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Windows Xp for Beginners syllabus.

Lesson 1

Identifying Features of the Windows Xp Desktop

Desktop Shortcut Icons
Quick Start Toolbar
Taskbar
System Tray
Start Button

Shortcuts How To’s

How to Create Desktop Shortcuts
How to Create Shortcuts in Folders
Moving Shortcuts in Windows Xp.
Deleting Shortcuts in Windows Xp.
Using the Desktop Cleanup Wizard to Remove Shortcuts
Help and Support Tasks and Tutorials (optional to try)
Helpful Links at Microsoft (optional to try)

Customizing Your Desktop

Changing your Theme
Changing the Desktop Background Wallpaper
Choose a Screensaver
Changing the Power Options
Changing your Screen Resolution.
Changing your Windows and Buttons
Help and Support Tasks and Tutorials (optional to try)
Helpful Links at Microsoft (optional to try)

Customizing your Desktop (continued)

Changing icons on the Desktop and Start Menu
Placing Important Icons on the Desktop
Changing the Font Size on your Desktop
Customizing a Sound Scheme

Lesson 2 – Desktop Customization Continued

The Windows XP Taskbar

· Unlocking the Taskbar

· Moving the Taskbar in all four directions

· Customizing the Taskbar Properties

o Lock/Unlock the Taskbar

o Auto-Hide the Taskbar

o Keep the taskbar on top of other windows.

o Group similar taskbar buttons.

o Show Quick Launch

· Notification Area (System Tray) – Customizing the Taskbar

o Show/Hide the Clock

o Show/Hide Inactive Icons

· Windows Xp Powertoys that work closely with the Taskbar

o Taskswitch

§ How to use the Task Switch power toy

o Virtual Desktop Manager

§ Customizing the backgrounds on the MSVDM

o Taskbar Magnifier

§ Changing the Zoom on the taskbar magnifier.

· Windows Xp – Start Menu

o Identifying the features of the Start Menu

§ Pinned Item list

§ Frequently used programs list

§ All Programs

§ Folders that hold your documents

§ My Computer

§ My Network Places

§ Control Panel

§ Help and Support

§ Search

§ Run

§ Manufacture Specific

§ Log Off

§ Turn Off the Computer

o Changing the Pinned Items list

o Changing the Default for the Frequently used Programs List

o Customizing the other items on the Start menu

o Moving an item from the Frequently used programs list to the Pinned list.

o Using the Classic View

§ Adding submenu’s to the Classic view

o Moving and Deleting Items from the Windows Xp Start Menu

Lesson 3 – Free Programs Found with Windows Xp

Windows Media player
- Playing various music files
- Creating a Playlist
- Changing the view of Windows Media player
Wordpad for Windows Xp
Notepad for Windows Xp
System Restore
- How to Create a restore point
- How to Restore your system to an earlier point
Windows Address book
- Adding contacts to your address book
- Backing up your address book
Outlook Express for Email
- Adding an account to outlook express
- How to send an email
- How to send an attachment
- How to insert pictures
- How to use the stationery wizard
- Saving your emails to your hard drive.
- Backing up your emails
- Using outlook express as a newsreader
Internet Explorer
- Searching for web pages
- Favorites
  - Adding favorites
  - Organizing favorites
  - Deleting and Moving Favorites
  - Exporting favorite
  - Making favorites available for offline viewing
- Deleting your temporary internet files
- Downloading files from the internet
- Emailing a web page or a link to a web page.
A look at Windows Xp Movie Maker.
Windows Xp Burning Wizard
- Using Cd-R’s to create your own Cd’s

Lesson 4 – Files and Folders

· Files and folders

§ Saving files

§ Creating new files

§ Organizing files in folders

§ Creating new folders

§ Moving files and folders

§ Deleting files and folders

§ Saving files and folders to floppys

§ Saving files and folders to a cd-r

§ Restoring Deleted files and folders to their original location.

o System Tools

§ Disk cleanup

§ Files and settings transfer wizard

§ Scheduled tasks

§ Disk Defragmenter

§ Add/Remove Programs to install and uninstall programs

o Viewing your Drives

§ See how much space is on your hard drive

§ See how much space is on your cd-r

§ See how much space is on a floppy

o Formatting

§ Formatting a floppy drive

§ Erasing a CD-RW(cannot erase a cd-r)

o Using Help and Support to fix problems

§ Searching

§ Adding to favorites

Lesson 5 – What’s in the Control Panel?

Brief look at some of the most used Control Panel Applets.

· Accessibility Options

o Handicap access

· Add hardware

· Add/Remove Programs

· Administrative tools

· Display

· Folder Options

· Fonts

o Installing new fonts

o Uninstalling old fonts

· Internet Options

· Keyboard

o Windows Xp keyboard shortcuts

· Mouse

o Adjusting your mouse settings

· Printers and Faxes

· Scanners and Cameras

o Uploading digital photos with a digital camera

· Sounds and Audio devices

o Adjusting the sound on your system

· System

· Taskbar and Start menu

· User Accounts

o Creating new user accounts

o Assigning passwords

o Loggin in and out of different accounts

Lesson 6 – Troubleshooting & Maintenance

Where to find help
- Your Manufacture
- Microsoft Knowledge base
- Help and Support
- World Wide Web
- Windows Xp Home Page
- Microsoft Newsgroups
  - Adding newsgroups through Outlook Express
  - Viewing newsgroups through the web-based newsreader
- Google Search Engine
Keeping your Windows Xp up to date
- Windows update
- Finding Drivers for your hardware
- What is a virus?
  - Obtaining Software Virus protection
  - What to do if you think you have a virus?
  - What to do if you receive a virus warning, you suspect could be a hoax.
  - Keeping your virus software up to date.
  - How you can remove a virus from your system?
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