Introduction to MINITAB in the
Saint Mary's Microcomputer Lab
I. Starting and stopping Minitab
A. To begin a Minitab session :
- Log in to the network on your favorite
platform (Mac or Windows) or (for a class exercise) on the platform
your instructor tells you.
- Then make the appropriate sequence
of selections:
Windows:
- 1. Start
- 2. Statistical Software
- 3. Minitab 13
Mac:
- 1.Hard disk
- 2. Statistics (folder)
- 3. Minitab 10.5 (folder)
- 4. Minitab 10.5 Xtra (program)
-
The Program starts and you will see the
"Session" and "Data" windows ("Session"
window at the top)
If you will be using previously saved
data, you will need to retrieve the worksheet containing the data-
for details see III. Saving and
retrieving Data . Otherwise, you will
need to enter your data using the Data window - for details see
II. Entering and correcting data .
Note that
you will be able to open and use previously saved Data files (.MTW
files - for details see III. Saving
and retrieving Data ) and Graphs (.MGF
files) but will not be able to reopen or edit Session
files (.LIS files) though you can print them. For information
on opening and/or printing files see VI.
Saving and printing your work.
B. To end a Minitab session
- 1. Save your data (this
is in the worksheet)- in your own filespace (the h: drive in
Windows, the "disk" named with your ID on the Mac)
using the File>Save Worksheet As.. command (for details
see III. Saving and retrieving
Data )
- 2. Save your results
(these are in the session window) (this is a separate step from
1) using the File>Save Session Window As.. command
- make sure that the Session window is the active window and
that you are saving in your own filespace - give the file a name
you will remember ("Session" is not a good choice -
this would cause the newest results to erase & replace older
files). For details see VI. Saving
and printing your work.
- 3. Save any graphs that you want to keep using the File>Save Graph command
- make sure that the Graph window you want is the active window
and that you are saving in your own filespace.
- 4. Print your results
by making the Session window active (click on it) and using the
File>Print Session Window command. If you do not want
to print your results now, be sure you save them (step 2) so
you can open the saved file later with a word processor - remember
that Minitab will not open and edit old Session files, though
the program will print them using the File>Print Text File
command. For details see VI.
Saving and printing your work.
- 5. Quit the program
using the command appropriate to your platform: File>Quit
on the Mac or File>Exit in Windows
-
Remember to Log out of the network.
Last update 8/10/00
Maintained by cpeltier@saintmarys.edu