Windows Desktop Lesson
Windows Desktop has a wall paper type of background with the Windows logo as the default. You can change this wall paper to a solid color background, inverted background, graphical cartoon type picture, or an actual picture. On this background are icons, generally arranged in columns and rows. On some computers these icons may be scattered, therefore, you will need to align them in columns and rows for easier navigation. Each icon is an item that when activated by a mouse click or Enter key brings up a program, folder or even file. One icon on the Windows Desktop is the "Recycle Bin." This icon, when activated, brings up an area where you can restore deleted items, or delete those items forever. Items or files deleted from a USB memory stick do not go to the "Recycle Bin," and are gone forever. Simple key commands make it easy to get to and navigate through the Windows Desktop. There are headings on this page. Use the letter h to move forward through the headings, and Shift h to move backwards through the headings. When you get to a heading that you want to read through, down arrow through the content for that heading. There is an audio demonstration link that opens a recording of a demonstration of working with the Windows Desktop. This is an MP3 file that you can listen to, or download to put on another device. Do the following activities and then move to the link at the bottom of this page titled "BACK" to go to the "Simple Windows Lessons" web page.
1. Press and hold down the Windows key and hit the letter d or m.
2. Right arrow one time.
3. Press and hold down the Control key and hit the Spacebar one time to unhighlight any icons.
4. Hit the Applications key one time.
5. Down arrow one time to the "View" menu item.
6. Right arrow one time.
7. Down arrow to the menu item "Align icons to grid."
8. Hit the Enter key one time and all icons are put into uniform columns and rows.
1. Press and hold down the Windows key and hit the letter d or m.
2. Press and hold down the Control key and hit the Home key one time to move to the top left icon on the Windows Desktop.
3. Press and hold down the Control key and hit the End key one time to move to the bottom right icon on the Windows Desktop.
4. Press and hold down the Control key and hit the Home key to move back up to the top left icon on the Windows Desktop.
5. Hit the End key one time to move to the end of the first row of icons on the Windows Desktop.
6. Hit the Home key one time to move to the start of the first row of icons on the Windows Desktop.
7. Down arrow one time.
8. Hit the End key one time to move to the end of the second row of icons on the Windows Desktop.
9. Hit the Home key one time to move to the start of the second row of icons on the Windows Desktop.
10. Down arrow one time.
11. Hit the right arrow key three times to move forward through the icons on the third row of icons on the Windows Desktop.
12. Hit the left arrow key three times to move backwards through the icons on the third row of icons on the Windows Desktop.
13. Hit the letter r to move to the "Recycle Bin" icon on the Windows Desktop.
14. Press Control Home to move to the top left icon on the Windows Desktop and you are on column 1 row 1.
15. Right arrow one time and count 2, then right arrow again and count 3, and so on until you have counted all of the columns on the Windows Desktop.
16. Press Control Home to go back to the top left icon on the Windows Desktop, and you are on column 1 row 1.
17. Down arrow one time and count 2, then down arrow again and count 3, and so on until you have counted all of the rows.
18. Multiply the number of rows and columns you counted to get a general idea of how many icons are on the Windows Desktop.
19. Hit the first letter of the name of your screen reader or screen enlarger to see if you are taken to that icon. If there is more than one icon that starts with the same letter as your screen reader or screen enlarger, you will need to tap the letter again-and-again until you get to the icon for your screen reader or screen enlarger.
20. Practice the above until you are quick and accurate.
Audio Demonstration of Windows Desktop Link