The document provides guidance on navigating and performing common tasks in the Windows 8 operating system. It begins by explaining what an operating system is and its basic functions. It then details how to start and sign into Windows 8, open and close apps, explore the desktop, use tools on the taskbar, manipulate windows, and move between open windows. Tips are provided throughout on using touch gestures, snapping apps, tabbed browsing, and other Windows 8 features. The document aims to teach users fundamental Windows 8 skills.

1. MODULE 2
SKILLS
Microsoft Windows 8
Navigating around Windows
Managing Files and Folders
Working with Windows Settings,
Accessories, Security, and Help
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 1

2. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 2
 Windows 8 is an operating system
 The operating system performs basic tasks,
including:
– recognizing input from the keyboard and the mouse
(or from the touch screen)
– sending output to the monitor
– keeping track of saved files and folders
– controlling disk drives and printers

3. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 3
Understanding How Windows
Interacts with Applications
 An app, such as Microsoft
Word, interacts with the
operating system to execute
many of its commands,
including opening and saving
a file

4. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power of
Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 4
Getting Started with Windows
 Microsoft chose the term windows to describe
the graphical user interface (GUI) that it
developed for use on personal computers
 The Start button has been replaced by the Start
screen
 The icons have been replaced by tiles
 You can simply go to the Start screen and begin
typing the name of what you need
 The new user interface is touch-friendly

5. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 5
Managing Files and Folders
 Your computer’s operating system provides the
tools for organizing files into folders and for
copying, moving, or deleting files and folders

6. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 6
Changing Settings and Using Accessories
 Windows 8 offers a Control Panel component
where you can add or remove printers and
other hardware devices

7. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 7
Changing Settings and Using
Accessories…continued

8. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 8
Using a Touch Screen
 Key touch screen interactions include:
– Tap. Tap the screen once
– Press and hold. Press on the screen for a couple of
seconds
– Pinch. Touch the screen with two or more fingers
spread apart and move them toward one another
– Stretch. Touch the screen with two or more fingers
close together and move them apart

9. SKILLS
Guidelines for Using the Power
of Windows…continued
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 9
Using a Touch Screen…continued
– Rotate. Touch the screen with two or more fingers
and turn your hand
– Slide. Touch the screen and drag to the left, right, up,
or down
– Move. Press an image or text area and drag it from
one part of the screen to another
– Swipe. Use a quick, short movement to swipe in from
the edge of the screen

10. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 10
Navigating around Windows

11. SKILLS
Skills You Learn
1. Start and sign in to Windows
2. Open and close apps with tiles
3. Open and close apps without tiles
4. Explore the desktop
5. Work with tools on the Taskbar
6. Open and close programs
7. Manipulate windows
8. Move among open windows
9. Work with menus, toolbars, and ribbons
10. Use keyboard shortcuts
11. Make selections in dialog boxes
12. Shut down or put Windows to sleep
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 11

12. SKILLS
Skill 1 Steps: Start and Sign In to Windows
1. Turn on your computer
2. Press any key or click anywhere in the Lock
screen to go to the Sign-in screen
3. Type your password and then press Enter
4. Move the mouse pointer to the upper right corner
of the screen
5. Move the pointer down and click the Settings
charm to open the Settings pane
6. Position the mouse pointer in a blank area of the
Start screen and click
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 12

13. SKILLS
Skill 1 Steps…continued
7. Click your account picture, review the options,
and then click in a blank area of the Start
screen to close the drop-down menu
8. Right-click in a blank area of the Start screen to
open the Windows toolbar
9. Click the All apps icon in the Windows toolbar to
display the Apps screen
10. Right-click in a blank area of the Apps screen
11. Click the All apps icon to return to the Start
screen
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 13

14. SKILLS
Skill 1 Visual: Start and Sign In to Windows
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Move the mouse pointer
to the upper right corner
of the screen to display
the Charms bar.

15. SKILLS
Skill 1 Visual…continued
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Click the All apps icon to
return to the Start screen.

16. SKILLS
Skill 2 Steps: Open and Close Apps with Tiles
1. From the Start screen, click the Internet
Explorer tile
2. Press the Windows key ( ) to return to the
Start screen
3. Click the Weather tile to open the Weather app
in a new window
4. Click the News tile to open the News app in
another new window
5. Move the mouse pointer to the upper left corner
of the screen
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 16

17. SKILLS
Skill 2 Steps…continued
6. Click the Weather thumbnail to return to the
Weather app
7. Move the mouse pointer to the upper left corner
of the screen and then move it down the left
edge of the screen until you see the thumbnails
for Internet Explorer and News
8. Move the mouse pointer outside the thumbnail
pane to close the pane
9. Repeat Step 7 to reopen the thumbnail pane
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 17

18. SKILLS
Skill 2 Steps…continued
10. Click the Internet Explorer thumbnail to switch
to that app
11. Move the mouse pointer up to the top of the
Internet Explorer window until the pointer
changes to a hand
12. Click your mouse button and drag down until
the Internet Explorer window restores down
13. Using the technique in Steps 11 and 12, close
the Weather and News apps
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 18

19. SKILLS
Skill 2 Visual…continued
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Click the Internet
Explorer thumbnail
to switch to that app.

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Snapping an App
 The Snap feature docs an app window on the left or
right of your screen
 Follow these steps to snap an app:
– from the Start screen, click the Weather tile to open the
Weather app
– Return to the Start screen and open the News app
– Move the mouse pointer to the top edge of the News
window until it turns into a hand and then click and drag
the window to the left or right edge of the screen until it
collapses
– Open the collapsed window by double-clicking the vertical
ellipses ( ) on its right edge

21. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 21
Using Tabbed Browsing
 Some apps, like Internet Explorer, offer tabbed
browsing
 All open tabs display in a thumbnail view at the
top of the screen when you right-click in a blank
area of the screen
 To navigate to an open tab, click its thumbnail
 To close an open tab, click the Close button on
the thumbnail

22. SKILLS
Skill 3 Steps: Open and Close Apps
without Tiles
1. Open the Start screen and move the mouse
pointer to the upper right corner of the screen
to display the Charms bar
2. Click the Search charm
3. Type word in the search box
4. Click WordPad in the Apps results list to open
that application
5. Press the Windows key
6. From the Start screen, begin to type paint
7. Click Paint in the Apps results list
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 22

23. SKILLS
Skill 3 Steps…continued
8. Press the Windows key
9. Right-click in a blank area and then click the All
apps icon on the Windows toolbar
10. Click File Explorer in the Windows System group
11. Click the Paint button on the Windows Taskbar
12. Click the Close button in the Paint window
13. Right-click the WordPad button on the Taskbar
and then click Close window
14. Use the technique described in Step 13 to close
File Explorer
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 23

24. SKILLS
Skill 3 Visual: Open and Close Apps
without Tiles
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 24
Type word in
the search box.

25. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 25
Comparing Apps in the Windows 8 User
Interface versus the Desktop Interface
 The new interface, sometimes referred to as the
Modern UI, is seen on the Windows 8 Start screen
 On the Start screen, apps are represented by tiles
that you tap or click to open
 In apps opened from the Start screen, content is
displayed in a full screen, with features and tools
hidden until you need them
 To find new Windows 8 apps, click or tap the Store
tile on the Start screen to open the Windows Store

26. SKILLS
Skill 4 Steps: Explore the Desktop
1. From the Start screen, click the Desktop tile
2. Move the mouse pointer to the lower left corner
of the screen until the Start thumbnail appears
3. Click the Start thumbnail to return to the Start
screen and then click the Desktop tile to return
to the desktop
4. Move the mouse pointer across the Taskbar to
the notification area icons on the right
5. Move the mouse pointer to the upper right
corner of the screen to display the Charms bar
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 26

27. SKILLS
Skill 4 Steps…continued
6. Move the mouse pointer away from the
Charms bar to hide the bar
7. Move the mouse pointer over the Recycle Bin
icon and then right-click the Recycle Bin icon
8. Do not click the Pin to Start option
9. Click in a blank area of the desktop to close
the shortcut menu
10. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon
11. Click the Close button to close the Recycle Bin
window
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 27

28. SKILLS
Skill 4 Visual: Explore the Desktop
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 28
Move the mouse pointer to the
lower left corner of the screen
until the Start thumbnail appears.
Recycle Bin icon
notification area

29. SKILLS
Skill 5 Steps: Work with Tools on the Taskbar
1. Press the Windows key to open the Start screen
2. Click the Desktop tile to open the desktop
3. Click the pinned File Explorer button on the
Taskbar to open the File Explorer window
4. Click the Close button in the Libraries window
5. Click the Speaker icon in the notification area on
the Taskbar
6. Click the speaker volume control lever, hold
down the mouse button, drag the lever, and then
release the mouse button
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 29

30. SKILLS
Skill 5 Steps…continued
7. Click the Action Center icon in the notification
area on the Taskbar
8. Review the information in the Action Center by
clicking the Open Action Center link
9. Close the Action Center window by clicking the
Close button
10. Click the current time and date in the Taskbar
to display the calendar and clock
11. Click a blank area of the desktop to close the
calendar and clock
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 30

31. SKILLS
Skill 5 Visual: Work with Tools on the Taskbar
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 31
Click the Action Center icon in the
notification area on the Taskbar.

32. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 32
Changing Notification Area Icons
 To avoid clutter, display only those icons you
want visible at all times
 Keep the rest of the icons in the overflow area,
which you can display by clicking the Show
Hidden Icons button at the left of the Action
Center icon

33. SKILLS
Skill 6 Steps: Open and Close Programs
1. Open the Start screen and click the Word 2013
tile to start the Word 2013 application and
display the Word 2013 button in the Windows
Taskbar
2. Click the Internet Explorer button on the
Taskbar
3. Right-click in a blank area of the Taskbar and
then click Show the desktop to display the
desktop
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 33

34. SKILLS
Skill 6 Steps…continued
4. Move the pointer over the Word button on the
Taskbar to display a live preview thumbnail
5. Click the thumbnail to open the Word window
6. Click the Close button to close Word 2013 and
return to the desktop
7. Hover the pointer over the Internet Explorer
button on the Taskbar to display the live
preview thumbnail
8. Hover the mouse pointer over the thumbnail
and click the Close button that displays in the
top right corner
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 34

35. SKILLS
Skill 6 Visual: Open and Close Programs
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 35
Move the pointer over the Word
button on the Taskbar to display a
live preview thumbnail.

36. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 36
Using Jump Lists
 You can open a Jump List from the Taskbar
 For example:
– right-click the Internet Explorer button on the Taskbar
to display a list of frequently visited websites
– or right-click the Outlook button on the Taskbar to
display a list of Outlook tasks, such as New Contact
 Open a Jump List item by clicking it

37. SKILLS
Skill 7 Steps: Manipulate Windows
1. From the Start screen, click the Desktop tile
and then click the Internet Explorer button
2. Click the Minimize button to reduce the window
to a button on the Taskbar
3. Click the Internet Explorer button on the
Taskbar to redisplay the window
4. If the window does not currently fill the entire
screen, click the Maximize button to enlarge the
window size
5. Click the Restore Down button to reduce the
size of the window
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 37

38. SKILLS
Skill 7 Steps…continued
6. Click the Title bar and hold down the mouse
button while you drag to move the window
7. Place your mouse pointer on the right window
border and reduce the size of the window by
clicking the window border and dragging
8. Place your mouse pointer on the bottom border of
the window and reduce the size of the window by
clicking the window border and dragging upward
9. Click the Maximize button
10. Click the Close button
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 38

39. SKILLS
Skill 7 Visual: Manipulate Windows
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 39
Click the Title bar and hold
down the mouse button while
you drag to move the window.

40. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 40
Switching between Windows in the Windows
User Interface
 From any open window, press Ctrl + Alt + Tab to
see a bar displaying thumbnails of all the open
windows on your computer
 Hover your mouse pointer over each thumbnail
to see the full open window displayed behind
the thumbnail bar
 Click a thumbnail to stay on a window and close
the thumbnail bar

41. SKILLS
Skill 8 Steps: Move among Open Windows
1. From the desktop, click the Internet Explorer
button
2. Click the File Explorer button on the Taskbar to
display your Libraries
3. Right-click in a blank area of the Taskbar to
display the shortcut menu
4. Click Cascade windows to display the windows
in a cascade arrangement
5. Right-click in a blank area of the Taskbar to
display the shortcut menu
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 41

42. SKILLS
Skill 8 Steps…continued
6. Click Show windows side by side to display the
windows in a side-by-side arrangement
7. Click the Maximize button in the Internet
Explorer window
8. Click the Close button to close the Internet
Explorer window
9. Right-click the File Explorer button on the
Taskbar to display the shortcut menu
10. Click Close window to close the Libraries
window
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 42

43. SKILLS
Skill 8 Visual: Move among Open Windows
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 43
Click Cascade
windows to display the
windows in a cascade
arrangement.

44. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 44
Shaking Windows
 To experiment with the Shake feature:
– open at least three windows and use the Restore
Down button to reduce the size of all three windows
– click one of the windows and then drag that window
from side to side quickly
– all of the open windows minimize except the one you
are “shaking”
 This feature provides a quick way to minimize
multiple windows

45. SKILLS
Skill 9 Steps: Work with Menus, Toolbars,
and Ribbons
1. From the desktop, click the File Explorer button
2. Click the View tab in the ribbon and then click
the Sort by button to see its drop-down list
3. Click the Close button
4. Open the Start screen by pointing to the upper
right corner and then clicking the Start charm
5. Display the Charms bar again, click the Search
charm, type notepad in the search box, and
then click Notepad from the Apps results list
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 45

46. SKILLS
Skill 9 Steps…continued
6. Click the File button to display the File menu
7. Click Open to display the Open dialog box and
then click the Cancel button
8. Click the Format button to display the Format
menu
9. If there is not a check mark next to Word Wrap,
click the Word Wrap option
10. Click the Format button
11. Click the Close button to close the Notepad
window
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 46

47. SKILLS
Skill 9 Visual: Work with Menus, Toolbars,
and Ribbons
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 47
Click the File button to
display the File menu, and
then click Open to display
the Open dialog box.

48. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 48
Using Toolbars
 Certain toolbars are turned on by default and
others can be turned on by the user
 Right-click a toolbar to see the other available
toolbars you can display
 Check marks display next to the names of the
toolbars that are turned on and displayed

49. SKILLS
Skill 10 Steps: Use Keyboard Shortcuts
1. Display the Charms bar, click the Search
charm, type notepad, and then click Notepad
2. Press the Alt key to activate the menu bar
3. Press the F key to display the File menu
4. Press Alt + F4 to close the Notepad window
5. Display the Charms bar, click the Search
charm, type help in the search box, and then
click Help and Support in the Apps results list
6. Press the Tab key
7. Press Alt + F4 to close the window
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 49

50. SKILLS
Skill 10 Visual: Use Keyboard Shortcuts
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 50
Press Enter to
select this link.

51. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 51
Trying More Keyboard Shortcuts
 Win + C (Display the Charms bar)
 Win + I (Open the Settings pane)
 Win + X (Open a shortcut menu for accessing
File Explorer, Search, Desktop, and more)
 Ctrl + Alt + Del (Lock the computer, switch
users, sign out, or access the Task Manager)

52. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 52
Memorizing Your Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts
 Memorizing common keyboard shortcuts can
save you time and increase your productivity
 To learn more, display the Windows Help and
Support window and type keyboard shortcuts in
the search box
 After pressing Enter, click one of the result links
to research keyboard shortcuts that could help
you become more efficient

53. SKILLS
Skill 11 Steps: Make Selections
in Dialog Boxes
1. From the desktop, open Notepad
2. Type your first name
3. Click the Format button to display the Format
menu
4. Click Font to display the Font dialog box
5. Click 18 in the Size list box
6. Click Bold in the Font style list box
7. Click OK
8. Click the File button to display the File menu
9. Click Print to display the Print dialog box
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 53

54. SKILLS
Skill 11 Steps…continued
10. Click the Print to file check box
11. Click the up arrow next to the Number of
copies measurement box
12. Click the down arrow next to the Number of
copies measurement box
13. Double-click the number in the Number of
copies measurement box to select it and then
type 5
14. Click the Cancel button to close the dialog box
without printing
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 54

55. SKILLS
Skill 11 Visual: Make Selections
in Dialog Boxes
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 55
Make the desired
changes in the Font
dialog box.

56. SKILLS
Skill 12 Steps: Shut Down or
Put Windows to Sleep
1. Click the Settings charm
2. Click the Power button and then click Sleep
3. Wait 30 seconds or more and then press Enter
to wake up the computer
4. Press any key to display the Sign-in screen
5. Type your password in the Password text box
and then press Enter
6. Click your user name and then click Sign out
7. Press the Enter key, click the Power button,
and then click Shut down
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 56

57. SKILLS
Skill 12 Visual: Shut Down
or Put Windows to Sleep
© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 57
Click the Power
button, and then
click Sleep.

58. SKILLS© Paradigm Publishing, Inc. 58
Restarting versus Shutting Down
 You can restart the computer
– either by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete
– or by selecting Restart from the Power icon in the
Settings panel on the Charms bar (if available)
 Restart, sometimes called reboot, closes
Windows, powers off, and then repowers the
computer and reopens Windows
 Shut down closes Windows and powers off the
computer