The public computers at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh use Windows as their operating software. This is also a common operating system in schools and workplaces. Let’s take a look at some of the main features of a Windows computer.
The desktop is the first thing you see when you log into a computer. The Windows desktop has programs and folders which you will need to access in order to use the computer.
On the left-hand side of the screen you will see various icons. These represent programs which you can open straight from your desktop.
Try it out – open one of these programs from your desktop icon by double clicking on it with your mouse.
You can also locate and open a program by clicking on the Start menu in the lower left-hand corner and then selecting “All programs”.
Try it out – open a program from the Start menu by single clicking on the program icon or name.
Finally, some programs can be opened directly from the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
One important program located here is File Explorer, which is represented by an image of a standing folder. File Explorer is used to find different things that are saved on the computer, including files and folders.
Try it out – open the File Explorer to familiarize yourself with this program.
If you would like to learn more about using a Windows desktop, try watching this interactive video from DigitalLearn on the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh website. Click on the link below to begin.