Windows is an essential part of a Computer. It’s the most commonly used Operating System all around the world both individually and commercially. Since the beginning of the creation of Windows, there are many versions of Windows like Windows XP, Vista, 8, 10, etc.
Windows consists of the following components:
• Desktop:
The desktop is the very first screen we see after windows start. Here, we can see folders like My Computer, Documents, etc. It is the main working area of many of your computer operations. You keep your special files on the desktop so you can access them easily and it gives access to other important functionalities as well such as search bar, taskbar, and file explorer.
• Taskbar:
The taskbar is a simple row at the very bottom of the screen where all currently opened files or applications are listed. It helps you select what you want to keep opened and what you want to close.
• Start Menu:
By clicking the start menu, in the bottom left corner of the screen, a vertical window consisting of the recently opened applications and saved locations will pop-up. Although the Start Menu was a major component of Windows before Windows 8, It was removed from Windows 8 and then brought back in Windows 10.
• Maximize/Minimize/Close Buttons:
These buttons are located at the top right corner of our opened documents, and the area used to close, minimize or maximize the document window. They help us jump from one task to another fast and let us decide either we want to close an application or resize it’s area on the screen or just hide it for a few moments.
• My Computer:
When we double click on My Computer, We find ourselves looking at a window where we can navigate between Computer Drives and Control Panel tools. It also gives us access to different drives on our computer and the data which lies in those drives.
• My Computer Right Click Menu:
When we right-click on My Computer or any other file or folder, We get a menu where we can look into different options related to that specific file, for example, Properties, etc.
• Recycle Bin:
When we delete a file or folder, It goes into the Recycle Bin from where It can either be restored or permanently deleted from the Computer. Once, a file or folder is deleted from the Recycle Bin, It is very difficult to recover it again. Therefore, the utility of the recycle bin is very essential to use properly if you deal with important documents and files on a day to day basis.
• Shortcut:
A shortcut creates a button or icon which typically is located on the Desktop. By clicking on this Shortcut, We can quickly open the document or application of which it is a shortcut. It helps us save the tedious task of going to the main directory again and again and saves our time.
• Mouse Functions:
The mouse is an input device which is essential in the working of a computer. It performs several important functions on Windows like Scrolling, Right and Left Clicks, etc. It performs another very important function of modern windows which is pointing towards different things and giving special instructions whenever needed.
• Highlight:
When we have opened a document, we can easily highlight the required portion of our document by using Mouse. It is essential for documents and helps keep track of useful information.
• Copy/Cut/Paste:
These options are one of the most essential components of Windows. The copy is used to copy a portion of a document from one document to another or a file or folder from one location to another. The paste is used to paste the copied item on the desired location. While Cut is used to move an item to our desired location in the Computer.
• Toolbar:
The toolbar is a simple row where we can see different options to customize the look of our opened window. It has two types, Formatting Toolbar, and Standard Toolbar. The standard toolbar consists of options like new documents, save a document, etc. While Formatting Toolbar consists of options like font size, font type, etc.
• Drag/Drop:
Dragging an object means to move an object (file or folder) from one location to another and when we reach our desired location, then we can drop the object to that location. It is one of the most used features of windows as you have to move files from one location to another.
• File Extensions:
File extensions are used to define the type of the file. For example an image file will have an extension of .jpg, .jpeg and a Word document will have an extension .docx, .xls, .txt etc. You could have different types of extensions and these extensions help you decide the type of software that will be used to access these files.
• Multitasking:
The term Multitasking means to run more than one file or application on Windows at the same time. It is a very important component of Windows which saves our time as well as allow us to perform more tasks at the same time.
• Virtual Keyboard:
A virtual keyboard is a software through which we can see a keyboard on our screen and use it by our Mouse. It is mostly used in the cases when your keyboard is not working properly or you use windows on a touch device.
• Disk Drives:
Disk Drives are drives used to store applications and files. Hard Drives and Floppy Drives are used for this purpose. They are very important for your instructions as well as your hardware to work properly.
• Defragmenting Hard Drives:
Defragmenting a Drive means to erase all the data from that drive. It is also another important component of windows as users need to clean up their hard drives from time to time and it also comes as a built-in utility.
