So, you’re new to computers and feel like you’re back in kindergarten … well, in a way, you are! But computers are new and very foreign to you now if you’ve just recently sat down in front of one! Remember, because it’s so new, you must approach it differently, just like in kindergarten! I don’t care if you’re 8 or 88; you need to recall the wonder, joy, and excitement you felt when learning something new! Have fun with it! Explore … ask yourself, what does this do? Click on it … check it out! But, above all … don’t be afraid of it … it won’t bite, and it certainly doesn’t know more than you do … it just seems that way sometimes because it does things faster – that’s all.
Here are a couple of tips to ‘give you a push.
Look at your mouse and notice that it has two buttons and usually a wheel in between. Use the right button, and right-click on everything! Clicking on the Right mouse button will only do one thing: show a context menu or a list of options about the selected object. For example, point the mouse arrow to an icon on your desktop, and instead of clicking the left mouse button, click on the right and see what happens! You’ll see a menu with a list of many commands for that particular icon, one of which is ‘delete’… if you move your pointer to the menu and then move the mouse, you’ll see that you can select any of the commands. Select ‘delete’ only if you wish to delete that one icon by clicking the command with your left mouse button.
Hocus-pocus! It’s done!
Windows Explorer is aptly named as it allows you to Explore your computer! So don’t be afraid to look around on your hard disk. Look around in all your folders, and try all of the programs you see when you click on the Start Menu. How do you get to Windows Explorer? Easy! Left-click on the start button in the left corner of your screen. Next, find ‘All Programs’ with an arrow pointing to the Right and hold your mouse pointer over it until the larger menu pops up. Next, move your pointer to the Right and (usually) up until it lands on the Folder “Accessories.” When it does, the menu expands to show what is in that folder (other folders and programs); move your pointer to the Right and down the list until it lands on Windows Explorer.
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Left-click on that program to open it. A window will show you your access to your computer, usually starting with “My Documents” (as it is in Windows XP). The Window that opens is divided into two sections; the left side shows a list of ‘places’ (folders) on your computer, and whichever is highlighted will show the other folders and files on the right-hand side of the Window. For example, the My Pictures folder can be found within the My Documents folder.
So … open it up! Have fun! Explore!
Written by Debbi Baird, Co-Owner of PC For Seniors, Author of many technical articles in ‘plain English’ for the “Older Generation,” and Trainer / Tutor / Consultant in the Palm Beach, Florida area. Go to [http://www.pcforseniors.com] to find more information on computers and The Internet in the “How to Do I …” section of the website! Also, check out our Hot Sites! Listing for links to great places for seniors to go online!
