WINDOW XP EXERCISES

1. Creating a Shortcut

Objective.

To practice creating a Shortcut in the Windows XP desktop.

Step by step exercise.

1 Place the pointer on the background of the Windows XP desktop. 2 Right click on the background. 3 Select the option Shortcut from the menu displayed when you click on New. 4 Click Browse to search for the file Internet Explorer.exe 5 Select the unit where the operating system is installed, in our case the unit c. 6 Open folders until you find the file Iexplorer.exe; our file is located in c:/Programs Files/Internet Explorer/ 7 Click Ok. 8 Click Next. 9 Change the name to My Explorer. 10 Click Finish. We have just created a Shortcut to Internet Explorer.

2. Changing the time and date.

Objective.

To practice changing the clock.

Step by step exercise.

1 Double-click on the clock (on the right of the task bar). 2 Select the month, thus displaying the list of the months. 3 Select the year by placing the mouse on the year box and scrolling accordingly. 4 With the left mouse button click on the day you want. 5 Place the mouse on the hour digits and change them accordingly. 6 Do the same with the minutes and the seconds 7 Click OK

3. Adding or removing a task bar.

Objective

To practice how to customize Windows by adding or deleting task bars.

Step by step exercise

1 Place the mouse on the Windows task bar, but not on the buttons. 2 Click on the task bar with the right mouse button. 3 Select the option Tool bar. A list of tool bars will appear. 4 Select the tool bar called Desktop. 5 Next to the task bar the new task bar will appear. 6 With this bar we can access the same things we access from the desktop. We have added a task bar. 7 To remove a task bar the process is similar.

4. Creating and Deleting Folders

Objective.

To practice how to organize the information in folders.

Step by step exercise.

1 Click on the Start button. 2 Display the All programs menu and click on Accessories. 3 Select Windows Explorer. 4 Place the pointer on My documents. 5 Select New from the menu File. 7 Select Folder. 8 Once the folder option has been selected you will see that on the right window a new folder will appear that has the name New Folder and that it is selected. Rename it My folder. 9 Once the name has been changed, select the folder by clicking on it, and within it create another folder and name it Exercise pp. To create this folder you need to follow steps 5 through 8 that have been discussed above. 10 Then select the folder again and delete it by clicking 11 When it asks you if you want to send the folder to the Recycle Bin click Yes.

5. Copying and Moving folders

Objective.

To practice how to copy and move the information stored in the hard disk.

Step by step exercise.

1 Click on Start. 2 Display the All programs menu and select the Accessories option. 3 Select the Windows Explorer. 4 Double-click on the folder My documents. 5 Select the folder My Music from the window to the right. 6 Click on the copy button or Edit --> Copy to Folder... 7 A new window will be displayed 8 Select unit C and click on New Folder. 9 Name it Temporary 10 Then double-click on it to select it. 11 Click OK Once copied, move it to another folder on the C drive, which you can name Moving exercise. 12 Double-click on the temporary folder and select the folder My Music that appears on the window to the right. 13 Click on . When the window Search Folder opens, click on New Folder 14 Open the folder Moving exercise from the C drive and click on any part of the window so that the changes are executed, then click on it. 15 Click OK  This can also be done to move or copy Files.

6. Organizing Folders

Objective.

To practice organizing folders to find them quicker.

Step by step exercise.

1 Click on Start. 2 Display the All programs menu and select Accesories 3 Select the Windows Explorer 4 Select the folder My documents. 5 Open the menu View and select Arrange Icons By. 6 Select the option organize by Size. 7 Observe the result. Searching for Files or Folders Objective.   To practice finding information that you do not know were it is stored.   7. Searching for a file or folder in the hard disk. 1 Click on Start. 2 Display the Search menu and select the option All files and folders. 3 Write the name calc in All or part of the file name: box. 4 On Look in select the C drive. 5 Click on Search to start the search. 6 On the window to the right, the calculator will appear, as well as other files and folders. If the calculator does not appear, do not worry because it is possible that you do not have it installed. So search another name. Start a new search. We will use variables. Click Start a new search. 1 On the All or part of the file name: box write calc*; this way only the files that start with calc will appear. 2 Then try writing cal?.exe to see the difference for yourself. Do a search personalizing it by indicating dates and types of files. Click Start a new search. 1 Open the option When was it modified? 2 Select the box Within the last week. 3 Open the open More advanced options. 4 Click on Type of file. 5 Search for and select the row Microsof Word document 6 Click on Search to begin. 7 If there is a file that meets these criteria it will appear in the window to the right.

Searching for Hardware

Objective.

To practice searching for hardware in our network. If your computer is not in a network this exercise will not be very useful.

Step by step exercise.

8. Searching for Hardware on a network. 1 Click Start. 2 Open the Search menu and select Computers or people. 3 Write in the name of the computer that you know exists in the network. 4 Click on Search to begin the search. 6 On the window to the right the hardware that you are looking for will appear, as long as it exists within the network. If the hardware you are searching for does not appear on the search but you are sure it is in the network it could be that you wrote the name wrong or that your network is wrong.

9. Restoring Files or Folders

Objective.

To practice restoring a file or folder that has been deleted.

Step by step exercise

Restoring an element from the Recycle Bin. 1 Double-click on the Recycle Bin. 2 From the window that appears select any element you wish to restore. If there is none, create a document and then delete it an go back to the Recycle Bin. 3 Write down the complete route that appears next to the selected element. 4 Select the option Restore this file from the panel to the left. 5 Search the element that you restored from the route that you wrote down.

10. Deleting Files or Folders from the Recycle Bin

Objective.

To practice deleting an element from the Recycle Bin .

Step by step exercise.

Deleting an element from the Recycle Bin . 1 Double-click on the Recycle Bin . 2 From the window that appears to the right select the element that you wish to delete. In the event there is no element, create a document and then delete it so that it appears on the Recycle Bin. 3 Click on or the delete key. 4 When it asks if you are sure you want to delete the element tell it No and make sure it has not deleted it. 5 Try to delete it again but this time click Yes and make sure it is gone.

11. Emptying the Recycle Bin

Objective.

To practice emptying the Recycle Bin .

Step by step exercise.

Deleting everything from the Recycle Bin . 1 Double-click on the Recycle Bin . 2 If the bin is empty create a document, delete it, and then return to the Recycle Bin . 3 From the panel to the left select Empty the Recycle Bin . 4 When it asks if you are sure you want to empty the Recycle Bin click Yes.

12. The Wallpaper

Objective.

To customize the wallpaper.

Step by step exercise.

1 Click with the right mouse button on the Desktop. 2 From the shortcut menu that opens, click on Properties. 3 On the Desktop tab select the image that you have now. 4 Select the image Autumn. 5 In Position click Stretch. See the result on the screen in the window. 6 In Position click tile. See the difference. 7 In Position click Centered. 8 Click OK 9 Repeat steps 1 and 2 and return to the wallpaper you had.

13. The mouse buttons

Objective.

To practice customizing the functions of the mouse buttons to facilitate their use.

Step by step exercise.

Reducing the double-click speed. 1 Select the Control panel from the Start menu. 2 Select Printers and Other Hardware and then click on Mouse. 3 On the Buttons tab you will find a section called Double-click speed. Double-click on the folder to the right to test the speed that you currently have, start slowly then speed up until the folder opens. 4 Drag the arrow to the right to increase the speed. 5 Double-click on the folder to the right to check the changes, you will have to double-click faster for it to open. 6 Drag the arrow to the left to reduce the speed. 7 Double-click on the folder to the right to verify the change. 8 When you have found the double-click speed you like, Click OK.

14. The mouse pointer

Objective.

To practice customizing the mouse pointer.

Step by step exercise.

Change the appearance of the mouse. 1 Select Control panel from the Start menu. 2 Select Printers and Other Hardware and then click on Mouse. 3 On the Pointers tab you will find a list to select the different options. Write down the option that you have right now and select the option called 3D. 4 On Customize place the pointer on normal and click on test and select the pointer named Handwriting. You will see that the pointer takes on new forms. 5 Return to the option that you had before. 6 Click OK.

15. Mouse pointer options

Objective.

To practice customizing the appearance of the mouse.

Step by step exercise.

Change the speed of the mouse. 1 Select Control panel from the Start option. 2 Select Printers and Other Hardware and then click on Mouse. 3 On the Pointer options tab you will find a section called Motion. Drag the arrow to the left to decrease the speed of the mouse. Move the mouse to view the effect. 4 On the section Visibility select the option Display pointer trails. Move the mouse to view the effect. 5 Leave the options that you prefer. 6 Click OK.

16. Adding or deleting programs for Windows

Objective.

To practice installing or removing programs for Windows XP.

Step by step exercise.

To do this exercise have the Windows XP CD-ROM ready, since you may be asked for it. 1 Select the Control panel from the Start menu. 2 Select Add or remove programs and then double-click on Add and remove Windows components. 3 Select Accessories and utilities and then click on Details; now select Games and click on Details 4 Check Solitaire if it is not checked to be installed, or uncheck it to uninstall it. 5 Click Next so that the changes become active. 6 Click Finish so that the installation or uninstallation begins. 7 When it has finished redo the operation to return it to how it was before.

17. Installing hardware for Windows XP

Objective.

To practice installing hardware for Windows XP.

Step by step exercise.

In this exercise we will see how to install a mouse with a USB cable. 1 Without turning the computer off, connect the mouse´s USB cable with the appropriate port behind the CPU of your computer. 2 Observe how Windows detects the mouse and proceeds with its intallation; if it has the corresponding driver it will install it automatically, if it does not it will ask for the CD from the manufacturer. 3 Once Windows has finished the installation we can check that everything is ok. From the Start menu go to the Control panel. 4 Double-click on Performance and maintenance. 5 Click on See basic information about your computer. 6 On the System properties window click on Hardware 7 Click on Device manager. 6 Click on Mice and other pointing devices. 7 Make sure that the model of the mouse that you just installed is there and that it does not have a yellow question mark; this means everything is fine.