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Computer Basics
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Now that you've inspected the computer front side, back side, and inside, you're ready to actually start using one! If everything is plugged in properly, what do you do to start the computer?
Turn on the computer's main power using the Power button or switch.
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Turn it on!
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| C:\>d:\games\chess\chess.exe |
You may wonder why we need to discuss the old-fashioned DOS commands. Unfortunately when things go wrong, it is often true that the fix requires running a utility program from DOS or using a DOS command. For a list of useful commands, see DOS Commands.
For many programs, the file you need will have a name similar to the name of the program, as in the example above. Other programs use file names like start.bat or kq5.exe (for the game King's Quest 5). If you don't know the exact name and path of the file, you'll have to look it up in the program's documentation or else use the dir command to see the listing of files onscreen, discussed under Directories/Folders, and make your best guess. (Guessing has a serious drawback. If you guess wrong, there may be unhappy consequences!)
If you type in the command and it doesn't work, carefully check your typing. Extra spaces or any spelling mistakes will keep your command from being executed as you planned.
Run
in Windows
Your system is probably set up to boot directly to the Windows Desktop.
Method 1: Shortcut
- Shortcut on the Desktop itself
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When you install a program, the process usually offers to create a shortcut on the Desktop and also in the menu for Programs. An icon for a shortcut usually has a small arrow on the bottom left of the graphic.
- Shortcut in the list of Programs:
Click on the Start Menu button at the bottom left of the desktop.
Win XP: Let the mouse hover over the Programs item to expand the
cascading list of program shortcuts.
(A shortcut is a file that points to the actual executable file that starts the program.) Move the mouse without getting off the list to highlight the program you want and click. If you slip off the list, the list may vanish. You might have to work down through several levels of the cascade to find your program.
Windows Vista/Win7: Click the Start button at the bottom left,
then the All Programs link at the bottom. The menu changes to show the list of program shortcuts.
Instead of cascading as a new menu to the side, these menus open up
underneath, like folder in a folder tree in a Computer window.
Method 2: If you can't find the right shortcut
on the Start menu, you can use the Run dialog.
WinXP: Click on the Start Menu and select Run.
A dialog appears.
Vista/Win7:
Click on the Start button. A menu appears above the button. In the search
box at the bottom of the menu, type run. The menu
above changes. Click on Run.
A dialog
appears.
Type in the full path to the file that starts the program, like
c:\Windows\notepad.exe.
For programs that are part
of Windows like Paint and Notepad, you can just type the name of the
file that starts the program - mspaint and
notepad. But typing paint, which is
the name of the program, won't work.
Method 3: The Run dialog box also has a Browse button. This button brings up another dialog box where you can select the drive, folder, and then the file that starts your program. We'll be seeing more about how things are arranged shortly in the lesson Directories/Folders.
Method 4: From Computer or Explorer window, select the drive, then the folder, then double-click on the file or shortcut that starts the program.
(You have to know where the file is that starts the program that you want!)
Method
5: Vista/Win7:
Click the Start button. In the Search box just above the button, start typing
part of the name of the program. It does not have to be the
beginning of the name. You don't have to know the filename! The list above the box starts changing as you type,
listing programs and files whose names contain your typing.
The illustration
shows that typing just two characters, 'wo', brought up shortcuts to
two
programs, Microsoft Office Word 2007 and WordPad, plus other types of files that had those characters in the name.
This is a user-friendly method!
Turn it off!
Before we go on, let's be sure we can quit a program and close down the computer properly. When computers are not shut down in proper sequence, sometimes files get corrupted which can cause all kinds of trouble.
Basically, you want to shut down your open program with the program's own Exit command. Then close down the computer with the appropriate steps, depending on your operating system.
Close in DOS
Exit Program - In a modern DOS program you would choose the Exit command, usually on the File menu.
Games often have graphical menus, rather than the menu bar across the top. The command you want might be a little different, like "Save Game and Exit to DOS" or "Quit".
If the program doesn't display a menu, some combination of keys will be the Exit command. Again, different programs use different keys. You'll have to read the program directions to see what to use.
Some old DOS programs assumed that the program was being run from a floppy disk. These were written before the days of hard drives. To get out of such a program you had to remove the floppy from the drive and turn the computer off and then back on! You probably won't see such a program. Still, it pays to be prepared for oddities!
Power Switch in DOS - Once you see the command line prompt again, like the icon for this DOS section, you can turn off the computer with the power switch. Simple.
Close
in Windows
Exit Program - To close a Windows program you can use the File > Exit command (some programs use Close) or double-click on the title bar icon on the left or click the X icon on the far right of the title bar. Some programs have a keystroke combination also as shown at the bottom right of the illustration. Windows excels in offering multiple ways to accomplish most tasks. As you work with your programs you will learn what methods work best you. But do try out all the choices. As you gain skills and work with your programs, you may find that different methods are more efficient now. |
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Exit Windows- You shut down Windows by clicking on the Start Menu > Shut Down.... You will be shown a dialog box where you can choose what kind of shut down you want. (It is usually a good idea to close all of your open applications first. Windows will usually warn you if something hasn't been saved yet)
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| Shut Down | Closes up all the background and open programs and then shows a screen that tells you that it is OK to turn off the computer. |
| Restart | Does a warm boot by closing everything down but immediately starting the computer up again. This method avoids the wait for the hard drive to stop spinning before you could reboot manually. |
| Logoff and then Logon as a different user or Log off |
If you are using
a computer which is on a network and you have permission to do stuff that
the normal user for that computer doesn't, you'll have to logon as yourself to do those things. This choice works faster than closing everything down and physically restarting the computer.
(The LogOff choice is moved to the Start Menu itself in some versions.) When you logoff, all of your programs are closed and a logon screen appears. |
| Switch user | Opens a logon screen where you can choose to logon as a different user. You are NOT logged off from the original account. You can leave applications open under both accounts and switch between them. |
Don't just turn off the computer while you are still in Windows. You might corrupt the Registry, which stores lots of information about your computer and software. A messed up Registry might even keep the computer from running at all.
If the computer has locked up so that nothing works any more, you'll have no choice but to do a reboot.
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Teachers: Request permission to use this site with your class Copyright © 1997-2010
Jan Smith <jegs1@jegsworks.com> |
~~ 1 Cor. 10:31 ...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ~~