2 Insert the Student CD in the DVD/CD tray. If a dialog opens asking what action to take, click Cancel. You will be accessing the Student CD later in this lesson.

Customize the Start menu

Windows Vista allows you to customize the Start menu. You can add the programs or links you use most often to the Start menu so you do not have to search through the entire list of programs in the All Programs menu.

Add an item to the Start menu

The Start menu includes a program list of commonly used programs (Figure 4.1). Although this list is usually kept to a few entries, it gives you quick, one-click access to these programs from the Start menu. You will add a new entry to the program list. It could be a shortcut to a program or any file or folder on your desktop.

Figure 4.1 Start Menu and Program list

1 Click Start, click All Programs and click Accessories.

2 Find Paint in the list under Accessories and right-click the Paint entry.

A drop-down menu appears (see Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.2 Drop down menu after right click on Paint program entry

3 Click Pin to Start Menu and click in an area of blank space on the desktop to clear the menu.

The entry is added to the Start menu.

4 Click the Start button. The Start menu appears with the Paint icon entry added to the program list at the top of the left column.

A single-click of this entry will launch the Paint program (try it if you wish but then close the Paint program by clicking on the X in the title bar.)

More about the Start menu program list

The Start menu program list always appears in alphabetic order. If you hover the mouse pointer above an entry in the program list, a short description of the program appears.

Delete an item from the Start menu program list

You will now delete the Paint entry in the program list.

1 If the Start menu is not open, click the Start button.

2 Point to and right click the Paint entry in the program list.

A drop down-menu appears.

3 Click Unpin from Start Menu.

The entry no longer appears in the list.

Note: Removing a program or file from the Start menu does not delete the program or file from your computer. It simply deletes the shortcut (or link) to the program.

You will now learn how to modify the taskbar.

Move the Taskbar

By default, the taskbar is located at the bottom of the desktop along the bottom edge of your screen. If you would prefer to see the taskbar in a different location, Windows allows you to move it to a position along the left or right edge or across the top of your screen. You will practice moving the taskbar. However if the taskbar is locked, you cannot move it. The first thing to do is determined if it is locked.

1 Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar (any part that does not have buttons on it) to open a pop-up menu. If you see a checkmark next to Lock the Taskbar, click to remove it (see Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3 Pop up menu on right click on Taskbar

2 Place the mouse pointer on a blank area of the taskbar.

3 Press and hold down the mouse button while you drag the taskbar to the center of the right edge of the screen and release the mouse button.

The taskbar is now at the right edge. You probably see only a small portion of the wording on the task buttons. You will learn how to resize the taskbar in a section below.

4 Similarly, click hold and drag the taskbar to the top edge of the screen.

The taskbar appears along the top edge.

5 Finally, click, hold and drag the taskbar back to the bottom of the screen.

Resize the Taskbar

As you open programs and documents (thus creating more buttons) the task buttons become smaller to enable them to fit on the taskbar. Soon it may be difficult to distinguish one button from another. To remedy this problem, Windows enables you to increase the size of the taskbar.

The Taskbar should still be unlocked from the previous exercise.

1 Place the mouse pointer anywhere on the top edge of the taskbar.

The pointer becomes a double-headed arrow.

2 Hold down the mouse button and drag the edge of the taskbar upward. Release the mouse button.

The taskbar has increased in height making room for more task buttons (two rows if necessary).

3 To return the taskbar to its normal size, drag its top edge toward the bottom of the screen.

Hide the Taskbar

Windows also enables you to hide the taskbar. This allows you to see a little more of the window as you work on documents.

1 Place the pointer in a blank area of the taskbar.

2 Right-click the mouse button.

A pop-up menu appears.

3 Click Properties.

The Taskbar Properties dialog box appears (see Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4 Taskbar Properties dialog box

The first option, Lock the taskbar, specifies that no changes can be made to the taskbar without first unlocking it. You had previously unlocked it (if it was locked) to complete the exercises above.

4 Click to put a checkmark next to Lock the taskbar to prevent further accidental changes to the taskbar.

5 Click to put a checkmark next to Auto-hide the taskbar.

6 Leave the checkmark next to Keep the taskbar on top of other windows so that no other windows can cover the taskbar. It is best to leave this item checked so you can access the taskbar when you have other windows open. If you wanted to hide the taskbar even when you the desktop is displayed you would uncheck this option.

7 Click OK.

Unhide and hide the Taskbar

1 Place the mouse pointer in a blank area of the desktop away from the toolbar.

The taskbar disappears.

2 Move the mouse pointer to the bottom edge of the screen.

The taskbar re-appears.

3 Move your pointer away from the bottom and the taskbar disappears again.

If the taskbar is along the sides or top of the screen you must click somewhere in the document to make it disappear.

This behavior holds true if you have an open window. When the pointer is in the active area of the window, the taskbar is hidden, making more room available for the application window. To see and act on the taskbar, just bring the pointer down to the bottom of the screen.

Make the Taskbar permanently visible

1 When the taskbar is visible (see step 2 above), place the pointer in a blank area of the taskbar.

2 Right-click the mouse button.

A pop-up menu appears.

3 Click Properties.

The Taskbar Properties dialog box appears.

4 Click to remove the checkmark next to Auto Hide the Taskbar.

5 Click OK.

The taskbar is now fixed in place.

Open documents

Important: if you do not have Microsoft Office Word on your home computer, you will not be able to practice this exercise at home since WordPad does not have the ability to open multiple files simultaneously.

When you open a program or document a new task button is created on the taskbar with the title of the document on the button. You will now open some documents so you can see the effect of several buttons on the taskbar.

1 Click the Start button, move the pointer to All Programs, click Microsoft Office. A sub-menu opens listing the programs in Microsoft Office.

2 Click the Microsoft Office Word entry.

The Word program opens to a blank document and a Word task button appears on the taskbar.

3 If you have Word 2003: Click the New Blank Document icon at the top left of the toolbar (see Figure 4.5a for Word 2003)

Figure 4.5a New Document button in Word 2003

If you have Word 2007: click the Office icon in the top left corner and then click the New document icon (see Figure 4.5b).

Figure 4.5b New Document button in Word 2007

A new blank document opens and another task button is placed on the taskbar.

4 Repeat step 3 about ten times. Each time a new task button is added to the taskbar until the taskbar fills and then only one task button is shown, representing all the open Word documents.

See a document list on the Taskbar

If you have too many documents of one type open all of their buttons cannot be seen on the taskbar when it is set at the minimum height. The last open document button will display a little arrow on the right.

1 Click the arrow on a document button on the taskbar that displays the arrow.

A list of the open documents opens (see Figure 4.6).

Figure 4.6 Open documents list

Thumbnail View of document on the Taskbar

Place the mouse pointer on a task button and a thumbnail preview pops up showing a preview (albeit a very small preview!) of the document (see Figure 4.7)

Figure 4.7 Thumbnail preview on Taskbar

Close multiple instances of Word

1 Since you no longer need the Word documents open, click the Word task button on the taskbar to make the document visible.

2 Click the X at the very top right of the title bar to exit the copy of Word.

3 Repeat step 2 until all instances of Word are closed.

Quick Launch toolbar

You already have learned a few ways to launch programs. There is another way to access programs you frequently use. In Windows Vista, a portion of the taskbar can be used to hold icons for commonly used programs that can be launched with a single click. This area is called the Quick Launch toolbar (see Figure 4.8). You now will learn how to display and modify this toolbar.

Figure 4.8 Taskbar with Quick Launch toolbar to the right of Start Button

The Quick Launch toolbar may not currently be visible on your taskbar. This is a setting you will now check.

1 Place the mouse pointer on an empty area of the taskbar and right-click.

A pop-up menu appears (see the left side of Figure 4.9).

Figure 4.9 Taskbar pop-up menus

2 Point to Toolbars and a fly-out menu appears. Click Quick Launch on this menu (right side of Figure 4.9) to turn the Quick Launch feature on or off. A checkmark indicates that it is enabled.

Adding and deleting programs from the Quick Launch toolbar

The Quick Launch toolbar has two preset default icons:

Show Desktop

click this icon to show the desktop; all open applications are minimized to the taskbar.

Switch Between Windows

clicking this icon invokes the Flip 3D view (not available in Vista Home Basic) of all open applications. This will be covered shortly.

You will now add a program icon to the Quick Launch toolbar.

1 Click the Start Button, click All Programs, click Accessories.

The list of accessories opens.

2 Place the pointer on the Paint entry. Click, hold and drag the Paint entry down into the Quick Launch toolbar. Release the mouse button (see Figure 4.10).

The Quick Launch toolbar now holds the Paint program icon.

Figure 4.10

3 Single click the Paint program icon in the Quick Launch toolbar.

The Paint program launches. Close the program by clicking on the “X” in the title bar.

Remove a program from Quick Launch toolbar

You will now remove the Paint program from the Quick Launch toolbar.

1 Right-click the Paint program icon in the Quick Launch toolbar.

In the pop-up menu tha