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 a 
particular task.
For more detailed information on your operating system, 
refer to the Microsoft
® Windows® XP operating system 
documentation that came with your computer.
HINT: The illustrated examples in this guide may appear slightly 
different from the screens displayed by your system. However, the 
differences are not significant and do not indicate any change in 
the functionality of your system. 
						

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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 
pattern.
Sample Desktop
Icons
Ta s k b a rStart buttonSystem tray
background pattern 
						

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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, and other important benefits.
Recycle Bin—Holds files you’ve deleted using Windows 
Explorer. You may retrieve these files until you empty the 
Recycle Bin.
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.
Your desktop may contain other icons depending on your 
configuration. See the 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  
						

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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 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  
						

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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.
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  
						

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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 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. 
						

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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 as “clicking and dragging.”)
The taskbar moves from the bottom to the right edge of 
the desktop. 
						

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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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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).
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.
The My Computer window appears. 
						

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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.
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.
3To give your document a meaningful name, type 
My New 
Doc.txt
 and press Enter.