Windows Information


What is Windows?

Windows (version 3.1 and lower) is the name of the graphical operating environment, created by MicroSoft, you are most likely using right now. This is a little different than a graphical operating system, such as Windows '95 and MacIntosh. An operating system (or environment) basically means a program that helps your computer understand what you want to do. Graphical means it uses cool pictures (called icons), menus and the like to make your life easier. Graphical user interfaces (of which all of these belong) generally give you a device, like a mouse, to help you to use the graphics. So, if you really want to sound impressive, you can say that windows is "an operating environment which utilizes a graphical user interface". But, of course, if you do this, people will glaze over or fall asleep.


What are the different part of Windows?

When you start up Windows, you should get a screen that looks similar to this.

The numbers in the picture above indicate the different parts of the screen. To learn more about them, click on the parts below. NOTE: These are all contained on one document, so you can scroll through them all by clicking on any one of them. The choices just start you in different places.
  1. Title Bar Icon
  2. Title Bar
  3. Minimize Button
  4. Maximize/Restore Button
  5. Menu Bar
  6. Menus
  7. Scroll Controls
  8. Borders
  9. Window
  10. Icon
  11. Another type of Icon
  12. Mouse Pointer



How do I do things in Windows?

By reading the above section, you probably will have figured out how to do many of the skills mentioned, hopefully you even practiced one or two. But, in order to learn all of the skills, click on the choices provided below. As before, these choices are all contained on the same document, so you can scroll through them all by clicking on any one.
  1. Starting up or shutting down Windows
  2. Using pull down menus
  3. Maximize, minimize or restore windows
  4. Moving and resizing
  5. Using scroll bars
  6. Starting multiple applications and toggling
  7. Using the file manager
  8. Creating, deleting and changing directories
  9. Moving and copying files
  10. Formatting disks



Congratulations on reaching the end of the Windows tutorial.

If you'd like to test yourself on the skills. Click Here
To return to lab 1 Click Here.