My Computer

Close any open windows by clicking the X button in the top-right. On your Desktop, double-click the My Computer shortcut and you will see a list of locations where files are stored on your PC's disk drives.

If you double-click the Local Disk (your Hard Disk, usually C: ) you can see all the folders that are stored on your Hard Disk - this will be the part of your PC where all your files are usually kept, unless you have extra disk drives.

The Program Files and Windows folders here are especially important, and should usually not be changed as they contain the files necessary for programs and Windows to run.

All files take up 'disk space' and your computer only has so much room to store them all. If you want to see how much of your Hard Disk you have used up so far, and how much space you have left, double-click My Computer again and this time, instead of double-clicking the Local Disk, right-click it and select Properties.

If you find you are running out of disk space, you should try to clean up some unnecessary files.

If you decide you need a lot more space than you have, it is possible to buy extra Hard Drives and connect them to your computer.

If you right-click the My Computer icon on the Desktop rather than double-clicking it, and then click on Properties, you can see detailed information about your PC including your hardware devices and performance settings.

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The Control Panel

The Control Panel is a collection of all the important options you will need when you want to change settings on your computer. You can find control icons for display, sound, Internet, hardware, programs, security and system settings. To access the Control Panel, click the Start menu and then click Control Panel.

Changing settings in the Control Panel can make big changes to your PC's setup. For example, the Appearance and Themes or Display options in the Control Panel can affect the quality of your screen and the size of text.

Click on your Start menu and then Help and Support for more help with using your PC and particular Windows features.

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Useful links:

1. http://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/computer-basics.html

2.http://www.easycomputertips.com/article-howtouseyourpc-thebasics.html

3. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics