Module 8: Tips on What to Do When You Get Stuck

 

Pop-up Menus: One of the features that often confuse new internet users are pop-up menus. Since there is little need to use them when a person is first learning to use the internet, you may not have heard of pop-up menus. Below is an example of what one looks like when it shows up on your computer.

As you can see, this pop-up menu isn't connected to any particular command, as opposed to the drop-down menus you learned about earlier in the tutorial. Pop-up menus show up when you "right click" on a web-page. Right clicking is done by clicking the right mouse button instead of the left. This happens somewhat often by accident. What you need to know is how to get rid of a pop-up menu when you don't want to use it. All you have to do is left-click on a blank space on the web page, and the pop-up menu will close.

If you'd like to try that now, try right-clicking on this web page and you will get a pop-up menu. Then left-click on a blank space on the web page and the pop-up menu will disappear.

On a side note, notice that the pop-up menu offers command functions similar to the commands on a drop-down menu. If you want to use one of the commands under a pop-up menu, you simply left click on the command. 

Saving Files on Your Computer: Saving files onto your computer can be more complicated than it needs to be. The problem that usually occurs is that you have saved your file, but you don't know exactly where on your computer it is saved at. One of the easiest ways to avoid this problem is to save your file onto a floppy disk instead of the computer's hard drive. Also, if it is a very important file, you may want to save the file on two separate disks. It is always good to have a backup copy. 

Notice that there are two different choices offered for saving a file, under the file menu. "Save" and "Save As".

When you are saving a file for the first time, the computer will automatically ask you where you want to put the file and what you want to name it. If you make changes to that file and want to save the changes, you simply choose the "save" option, and it will save the updated version under the same name, essentially copying over the original. If you don't want to change the original, you need to choose "save as" and give the file a new name. Now you will have two files that are different. If you want to save the same file in a different spot on your computer, you can choose "save as" and that will allow you to change the location for the saved file. Then you will have the same file saved in two different places.  

The "x" button:  You will notice that many programs, especially internet browsers, have an "x" button located in the upper right hand corner.

 If you left click on the "x" button, the program will close completely. Advertisements often show up in pop-up menus and you can close them using the "x" button in the upper right hand corner. 

The "home" button: Many websites have a "home" button that will take you to their main page. If you get lost within a particular website and want to start over, try going to their main page by clicking on the websites "home" button.  The "home" button on your browser program is different. It will take you to your home page, the page that you see every time you start your browser program. This is handy for when you get lost or when you just want to start surfing from the beginning. 

The "stop" button: Sometimes a browser doesn't communicate right with the internet and gets stuck. If you have chosen a link to follow while navigating the web, and the new page seems to be stuck downloading, click on the "stop" button in your browser. Then "refresh" the current page. Now try clicking on the link again and see if it loads faster.  Sometimes this won't help at all, because it isn't a browser problem. It may simply be that the particular web page you are moving to is very slow to download. 

Control/Alt/Delete: If you get really stuck, and nothing seems to be working on your computer, you can try the following; press the control key (marked as "ctrl" on the keyboard), the "alt" key, and the "delete" key on your keyboard, at the same time. This should pull up a box that tells you what programs are running and whether they are "running" or "not responding".  

If a program is not responding, you can highlight the program and choose "end task" to close it. If it gives you additional messages about the program not responding, continue choosing the "end now" option, until the program is closed.

If the control/alt/delete combination does not pull up this box, your computer is completely locked up. You can try the control/alt/delete combination several times and it will eventually cause your computer to re-boot. 

Help Files: Always remember to look at the help file when you get stuck. In many cases you can find the answer you need there.

Module 9: Internet Jargon

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