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What is Windows?
Windows is the Operating System used in the majority of computers in the world. The current version is WindowsXP, or XP pro for added security features.

Here is the desktop, so called as a metaphor, consider it as a representation of a real desktop, with files & folders.

Icons: Little pictures that, when clicked, will open the program or folder or file. Icons on the desktop are often Shortcuts.

Start Button: Click here to start or to see the Start menu. You can do everything from the Start Button

Task Bar: Holds buttons representing running programs or groups of programs. It can be moved to any side of the screen by dragging.

Windows: Is the "Operating System" the program that takes your input and translates it into a form the computer hardware can understand

The Mouse:
The mouse normally has two buttons, sometimes three. (The third can be a wheel). The mouse is used to select objects, i.e. text, pictures, files, open files and move object around.

Using the mouse

Hold the mouse still

You can decide which button to treat as the left button, as this one does most of the work. So, for example, people who wish to use the mouse with their left hand could set the mouse so a "click" is done with the right button, allowing them to click with their index finger.
Use Start/Control Panel, click on the mouse icon. Click on the basics tab, then button selection.

Click	Click the left mouse button down and release. (The click works on the release, not the push down)	Selecting graphics, moving the cursor. Will select a line in Word if used to the left
Double Click	Click the left mouse button down, release, down, release. The speed of the double click can be adjusted, use Start/Settings/Control Panel, click on the mouse icon. Click on the basics tab, look for Double Click speed, follow the instructions.	Selecting a single word, or a paragraph if used to the left in Word. Word also uses the triple click, see what that does!
Right click	Click the right mouse button down and release	Produce a context menu, always worth a try!
Hold & drag, drag & drop	Click the left mouse button down and, while holding it down, move the mouse, release the button.	Try dragging and dropping text around.
Right drag	Click the right mouse button down and, while holding it down, move the mouse.	Not common, try it & see.

To practise with the mouse, use

Start/All Programs/Games/Solitaire. Playing this game uses click, double click and drag & drop. Use double-click to move cards to the top.

Use Start/Control Panel> Mouse to customise your mouse settings, for example the double click speed.

The Window.

When you open a file or program, it appears in a window, which looks like…

* HINT, if you place the cursor arrow over an icon or button or feature , after a second a little explanation pops up.
It's also worth right-clicking, sometimes "What's this" appears to explain.
Finally, if you see a ? icon, click on it then on what

1	Title bar	Shows title, allows window to be dragged around the desktop
2	Menu bar	Contains all the commands relevant to that window
3	ButtonBar or IconBar or (normally)ToolBar	Contains the commonly used commands from the menus
4	Minimise Button Maximise/Restore button Close button	Tidies away the window to the task bar without closing the window Toggles between full screen and small window Closes the window
5	Window	Contains the folders or program. Every program opens its own window.
To resize a window, move the cursor down to a window edge, where the cursor arrow will change to a double-headed black arrow. Click & drag to resize the window. Try this on a side edge, bottom edge and corner to see the difference.