- Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional in 10 Minutes
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Tell Us What You Think!
- About the Authors
- Introduction
- Conventions Used in This Book
- Lesson 1. Navigating Windows 2000 Professional
- What Is Windows 2000 Professional?
- Starting Windows 2000
- Understanding the Windows Desktop
- Using the Mouse
- Using the Start Button
- Using the Taskbar
- Shutting Down Windows 2000 Professional
- Lesson 2. Working with a Window
- What Is a Window?
- Opening a Window
- Sizing a Window with Maximize, Minimize, and Restore
- Sizing a Window's Borders
- Using Scroll Bars
- Moving a Window
- Viewing a Window's Contents
- Closing Windows
- Lesson 3. Using Menus
- Using Toolbar Buttons
- What Is a Menu?
- Choosing Menu Commands
- Reading a Menu
- Using Shortcut Keys Instead of Menus
- Using Shortcut Menus
- Lesson 4. Using Windows 2000 Professional Help
- Getting Help in Windows 2000
- The Help Window
- Using Windows Online Help
- Using Web Help
- Lesson 5. Using Dialog Boxes
- What Is a Dialog Box?
- Using the Components of a Dialog Box
- Using the What's This? Feature
- Using Text Boxes
- Using Option Buttons
- Using Check Boxes
- Using Command Buttons
- Using Property Sheets and Tabs
- Lesson 6. Working with Multiple Windows and Applications
- Opening a Windows Application
- Viewing an Application's Window
- Exiting an Application
- Arranging Windows on the Desktop
- Moving Between Applications
- Moving Between Windows in the Same Application
- Lesson 7. Copying, Moving, and Linking Between Windows and Applications
- Using the Clipboard
- Selecting Text for Copying or Moving
- Selecting Graphics
- Copying Information Between Windows
- Moving Information Between Windows
- Sharing Information Between Applications
- Understanding Linking
- Creating Links
- Understanding Embedding
- Embedding Objects
- Using the ClipBook Viewer
- Lesson 8. Using My Computer
- What Is My Computer?
- Browsing Folder Options
- The My Computer Menu
- The My Computer Toolbars
- Customizing View Columns
- Lesson 9. Managing Files with My Computer
- Selecting Files and Folders
- Moving Files and Folders
- Copying Files and Folders
- Deleting Files and Folders
- Renaming Files and Folders
- Using Windows Explorer
- Creating Shortcuts
- Searching for Files and Folders
- Lesson 10. Using WordPad
- What Is WordPad?
- Moving the Text Insertion Point
- Inserting and Deleting Text
- Selecting, Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text
- Formatting a Document
- Saving a Document and Exiting WordPad
- Lesson 11. Understanding File Properties and the Recycle Bin
- Filenames
- File Size
- File Creation Date and Time
- File Attributes
- Viewing Properties
- Managing the Recycle Bin
- Opening the Recycle Bin
- Emptying the Recycle Bin
- Restoring Files
- Recycle Bin Properties
- Lesson 12. Printing
- Installing a Printer
- Printing from an ApplicationControlling the Print Job
- Working with the Print Folder
- Controlling the Print Job
- Using Drag and Drop
- Lesson 13. Using My Network Places
- What Is a Network?
- About Clients and Servers
- What Is My Network Places?
- Logging On to a Network
- Accessing My Network Places
- Logging Off a Network
- Lesson 14. Using the Control Panel
- What Is the Control Panel?
- What Can You Accomplish in the Control Panel?
- Selecting a Screen Saver
- Configuring Video Options
- Configuring Sound Options
- Configuring Multimedia Devices
- Configuring Your Keyboard and Mouse
- Lesson 15. Using Outlook Express Mail
- Opening and Closing Outlook Express Mail
- The Outlook Express Mail Window
- Sending a Message
- Using the Windows Address Book
- Retrieving and Reading Your Messages
- Saving a File Attached to a Message
- Replying to a Message
- Deleting Old Messages
- Lesson 16. Sharing Workstations and Setting Passwords
- Assigning Passwords to Screen Savers
- Changing Your Password
- Sharing Resources on Your Computer
- Sharing Folders and Disk Drives on Your Computer
- Setting File Permissions
- Creating and Sharing a Printer
- Sharing an Already-Defined Printer
- Setting Printer Permissions
- Lesson 17. Using Internet Explorer 5
- Starting Internet Explorer 5
- Navigating the IE5 Window
- The IE5 Toolbars
- Navigating a Web Page
- Reading URLs
- Visiting a Web Site
- Understanding Links
- Understanding Caching
- Lesson 18. Web Site and Document Searching
- Understanding Searches
- Creating a Web Search
- Searching for Text on a Web Page
- Lesson 19. Troubleshooting, Restarting, and Disaster Planning
- Task Manager
- Restarting Windows 2000
- What is a Computer Virus?
- Curing and Preventing Computer Viruses
- Creating a Startup Disk
- Troubleshooting Windows 2000
- Lesson 20. Customizing the Windows 2000 Environment
- Creating Shortcuts
- Arranging Icons
- Choosing Colors and Backgrounds
- Changing Fonts
- Customizing the Taskbar
- Changing the Time or Date
- Creating Custom Toolbars
Choosing Colors and Backgrounds
For better viewing or just for variety, you can change the background color of your screen or choose a pattern or wallpaper for your desktop background.
Colors
The desktop color is applied to the area behind the icons and windows. To change the color of the desktop:
- Right-click the desktop and choose Properties.
- Click the Appearance tab (see Figure 20.2).
Figure 20.2 Select Desktop as the Item and select a Color.
- Select Desktop from the Item drop-down list.
- Click the down arrow on the Color list box to see a selection of background colors.
- Click the color you want.
- Click Apply to see how the desktop will look in that color.
- Click OK to accept your choice and close the dialog box.
Schemes
Windows 2000 also has a series of color schemes available from which you can choose. The color schemes not only choose a background color, but also set the color for the window title bars, window borders, and text on your screen. If you change the color scheme, it will override your background color choice; you'll have to set the color again if you want it to be different from the one in the color scheme.
The color scheme choices are also located on the Appearance tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Choose one from the Scheme drop-down list. The display will change to show how your choice will affect the windows and background on your computer.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper makes your desktop interesting, and fun. To select a wallpaper for your desktop background:
- Open the Display Properties dialog box.
- Select the Background tab (see Figure 20.3).
Figure 20.3 When you select a wallpaper, a preview appears in the monitor screen.
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From the list under Select an HTML Document or a picture, select a picture to place on your desktop. It will appear in the monitor picture, so you can see how it will look on your screen.
Choose (None) to remove all wallpaper from the desktop. The background color fills the screen.
To select a file you created or imported to be the wallpaper, click the Browse button. The file must be a *.bmp, *.jpg, *.gif, *png file, or an HTML page (Web page).
- To determine how the wallpaper fills your screen, choose one of the following from the Display drop-down list (if the choice is unavailable, the picture automatically fills the entire screen):Center: The wallpaper picture appears in the middle of your desktop. The background color will still show around the outside of the picture.Tile: The picture repeats across the screen until it fills the desktop background.Stretch: The picture fills the entire screen. If your picture isn't the same shape as the screen, stretching it may distort the picture.
- Click Apply to see how the desktop will look with the pattern or wallpaper you selected.
- Click OK to accept your choice and close the dialog box.
Patterns
Wallpapers are usually large and may be distracting or use a lot of memory. Use a pattern as an alternative to wallpaper, and you will still add interest to your desktop. To add a pattern to the desktop background:
- Open the Display Properties dialog box and select the Background tab.
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Choose (None) as the wallpaper choice if you want to fill the entire background with a pattern.
To combine a wallpaper with a pattern, select the wallpaper and choose Center as the Display; the pattern will fill the area around the outside of the wallpaper.
- Click Pattern to open the Pattern dialog box (see Figure 20.4).
Figure 20.4 A sample of the pattern appears in the Preview box.
- Under Pattern, select the name of the pattern you want to use. Choose (None) to remove all patterns from the background of the desktop.
- (Optional) Click Edit Pattern to open the Pattern Editor dialog box where you modify the pattern by changing the pixel colors.
- Click OK to close the Pattern dialog box.
- Click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box.