Cut, Copy and Paste

Cut, Copy and Paste with your Mouse

Before text in a file can be cut or copied, it must first be selected. It can they be pasted into another part of the file you are working on or even into a completely different file.

Selecting Text 

• To select text, place your cursor (looks like an I- beam) at the beginning or end of a section of text you wish to select. 
• Then click the left mouse button and a vertical bar called the 'text selection bar' appears and blinks at the cursor location. 
• Hold the left mouse button down and sweep the selection bar across text you want to select. 
• The text becomes hi lighted as you sweep it which means you've successfully selected it. 
• Release the mouse button when you reach the end of the text you want to select.

Copying Text

• Now that the text you want is selected, right click your mouse. Do not left click your mouse. If you do all the text becomes unselected. 
• A drop down menu appears with a number of different choices. Choose copy by moving your cursor over the word copy and clicking either mouse button. 
• Doing this places a copy of the selected text in an area of memory called the 'clipboard'. The selected text is left intact in source file.Pasting Text 
• The text in the clipboard can now be pasted where ever you want it. 
• Left click your mouse at the place in the text where you want to paste the clipboard contents. The blinking text selection bar appears. 
• Right click your mouse and a drop down menu appears as well. Choose paste by moving your mouse over it and clicking either button. 
• The clipboard contents are pasted at the location of the selection bar.That's it, you are done copying and pasting! If you like the changes you made be sure to save your work right away. 

Pasting Text

• The text in the clipboard can now be pasted where ever you want it. 
• Left click your mouse at the place in the text where you want to paste the clipboard contents. The blinking text selection bar appears. 
• Right click your mouse and a drop down menu appears as well. Choose paste by moving your mouse over it and clicking either button. 
• The clipboard contents are pasted at the location of the selection bar.That's it, you are done copying and pasting! If you like the changes you made be sure to save your work right away.

Cutting Text 

• Select the text you want to work with. 
• When your place your cursor over the selected text and right click the mouse, the drop down menu appears. Choose the 'cut' option by moving your cursor over it and clicking either mouse button. 
• The selected is sent to the clipboard and it is cut (removed) from the source file. 
• Follow the same procedure as above to paste it in the destination file.

Cut, Copy and Paste with the Keyboard

Sometimes it is easier and faster to use the keyboard instead of the mouse.

Selecting Text

• Use the up, down, left and right arrows to move the selection bar to the end of the text you want to hi light. 
• Hold down the 'shift' key and use the 'left' arrow key to sweep the selection bar across the text you want to select. 
• The selected text becomes hi lighted.

Copying Text 

• Hold down the 'Ctrl' key while pressing the 'C' key and the hi lighted text is copied to the clipboard.

Pasting Text 

• Move the text selection bar to the place in the file where you want to paste the clipboard contents. 
• Hold down the 'Ctrl' key while pressing the 'V' key and the clipboard contents are pasted at the insertion point. 

Cutting Text

• Select the text you want to work. 
• Hold down the 'Ctrl' key while pressing the 'X' key and the selected text is cut from the source file and copied to the clipboard. 
• Follow the same procedure as above to paste it in the destination file.

Emptying your Recycle Bin

Everytime you delete a file on a PC running a Windows Operating system it isn't really deleted. It is instead stored in a temporary holding area called the Recycle Bin. It stays there until you restore it or permanently delete it.

From time to time it is a good idea to go and delete the files you have no intention of restoring.

To delete all the files in the Recycle Bin do the following:

1) Locate the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and double-click it.

2) When the Recycle Bin opens, click 'File' on the menu bar and a list of options appears.

3) Select 'Empty Recycle Bin' from this list and every item in the Recycle Bin is deleted.

Deleting Temporary Files

Every time you access web sites on the Internet, temporary files are copied to your PC. These files contain information intended to make these web sites open faster on your next visit. They may also contain preferences you've entered on the site while visiting it.

All well and good so far. Over time, however, you can build up thousands of these files. Many of them may not be doing you much good, especially if they are from sites you've visited once never intending to go back.

Every once in a while, you should go in and clean these files out.

Here's how you do it:

1) In Internet Explorer click Tools, then click 'Internet Options'.

2) Select the 'General' tab and find the 'Temporary Files' section half way down the page.

3) Click the 'Delete Files' button and in the window that opens, check the box for 'Delete all offline content'.

4) Click OK and all the files are erased.

Change Icon spacing on your Desktop

You can move icons on the desktop closer together or farther apart.

1) Right-click anywhere on the desktop. Select Properties and the display properties box opens.

2) Click the Appearance tab:

* For Windows 98 - Select 'Icon Spacing (Horizontal)' or ‘Icon Spacing (Vertical)’ in the Item box

* For Windows XP - Click the Advanced button, then select 'Icon Spacing (Horizontal)' or ‘Icon Spacing (Vertical)’ in the Item box

3) Adjust the number in the Size box and you’ll see the effect of changes, as you make them, in the small display near the top of the window.

4) When you have the spacing you want, Click OK to save the setting.

Shortcuts on your Desktop

A shortcut is path to a program and is represented by an icon on the desktop that you can click to access the program. This saves you from having to navigate the path to the actual location of the program. It's easy to add a shortcut:

1) Right-click anywhere on the desktop. A pop-up menu appears.

2) Select New, then Shortcut and the ‘create shortcut’ window opens.

3) Use the Browse button to find the path to the application or program.

4) Select the program you want and the path to it appears in the 'location of item' box.

5) Click Next and the ‘select a title box’ appears where you are asked to enter a name for the shortcut.

6) Enter a name and then click Finish. The new shortcut appears on the desktop. Just drag it to where on the desktop you want it.

Change your Desktop Background

1) Right-click anywhere on your open desktop and select Properties from the drop-down list that appears.

2a) For Windows 98 - Select the Background tab in the window that appears and find the    section labeled Wallpaper that contains a list of files you can choose to use as Wallpaper.

2b) For Windows XP - Select the Desktop tab in the window that appears, and find the section labeled Background which contains a list of files you can choose to use as your Desktop background.

3) Click on one and it is shown in the small display in the window.

4) When you find one you like, click OK to keep as your desktop wallpaper!

Note: If the image does not cover your entire display and you want it to, go to the Display box and select the Stretch option.

Search for Files in Windows XP

A program called Search can help you locate Files and Folders on your PC.

1) Click Start, Search and the ‘Search Results’ window opens.

2) On the left side of the window, click the ‘All Files and Folders’ link and three fill-in boxes are displayed in the window:

a) In the box labeled ‘All or part of the file name’ type in the full or partial file name you want to locate.

b) You can optionally search for text within each file by entering the text you want to search for in the box labeled ‘A word or phrase in the file’.

Note: If you look for files by file name and text within the file, then only files matching both conditions will be found.

c) Click the arrow at the right side of the box labeled “Look In’ and in the drop-down list that opens, select the drive(s) you want to search in. If you want to search all folders in the drive you select, check the ‘Include subfolders’ check box.

3) Click the 'Search' button and all files and folders matching your search conditions appear in a list. The path of each folder and file is also displayed