Using the Save As... dialog box on Windows

Using the Save As... dialog box on Windows

The Save As... dialog box on both Windows PCs and Macintoshes works the same way but does not look exactly same. Here's how to use the Save As... dialog box on Windows PCs:

To save a document means you have to create a document. Then I'll lead you through these steps after you open a program.

Activity 1: Saving a document

1) Open a program on your Windows computer. (WordPad will do, in the Accessories menu in Start > Programs.)

2) Type something (any few words) into the document window.

3) Call down the File menu and click on the Save menu item. You will get a dialog box that looks like this:

 

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About the Save As... dialog box

The Save As... dialog box differs some between individual different applications but all have three basic functions. The Save As... dialog box allows you to:

1) tell the system where you want the file saved,

2) give the file a name and

3) (if you care) change the file format.

About Save vs. Save As...

You'll note that the steps above specified you call down the Save As... menu item, not the Save menu item. If you have already given a file a name and a place to live, Save will simply save any changes you may have made into that existing file. If you have yet to give a file a name and a place to live, the Save menu item will automatically call up the Save As... dialog box.

Now to continue with Activity 1

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3) Now that you have the Save As... dialog box open, type in a name (like Martha).

4) Change the top part of the dialog box so that the file will be saved to the Desktop. (You change the location of where the file will live by clicking on the pop-down menu and going to the menu item Desktop and clicking there.) Your dialog box will now look like this:

5) Now click the Save button. This will cause three changes:

a) The dialog box will go away (that's OK -- you're done with it now) and

b) the title bar of the Application window now will show the name of the doucment -- the sign that you've given the document and

c) if you look at the desktop you'll see the document icon with of the file you've created!

That's how you use the Save As... dialog box!

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