Windows 7 Advanced Articles

Beginner's Guide to Windows 7

Creating a New Folder

1. Open the folder that you want to create the new folder in.
2. Click the New Folder button on the toolbar.
3. Enter a name for the folder and press the Enter Key.

Renaming a File or Folder

1. Select the file or folder you want to rename.
2. Click the Organize button on the toolbar.
3. Select Rename from the resulting menu.
4. Enter a new name for the folder and press the Enter key.
Note: To quickly rename a file or folder, select the file or folder you want to rename. Press and hold the file or folder name until it displays a black box around it. Enter a name for the file or folder and press the Enter key.

Deleting a File or Folder

1. Select the file or folder you want to delete.
2. Click the Organize button on the toolbar.
3. Select Delete from the resulting menu.
4. Click the Yes button to confirm deletion.

Hiding a File or Folder

1. Select the file or folder you want to hide.
2. Click the Organize button on the toolbar.
3. Select Properties from the resulting menu.
4. Check the Hidden box.
5. Click the OK button.(If a dialog box appears, select whether you want to apply the change to the folder only or to all files and subfolders and click the OK button.)

Changing the Folder View

1. Open the folder you want to change the view for.
2. Click the arrow on the Change your view button on the toolbar.
3. Select a view from the resulting menu, or click and drag the slider until the folder view you want is displayed
Note: To quickly change the folder view, click the Change your view button on the toolbar until the view you want is displayed.

Changing Folder Options

1. Open the folder you want to change options for.
2. Click the Organize button on the toolbar.
3. Select Folder and search options for the resulting menu.
4. On the General tab, make selections.
5. Optional: Click on the View tab and make additional selections.
6. Click the OK button when you are finished.

Note: To hide or display folder layout features such as the Menu bar, click the Organize button on the toolbar, select Layout, and select an option from the resulting menu.

Working with Libraries

A library is used to organize folders into one collection no matter where they are originally stored on your computer. A folder is stored and displayed in the library, but it also stored in its original location.

To add a folder to a library, select the folder on your computer that you want to include in a library. Click the Include in library button on the toolbar and select the library you want from the resulting menu.
To create a new library, open a folder window and click the Libraries shortcut in the Navigation Pane. Click the New library button on the toolbar. Enter a name for the library and press the Enter Key.
To change a library's default save location, open the library you want to change. Click the locations shortcut next to Includes. Right-click the folder you want to save as the default location and select Set as default save location from the resulting menu.

Creating a Shortcut to a File or Folder

1. Right-click the desktop
2. Select New and select Shortcut from the resulting menu.
3. Click the Browse button.
4. Select the file or folder you want to create a shortcut for.
5. Click OK button.
6. Click the Next button.
7. Enter a name for the shortcut and click the Finish button.

Personalizing

Changing the Desktop Background

1. Right-click the Desktop and select Personalize from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Desktop Background shortcut.
3. Click the arrow on the Picture location box and select a folder from the resulting menu. (If the folder you want is not in the list, click Browse button. Locate and select a picture in the folder you want and click the Open button.)
4. Do one of the following:
a.) To select one picture, select the picture.
b.) To select several pictures that will change at a specific interval, select the folder name. Make selections in the Change picture every section.
5. Optional: Click the Picture position box and select an option from the resulting menu.
6. Click the Save changes button.
7. Click the Close button.

Note: If you selected several pictures for your background, you can manually change the background to the next picture. Right-click the Desktop and select Next desktop background from the shortcut menu.

Changing the Window Color

1. Right-click the Desktop and select Personalize from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Window Color shortcut.
3. Select the color you want.
4. Optional: Check or clear the Enable transparency box.
5. Optional: Click and drag the Color intensity slider.
6. Optional: To apply a customized color, click the Show color mixer button. Make changes in the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness sections.
7. Click the Save changes button.
8. Click the Close button.

Working with Sounds

1. Right-click the Desktop and select Personalize from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Sounds shortcut
3. Do any of the following:
a.) To change the sound scheme, click the arrow on the Sound Scheme box and select a sound scheme from the resulting menu.
b.) To change the sound for a particular action, select the action in the Program box. Click the arrow on the Sounds box and select a sound from the resulting menu.
4. Optional: Check or clear the Play Windows Startup sound box.
5. Click the OK button.
6. Click the Close button.

Searching

Searching for an Item on Your Computer

1. Click the Start button.
2. Enter what you want to search for in the Search programs and files box.
3. Do one of the following:
a.) To open item or location, click the item name in the Start Menu.
b.) To view more results in specific group, click the group heading.
c.) To view all results, click the See more results shortcut.

Searching for an Item in a Folder

1. Open the folder you want to search.
2. Enter what you want to search for in the Search "Folder name" box.(The results will be displayed in the File list.)
3. Optional: To apply a search filter, click in the box. Press a search filter button and make selections.
4. Optional: To return to the folder view, select the text in the Search "Folder name" box and press the Delete key.
5. Click the Close button when you are finished.

Windows 7 makes searching easier by showing sections of text with the search word or phrase highlighted. Turn on the Preview pane in the search results window so that you don't have to pen each document to find what you are looking for.

Saving Search Results

1. Search for an item on your computer or in a folder.
2. Click the Save Search button on the toolbar.
3. Enter a name for the search folder in the File name box or leave the default name.
4. Click the Save button.
Note: By default, a shortcut to the search will be displayed in the Favorites section of the Navigation Pane and the search itself is saved in the Searches folder located in your personal folder.

Programs

Creating a Shortcut to a Program

1. Click the Start button.
2. Select All Programs from the Start menu.
3. Right-click the program you want to create a shortcut for.
4. Select Send To.
5. Select Desktop (create shortcut) from the resulting menu.

Pinning a Program to the Start Menu

When you "pin" a program to the Start menu it will always appear in the top-left pane of the Start menu.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Select All Programs.
3. Right-click the program that you want to pin to the Start Menu.
4. Select Pin to Start Menu from the shortcut menu.
Note: To remove an item from the Start menu, click the Start button, right-click the item you want to remove in the left pane, and select Remove from this list from the shortcut menu.

Setting a Default Program

1. Click the Start button.
2. Select Control Panel in the right pane of the Start menu.
3. Click the Programs shortcut.
4. Click the Default Programs shortcut
5. Click the Set your default programs shortcut.
6. Select the program you want in the Programs box.
7. Do one of the following:
a.) To set the program as the default for all file types, select Set this program as default.
b.) To choose which file types the program should be the default for, select Choose defaults for this program. Check the boxes for the file types you want to choose and click the Save button.
8. Click the OK button.
9. Click the Close button

Associating a File with a Program

1. Click the Start button.
2. Select Control Panel in the right pane of the Start menu.
3. Click the Programs shortcut.
4. Click the Default Programs shortcut.
5. Click the Associate a file type or protocol with a program shortcut.
6. Select the file type you want to change.
7. Click the Change program button.
8. Select the program you want to open the selected file type with.
9. Click the OK button.
10. Click the Close button.
11. Click the Close button.

Note: To quickly associate a file with a program, right-click the file, select Open With, and select Choose Default Program from the shortcut menu. Select the program you want to open the file type with and check the Always use the selected program to open this kind of file box. Click the OK button.

Using the Task Manager

The Task Manager displays all programs, services, and processes that are running on your computer.

1. Right-click in the Taskbar.
2. Select Start Task Manager from the shortcut menu.
3. Click on the Applications tab.
4. Do one of the following:
a.) To view a program, select the program, and click the Switch To button.
b.) To end a program that is not responding, select the program, and click the End Task button.
c.) To run a program from the Task Manager, click the New Task button. Click the Browse button. Locate and select the program you want to run, and click the Open button. Click the OK button.
5. Click the Close button.

Setting a Program to Run at Startup

1. Click the Start button.
2. Select All Programs.
3. Right-click the Startup Menu.
4. Select Open from the resulting menu.
5. Locate and select the shortcut to the program you want to run at startup.
6. Click and drag the shortcut to the Startup folder.
7. Click the Close button.