Lesson 8 - Start Menu
This is one of those places where there are significant differences between Windows 95* and Windows 98*. It's easier to separate the lesson than to keep repeating "If you have....." so, for Windows 98* users, just keep reading.
Windows 95* readers, please click here now.
Start Menu
Let's explore your Start Button now. Left click on your Start Button and you will see a menu of options which include:
| Programs |
Provides a list of programs |
| Favorites | Provides a list of internet sites you have selected as favorites. |
| Documents | Provides a list of documents |
| Settings | Is a gateway to system components such as the Control Panel |
| Find | Enables you to search for a file or folder |
| Help | Opens the Help Screen |
| Run | Starts a program |
| Log Off | Logs off a Windows session |
| Shut Down | Shuts down your computer |
Your computer may have more items but these are basic.
Programs:
Click on "Programs". As you move your mouse pointer over the word "Programs", another menu will appear which has options such as Accessories,Internet Explorer, Start-Up, MS-Dos Prompt, and Windows Explorer.
- Move your mouse pointer over Accessories and another menu will open up with options such as Games, System Tools, Calculator, NotePad, and Paint. These are programs available from Microsoft and come with Windows 98.
- Internet Explorer is a help service similar to Windows Explorer but for the internet.
- Start-Up is a storage area where you can put shortcuts to any program that you want to automatically begin when you turn your computer on. For example, I have a clock which chimes on the hour. It is activated when I turn my computer on.
- MS-DOS Prompt is available for those who need to use it for writing programs. MS-DOS is the operating system that was used by Microsoft prior to Windows.
- Windows Explorer can be reached from here.
Favorites:
Get to your favorite Web sites, subscriptions, documents, folders, or other computers on your network that you frequently use. You can save a shortcut from the Web onto your Start Menu and access that Web page from here.
Documents
Documents contain the most recently opened files. If you are finished with a file and close it and go
on to something else and then remember you need to do something else with the first file, this is an easy way to re-open a file.
Settings
Settings allows access to the Control Panel and to the Print folder. You can change a variety of things from
the control panel. See Personalize Your Computer, Part IV
Find
Allows you to search for a file or folder. It opens the same window as we saw in Explorer.
Help
Accesses the Windows Help that we saw in Explorer.
Run
You can run a program from here by typing in its path. You can also browse through your computer to find a program's path from here.
A path is a way of describing the hierarchy in which files are kept. For example, if you are using Paint
its path would tell you that it is on Drive C, in a folder called "Program Files", in a sub-folder called "Accessories".
Its path would be C:\Program Files\Accessories.
Shut Down
We discussed shut down in the Lesson 3. Always use this command to shut down your computer prior to turning it off.
Most of the time you will use the Start Button to begin Programs. What the Start Button Menu does
is to house shortcuts to your programs. Your programs don't live in a folder called Start
anywhere. They live on your drives, usually drive C, and the Start Menu is a collection of shortcuts
for easy access to them. When you click on something in the Start Menu, the shortcut points the computer
to the correct location of the program.
We saw in Windows Explorer how to create shortcuts. If you look in Explorer at Drive C:/Windows/Start
Menu you'll find the shortcuts now on your computer. If you want to create a shortcut for one of your
programs, you highlight the program, go to File/New/Shortcut and then move the shortcut onto your
Start Menu either by using the Edit command or by dragging, as previously discussed.
End of Lesson 8 for Windows 98* users.
Click here to practice making a shortcut.
Windows 95* Users:
Let's explore your Start Button now.
Left click on your Start Button and you will see a menu of options which include:
| Programs | Provides a list of programs |
| Documents | Provides a list of documents |
| Settings | Is a gateway to system components such as the Control Panel |
| Find | Enables you to search for a file or folder |
| Help | Opens the Help Screen |
| Run | Starts a program |
| Shut Down | Shuts down your computer |
Your computer may have more items but these are basic.
Programs:
Click on "Programs". As you move your mouse pointer over the word "Programs", another menu will appear
which has options such as Accessories, Start-Up, MS-Dos prompt, and Windows Explorer.
Move your mouse pointer over "Accessories" and another menu will open up with options such as Games, System Tools, Calculator, NotePad, and Paint. These are programs available from Microsoft and come with Windows 95.
"Start-Up" is a storage area where you can put shortcuts to any program that you want to automatically begin when you turn your computer on. For example, I have a clock which chimes on the hour. It is activated when I turn my computer on.
"MS-DOS Prompt" is available for those who need to use it for writing programs. MS-DOS is the operating system that was used by Microsoft prior to Windows.
Documents
"Documents" contain the most recently opened files. If you are finished with a file and close it and go on to something else and then remember you need to do something else with the first file, this is an easy way to re-open a file. You should be able to
find Wind.txt (as you created it in Lesson #4) in your Documents file.
Settings
"Settings" allows access to the Control Panel and to the Print Manager. You can change a variety of things from
the Control Panel. See Personalize Your Computer, Part IV
"Find" allows you to search for a file or folder. It opens the same window as we saw in Explorer.
Help
Accesses the Windows Help that we saw in Explorer.
Run
You can run a program from here by typing in its path. You can also browse through your computer to find a program's path from here.
A path is a way of describing the hierarchy in which files are kept. For example, if you are using Paint its path would tell you that it is on Drive C, in a folder called "Program Files", in a sub-folder called "Accessories". Its path would be C:\Program Files\Accessories.
Shut Down
We discussed shut down in the Lesson 3 section. Always use this command to shut down your computer prior to turning it off.
Most of the time you will use the Start Button to begin Programs. What the Start Button Menu does is to house shortcuts to your programs. Your programs don't live in a folder called Start anywhere. They live on your drives, usually drive C, and the Start Menu is a collection of shortcuts for easy access to them. When you click on something in the Start Menu, the shortcut points the computer to the correct location of the program.
We saw in Windows Explorer how to create shortcuts. If you look in Explorer at Drive C:/Windows/Start Menu
you'll find the shortcuts now on your computer. If you want to create a shortcut for one of your programs, you highlight the program, go to File/New/Shortcut and then move the shortcut onto your Start Menu either by using the Edit command or by dragging, as previously discussed.
End of Lesson 8 for Windows 95* users.
Click here to practice making a shortcut.
Here's a review of what we covered in the last three lessons:
Click here to go there!
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*Windows* refers to Microsoft Windows 95® or
Microsoft Windows 98®.