PC Help

This page will be to help with configuration and operation of a personal computer.

Still very much under construction.

The Mouse.

That dreaded little rodent. Frighteningly simple to use, in Windows95/98 it is a dangerous weapon. It can be used to eliminate entire sections of your programs with little warning. So let's talk about proper usage of the mouse. There are a number of functions that can be done with the mouse. Here is a brief description of each action and what it typically does.

Action Definition Description

Click This is depressing and releasing the left mouse button one time. This will highlight or select an item or icon. In a program such as a word processor, this will place the cursor in a given location.

Left Click This is depressing and releasing the left mouse button one time. This will highlight or select an item or icon. In a program such as a word processor, this will place the cursor in a given location.

Double Click This is depressing and releasing the left mouse button twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse. This will open a program, or activate the default option on an item or icon. Most common action taken with the mouse by most users.

Right Click This is depressing and releasing the right mouse button one time. This will activate drop menu with some of the features that can be done with an item or an icon. Very useful for looking at and changing the properties of a given program or utility.

Drag and Drop This is depressing and holding the left mouse button while pointing at an icon or item, then moving the mouse to the new location desired for the icon or item and releasing This is useful for moving icons around on your desktop, or for moving things to your recycle bin. Caution be sure that what you are moving does not need to be in it's current location to run before moving or discarding

Shift+Click Holding down the Shift key while depressing and releasing the left mouse button This will highlight an entire section of text or an entire group of items or icons from the last place you left clicked.

Ctrl+Click Holding down the Ctrl key while depressing and releasing the left mouse button This will allow you to choose multiple icons or items individually to select them for a group.

Keys and the Keyboard.
There are a number of keys that are often improperly named and that a new user often simply can't find. The following chart defines some of these keys.

Key Name Function

Pipe/Backslash Key This is the Pipe/Backslash Key. Backslash is the character produced when you press the key alone. Pipe is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Pipe/Backslash Key. The Backslash is used when typing in DOS path names as in A:\SETUP.EXE or C:\WINDOWS\SYSEDIT.EXE. A path pronounced as A Colon Backslash Setup Backslash Install Dot E-X-E would be typed as A:\SETUP\INSTALL.EXE

Question Mark/Slash or Question Mark/Forward Slash Key Slash or Forward Slash is the character produced when you press the key alone. Question Mark is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Question Mark/Slash. The Slash is used when typing in web address or when separating two words such as Question Mark/Slash. A web page pronounced as H-T-T-P Colon Slash Slash W-W-W Dot B-M-I-C Dot Net Slash Search Dot H-T-M-L would be typed as http://www.bmic.net/search.html

Tilde/Left Single Quote Left Single Quote is the character produced when you press the key alone. Tilde (pronounced Till-Dah) is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Tilde/Left Single Quote key. Tilde is used most often in web page addresses. A web page pronounced as H-T-T-P Colon Slash Slash W-W-W Dot B-M-I-C Dot Net Slash Tilde C-A-T Slash S-W would be typed as http://www.bmic.net/~cat/sw

At/Two Key The number two is the character produced when you press the key alone. The at symbol ) is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the At/Two Key. At is most often found in email addresses. An email address pronounced Cat At B-M-I-C Dot Net would be typed as cat@bmic.net

Colon/Semi-Colon Key The Semi-Colon is the character produced when you press the key alone. The Colon is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Colon/Semi-Colon Key. The Colon is used in both DOS path names and in web addresses. A web page pronounced as H-T-T-P Colon Slash Slash W-W-W Dot B-M-I-C Dot Net would be typed as http://www.bmic.net A path pronounced as A Colon Backslash Setup Dot E-X-E would be typed as A:\SETUP.EXE

There are also a number of keys that can be used in combination, termed "shortcuts", that everyone should know. These can significantly speed up actions when using the computer.

Key Combination Function

Ctrl+C Copy. Will copy a highlighted section of text or a selected portion of a graphic to the windows clipboard and store it there until something else is copied or the computer is shut down.

Ctrl+V Paste. Will paste contents of the clipboard into selected area.

Shift+Arrow Key Highlight a section of text. Will highlight text in the direction of movement of the arrow key.

Shift+Home Highlight a section of text. Will highlight text from the location of the cursor to the beginning of the current line.

Shift+End Highlight a section of text. Will highlight text from the location of the cursor to the end of the current line.

Alt+Tab Switch Between Open Applications. Holding down the Alt key continuously while tapping the Tab key will allow you to cycle through multiple applications until you locate the desired one.

Ctrl+Tab Switch Between Open Documents. Holding down the Ctrl key continuously while tapping the Tab key will allow you to cycle through multiple documents until you locate the desired one.

Alt+F4 Close an Application. Will close the Active Application and, after all Applications are closed, (or while none are active) will shutdown Windows.

Ctrl+F4 Close a Document. Will close the current document in an application.

Alt+Esc(ape) Jumps to the next open application.

Ctrl+Esc(ape) Activates the start menu.

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Action	Definition	Description
Click	This is depressing and releasing the left mouse button one time.	This will highlight or select an item or icon. In a program such as a word processor, this will place the cursor in a given location.
Left Click	This is depressing and releasing the left mouse button one time.	This will highlight or select an item or icon. In a program such as a word processor, this will place the cursor in a given location.
Double Click	This is depressing and releasing the left mouse button twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse.	This will open a program, or activate the default option on an item or icon. Most common action taken with the mouse by most users.
Right Click	This is depressing and releasing the right mouse button one time.	This will activate drop menu with some of the features that can be done with an item or an icon. Very useful for looking at and changing the properties of a given program or utility.
Drag and Drop	This is depressing and holding the left mouse button while pointing at an icon or item, then moving the mouse to the new location desired for the icon or item and releasing	This is useful for moving icons around on your desktop, or for moving things to your recycle bin. Caution be sure that what you are moving does not need to be in it's current location to run before moving or discarding
Shift+Click	Holding down the Shift key while depressing and releasing the left mouse button	This will highlight an entire section of text or an entire group of items or icons from the last place you left clicked.
Ctrl+Click	Holding down the Ctrl key while depressing and releasing the left mouse button	This will allow you to choose multiple icons or items individually to select them for a group.

Key	Name	Function
	Pipe/Backslash Key	This is the Pipe/Backslash Key. Backslash is the character produced when you press the key alone. Pipe is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Pipe/Backslash Key. The Backslash is used when typing in DOS path names as in A:\SETUP.EXE or C:\WINDOWS\SYSEDIT.EXE. A path pronounced as A Colon Backslash Setup Backslash Install Dot E-X-E would be typed as A:\SETUP\INSTALL.EXE
	Question Mark/Slash or Question Mark/Forward Slash Key	Slash or Forward Slash is the character produced when you press the key alone. Question Mark is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Question Mark/Slash. The Slash is used when typing in web address or when separating two words such as Question Mark/Slash. A web page pronounced as H-T-T-P Colon Slash Slash W-W-W Dot B-M-I-C Dot Net Slash Search Dot H-T-M-L would be typed as http://www.bmic.net/search.html
	Tilde/Left Single Quote	Left Single Quote is the character produced when you press the key alone. Tilde (pronounced Till-Dah) is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Tilde/Left Single Quote key. Tilde is used most often in web page addresses. A web page pronounced as H-T-T-P Colon Slash Slash W-W-W Dot B-M-I-C Dot Net Slash Tilde C-A-T Slash S-W would be typed as http://www.bmic.net/~cat/sw
	At/Two Key	The number two is the character produced when you press the key alone. The at symbol ) is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the At/Two Key. At is most often found in email addresses. An email address pronounced Cat At B-M-I-C Dot Net would be typed as cat@bmic.net
	Colon/Semi-Colon Key	The Semi-Colon is the character produced when you press the key alone. The Colon is the character produced when you press the Shift Key in combination with the Colon/Semi-Colon Key. The Colon is used in both DOS path names and in web addresses. A web page pronounced as H-T-T-P Colon Slash Slash W-W-W Dot B-M-I-C Dot Net would be typed as http://www.bmic.net A path pronounced as A Colon Backslash Setup Dot E-X-E would be typed as A:\SETUP.EXE

Key Combination	Function
Ctrl+C	Copy. Will copy a highlighted section of text or a selected portion of a graphic to the windows clipboard and store it there until something else is copied or the computer is shut down.
Ctrl+V	Paste. Will paste contents of the clipboard into selected area.
Shift+Arrow Key	Highlight a section of text. Will highlight text in the direction of movement of the arrow key.
Shift+Home	Highlight a section of text. Will highlight text from the location of the cursor to the beginning of the current line.
Shift+End	Highlight a section of text. Will highlight text from the location of the cursor to the end of the current line.
Alt+Tab	Switch Between Open Applications. Holding down the Alt key continuously while tapping the Tab key will allow you to cycle through multiple applications until you locate the desired one.
Ctrl+Tab	Switch Between Open Documents. Holding down the Ctrl key continuously while tapping the Tab key will allow you to cycle through multiple documents until you locate the desired one.
Alt+F4	Close an Application. Will close the Active Application and, after all Applications are closed, (or while none are active) will shutdown Windows.
Ctrl+F4	Close a Document. Will close the current document in an application.
Alt+Esc(ape)	Jumps to the next open application.
Ctrl+Esc(ape)	Activates the start menu.