those "spammers" got your email address?

Create a free web mail account and use it as for "junk mail." (Yahoo and Hotmail are just two examples of sites that
offer free web mail.) When retailers require an email address, use your junk mail account rather than your personal ISP email
account. That way, if you receive a lot of spam, you can simply create another junk mail account.

Look for links such as Help, FAQ, About Us, Customer Service, Privacy Policy, or Privacy and Security.

When you arrive at that page, look for answers to questions such as:
 What kind of information do they collect?
 How do they use my information?
 Do they share my information with third parties?
 How do I access my information? How do I update or delete my information?
 How do I remove my information from email, phone, and postal mailing lists?
 Do they use cookies?

193 Section 4-4: Browser Security 193


Cookies
Many e-commerce web sites use cookies. A cookie is a small file that a web site puts on your hard drive so it can remember
something about you at a later time. For example, a cookie may contain information (such as a unique user ID) that is used to
track the pages of the sites you've visited.

At GCF Global Learning, we use a special type of cookie called a session cookie. These cookies expire when you leave our site
and do not store personally identifiable information in the cookie. Other sites cannot read them. We use session cookies simply to
keep track of how many members and registered students use the site.

While cookies may seem like an invasion of privacy, they can improve your online experience. Cookies allow you to
"personalize" web sites, such as a personalized MSN or Apple start page. They may also save you some time. You don't have to
type the same information into a frequently used site over and over again. Cookies help keep track of your order, and certain ads
or products display because of what you've purchased in the past, etc.

Controlling Your Cookies


Depending on your web browser, you may turn cookies on or off, or alerted when a cookie is placed on your hard drive. See
your browser's Help menu for more information.

Customizing cookie settings

 Choose Tools Internet Options from the menu bar.


 Click the Privacy tab.
 Click the security slider and drag it up and down to your desired pri-
vacy settings. Each level has its own description.
 Click OK.
 If you want to override the settings, click on the Advanced button

194 Section 4-4: Browser Security 194


Section 4-5:

Internet Security

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Identify the major threats that you and your children face  Why you should print a receipt
online  Understand the importance of knowing the sites that your
 Define a virus children visit.
 Define a worm  Understand the risks your children face on the Internet
 Define a trojan horse  Understand the need for guidelines
 Identify a hoax  Understand the need for rules governing Internet use in the
 State how to avoid computer worms home
 Define email spam  Understand the importance of keeping your computer in a
public place
 Define hacker threats
 State the benefits of a family-friendly ISP
 Define identity theft
 Encourage the use of a kid-friendly search engine
 Understand the importance of anti-spam protection
 Create an Internet use agreement
 Understand Digital Signatures and Digital Certificates
 Recognize quality Web sites
 Understand the types of commercial products available to
protect email.  State general guidelines for communicating online
 Understand the importance of anti-spyware software  Help children understand the risks involved in chat rooms,
instant messaging, newsgroups, forums, and bulletin boards
 Understand how anti-spyware works
 Help children understand the risks of pornography
 Know what resources are available to protect your computer
against spyware  Help children understand the risks of email
 Understand the importance of anti-virus protection  Help children to become aware of cyberstalking and harass-
ment
 Understand how anti-virus software works
 Define file sharing and Peer-to-Peer programs
 Know what resources are available to remove and/or protect
your computer against viruses, worms, or harmful code.  Understand the risks in downloading music
 Understand the importance of firewall protection  Understand the risks in computer games and other software
downloads
 Understand how firewalls work
 Understand how to assign sites to security zones in Internet
 Know what resources are available to provide firewall
Explorer
protection.
 Understand how to use the Internet Explorer Content
 Make sure Your browser is secure
Advisor
 How to research a seller
 Know what resources are available for you to filter Web
 Importance of privacy statement sites and content
 Why to pay by credit card
 Importance of keeping your password secret

195 Section 4-5: Internet Security 195


What are the threats?
As the Internet has grown in volume so too has its technology. One of the biggest technological breakthroughs is broadband
Internet access. Both a cable modem and DSL allows your computer to send and receive Internet data at faster speeds than
dial-up. More bandwidth results in improved streaming audio/video, online games, application programs, telephone calling,
video conferencing and other high-bandwidth services.

But when you have DSL and cable modem Internet connections, it also means that your computer is connected to the Internet 24
hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Any computer that is connected to the Internet all the time is more susceptible
to possible Internet attack than computers accessing the Internet through a 56K dial-up connection.

Many of the threats that your family and computer face on the Internet include viruses, worms, Trojan horses, hoaxes, spyware,
adware, keystroke logging, and cookies. We also discuss hacking, email threats, and identify theft.

How Do You Protect Your Data and Computer?


After introducing the many threats and dangers, we provide some practical information on how to protect your data and com-
puter.

Your Web browser provides certain features to allow you to monitor your children's access to Internet content. There are also
some commercial products that you can buy to monitor computer activity.

Somewhat similar to monitoring, filtering software can restrict your children's access to certain undesirable material on the
Internet, including pornography and hate content. The Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser has some built-in capability to
assign Web sites to security zones and limit exposure to content. We discuss free resources that are available to you on the
Internet, as well as commercial products that can be purchased.

Is spyware, viruses, or worms affecting your computer's performance? We discuss how to scan your computer from spyware and
other harmful code, but also how to protect and remove these dangers. We discuss free resources and commercial products that
aid this effort.

Lastly, we discuss firewalls and how they can be used to protect your computer and family from outsiders who try to access your
computer to controll what Web sites your children can visit. There are both free tools and commercial products you can use to
protect your home. You can also evaluate the quality of your firewall protection

How Do You Keep Your Children Safe Online?


In addition to the malicious threats that we've just discussed, there are also people who operate those computers. You don't know
who they are. And there are many more ways to communicate with someone online other than sending an email message.

If you truly want to protect your family and children while they're online, you should know how to use the Internet, what sites
your children enjoy, and what activities they do online. Experiment for yourself. Become acutely aware of what your children are
capable of doing in the online environment.

They will meet people you don't know -- in chat rooms, discussion boards, newsgroups, instant messaging, and email -- and
perhaps correspond with them frequently. Your children will be exposed to pornography, and perhaps even cyber stalking and/or
harassment. Your children can expose your computer to threats introduced by software downloads, music downloads, and online
games. Because much of this material is copyrighted, the threat of illegal downloads is ever present.

In addition to these dangers, this course discusses how to establish ground rules for Internet use in your home. Perhaps you need
a formal written agreement that you and your children sign, stating what functions are allowed or are not allowed on the Internet.
It is up to you to investigate the ISP that is best suited for your family needs, which search engines are kid-friendly, and how to
recognize quality Web sites.

196 Section 4-5: Internet Security 196


What is a Virus?
According to Webopedia, a virus (opens in a new browser window) is a "program or piece of code that is loaded onto your
computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes."

Many popular programs like Microsoft Office appear on different computers in different households. The likelihood is great that
many family members, co-workers, friends, and neighbors use the same software. And when many people use this software, they
begin to share information through downloading files, trading floppy disks or zip disks, opening e-mail attachments, displaying
Web pages, and file-sharing. They unknowingly open the door to viruses.

Some viruses are disguised as legitimate computer programs. Others may use macros written into popular software products --
like Microsoft Word -- where users can program certain keystrokes
to execute certain commands, or to specify certain processes to run
when documents are opened or closed -- may be written to infect
data files.

Some viruses do little but duplicate themselves, while others can


cause serious damage or affect program and system performance.

What is a Worm?
Worms are computer programs that replicate themselves and often
interferes with the normal operation of a computer, program, or
network.

Unlike viruses, worms do not attach to other files or programs.


Worms tend to spread more rapidly than computer viruses because
they often take advantage of automatic file sending and receiving to
spread themselves over the network from one computer to the next.

While worms have been known to delete files or send email


documents they typically reside in memory, eat up system resources,
and slow down your computer.

What is a Trojan Horse?


No, it's not a horse that you saw in the movie Troy.

A Trojan Horse is a program that initially appears useful or benign and fools a user into running it. It frequently hides in games
and other small software programs so that when you download it, you unknowingly execute it on your computer.

Unlike viruses, Trojans do not replicate themselves. Rather, they leave behind a program that can be contacted by another
computer. Trojans have also been known to destroy files on your hard disk.

One example of a Trojan Horse is a program that claims to find and delete viruses, but instead, introduce a virus to your
computer.

197 Section 4-5: Internet Security 197


Hoaxes
Many of us have received email chain letters that warn impending viruses. Or they might be disguised as a promotion that sounds
too good to resist.

Hoaxes are scare alerts started by malicious people that are passed on by innocent users who think they are helping the
community by spreading the warning. Do not forward these hoax messages. There have been many reported cases where e-mail
systems collapsed after dozens of users forwarded false alerts to other users. The best course of action is to merely delete these
hoax emails.

Symantec, a global leader in information security, maintains a page on its Web site that contains a list of known hoaxes. If you
are concerned about a bogus email you received about a new virus or sales promotion, visit this site to see if it is listed and what
it says.

Top 10 Tips to Avoid Computer Worms


1. Keep your operating system and applications, particularly email applications like Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express,
up-to-date. Get the updates directly from the vendor.
2. Try to avoid sending or receiving mail that contains attachments.
3. Don't open attachments that reveal a file extension of EXE, VBS, SHS, or PIF.
4. Do not share your folders with other users unless it's necessary.
5. Disconnect your network or modem cable when you're not using your computer - or just power it down.
6. Do not open attachments or follow Web links received in an email advertisement or other unsolicited e-mail.
7. Avoid attachments with sexual file names (NUDES.VSB) that entice you to execute them.
8. Never accept attachments from strangers in online chat systems such as AOL Instant Messenger.
9. Avoid downloading files from public newsgroups (Usenet news)
10. Don't trust icons or pictures that are associated with file attachments, like a logo of a well-known software product.

198 Section 4-5: Internet Security 198


Email
Spam
When it comes to email, the biggest invasion of privacy is spam or unsolicited junk mail. Increasingly, people and companies send
mass email mailings to thousands of people to try and get them to buy something or to visit a Web site. Consider the following:

 According to a recent MSNBC article, MessageLabs Inc. is referenced as saying that 2/3 of all email traffic is spam.
 McAfee reports that "49% of Americans spend more than 40 minutes per week deleting spam, with 14% reporting they spend as
much as three and a half hours a week -- or 7.5 days per year -- on this task."

In general, it's best not to respond to spam or mail from someone you do not know. Certainly, don't follow any links or purchase
products that were advertised in this mail. By responding, you tell the sender that your email is in fact valid. Frequently, you may
find your email address on even more lists. And more lists mean more spam.

You don't know who sent the unsolicited email. The presence of a return address does not mean that it's a legitimate email address.
So never send a photograph of yourself or any personal information -- including credit card information -- to someone you don't
know. And never buy anything advertised via spam, even if it is a good offer.

Report any activity that appears to be illegal to CyberTipline at http://www.missingkids.com/cybertip or call 1-800-843-5678

File Attachments
If you receive an unsolicited commercial message, you should not open any attached file whose name ends in ".exe." Clicking on
such files could activate a computer virus that might affect how your computer operates and/or damage the information stored on
your computer. You can also protect yourself against viruses carried by e-mail or by computer files that you've received on a floppy
disk, by purchasing and installing on your computer or network a virus-protection program. Delete any email that contains suspi-
cious file attachments.

Hackers
As we rely more and more on computers, and continue to put sensitive information onto them, the potential for hackers to break into
them and steal or destroy personal and financial information grows. This is particularly true if you have a cable modem or DSL con-
nection, where your IP address rarely changes. You are essentially always online, even though you may not be browsing on the Inter-
net. Hackers use automated tools like IP address searches to look for computers connected to the Internet. Once found, they attempt
break in and then take control of the computer, allowing them to interrupt service and/or commit identity theft.

To find out if your computer is at risk, go to the National Cyber Security Alliance's Web site and take the self test. The site also
provides Top Ten Security Tips for more information on keeping your computer safe from hackers. Alternatively, you can evaluate
your computer's current level of protection at the Symantec Security Check Web site.

Identity Theft
It's fairly easy for criminals to obtain personal data. Have you seen the commercial where the guy is looking through his neighbor's
trash can to find a payroll receipt? How many of us simply throw this or credit card and bank statements in the garbage without
thinking? It's probably more than anyone would care to admit. These records make it easy for criminals to get control over accounts
in your name and assume your identity.

Identity theft occurs when someone obtains and then uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud or
other crimes. Such activities may include fraudulent use of credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, or false
applications for loans and credit cards.

The Internet has become a very attractive place for scammers or criminals to obtain such information as passwords and banking
information. Unfortunately, home users frequently give out personal information if requested. Families broadcast their email on the
Internet, respond to spam, or even become the target of hacking attacks.

199 Section 4-5: Internet Security 199


What To Do If You Are A Target of Identity Theft Or Fraud
Act immediately if you think you've become a victim of identity theft! Quick action will minimize the extent of damage to your
personal funds and financial accounts.

1. File a complaint on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Web site or by telephone at 1-877-ID THEFT.
2. Contact the fraud units of any one or all of the three credit bureaus:
Equifax
http://www.equifax.com
Call 800-685-1111 to order a credit report
Call 800-525-6285 to report fraud

Experian
http://www.experian.com
Call 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) to order a credit report
Call 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742) to report fraud

TransUnion
http://www.transunion.com
Call 800-888-4213 to order a credit report
Call 800-680-7289 to report fraud

3. Contact all creditors and financial institutions of those accounts that have been tampered or opened fraudulently.
4. Monitor your mail and credit-card bills for evidence of new fraudulent activity.
5. File a police report.

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Victim Of Identity Theft


1. Don't give out personal information to others.
2. Check your financial information regularly.
3. Periodically request a copy of your credit report.
4. Maintain careful records of your banking and financial accounts.
5. Update your virus protection software regularly, or when a new virus alert is announced.
6. Do not download files sent to you by strangers or click on hyperlinks from people you don't know.
7. Use a firewall program, especially if you use a high-speed Internet connection like cable modem or DSL.
8. Use a secure browser -- software that encrypts or scrambles information you send over the Internet -- to guard the
security of your online transactions.
9. Try not to store financial information on your computer unless absolutely necessary.
10. Look for Web site privacy policies.

200 Section 4-5: Internet Security 200


Understanding the Importance of Anti-Spam
Protection
The largest invasion by far comes in through spam or unsolicited email. We've told you not to respond to this email, follow any
links contained in it, or forward it to another person. We also told you that a virus or worm may be introduced to your computer
if you open any malicious attachments sent with an email. Other than ignoring the email, is there anything else you can do?

Luckily, there are some precautions you can take to filter out such messages from your inbox. You will never completely stop
spam, but the best hope you have is to control it. The rest of this section discusses some measures you can establish with
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, what your ISP may be able to do for you, and what anti
-spam software solutions -- free and commercial -- are available to manage your inbound and outbound email messages.

Free Anti-Spam Tools on the Internet


The first place to look for anti-spam software is your ISP's Web site. Depending on the Internet service you've purchased, you
may already have this feature available for you to use. The following ISPs offer anti-spam functionality in their packages:

 America Online
 MSN
 AT & T
 Verizon

You can test the security of your email system by accessing the GFI Email Security Test. This site tests your email program by
sending you a number of emails that probe your mail system.

Another product that you can evaluate is Mail Washer, which is a freeware program that enables you to delete virus emails and
spam directly on the mail server before you download them.

Blocking Dangerous Attachments in Microsoft Out-


look
Microsoft Outlook checks the file type of each attachment in a message you receive or send against the file types on the email
security attachment file type list. If an attachment is a file type that can contain code and run without warning, it is treated in one
of two ways.

 Certain file types (.bat, .exe, .vbs,) are blocked by Outlook so you cannot see the attachment. The message in the Inbox might
display a paperclip icon in the Attachment column to let you know that the message has an attachment. You will also see a list
of the blocked attachment files in the InfoBar at the top of your message.
 An email attachment will provide a prompt to save the attachment to your hard disk. Once you have saved the attachment, you

Digital Signatures and Digital Certificates


Microsoft Outlook in Office 2003 uses a technology that allows you to access a file by using a digital certificate.

 A Digital Signature is a private electronic key that confirms the document originated from the signer and has not been altered.
 A Digital Certificate is a digital means of proving your identity. Your certificate is sent when you digitally sign messages to
help authenticate youself to the recipient.

You can obtain a digital certificate from a commercial certification authority, such as VeriSign, Inc. You can also create a digital
signature yourself using the Selfcert.exe tool. Certificates that you create yourself are considered unauthenticated and will
generate a warning in the Security Warning box if the security level is set to High or Medium.

201 Section 4-5: Internet Security 201


Commercially-Available Anti-Spam Software
Several commercial products are available on the market to help reduce or eliminate the spam that infiltrates your email system.

McAfee Spam Killers

McAfee SpamKiller integrates directly with Outlook and Outlook Express to keep inboxes clean and free of spam, including
offensive content and potentially dangerous identity theft scams. McAfee SpamKiller can be purchased for under $40. An annual
subscription runs under $35. Visit the company Web site at: http://us.mcafee.com/

Norton AntiSpam

According to the Symantec Web site, Symantec's Norton AntiSpamTM 2004 works with any POP3 email program to filter
incoming mail, detecting and flagging unsolicited messages while promptly delivering valid mail. Norton AntiSpam also blocks
intrusive pop-up and banner ads. Symantec's Norton AntiSpamTM 2004 can be purchased for under $40. Visit the company Web
site at: http://www.symantec.com/index.htm

EmailProtect

EmailProtect from ContentWatch provides filtering and spam blocking controls -- email scams, unsolicited offers, and even
pornographic email -- out of your email inbox. You control who may send email to you or prevent emails to reach your Inbox.
EmailProtect Email Filtering can be purchased for under $30 per year. Visit the company Web site at:
http://www.contentwatch.com/

Spam Inspector

Spam InspectorTM is a spam filtering engine that quickly identifies and separates the hazardous and annoying spam from your
legitimate email. Based on personal and global learning networks, Spam InspectorTM AntiSpam Software for Outlook, Outlook
Express, Incredimail, Eudora, and Hotmail can be purchased for under $30. Visit the company Web site at:
http://www.giantcompany.com/

Disclaimer: GCF Global Learning® does not endorse or recommend any particular brand of software.

202 Section 4-5: Internet Security 202


The Importance of Anti-Spyware Protection
Spyware is software that monitors your activity on the Internet. It collects information about what you are doing, where you are
going and then transmits that information to another computer through your Internet connection. Spyware can monitor
keystrokes, scan files on the hard drive, snoop into chat programs and word processor applications, install other spyware
programs, read cookies, and monitor Web sites that you visit. Spyware can also place unwanted ads on your computer.

Spyware can also hog system resources like memory and hard disk space. It can also compromise your privacy, provide outsiders
with information about your computer habits and potentially expose your user IDs and passwords to thieves.

There are several free scans that are available to help you understand how spyware invades your computer. Both free and
commercial software are also available to remove known spyware programs.

How Do Anti-Spyware Tools Work?


While many anti-spyware programs perform essentially the same functions, there are differences between the products. Only you
can determine which software is suited to meet your family's browsing patterns. In this section we'll illustrate how to use
Spybot - Search & Destroy to perform a scan of your computer.

Remember, the main benefits of anti-spyware software are to:

 Remove adware, spyware, dialers, keyloggers, Trojans


 Detect, quarantine and delete unwanted programs
 Back up every removed problem
 Permanently block threatening ActiveX downloads
 Permanently block known tracking cookies for Internet Explorer
 Permanently block threating downloads in Internet Explorer
 Provide detailed information about problems found
 Set up automated scanning, removal and updates
 Integrate update functions

New spyware software is written and introduced to the Internet all the time. Te only way to properly safeguard your computer is
to have the current version of the software to make sure your computer is always protected.

Spybot Search & Destroy


Spybot - Search & Destroy is free anti-spyware
software that you can download from the Internet. In
this section, we'll briefly illustrate how it is used.

To initiate a scan of your computer using


Spybot - Search & Destroy:

1. Run the Spybot - Search & Destroy software.


2. Select the "Search for Updates" option to make sure
your software is current.
3. Select the "Check for Problems" option to start the
scan.
4. Spybot - Search & Destroy starts scanning the
selected drive for any known spyware.
5. If any spyware is found, it provides a detailed list so
that you can delete or quarantine them.

203 Section 4-5: Internet Security 203


Ad-aware from Lavasoft
Ad-aware is another free anti-spyware product that you can download and use on the Internet. Please note that a more robust
product is available for purchase.

1. Run the Ad-aware software.


2. Click the Scan Now button.
3. Define the parameters of the scan by selecting the
Use custom scanning options radio button and click
the Proceed button.
4. Define the drives and folders to be scanned by
selecting the Select drives\folders to scan radio button
and click the Proceed button.
5. Select the Perform smart system-scan radio button
and click the Proceed button to start the scan.
6. The Scanning Results are displayed when the scan is
completed. You can ignore, quarantine, or delete files
identified as spyware.

204 Section 4-5: Internet Security 204


Free Anti-Spyware Removal Tools on the Internet
The first place to look for anti-spyware or popup blocker software is your ISP's Web site. Depending on the Internet service you've
purchased, you may already have this feature available for use.

Free computer scans that search for spyware can be found at:

 SpyKiller
 PAL Spyware Removal
 Webroot
 Spyware-Guide
 PestScan by Pest Patrol

Spybot - Search and Destroy

Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove spyware of different kinds from your computer. It removes certain advertising
components, that may gather statistics, as well as detection of various keylogging and other spy utilities. It can even scan your
download directory for files that have been downloaded but not yet installed. Visit the company Web sire at:
http://www.safer-networking.org/.

Ad-aware from LavaSoft

Ad-aware provides the ability to comprehensively scan your memory, registry, hard, removable and optical drives for aggressive
advertising and tracking components. As of July 2004, Ad-aware Standard is free for individual use only. Visit the company Web
site at: http://www.lavasoftusa.com

Commercially-Available Anti-Spyware Software


Several commercial products are available that allow you to filter certain types of Web sites from display in your Web browser.

Webroot SpySweeper

Spy Sweeper safely detects and removes more traces of spyware including Trojans, adware, keyloggers and system monitoring
tools. The definition files are updated frequently to include the latest threats. As of July 2004, Spy Sweeper can be purchased for
under $30. Visit the company Web site at: http://www.webroot.com/wb/index.php

Pest Patrol

PestPatrol detects and eliminates trojans, spyware, adware and hacker tools. It compliments your anti-virus and firewall software,
extending your protection against non-viral malicious software that can evade your existing security software and invade your
personal privacy. As of July 2004, Pest Patrol can be purchased for under $40. Visit the company Web site at:
http://www.pestpatrol.com/

Alluria Spyware Eliminator

Spyware Eliminator scans your computer, checking against its comprehensive database of thousands of known spyware threats to
identify spyware installed on your system. It then performs several scans of your computer's files looking for spyware, removing
any that are detected. As of July 2004, Spyware Eliminator can be purchased for under $30. Visit the company Web site at:
http://www.aluriasoftware.com/

205 Section 4-5: Internet Security 205


The Importance of Anti-Virus Protection
We discussed the dangers that viruses, worms, and Trojan horses can inflict on your computer. Sometimes, you may know that
your computer has been infected by a virus or worm, perhaps because you
downloaded a suspicious file. But other times you may not know that your
computer has been infected by a virus or worm.

There are several reasons why a computer may run slow or performs out of the
ordinary. But if you have reason to suspect your computer may be infected by a
worm or virus - computer keeps crashing, error messages begin to pop up on
your screen, emails appear in sent mail that you never sent -- then perhaps it is
time to check for a virus or worm.

How to Protect Yourself

1. If you haven't already done so, purchase anti-virus software.


2. Verify your virus protection is current. Many anti-virus software vendors
provide real-time updates to your software when new anti-virus components are
created.
3. Scan your computer's hard drive for viruses.

What Does Anti-Virus Software Do?


While many anti-virus programs perform essentially the same functions, there are differences between the products. Only you
can determine which software is suited to meet your family's browsing patterns. In this section we'll illustrate how to use McAfee
VirusScan to perform a scan of your computer.

New viruses are written and introduced to the Internet all the time. The only way to properly safeguard your computer is to 1) be
notified when there are new viruses, and 2) be notified when an anti-virus remedy is available to protect your from the threat.
McAfee automatically downloads new software components to make sure your computer is always protected.

Remember, the main benefits of anti-virus software are to:

 Protect email and instant messages


 Safeguard shared files and downloads
 Remove viruses, worms, and Trojan horses
 Defend against known and emerging threats
 Download new virus protection against new threats

206 Section 4-5: Internet Security 206


Updating Your Windows Operating System
The first step you should take to protect yourself against viruses, or worms, is to make sure that your Windows operating system
is completely up-to-date. Hackers sometimes find a hole in the Windows operating system that allows them to enter a computer
or network and create havoc.

When you visit the Windows Update application on the Microsoft Web site, you can run a tool that checks the latest version of
the windows update software. If outdated, you will be prompted to download the new version of the software before you can
actually run any updates to the windows operating system.

Free Anti-Virus Tools on the Internet


The first place to look for anti-virus software is your ISP's Web site. Depending on the Internet service you've purchased, you may already
have this feature available for you to use.

Free computer scans that search for viruses can be found at:

 McAfee FreeScan - scan your latest known viruses, and display a list of infected files.
 HouseCall - scan and eliminate viruses with this free tool, created by the developer of PC-cillin.
 Symantec Security Check - scan for viruses with this free online tool.
 Panda Software
 The PCMan Web site - free virus scanner test. This service tests your Virus Protection online see if your installed virus scanner detects
the test string. This test virus was developed by the European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research (EICAR).
 Virus Bulletin - virus scanner tests, independent anti-virus advice.
 Virus Test Center - publishes and performs virus scanner tests, virus lists, lists of macro viruses.

Free virus removal tools can be found at:

 BitDefender - download tools to remove any of the worms listed on the page.
 Avast! 4 Home Edition - full-featured antivirus package designed exclusively for home users, non-commercial users.

Commercially-Available Anti-Virus Tools


McAfee VirusScan

McAfee VirusScan automatically scans your email, attachments and downloads, then immediately starts to clean infections.
McAfee VirusScan also automatically checks for virus updates whenever you go online, so your protection stays up-to-date
against the latest Internet threats. A one-year subscription to VirusScan can be purchased for under $40. Visit the company Web
site at: http://us.mcafee.com/

Norton AntiVirus

Symantec's Norton AntiVirusTM protects email, instant messages, and other files by automatically removing viruses, worms, and
Trojan horses. Symantec's Norton AntiVirusTM can be purchased for under $50. Visit the company Web site at:
http://www.symantec.com

207 Section 4-5: Internet Security 207


The Importance of Firewall Protection
A firewall is necessary for any family whose computer is connected to the Internet through either a cable modem or DSL. Your
computer is essentially online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even if you or a family member is not browsing the Internet.
This means that your computer is always susceptible to hacking or other Internet threats.

A firewall examines all traffic between your computer and the Internet to ensure it meets certain criteria that you define. A
firewall performs two main functions:

 Prevents unauthorized access to your computer by outside resources


 Prevents programs on your program from contacting outside resources without your permission.

Using Your Router as a Firewall


If your computer or networked computers are linked to the Internet through a high-speed broadband Internet connection or a
10/100 Ethernet backbone, then another alternative to consider is using your router as a firewall -- if it has firewall functionality.
Routers with built-in firewalls provide enhanced protection against intruders and keep your data secure. Your router may be
configured to limit internal users' Internet access based on URLs and/or time periods (URL filtering and time filtering).

Using the Windows Firewall


If you're running Windows XP on your home computer, then you already have a firewall. All you have to do is make sure it's
turned on!

Windows XP includes Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) software that you can use to restrict what information is communicated
between the Internet and your home computer or small office network. ICF also protects a single computer connected to the
Internet with a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a dial-up modem.

The firewall is designed to help you keep hackers out of your system. However, it lacks the ability to control programs on your
system that are trying to send information out to the Internet. The Windows XP firewall isn't a full featured firewall.

Free Firewalls on the Internet


The first place to look for firewall software is your ISP's Web site. Depending on the Internet service you've purchased, you may
already have this feature available for you to use.

Free firewall tools that can be downloaded from the Internet include:

 ZoneAlarm (opens in a new browser window) offers a free firewall for personal use but the functionality offered is much less
than that of the commercial product.
 Kerio Personal Firewall (opens in a new browser window) is a software agent that builds a barrier between your personal
computer and the Internet. It is designed to protect your PC against attacks from both the Internet, and other computers in the
local network. Free for personal use.
 Sygate Personal Firewall (opens in a new browser window) protects your PC from hackers, trojans and Denial of Service
attacks. It is the first free personal firewall to offer protection from malicious code intrusions, keeping the information on your
PC safe and private.

208 Section 4-5: Internet Security 208


Make Sure Your Browser is Secure
Before you submit your credit card information, make sure the site complies with industry security standards by using protection
such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL). This technology encrypts or scrambles your personal information -- such as your credit card
number -- as it travels over the Internet.

Before providing your credit card or financial information, be certain you are using a secure browser:

 Make sure the "http" in the address bar has changed to either "https" or "shttp" at the page where you are asked to input pay-
ment information.
 Confirm the security status in the lower right area of the screen on the page where you are asked to input payment information.
In Microsoft Internet Explorer, a closed padlock appears in secure mode . In Netscape Navigator (version 4 or higher), a
locked padlock appears.

Remember, only do business with companies that use secure server technology. If the site isn't secure, don't buy from it. And
make sure your children always ask your permission before buying anything on the Internet.

Know the Seller


Many Web sites sell items online, but who you can trust and how can you find out? Become familiar with the Web addresses of
the stores that you enjoy shopping from at their retail outlets. They print their Web address on credit card statements, printed
receipts, shopping bags, and advertisements, to name a few.

But what about those online shopping sites you have never heard of? How do you know who is legitimate and reputable and who
is not? There are several things you can do to protect yourself.

First, make sure the Web site provides its' business name, mailing address, and telephone number. If it doesn't, perhaps you
should consider leaving the site. If there is an 800 number provided, consider calling the company to verify the security of their
Web site.

Second, is the company still in business? Look up the business name on a Google (opens in a new browser window) search.
Research the company at the Better Business Bureau (opens in a new browser window) or local consumer protection agency.

Are you familiar with the seller's merchandise or services? Do you understand all costs (including price, shipping, and taxes)?
The warranty information and return policy? Make sure the site has clear information about what you can do if you have prob-
lems with your purchase.

Does the site display a reliability seal? Two distinguished seals are provided by the BBBOnLine Reliability seal and the VeriSign
certification seal.

209 Section 4-5: Internet Security 209


Read the privacy statement
You have the right to protect your privacy. Whether you're visiting an entertainment company, performing research on the
Internet or shopping online, you don't have to provide personal information to anyone.

Bear in mind that technology allows companies to collect certain information about you while
browsing their Web site, as previously mentioned in the section on 'cookies.' And this is per-
fectly acceptable and legal as long as a privacy statement is posted on the site that tells how
they will use the information collected about you.

Read the privacy policy posted on the Web site. Fully understand what information is being collected and how the site will use
your personal information. If you choose to use their Web site, or certain portions of their Web site, then you freely give
permission for them to potentially sell or give that collected information to others. You have the option to either leave the site or
exercise your right to "opt out" if you don't want the seller to pass to others information about you.

Avoid shopping at any site that does not provide a privacy policy. Look for signs
that the site has been reviewed by trustworthy organizations, such as BBBOnLine,
TRUSTe, Verisign, Thawte or others to ensure that the business has demonstrated
compliance with credible online privacy principles.

The only information you are required to provide when purchasing a product online is your
credit card number and shipping information. Don't disclose personal information (address,
telephone number, Social Security number, etc) to anyone unless you know who and why
the information is being collected. Teach your children to ask you if it is OK for them to
provide personal information on the Web.

Pay By Credit Card


Paying by credit card is the safest and quickest way to shop online. Your transaction is protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act.
Not only does this give you the right to dispute charges and to withhold payment until the problem is resolved by the creditor, but
your liability under federal law is limited to $50. The same can be said if the card is stolen or used fraudulently. Your liability is
usually for only a small portion of the amount.

Note that the rules for debit cards are slightly different than for credit cards. First, the money associated with purchases is
typically withdrawn immediately from your bank account to that of the merchant's. And the liability limits on a debit card is
different, ranging anywhere from $50 to $500 or even more.

Keep Your Password Secret


A great many people are lazy in keeping their passwords both secret and unique. Far too often the same password is used over
and over again. And more often than not the password is something that may be predictable such as your birthday, anniversary,
dog's name, or spouse's name. And if you must write down your password(s) on a piece of paper, don't leave this information in a
place where others can find it, like next to the computer.

Protect your password. If you have accounts at more than one site, make sure each password is different. Use an unpredictable
combination of numbers, letters and symbols. Do not give your password to anyone who contacts you. Never use part or all of
your Social Security number as a password.

Print your receipt


After you've completed an online purchase, be sure to print and file a copy of your order and confirmation number -- including
the e-tailer's Web address -- in case you have a problem with your purchase. It will allow you to track your order in case the
merchandise doesn't arrive when expected. Most companies will be able to look up your order by name, credit card number used
for the purchase, or the shipping address, but the order or transaction number will make it easier to track your order. By law,
online businesses must deliver merchandise within 30 days of purchase or notify you if there will be a delay.

210 Section 4-5: Internet Security 210


The Internet Is A Public Gathering Place
The Internet can be a wonderful place to find newsworthy topics, public service, online shopping, and the list goes on. You can
pursue hobbies, plan vacations, and much more. But it can also be a frightening place where con artists, pornographers, racists,
and others lurk in search for unsuspecting people to prey on. Who is legitimate and who is not? Who is friendly to talk to and
who is not? Many of us are not Web-savvy enough to know the dangers. And even more experienced, possibly overconfident
users still get enticed into scams or other predicaments. The Internet can be a dangerous place.

Web sites want to know more information about you. Some sites ask that you provide information on forms in order to display or
get something you want. Other download a cookie to your computer and track where you go on the site, or which remember
information that you have previously given the site. With this in mind, teach your children to never provide any information
about yourself -- particularly your home address, telephone number, or a photograph of yourself -- without first checking with
you, their parents.

The bottom line is that you can't be 100% sure the people that you contact on the Internet. It is best to visit only those sites that
you know are legitimate. And never provide personal information at the expense of your privacy.

You Can't Teach Others Without Knowing the


Subject Matter Yourself
Many adults are intimidated by the Internet -- steadfast in their refusal to provide a credit card to a well-known Web site. But if
children are going to use the Internet, parents had better understand the issues and the safety steps to help keep their children
safe. The Internet brings the world -- good and bad -- into our living rooms. There are many ways to learn about the Internet, how
to use it, and how to find information on it. Visit a library. Enroll in a GCF Global Learning® course. Then, practice firsthand.
Don't know what a chat room is? Visit one and chat with somebody. Don't know what a message board is? Visit one and practice
using it. You won't break your computer. You won't hurt any Web sites. You need to do your homework. And understand how
your children are using the Internet

Risks Facing Children When Browsing the Internet


 Unsuitable Web Site Content -- it is very easy to access pornographic, violence, and online gambling sites on the Internet.
 Privacy Intrusion -- Some children may give out private information, such as credit card information, password, personal
information about themselves or their family.
 Stalking or Harassment -- People can hide their true identity on the Web. Your children can't know for sure if they are
conversing with a 13 year-old or a 40 year-old. Some might even attempt to arrange a meeting with your child.

Learning to Recognize Quality Web Sites


Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Will it help my children learn? Is it of good quality? Are the skills necessary to work the site equivalent to my children's skills?
2. Is the site interactive and does it stimulate creativity?
3. Is it easy to use? Web sites geared for children should be designed so that children can easily navigate through them and
comprehend the information that they contain.
4. Do my children like the Web site?
5. What are the technical drawbacks? Does the site load quickly? Does it require plug-ins? Does it have interactive features? Can
my computer handle the technical requirements of the Web site?
6. Is there a clear purpose to the site? Are there advertising banners? What do they advertise? Do the advertisements pertain to my
children?
7. Who manages the site? Who writes the content?

211 Section 4-5: Internet Security 211


Guidelines for Parents
 Learn Everything You Can About the Internet -- Learn how your children are using the Internet. Sit with them and teach
them how to use it. Teach them how to research their homework. Ask them to show you good places they have found.
 Set Standards For What Your Children Can and Cannot Do Online -- Set reasonable expectations. Don't be a tyrant.
Understand their needs, interests, and curiosity. Come to consensus. Monitor their compliance with these rules, especially when
it comes to the amount of time your children spend on the computer.
 Keep Personal Information Private - Teach your children to never give out personal information -- home address, school
name, or telephone number -- in public message areas such as chat or bulletin boards.
 Encourage Your Children to Come to You if They Encounter a Problem Online -- Teach your children that it is OK for
them to come to you if they meet someone online who is asking a lot of personal questions, trying to arrange a meeting, or
threatening them. Don't be angry that something happened; your response will determine whether they come to you the next
time and confide in you.
 Consider Blocking, Filtering, and Rating Content -- Services are available that rate Web sites for content and either filter
programs or block certain types of information. Remember that no software is 100% foolproof and no filtering program is a
substitute for good judgment.

Key Rules for Internet Use at Home


1. Keep the computer in a common room with lots of traffic...not in a child's bedroom or a secluded area of the house. Get to know
their "online friends" just as you get to know all of their other friends.
2. Create a family "terms of use" agreement, clearly stating what children can or cannot do on the Internet, i.e. Tell them not to
give out private information and what sites they cannot visit. Ask them to save emails and give you access to their files, etc.
3. Install a filtering, monitoring, or blocking feature to manage your family's Internet traffic.
4. Install anti-virus software to scan all downloaded files before opening. Teach your children how to be aware of viruses in
emails. Warn your children of the inherent dangers present in downloads.

Keep Your Computer in a Public Place


Put the computer in a family living area instead of your child's bedroom. If forced to use the computer in a public place, your
children will be less likely to experiment with forbidden sites and reduce their risk of their misbehaving or getting into trouble on
the Internet. Other family members are in the immediate vicinity if their help is needed. Encourage Web browsing to be a family
activity. The Internet should not become a lifestyle for your children. It's a wonderful tool for study and research, but limit the
time that your children spend on the Internet on a daily or weekly basis.

Begin With a Family-Friendly ISP


One way to filter content your content is to allow your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to filter the content for you. The family-
friendly ISP is responsible for maintaining and updating software filters. The ISP runs the software on its servers, so if someone
in your household tries to get to a blocked site, the request is intercepted and the site is never displayed.

Encourage The Use Of Kid-Friendly Search Engine


So what is a kid-friendly search engine? It's an engine that filters sexually explicit, violent or hateful content and that rarely
brings up search results related to these topics in response to the keywords you enter.

Here are some kid-friendly search engines your children might want to use:

 Safe Kids
 Ask Jeeves for Kids
 Yahooligans

212 Section 4-5: Internet Security 212


Create an Internet Use Agreement
The following Internet Use Agreement -- Parent and Child's contracts -- is taken from the Internet Content Rating Association.
You can visit this Web site to download either a Word version or PDF version of the form. Make sure you review the agreement with
your child. Then, have your child sign and date the form.

Parent Contract

I know that the Internet can be a wonderful place for my kids to visit. I also know that I must do my part to help keep them safe dur-
ing their time online. I agree to follow these rules:

1. I will get to know the services and Web sites my children use.
2. I will set reasonable rules and guidelines for my children when they use the computer, and I will discuss these rules and post
them near the computer as a reminder.
3. I will not overreact if my children tell me about something "bad" they do or find on the Internet.
4. I will try to get to know my children's "online friends" and Buddy List contacts just as I try to get to know their other friends.
5. I will try to put the home computer in a family area.
6. I will report suspicious and illegal activity and sites to the proper authorities.
7. I will make or find a list of recommended sites for children.
8. I will frequently check to see where my kids have visited on the Internet.
9. I will seek options for filtering and blocking inappropriate material from my children.
10. I will talk to my kids about their online explorations and take online adventures with them as often as I can.
Child's Contract

I know that the Internet can be a wonderful place to visit. I also know that it is important for me to follow rules that will keep me safe
on my visits. I agree to the following rules:

1. I will choose a safe and sensible screen name for myself that will not reveal personal information about my family or me.
2. I will keep my password private, except from my parents. I will not sign up for other e-mail accounts without my parents'
approval.
3. I will not put my personal information in my profile. I will not share any personal information about my family or myself, in
any way, shape or form, online or with someone I meet online. This includes, but is not limited to name, address, telephone
number, age or school name.
4. I will treat others the way I want to be treated.
5. I will use good manners when I'm online, including good language and respect. I will not pick fights or use threatening or mean
words.
6. I will make my own personal safety my priority, since I know there are some people who might be online and pretend to be
someone they're not.
7. I will be honest with my parents about the people I meet online and will tell them, without always being asked. I won't answer
any emails or instant messages from anyone my parents have not approved.
8. If I see or read things that are bad, icky or mean, I will log off and tell my parents so they can make sure it never happens again.
9. I will tell my parents if I receive pictures, links to bad sites, e-mail or instant messages with bad language or if I'm in a chat
room where people are using swear words or mean and hateful language.
10. I will not send anything to anyone I've met online, without my parents' okay. If I get something from someone I've met online, I
will tell my parents immediately (because that means they have my private information).
11. I will not do anything that someone I've met online asks me to do, especially when I know it's something my parents would not
be happy about or approve of.
12. I will not call, write a snail mail or meet in person anyone who I've met online without my parents' approval or without having a
parent come with me.
13. I understand my parents will supervise my time online and use software to monitor or limit where I go online. They're doing this
because they love me and want to protect me.
14. I will teach my parents more about the Internet so we can have fun together and learn cool new things.

213 Section 4-5: Internet Security 213


General Guidelines for Communicating Online
Keep Your Identity Private

The Internet is a public forum. Any information you provide or post can be read by anyone. Your children should not give out
their names, address, telephone number, or any other personal information

Never Get Together With Someone You "Meet" Online

Parents should tell their children that they should never arrange a face-to-face meeting with anyone on the Internet without first
talking to their parents. You never know if the people you meet online are who they say they are. If the parent agrees to the
meeting, children should meet in a public place and their parent(s) should go with them.

Never Respond to E-mail, Chat Comments, or Newsgroup Messages That Are Hostile, Belligerent, Inappropriate, Or In
Any Way Make You Feel Uncomfortable

Encourage your children to share suggestive, obscene, belligerent, hostile, or threatening email, bulletin board and chat messages
that they receive. Teach them to delete the message and not to respond to it. Sending a response will just encourage the person to
write again.

Talk with Your Children About Expectations and Ground Rules for Going Online

Help Children Understand the Risks of Chat Rooms


Teenagers love to chat -- in playgrounds and in chat rooms on the Internet. A chat room lets you engage in a live, real-time
conversation with a group of people -- or live conversations with groups of people -- or one-on-one with a friend or someone
they met on the Internet. In public chat rooms everyone sees what everyone else types.

There are many different types of chat rooms on many different types of subjects. Some chat rooms are just open conversations
where everyone has an equal role. Other rooms are moderated by a "speaker" who leads the discussion and participants. And
others have monitors who maintain order but can't prevent anyone from moving into a private chat area.

It's not uncommon for people to make friends in chat rooms. You enter a room; start a conversation with someone; and establish
a relationship. But you don't really know the true identity of anyone in the chat room. In the majority of cases, your teenager is
talking to other teenagers. But the risk of them talking with a pedophile, predator, or an otherwise unfriendly or mischievous
adult is always present.

Teach your children the importance of keeping their personal life and pictures private and to never arrange a face-to-face meeting
with someone they met in a chat room without first checking with their parents. Also, make sure the nickname they use in chat
room discussions is gender-neutral, or some other name -- even a funny name -- that does not identify who they are.

Help Children Understand the Risks of Instant


Messaging
Instant Messaging (Windows Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, etc.) is another real-time communication tool that allows
individuals to enter in one-on-one or multi-party chats online.

The dangers in instant messaging are very similar to those threats discussed for chat rooms. Teach your children to identify
themselves with a nickname (don't provide their true name), don't provide an email address, and don't provide any personal
information like a phone number.

214 Section 4-5: Internet Security 214


Help Children Understand the Risks of
Newsgroups, Forums, and Bulletin Boards
A newsgroup -- also called a bulletin board or forum -- is a place where individuals can post and read post messages, or download/
upload files. Unlike chat rooms, newsgroup posting are not delivered in real-time. A message will remain posted on the newsgroup
for some time after initial posting so that other people can look at it.

If you post a message, it remains on the newsgroup for people to view at a later date. Newsgroups can also be used to post files
including computer programs, pictures, illustrations, and stories.

Newsgroups are often used to ask questions, receive answers, and share information on virtually every imaginable topic.
Unfortunately, newsgroups also have risks. Content posted in a newsgroup might include nudity, sexual content, photographs, and
hateful or violent material. Remind your child that it is dangerous to post anything in these latter groups because their email address
could reveal their identity -- and bulletin board and newsgroup posts are available for anyone to see.

Help Children Understand the Risks of


Pornography
Pornography -- either through a pornographic advertisement or even email spam in your inbox -- will eventually become
available to your children. Consider the following references:

 According to a Reuters article published in USA Today, "Online porn sites get about three times more visits than the top Web
search engines, including market leader Google, said Hitwise, company that tracks such activity."
 For those people who bother to visit Web search engines, "porn" (along with "porno" and "pornography") was the 4th most
popular search term, according to an Alexa Research study referenced on InternetIndustry.com. "Nude" (and "nudes"), "xxx,"
"Playboy" and "erotic stories" (and "erotica") were also among the top 20.
 A Kaiser Family Foundation report (reference found on the ProtectKids.com Web site), found that 70% of teenagers (ages 15-
17) have accidentally come across pornography on the Web."
 A study (opens in a new browser window) funded by the U.S. Congress through a grant to the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children found that approximately 20% of U.S. teenagers have had unwanted solicitation for sex while online in a
chat room.

What can you do as a parent to protect your children? First you can scan your hard drive
for pictures. The chances are very good that pornographic images downloaded from the
Web are of a .jpg file format. To look for this content: Open My Computer, click the
Search button in the task bar, and define a search to scan your hard drive (Local Hard
Drives C:) for all .jpg images (*.jpg), as shown in the picture to the right:

215 Section 4-5: Internet Security 215


Help Children Understand the Risks of Email
We've previously discussed some of the dangers inherent in email systems and the Internet - unsafe downloads, viruses, and
worms. Knowing the dangers and being free of them are, unfortunately, not the same.

Like the other communication technologies discussed in this section on the Internet, email is another vehicle by which your
children can interact with others. Email might occasionally be received from someone your children meet on the Internet. While
it might be something innocent, remember also that it might be from someone trying to lure your child into an inappropriate
relationship. Your child's email address may have been pulled off a discussion board or chat room.

Spam is another risk to your children. Many of these messages promote sexually-explicit Web sites.

Help Children Understand the Risks Inherent in


Cyber Stalking and Harassment
Cyberstalking and cyberharassment use many of the same online tactics. Cyberstalking generally refer to relentless pursuit of a
victim, sometimes to include some form of offline attack. The cyberharasser, on the other hand, may send a stream of e-mails
and/or instant messages -- sometimes hateful or provocative -- to victims, family, and/or friends. The victim may even be signed
-up for spam, porn sites and questionable offers.

The Wired Patrol Web site identifies some online safety tips your children should follow to avoid cyberstalking or harassment:

 Don't respond to flaming (provocation online)


 Choose a genderless screen name
 Don't flirt online, unless you're prepared for the consequences
 Save offending messages and report them to your service provider
 Notify the chat room or message board moderator if someone makes a threat to you
 Don't confront the stalker/harasser
 Don't give out any personal information about yourself or anyone else
 Exit any online situation that has become hostile

If you have reason to believe that your children are being stalked or harassed, immediately contact WiredSafety's law
enforcement division at CyberLawEnforcement.org or complete its Cyberstalking and Harassment Report Form.

Understanding File Sharing and Peer-to-Peer


Programs
File sharing or peer-to-peer (P2P) programs allow two computers to connect to each other without a server acting as a middleman
between the two computers. Each computer that is connected through P2P software essentially acts as a server for someone else
to access files on your computer. Files and data are downloaded or shared directly between the two computers, as long as both
computers are using the same P2P software.

P2P file sharing acts as a library where everyone brings together their collection of music, films, or games. Every user that is
connected through the software can search the library for something they want and then download a copy to their own computer.

The downside of P2P is security; you have allowed someone to access an area of your computer. Such a person could
theoretically install a virus or worm, or install spyware software. As we will see in the next section, P2P has also enabled many
people to download pirated music.

216 Section 4-5: Internet Security 216


Understanding the Risks in Downloading Music
A few years back a company called Napster introduced music file sharing on the Internet. It provided a way for individuals to
download MP3 files of popular music from Napster's server. Everything was free. Musical artists who wrote and recorded the
songs, as well as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), were shocked at these free giveaways since they
weren't being paid for their work. The RIAA took Napster to court for illegally copying and distributing copyrighted songs. In
2000, the court agreed and shut down the Napster service.

Although Napster offers an entirely different type of service today, such illegal downloads continue from different sources. The
RIAA has changed its strategy and now targets those who download the music -- children of unsuspecting parents -- and tries to
get universities to provide the names of those individuals on campus who are allegedly sharing copyrighted music.

Parents must teach their children that downloading music illegally isn't any different than stealing from a store. Stealing is
stealing.

Understanding the Risks in Computer Games and


Other Software Downloads
Software piracy, like the illegal music downloads, too has grown significantly on the Internet. Anyone can access a Web site that
enables you to download pirated software. High-speed data access like cable modem and DSL even allows the largest programs
available to be easily downloaded.

As we've previously seen, some pirated software often comes with a virus or Trojan Horse that allows hackers to enter your
computer, while other programs add spyware to your computer when you download them. It is important that you know the
source of these files and read the associated licensing agreement.

But it is also important that you install the necessary software on your computer to protect yourself from viruses and other
attacks. You will need the following types of software to ensure safe downloading:

 Virus Protection Software*


 Personal Firewall Software*
 Ad checking Software*
Searching Your Computer for Pirated Software

How can parents check their computers for pirated or illegal software? First, look at the list of software using the My Computer
component of the Windows operating system. Is there any software that was not on the computer when you purchased it or that
you did not install? Ask your child about this software.

Are there any CDs with handwritten or homemade labels that are either games or software? If so, the chances are that these were
not produced commercially. Loading and using such software is illegal.

Legal Freeware/Shareware Web Sites

Some Web sites do offer legitimate software downloads. Shareware sites, let you download software for evaluation over a certain
period of time. If you want to continue using the software after this period expires, you will have to purchase the product.
Another form of software is called freeware. Freeware, as it suggests, is oftentimes free. However, most software is not free.

There are many sites on the Internet that allow you to download legitimate software. Some of the more popular ones include:

 PC World
 c|net
 ZDNet
 tucows

217 Section 4-5: Internet Security 217


How Filtering Software Works
Several free and commercial products are available to allow you to filter certain Web content from being displayed on your
browser. While the functionality offered by these products widely differ, here is a list of certain features you might want to look
for:

 Monitors Internet activity


 Filters harmful Web sites, newsgroups, and Web-based email
 Controls access to Web sites and other online content
 Contains chat/instant message recording features
 Contains keystroke recording features
 Contains peer-to-peer (P2P) recording features
 Contains keyword detection features
 Provides a detailed log file of user violations
 Prevents unauthorized Internet activity on your PC

Defining Security Zones within Internet Explorer


Microsoft Internet Explorer allows you to assign specific Web sites to any of three different security zones:

 Internet: This zone pertains to every Web site that is not defined to either the Trusted Sites zone or Restricted Sites zone.
 Trusted Sites: This zone contains Web sites that you defined as being trustworthy. Internet Explorer will allow all cookies from Web
sites in this zone to be saved on your computer and read by the Web site that created them.
 Restricted Sites: This zone contains Web sites that you defined as being those you do not trust. Internet Explorer will block all cookies
from Web sites in this zone.

To assign a Web site to a Trusted Sites


zone:
1. Display the Tools menu.
2. Select the Internet Options tab.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Click on the Trusted sites button.
5. Click on the Sites button.
6. Type the Web site address in the Add this Web site to the zone
field.
7. Click the Add button.
8. Click the OK button.

To remove a Web site from a Restricted


Sites zone:
1. Display the Tools menu.
2. Select the Internet Options tab.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Click on the Restricted sites button.
5. Click on the Sites button.
6. Click on the Web site to be removed.
7. Click the Remove button.
8. Click the OK button.

218 Section 4-5: Internet Security 218


Using Content Advisor to
Control Access
Content Advisor is a feature of Internet Explorer that allows a
parent to control the types of content your Web browser is allowed
to access on the Internet. Bear in mind that not all content on the
Internet is rated.

1. Display the Tools menu.


2. Select the Internet Options tab.
3. Click on the Content tab.
4. Click on the Enable button. (If you've already enabled Content
Advisor, click Settings, and then type the supervisor password.)
5. Content Advisor allows you to create definitions under four
categories. In this course only the following three are referenced:

Ratings — Sliders are presented for different categories. For each


category, move the slider to the appropriate access level desired.

Approved Sites — Type the Internet address (URL) of a General — Allows you to define whether a user can see sites
Web site, and then click either the Always view or Never that have no rating, or whether a supervisor can type a
view buttons. password in order to allow site access. The ability to create a
password is also available under this tab. You even have the
ability find rating systems on the Web.

219 Section 4-5: Internet Security 219


How a Router Can Filter Unwanted Traffic
Routers are often the first line of defense against unauthorized access to an Intranet. They examine every packet that goes into
and out of the browser -- into and out of your home -- and can control the type of traffic permitted to come inside the home. In
addition, filtering routers can also decide the direction in which packets flow, or where someone inside your home can visit. In
other words, you can establish a filtering table that contains many rules about which packets are allowed to pass and which are to
be dropped.

Free Filtering Software Available on the Internet


Other than Internet Explorer, the first place to look for filtering software is your ISP's Web site. Depending on the Internet
service you've purchased, you may already have this feature available for you to use.

Other free filtering tools can also be downloaded from the Internet.

 We-Blocker: Free software that allows a parent to request a site be blocked globally, block a site on their computer, and search
to see if a site is blocked.
 Anti-Defamation League HateFilter: A web filter that blocks sites that, in the judgment of the ADL, advocate hatred, bigotry, or
even violence towards Jews or other groups on the basis of their religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other immutable
characteristics.
 Internet Junkbuster Proxy™ for Privacy: Free software from Junkbusters blocks unwanted banner ads, sites you deem offensive,
cookies, and protects your privacy on the Web.

Commercially-Available Filtering Software


Several commercial products are available that allow you to filter certain types of Web sites from displaying in your Web
browser.

Net Nanny

Net Nanny® 5 allows you to control what comes into and goes out of your home through your Internet connection by filtering
and blocking Web sites by URL and keywords; and filtering content by keyword in IRC chat, on web pages, and in newsgroups.
Net Nanny® 5 can be purchased for under $40. Visit the company Web site at: http://www.netnanny.com/.

CyberPatrol

CyberPatrol helps protect against the dangers children face online. It can safeguard them against inappropriate language in chat
sessions and protect them from divulging personal information online. It allows parents to manage and control children's access
to the Internet as well as limit or prevent children from accessing programs, such as games or home finance packages located on
your computer. You can buy a one-year subscription to CyberPatrol for under $40. Visit the company Web site at:
http://www.cyberpatrol.com/.

CYBERsitter

CYBERsitter provides over 30 categories of filtering that are updated automatically. Its "content recognition" system recognizes
and blocks new objectionable Web sites. Parents can override blocked sites, add sites to block, specify allowable times to access
the Internet, and maintain a detailed log of all Internet activity and violations. CYBERsitter is priced under $40. Visit the
company Web site at: http://www.cybersitter.com. There are no recurring fees of any kind.

Spector Pro 5.0

Spector Pro monitors and records every detail of computer and Internet activity. It contains seven integrated tools that record
chats, instant messages, emails sent and received, web sites visited, keystrokes typed, programs launched, peer-to-peer file
searching and swapping. Visit the company Web site at: http://www.spectorsoft.com/.

220 Section 4-5: Internet Security 220


Section 4-6:

Email

By the end of this section, learners should be able to:


 Understand the concept of email
 Understand the parts of an email address
 Understand the concept of an email client program
 Define web-based email
 Define instant messaging
 Practice the rules of email etiquette

221 Section 4-6: Email 221


What is Email?

Most people use the Internet primarily to email and surf the World Wide Web.

Simply put, email, or "electronic mail," is the process of sending and receiving messages over the Internet.

While email is similar to a traditional mail system, or "snail mail," as it's sometimes referred to, it's also very different. See the
chart below.

"Snail" Mail Email


What is mailed?
Letter, Card, Postcard, Larger packages Electronic Text Message, electronic pictures, etc.

Packet:
In what is it delivered? Envelope, etc
A piece of text delivered over the Internet
Sender:
Sender:
Who is it from? John Doe
John Doe

Recipient:
Jane Doe Recipient:
Who is it for?
Jane Doe

123 Somewhere Street


Address? janedoe@gcflearnfree.org
Somewhere, NC, 22222
Mail Server and Email client software:
Who/What delivers it? Mail Carrier/Mailman
Rely on one another to both send and deliver email
Email client software's INBOX:
Where is it delivered? Mailbox Text editor used to compose, send, receive and manage
email
Delivery Time? Varies, usually 2 days A few minutes unless technical problems

After reading your email, you can save it, forward it to others, or delete it. If you want paper copies, you can print your email
messages.

222 Section 4-6: Email 222


Anatomy of an Email Address
An email address is required to send and receive email. Email addresses are different from "snail mail" addresses. They usually
consist of three parts: a user name, an "at" symbol (@), and a domain name.

jdoe@gcflearnfree.org

1. User name: jdoe Located to the left of the @ symbol, a user name identifies your account on the email server that handles the
email. For example, John Doe might choose "jdoe" as his username. However, someone may have already chosen jdoe, so have
some other choices ready. Choose a user name that sounds professional and is easy to remember.
2. @ Means "at" and separates your account name and the name of the mail server name. For example, jdoe "is located at"
gcflearnfree.org.
3. Domain Name: gcflearnfree.org The domain name usually consists of two pieces of identifying information. The first
piece is the name of the email server and is located to the right of the @ symbol. For example, gcflearnfree is the name of the
email server. The second piece, usually a three-letter extension, indicates the top-level domain. They are separated by periods,
called "dots."

Consider choosing a user name that protects your identity instead of your first and/or last name.

Top Level Domains


Top-level domains may help you figure out the type of organization the recipient is associated with. See the chart below.

Extension Meaning Examples


.com
A company or business www.microsoft.com, www.yahoo.com

www.GCFLearnFree.org,
.org A non-profit or not-for-profit institution
www.goodwillenc.org

.gov US Governmental agency www.epa.gov, www.whitehouse.gov


.mil US Military www.army.mil, navy.mil
.edu US Educational institution www.ncsu.edu, www.duke.edu,
.net ISP or Network Provider www.earthlink.net

If there is a two-letter extension, it is usually a country code. For example, Malaysia uses "my."

Because not everyone uses top-level domains correctly, they are not always a reliable way to determine an organization's
association.

223 Section 4-6: Email 223


Email Clients
To send and receive email, both the sender and recipient must have the right tools: an Internet connection, an email client, and an
email address.

An email client (sometimes referred to as a composer) is software that runs on a personal computer, and relies on an Internet
connection to perform some of its operations.

Email clients work with any ISP (Internet Service Provider) that uses standard Internet email protocols. These protocols make it
possible for people using different email client software to communicate with one another. For example, if I use Microsoft
OutlookTM, I can send and receive email with someone who uses QUALCOMM EudoraTM.

To set up your email client correctly, you need:


 POP3 (Post Office Protocol, version 3) server address
 SMTP (Standard Mail Transfer Protocol) server address

Your Internet service provider gives you this information.

Free web mail accounts, such as Hotmail or Yahoo, rely on an Internet connection and use an email client that appears in a
web page. Additional email client software is not required. Web mail is fully discussed in Lesson 5.

Email Clients are Different


Most email client software allows you to:
 Display a list of received messages. Each message header shows you who sent the mail, the subject line, the time and date it
was sent, and at times, the size of the message.
 Select the message header and read the message.
 Create new messages.
 Reply to, forward, and delete messages.
 "Attach" files (called attachments) to messages you send.
 Save the attachments you receive.

Some email clients offer:


 Address book/Contacts: Use the electronic address book to track personal information such as name, title, email addresses,
home and work addresses, phone numbers, and much more.
 Newsgroup functionality: You can use your email client to access Usenet, an online public bulletin board system (BBS).
Usenet features a broad range of discussion topics called newsgroups.
 Calendaring: Schedule important dates, appointments, tasks, and electronic reminders.

224 Section 4-6: Email 224


Web Mail
Web mail, sometimes called web-based email, functions somewhat like a traditional email client and can include many of the
same features.

Web mail doesn't require any special email client software. Free web mail accounts such as HotmailTM or YahooTM use an
email client that appears in a web page. You can
access your web mail account on any computer
with Internet access. Just type in your web mail
service's URL and log in.

To set up your email client


correctly, you need to:
 Determine which web mail service you want to use.
 Sign up for a free account. (This requires some
personal information.)
 Determine a user name and password.
 Read the Help page if necessary.

Web Mail Advantages and Considerations


Convenient.
Web mail is kept on an Internet server, so you can access it with any computer that is connected to the Internet. You can also set
up new web mail accounts easily.

Accessible.
Even if you change ISPs, you'll still be able to access your web mail account.

Choice.
Pick a web mail service that best suits your needs. For example, is the access point (URL) always available? How much storage
space are you allotted? Does it feature an electronic address book? Is your privacy being protected?

Waiting.
If the speed of your computer and bandwidth are slow, you may have to wait long periods of time to read simple text messages.

Advertising.
Not only will you have to view ads as you check your email, most services will affix some sort of advertising line to your email
message. For example, "For the best free web mail, check out www.webmail.com." Also, some web mail providers sell member
lists to advertisers, which may result in a lot of unwanted mail in your INBOX.

Privacy.
Keep your web mail password secret and change it often. You never know who may want to read your email.

225 Section 4-6: Email 225


Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging (IM) is another type of email software that is frequently used for chat.
Chat somewhat mimics a conversation. Instead of talking, you type messages back and forth
in real time. An instant messaging service is software that runs on a personal computer.
You need an Internet connection and software to use instant messaging. AOL Instant
Messenger and ICQTM are just a few of the instant messaging services available.

To set up your instant messaging service correctly, you


need to:
 Determine which IM service you want to use.
 Download the IM software.
 Sign up for a free account. (This requires some personal information.)
 Determine a user name and password.
 Read the Help page if necessary, and you're ready to go.

Instant Messaging Features


Instant messaging service may include the following features:
 Create a contact list (buddy list).
 Add, Edit or Delete people from your contact list.
 Know who in your contact list is online at any time.
 Be alerted when others in your contact list log on.
 Send and receive messages from those in your contact list.
 Search for others using the service.
 Functions may include: chat, voice, message board, data conferencing, file transfer, Internet games, and exchange web-page
addresses.
 Groups can conduct conferences or just 'hang out' online.

Instant Messaging Advantages and Considerations


Real time. Waiting.
Instead of waiting for someone to reply to your email message, if If the speed of your computer and bandwidth are slow,
someone in your contact list is online, you can chat in "real time." you may have to wait long periods of time to read
simple text messages.
Turn it off.
Advertising.
There may be times when you don't want to be available for chat.
View ads as you "message" others.
Privacy.
Do you want everyone to know when you log on?

Difficulty.
Poor typing skills can inhibit IM communication.
226 Section 4-6: Email 226
Email Do's
Because email is fast, easy, cheap, and convenient, it's rapidly becoming a common form of communication in the workplace.
Here are a few basic guidelines to follow when sending e-mail.

Do include a descriptive subject line


A subject line should be a short phrase, since many email clients shorten longer subject lines, and somewhat describe the
contents of the message. If you like, you can include a prefix to help your recipient understand the message.

urgent = please read now


req = request
FYI = for your information

For example:

Do keep it short
It's time-consuming to read through a lot of text looking for specific information. Make your point and make it short. Think of e
-mail as a brief telephone conversation. People you work with may receive hundreds of e-mail messages a day.

Email Don'ts
Don't ignore spelling and grammar mistakes
It's true that email communication is far more casual than a formal report, but it's crucial to know when to pay attention to detail
such as spelling and grammar. To help you, many email clients feature Spell check.

Don't bother with excessive formatting


Keep it simple. Formatting doesn't matter a whole lot when you are composing a short e-mail message. Logically organize your
message with line breaks when appropriate. Use HTML (Rich Text) sparingly.

Don't use excessive punctuation


Let your words express your feelings; don't follow up a short statement with 50 exclamation points.

Don't use emoticons


Emoticons, or smilies, are keyboard characters used to convey an emotion. Use emoticons sparingly. Some consider them too
"cutesy" and unprofessional.

Examples:

:-) = happy
:-( = sad
;-) = wink
:-o = shocked, surprised

227 Section 4-6: Email 227


Mind Your Manners
When you communicate face-to-face, you pay attention to what is said and how it is said. Non-verbal clues such as facial
expression, body language, dress, and hearing the emotion in someone's voice all help you understand of the intention of the
statement being made.

Electronic communication is very different. If you're not careful, email can complicate communication.

Before you send that next email message, consider the following:

Tone
When you are e-mailing friends, a casual tone is fine. When e-mailing at work, treat each message individually. If you typically
address someone using Mr. or Ms., then do so in your e-mail message. Generally, be courteous. Treat others as you would like to
be treated. And remember, sarcasm is often misunderstood in electronic communication.

Think Twice
Keep it simple. Formatting doesn't matter a whole lot when you are composing a short e-mail message. Logically organize your
message with line breaks when appropriate. Use HTML (Rich Text) sparingly.

Avoid Engaging in a Flame War


Let your words express your feelings; don't follow up a short statement with 50 exclamation points.

Avoid "Shouting"
AVOID USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. IT'S CALLED "SHOUTING," AND IS CONSIDERED RUDE.

Don't Spam
While you may enjoy passing e-cards and jokes along to your friends and family, don't make a habit of sending this kind of mail
to your coworkers.

And Finally…
Privacy
E-mail is not a private form of communication. Some companies monitor employee e-mail. Keep this in mind when you e-mail
at work. Everything is on record.

Immediacy
Although e-mail is much faster than "snail mail," don't assume that your e-mail message will be answered 30 seconds after you
send it.

Printing
E-mail (electronic mail) cuts down on the amount of paper you have to deal with on a daily basis. Print the important stuff
(directions to a company meeting across town, flight information).

228 Section 4-6: Email 228

You might also like