Lab 11.2: Customizing the Windows Desktop

Windows permits you to customize the Desktop and give your computer a personality of its own. You can arrange the Desktop icons, create shortcuts, and customize the Start menu.

Upon completion of this lab, you will be able to:

• Arrange the shortcuts on the Desktop

• Create a shortcut on the Desktop

• Change the Start menu

Set Up

For this lab, you will need a working PC with Windows installed. It is best if you can boot into Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP to notice the differences between the operating systems.

Exercises

In this lab, you will arrange the Desktop icons, create shortcuts on the Desktop, change display properties, and change the Start menu.

Arranging Icons on the Desktop

Icons on the Desktop are generally shortcuts to applications or tools that are frequently used. Some common examples tools are My Computer and the Recycle Bin. Each operating system has its own set of icons that it places on the Desktop by default.

1. Right-click an empty area of the Desktop. A context-sensitive menu will appear.

2. Place the mouse pointer over Arrange Icons to display a submenu that lets you select a method to arrange the Desktop icons.

3. From the submenu, select Auto Arrange to automatically place the Desktop icons into columns. Pull an icon out of line and move it to the bottom of the column. Notice what happens.

   Note

   The icons can be arranged by name, type, size, or date. Click on the desired icon to implement your desired arrangement.

4. Right-click in an empty area of the Desktop to bring up the context-sensitive menu. Hover the mouse over Arrange Icons and deselect Auto Arrange from the submenu.

5. Click and drag the icons on the Desktop to different locations on the Desktop.

   Note

   The click-and-drag operations require that you click the left mouse button and hold it down while you move the mouse to the desired location. When the mouse is at the new location, release the left mouse button. This technique allows you to move objects inside a window as well as between windows.

6. Right-click the mouse on an empty area of the Desktop to bring up the context-sensitive menu. Click Line Up Icons to make the icons snap to the invisible grid on the Desktop, lining them up.

Creating a Shortcut

Shortcuts are icons that allow you to easily run programs or open folders without needing to manually locate them each time. Double-clicking a shortcut to a file executes it. You can create shortcuts to any object, such as a directory or an application program. In this exercise you will create a shortcut for the Notepad and Solitaire applications and place them on the Desktop.

There are several ways to create shortcuts, and this exercise covers two of them. The best technique is the one that you find easier.

1. Right-click on an empty area of the Desktop. From the context-sensitive menu, select New Shortcut.

2. In the Create Shortcut window, click Browse. This option will let you find the Notepad executable file. In Windows 98 and Windows XP, you can find Notepad in the C:\Windows directory. In Windows 2000, it is in the C:\Winnt\System32 directory. Use the drop-down menu in the Look In field to navigate to the appropriate directory.

3. Click on the Notepad.exe icon to automatically enter its information in the Command Line field. Click Next.

4. In the Select a Title for the Program window, change the name from Notepad.exe to just Notepad. Click Finish. This step creates an icon on the Desktop in the place where you right-clicked the mouse.

5. Double-click on My Computer.

6. Double-click the icon for drive C:.

   In Windows 98 and Windows XP:

   Double-click the icon for the Windows directory and locate the Solitaire icon (sol.exe), using the scroll bars if necessary.

   In Windows 2000:

   Double-click the icon for the Winnt directory and then double-click System32. Locate the sol.exe file.

7. Click and drag the icon to the Desktop to create a shortcut on the Desktop.

8. Double-click the new Notepad shortcut. The Notepad utility should run. Double-click the Solitaire icon to open Solitaire.

9. Close Notepad and Solitaire.

Customizing the Start Menu

The Start menu is essentially a list of shortcuts used to quickly access frequently used programs. Although it is possible to place shortcuts to all your favorite programs on the Desktop, many people dislike a cluttered Desktop. In addition, each shortcut displayed on the Desktop uses a small amount of memory, and this memory can add up. To free up system memory, some people prefer to place these shortcuts in the Start menu. Before you begin this process, note the location of the files and/or directories for which you want to create Start menu shortcuts. In this lab, you will place Notepad into the Start menu using one method and then place Solitaire into the Start menu using another method.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Open.

2. Locate the Notepad icon on the Desktop. Click and drag the Notepad icon onto the Start menu window.

3. Click and drag the Solitaire icon onto the Start button.

4. Click on the Start button. Notice the two new icons.