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Monday, February 11, 2008

Windows 98

Windows 98
Basic Elements of the Windows 98 Interface

It's important that you know the name and function of each graphical element in a Windows screen, because each element causes some effect when clicked.
Windows desktop containing multiple application windows. The identifies the parts of a typical Windows 98 screen.

Program and Document Shortcut Icons

You can place shortcut icons on the desktop that point to program or document files. Clicking an icon starts the program or opens the document in the appropriate application. By modifying the shortcut's properties, you can control how the program's window opens.
Folder Icons
Clicking a shortcut icon that points to a folder will open the folder into a window. A folder shortcut also acts as conduit to the actual folder. For example, dragging a file from the Windows Explorer and dropping it onto a folder shortcut places that file into the folder the shortcut points to.
Desktop
The Windows Desktop covers the entire screen and lies under all icons, windows, and objects. It is the container for shortcut icons, taskbar, desktop toolbars, and program windows. When the desktop displays active content such as a Web site or Channel bars, it is known as the Active Desktop.

Active Desktop

The Windows desktop becomes the Active Desktop when it displays active content such as Web components or links to Web data or an active channel. It can contain hyperlinks that open programs, documents, or Web sites. It also can display information that frequently updates through an Internet or intranet connection.
My Computer

The My Computer shortcut gives you access to all the resources in your computer, hard drives, CD-ROMs, Control Panel, printers, and so forth. The My Computer window displays the same resources as the left pane of the Windows Explorer.

Network Neighborhood

If you are connected to a network, click Network Neighborhood to open an Explorer Window displaying all your network resources. You can connect or disconnect from network drives, find computers on the network, or use network resources such as shared folders and files.
Start

Click Start to display a menu of programs, documents, and Windows tools. All Windows features are available through Start or from one of its submenus. Start is displayed at the left end of a horizontal taskbar or the top of a vertical taskbar.
Taskbar

The taskbar is easily accessed to show you all programs currently open and running. Click a program button in the taskbar to activate the Window containing that program. The taskbar is movable and can be relocated or resized to anywhere onscreen. You can hide the taskbar so that it displays only when the pointer touches the screen edge containing the taskbar.
Channel Guide

The channel guide is displayed both on the Active Desktop and in Internet Explorer. It gives you easy access to specialized Web sites that can send information to your browser at predefined times. Web sites that use a channel include a navigation map that enables you to find information more quickly.
Desktop Toolbars

Desktop toolbars give you quick access to frequently used programs, documents, folders, and hyperlinks; clicking a button on a toolbar opens that program, document, folder, or Web site. Toolbars are more accessible than desktop shortcuts because you can move and resize them as well as hide them against the side of a screen. When you move the mouse pointer against that side of the screen, the toolbar is displayed, ready for use.
Shortcut Menus

Shortcut menus display menus that contain the most appropriate actions for the item on which you right-click. This is a real time-saving feature.
Property Sheets

Resources in Windows such as the desktop, printers, shortcut icons, disks, folders, and so forth have associated property sheets. These property sheets display fixed and changeable characteristics (properties) about the item. Display property sheets through a menu selection or by right-clicking the item and then clicking Properties.
Using the Mouse

Nearly all actions in Windows and Windows programs can be controlled with the mouse. Most people, after they become familiar with Windows, use a combination of mouse actions, reserving a few keystroke combinations for frequently repeated commands.

CAUTION: Windows 98 can be configured to use the Web style single-click with a mouse rather than the Classic style double-click to complete some Windows actions. Learn about these two styles in the following sections.

Dragging Items with a Mouse

Dragging with a mouse selects multiple text characters or moves graphic objects such as windows. Dragging is the same whether you have single- or double-click selected. Place the mouse pointer over a movable object, such as a file icon; then press and hold down the left mouse button. Continue holding the button down as you move the mouse. The object will move with the mouse pointer. When you have positioned the object where you want it, release the mouse button to drop the object.

TIP: Select multiple items on the desktop by clicking on the desktop and dragging the selection rectangle that displays so that it surrounds the items. Release to select all objects within the rectangle.

Right-Clicking to Display Shortcut Menus

Most objects in Windows and Windows programs have a shortcut menu associated with them. This shortcut menu contains frequently used commands appropriate to the selected item. For example, the shortcut menu that displays when you right-click selected text includes the commands Cut, Copy, and Paste.
In some situations, such as dragging a file onto the desktop, you can drag using the right mouse button. When you release the right mouse button, a shortcut menu will display that gives you the choices of Move Here, Copy Here, and Create Shortcut(s) Here.

TIP: Hold the Shift key down as you right-click a file or folder to get a menu listing every available command.

Activating with Classic Style (Double-Click Methods)

When Windows is configured in classic style, a single-click selects an item, such as a file, folder, or shortcut, and a double-click activates it. You can select adjacent (contiguous) items by clicking the first file in a list and then holding the Shift key as you click the last file you want selected. All files between the first click and Shift+click are selected. To select multiple nonadjacent files, click the first file; then hold the Ctrl key down as you click additional files in the same folder. Ctrl+click a selected file to deselect it.
Activating with Web Style (Single-Click Method)

Changing Windows 98 to use a Web style of navigation makes the mouse work on the desktop or in Windows and Internet Explorer as it does on Web pages. A single click activates an item. For example, a single-click on a desktop icon opens the icon's program or document.
NOTE: If you have just switched to the Web style, you might find yourself occasionally opening more files and folders than you want. What you might find occurring while in Web style is that you open a folder in the Explorer's right pane the old way, with a double-click, only to find that you've activated a program or document. What has happened is that the first click opened the folder and the second click activated a file or program.

To select a single desktop item, or a file or folder in Explorer, move the pointer over the item and pause. The focus, highlighting, will move to that item.
To select multiple adjacent items on the desktop or in the Explorer, move the pointer over the first item and pause until it is selected. Do not click. Hold down the Shift key and move the pointer smoothly until it is over the last item you want selected; then pause. All items between the first and last will be selected.
To select nonadjacent items on the desktop or in Explorer, move the pointer over the first item and pause until it is selected. Do not click. Hold down the Ctrl key and smoothly move the pointer over the next item to select and pause until that item is selected. Continue the process of holding the Ctrl key, moving and pausing until each nonadjacent item is selected.
Activate or run multiple selected items by right-clicking one of the items and selecting Open or another appropriate command from the shortcut menu.
Using the Microsoft Intellipoint Mouse

Microsoft's Intellipoint mouse was released coincidentally with the release of Office 97. This new mouse has a small wheel between the left and right mouse buttons. Rolling the wheel with your index finger enables you to scroll without using scroll bars, pan in any direction, zoom documents using different magnifications, expand/collapse outlines, and drill down or up in worksheet data. The features available depend on the program.

CAUTION: Only programs designed to work with the Intellipoint mouse take advantage of its features.

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