DESKTOP ICONS

Training Guide

Microsoft Windows 7

12 – Desktop icons

In this booklet we will show you how to:

 gain an understanding of common desktop icons

 arrange and resize desktop icons

 create desktop shortcuts

 delete desktop icons.

UNDERSTANDING DESKTOP ICONS

The Windows desktop contains a range of icons, some of which appear when you install Windows 7, and some that appear when you install new programs. Icons with an arrow are known as shortcuts or links to programs, files or folders. You can double-click on a desktop icon to launch that program, folder or file. Below are some common desktop icons.

Programs

The icons to the left represent shortcuts to various programs. You can tell it’s a shortcut as it contains an arrow. So, if you were to delete the shortcut, you wouldn’t be deleting the actual program, only the desktop link to it.

Double-clicking on the relevant icon will launch that program. For example, if you double-click on the icons to the left you will launch:

1. Microsoft Word 2007 (word processing program)

2. Mozilla Firefox (internet browser)

3. Adobe Reader 9 (to view PDF files) 

 

Files

Icons that show a page represent a file. When you double-click on the icon, the file will open in the program that it was created in. The picture to the left shows that the file was created in Notepad. However, as no arrow appears, it is not a shortcut, but indicates that this file was actually saved to the desktop. Therefore, if this desktop icon is deleted, so is the actual file.

 

 Folders and drives

Icons that show a folder represent a folder or shortcut to a folder. When you double-click on a folder icon, the Windows Explorer window will open and you will see the contents of that folder. Similarly, icons that show a hard disk will display the contents of that drive in Windows Explorer when you double-click on it.

Recycle Bin

The desktop icon for the Recycle Bin is shown as a waste paper basket with the recycle symbol on it. Double-clicking on this icon will open the Recycle Bin window, allowing you to permanently delete or restore files as necessary.

ARRANGING AND RESIZING DESKTOP ICONS

When a new icon appears on the desktop, it usually sits along the left side of the screen. However, just as you can arrange items on your desk to suit your preferences, you can also arrange icons on the desktop to sit wherever you’d like. As well as arranging icons, you can also resize them, that is, make the icons larger or smaller.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise ensure you are viewing the desktop...

1 . Click and hold down the left mouse button on a desktop icon, and drag to another part of the desktop, then release the mouse button The icon returns to its original position, as the auto-arrange option is turned on...

2 . Right-click on a blank area of the desktop to display a shortcut menu

3 . Select View > Auto arrange icons to turn this option off

4 . Select View > Align to grid to turn this option off

5 . Repeat step 1  You can now freely move your icons anywhere on the desktop...

6 . Repeat steps 3 and 4 to turn these options on

The icons will automatically align to the left of the desktop...

7 . Right-click on a blank area of the desktop and select View > Large icons to display larger icons

8 . Select View > Medium icons to display icons at their default size

For Your Reference…

To toggle between free and auto-arrange of your desktop icons:

1. Right-click on a blank area of the desktop

2. Select View > Auto arrange icons

3. Select View > Align to grid

Handy to Know…

 To arrange multiple icons on your desktop at the same time, drag a border around the icons you want to arrange to select them, and then drag the selection to the desired location on your desktop.

CREATING A DESKTOP SHORTCUT

Desktop icons are designed to enable quick access to frequently-used programs, files, folders and so on. Many of these icons will be shortcuts, which are used to launch a program (or whatever) from another location. You can create desktop shortcuts for pretty much anything on your computer: programs, files, folders, windows and the like.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise ensure you are viewing the desktop...

1 . Right-click on a blank area of the desktop to display a shortcut menu

2 . Select New > Shortcut to display the Create Shortcut dialog box

3 . Click on [Browse] to display the Browse for files and folders dialog box

4 . Click on the white arrows beside Libraries and then Documents, and then click on My Documents to select it

5 . Click on [OK] and then click on [Next] You will then be asked to name the shortcut but you will keep it as My Documents...

6 . Click on [Finish] The My Documents folder now appears as a shortcut on your desktop...

7 . Double-click on the My Documents shortcut to launch Windows Explorer and display the contents of the My Documents folder

8 . Click on close to close Windows Explorer

For Your Reference…

To create a desktop shortcut:

4. Right-click on the desktop, select New > Shortcut, and then click on [Browse]

5. Navigate to and select the item, and click on [OK]

6. Click on [Next], type a name if required, then click on [Finish]

Handy to Know…

 Just as you can add shortcuts to the desktop for your frequently-used programs and folders, you can also pin programs and folders to the Taskbar. To do this, open the program or folder, right-click on its icon in the Taskbar and select Pin this program to taskbar.

 

CLEANING THE DESKTOP

As you work with your computer over time, you’ll find that more and more icons make their way onto your desktop. This might be through saving files to the desktop, or shortcuts being added when new programs are installed. From time to time, however, you’ll need to clean your desktop so that you can easily find what you need and keep the desktop free from clutter.

Try This Yourself:

Before starting this exercise ensure you are viewing the desktop...

1 . Click once on the My Documents desktop shortcut to select it

2 . Press {ctrl} You are asked to confirm that you want to move the shortcut to the Recycle Bin...

3 .  Click on [Yes] to delete the shortcut

4 . Click on a desktop shortcut or icon (that you don’t use) to select it

5 . Press and hold down {ctrl} and click on another shortcut (that you don’t use) to select both shortcuts

6 . Press  {del} Again you are asked to confirm that you want to move the items to the Recycle Bin...

7 . Click on [Yes] to delete both shortcuts

For Your Reference…

To delete a desktop shortcut:

1. Click on the shortcut to select it

2. Press {Del} and click on [Yes]

 To delete multiple shortcuts:

1. Use {ctrl} and click to select the shortcuts

2. Press and click on [Yes]

Handy to Know…

 To delete multiple desktop shortcuts, drag a border around the shortcuts to select them, press {del} and then [OK].

 You can use the same selection techniques for desktop icons as you can with files and folders.