Basic Procedures (Windows XP)

Click here to download an Acrobat pdf version that you can print & save.

Basic Computer Information

• Make sure the monitor is turned on.
• Turn the computer on with the power button on front of the tower.
• The password is: ______________________________________
• Click means a single click on the left mouse button. This is the normal way to select an item.
• Right-click means a single click on the right mouse button.
• Double-click means click the left mouse button twice rapidly.
• Open a program by going to Start and All Programs, find the program in the list and click it.
• The mouse pointer takes on many shapes depending on the program or the area of the window you are in.
• The cursor (a flashing bar) is the insertion point.
• Selecting/Highlighting is accomplished by one of the following:
  • Double-click a word.
  • Hold the mouse button down and drag forward or backward over the items you want to select/highlight.
  • In MS Word, to select a line, bring the mouse out to the left margin until it becomes an arrow pointing back at the line you want to select and click once.
  • In MS Word, to select a paragraph either move the mouse out to the left margin until it becomes an arrow pointing toward the paragraph you want and double-click or triple-click in the paragraph itself.
  • Click to place the insertion point at the beginning of the selection. Hold down the shift key and click at the end of the required selection.
• Drag and Drop is accomplished by clicking on an item and holding the mouse button down and dragging the item with mouse to a new location then letting go of the mouse button.
• Turn off the computer by going to Start and Turn Off Computer and click Turn Off.

NEVER turn off the computer by just pressing the power button.

Do not turn off the monitor as we leave them on at the Center at all times.

Make a New Folder

On the Desktop:

• You can make a new folder on the desktop by right-clicking on the Desktop and choose New and then click Folder. It is not recommended that you store files on the Desktop. Try to keep all your files in folders in My Documents.

In My Documents:

1. In the My Documents folder click on File and choose New and then click Folder.
   You can make a new folder within any folder by clicking the File menu, then click New and then click Folder.

To create Your Folder on a Learning Center computer, to keep your Student Files used in class.

1. Double-click My Documents on the Desktop, or if not showing, click the Start button and in the upper right of the new window that opens, click My Documents.
2. Click the File menu, then choose New and click Folder.
3. A new folder is created, named New Folder. If you do not click the mouse, then you can just type your name to replace the highlighted New Folder. If you accidentally click the mouse, then the new folder will be created, with the name New Folder. To rename this, select the New Folder, then click the File menu and click Rename. Immediately type your name.
4. Press the Enter key.

You now have a folder with your name in My Documents on the hard drive.

Using Removable Media

Removable media or storage, as it's name implies, is a way of storing your digital files on a device that can be removed from your computer. Although there are many different types of removable storage, they all work in a similar way. Whether it's a CD, a memory card for your camera, a Flash or External Hard drive, they all do the same thing, store digital files in a way that allows you to physically move them around. These files can be anything on your computer - Word documents, photos (.jpg), music files (.mp3), etc. So, removable storage is used  for transporting files from one computer to another, moving photos from a digital camera to a computer or a store to get them printed, or transporting files from a computer to another device, such as a music player or DVD player.

Removable storage can also be used to keep backups of your important files/photos and for giving friends/family copies of your photos or slide shows you might have made.

Below is an outline of some of the common types of removable storage, along with their main characteristics and typical uses.

1. CD's & DVD's are very common and low cost, but require a special CD and/or DVD reader/writer and software. Windows XP has built in basic CD writing software. Vista has built in basic CD and DVD writing software. Files can only be added to CD's and DVD's; until they are full (files cannot be erased). Scratching the top surface renders them useless and special care in storage is required if you wish the contents to stay readable beyond 5-10 years. Reading from a CD/DVD is much faster than writing to it. Although RW (re-write) CD's/DVD's are available, they are slow, expensive and unreliable and are not recommended.

CD's are great for sending files to people, such as copies of photos to friends and family at Christmas. They are not so good for doing regular backups of your data, as they are slow and cannot erase old/changed files.

2. USB Flash drives are compact, have no moving parts, are available in a wide range of sizes and speeds. No extra software is required, they plug into a regular USB port on your computer and files can be easily added or removed. Although more expensive than CD/DVD, their compact size, availability of a wide range of memory sizes and prices, and ease of use makes them a popular choice for general purpose work.
3. Digital Camera Memory Cards are a special form of Flash drive, designed to fit in your digital camera. These cards can also be removed from the camera and if the computer has memory card slots, plugged into the correct slot allowing your photos to be directly transferred to your computer.
4. USB External Hard Drives are very fast and have very large storage capacities. They are great for making backups and images of all your data and photographs as they offer high speed, high reliability and low cost for large amounts of data. As an added safeguard for your valuable electronic documents and photos, they can also be easily stored in a fireproof box.

Below is a table that gives a general comparison of some of these different removable storage media. For reference, 1GB of memory will hold about 650 photos from the average 6 megapixel digital camera. With the current rate of change in technology, the information in this table could soon be out of date! This was valid around mid 2008.

In our classes, you are encouraged to save your practice files on a flash drive to take between home, class and lab.

Inserting removable media

CD/DVD

1. Open the CD drawer and place the CD into drive, label facing up.
2. Close the CD drawer. If the Drive Wizard opens, note the drive letter (such as D:), then click cancel to close the window.

USB Flash drive

1. Insert a USB flash drive into a USB port on the front of your computer. In class, use the USB ports next to the Audio plugs. (Your computer at home may have USB ports obviously on the front, somewhat hidden, or only on the back of the computer). Note that USB connectors will insert easily one way; if it does not insert easily, turn it over and try again.
2. If the Drive Wizard opens, note the drive letter (such as D:), then click Cancel to close the window.

Opening Files

Open File/Lesson from removable storage

1. Insert removable storage device as described previously.
2. If the Drive Wizard window opens, asking what action to take, note the drive letter of the removable media (such as D:), then click Cancel to close the window.
3. Open My Computer, by double-clicking My Computer on the Desktop, or if not showing on the Desktop, click the Start button and in the middle right of the new window that opens, click My Computer.
4. In My Computer, find the drive that contains the newly inserted removable storage device. It will probably be listed under Devices with Removable Storage, with the drive letter you noted in step 2. Double-click on the icon to open it.
5. Find the file/lesson you want to open and double-click it.

If your file/lesson is in a folder you must double-click the folder to open it to locate your file/lesson.

Open File/Lesson from My Documents

1. Double-click My Documents on the Desktop, or if not showing, click the Start button and in the upper right of the new window that opens, click My Documents.
2. Find the file/lesson you want to open and double-click it.

If your file/lesson is in a folder you must double-click the folder to open it to locate your file/lesson.

Open File/Lesson from a Program

1. Open the program, for example MS Word
2. Either
   1. In the Menu bar click File, then click Open, or
   2. Click the Open icon on the standard toolbar.
3. The Open dialog box appears with My Documents selected in the Look In: box, then:
   1. If the file is in My Documents on your hard drive, double-click the folder in which the file is stored and double-click the file to open it, or
   2. If the file is on Removable Storage, click the small down arrow at the right end of Look In and. select the drive letter of the removable storage device (as noted when the removable storage was first inserted to the computer). Double-click the folder in which the file is stored and double-click the file to open it.

Selecting Multiple Files/Folders

• You can select a sequential list of files by clicking on the top file and then, while holding down the Shift key, click on the last file you want to select.

Alternatively, you can click on the first file in the sequence, then hold down the Shift key and use the Cursor Movement keys to move to the last file in the sequence you want to select.

• You can select random (non-sequential) files by clicking on one file and, while holding down the Control key, click the other files you want.

Alternatively, you can click one file, hold down the Control key, use the Cursor Movement keys to move to the next file you want to select, and then press the Space Bar.

Copying files from removable storage to the hard drive.

1. Insert removable storage device as described previously.
2. If the Drive Wizard window opens, asking what action to take, note the drive letter of the removable media (such as D:), then click Cancel to close the window.
3. Open My Computer, by double clicking My Computer on the Desktop, or if not showing on the Desktop, click the Start button and in the middle right of the new window that opens, click My Computer.
4. In My Computer, find the drive that contains the newly inserted removable storage device. It will probably be listed under Devices with Removable Storage, with the drive letter you noted in step 2. Double-click on the icon to open it.
5. Select the folder or files you want to copy to the hard drive. If you want to select multiple files, see the section on selecting multiple files.
6. Click the Edit menu, then click Copy.
7. Open My Documents, located in the left pane under Other Places and then open the folder into which you want to copy the files.
8. Click the Edit menu, and then click Paste.

If you have made a Folder in My Documents to save your files in you will need to double-click that folder in Step 7 to open it and then paste your files into it.

Copying files from the Hard Drive to the removable storage

1. Insert removable storage device as described previously.
2. If the Drive Wizard window opens, asking what action to take, note the drive letter of the removable media (such as D:), then click Cancel to close the window.
3. Open My Documents, by double clicking My Documents on the Desktop, or if not showing, click the Start button and in the upper right of the new window that opens, click My Documents.
4. Find the File or Folder you want to copy and select it. If there are multiple files, see the section on selecting multiple files.
5. Click the Edit menu and click Copy. This copies the files to the clipboard.
6. Open My Computer located in the left pane under Other Places.  Find the removable media you wish to copy to. It will probably be in the section called Devices with Removable Storage, with the drive letter you noted in step 2. Double-click on the icon to open it.
7. With the window open showing any existing files/folders on your removable media, click on File in the menu bar, choosing New and click Folder. Type the name for the new folder (e.g. CB2), and press the Enter key.
8. Open the newly created folder, (e.g. CB2) by double-clicking on it.
9. Click the Edit menu and click Paste. The files will be copied onto your removable media. For flash and external hard drives, the file(s ) have now been written to the removable media.

Important. Do not remove the flash or external hard drive for at least a minute after the Copying Files dialog box closes.

For CD's Only:

10. Click Write these files to CD under CD Writing Tasks in the blue task pane on the left.
11. In the wizard screen that comes up, name your CD (default is today's date) and follow the directions to write the files.
12. Click Finish when the CD pops out, to clear the temporary files.