Windows is the operating system that lets you give orders to your computer. The system acts on your commands. Newer versions of operating systems offer more advantages, so make sure you have the latest version.
The Desktop is the working area (background) of the Windows display on your
computer.
Look at your desk at home or work. It is the area where you do your
paperwork. You pull a file, letter, or your checkbook from a drawer, do some
work, and put it back when you are finished. The Desktop of the computer is
where you will pull out your electronic files, write electronic letters or work
in your computer-based checkbook.
When you start your computer, you will see
several screens go by before you arrive at the main Windows screen, which is the
Desktop.
The taskbar is the horizontal bar along the bottom of the Desktop. It has the
Start button on the left. Displayed in small rectangles near the middle of the
taskbar are the programs that are running. Near the right side, you will see the
programs or tasks that start automatically when you start Windows. On the far
right, you will see the time displayed.
The taskbar allows you to start your
navigation process through all of the computer files.
An icon is a little picture that represents a program, command, or a file.
For instance, the My Computer icon looks like a small computer.
Icons that have
a small white arrow in the lower left corner are Shortcuts. The arrow indicates
that the icon is a shortcut that points to a program, folder, or other item. A
shortcut is a quick way to open a program or file.
A pointer is the arrow you use to choose things on screen. Since the Shortcut is simply a pointer to a specific program or file, you can delete the shortcut or remove it from the Desktop without actually deleting the program or file.
The (A:) drive is the floppy drive. Older computers used to have two floppy
drives, and the second one was the (B:) drive.
The (C:) drive is the hard disk drive. This drive is non-removable.
The (D:) drive is usually the CD-ROM drive. Sometimes it is the (E:) drive.
A file is a collection of information, with a unique name, stored in your
computer or on a removable disk.
Your checking account could be in one file. A
single letter could be in another file or a collection of letters could be in
one file.
The last three letters (suffix) of a file name designate an extension. An
extension identifies the format of the file. It is preceded by a period.
Every
file is in a specific format. There are many different formats. By naming a file
with an extension, you tell the computer which format the file is in. That way
the computer knows what format to use each time you want to work with that file.
Folders are special files that can hold multiple documents. They allow you to
organize information. Folders can hold both files and other folders
(subfolders).
For example, you could put all of your letters to Aunt Mary in a
folder with her name on it; or you could put the Aunt Mary folder into the
General Correspondence folder, that holds many other files and folders.