PART A: EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

UNIT 3: ICT SKILLS

NOTES
Unit 1. Distinguish between different Operating Systems
Operating System : An operating system is a software that serves as an interface between the
user and computer.
Functions of Operating system are:
1. It manages all the devices of a computer.
2. It checks whether the device is functioning properly or not.
3. It controls software resources of the computer.
4. It manages the computer memory.
5. It keeps track of the amount of disk space used by a specific file.
6. It allows you to create, copy, move and delete files.
Types of Operating Systems :
1) Interactive (GUI-based) : A graphical user interface in which commands can be entered by
clicking/double-clicking/right clicking a mouse. for example Windows
2) Single-user, single-task operating system: This type of operating system allows only one
user to do a task on
the computer and one thing at a time.
3) Single-user, multi-task operating system: This type of operating system where a single user
can operate on several programs at the same time. for example Windows, Apple Mac OS.
4) Multi-user: A multi-user operating system enables multiple users to work on the same
computer at different
times or simultaneously.
5) Real Time: A real time operating system is used to control machinery, scientific instruments
like robots. A real-time operating system is a computing environment that reacts to input within a
specific period of time. Windows CE and Lynx OS are examples of real-time operating systems.
6) Distributed: A distributed operating system combines different computers in the network into
a single integrated computer and storage location. for example Windows, UNIX, and LINUX .
Some commonly used operating systems are:
1. DOS (Disk Operating System)
2. Windows : It is an operating system developed by Microsoft.
3. Linux : It is an operating system designed for personal computers. It is a free and open-
source software.
4. Mobile operating Systems
 Android
 Symbian
 Windows Phone
 iOS
Components of Windows 7 Desktop :
1) Desktop: The first screen that appears on the monitor is called desktop.
2) Wallpaper: A picture for the desktop background is called wallpaper.
3) Icons: Small pictures on the desktop are called icons.
4) Taskbar: The long bar at the bottom of the desktop is called taskbar. The main components of
Taskbar are: Start button, Active applications, Notification Area, Date/Time icon
Some of the commonly used icons are :
1) Computer : It displays all storage areas of the computer . Through the Computer icon, you can
access all
drives, files and folders on the computer.
2) Recycle Bin : Files and folders deleted by the user are stored in the Recycle Bin. From Recycle
Bin, you can retrieve files or folders deleted by mistake.
File concept:
File :
Everything you store on your computer is stored in the form of a file. File system is a way in
which you give name to a file, store it and retrieve it. Files can be separately placed into groups,
called folders/directories
Creating a folder : The steps to create a new folder are:
1. Double-click the Computer icon.
2. Select the drive in which you want to create a new folder.
3. Click New Folder on the toolbar.
4. Type a name for the folder & Press Enter key.
Or
Right-click anywhere in the blank area of the right column. A shortcut menu appears. Select
New Folder from the shortcut menu. Type a name for the folder & Press Enter key.
Creating a file : Steps to create new file are :
1. Right-click anywhere in the blank area .
2. In the Shortcut menu, click New and select the type of file you want to create.
Renaming folders and files : Steps to rename file or folder are :
1. Right-click the file or the folder.
2. From the shortcut menu, select Rename option.
3. Type the new name or edit the existing name and press the Enter key.
OR
1. Select the file/folder and press function key F2.
2. Type the new name or edit the existing name and press the Enter key.
Deleting files or folders : Steps to delete files or folder are :
1. Click the file or the folder.
2. Press the Delete key from the keyboard.
Or
Right-click and select Delete option from the Shortcut menu.
Copying Files and folders : You can copy a file or a folder in any one of the following ways:
1) Shortcut menu: Steps are
a. Right-click the file or the folder you want to copy.
b. Select Copy option from the Shortcut menu.
c. Select the drive or the folder where you want to make a copy of the selected file or folder.
d. Right-click and select Paste option from the Shortcut menu
2) Drag and Drop method: To copy a file or a folder, hold down the Ctrl key while copying it to
the new
location.
3) Using Keyboard:
a. Select the file or the folder.
b. Press Ctrl + C to copy the file or the folder.
c. Open the destination folder.
d. Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied file.
Moving Files and folders: You can move a file or a folder in any one of the following ways
1) Shortcut menu:
a. Right-click the file or the folder you want to copy.
b. Select Cut option from the Shortcut menu.
c. Select the drive or the folder where you want to move the selected file or folder.
d. Right-click and select Paste option from the Shortcut menu.
2) Drag and Drop method: To move a file or a folder, select the file and drag it to a new location.
3) Using Keyboard:
a. Select the file or the folder.
b. Press Ctrl + X to cut the file or the folder.
c. Open the destination folder.
d. Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied file.
Permanently Deleting Files : You can permanently delete the contents of the Recycle Bin in any
one of the following ways:
1) Right-click the Recycle Bin icon and then
2) Click Empty Recycle Bin.
Restore Files/Folder from Recycle Bin
To recover a file from the Recycle Bin, right-click the file, and then click Restore.
Or
Select the file and click Restore this item.
Unit-2 Apply Basic Skills for care and Maintenance of Computer
Computer systems require maintenance so that the system works efficiently. Poor maintenance
may lead to system failure.
Regular care and maintenance may help you detect any issues at an early stage and keep it
functioning well. Computer virus can cause damage to the working of the computer. If anti-virus
is installed in the computer, and is updated and run periodically, then any loss of data can be
prevented.
Both internal and external parts of the computer system should be taken care of.
1. Keep the computer dust free.
2. Do not eat or drink while working on the computer. .
3. To keep the keyboard clean, make sure your hands are clean before using it.
4. CDs and DVDs should be handled carefully so that they do not get damaged.
5. Keep keyboard covered when not in use.
General precautions to be taken while cleaning the computer components are :
1. Always Power Off the computer system before cleaning.
2. Never spray cleaning fluid directly on the component of the computer.
3. Do not allow the cleaning liquid to drip near the circuit board
Regular maintenance of the computer system is very important. Some of the maintenance
activities are:
1. Run anti-virus periodically.
2. A regular disk defragmentation should be done to remove all unnecessary information that
slows down the computer
3. Take regular backup of the data on your computer.
4. System should be upgraded like increasing RAM, storage space.
5. Temporary internet files should be deleted from time to time.
Protecting computer against viruses :
A computer virus is a software program that attaches itself to other programs and alters their
behavior. VIRUS is an acronym for Vital Information Resource Under Seize. A virus may get
attached to e-mail messages and spread from one computer to another.
To prevent our computer from virus, we should install anti-virus software, run it periodically and
keep it updated. examples of antivirus software are McAfee Virus Scan, Norton AntiVirus,
Microsoft Security essentials, and Quick Heal..
A computer can get infected with virus in any of the following ways:
1. Infected files
2. Infected pen drives
3. Infected CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs
4. Through infected file attachment of e-mails
A computer virus cannot do the following:
• It cannot infect files on CD or DVD, if they are closed for writing.
• It cannot infect computer hardware like, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Common signs of a virus attack are:
1. Computer runs very slow
2. There is change in the file size
3. Computer often stops responding
4. There is an increase in number of files (unusual)
 5. Unusual error message appears on the screen
6. Computer restarts on its own
The following points should be kept in mind to prevent virus infection:
1. Install and use anti-virus software.
2. Keep anti-virus software updated.
3. Scan all the files that you download from the Internet
4. Do not open e-mails of an unknown person/sender
5. Don’t allow any untrustworthy person to use your system.
Removing Temporary Files:
Temporary files are created when you are running computer programs. Microsoft Windows and
Windows programs often create a .TMP file as a temporary file. Temporary files are also created
by web browsers to store your web browser history. These temp files take up a large amount of
disk space so should be removed to clear space.
The steps to remove temporary files are:
1. Double-click Computer icon on the desktop.
2. The Computer Window opens.
3. Right-click Local Disk C: and select Properties option from the Shortcut menu
4. The Properties window opens. Click Disk Cleanup.
5. The Disk Cleanup for C: window appears
6. Click the Check box next to Temporary Files, Temporary Internet files, etc. that you want
to delete.
7. Click OK.
8. A confirmation message will appear
9. Click Delete Files.
10. Windows will delete all the temporary files on the computer.
Removing files of Temporary Folder: The steps to remove files of temporary folder are:
1. Press Windows button + R on the keyboard.
2. The Run dialog box appears.
3. Type %temp%
4. The Temp folder opens. Click Ctrl + A to select all the files in the folder. Press Delete
key.
5. A message box appears. Click Yes to confirm.
6. All the files in the Temp folder will be deleted.
Firewall:
Computer firewall could be a programmable device or a software or a network security system
that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on user-defined security
rules.

Cookies:
Cookies are small files which are stored on a user’s computer when you visit a website on the
internet. These files typically contain information about your visit to the webpage or record your
login information. This may not always be bad.
For example, if you are exploring an online shopping website, most of the online retailers use
cookies to keep track of the items in a user’s shopping cart, otherwise, your shopping cart would
be reset to zero every time you click on a new link on the website.