Practical Windows for Small Business [and Hobbies]

Welcome to the Practical Windows skills component of our computer tools program.

As with all of our programs, the first lesson in a course is free, available to anyone. Subsequent lessons for the course are included in the one time charge when you sign up for a course; additional features (video transcripts, test files, and so on) are included in this charge.

 

 

Here we provide information on how Windows works along with tips on how to use several of the free, included, components / apps and how to organize your desktop, directories, and files.

Available lessons:

How Computers Work
    Two videos, link to paper on 'hexadecimal'
    Hardware - processor (CPU), memory, disc
    Bits, bytes, RAM, disc platters and read/write heads

Desktop layout choices
    One video
    Set screen background
    Arrange icons
    Explore tablet mode
    Set up task bar
    Suggested exercise to apply these insights

Organizing files and directories
    Three videos
    Define files and directories
    Rules for filenames
    General structure of a window
    Tailoring File Explorer
    Associating filename extensions to apps
    Creating directories and sub-directories
    Copy, Cut, and Paste functions
    Downloading files from the web
    Suggested exercise to apply these insights

Working with Notepad
    Three videos, link to article on fonts + an accent piece
    Create files with Notepad
    Create a web page
    Save / Save As...
    Fonts
    Word wrap
    Find and change
    Page setup
    Print and Print to PDF
    Suggested exercises to create / edit files
    Accent piece: writing poetry and code

Working with Wordpad
    One video
    Mixing fonts
    Inserting special characters
    Including pictures and objects
    Landscape format
    Suggested exercise to apply these insights

Working with Paint
    One video, link to paper on image formats
    The canvas
    Specifying color and line width
    Using the pencil and paintbrush
    Using shapes and eraser
    Digitized photos; adding a caption

Multi-tasking with Windows
    One video
    Starting up windows
    Cycle through running tasks
    Task view
    Running multiple copies of an app