Getting Started

with Windows

7
 GETTING STARTED WITH WINDOWS 7
Index
Task
Bar
Start Button 4
Taskbar Notes 4
Internet Explorer 4
Pinned Taskbar buttons 5
Windows Explorer 5
Notification Area 5
Show Desktop button-Hiding and Displaying Windows 6
Position and Size of the Taskbar 7
Taskbar Toolbars 7
Additional New Taskbar Functionality 8
Start Menu 10
Start Menu Search Box 10
Pinned Items 11
Recently Opened Program List 11
All Programs Menu 11
Jump List 11
Changing the Appearance of Your Desktop 14
Display 14
Wallpaper 15
Desktop 15
Screen Saver 15
Font 15
Desktop Gadget Gallery 16
Calendar 16
Clock 16
CPU Meter 16
Currency 16
Feed Headlines 17
Picture Puzzle 17
Slide Show 17
Weather 17
Windows Media Center 17
Working With Windows 18
Key Points 18
Manipulating Windows 18
Bringing Window to Forefront 18
To Move a Window Around 18

Windows 7 documentation Page 2

 To Maximize a Window 19
To Minimize a Window 19
To Re-size a Window 19
To Close a Window 19
To See Two Windows Side By Side 19
Managing open windows as a group 20
Using Windows Explorer 21
Folder Window Features 21
Title Bar 21
Tool Bar 21
Menu Bar 22
Navigation Pane 23
Content Pane 23
Detail Pane 23
Preview Pane 23
Displaying and Hiding Panes 23
Viewing Files and Folders in a Different Way 24
Changing the Folder View 24
Grouping Folder Content 25
Understanding Files, Folders and Libraries 26
Libraries 26
File Types 26
Help 28
Help is Available 28
Need More Help? 28
Additional Information 30
How to Save a Word Document in a PDF or XPS Format 30
Shutting Down 33
Log Off 33
Lock Your Computer 33
Other Shut Downs 33

Windows 7 documentation Page 3

Task
Bar Windows 7
The taskbar in Windows 7 is significantly different. The default shows it at the
bottom of your screen, constantly updating itself to show an icon for every
currently running
program. Rest your mouse pointer over any of the taskbar’s programs to see either
the programs name or a thumbnail image of the program’s contents.

The Start Button

The Start button still appears at the left end but notice that it is the Windows logo
and does not say ―START” unless you hover over the icon with your mouse.

The Taskbar is much improved and allows you to have larger icons, improved
grouping, thumbnail window previews and the ability to move taskbar buttons
where you want them. Although the quick launch area is gone in Windows 7 you
can think of the entire Task Bar as a quick launch area where you can pin
programs.

Taskbar notes
Almost any action, such as starting a program or opening a file, dialog box,
or Control Panel window, adds a corresponding, temporary button to the
taskbar.
 Right clicking a running programs task bar button displays a list
of files recently opened with that program.
Pointing to a taskbar button displays thumbnails of each open window of
that type. The window rises to the surface and rests atop any other open
windows ready for use. You can switch to a window by clicking its
thumbnail.
If the taskbar keeps hiding below the screen’s bottom edge, point the mouse
at the screen’s bottom edge until the taskbar surfaces. Then right click the
taskbar, choose Properties, and remove the check mark from Auto-hide the
Taskbar.
Pointing to a thumbnail also causes a Close button to appear in its
upper-right corner, so you can close the window without making it
active.
You can re-arrange buttons on the taskbar by dragging them.

Windows 7 documentation Page 4

Windows Icon Internet Explorer Pinned icons Windows Explorer

Windows icon
The Windows Icon is actually the Start Button.
 Start button – pink arrow

Internet Explorer Taskbar Button

To the right of the Start button (red arrow) is a button for starting Internet Explorer
 Right clicking this button will display your browsing history

Pinned taskbar buttons

These are tasks (light blue bracket and arrow) whose icons you have placed on the
taskbar for easy reference.
 If you have a word document open and it is minimized, hover over
the Word icon on the taskbar and you will see a thumb nail view of
the document.
Windows Explorer Taskbar Button
To the far right in the above diagram (green arrow) is the Windows Explorer button.
 Right clicking this button display a list of windows you frequently open.
Notification area on the Taskbar Button
At the right end of the taskbar is the notification area which displays information
about the status of programs including those running in the background (some
programs you don’t need to interact with). The time and date still appears near the
right end of the taskbar.
Show hidden icon Action Center Battery icon Internet Speaker status Show desktop button

In the figure above

The light blue arrow to the far right points to the show desktop
button The red arrow points to the speaker status icon
 To adjust the volume on your PC, click this icon and slide down the
volume. The dark blue arrow points to the Internet access icon
The hot pink arrow is for those using laptops. It is a battery icon which
indicates how much power is left in your laptop battery.

Windows 7 documentation Page 5

 The orange arrow points to the Action Center Alert icon which will show if you
have recent messages and unresolved problems such as spyware and virus
protection alerts.
The yellow arrow points to the Show Hidden icon button. If you click on this it
will show you such things as the McAfee icon.

Show Desktop Button - Hiding and Displaying Windows

Pointing to the Show Desktop Button at the right end of the Windows
Taskbar makes all the open windows temporarily translucent so that you
can see through them to the desktop.

Clicking the Show Desktop Button (see red arrow below) minimizes all the
open windows. Clicking it again returns the windows to their previous size
and locations.

Shaking the active window minimizes all other open windows. To ―shake‖ a
window, point to its title bar, press the mouse button and wiggle the mouse.
To shake a window when you are working on a laptop, point to its title bar
and then wiggle your finger on the touch pad. Shake it again and every
things returns to the way it was.

The taskbar, desktop shortcuts, and gadgets will remain visible.

Windows 7 documentation Page 6

Position and size of the Taskbar
By default, the taskbar is docked at the bottom of the desktop and displays one
row of buttons. Right clicking the taskbar (not a taskbar button) displays a
shortcut menu of commands.

To manually move the taskbar or change its size you must first unlock it by clicking
Lock the Taskbar to remove the check mark. When the taskbar is unlocked, you can
control its position and size in the following ways:

You can dock the taskbar at the top, bottom, or on either side of the
desktop by dragging it to the edge of the screen against which you want
to dock it.
When the taskbar is docked at the top or bottom you can expand it to be up to
half the height of your screen by dragging its border down or up.
When the taskbar is docked on the left or right, you can expand it to be up to
half the width of your screen by dragging its border right or left.
Taskbar Toolbars
Taskbar toolbars provide shortcuts to frequently used folders, files and even some
Internet Explorer functions. From the toolbars submenu on the taskbar shortcut
menu you can display or hide four built-in toolbars, as well as create a custom
toolbar.

Windows 7 documentation Page 7

The built-in toolbars include the following:
Address – You can start or switch to Internet Explorer and display a Web
site by entering its URL in this toolbar.

Links – this toolbar displays a list of the sites and pages on your Internet
Explorer Favorites bar.
Tablet PC Input Panel – This option is for entering information into the
computer by
―writing ― with a tablet pen or mouse pointer, or by clicking keys on an on-
screen keyboard.
Desktop - This creates a desktop shortcut for an Office program
 Click START, point to ALL PROGRAMS, point to MICROSOFT OFFICE
and then point to the Microsoft Office program for which you want to
create a desktop shortcut.
 Right click the name of the program, point to SEND TO, and then
click DESKTOP (CREATE SHORTCUT)

Additional new Taskbar functionality

1. To pin programs to the task
bar Click the start button
Right click on any program and click Pin to Taskbar
2. Drag any programs icon directly to the taskbar
Now you can click the pinned button to open the program
3. You can now move taskbar buttons around and place them in the exact
order you want them.
4. When a toolbar contains more links than can be shown in the space
allocated to it, chevrons appear at its right end. Clicking the chevrons
display a list of the hidden links, in which you can click the one you want.

Windows 7 documentation Page 8

START MENU
The start menu is your link to your computer’s programs and may appear
different from your previous operating system. It is the Windows Logo.
Click the start button at the left end of the Windows taskbar or press
the Windows logo key (the keyboard key is usually located to the left
of the spacebar).
Start Menu Search Box
the cursor is already active in the Search box when you click the start button. Type
any characters in the Search box, and Windows immediately displays a list of
program, Control Panel items, files, documents, music, videos, and email messages
containing that string of characters, grouped by category. The more characters you
type the more Windows refines the search results.
The right side of the Start Menu is divided into three sections and may vary
depending on the Start menu properties. You will see an icon as well (the red arrow
below).
The icon is your account picture and name and when you click on it,
it displays your user account settings. Clicking on your name
displays all your personal folders. The top section provides quick
access to file storage locations
The middle section provides access to all the devices attached to your
computer. This section can also display links to your Internet Explorer
Favorites menu and to a list of the 15 files you have worked with most
recently.
The bottom section provides access to computer-management tools
such as the Control Panel where you will access your settings for
things such as wallpaper and screen saver.

Windows 7 documentation Page 9

Pinned Items Area
You can quickly access specific programs, folders or file by inserting links to them
in the pinned items area at the top of the left side of the Start menu. This item is
not visible until the first time you pin an item to it.

Recently Opened Programs List

This displays links to the last 10 programs you started. You can adjust that
number or remove the list entirely. The first time you open Windows 7 this area
displays links to some of the new programs that come with Windows 7.

All Programs Menu

this provides access to most of the programs and utilities installed on your computer.

You can drop and drag these icons to your desktop if you use them
frequently. To hide a program right click the icon and select remove from
this list. The icon will disappear. The program will still appear in the
normal program listing.
If your program is not there press the start button, documents folder, double
click on the file you want.

Windows 7 documentation Page 10

Jump Lists
Jump lists are short menus that help you get to the files that you use the most. They
are different in that they are organized by program.

1. Right click the program on the task bar then click on the file you want to open.
2. To open a second word pad file, click on the Word 2007 program name or
another program that you have.
3. When you are finished with the file just click ―Close all menus‖.

You will find Jump Lists at the Start Menu for the programs that you have pinned
at the top and the programs that you used most recently.

Windows 7 documentation Page 11

Jump Lists are not just for files. You can also open folders from the Windows Explorer
Button and even go to Web sites from your web browser button.
You can pin your favorite items to the Jump Lists on your Taskbar.
1. Open the Jump List that is opened every day.
2. Point to the To Do List
3. Click the push pin

Now it is pinned to the top where you can get to it easily.

If you are searching for a particular file you have opened and can’t find it, move
your mouse over the icons on the taskbar and you will get a quick peek of all files
that are open even if they are buried under other windows. Just click the thumbnail
window to bring the window to the front.

Note – pointing to (not clicking) a right-pointing arrow next to a program name in

the recently opened program list or the pinned items area displays a list of files
recently open with that program. For example, pointing to WordPad would display
a list of WordPad documents you’ve recently been working with. You can ―jump‖
to a specific file or task by clicking it in the jump list.

Windows 7 documentation Page 12

CHANGING THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR DESKTOP

Click the Start button then click on Control Panel. The topics are arranged
alphabetically. Scroll down until you see the topic you want. If you find an icon or
category confusing, rest your mouse pointer over it and Windows 7 will explain its
meaning. Some that you may want to look at are:

Click on Personalization to change your desktop such as the ones listed below.

Another option is to click anywhere on the desktop and click on Personalize.

DISPLAY
This allows you to change the size of the Text on your monitor.

Windows 7 documentation Page 13

Wallpaper
Right click anywhere on the desk top and click on personalize
 You can change themes, the look, sound and color scheme of windows
Desktop
Click on background
 Picture location allows you to choose from your picture library
 If you find a picture on Internet Explorer and you want to make this
your wallpaper
 Right click on the image
 Say yes to ―Are you sure you want to replace your
desktop wallpaper?‖
Screen Saver
Right click on desktop or Open the control Panel from the Start menu and
select Personalization category
Choose change Screen saver from the Personalization area
Click the downward pointing arrow in the Screen Saver box and select a
screen saver.
Click OK

Fon
t This is where you can change the appearance of your printed work.
Change fonts and font size.

Windows 7 documentation Page 14

DESKTOP GADGET GALLERY

This new Windows 7 feature allows you to place gadgets that display a variety of
information directly onto your desktop.

To add a gadget to your desktop

Click on the Start button, Control Panel then Desktop Gadgets or right
click anywhere on the Desktop and choose Desktop Gadgets
You can add the gadgets by double clicking it, by right clicking and then
clicking Add or by dragging it to any location on the desktop.
Tailor the information each gadget displays to suit your needs – even have
multiple instances of one gadget, each displaying different of the same type of
information.

The green arrow shows the calendar and time, the red arrows show the weather in
your home town and the weather in the town you are in and the purple arrow
shows a slideshow of your favorite photos.

Calendar – displays today’s date, this month’s calendar or both. When the date
is displayed, double click it to switch to the calendar.

Clock – displays the current time in the current time zone. You can choose from
eight faces, name the clock, change the time zone and add a second hand.

CPU Meter – displays the percentage of your computer’s central processing unit
(CPU) that is currently being used, as well as the percentage of its random access
memory (RAM).

Windows 7 documentation Page 15

Currency – displays the current equivalent of one currency in another currency.

Feed headlines – displays four of up to 100 headlines from a variety of RSS

feeds. You can restrict the number of headlines and the type of fee.

Picture Puzzle – displays a 4 by 4 grid containing 15 jumbled picture pieces and

one blank square. You move the pieces around to reassemble the picture.

Slide Show – displays a rotating set of pictures from the folder you select. You
can set the transition speed and effect as well as the display order.

Weather – displays the temperature and an image representing the type of

weather in a specific location. You can change the location and show temperature in
Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Windows Media Center – provides quick access to the music and pictures in
your windows media Center catalog.

Windows 7 documentation Page 16

WORKING WITH WINDOWS
As the name of the Windows operating system indicates, most of the information
you view on your computer is displayed in a window. Files open in program
windows (windows that host the program controls), and folders open in Windows
Explorer windows (windows that display the folder contents). Regardless of the
content they display, all windows share certain common characteristics and can be
manipulated in the same ways. You can change the appearance of windows by
using controls built into their frames, as well as controls available from the desktop
and from the Windows Taskbar.

Key Points
All windows share common characteristics. You can work with them in the
same way, such as by sizing, moving, arranging, and hiding them.
Files are organized on your computer in a hierarchical storage structure.
Windows Explorer provides several ways to move around your computer’s
storage system. If you become familiar with them it will increase your
ability to quickly navigate to specific files.
You can quickly locate information on your computer by entering a search
term in either the Search box on the Start menu or the Search box in the
upper- right corner of a folder window.
You can refine a search by filtering the search results, for example, to show
only files of a specific type.

Manipulating windows

To change the location of a window, but not its size

Drag it.

To bring a window to Forefront

Click on the title bar and the screen moves to the top of the stack and is
active Click on the program icon on task bar to bring the window to the
front
Hold down ALT key and keep tapping the tab key. You will see thumb nails of
every open window. When you get to the one you want release ALT key and
that program will pop up.
You can also use the windows key to do the same thing. This will show you a
3-D view of open windows. Keep tapping the tab key until the window you
want comes to the front then let go of the windows key.

To move a window around

Drag the window by title bar and drop it where you want it

Windows 7 documentation Page 17

To maximize a window
Click on the double window button

Or drag top edge of window until it butts up against desk top, let go of the
mouse and the window fills the screen

To minimize a window

Click the underscore button

To re-size a window
Point at any corner. When you get a two sided arrow, drag to any size you
want and let go

To close a window
Click on the red X in the upper right hand corner

Seeing Windows Side By Side

There are several ways to see two windows side by side
Right click on any blank area on task bar. Choose show windows side by side.
If you have more than two windows open, minimize the ones you don’t want.
Drag one window to one side of the monitor until your mouse curser hits the
side of your desktop shade the window snaps to half screen. Do the same
thing with the other window.
To restore a maximized or half-width window to its original size, drag its
title bar away from the edge of the screen, or click the Restore Down
button.

Windows 7 documentation Page 18

Managing open windows as a group
Right-clicking the taskbar (not a taskbar button) displays a shortcut
menu of commands you can use to manage all the open windows as a
group.

You can arrange all currently open windows by clicking the following commands:

Cascade windows – displays the windows on top of each other with the title
bar of each window visible and the contents of only the top window visible.
Show windows stacked – displays the content of all the windows arranged in a
grid, with more windows stacked vertically than horizontally. For example,
eight windows are arranged in two columns of four.
Show windows side by side – displays the content of all the windows
arranged in a grid, with more windows stacked horizontally than vertically.
For example, eight windows are arranged in four columns of two.
Show the desktop – minimizes all the windows.

In every arrangement, the open windows are sized similarly, regardless of

their size before you arranged them.

Windows 7 documentation Page 19

USING WINDOWS EXPLORER
You view all the drives, folders and files that are part of your computer’s storage
system, as well as those on any computers you are connected to through a
network, in Windows Explorer.

You can start Windows Explorer in several ways

Click on the Windows Explorer taskbar button
Click any of the folders in the right pane of the Start menu
Right click a folder in the left pane of the Start menu, and then click Open
or Explore to display the folder contents
Double click a folder on the desktop or in any window to display the folder
contents in the Content pane.

Folder Window Features:

In Windows Explorer every folder window displays two consistent elements: the
title bar and the tool bar; you cannot hide either of these elements. The title bar
always contains tools for moving around and for locating information.

Title Bar
Navigation buttons – these back and forward buttons are the same as in
previous Windows operating systems.
Address bar – current folder’s address or path.
Search box – from the Search box of any folder window you can quickly
search for letters, words or phrases occurring in the name or content of any
file in that folder.

Tool Bar
Unlike the title bar, the toolbar can vary based on the contents of the folder
displayed in the folder window. The buttons on the toolbar represent context
specific commands for working with the folder and its content. Hover over a button
to find out what it does.

Click on any section and the right side of the screen will show you the contents.

Windows 7 documentation Page 20

In addition to the title bar and the toolbar, the layout of a folder
window includes other standard and optional components.

Menu Bar
In Microsoft’s attempt at a clean look, they have taken away the menu bar with
which we are familiar. This included File, Edit, Format, View and Help. It is still
available. The menu bar can be turned on or off in Internet Explorer.
To display the menus temporarily
1. Click to open Internet Explorer
2. Press ALT
3. Choose the option you
want To display the menus permanently
1. Click to open internet explorer
2. Click Organize, choose Layout and select Menu Bar.
3. To turn the Menu bar off again, repeat the steps above.

Windows 7 documentation Page 21

The Navigation Pane
This vertical pane is open by default on the left side of the window. You can browse
to folders on your computer or network by click locations in this pane.
To display the contents of a folder, click the folder name
To expand a folder in the Navigation pane, point to the pane, and then
click the white arrow that appears to the left of the folder.
To collapse an expanded folder, click the black arrow that appears to its left.
Content Pane
This lists the details about the item you are currently viewing. If you open a folder
this pane will tell you how many files the folder contains.
Details Pane
This sits at the bottom of your screen and displays the contents of the selected
folder as a textual or iconic list. You cannot close the Detail pane.
Preview Pane
This is a vertical pane that is closed by default, but when open, it appears on the
right side of the window. It displays a review of the file selected in the content
pane.
Displaying and Hiding Panes
You can display and hide window panes to show or hide information or to change
the amount of space available in the Content pane
Click Organize on the
toolbar. Point to Layout
Click the pane you want to change.

Windows 7 documentation Page 22

VIEWING FILES AND FOLDERS IN A DIFFERENT WAY

NOTE: It is strong recommended that you store all your private documents,
spreadsheets and databases and similar files in subfolders in your my Documents
folder. When you follow this process, backing up your work is a simple matter of
backing up only the libraries you use.

Sometimes folders and files are listed with information such as the date and size,
and sometimes they appear as icons representing the type of each file. You can
change the appearance of folders and files in the Content pane by changing the
view and by grouping the contents.

Changing the folder view

Available views include the following:
ICONS – The four icon views (extra large, large, medium and small) display
an icon and file name for each folder or file in the current folder. In all but
Small Icons view, the icons display either the file type or in the case of
graphic files (including Microsoft PowerPoint presentations), the actual file
content.
LIST – This view is similar to small icons view in that it shows the names of
the files and folders accompanied by a small icon representing the file type.
The only difference is that the items are arranged in columns instead of
rows.
DETAILS – This view displays a list of files and folders, each accompanied by a
small icon representing the item type and its properties, arranged in a
tabular format with column headings. The properties shown by default for
each file or folder are Name, Date modified, Type, and Size. You can hide any
of these properties and you can display a variety of other properties that
might be pertinent to specific types of files, including Author and Title.
TILES – For folders, this view displays a medium size icon and the folder
name and type. For files, the icon displays the content of the file and is
accompanied by the file name, type and file size.
CONTENT – For folders, this view displays an icon, the folder name and the
date. For files, the icon displays the content of the file and is accompanied
by the file name, type file size and date.

Ways to change the folder view:

On the folder window toolbar, click the Views button repeatedly to cycle
through the views.
Click the Views arrow and in the Views list, click the view you want.
Right click the Content pane, click View, and then in the View list, click the
view you want.

Windows 7 documentation Page 23

Grouping Folder Content
By default, the folders and files in a folder window are visible as individual
items. In a library window, you can group items by author, modification date,
tag, file type, or file name. Grouped items appear in stacks. (see red arrows)

To group items in a library window:

Display the Library pane.
On the Arrange By menu at the right end of the Library pane, click Author,
Date Modified, Tag, Type or Name.

Windows 7 documentation Page 24

Understanding Files, Folders and Libraries

Files associated with programs and tools, as well as the files you create to contain
your information, are stored in a hierarchical structure of folders on hard disk drives
and other storage devices. Your computer’s primary hard drive (the one where the
operating system is installed) is almost always identified by the letter C.

In Windows Explorer, you can display a collection of related files and folders in a
library. Libraries are virtual folders that aren’t physically present on the hard disk
but that display the contents of multiple folders as though the files were stored
together in one location.

Libraries
The default Windows 7 installation includes four standard libraries—Documents,
Music, Pictures, and Videos. Each of these libraries includes your corresponding
personal folder and the corresponding public folder.

File Types
There are many different types of files, but they all fall into these two basic
categories:
Files used or created by programs. These are usually hidden so you can’t
select and inadvertently change or delete them. The files installed with a
program and those it creates for its own use are organized the way the
program expects to find them and you shouldn’t move or remove them.
Files created by you – this includes documents, worksheets, graphics, text
files and other things that you can open, look at, and change using one or
more programs.
These files can be organized and managed by you.

Windows 7 documentation Page 25

HELP
Help is available in several ways when in a program screen (word,
excel, etc): Press F1
Press the HELP key from any programs
menu Press any blue question mark icon
Search for help by typing in a question
Up will pop a list of the most asked questions about the most questioned topics.

If you see a term you don’t understand and it’s printed in a color, hover your
mouse over it and a brief description will appear.

Need More:
Click on Help and Support from the start menu. Look under ―Not sure
where to start‖ heading.
Go directly to the Window7 website (This will only work if you have
connectivity to the web)

Trouble shooter also works when you click on an icon on your desktop.
Right click icon and select trouble shoot a problem

Clicking on the Word Icon brings up the above screen. Click on Troubleshoot
compatibility and the following screen appears.

Windows 7 documentation Page 26

 Pick a topic and window brings up the most common questions for that topic.

Windows 7 documentation Page 27

Additional Information

How to Save a Word Document in a PDF or XPS Format

1. Begin the saving document process as you normally would clicking on the
Windows button in the upper left corner.

2. Move your cursor down to the Save As icon then over to the PDF or XPS icon.

Windows 7 documentation Page 28

 3. Click on that and the following screen will appear.

4. Notice the Save as type says PDF. If you want to change it to an XPS
Document use the arrow at the far right of the line to display the option.

Windows 7 documentation Page 29

 5. Key in whatever you want to name the document and click the Publish Key.

Your document will now appear on the screen in a PDF format.

Windows 7 documentation Page 30

SHUTTING DOWN

Click start then shut down. Window7 will let you know if you need to save.

Log Off
Log off saves your work and settings and returns to the window screen

Lock Your Computer

To lock your PC press start and hover on the right pointing arrow, then curser
up to select lock. When you get back just key in your password and your
back into your system.

Other Shut Downs

Sleep saves your work and lets your computer sit in a low power state.
Hibernate (all computers do not have this option) copies your work to your
hard drive then shuts off your PC. This is slower at re-displaying you work
than sleep.

You may or may not choose to shut down your PC on a daily basis but it is
best to turn off your monitor. If you are in a public area it is mandatory
that you either turn off your PC or lock it and turn off the monitor.

Windows 7 documentation Page 31