Introducing Windows XP

Windows XP Basics
Windows XP features friendly new screens, simplified menus, and a whole lot more. Discover the fresh, streamlined design of Windows XP. Get acquainted with key tasks and basic commands.

The Windows Desktop
Using Windows XP is simple. First, you'll notice the large area on the screen, called the desktop, and the narrow band at the bottom, called the taskbar. Everything you can do on your computer appears inside frames that are called windows. You can open as many windows at one time as you like—and resize them, move them around, or restack them in any order.

Icons
The small pictures on the desktop are called icons. Think of them as doorways to the files and programs stored on your computer. Place your mouse over an icon. Text appears identifying its name or contents. To open the file or program, double-click the icon.

The first time you start Windows XP, you'll see only one icon—the Recycle Bin—where you can send files you wish to delete from your computer.

Shortcut icons are identified by the small arrow on the lower left corner of the image. These let you access:
• Programs
• Files
• Folders
• Disk drives
• Web pages
• Printers
• Other computers
Shortcut icons simply supply links to the programs or files they represent. You can add and delete them without affecting the actual programs or files.

Taskbar
Every time you open a window, a button representing it appears on the taskbar. The button disappears when you close a window.

The taskbar also contains the Start menu and notification area, where you'll see the clock. Other icons in the notification area can appear temporarily, showing the status of ongoing activities. For instance, the printer icon appears when you send a file to the printer, and disappears when printing is complete. You'll also be reminded in the notification area when new Windows updates are available to download from the Microsoft Web site.

Windows XP keeps the taskbar tidy by consolidating buttons when too many accumulate. For example, buttons representing individual e-mails are automatically grouped under a single e-mail button. Clicking the button lets you select a specific mail message from a convenient menu.

Start Menu
The Start menu appeared automatically the first time you ran Windows XP. You can return to the Start menu anytime by clicking the Start button on the taskbar.

The Start menu contains everything you need to begin using Windows. From it you can:
• Start programs.
• Open files.
• Customize your system with Control Panel.
• Get help by clicking Help and Support.
• Search for items on your computer or the Internet by clicking Search.
• And more!

Some commands on the Start menu have a right-facing arrow, which means additional choices are available on a secondary menu. Place your pointer over an item with an arrow and another menu appears.

The left side of the Start menu updates with links to the programs you use most frequently. At the top left are fixed or "pinned" items—shortcuts to things like your Internet browser and e-mail program.

Files and Folders
Each piece of work, or file, can be stored in a folder.

Windows XP makes it easy to store files in the places that make the most sense. Place text, image, and music files in the folders titled My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music. Those folders are all easy to find on the right side of the Start menu, and they offer convenient links to the tasks you'll perform most often.

Windows
Windows—frames within the desktop—display the contents of files and programs. Working with windows is easy when you know the basics.

The name of each window appears at the top, in a title bar.

Move a window by dragging it. Click the title bar and, while holding down the mouse button, move the mouse pointer across the computer screen.

Shrink a window by clicking the Minimize button, located at the right-hand side of the title bar. This reduces the window to a button on the taskbar.

Maximize a window by clicking the Maximize button, located to the right of the minimize button. This enlarges the window to fill the desktop. Click the button again to restore the window to its original size.

Inside a window, browse the menus to see the different commands and tools you can use. When you find the command you want, just click it.

If a program needs some information from you before it can complete a command, a dialog box appears. To enter information, you might need to:
• Click and type in a text box.
• Select a choice in a list by clicking the arrow button to show the list, and then clicking the item you want.
• Choose a single option by clicking a radio button.
• Place a check mark in a check box next to one or more options that you want.

If the contents of your file don't fit in the window, drag the scroll bar or click the scroll buttons at the side and/or bottom of the window to move the contents up, down, or sideways.

To change the window size, click the edge of a window and drag the border to the size you want.

Control Panel
Customizing your computer settings is simple with Windows XP Control Panel. Open it by clicking Control Panel on the Start menu. From Control Panel you can:
• Change the way Windows XP looks and acts.
• Add and remove programs or hardware devices.
• Set up network connections and user accounts.
• And more

Ending Your Session
When you want to interrupt your Windows session and let someone else use the computer, go to the Start menu. Click Log off and then Switch User. Windows XP then will be ready to welcome a different user.

When everyone's finished, go to the Start menu and click Turn off computer. The next time you log on, the Welcome screen will be the first thing you'll see. Just click your name, type your password if you have one, and you'll be back at the Windows desktop.