How to Customize Your Mouse Pointer

Series Summary

Computers are complex machines built upon very simple principles. They perform arithmetical operations millions of times over to transform digital information moving at lightning speed into usable human data. A personal computer's job is to help a user create, manipulate, deliver, receive or delete media content. This is a simple, sterile definition that sounds uninteresting on the surface. Nevertheless, these fundamental functions mimic human ability in some surprising ways. Therefore, the computer is increasingly becoming an engine of the imagination, a platform for the digital life. In this free video series, a software developer demonstrates how to execute a number of tasks on a computer, including functions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Vista. Discover how to turn off automatic spell checking, how to sort tables, how to crop graphics, how to troubleshoot internet connections and how to test computer memory. Additionally, tips are provided for more advanced computer skills, such as using the strlen command in C++. Improve computer literacy today with these tips!

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Dave Andrews, and today, I'm going to show you how to customize your mouse pointer, in Windows XP. To begin, let's click on the Start bar down here, at the bottom, and come up to Control Panel. In this list, you will find Mouse, right there. Let's double click on that to open up the Mouse Properties. To change your mouse pointer, click on the second tab, which is Pointers. This has come up with the Windows default scheme for mice pointers. Let's double click on this Normal Select, and that will open up our Cursors Folder. These are all of the default cursors, that Windows comes with. I want to start with a banana, so let's select the banana, and press open. Now, press Apply, and as you can see, my mouse cursor has now become a banana, that will peel itself. To change it back to the default pointer, let's say you messed up or picked the wrong one. Just click down here and say Use Default, and then press Apply again. Now, my mouse pointer is normal again. You have all these different types of pointers that you can change, for different uses. It's a very easy tool to use. My name is Dave Andrews, and I've just shown you how to change your mouse pointer, in Windows XP."