U3A CMP Computing Class Leader – Brian Moore Week 2 of 10 weeks. Mondays 2:30 to 4:30 pm Dates for Autumn Term 14= Sept 8, 15, 22, Oct 6, 13, 20, Nov 10, 17, 24, Dec 1. All Mondays 2:30 to 4:30 pm at Wells Green Methodist Church School room.

Today Exploring Windows. Starting programs. User comments on Classic Shell installed last week. Differences of editions of Windows. Vista was quite a leap forward, introducing tighter security and more “Bells & Whistles” but had many problems – Drivers, Sound, Webcam, Sleep. Windows 7 clears up these problems. Windows 8 is very different in its Metro look. Windows 9 expected soon. Learning the Explorers.

Exploring Windows The Main Blue area is called the DESKTOP with Icons to start some programs. The background can be changed. The lowest line is called the TASKBAR. At the left is START and it gives access to all Windows features including Internet Explorer. Show it. Next is the QUICK LAUNCH which is the easiest way to start programs. Normally has Internet Explorer. On the right is the TRAY NOTIFICATION area and finally a Digital Clock.

What is a “Window” IT’s when you see a program or file. Its size can be changed by mouse drag, made full size or minimized. Show this. When you have several open you need to be able to select which you are viewing. Two ways = 1) Click on the one required on the Task Bar. 2) Use ALT & TAB. Hold down the ALT key just left of the space bar and at the same time press the TAB key until you get to the Window required. Show this.

Files and Folders Everybody has their own space on a computer to keep their own documents and Public spaces. Think of it as a filing cabinet (The Computer) which has draws (My Documents), Folders (even Folders in Folders) and pieces of paper (Files). Folders are shown in Yellow and can contain yet more Folders, and Files. Windows 7 has a great new feature – Libraries. This allows groups of folders under any name. The common ones are= Documents, Music, Pictures & Videos. Its turned off in Windows 8.1!

Desktop showing Libraries

Mouse actions in Windows Explorer Start Windows 7- “Windows Explorer”, Windows 8- called “File Explorer”. More Mouse actions. A LH single click on a folder or file will select it and it will turn blue. Now any other action i.e. copy will work on this. A LH Double click will do something. If a folder it will enter it and shows its contents. If a file it will try to run it. EG if it’s a Word document, Word will open and show its content.

Mouse Continued Drag - keep the left button down while moving the mouse. Used for resizing, drawing and similar jobs. Drag and drop - drag an object and release the left button when it is in the right place. Used for moving objects. An “Object” is a fancy word for any icon file or folder. You have to be very careful to keep the LH button pressed until the right time. If you have any trouble controlling the mouse then Copy a file. Move to where you want to put it then Paste, verify the new file. Then delete the original. This is much safer.

Detail on Explorer- Windows 7 The long white box near the top just right of the L/R arrows shows exactly what you are looking at. Organize= Layout allows various Panes (extra views). Tick Menu Bar to get the traditional File, Edit, View, Tools, Help list. Folder & Search Options – For advanced user, in View, Set it to show hidden & system files. Properties – For Seriously advanced! Sharing & Security tab allow all or selected users to see your files.

Across to the right is an Icon “Change your view” with a slider bar. If the folder contains pictures the large size is useful. Else use “Details”. At the top of the main pane is Name, Date modified, Type Size. RH click on Name will show all the columns selected. You can tick more. “Date created” is unfortunately changed when a file is copied. So can be later than “Date Modified”. Extreme right is turn on “Preview Pane” This shows a files content.

Detail on Explorer- Windows 8 The top lines in Windows 8 File Explorer have changed. Now got File, Home, Share & View. View has the same features as just shown in Windows 7 but in a very different Ribbon style layout. Layout pane- I always set “Details”. Options- Don't need Classic Explorer bar. Change Folder and Search options shows the same “Folder Options” as was in Windows XP, Vista & Windows 7.

Inside Explorer Use the little + in a box to expand a folder and then if selected the RH pane will show its contents. RH click on Files & Folders. Open - will start a program to operate on a file. Open with - allows you to choose. Cut- deletes a file but allows it to be Paste somewhere else. This is effectively Move. Copy – leaves the file and allows Paste. Rename, Delete – as says. Open file location – not much help. Properties – shows all about the file or folder.

More on My Documents / User Standard Folders in My Documents or in Windows 8- are My Pictures, My Music, My Videos etc. Files are shown in an icon type which depicts the file type. I.E. a icon with W in the top LHS is a Word document – a letter. Selecting many Files using Shift & Ctrl. In a long list you can select the first folder or file then if you hold down the shift key and click further down it will select all in between. If instead you hold down the Ctrl key then only the files clicked on will be selected.

Renaming a group of files Something for the more experienced. If you want to rename a list of files eg Photos with little effort do the following. Select the files to rename. Use Shift as explained. Press F2. Type the new name, and then press ENTER. This last file will change to the new name and *** All the rest will change to the new name but made unique by the addition of (1,2,3 etc) ****. This numbering is in the order the files were Selected.

My Computer / This PC Further down on the left pane is- Windows 7 & Vista- “Computer”, Windows 8- “This PC”. Shows documents but also C:, D:, maybe E: etc. To get deeper click on the little + on Local Disk C: Note the Windows Folder.

Practical – Mouse Training for any new starters Start up your computer in the normal way. To use the mouse training program get an assistant to help. Best use my memory stick or from ourse_material/Wk1/MousetutorBnoPaint.pps ourse_material/Wk1/MousetutorBnoPaint.pps

Practical – Starting Explorer Run Win7/Vista- Start, All programs, Accessories, Windows Explorer. Win8- If you have Classic Shell then Start, Programs, Windows System, File Explorer. Then as explained earlier Left click on Organize and see the effects of layout options and Tick “Menu bar”– See the effects of all the control options talked about. If your screen gets in a mess then Folder options has a “Restore Defaults” option.

Practical – Copy Practice Be very careful on these instructions Go to your Documents area. In Windows 8 its a folder of your username. RH click, Select New and Folder. It will show New folder in blue. Over type it with a new name – “u3apractice”. Go to a folder with some files in it eg “My Pictures” Select some files and RH click and Copy. Go to the new folder “u3apractice” and RH click and Paste.

Go to this new folder “u3apractice”. Practice methods of selecting many Files using Shift & Ctrl with the mouse LH click. Double click on some files here to read them for more information. Then try adding another folder to “u3apractice”. by again RH click, New Folder & give it a name. Then moving and copying objects (Files and Folders) to it from “u3apractice”.. Move- is Cut followed by Paste. Try it now. Copy- is Copy followed by Paste.

Showing Files in different orders Select your new files in “u3apractice”. In View – Change to Details. In Details are columns Name, Size, Type, Date Modified. By Name is a tiny arrow. This shows the sort order. Try clicking on each and see the results. The columns can be dragged to a different order. In this bar and on Name try RH click and tick some more options. More shows a very long list.

Web browsing If you have time double click on Icon “CreweNantwichU3A” in S:\U3A\U3A - Monday Group. It will go to LH click on Computing & I.T. Groups, then [CMP] Computing Beginners. Then in the big right Pane at the bottom click on “Computing combined Beginners and Advanced Downloads CMP”. You will see all my course material is available for you to download (get yourself a local copy). I am usually finalising the current week just before.

Course Material If you LH click on one of the following it will show= Open will show the file or you can Save it in your own “My Documents”. This one is very relevant for today.