by 
Microsoft Windows is powerful software, it powers most of the PCs and laptops. As technology advances, we have to keep pace with it and learn how to use it effectively. Today we'll be discussing some more important features of windows that you must know in order to be a pro user.
This is the third part of the series How to use a Windows PC. If you have missed the past two articles, here are the links:
In this section let's talk more about the file explorer where we left off at the previous article. Windows 10 offers more accessibility features in its file explorer then ever before. With a little bit of use and you will be using it like a pro. So, let's do a little more on file explorer.
The Menus that you are seeing are quite similar to Microsoft office if you have used it. Upward you will see the Home, Share, View tab. If you are keen to learn then you'll see that one menu is highlighted this is a special menu tab, it will get activated and the contents of this tab will change according to the type of file you will select. Most of the time this tab will be named "manage". For eg: if you click on a music file then the special tab's contents will change, click on an image you'll see that the contents will change again.
Home tab:
The home tab is the default tab that you will see when you open the file explorer(any file or folder). You can see some important features like Copy, Move to, Delete. In the previous articles, I explained what these functions are how to operate them. If you don't understand this then pls go back to the previous article and look at it.
You see these are not complex things ok, all of these can be done through steps too, like perform right-click and then choose new folder and then create it, but if you use options like one on the home tab, you'll see an option called New folder once you click on it the result is same, so the purpose of these functions is to make your work easier.
If you look carefully then you will see how the options are organised isn't it.
1. If you choose properties on the Home tab in the Open section, then you'll see the properties option,
So, you select a particular file, then you can choose the properties option and the properties window opens up,
I believe that you have got the basic fell of the explorer window, don't worry if you don't understand you'll get it as you practise.
On the select menu on the Home tab, you see the selection menu where you are offered three options, two you understand but the third option( Invert selection) means to select the options other than the options I have selected, try it.
How to open an application through multiple apps.
As you would be beginning to see that the right click is mostly meant to open additional options, so what we do is we click on 'open with' and the next step can be two way now.
1. First one is this that ki windows understand which programs can play which type of files. So, a word program cannot play a music file and vice-versa. So, the programs that you see in the next menu options are all the programs that can play the video file I have chosen to play. So, you have the choice you can choose any player.
2. The second option is to choose ('Choose another app'). If you look closely then you will see another option called search the windows store, what it does is that it will open the windows store and show you the apps that will play the specific file, just install them and play. ( More about using the store in a later section)
In this new pop-up menu, you will see that the default app for this video is the default app of Microsoft Windows Movie&TV app below as you scroll down with your mouse you will see a lot of apps available, so choose one and click ok and the file will play.
Alert: If you want an app to play this type of file type or file every time you open it, then what you can do is you can choose the program you like and click the box labelled as Always use this app to open(------)files and whenever you open a video (or anything mostly its videos and documents.) it will open with the app you choose and which has now become the default app for the associated file type.
How to format a USB or any drive?
Formatting in computer sense could mean changing values and doing some alteration. But it also means to erase a drive or a USB. So, when someone says to format the USB it means to erase all of its contents. Let's see how to do this:
Alert: Please do not apply this on your C: drive never, your PC will stop working. If you not sure about other drives also don't do try this on them, you will lose all your data
So, plug in your USB open my computer(THIS PC in windows 10) right click and select format and then you will get a new menu like this:
Now carefully see that on the new window that appeared, on the top You will see the drive letter of the USB or the drive you are trying to format, to make sure pls check the drive letter, you will see that I have plugged in my USB(4GB).
Now don't try to mess with other options that you see in the windows ok unless you know what you are doing. From the top, you will the capacity of the Drive and then the file system(don't change the value). Then the allocation size( don't change this too!). If you made changes then you can click on the option 'Restore device' defaults and the default value will be put in place. In the next option, you will see a field where you have the option to rename the USB or the Drive.
Now in format options, you will see that the checkbox has been ticked marked and keep it that way, after this is done click on start and you will see the progress bar proceeds forwards and it will take a few seconds to complete the task, after completion a message will pop-up giving you the info that you drive has been formatted and your done.
As I told you not to uncheck the quick format box because it will not make a difference, it does the same thing but a little different than the first. If you uncheck it and click start it will do the same task but will take a little bit more time and the work will be done more comprehensively.
2. How to use the Run dialog box.
As you progress forward, there are lots of ways of accessing applications on windows one way to do that is through the Run dialog box. For run dialog box press Ctrl+R and the window will appear. You can also search by pressing the start and tying run and open it.
Run dialog box is an application through which you can open a lot of Windows applications with special keywords. For eg: if you want to open task manager then type 'taskmgr' and hit enter key on the keyboard and the task manager window will open.
(They are mostly in small letters)
Few keywords to applications are:
- winword( opens MS Word)
- tskmgr(opens task manager)
- excel(opens MS Excel)
- notepad(opens notepad)
- msconfig(opens Microsoft system configuration)
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/everything-you-must-know-about-the-run-dialog-most-useful-commands/
3. How to you task manager?
Previously known as Windows task manager. It monitors the system performance, memory usage, the startup lit items.
Its a very useful application but if you are a beginner then I do not recommend that you operate it. The way you can use it is this :
What happened to the previous view, well task manager windows can be expanded by pressing More details arrow and vice-versa like in the above picture. So if you have an application that's not working then you can open it and choose the app like chrome for example and then choose End task and it will force stop.
Alert: pls don't use it unless you have some basic knowledge about using it. In the full view upside, you can roam around and see the various option that task manager features.
More about task manager but in a future article, so keep looking.
Control panel and setting app
Control panel is a very useful tool its uses are hands up literally it controls all of your pc working. Duuuh! that's why it's called control Panel(Sorry!). Control panel gives you control over your battery setting and Date and time, Devices and many other options
It's just not possible to explain everything in one article if you are a beginner you only need to know what it is, what does it do mostly, that's enough for now. I'll be explaining more about it in a later article.
Alert: Every PC and laptop have different configuration so the view and options will be different too.
********If your view is not same then in the top right side you will see an option called category. Click on it and choose 'large icons' and you will get this view which is a bit easier to navigate.***
You can venture into some things like Mouse, System, etc.
Setting app.
You can go to setting app like shown above or press start and type 'setting 'and click the settings app and it will open.
The settings app is just like Control panel but in an app form, You see as you use this, Microsoft has changed many options to setting app. Like personalization has been shifted from the Control panel to the settings app. As you see above. As Windows 10 continues to improve you will see more features will start to be available in app form. You can go inside personalization and system and other settings, to get to know the functions and info they offer, you can start by making minor changes in personalization like colours and background section. In further articles, I'll offer content on them too.
This is soo much to read but stick on, I'll end on a good note.
Microsoft Store:
Microsoft store is just like your app store on Andriod and Apple. It gives you a range of options from games to chat apps. streaming and music apps. To use an app you must be first signed in with your Microsoft account, if you're using the latest version maybe you can bypass the check, but 99% of the time it is required. It's simple you have to signup for a new Microsoft account. When you click on an app and press download or install, a window will open prompting you to enter your account information. So, enter it and the app will download but if you don't have one then you'll have the option to create it there.
I Recommend that you create one as you will be needing it. If you do not get the option then you can browse the web and sign up for a Microsoft account.
Most important Of all!
How to install software in windows.
In windows, softwares are quite easy to install. They are generally identified with a .exe extension(extension is like a surname for identifying a file, .exe means executable file). So, the first step is to double click and open it (I'll be installing Internet download manager). Software are of different types and have their different ways of installation but if you know the basic theme then you will smoothly do it.Alert: if you are prompted by a screen message asking you to accept or decline then accept it, if you choose decline then you will not be able to install the software. This is part of UAC (User Accounts Control) where you can handle these types of permissions but this is an advanced concept we'll leave it for a later article.
1. Choose next when you see the first screen.
2. Accept terms and conditions: these are improtant so click on the checkbox, without accepting you will not be able to install it, every software has its own policies. Though it's a long one read it if you want to and click on the checkbox and choose next.
3. In this part you choose where you want the application to install, so don't change anything just click Next. Most or All of the software have this part where you choose the location.
4. You might be prompted that you are about to install application so click on next and proceed.most of the time you will see a progress bar and pls do not hit back or cancel while the installation is in progress, after this is done you will see a window which will tell you that the software has been installed.
Congrats you have come this far!
It's a great thing if you have come this far, Be sure to check for new articles where I'll tell you about some more advanced stuff which will help you to use windows better. Until next time. Keep practising and learning. Please do share the article with your friendshttps://phoenixblogs9.blogspot.com/2019/05/how-to-use-windows-pc-beginners-series-3.html.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment