M03-Operate Personal Computer_Note (AutoRecovered)
M03-Operate Personal Computer_Note (AutoRecovered)
A personal computer is a computer small and low cost, which is intended for personal use (or for
use by a small group of individuals). The term “personal computer” is used to describe desktop
computers (desktops).
This module defines operate a personal computer, including starting the PC, logging in, using
and understanding desktop icons and their links to underlying programs, navigating a directory
structure, saving work, printing, closing down the PC and word processing.
Module Unit
Start the computer
Access basic system information
Navigate and Manipulate desktop environment
Organize basic directory/ folder structure and files
Organize files for user and/or organization requirements
Printer installing
At the end of this session, the trainee will able to:
Operate a personal computer,
Starting the computer, logging in/off
Understanding desktop icons
Perform Navigating a directory structure, saving work,
Printing document
Install different printer
Viewing printer job
Module Learning Instructions:
Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
Follow the instructions described below.
Accomplish the “Self-check”.
If you earned a satisfactory evaluation from the “Self-check” proceed to “Operation
Sheet”.
Do the “LAP test” if you are ready.
2. Output: - is what the computer displays as a result of processing data (e.g., calculations or
instructions). Some examples of output devices are:
2. Password.
Usernames and passwords are set (for each authorized user) by the IT Administrator for the
organisation. Your teacher or IT Department (in an organisation) will provide you with these
details.
Sequence for switching on power of computer
1. Check peripheral device connections.
2. Turn on power at the power outlet.
3. If the monitor has a separate switch, turn it on.
B. Security conditions
Your username and password determine what information and features of the computer and
network you have access to, and this is determined by the IT security policy of the organisation.
Therefore, it is important to note the conditions of use that apply to you when you log on to a
computer with your username and password. These conditions appear on the screen before you
are asked to enter your name and password. You must click on the OK button after you have
If it is a shared PC; more than one user uses it, or one user with password protected, you will
arrive at Welcome Screen you can select the proper username and enter password
Note: Both Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically must be Off to make
this change.
In the “Change Icon” window, you can select any icon you want from the built-in Windows
icons, or you can Click “Browse” to locate your own icons.
Some of the icons are automatically placed on the desktop when Windows is installed. You can also
create shortcuts. Shortcuts are icons that represent files, folders or programs. They are really only a
link to the real file or program. In other words, they are like a nickname that stands for a person's real
name. All shortcuts have a little arrow in the lower-left corner of the icon. This indicates that the
icon is a shortcut. Any file, folder or program on your computer can be a shortcut. They do not use
up much room on your hard disk. It is a good idea only to make useful shortcuts. They should be
used for the files or programs that you regularly use.
Figure 4. 2 The Properties box for this file shows that the file is Read-only
Under the General tab of the Properties box, you can check or uncheck the boxes for read-only or
hidden. More attributes are under the Advanced button.
Click OK to save any change to the attributes and close the Properties box.
Folder views
There are many different ways you can display your electronic `filing cabinet' to view your files
and folders. Some people prefer to see their folders and files listed while others prefer to have
them displayed as icons.
Changing the folder view
Follow these steps to change the folder view.
1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Select View from the toolbar
3. Select how you want your files and folders displayed, e.g. Details
You can display files or folders as:
Icon’s view shows each folder and file as a large icon with its name underneath. If you have a lot of
folders and files it is difficult to see them all at one time in this view because the large icons take up a
lot of space.
List view is where the files and folders are arranged in columns. You need to use the bottom scroll
bar or left and right Arrow keys to see all of them.
Detail’s view presents the file system as a list with details about the files and folders. These details
include the name of file in alphabetical order (A-Z), the size of file, the type of file (i.e. Word
document, spreadsheet, graphic document) and date and time when it was modified, that is, created
and/or changed.
Changing the view of all folders
The view options you select only apply to the open folder. If you want to change the view of all
folders, you must use the Folder Options dialog box.
Follow these steps to change the display of all folders and files in the same way:
1. Open Documents
2. Click on Tools on the top toolbar
3. Click on Folder Options. A dialog box will appear like the one below
4. Select View
5. Select the settings you want
6. Click on “Apply to all Folders”
7. Click on OK
Folder properties
A folder's 'properties' refers to information about:
its type
its location
its size
the number of files and other folders it contains
when it was created
Information about the size of a folder is useful if you need to save the folder on to a floppy disk and
want to know if it will fit.
4.3 Renaming Directories
4.3.1 Renaming folders
You will notice that there is a '+' (plus) or '-' (minus) sign next to the main folders or directories.
The `+' sign indicates there are sub-folders (sub-directories) within this folder. When the folder has
a minus sign beside it, it means that all the sub-folders within the folder are on view.
You can rename a folder in the same way that you rename a file.
Follow these steps to rename a folder:
1. Open Documents
2. Find the folder you want to rename and right click on it
3. Select Rename from the shortcut menu that appears
4. Type the new name on top of the old name. As you type, the old name will
4.3.2 Deleting folders
The steps for deleting a folder are the same as for renaming a folder but you select
Delete rather than Rename from the shortcut menu above.
Follow these steps to delete a folder:
1. Open Documents
2. Find the folder you want to delete and right click on it
3. Select Delete from the shortcut menu that appears.
4.4 Move subdirectories between directories
Sometimes it is necessary to move a folder to another location or folder. Here are two ways you
can do this. (Note that you can move a file in the same ways.)
4.4.1 Use ‘Move to Folder’
1. In window view, click once on the folder you want to move (so that it is selected).
2. In the window’s Toolbar click on the Edit menu and select Move to Folder.
3. Select the folder you want to move the selected folder to. To do this, scroll up or down the
list to find the target folder. You may also need to expand folders to find the folder you want.
To select the target folder, click on the folder name so that it is highlighted.
4. Click on the Move button.
4.4.2 Drag the folder to the new location
Another way to move a folder is to drag the folder to the new location:
Click on the folder icon and keep the mouse button down as you drag the folder over the
top of the target folder. Release the mouse button when the target folder is highlighted.
OR
Click-drag the folder into the window area of an open folder or drive window.
4.5 Accessing Directories and subdirectories
4.5.1 Access directories on your computer
You can view folders on a drive and the contents of the folders through windows. Double-
clicking on a drive icon or a folder icon opens a window which shows you its contents.
Figure 4. 3 selecting Folders and sub folders from the left and right panel
Operation Sheet 4.1 creating folder and arrange folder
1. Press the WIN key, or select the search bar from the bottom-left corner of the taskbar, near
the Start button.
2. Start typing the name of the file, app, or another item you’re looking for, but don’t press
Enter just yet.
3. Click on Search.
3. Right-click the name of the disk drive and select Eject. Remove any discs from the
drive that may have ejected at this time.
Figure 5. 2 Eject a disc
4. Insert a blank disc into the drive and close the drive. The amount of free space
displays below the drive icon and the icon changes to reflect the type of disc that
was inserted.
Figure 5. 3 Drive icon showing that a writeable disc has been inserted
6. Type a title for your disc (default is the date), then select Like a USB flash
drive or with a CD/DVD player, depending on how you want to use the disc.
In the Prepare this disc window, type the disc title (default is the date), select the
recording speed, then click Next. Your selected files burn to the disc.
2. Select Global Settings to choose how the current pdf session closes when a single
session or multi session capable disc is ejected.
3. Click OK to save your changes.
5.4 Restoring Deleted files
5.4.1 Delete and restore files
You may need to delete files or folders, for example, when you no longer need them or when
they are copied to another disk.
Here are two ways you can delete a file (a folder can be deleted in the same ways).
1. Right-click on the file you want to delete
Right-click on a file.
Left-click on Delete in the menu.
The file is now moved to the Recycle Bin which sits on the desktop.
2. Drag the file to the Recycle Bin
Another way to delete a file is to drag it to the Recycle Bin on the desktop:
Click on the file and hold the mouse button down as you drag it to the Recycle Bin.
When the file is directly on top of the Recycle Bin the bin will be highlighted. At this
point release the mouse button and the file will be moved into the bin.
If you have deleted files or folders but not emptied the Recycle Bin you can still get the deleted
files back. This is called restoring a file. To do this you need to access the Recycle Bin from the
desktop:
1. Double-click on the Recycle Bin to open it. Inside this window you can see the files that
have been deleted.
3. Click on Restore in the menu. The file will be returned to the place it was previously
deleted from.
2. Select Empty Recycle Bin from the menu. (If there are no files in the bin then this option
will be faded.)
The files that were previously deleted (transferred to the bin) are now permanently deleted.
5.5 Erasing and formatting Disks
You can format a disk if you want to erase the contents of the disk. You might want to do this
because you no longer need the data that was stored and you want to reuse the disk. You might
also want to format the disk if it has a virus.
To format an external drive in Windows:
1. Plug your drive into the computer and, if necessary, into a wall outlet.
2. Open Windows Explorer, click the "Computer" section in the sidebar, and find your
drive.
3. Right-click on the drive and choose "Format."
4. Under "File System," choose the file system you want to use. See the above section for
more details on which one to pick.
5. Give your drive a name under "Volume Label," and check the "Quick Format" box.
6. Click "Start" to format the drive. You'll get a notification when it's done (it should only
take a few seconds).
When you're done, open up the drive in Windows Explorer and you can begin dragging files to
it, or backing up your computer.
Figure 6. 2 The Printing Preferences for Microsoft Office Document Image Writer
6.4 Change printer to default setting
If you have access to more than one printer, then one of those printers will be the default printer.
This means it is automatically selected when you send a job to print. In Figure 6.3 . you can see
that the default printer has a tick on it.
To set a printer as the default printer:
1. In the Printers and Faxes window right-click on the name or icon of the printer.
2. Select Set as Default Printer from the menu.
Figure 6. 3 Select Set as Default Printer to make this printer the default.
You can send a document to the printer from the desktop or from within the application program
that created the document.
To print one or more documents from the desktop:
1. Open a folder that contains one or more documents.
2. Click on the name of the file you want to print.
3. To print more than one file, hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key on your keyboard and keep
clicking on files to add them to the selection.
4. When all the files are selected, right-click on one of the selected files. Select Print from
the menu. All the files you selected will be sent to the printer.
6.5.1 Print a web page
To practice printing a document from within an application program, try printing a page from a
website. Your computer needs to be connected to the Internet and have a web browser such as
Internet Explorer.
Double-click on the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop to
open the program. (If your web browser is not on the desktop
you may need to open the program from Start then the All-
Programs menu.) When the browser program is open you will
see the Internet Explorer menus at the top of the window.
Click on the File menu then select Print from this menu.
The Print box allows you to change the printer and change the printing preferences for the
job. (Note that any changes here do not permanently override the default settings)
3. In the Print box check the printing preferences for your job.
4. Click on Print.
Book Reference
Business Applications of Computers, Oka, M. M. 10th ed Everest
Computer Applications in Management Dahiya, U/ Nagpal, S. Taxman Allied Service
Introduction To Computers, Norton, Peter 6th ed TMH
Milestones in Computer Science and Information Technology by Edwin D. Reilly
Dictionary of Computer Science by Andrew Butterfield (Editor); Gerard Ekembe Ngondi
(Editor); Anne Kerr (Editor)
Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology by Harry Henderson
Web Reference
http://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdf_file/0007/115486/E77650.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/29933867/TYPES_OF_PRINTER
https://www.slideshare.net/catherinelvillanueva1/ict-83930037
https://quicklearncomputer.com/
https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/websites/web-development/how-are-websites-
accessed/
Participants of this Module (training material) preparation