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Chapter 5
Getting to Know the
Windows
®
XP
Operating System
This chapter introduces the Windows
®
XP operating system
by guiding you through a few basic tasks.
Whether you have used a Windows
®
operating system or not,
the skill and confidence you will gain from this chapter will
more than offset the short amount of time spent going
through these lessons.
As you explore the Windows
®
XP operating system further,
you will often discover alternative ways of accomplishing a
particular task.
For more detailed information on your operating system,
refer to the Microsoft
®
Windows
®
XP operating system
documentation that came with your computer.
Lesson 1: Exploring the desktop
The desktop is the launching pad for everything you can do in
the operating system. You use its features to start programs,
find documents, set up system components, and perform most
other computing tasks.