Chapter 2 - Learning the Basics

This chapter introduces you to the new look and feel of Windows NT 4.0 and provides you with the basic procedures you need to know to begin your work.

Starting and Quitting Windows NT

This section shows you how to log on, start, and quit Windows NT.

Logging on is the process of identifying yourself to the computer by giving your name and password. This process identifies you as an authorized user and helps maintain security.

To log on to Windows NT

1. When you start your computer and see the Begin Logon dialog box, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to log on. 

    

   You will now see the Logon Information dialog box. 

2. Type your user name and password in the Logon Information dialog box. 

    

   Your user name was set when your system administrator established your user account or when you installed Windows NT. 

   Your password is a security measure to restrict access to your computer by unauthorized users. A password can contain up to 14 characters and can include uppercase and lowercase letters. If you do not want to log on with a password, your system administrator can disable the service. 

   On the Welcome to Windows NT screen, choose one of the following four options:

   • What's New? to get answers to common questions asked by users who have used Windows NT before. 

   • Help Contents   to search for Help by typing a subject, title, or specific word or phrase. 

   • Next Tip   to view another tip on the Welcome screen. 

   • Close button to close the Welcome screen and begin working with Windows NT. 

    

To start using Windows NT

• Click the Start button to display the Start menu. 

  From this menu, you can start your programs, files, and documents. You also use the Start menu to quit Windows NT. 

   

To quit Windows NT and shut down your computer

1. Click the Start button and then click Shut Down. 

2. Click Shut down the computer. 

    

   If you forget to save changes to documents, Windows NT prompts you to save changes. 

   A screen message lets you know when you can safely turn off your computer.

Caution Before you turn off or restart your computer, always shut down Windows NT. That way you can be sure your work is saved to your hard disk.

Getting Online Help

All of the information that you need to learn and use for Windows NT is now online. You should refer to online Help as your primary source of information to help you use Windows NT.

Windows NT provides you with two kinds of Help

• Help about specific procedures 

• Help about what you see on your screen

When you open Help by using the Start menu or the Help menu in My Computer or the other icons, you will get Help for Windows NT in general. If you use the Help menu in a program such as Wordpad, Paint, or Microsoft Word, the Help you see is specifically for that program.

To get Help about procedures

1. Click the Start button, and then click Help.

2. The list of Help topics appears. 

3. You can use the Contents tab in Help to find topics grouped by subject, or use the Index tab or Find tab to search for information by typing in a subject, title, or specific word or phrase. 

4. Some Help topics contain green underlined text. You can click the green text to see a definition of the term. 

5. To return to the list of topics after reading about a specific topic, click Help Topics. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

To find Help using the Contents tab

Click the Contents tab to find topics grouped by subject.

To find Help using the Index tab

Click the Index tab to find specific topics listed alphabetically. To scroll through the Help index, type the first few letters of the word you want to search for. If you don't find the entry you want, type a synonym for the word you want.

To find Help using the Find tab

Click the Find tab to find all the topics that contain a specific word or phrase.

The What's This? button, in the upper-right corner of your screen, is an easy way to get information about an item in a dialog box.

To get Help using the What's This? button

1. Click the What's This? button. A dialog box appears. 

2. Click the item in the dialog box that you want information about. An explanatory message appears. 

3. To make the message disappear, click anywhere on the screen. 

Using the New Streamlined Desktop

The new Windows NT screen design makes it easier and faster for you to get your work done. This section introduces the new screen design and tells you what happened to the icons from earlier versions of Windows NT.

What's New on Your Windows NT Screen?

Depending on how your computer is set up, different icons will appear on your desktop when you start Windows NT. Four icons that are new to Windows NT are: My Computer, Network Neighborhood, Recycle Bin, and the Start button.

	My Computer My computer displays icons representing various resources available to your computer. These include floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives, hard disk drives, and also any network resources you are connected to such as printers and network drives. Double-click these icons to see the contents.
	Network Neighborhood If your computer is set up to use a network directory service, you can double-click the Network Neighborhood icon to see computers in your workgroup.
	Internet Explorer Double-click the Internet Explorer icon to browse web pages on your local network and/or on the Internet.
	Recycle Bin The Recycle Bin is a temporary storage place for deleted files. You can use it to retrieve files deleted in error. These deleted files are not actually removed from your hard disk until you empty the Recycle Bin. To delete a file, just drag it to the Recycle Bin. To empty the Recycle Bin, double-click the icon, click File, and then click Empty Recycle Bin. To free up disk space, you must empty the Recycle Bin periodically.
	Important If you delete a file at the command prompt or from a disk, it does not go into the Recycle Bin. It is permanently deleted from your computer.
	My Briefcase If you access files using two different computers, such as a laptop and a main computer, then you can use My Briefcase to keep your files updated and synchronized.
	Inbox If your computer is setup to use Windows messaging, you can double-click the Inbox icon to send and receive messages.
	Start Button The Start button and taskbar are located at the bottom of your screen when you start Windows NT for the first time. By default, they are always visible when Windows NT is running. You use the Start button to start programs, open documents, change system settings, find items on your computer, get Help, and more. To see the Start menu, which contains everything you need to begin using Windows NT, click the Start button. The following list briefly describes each command on the Start menu.

This command	Does this
Programs	Displays a list of programs or program folders you can start.
Documents	Displays a list of documents that you've opened recently.
Settings	Displays a list of system components for which you can change settings.
Find	Enables you to find a folder, file, shared computer, or mail message.
Help	Starts Help. You can then use the Help Contents, Index, or Find tab to find out how to do a task in Windows NT.
Run	Starts a program or opens a folder when you type the name or path.
Shut Down	Shuts down or restarts your computer, or logs you on as a different user.

Depending on your computer and the options you have chosen, you might have additional items on your Start menu.

What Happened to Your Old Windows NT Icons?

Many elements that are familiar to Windows NT users have been replaced by new icons in this version of Windows NT. Items that have changed include Program Manager, File Manager, MS-DOS Prompt, Control Panel, Print Manager, the Run command, task switching, and the Close button.

	Program Manager You can find your old program groups by clicking the Start button and then pointing to Programs. Your groups appear as folders on the Programs menu.
	File Manager To manage your files, click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click Windows NT Explorer. Your directories appear as folders.
	MS-DOS Prompt To open an MS-DOS window, click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click Command Prompt.
	Control Panel To open Control Panel, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
	Print Manager To set up a printer or look at information about documents you're printing, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
	Run Command To use the Run command, click the Start button, and then click Run. You can either type the name and path of the program that you want to start or you can just specify the name of the program. You can execute MS-DOS®–based and Windows–based programs, open folders, and connect to network resources by using Run.
alt+tab	Task Switching You can use the taskbar to switch between open windows. Just click the button on the taskbar that represents the window you want to switch to. You can also press alt+tab to switch between tasks, just as you did in earlier versions of Windows NT.
	Close Button To close a window, click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the window, next to the Minimize and Maximize buttons.

Opening, Closing, and Switching Between Programs

There are two ways you can open a program in Windows NT. You can select the program from your Programs menu. Or, if you know the name and path of the program you want to start, you can use the Run command to start it.

To open and close a program from the Programs menu

1. To start a program, click the Start button, and then point to Programs. Any program groups that you have from previous versions of Windows NT have been converted into folders by Windows NT.

2. Point to the folder containing the program that you would like to open, and then click the program name. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

3. To quit the program, click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the window. 

    

To open and close a program using the Run command

1. To start a program, click the Start button, and then click Run.

2. Type the name of the program, folder, or document you want to open. You can also click Browse to look for the item. 

   When you use the Run command, you can often specify just the name of the program instead of the full path. 

    

3. To see items that you typed previously, click the arrow in the Open box. 

4. To quit a program, click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the window. 

You can run many programs at the same time, and switch easily between them by using the taskbar. The taskbar contains a button for each open folder or program on your computer. You must already have the programs open in order to view them on the taskbar.

To switch between programs

• Click the taskbar button representing the open program or folder that you want to switch to. 

  The program's window then appears in front of the other windows on your screen. 

  
  If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

Viewing the Contents of Your Computer

There are two ways you can view programs, documents, and data files that you have on your computer. You can use the My Computer icon that is displayed on your desktop, or you can use Windows NT Explorer under Programs on the Start menu.

To view your computer's contents using the My Computer icon

1. From your desktop, double-click My Computer. A window appears displaying additional icons.

2. Double-click these icons to view the contents of your computer.

   The following table shows many of the icons likely to appear on your screen, and explains their uses.

   Double-click this icon		To do this
   	3 1\2 Floppy A:	View the contents of a disk in your computer's 3.5-inch drive, if there is one.
   	5 1\4 Floppy B:	View the contents of a disk in your computer's 5.25-inch drive, if there is one.
   	Disk Drive C:	View the contents of your computer's hard disk.
   	Audio CD D:	View the contents of a compact disc in your computer's CD-ROM drive, if there is one.
   	Network Drive E:	View the contents of a network drive, if your computer is connected to one.
   	Control Panel	Change the settings for your computer.
   	Printers	Set up printers and view information about your printers and the documents you print.

   When you double-click a disk-drive icon in My Computer, you see the following window. 

    

3. Double-click any of these icons to start a program, see the contents of a folder, or view information in a file.

   This icon	Represents
   	A folder, which can contain files and other folders. Your directories appear as folders.
   	A shared folder. You set up shared folders so that other people on a network can use the folder's contents.
   	A file, the basic unit of storage in Windows NT. The documents you use and create are files, and so are the programs you use. Different files are represented by different icons. If the file type does not have a specific icon associated with it, then this standard icon will be used to represent your document.
   	A document that was created with WordPad, the text editor that is included with Windows NT.

To view your computer's contents using Windows NT Explorer

1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click Windows NT Explorer. 

   A double-paned window appears. The left side of the window lists all the names and icons of the disk drives on your computer, as well as files and folders. The right side of the window displays the contents of any item you click on the left, along with its icon. 

2. Double-click the icon of a document or program that you want to open. The contents appear in the right window. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

Using Your Mouse to Work Efficiently

This section shows you how you can use your mouse to quickly accomplish common actions and speed up your work. Notice that your mouse has two buttons, a left button and a right button. You select an item by clicking it—to click, quickly press and release the left mouse button (called left-click) or the right mouse button (called right-click).

Here are some actions that you perform using your mouse:

Move Items

You can move an item by pointing to it, pressing and holding down the left or right mouse button, and then dragging the item to another location.

Create Shortcuts

You can open a file or folder directly from your desktop or from the Start menu by creating a shortcut icon that represents a link to a document, folder, disk drive, computer or printer.

Get Help

You can get help on any item on your screen by clicking the What's This? button and then clicking the item you would like more information on.

Complete Common Tasks

You can right-click any item on your screen and a task menu will appear, listing common tasks that can be performed on that item. Click a task to activate it.

Organizing Files and Folders

This section shows you some basic procedures for organizing files and folders on your computer so that they are easier to work with. The following procedures use My Computer, but you can also use Windows NT Explorer to do these tasks.

To create a new folder

1. Double-click My Computer, and then double-click the drive or folder in which you want to place the new folder. 

2. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder. 

    

3. Type the name of the new folder, and then press ENTER. 

    

To move or copy a file or folder

1. Double-click My Computer. Find the file or folder you want to move or copy, and then click it. 

    

2. Click Edit. To move the file, click Cut. To make a copy of the file, click Copy. 

    

3. Open the folder where you want to place the file, click Edit, and then click Paste. 

To delete a file or folder

1. Double-click My Computer. Find the file or folder you want to delete, and then click it. 

    

2. On the File menu, click Delete.

To copy a file to a floppy disk

1. Double-click My Computer. Find the file or folder you want to copy, and then click it. 

2. On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click the drive where you want to copy the file or folder. 

    

Using Drag and Drop to Move Information

Sometimes the quickest way to move and copy information is to drag it from one place to another by using your mouse. You can move or copy files and folders to another folder or disk drive.

To move or copy by dragging

1. In Explorer, open the folder that contains the file or folder you want to move or copy. 

2. Press down the right mouse button and keep the button pressed down as you drag the icon to the folder where you want to move or copy it. Then release the mouse button. 

    

3. Click Move Here or Copy Here. 

    

Installing Software Programs

It's easy to install software onto your computer using Windows NT. You can add and remove programs with the Add/Remove Programs utility in Control Panel.

To install programs

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. 

3. The Add/Remove programs Properties dialog box appears. Follow the instructions on your screen. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page.

Customizing Your Computing Environment

There are many ways in which you can customize Windows NT to suit your needs. For example, you can change the way your computer screen physically looks by changing screen colors and backgrounds. You can also change the way your keyboard and mouse work. And you can create shortcuts to frequently-used files and programs, which will then open automatically when you start your computer or click the shortcut icon. 

Personalizing Your Desktop

You can personalize your desktop by changing screen colors and backgrounds. These changes are made using Control Panel.

To change the way your screen looks

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

2. Double-click the Display icon. 

3. To see more settings, click the tabs at the top of the Display Properties dialog box. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

Opening Frequently-Used Programs and Documents Quickly

If there are programs and documents that you use frequently, you can create a shortcut to open the program or document quickly. Once created, the shortcut appears as an icon. The shortcut icon has a small arrow in its lower-left corner.

A shortcut lets you open a file or folder from a more convenient location. For example, directly from your desktop or from the Start menu, or automatically at Startup. You can open any object—including folders, disk drives, other computers, or printers—using a shortcut.

A shortcut does not change a file's location. It can point to a file or resource on your computer or on a network server. A shortcut can even represent a paragraph in a document. You can have multiple shortcuts to the same object and you can copy and delete shortcuts. Note that when you delete a shortcut it does not affect the original object.

Opening a Document Directly from Your Desktop

You can open a file or folder directly from your desktop. For example, if you write a letter to David every day, you can place a shortcut icon to that file on the Windows NT desktop. You can then open the document directly from your desktop by double-clicking the "Letter to David" icon.

To open a document directly from your desktop

1. In My Computer, locate the item you want to copy onto your desktop. 

2. Use the right mouse button to drag the item to the desktop. You can see that you are moving the icon because there is an arrow pointing to it as it moves. Release the mouse button when the item is directly on the desktop. 

3. A menu appears when you release the mouse button. Left-click Create Shortcut(s) Here. 

    

4. The shortcut icon appears on your desktop. You can now open the Letter To David file directly from your desktop. 

    

Opening a Program Automatically

It is convenient to have the programs that you use most often open automatically when you start Windows NT. To do this, create a shortcut to the program in your Startup folder.

To open a program automatically when you start Windows NT

1. From the Start menu the Find command, and click Files or Folders.

2. Type the name of the file, program, or folder you want to create a shortcut to, and then right-click it. 

3. Click Create Shortcut. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

4. A message appears asking if you would like to create a shortcut on the desktop. Click Yes. 

    

   The shortcut appears on your desktop. 

5. Using the Find command, locate the Startup folder on your computer. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page. 

6. Double-click Startup to view the Startup window. 

    

7. Drag the shortcut from the desktop into the Startup window and release the mouse. Your program will now begin automatically at Startup. 

   
   If your browser does not support inline frames, click here to view on a separate page.

Opening a Document Directly from the Start Menu

You can create a shortcut that will enable you to open a document directly from the Start menu. Your shortcut icon will appear at the top of the menu.

To open a document directly from the Start menu

• In My Computer or Explorer, right-click the document you want, and drag it onto the Start button. The icon will appear at the top of the Start menu, and you can open it by clicking it. 

Changing the Way Windows NT Works and Looks

To change the way Windows NT works and looks, use the icons in Control Panel. These icons represent options, including network and sound capabilities, for configuring your computer. The icons in Control Panel will vary, depending on the devices you installed on your computer.

To view Control Panel

• Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 

The following table shows many of the icons likely to appear on your screen, and explains their uses:

Choose		To
	Accessibility Options	Change your computer screen, mouse, keyboard features, and sound to make Windows NT more accessible for people with disabilities.
	Add/Remove Programs	Install and remove software automatically, and add or remove installed components in Windows NT.
	Console	Change the appearance of your MS-DOS screen by changing screen colors, screen size and position, fonts, cursor size, and more.
	Date/Time	Change the system date, time, and time zone.
	Devices	Start, stop, and configure the startup type for device drivers.
	Display	Change the appearance of your screen by changing screen colors, fonts, the appearance and size of windows, background design, icons, and other visuals.
	Fonts	Add or remove screen, vector, TrueType, and Type 1 fonts. Some printer fonts are installed automatically when you install a printer. Other printer fonts must be installed using a font installation program provided by the font manufacturer.
	Keyboard	Adjust the keyboard delay and repeat rate, and add keyboard symbols that are exclusive to other languages.
	Modems	Add modems using the Add Modem wizard, a step-by-step modem setup program.
	Mouse	Customize elements such as speed and button functions for your pointing device.
	Multimedia	Adjust audio, video, CD (music), and MIDI, and add or remove multimedia devices.
	Network	Configure network adapter cards, network services and protocols, and join a workgroup or a domain.
	PC Card (PCMCIA)	Display resources used by any PC cards, if you have these devices.
	Ports	Set parameters for, and add and remove serial communications ports.
	Printers	Add and remove printers using the Add Printer wizard, a step-by-step printer setup program.
	Regional Settings	Change sort dates, time, currency, and numbers to reflect regional standards.
	SCSI Adapters	Display adapters and devices connected to your computer.
	Server	Display user and share information.
	Services	Start, stop, pause, or continue the services available on the computer, and configure startup options.
	Sounds	Assign sounds to system and application events, and turn on or off the warning beep and system sounds.
	System	Specify the default operating system for startup, change user environment variables, and define paging file size.
	Tape Devices	Display, add, and remove tape devices.
	Telephony	Display, add, and remove telephony drivers. Change telephony properties. Adjust telephony conditions depending on whether your computer is docked or undocked.
	UPS	Create settings for Uninterrupted Power Supply.