Working with Windows 95 Operating System

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DESKTOP Some icons always on desktop – My Computer, Recycle Bin, Network Neighborhood. Others added as shortcuts to programs.
TASK BAR Located at the bottom of screen, and displays all open programs, can display time of day. Includes START Button.
START Entrance to all the programs in Windows 95 operating system and software programs.

Shut Down

- must always use to exit windows to close temporary files.

 

Run

 To execute programs from a floppy disk, CD-Rom, or any program you know the .EXE file name.

Help

 Contents and Index. Contents will give help in book form, by showing chapters and subchapters, with a more leisurely style of learning. Index lets you type in key phrases, so you can quickly go to specific need.

Find

 You know it's there – but which directory. Use FIND to locate files. By typing in any part of the file's name, you can locate all matching files, and choose from the list.

Settings

 To change the setup for all the devices on the computer, as well as printing, and the look of the TaskBar.

Documents

 List of most currently used documents, for easy access to the document and program used, rather than going through Programs, and then opening the document.

Programs

 All installed programs will show up in the Programs list. Any items with the arrow to the right of the name has additional selections to choose from. Those items without the arrow to the right is a program into itself, and is executed directly from the list, i.e. Windows Explorer.

PRACTICE TIME To learn how to use the TaskBar, Start button, and Programs, we are going to play Solitaire.
  1. To find the game, point the mouse at START, and click the mouse button your index finger rests on.
  2. Slide the mouse pointer to the word PROGRAMS, which will bring up another group box of program names.
  3. Slide the pointer to the group named ACCESSORIES.
  4. Slide the pointer to GAMES, and then to SOLITAIRE.
  5. Click once on SOLITAIRE.

SOLITAIRE The basic rules of moving cards include working with the mouse button the index finger rests on.
  1. Turn cards over with single mouse click
  2. Drag and drop cards to different stacks
  3. Double click to move to "Ace" stacks

This program teaches Mouse Skills (hand-eye coordination). The program won't allow to move the wrong card.  It will bounce right back to the original position.

TITLE BAR

 Notice the title bar on the Solitaire window. Notice the name of the program on the left, and the 3 icons on the right. Minimize, Maximize/Restore and Exit.
  1. Practice minimize, maximize, and restore.
  2. Make sure you are not maximized, so you can resize the window on it's borders.
  3. You can also move the entire window by pointing to the title bar and dragging.

MENU

 Look at the menu – Game, Help.   One character is underlined. This denotes the key to press in combination with ALT key to access the menu without using the mouse.  Of course, you can also point and click the mouse on the menu item.

All Windows 95 programs will have menus with the same Alt+ underlined letter functions. Some menus will include other shortcut keys for different needs – CTRL+P to Print, CTRL+S to Save.

All Windows programs will have Help screens, some more extensive than others.

Changes to programs can be made from the menu.  For instance, in the Solitaire game, select Game, Options to change the number of cards drawn at one time, or the different ways to score the game.

Choose Game, Deck, you can change the front design on the cards.

This is also where you can deal yourself a new game, or exit the program.