Running a program using the Start menu ( win. Vista & 7 )

Running a program using the Start menu

• Once the Start Menu is displayed, click on All Programs.     

• This will display a menu similar to that shown below.  

• Look for the word Accessories in the list and click on this.  The menu will change as illustrated.   

• Click on a program called Notepad, as illustrated. 

• Clicking on this program will run a program called Notepad.  This will open in a window, as illustrated.  

Entering text into a program

• Click within the Notepad window and type in your name.

Saving data

• Within the Notepad program, you will see a number of commands.  This is called a drop down menu list.   

• Click on the File command and you will see the following drop down menu list. Click on the Save command, as illustrated. 

• This will display the Save As dialog box.  

• Click within the File name section of the dialog box and enter the name My First File.  This is the file name that will be used to store the Notepad file on

your hard disk.  Click on the Save button within the dialog box.  The dialog box will close and the file will be saved to disk. 

• Click on the Notepad Close icon (top-right of the window).   The program will close. 

Opening a file within a program

• Use the Start menu to re-open the Notepad program.  We previously saved a file to disk and called the file My First File.  We shall now re-open this file within the Notepad program.  To do this click on the File drop down menu and click on the Open command.  This will display the Open dialog box.  Select the file called My First File.     TIP: You may need to click on the vertical scroll bar displayed down the right of the Open window. 

• Click on the Open button. The file will open within the Notepad program.  Type in a new line of text (just make something up).  Resave the file and close the Notepad program.