What Is This? Windows Basics

1. Start the Machine and Logon

To begin working on a computer, turn on the power button. 

If the computer is running but the screen is blank, it may be in power-saving sleep mode.  Try pressing any key on the keyboard to wake it up.  If your monitor (screen) is separate from your computer, make sure the power button on the monitor is also turned on.

After you press the power button on your computer, you will see an opening screen.  Press any key and the log in screen will appear.  You may need to type in a user name and password before you will have access to the operating system or OS.  Most computers will automatically load the operating system that is installed on that computer. 

In this course, we will be looking at the Windows OS®.  Other popular operating systems are the Apple/Mac OS X®, Linux, Ubuntu, and Google Chrome®.  They are all slightly different but easy to figure out once you have familiarity with one of them.