How do you open and close windows and manage these areas?! tutorials do not say!

Support Basics & Interface
1

I am really trying to get into Blender, and have been going through a lot of tutorials for the last few days. One thing that always happens is a windows get duplicated or one window closes, and I can not get back to the original layout. It is a very basic thing, but the tutorials do not say how to manage the windows, at least none of the ones I watched and I watched a bunch. The manual does not say, it only explains the windows, not how to add or remove them. It is almost as though it was such a basic thing that no one thinks it even needed to be explained. For example, I pressed a key which full screen the 3d view, and then when I tried to go back the the regular layout, the outliner window was gone. I tried to bring it back but it would only come back in a full screen! Being unable to go back to the regular interface is preventing me from finishing anything. I desperately need help on this!

2

I tried to bring it back but it would only come back in a full screen! Being unable to go back to the regular interface is preventing me from finishing anything.
You shouldn’t be strating anything until you have a grasp and understanding of the basics such as the interface.
I suggest you experiment with the blender interface and understand how it works before you start trying to make anything. File / Load factory Settings gets you back to the defaults

Wiki entry. You split and join adjacent frames.http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Interface/Window_system/Arranging_frames
Select the window type using the dropdown list in the left corner of the header http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Interface/Window_types

3

They have lots of great tutorials, including beginner ones.

4

This is a great place to start.

http://gryllus.net/Blender/3D.html

Take a weekend and do every one of these videos (they are like 5 minutes each) and by Sunday night you will have a pretty good understanding on the blender interface and things you can do with it.

5

Thanks everyone, after going through a bunch more tutorials, I think I have a grip on the interface now.