Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Locking the.PC
If you are going to be away from your computer for a while, you might
not want other people to be able to see what you were working on or
snoop on your computer while you are gone. To prevent such intrusion,
you can use the
Lock
command. Locking preserves the current state
of the computer but redisplays the login screen. You must retype your
password when you return to the computer to continue your session.
Locking is similar to switching users except the login screen that appears
shows the prompt only for the user who locked the PC, and not the full
list of users that you see when you use Switch User.
lock
To prevent unauthorized users from using a
computer by displaying a password prompt.
To lock the PC, choose the Lock command from the Shut Down but-
ton's menu, as shown in Figure 5.3. Alternatively, the PC can be locked
by pressing the Windows key on the bottom left of the keyboard and the
L key simultaneously.
Quick Review
1 What is the difference between Log Off and Restart?
2 What is the difference between Sleep and Hibernate?
3 What is the difference between Lock and Switch User?
Running Applications
As you learned in
Chapter 1, “Computer Basics,”
programs that per-
form some useful task (other than keeping the computer itself running)
are known as applications. Running applications is the main reason
Windows exists. Windows comes with a variety of small applications that
it calls Accessories; these include a calculator, a text editor, a simple word
processor, and a drawing program. You can also buy and install other
applications on your own, and some computers come with some third-
party applications already installed, such as a DVD movie player or a
productivity suite such as Microsoft Office.
Starting an.Application
As you saw earlier in the chapter, the Start menu has a few shortcuts on
it. The top section contains pinned shortcuts, and below that are short-
cuts to recently or frequently used applications. If the application you
want to run isn't in either of those places, you must click All Programs to
open the full menu system. This menu system contains both application
shortcuts and folders. If you click a folder, you see the shortcuts within
it. The Start menu is hierarchically organized, just like the file system you
learned about in
Chapter 4.
There are subfolders within folders, and files
can exist at any level of the organizational structure. Figure 5.4 shows
the Accessories folder expanded to show its subfolders, and the System
Tools subfolder expanded below that, for example. Yours will look differ-
ent because you have different applications installed than the PC illus-
trated here.
