First, develop your style of holding the mouse, with comfortable control at your finger tips. We are talking "right handed", if you are left handed just adjust procedures accordingly. (Switch the mouse buttons for left handed use by clicking, "Start", "Settings", "Control Panel", then the "Mouse" icon) The sliding surface underneath the mouse directly effects the mouse response. The top of your desk or mouse pad, smooth, slick, rough, etc., experiment. If you don't use a mouse pad watch for wear and tear on the mouse bottom and the top of your desk.

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Cover the mouse with your whole hand, index finger touching but not "clicking" the "left" button. Do the same with your middle finger over the "right" button. When you move the mouse don't be overly gentle and slow. Experiment and watch the mouse pointer move on the screen. This movement response and many other mouse controls can be adjusted to your personal taste. Adjusting the Mouse, do it in the "Control Panel". Check it right now, "left" click the Windows "Start" button, then the "Settings" menu item, then the "Control Panel", and finally "double left" click the "Mouse" icon. If you are in the Windows XP viewing mode switch to "Classic Start Menu", you can easily change back if you want to. In Windows XP, to change to "Classic Start Menu", "right" click an open area on the Task bar (not on any icon) then "left" click "Properties". Next click the upper "Start Menu" tab, followed with clicking the "Classic Start Menu" box, "Apply", and "OK". The two most important mouse adjustments are the main mouse pointer movement speed, and the "double click" speed. In the mouse control section you can also reverse the "left" and "right" button functions to accommodate left handed users. If you have any vision problem also try setting "Mouse Trails".

Experiment with the various settings until the mouse is set just to suit you. You can easily go back time and again making adjustments as needed. You are only wasting your time if you continue using the mouse as is when you know it could be better adjusted.

Note that you can make these mouse adjustments in the Control Panel, with out closing or minimizing any other program, such as the Internet browser which you may be now using. In the process of adjusting the mouse, you can if desired, "Minimize" the Control Panel. You can then return any time with a single "left" click on the minimized Control Panel icon that will be placed on the "Task Bar".

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Become familiar with the mouse "feel" by practicing arranging the icons on your Desk Top. The Desktop is the screen appearing after Windows is fully loaded, with no programs running. If you have "Quick Launch" enabled in your Task Bar there may be an icon that will immediately bring up your desktop. Enable Quick Launch by "right" clicking an open area of the Task bar, then "left" clicking or touching "Tool Bars". Follow this by "left" clicking on "Quick Launch". If there is no Desktop icon you must minimize open windows as necessary.

After returning to your Desktop, RIGHT click on an open area, not on any icon. This will produce a context menu, including functions for arranging the icons. You can choose between "Arrange Icons" or "Line up Icons". (In Windows XP use the option "Arrange icons by", then "Align by Grid"). In the other Windows systems if you choose "Arrange Icons", you must select from a prescribed menu of methods. If you choose "Auto Arrange", you can not manually move the icons. A better way is to first manually arrange the icons to suit. Uncheck "Auto Arrange" if necessary. Hold down the LEFT button on any icon and drag it to a desired position, then release the left button. If necessary move all icons out of the way then drag them one at a time to your preferred lineup order No need to align them too carefully, this will happen automatically when you click on "Line up Icons". (In Windows XP "Align to Grid")

But remember, if you later choose "Arrange Icons", your work will be undone, such as clicking to arrange by Name, Type, Size, or Date. Usually arranging by Name is a good enough way to arrange folder icons but on the "Desktop" you will probably want them in a more specific order.

Note if you go to the "Desktop" by minimizing windows it is possible that you have other programs running behind your browser. If so, they must also be "Minimized" by clicking the ( - ) minus sign, or closed by clicking the ( X ) to the right of the ( - ) minus sign. It is also worthy of note that depending upon your computer's resources, installed memory and megahertz speed, that too many running programs can decrease your computer power, causing a slow down and in extreme cases, a complete "lock up", requiring a reboot. In this unlikely but possible shutdown situation, you can press your "Reset" button. For those computers with no "Reset" button, you must turn off power to the computer, wait ten seconds, then turn the power back on. Either way, a forced shutdown of windows is considered an improper shutdown, and any unsaved work will be lost, so if you are multitasking, save your work often. No other harm will be done to the computer. Windows after a forced shutdown will check the harddrive upon restarting. You can wait a few minutes for this process to finish or stop it by pressing ( X ) on the keyboard. It only runs as a precaution, searching for damaged files that generally don't exist . . . the real inconvenience with a forced shutdown while on the Internet, you must start anew, reconnect to the Internet and navigate to this training site requiring re-entry of the security information (username and password).

Special note for Windows XP: Windows XP is the most stable computer operating system designed by Microsoft todate. However it can still lock up depending upon circumstances. usually misbehaving program can be closed with out crashing your computer and forcing a reboot. This can be done with the "Task Manager". Access it by pressing Ctrl/Alt with your left hand and Delete with your right hand, pressing all three keys together. The Task Manager will appear with it's several options. Choose "Applications" to end a program. You can review "Processes" but use caution in ending any of listed functions. Most of them are required Windows functions and should be left alone.

The best way of experimenting with the processes is using the MsConfig function. Click Start, Run and type in msconfig and click OK. You will note the options including "Services" and "Startup". All items in these two categories include check boxes. You can safely uncheck the box for any suspected problem area and reboot. This is an excellent diagnostic system for locating problem software and Windows functions. Uncheck and recheck the boxes followed with re-booting as needed.

So now, practice with the mouse. A little time spent in dragging the desktop icons will help you to quickly develop the feel for your mouse, especially if you will make adjustments in the Control Panel, Mouse, as earlier described.

Experiment with all the available options listed in the "right" click menu. When you are ready, arrange them one last time the way you want them.

Remember you can "Multi-task" to your Desktop with out closing your Internet browser. Notice the top upper right corner of your screen. Click the minus ( - ) sign, this will "Minimize" your Internet browser, (clicking the (X ) will completely close any program) placing it's icon on your "Task Bar". Do the same with any other programs you may have running. After practicing with the mouse and the Desktop icons, click the browser icon on the "Task Bar" and you will return to this document. You then can use the lower links to continue.

Portions of these mouse instructions will randomly appear in some of the following lessons.

"Minimize" as necessary, returning to your "Desktop". After becoming familiar with the mouse, "Maximize" your browser by clicking it's icon in your "Task Bar", returning to this document. Then to continue use the links below.