Creating a Shortcut

 Creating a Shortcut for Ms Excel in Program Folder  
              i.      Right Click on Task BarProperties " Start Menu "Classic Start Menu "Customize "Add
           ii.      In the next step select the Excel.exe file by clicking Browse or type path in Command Line Text Box. Then click Next Button.
         iii.      Select the Programs  from Program folder dialog Box and click Next
         iv.      Give desired name for your Shortcut  (Ex: Ms Excel 2000) and Click Finish


    Creating a Shortcut for Ms PowerPoint in Desktop
i.        Right click on Desktop and select  New _ Shortcut
ii.     In the next step select the Powerpnt.exe file by clicking  Browse or type path in Command Line Text Box. Then click  Next Button .
iii.         Give a name for your Shortcut (Ex: Ms PowerPoint 2000) and Click Finish.


Shutting down your computer


                       This is the protected and safe way to switch off your computer.

i.        Make sure all the programs that are currently running in windows are closed properly.
ii.     Click Start _ Turn off Computer _ Turn off and then click ok.

Start Button & Start menu.


     Start Button & Start menu.
When you click Start button, the Start Menu will appear. Following Sub Menus are available in Start Menu.

i.        All Programs 
This will contain all the installed programs. (Ex: Word, Excel and Access)
ii.     My Recent Documents
This will contain recently accessed documents and files.
iii.    Control Panel
 Control Panel is full of specialized tools that are used to change the way Windows looks and behaves.
iv.   Search
 This is used to search files and folders.
v.      Help and Support
This will guide you for getting help about Windows XP. Microsoft Help and Support is a comprehensive resource for practical advice, tutorials, and demonstrations to help you learn to use Microsoft Windows XP.

vi.   Run
You can run some windows commands and dos commands.

folder in Desktop


  To create a folder in Desktop
i.  Right click on Desktop _ New _ Folder

To rename a folder
To rename a folder Right Click on folder and select Rename and then type a new name.

Recycle Bin

When you delete a file or a folder, it normally goes to the Recycle Bin and Recycle Bin is the common place where your computer keeps deleted files and folders
i.  Deleting a file or a folder
If you want to delete a file or folder, first select the file or folder and then press Del key in the keyboard.
ii.     To restore a file or folder
To restore, first select the file or folder and      then select File _ Restore
iii.   To permanently delete a file or folder
First select the file or folder and then Press Shift Ê Del simultaneously.
iv.   Empty Recycle bin
Remove all files and folders which are stored in Recycle bin. To do this open the Recycle bin and click F1ie _ Empty Recycle bin.

To change Screen Saver

i.        First Right Click on Desktop
ii.     Select Properties ] Screen Server ] Choose Screen Sarver from Drop Down List and then Click OK.

To change Color Scheme

i.        First Right Click on Desktop
  1. Go to Properties ] Appearance] Select desired color scheme from Drop Down List and then Click OK.

Adding a Desktop Wallpaper

i.        To add a Desktop Wallpaper , First Right Click on Desktop
ii.     Select Properties ] Desktop _ Choose Background Picture or browse a picture and then click OK.

My Computer & My Documents

2.      My Computer
My Computer will allow you to access Disk Drives such as 31/2 Floppy Disk, Hard Disk and CD Rom.

3.      My Documents
My document is the common place where you can save your files such as Documents, Presentations, Pictures, Video Files and MP3 songs.


Windows XP

1.      Using the mouse in Windows
a.      Single click   : To select an Item(Ex: a folder, an icon or an application)
b.      Double click : To open an Item (Ex: a folder, an application or a program)
c.       Right click    : This will open a Pop Up Menu which will help you to do special task    on selected object
Note : if you want, you can change, Point to select an item and Single Click to open an item

2.      Icons
Clicking an icon starts the program or opens the files in the appropriate application

3.      The Desktop
The Windows Desktop covers the entire screen and lies under all icons, Windows and Objects


4.      Start Button
When you click start button it will display a menu of programs, documents and Windows Tools. All windows are available through Start Menu or from one of its submenus.

5.      Taskbar
The Taskbar is easily accessed to display all programs currently open and running. Click a program button in the Taskbar to activate the window containing that program.

Basic elements of the Windows XP

Windows XP comes with new features, improved programs, and tools. Each graphical element in a Windows screen causes some effect when click. To run Windows effectively, you should know the name and function of each element. The following figure identifies basic elements of a typical Windows XP screen

Turning Off the Computer

In MS Windows based systems, If you simply turn off your computer while Windows or other programs are running, you can cause harm (Damage) to your system and Hard Disk.

1.         Remove any disks from the diskette and. CD-ROM drive, and make sure that all data is saved and all running programs are closed.

2.         Using your mouse pointer, click the Start button, which is located on the taskbar. The Start menu will appear. On the Start menu, click Shut Down or Log Off. The Shut Down Windows dialog box will appear.

3.         In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, select the Shut Down or Log Off option; then click the OK button.


TURNING THE COMPUTER ON AND OFF

Turning On the Computer

1.         Before turning on your computer, make sure that all the necessary cables (such as the mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.) are connected to the system unit. Also make sure that the system's power cords are connected to an appropriate power source.

2.         Make sure that there are no diskettes in the computer's diskette drive, unless you must boot the system from a diskette, (The term BOOTING means starting the computer.)

3.         Find the On/Off switch on each attached device (the monitor, printer, etc.), and place it in the ON position. A device's power switch may not be on the front panel. If not, check the sides and back.

4.         Find the On/Off switch on the computer's SYSTEM UNIT its main box, into which all other components are plugged-and place it in the ON position. Most computers take a minute or two to start. Your computer may display under mentioned messages during the start-up process.


After the computer has started, the Windows desktop will appear on your screen.

As simple as it may sound, there is a right way to turn a computer's power on and off. If you perform either of these tasks incorrectly, you may damage its compo­nents or cause problems for the operating system, programs, or data files.

OPERATING SYSTEM BASICS


The User Interface
#       Most modern operating systems employ a graphical user interface (GUI) with which users control the system by pointing and clicking graphical objects on the screen. A GUI is based on the desktop Icons, windows menus, dia­log boxes, and other graphical objects appear on the desktop for the user to manipulate.

#       Applications designed to run under a specific operating system use the same interface elements, so users can see a familiar interface no matter what programs they are using. Some older operating systems, such as DOS and UNIX, use command-line interfaces. which the user controls by typing commands at a prompt.

TYPES OF STORAGE DEVICES

Categorizing Storage Devices
Storage devices can be categorized as
1.         Magnetic
2.         Optical.
Magnetic Storage Devices
The most common magnetic storage devices are diskettes, hard disks, high-capacity floppy disks, disk cartridges, and magnetic tape. Magnetic storage devices work by polarizing tiny pieces of iron on  the magnetic medium. Read/write heads contain electromagnets that create magnetic charges on the medium. Diskette drives, also known as floppy disk drives, read and write to diskettes. Diskettes are used most often to transfer files between comput­ers, as a means for distributing software, and as a backup medium.
Diskettes are available in size 3.5 inch. Before a magnetic disk can be used, it must be formatted­ a process that maps the disk's surface and creates tracks and sectors where data can be stored. Hard disks can store more data than diskettes because of their higher-quality media, faster rotational speed, and the tiny distance between the read/write head and the disk's surface.


Optical Storage Devices
The primary types of optical storage are compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video disk read-only memory (DVD-ROM), CD-Recordable (CD-R) and CD-Re Writable (CD-RW.

CD-ROM uses the same technology as a music CD does; a laser reads lands and pits on the surface of the disk. Standard CD-ROM disks can store up to 650 MB. Once data is written to the disk, it cannot be changed. DVD-ROM technology is a variation on standard CD-ROM. DVDs offer capacities up to 17 GB. Other popular variations on CD-ROM are CD-Recordable and CD-Re Writable.

EXTENDING THE PROCESSOR'S POWER TO OTHER DEVICES

External devices-such as those used for input and output are connected to the sys­tem by PORTS on the back of the computer.
$      Most computers come with a Serial Port and a Parallel Port.Universal Serial Bus (USB) enable the user to connect many devices through a single port.

TRANSFORMING DATA IN TO INFORMATION

How Computers Represent Data

        Computer data is reduced to binary numbers because computer processing is performed by transistors that have only two possible states: ON and OFF. The binary number system works the same way as the decimal system, except that it has only two available symbols (0 and 1) rather than ten (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9). A single unit of data is called a bit; 8 bits make up 1 Byte. In the most common text-code set, ASCII, each character consists of 1 Byte of data.
How Computers Process Data
        A microcomputer's processing takes place in the central processing unit, the two main parts of which are the CONTROL UNIT and the ARITHMETIC LOGIC UNIT (ALU). The CPU follows a set of steps for each instruction it carries out. many CPUs can process more than one instruction at a time.

        Random Access Memory (RAM) is volatile (or temporary). Programs and data can be written to and erased from RAM as needed. The amount of RAM can affect speed because the CPU can keep more of the active program and data in memory, which is faster than storage on disk.

        Read-only memory (ROM) is nonvolatile (or permanent). It holds instructions        that run the computer when the power is first turned on.

INSIDE THE MACHINE


The hardware, or physical components, of a computer consists of a PROCESSOR, MEMORY, INPUT AND OUTPUT (I/0) devices, and STORAGE. The processing function is divided between the processor and memory.          The processor is the brain of the machine. Memory holds data and program instructions as the CPU works with them. The most common units of measure for memory are the bits and bytes

Bit  8               =          1 KB (Kilo Byte)
1024 KB         =          1 MB (Mega Byte)
1024 MB         =          1 GB (Giga Byte)
1024 GB         =          1 TB (Tera Byte)
1024 TB          =          1 PB (Peta Byte)
1024 PB          =          1 EB (Exa Byte)
1024 EB          =          1 ZB (Zetta Byte)
1024 ZB          =          1 YB (Yotta Byte)
INPUT DEVICES

The Keyboard
#        A standard computer keyboard has about  100 keys; each key sends a different signal to the CPU. Most keyboards follow a similar layout, with their keys arranged in five groups. Those groups include the alphanumeric keys, numeric keypad, function keys, mod­ifier keys, and cursor-movement keys. Most keyboards use the QWERTY layout, which gets its name from the first six keys in the top row of letters.     When you press a key, the keyboard controller notes that a key was pressed and places a code in the keyboard buffer to indicate which key was pressed. The keyboard sends the computer an interrupt request, which tells the CPU to accept the keystroke. (Keyboard Type; AT, ATX or PS/2, USB, Wireless)


The Mouse
#        The mouse is a pointing device that lets you control the position of a graphical pointer on the screen without using the keyboard. Using the mouse involves five techniques: pointing, click­ing, double-clicking, dragging, and right-clicking. (Mouse Type; Seriel, ATX or PS/2, USB, Wireless)

Variants Of The Mouse
#        A trackball is like a mouse turned upside-down. It provides the func­tionality of a mouse-but takes less space on the desktop. A track pad is a touch-sensitive pad that may be built into the keyboard or added to the PC as a separate unit. It provides the same function­ality as a mouse. To use a track­ pad, you glide your finger across its surface

#        With a pen-based system, you use a "pen" (also called a stylus) to write on a special pad or directly on the screen.
#        Touch-screen systems accept input directly through the monitor. Touch-screen systems are useful for selecting options from menus, but they are not useful for inputting text or other types of data in large quantities.
#        A Game Controller is a special input device that accepts the user's input for playing a game. The two primary types of game controllers are joysticks and game pads.
#       Bar code readers, such as those used in grocery stores, can read bar codes, translate them into numbers, and input the numbers into a computer system.
#       Image scanners convert printed images into digitized formats that can be stored and manipulated in computers. An image scanner equipped with OCR software can translate a page of text into a string of character codes in the computer's memory.
#       Microphones can accept auditory input. Using speech-recognition software, you can use your microphone as an input device for dictating text, navigating programs, and choosing commands.
#       Pc Video Cameras and digital cameras can digitize full-motion and still images, which can be stored and edited on the PC or transmit­ted over a LAN or the Internet.

DEVICES THAT OUTPUT SOFT COPY

Monitors
@         Computer monitors are roughly divided into two categories: CRT and flat-panel (LCD) displays. Monitors can also be categorized by the number of colors they display. Monitors are usually monochrome, grayscale, or color. A CRT monitor works with one or more ELECTRON GUNS that system­atically aim a beam of electrons at every pixel on the screen.          Most LCD displays are either active matrix or passive matrix.

@        When purchasing a monitor, you should consider its size, resolution, refresh rate, and dot pitch.
@         The video controller is an interface between the monitor and the CPU. The video controller determines many aspects of a monitor's performance; for example, the video controller lets you select a resolution or set  the number of colors to display.     

Personal Computer  Projectors
@        A PC projector is a portable light projector that connects to a PC. This type of projector is rapidly replacing traditional slide projectors and Overhead projectors as a means for displaying presentations.

Sound systems
@       Multimedia PCs generally come with sound systems, which include a sound card, SPEAKERS, a CD-ROM or DVD drive, and a video controller.

DEVICES THAT OUTPUT HARD COPY

Printers
Printers fall into two general categories:

1.         Impact
2.         Non impact.

@       Impact printers create an image on paper by using a device to strike an inked ribbon, pressing ink from the ribbon onto the paper. Non impact printers use various methods to place ink on the page. When evaluating printers for purchase, you should consider four criteria: image quality, speed, initial cost, and cost of operation.

Dot Matrix Printers
A dot matrix printer is a common type of impact printer. A dot matrix printer uses a print head, which contains a cluster of pins. The printer can push the pins out to form patterns, in rapid sequence. The pins are used to press an inked ribbon against paper, thus cre­ating an image. The lowest resolution dot matrix printers have an array of nine pins(9); the highest resolution dot matrix printers have twenty-four (24) pins.The speed of dot matrix printers is measured in charac­ters per second (cps).

Ink Jet Printers
An ink jet printer is an example of a non impact printer. It creates an image by spraying tiny droplets of ink onto the paper. Ink jet printers are inexpensive for both color and black printing, have low operating costs, and offer quality and speed comparable to low-end laser printers.

Laser Printers
Laser printers produce higher quality print and are fast and convenient to use, but they are also more expensive than ink jet printers. Laser printers are non impact printers. They use heat and pressure to bond tiny particles of toner (a dry ink) to paper.

Snapshot Printers
Snapshot printers are specialized, small-format printers         used to print small color photographs. Snapshot printers are popular among users who own digital cameras.

Thermal-wax Printers
Plotters create large-format images, usually for architectural or engineering purposes, using mechanical drawing arms, ink jet technology, or thermal print technology.

THE PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM



A computer is an electronic device used to process data, converting it into information that is useful to people. A complete computer system includes

1.         Hardware
2.         Soft­ware (Software: Bringing The Machine To Life)
3.         Data
4.         People/Users.

Hardware      
Hardware consists of electronic devices, the parts you can see and you can touch.
Ex: Keyboard, Monitor, Hard disk, Tape, Floppy drive, Video camera, Microphone, Mouse, Scanners, Printers, CD ROM


Software
Software, also known as programs, consists of organized sets of instructions for controlling the computer.or Sequence of instructions or commands that tells the Computer to do specific task is called software. (Sets of interrelated instruction)

            Programs are electronic instructions that tell the computer how to accomplish certain tasks. . When a computer is using a particular program, it is said to be running or executing the program. The Operating system tells the computer how to interact with the user and how to use the hardware devices attached to the computer.  


Operating  Systems
Operating Systems are the most important programs that run on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.
Ex: MS Windows 3.1, MS Windows 95, MS Windows NT 4.0, MS Windows 98, Ms Wndows 2000, MS Windows ME, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2003, Red Hat Linux 8.0, Red Hat Linux 9.0, Unix, Mac OS, Solaris, Lindows, MS DOS

Application software
Application software tells the computer how to accomplish tasks the user requires. Some important kinds of application software are word processing programs, spreadsheets, database manage­ment software, presentation programs, graphics programs, multimedia authoring applications, entertainment and education software, Web design tools and Web browsers, Internet applications, utilities, and networking and communications software.


Data
Data consists of text, numbers, symbols, sounds, and images that the computer can manipulate.

Users
All the persons (users) that use the computer can be considered as Liveware.
EX: Programmers, Graphic Designer, Data entry operator, Hardware technician, Network engineer, Data base Administrator, Web  Designer, System Analyzer 




MICROCOMPUTERS, OR PERSONAL COMPUTERS (PC)



Microcomputers are more com­monly known as personal comput­ers. The term PC often denotes microcomputers that are either IBM-PCs or compatibles. The term can also refer to personal comput­ers made by other manufacturers, such as Apple. Desktop computers are the most common type of personal computer.
*       Notebook computers (laptops) are used by people who need portable computing power outside the office or away from home.
*       Handheld personal computers are the smallest computing devices. They lack the power of a desktop or notebook PC, but they offer specialized features for users who need only limited functions and small size

MINI COMPUTERS


Minicomputers are smaller than mainframes but larger than microcomputers. They usually have multiple terminals. Minicomputers are used more and more often as network servers and Internet servers.

MAINFRAME COMPUTERS



Mainframe computers, which generally have many terminals or PCs connected to them, handle massive amounts of input, output, and storage. Mainframe computers are commonly used in corporations and government agencies, but they are also used as e-commerce servers, handling transac­tions over the Internet.

SUPER COMPUTERS

 
Supercomputers are the most powerful computers in terms of process­ing. They are useful for problems requiring complex calculations.Because of their size and expense, supercomputers are relatively rare. They are typically used by large organizations such as universities, gov­ernment agencies, and very large businesses.

TYPE OF COMPUTERS


1.         Supper Computers

2.         Mainframe Computers

3.         Mini Computers

4.         Microcomputers, Or Personal Computers

DISADVANTAGES OF THE COMPUTER

 
            1.         Lack of commonsense
2.                  Dependence on human instruction
3.         Dependence on Electricity