Work with Icons
All the items on the desktop are icons
Select and move Desktop icons. Recognize basic Desktop icons such as hard disk, directory tree, directories/folders and files, recycle bin/wastebasket. Create a Desktop shortcut icon or a Desktop menu alias.
To select a Desktop icon - To select a Desktop icon, single click on the required icon. Once selected the icon will be highlighted, as illustrated.
To move a Desktop icon · Select the icon that you wish to move. Depress the left mouse button and while keeping it depressed, drag the icon to the new location on the Desktop, as required. Release the mouse button as below
To copy a Desktop icon · Select the icon that you wish to copy. Depress the Control key (and keep it depressed). Depress the left mouse button and while keeping it depressed, drag the icon to the new location on the Desktop, as required. Release the mouse button. Release the Control key.
To customize your Desktop icon alignment - Right-click on the Desktop
to display the Desktop popup menu. Click on the Arrange Icons command,
which displays the Arrange Icons sub-menu. Click on the desired type of
icon arrangement.
Item: Function:
By Name Icons are arranged on your Desktop by name, alphabetically.
By Type Icons are arranged on your Desktop by object type.
By Size Icons are arranged on your Desktop by size.
By Date Icons are arranged on your Desktop by the date that the object
was created.
Auto Arrange Icons are re-arranged on your Desktop automatically each
time you drag an icon from one part of the Desktop to another.
You may also select the Line up Icons command, which lines up icons either
vertically or horizontally. - as below
The “My Computer” icon · When you double click on the
“My Computer” Desktop icon it displays a window containing
a number of further icons.
The drive icons are illustrated below. ·
When you double click on one of the drive icons they will display the
files and folders within the drive that you double clicked on, as illustrated.
Double clicking on any of these folders, will display the files within
the folders, as illustrated. · To view the contents of any of these
files, double click on the required icon and the files will load within
the associated program. In the example illustrated the Microsoft Word
program would load into memory to display the file contents.
The Recycle bin / Wastebasket · The Recycle Bin is a Desktop icon
that contains files that have recently been deleted. It is there for safety
reasons. In early versions of Windows when you deleted a file, there was
no easy way to get the file back if you subsequently changed your mind.
As files are moved to the Recycle Bin rather than physically deleted this
allows you to change your mind and retrieve deleted files. Beware: - Deleted
files will not stay in the Recycle Bin forever!
To create a Desktop shortcut icon · Minimize or close any programs that may be running.· Click on the Start icon.· Select Programs.· Select the program that you wish to use for creating a Desktop icon. In this example we will select the Calculator, contained within the Accessories group. · Depress the Control+Shift keys, and while keeping these keys depressed, drag the icon to the Desktop.· Release the Control+Shift keys.· You will see a popup menu. Select Create Shortcut(s) Here. · The shortcut icon will be created and displayed on the Desktop.