Computing

Basic Information

Desktop

The desktop is the monitor screen when there is no window open.

Control Panel

The Control Panel can be accessed via the Start Menu.

Click/left click

Click your left mouse-button with your index finger (unless you have switched the mouse buttons, which you can do via Mouse Settings in Control Panel).

Right-click

Click your right mouse-button with your middle finger.

Wherever you are on your computer, if you right-click your mouse button you will see a menu specific to what you are doing at the time.

If you are browsing the internet and would like to open a link in a new window or new tab, right-click the link and choose the option you would prefer.

If you right-click on your desktop (your screen when there is no window open), then click on [Properties], you will see a menu that will allow you to change your screensaver, wallpaper and other desktop settings.

Double-click

Double-clicking is clicking the left mouse button twice.
You can set the speed of the double-click so that if you click more slowly, it will still count as a double-click.
To do this, go to the Mouse settings in Control Panel, and extend the Double Click Speed.
Double-click the top bar of any window to toggle between full screen or not.

Move a window

To move a window, left click on the top bar and hold the mouse button down and drag the window.

If you cannot move the window, double-click the top bar or click on the double square picture in the top right hand side of the window to unlock it from full screen mode.

Screensaver

A screensaver is a program that activates after a set period to save your screen from being imprinted with the current view (with older monitors). Access the screensaver by right-clicking the desktop.

Wheel

The wheel in the centre of the mouse between your index and middle fingers when holding the mouse.
Use the wheel to scroll up and down the page, or on some sites, rolling the wheel up or down will increase or decrease the size of the picture, eg Google Maps zoom control.
If you hold the Ctrl key down while you use the wheel, you can increase or decrease the size of everything on the page.

Browser

A browser is a program that allows you to view websites and surf the web. To open a browser window, the shortcut to your browser is either on your desktop or in the Start Menu or in the Quick Launch bar at the bottom left of your screen. If you cannot see it when you click on [Start], hold your cursor arrow over [All Programs] until the menu comes up and then find your browser program in the programs list that comes up.

Below are some pictures to help you recognise your browser icon:

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Flock	Internet Explorer (IE)
Opera	Apple Safari

Microsoft Word

Selecting

To select a word, double-click on the word.

To select the whole paragraph, triple-click within the paragraph.

When the cursor in the left margin becomes an arrow pointing toward the text:

• click to select the line;
• double-click to select the paragraph;
• triple-click to select the whole document.

Microsoft Outlook

Add or Change your signature in Outlook

[Tools] - [Options] - [Mail Format] - [Signatures] - Select the signature you wish to edit - [Edit] or click on [New] if you would like to add a Signature.

Edit the signature like you would if it was in a Word document.

(I create my email signature in a Word document, select & copy, Ctrl V to paste into the edit window - then, if your signature "disappears", you can just copy & paste from your Word document).

To make your signature appear on replies and forwards, on the Mail Format tab, select signature from drop-down list at the bottom where it says "Signature for replies and forwards".

Microsoft Excel

To put the contents of two different columns into the one column

For example:
FirstName column has John, LastName column has Smith and you would like one column to contain "John Smith" or "Smith, John" or similar.

Assuming that the FirstName column is column A and the LastName column is column B and the Headings are in row 1:

To combine A2 (John) and B2 (Smith) to see "John Smith" in cell C2, enter in cell C2:
=A2&" "&B2

If you want to see "Smith, John" in cell C2, enter in cell C2:
=B2&", "&A2

Select the C column and [Copy], then select [Paste] and then [Paste Values] before deleting the FirstName and LastName columns.

To copy a formula to other cells below

Click on the cell that contains the formula you would like to copy, then click on the box in the bottom right hand corner of the selected cell when the cursor turns to a + and drag down to include all the cells you require the formula.