This document provides an introduction to computers and the Windows operating system. It defines basic computer components like the monitor, system unit, keyboard, and mouse. It describes the Windows desktop interface including the taskbar, icons, start button and start menu. It explains how to start and shut down a computer properly. It covers using and customizing the mouse, opening and closing programs, using menu bars and toolbars, and cutting, copying and pasting text. The document is intended as an introductory guide for new computer users to learn basic computer and Windows concepts.

1. INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTERS WINDOWS
Part I
March 2015
BUCHANAN ETU QUICK COMPUTER
PROJECT FOR NURSES

2. Agenda
 What is a computer?
 What is an operating system?
 The Windows Screen
 Starting and shutting down yourcomputer
 The mouse according to Windows
 Opening and closing programs
 Menu bars and Tool Bars
 Cut/Copy and Paste
 Furtherstudy

3. What is a Computer
 Screen (Monitor)
 Box (System Unit)
 motherboard
 hard drive
 floppy drive
 CD-ROM/DVD
 Keyboard
 mouse
 Peripherals

4. Windows 7 Desktop
Operating system
Desktop
Taskbar
Window
Icon
Desktop
Taskbar
Icons
Start button

5. The Start Menu
Programs
Control Panel
System folders
Help and Support
All Programs
Shut down
Search box
Start button

6. Starting yourcomputer
 Before starting your computer make sure you do
not have a diskette in your A drive
 To start your computer just turn on the power
switch or power bar (the computer will take a few
minutes to go through its initialization procedure
and you will eventually see your desktop and
icons)
 If this does not happen check that your monitor
(i.e. screen ) is on.

7. Starting yourcomputer, cont.
 If computer was shutdown improperly, you
may see a screen saying Windows would like
to check your files for errors.
 It may then say it has found an error and ask if
it should fix the error. You will probably want
to tell it to fix the error and skip the undo disk
and next time try to do a proper shutdown

8. Shutting down yourcomputer
 Windows is very finicky about being shut down
properly (do not just shut the power off)
 Move your cursor to start button and click
 Click on the radio button beside Shut down
 Click on OK button
 WAIT (Windows will go through an elaborate
process of making sure all programs are shut
down. You will then see a Windows screen and
eventually a black screen with the words “It’s
now safe to turn off your computer”)

9. Shutting down yourcomputer,
cont.
 You may now turn off the power button/bar.
 In some cases when Windows cannot finish
it’s shutdown sequence, your may have to
shut down by restarting or shutting off the
power before Windows is ready.

10. Restarting your computer
 Sometimes your computer will start doing
funny things or your mouse will stop working
 Try ALT + CTL + DELETE
 If you see a program is not responding, you
can try to highlight that program and press the
“End Task” button.
 If nothing happens try ALT + CTL + DELETE
again. This will restart your computer

11. Restarting your computer, cont.
 If your mouse is working you can click on Start
button, click on Shutdown but click on the
radio button beside Restart and your computer
will restart
 Useful if your modem stops functioning.

12. Mouse
 Pointing device that moves pointer or cursor
 Point and click (tip of the arrow is the point)
 Left and right buttons
 Start programs - 1 click vs 2 clicks
 Highlight text (click and drag)
 Practice makes perfect

13. Cursor Types
 Arrow
 Busy
 Text
 Double arrow
 Hand

14. Scrolling pages
 Mouse
 Clickon up and down arrows
or
 Clickon top of and below that darkerbox without
touching the box
or
 Clickand drag the darkerbox
 Keyboard (make sure cursoris on page by
clicking on empty space)
 Use arrow keys
 Use page up, page down, home and end

15. Opening Programs
 If on desktop as icon, double click on icon.
If does not open press “Enter” key.
 Click on “Start” button, Move cursor up to
“Programs”. After menu on the right appears
move cursor over to menu and up or down
to required program. Click on program
 If program has been minimized and appears
on task bar, click on square representing
program.

16. Customize the Desktop
Screen SaverWindow ColorDesktop Background
Themes

17. Closing programs
 Click on the X icon in the top right hand corner
of the window
or
 Put your cursor on File in menu bar and click,
then move cursor down the drop-down menu to
the bottom to word “Quit” or “Exit” or “Close”.
Click on the word
or
 Hold down the Alt key and press F4.

18. Minimize window
Enlarge Screen
Close
Program

19. Title bar
Menu bar
Tool bar
Format bar
Status bar
Task bar
Start button

20. Using Menu Bars
 All Windows programs have a menu bar and
everything you can do with that program will be
available from one of the drop-down menus
 Place tip of the cursor on the word in Menu bar
and click. Move cursor down drop-down menu
to action you want to perform and click.
 If item has an arrow pointing to the right move
cursor to the right to see the submenu.

21. Menu items common to most
Windows programs
 File (includes New file, open file, save and print
functions)
 Edit (includes Find and Cut, Copy and Paste)
 View (allows you to change the look of screen
by adding and subtracting bars like tool bar)
 Tools (most programs but program specific)
 Window (allows you arrange windows and
choose between different files)
 Help used to give help in program’s functions
and gives version no. for troubleshooting
purposes

22. Cut/Copy and Paste
 Place your cursor at the beginning of the text you
would like to cut or copy, click with left-hand
button keeping the button down.
 Move the cursor to right to highlight the section or
words you want to copy (move cursor down to get
whole paragraph or page)
 When the text you wanted to copy or move is
highlighted, let go of the mouse button
 If you highlight too much text, do not let go of the
button but adjust the cursor until you have the
right amount of text. If you let go, start over by
clicking anywhere that is not a link and start over.

23. Cut/Copy and Paste, cont.
 Move cursor to Edit in Menu bar and move
down the drop down menu until you reach
“Cut” or “Copy” and click (“Cut” will remove
the text and “Copy” will leave it where it is)
 Move the cursor to the area of the document
or file where you would like to put the text and
click making sure the blinking cursor is where
you want the text to be
 Move cursor to Edit in Menu bar and move
down drop down menu until you reach Paste
and click

24. Using Tool Bars
 Icons which represent frequently used actions
 Place tip of cursor in middle of icon and click
 Opening files, printing, and saving files are
common in tool bars
 If you do not know what an icon signifies,
move cursor over the icon and wait for a
couple of seconds and a brief description will
appear.
 If do not need tool bar (all actions available
from Menu bar) can get rid of tool bar by
clicking on “View” in Menu bar

25. FurtherstudyFurtherstudy
To be cont.…To be cont.…