1. Common features in all Windows programs
2. Mouse Clicking
3. Selecting multiple items
4. Three ways to do things, and Oops
5. Using multiple programs at once
6. Start menu, recently used files
7. Find option
8. Keyboard shortcuts
9. File Management Tools and Tips

1. Common Windows features include the top menu items like "File, Edit, View, Help," etc.  Common tasks can generally be found under those menu options in different Windows programs.

2. Mouse Clicks
 Left click once to select something
  Twice to activate it
  If in doubt, click once, then twice if needed
  In Windows, a "right click" doesn't do anything, BUT it gives you many more options
  Right click like people vote in Chicago,  Early and Often!

3. Selecting multiple items

To select all or some of the text in a document you can:

• Click and "paint" the part you want
• Click at the top and while holding down the shift key click at the end of the section you want, all in between will then be highlighted (selected)
• If you have a lot of text and you want it all, the easiest way is to select it all is to go to the menu item "Edit" and then choose the option "select all"

Once you have the text you want selected, you can change its font, move, copy, delete, whatever to it.

• Positioning the cursor at the first file you want , then move the cursor to the last file you want and do a "shift-click" (hold down the shift key while doing a left-button-click) and everything in between the previous cursor position and the current position will be selected.  Let go of the shift key and then do whatever you want to those files.
• If you want to only select certain files, you can do a "Ctrl-click" (hold down the Ctrl key while doing a left-button-click) and you can randomly select files that don't have to be right next to each other.  Once the files you want are selected, release the Ctrl key and do what you want to those files.

   4. With windows, There are always 3 or more ways to do things.  Whats best for you?

• Use drop down menus on the top of the program
• Click on the icon
• Use the keyboard short cut

5. Remember, with Windows you can have multiple programs open all day.  Don't close them down, just jump back and forth with the ones you need

• Alt - Tab takes you between the different Windows programs or,
• Click on the open toolbars on the bottom of your screen to go to different programs that are open

7. Can't find something you know you did?  Go from "Start" button...then the "Find" option.  You can then search for a file name or words in document..  Select drive and directory if possible, for faster process.   See tutorial on this feature at Hanover College

8.  Most common keyboard shortscuts that work in most Windows programs are:
            Copy         Ctrl+c
            Cut            Ctrl+x
            Paste         Ctrl+v
            Save          Ctrl+s
            Undo         Ctrl+z

"Copy and Paste" is one of the most frequently used windows features.  With this you can highlight image or text you want in your word processor, a web page, an email, etc and copy that info into any of those applications.

File Management Tools and Tips

• Windows has two programs to help you manage your files.  They are, "Explorer" (not to be confused with Internet Explorer a web browser like Netscape) and "My Computer".   These are tools that can really help you organize and manage your files.  However, you can also delete files that you shouldn't which can cause problems.  Its best to keep all your files on your hard drive in the folder for "My Documents" and do all your organization and creating and deleting in that area.

While "My Computer" has some nice features, "Explorer" better in my opinion.  You can get to Explorer by clicking on the icon for it from your desk top or by by doing a "right click" on the Start button, then choose Explore.

Talk to Gary about a one on one visit or see also these online tutorials

• Taking Control with Windows Explorer, Part 1 from Hanover College
• Taking Control with Windows Explorer, Part 2 from Hanover College
• Taking Control with Windows Explorer, Part 3 from Hanover College

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