After you log on, Windows displays the desktop (Figure 2.1). The desktop is the backdrop of your working environment and lets you organize the resources on your computer. The Start menu is the central location that lists the most useful folders, programs, and commands. The taskbar tells you what programs are running on your computer and lets you activate or close them. The sidebar contains handy mini-programs called gadgets.

Exploring the Start Menu

The Start menu (Figure 2.2) lets you:

• Start programs
• Open commonly used folders
• Search for files, folders, and programs
• Get help
• Adjust computer settings
• Switch users, lock your computer, log off, or turn off your computer

Start Menu: What’s New? Here are the main changes that Vista makes to the Start menu: The redesigned Start button now holds the Windows logo. The button actually extends past the logo, so you can click at either side of the “orb” or at the edge of the screen. The search box lets you search your entire computer for files, folders, or programs. The All Programs menu now expands as a single in-place list rather than as cascading submenus. The “My” has been dropped from folder names: My Documents is now just Documents, My Computer is Computer, and so on. The logoff and turn-off buttons in Windows XP have been replaced by the Power, Lock, and Options buttons. The picture at the top of the menu, which used to display only the user-account picture, now changes to the icon of what you’re pointing to. You still can click it to access your user account. The Run command is no longer in the Start menu, but you can get it back: Rightclick the Start button and choose Properties > Customize > check Run Command > OK. (Alternatively, press Windows logo key+R to open the Run dialog box at any time.)

To open the Start menu:

• Click the Start button (at the left end of the taskbar), or press Ctrl+Esc.
or
Press and release the Windows logo key.

The left side of the Start menu lists programs and has a search box (Table 2.1). The right side has links to personal folders and Windows system components (Table 2.2). The Power, Lock, and Options buttons are described in “Logging On and Logging Off ” in Chapter 1.

To close the Start menu without choosing a command:

• Press and release the Windows logo key, or press Esc.
or
Click anywhere off the menu (on the desktop or in a program, for example).

Tips

• Hover your mouse pointer over an item in the Start menu, and you’ll get a pop-up tip describing that item. If these tips distract you, you can turn them off: Choose Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Folder Options > View tab > uncheck Show Pop-up Description for Folder and Desktop Items > OK.
• In Windows XP, personal folders are stored in \Documents and Settings\username. In Vista, they’re in \Users\username.

Figure 2.1 Basic desktop elements. Your desktop may have a different background or icons, depending on your setup and regular use.

Figure 2.2 The Start menu’s icons vary by installation and regular use, but the overall layout stays the same.