Datasheet

Taskbar 19
To run one of the recently used programs, simply click that icon in the left
column of the Start menu. To open a Windows Explorer window for a particular
Windows component — Documents, for example, or Computer, or Network,
or Control Panel — click the component’s button in the right column of the
Start menu.
To launch an application program or open a Windows Explorer window or the
Control Panel that does not appear on the Start menu, type the first few charac-
ters of its name in the Search Programs and Files text box and then click the link
for the sought-for program that appears in the Search Results on the Start menu
to launch or open it.
To display a list of all the application programs installed on your computer,
click the All Programs option on the Start menu. You can then launch the appli-
cation by clicking its folder (if the program uses one) and then clicking its pro-
gram icon and name on the Start menu.
To shut down your computer at the end of the workday, press your computer’s
Power button or click the Shut Down button that appears to the immediate right
of the Search Programs and Files button. Windows then prompts you to save
any unsaved changes before closing down open application programs, logging
you off, and powering down your system. (See “Restart, Sleep/Hibernate, Lock,
Log Off, and Shut Down” in Part 2 for details about the other Power button
options.)
See “Customizing the Start menu” later in this part for details on how you can
change the look and contents of the Start menu.
Customizing the taskbar
The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box enables you to customize the
settings for the taskbar and the Start menu. To open this dialog box, right-click
the Start button or any open area (with no buttons) on the taskbar and then
choose Properties from the shortcut menu that appears. After the dialog box
makes its appearance, click the Taskbar tab. (See Figure 1-13.)
The options in the Taskbar Appearance section at the top of the Taskbar tab do
the following:
✓ Lock the Taskbar: Locks all the bars so that you can’t adjust the size of the
different toolbar areas of the taskbar.
✓ Auto-Hide the Taskbar: Hides the taskbar until you roll the mouse pointer
somewhere over that position. This way, the taskbar appears only when
you need it.
✓ Use Small Icons: Reduces the height of the taskbar and accordingly the
size of all the buttons and toolbars displayed on it.
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