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Windows 7 Basics

 

 

 

 

Choose Between Laptop and Desktop

 

Today we’re going to talk about the difference between laptops and desktops. Although quite similar, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

 

Change Desktop Background

 

The desktop of your computer is the first screen that loads whenever you turn your computer on. You can personalize the desktop background by choosing one of your favorite photos or even having several of your photos cycle through as a slideshow.

 

Find Files and Programs

 

Today we want to share with you one of the tools that we find most useful in Windows 7. Sometimes it can be frustrating looking for a file, program or even an activity but fortunately we have a tool called Instant Search.

 

Add Gadgets to the Desktop

 

Windows 7 gives us the ability to personalize our desktop by adding tools called gadgets. Gadgets are kind of like the apps for your smart phone and allow us to view useful bits of information such as the weather or today’s headlines in one simple step.

 

Pin Programs and Documents to the Task Bar

 

The task bar is a very important part of the Windows operating system and it’s that long bar normally located at the bottom of your screen. Today we are going to look at two very important uses of the task bar. First we are going to look at pinning a program to the taskbar so that we have one click access to that program. Then we are going to look at creating a jumplist which is a new feature to Windows 7 and which allows us to quickly access files and folders.

 

Copy Files to a USB Flash Drive

 

Today we are going to look at a device called a USB Flash Drive which is also known as a Jump Drive or a Thumb Drive. Flash Drives are small storage devices to which you can copy files and which have become popular because it is very easy to transfer files from these drives to your computer.

 

Burn File to CDs and DVDs

 

Although less popular than they once were, CDs and DVDs are still very useful tools. CDs are primarily used to create audio discs so you can listen to music in your CD player. DVDs are used to create video discs so you can watch them on your TV.

 

Organizing Files Using Libraries

 

Windows 7 has created libraries which allow us to organize content on our computers. By default there are four libraries for our music, photos, documents and videos.

 

Saving Files

 

In today’s episode we are going to look at saving files. Saving can be a confusing activity because sometimes we don’t know where the files are being saved and we have trouble finding them later. We’ll also look at the difference between “Save” and “Save As”.

 

Backing Up Your Computer

 

Most of us have important files on our computer such as precious photos, music we’ve downloaded or even home videos. It’s very important to be sure those files are backed up because you never know when you might get a computer virus, your hard drive might fail, or your computer could even be stolen.

 

Save Time by Using Keyboard Shortcuts

 

Although the majority of what we do on the computer involves the mouse, there are some shortcodes on the keyboard that can make our time on the computer more efficient. We are going to look at some of our personal shortcode favorites.

 

Mouse Basics

 

One of the questions we commonly get asked is “When do I use the single click versus the double click?” and “What is the difference between the right click and the left click?” We are going to discuss some of the rules that generally apply to the use of the mouse.

 

Perform Basic Computer Maintenance

 

In order to make sure your computer is performing at its best, you will want to perform some routine computer maintenance tasks. We are going to look at using the Disk Defragmenter, using Disk Cleanup to delete unneeded files as well as take a look at a nifty program called Advanced System Care.

 

Change Your Computer's Power Plan

 

To turn the computer off as well as to view the other power options, first click the start button. In addition to Shutdown we have an arrow which gives access to the computer’s other power options. In this video we will examine those options in greater detail.

 

Safeguarding Your Identity

 

Protecting our information while using the computer is a real concern. We’re going to give you some tips to help you avoid being a victim of identity theft.

 

How to Protect Against Malware

 

Malware comes in many different forms including viruses, adware, and spyware. We want to make sure that your computer is protected as well as give you some tips and tricks to help you avoid an infection.

 

How to Capture a Screen Shot

 

Windows 7 includes a tool called “Snip” which allows us to take a picture of any portion of the screen. You can use this to take a picture from a video file, of a part of a website, and one of our favorite uses is to take a picture of an error message and send it to someone who can help with the problem.

 

Transfer Photos

 

In the following tutorial we will be using Windows Photo Gallery to transfer (copy) photos to the computer.