Booting up is a term for starting your personal computer. It initiates an automatic routine that clears the memory, (the computer's, not yours!) loads the operating system, and prepares the computer for use. Unless you want to become a computer guru, you do not have to read the technical messages.
After the start-up, what you should see on the monitor is the Windows
Desktop. It is the home base like the physical desk where your computer sits.
Several tools to get you started are placed on the background area. These
include a taskbar, icons, and a Start button. There will be variations from
computer to computer on what the Desktop looks like.
You will be able to customize the look of your Desktop to suit your artistic
feelings!
A window is a framed region on your screen. It is a rectangular pane with information in it. Once you have selected an option from a menu, another window appears. We call that, opening a window. Most windows contain icons on which you can click to activate a program.
The window is the rectangular area on the screen. Just like a real window,
you can open and close it.
Each window has a title bar at the top. It usually has the program name and the
name of the document displayed in it.
The menu bar is located directly under the title bar. It displays a list of
command categories. In each category of commands, there are a number of
choices.
The toolbar is usually located under the menu bar. It displays a row of buttons
for giving commands.
The taskbar is the gray bar at the bottom of the Desktop.
Task buttons appear on the taskbar to identify any open applications or programs
currently being used.
If a program is minimized (meaning it does not appear on the screen, but is
still being used), clicking on it from the taskbar brings it back onscreen. You
can easily switch to a different window by clicking its button on the taskbar.
The Start button is the button that takes you almost anywhere in Windows. It is located on the taskbar. Clicking on the Start button brings up a single menu from which many menus and programs can be accessed.
To display the Start menu, click the Start button. You see the following
sub-menus (Windows 95 does not have Favorites or Log Off):
Sub-menu - What it does
Programs -
View a list of your programs.
Favorites - Open your favorite files and Web pages.
Documents - Open a
recently opened document.
Settings - Modify desktop or system settings.
Find - Search for files or folders.
Help - Get answers to your questions.
Run - Open items such as Web pages, programs, and other computer sources.
Log
Off - Log off a Windows session.
Shut Down - Shut down
or restart your computer.
The top of the Start Menu is where you will put shortcuts to your most frequently used programs. To put a program on your Start button, simply drag any icon from your Desktop onto the Start button.
It is important to use the correct shutdown procedure. You should never just
shut off your computer.
Before you shut down, always save the files you are working on. Always close
Windows before shutting down your computer. This will help to protect your files
from data corruption.
To shut down:
• Click the Start button and select Shut Down.
• Select the Shut Down option.
• Click the OK or yes button.
• You will see a screen that tells you it is safe to turn off your PC.
Turn off the power to your computer. Do not forget to turn off the monitor, too.
Your PC may experience a puzzling failure from time to time. Sometimes it may just freeze up, for no reason at all. Do Not Worry. You Did Not Do It! It is just the nature of computers to get confused on occasion. When this happens your mouse will not respond to clicks and the keyboard stops working. The darn machine does not respond. You will have to restart your computer.
First, try the menu method.
• Click the Start button and select the Shut Down button.
• Select the Restart the Computer button.
• Click the Yes button.
If that did not work, try the alternate method.
• Press these three keys at the same time: Ctrl Alt Delete
• Select shutdown.
Third, last ditch method.
• Use the reset button if your machine has one
Or
• Turn off the power switch.