Subjective Important questions of Basic ICT Skills
1. What is the function of the ENTER key?
Ans. The label on this key can be either ENTER or RETURN, depending on the brand of the computer.
The ENTER or the RETURN key is used to move the cursor to the beginning of a new line. In some
programs, it is used to confirm the work which is being done.
2. How will you prevent others from using your computer?
Ans. To prevent computers from being used by unauthorized persons it must be locked when the users are
not working on it. This will ensure that no unauthorised person can see or make changes to our
information without taking our permission. To make sure the computer is locked, the login IDs and
passwords must be created. A login ID and password is like a key to the lock which allows the user to use
the computer only if the entered login ID and password match with the computer database. Once finished
the work, the user must log out or sign out so that no one else can see the work.
3. How is a computer file system similar to our physical file system in a school?
Ans. In any school, each teacher has a separate cabinet where they keep the files of different students or
classes on separate shelves. Similarly, information on a computer is stored in electronic files, which can
be put into separate folders. It is easier to manage the electronic files as they can be simply copied,
moved, renamed or even deleted.
4. What are the steps you will perform to save a text file in Ubuntu? Ans. The steps to save a text
file in Ubuntu are:
1) Click on the Save button.
2) The Save As dialogue box appears.
3) Browse to the Desktop folder, where you want to save a file.
4) Type the name of the file.
5) Click on Save.
5. Explain how to clean a computer on a daily basis. Ans. The ways to clean a computer on a daily
basis are:
(i) Keyboard: Clean a keyboard with a soft brush to remove crumbs and dust particles.
(ii) Screen: Wipe the screen with a soft cloth to remove any finger marks.
(iii) Be careful with food and drinks: Avoid eating and keeping glasses of water or cups of coffee near a
computer.
(iv) Handle devices carefully: Handle and move your laptop carefully and avoid dropping or banging it
against a hard surface.
(v) Keep the computer cool: If a computer, laptop or mobile device gets overheated, the internal parts
can be damaged. The CPU has an internal fan to keep it cool. We should make sure the fan is functioning.
Avoid leaving a device in the sun or in a closed car. We should be careful when using a laptop while
sitting in bed and make sure that the fan is not covered.
(vi) Do not overcharge your battery: Sometimes we keep a device plugged in for charging even after it
is fully charged. If we leave the device plugged in for a long time, it can overheat the battery. This
reduces the battery life. Always unplug the device once it is charged 100%.
(vii) Always plug in devices carefully: Any device being connected to a laptop or computer such as a
USB drive or headphones, should be done gently. It should not be forced into the port. If you find it
difficult to plug in a device, change the direction and try instead of trying to force it in.
(viii) Do not run too many programs at a time: When too many programs are running at the same time,
the computer can become slow and even crash. If a program/app is not being used, it should be closed so
that other programs can work smoothly.
6. How can you increase the performance of a computer? Ans. The ways to increase the
performance of a computer are:
1) Uninstall unnecessary software
2) Limit the programs at the startup
3) add more RAM to your PC
4) Check for spyware and viruses
5) Use Disk Cleanup and defragmentation
6) Consider a startup SSD
7. Explain how the Trojan Horse virus works.
Ans. A Trojan horse, or Trojan, is a type of malicious code or software that looks legitimate but can take
control of your computer. It is designed to harm your computer without knowing you. It can steal the
data, manage or change the data by itself. This will harm your computer or network.
8. List the various ways you can use to protect your data.
Ans. The various ways to protect our data from theft and viruses are:
(a) Use passwords to log in to your computer: Use passwords that are difficult to guess. Passwords are
difficult to hack if they are a mix of small (For example ‘a b c d’) and capital letters (For example, ‘H J E
R’), numbers (For example ‘8 7 6 5’) and special characters (For example, ’% ^ # $’). This would prevent
unauthorised people from using your computer.
(b) Install Anti-virus and Firewall: Anti-viruses and Firewalls monitor the data coming in and out of a
computer and prevent viruses from entering. Anti-viruses can also detect and clean viruses that may have
entered a computer.
(c) Encrypt Data: This is usually done by banks and companies in which important customer
information is stored. They can encrypt their entire hard disk using the encryption feature in Windows
(Bitlocker). This would force users to use a decryption password (or key) before starting the computer
thus preventing unauthorised usage.
(d) Secure sites: Give details of your credit card or bank account only on secure sites. See in the address
bar of the browser. If the site address starts with https://and a lock symbol, then it is safe to give your
credit card and bank details
