Computing Fundamentals Module Lesson 3 — Changing Settings and Customizing the Desktop

Computing Fundamentals ModuleLesson 3 — Changing Settings and

Customizing the Desktop

Computer Literacy BASICS

Computer Literacy BASICS2

Objectives

Understand the settings on the Control Panel.

Apply a predefined theme to the desktop. Change the Windows desktop background. Customize the icons on the desktop. Clean up your desktop.


Objectives (cont.)

Explain what a shortcut is and how it is used. Create and delete shortcuts. Assign a shortcut key to a shortcut. Add a program to the Quick Launch bar.


Vocabulary

Background Control Panel Desktop shortcuts Desktop theme Internet Explorer My Computer

My Documents My Network Places Shortcut Shortcut Wizard


The Control Panel

You open the Control Panel by selecting it on the Start menu.

In Category view (the default view), the Control Panel window has two panes:– The left pane includes a list of tasks you can

choose quickly, plus other places you can look for information about the Control Panel and Windows.

– The right pane has nine categories you can pick to change settings and display options.


The Control Panel: Category View

Quick Quiz Which category in the Control Panel would

you access to change the settings for your mouse?

Answer: Printers and Other Hardware



Changing Control Panel Settings

Many settings can be configured using the Control Panel.

You change settings by selecting a category and then a task or Control Panel icon.

You then customize the settings using the Wizard or dialog box that opens.

On a networked computer, you may not be allowed to change all Control Panel settings.


Control Panel Categories

Appearance and Themes: Change the background, screen saver, or desktop items; customize the Start menu and taskbar; apply a theme to your display; change the screen display resolution or colors

Network and Internet Connections: Create a small office or home network; change network, Internet, and phone settings.

Add or Remove Programs: Install, change, or remove software and Windows components; see a list of installed software; control access to certain programs.


Control Panel Categories (cont.)

Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices: Change speaker volume and other settings for audio and speech devices; change the sound scheme or individual sounds made by the computer.

Performance and Maintenance: Enable energy-saving features; compress the data on your hard disk drive; schedule routine maintenance tasks, such as disk cleanup and antivirus checking; find system information.



Printers and Other Hardware: Change settings for printers, keyboard, mouse, game controllers, modems, scanners, and cameras; identify the hardware devices on your computer and determine whether they are running properly.

User Accounts: Change user accounts and passwords; change a user’s e-mail profile.



Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options: Change the language your system uses or the date, time, or time zone; change the way numbers, currency, dates, and times are formatted and displayed.

Accessibility Options: Adjust hardware and operating system settings for users with vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities.

Quick Quiz True or False? The only way you can change

the settings on your computer is by opening the Control Panel and accessing one of the categories of controls.

Answer: False



Customizing the Desktop

You can change the appearance of the Windows desktop via the Control Panel.– Click the Start button and then click Control Panel. – Select the Appearance and Themes category and

then click the Display Control Panel icon. The Display Properties dialog box contains

several tabs that can be accessed to change your desktop’s appearance and behavior.


The Display Properties Dialog Box

Theme name

Example of current theme

Display Properties tabs


Display Properties Tabs

Themes tab: Lets you assign predefined themes including icons, fonts, colors, and other elements to your desktop.

Desktop tab: Offers pictures and graphics you can use as a background for the desktop.

Screen Saver tab: Selects a screen saver to use. Appearance tab: Controls fonts and colors for

various screen elements. Settings tab: Sets resolution and color settings for

your computer monitor.


Selecting a Desktop Theme

Click the Themes tab of the Display Properties dialog box.

Open the drop-down menu below the word Theme to see a list of available themes.

Select one and that theme will appear in the example window.

Click Apply to set the new theme.

The Theme drop-down menu on the Themes tab in the Display Properties dialog box lists the available desktop themes.


Setting a New Background

You can change the background for a theme by clicking the Desktop tab and selecting a new background from the available choices.

You can set various options for the background using the Position drop-down list box.

Windows can use any picture or graphic file as a background. Click the Browse button in the Desktop tab to find the file you want to use.


The Icons on Your Desktop

Click the Customize Desktop button on the Desktop tab of the Display Properties dialog box to define which icons should appear on your desktop.

Commonly used icons:– My Documents: Personal folder to save files– My Computer: Displays the contents of your

computer– My Network Places: Lists all computers on your

network– Internet Explorer: Fast, personalized Web browser


The Desktop Items Dialog Box

Click a check box to display an icon on the desktop.

You can change the icon graphic by selecting the element and clicking the Change Icon button.


Customizing a Toolbar

The Standard toolbar is the row of buttons below the menu bar on most windows.

Other toolbars appear if you select them in the Toolbars submenu of the View menu.

You can change the buttons that appear on any toolbar using the Customize Toolbar dialog box.


Customizing a Toolbar (cont.)

Click on the View menu and then select the Toolbars option. (The right-pointing arrow tells you a submenu will open.)

Select the Customize option on the Toolbars submenu to open the Customize Toolbar dialog box.


The Customize Toolbar Dialog Box

To add a button, select it from the Available list box and click the Add button.

To remove a button from a toolbar, select it in the Current list box and click the Remove button.

The Available toolbar buttons list box displays the types of command buttons available.

The Current toolbar buttons list box displays the buttons already on the toolbar.


Cleaning Up Your Desktop

Icons on your desktop are shortcuts to programs and are called desktop shortcuts.

Windows XP has a Desktop Cleanup Wizard (available from the Desktop Items dialog box) that can examine desktop icons and tell you which ones have not been used over a 60-day period.

The Wizard gives you the option of removing unused icons to free up desktop space.

Removed icons are stored in an Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder so they can be retrieved if needed.

Which of the following would you click if you wanted to use a picture of your dog (which you have stored on your computer’s hard disk) as the background for your desktop?A. Web tab in the Desktop Items dialog boxB. Desktop tab in the Display Properties dialog boxC. Screen Saver tab in the Display Properties dialog

boxD. Appearance tab in the Display Properties dialog

box

Quick Quiz


Answer: B

Quick Quiz

What is the name of the dialog box you access by clicking the Customize Desktop button, and what elements of the desktop can you change in that dialog box?

Answer: Desktop Items dialog box; icons



Shortcuts

Shortcuts are represented by icons on your desktop.

Double-clicking a shortcut opens the actual item to which the shortcut is pointing.

A small arrow in the lower-left corner of an icon identifies it as a shortcut.


Shortcuts (cont.)

A shortcut functions as a pointer to an application or a document file, wherever the file is located.

You create a shortcut by dragging a file to the desktop or by using the Create Shortcut command on the File menu.


Creating a Shortcut Using Drag and Drop

Using the right mouse button, right-drag the item (file, program, folder) from its current location in the My Computer window to where you want the shortcut.

Drop the item where you want it by releasing the mouse button.


Creating a Shortcut Using Drag and Drop (cont.)

A shortcut menu appears, giving you several options. – Click Create Shortcuts Here to create a

shortcut icon with a default name.– To change the name, right-click the icon to

open the shortcut menu and select Rename.


Creating a Shortcut Using the File Menu

Select the item for which you want to create a shortcut in the My Computer window.

Open the File menu and click Create Shortcut.

A shortcut icon for the item appears as the last item in the My Computer window.

Drag the shortcut item from the My Computer window to the desktop.


Using Shortcut Keys

A shortcut key is a keystroke combination that runs a program or opens the dialog box to which it is linked.

Shortcut key combinations are assigned using the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and a letter or number key to create a combination such as Ctrl + Alt + N.

You can activate the program or object assigned to a shortcut by using a shortcut keystroke combination that you assign in the Shortcut Properties box.


Assigning a Shortcut Key

Right-click the shortcut and select Properties to open the My Shortcut Properties dialog box.

Select the Shortcut tab. Click in the Shortcut key text box. Press and hold down the Ctrl key

and enter the letter or number key you want to use for the shortcut.

Click OK to save your shortcut key.

The Shortcut key text box in the My Shortcut Properties dialog box


Deleting a Shortcut

There are several ways to delete a shortcut when it is no longer needed:– Select the shortcut, then press the Delete key.– Right-click the shortcut, then select Delete from

the shortcut menu.– Drag and drop the shortcut in the Recycle Bin.

Deleting a shortcut deletes only the shortcut, not the object attached to the shortcut.


Quick Launch Bar Shortcuts

You can also add a shortcut to the Quick Launch bar on the taskbar.

If you don’t see the Quick Launch bar, right-click in an empty part of the taskbar, point to Toolbars, and then click Quick Launch.

Quick Launch shortcut icons

Quick Quiz

Explain what happens when you double-click a shortcut icon.

Answer: Because the shortcut “points to” the file, Windows is able to locate the actual file on disk and open it. The shortcut tells Windows the location of the file.



Adding and RemovingQuick Launch Shortcuts

To add an icon to the Quick Launch bar, drag a program, document, or desktop shortcut icon to the Quick Launch bar.

To remove an icon from the Quick Launch bar, right-click the shortcut and then select Delete from the shortcut menu that displays.


Summary

The Control Panel allows you to find information about system settings, change display options, and customize your desktop.

You can modify your desktop using the Display dialog box tools and options.

You can select from Windows’ existing themes or choose a different background on the Background tab.


Summary (cont.)

Windows comes with a number of preexisting desktop themes that give your desktop a unified and distinctive look. A picture can be tiled to fill the whole screen, centered on the screen, or stretched across the screen.


Summary (cont.)

You can use almost any picture or graphic file as a background. For example, you might take a photograph on a digital camera or download a graphic from the Web and then use it as a desktop background.

The Desktop Cleanup Wizard is used to remove any unwanted or unused desktop shortcuts from the desktop.


Summary (cont.)

A shortcut functions as a pointer to a file—wherever it is located. Double-click the shortcut icon to open the actual item to which the shortcut is pointing.

You create a shortcut by dragging and dropping or by using the Create Shortcut option on the File menu. When you no longer need a shortcut, it can be deleted without impacting the original instance.


Summary (cont.)

You can add a shortcut key to a Windows shortcut. A shortcut key is a keystroke combination that runs a program—or in this case, runs the Windows shortcut to which it is linked. Shortcut keys to Windows shortcuts always use Ctrl + Alt + and one additional character.


Summary (cont.)

You can place a program, document, or desktop shortcut icon that you plan to use often on the Quick Launch bar.

Activity : Complete each statement.

The default Windows XP background is ____________________. By selecting a(n) _________________________, you can modify

your background, icons, fonts, colors, and sounds. The _________________________ button toward the bottom of

the Desktop tab provides a convenient way for you to select which icons appear on your desktop.

To select which standard icons appear on your desktop, select the ____________________ tab in the Desktop Items dialog box.

You can click the _________________________ icon to access a personalized Web browser.

Computer Literacy BASICS44Internet Explorer , desktop theme, Customize Desktop, Bliss, General

Bliss

desktop theme

Customize Desktop

General

Internet Explorer