U3A Computing Beginners Class

Leader – Brian MooreWeek 2 of 10 weeks.

Mondays 4:15 to 5:45 pm

The committee would like to invite all new members, who have joined Crewe and Nantwich U3A after October 2012, to join us for coffee and cake on Wednesday November 6th at 2.30pm at

Wistaston Memorial Hall.

Today• Switch on, Logging in using your personal accounts. • Exploring Windows. Starting programs.

This course will be using Windows 7. Those that have Vista or Windows XP should not worry too much, all the feature are in. Vista and Windows 7 have more “Bells & Whistles”. Windows 8 is very different however.

• Also I will be using Office 2010 Programs. This is quite a change over Office 2003. Perhaps it’s time to change if that's what you have .

• Today- My Documents & My Computer.

Starting up• Here at Thomas More the computers are normally

switched on already. You may need to switch on the monitor – a small switch underneath, about 1” right of the middle.

• Then Login with Username from my list and Password= u3a.monday.

• OK on any other annoying screens. • Most home computers with only one user account

do not need Login.

Computer screen after logonAfter warning messages have been cleared

Explore Windows XP• The Main Blue area is called the DESKTOP with

Icons to start some programs. At home you can add your own picture. (But not here)

• 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 new feature – Libraries. This allows groups of folders under any name.

• Here at STM the desktop shows Libraries, your named Documents and Computer.

Desktop showing Libraries

Detail on Documents• The long white box near the top just right of the L/R

arrows shows exactly what you are looking at.• Next line down is 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, Set it allow hidden & system files.

• Properties – Is the same as Windows XP.

• 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.

My Documents Explorer Bar• 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.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• Standard Folders in My Documents 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.• All but the last become light grey, the last dark blue

ie selected. 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) ****

More Mouse actions• While we are in My Documents it’s a god time to

learn 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 is much safer.

My Computer• Run from the Desktop or Start, like Documents.• Shows documents but also “Hard Disk Drives” (only

at home).• Here under My Computer you will see S: X:

They are called “MAP Drives”.You will need to use “U3A Shared Area (S:)”. To get deeper click on the little + to get folder U3A. Then U3A – Monday Group. And deeper if required.It contains Folders & files to be used by the whole class. Ignore the others.

Practical – Mouse Training for any new starters

• Get an assistant to help if required.Logon with your Username from the sheet provided. The Password = “u3a.monday”If you made a note last week use this.

• To start the mouse training program run the Program MousetutorBnoPaint.pps

It is in S:\U3A\U3A – Monday Group\WK 1

Practical – Starting My Computer• Run My Computer by =

On the Desktop double LH click on “Computer”.• Then as explained earlier Left click on Organize and

see the effects of layout options and Tick “Menu bar”–

• See the effects of “Change your view” & “Show the preview”.

• Look at “Shared Area (S:)” and “Drill” down by LH clicking on the small + to S:\U3A\U3A - Monday Group\Wk 2.

Practical – Copy Practice• Be very careful on these instructions• In the left pane go to and select WK 2\old.

RH click and select “Copy”. • Then go to Libraries, Documents, My Documents.

RH click, Select New and Folder. It will show New folder in blue. Over type it with a new name - practice.

• Then RH click on it and select Paste. The WK 2\old files will then be copied here.

• Please be careful not to change S: in any way! So use “copy” , NOT cut.

• Now go into this new folder \practice\old• 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 practice adding another folder to \Practice

by again RH click, New Folder & give it a name.• Then moving and copying objects (Files and Folders)

to it from \old.Move is Cut followed by Paste. Try it now.Copy is Copy followed by Paste.

Showing Files• Select your new files in \Practice\old• Try other View options – (Extra) Large, Tiles, Icons,

Content, finally 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 http://www.creweandnantwich-u3a.org.uk

• 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.