Introduction to Windows 7 - Computing Fundamentals - page 128

Summary
A Tour of.Windows 7
The desktop is the heart of the Windows 7 interface. The key features of the desktop include the
taskbar and icons. On the taskbar is the Start button, pinned icons, buttons for running applica-
tion windows, the notification area , and the clock, from left to right.
When you click the Start button, the Start menu appears, with links to commonly or recently
used programs and locations appear. Click All Programs to see the full list of programs you can
run, or type the first few letters of what you seek into the Search box .
Starting Up and Shutting Down
Windows starts up automatically when you turn on the computer. You are prompted to log in with
your user ID and to type a password if your account has one assigned to it. A cold boot is one
where the computer has been off; a warm boot is a restart with the computer already on.
Sleep mode is a power-saving mode that keeps RAM powered but turns off everything else.
Hibernate mode saves the contents of RAM to the hard drive and then shuts down all power.
When a user is finished with the computer, he or she can log off , which shuts down any running
programs, closes open data files, and unloads that user's personal settings. To allow someone else
to log in without the first user logging out, use Switch User . To return to a login screen without
closing out of programs and applications, use the Lock command.
Running Applications
To start an application, choose it from the Start menu. If you don't see it on the top level menu,
click All Programs to find it, or type its name in the Search box.
A window is a movable rectangular block in which content appears, such as an application or file
listing. Each window has a title bar at the top of it. In the right corner of the title bar are window
control buttons: Minimize , Maximize (or Restore), and Close . To resize a window, drag one of
its borders. To move a window, drag its title bar.
To navigate within an application, use its menu bar . Some commands have keyboard shortcuts
for speeding up your work. Some commands open dialog boxes for providing more information.
Programs with a menu bar sometimes have a toolbar, which is a row of clickable icons. A Ribbon
is a multi-page, more sophisticated version of a toolbar.
To exit an application, click the window's Close button, or open the File menu and choose Exit,
or press Alt+F4.
Managing Files
The parts of a Windows Explorer window include the navigation bar , command bar , address
bar , status bar , and Search box .
You can navigate to different locations using the shortcuts in the navigation pane in the Favorites
list, or select one of the libraries from the Libraries list. If you are connected to a network, you
can browse network locations from the Homegroup or Network lists. Use the Computer list to
browse local volumes. To change the view of a location, click the Change Your View button, or
click the down arrow to the right of that button to open a menu of views and then click the one
you want.