Introduction to Windows 7

Level 1
Table of Contents
Lesson 1: Explore Windows 7 ....................................................................................................................... 1
Identify Personal Computer Functionality ................................................................................................ 1
Version of Windows on my PC .................................................................................................................. 2
Upgrade to Windows 7 ............................................................................................................................. 3
Upgrade or Clean Install........................................................................................................................ 4
Log On to Windows 7 ................................................................................................................................ 4
Explore the Desktop .................................................................................................................................. 5
What is a Window ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Parts of a Window ................................................................................................................................. 7
Title Bar ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Minimize, Maximize or Close button .................................................................................................... 8
Toolbars ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Document Pane..................................................................................................................................... 8
Scroll buttons ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Work with Windows ................................................................................................................................. 8
Resize a Window ................................................................................................................................... 8
Move a Window .................................................................................................................................... 9
Switch between Windows .................................................................................................................... 9
Windows Help ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Lesson 2: Customizing the Windows 7 Desktop ......................................................................................... 14
Personalize the Desktop ......................................................................................................................... 14
Windows Sidebar and Gadgets ............................................................................................................... 16
Remove a Gadget from the desktop ................................................................................................... 17
Edit the options for a Gadget .............................................................................................................. 17
Customize the Start Menu ...................................................................................................................... 18
Lesson 3: Managing Folders and Files......................................................................................................... 21
Search for file or folder ........................................................................................................................... 21
Open a File or Folder............................................................................................................................... 22
Opening a file or folder from within a program ................................................................................. 22
Opening a file or folder using Windows Explorer ............................................................................... 23

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 Rename a File or Folder .......................................................................................................................... 25
Copy or Move Files or Folders ................................................................................................................ 26
Delete Files or Folders............................................................................................................................. 27
Secure Folders and Files.......................................................................................................................... 28
Lesson 4: Using Common Tools and Programs in Windows 7 .................................................................... 30
Create a Document in WordPad ............................................................................................................. 30
Work with the Calculator Capture Screens Using the Snipping Tool ..................................................... 31
Customize a Graphic with the Paint Tool................................................................................................ 32
Lesson 5: Browsing the Internet ................................................................................................................. 33
Get Familiar with the Internet ................................................................................................................ 33
Browse Websites Using Internet Explorer 8 ........................................................................................... 34

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 Lesson 1: Explore Windows 7
Windows 7 is the new operating system from Microsoft which was introduced in October 2009.
Windows 7 has been released in six versions, each aimed at a different level of user.

 Starter Edition – primarily for small-notebook computers which have limited capacity, such as
netbooks.

 Home Basic – only available in emerging markets and is not available for sale in the USA. It
contains only partial features of Aero Glass interface. It is available to users in countries like
Mexico, China, India, and so on.

 Home Premium –it has all the features of Starter and Home Basic editions and also includes
visual enhancements of a full Windows 7 system. It provides touchscreen capability and has
improved media support as compared to prior editions of Windows.

 Professional – it has more security and networking features, such as encrypting file system,
advanced network backup, and so on.

 Ultimate – designed for users who want to have all capabilities of Windows 7 available outside
enterprise edition. It includes all features of Windows 7 Professional, plus BitLocker Drive
Encryption.

 Enterprise – available only to Microsoft Volume Licensing customers. It features support for
desktop optimization pack, a tool used by very large organizations.

Identify Personal Computer Functionality

Windows 7 is available in 32-bit or 64-bit system. The difference between the two is that 32-bit
Windows can only utilize 3GB of system memory (random-access memory or RAM), whereas 64-bit
operating systems can utilize more than 4GB of memory. To run Windows 7 including Aero desktop
features, your computer needs to meet the following minimum requirements:

Component 32-bit system 64-bit system

CPU speed 1 gigahertz (GHz) 1 gigahertz (GHz)
RAM 1 gigabyte (GB) 2 gigabyte (GB)
Hard drive space 16 GB 20 GB
Internal or external DVD Required Required
Monitor 1024 x 768 dots per inch (dpi) 1024 x 768 dots per inch (dpi)

Other requirements that are common to both Windows installation are:

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  Support for DirectX 9 graphics with Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.0 or higher driver
and 128 megabytes (MB) memory to enable the Aero theme.
 Internet connection for product activation, accessing online Help topics, updates, and so on.

Access to the Internet is required to access some of the features in Windows and get Windows software
updates.

Version of Windows on my PC
To check which version of Windows operating system you have installed on your computer, use the
following steps:

 Click on the Start Button to bring up the Start Menu.

 On the right-hand side of the Start Menu, right-click (not left-click) on the Computer button.
 Click Properties from the contextual menu. You will see the Windows Properties menu which
shows you as to which version of Windows you are running on your computer.

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In this figure, you can see that Windows 7 Home Premium is installed on this computer. You can also see
that the computer has 4.00 GB or RAM installed on it. You can change the computer settings by clicking
on Change settings option.

You can obtain information and make changes to device settings using the Device Manager option in
this window. However, be very careful! If you are not sure of a device settings, it is better to leave it
alone than making any changes to it. If you incorrectly change a device setting, it may stop working until
you restore previous settings for that device.

Exercise 1.1

On your computer, find out which version of Windows is installed. Also, find out if which service packs
are installed on your computer, and how much memory is installed on your computer.

To complete this exercise, use the following steps:

 Click on the Start button.

 Take the mouse pointer on top of the Computer button from the Start Menu and right-click on
it.
 Choose Properties from the context menu.

Note: If there are any service packs installed on your computer, then this dialog box will list that
information.

Upgrade to Windows 7
If you have an existing computer which runs Windows Vista, it should be able to run Windows 7. You can
upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, however you may not be able to run Aero. When upgrading
from any prior Windows version to Windows 7, please make sure that the minimum system
requirements are met.

If you have questions or concerns about whether your existing computer will support Windows 7, please
visit the following link to install Windows 7 Upgrade advisor:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

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The Upgrade Advisor presents you with any known compatibility issues between Windows 7 and your
computer, including the peripheral devices connected to it.

Upgrade or Clean Install

You can upgrade a computer from Windows Vista to the Windows 7 operating system either by
upgrading or by performing a clean installation.

When you upgrade an existing computer to Windows 7, it keeps your installed programs and saved files.

When you perform a clean Windows 7 installation, it removes all installed programs, files, and settings.

If your existing computer is running Windows XP, then the only way to upgrade it to Windows 7 is by
clean installation.

Log On to Windows 7
When you press the power button and turn on a computer, it goes through a startup process which
loads the system files necessary to interact with the computer. Once the startup process is complete,
you can log on to Windows 7 by choosing the user name and password.

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You can have multiple users on a computer, each with a unique user name and a password. For security
reasons, it is a good idea to choose a strong password for each user on your computer. Following are the
steps listed to log on to Windows:

1. If there is only one user account, and if it is not protected by a password, Windows might bypass
the welcome screen and log you on.
2. If welcome screen displays your user account name and picture, click the picture to log on to
Windows. If the account is protected by a password, the Welcome screen displays your user
account name and picture and a password box.
3. Enter your password and then press Enter or click the Go button to log on to Windows.

If there are multiple accounts, then use the following steps to log on to Windows:

1. Welcome screen displays the user account names and pictures for all the active user accounts.
2. Click on your user account picture, and if your account is protected with a password, enter your
password to log on to Windows.

Explore the Desktop

Windows desktop is the term used to describe the working area (background) of the Windows display.
Just like a desk at home or work, Windows desktop has files, programs, and so on arranged on it.

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Start Button – at the bottom of Windows desktop, you will see the Start button, which brings up the
Start Menu when you click on it.

Taskbar – In Previous version of Windows before Windows 7, the programs icons (small pictures) were
grouped together in a Quick Launch toolbar. When you clicked on these program icons from the Quick
Launch toolbar, it opened the program and placed it next to this toolbar. Starting Windows7, Microsoft
has decided to take away the Quick Launch toolbar away. However, you can still place program icons on
the Taskbar and click on it to launch them.

Notification Area – it includes a clock and icons that communicate the status of certain programs and
computer settings.

What is a Window
A window is a framed region on your screen. It is a rectangular pane with information in it. You can have
more than one window open at a time. However, just remember that the more windows you open, the
more memory is used up by your computer. However, you need not worry too much about it unless you

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are running graphic intensive programs like Adobe Photoshop, which use up a lot of computer memory
while they are running.

Parts of a Window
Different software manufacturers tailor their windows so that they are user-friendly. As such all
windows are not the same.

In this example, I have used a Microsoft Word program window to show different parts of that window.
Let us discuss some of the features which are common to most program windows.

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Title Bar – also referred to as Title Menu. This sits at the top of a window. Title bar generally shows the
name of your file and the title of the software program. In our example, the file name is Document1 and
the software is Microsoft Word.

Minimize, Maximize or Close button – These three buttons are in the title bar on the top right of the
window. The first button which looks like an underscore “_” minimizes a window so that it is hidden
from view and placed on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. To bring this window back on your
screen, simply click on the taskbar.

To maximize a window means to make it fit the whole screen. In order to maximize a window, click on
the icon which looks like two rectangles, one behind the other. This will make a window fit the whole
screen.

To close out of a program, click on the “x” button

Toolbars – Below the Title Bar is Toolbar. In Microsoft Office 2007, the toolbars are replaced by the
Ribbon. However, in most of the other software programs, you will see a toolbar where the Ribbon
resides.

Document Pane – This is where you type in or view the contents of a file.

Scroll buttons – the vertical scroll button allows you to move up and down a file. The horizontal scroll
button allows you to move left and right on the document. Note it is not necessary to have the scroll
buttons in every file. If the document fits the screen size, you may not see one or both of these scroll
buttons. However, if there is more information in a file than what can be displayed on a screen, the
scroll buttons appear in a window.

Other parts of a window shown in our example are only typical of Microsoft Word and are beyond the
scope of this course.

Work with Windows

In this section we will discuss how to resize, move, minimize or maximize windows.

Resize a Window
Every program opens in a window. You can open many windows at a time. You may want to change the
size of a window to make it easier to read, or have more than one program window display side-by-side
so that you can see information in two windows at the same time.

To resize a window, put the mouse pointer on the window’s border that you want to resize. When the
pointer turns into a two-headed arrow, click and hold down on the left-mouse button and drag the
pointer up or down if you want to resize the window vertically. If you want to increase or decrease the
width of a window, then click and hold down on the left-mouse button and drag the two-headed arrow
pointer left or right.

Once the window is resized to a desired size, release the mouse button.

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Move a Window
You can only move a window if it is not maximized (on full screen). If a
window is maximized and you would like to move it, then first you will
need to restore it down (reduce its size). To reduce the size of a maximized
window, click on the Restore Down button from the Title bar. Once the
window is restored down, take the pointer to an empty space on the Title
bar, click and hold down the left mouse button and drag the window to a desirable position on the
screen. Then release the mouse button.

Switch between Windows

If you have more than one window on your screen and you want to switch in between the opened
windows, then take the pointer to a window on the taskbar (at the bottom of the screen) and click on
the one that you want to display on the screen. The window on which you clicked will become the active
window and will display on your screen, if it was previously behind other windows.

Exercise 1.2
Open two different program windows (for example Notepad and Solitaire) and perform the following
operations;

 Resize the two program windows.

 Switch between the two open windows to be able to use each program.
 In Notepad, type the text: “I am learning how to use Computers”.

To complete this exercise, use the following steps:

 To open Notepad: Click the Start button. Then click All Programs  Accessories  Notepad.
 To open Solitaire: Click the Start button. Then click All Programs  Games  Solitaire.

At this point, your Solitaire window should be on top of Notepad program window. To alternate
between the two windows, click on Notepad program from the Taskbar at the bottom of your screen.

Help and Support

Windows Help
Microsoft Windows provides extensive help with all versions. Help topics range from basic help to
complicated diagnostics.

To open the Help services, simply click on the Help and Support button from the Start Menu.

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Depending upon the version of Windows you have installed on your computer, the Help and Support
window may look different. However, it works the same way. In the Search Help box, type in the search
word or phrase. Then click on the magnifying glass to bring up search results. In this figure, you will
notice the different search results for help on printer: install a printer, configure Bluetooth sharing, and
so on.

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Move your mouse to the top of a topic that is closest to the issue on which you need help. Once the
mouse pointer turns into a hand pointer, simply click on the mouse button to bring up details on that
help subject.

On top of the Help and Support window, you will notice the toolbar. You can click on the blue arrows to
navigate back and forward to the help pages. Click on the icon that looks like a house to get to the home
or first help screen.

To print a paper copy of the help topic, simply click on the icon that looks like a printer.

If you are connected to the Internet, Windows Online Help and Support website can also provide you
with hints on your issue.

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Exercise 1.3
Use Windows help to find the procedure involved to install printer. Find help on the following:

 Installing printer,
 Installing print driver, and
 Troubleshooting printer problems.
To complete this exercise, use the
following steps:

 Click on the Start button.

 From the Start Menu, click on Help
and Support.
 In the Search box, type install
printer and press the Enter key on
the keyboard. Alternatively you can
click on the magnifying glass at the
end of the search (in Windows XP,
click on the green button with an
arrow pointing to your right.
 Once you find the information on
the topic that you are researching,
click on the link to get more
information about it.

Note: all the help topics may not be listed when you type in “install printer”. If so, you may have to type
different search queries in the Search box, one at a time.

Turn Off a Personal Computer (PC)

To turn off a PC, follow these steps:

 Click on the Start button.

 From the Start Menu, click on the Shut down button.

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 If you click on the arrow button, next to the Shut down button, you will see other options that
are available to you in the Shut down button:

o Switch user – if you have more than one user account on your computer, then this
option allows you to switch between different users without the need to log-off your
computer.
o Log off – this option allows one user to log-off before allowing any other user to log on
to the computer. This prevents other users from accessing your information (given that
you have setup a password for each user).
o Lock – this option locks the computer so that when you are away from your computer,
no one can view or access your information.
o Restart – this option allows you to restart your computer.
o Sleep – this feature in Windows saves any open files and the state of any running
programs to memory and then puts your computer into a power-saving state.
o Hibernate – this feature is very similar to Sleep mode, except it saves any open files and
state of any running programs on your hard drive instead of in memory and then
completely turn off the computer. When you turn on your computer to resume working,
Windows retrieves information from the hard disk and restores your previous
computing session.

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