WINDOWS XP

WINDOWS

Windows is an operating system which provides a graphical user interface to the underlying to the underlying operating system? The common operation such as copying, moving and deletion of files and other similar operations are easy because they can be done with just a few mouse operations. In the following section, we will see how to perform some of these operations.

In the market to available the various type windows.

1.                           Windows 1.0 (1985) :- It is first version of windows to allowed the PC user to switch for the Ms-Dos method of typing command at the C, Prompt (C:\) to using a mouse to point and click function.

2.                           Windows 2.0(1987) :- In this version to release of second version of windows of the improved processing speed of the Intel 286 processor and explorer.

3.                           Windows 3.0 (1990) :- It is first widely popular versions of windows. Which offered 32 bit performance, advanced graphics and full support more powerful Intel 386 processor?

4.                           Windows 98 (1998) :- In this version of windows is windows 98. It contained the above mentioned improvements as well as integration of Microsoft internet explorer into the operating system.

5.                           Windows Xp (2001) :- In this version to improvements the graphics and VGA and sound and security to add with windows XP consumers and home user now have performance to drag down process is very simplicity and tasking.

            Before we discuss the operation let us get familiar with some terminologies that are frequently used while using windows.

• DESTOP       

After windows is fully loaded, a screen as shown in figure 1.1, appears. This screen has some icons and the task bar. This screen is called desktop.

• Start Menu

Refer to figure 1.1 you can see a button on the leftmost corner on the bottom of the figure. This button is called the start button. When that button is clicked, a menu appears, as in figure 1.2 which comprises of menu option such as program, documents, settings, Find, Help and Run. This menu is called the start menu. Any operations, such as starting an application to shutting down the computer, can be done from this menu.

• Task Bar :-  The bar on which the start button is placed is called the task bar. Once an application starts, that application name is shown on the task bar. Figure 1.3 shows this.

• Icons :- As can be see in figure 1.1 the screen contains some small picture below which some names are present. This picture is called an icon. Icons are shortcuts to some files present somewhere in the computer. Thus, when you double click on an icon, the file that is referred to in the shortcut is executed. Therefore, the user need not know the exact location of the file that he wants to execute.

• Title Bar

               The bar that appears at the top of any application is called the title bar. The title bar contains the name of the application and three buttons that are used to minimize, maximize or close the application. These buttons are explained below.

Figure 1.4 shows the title bar of the Notepad application.

• Minimize :- Once an application is running, it occupies the entire screen or part of the screen. If more than one application is running at a time, it is often desirable that the application that is not currently been used be kept minimized. When minimization of an application is done, all the active windows of that application vanishes and only a button on the task bar is visible which has the name of the application that was minimized. Figure 1.3 shows two application, Microsoft word the Notepad minimized. Minimization of an application can be achieved by clicking the leftmost button that appears on the title bar of the application.

• Maximize :- A minimized application can be restored back to occupy the full screen. When this operation is done, the application is said to the maximized. Maximization of an application can be done by clicking the middle button in the title bar of an application.

• Folder :- When referring to a folder, we actually are referring to a directory. Thus, it can be said that folder, in windows, is a synonym to directories in MS-DOS or Unix.

• Recycle Bin :-When a file or folder is deleted, windows do not actually remove them from the disk. It sends the deleted item to the recycle bin. The recycle bin, thus, contains all the deleted items. The item is permanently removed from the disk, once the item is deleted from the recycle bin. As long as an item resides on the recycle bin, it can be retrieved to its original state.

Exploring My computer!

               As we had seen in MS-DOS and Unix, there is often a necessity to view the contents of a disk. This operation can be be carried out in windows by an application, which is called windows Explorer. It is often referred simply as explorer. Windows explorer, When activated, activated a screen as in figure 1.4. On the left side of the explorer, all the directories and the sub-directories are listed. On the righthand side. The contents of a directory are listed. Thus, all the files can be seen in the righthand side. The righthand side can be customized to view hide details of the files.

Directory Operations

In this section, we will discuss the common operation that can be carried out with directories. For performing these operations, the windows explorer is required.
How to create a new folder?

To create a new folder, first select the parent of the folder, that is, select the folder(or root) of which the new folder will be a subfolder. Selection can be done by clicking the mouse once over the parent. Once the parent is selected, select the File option form the menu and then New. Finally select the Folder option and click on it. After clicking, a new folder will be created the name New folder. This name can be changed as per requirement. Figure 1.5 shown the creation of a new folder in the root directory.

How will I select more than one folder at a time?

               Windows allows more than one folder to be operated on with a single operator. For this purpose, all the folders that have to be operated upon must be selected. Multiple selections can be done in two ways. In the first method, select the first folder. Press the shift key in the keyboard and select the last folder. This action will select all the folders between the first and the last folder.

The second method is used to select folders not arranged one after the other. In this method, select the folders while pressing the control (CTRL) Key on the keyboard.

How to rename a folder?

               To rename a folder, first select the folder that has to be renamed. Then click the right mouse button.

Select the rename option and give the new name. If a fodder with the new name already exits, windows will generated as :- 

• How to delete a folder?

 To delete a folder, first select the folder that has to be deleted. Then press the delete button on the keyboard. Windows will ask for confirmation before tit sends the file the recycle bin.

How will I move a folder?

                     To move a folder form one location to another, select the folder that has to be moved. Click the right mouse button over the folder. The same menu, which appears for renaming, will appear. Select the cut option. After this, select the destination folder of the operation. Click the right mouse button and sect paste option from the menu that appears. The cut and paste operation can also be selected from the Edit option in the main menu.

How will I copy a folder?

The copy operation is very similar to the move operation. In the copy operation, instead of selecting the cut option form the menu, select the copy option. The remaining part is exactly the same the move operation. If a folder with the same name exists in the destination, then windows will create a copy of the folder and name the folder as copy of folder name.

File Operations

Some common operations that need to be carried on to with the files are rename, copy, delete and move. This operation can be carried on in exactly the same manner as with the folders. The only difference is that, instead of selecting a folder, select the file (s) in question.

Other operations

How do I run an application?

                     An application can be run in four different methods in window. The first and the simplest method is through icons. The desktop has number of icons for a number of applications. Click the icon, for the application that has to be run twice. This will start the application.

                     The second method is to use the start menu. Once the start menu appears select the program option provided in the menu. This will activate another menu, which contains a list of applications as option. Click the desired application. Further menus may or may not be activated, depending on how windows have internally arranged the application. This is shown in figure 1.11

The third method uses the Run window. This window can be activated by selecting the Run option from the start menu.

As can be seen in the figure, the windows explorer can be stated by typing in the file name of windows explorer in the area provided for the name of the application to be run. The file name can also be selected by the browse button, which will activate a window showing the application in the current folder that can be run. This window is shown in figure 1.13. This will require the manual location of the application.

The fourth method is to use the windows explorer. As in the case of the run window, this method also required manual location of the application. Once the application is located click the file name twice, this will start the application.

• How do I change the date and time shown in the computer?

 We know that the computer houses a clock. This clock is used by windows to show the time. The time is shown in the task bar on the right hand corner (refer to figure 1.1). This display can also be used to view the current date. To view the date, just move the mouse pointer on top of the display showing the time. The day, month, date and year will be shown almost immediately.

To change the date time, click the left mouse twice over the display of time. Change the date and time as required.

How will I change the wallpaper and screensaver?

               In the desktop, the figure that appears behind the icons is called the wallpaper. The screensaver is an application that is used to protect the screen from damage. If the screen constantly shows the same thing for a long time, the internal coating may be damaged. Thus, the screensaver is used, which will display some animation after a specified period eloped since the computer was used last.

               To change the wallpaper or the screensaver, click the right mouse button on the anywhere on the desktop. However, the clicking should not be done over an icon. On right clicking , a menu will appear as shown in figure 1.16.

Click the properties option from the menu. This will activate a window that, by default, will allow you to change the wallpaper. This window is called the display properties window and is shown in figure 1.17

               To change the wallpaper, select a name in the list or click the browse button to select any other picture not present in the list.

               To change the screensaver, select the Screensaver tab just below the title bar. This will change the window as shown in figure 1.18

Select the screensaver name from the list marked by screen saver. On selection, the preview of the screensaver is shown above.

What is character map?

                     Character map is a Symbolic keyboard notation. Which is used to write those key which is not present on the keyboard, But we use generally in daily life .Eg:- © , ™,® etc.

How to open character map

Goto the start menu ->programs->Accessories->system Tools->character Map

Goto the start menu ->run->type "charmap" in textbox and select ok.

         

Calculator

it is widely known  for Mathematical calculation. You can use Calculator to perform any of the standard operations for which you would normally use a handheld calculator. Calculator performs basic arithmetic, such as addition and subtraction, as well as functions found on a scientific calculator, such as logarithms and factorials.

How to open calculator.

Goto the start menu ->programs->Accessories->Calculator

Goto the start menu ->run->type "calc" in textbox and select ok.

  

            

On-Screen Keyboard

On-Screen Keyboard is a utility that displays a virtual keyboard on the screen and allows users with mobility impairments to type data using a pointing device or joystick. On-Screen Keyboard is intended to provide a minimum level of functionality for users with mobility impairments.

On-Screen Keyboard has three typing modes you can use to type data:

• In clicking mode, you click the on-screen keys to type text.
• In scanning mode, On-Screen Keyboard continually scans the keyboard and highlights areas where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a hot key or using a switch-input device.
• In hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key for a predefined period of time, and the selected character is typed automatically.

In On-Screen Keyboard you can also:

• View an enhanced keyboard that includes the numeric keypad, or a standard keyboard that does not include the numeric keypad.
• Display the keyboard with the keys in the standard layout, or in a block layout in which the keys are arranged in rectangular blocks. Block layout is especially useful in scanning mode.
• Display the U.S. standard keyboard (101 keys), the universal keyboard (102 keys), or a keyboard (106 keys) with additional Japanese language characters.
• Use Click Sound to add an audible click when you select a key.
• Use Always on Top to keep your keyboard displayed on your screen when you switch programs or windows.

How to open on screen keyboard.

• To open On-Screen Keyboard, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and then click On-Screen Keyboard.
• The program in which you want to type characters must be active while you are using On-Screen Keyboard.
• Utility Manager enables users to check an Accessibility program's status and start or stop an Accessibility program. Users with administrator-level access can designate to have the program start when Utility Manager starts. Users can also start Accessibility programs before logging on to the computer on by pressing the Windows logo key (ÿ) + U at the Welcome to Windows dialog box that appears when Windows starts.
• The accessibility tools that ship with Windows are intended to provide a minimum level of functionality for users with special needs. Most users with disabilities will need utility programs with more advanced functionality for daily use. For information about accessibility products and aids for Windows operating systems, see the accessibility page on the Microsoft Web site.
  
  
  
  

It will be shown give below:

Windows Media Player

You can use Microsoft Windows Media Player to play and organize digital media files on your computer and on the Internet. In addition, you can use the Player to listen to radio stations from all over the world, play and copy CDs, create your own CDs, play DVDs, and copy music and videos to portable devices, such as portable digital audio players and Pocket PCs.

This section covers:

• Common tasks :- Highlights some of the most basic tasks that you can accomplish with the Player.
• Special features :- Lists the features that are only available on select versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
• Player areas and buttons :- Describes the primary user interface elements of the Player, including the playback controls and information display areas.
• Using the Player Help system :- Describes how to use the Player Help system.

Disk Defragmenter

Disk Defragmenter is a system utility for analyzing local volumes and locating and consolidating fragmented files and folders. You can also defragmenters disks from a command line using the defrag command.

• To open Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
• You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.
• You should analyze volumes before defragmenting them. This tells you whether you need to take the time to defragment them.
• A volume must have at least 15% free space for Disk Defragmenter to completely and adequately defragment it. Disk Defragmenter uses this space as a sorting area for file fragments. If a volume has less than 15% free space, Disk Defragmenter will only partially defragment it. To increase the free space on a volume, delete unneeded files or move them to another disk.
• You cannot defragment volumes that the file system has marked as dirty, which indicates possible corruption. You must run chkdsk on a dirty volume before you can defragment it. You can determine if a volume is dirty by using the fsutil dirty query command. For more information about chkdsk and fsutil dirty, see Related Topics.
• The time that Disk Defragmenter takes to defragment a volume depends on several factors, including the size of the volume, the number and size of files on the volume, the percentage of fragmentation in the volume, and available system resources.
• You can defragment only local file system volumes, and you can run only one instance of Disk Defragmenter at a time.
• To interrupt or temporarily stop defragmenting a volume, click Stop or Pause, respectively.
• If you start Disk Defragmenter while performing a backup, Disk Defragmenter stops.

Windows Movies Maker

This guide helps you start using Microsoft Windows Movie Maker. Throughout this guide, procedures for performing common tasks are provided. The instructions describe how to use Windows Movie Maker with the menu commands; however, it is helpful to remember that you can perform many of the tasks by using shortcut keys and by using the mouse. The following topics are included in this guide.

• Getting started :- Provides information about the technology Windows Movie Maker is based on, along with tips for recording high-quality audio and video. This section also describes the Windows Movie Maker interface, shortcuts that you can use, and the different file types and default options used by Windows Movie Maker.
• Using Windows Movie Maker :- Provides conceptual and procedural information for using Windows Movie Maker.
• Troubleshooting :- Provides suggestions for resolving common issues that may arise when using Windows Movie Maker.
• Windows Movie Maker Glossary :- Provides definitions of terms and concepts related to Windows Movie Maker.

Note   This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

Networking

Managing a myriad of network and Internet connections can be confusing. Empower yourself with knowledge about managing network and Internet connections for local and remote users. If you have a network problem, diagnose and fix it with network, Internet, and hardware troubleshooters.

Dial-up connections

A dial-up connection connects you to a network or the Internet by using a device that utilizes the telephone network. This device can be a modem that uses a standard phone line, an ISDN card with a high-speed ISDN line, or an X.25 network.
If you are a typical user, you may have one or two dial-up connections, perhaps to the Internet and to your corporate network. In a more complex server scenario, you can use multiple dial-up connections to implement advanced routing.
You can create multiple dial-up connections by copying them in the Network Connections folder. You can then rename the connections and modify connection settings. By doing so, you can easily create different connections to accommodate multiple modems, dialing profiles, and so on.

TCP/IP overview

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is the most popular network protocol, and the basis for the Internet. Its routing capabilities provide maximum flexibility in an enterprise-wide network. In Windows XP TCP/IP is automatically installed.
On a TCP/IP network, you must provide IP addresses to clients. Clients may also require a naming service or a method for name resolution. This section explains IP addressing and name resolution for Network Connections on TCP/IP networks. It also describes the FTP and Telnet tools that are provided by TCP/IP.

Assigning IP addresses to dial-up and virtual private network (VPN) connections

Each remote computer connecting to a remote access server on a Windows TCP/IP network is provided an IP address by the remote access server.
If you use a specific IP address, the remote access server must be configured to permit users to request a specific address.

Name resolution for network and dial-up connections

In addition to requiring an IP address, network and dial-up connections on a TCP/IP network may require a mechanism to map computer names to IP addresses. Four name resolution options are available: DNS, WINS, broadcast name resolution, and the Hosts and Lmhosts files.
In small networks where IP addresses do not change, network and dial-up connections can use a Hosts or Lmhosts file for name resolution. By using these files on the local drive, you do not need to transmit name resolution requests to a WINS or DNS server and wait for the response.

Internet tools

TCP/IP provides File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Telnet. FTP is a character-based utility that permits you to connect to FTP servers and transfer files. Telnet is graphical application that lets you log in to remote computers and issue commands as if you were at the keyboard of the computer. Multiple variations of FTP, Telnet, and other programs based on earlier Internet standards are also available on the Internet or commercially.
For information about configuring a connection, see To configure a connection. For information
about configuring TCP/IP, see To configure TCP/IP settings.