MS-DOS
DOS is the name given to the operating system designed by Microsoft and used on most PCs. An operating system is perhaps best described as the link between the software and the hardware. It is a program which manages the communication between other programs and the computer itself and which handles the filing of documents and data. It controls the storage, loading and transfer of files. However, since the development of GUIs (graphical user interfaces, such as Windows), it is no longer of primary importance for you to know how to use DOS (though you must be aware of its existence and know how to get from DOS to WINDOWS).

You will mainly encounter what is called the DOS prompt in circumstances where someone has left a University computer at the level of the operating system rather than running WINDOWS. The DOS prompt looks like:

C:\

where C: is the drive letter (another letter could be represented) and there might be some characters between the \ and the , as in D:\temp.

Don't worry, just type

win

in order for the operating system to load Windows, your general working environment. Some of the computers (such as those in the Faculty) are configured to load Windows automatically when they are started, in which case you will be faced with a screen looking something like

Windows
Windows is a graphical interface which enables you to use software applications (such as Word and Excel) without needing to know DOS or, in fact, anything about computer programming. You will, therefore, find that most of the time you will be working within Windows.

The above consists of a window which is called Program Manager. It contains a number of icons, each of which represents a software application. These are grouped together according to their characteristics. At the top of the window is a 'menu bar' containing categories such as File (The underlined letter signifies the letter to be pressed to access that option if you do not wish to use the mouse. In this case pressing F10 activates the menu, then F would 'bring down' the File menu). These can be accessed by placing the mouse pointer on the word and then clicking the left mouse button. The result is a sub-menu or 'pull-down' menu, as below

It is important to learn your way around Windows as we will be using this as the front-end for all our applications software. From the Program Manager on your screen locate the icons of the following applications: WORD for Windows, EXCEL, ACCESS and File Manager. These are respectively the word-processor, spreadsheet, database management system and file manager that we will be using.

Opening (launching) and closing (exiting) applications
Try out one of these programs by double clicking the mouse on its icon - the standard method of launching an application. Then exit the program you loaded by selecting File and then Exit from the menu bar. You will then be brought back to the Windows Program Manager.

Moving between software applications without exiting
To move between one open software application and another (i.e. from here in NETSCAPE back to WINDOWS PROGRAM MANAGER) use the ALT+TAB keys, by which we mean hold down the ALT key and at the same time press the TAB key ONCE. The name of the nearest application appears in the middle of the screen. If this is the application you require, release the ALT key and you will transfer to that application. If you require a different open application do not release the ALT key but press the TAB key once more or until the title of the application you require appears in the middle of the screen. To recap: each successive round of ALT+TAB moves you sequentially through the open software applications.

If you have no experience in using a mouse, now would be a good point to use the Windows mouse tutorial. This will take you through the basic elements and, with practice, you will soon find yourself becoming more confident. In Program manager, select Help (either by pressing F10 then H, or by clicking on the left mouse button while the arrow is pointing at Help) and then select Windows tutorial. Type M and then follow the instructions. Complete the full Windows tutorial, running it a second time if you feel even remotely worried about anything it has covered. You can leave the tutorial program at any time by pressing the Esc key and following the instructions on screen.

When you arrive back at Program Manager you will have completed Exercise 3.

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(c)R. Middleton 1997     Last Modified 29 June 1998.