The XP Start Menu

When you press the Start Button in the lower left corner of your screen, up pops the Start Menu.

Programs

When you see the listing of different programs, these are shortcuts to start the programs. They can be deleted or added from the list as you would like without affecting the actual programs in your computer. If it has a small black arrowhead at the right, this leads to another menu of choices. So this is the first way for you to learn your way around. Practice with it, and use it.

What's On the Menu?

I'm going to do something different this time.
On the Internet, I found a great site already written for explaining the parts of the Start Menu, so I'm just going to tell you to click on "Cool Nerds".
(It will open another window,so I hope you remember to add the Basics page to your "Favorites" list. Just click on the Star with a Green Plus. (See the instructions on the HOME page)

How to Shut Down

NEVER (or only when all else fails) just "punch the Power button" to turn off your computer. This can cause all kinds of internal problems in your computer which accumulate over time.
After you have Exited or closed the programs which you were using, you can click on the Start button.
1) first choice: Log Off or Turn Off Computer.
(Log off is used when someone else wants to interrupt and use the computer)
If you choose Turn Off: 2)then a window pops up with four choices:

• Standby (You intend to come back in a short while...)
• Turn Off (just that.. Turn the thing OFF!)
• Restart (this is used when there has been a change made to the computer system.)
• Cancel (see a button below the other three??) Well, we all change our minds occasionally..

This lets the computer finish doing all its internal procedures to turn itself off correctly, so it will be ABLE to turn ON correctly for your use the next time.

Occasionally, there will be another graphic attached to the Shut Down button, with a sentence or two below, explaining another choice at this point.
If you click on the underlined sentence, it will turn off.
If you click on the usual button, it will start updating some of it's files, and will turn off automatically when it is done. (.. it could be a while!)

For the Adventuresome:

Let's Customize your Start Menu.

1. Move your mouse to the Start Button, and RIGHT click on it.
2. Move your mouse to the word "Properties" and left click it.
3. In the popup window, click tab for Start Menu
4. Click round "radio button" next to Start Menu
5. Click on the Customize button to the right
6. Choose Large or Small icons for your Menu.
7. Set the number of most used programs to 5, using the touch buttons.
8. DO NOT go to the Advanced choices now.. not yet!
9. Click Apply, then OK
10. Click the Start button to have a look!

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