Start Button
Can I quickly add existing program shortcuts to the main area of the Start Menu?
Yes, but this feature is only available if the Start Menu is set to the Start Menu view not Classic Start Menu view. To know if you can perform this task click on the Start button and if you see All Programs and not Programs as a choice, then you can perform the pin to Start menu feature.
To add or pin an existing shortcut to the main area that is seen when you click the Start button, first find the program shortcut in the Start All Programs, then while pointing to the shortcut right-click and choose Pin to Start Menu. The shortcut now appears in the list of shortcuts at the top of the Start Menu.
To remove a pinned item from the Start Menu, click on the Start Menu button and right-click on the shortcut, choose Unpin from Start Menu and the shortcut will be
removed.
How do programs get on to appear on the Start and Programs menus?
The folders and programs on the Programs menu come from several places:
If you upgraded from a previous version of Windows, your previous program groups appear as folders on the Programs menu. For example, if you used to have a group in Program Manager called "My Favourite Programs," you will now see a folder called "My Favourite Programs" on the Programs menu in the new Windows version. All the programs you had in that group will appear in that folder.
During Setup, Windows adds several programs and folders. Each folder contains a group of programs.
Windows also adds a StartUp folder during Setup. Programs you place on the StartUp menu start automatically every time you start Windows.
The Setup programs for any software you install may add folders to the Programs menu.
You can also add programs yourself. Look up “adding items to the Start menu” in Windows Help and Support. This will give you instructions on how to add shortcuts to the Classic Start menu and to the Quick Launch toolbar. Different Windows XP settings will vary what choices you have to place shortcuts in the Start and Programs menus.
I have installed a new program and the shortcut is not in name order. Can I sort the Start Menu?
Yes, Windows XP adds the new program shortcuts to the bottom of the Start Programs Menu, so you will need to sort the shortcuts to keep them in alphabetical order. To sort the Start Programs Menu in name order, click on the Start button, point to Programs (or All Programs), right-click on a shortcut, choose Sort by Name from the menu. The Start Programs Menu will now be sorted in name
order.
How do I change my Start Menu to look like to the one used in this manual?
Firstly it is important to understand that Windows XP has two different views that change the way the Start button and Program menu looks and works. The two views are the Start Menu view and Classic Start Menu. It is useful to understand the basic differences between the two Start Menu views in order to make an informed decision for which to use.
The Start Menu view is the new look Start Menu that removes common shortcuts such as My Documents, My Computer and My Network Places from the desktop and places them in the Start Menu. Other changes that occur are, the Programs Menu is called All Programs, Settings, Network Connections, and Taskbar and Start Menu choices are removed from the Start and Programs Menu. The only icon initially found on the desktop is the Recycle Bin. Two features that are added with this view are a recently used programs area and a customisable shortcuts area where shortcuts can be “pinned” into the Start menu. These are located in the area directly above the above the Start button.
The Classic Start Menu is a carry over from Windows 2000 and Windows ME versions and provides a more familiar navigation for those upgrading from a previous version of windows, or for those people who may use different Windows versions on different computers and want them to look the same. This view includes icons on the desktop found in previous versions of Windows.
To select the view to use on your system, right-click in an empty area of the taskbar, choose Properties from the menu, click the Start Menu tab in the dialog box, select the view option of your choice. Each view has a Customize button that allows for extensive customisation of the view chosen.
How can I make Windows XP look and act like Windows 2000?
Windows XP is supplied with a range of themes that control the look and feel of the windows environment. Themes control the colours, backgrounds, how the windows and icons look and even the animation of menus. There are themes for Windows XP, and Windows 2000 referred to as Windows Classic, and your own customised theme.
To change a theme right-click on an empty area of the desktop and choose Properties, click on the Themes tab, choose a theme from the Theme drop-down list, and click Apply to apply the theme. To change Windows XP to look like Windows 2000, select Windows Classic.
Why do I have to use the Shut Down command when closing my computer?
Using the Shut Down command ensures that programs close properly. It prompts you to save your work if you haven't done so already, and removes any temporary files the programs may have created. This ensures that all your work is saved properly, and prevents your hard disk from becoming cluttered with temporary files.
Why don’t I see the Quick Launch toolbar next to the Start button?
The quick Launch toolbar is not active unless it is turned on. This toolbar is used to store shortcuts to programs you use regularly and the toolbar is located in the taskbar next to the start button. As the taskbar is normally available while using any program, having shortcuts available without needing to minimise windows to access desktop shortcuts can be useful.
- To activate the Quick Launch toolbar.
- Right-click in an empty area of the taskbar.
- Shortcut menu opens.
- Choose Toolbars Quick Launch from the menu.
- Quick Launch toolbar now appears in the taskbar to the right of the Start button.
How do I add Shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar?
Right-drag shortcuts from the desktop or the Start Menu onto the Quick Launch toolbar to the right of the Start button.
- When a vertical line appears between icons in the toolbar, drop shortcut.
- Choose Create Shortcuts here from the menu.
- A new shortcut icon will appear on the Quick Launch toolbar in the position it was dropped.
Why don’t I see all my choices in the Start Menu all the time?
Windows XP, in Classic View, has a feature that is initially set to hide menu choices that are not used regularly. This is called Personalised Menus. This setting can be changed to display all menu choices available. As more programs are installed on the computer, the start menu can become very crowded so using Personalised Menus can be useful to display only the commonly used program shortcuts.
To Turn off Personalised Menus in the Classic Start Menu view.
- Right-click in an empty area of the taskbar.
- Shortcut menu opens.
- Choose Toolbars Properties from the menu.
- Click on the Start Menu tab.
- Click on the Customize button to the right the of Classic Start Menu option.
- Scroll to Use Personalized Menus at the bottom of the Advanced Start Menus options list.
- Click on Use Personalized Menus to un-tick this choice.
Desktop
Can I tidy my desktop?
Yes, Windows XP has several choices available to you to assist you to “tidy up” your desktop. Right-click in an empty area of the desktop and choose Arrange Icons By from the menu. There are 10 choices for how to arrange and manage your desktop.
How do I turn off the Desktop Cleanup Wizard?
Windows XP comes with a wizard, which will remove shortcuts from your desktop that have not been used for 60 days. To turn off this feature, right-click on an empty area of the desktop, choose Properties from the menu, click on the Desktop tab of the Display Properties, click Customize Desktop button, un-tick Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days, click OK and the feature is turned off.
Desktop Shortcuts
Will my shortcuts disappear when I turn off the computer?
No, shortcuts stay on your Start Menu and Desktop until you delete them.
What happens if I delete a shortcut?
Deleting a shortcut only deletes the link. It has no effect on the item the shortcut was linked to. So, if you had a shortcut to "Microsoft Word" and you deleted it, "Microsoft Word" would still be in its original folder. Only the shortcut would be deleted.
Can I put a shortcut to a printer on my desktop?
Yes. Open the Printers folder from the Control Panel, use your right mouse button to click on the printer you want to create a shortcut to, and then use the right mouse button to drag the printer onto the desktop and choose Create shortcut from the menu. Click Yes to save the shortcut to the desktop.
Can I change the name of a desktop shortcut?
Yes. Click the shortcut once, and then click on its name. Then type in a new name for the shortcut, and press ENTER.
How can I get information about a specific shortcut?
Use your right mouse button to click the shortcut, and then click on Properties in the shortcut menu. The properties for the shortcut will display information such as what it is linked to; what program, if any, is associated with the shortcut; and when it was created.
Are there any disadvantages to shortcuts?
Creating too many shortcuts, especially on the desktop, defeats their purpose, which is to make them easy to find. Also, desktop shortcuts are accessible only when they are visible – in other words not hidden behind windows. When you have several windows open, and you need to use a desktop shortcut, you have to minimise or move the windows to get to it. Shortcuts on the Start menu, however, are always available by clicking the Start button and shortcuts in the Quick Launch toolbar are visible when the taskbar is visible.
What happens if I delete the program or file that the shortcut points to?
Windows does not delete shortcuts automatically when you delete a program. If you delete, move, or rename the original item that the shortcut points to, and then try to open it using the shortcut, Windows will first search for a similar name and file size and then ask if you want to open that item. If Windows does not find a similar file, it will prompt you to specify where the original item is.
Do shortcuts take up extra memory?
No, they are saved to your hard disk, so they do not use any resources, except for a minimal amount (about I Kb) of disk space. In Windows XP
Taskbar
Can I minimise all open applications in one go?
Yes, there are two quick ways to do this. The first is to press the Windows logo key (between the Ctrl and Alt keys) and the M key. The second method requires the Quick Launch toolbar to be visible on the taskbar. Clicking the Show Desktop shortcut in the Quick Launch toolbar minimises all application windows.
Can I change the preferences on the Taskbar?
By using the Settings option of the Start menu, Yes, Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar and choose Properties, from the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, from here you can configure the taskbar to your preference. You can also drag the taskbar to the sides or the top of the Desktop if you unlock the taskbar.
Taskbar options include:
- Lock the Taskbar This locks the taskbar and prevents it from being moved or resized.
- Auto hide This leaves the screen vacant so you can use the full screen for a program. The taskbar is hidden at the bottom of the screen but reappears when the cursor is moved over the last location of the taskbar.
- Keep the taskbar Always on top of other windows This leaves the taskbar visible, even when using a full screen program.
- Small icons This changes the default icons used in the Start menu with smaller versions of the icons. This is useful when working on low resolution screens.
- Group similar taskbar buttons This displays taskbar buttons for files opened by the same program in a group when the taskbar becomes too crowded.
- Show Quick Launch This shows (or hides) the Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar to the right of the Start menu button.
- Show Clock This allows you to toggle between showing and hiding the clock on the taskbar. This does not remove the entire notification area.
- Hide inactive icons This keeps the notification area, in the right side of the taskbar, from displaying unused icons.
When I open menus in Windows 2000 and ME versions, I’ve noticed that each drop-down menu displays a double headed arrow at the bottom and I can’t see all available choices when the menu first opens. Is there any way I can turn this feature off?
Yes. This feature is called Personalised Menus and can be turned off by right-clicking on the Taskbar, choosing Properties from the shortcut menu and then de-selecting the option Use Personalised Menus in the Properties dialog box.
Documents menu
Documents are not always added to the Documents menu when I open them. Why not?
Some older programs do not automatically add opened documents to the Documents menu. When the program versions are updated specifically for the current Windows version, they will. In the meantime, you can make sure a document is added to the Documents menu by first finding it by using the Find Search command and then double clicking it to open the document.
Tip: Documents is called My Recent Documents if Windows XP is set to Start Menu view rather than Classic Start Menu view.
Can I remove all the documents from this menu?
Yes. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Taskbar. Click the Start Menu Programs tab, and in the Documents Menu area click Clear.
How you remove or clear documents from Start Documents or My Recent Documents varies depending on the Start Menu View setup in Windows
XP?
Each view has a slightly different method for clearing recent documents and so each will be described individually.
Classic Start Menu view
Click the Start button, point to Settings, click on Taskbar and Start Menu, click on the Start Menu tab.
Click on the Customize button on the right side of the Classic Start Menu selection, click the Clear button, click OK twice. The Start Documents recently used document list will now be cleared.
Start Menu View
Click the Start button, choose Control Panel, double-click on the Taskbar and Start Menu icon, click on the Start Menu tab. Click the Customize button on the right side of the Start Menu selection, click on the Advanced tab, click the Clear List button and click OK twice. The Start My Recent Documents recently used document list will now be empty.
Can I use the Find/Search Command to find a file by date or another method?
Yes, depending on the version of Windows you have installed, you can use the tabs at the top of the find dialog box or options with the Search dialog box to specify other information. For example, you can specify the date of the file or search for files containing specific text. you first choose what you want to search for in the Search Companion section and then choose from the options available dates or sizes, types and many other means of criteria to be more specific. The choices vary for each of the choose what you want to search for areas.
Explorer - File Management
Is a folder the same as a directory?
Not exactly. The term “folder” has, for several years, replaced the term directory that was used in older Windows versions. However, directories could only contain files and sub-directories. Folders can contain items other than files and other folders. For example, folders can contain icons for printers and shortcuts to other items on your computer.
When I’ve opened a folder, how do I get back to the drive or folder I was in before?
You can return to a previous drive or folder by pressing the BACKSPACE key. If the toolbar is visible, you can also click the Up (One-Level) button. (To see the toolbar, click the View menu, and then click Toolbar and choose Standard.) The Back button in the standard toolbar will also go back through the areas you have been one step at a time each time you click the Back button.
Is there a way to see more information about the files and folders listed in My Computer?
Yes. Click a folder, click the View menu, and then click Details to view information such as file size and date modified.
Can I see my digital photos as images rather than names and dates?
Yes, Windows XP also has two very useful choices in the view menu. The first is called Thumbnails where small images area displayed with the name under each. The second image view is Filmstrip. Both the thumbnail and filmstrip are useful to view images such as photos in slightly different ways, to see an image rather than just a name and date.
Is there a way to set up My Computer so I will see the same view each time I open a new folder window?
Although there is no universal setting for all windows, you can change the way windows open. Instead of a new window opening for each folder, you can have just one window with the contents changing. Then the view you have specified remains the same.
To do this:
- Double-click on My Computer icon on the desktop.
- Choose View Options from the menu or Tools Folder Options if working with Windows 2000 or ME.
- Options dialog box opens.
- Click on the Folder tab at top of dialog box.
- Click in the option Browse Folders By Using A Single Window or Open Each Folder in the same Window if working with Windows 2000 or ME.
- Click on OK.
Can I set all folders in Windows Explorer to look the same?
Yes, Windows XP can apply the same setting to all folders based on the example of one folder window. First open Windows Explorer and change how you would like all folders to look, the view, and the sort order. With the folder window still open choose Tools Folder Options from the menu, click on the View tab, click on the Apply to All Folders button, Click Yes to set all Windows Explorer folders to match the current folder’s view settings. Now all folder windows will look the same. My Computer however stores its own setting independent to Windows Explorer settings.
If you change an individual folder’s settings after using apply to all folders, then the folder will store the new settings for that folder when the folder window is closed.
Can I see the Status Bar on the bottom of a window?
Yes, the Status Bar is a useful area of a window displaying information about the contents of a window, but this feature is not activated in Windows XP. To display the Status Bar in Windows Explorer, open Windows Explorer, choose View Status Bar from the menu, Status Bar appears at the bottom of the Window, close the window to save the setting change. You will need to perform the same steps in My Computer and Internet Explorer to activate the Status Bar in those applications as well.
I do not see all my files and the file extensions on my computer, why not?
Windows XP does not display hidden files or the 3 character extensions for files unless you change settings. To see all files and their extensions, open Windows Explorer or My Computer, choose Tools Folder Options from the menu, click on the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders option, un-tick Hide extensions for known file types, click OK. Now all files and all extensions will be displayed. Only system files will not be displayed and it is recommended not to display system files for protection against being removed accidentally.
Can I swap between Search and Folders in Windows Explorer and My Computer?
Yes, click on the Search toolbar button to change the left section of the window to the Search Pane and click on the Folders toolbar button to change it to the Folders Pane.
Can I perform tasks in the Windows Explorer or My Computer?
To see the Tasks Pane click on the Folders or the Search toolbar button, whichever is active, then the Task Pane will display offering a range of tasks to perform and locations to view.
What other Panes can be displayed in Windows Explorer and My Computer?
The left side of the Windows Explorer and My Computer window is called the Explorer Bar and it can display one of 5 available panes: Search, Favorites, Media, History and Folders. To change the pane displayed in the Explorer Bar, choose View Explorer Bar Pane to view from the menu. The pane selected will appear in the Explorer Bar area of the window.
How do I copy a file to a floppy disk?
Locate the file you want to copy and click once on its name to select it. On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click the floppy disk drive icon where you want to copy the file to.
How can I copy a floppy disk to another floppy disk?
In Windows Explorer or My Computer, use your right mouse button to click the icon for the floppy disk you want to copy, and then choose Copy Disk from the shortcut menu. Click the drive you want to copy from and the drive you want to copy to, and then click Start.
Can I add a network drive to the Send To right-click menu choice in Windows Explorer?
Yes, this is a very useful feature when you regularly copy files to a location. Send To is not limited to sending files to a network drive, you can send files to local drives, My Network Places, programs, email, to the desktop as a shortcut and to printers as well.
To add a shortcut to the Send To area, right-click on the Start button and choose Explore, click on the Send To folder. A list of existing Send To shortcuts will display in the file list. Find the drive or location you want to add to the Send To in the folder list and right-drag it into the Send To folder, choose Create Shortcuts here from the menu. A new shortcut will appear in the Send To folder and will now be available to send to by right-clicking on a file in Windows Explorer and choose Send To and the new shortcut from the menu.
Printing
How do I cancel printing a document I’ve sent to the printer?
If the printer icon is visible on the taskbar, double-click it; if not, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Printers and Faxes, and then double-click the printer icon. Next, click the document, click the Document menu, and then click Cancel.
If your document was a short document, containing only one page, you may be too late to cancel it. If the document contained multiple pages and is in the middle of printing, when you cancel, the pages that have not printed will be cancelled.
You can cancel any documents sent to a printer that is attached to your computer. If you are using a network printer, you can cancel only your own documents.
Can I see all of my documents sent to the printer in one window?
Yes, if you work with a single printer. No, if you use more than one printer, because there is a separate status window for each printer. However, you can open more than one printer status window at a time.
What should I do if I have problems printing a document or setting up my printer?
Windows Help includes a print trouble-shooter, which provides steps you can take if you encounter printing problems. Type the key words printing problems in Help and Support Search section and choose Fixing a printing problem. Look up "Troubleshooting, printing problems" in the Help Index.
Can I set up different printer icons for the same printer, for example, one that prints on 11 x 17 paper and one that prints on 8.5 x 11?
Yes. You can use the Add Printer wizard to set up more than one icon for any printer, and then go to the printer's properties to specify the page size or other options you want. Be sure to give each icon a descriptive name; for example, Laser- American Letter or Laser-Oversize. Then, when you're ready to print a document, send it to the appropriate printer name.
Can I have different default printers for different programs?
No. However, in most programs it is easy to specify which printer you want to use after you click the Print command.
Windows Help and Support
How do I return to the Index from a Help topic without closing Help?
In Windows 98 or NT, click the Help Topics button to return to the previous tab, whether it was the Contents or the Index. In Windows 2000 or ME the Help areas are always visible. Click on the Index button in the Help and Support toolbar or use the Back button to go back through previous windows.
Can I mark a Help topic to come back to later?
Yes, Help and Support has the ability to add pages to Favorites which is an area of Help that stores all the topics you set as a Favorite page.
To add a Help topic to the Favorites area, with a topic displayed in the contents pane on the right side of the Help windows, click on the Add to Favorites button in the contents toolbar. To use a Favorites topic click on the Favorites button in the Help and Support toolbar, click on the topic in the Favorites pane and the topic will appear in the contents pane.
What if I type a word in the Index and it isn’t found?
Try to think of other words with similar meanings. The list of topics contains many synonyms.
You could also try using the full-text search feature in Help. To do this, click in the Find or Search textbox at the top of the Help and Support window tab, and then follow the instructions type in the keywords or simple sentence and click the green arrow to start the search. Note that Find or Search creates a database of all the words in your Help files, so it takes up extra space on your hard disk.
Why do I sometimes see topics in Help that are different from the last time I clicked on Help?
Help for Windows is different from Help for a particular program. If you are working in a program, for example Word, and you click the Help menu you will open Help for the Word program, which is different from Windows Help.
If you click the Start button and then click Help and Support, you will always open Windows Help and Support.
What is the difference between the Index button tab and the Search textbox areas of Help Find tab?
The Index searches for Help topics according to subject. The Search textbox Find tab searches for topics according to the words in the topic.
For example, if you search for "colour" in the Index, it will show you all the topics about colour, but if you do the same search on the Search textbox Find tab, it will list all the topics with the word "colour" in the text.
Note that the Search textbox Find tab in Help is not the same as Search Find on the Start menu and that words used as keywords or the Index need to be in American spelling and not Australian spelling, for example if you used the word colour and not color, then you would find no results.
Is there a list of shortcuts to use with the Windows key?
Yes, the Windows logo key found between the Ctrl and Alt keys has some useful combinations with other letter to perform common Windows tasks. The list of shortcuts is found in Help Index. To find the list of Windows logo and other useful shortcuts, type in the Index Natural Keyboard and choose keyboard shortcuts. Shortcuts will be listed for the main areas of Windows XP.
Windows Maintenance and Cleanup
Are there any settings that will speed up Windows XP menus?
Yes, Windows XP has many animations, shadows and other graphic intensive features which will reduce the performance of computers. Choose Start Settings Control Panel (or Control Panel if Settings is not displayed), double-click the System icon, click Advanced tab, click Settings in the Performance section. The Performance Options dialog box opens. In this dialog box you can choose from different options: Let Windows choose what’s best for your computer, Adjust for best appearance, Adjust for best performance, and Custom.
If you have a slow computer let windows evaluate your system by using Let Windows choose what’s best for your computer or Adjust for best performance which will set the visual effects to Windows 2000 style. You can experiment with a balance of look and speed by customising the choices and Apply the changes to see how Windows looks and responds. |
