Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

WINDOWS EXPLORER
You can use Windows Explorer to see all the files in your computer.

OPENING THE WINDOWS EXPLORER

1. Click Start Button.
2. Point to All Programs/Accessories then click Windows Explorer.
Or
Window + r then type explorer.

PARTS OF WINDOWS EXPLORER

The following are but a few of the things you can do inside the Windows Explorer:
1. Format Disk 6. Rename a File
2. Copy Files and Folders 7. Move Files and Folders
3. Create Folder 8. Open a File
4. Delete File and Folder 9. View file properties
5. Create Shortcut

FORMATTING FLASH DRIVE

1. Insert the drive into a USB port on your computer.
2. Normally your system should find it as a removable disk drive automatically.
3. Open "Compute Icon" and right click the removable disk drive you have just inserted.
4. Click "Format" on the menu that pops up.
5. A dialogue box named "Format Removable Disk" should appear.
6. Click the "Start" button.
7. A pop-up will inform you that the format action will erase all the data in the flash memory. Make
sure you want to erase all data on the disk before you click OK. The formatting process will start
once you click "OK".

COPY AND PASTE A FILE

1. Open the location that contains the file you want to copy.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

2. Right-click the file, and then click Copy.

3. Open the location where you want to store the copy.
4. Right-click an empty space within the location, and then click Paste. The copy of the original file
is now stored in the new location.

 Another way to copy and paste files is to use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C (Copy) and Ctrl+V
(Paste).
 You can also press and hold the right-mouse button and then drag the file to the new location.
When you release the mouse button, click Copy here.

COPYING FILE TO YOUR FLASH DRIVE

1. Plug the USB flash drive directly into an available USB port.
If the USB flash drive or external drive folder does NOT open automatically, follow these steps:
2. Click Start > Computer.
3. Double-click on the Removable Disk associated with the USB flash drive.
4. Navigate to the folders in your computer containing files you want to transfer.
5. Right-click on the file you want to copy, then select Copy (Ctrl+C).
6. Return to the Removable Disk window, right-click within the window, then select Paste (Ctrl+V).

 Right-click on the file you want to transfer to your removable disk.Click Send To and select the
Removable Disk associated with the USB flash drive.

CREATING NEW FOLDER

A folder is a location where you can store your files. You can create any number of folders and even
store folders inside other folders (subfolders).

In this exercise we will create a new folder on your Desktop.

1. Right-click a blank area on the desktop, point to New, and then click Folder.
2. Type a name for the new folder, and then press Enter.

 On the Command Bar, click New Folder.

 Using Keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + N.
 You can use the keyboard accelerator keys: Alt+F (File Menu)+W (New Menu)+F(New Folder).

DELETE A FILE OR FOLDER

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to delete.
2. Move down your mouse pointer then click Delete.
3. A dialog box will appear. Click Yes to delete, No, if you change your mind.

 You can also delete a file or folder by dragging it to the Recycle Bin. If you press SHIFT while
dragging or press Shift + Delete, the item will be deleted from your computer without being
stored in the Recycle Bin.
 Select a file or folder you want to delete and press Delete key on your keyboard.
 You can use the keyboard accelerator keys: Alt+F+D.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

CREATING A SHORTCUT
A shortcut is a link to an item (such as a file, folder, or program) on your computer. You can
create shortcuts and then place them in a convenient location, such as on the desktop or in the Favorites
section of the navigation pane (the left pane), so that you can easily access the item that the shortcut links
to. Shortcuts can be distinguished from the original file by the arrow that appears on the icon.

1. Open the location containing the item that you want to create a shortcut to.
2. Right-click the item, and then click Create shortcut. The new shortcut appears in the same
location as the original item.

RENAME A FILE OR FOLDER

1. Right-click the file or folder that you want to rename, and then click Rename.
2. Type the new name, and then press Enter.

 On the Command Bar, click Organize then move down your mouse pointer and click rename.
 Press F2 on your keyboard.
 You can use the keyboard accelerator keys: Alt+F+M
 Clicking it twice (2x) slowly.

MOVING A FILE
A common way to move a file or folder is to select it and drag it to another location.

TO CUT AND PASTE

1. Select the file you want to move, right-click on the highlighted file, and then select Cut.
2. Browse to the folder you would like to move the file to and then right-click within the file listing
and select Paste to move the file to that folder.

 You can also use shortcut keys, Ctrl + X to cut the file then Ctrl + V to paste the file.
 On the Command Bar, click Organize then move down your mouse pointer and click Cut.
 You can use the keyboard accelerator keys: Alt+E+T.

MOVING A SET OF FILE OR FOLDER

1. To select everything in the current file or folder, press Ctrl-A.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

To select a contiguous block of files, click the first file in the block. Then hold down the Shift key
as you click the last file in the block.
2. Drag the selected files or folders you want to moveand drop the files into the desired location.

OPEN A FILE OR FOLDER

You can open a file or folder in Windows to perform a variety of tasks, such as editing the
information in a file or making a copy of a file or folder.

To open a file, you must have a program that is associated with it. Typically, this is the same program
that was used to create the file.
1. Find the file or folder that you want to open.
2. Double-click the file or folder to open it.

 Right-click the file or folder you want to open then click Open.
 Select the file or folder you want to open then press Enter.
 You can use the keyboard accelerator keys: Alt+F+O.
 On the Command Bar, click Open.

VIEW FILE PROPERTIES

Properties are descriptive pieces of information that help you to find and organize files.
Properties are not included within the actual contents of a file. Rather, they provide information about
files. In addition to tags, which are custom properties that can contain any text you choose, your files
include many other properties, including Date Modified, Author, and Rating.

VIEW MOST COMMON PROPERTIES

1. Open the folder that contains the file whose properties you want to see.
2. Click the file to see its properties in the Details pane at the bottom of the folder window.

VIEW ALL PROPERTIES

The Details pane is convenient, but it doesn't show all of the properties that are associated with a
file. If you need to see all the properties that are associated with a file, follow these steps:
1. Open the folder that contains the file whose properties you want to see.
2. Right-click the file whose properties you want to see, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Details tab to see all the properties associated with this file.

CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR FILES (VIEW)

In addition to changing how your files are organized, you can also change how they appear.
1. Open a folder or library.
2. On the toolbar, click the arrow next to the Views button , and then move the slider.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

RESIZING THE EXPLORER WINDOW

You can resize the Explorer window by dragging its corners, when the pointer of your mouse
turns into two headed arrow.

CLOSING WINDOWS EXPLORER

 Click close button.
 On the Command Bar, click Organize then move down your mouse pointer and click Close.
 You can use the keyboard accelerator keys: Alt+F+C.
 You can also press Alt + F4

CANCELING THE LAST ACTION

Undo is a command in many computer programs. It erases the last change done to the document
reverting it to an older state. The opposite of undo is redo. The redo command reverses the undo or
advances the buffer to a more current state.
 On the Command Bar, click Organize then move down your mouse pointer and click Undo.
 Alt + E then click Undo Move.
 You can also use shortcut keys, by pressing Ctrl + Z.

PREVIEW PANE - TURN ON OR OFF

You can use the preview pane in Windows Explorer to see the contents of most files. If you select
an e mail message, text file, picture, or video for example, you can see a preview of its contents without
opening it in a program.

TURN ON THE PREVIEW PANE IN WINDOWS EXPLORER

1. Open Windows Explorer (explorer.exe).
2. On the toolbar, click on Organize and Layout.
3. Click Preview pane to have it checked or Click on the Preview pane icon on the far right of the
toolbar.

To turn Off the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer

1. Click Preview pane to have it unchecked with the icon now showing.
2. Click on the Preview pane icon on the far right of the toolbar.

ADJUST THE SPEAKER VOLUME

Although most speakers have a volume control, you can control the overall level of sound using
Windows.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

1. Open Volume Control by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Hardware and
Sound, and then, under Audio Devices and Sound, clicking Adjust system volume.
2. Under Main Volume, move the slider up or down to raise or lower the volume.

 Click the speaker icon on the notification area, move the slider up or down or lower the volume.
 Using run Command, window + R then type sndvol.

THE RECYCLE BIN

An icon on the Windows desktop that represents a directory where deleted files are temporarily stored. By
default, all files/shortcuts that we deleted from the hard disk are stored in the Recycle Bin. All of these
can only be by permanently deleted when you empty the recycle bin. Items deleted from a flash drive or
network drives are permanently deleted and are not sent to the recycle bin.

RETRIEVING DELETED FILES OR SHORTCUTS

1. Right Click the Recycle Bin on your desktop then click Open
Or
Double click the Recycle Bin Icon.
2. Right-click the file or shortcut you want to retrieve, then click Restore.
Or
Click to select the file you want to restore, then click restore this item.

 To restore all items in the recycle bin, click Restore all Items.

PERMANENTLY DELETE FILES FROM THE RECYCLE BIN

To permanently remove files from your computer and reclaim any hard disk space they were
using, you need to delete the files from the Recycle Bin. You can delete individual files from the Recycle
Bin or empty the entire Recycle Bin at once.

 To permanently delete one file, click it, press Delete, and then click Yes.
 To delete all of the files, on the toolbar, click Empty the Recycle Bin, and then click Yes.
Or
On the desktop, right-click the Recycled bin, then click Empty Recycle Bin.

DELETING FILES PERMANENTLY

You can delete files permanently without moving it to the recycle bin.

3. Right-click the recycle bin then click properties.

4. Click the radio button labeled “Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately
when deleted”.
5. Click ok button.

CONTROL PANEL
You can use Control Panel to change settings for Windows. These settings control nearly
everything about how Windows looks and works, and you can use them to set up Windows so that it's just
right for you.

OPENING THE CONTROL PANEL

 Click the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel.
 Window button + r, then type control or control panel.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

CHANGE YOUR DESKTOP BACKGROUND (WALLPAPER)

Windows 7 lets you easily change the image you see on your desktop. This is called the Desktop
background, or Desktop wallpaper.

To change your Desktop Background (Wallpaper)

1. Open Desktop Background by clicking the Start button and clicking Control Panel. In the search
box, type desktop background, and then click Change desktop background.

 Right-click any blank area of a desktop then click Personalize.

 Window + r then type control desktop.

2. Click the picture or color that you want to use for your desktop background.

If the picture you want to use isn't in the list of desktop background pictures, click an item in the
Picture location list to see other categories, or click Browse to search for the picture on your computer.
When you find the picture that you want, double-click it. It will become your desktop background.

3. Under Picture position, click the arrow and choose whether to crop the picture to fill the screen,
fit the picture to the screen, stretch the picture to fit the screen, tile the picture, or center the
picture on the screen, and then click Save changes.

CHANGE YOUR SCREEN SAVER

A screen saver is a moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen when you are not using
the mouse or keyboard for a specified period of time.

To change a Screen Saver

1. Open Screen Saver Settings by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, typescreen saver, and then click Change screen saver.
 Window + r then type control desk.cpl,screensaver,@screensaver

2. In the Screen saver dialog box, click the screen saver that you want to use, and then click OK.

To see what your screen saver will look like, after clicking the screen saver that you want to use, click
Preview. To end the screen saver preview, move your mouse or press any key, and then click OK to save
your changes.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

ARRANGING THE ICONS ON YOUR DESKTOP

1. Right-click your Desktop.
2. Click Sort By.
3. Choose from the availableoptions (Name, Size, Item Type, Date Modified).

CHANGE THE WINDOW COLOR AND APPEARANCE OF WINDOWS 7

1. Right click on an empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize.
2. Click on the Window Color link at the bottom of the window.
The name that is grayed out under Window Color, is the current color selected.
3. Click on an available color that you would like the Start Menu, window borders, and taskbar to
be.

Enable or Disable Transparency

1. Check or uncheck Enable transparency to enable or disable transparency for the Start Menu,
window borders, and taskbar.

Adjust Color Intensity

1. Slide the Color intensity slider to the left to lighten the color or to the right to darken the color.

To Adjust the Color Mixer Settings

1. Click on the Show color mixer button then slide the sliders to adjust the color.
2. When finished, click on the Save Changes button in the Window Color and Appearance window.

CHANGE THE "ADVANCED WINDOW COLOR AND APPEARANCE" SETTINGS

1. Click on the Advanced appearance settings link.

A. To Change a Window Item Setting

 To Select a Item - Click on the Item drop down menu and select a window item
you want to change.
 To Change the Item Size - Change the Size number to what you want.
 To Change the Item Color - Click on the Color 1 and Color 2 drop down menu
and select a color.

B. To Change the Font Settings for the Selected Item

Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

 To Change the Item Font - Click on the Font drop down menu and select a font.
 To Change the Item Font Size - Click on the Size drop down menu and select a
number for the size. The higher the number, the larger the size.
 To Change the Item Font Color - Click on the Color drop down menu and select
a color.
 To Have the Item Font in Bold - Click the B button to highlight it. If it is not
highlighted, then the font will not be in bold.
 To Have the Item Font in Italic - Click on the I button to highlight it. If it is not
highlighted, then the font will not be in italic.
2. When finished, click on OK.
3. Click on the Save Changes button in the Window Color and Appearance window.
4. Close the Personalization window.

CHANGING YOUR COMPUTERS TIME AND DATE

You can change the format Windows uses to display dates, times, currency, and measurements.
You can also change the sorting order of text to match sorting rules used in a specific country or region.

1. Open Region and Language by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Clock,
Language, and Region, and then clicking Region and Language.
2. Click on the Date and Time.
3. Click on the Change date and time button.
4. The Date and Time Settings dialog box will appear.
5. To Change the Date
Under the left Date section, select a month and day for your current date.
6. To Change the Time
Under the right Time section, select or type in your current time.
7. Click on OK.
8. Click on OK.

INSTALL AND UNINSTALL PROGRAM

To install a Program from CD/DVD

1. Insert the disc containing the installation program into your computer.
2. Locate the program you want to install. Ex: TypingMaster
3. Double Click to Open the program you want to install, and then follow the instructions on your
screen.
4. Click Finish.
To Uninstall or Change a Program
1. Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking
Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.
2. Select a program, and then click Uninstall or right-click the program you want to uninstall then
click Uninstall. Some programs include the option to change or repair the program in addition to
uninstalling it, but many simply offer the option to uninstall. To change a program, click Change
or Repair.

CHANGING MOUSE SETTINGS

You can customize your mouse in a variety of ways. For instance, you can swap the functions of
your mouse buttons, make the mouse pointer more visible, and alter the scroll speed of the mouse wheel.
Imus Computer College – Operating System (Windows)

To change how the mouse button work

1. Open Mouse Properties by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, type mouse, and then click Mouse.
2. Click the Buttons tab, and then do any of the following:
 To swap the functions of the right and left mouse buttons, under Button configuration, select
the Switch primary and secondary buttons check box.
 To change how quickly you must click the buttons to perform a double-click, under Double-
click speed, move the Speed slider toward Slow or Fast.
 To turn on ClickLock, which enables you to highlight or drag items without holding down the
mouse button, under ClickLock, select the Turn on ClickLock check box.
3. Click OK.

To change how the mouse pointer looks

1. Open Mouse Properties by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, type mouse, and then click Mouse.
2. Click the Pointers tab, and then do one of the following:
 To give all of your pointers a new look, click the Scheme drop-down list, and then click a
new mouse pointer scheme.
 To change an individual pointer, under Customize, click the pointer you want to change in the
list, click Browse, click the pointer you want to use, and then click Open.
3. Click OK.

To change how the mouse pointer works

1. Open Mouse Properties by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, type mouse, and then click Mouse.
2. Click the Pointer Options tab, and then do any of the following:
 To change the speed at which the mouse pointer moves, under Motion, move the Select a
pointer speed slider toward Slow or Fast.
 To make the pointer work more accurately when you're moving the mouse slowly, under
Motion, select the Enhance pointer precision check box.
 To make the pointer easier to find when you move it, under Visibility, select the Display
pointer trails check box, and then move the slider toward Short or Long to decrease or
increase the length of the pointer trail.
3. Click Ok.

CHANGING KEYBOARD SETTINGS

Customizing your keyboard settings helps you work better and more efficiently. By customizing
the settings, you can determine how long you must press a key before the keyboard character starts
repeating, the speed at which keyboard characters repeat, and the rate at which the cursor blinks.

To change the delay before keyboard characters repeat

1. Open Keyboard Properties by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, type keyboard, and then click Keyboard.
2. Under Character repeat, move the Repeat delay slider to the left or right to increase or decrease
how long you must hold down a key before the keyboard character repeats, and then click OK.

To change the speed at which keyboard characters repeat

1. Open Keyboard Properties by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, type keyboard, and then click Keyboard.
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2. Under Character repeat, move the Repeat rate slider to the left to make keyboard characters repeat
more slowly, or move it to the right to make them repeat more quickly, and then click OK.

To change cursor blink rate

1. Open Keyboard Properties by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, typekeyboard, and then click Keyboard.
2. Move the Cursor blink rate slider to the right or left to increase or decrease the cursor blink speed,
and then click OK. If you move the slider all the way to the left, the cursor will stop blinking.