GETTING STARTED WITH THE BASICS
Home Screen
When you open the Chromebook, you will be asked to login using your @students.ci.k12.mn.us account gmail and password. After logging in, you will come to desktop which looks very similar to the picture below. There are three main areas that you can access from this point on the Chromebook.
- Shortcuts- to the Chrome browser, gmail, Google search, a new Docs file, and YouTube
- Access- to your Chrome Apps and files
- Settings- for your Chromebook user account
Access GridClicking on the Access grid will open a new window that will let you open installed apps and Files that are on the Chromebook. On the bottom of the window, you can see there are three panels of apps. By clicking on the gray lines, you can switch between panels.
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Settings WindownClicking on the bottom right corner of the desktop will open the settings window. This will let you sign out of your account, connect to a different wireless network, enable Bluetooth, change volume, and access the settings.
Once you click on Settings, you will open a new tab within the Chrome browser. From the Settings page, you can access the Chrome History, manage extensions, and access the settings. The Settings is where you will find changing the appearance, touchpad, keyboard, search engines, and switch users.
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Managing Files on the Chromebook
On Chrome OS we have Downloads and Google Drive. To view the file manager, click Files from the Chrome OS Apps menu. If you like keyboard shortcuts, use this: CTRL + M The file manager opens in a new windows and you will see Downloads and Google Drive.
Downloads
Downloads drive contains files stored on your Chromebook locally. That means, files you see here are on the SSD card of your Chromebook (Hard Drive in some Chromebooks) You can right click anywhere inside the Downloads drive to create new folders. It works similar to folders on your PC. |
Google Drive
The Google Drive on your Chromebook lists files stored on your Google Drive account. These files are not on the local drive. They are on the cloud. That means, you can access them from any device, if you login to Google Drive. Even though Google Drive lists all the files there, not all of them are physically present on your Chromebook. Files are downloaded when you try to open them. To make files available offline, follow the instructions in the Work Offline tab on this site. |
Transferring Files from Downloads to Google Drive
Drag and Drop Between Google Drive and Downloads You can drag and drop files from the Downloads drive or Google Drive to copy files between them. When you drag a file from Downloads drive to Google Drive, the file will be uploaded to your Google Drive. 9 When you drag a file from Google Drive to Downloads drive, it will be downloaded and copied to your local drive, making it available for offline use.
Deleting Files
To delete a file, right click and choose Delete as you would normally do on a PC or a Mac. You can use the following keyboard shortcut as well: ALT + BACKSPACE
Do not waste time looking for Trash. There isn’t any! If you accidentally delete a file, click Undo on the top of the file manager window to retrieve the file.
Do not waste time looking for Trash. There isn’t any! If you accidentally delete a file, click Undo on the top of the file manager window to retrieve the file.
Keyboard Browser Shortcuts |
Other Useful Shortcuts
Trackpad Tips
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