Free Computer Tips and Tricks

The colored area on the monitor’s screen that contains small images, or graphic objects and a taskbar at bottom of screen is called Desktop. It is called Desktop because the surface of screen looks like a desk with objects you might have on your own personal desk. Actually, desktop is the interface of Windows, which contains the icons, taskbar etc. that allow the user to interact with the computer to perform different operations.

Windows Desktop

In Windows, program applications, computer files and hardware devices etc. are represented in the form of small images known as icons. Usually the icon of object represents its purpose. For example, icon of “My Computer” on the desktop is a small picture of computer that contains the resources of computer.

The icons are divided into various groups such as:

• System icons.
• Application icons.
• Folder icons.
• File icons.
• Command icons.
• Drive icons.

Normally an icon is selected with single click and opened with double click. However, this mode of opening, icon can be changed from double click to single click.

Button

It is a click-able object used to perform an action. It is like an icon but it may have a name that represents the purpose of button. Usually, the buttons arc used to give input to the computer to perform an action The Start button () is an example, which has both name and icon. The toolbar buttons in most Windows program applications are examples of button icons.

Taskbar

The bar at the bottom of desktop that displays the current performing task or programs running on the computer is known as taskbar. It also contains the Start button used to start a program or to perform a task etc. The Taskbar can also be placed at left, right or top of the desktop.

The primary functions of taskbar are:

• When an application program is opened, a button for that application program is created on the taskbar. The user can run multiple programs at a time in Windows. The taskbar acts as a launching pad for all the application programs being opened. It also keeps record of all the current working and all opened programs.
• When multiple programs are running, the button of each program is created on the taskbar. The user can switch from one program to other by simply clicking the button of that program in the taskbar. The window of the currently active program is displayed in the foreground on the desktop. The button of the active program is highlighted in the taskbar. The taskbar automatically resizes the program buttons when new programs are opened.
• The taskbar also has a system tray, displayed at the right most side of the taskbar. It contains a clock that displays the current time, icons of volume control, waiting e-mail, printing document, anti-virus program etc.