Toshiba Satellite 1410 1415 Manual

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Chapter 5
Getting to Know the 
Windows
®
 XP 
Operating System
This chapter introduces the Windows® XP operating system 
by guiding you through a few basic tasks.
Whether you have used a Windows
® operating system or not, 
the skill and confidence you will gain from this chapter will 
more than offset the short amount of time spent going 
through these lessons. 
As you explore the Windows
® XP operating system further, 
you will often discover alternative ways of accomplishing...

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 1: Exploring the desktop
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Lesson 1: Exploring the desktop
The desktop is the launching pad for everything you can do in 
the operating system. You use its features to start programs, 
find documents, set up system components, and perform most 
other computing tasks.
Finding your way around the desktop
Your computer’s desktop includes several standard features: 
icons, Start button, taskbar, System tray, and background...

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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.
Among the icons on your desktop are the following:
Toshiba Access—Opens a window with links to software 
updates, services and support,...

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 1: Exploring the desktop
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❖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 143.
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...

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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 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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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.
3With the cursor...

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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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Sample My Computer window open
6Now click the Close button in the upper-right corner of 
this window.
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...

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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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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...

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Getting to Know the Windows ® XP Operating System
Lesson 4: Creating a new document
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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....