Instructor: Mojeeb Inam Sadeki

After you have installed or upgraded your Windows, you will

get a Welcome Screen with the time and date. Just click
anywhere to go to the User Accounts Screen.
This screen lets you choose which user you want to log in to from the
lower-left corner. After choosing the right user, and entering a password
if necessary, you will see the Windows Desktop.
The Windows Desktop is simply your operating
system main screen. Here you have access to an
array of tools like the Start Menu, Taskbar, and
other icons. Windows 10 also introduces a search
box in the Taskbar, which facilitates browsing both
your computer and the Web.
Once you get to the Windows Desktop screen, here are some basic features
you will see.

One of the most important parts of your Desktop is the Taskbar.

By default, it sits at the bottom of your screen giving you access
to the Start Menu, several application icons, and the Notification
Area.
In Windows 10, if an application is active or opened, you will see a green line below
its icon. Clicking the icon will bring the application window up.
Every open window features three buttons in the upper-right corner. These are used
to minimize, maximize, or close the window −
•Minimizing means that the window will hide in the Taskbar.
•Maximizing will bring the window to a full-screen size.

Windows can be moved around or resized as you please −

•To move a window, just click on its Title Bar on the upper side of the window and
drag it.
•To resize a window, move your mouse to any corner until you see a double-sided
arrow. Then click and drag until you reach the desired size.
Icons
Most Windows versions will feature different icons on the background. An
icon is simply a graphic representation of an application or a file. To open
or access an icon, just double click on it.
Although the amount and type of icons will vary, depending on
the computer, you can add more icons by following these steps
Step 1 − Right-click on the Desktop Background.
Step 2 − Choose “New” and “Shortcut”.
Step 3 − Browse for the application or file you want to create a
shortcut to.
Step 4 − Assign a name to the shortcut and click “Finish”.
Icons can also be moved around by clicking on them and
dragging them to another place in the screen.
Desktop Background
Another component of your Desktop is the
Background. This is simply an image that
appears at the back of your screen. Most
computers come with a pre-selected
background, but you can change it to any image
you want.
To change the background, follow these steps −
Step 1 − Right-click on the background and
choose “Personalize”.
Step 2 − From the Personalization window, choose from a series of pre-selected
pictures or browse for your own.

After choosing a picture,

the Background will change
automatically.
Navigation
To navigate your Windows, you can simply type what you are looking for on the Taskbar search. It
can be the name of a document or application, or just any information you are looking for.

Start Menu
If you are looking for a specific
application, you can also open the
Start Menu and click “All
Applications”. This will open an
alphabetical list of all the applications
installed on your computer.
File Explorer
If you are looking for a specific document, another alternative is to use the File
Explorer by clicking on the Folder icon on the Taskbar.
In the File Explorer window, you can browse all your folders and documents.
Virtual Desktops
One of the new features of Windows 10 is the addition of Virtual Desktops. This allows you to
have multiple desktop screens where you can keep open windows organized.
To add a virtual desktop, follow these steps −
Step 2 − Click the “New desktop” option
Step 1 − Click Task View on the Taskbar.
on the lower-right corner. You can access or
delete the new Desktop by clicking Task
View again.
Start Menu
The Start Menu is the main point of access to your applications. There are two main ways to open it −
Step 1 − Use your mouse to click Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the taskbar.

Step 2 − Press the Windows key on your keyboard.

The Windows 10 Start Menu

features two panes.
The left pane resembles the traditional Start Menu
from Windows 7 and earlier, while the right pane
features live tiles that were used in Windows 8.
Left Pane
Among the things you can do in the left pane are −
•Click the username at the top of the menu to change account
settings or log in with another user.
•Access the applications you use more frequently.
•A small arrow next to an application will open a sub-menu
with a list of recent documents opened with that application.
•Open the “File Explorer” to navigate your folders and files.
•Change the settings of your computer like your Internet
connection or changing your background.
•See different options to shut down your computer.
•See a list of all the applications installed in your computer.
Search Box
The “Search box” on the Taskbar will allow you to search within your documents and files or
on the Web for anything you write. The initial results will appear within the Start Menu itself.

The results will be grouped according to the

closest match (or matches) labeled “Best
match” at the top of the list.
The remaining results will be grouped according to what they
are or their location −
•Web results
•Documents or folders
•Apps
•System settings
The icons on the left side of the menu do the following −

The Gear icon will allow you to configure the settings of your Search.

This icon will let you send Feedback to Microsoft on what you like
or dislike about Windows.

The Cortana icon will activate Windows’ new personal assistant.

Right Pane
The right pane features a varied array of tiles, similar to the
ones that were seen on the Start Screen of Windows 8.
These tiles can be moved and dragged to different places by
holding the mouse button.

You can also configure them by right-clicking on

them to see options to resize them or “unpin”
them (remove them) from the Menu.
The whole Start Menu can also be resized by
dragging the borders with the mouse to the
desired size.
Windows 10 Taskbar
The Windows 10 taskbar sits at the bottom of the screen giving the user access to
the Start Menu, as well as the icons of frequently used applications. On the right-
side, the Taskbar features the Notification Area which informs the user of
different things like the state of the Internet connection or the charge of the laptop
battery.

The icons in the middle of the Taskbar are “pinned” applications, which is a way to have
a quick access to applications you use frequently. “Pinned” applications will stay in the
Taskbar until you “unpin” them.
Pin an Application to the Taskbar
Step 1 − Search for the application
you want to pin in the Start Menu.
Step 2− Right-click on the
application.
Step 3 − Select “More” option at
the top of the menu.
Step 4 − Select the “Pin to taskbar”
option.
Unpin an Application from the Taskbar
To “unpin” it, just right-click the icon in the
Taskbar and select “Unpin from taskbar”. You can
“pin” it back again any time you want.
Notification Area
The Notification Area is located at the right side of
the Taskbar. It shows different types of notifications
from your computer like your Internet connection, or
the volume level.
At first, the Notification Area shows a limited amount
of icons. But you can click the upward arrow on its
left-side to see other icons as well.
How to Activate the Tablet Mode?
Step 1 − Open the Start Menu and select “Settings”.

Step 2 − Select the “System” option.

Step 3 − Turn the Tablet Mode switch from
“Off” to “On”.
File Explorer
File Explorer is the file management application used by Windows operating systems to
browse folders and files.

The initial File Explorer window is comprised of the following

sections −
•The File Explorer ribbon, which resembles the ribbon
featured in Microsoft Office. The ribbon contains buttons for
common tasks to perform with your files and folders.
•The Navigation Pane gives you access to your libraries of
documents and pictures, as well as your storage devices. It
also features frequently used folders and network devices.
•The Frequent folders section on the right features the
folders you’ve worked with recently to allow for quick access
to them.
•The Recent files section in the lower part of the window
features files and documents that you’ve opened recently.
The File Explorer Ribbon
In Windows 10, the File Explorer features a new ribbon toolbar, similar to the one featured in the recent
versions of Microsoft Office. This ribbon contains buttons and commands for the most common tasks.

The Ribbon features four tabs, each with different commands. Among the tasks you can perform from the Home tab are −
•Copying and pasting files and folders from one place to another.
•Moving files and folders to another location.
•Copying files and folders to another location.
•Deleting a file or folder permanently or sending it to the Recycle Bin.
•Renaming a file or folder.
•Creating a new folder or other new items.
•Verifying or modifying the Properties of a document or folder.
•Opening a file or folder.
•Different options to select one or various files and folders.
The Share ribbon gives you different options to share your files and folders.
For example −
•E-mailing or messaging a file.
•Compressing (“Zip”) a folder to take less space.
•Printing or faxing documents.
•Sharing with other users or networks.
The View ribbon allows you to change the way Windows displays your files
and folders. Some of the changes you can make here are −
•Adding additional panes to show a preview or details of your files.
•Changing the layout of the files and folders from icons to list, and others.
•Sorting and arranging the contents of your folder.
•Hiding selected folders or files.
The File tab opens a menu with different options like −

•Opening an additional File

Explorer window.
•Opening command windows
for advanced users.
•Changing or configuring
options about how File Explorer
behaves.
Cortana
Cortana is Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant. It is included in Windows 10, as well as with
other Microsoft systems and devices like Windows Phones and Xbox, among others.
Cortana will help you find things in your computer, set appointments, answer questions, and many
other things.
To use Cortana simply type a question in the search box in the Taskbar, or click the microphone
icon and talk to Cortana.
The icons on the left-side are for −
•Home
•Notebook
•Reminders
•Feedback
Home is the initial Cortana window where you can type or ask questions.
Activating Cortana
If Cortana isn’t active, you can turn it on by typing “Cortana” in the Taskbar search to access
the Cortana settings, or just clicking the “Gear” icon on the left-side of the menu.

After activating Cortana, it will start gathering

information about you to personalize the experience.
You can also customize how Cortana
responds to you.
Notifications

Windows 10 features a new way to present notifications. You can

see them in the Notification Area in the lower-right corner of your
screen.
Clicking the Notification icon will bring up a sidebar called
the ACTION CENTER.

The upper part of the sidebar

features Tips and App notifications, while the lower part of the
sidebar presents a series of Quick Action buttons.
Customizing Notifications
You can customize what notifications Windows 10 presents you in the sidebar by following these steps −
Step 1 − Go to the SETTINGS window and choose System.

Step 2 − In the SYSTEM window,

select Notifications & actions. The screen will
then show you different settings where you can
customize what notifications Windows 10 will
show.
Customizing Notifications
Quick Actions

Quick Actions are a set of tiles that give you access to frequently used settings and tasks
(like Wi-Fi connection, or screen brightness).

Most of the actions can be configured simply by clicking

or tapping on the tile. Additional settings and options

can be accessed if you right-click the tile.

Selecting the All settings tile will take you directly to

the SETTINGSwindow.
Customizing Quick Actions
With these Notifications, you can customize the Quick Actions tiles by going to
the SETTINGS window.

After opening Settings, you can

choose SYSTEM and then select Notifications
& actions.
Cloud
Windows 10 allows you to sign in using an Outlook account. By doing this, Windows synchronizes your
documents, contacts, and other things to the cloud. To sign in with Outlook, follow these steps −
Step 1 − Go to SETTINGS and choose Accounts.

Step 2 − In the ACCOUNTS window, choose “Sign in

with a Microsoft account instead”.
Step 3 − After that, Windows will ask for your username and password. If you don’t have a Microsoft or
Outlook account, it will also provide a link to create one. Using a Microsoft account will allow you to sync your
documents and personal files to any compatible device, where you use that account.

Using OneDrive
By signing in with a Microsoft or Outlook
account, you have access to OneDrive from
your Windows 10. OneDrive is a free storage
space in the Cloud given to every user of a
Microsoft account.

A green checkmark means that the document or folder is in sync with the online version.
A blue double-arrow means that the document or folder is currently syncing.
A red X means that there was some issue or problem syncing the document or folder.