KOLFE INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE

department of ICT
UC:- OPERATE PERSONAL
COMPUTER
Lo1:- Start the computer
• This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in
the cover page.
• Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able
to –
• Check peripheral device connections for correct position
• Understand OHS standards
• Check input voltage for the device based on the OHS standards
• Switch the power on at both the power point and computer
 Checking Peripheral device connections
• What is Computer?
• An electronic device that can store, retrieve and process data, and can be
programmed with instructions that it remembers.
• The physical parts that make up a computer (the central processing unit,
input, output and memory) are called “hardware”.
• Programs that tell a computer what to do are called “software”.

Process of computer for data

 Conn…
• A computer (also referred to as a PC) can be used for various functions
like:-
word processing accessing the Internet
 spreadsheets sending email

Databases  playing games

 movies
 business accounting
 music etc
 desktop publishing
Conn…
 Conn…
1. Monitor (or Screen or VDU - Visual Display Unit)

The monitor (or screen) enables the operator to view data (and to alter it before printing it out).

2. System Unit containing CPU (Central Processing Unit)

• The System Unit can contain storage devices such as a
• Hard disk
• RAM
• Floppy disk drive and CD ROM drive.
• A chip (called a Central Processing Unit) within the system unit processes data and relays messages to
and from the keyboard, monitor, disk drives and printer.
3. Keyboard: The computer keyboard has the standard QWERTY layout with extra keys for specific
functions.
4. Speakers: The speakers play sound when on-capable features are accessed on the computer.
 Conn…
5. Mouse: A mouse is used to:-
• Select menu options
• Text and graphics displayed on the monitor.
• Scrolling horizontally and vertically data to view
6. Printer: A printer is used to print text and graphics onto paper.
7. Hardware: The physical components of a computer system -
everything that you can touch - are called hardware.
8. Software: The programs used on a computer are called software.
• This includes system software and application software such as
• Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.
• System software is necessary in order to run a computer and all
Conn…

9 Hard Disk, Floppy Disk and CD ROM Drives

• Drives are used to store and access data.
• A hard disk drive is a permanent storage device within your computer.
• Floppy disk and CD ROM drives allow you to read data from portable
media (CDs and floppy disks).
10. Video Card
• A video card fits inside your computer and determines the resolution
(fineness of information) and number of colors your monitor can display.
• In addition to color, some video cards allow the display of graphics such
as graphs, circles and geometric designs as well as text.
How computer works
• The computer system needs :-
• People
• Data
• Hardware
• Software to operate.
• The process for getting data in, processing the data
and getting the information out is known as
input/process/output.
 Computer input device
Input is the data that is entered into the computer.
• Entered data is text, video, audio, image and anthers.
• It is entered through input devices.
• Some examples of input devices are:
Mouse
Keyboard
Microphone
Scanner
Digital camera
Joy stick
Touch pad
Mp3 player
Digital video player (plays DVDs).
Using a mouse (input device)
• The mouse is used to move the mouse pointer around the screen

and to perform tasks such as moving and opening folders or files.

• A mouse could be attached to a computer with a cord or it may be
cordless (a remote mouse).
• You see the position of the mouse on the screen by seeing a symbol.

• The mouse symbol moves around the screen as you move the mouse.

• Depending on the task you are doing, the mouse symbol could look like any of
the following
Conn…

A mouse pointer: means you can click on an item, such as a folder icon, to
select it or move it.

A timer: means the computer is busy processing a task so you need to wait until
the computer finishes the task and the symbol changes back.

Flashing insertion point: When you click the mouse the insertion point will flash if
text can be entered or deleted.
I
I-beam: This shows you where your mouse is when it is hovering over text.
 Computer Output device
• Output is what the computer displays as a result of processing data
(eg calculations or instructions).
• Some examples of output devices are:
• Printers
• Speakers
• Monitor/screen. Etc.
Computer Process device
• Processing refers to the computer performing operations and
calculations (using the data that has been input and software).
• This processing of data is done by the central processing unit (CPU)
that is housed in the system unit.
Computer system have the following two mail parts

Hardware Software
Peripherals: Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Word
Mouse External CD Writer Microsoft Excel
Monitor Printer Microsoft PowerPoint
Keyboard Scanner Microsoft Internet Explorer
Computer Games
 Understanding OHS standards
• Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) - A planned system of working
to prevent illness and injury where you work by recognizing and
identifying hazards and risks.
• Health and safety procedure is the responsibility of all persons in the
computer and technology industries.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Standards was formulated in
1978 in compliance with the constitutional mandate to safeguard the
worker's social and economic well-being as well as his
physical safety and health.
 Purpose of OHS
• The purpose of the Health and Safety policies and procedures is to guide and
direct all employees to work safely and prevent injury, to themselves and others.
• All employees are encouraged to participate in developing, implementing, and
enforcing Health and Safety policies and procedures.
• The six main categories of hazards are:
• Biological:- Biological hazards include viruses, bacteria, insects, animals, etc., that
can cause adverse health impacts. ...
• Chemical:- Chemical hazards are hazardous substances that can cause harm.
Gases, dusts, fumes, vapors and liquids.
• Physical:- Slippery floors, objects in walkways, unsafe or misused machinery,
excessive noise, poor lighting, fire.
• Safety:- properly using safety material during working otherwise hazards is happen.
• Ergonomic:- poor design of equipment, workstation design, (postural) or workflow,
manual handling, repetitive movement.
• Psychosocial:- Negative or misunderstanding of work place.
 5 basic workplace hazards
• There are a number of safety hazards linked with using computers and
ICT devices.
• This section looks into some of these potential hazards and what you can
do to prevent them.
• The most common hazards are from
1. Chemicals,
2. Fires,
3. Repetitive motion,
4. Electricity
5. Fall related injuries.
• Keeping your employees safe can ensure a happier, more
productive workplace.
• Build safety policies that address the specific hazards in your workplace.
 Health problems

• We will also look at some of the medical conditions and health

problems that prolonged use of ICT devices can cause and what you
can do to avoid them.
• There are a number of health problems that you can suffer if you
use ICT devices incorrectly or for too long.
• The main ones are:
• Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
• Back and Neck Strain
• Eye Strain and Headaches
 Description of these health problems, their causes and how to
prevent them
• RSI(Repetitive Strain Injury) causes painful swelling of the wrist and
fingers.
• Sufferers with really bad RSI are unable to use their hands at all.
• RSI is caused by doing the same small movements over and over
again across a long period of time.
• For example, clicking a mouse button repeatedly.
• Computer users who type and use a mouse all day long are commonly
affected.
• Back ache and neck ache can cause great pain and really affect the quality
of your life. Both back and neck ache can be caused by sitting
incorrectly and using poor quality chairs without back rests.
• This is called poor posture
 Conn…
• Staring at a computer screen for too long can strain your eyes and cause
headaches.
• Eye strain can cause your vision to blur.
• Common causes of eye strain are screen flicker and having direct
light causing screen glare
 Safety Issues
• There are a number of safety issues that can arise from using ICT devices.

• Some of these safety issues include:

• Electrocution

• Tripping over wires

• Heavy equipment falling on you

• Fire risks
 Trailing Cables
• Computer equipment is often connected to lots of cables: power,
network, etc.
• If these cables are laying on the floor, they can cause people to trip over
them
• Solution: Place cables inside cable ducts, or under the carpet / flooring
 Spilt Drinks or Food
• If any liquids are spilt on electrical equipment, such a s a computer, it
can result in damage to the equipment, or an electric shock to the user.
• Solution: Keep drinks and food away from computers
 Overloaded Power Sockets

• Plugging too many power cables into a socket can result in the socket
being overloaded, overheating, and a fire starting.
• Solution: Never plug too many cables into a socket. Always make
sure there are fire extinguishers nearby
 Checking Input voltage
• Power supply is an important component of the system, and there
is no computer that will be able to work without it.
• It provides all the consumers inside computer case with the required
electrical energy, while converting the AC voltage that comes from
the electric socket into a constant one.
• Choosing a power supply for a computer, you need to be guided by
its power, based on the number of consumers that will be connected
to it.
• If the power supply fails, the entire computer will not be able to
operate
 Steps to check the computer power supply voltage

• Plug the power supply into the wall.

• Find the big 24-ish pin connector that connects to the motherboard.

• Connect the GREEN wire with the adjacent BLACK wire.

• The power supply's fan should start up. If it doesn't then it's dead.

• If the fan starts up, then it could be the motherboard that's dead.
 Starting a computer running
• Starting your computer is also known as booting the computer.
• It is important to switch your computer on in the correct way
because the computer will check the peripheral devices on start up.
• Starting the computer will also start the operating system
 Sequence for starting a 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.
4.Switch on the printer.
5.Check to see if there is a floppy disk in the floppy disk drive if
your computer has one.
• Eject the disk to ensure the computer starts from the hard drive.
6.Switch on the system unit. If using a desktop PC, the power
switch is usually a button on the front or side of the system unit. If
using a laptop, the power switch is usually at the top of the keyboard.
7.The computer will perform a start-up routine. When the start-up
routine has completed then the operating system will start.
 Sequence for shutting down a computer
• Follow this sequence if you do not have to log off first.
• Close all files (remember to save your latest work if necessary).
• Close all software programs.
• Remove floppy disks or other storage media from drives if necessary.
• Click on Start on the taskbar. Select Turn Off computer from the Start menu.
• Check that Turn off is selected.
• Click on OK to confirm. Your computer may automatically turn the power off
but if not you will get a message like ‘It is now safe to turn off your computer.’
• Switch off the computer and the power outlet.
 he
T d
n
e O 1
f L
o
LO2:Access basic information
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary
information regarding the following content coverage and topics –
• Inserting user name and password to access computer desktop
environment
• Navigating operating system to access system information
• Using On-line get help functions
Inserting user name and password to access computer
desktop environment
• Getting familiar with the desktop environment
• Using the mouse
• One of the most useful tools for working on a computer is the mouse.
The mouse is used to move a pointer or cursor around the screen, in
order to select a button or icon to perform a particular task, or to
access, move or copy data.
• When you create your own files using application software (like a
word processor) you’ll use the mouse to help you write and edit text or
other data.
Mouse pointer: On the screen, the mouse usually appears as a small white or black arrow. When you move your mouse on a flat
surface, the arrow will match the movement on the screen.
Conn..
Doing tasks with the mouse
There are a variety of mice available. Apple computers have a single button, while
PCs can have either two buttons (a left and a right button) or three buttons (left,
middle, right). The left and right mouse buttons, however, are commonly used by PC
operating systems.
Some common ways that you can use a mouse with two buttons include:
• Left-click: One click of the left mouse button allows you to choose something on
the screen.
• Right-click: One click of the right mouse button will often open up a shortcut menu.
• Double-click: Quickly clicking the left button twice allows you to open a selected
file or folder.
• Click-drag: Left-click on an item, such as a file icon, and keep holding the mouse
button down, then drag the item to move it to a new location.
 Desktop windows

The desktop is the background screen that appears as soon as the

computer has finished starting up.
The desktop is part of the operating system software, so its appearance
is controlled by system settings.
There are several useful items on the desktop including:
Icons: An icon is a small picture that may appear on your desktop.
Double left-clicking on an icon is an easy way to open a program, files
or other items (such as storage drives).
Icons allow you quick access to all of these items.
• A window is an area on the screen that displays programs or
information. For example, windows are a device the operating system
uses to display a list of the contents of a folder.
Conn..
There are several features of windows including:
Title bar: This is a bar that appears at the top of the window. It often
includes the name of the program or folder.
Minimize: This option shrinks the window to its smallest size. It will now
only appear as an option on the task bar. The program is still open; left-
clicking on it in the taskbar will restore it to its regular size.
Maximize: This options makes the window expand to its largest size.
Close: This will close the window. If you need to save your work, a
program will usually ask you to save before closing.
Scroll bar: This is a slider on the right-hand side of the window that allows
you to move down the contents of the window, in the same way you might
have scrolled down a website page. Left-click and drag the slider, or left-
click on the down and up arrows in order to move up or down the window
contents.
 The task bar
• The Task bar is a horizontal bar at the very bottom of the desktop.
• It shows any applications or windows that are open. If there is more
than one document open in an application, it will show the name of the
application and the number of files open.
• It also shows the time and short cuts for any other items open on the
desktop.
Conn..
• The Start menu
You can left-click the Start button on the Task bar to see the Start
menu. This menu allows you to:
access information about the computer system you are using
access controls for changing the way that information is displayed
access application programs that are installed on the computer.
Navigating operating system to access system
information
• The Control Panel
The Control Panel enables you to view and change settings to things
like:
• The display—screen savers, patterns, appearance, wallpapers.
• Date and time
• The system—resources that the system has available such as devices
listed in the hardware tab.
• Printers and faxes—shows printers and faxes and their settings.
• There are other options that you could use once you are more
confident.
 Conn…
• The Control Panel window contains many icons that represent different
controls, players or information about the computer system.
• You can access any of these by double left-clicking on an icon.
• Look at Figure 4 on the next page. Find the icons for:
 Customize the desktop
• It is possible to customize your desktop, for example,
• To change the background pattern
• The style of the text displayed by the operating system.
• Task bar location.
• Desktop icon
• Date and time
• Brightness and colour
• You do this through the Control Panel through the Display icon.
• Now, on your own computer, follow the steps below to customize
the desktop on your computer.
Conn..
• For task bar location customize
1. Right-click on Task bar  task bar setting taskbar then
select(top ,bottom, left, right).
Conn…
• For desktop icon customize
• Right-click on desktop select(sort or view) by name, size..)

sort view
 Appearance

Change the color scheme and font size

Note: From now on the word ‘click’ refers to the left mouse button.
1. Select ‘Windows style’ from the Windows and Buttons option. To do this,
click on the arrow to see a drop-down menu which lists the options. Then
move the mouse pointer down the list to select the option you want.
2. Select a Colour scheme in the same way you changed the Windows and
Buttons option. Notice how the colour scheme changes on your desktop as
you choose different options.
3. Now change the font size, for example, try ‘Large’.
4. Click on OK to save the changes you have made OR click on Cancel if you
don’t want to save the changes.
 Change the date and time

Follow these steps to change the date and time on your computer clock.
1. Click on Start on the Task bar.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Click Clock and Region
4. Double-click on the Date and Time icon.
The tabs here give you options for how the time and date is displayed and allow you to set the correct
time on the computer’s clock if necessary. Check the following options are set on your computer:
5. Click on the change Time Zone tab.
6. Select ‘Aus Eastern Standard Time’ from the drop-down menu.
7. Click on the change Date & Time tab.
8. Click on the drop-down menu and select the correct month.
9. Use the up and down arrows to select the year.
10. Click on the date in the calendar to select the day.
11. Under the clock, use the up and down arrows to select the correct time.
12. Click on OK to save the changes you made OR click on Cancel if you don’t want to save the
changes.
 Check printers and faxes

• Now we’ll look at how to check the settings for the printers that are
connected to your computer.
• Open the Control Panel.
• Click Hardware and Sound
• Devices and Printers
• Double-click the Printers icon.
1. Click on a printer to see the corresponding list of Printer Tasks
listed to the left. To perform any of these tasks, click on the task
name in the list.
2. Right-click on the printer icon to see a drop-down menu with
additional options.
Conn…
• Change printer preferences
Follow these steps to see the options available for your printer.
1. Right-click on a printer icon and select (with a left-click) Printing
Preferences from the drop-down list.
2. In the Preferences box, click on each of the tabs and notice
3. the options that are available. You can change the paper
4. size or paper orientation under the Page Setup tab
5. Click on Cancel to close the preferences box without saving any
changes.
6. Click on the Close button to close the Control Panel.
End of LO2
LO 3: Navigate and Manipulate Desktop Environment
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary
information regarding the following content coverage and topics –
Creating and Customizing Desktop icons
Selecting, Opening and Closing desktop icons to access application
programs
Manipulating Application windows to return original conditions
Creating and Customizing Desktop icons
Desktop Overview
A computer desktop provides you with an easy way of identifying,
organising and accessing stored data and programs on your computer.
A computer desktop can display shortcuts to get to application
programs and storage devices (such as the hard drive).
You can also create your own shortcuts to places on a hard drive or
network, so that you can open particular websites or files and folders
quickly.
All these shortcuts are displayed on the desktop as icons.
Icon for Internet Icon for accessing Icon for a shortcut to Icon for a shortcut to
Explorer. Double- shared files on a a folder that is on the a website. Double-
click this icon to open network. Double- computer’s hard click this icon to go
the program click this icon to go drive. Double-click to the website
to the network this icon to go to
open the folder
 Create desktop icons/shortcuts

• Now try customising your own icons/shortcuts on your desktop. For the
following examples, the operating system Windows is used. We will practice
two ways of creating a desktop icon:
1. Click and drag an item from a menu.
2. Use the Create shortcut command in a window’s File menu.
Create a desktop icon to open the Control Panel
Follow these steps using your own computer.
Click on Start on the Task Bar.
Click on the menu item Control Panel but keep the mouse button held
down and drag the mouse pointer from the Control Panel to the Desktop.
• The following icon will now be on your desktop:
Conn…

Create a desktop icon to open the DVD/CD drive

• You can also place shortcuts to storage media drives on the desktop.
You would do this if you are regularly using these items.
• Double-click on My Computer (on the desktop).
• Click DVD/CD Drive and drag this item to the Desktop.
• The following icon will now be on your desktop:
Customize the appearance of icons

Rename an icon
You can rename any icons on the desktop such as a shortcut to a folder.
1. Right-click on the icon you want to rename so that a menu appears.
2. Move the mouse down the menu and select Rename. The name of the icon
is now highlighted (which means it is selected).

• use the keyboard to type the new name for the icon. The text that you type
will replace the highlighted text.
• Press Enter on the keyboard OR click anywhere on the desktop to save the
new name.
Change the picture for a shortcut/icon
• You can change the picture for a shortcut/icon by selecting from a range of icons
provided by the operating system.
• Right-click the shortcut/icon you want to change so that a menu appears.
• Click on Properties.
• Under the Shortcut tab, click on Change Icon.
Conn….
• Click on the icon picture you want then click the OK button
Change the size of icons
You can change the size of icons and the text related to the icons.
Right-click on an empty area of the desktop—not on an icon. A menu appears.
Click on Properties. A Properties box appears.
In the Properties box click on the Appearance tab.
Click on the Advanced button.
Select ‘Icon’ from the Item drop-down box
Change the size of all icons by clicking on the down or up arrows under Size:
(for Item:).
Change the size of the text related to icons by clicking on the Font size arrows.
Click OK to make the changes OR Cancel to return to the desktop without
making changes. If you want to make the changes, note the original settings
(so that you can return and put the sizes back to their original settings).
Selecting, Opening and Closing desktop icons to access application
programs
Arrange icons on the desktop
When you have a lot of icons or shortcuts on the desktop you may want to
organise them according to either:
Their name (alphabetical order)
Their size (the amount of data that the icon points to)
Their type (group icons for files made with the same program)
When they were modified (group the icons according to when they were last
customised).
When you arrange the icons according to any of the above preferences they will
regroup on the desktop and be laid out in rows (if Align to Grid is also selected).
Right-click on an empty area of the desktop—not on an icon. A menu appears.
Click on Arrange Icons by, then from the sub-menu choose your preference.
 Keyword
Copy and Paste: Creating another copy of a file to another location
Cut and Paste: Moving a file to another location
sub-directory: A folder inside the main folder
Directory: Another name for Folder
Restore Files: Retrieving files from the recycle bin
Empty Recycle Bin: Deleting files from the recycle bin
Mouse Pointer : A small white or black arrow
Computer desktop :Displays icons and shortcuts