SeniorNet
Exploring
Windows
Lesson Five: More Windows
In the last lesson you learned all about the taskbar, task switching and shortcuts.
In this lesson you will learn how to review and modify the properties of your keyboard, mouse and display settings.
In this lesson you will learn to:
· Review and change keyboard and mouse properties
· Change the background display
· Change your screen saver
· Change the color schemes of the various window parts
· Change the date and time
Contents Page
Objectives...................................................................................................................................... 1
Start Windows............................................................................................................................... 3
Control Panel................................................................................................................................. 3
Keyboard properties.................................................................................................................... 4
Change keyboard speed properties............................................................................................ 5
Mouse Properties.......................................................................................................................... 5
Open the mouse properties dialog............................................................................................. 6
Mouse properties—buttons........................................................................................................ 6
Mouse properties—pointers....................................................................................................... 7
Change the pointer size............................................................................................................... 8
Mouse properties—pointer options........................................................................................... 9
Pointer trail.................................................................................................................................. 10
Mouse with a wheel................................................................................................................... 10
Touchpad settings...................................................................................................................... 10
Close mouse properties............................................................................................................. 10
Create a new folder on the desktop......................................................................................... 11
Show recent items...................................................................................................................... 12
List a document in recent items............................................................................................... 13
Create a shortcut from recent items......................................................................................... 14
Delete a folder and its contents................................................................................................ 15
Display properties...................................................................................................................... 15
Display properties – themes..................................................................................................... 16
Display properties – desktop background.............................................................................. 16
Window color and appearance................................................................................................. 18
Customizing the appearance..................................................................................................... 19
Screen saver................................................................................................................................ 21
Display settings.......................................................................................................................... 23
Close the display settings dialog.............................................................................................. 24
Date and time properties........................................................................................................... 24
Date and time adjustments........................................................................................................ 25
Close windows............................................................................................................................ 26
Turn off the computer................................................................................................................ 26
Now you can . . .......................................................................................................................... 26
1 Power up your computer and log on (if
necessary) to
Windows Vista starts up and the desktop appears.
The Control Panel provides access to various options that enable you to customize the way your computer operates (the “look and feel”). In this lesson you will be exploring some of the options afforded by two of these categories in this lesson:
· Appearance and Personalization is where you can customize the appearance of desktop items, apply a theme or screen saver to your computer and adjust screen properties.
· Hardware and Sound is where you can change the settings for your printer, keyboard, mouse, camera and other hardware.
1 Click the Start button.
The Start menu opens.
2 Click Control Panel to open the Control Panel window (see Figure 5.1). The contents of this window may vary slightly depending on whether you have a desktop or notebook computer.
Figure 5.1 Windows
3 Click the Hardware and Sound heading.
In the new window that opens (Figure 5.2), find and click the Keyboard heading
Figure 5.2 Hardware and Sound Control Panel
The Keyboard Properties dialog opens (See Figure 5.3).
Figure 5.3 Keyboard Properties dialog
There are a number of properties of the keyboard that you can control and adjust to your own liking and needs. Keyboard properties that you can change relate to the speed characters repeat when you hold a key down, the rate at which the insertion point blinks and the type of keyboard that’s connected to your computer.
Note: You may have additional tabs and functions in
the dialog depending on your computer and keyboard.
1 Click the Speed tab if it is not already chosen.
Following are descriptions of the items. You will adjust some of these settings in the next section.
· The Repeat delay setting adjusts how long the keyboard will wait before it starts repeating keys. If you are a slow typist, you may find that the Long setting works better for you so keys will not start to repeat when you don’t want them to do so.
· The Repeat rate setting adjusts how fast the characters repeat across the screen when you hold a key down. Setting a slightly lower rate may enable you to control repeated keys better.
· A test area allows you to test the repeat settings.
· Use the Cursor (Insertion point) blink rate setting to change how often the insertion point blinks per second (from “none” to “fast”).
Change keyboard speed properties
1 Experiment with various settings of the Repeat delay and Repeat rate by moving the slider across the scale to various positions.
2 Click in the test box and hold down a key to test the repeat rate.
3 Change the Cursor (Insertion point) blink rate setting and see how the setting affects the blinking insertion point on the left.
4 Click OK only if you want to activate any of the changes you made or click Cancel if you do not want to make any changes.
The Keyboard Properties dialog closes.
As you are know, Windows employs a graphical user interface. A mouse or similar input device is used to navigate around the screen, change properties launch programs and otherwise control operation. Notebook computers have a built-in touchpad that mimics the properties of a mouse, though an external mouse can be attached via a USB connection.
The pointer is the object on the screen that moves with the mouse as you slide the mouse over a flat surface (or slide your finger across the touchpad). The pointer’s shape changes depending on where it is on the screen and what software program you are using.
There are certain parameters that you can adjust to modify the performance of the mouse to satisfy your needs or preferences. These adjustments do not alter the physical performance of the mouse; rather, they control the way the operating system interprets the signals it receives from the mouse. These adjustments are made through the Mouse Properties dialog.
Open the mouse properties dialog
Complete the following steps to open the Mouse Properties dialog.
1 The Control Panel > Hardware and Sound window should still be open.
2 Click the Mouse heading.
The Mouse
Properties window appears (see Figure 5.4). See note below.
Figure 5.4 Mouse
Properties dialog– Your screen may vary!
Note: The
screenshots and descriptions that follow describe the generic Windows
1 In the Mouse Properties dialog, click the Buttons tab (see Figure 5.4).
Pointing devices for Windows have a primary button and a secondary button. Each of these buttons produces a different result when the button is pressed. Usually the primary button is the one on the left side of the device and the secondary button on the right. This enables the primary button to be pressed by the index finger for a right-handed person.
The normal
(default) action assigned to these buttons is for the left button to
cause a normal click (selection) action, and the right button to cause a
pop-up menu to appear. The Buttons window enables you to change the action
resulting from clicking either of these buttons.
You can reverse button functions so a left-handed person can keep the mouse on the left side of the computer.
2 Select the radio button labeled Left-handed if you want to make the right button your primary button. Click the radio button labeled Right-handed to reverse your choice (see Figure 5.4).
Note: Most
left-handed people leave the buttons at the normal default settings and adapt
themselves to the right-handed defaults. These lessons assume the right handed
default.
3 In the Double Click Speed section, place the mouse pointer on the slider and press down the primary mouse button and drag the slider toward Slow and Fast. Practice your double-click speed on the folder to the right to open and close it using the double-click action.
When you find a comfortable speed, leave the slider at that position.
4 Click to put a checkmark next to turn
on ClickLock if you want to be able
to highlight or drag without holding down the mouse button. (Leave the setting
as is on the
5 Click Apply if you want to have the new settings take effect.
The mouse pointer changes shape depending on where it is pointing to and state the system is in. For example, the normal selection pointer is an arrow. If the system is busy it turns into a circular “swirling” icon, and when resizing windows it takes on the shape of a double headed arrow (and there are more shapes the pointer can take). You can customize the pointer appearance to a certain degree.
1 Click the Pointers tab of the dialog to view the various pointers supported by Windows Vista (see Figure 5.5).
Figure 5.5 Mouse pointers
Notice that Normal Select for the Windows Aero (system scheme) is an arrow pointing up and to the left,
2 Click the Browse button to view other pointers.
The Browse window opens showing the variation in pointers supported by Windows and, below left, a preview window in which you can see the pointer you select.
3 Click one of the pointers in the top box and view it in the preview box. Do not click Open to change the pointer. You may, however, want to experiment with using some of these pointers on your own computer to see if they show up better on your screen.
4 Click Cancel to return to the Mouse Properties dialog.
You can change the size of the pointer if it is difficult for you to see or to use.
1 Click the down arrow to the right of the Scheme list box. In the drop down list that appears click Windows Standard (Large).
The pointer in the box to the right of Scheme becomes larger (as do each of the pointer styles in the scrolling box below).
2 Click the arrow on the Scheme list box and click Windows Aero (Extra Large).
The pointer becomes even larger.
3 Do not apply this setting at the learning center though you might consider it at home if you need help in seeing the pointer.
Mouse properties—pointer options
In the Pointer Options dialog, you can control how the distance that you move the mouse is related to the distance the pointer moves on the computer screen. Since your work surface provides only a small area in which to move the mouse, you can move the Pointer Speed slider to the right to increase the speed. This can prevent you from having to lift the mouse off the work surface and set it down again to move the pointer across the whole screen.
1 In the Mouse Properties dialog, click the Pointer Options tab (see Figure 5.6).
2 To see the effect of changing the speed, place the mouse pointer on the slider below the words “Select a pointer speed” and drag the slider toward the Slow end of the scale.
Figure 5.6 Mouse pointer options
3 Move the pointer around the screen.
Notice how slowly it moves in relation to your movement
of the mouse.
4 Now drag the slider toward the Fast end of the scale and click the Apply button.
5 Move the pointer around the screen.
Notice how fast it moves with relatively little movement of your mouse.
6 Click the Snap To check box to have the pointer automatically placed on the default button whenever a dialog appears. Click to uncheck the Snap To check box.
1 Click the Display Pointer Trails check box to configure your mouse to temporarily leave a series of pointer images behind it as it moves across the screen, forming a trail of adjustable length. Move your mouse around the dialog to see the effect.
2 Press down the mouse button on the slider and drag the slider toward Short and then Long to adjust the length of the trail that is left.
This feature may be useful when pointer visibility is a problem.
3 Move the mouse around the screen to see the trail it leaves behind.
4 Before leaving the dialog, drag the slider back to the middle of the speed range and be sure there is no checkmark in the Snap To and Display pointer trails check boxes.
5 Leave the checkmark next to Hide pointer while typing.
A mouse with a wheel enables you to scroll through long documents. That feature is particularly convenient for scrolling through web pages on the Internet. The wheel normally scrolls up or down three lines at a time. It is possible to change that number or even to scroll a page at a time.
1 If your Mouse Properties dialog has a tab labeled Wheel, click this tab and explore the mouse wheel options under your instructor’s direction or on your own at home.
If the computer you are working with is a notebook and has a touchpad, there will be a tab in the Mouse Properties dialog (typically part of the Device Settings tab) that allows you to examine and change the properties of the touchpad. Explore these options on your own if you actively use the touchpad and wish to change its properties.
1 Before you close the Mouse Properties dialog check to ensure the following settings are in effect:
Ÿ
Buttons tab – Make sure the setting
is left at Right Handed.
Ÿ
Pointers tab - the Scheme shows
Windows Aero (System scheme) and Normal Select shows an arrow pointing up and
to the left.
Ÿ
Pointer Options tab – the
Pointer Speed is at the mid-point on the scale.
2 If the above settings are in place, click Cancel to close the Mouse Properties so no changes apply. Click the X in the title bar of the Control Panel window to close it.
You should be back at the Desktop. If not, close any remaining open windows.
Create a new folder on the desktop
You may want to create folders on your desktop to contain shortcuts for documents you frequently work with or perhaps to hold files temporarily before you delete them or re-file them under the Documents folder. You can title the folders with names that are appropriate to the tasks. Now you will create a folder and name it Biography.
1 Right-click in a blank space on the desktop, away from any icons.
A pop-up menu appears (see Figure 5.7).
Figure 5.7 Desktop pop-up menus on right click
2 Place
the mouse pointer on New and move the pointer into the fly-out menu that
appears and click Folder.
A folder icon appears on the desktop with the name “New Folder” selected (see Figure 5.8).
Figure 5.8 New Folder
3 Type Biography to replace the selected text then press the Enter key to indicate that you have finished typing.
You will open the Start menu and find the Recent Items entry.
1 Click the Start button.
The Start menu appears. Locate the Recent Items entry (see Figure 5.9).
Figure 5.9 Start Menu, Recent items
If Recent Items is already showing in the right column in the Start menu, skip to the next section. If you do not see Recent Items in the Start menu, complete the following steps to add it to the menu.
2 Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.
A pop-up menu opens.
3 Click Properties.
The Taskbar and Start menu Properties dialog opens (Figure 5.10).
Figure 5.10 Toolbar and Start Menu Properties dialog
4 Click the Start Menu tab.
The radio button next to Start menu should be selected.
5 In the Privacy area, make sure the two boxes are checked as shown in Figure 5.10.
6 Click OK.
The Start menu shows Recent Items (if it did not show it already).
7 Click anywhere in a blank space on the desktop to close the Start menu if is still open.
List a document in recent items
Whenever you open a document it is automatically added to the Recent Items list in the Start menu. You will open a document and confirm it has been added to Recent Items.
1 Insert the Student CD into the DVD/CD drive on your computer. If a dialog opens asking how you want to view the files, click Cancel.
2 Click the Start button, click All Programs, click Accessories and click WordPad.
The WordPad program opens.
3 Click the File menu and click Open.
The Open dialog appears.
4 In the Navigation pane Folders list, navigate to the DVD/CD drive under Computer and click this entry.
The file list displays the contents of the Student CD – the Class Files folder.
5 Double-click the Class files folder to open it.
The files within this folder are displayed in the file list.
6 Double-click bio_top to open the file in WordPad.
7 Click the X on the title bar to close the WordPad window.
8 Click the Start button and point to Recent Items.
A list of recently accessed documents appears. The bio_top document which you just opened (and closed) has been placed on the list of recently opened documents. Note that the list is alphabetical – not in the order the files were opened.
Create a shortcut from recent items
There may be occasions when you want a document to be easily accessible in two places on your computer. You can access a document from a convenient shortcut no matter where the original is saved on the hard disk. You will now place a shortcut to the bio_top document in the Biography folder on the desktop.
1 Repeat step 8 in the previous section if the Recent Items list is not displayed.
2 Right-click the bio_top file in the list.
A pop-up menu appears.
3 Point to Send to and click Desktop (Create shortcut).
A shortcut icon for bio_top is placed on the desktop.
4 Click anywhere in a blank space on the desktop to close the menu.
5 Place the pointer on the bio_top shortcut and click, hold down the mouse button and drag the shortcut onto the Biography folder.
6 Release the mouse button when the shortcut is on the highlighted folder.
7 Double-click the Biography folder to open Windows Explorer which shoes the contents of the folder – a shortcut to bio-top is in the file list.
8 Double click the shortcut.
The file bio_top opens in WordPad or Word (depending on how your computer is set up).
9 Click the X in the title bar of WordPad or Word to close the application.
10 Click the X on the title bar of the Biography folder Explorer window to close it.
You have created a folder on the desktop, created a shortcut for a document and then moved the shortcut into the folder.
Delete a folder and its contents
Since you will not use this folder or shortcut in this course, you will now delete it.
1 Right-click the Biography folder on your desktop and click Delete in the pop-up menu that opens. (or you could press the Delete key on the keyboard)
A Confirm Folder Delete message appears confirming that you want to delete the folder and its contents and send it to the Recycle bin.
2 Click Yes on the Confirm Folder Delete message.
Windows gives you the ability to customize your desktop and more. You can change the background image of the desktop, color scheme of open windows, screen resolution and the number of colors it can display.
1 Right-click in any blank area of the Desktop.
A pop-up menu appears.
2 Click Personalize.
The Personalization dialog appears (see Figure 5.11).
Figure 5.11 Personalization dialog
Note: Alternatively,
click the Start button, click Control Panel, click Appearance and Personalization,
then click Personalization. This takes you to the same window as shown in
Figure 5.11.
Windows Vista provides two standard themes comprised of a background for your desktop as well as other elements such as sounds and icons. Shortly, you will be shown how to modify specific properties of the desktop and windows to essentially define your own theme. As well, different themes are available over the Internet from third party developers. You should only download files or content from sources you trust.
1 Click the Theme heading in the Personalization window.
The Theme Settings dialog opens (Figure 5.12)
Figure 5.12 Display Properties: Themes dialog
2 Click the down-arrow on the Theme list box. The two themes offered are Windows Vista and Windows Classic. Click each and see the theme displayed in the Sample window.
3 On the computer at the
Display properties – desktop background
If you don’t want to use one of the coordinated themes in the Themes tab, or if you want to modify it, you can customize the look of some of the display elements individually.
1 Click the Desktop Background heading in the Personalization window.
The Desktop Background window opens (see Figure 5.13).
Figure 5.13 Desktop Background dialog
2 With the Picture Location field set to Windows Wallpapers, place the pointer on the scrollbar in the preview area and click hold and drag the scrollbar to view all the standard wallpapers available to you.
3 Click the down arrow at the right of the Picture Location field to review all the Picture Location options (see Figure 5.14).
Figure 5.14
As can be seen, the desktop background can be set to any of standard Windows Wallpapers, pictures of your own or others, and solid colors.
At the bottom of the dialog, you are given three options on how to position the image:
· Center – the image is centered on the screen in its original size. If this size is smaller than your screen dimensions (in pixels), then the surrounding background can be filled with the color of your choice by clicking on the link that appears next to this choice when it is selected.
· Tile – the image is repeated to fill the screen. This works well with small repetitive graphic images or symbols but is not well suited for photographs.
· Stretch – the image is expanded or contracted to fill the screen. If the image format is not similar to the height-to-width ratio as your screen, it will appear distorted.
4 For this exercise, choose Windows Wallpapers and click one of the wallpaper designs in the list of choices. The new background immediately appears on the desktop.
5 Click OK to accept changes or click Cancel.
The dialog closes and returns to the Personalization window.
1 In the Personalization window, click the Window Color and Appearance heading
A new dialog opens (Figure 5.15).
Figure 5.15 Window Color and Appearance dialog
You can change the color of the windows and enable or disable transparency (transparency is not available in Home Basic version). You can also adjust the color intensity of the window or pick a custom color.
2 Click the Red color box.
The window borders of the dialog changes color.
3 Move the color intensity slider back and forth to see the effect it has on the color. Click the Enable transparency checkbox to see how transparency is affected. Try other colors.
Note: Transparency
is part of the Aero interface and is not supported in Vista Home Basic.