Microsoft Word is one of the leading word processing
packages in current use. This is what the Microsoft Word screen looks
like:
Here is the Menu bar- all operations start and finish
with 'File'
Here is the Tool bar, with selected shortcut icons
Here is the text Cursor, where typing starts.
TO WRITE A LETTER… Turn on the computer and 'Windows' will
now 'boot up'. On the Start bar, select 
Start
Programmes MS
Word ( -W- icon) and the "MS Word" programme will appear. Take
the mouse pointer to the word 'File' along the top of the programme's
menu bar. Click once with the mouse left hand button. 'Word' will
now drop down a menu. Select 'NEW' by clicking once. The 'NEW' dialogue
box will now appear with a choice of new formats. Select the tab marked
General (which will appear first) and click once on 'Blank Document'.Now
take the mouse pointer to OK and click once. You will now have a blank
sheet to work on. The cursor will be blinking at the top of the page.
Press the 'Enter/Return' key two or three times to bring the cursor
down the page. Now go to the word 'Insert' on the Menu bar and click
once. The 'Insert' menu now drops down. Go to 'Date and Time' and
click once; point and click on your preferred date style, and click
OK. The date will now appear on your letter at the cursor position.
Now go to the text alignment icons and click on 'Align Right'. The
date will now flit across to the right.
Now press the 'Enter/Return' key again, to add the next line of your
letter, and select 'Align left' on the tool bar. This will bring the
text cursor back to the start position at the left side of the page.
Start typing a few lines of text. Ignore spelling prompts (underlined
in red) at this time. At the end of your letter you have to 'Save'
it. To do this, you have to give it a name. Go to the menu called
'File' and select 'Save As…' The 'Save as…' box will now appear.
Type File name (Test 1) here Change this box if saving a 'Template'.
'The 'File Name' box will be highlighted in blue to show you
where the cursor is. New typing will always replace highlighted text,
so just type in the name 'Test1' (or any other chosen name) and press
'Save'. If the File Name box isn't highlighted, or you want to edit
the name you have chosen, move the mouse pointer into the box, and
click once to set the cursor. The other two boxes, ('Save in' :My
Documents) and 'Save as Type…' Word Document *.doc) are self setting
and needn't be changed. Click 'Save'.
The saved document will now have a file-name which will be displayed
on the top display bar. Now saved, you may safely close it. Go to
'File' again (remember, all operations start and finish with 'File')
and this time select 'Close'. If you have made any alterations since
you 'Saved As…', a warning box will pop up to ask if you want to save
changes. Click 'Yes'. The document will disappear from the screen.
To recover the file 'Test1', go to 'File;' and this time go to 'Open'
(instead of 'New') and the 'Open' box appears. Your file will be displayed
on the list of files. If you have many files you may need to click
the 'Scroll bar' arrow at the bottom of the list of files. This will
move the display across to show other file names. When you find 'Test1'
click on it once to highlight it, and select 'Open'.
The file will now reappear on your screen where you
can alter it, edit it or change it. Use the mouse or the text arrows
to move the cursor around the document. Make some alterations, like
adding a line of text, then go to 'File' and select 'Save'. Now go
back to 'File' and this time select 'Close'. The saved file will now
close. Test1 is completed. Files Open If there are still files open,
go to File and select Close. Any open files will now appear and must
be closed in succession. Any files unsaved will be accompanied by
the prompt 'Do you want to save changes in Document….' Click 'Yes'
or 'No' as required. If 'Yes', give it a name in the 'Save As….' box.
Don't accept the suggested name, always give your chosen name. When
all the documents are closed you will be left with a grey screen with
just the toolbars displayed at the top. All files closed. Go to 'File'
and select 'Exit'. Microsoft Word will now close down and you will
be left with 'Windows Desktop' display. Go to 'Start' and select 'Shut
Down'. 'Windows' now scans the system for any other open applications
which it will close down for you. Then it will display 'You may now
turn off… ' etc, or engage "auto turn off", and your computer session
is over.
PRINTING Turn on the printer and insert some
paper - (a minimum of two or three sheets).Turn on the computer and
'boot up' into Windows. Open Microsoft Word. Go to File and select
'Open'. Call up your document. Go to 'File' and select 'Print…'. The
print dialogue box will now appear. Ensure the correct printer is
identified in the top box. Change 'Number of copies' as required and
then click on 'OK' The document will now print.
SELECTING Click the left mouse button once to
select an item or twice (called double click) to activate (or open,
or apply) a selection. For example, once to choose a programme, or
twice to choose-and-open it. Always use the left mouse button for
all commands. The right one will open different mini menus associated
with the different tasks in hand; the left one activates your selection.
Whenever you want to alter the look of text, or change it, delete
or substitute it, you must first tell the computer which word or words
you want to change. You do this by highlighting the word. There are
several ways to highlight:
1) Take mouse cursor to either end of a word, hold mouse button down
and drag mouse cursor across the word. The letters or words will now
turn black. Drag mouse downwards, and now each complete line will
be highlighted.
2) Take the text cursor to left or right of a word, hold down shift
key (small arrow on left, below caps lock) and use left or right cursor
arrows (four small arrows at right lower side of keyboard) to shift
text cursor across the word, one letter at a time. Or add the control
key at the same time and now each word will be highlighted each time
you press the cursor arrows.
3) If one or more lines are to be highlighted, set text cursor to
beginning of line, press shift and use the text down key to highlight
each line at a time. Lastly, you may use shift control
end to highlight
a whole document, or go to the Edit menu and choose select all, or
easier still, just key in Ctrl+A. Whenever text is highlighted, the
computer is expecting some alteration or modification to be made to
the highlighted item. If you type any key, everything highlighted
will think it is unwanted and disappear from the screen. To avoid
this happening in error, always un-highlight after performing text
modifications, either by clicking the mouse button 'off screen' (i.e.
in the right margin area when using left aligned text) or clicking
any of the four cursor arrows on the keyboard. If it does happen in
error, press the 'Undo' icon (circling arrow) to recover the lost
text. This is called the Panic button, and may be used it frequently!
CLICK-AND-DRAG Highlight a word or section of
text. Now place the mouse cursor on the highlighted item, click left
mouse button and this time hold it down; then drag (or move) to the
required position. E.g. if you want to move a word to a new position,
highlight in one of the ways explained above, then take the mouse
cursor onto the highlighted word and click-and-drag to the new position.
Release mouse. The word will still be highlighted - so click off screen
to complete operation.
COPY-AND-PASTE Highlight a word, or sentence,
or paragraph, go to the "Copy" icon on the tool bar, (or Edit copy),
then set the cursor at the entry position and click on paste icon
(or Edit paste).
Copy/paste leaves the original where it is. Cut/paste takes the original
away, so use with care. Once copied or cut to the clipboard, the item
may be pasted as many times as required without re-copying. SAVES
- Every so often, and every time you are performing some major text
modifications or alterations, or sending to the printer, remember
to SAVE the file by pressing the SAVE icon on the tool bar or clicking
on 'File' and selecting 'Save'.. This will reduce the chance of anything
becoming irretrievably lost in the event of a power failure.
CRASHES - When a computer instruction fails to
complete, or in the event of an electricity power cut, or where a
printer or other accessory is faulty, the computer will CRASH. This
means it will lock-up and stop working, and all UNSAVED work will
be lost. If the computer locks-up and nothing more happens, or the
timer icon shows for longer than a few minutes, you must shut down
the computer. Don't turn off, except as a very last resort, as this
may lose data. Proceed as follows: Press and hold down Ctrl+alt and
then tap the 'Delete' key (with all 3 keys down at once). This will
open, after a few moments, the "end operation" box, or shut down Windows
and return you to DOS ('disc operating system') from where you can
restart Windows, (by typing WIN and ENTER), or close down and turn
off. Reboot (by turning on again) and the computer should resume normal
service, albeit without the unsaved text or programme you were working
on when it crashed. If all else fails, turn off and then turn on again
after about 30 seconds. In this event, "Windows" will run "Scandisk"
and report 'lost clusters' etc (or other terminology). In general
use, click on 'ignore' or 'OK' and you will be back to normal operation.
TEMPLATES - To save a template with, for example,
your address or house style, set up the required text as usual, and
this time set up the page margins first. When you have a new, blank
sheet showing (File New
Blank Document)
click on File Page
set up, and set margins as shown. (Top & bottom, 0.7" 2.00cm, sides
1.00" 2.54cm) Click on the Paper Size tab and set paper size to A4,
Portrait, (or as required). Click OK, or choose 'Default' if these
are to be your usual settings. (To change from inches to centimetres,
go to Tools options
general units
select unit
required. ) When you have set up your address style, highlight it
all and change to Text Centre (or as required); highlight all the
text and change the font to 'Bookman Old Style'. To do this go to
Format Font
and scroll down until you see a font style you like. Alter colour
and size and click on OK. Try Garamond (at 20 point), or Bookman (at
16 point), or any other. Before you save, take the cursor to the bottom
and end of the last line of your address style, and draw down the
page a few lines to make you have got everything selected - then change
back to your usual font style, and left aligned. (Otherwise your letter
will all come out in Garamond or Bookman etc, probably centred too!)
Now go to File and click 'Save As'. This time you must change the
'Save As Type…' box by scrolling on the 'down' arrow and choosing
…Document Template. (See diagram on page 2). Give the template a name
and press Save. Now it can be closed. Word will ask you if you want
to save the document that you used to create the template. Click 'No',
as it is already saved under the template files. Now go to File… New,
and your template will appear.
AUTOTEXT You may also save the letterhead etc
as an AutoText entry. Highlight all the text and spaces and empty
lines, go to 'Insert' (on the menu bar) and choose 'AutoText AutoText
New'. The
AutoText box will, appear. Give your AutoText a name, (like 'ha' for
Home Address) and click on OK. The AutoText activator is the F3 function
button. Insert the text cursor somewhere suitable (eg at the top of
a blank sheet) and enter "ha F3". If you want to alter or modify
the text, or add telephone numbers, simply repeat the process, using
the same code name, and 'redefine' the entry. "AutoText" may be used
for your signature, (ie "Yours Sincerely, space space space Mr Very
Important, FROG") or addresses, invoice headings ('to receiving your
favoured instructions etc') quotation leaders or any other frequently
used entries.
SPELLING When the auto Spellchecker is selected
(Tools Options
Spelling and
grammar Spelling
-Check spelling
as you type OK)
a misspelled word will appear with a wavy red underline. Right click
on the word, and the spell-checker mini menu will appear, with one
or more spelling suggestions. Left click if you agree a suggestion,
or choose 'add' to add it to the dictionary, or 'ignore' if it is
an infrequently used word.
WINDOW SIZING '-' '+' 'X' To close a window,
click on the X sign. Note, the X does not give an instruction, it
just closes your dialogue box… so use with care*. To minimise a window
for use later, click on the - sign. To enlarge it again after minimising,
click on the full sign +. Use the double full sign ++ to resize or
'tile' a window. If you find the window display appears small, click
on the full + sign. Remember that both the Document (Filename)
and the Programme (Word) have sizing tools. Don't close a programme
without first closing the file…
*NOTE: Avoid activating the Programme's X until
you have first activated the Document's X . For this reason I prefer
the 'File'
close or File
exit…" procedure.
TOOLBARS There are three main toolbars in general
use. These are Menu Bar, Standard and Formatting. To turn them on
or off, 'Right click' on the grey area adjacent to a tool bar, (ie
near "Help") and the tool bar "view menu" will appear. Click on or
click off toolbars as required. Alternatively, go to View on the menu
bar and select 'Toolbars'. NOTE The Menu bar should always be "ON"..
The Standard
and Formatting
bars should be ticked "ON", and all others ticked "OFF" in normal
use. For a further study of toolbar icons and their uses, see my Computing
Information Sheet entitled 'Toolbars in Word, available free to clients.
SCROLLING Use the Page
up or Page down
keys to scroll through the page. Use the Home
or End keys
to go to the beginning or end of a line. Use the text arrows on the
keyboard to move around a page of text.
SUPPLIES Always keep spare ink cartridges in
stock for your printer, and buy paper by the ream (500 sheets). Use
Plus-Jet (or equivalent) A4 paper, 90GSM (Grams per square metre)
which costs approx £5.50, inclusive of VAT. Photo-quality print papers
work wonders for digital images. Buy your supplies from Viking Direct
who deliver "next day" to your door. Their telephone number is 0800
424444. Minimum order value is £50.00. CARD Stock - For invitations
and call-cards, use 160GSM or 200GSM (check your printer's handbook
for maximum specification). Card usually comes in packs of 250 sheets.
Carry a pack of Ivory (Cream) 160GSM card in stock for last-minute
birthday cards etc. Also consider marbled or art-work paper and card
for your presentations, invitations and announcements. Available from
Viking Direct and from specialist stationers.
