The desktop is what you will see first each time you The right-hand side of the taskbar

askbar are administrative If you click on the time and date this will show a
log into Windows. icons. calendar and a clock and you can reset these if you
need to by clicking on the change date and time
There are two parts of the desktop:
settings button and then following the prompts
 The large space that occupies most of the
screen. This usually contains icons that open
some programs. This is also where your
programs will appear once you have opened
them.
 The taskbar is located at the bottom of the
page this strip contains several parts. The
taskbar is the thin strip at the bottom of the
desktop and contains a number of parts. This icon here shows if you are connected to the
Internet. If you see a red cross here that usually
Parts of a Taskbar
means you're not connected. The last icon is a small blank rectangle that says
At the left is a circle with the Windows logo in it this “Show Desktop.” Clicking on this will take you back to
is the Start menu.  your desktop no matter how many programs you
have open

The speaker icon allows you to adjust the volume by

clicking on it and simply dragging the volume button
Program icons such as Internet Explorer, Windows higher or lower
Explorer, and Windows Media Player. Clicking once
on any of these will open up each of these default
programs.
To open the Start Menu, simply click the start button There's also a search bar within the Start menu. This  Control Panel - which is where you can view
on the left-hand corner of the taskbar. This is where is where you can search for programs or for or modify your computer settings
you'll see all the icons of different programs that are individual files on your computer. Use back space to  Devices and Printers- which is where you can
running on your computer clicking on any of these get back to an empty search bar. view and manage your printers, scanners,
icons will open up that program for you to use. and other items of hardware.
Clicking on any of these icons will open up that  Help and Support Tab- which will give you
program for you to use. If the program doesn't show help in troubleshooting any problems on
up, you can simply click on all programs this will open your computer
up a list of all the programs on the computer
In the bottom right hand corner of the Start menu is
the shutdown button. Pressing on this will close all
your programs and shut windows down turning your
computer off.

The right hand side of the Start menu are a number

of important icons some of these include:

If you need to go back simply click “Back.”

If you don't wish to do this, you can click on the

arrow next to the shutdown button and this gives
 Computer– which is where you can access you some other options the ones you will use most
your hard drive as well as any CDs DVDs and frequently as a student include:
USBs 
  Logoff– which will close your programs and Address bar– this is where you can type the web Once turned on, your computer takes time before it's
log you out of windows without shutting your address of any website and then be taken directly to ready to use. You may see a few different displays
computer down that site. flash on the screen. This process is called booting up,
 Lock– which is where you can keep all your and it can take anywhere from 15 seconds to several
New tab lets you open a new browser tab.
programs open simply locking the screen so minutes.
that nobody can access your information
Once the computer has booted up, it may be ready
while you're away from your desk
If your initial google search doesn't give you the to use, or it may require you to log in. This means
Windows explorer allows you to browse all the results you're looking for you can scroll down to the identifying yourself by typing your user name or
information and files that are stored on your bottom of the page and click on the link for advanced selecting your profile, then typing your password. If
computer search. you've never logged in to your computer before, you
may need to create an account.
Hard disk drives– contain all the information that is Advanced search gives you the ability to narrow your
saved on your computer itself search criteria giving you more focused results. You
can change what you're searching for and you can
Devices with Removable Storage– contain
also narrow your results by choosing which language
information that can then be removed and
you'd like results in or which region you'd like results
transported to a different computer.
from. You can also search information by the time it
was last updated. This way you can make sure you're
getting the most current information

Turning on a computer
The keyboard and mouse
The very first step is to turn on the computer. To do
this, locate and press the power button. It's in a You interact with a computer mainly by using the
different place on every computer, but it will have keyboard and mouse, or a trackpad on laptops.
Home Page– this is a page that you will choose the universal power button symbol. Learning to use these devices is essential to learning
to use a computer. Most people find it comfortable
to be the first page you see each time you open the to place the keyboard on the desk directly in front of
web browser them and the mouse to one side of the keyboard.

Hands on keyboard positioned in front of a computer

The mouse controls the pointer on the screen. From here, you can access the programs and features
Whenever you move the mouse across the desk, the you need to use your computer.
pointer will move in a similar manner. A mouse
Icons are used to represent the different files,
usually has two buttons, which are referred to as the
applications, and commands on your computer. An
left button and the right button. You will often
icon is a small image that's intended to give you an
interact with the computer by moving the mouse
idea at a glance of what it represents, like a logo.
pointer over something on the computer screen,
Double-clicking an icon on the desktop will open that
then clicking one of the buttons.
application or file.
Hand on mouse controlling the pointer on the screen
Icons on a desktop
On laptops, you can use the trackpad, located below
A button is a command that performs a specific
the keyboard, instead of a mouse. Simply drag your
function within an application. The most commonly
finger across the trackpad to move the pointer on the
used commands in a program will be represented by
screen. Some trackpads do not have buttons, so
buttons.
you'll either press or tap the trackpad to click.
Mouse cursor over a button
Hand clicking the trackpad
Menus are organized collections of commands and
The keyboard allows you to type letters, numbers,
shortcuts. Click a menu to open it and display the
and words into the computer. Whenever you see a
commands and shortcuts within. Then click an item
flashing vertical line—called the cursor—you can
in the menu to execute it.
start typing.
Mouse cursor over a menu
A blinking cursor in a browser's address bar
When you open an application or folder, it is
Note that the mouse pointer is also called a cursor,
displayed in its own window. A window is a
but it is shaped differently. The keyboard cursor is
contained area—like a picture within a picture—with
also called the insertion point.
its own menus and buttons specific to that program.
Using a computer You can rearrange multiple windows on the desktop
and switch between them.
The main screen you'll start from is the desktop. This
is sort of like a main menu or a table of contents.