Windows Basic [Newbie Tutorial]
How to Add Special Characters to a Windows Document:
1. Open the Character Map from the Start menu. (Choose Start, then Programs, then Accessories, then Windows System Tools and finally Character Map.)
2. Click on Fonts to select the font you want to use.
3. Locate the special character that you want to use, and click on it.
4. Click on the Select button. An image of the character will appear in the text box above the Select button.
5. Click on the Copy button. Your character is now copied to the Clipboard.
6. Click Close.
7. Go to the document that is to receive the special character. Put your cursor at the spot where you want the character to appear.
8. Paste the character into your document (Control + v from the keyboard or Paste from the Edit menu). Your character appears on the document.
How to Change the Color of Menus and Dialog Boxes:
1. Click on the Start menu button. Then click on Settings and then on Control Panel.
2. Double-click on the Display icon or test link. This will open a window named Display Properties.
3. Click on Appearance. You will see a window showing the current color menu color scheme that you are using.
4. Click on the Item box and select Menu.
5. Click on the box labeled Scheme to view the color schemes that are available to you. Clicking on each will allow you to preview the color before you make your final selection.
6. Click OK to change your settings.
7. Click Cancel if you decide to maintain your current settings.
How to Change the Default Printer:
1. Click on the Start menu and click on Settings, then Printers.
2. A window will appear showing the icons of all the printers that are installed on your system. Right-click on the icon for the printer you want to use as the default. A menu will appear.
3. Click on Set as Default.
4. To make sure the correct printer is now set as the default, right-click on the printer icon again. When the menu opens, a check mark should appear before Set as Default.
How to Change the Time on Your Computer’s Clock:
1. From the Start menu, click on Settings and then on Control Panel. A window with icons and text will open.
2. From the Control Panel window, double-click on Date/Time. When a window appears, click the Date & Time tab. Underneath the clock, you will see a text box displaying the time that your computer is currently showing.
3. Insert your cursor in the text box and change the numbers to the time you want. Change seconds, minutes and hours if desired.
4. Use the small arrows at the right side of the text box to change to a.m. or p.m.
5. Click OK.
How to Create a Start-Up Floppy Disk:
1. Click the Start icon and choose Settings.
2. When the Settings menu appears, click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.
3. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
4. Click the Startup Disk tab.
5. Click Create Disk. The computer will request the Windows 98 CD-ROM.
6. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM.
7. Label a blank, formatted floppy disk and insert it into the floppy drive. The computer will format the disk and copy system files to the disk.
8. Click OK to exit. The startup disk is ready for use.
How to Designate a Start-Up Drive:
1. Turn on the computer.
2. Press and hold the Delete key as soon as the computer starts, to display the CMOS start-up screen.
3. Use the arrow keys to highlight BIOS Features Setup, and press Enter.
4. Press the down arrow to move to the Boot Sequence field.
5. Press Page Up or Page Down to display the desired boot sequence.
6. Press Esc to exit the screen.
7. Highlight Save & Exit Setup, then press Enter. The new boot sequence is saved and the computer restarts.
How to Experiment With the Windows Registry Safely:
1. Learn about the Windows Registry, what it contains and how it works, before editing it. Use a search engine like Google or Yahoo! to learn more.
2. Back up the Registry before attempting any changes. (See “How to Back Up the Windows Registry.”)
3. Take the time to learn a little bit more about Windows and computers in general, if you need to. Become familiar with how your system works.
4. Create an external start-up disk, or update your existing one, in case you corrupt your Registry. Make sure it has the appropriate drivers for your CD drive in case – and this would be a last resort – you need to reinstall Windows.
5. Open and edit the Registry carefully. If you are making changes based on an expert’s recommendation, follow the recommendation exactly. Make one change and check the effects of your change.
6. If your Registry changes do not work, or if they corrupt another Windows setting, then restore the Registry from your most recent backup. Don’t continue with a possibly suspect Registry.
How to Find Out How Much Memory Your PC Has:
1. Right-click the My Computer icon, and select Properties from the menu that appears.
2. Look under Computer or Performance to find the amount of RAM in megabytes (MB).
How to Format a Floppy Disk -
1. Insert a floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.
2. Double-click the My Computer icon.
3. Right-click the icon for the floppy disk drive, usually labeled 3 1/2 Floppy (ASmile.
4. Choose Format from the menu that appears.
5. Click Start.
How to Import Windows Registry Files:
1. Click the Start menu and click Run.
2. Type “regedit” and click OK.
3. Click Registry in the Registry Editor toolbar.
4. Click Import Registry File.
5. Browse to the directory containing the file (with .reg extension) and select the file.
6. Click OK to import the registry file.
How to Launch a Program Automatically When a Computer Starts Up:
1. From the Start menu, click on Settings, then on Taskbar & Start Menu.
2. Click the Start Menu tab.
3. Click Add.
4. Click Browse. A window will appear.
5. Move through the window until you locate the program that you want to launch every time your computer starts up. Select the executable file and click Open.
6. Click Next on the window that appears.
7. Double-click the Start Menu folder.
8. Enter the name of the program as you want it to appear in the Start menu.
9. Click Finish. Select an icon to use if asked.
How to Master Timesaving Windows Tricks:
1. Start Windows Explorer by pressing the Windows key (the funny Windows symbol) + E.
2. Minimize all open windows on the desktop by pressing Win key + M.
3. Undo the minimizing of all open windows on the desktop by pressing Shift + Win key + M.
4. Display the Run dialog box by pressing Win key + R.
5. Display the Find dialog box by pressing Win key + F.
How to Open the Windows Registry Editor:
1. Click the Start menu.
2. Click Run.
3. Type “regedit” and click OK.
How to Play Music CDs on the Computer:
1. With the computer turned on, put a music CD, label side up, in the CD-ROM drive. Close the drive.
2. If auto play is enabled, the CD will start playing the first track. If this is the case, skip to step 6.
3. If the CD does not start playing automatically, open the Start menu. Choose Programs, then Accessories, then Entertainment.
4. Click CD Player.
5. Click the Play button on the CD Player window (a single right-pointing arrow in the top row).
6. Use the Pause, Stop, Skip to Next Track, and Go Back to Last Track buttons to control what you listen to.
7. Choose Edit Playlist from the Disc menu to program a particular sequence of tracks.
8. Minimize the CD Player window if you plan to listen to the entire CD while working.
How to Put a Desktop Computer to Sleep:
1. First, save all of your work. Information in computer memory is not saved while your computer is on standby.
2. From the Start menu, select Settings, then Control Panel, then Power Management.
3. Click Standby Beside When I Push the Power Button.
4. Push the Power button.
How to Remove a Windows Program:
1. From your Start menu, choose Settings, then Control Panel.
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel.
3. Choose the Install/Uninstall tab.
4. Select the program you want to uninstall from the list and click on Add/Remove.
5. Windows Me comes with a Maintenance wizard that includes a Disk Cleanup function. You can use it to uninstall unneeded programs as part of a regular disk-maintenance routine. Similar third-party programs are available for earlier versions of Windows.
How to Right-Click Using the Keyboard:
1. Position the mouse pointer anywhere on your computer’s screen.
2. Select by (left) clicking if necessary.
3. Press the Shift and F10 keys simultaneously to right-click.
Using MouseKeys
1. Set up MouseKeys in the Accessibility Options control panel (if not already turned on). Use the Mouse tab in the control panel.
2. Position the mouse pointer anywhere on your computer’s screen.
3. Press 5 on the numeric keypad to (left) click.
4. Press plus sign (+) on numeric keypad to double-click.
5. Press minus sign (‘) on numeric keypad to right-click.
How to Set the Time Zone on Your Computer:
1. From the Start menu, click on Settings and then on Control Panel. A window with icons and text will open.
2. Double-click Date/Time. A window will appear.
3. Click the Time Zone tab. A window displaying a map will appear. Above the map, you will see a text box showing the time zone that your computer is currently using.
4. Click on the tiny arrow to the right of the Time Zone text box, and select a new zone from the menu that appears. The text box will change to display your selection.
5. Click OK.
How to Start Your Windows Computer in DOS:
1. Click Start.
2. Click Shut Down.
3. Click Restart in MS-DOS mode.
4. Click OK.
How to Turn Off Your Computer’s Sound Altogether:
Turn Off Windows Default Sounds
1. Open the Start menu and select Settings and then Control Panel.
2. Double-click Sounds.
3. Click the down arrow under Schemes and choose No Sounds.
4. Click OK.
Turn Off Application Sounds
1. Right-click the speaker icon in the System Tray (bottom-right corner of screen on taskbar is the default location).
2. Click Open Volume Controls.
3. Click to place a check mark in Mute All box.
Turn Off Speakers
1. Turn off externally powered speakers.
2. Press Mute button (icon is usually a speaker with a slash through it) on your monitor if your speakers are built into your monitor.
How to Use Sticky Keys in Windows:
1. Open the Control Panel folder and double-click Accessibility Options.
2. Select Use StickyKeys on the Keyboard tab.
3. Click the Settings button and be sure all the options in the dialog box are selected. Click OK twice. In the taskbar, you’ll see three black boxes. This shows that StickyKeys is turned on.
4. Turn StickyKeys off by pressing Shift five times. To turn it back on, press Shift five times, and then press Enter.
How to Use Your Computer’s Calculator:
1. Open the calculator. On a PC, it is usually located in the Start menu under Accessories. On a Mac, it’s in the Apple menu.
2. Determine the calculation that you want to perform. If it is complex, you might want to write the formula down so you can use it as a reference.
3. Use either the number keypad or the mouse to enter your formula. To add, use the + sign. To divide, use the / sign. To multiply, use the * sign. To subtract, use the – sign.
4. Click on the = sign or hit the Enter key. The answer will appear in the display window.
5. Click on C or CE to clear the calculation, then perform other calculations as desired.
6. To access the scientific calculator, go to the View menu and click on Scientific.
7. Consult the Help file for additional assistance with scientific functions.
How to Add a Printer:
1. To add a printer, first follow your printer’s instruction manual to assemble your printer and connect it to your computer. When you are ready to install the software, have your printer’s CD-ROM or floppy disk handy.
2. Open the Start menu and choose Settings, then Printers.
3. Double-click on Add Printers.
4. Follow the instructions provided by the Print wizard. If you’re adding a network printer, be sure to find out its name or network path. To make sure you’re using the most recent printer driver, insert your printer CD-ROM or floppy disk when asked. You can also choose a preinstalled driver that matches the printer make and model you’re trying to add, but it might be older than a driver that came with the printer. (If you’re installing a networked printer, ask your system administrator if there are newer drivers available on the network.)
5. When prompted, indicate whether you want to use this printer as the default. If you have only one printer, you will say yes. If you have two, you must choose which one is to be the default.
6. When asked if you want to print a test page, it is a good idea to say yes.
7. When satisfied, click Finish to complete the installation process.
How to Change a Screen Saver:
1. Click the Start menu button. Next, click on Settings and then on Control Panel.
2. Double-click on the Display icon (or on the word Display). This opens a window called Display Properties.
3. Click on Screen Saver. You will see a window with choices related to your screen saver.
4. Click on the Screen Saver list box to view the screen savers that are currently installed on your computer. Select the one you want by clicking on it.
5. Click Settings to adjust factors such as the speed, size and color of the screen saver that you want to use.
6. Click the Preview button to view your new screen saver. If you are not satisfied, go back and change the settings or select a new screen saver from the list of those available.
7. Decide if you want to password-protect the screen saver or to set the amount of time that will elapse before the screen saver comes on, and enter those changes.
8. When you are satisfied, click OK.
How to Change the Computer’s Warning Beep:
1. Open the Start menu and click Settings, then Control Panel.
2. Double-click Sounds.
3. Click the down arrow under Schemes to choose a set of themed sounds. The scheme will automatically apply its sounds to preset events, such as opening a menu.
4. Select an item in the Events list to change an individual sound. Click the down arrow under Name and choose a sound, or choose None to turn off sound for that event. Click the Play button next to Preview to audition the sound.
5. Click OK to save your changes.
How to Change the Font Style and Size of Menus and Icons:
1. Click the Start menu button. Scroll up to Settings, and select Control Panel.
2. Double-click (click twice rapidly) on the Display icon or text link. This will open a window called Display Properties.
3. Click on Appearance. Click on Item, then scroll down and click on Icons.
4. Use the Font box underneath to select the font face that you prefer to use. Change the font size in the Size box to the left. Some systems will allow you to add bold or italics.
5. Repeat the previous two steps, using Menu instead of Icons in the Item box.
6. Click OK to accept the resized icons and fonts.
7. Click Cancel if you decide to maintain your current settings.
How to Correct Monitor Resolution on PCs:
1. Go to Start, Settings, then Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, double-click on the Display icon.
3. Click on the Settings tab.
4. In the Desktop or Screen Area, adjust the slider control higher or lower with your mouse to reach the setting you want. Then click on Apply.
5. The Display Properties dialog box will appear and explain that your monitor might flicker. Some combinations of video cards and Windows versions will require that the computer reboot and will ask if you wish to do so. In either case, click on OK to proceed.
6. If you’re happy with the new settings, click on Yes to keep them. If not, click on No and your old settings will return, or click on Cancel to readjust the settings.
How to Customize Your Mouse Pointer:
1. Click Start and select Settings.
2. Select Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Mouse icon to display Mouse Properties.
4. Click the Pointers tab.
5. Click the down arrow on the right of the Scheme field to display the
6. different pointer designs.
7. View each scheme to display the pointer icons assigned to various mouse functions.
8. Select the scheme you like, or create your own mouse scheme by selecting a pointer icon and using the Browse button to find and replace the pointer icon. (Look in the Cursors folder within the Windows folder.) Be sure to name and save the customized scheme.
9. Click OK or Apply to change to the new mouse pointer.
How to Edit a Sound on a Windows Computer:
1. Open your sound-editing software. If you are using Windows Sound Recorder, open it from the Start menu. (Choose Start, then Programs, then Accessories, Entertainment and finally Sound Recorder.)
2. Click Open from the File menu, and then locate the file you want to edit. The file opens. Sound files contain a series of vertical lines of various lengths. They resemble the “lie detector” images that you often see on television shows.
3. Move the slider to the place that you want to begin or end the cut to delete part of a sound file using Sound Recorder. From the Edit menu, click Delete Before Slider or Delete After Slider.
4. Go to the Effects menu to change the speed of the sound file, and select Increase Speed or Decrease Speed.
5. Select Increase Volume or Decrease Volume from the Effects menu to change the volume.
6. Click Reverse in the Effects menu to reverse a sound file.
7. Click Add Echo in the Effects menu to add an echo.
8. Click Revert in the File menu to undo changes.
9. Click Save to save your changes. Once changes are saved, you cannot revert.
How to Export Windows Registry Files:
1. Click the Start menu and click Run.
2. Type “regedit” and click OK.
3. Select My Computer to export the entire Registry, or click a folder to export only that folder.
4. Click Registry in the Registry Editor toolbar.
5. Click Export Registry File.
6. Select the directory for the exported file and type a file name. Use a specific name so that you can identify the file easily (“Registry 12/9/99,” for example).
7. Click OK to export the Registry file.
How to Find a File on Your Hard Drive:
Finding a File When You Know the Name
1. Click on the Start menu, then on Find, and then on Files or Folders.
2. Enter the file name in the box labeled Named.
3. If you know where the file is stored, use the Browse function to select that folder. If you don’t know, search the hard drive (typically the C drive).
4. Place a check mark in the box labeled Find Subdirectories.
5. Click on Find Now. Within a few moments, you will receive a list of every file in the folder or drive that you selected whose name includes the words you typed. (For example, if you entered “apples,” you would get files called “red apples” and “golden delicious apples” in addition to “apples.”)
6. Double-click on the file to open it, or take note of the location so you can open it later.
Locating a File When You Don’t Remember the File Name
1. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 4 as listed above.
2. If you remember key words or phrases contained in the document, enter them in the field called Containing Text.
3. To use a more advanced search function, click on Advanced. Select the type or format of the file that you are seeking. (For example, Word, Adobe PageMaker or Excel.)
4. If you remember the approximate date that you created or last modified the file, click on Date. You can indicate whether to search for any and all files created or modified within a certain time period.
5. Click on Find Now.
6. Within a few moments, you will receive a listing of all files that meet the criteria you specified.
7. Double-click to open, or note the location so you can open the file later.
How to Get Help in Windows:
Using the Table of Contents
1. From the Start menu, click on Help. A window will open.
2. Click on the Contents tab.
3. Click on any item in the Table of Contents to produce a broader menu.
4. Click a help topic, and the information will appear on the right side of the help window.
The Search Function and the Index
1. Open the Start menu and choose Help.
2. Click on the Search tab for the search function.
3. Enter a word or phrase that describes the topic you’re looking for. Click on List Topics. A list of topics will appear in the box below.
4. Select the one that interests you, then click on Display. The information appears on the right side of the help window.
5. Reopen the Start menu and choose Help.
6. Click on the Index tab to use the index. You can either scroll through the list or type in a keyword that you want to find.
7. When the keyword is located, select it, then click on Display. The information appears on the right side of the help window.
How to Install PostScript Fonts on a Windows Computer:
1. Launch ATM. Most likely you’ll find this program by opening the Start menu and then clicking Programs, Adobe and then ATM.
2. Be certain Source is set to Browse For Fonts.
3. Locate the fonts you’d like to install.
4. Select the fonts, and then click Add.
5. Close the dialog box when you have completed installing fonts.
How to Make Icons Larger or Smaller -
Specifying a Custom Icon Size:
1. Click the Start menu button. Then click on Settings, and then on Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Display icon or text link. This will open a window called Display Properties.
3. Click on Appearance. Click on Item, then scroll down and click on Icons.
4. Change the size of the icons by adding a larger or smaller number in the Size box that appears to the right. A larger number will create a larger icon and a small number will create a smaller icon.
5. Click OK if you decide to accept the resized icons and fonts.
6. Click Cancel if you decide to maintain your current settings.
Using the Predefined Large Icon Size:
1. Click the Start menu button. Then click on Settings, and then on Control Panel.
2. Double-click (click twice rapidly) on the Display icon or text link. This will open a window called Display Properties.
3. Click on Effects.
4. Use the Use Large Icons checkbox to indicate your viewing preference. If the box is checked, your system will display large icons. When not checked, small icons will be shown.
How to Maximize a Window:
1. Open a window.
2. Look at the three small squares in the top right corner of the window’s title bar.
3. Click the middle square, which looks like a picture of one blank window. The window will maximize, or fill your screen.
4. To restore the window to its previous size, click on the middle square again. (Now it looks like two overlapping blank windows.)
How to Play Music CDs on the Computer Through Headphones:
Connecting the Headphones
1. Plug magnetically shielded headphones into the most convenient of four places: the headphone jack on externally powered speakers; the headphone jack on the CD-ROM drive’s drawer; the headphone, audio out, or speaker jack on the back of your computer; or the headphone or audio out jack on your computer monitor.
Controlling CD Volume and Track Order
1. See “How to Play Music CDs on the Computer” to learn how to customize play.
2. Adjust the volume with the controls on your CD drawer (if it has one) or your headphones (if they have one), in the Windows CD Player program, or in the Windows system.
3. To learn how to set Windows system volume, see “How to Change the Sound Volume on Your Computer.”
Permanently Setting Up Your PC for Headphone Listening:
1. Right-click on the speaker icon in the System Tray (the bottom right-hand corner of the screen on the taskbar is the default location).
2. Click Adjust Audio Properties.
3. Click Advanced Properties under Playback.
4. Click the down arrow under Speaker Setup.
5. Select Stereo Headphones.
How to Record a Sound on a Windows Computer:
1. If your computer has a sound card and speakers, as most do, you will only need to acquire a microphone (fewer computers come with them). Microphones range in price greatly; if you’re just recording simple sounds and effects, buy a cheaper microphone.
2. Attach your microphone to the Sound In port on the back of your computer. (It might have a picture of a microphone next to it.)
3. If your microphone has an On button, turn it on. Otherwise, refer to the instruction sheet that came with it.
4. Open the Sound Recorder. (Open the Start menu and choose Programs, then Accessories, Entertainment and, finally, Sound Recorder.)
5. From the Sound Recorder, click New.
6. To begin recording, click Record – the circle that appears at the right-hand side of the Sound Recorder.
7. When you are finished recording, click Stop – the square that appears directly to the left of the circle.
8. Use the Play, Rewind and Seek to End buttons to test your recording.
9. When you are satisfied, save your sound file using the Save As command in the File menu.
How to Set Up Your Computer for Multiple Users:
1. Open the Start menu, click Settings, then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Users icon.
3. Click Next in the Add User dialog box.
4. Enter your user name.
5. Enter a password to prevent other users from accessing your settings or applications.
6. Click Next.
7. Make your selections in the Personalized Items Settings dialog box.
8. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for the second user.
9. Click New User.
10. Follow the same process to customize settings.
11. Repeat the process for each additional user.
12. To switch users, open the Start menu, click Log Off Default, then click Yes.
13. Enter your name and password, if any, to enter Windows with your settings.
How to Show or Hide Your Computer’s Clock:
1. From the Start menu, click on Settings and then on Taskbar and Start Menu. A window will open.
2. Click on Taskbar Options.
3. If you want the clock to show in the Taskbar, select the checkbox beside “Show Clock.”
4. To hide the clock, remove the checkmark from the box.
5. Click OK to save your changes.
How to Switch Between Programs in Microsoft Windows:
1. Open more than one program, either by choosing the programs from the Start menu or by double-clicking the program icons.
2. Turn your attention to the Windows taskbar. Icons for all open windows appear on the taskbar.
3. Click an icon to switch to that window.
How to Understand the Windows Registry:
1. Edit the Registry to fix problems with Windows, such as missing icons or fonts.
2. Use the Registry to remove clutter from the desktop and remnants of deleted programs.
3. Tweak the Registry to improve your Windows performance by speeding up desktop menus and printing, adding shortcuts to menus and optimizing Internet connections.
4. Modify Registry entries to experiment with fun Windows enhancements, such as changing icons or changing the Windows start-up and shut-down screens.
How to Use Tweak UI to Customize Your Computer:
1. Install Tweak UI from your Windows 98 CD or a downloaded file. (See “How to Get Tweak UI” in Related eHows for instructions.)
2. Reboot the computer.
3. Open the new Tweak UI control panel.
4. Click the General tab and follow instructions to turn off animations, smooth scrolling and other stock Windows features.
5. Click the Boot tab and follow instructions to prevent ScanDisk from running automatically at start-up.
6. Click the Paranoia tab and follow instructions to prevent Windows from cleaning up your system at start-up or to clear Run, Documents and URL History folders at start-up.
7. Click the Desktop tab and follow instructions to remove unwanted desktop icons, such as MSN.
8. Click the Add/Remove tab and follow instructions to edit your Add/Remove Programs menu.
9. Click the IE4 tab and follow instructions to disable Active Desktop and remove Favorites and Documents folders from the Start menu.
10. Use other tabs to customize other settings.
How to Use a Web Page as Your Computer’s Background Picture:
Setting One Page Image as Wallpaper
1. When you’re viewing a Web page with an image you want to use as your screen background, right-click on the image.
2. From the menu that appears, click Set as Wallpaper.
3. The default settings tile the image (repeat it) across the screen. To stretch or center it instead, first open the Display control panel: Click Start, then Settings, then Control Panels. Double-click the Display icon.
4. Click the Background tab.
5. Indicate whether you want the image to be tiled, stretched or centered.
6. Click OK.
Setting a Whole Page as Wallpaper
1. First, save the page and all its graphic files to your hard disk. (Use the Save command in the File menu.)
2. Open the Display control panel and click the Background tab.
3. Click Browse.
4. Find the Web page file on your hard disk and click Open.
5. Choose whether to tile, stretch or center the image.
6. Click Apply to see how the page looks as wallpaper; then you can change it if you don’t like it.
7. If it pleases you, click OK.
How to Add an Item to the Start Menu:
1. Click the Start button, which is often located in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. A menu will appear.
2. Scroll up to Settings and click on Taskbar & Start Menu. A small window will appear.
3. Click Start Menu Programs, then click Add.
4. Type the path to the application (something like C:\Programs\MyProgram\Program.exe) in the command line, or click Browse to find the program by navigating through folders.
5. After you’ve located the application with Browse or typed in the path, click Next.
6. The folder and subfolders that appear next represent the Start menu and its submenus. Click the folder where you want your new shortcut to appear, or click New Folder to create a new subfolder. Then click Next.
7. Type in a name for the new item (such as MyProgram) in the text field that appears. Then click Finish.
8. Your new item is now added to the Start menu in the submenu that you selected. Test it to be sure it works properly.
How to Change the Background Picture on the Desktop:
1. Click on the Start menu button. Then click on Settings and then on Control Panel.
2. Double-click on the Display icon or text link. This will open a window named Display Properties.
3. Click on Background if that tab is not selected. Click on one of the items that appear in the box labeled Wallpaper.
4. Inspect the preview that appears above the Wallpaper menubox. Use the Display menu to the right to experiment with tiling, stretching or centering the picture that you are previewing.
5. Click on Browse to use an image stored elsewhere on your hard drive. Locate the image and click Open.
6. Click OK to change your background, or wallpaper. Click Cancel if you decide to maintain your current settings.
How to Change the Date on Your Computer:
1. From the Start menu, click on Settings and then on Control Panel. A window with icons and text will open.
2. Double-click Date/Time. A window displaying a calendar will appear.
3. To change the year, use the up or down arrows to display the year you want.
4. To change the month, click on the small arrow to the right of the month shown. Select the month you want from the menu that appears.
5. To change the day, click on the day you want from the calendar.
6. Click OK.
How to Change the Sound Volume on a PC:
1. Rotate the volume control on one speaker to adjust the volume of a stereo pair or three-piece system.
2. Use the buttons or dial on the monitor, or on-screen controls, to adjust the volume of speakers built into the monitor. Make sure the Mute button is off.
Windows
1. Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray (at the far right of the Windows taskbar).
2. Click Open Volume Controls.
3. Drag the slider in the left column with the mouse to adjust master volume.
4. Drag the slider under the name of the input source to adjust volume for a specific source, such as CD or Wave Out (for files such as RealAudio).
How to Decide on a Format in Which to Save Windows Sound Files:
1. Open a sound file in the Windows Sound Recorder or in other sound editing software.
2. Look for a command (Export, Save As and so on) in the File menu that lets you save the file in a different format.
3. Choose the command. You’ll receive a number of options.
4. Select a file format. Refer to the tips below for information about the more commonly used formats.
5. Decide whether to save the file as mono or stereo. Mono sound is 8-bit; stereo sound is 16-bit. Stereo sound is much higher-quality, but the file size is much larger. Select mono when speed of Internet download or storage space is an issue. Select stereo if you want high quality regardless of speed or size.
6. Decide on your sampling rate. The higher the sampling rate, the better the sound quality but the larger the file size. Select low sampling rates if download speed or storage space is important.
7. Save the file with a different name from the original. That way, you can make changes or save in another format if desired.
How to Exit a “Frozen” Windows Program:
1. Use the keyboard command Control+Alt+Delete, pressing the keys simultaneously. A box labeled Close Programs appears.
2. Scroll through the list of open programs until you come to the one that has frozen.
3. Select the frozen program.
4. Click on End Task.
5. A message will appear saying, ‘Program is not responding. End task?’ Click on End Task. The program will shut down, and you’ll be able to reopen it in the usual way.
How to Find Information on Using the Windows Registry:
1. Search the Web for general information on the Registry, what it is and what you can do with it. A search engine like Google or Yahoo! will provide a good start.
2. Check out Internet newsgroups, such as alt.windows98 and alt.windows95, and public Microsoft newsgroups.
3. Install the Registry backup utility “cfgback” if you are using Windows 95; it’s a useful backup tool. You can find it on the Windows 95 installation CD (other/misc/cfgback directory). Windows 98 users can use the “scanreg” program, which is included in the Windows 98 installation.
4. Look for useful utilities, like TweakUI, in your Windows 98 installation CD (Tools\Reskit\Powertoy) or on the Internet. This is a great tool, created by the Microsoft developers, to safely edit the Registry.
5. Look for books on the Registry or on advanced Windows techniques in general. They provide more detail on its structure, a variety of tips and tricks for improving Windows performance, and some include utilities on CD.
How to Fix Date and Time:
1. On the right side of the Taskbar at the bottom of your Windows screen, double-click directly on the time. The Date/Time control panel will automatically open.
2. To set the date, click on the correct day, month and year.
3. To set the time, enter the correct time in the box.
4. To set your time zone, click on the Time Zone tab, then select the correct zone from the drop-down menu.
How to Install TrueType Fonts on a Windows Computer:
1. Locate the fonts you want to install. TrueType fonts have an extension of .TTF.
2. Click the Start menu, and then choose Settings and then Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Fonts control panel.
4. Choose Install from the File menu.
5. Select the fonts you want to install, and then click OK.
How to Minimize a Window:
1. Open a window.
2. Look at the three boxes in the upper right-hand corner of the window’s title bar.
3. Click on the first square, marked with a line on the bottom, to minimize the window. The window then disappears from your screen, but its icon is visible on your taskbar.
4. To open the window again, click on the taskbar icon.
How to Play a Sound on a Windows Computer:
1. Locate the file that you want to play.
2. Double-click on the file to open it in the Media Player configured as the default.
3. Click Play and listen.
4. Go to the File menu and select Open to open and play a new file.
5. Locate the file that you want to play and open it.
6. Click Play.
How to Remove Items From the Start Menu:
1. Click Start.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Taskbar & Start Menu.
4. Click the Start Menu Programs tab.
5. Click Remove.
6. Click the item you wish to remove, and then click Remove.
7. Repeat Step 6 for additional items.
8. Click Close.
9. Click OK.
How to Set Windows Folder Options:
1. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer.
2. Click Folder Options from the Tools menu.
3. Select the General tab.
4. Click one of the first two options to use Microsoft-defined settings.
5. Or, to select custom settings, click the last option, and then click the Settings button.
6. Make your decisions, and then click OK.
7. Click the View tab.
8. Click the Like Current Folder button to make all folders take on the settings you’ve chosen.
9. In the list of options, choose what you want to appear in your folder windows.
10. Click OK.
How to Take a Snapshot of a Windows Computer Screen:
1. Set up your computer to display the screen that you want to capture. For example, if you want to take a picture of your Web site, open your home page in the browser that you normally use.
2. Press the Print Screen button on your keyboard. This captures a “snapshot” on the Clipboard.
3. Open a graphics program.
4. Open a new file.
5. Paste the contents of the Clipboard into your document (Control+V).
6. Your file now contains an image of the screen that you captured. Name your file and save it in the graphics format of your choice.
How to Use Mac Files on a Windows Computer:
1. If you can, save the file on your Mac using the same program (such as Microsoft Word or Excel, or WordPerfect) as you’ll be using on the PC. Make sure to add the three-letter file extension (such as ‘.doc’) when saving the file. You should be able to open the file on a PC just by dou-ble- clicking it, and your formatting should be retained.
2. If you don’t have the same program in Mac and PC versions, try saving your file in a common format, such as Rich Text Format (RTF), which most word processors can read, or JPEG, if saving images. To open these, you might need to open the program you want on the PC, then use the Open command in the File menu.
3. If the first two options don’t work, buy a conversion program for your PC to translate Mac file formats.
How to Use Windows Files and Disks on a Mac:
Opening Files by Double-Clicking
1. Make sure Automatic Document Translation is turned on in the Macintosh Easy Open or File Exchange control panel.
2. Put the PC disk in the Macintosh disk drive.
3. Double-click the PC disk icon.
4. Double-click the icon of the document you wish to open.
5. If the document doesn’t open immediately, the Mac’s Easy Open or File Exchange control panel may give you a list of applications to try. Choose the same type of application (graphics, word processing, spreadsheet) as the document.
6. If this method doesn’t work, open the Mac version of the PC application that created the document. (For example, if it is a Microsoft Word for Windows file, open Word on the Macintosh.) If you lack that application, try a similar one (for example, the word processor in AppleWorks). Open the File menu and choose Open, then browse your disks for the PC file. If the file you’re looking for doesn’t appear in the Open box, make sure that All Files is selected, if possible, in the File Type menu. If that doesn’t work, try another program.
Opening Files With the Open Command
1. This method can sometimes work when double-clicking fails. Open the same application if you have it. (For example, if it is a Word for Windows file, open Microsoft Word on the Macintosh).
2. Otherwise, open the same type of application – for example, if the file is a Word for Windows file, open the Claris Works word processor.
3. Choose Open from the File menu.
4. In the Open box, navigate to the file you’re trying to open and double-click it.
How to Use the Memory Function on Your Computer’s Calculator:
1. Click MS to store a displayed number in memory. A small M will appear over the number.
2. Click MR to retrieve a number that is stored in memory.
3. Click M+ to add the displayed number to the number that is already in memory.
4. Click MC to clear memory.
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