Computer Literacy

Using Computers and File

Management (With Windows
OS)
Outline
 Operating System
 Starting and Manipulating Microsoft Windows
 Working with the mouse
 Closing Windows and shutting down the Computer.
 Working with Menus
 Working with Disks
 Starting and closing a Program
 Start menus and taskbar
 Opening Multiple Programs
 Creating documents
 Creating Folders
 Moving and Copying Documents and Folders
 Renaming Documents and Folders
 Deleting Documents and Folders
 Understanding the Explorer
 Using a printer
Video Moment:
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Operating System
 It is a program/(system)
software that controls the
system’s hardware and
interacts with the user and
application software.

 The operating system acts

as an intermediary
between application
programs and the
computer hardware.
Operating Systems (O/S)
Functions of an operating system
 It Provides a user interface. In other words displays the
on-screen elements with which you interact.

 Loads programs into the computer’s memory so that you

can use them.

 Coordinates how programs work with the computer’s

hardware and other software.

 Manages the way information is stored on and retrieved

from disks.
 Manages resource sharing.
 Types of an operating system
Operating systems can be categorized according to availability,
number of users, type of interface design and manufacturer:
According to number of users
1) - Single-User/Multi-Tasking Operating Systems
2) - Multi-User/Multitasking Operating Systems

Single-User/Multi-Tasking Operating Systems:

 Allows a single user to perform two or more functions at
once.
 Commonly used on personal computers.
 Examples include; Microsoft Windows and MAC OS.
4) Multi-User/Multitasking
Operating Systems:
 Allows multiple users to
use programs that are
simultaneously running
on a single network
server.
 Here, each user is given a
user session on the server.
 UNIX, Linux are
examples.
 Maintenance can be easy.
 Requires a powerful
computer.
 Types of an operating system
Real-Time operating Systems:
- Is an operating system intended for applications with fixed
deadlines.
- - Very fast, relatively small OS.

- - Also referred to as embedded OSs

- - Built into a circuitry of a device, not loaded from a disk drive.-

- - RTOS is needed to run real-time applications such as automobile

engine controllers, spacecraft, industrial robots etc.

- - A real time application is an application that responds to certain

inputs extremely quickly.
Types of an operating system
According to interface design
 - Command line interface
 - Graphical user interface

 According to manufacturer
 - Microsoft Windows operating systems
 - Linux
 - Mac OS etc
 Types of an operating system
The two most common types of user interfaces are graphical and
command line.
1) Graphical user Interfaces (GUI):

 Most common interface used in versions of;

Windows, MAC OS, in some versions of LINUX and UNIX.
 Uses a mouse to work with graphical objects such as
windows, menus, icons, buttons and other tools.
 Can use Shortcuts to open programs or documents.
 It enables task switching.
 Advantage: It frees a computer user from memorizing and
typing text commands.
Graphical User Interface
The User Interface - GUI Tools
Icons are pictures that represent computer resources,
such as printers, documents, and programs.
You double-click an icon to choose (activate) it, for
instance, to launch a program.
The Windows operating system offers two unique tools,
called the taskbar and Start button which help you run
and manage programs.
A menu groups related commands. For example, the File
menu's commands let you open, save, and print
document files.
In programs designed for the same GUI, menus and
commands are similar from one program to another.
2) Command Line Interface
 Older interface used in MS-
DOS, Linux, UNIX.
 User types commands at a
prompt to execute tasks.
 User must remember all
commands.
 Windows also has an optional
command prompt that can be
used by administrators to run
non-GUI programs for
managing and
troubleshooting windows.
Personal Computers Operating Systems
 Microsoft Windows:
 Microsoft created the Windows operating system in the
mid-1980s.
 Earlier windows versions include windows 3.0, 3.1,
windows 95, 98, 2000, windows NT and many more.
 Other versions are Windows 7 (released in
2009), Windows Vista (2007), and Windows XP (2001),
windows 8, 10 and 11.
 It comes preloaded on most new PCs, which helps to
make it the most popular operating system in the world
 Mostly Graphical user Interface.
 Latest windows versions have additional features such
as; Digital Media support, Advanced Networking and
Communications, Advanced Mobile Computing .
Personal Computers Operating Systems
 Macintosh Operating System(Mac OS):
Used on Apple machines.
 It comes preloaded on all new Macintosh
computers, or Macs.
Apple also offers a version called Mac OS X Server,
which is designed to be run on servers.
Apple computers tend to be more expensive this is
why Mac OS users are very few compared to
Windows users ( which are over 90%).
Personal Computers Operating Systems
• Linux
– It is a 32-bit/64-bit OS that supports multiple users and
multiple processes at the same time.
– It is a free or inexpensive version of UNIX.
– It is very stable, fast and secure.
– Mostly uses a command line interface but also has a GUI
environment.
– It is Open Source which means that it can be modified
and distributed by anyone around the world.
– The most popular Linux distributions include Ubuntu,
Mint, Redhat, Debian, CentOS and Fedora.
Windows Operating
System Basics
Using a computer
•Starting your computer
– Check that it is plugged into the electricity
socket, press the button to power it.
– Some computers have a single button for both a
computer and the screen others have two.
•Powering up or booting
– Is a technical term for starting up a computer
and display windows desktop screen.
•A Cursor
– Is a symbol usually an arrow that you move
around the computer screen by moving the
mouse across your desktop.
Appearance of a Windows desktop

Icons

Icons

Start button
Task bar
Task bar
Start button
Common terms
• Clicking
• Briefly holding down the left or the right mouse
button.
• By clicking on an item around a computer screen
means you have selected it.
• Left , right and double clicking give different
functionalities.
• Menu
• A list of items displayed on a computer screen.
• Taskbar
• A horizontal bar across the bottom of the windows
desktop that displays a start button plus the name of
any open application.
Common terms
•Multi-tasking
•Ability of windows to have several
applications and files open at the same
time.
•Buttons

Maximize Restore
Minimize Close
Button Button
button Button
Common terms
• Command button
• A button that performs or cancels an action e.g. OK
and Cancel buttons.
• Dragging with the mouse
• Moving a selected item on the desktop by clicking on it
with the left mouse button, and holding the button as
you move the item.
• Dialog box
• A rectangular box that windows displays when it needs
further information before it can carry out a command
or when it needs to provide you with more information.
Common terms
•Drop-down list box
•Is a list of options that you can select
from.
•Option buttons
•A group of round buttons indicating
alternative choices.
•Check boxes
•A set of square boxes that you can select
or clear to turn options on or off .
Working with the Control Panel
• The Control Panel is a part of the Microsoft
Windows GUI which allows users to view and
manipulate basic system settings such as adding
hardware, adding and removing software,
controlling user accounts, and changing accessibility
options.
• The control panel helps the computer user to change
settings and customize the functionality of your
computer.
• To access the control panel: Click on the Start
button- then click on Control panel in the menu
items provided or type Control panel in the search
area provided on the task bar.
Working with the Control Panel
 Exploring your computer
• Computer drive
• Is a physical storage device for holding files and folders in
a computer.
Viewing drive properties

Right click on hard disk drive

and click on properties.
Drive properties
Managing your hard drives
• Disk Management in Windows helps you perform advanced storage tasks
like initializing a new drive and extending or shrinking volumes.
• To open Disk Management, right-click (or long-press) the Start button and
select Disk Management.
File Naming Conventions
• A computer file is a named collection of data that exists on a
storage medium such as a hard disk, a flash disk, a memory
card etc.
• Is a computers’ basic unit of information in a storage.
• When you create a file, you must provide it with a valid
filename that adheres to specific rules, referred to as file
naming conventions.
• Special characters like / \ : ? < > * are not allowed in Windows
filenames.
• Reserved words like CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, COM2,
COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1 etc
are used as commands or special identifiers in Windows. You
cannot use these words alone as a filename.
Directories and Folders
•An operating system maintains a list of files called
a directory for each disk, CD-ROM or DVD.
•The main directory of a disk is its root directory.
•Most operating systems allow the user to divide a
directory into smaller lists called folders or
subdirectories.
•A computer file’s location is defined by a file
specification (or path) which includes the drive
letter, folder(s), filename, and extension.
Example File Specification

• A:\DATA\GOOD.TXT
– A: is the Drive Letter
– DATA is the folder name
– GOOD is the filename
– .TXT is the filename extension
File Sizes and Dates
• File size is usually measured in
bytes, kilobytes or megabytes.
• The file date is the date the file
was created or last modified.
 File Management
Folders are the best way to organize and store your
data on your computer. Folders located inside other
folders are often called subfolders. Steps of creating a
folder in windows.
Go to the location (either a folder or the desktop)
where you want to create a new folder.
Right-click a blank area on the desktop or in the
folder window, point to New, and then click Folder.
Type a name for the new folder, and then press
ENTER.
 Moving/copying Files
• To move files, first highlight the files and then choose
Edit, Cut from the menu, and Edit, Paste in the menu
of the target window.
• Files can also be moved and copied by dragging.
• Place the mouse pointer on a highlighted file and
move it while holding down the left mouse button.
• Release button at the target point.
 Deleting Files
•When you delete a file, the operating system
changes the status of the file’s clusters to empty
and removes the filename from the FAT.
•To delete data from a disk in such a way that no
one can ever read it, you can use special file
shredder software that overwrites empty sectors
with random 1s and 0s.
•The Windows Recycle Bin is designed to protect
you for accidentally deleting hard disk files that
you actually need.
Some of the short cuts used in Windows
•Copy: Ctrl + C
•Cut: Ctrl + X
•Paste: Ctrl + V
•Undo: Ctrl + Z
•Maximize Window: F11 or Windows logo key + Up arrow
•Open Task View: Windows logo key + Tab
•Display and hide the desktop: Windows logo key + D
•Switch between open apps: Alt + Tab
•Open the Quick Link menu: Windows logo key + X
•Lock your PC: Windows logo key + L
Revision Questions
1. What are the differences between the
command line and GUI interfaces?
2. What is a non-real-time OS?
3. What are the characteristics of a non-real-time
OS?
4. Where can a non-real-time OS be applied?
5. Critically, discuss the following features of a
Windows Desktop:
I. Start Button
II. Taskbar
III. System tray
Questions cont …..
6. State the steps that you have to follow to create a
folder with three subfolders on the desktop?

7. Name and explain the four mouse operations

8. What is a water mark? What steps would you

follow to insert watermark in a word document?

9. What is the difference between the following types

of document views: draft view and outline view?

10. List any two examples of word processing

Applications