Windows 95

What's All The Hype?

Windows 95 was introduced by Microsoft in August 1995 with much fanfare. Win95 combines the most powerful features of MS-DOS with a completely rewritten and improved version of Windows 3.x. It touts a fully integrated graphics interface that is easy to use with icons (pictures) representing tasks such as opening a file, accessing the Internet, and beginning a program.

Designed to become the industry standard, Win95 replaces the Windows 3.x operating environment and runs all MS-DOS and Windows 3.x applications. It features quick processing of data (32-bits at the same time) and true multitasking where it can perform several operations simultaneously. If one program crashes, Win95 closes that program without hanging up the entire system. Switching between applications is as easy as clicking the mouse on the handy taskbar.

Gone are the cryptic filenames of DOS with its limitation of eight characters plus a three character extension. Win95 supports long file and folder (formerly directories) names that can be up to 255 characters including spaces. The right mouse button is your gateway to quick short-cuts including open, copy, delete, and properties. The online Help is comprehensive, easy to use, and the new "?" button available on dialog boxes instantly resolves your questions.

Two final features of Windows95 are its peer-to-peer networking capabilities and the simplicity of Plug and Play technology. Peer-to-peer networking means you can connect several Windows95 computers together to form a computer network through which you can share files, disks, printers, CD-ROMs, and any other connected resources. Win95 is able to detect your new hardware additions or changes automatically with its support of the Plug and Play technology: just plug in a compatible peripheral such as a modem and Windows95 automatically configures the system so you can use it.

Windows95 is clearly a leap in the direction of user friendly computing. Below are some of the fundamental operations that the average user might find helpful.

Using Windows 95

The Desktop

When you begin Windows95 the large area that you see is called your desktop. The desktop is the starting point for all your activities. There are four important icons that are displayed on your desktop. The My Computer icon is used to view and manage the contents of your computer including your disk drives, printers, and files. If you are connected to other computers on a network, the Network Neighborhood icon will be displayed. Double-clicking on it allows you to see the available resources including printers and other distant workstations. The Recycle Bin icon represents the temporary storage of data that you have deleted. Double-clicking on the Recycle Bin will allow you to retrieve items you erased in error. The files are not actually removed from the disk until you "empty" the Recycle Bin. The taskbar at the bottom of the screen contains the Start button. This important button is used to open a program, open a document, change your system settings, get Help, and more. The Start button makes it easy to begin using Windows95. Before revealing the power of the Start button, we need to first examine the concept of a window.

Elements of a Window

Every application and document is displayed in a "window" that presents information in a visually appealing way. In order to make the operating system easy to use, Microsoft has standardized the way the elements of a window appear. Each of the elements is in a certain location and performs a specific function. Once you become comfortable with the basic elements of one window, operations in any other window quickly become second nature.

In Windows95 the first window element to understand is the taskbar. Usually located across the bottom of the screen, the taskbar is not actually connected to a window. The taskbar contains the Start buttonand it displays a new button for every running application. Clicking an application's button in the taskbar quickly switches you to that program without requiring you to exit your current application. The more RAM your computer has, the more applications you can have open at the same time. Because Win95 supports multitasking you can have one application performing complex calculations while another application is printing a long document. You can even be copying files to a disk while typing a report and using the spell checker!

The title bar is the horizontal bar across the top of every window. It displays the name of the application, or if you are in a dialog box, the name of the dialog box. On the right side of the title bar are three buttons. The button on the far right with the "X" is the close button. Clicking on it exits and closes the application or file. Next to it is the maximize/restore button. Clicking on it toggles (switches) between enlarging the window to fill the entire screen called maximizing, or restoring the window to its pre-maximized size and position. The third button represents sending an application or document to the taskbar. Called the minimize button, clicking on this button leaves the application or document open, but reduces it to a button on the taskbar. The application or document is not closed; it continues to be available just by clicking on its button in the taskbar.

The menu bar is across the top of the window under the title bar. It contains a list of choices available called commands. Click on a command and the pull-down menu displays the options. In Win95 you do not need to drag; the menus stay down until you click again on your choice. When a menu is open some commands may appear faded or dimmed. Commands that are dimmed are not available under those particular conditions.

Many applications allow you to separate the application window from the document window. In such a case, the top title bar displays the application name and the three buttons on the right control the application. Under the menu bar would be a second document title bar that also has its own minimize, maximize, and close buttons that control only the document.

A scroll bar may appear on the right or bottom edge of a window. The scroll bar indicates you cannot see all of the contents of the window. Use the scroll bar to manipulate the unseen contents into the window's viewing area. To use the scroll bar you can either click on the scroll bar arrows, drag the scroll bar box to a specific location, or click the area between the arrow and the box to move the viewing area one screen. A common problem occurs if you accidentally click on the bottom scroll bar. Suddenly the entire document appears to have disappeared and panic can set in. Simply click on the left arrow of the bottom scroll bar to return the document to full view.

When several windows are open at the same time, only one of them may be accessed at a time. Called the active window, it is always on the top of any other open windows and its title bar is highlighted. To make a window active, click anywhere in it or select it from the taskbar.

Moving and Re-sizing A Window

When a window is not maximized you can move it by dragging the title bar to a new location. Simple point to the title bar, press and hold the left mouse button, and drag the window to the desired location. You can also re-size a window that is not maximized. To re-size a window move the mouse pointer slowly over the border of the window until the pointer changes to a double-arrow pointer. Once your pointer turns into a double-arrow, drag that border until the window is the size you want.

The Start Button

The ease and power of Windows95 is evident in the appropriately named Start button in the taskbar. Clicking on the Start button presents a menu with seven options: Programs, Documents, Settings, Find, Help, Run, and Shut Down. Each of these items will be introduced below.

Programs

To start an application click on the top option of the Start menu labeled Programs. A pop-up menu appears that lists the installed programs. A simple click on the name of the program you want starts the application and places a button with its name on the taskbar.

Documents

The second item in the Start menu is the Documents menu. This menu is designed to help you quickly open recently used documents. Instead of starting a program then opening a file within the program, you can click on a document in the Documents menu. Using the Documents menu opens the application that created it and document at the same time.

Settings

The Settings menu allows you to quickly access three items that change the way Windows95 looks and works: Control Panel, Printers, and Taskbar. The Control Panel window contains various icons that are used to modify the setup of your computer. For example, clicking on the Date/Time icon allows you to change the system's clock settings. The Fonts folder is used to add or delete typefaces. The Display icon presents a window where you can change the colors of your windows, select different screen savers, and add stunning graphics to your desktop. Click Printers in the Settings menu to add and modify printer information. The Taskbar option presents a window to customize the Start button choices and display. For example, you can use this option to add frequently used programs to the top of the Start menu.

Find

The Find option of the Start menu enables you to quickly search your computer for specific files or folders. You can search for them by name or modification date. You can also find files or folders that contain certain text that you specify. For example, you can find all files that contain the word "justice" whether it is text in a document, a filename, or a folder.

Help

In Windows95 help is literally just a mouse click away. Using online help is essential-from the novice to the expert-to take full advantage of your operating system or application. When you click on Help in the Start button you will see Help for Windows95 in general. Use the Help menu from the menu bar of an application to view assistance specific to that application.

There are three sections, or tabs, in a Help window. The Contents tab lists topics grouped by subject. Double-click a subject to read about it. You can also use the Index tab that displays topics alphabetically. You can scroll through the topics using the scroll bar, or you can type the first few letters of the word you are searching for, and the topics will automatically scroll to those letters. The Find tab allows you to search all topics that contain a specific word or phrase. Always follow the steps outlined on each of the three tabs as you use online Help to answer all your questions. Some topics contain words that are green and underlined. Click on the green underlined text to view a definition box that describes it.

There is one additional way to locate online assistance. In the top right corner of many dialog boxes is a button with a question mark (?) on it. Click the "?" button, then click on the item in the dialog box that you want more information on and a pop-up explanation will appear. Click again to make the explanation disappear.

Run

The Run option of the Start menu is used to start a program. If you are not sure where the program is located or exactly how to spell it, use the Browse button to navigate through the folders until you find it. The most common use of the Run command is to install new software. In the Run dialog box you would type the installation command, which is usually A:\setup or A:\install. In Windows 3.x the Run command is located in the File menu of File Manager.

Shut Down

The final choice in the Start menu is the Shut Down command. This command gives Windows95 certain closing instructions that it needs to execute before you turn off the power or restart the computer. To avoid damaging files always use Shut Down before you turn off or restart your computer. If you have forgotten to save changes to a file, Win95 will prompt you to save them. If you are on a network you can choose the option "Close all programs and log on as a different user." to logout from the network and prepare your station for another user.

Managing Your Files and Folders

Windows95 has made it easy to organize your data and perform routine tasks such as renaming, copying, deleting, and moving files, or creating folders. There are two primary locations designed to assist you with these management tasks: My Computer icon, and Windows Explorer program. The My Computer icon is available from the desktop. When opened, the My Computer window displays an icon for each of your storage devices. Simply double-click on a drive icon to view a window with the folders and files of that particular drive.

Another easy way to work with files and folders is through Windows Explorer program located in the Programs menu of the Start button. Windows Explorer replaces File Manager program of Windows 3.x. Unlike the My Computer window which displays only one storage device per window, Windows Explorer graphically displays the contents of your entire computer or networked computers. At the top is the icon representing My Computer. Each of your drives is listed below in a hierarchical order beginning with the diskette drives (A: and B:). Next it displays your hard disk (C:), any other storage devices such as a CD-ROM or external hard drive, and any networked drives. At the bottom is the Recycling Bin. Double-clicking a drive or folder reveals the contents and makes it easy to copy and move files and folders.

Whether you are using the My Computer icon or the Windows Explorer program, below are instructions to perform basic file and folder management tasks using either one.

Create a New Folder

You will recall that a folder (or directory) is an organizational tool designed to help you keep your files in order. Folders may contain other folders, or they may contain files. To create a new folder in My Computer or Windows Explorer, open the folder in which you want to create a new folder. In the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder. The new folder appears with a temporary name. Type a name for the new folder, and then press ENTER.

Delete a File or Folder

Removing a folder or file is just as easy. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, locate the file/folder you want to delete. Click the file/folder to select it. In the File menu, click Delete. The deleted file/folder is placed in the Recycle Bin. Remember, you can retrieve a deleted item from the Recycle Bin unless you issue the Empty command in the Recycle Bin window, which permanently removes the deleted files and folders. A second way to delete is to select the file/folder and click with your right mouse button. Use the pop-up menu to choose Delete. You can also select the file/folder and press the DELETE key on your keyboard. A final way is only available in Windows Explorer. Simply drag the item to the Recycle Bin at the bottom of the list.

Rename a File or Folder

To give a file or folder a new name click on it to select it. You do not need to open it. In the File menu, click on Rename. Type the new name, and then press ENTER. Another way to rename a file/folder is to select it and click the right mouse button and choose Rename. A third way is to select the file/folder, wait a second, then click on the name again. A box appears around the name and you can type in a new name. Press ENTER when you are finished. A file or folder name can contain up to 255 characters, including spaces. It cannot contain any of the following characters: \ / : * ? " < > |. Files or folders with long names created using Windows95 cannot be displayed in DOS or Windows 3.x applications. If the file/folder name is not the eight plus three characters, the first six characters of the file/folder name will be displayed followed by a tilde (~), and an assigned number.

Move Or Copy a File or Folder

Moving a file or folder removes the original and places it in the new location. Moving is identical to Cutting. Copying a file/folder leaves the original intact and places a duplicate in the new location. Whether you are moving or copying, there are two easy ways: use the Cut or Copy commands, or use the drag and drop feature. The procedures are the same whether you are working on the same drive, or moving/copying from one disk drive to another.

In My Computer or Windows Explorer to use the Cut or Copy command, begin by selecting the file/folder that you would like to move or copy. In the Edit menu choose Cut or Copy. Open the folder where you would like to put the file/folder and from the Edit menu choose Paste.

To use the drag and drop feature in My Computer or Windows Explorer, find the file/folder you want to cut or copy. Make sure the place you want to drag the file/folder to is visible. Click on the file/folder and drag it to the destination. The result depends on the destination. If you drag to a folder on the same disk, it will be moved. If you drag it to a folder on another disk, it will be copied. You can modify these results by holding down a key while dragging. To move a file/folder, hold SHIFT. To copy a file/folder, hold CTRL.

You may also want to move or copy more than one file or folder at the same time. Rather than selecting only one item at a time you can extend the selection highlight over as many items as you want. If all the items you want are next to each other, hold down the SHIFT key as you click the items. If you need to skip an item the SHIFT key will not work since it highlights all the items between clicks. Instead, hold down the CTRL key and click each item you want no matter what order they are in. It is easy to remember that using the CTRL (control) key gives you more control over which items you select.