Navigation on a Mac

Summary

How to navigate on a Mac computer

Instructions

To get started on a Mac, you should get to know the menus and tools and learn how information and applications are organized. Use the information below for help.

• Basics

  • The On button is on the back of the keyboard
  • To shut down, restart, or put to sleep, go to the Apple icon in the menu bar and select the option you want.
  • USB ports are located on the back of i-Macs
  • CDs and DVDs can be inserted on the side of the computer for older i-Macs; for the new i-Macs, they do not take CDs or DVDs
  • To safely eject your flash-drive, drag it to the Trashcan; the trashcan will turn to an eject symbol (⏏) as you do this
  • To delete a file or folder, drag it to the Trashcan in the Doc

• The Dock

  • The Dock is generally located at bottom of screen
  • It could be hidden- if so, drag mouse to bottom for it to pop up
  • The Dock contains frequently used applications
  • There will be a small light under the icons for all applications that have been opened and have not yet been quit

• Finder

  • When you turn on the computer, you will be in Finder
  • While working, to get back to Finder, just click anywhere in the desktop
  • In Finder, the menu at the top will be the finder menu
  • Through the Finder menu, you can get info about a file, empty the trash, arrange files in a folder, see all applications installed on the computer, copy and paste, open a file with a certain application, create a new folder, and more
  • To open a file or folder, just double-click it, or, while in Finder, highlight the file or folder, then go to File, and select Open
  • To open a file with a specified application, right click the file, then choose Open With, or highlight the file, go to the Finder menu, then File, and select Open With
  • Note that by right clicking the mouse, you can also get to several other of the Finder menu options

• The Menu Bar

  • The menu bar is at the top of your screen
  • The menu for the application you are in will appear here, starting from the left
  • At the right end are icons that show stats and give quick access to certain features such as sound volume, internet accessibility, date and time, search, Bluetooth status, and more

• Windows

  • The active window is the one you are currently working in
  • To make a window active, click anywhere in the window
  • To move a window around on the screen, hold your mouse down on the gray bar at the top of the window
  • To make window larger or smaller, click the green button on top left of gray bar
  • To close a window, click the red button
  • To minimize a window, click the yellow button
  • To open a minimized window back up, go to the dock, locate it, and click it
  • You can also resize a window by holding the mouse down on the bottom right corner and dragging
  • Hold down Shift, Command (⌘), and 4 at the same time to make a selection that creates a screen shot. If you are using a PC keyboard, it will be Shift, Windows key (⊞ ), and 4.

• Applications

  • To see a list of all applications installed on the computer, go to Finder, click on Go, then choose Applications
  • If you want to open an application, double-click it from the Applications drop down menu
  • Or, if the application you want is on the Dock, just go to the Dock and click the application
  • To quit an application, be in the application, go to the menu bar at top of screen and to the name of the application, then scroll down and select Quit.

• Organizing, Browsing, and Searching

  • You can create folders by right clicking on the desktop or going into Finder then File and selecting New Folder
  • The folder will automatically be ready to be named; to rename a folder or file, click the name, then click it again (but not as fast as a double click)
  • You can then choose where to store your folder; to move your folder simply click, hold, and drag
  • To move files from one folder or location to another, also simply click, hold, and drag; to copy files, right click and choose copy and then go to where you want to paste, right click and choose paste
  • Inside the Home folder (one that looks like a house under Go in Finder), there will be premade folders for organizing your work; you will see folders titled Documents, Pictures, Movies, Music, Downloads, Desktop, etc.
  • To organize the files in a folder, go to the Finder menu, then View, then Sort By, and choose the sorting method (Name will put the file names in alphabetical order.)
  • To browse, open the desired folder and keep opening labeled folders until you get to the file you want
  • To search, use the magnify glass in the upper right corner and type a word or phrase
  • You can also go to Find under File in the Finder menu; there you can narrow your search to a certain type, location, date, name, etc.

Key Words: Mac, navigation, Mac computer navigation