Computing Fundamentals Module Lesson 8 Changing Settings and Customizing the Desktop

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Computing Fundamentals ModuleLesson 8 Changing
Settings and Customizing the Desktop

• Computer Literacy BASICS

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Objectives

• Understand the settings on the Control Panel.
• Apply a predefined theme to the desktop.
• Change the Windows desktop background.
• Customize the icons on the desktop.
• Clean up your desktop.

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Objectives (cont.)

• Explain what a shortcut is and how it is used.
• Create and delete shortcuts.
• Assign a shortcut key to a shortcut.
• Add a program to the Quick Launch bar.

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Vocabulary

• Background
• Control Panel
• Desktop shortcuts
• Desktop theme
• Internet Explorer
• My Computer

• My Documents
• My Network Places
• Shortcut
• Shortcut
• Wizard

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The Control Panel

• You open the Control Panel by selecting it on the
  Start menu.
• In Category view (the default view), the Control
  Panel window has two panes
• The left pane includes a list of tasks you can
  choose quickly, plus other places you can look
  for information about the Control Panel and
  Windows.
• The right pane has nine categories you can pick
  to change settings and display options.

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The Control Panel Category View
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Changing Control Panel Settings

• Many settings can be configured using the Control
  Panel.
• You change settings by selecting a category and
  then a task or Control Panel icon.
• You then customize the settings using the Wizard
  or dialog box that opens.
• On a networked computer, you may not be allowed
  to change all Control Panel settings.

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Control Panel Categories

• Appearance and Themes Change the background,
  screen saver, or desktop items customize the
  Start menu and taskbar apply a theme to your
  display change the screen display resolution or
  colors
• Network and Internet Connections Create a small
  office or home network change network, Internet,
  and phone settings.
• Add or Remove Programs Install, change, or
  remove software and Windows components see a
  list of installed software control access to
  certain programs.

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Control Panel Categories (cont.)

• Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices Change speaker
  volume and other settings for audio and speech
  devices change the sound scheme or individual
  sounds made by the computer.
• Performance and Maintenance Enable energy-saving
  features compress the data on your hard disk
  drive schedule routine maintenance tasks, such
  as disk cleanup and antivirus checking find
  system information.

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Control Panel Categories (cont.)

• Printers and Other Hardware Change settings for
  printers, keyboard, mouse, game controllers,
  modems, scanners, and cameras identify the
  hardware devices on your computer and determine
  whether they are running properly.
• User Accounts Change user accounts and
  passwords change a users e-mail profile.

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Control Panel Categories (cont.)

• Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options
  Change the language your system uses or the date,
  time, or time zone change the way numbers,
  currency, dates, and times are formatted and
  displayed.
• Accessibility Options Adjust hardware and
  operating system settings for users with vision,
  hearing, and mobility disabilities.

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Customizing the Desktop

• You can change the appearance of the Windows
  desktop via the Control Panel.
• Click the Start button and then click Control
  Panel.
• Select the Appearance and Themes category and
  then click the Display Control Panel icon.
• The Display Properties dialog box contains
  several tabs that can be accessed to change your
  desktops appearance and behavior.

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The Display Properties Dialog Box
Display Properties tabs
Theme name
Example of current theme
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Display Properties Tabs

• Themes tab Lets you assign predefined themes
  including icons, fonts, colors, and other
  elements to your desktop.
• Desktop tab Offers pictures and graphics you can
  use as a background for the desktop.
• Screen Saver tab Selects a screen saver to use.
• Appearance tab Controls fonts and colors for
  various screen elements.
• Settings tab Sets resolution and color settings
  for your computer monitor.

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Selecting a Desktop Theme

• Click the Themes tab of the Display Properties
  dialog box.
• Open the drop-down menu below the word Theme to
  see a list of available themes.
• Select one and that theme will appear in the
  example window.
• Click Apply to set the new theme.

The Theme drop-down menu on the Themes tab in the
Display Properties dialog box lists the available
desktop themes.
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Setting a New Background

• You can change the background for a theme by
  clicking the Desktop tab and selecting a new
  background from the available choices.
• You can set various options for the background
  using the Position drop-down list box.
• Windows can use any picture or graphic file as a
  background. Click the Browse button in the
  Desktop tab to find the file you want to use.

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The Icons on Your Desktop

• Click the Customize Desktop button on the Desktop
  tab of the Display Properties dialog box to
  define which icons should appear on your
  desktop.
• Commonly used icons
• My Documents Personal folder to save files
• My Computer Displays the contents of your
  computer
• My Network Places Lists all computers on your
  network
• Internet Explorer Fast, personalized Web browser

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The Desktop Items Dialog Box
Click a check box to display an icon on the
desktop.
You can change the icon graphic by selecting the
element and clicking the Change Icon button.
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Customizing a Toolbar

• The Standard toolbar is the row of buttons below
  the menu bar on most windows.
• Other toolbars appear if you select them in the
  Toolbars submenu of the View menu.
• You can change the buttons that appear on any
  toolbar using the Customize Toolbar dialog box.

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Customizing a Toolbar (cont.)

• Click on the View menu and then select the
  Toolbars option. (The right-pointing arrow tells
  you a submenu will open.)
• Select the Customize option on the Toolbars
  submenu to open the Customize Toolbar dialog box.

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The Customize Toolbar Dialog Box
The Available toolbar buttons list box displays
the types of command buttons available.
The Current toolbar buttons list box displays the
buttons already on the toolbar.

• To add a button, select it from the Available
  list box and click the Add button.
• To remove a button from a toolbar, select it in
  the Current list box and click the Remove button.

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Cleaning Up Your Desktop

• Icons on your desktop are shortcuts to programs
  and are called desktop shortcuts.
• Windows XP has a Desktop Cleanup Wizard
  (available from the Desktop Items dialog box)
  that can examine desktop icons and tell you which
  ones have not been used over a 60-day period.
• The Wizard gives you the option of removing
  unused icons to free up desktop space.
• Removed icons are stored in an Unused Desktop
  Shortcuts folder so they can be retrieved if
  needed.

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Shortcuts

• Shortcuts are represented by icons on your
  desktop.
• Double-clicking a shortcut opens the actual item
  to which the shortcut is pointing.

• A small arrow in the lower-left corner of an icon
  identifies it as a shortcut.

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Shortcuts (cont.)

• A shortcut functions as a pointer to an
  application or a document file, wherever the file
  is located.
• You create a shortcut by dragging a file to the
  desktop or by using the Create Shortcut command
  on the File menu.

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Creating a Shortcut Using Drag and Drop

• Using the right mouse button, right-drag the item
  (file, program, folder) from its current location
  in the My Computer window to where you want the
  shortcut.
• Drop the item where you want it by releasing the
  mouse button.

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Creating a Shortcut Using Drag and Drop (cont.)

• A shortcut menu appears, giving you several
  options.
• Click Create Shortcuts Here to create a shortcut
  icon with a default name.
• To change the name, right-click the icon to open
  the shortcut menu and select Rename.

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Creating a Shortcut Using the File Menu

• Select the item for which you want to create a
  shortcut in the My Computer window.
• Open the File menu and click Create Shortcut.
• A shortcut icon for the item appears as the last
  item in the My Computer window.
• Drag the shortcut item from the My Computer
  window to the desktop.

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Using Shortcut Keys

• A shortcut key is a keystroke combination that
  runs a program or opens the dialog box to which
  it is linked.
• Shortcut key combinations are assigned using the
  Ctrl key, the Alt key, and a letter or number key
  to create a combination such as Ctrl Alt N.
• You can activate the program or object assigned
  to a shortcut by using a shortcut keystroke
  combination that you assign in the Shortcut
  Properties box.

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Assigning a Shortcut Key

• Right-click the shortcut and select Properties to
  open the My Shortcut Properties dialog box.
• Select the Shortcut tab.
• Click in the Shortcut key text box.
• Press and hold down the Ctrl key and enter the
  letter or number key you want to use for the
  shortcut.
• Click OK to save your shortcut key.

The Shortcut key text box in the My Shortcut
Properties dialog box
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Deleting a Shortcut

• There are several ways to delete a shortcut when
  it is no longer needed
• Select the shortcut, then press the Delete key.
• Right-click the shortcut, then select Delete from
  the shortcut menu.
• Drag and drop the shortcut in the Recycle Bin.
• Deleting a shortcut deletes only the shortcut,
  not the object attached to the shortcut.

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Quick Launch Bar Shortcuts

• You can also add a shortcut to the Quick Launch
  bar on the taskbar.
• If you dont see the Quick Launch bar,
  right-click in an empty part of the taskbar,
  point to Toolbars, and then click Quick Launch.

Quick Launch shortcut icons
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Adding and RemovingQuick Launch Shortcuts

• To add an icon to the Quick Launch bar, drag a
  program, document, or desktop shortcut icon to
  the Quick Launch bar.
• To remove an icon from the Quick Launch bar,
  right-click the shortcut and then select Delete
  from the shortcut menu that displays.

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Summary

• The Control Panel allows you to find information
  about system settings, change display options,
  and customize your desktop.
• You can modify your desktop using the Display
  dialog box tools and options.
• You can select from Windows existing themes or
  choose a different background on the Background
  tab.

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Summary (cont.)

• Windows comes with a number of preexisting
  desktop themes that give your desktop a unified
  and distinctive look. A picture can be tiled to
  fill the whole screen, centered on the screen, or
  stretched across the screen.

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Summary (cont.)

• You can use almost any picture or graphic file as
  a background. For example, you might take a
  photograph on a digital camera or download a
  graphic from the Web and then use it as a desktop
  background.
• The Desktop Cleanup Wizard is used to remove any
  unwanted or unused desktop shortcuts from the
  desktop.

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Summary (cont.)

• A shortcut functions as a pointer to a
  filewherever it is located. Double-click the
  shortcut icon to open the actual item to which
  the shortcut is pointing.
• You create a shortcut by dragging and dropping or
  by using the Create Shortcut option on the File
  menu. When you no longer need a shortcut, it can
  be deleted without impacting the original
  instance.

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Summary (cont.)

• You can add a shortcut key to a Windows shortcut.
  A shortcut key is a keystroke combination that
  runs a programor in this case, runs the Windows
  shortcut to which it is linked. Shortcut keys to
  Windows shortcuts always use Ctrl Alt and one
  additional character.

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Summary (cont.)

• You can place a program, document, or desktop
  shortcut icon that you plan to use often on the
  Quick Launch bar.