LAB 1.6 USE WINDOWS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
OBJECTIVES
The goal of this lab is to introduce you to some keyboard shortcuts. After completing this lab, you will be able to use the keyboard to: · Display the Start menu · Switch between open applications · Launch utilities with the Windows logo key
MATERIALS REQUIRED This lab requires the following: · Windows XP operating system

LAB PREPARATION Before the lab begins, the instructor or lab assistant needs to do the following:
· Verify that Windows starts with no errors.
ACTIVITY BACKGROUND
You can use certain keys or key combinations (called keyboard shortcuts) to perform repeti-tive tasks more efficiently. These shortcuts are also useful when the mouse isn't working. In this lab, you learn to use some common keyboard shortcuts. You can find a full list of key-board shortcuts by searching for "keyboard shortcuts" in the Windows Help and Support Center.

ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME: 30 minutes
Activity
The F1 key is the universal keyboard shortcut for launching Help. To learn more, follow these steps: 1. Open Paint and then minimize it. 2. Open Control Panel and then minimize it. 3. Click the desktop, and then press F1. Windows Help opens. 4. Close Windows Help, and restore Paint. 5. Press Fl. Because Paint is the active window, Help for Paint opens. Close Help for Paint. 6. Restore Control Panel, and then press Fl. Help for Control Panel opens.
You can activate many shortcuts by pressing the Windows logo key in combination with other keys. An enhanced keyboard has two Windows logo keys, usually located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on either side of the spacebar. Try the combinations listed in Table 1-1, and record the result of each key combina-tion in the Result column. (Close each window you open before proceeding to the next key combination.)

Windows logo|Start menu|
Windows logo+E|Windows Explorer|
Windows logo+F|Files and Folders|
Windows logo+R|Run|
Windows logo+Break|System Properties|
Windows logo+M|Minimize all|

Table 1-1 Key combinations using the Windows logo key
Suppose for some reason that your mouse isn't working and you have to print a text file. You would have to use the keyboard to find, select, open, and print the document. To learn more, follow these steps: 1. Boot the computer, wait for the Windows desktop to appear, and then unplug the mouse.
2. Press Tab a few times until one of the desktop icons is highlighted. 3. Use the arrow keys to highlight My Computer. 4. Press Enter. My Computer opens. 5. Press Tab a few times until drive A is highlighted.
6. Use the arrow keys again to select the C drive, and then press Enter to open it. 7. Use similar methods to find, select, and open the Notepad program (from Start, All Programs, Accessories, Notepad) and type "Have a Nice Day."
8. Notice in the Notepad window that one letter of each menu item becomes underlined after you press Alt. You can select menu options by holding down the Alt key while you press this underlined letter. For example, to open the File menu in Notepad, hold down the Alt key and press F. After the menu is open, you can use the arrow keys to move over the menu and select an option by pressing Enter, or you can type the underlined letter of a menu option. With the Alt key pressed down, press F. The File menu opens.
9. Press P to select Print. The Print dialog box opens. 10. Verify that the correct printer is selected. (To select a different printer, use the arrow keys.)
11. To send the print job to the printer, press Tab until the Print button is active, and then press Enter. (Or you can press Alt+P.) 12. Practice editing text, using the following shortcuts for cutting, copying, and pasting:
· To delete one or more characters, move your cursor to the beginning of the text you want to delete, hold down the Shift key, and use the arrow keys to highlight the text. (If you were using a mouse, you could hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse until the entire block was highlighted.) · With the text highlighted, hold down the Ctrl key, press X, and then release both keys. This action cuts the highlighted text from its original location and moves it to the Clipboard. You can then paste it in another location. · To copy a highlighted block of characters to the Clipboard (without removing it from its original location), hold down the Ctrl key, press C, and then release both keys. A copy of the highlighted block of characters is placed in the Clipboard. You can then paste it in another location.

· To paste text from the Clipboard to a new location, move the cursor to the desired location, press and hold the Ctrl key, press V, and then release both keys. CRITICAL THINKING (ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES) Using the keyboard skills you have learned in this lab, perform the following steps without using the mouse and answer the questions: 1. Open Device Manager and view resources for the mouse. What status does Device Manager report about the mouse? It is active 2. What IRQ is used by the mouse? It does not have one
3. According to Windows Explorer, how much space is available on the hard drive? Used space: 25.2GB Free space: 207 GB REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What key is universally used to launch Help? F1
2. How many Windows logo keys are usually included on an enhanced keyboard? There are two windows logo 3. What shortcut combination can you use to paste a block of text? Ctrl then press V
4. What key combination can you use to switch between open applications? (Hint: Check Windows Help and Support.) ALT+Tab 5. Is it possible to open the Start menu by pressing only one key? No, you have to used Ctrl + Esc