Windows

What is a window?

Microsoft defines a window by comparing it to a physical window.  A physical window can be opened, closed and has a frame.  A Microsoft Window can be opened, closed and has a frame.  Microsoft uses windows to keep each project you are working on as a separate task.  For every window you have opened, it will show as a task in the Task bar.

Look at a window another way.  Think of a window as a piece of paper on the desktop.  You can move the window around the screen like a piece of paper by holding down the mouse button while over the Title bar.  You can also use two of the three buttons on the title bar.  The first (going from left to right) is called the Minimize button.  This button takes the paper and drops it into a drawer in the Task bar.  Click on the drawer, and it pops back onto the screen.  The second button is called the Maximize.  This button is used to make the window take up the entire screen, like rolling an architects plan out over a table.  When the window is maximized, you can click the same spot where the maximize button was before and the window will be restored to its previous size.  The restore button replaces the maximize button when the window is maximized.

The paper (Windows) can also be folded or unfolded (resized) by moving the mouse over the frames edge.  The mouse will change into a black double-headed arrow.  Whichever ways the arrow point tells you the directions you can size the window.  Hold the mouse button down and drag the frame one direction or the other to change the size. Changing the size of the window allows you to see more than one window on the screen at the same time.  Thus you can have more than one piece of paper (window) on the desk at the same time.  (Click here to see Anatomy of a Window)

How do I open a window?

It all depends on where you are.  Most icons on the desktop can be double clicked on.  This will usually give you a Window.  Or if what you are looking for is not on the desktop, you can use the Start menu to find the program and then single click on the program name.  This should open the program you are looking for.

How do I close a window?

Click the x button on the top right corner of the window.  Or Click the file menu and click close.  Note that you may be in a program with multiple windows open.  If confused as to where they all came from, always start with the x closest to the middle of the screen and work your way out.

When do I single click and when do I double click?

All menu options and most buttons are single clicked.  Icons are the only things that have to be double clicked.  Once in a while the double click works like a open button.  The first click says I what this item, the second says open it.  You could call this a short cut.  You can also double click on the title bar and it will maximize the window.