Basic Windows terminology

[sunnyl]

There are many of the people who are very new to the computers and they even don’t know that what are the basic terms that are used in the Windows. So I thought that I should start a thread where we can post some helpful replies and make this thread useful for those people. If you have something to share on this then please let me know that. I hope, there will be some quick replies on this.

[Glinda]

Here are the things that you will see on the Windows and this are terms to be known first. There are many of the people who are using computers but they don’t know that what are those terms. So I am listing them and I hope that it will help others:

• Minimize: This is the first icon on the top right of any window and when you press that then this will minimize the window and put that in the taskbar.
• Maximize: This is the second icon next to the minimize icon and with the help this you will be able to maximize the window and restore that.
• Close: This is the third icon, next to the maximize. It is usually in red color and when you click on that then that window will be closed.
• The Start Menu: This is the icon at bottom left. Clicking on the start menu will show you all the startup programs.
• Title Bar: This is the bat at the top where minimize, maximize and close buttons are placed. This contains the title of the page.
• Menu Bar: It is below to title bar and contains the options as File, Edit, View....etc.
• Tool Bar: It is below to toolbar where you will get the options like search, back, forward....etc.
• Address Bar: This is below to the toolbar where you will get the address of that page.

[Krishnaraju]

With the Start menu you will be able to update the system files over the Internet, accessing installed programs, documents created or modified recently, access to operating system settings, search folders, documents and PCs on a network, access the help of Windows XP, launch applications, turn off the computer, etc.

[Faraji]

The Address bar will allow you to quickly go to any web page you specified.

• The Links bar, if activated, will provide links to product information, Web, plus allows you to add Web links, this should drag the links you want included in the toolbar.
• The Desktop toolbar on your desktop include elements such as the Recycle Bin and My Computer on the taskbar.
• The Quick Launch bar displays icons where you can click to quickly open programs, show the desktop or other tasks.

[Zariah]

If you want to configure the taskbar then you must make use of the properties of this bar. Position the pointer over an empty space on the taskbar and click the right mouse button. From the menu that appears, select the Properties option.

• Lock the taskbar
• Auto-hide the taskbar
• Keep the taskbar is always visible
• Grouping similar buttons on the taskbar: This option allows you to group the taskbar, on a single button, all files that have been opened with a single program, so that the taskbar is not collapsed if which has opened many applications at once.
• Show Quick Launch: The Quick Launch toolbar is a toolbar that is configurable by the user and lets you see the Windows desktop or run an application with a single click. The user can add this bar the programs you use most often and in a fast and easy to execute.

[ramsun]

If your taskbar disappears and has no way of coming back, you must press the Ctrl + Esc and the bar is displayed again.

[ADJATAY]

To customize your start menu perform the following steps:

1. Click Customize ... on the screen will display a window with two tabs:
2. On the General tab you can select how you want to see the icons Jan. Start menu, large or small.
3. In the Programs section of this tab, you can specify the number of programs used by you to be displayed in the start menu. You can increase or decrease the number of programs you want to appear in the Number of programs on the Start menu.
4. In section Show on Start menu, there are two drop-down lists where you can specify which Internet applications and e-mail you want to appear in the Start menu.
5. In the Advanced tab, in Setting the Start menu, consists of two options:
   
   • Open submenus when I pause on them: If this option is enabled, when point your mouse to the menu item in the start then it will show all.
   • Highlight newly installed programs: This option, if enabled, newly installed programs are highlighted with a different color in the All Programs list.
6. The elements section of the Start menu consists of a list of items you can choose to appear on the start menu.

[Fernandoa]

Windows XP allows the user to work with a default start menu to look the same as previous versions of Windows. If you want to work with this type of menu, you can customize it by clicking the Customize button. Very few people like it in this way but I like this in this way only.

[Abeni]

If you are using many of the tabs while using the computer then you must group the similar taskbar buttons. With this, the same buttons on the taskbar will group together and the number of tabs on the taskbar nwill be redused.