Windows desktop:
Managing attachments
Learn how to safely view and download files that are sent to you as attachments. You’ll discover how to scan attachments for viruses and other threats before you open them and share them with others.
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Transcript
Welcome the the Windows desktop: Managing attachments course. In this course, we'll be looking at email attachments. You'll learn how to safely save and check them for viruses to be sure they're safe. You'll also learn how to attach a document to a new email. And, how to send it on to a friend. We'll also show you how to print out an email attachment you've received.
To follow along with this demonstration, your computer must have the latest edition of Windows, which is Windows 10. All Windows 10 computers work in a similar way. But because each computer maker does things a little differently, some of the screens in this video might vary from those on your computer. Don't worry, though, you should still be able to follow along.
It should take around 15 minutes to complete the video. But you can pause, or rewind to check any steps you're unsure about. Before you begin, make sure your Windows computer is installed with Windows 10, plugged into mains power, properly connected to a monitor, mouse and keyboard, switched on and showing the desktop.
If you'd like to follow along on your own computer, you should also have an email account and be connected to your home Wi-Fi and printer.
Email is a convenient way to send and receive documents and pictures using your computer. The files that come with an email are called attachments. Most attachments are safe, but sometimes they can contain viruses and other unwanted software that can damage your computer and the information you keep on it. Luckily, you can check that an attachment is safe by saving it to your desktop and asking your computer to scan it for threats.
Saving an attachment is different to opening it, so is safe to do. While it can be safe to open and read an email, never click on a link or open an attachment you're unsure about. A link or file inside an email may contain viruses or other unwanted software.
To show you how to scan an attachment for viruses, we'll use a flu vaccination pamphlet from our doctor as an example. In this demonstration, we're going to use the Mail app that is included with Windows 10. When you sign into your computer with a Microsoft account, the Mail app should be automatically set up. Don't worry if you don't have an email address, or get your email some other way. You can still follow along and see how it works.
First, let's find the email that has the pamphlet attached to it. Let's open Mail now. Your computer should be showing the desktop. Go ahead and click on the Start button. A panel appears, and from here the quickest way to find the Mail app is to just start typing the word mail. You don't need to click anywhere first, just type. Once you've finished typing, you'll see Mail at the top under Best match. Click on it.
The search panel will close, and the Mail app will open. New emails appear here in the middle column. Here's the email from our doctor. Click on the email once, and it appears in the read column to the right. This grey box shows the attached pamphlet. This kind of file is called a PDF. PDF stands for Portable Document Format, and it's a kind of document that you can read on your computer, but you can't change its contents. To read this PDF, you could double-click on the grey box to open the attachment. But we want to be sure it's safe, so let's scan it for viruses first. To do this, right-click on the grey box, and some options will appear.
Click on Save, and a File Explorer window will pop up. One the left, you can see a list of different folders. Find Desktop, you might need to scroll using your mouse. Click on Desktop, and then click Save. The attachment is saved as a PDF file on the desktop, and an icon for it will appear. If you can't see the icon, the Mail app might be on top of it. You can move the Mail app out of the way by clicking and holding it with your mouse, then dragging it. The Mail window will move along with your mouse until you let go of the button. Move the Mail window until you can see the icon for the attachment.
Great, now you're ready to scan the attachment for viruses and other unwanted software. Now you've found the icon, go ahead and use your mouse to right-click on it. Some options will appear. Look for Scan with Windows Defender. Click on this option, and the attachment will be scanned right away. Once it's finished, the results will appear on the screen under Scan options. The first line of the report is the overall result of the scan. No current threats, great news. Under this, you can see some information about how long the scan took, and how many files were scanned. You can be confident that the attachment does not contain any viruses and is safe to open and read.
If the attachment was dangerous, a red box would warn you that your computer is under threat. Your computer will then take you through the steps to safely remove the virus.
Your computer comes with Windows Security built in, but you might wish to invest in an antivirus software. This can provide added protection for your computer, and runs at the same time as Windows Security. So it's like having two bodyguards instead of one. Antivirus software is available to buy from a store or a website, and can also protect some of your other devices. There are many to choose from and most offer a free 30-day trial, but make sure you carefully read all the fine print about ongoing costs before signing up.
Now, since we know the attachment we received from our doctor is safe, let's look at how to send it on to someone else.
We'll use Mail again, which should still be open on your screen. On the left of the Mail window, click on New mail. You can also click the white plus symbol if you can't see the words New mail.
A panel appears ready for you to type a new email. Click where it says To: and type in an email address. We're going to send the flu shot pamphlet to our friend. Click on Subject, and write what the email is about. We're going to write Free flu shots. Next, click in the blank area under subject. We'll write a quick note to our friend here, explaining why we're sending them this pamphlet.
Now it's time to attach the pamphlet to the new email. We'll use the drag-and-drop method, which is very easy. Find the file on the desktop, and click and hold the mouse on it. Now drag the file until it is on top of the white area. The mouse pointer needs to be over the main part of the email, below the subject. Let go of the mouse button and the file will drop into the email. When you see the file in a grey box, like this, well done. You've successfully attached it to your email. The file will also still be on your desktop. That's because whenever you attach a file to an email, your computer knows to keep the original. When you are happy with your email, look in the top-right of the Mail window and click on Send. Your email will disappear. It's on its way to your friend with the attachment in tow.
To double check you sent the email properly, look into the left column of the Mail app and click on Sent. If you can't see Sent in the left column, click on Folders. A new menu will appear on the right. Find Sent in the list and click on it. You'll now see any emails you have sent to other people. If you can see the email with the attachment at the top, well done, you've successfully sent the email. You can close Mail now, so go ahead and click on the X in the top-right corner. Great work, you're nearly at the end of this course.
Let's finish up by looking at a quick and easy way to print the leaflet using your home printer. If you have a PDF on your own desktop that you can use, you can follow along. Otherwise, you can just keep watching and see how this works. First up, let's double-click on the PDF icon on the desktop file. The Edge web browser will open, and the pamphlet will appear. Up in the top-right here, click on this little icon of a printer. The Print Options panel will appear. The name of your printer appears here. Now click on Print. The Print Options panel will close, and your home printer will print out the file for you to read.
Congratulations, this is the end of the Windows desktop: Managing attachments course. When you're ready, feel free to continue with some of the other courses to learn more about what your Windows computer can do.