Datasheet

If you see a message about an abnormal termination when you first start
your computer, make sure you learn the right way to shut down your com-
puter as described near the end of this chapter. If you see a message about
an “invalid system disk,” remove any floppy disks or CDs from their drives
and then press the Enter key.
The next section briefly describes all those things pointed out in Figure 1-7.
The Start Button
Windows XP may be the only program that starts automatically when you first
turn on your computer. But it’s certainly not the only program on your system.
To start any other program, use the Start button. When you first click the Start
button, the Start menu opens. The left side of the Start menu provides access
to a few of the programs on your computer. The right side lists places (mostly
folders) you’re likely to visit often. Figure 1-8 shows an example, though yours
might not look exactly like the one in the figure.
Figure 1-8: The Start menu
A menu, in the computer sense, is like a menu from a restaurant, in that it
provides a list of items for you to choose from.
The left side of the Start menu actually shows icons for only a few of the pro-
grams installed on your computer: mostly programs that you use a lot or, if
your computer is brand new, just some useful programs for beginners. As you’ll
see in a moment, you’ll use the All Programs menu to start any program that
isn’t listed down the left side of the Start menu.
PlacesPrograms
Gotcha
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