Toshiba Satellite 1405 S Manual

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 1: Exploring the desktop
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Icons
An icon represents a folder, file, or program that can be 
quickly activated by double-clicking the icon.
You can create a new desktop icon for any folder, file, or 
program by dragging the element’s icon from its location in a 
window to the desktop area.
TECHNICAL NOTE: If you delete a file from a diskette, it does not 
go into the Recycle Bin. For more information on the Recycle Bin, 
see Windows® online Help.
NOTE: If you place the cursor over an icon, a popup description of 
the file contents appears.
See Windows
® XP online Help for more specific information 
on each icon and how to use it.
Start button
You use the Start button to:
❖Start programs 
❖Access operating system update information 
❖Open recently accessed documents 
❖Adjust system settings 
❖Search for files 
❖Access Windows® Help and Support
❖Suspend system activity and turn off the computer 
For more information on starting programs, see “Lesson 6: 
Starting programs” on page 140. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 1: Exploring the desktop
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Taskbar
Each time you open a program, a button associated with that 
program appears on the taskbar. With some programs, a 
button appears on the taskbar for each document or window 
you open. You can use these buttons to quickly switch 
between the programs or windows.
To make a program or window the active one, click the 
program’s or window’s button on the taskbar.
System tray
The System tray displays icons of tasks or programs that run 
continuously in the background. To learn more about each 
task, position the cursor over the icon for a few moments and 
a short description of the task appears.
Typical tasks in the System tray are Current time, Power 
usage mode, and speaker volume.
To activate a specific task, double-click the appropriate 
System tray icon.
Windows®XP file system 
All files on your computer are organized for accessibility 
using a hierarchal file system.
Programs, documents, and other data are held in files. These 
files can be grouped together in folders, and folders can be 
grouped inside other folders for convenient organizing. All 
the files and folders reside in your computer on a storage 
device, such as a disk drive. 
You can think of your computer storage system in terms of 
office equipment. You have a file cabinet (device), that 
contains folders, and each folder may contain documents. 
Your office may have more than one file cabinet, just as your 
computer may have more than one disk drive. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 2: Using the TouchPad and control buttons together
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Computers can be connected together to form a network, so 
that programs, documents and other data can be quickly and 
easily shared between computers.
You can use the My Computer feature, accessible through the 
Start menu, to access any file in the Windows
® file system.
For more information, read the Microsoft
® documentation 
that comes with your computer.
Lesson 2: Using the TouchPad and control 
buttons together 
The “Getting Started” chapter introduced you to the 
TouchPad, which is your basic tool for moving around the 
screen. This lesson lets you practice using the TouchPad and 
control buttons in tandem.
NOTE: How to best use the TouchPad and control buttons together 
is a matter of personal preference. Many users find that the ideal 
way is to use both hands, with one index finger working the 
TouchPad and the other clicking the control buttons. 
1Using the TouchPad, move the cursor to the Start button 
on the screen, then click the primary button (usually the 
left button) of the adjoining control buttons to open the 
Start menu.
NOTE: In this guide, the term “click” refers to the primary button, 
which is usually the left one. Instructions requiring the secondary 
button specifically mention that button. For example, “click the 
secondary button.”
2Click an empty area of the desktop to close the Start 
menu. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 2: Using the TouchPad and control buttons together
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3With the cursor in an empty area of the desktop, click the 
secondary button to open the desktop shortcut menu. 
As the name implies, shortcut menus provide quick 
access to many operating system features.
Sample desktop shortcut menu
4Click an empty area to close the shortcut menu.
5Click Start, then click My Computer.
The operating system opens the My Computer window.
Sample My Computer window open
6Now click the Close button in the upper-right corner of 
this window. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 2: Using the TouchPad and control buttons together
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The My Computer window is closed.
7Click an empty area of the taskbar at the bottom of the 
screen and, while holding down the primary button, use 
the TouchPad to drag the cursor to the right edge of the 
desktop, then release the primary button. (This process is 
known as “clicking and dragging.”)
The taskbar moves from the bottom to the right edge of 
the desktop.
Sample desktop with the taskbar on the right
HINT: You can move the taskbar to any of the desktop’s four edges.
8Click the taskbar once again and drag it back to the 
bottom of the desktop.
If you can’t move the taskbar, it’s probably because it has 
been locked.
System tray Start button
Taskbar 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 3: Learning about the Internet
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To  u n l o c k  i t :
1Right-click the taskbar.
A menu appears. If the Lock the taskbar option has a 
check mark, then the feature is in use.
2Click Lock the taskbar.
3Call up the menu again. The check mark should be gone, 
indicating the lock has been removed. 
Follow the same steps to lock the taskbar.
You can also lock and unlock the taskbar by using the 
Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window.
To access the window: 
1Right-click the taskbar, then select Properties.
The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window appears.
2Click the Taskbar tab.
3Check or uncheck the box next to the Lock the taskbar 
command.
4Click OK.
Lesson 3: Learning about the Internet
This lesson demonstrates how to access a Web page from a 
window and from the taskbar. 
The lesson assumes you have an account with an Internet 
Service Provider (ISP).
Opening a Web page from a window
The most common way to open a Web page is by typing a 
Web address in the address line of the Web browser itself. But 
you can also type a Web address in the My Computer 
window.
1Click Start, then My Computer. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 4: Creating a new document
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The My Computer window appears.
2On the View menu, point to To o l b a r s, then click 
Address Bar.
The operating system displays the address bar. It 
indicates that you are in “My Computer.”
Sample My Computer window
Lesson 4: Creating a new document
This lesson teaches you how to create a text file without 
having to first open a program.
1Move the cursor to an empty area of the desktop, then 
click the secondary button.
The operating system displays a shortcut menu of 
commands applicable to the desktop.
2Click New, then click Text Document.
The operating system creates an icon on the desktop 
called New Text Document with the icon name 
highlighted. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 4: Creating a new document
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3To give your document a meaningful name, type My New 
Doc.txt
 and press Enter.
4Double-click the My New Doc icon.
The operating system opens the new document in 
Notepad—the text editor built into the operating system.
Sample Notepad window
Notice that when the document opens, there is a new 
button on the taskbar that reads New Doc.txt- Notepad 
(the name may be too long to fit into the taskbar space 
but, if you point to the name, the complete name is 
visible). By displaying buttons like this one, the taskbar 
helps you keep track of the programs and files you 
currently have open.
To learn more about Notepad, open the Help menu by 
pressing 
F1. For now, leave Notepad open and go on to 
the next lesson. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 5: Creating a new folder
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Lesson 5: Creating a new folder
DEFINITION: A folder is an area where you can store documents 
and other types of files. It is analogous to a file folder stored in a 
file cabinet. In this case, a disk drive in the computer is the file 
cabinet.
The operating system stores documents and programs in 
folders. It even stores other folders in folders. In this lesson, 
you will create a folder in which to store your new document.
1Move the cursor to an empty area of the desktop, then 
click the secondary button.
The operating system displays the desktop shortcut 
menu.
2Click New, then click Folder.
The operating system creates an icon on the desktop 
called New Folder with the icon name highlighted.
3Type a name for the folder, such as My Folder, then 
press 
Enter.
4Close the Notepad document you just created by clicking 
the Close button on the right side of the Notepad title bar.
The operating system displays the document as an icon 
on the desktop.
5Click the document icon and drag it toward your New 
Folder icon. Position the document icon over the New 
Folder icon until it changes color, then release the 
primary button.
The outline of the document icon moves across the 
desktop and disappears into the folder.
6To see your document, double-click the folder icon.
A window opens and displays the contents of the folder. 
						

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 6: Starting programs
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7Close the window by clicking its Close button and 
continue with the next lesson to learn how to start 
programs.
Lesson 6: Starting programs
Usually, you will know which program you want to use for a 
particular task. 
This lesson teaches you how to launch programs from the 
Start menu, using two of the programs that are built into the 
operating system: Paint and Windows
® Explorer.
1Click Start, then All Programs.
2Point to Accessories, then click Paint.
The operating system opens Paint—a basic drawing 
program.
Sample Paint window