Lora, if you click on the arrow, it should open up a box above it where extra icons are stored. To add another, click and drag the icon into a space between any two of the icons already there. It should put it in that bunch. If it doesnt show in the four or five icons beside the start button, click on the double arrows and it should be in that list

That was easy thank you for your help!

One thing further, if you do get the icon down where you want it. It sometimes will leave one on the desktop too. You can right click on them and delete it (no need to have duplicates)

loralee-
I'm curious...Why don't you have a mouse? It seems like this would really slow down what you can do on your computer.

The lap top doesn't come with a mouse and I bought this mainly for traveling this summer. I was thinking if I were using it in the car there would be no room to use a mouse. But as I am trying to get everything set up here at home its almost a nightmare without a mouse. Just thought you don't use a mouse with a laptop.

It certainly does slow down what I can do on the laptop by not using a mouse.

Now that several has pointed the errors of my way a mouse is now on my shopping trip before I leave in May.

Thanks for everyones help.

loralee-
You must have a functioning touchpad on your laptop, right? Your original question had to do with dragging something, and that is an operation you can easily do with a touchpad by using a finger on the touchpad to hover the cursor over what you want to drag, holding down the left touchpad button with another finger, and then using the first finger to do the dragging while the button is still held down. You can also use a conventional mouse if you want. I have a very tiny one that I bring along when I travel because I like a regular mouse better than a touchpad. But you can use the touchpad to do essentially anything you can do with a two-button mouse. Were you aware of that? It's just an issue of what you prefer.

loralee, if you plan on using the laptop in the car, you must make sure that you are using it on a hard surface so as not to plug the vents/fans on the bottom/sides of the laptop. Otherwise, you are going to run into a big heat problem and it will shut down on you all the time.
Something like a tv tray top would work great.

or a cutting/chopping board.

I have been practicing with this touchpad, it just takes a whole lot getting used to. I do think a mouse would be so much easier.
Thanks for the help on Holding and dragging I did not know about the touch pad buttons. Thanks!

I also had not thought about the positioning of the lap top in the car and air circulation, thank you for letting me know this also.
A TV tray sounds great I do have one I can take with me.

I use wireless 'mice' with my laptops. Makes life so much easier.

How long can I keep a laptop unplugged without using it? I will be traveling and unless I need it I was going to keep it in the trunk until we get to the motel each day. Saves constantly locking it in the trunk every time I get out to do some site seeing. But I do not want to run the battery down either.
Also I clicked on something and installed the google desktop gagets. I do not need this on my desk top how do I get rid of i? This says It will be running in the background all the time.

Thanks

I have a Logitech wireless mouse that I misplaced and had to buy another. The new one has a very short receiver, I think you call it. I like that feature a lot, I was always afraid I would bump the other one and break it off. I leave this receiver plugged in all the time and shouldn't get lost that way. When I travel I can store it in the compartment in the mouse.

you can look in add remove programs to see if the googles desktp gadgets are listed there and then remove it from there. be very cautious when installing anything these days even updates they now have toolbars and added junk they have checked and if you do not watch carefully and uncheck those items you will end up with stuff on your pc you did not want like the google stuff.

The small usb wireless mice that are made specifically for use with laptops are excellent, my husband carries one in his laptop case because he hates the touchpads.

I did buy a mouse for the laptop.

I need to know how long I can keep the laptop computer unplugged without running the battery down. It looks like it has a battery life of 3 to 4 hours. I will be doing a lot of site seeing and in and out of the car so was just going to leave it in the trunk of the car. We probably won't be where I can plug it into the motel for about 12 hours. Do you think the battery would be totally run down by night time?

Shut Down when you put it in the trunk, or hibernate.
It won't consume any power and will have the same battery level you had when you last used it. Shut down the battery will hold its power for a long time, month or more. Unless the battery is bad or quite old.

Sleep uses a very tiny slight amount of power so that would be ok too, but its best to shut down unless you have a reason to save the desktop. Hibernate saves the desktop to the hard drive, sleep saves it to the memory but uses a slight amount of power to hold it in memory. Probably hold it in sleep for weeks.

Thanks Mikie this is exactly what I needed to know. Now I will not worry about it. I will be taking it into the motel each night and plugging it in to use it. I am new to the laptop world. I bought it for this 6 weeks across the US trip.

Thanks Loralee

Depends I guess on the car/color and breezes, but some trunks get mighty hot here in florida's sun.
Just read arizona for kids safefty,, cars interior rises 45F over ambient in one hour, and another site about the same.
You might want to look at the specifications for laptop temperature ranges,, both opperation and storage. Wouldnt want to run it when its really too hot from sitting in the truck all day.

IBM technote;
Note: Be aware that extreme temperature ranges within the trunk/vehicle can damage laptops.

My toshiba's spec shows storage max is 149F/65C, opperation max ambient temp 95F/35C

How about putting it in a "cooler"?

No ice of course. (smiles)
Urlee