Windows 7 - Using Speech Recognition

Before you run out to buy Dragon Speech or a similar software program, use the Speech Recognition software that has been built into all Windows Operating Systems, since Windows XP.  Voice/Speech Recognition is becoming common today in so many devices including iPhone, iPad, iPods, Android tablets and smartphones, computers, automobiles and other devices... So the more comfortable you get with it, the more you will use it with all of your devices...

If you haven't played with "Speech Recognition" yet, and are now using Windows 7, give it a try.  The program in Windows 7 is quite powerful and allows you to tell your computer what to do and you can also use it to dictate text into a document. 

Speech Recognition uses a special voice profile to recognize your voice and spoken commands, so the more you use Speech Recognition, the more detailed your voice profile becomes, which will improve your PC (and other mobile devices) abilities to understand you

As with so many things we do with the computer, using the speech recognition to give commands is just another way, in addition to using the mouse and/or the keyboard and/or

keypad.. 

Before you set up your Speech Recognition, make sure you've plugged a microphone into your PC so these steps will work.. Personally I think using a headset microphone; which is less likely to pick up background noise, is best when I'm using any speech recognition program to give commands or dictate into documents, doing voice recordings for slide shows and movies and using other programs such as Skype..

In Windows 7, click the Start Button

• Type Speech in the search box of the start menu
• Choose Windows Speech Recognition from the menu
• Note-if this is the first time you've used it, the Set-Up Speech Recognition Wizard will open and walk you thru setting up the system & settings. 
•  When you are in settings, it gives you the option to "Train your computer to better understand you" that helps it to recognize your voice.. 
•  In the Set-up, Windows also offers a tutorial that will help familiarize you with how to give commands and use the software - Take the tutorial - it really helps... 
• As with any new program or piece of hardware you are learning, remember to also use www.yotube.com, to find additional tutorials that will help you master just about anything..

Be patient and practice - like so many other things, the more you do it, the easier it will become and the more comfortable you will be...

Have you used your "Windows" Magnifier?

MAGNIFYING GLASS - Did you know that the Windows Operating System includes a built-in magnifying glass?  Microsoft Windows has included a magnifying glass with every version of its operating system since Windows 98 and it is called Magnifier.  Each new version of windows has improved the ease of using the magnifier – so check it out… 

FOR WINDOWS XP USERS

To turn on Magnifier using your mouse Click the Start button

·         Click on All Programs, then click on Accessories, and then click Accessibility.

·         Click Magnifier to open the Magnifier Settings dialog box.

·         Adjust the level of magnification by typing a number from 1 to 9, or by selecting the arrow button to open the list of options from the drop-down menu

You can change “Magnifier size & position” by doing either of the following:

·         To change the size, make sure Magnifier is turned on. Move your mouse pointer over an edge of the Magnifier window. When the pointer becomes a two–headed arrow, hold down the mouse button and drag the Magnifier window to resize it.

·         To change the position, make sure Magnifier is turned on. Move the mouse pointer over the Magnifier window. Hold down the mouse button and drag the Magnifier window to reposition it. 

FOR WINDOWS VISTA USERS

To make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier)

The intention of Magnifier is to enlarge parts of the screen, which is really helpful when you are looking at objects that are difficult to see and can be helpful to anyone with vision challenges.

·         Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button ,

·         Now click All Programs, click Accessories, click Ease of Access, and click Magnifier.

·         Move the pointer to the part of the screen that you want to magnify. 

FOR WINDOWS 7 USERS

You can open it quickly by clicking Start, and then type Magnifier.

You can also change the screen resolution, which adjusts the clarity, size, and amount of things that fit on your computer monitor which is found in the Display section of your control panel.

Notes

To exit Magnifier, press the Windows Flag/Logo Key + Esc key.

In Windows 7, there are three Magnifier modes:

·         Full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, your entire screen is magnified. Depending on the size of your screen and the zoom level you choose, you might not be able to see all of the screen at the same time.

·         Lens mode. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that's magnified moves along with it.

·         Docked mode. In docked mode, only a portion of the screen is magnified, leaving the rest of your desktop unchanged. You can then control which area of the screen is magnified. 

WHEN YOU ARE ON THE INTERNET - Another quick way to enlarge the text and what you are viewing on your monitor is to use the CTRL and + key to enlarge and CTRL key and – to reduce what is on the monitor…   This doesn’t work however when you are in various application programs such as word, excel, power point etc - then you will have to simply ZOOM the page.

CHANGE YOUR SCREEN DISPLAY SETTINGS

CHANGE YOUR screen display settings

You can access your Display settings by right-clicking anywhere on the Desktop and then

• In Windows XP choose Properties
• In Windows Vista & Windows 7 choose Personalize

Both of these bring you to the Display section of the Control Panel (so you can also get to the same spot by going to your Start Menu, Control Panel & Appearance/Display)

When you access the Properties or Personalize command:

• In Windows XP you will open the Display Properties Dialog Box – there are five tab choices: Themes, Desktop, Screen Saver, Appearance and Settings.
• In Windows Visa & Windows 7 a Page of Lists appear and you’ll have the ability to make changes in all these same categories – you will just have many more options…

Basically, this is what each segment allows you to do… 

Themes

This allows you to choose a theme which will apply to all your Windows screen,the icons, sounds and colors – such as jungle, underwater & many more.

Desktop

This will allow you to choose different desktop background images, from samples which are inlcuded or you can use the BROWSE button to find a photo you have saved in you’re My Picture Folder…  Remember – if you find a photo in an email or on the internet that you want for your background, when your cursor is on the image, right click on the image and choose Set as Desktop Background. In Windows 7 there is a grat new feature which allows yiu to have the desktop change using  photos from Windows or your own photos-similar to what happens in the Screen Saver segment

Screen Saver:

Screen Savers are the “motion” choices we use when our computer is idle – many different ones are built in, or you can use the photos in you’re my Picture Folder or when you are on vacation you can purchase “screen savers” to remind you of your trip… This is also where we can change our Power settings for the monitor, noting how long it should stay on when we leave our computer alone.. Remember you can change how quickly you want the screen saver to go on and other choices…

Appearance:

This choice allows us to change the style and colors and size of fonts for our Windows and buttons.  Just click on the drop-down arrow buttons to choose different settings; the font size option is great if text is too small – just change it to large fonts or extra large fonts..  The advanced tab allows us to change size & colors for all our screen items including borders, icons and the menus.

Settings:

This choice allows us to change screen resolution and color quality – remember the resolution determines the number of pixels used to make up the display. The higher the setting, the more detailed your display and the higher resolution gives you a larger screen area to work with, but if you find text and icons are now too small you may need to increase font size and use larger icons to compensate.

You can only go up to the highest resolution that your monitor can support. 

Experiment to find a resolution you are comfortable with – many opt for the highest setting.

When you set a high resolution, increasing the DPI (dots per inch) setting – it makes all screen items including text appear larger.

Voice/Speech Recognition Software – Part 2 of 2

~ Following is continued from our post on Wednesday, January 25, 2012...

Voice recognition Software has come along way and with every new edition improvements are made, but remember that using Voice Recognition software is very different from speaking to real people, when they can usually understand you from the context and environment even if you whisper, shout, or talk quickly or slowly.

According to “How Stuff Works.com” website, Voice Recognition Software understands words better when you speak in a predictable manner and also recommends: 

• Speak in a consistent, level tone. If you speak too loudly or too softly, the computer may not recognize what you said
• Use a consistent rate without speeding up and slowing down
• Speak without pausing between words; a phrase is easier for the computer to interpret than just one word. For example, the computer has a hard time understanding phrases such as "This (pause) is (pause) another (pause) example (pause) sentence."
• Start by working in a quiet environment so that the computer hears you instead of the sounds around you, and use a good quality microphone. Keep the microphone in the same position; try not to move it around after it is adjusted
• Train your computer to recognize your voice by reading aloud the prepared training text in the Voice Training Wizard. Additional training increases speech recognition accuracy
• As you dictate, do not be concerned if you do not immediately see your words on the screen. Continue speaking and pause at the end of your thought. The computer displays the recognized text after it finishes processing your voice
• Pronounce words clearly, but don’t separate each syllable in a word. For example, if you sound out each syllable in "ex-am-ple” which will cause the computer to not recognize what you said 

Voice/Speech Recognition Software – Part 1 of 2

Voice recognition software, also called speech recognition software, has been around for quite sometime and used by many businesses. But it’s now becoming popular for home use as well. Before you run out and buy a Voice Recognition Software program, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium Edition or Home Edition; Dragon MAC for Mac Users, or others like Talking Desktop, did you know that Windows, XP, Vista and 7 all have a built-in speech/voice recognition software programs?? You might want to try one of these free first to test the waters and then if you want to continue, then make a purchase if you feel you need more features..

Voice recognition software – whether it is built into your Windows Operating System, or a software program such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, you purchased, allows the user to convert spoken words to written text and can work with other software application programs such as Word Pad, Word, Word Perfect and others...


In addition to the software program, you will need two things:
1) a microphone or some other sound input device to receive the sound and I’d recommend a high quality microphone with noise filters built in – if not the recognition rate may be unacceptable and not work as well as you’d like… and
2) most importantly “patience”

First, whether you use the software program built into your Windows operating system, or a purchased software program, they all have a Voice Training Wizard that will guide you through the process, recommends the best position to place the microphone, and allows you to test it for optimal results.

Second, being patient is crucial. Once your microphone and software are ready, you have to “train the software for your speaking style” and the Wizard will walk you through doing this, so that it can recognize background noises such as a fan, air conditioning, or other sounds and most importantly, it needs to adapt to your accents, pronunciations phrases and other voice related patterns and phrases. And believe me that takes time and lots of patience.

~ This post will be continued on Saturday, January 28, 2012

Should I upgrade to Windows 7, and if so which version/edition?

Q: Common question – should I upgrade to Windows 7, and if so which one of the versions/editions: Home Premium OR Professional OR Ultimate?

A: Windows 7 was introduced October 22, 2009 and personally I feel if you are happy with the way your computer is performing – then there's no reason to rush out and either upgrade your operating system or purchase a new computer which has Windows 7 on it… .

FYI - Windows XP was introduced in October 2001; Windows Vista was introduced January 20th, 2007 and there are already rumors that the next new Windows Operating System, most likely to be called Windows 8, may be out later this year (2012!!) 

If you choose to upgrade to Windows 7, your current computer may not be compatible or have enough memory to do so – so you want to confirm that first prior to purchasing the upgrade…
If you aren’t sure, visit this website at Microsoft and it will run a check on your computer and let you know if your computer is compatible and if not, what you might need to upgrade the hardware, memory etc..

www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/system-requirements

If you decide to purchase a new computer, laptop, notebook whatever – almost guaranteed it will have Windows 7 Operating System on it – and if it has the “Home Premium” which in standard at most retailers – it is fine – don’t let them talk you into upgrading to a more expensive version (which by the way will require more memory on the computer also)..

Most technicians I’ve spoken to seem to agree that “Windows 7 Home Premium” is the best option for most of us. They also seem to agree that you should go professional if you want remote desktop and you go ultimate if you want those language packs.

To compare the differences between operating systems – Windows XP, Vista or the new Windows 7 – visit the following link at Microsoft…

www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/compare?T1=tab04

Microsoft Help And How To Links

Still not quite comfortable using your windows operating system to it’s full potential to do things like your system maintenance, or would like to know how to improve your computers performance, and other great tips, then take some time and visit Microsoft’s Help and How to for your specific Operating System – just click on the link below for your operating system & begin learning… nice part is you can continue t come back to this site as often as you'd like so you can learn in "small doses"...

Windows XP www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/windows-xp

Windows Vista www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/help

Windows 7 www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help

Change the desktop "wallpaper" on your PC

FOR THOSE WITH WINDOWS XP..

When you are on the desktop, put your mouse on a blank area (just make sure you are not on an icon) – now RIGHT CLICK

• At the bottom of the action list, the command you want to choose is “Properties”




• Now the Display Properties Dialog Box will open, which has several tabs: Themes-Desktop-ScreenSaver etc..




• Choose DESKTOP – and when this section opens, you can now change what is showing for the desktop wallpaper – there is a list of choices – NOTE: “none” which is at the top of the list is what we use to display the solid color MSN basic blue screen or




• You can go to the BROWSE button which opens My Pictures and add a photo from your folder








• Now you can now decide to have the picture "stretch" which covers the entire screen, such as you cat photo; or "center" which means the picture will be in the center will color around it, or "tiles" so that it takes the photo and replicates it many times.




• When you are done, at the bottom of the dialog box choose APPLY and then OK and your desktop wallpaper is changed until you change it again...

FOR THOSE WITH WINDOWS 7..

When you are on the desktop, put your mouse on a blank area (just make sure you are not on an icon) – now RIGHT CLICK

• At the bottom of the action list, the command you want to choose is “Personalize”




• Now a list of choices will appear, once of which is Desktop Background




• Click the picture or color you want for your desktop background




• As with the directions for Windows XP users above, you can now choose either a picture from those supplied by Windows 7, or if you want to choose something else left click the Picture location down arrow to view other categories, or click Browse to search for the picture on your computer. When you find the picture you want, double-click it. It will become your desktop background and appear in the list of desktop backgrounds.

Windows Explorer-The computers filing cabinet

Windows Explorer is an application software program available in all Windows Operating Systems that allows you to find anything on your computer.

To me, Windows Explorer is like looking at various file cabinets and what's in those file cabinet drawers to find everything I've saved on my computer.. It allows us to to easily copy documents, photos, music, videos from one folder to another or to back up my folders onto a flash drive or portable hard drive..

Windows Explorer is typically listed in the Program list under Accessories, but for the easiest access no matter what program you are in, just use your keyboard shortcut:
Windows Flag Key + E .

When you use Windows Explorer, you can see all the documents stored on your computer (or your network), which makes it easy to select documents, folders, travel drives, digital cameras portable hard drives to work with them.

Windows Explorer uses the same “folder system” you would in a “filing cabinet”. Folders and sub-folders are "containers" to store documents (files). The folders that Windows creates for you are named My Documents, My Music, My Pictures & My Videos. They get their names from the fact that you use them as follows:

My Documents: Use this folder to store other types of documents you save, such as typed text or spreadsheets

• My Music: Use this folder to store music you copy to your computers


• My Pictures: Use this folder to store pictures, such as those you get from a camera or scanner, or from the Internet


• My Videos: Use this folder to store videos, such as those you get from a video camera, emails or from the Internet

In Windows XP and older operating systems you will see that you must open the My Documents drawer to see the other master folders, such as My Music, My Pictures, My Scans, My Videos...

In Windows Vista and Windows 7 Operating Systems, the Master folder is called a Library and in that you will find each of the individual master folders, including My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, My Scans, My Videos..

For those of you using MAC’s – you now have Macintosh Explorer – check it out at www.ragesw.com/products/explorer.html

When you can't cancel a print job..

From time to time there will be print jobs that just won’t seem to delete no matter how we try to cancel or delete the print job - whether we try to cancel:

• By using the cancel on the printer OR

• From the Printer in the Start Menu OR

• Using the Printer Icon & Menu from the system try (bottom right corner of the monitor above the clock)

Don’t panic – try the following – which usually corrects the problem …

In Windows XP

• Go to Control Panel

• Select Administrative Tools

• Double-click on Services (Icon is usually 2 gears)

• When the list of services appear, scroll down until you find one called "Print Spooler"

• Highlight this service option – and on the left column choose "Restart"

• The "deleted" jobs will disappear and any queued jobs in your print queue will print

In Windows Vista

• Go to Control Panel

• Select System and Maintenance

• Select Administrative Tools

• Double-click on Services

• When the service list appears, scroll down until you find one called "Print Spooler"

• Right-click on "Print Spooler" and select "Restart"

Success - the "deleted" jobs will disappear and any jobs waiting in your print queue will now print

SKYPE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

Many of us use SKYPE daily and if so, you know they are having some technical difficulties right now. They are working on the problems and hope to have a fix soon. You can check out this information for yourself as to what to do in the interim to fix it, which we copies from the MSNBC website:

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/26/6722180-skypes-not-working-right-now-heres-how-to-fix-it?GT1=43001

While you wait for Skype to fix things though, you can still use the service if you're willing to do a little bit of work. The "Next Web" has helpfully provided instructions on a trick which will let you sign in through your official Skype desktop client of choice (or you can wait until Skype fixes the problems):

WINDOWS VISTA & WINDOWS 7

1. Close Skype

· a. Right-click the Skype icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the screen)
· b. Choose Quit

2. Ensure that “Show hidden files and folders” is switched on.

· a. Click Start, type run and press Enter
· b. Type control folders and click OK.
· c. Select the View tab and ensure relevant entry is enabled.

3. Locate the shared.xml file.

· a. Click Start, type run and press Enter.
· b. Type %appdata%\skype and click OK.
· c. Delete the shared.xml file.

4. Restart Skype. The shared.xml file will be recreated.

WINDOWS XP

1. Close Skype
· a. Right-click the Skype icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the screen)
· b. Choose Quit.

2. Ensure that “Show hidden files and folders” is switched on.

· a. Click Start and then Run…
· b. Type control folders and click OK.
· c. Select the View tab and ensure relevant entry is enabled.

3. Locate the shared.xml file

· a. Click Start and then Run…
· b. Type %appdata%\skype and click OK.
· c. Delete the shared.xml file.

4. Restart Skype. The shared.xml file will be recreated.

MAC OS X

1. Quit Skype.
2. Go to the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Skype/
3. Delete the file shared.xml (it will be recreated once you open Skype again, this is fine).
4. Start Skype.

Please note on the MAC OS X that the ~ sign means your home folder. You can find your home folder by opening Finder and selecting Go > Home from the menu bar or pressing Command (Apple), Shift and H keys at the same time.

OS stands for Operating Systems

System Restore & Backup for Windows 7

System restore, a great feature in earlier operating systems since Windows XP, is a little different in Windows 7, with lots of improvements, so that it quickly and easily back-ups and allows restoration for not only our system but all files & folders, so you're always prepared for the worst …

First, understand the difference between backing up the system and backing up our “files”:

SYSTEM IMAGE BACKUP: Windows Backup in Windows 7, provides the ability to create a system image, which is an exact image of a drive. A system image includes Windows and your system settings, programs, and files. You can use a system image to restore the contents of your computer if your hard drive or computer ever stops working. When you restore your computer from a system image, it is a complete restoration; you can't choose individual items to restore, and all of your current programs, system settings, and files are replaced. Although this type of backup includes your personal files, we recommend that you back up your files regularly using Windows Backup so that you can restore individual files and folders as needed. When you set up scheduled file backup, you can choose whether you want to include a system image. This system image only includes the drives required for Windows to run. You can manually create a system image if you want to include additional data drives.

FILE BACKUP - Windows Backup allows you to make copies of data files for all people that use the computer. You can let Windows choose what to back up or you can select the individual folders, libraries, and drives that you want to back up. By default, your backups are created on a regular schedule. You can change the schedule and you can manually create a backup at any time. Once you set up Windows Backup, Windows keeps track of the files and folders that are new or modified and adds them to your backup

Windows 7 can choose what to back up, or you can pick individual folders, libraries, and drives yourself. Windows 7 can back up files on whatever schedule you choose, so once you set it you can forget about it. You can also back up to another drive or a DVD.

Note-for those of you who are using Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate editions, you also can choose to back up your files to a network.

TO BACK UP YOUR FILES:

Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore.

Now you will do one of the following:

If you've never used Windows Backup before, click Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the wizard. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

If you've created a backup before, you can wait for your regularly scheduled backup to occur, or you can manually create a new backup by clicking Back up now. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

TO RESTORE FILES:

You restore files using the Restore Files wizard. You can restore individual files, multiple files, or all files in a backup. You can also restore just your files or files for all people that use the computer

System Restore for Windows XP & Vista

System restore is great feature in Windows XP & Vista that allows you to take your computer back to an earlier time to undo any harmful changes that might have occurred – and you won’t lose any recently stored work, such as emails, favorites/bookmarks, documents, photos, music etc.

Your computer automatically creates restore points (called checkpoints) or you can create your own (something many of us do prior to downloading new software or making major changes)…

START YOUR COMPUTER..

• Log on to Windows as an Administrator



• Click Start, the click All Programs, then click Accessories, then click System Tools



• Now when the list of Tools appear, choose/left click on "System Restore"



• The "Welcome to System Restore page/dialog box opens"



• You will see three options: 1) Restore my computer to an earlier time, 2) Create a restore point, 3) Undo my last restoration



• Choose/click on “Restore my computer to an earlier time” - click Next



• The calendar will appear – dates that are bold are dates when restorations “checkpoints” were created and are saved for you to "restore to"



• Choose/click the date you want and in the left side of the screen you will now see the date & time of that restoration



• Click Next, restoration will be done and it will confirm that it was successful

Microsoft Help And How To Links

Not sure how to use your windows operating system to it’s full potential, how to do system maintenance & when, to better your computers performance, and other great tips, then take some time and visit Microsoft’s Help and How to for your specific Operating System.

Just click on the link for your operating system & begin learning…

Windows 7 www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help

Windows XP www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/windows-xp

Windows Vista www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/help

Should you upgrade to Windows 7?

So many of you ask – should you upgrade to Windows 7 Operating System (which came out in October 2009) from your current Windows XP or Windows Vista??

If your system is running perfectly well and you are happy with it – I wouldn't be in a hurry to make the change - but now that Windows 7 has been out for a while many would say "absolutely-upgrade"; it’s a personal choice.

Remember, if you purchase new application software - always check the back of the packaging to determine what the minimum operating system requirements are, because you might find that it will only run on Windows 7, so that will help to force your hand…

Before you do anything, go to the following link at Microsoft that will help you evaluate your current hardware and whether or not it is capable of making the upgrade. The most common change needed is having to increase the Random Access Memory (RAM)…This advisor link will walk you thru making your decision…

http://www.intowindows.com/download-windows-7-upgrade-advisor-check-if-your-pc-can-run-windows-7/

If and when you plan to upgrade – there are a few things you will want to have on hand first…

· An external hard disk. You'll need to move your files off of your PC before you install Windows 7. To make this easier, we recommend a free download called Windows Easy Transfer, which will require an external hard disk. They're readily available at electronics and office supply stores, and they provide an easy way to add additional storage space to your computer.

· The original installation discs or setup files for the programs that you want to use with Windows 7. You'll need to reinstall your programs by hand after installing Windows 7. When you run Windows Easy Transfer you will get a report that lists the programs that you are currently using with Windows XP or Vista

Internet Explorer 9 does not & will not run on Windows XP

Although you will see lots of advertisements asking you to ‘try out” the new Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 9 (which is still being Beta tested) please know that it does not now – nor will it ever – run on computers with Windows XP – so don’t even try to download it.

The following is an excerpt from an article confirming this which was published Sept. 16th, 2010 on http://www.geek.com/:

While Microsoft has tried to move on from Windows XP many times, millions of users refuse to budge, even with Windows 7 repairing a lot of the damage Vista caused.

XP users are in for a surprise though, when it comes to the next major upgrade they try to apply to their browser. Microsoft has confirmed that Internet Explorer 9 will not work with Windows XP. So all those nice new features such as hardware acceleration will not be available on the old operating system

To read the full article-click on the following link:: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/internet-explorer-9-wont-run-on-windows-xp-20100916/

Microsoft Operating System History

The initial Microsoft Operating System was introduced 25 years ago (Windows 1.0 followed by 3.0 5 years later in 1990).

But did you know that fifteen (15) years ago today, “August 25, 1995” Microsoft launched Windows 95 Operating System, which became the most widely used operating system in the world at that time.

And since then, well history speaks for itself. As we all know, there have been numerous upgrades including the following - which is your favorite?

• 1998 – Windows 98
• 1999 – Windows ME (millennium)
• 2000 – Windows 98 2nd Edition
• 2001 – Windows XP
• 2007 – Windows Vista was introduced March 1st
• 2009 – Windows 7 was introduced last October

What is Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker is video creating/editing software that is included free in versions of Microsoft Windows XP & Vista; it’s fun & easy to learn to use, to enhance your photos and share them in a different way by combining photos, music, text slides and much more... It is not included in Windows 7 but we recommend going to Microsoft and downloading an earlier version used on Vista or XP, NOT the new Windows Live Movie Maker, which has none of the favorite features which allow us full editing ability…

The LAYOUT consists of a STORYBOARD VIEW and a TIMELINE VIEW, collections for organizing imported video, and a PREVIEW screen. These are the areas where you create and edit your project is displayed in two views, the storyboard and the timeline. You can switch between these two views when making a movie. All versions use “DRAG & DROP” for the effects or transitions, and titles and credits can be added as stand alone titles or overlaying them on the clip by adding them onto the selected clip.

• STORYBOARD: Where you will drag your video or pictures to, creating a project. When in STORYBOARD VIEW, the video project appears as a film strip showing each scene in clips

• TIMELINE: Shows your project & where you add your music/audio to and the TIMELINE VIEW consists of:

• one 'Video' (with accompanying 'Audio' bar)
• one 'Music/Audio' bar, and
• one 'Titles/Credits' bar

EFFECTS, TRANSITIONS, TITLES & CREDITS
Versions 2+ include a wide variety of effects, transitions, titles and credits you can easily use to add professional touches and visual interest to your movies …
• Windows XP has 60 transitions, 37 effects, 34 title and 9 credits animations-Windows VISTA has even more.

ABOUT THE MOVIE TASKS PANE
The Movie Tasks pane lists the common tasks to perform and guides you thru the process step-by-step..

1. Capture Video. options to begin a movie (capture video, import video, pictures, or audio).
2. Edit Movie. options for making a movie (view existing video, pictures, audio & add effects, titles etc.
3. Finish Movie. options to save your final movie, ie to your PC. CD, DVD, email attachment or the web
4. Movie Making Tips. Provides help for the common Movie Maker tasks.

BE SURE YOUR PICTURES, VIDEO’S AND/OR MUSIC ARE IN THE APPROPRIATE FILES SO YOU CAN FIND THEM QUICKLY & EASILY - As always, organizing your work “before you begin a project” is very important… Personally I create a project folder in each category and then sub-folders for specific projects so it is easier to find what I am looking for – in those I put “copies” of hat I am going to use, so that originals stay in their original folder…

• All editing of photos - cropping, lighting, whatever – must be done before you begin this project
• Be sure any music you might want to use is copied (ripped) from the CD and saved on your computer in a file you recognize, so that you can access them easily when you want to bring them over to the project

Organize Files & Folders on your Computer

WINDOWS EXPLORER shows you where all your files are on your computer – an easy way to access this is to hold down the Windows Flag key + Tap “E” on your keyboard using the same “folder system” you would in a “filing cabinet”. Folders and sub-folders are "containers" to store files (documents, picutres, videos, movies, music etc). Every item named on a computer is a file and files are sorted into foldder, sub-folders and sub-sub-folders, which you create and name.

Some of the standard folders/drawers that Windows creates are: My Documents, My Music, My Pictures & My Videos. In Windows Vista & Windows 7, the word “My” has been dropped….They get their names from the fact that you use them as follows:

• My Documents: Use this folder to store other types of documents you save, such as typed text or spreadsheets
• My Music: Use this folder to store music you copy to your computers
• My Pictures: Use this folder to store pictures, such as those you get from a camera or scanner, or from the Internet
• My Videos: Use this folder to store videos, such as those you get from a video camera, emails or from the Internet

WINDOW EXPLORER BASICS:

• Windows Explorer Is The Computers “Filing Cabinet” Allowing You To Quickly & Easily Move And Or Copy Item (S) From One Folder And Or Drive To Another
• The Windows Explorer Screen Is Divided Into Two Sections/Panes: Left & Right And Divided With Separator Bar
• Windows Explorer for Windows 95 thru XP Uses Plus (+) And Minus (-) Signs To Display Or Close What Is In A Folder; Windows Vista & Windows 7 use the common Arrow signs
• Whatever Is Highlighted On The Left Pane Is What You Are Looking At On The Right Side Of The Screen

Quick Launch

The handy “QUICK LAUNCH” toolbar is available in Windows XP, Vista & 7 (Operating System Software) allowing you “one click” to start a program (application software) without having to “minimize” the program you are currently using and going back to the desktop to activate it, and this is typically located to the right of the START BUTTON on the TASK BAR.

To be sure you can work with the QUICK LAUNCH or see it, you must UNLOCK the taskbar in order to work with it. Simply right click on blank space in the TASK BAR, you will see an action menu, be sure “Lock the TASK BAR is not checked off” – if it, highlight & left click on it, which removes the lock.

TO DISPLAY THE QUICK LAUNCH BAR
Right click on the taskbar – You must click on an empty spot on the taskbar or you get a different menu-so don’t click on an icon already on the taskbar
• Left Click TOOLBARS
• Left Click QUICK LAUNCH from the pop-up menu

TO ADD NEW ICONS TO THE QUICK LAUNCH BAR
Simply CLICK and DRAG them from your desktop to the Quick Launch Bar, assuming your TASKBAR is not locked (if you want you can remove the icons from your desktop-it doesn’t affect the software in any way)

TO SEE THE QUICK LAUNCH BAR DISPLAY LARGE ICONS
• Right click the Quick Launch Bar
• Left Click VIEW
• Left Click LARGE from the pop up menu

Many use the QUICK LAUNCH area only, so that they have NO ICONS on the desktop.. In addition to application icons, you can also add Internet Logos to the QUICK LAUNCH, when you have a website on the monitor, simply Click & Drag the website logo to the Quick Launch.

When you drag icons to the QUICK LAUNCH area – watch for the black insert line before dropping the icon, remember you cannot put one icon on top of another.