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Using the desktop
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3Click/Tap a file or program to open it.
Adding icons to the desktop
You may want to add an icon (shortcut) to the desktop for a program that you 
use frequently.
To add icons to the desktop:
1Click/Tap Start, then click/tap All Programs.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about the Windows XP Start menu, 
click/tap Start, then click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword Windows Start menu in the Search 
box  , then click/tap the arrow. 
						

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2Right-click (press the right touchpad button) the program that you want 
to add to the desktop.
-OR-
Button-tap (press the pen button) the program that you want to add to 
the desktop.
3Click/Tap Send To, then click/tap Desktop (create shortcut). A shortcut icon 
for that program appears on the desktop.
Identifying window items
When you double-click/double-tap the icon for a drive, folder, file, or program, 
a window opens on the desktop. This example shows the Local Disk (C:) 
window, which opens after you double-click/double-tap the 
Local Disk (C:) icon 
in the My Computer window.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about desktop icons, click/tap Start, 
then click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword desktop icons in the Search box 
, then click/tap the arrow.
Minimize MaximizeClose Title bar
Menu bar 
						

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Identifying window items
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Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus, 
icons, and controls. Most windows include these items:
Window item Description
The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top 
of a window that shows the window title.
Clicking/Tapping the minimize button reduces 
the active window to a button on the taskbar. 
Clicking/Tapping the program button in the 
taskbar opens the window again.
Clicking/Tapping the maximize button 
expands the active window to fit the entire 
computer display. Clicking/Tapping the 
maximize button again restores the window 
to its former size.
Clicking/Tapping the close button closes the 
active window or program.
Clicking/Tapping an item on the menu bar 
starts an action such as Print or Save.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about windows, click/tap Start, then 
click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword window in the Search box 
, then click/tap the arrow. 
						

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Working with files and folders
You can organize your files and programs to suit your preferences much like 
you would store information in a file cabinet. You can store these files in folders 
and copy, move, and delete the information just as you would reorganize and 
throw away information in a file cabinet.
Viewing drives
Drives are like file cabinets because they hold files and folders. A convertible 
tablet PC almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has a letter, usually 
Local Disk (C:) for the hard drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) for the optional diskette 
drive. You will also have more drives such as a DVD or DVD/CD-RW drive.
To view the drives on your convertible tablet PC:
■Click/Tap Start, then click/tap My Computer on the Start menu.
Drives 
						

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Working with files and folders
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To see the files and folders on a drive:
■Double-click/Double-tap the drive icon. If you do not see the contents of 
a drive after you double-click/double-tap its icon, click/tap 
Show the 
contents of this drive
.
Creating folders
Folders are much like the folders in a file cabinet. They can contain files and 
other folders.
Files are much like paper documents—letters, spreadsheets, and pictures—that 
you keep on your convertible tablet PC. In fact, all information on a convertible 
tablet PC is stored in files.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about files and folders, click/tap 
Start, then click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword files and folders in the Search box 
, then click/tap the arrow.
Folders
Files 
						

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To create a folder:
1Click/Tap Start, then click/tap My Computer on the Start menu.
2Double-click/Double-tap the drive where you want to put the new folder. 
Typically, Local Disk (C:) is your hard drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) is your 
optional diskette drive. If you do not see the contents of the drive, click/tap 
Show the contents of this drive.
3If you want to create a new folder inside an existing folder, 
double-click/double-tap the existing folder. If you do not see the contents 
of the folder, click/tap 
Show the contents of this drive or Show the contents 
of this folder
.
4Click/Tap File, New, then click/tap Folder. The new folder is created.
5Type a name for the folder, then press ENTER. The new folder name appears 
by the folder icon.
For information about renaming folders, see “Keyboard shortcuts” on page 78.
Copying and moving files and folders
The skills you need to copy and move files are called copying, cutting, and pasting.
When you copy and paste a file or folder, you place a copy of the file or folder 
on the Windows clipboard, which temporarily stores it. Then, when you decide 
what folder you want the copy to go in (the destination folder), you paste it there.
When you cut and paste a file or folder, you remove the file or folder from its 
original location and place the file or folder on the Windows clipboard. When 
you decide where you want the file or folder to go, you paste it there.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about creating files and folders, 
click/tap Start, then click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword creating files and folders in the 
Search box  , then click/tap the 
arrow. 
						

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To copy a file or folder to another folder:
1Locate the file or folder you want to copy. For more information, see 
“Viewing drives” on page 64 and “Searching for files” on page 71.
2Right-click (press the right touchpad button) the file or folder that you 
want to copy. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.
-OR-
Button-tap (press the pen button) the file or folder that you want to copy. 
A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.
3Click/Tap Copy on the pop-up menu.
4Open the destination folder.
5With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click/button-tap.
6Click/Tap Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location.
To move a file or folder to another folder:
1Locate the file or folder you want to move. For more information, see 
“Viewing drives” on page 64 and “Searching for files” on page 71.
2Right-click (press the right touchpad button) the file or folder that you 
want to move. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.
-OR-
Button-tap (press the pen button) the file or folder that you want to move. 
A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.
3Click/Tap Cut on the pop-up menu.
4Open the destination folder.
ImportantThe clipboard stores whatever you cut or copy until you 
cut or copy again. Then the clipboard contains the new 
information only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a file 
or folder into more than one place, but as soon as you copy 
or cut a different file or folder, the original file or folder is 
deleted from the clipboard. 
						

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5With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click/button-tap.
6Click/Tap Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location 
and is removed from its old location.
Deleting files and folders
When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them from the file 
cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually the trash can is emptied.
In Windows, you throw away files and folders by first moving them to the 
Windows trash can, called the Recycle Bin, where they remain until you decide 
to empty the bin.
You can recover any file in the Recycle Bin as long as the bin has not been 
emptied.
To delete files or folders:
1In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click/tap the files or folders that 
you want to delete. For instructions on how to select multiple files and 
folders, see “Keyboard shortcuts” on page 78.
If you cannot find the file you want to delete, see “Searching for files” on 
page 71.
2Click/Tap File, then click/tap Delete. Windows moves the files and folders 
to the Recycle Bin.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about copying files and folders or 
moving files and folders, click/tap Start, then click/tap Help 
and Support.
Type the keyword copying files and folders or moving 
files and folders in the Search box 
, then click/tap the arrow. 
						

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To recover files or folders from the Recycle Bin:
1Double-click/Double-tap the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window 
opens and lists the files and folders you have thrown away since you last 
emptied it.
2Click/Tap the files or folders that you want to restore. For instructions on 
how to select multiple files and folders, see “Keyboard shortcuts” on 
page 78.
3Click/Tap File, then click/tap Restore. Windows returns the deleted files or 
folders to their original locations.
To empty the Recycle Bin:
1Double-click/Double-tap the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. The Recycle 
Bin window opens.
2Click/Tap File, then click/tap Empty Recycle Bin. Windows asks you if you 
are sure that you want to empty the bin.
3Click/Tap Ye s. Windows permanently deletes all files in the Recycle Bin.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about deleting files and folders, 
click/tap Start, then click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword deleting files and folders in the 
Search box  , then click/tap the 
arrow.
CautionEmptying the Recycle Bin permanently erases any files or 
folders in the bin. These files cannot be restored.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about emptying the Recycle Bin, 
click/tap Start, then click/tap Help and Support.
Type the keyword emptying Recycle Bin in the Search 
box  , then click/tap the arrow. 
						

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Browsing for files and folders
A file or folder that you need is rarely right on top of your Windows desktop. 
It is usually on a drive inside a folder that may be inside yet another folder, 
and so on.
Windows drives, folders, and files are organized in the same way as a real file 
cabinet in that they may have many levels (usually many more levels than a 
file cabinet, in fact). So you usually will have to search through levels of folders 
to find the file or folder that you need. This is called browsing.
To browse for a file:
1Click/Tap Start, then click/tap My Computer. The My Computer window 
opens.
2Double-click/Double-tap the drive or folder that you think contains the 
file or folder that you want to find. If you do not see the contents of a 
folder, click/tap 
Show the contents of this drive or Show the contents of this 
folder
.