Appendix 1 - Organizing the Windows desktop

The PC desktop can be very intimidating with fancy pictures or patterns with lots of icons scattered in a seemingly random manner.

As with a real desktop your files are more easily located if they are tidied away in an organized manner and with just the essentials left on the desktop itself.

In order to do this you will need to learn how to alter the Windows Properties and Taskbar settings.
The PC mouse has at least two buttons. The left hand button is used for selecting and opening files or folders and programs by single or double-clicking. The right hand mouse button opens up a menu relevant to where the pointer is at the time. So if you want to change the desktop then the pointer has to be somewhere on the desktop.

Windows Properties (95 onwards) Point at a blank part of the desktop and click the right button. This menu will appear. Move the pointer down to Properties and select it with the left mouse button. Display Properties To set a plain Background choose None.

To change the colour of the background, or the colour scheme in general, click on the Appearance tab.

Remember, if you make any changes click the left mouse button on the Apply box for the changes to take effect.

Screen saver To set a screen saver click on the Screen Saver tab and choose from the list. If you choose Scrolling Marquee, or text screen saver, click on Settings to type in the message you wish to scroll across the screen. It is also possible to password protect the screen so that once the screen saver is on no one can use the machine until the correct password is typed in. (Most shops selling computers have this set up so the computer can not be 'played' with unless a sales person is present.)
Web – Folder Options (Windows 98, onwards) In Windows 98 onwards the desktop can also be set up to open files, folders etc using just a single click. This would be especially useful for pupils that have difficulty with double clicks on the mouse. To set this up click on the Web tab and then on the Folder Options box. The Folder Options window opens. On the General tab click in the box beside Web Style. This opens the Single Click window where the choice for Web Style is confirmed. The desktop retains the same overall look that was previously set up but the desktop icons are now underlined and will open using a single click.
Folder Options – Upper case names If you have previously tried to make a new folder and named it using upper case letters e.g. ‘SEN’ (much quicker than Special Educational Needs!) it will probably have ended up titled ‘Sen’. To allow for a folder to be named using upper case click on the View tab of the Folder Options window. At the top make sure that the box beside ‘Allow all upper case names’ is ticked. Click on Apply then OK. (Again, Windows 98 onwards)
Taskbar and Start menu To change the contents of the Start menu or Taskbar (the Taskbar is the icon ribbon at the bottom of the screen), click Start and move the pointer up to Settings. Then click on Taskbar & Start Menu… The Taskbar Properties window opens. Remember to click on Apply if you make any changes in order for them to take effect. If Autohide is selected the Taskbar is hidden and will appear when the pointer is moved down to the bottom of the screen.

Desktop short cuts

Desktop short cuts Once you have changed the Display Properties, the Folder Options and the Taskbar Properties of the desktop you can then set about tidying away any superfluous icons lying around on the desktop.

When most PCs are set up they have a large number of short cut icons on the desktop. Many of these are of no relevance to you (even if you did know what they were!) and can be deleted. It is more useful to set up short cuts to frequently used programs such as the folder where the pupil(s) have saved their work or a template that is to used that day.

A short cut is identified by a small arrowhead in the bottom left hand corner.

When a short cut is removed from the desktop the program or file itself is not removed.

To delete a short cut

• move the pointer to the short cut icon and click the right hand button
• move down to and select Delete with the left hand button
• you will be asked to confirm that you wish to send the short cut to the recycle bin
• click on Yes

To create a short cut

Locate the file, folder, or program for which you want to create the short cut.

This can be done by clicking on My Computer on the desktop, and then searching through the hard discs and folders inside My Computer.

Once the folder or whatever has been located move the pointer onto its icon and click the right hand button. Click on Create Shortcut.

In this example My Computer was opened from the desktop.

The C: drive was then opened and a folder called ‘Chris’ located.

The pointer was moved over the folder and the right hand button clicked to open up the menu. The pointer has been moved down to Create Shortcut.

Click with the left button to create the short cut which will be added to the open window.

Drag the short cut onto the desktop.

Positioning the icons on the desktop

You should be able to choose where the icons on the desktop are to go. If you find that the computer has other ideas and seems to put them where it wants them to go, then Auto Arrange has been selected from the Windows desktop menu.

To change this so that you are in control, point at the desktop and click the right hand button. Move the pointer to Arrange Icons then move to the sub menu and if there is a tick beside Auto Arrange click with the left mouse button to untick it. As long as Auto Arrange is off you can place your icons, folders and short cuts anywhere on the desktop.

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