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The Vista Desktop
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| The desktop is the main screen area that you see after you turn on your computer and log on to Windows. Like the top of an actual desk, it serves as a surface for your work. When you open programs or folders, they appear on the desktop. You can also put things on the desktop, such as files and folders, and arrange them however you want. |
The desktop is sometimes defined more broadly to include the taskbar and Windows Sidebar. The taskbar sits at the bottom of your screen. It shows you which programs are running and allows you to switch between them. It also contains the Start button which you can use to access programs, folders, and computer settings.
On the side of the screen, Sidebar contains small programs called gadgets.
Sidebar - Overview
The Windows Sidebar is a long, vertical bar that is displayed on the side of your desktop. It contains mini-programs called gadgets, which offer information at a glance and provide easy access to frequently used tools. For example, you can use gadgets to display a picture slide show, view continuously updated headlines, or look up contacts.
Sidebar can keep information and tools readily available for you to use. For example, you can display news headlines right next to your open programs. This way, if you want to keep track of what's happening in the news while you work, you don't have to stop what you're doing to switch to a news website.
With Sidebar, you can use the Feed Headlines gadget to show the latest news headlines from sources you choose. You don't have to stop working on your document, because the headlines are always visible. If you peripherally see a headline that interests you, you can click that headline, and your web browser will open directly to the story.
Open The Sidebar
Open Windows Sidebar by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Windows Sidebar. To keep Sidebar visible at all times, you must set it so that other windows won't cover it.
To keep windows from covering Sidebar
Because of the space Sidebar requires, this option works best if you're using a large or wide-screen monitor or multiple monitors.
- Open Windows Sidebar properties by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Windows Sidebar Properties.
- Select the Sidebar is always on top of other windows check box.
- Click OK.
Icons
| Icons are small pictures that represent files, folders, programs, and other items. When you first start Windows, you'll see at least one icon on your desktop: the Recycle Bin (more on that later).
Your computer manufacturer might have added other icons to the desktop. Some examples of desktop icons are shown here: |
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Double-clicking a desktop icon starts or opens the item it represents. For example, double-clicking the Internet Explorer icon starts Internet Explorer.
Adding and removing icons from the desktop
You can choose which icons appear on the desktop, you can add or remove an icon at any time. Some people like a clean, uncluttered desktop with few or no icons. Others place dozens of icons on their desktop to give them quick access to frequently used programs, files, and folders.If you want easy access from the desktop to your favorite files or programmes, create shortcuts to them. A shortcut is an icon that represents a link to an item, rather than the item itself. When you double-click a shortcut, the item opens. If you delete a shortcut, only the shortcut is removed, not the original item. You can identify shortcuts by the arrow on their icon.
Hiding desktop icons
If you want to temporarily hide all of your desktop icons without actually removing them, right-click an empty part of the desktop, click View, and then click Show Desktop Icons to clear the check mark from that option. Now no icons are displayed on the desktop. You can get them back by clicking Show Desktop Icons again.
The Recycle Bin
When you delete a file or folder, it doesn't actually get deleted right away, it goes to the Recycle Bin. That's a good thing, because if you ever change your mind and decide you need a deleted file, you can get it back.
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Shown on the left is the Recycle Bin when empty (left) and full (right). If you're sure that you won't need the deleted items again, you can empty the Recycle Bin. Doing that will permanently delete the items and reclaim any disk space they were using. |
There will be more added to the Tactical Panda Vista pages as time permits!
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