Windows Basics

Terminology | Mouse Clicks | Menus | File Extensions | Hardware

New to Computers?
Fears related to “new” technology are nothing recent. The First Tech Support Guyis a humorous spoof on our
discomfort with anything new.
Introduction to Windows Basics
This page discusses basic Microsoft Windows terminology and how to perform some basic Windows tasks.
This page is not exhaustive, and will be developed as the need arises.
Currently supported versions of Windows range from a focus on keyboard & mouse to the more recent
emphasis on touch screens. Some of the content is legacy and may not apply to the version of Windows you're
running.
Helpful Outside Resources
A good introductory magazine would be a great resource, since it will have more pictures and diagrams than I
have placed here (and costs much less than a book). Tech books have a short shelf life and therefore are
more expensive than novels.
Be sure any material you purchase covers the version of Windows you're using. Get something that you
understand yet will teach you new concepts.
Conventions Used on this Page
I'll use the term default to refer to the standard options enabled when Windows is installed without
customization. If your computer is older or slower, I'd suggest removing any extras.
Computer Basics — General Concepts & Terminology contains a description of many of the general terms
used when describing computers and their operation that may not be fully explained on this page.
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Windows Terminology
The images on this page were mostly taken from Windows 7 and may look different than your computer.
However, they will serve to introduce you to the general concepts.
Starting with Windows 8, the touch-screen is emphasized which means less reliance on a mouse and
keyboard and more like the experience with a tablet or smart phone.
Windows 10 is a mobile-first, cloud-first touch-based operating system that can use a mouse for navigation. As
such, it is moving away from the traditional Windows interfaces and precepts. The user has far less control
over this version of Windows than any prior version.
Common Windows Items
The following are just some of the terms used to describe the Windows desktop you are likely to run into. Most
are indicated in the diagram below the list:

 Desktop refers to the background of your screen on which the various programs run. Think of your
computer screen as your electronic desk.
 Icons are those small pictures on the desktop and inside folders that represent various programs and
sometimes folders.
 Folders are containers that can contain icons, programs, data or other folders (sub-folders). The
default folder icon looks like a Manila file folder but the look varies with different Windows versions.
 Title bar refers to the bar at the top of an open window that will tell you what the folder/window is (the
title) and contains minimize, maximize and close buttons. You can also use the title bar to move a
window around.
 Cursor is the graphic which indicates where the mouse is and what sort of action it is performing. The
cursor will change from the default arrow to various shapes according to the purpose it is serving at the
time. For instance, it may form an I-beam shape when you are selecting text in a document or a double-
arrow when you are resizing a window.
 Task bar refers to the bar usually at the bottom of your Windows screen (it can be moved) with the
Start Button on the left and the clock on the right.
 The Scroll Bar appears when there is more information in the window than can be displayed. This is
usually a vertical scroll bar, but a horizontal scroll bar may display if the width of the window is too
narrow. In some cases, Windows 10 hides scroll bars until you hover over them.
 The Address Bar allows you to navigate up and down a series of windows by double-clicking on a
folder. The folder with the Back/Fwd Buttons in Windows 7 would allow you to return to the previous
folder.

While this list is based upon Windows, other operating systems like Mac and Linuxuse a lot of the same
terminology.
The Window
The window (from which the term "Windows" is derived) has various elements. The most common are labelled
in the Windows 7 diagram below:
This folder is one of the optional desktop folders called the User Files. Some of these folders are not standard
in Windows 7 such as Dropbox and Screen Captures.

 The Navigation Pane provides quick links to various folders and locations on your computer.
 The Title Bar contains no text although it still provides the method for moving the folder.
 My Documents contains most of your user documents and files (except for music, pictures and
videos).
 The Address Bar has a bread crumb menu. Clicking on any of the listed items (shown here as “ • Russ
• ”) takes you to that folder. Clicking behind the address transforms it into the C:\Users\Russ\ format.
o A longer address example would be “ • Russ • Pictures • Family • ”which would transforms
into C:\Users\Russ\Pictures\Family.
o Clicking on Pictures would take you back to the Pictures folder.
o Clicking on Russ would take you to the folder shown in the diagram above.

Windows 10's navigation pane and other features are different as are the menu items included but the basic
principles are the same.
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Mouse Clicks
Right or Left?
You'll see at least two buttons on your mouse (most current mice have a middle button and may have others).
The type of click means the button you push when you click. Left-handed users will have to reverse these
instructions.

 The left-click selects items and will be used most often. If no button is specified, this will be the one
you use.
 If you right-click on an item you will get a context-sensitive menu with a list of the things that
you can do with the item you clicked on.

When you right-click to obtain a menu, you will select the menu with the left button (generally just referred to as
selecting or clicking — the left mouse button click is assumed).
Context Sensitivity
When you right-click on various locations on the screen the results vary (known as context sensitive):

 Right-clicking an icon on your desktop will include the option to open it.
 Right-clicking on the background (desktop) will give you options to arrange icons or refresh the
desktop.

When you right-click on various locations on the screen the resulting list of options vary (known as context
sensitive).
A very useful selection is Properties option when you right-click on an object. This will give you information
about the icon or object you are selecting. The menu options differ between various versions of Windows.
Useful Properties
Some of the more useful Windows 7 options and properties available are found by right-clicking key icons on
your desktop (if they don't appear on the desktop, look under the Start button).
For Experienced Users
Some management tools accessed via these menus should only be accessed by knowledgeable users. You
can seriously damage your Windows installation or stop it from running altogether if you misconfigure the
settings.
Unless you understand the consequences, you shouldn't change any of the options.

 Right-clicking the Desktop provides access to

o Screen Resolution where you can set screen resolution and some other display preferences;
and
o Personalize where you can modify your desktop icons, background, sounds and screen saver.
 Right-clicking Computer provides access to
o Properties which opens System Properties (for information about your computer's hardware
including the Windows Experience Index) as well as links to the Device Manager (hardware)
& Remote Settings (remote assistance connections to your computer); and
o Manage which opens Computer Management (including Device Manager under System Tools).
 Right-clicking the Task Bar provides access to
o Properties which allows the management of your Taskbar and Start Menu including Aero Peek,
power button default action and options for the icons and notifications that appear next to the
clock; and
o Start Task Manager includes Applications (running programs) and Processes (program
components) which is particularly useful in closing programs that are not responding (hung).
 Right-clicking Network Properties gives you your Network and Sharing Center which includes
managing your Internet connection.

Windows 10
Windows 10 works somewhat differently and hides many of these options. Users can find these settings by
right-clicking the Start Button:

 Apps and Features

 Mobility Center
 Power Options
 Event Viewer
 System
 Device Manager
 Network Connections
 Disk Management
 Computer Management
 Windows PowerShell
 Task Manager
 Settings
 File Explorer
 Search
 Run

The items listed and order have changed significantly since Windows 10 was first released.
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Menus
The Windows Menu System
Beginning with Windows Vista there was a move away from the default inclusion of text menus because
screens have become wider but relatively shorter. Vertical screen real estate became more valuable.
Legacy Menus
In legacy Windows there is a consistency of the order and nature of menus across various programs. There
will almost always be the File, Edit, View and Help menus in the same order although other menus specific to
the program you are using may be in between some of these:

 File: contains the filing options as you might expect such as open and close documents, but also the
printer options and usually others such as page setup or import/export options.
 Edit: contains copy and paste as well as other selection items. It sometimes contains the options for
the program you are viewing.
 View: contains options to change the items you are viewing, including toolbars options.
 Help: contains help, but clicking on the About sub-menu will give you the program version.

Sub-Menus
You'll often see sub-menus indicated by a small arrow (or triangle) at the end of menus with additional choices.
If you hold your mouse over the menus, they will open up to display their contents or you can click on them.
Keyboard Alternatives
If you look at legacy menus, you'll see that some of the letters are underlined. By using the Alt key in
combination with the indicated letter, you can navigate the menu without a mouse — something that is useful if
your mouse is not working or if you are typing a document and don't wish to leave the keyboard to use the
mouse.
You'll also see other keyboard shortcuts listed to the right of menu items. For instance, Ctrl+p (press and hold
the Ctrl key, then press the "p" key) will print the current document.
Touch Devices
With the trend towards touch screens, the physical keyboard is a dying breed (replaced with an on-screen
touch-board) so these keyboard alternatives are bound to die.
Hidden & Hamburger Menus

Recent versions of many programs use a “hamburger” menu ( ) to indicate the presence of a hidden menu.
Other programs use either a stylized vertical (⋮) or horizontal (…) ellipsis.
Text menu options may still work or are simply hidden (in Firefox use the Customize option then look for
Show/Hide Toolbars).
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Windows & File Extensions
File extensions are the part of the filename that is after the dot in Windows. For example, a text file
like readme.txt has txt as its extension.
Modern Windows More Flexible
Old DOS programs used to be limited to eight letters/numbers before the dot and three after (hence the term
8.3 was commonly used) but spaces weren't allowed and many characters were "reserved."
Current Windows systems allow spaces and can use up to 256 characters before the dot and at least four
behind (e.g. Letter to Mary December 25, 2009.docx).
Unfortunately, using large file names can have consequences if you're storing documents in a significant
number of nested folders (e.g. C:\Documents\Clients\Miscellaneous\Invoices\2017\May\Acme\Reclassification
of the brown widgets on the Douglas Street renovation project.docx). Files may not be able to be copied or
backed up into similar folder and file structures because of limitations in Windows.
Extensions Tell What Type of File
The 3 or 4 character extension (the part after the final dot) tells Windows how to deal with a certain file by
identifying the type of file it is. By associating a certain extension with a default program to deal with that sort
of file, you can open the program by double-clicking on the filename. The type of file is usually indicated by its
icon as well.
Common Extensions
There are hundreds of extensions, many of which are proprietary (e.g. specific to a particular program) and
quite a few that are legacy (no longer in active use). Some of the more common ones are:

 .txt text file

 .doc Microsoft Word document
 .docx Microsoft Word open XML document (Word 2007 or later)
 .xls Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
 .xlsx Microsoft Excel open XML spreadsheet (Excel 2007 or later)
 .ppt Microsoft PowerPoint presentation document
 .pptx Microsoft PowerPoint open presentation document (PowerPoint 2007 or later)
 .html Web page (Hypertext Markup Language) file
 .mp3 audio (music) file
 .pdf Adobe Portable Document Format file (Adobe Reader)
 .jpg JPEG image file (usually a photo)
 .iso Disc Image File used to create a CD or DVD

Many programs can open these extensions other than the ones indicated. LibreOffice and other suites can
open and save Microsoft Office documents and PDFs can be opened with any PDF reader such as Nitro PDF
Reader.
Unlisted Extensions
If you wish to learn what a file is used for, you can visit FileInfo.com's list of common file extensions (if you
don't see the extension in the common files, click a letter at the top that the extension you're looking for begins
with).
Dangerous Extensions
There are many more of these that you are likely to see. Some Windows extensions can indicate programs
that can do harm to your computer. Remember, if you're unsure it is better to ignore a file than to get yourself
into trouble by clicking on it.
You should always be careful with files that have the following extensions, particularly if attached to an email
message, because they can be used to install malicious or unwanted programs:

 .pif program information file

 .exe executable (program) file
 .bat batch file — can call other files including program or scripting files
 .scr scripting file — sometimes mistakenly called a screen saver file

Most users should not see any of these sorts of files attached to emails. While any of these could be legitimate
files it is far more likely that it was included with the intention of infecting your computer with
a virus or malware.
Unfortunately, scripting in Microsoft Office has lead to vulnerabilities in those common files as well. Never open
an unexpected document, even from a known source, without checking it for malware.