ICT Module 2

Mr. D. Borg

Form 3

ICT Module 2

Form 3

1. Using Available Help Function

To Open the Help and

Support Centre

There is a help function available to users which cover most of

the topics in Windows.

Click on the Start button.

Click on Help and Support.

The Help and Support dialog box is displayed.

To search for Help

Open Help and Support centre

Within the Search section of the dialog box, enter the information
which you wish to search for. In this example we have entered
keyboard shortcuts.

Click on the right pointing arrow to start the search

After a short delay the screen will display the results of your
search. In the example below, we have clicked on the words
Windows keyboard shortcuts overview (displayed down the left
hand side of the dialog box)

Mr. D. Borg

ICT Module 2

Form 3

2. Desktop Icons
To open a desktop
object

To open a Desktop object, double click on its icon.

To Create a desktop
shortcut icon

Minimise or close any programs which may be running

Click on the Start icon.
Select All Programs
Find the program which you wish to use for creating a Desktop
icon. In this example we will create a shortcut for the Calculator,
(in the Accessories group)

Right click on the program

Choose Send to

Choose Desktop (create shortcut)
There is another way to create a shortcut:

Select the program which you wish to use for creating a Desktop
icon

Press the Control+Shift keys, and whilst keeping these keys
pressed, drag the icon to the Desktop.

Release the Control+Shift keys. The shortcut icon
will be created and displayed on the Desktop.

Mr. D. Borg

ICT Module 2
Delete a desktop
shortcut icon

Form 3

To delete a shortcut icon, right click on the icon and choose
Delete

You can also select the icon (single right click) and press the
Delete button on your keyboard

3. File Management
Organization of Files,
Folders,

Data files are stored and organized in folders. (Folders act as a

container to hold and organized the different files and other
sub-folders.

The organisation of the different files, folders and drives resemble
a tree. Let us look at the following example:

The hierarchical structure can be shown as the below:

School

IT

Language

Mr. D. Borg

Maltese

English

Literature

ICT Module 2
File Sizes & Storage

Form 3

It is important to know about the sizes of files, folders etc. There
are different sizes as shown below:
Bit - short for Binary Digit, is the smallest unit of information on the
computer. A single bit can hold only one of two values: 0 or 1. More
meaningful information is obtained by combining consecutive bits
into larger units. A group of eight bits (e.g. 1011 0010) make up one
byte.
Byte (B) - is the amount of storage needed to store one character (e.g.
a, c, +, =, %, 8). So, for instance, a computer with 32,000 bytes of
memory can store up to 32,000 characters in its memory. Large
amounts of memory are indicated in terms of kilobytes, megabytes
and gigabytes
Kilobyte (KB) is equivalent to 1024 bytes
Megabyte (MB) is equivalent to 10241024 bytes (or 1,048,576B).
Five hundred (500) pages of double-spaced text occupy about 1MB of
space
Gigabytes (GB) is equivalent to 102410241024 bytes (or
1,073,741,824B). Hard-disks (discussed later) have storage capacities
measured in terms of GB (200-320GB)
Terabyte (TB) is equivalent to 1024102410241024 bytes (or
1,099,511,627,776B).

Revision:
x 1024

Byte

x 1024

KiloByte

1024

x 1024

MegaByte

1024

x 1024

Gigabyte

1024

Terabyte

1024

For example:
3GB = (3 x1024) x 1024 x 1024
= 3221225472 bytes
1,000,000,000 bytes = (1,000,000,000 1024 ) 1024
= 0.95 MB (Megabytes)

Mr. D. Borg

ICT Module 2
Backups Why do we
need Backups?

Form 3

The most important thing which you store on your computer is
information. Often the contents of a hard disk can represent years
of work. If the hard disk stops working one day you could lose all
those years of work!!

For this reason it is VITAL that you make regular backups of the
information which is stored within the computer.

In large organisations this backup procedure is normally
performed automatically by your computer support team

In smaller organisations, it is often up to the individual to
organise some sort of data backup

If nothing else is available, copy your files to a pen drive or an
external hard disk and make sure that these backup disks are
stored away from the computer, ideally off-site (not at the same
location)

Off-Site Backups

It is not suggested to keep your backups next to the computer.

If someone steals your computer, it is likely that they will also
steal your backup tapes or disks if you have left them next to the
computer!

If there is a fire in the building, it is also likely to destroy the
backups together with the computer

Ideally, backups should be stored off-site at a safe location (such
as safes etc)

Online File Storage

Nowadays, the internet gives us the ability to store files online (on
website used to host files).

People may upload files from anywhere in the world and may
access the files from anywhere at anytime.
There are a lot of advantages naming:

Available from anywhere around the world

Available 24hrs

Usually free of charge

Can be access from any computer

Usually kept in a safe place
There are also some disadvantages:

Can be stolen by others

Can be hacked (unauthorized access)

If the website is not secure you can download viruses or other
malware.

Mr. D. Borg

ICT Module 2
Creating Folders

Form 3
Folders are used as containers to organise files and other folders.
To create a folder:

From the Windows Explorer window click the File Menu

Highlight New
Click Folder (a new folder will be created)
Type a name for your folder in the text box displayed.
Press Enter key. A yellow folder will be created.

Another method to create a folder:

Creating Sub-Folders

Right click in the window (where you want to create the folder)
Choose New
Choose Folder
Type a name for your folder in the text box displayed.
Press Enter key. A yellow folder will be created.

Double click on the folder/sub-folder where you want to create the

new subfolder (to open it)

Click the File Menu

Highlight New

Click Folder (a new folder will be created)

Type a name for your folder in the text box displayed.

Press Enter key. A yellow folder will be created.
You could also:

Selecting a File / Folder

Right click in the window (where you want to create the folder)
Choose New
Choose Folder
Type a name for your folder in the text box displayed.
Press Enter key. A yellow folder will be created.

Select a single file, folder or sub-folder:

In My Computer window (or the window where the file/folders are),
click the file, folder or sub-folder to select it. The selected file will be
highlighted.
Selecting several files, folders or sub-folders which are next to
each other (adjacent)
1. In

My Computer window (or the window where the files/folders

are), click the first file, folder or sub-folder in the block.
2. Press and hold the SHIFT key.
3. Click on the last file, folder or sub-folder of the block to select
them.
4. Release the SHIFT key.

Mr. D. Borg

ICT Module 2

Form 3

The block of files will be selected.

Selecting several files, folders or sub-folders which are not next to
each other (non-adjacent)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Copy Files or Folders

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

In My Computer window (or the window where the files/folders

are), click the first file, folder or sub-folder to select.
Press and hold the CTRL key.
Click on the other files to select.
Release the CTRL key.

In My Computer window (or the window where the files /

folders should be copied), highlight the file/s, folder/s or subfolder/s to copy using one of the above methods.
Click Edit menu.
Click Copy.
Click the folder or disk drive where you want to copy the file/s
folder/s or sub-folder/s.
Click Edit menu.
Click Paste.

Another method to copy Files or Folders:

Move Files or Folders

1.
2.
3.

Select the files/folders to copy:

Press the shortcut key combination: CTRL + C to copy them
Press the shortcut key combination: CTRL + V to paste them

1.

In My Computer window (or the window where the files / folders

should be moved), highlight the file/s, folder/s or sub-folder/s to
move.
Click Edit menu.
Click Cut.
Click the folder or disk drive where you want to move the file/s
folder/s or sub-folder/s.
Click Edit menu.
Click Paste.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Another method to copy Files or Folders:

1.
2.
3.

Mr. D. Borg

Select the files/folders to move:

Press the shortcut key combination: CTRL + X to copy them
Press the shortcut key combination: CTRL + V to paste them

ICT Module 2
Delete Files / Folders

Form 3
Files, folders or sub-folders which you delete from the hard-disk
are placed in the Recycle Bin or wastebasket.
To delete Files / Folders / Sub-Folders:
1.

2.
3.

In My Computer window (or the window where you want to

delete the files/folders), highlight the file/s, folder/s or subfolder/s to delete.
Press Delete key. The following dialog box will be displayed to
confirm deletion.
Click Yes button. The Recycle Bin icon changes from empty to
full.

The Recycle Bin icon changes from empty to full

You can also delete files by:

1.

Right-Clicking the file or folder and then click Delete.

Note:
Items deleted from removable disks (e.g. USB flash disk) or
a network drive, are permanently deleted and are not sent
to the Recycle Bin.
Restoring Deleted: Files,
Folders or Sub-Folders

Items in the Recycle Bin remain there until you decide to permanently
delete them from your computer. These items still take up hard disk
space and can be undeleted or restored back to their original location.
When it fills up, MS Windows automatically cleans out enough space
in the Recycle Bin to accommodate the most recently deleted files and
folders.
Restoring a file means, moving the files from the recycling bin back
to their original location
To restore a file or folder:
1. In the MS Windows desktop, double-click the Recycle Bin.
2. Right-click the file or folder to restore. A shortcut menu

will be

displayed.
Restore.

3. Click

Mr. D. Borg

ICT Module 2

Form 3

#
To restore all contents in the Recycle Bin:
1. In the MS Windows desktop,
2. Click the Edit menu.
3. Click Select All.
4. Click the File menu.
5. Click Restore.

Empty the Recycling

Bin

double-click the Recycle Bin.

To delete the contents of the Recycle Bin:

1. In the MS Windows desktop,
2. Click File menu.
3. Click Empty Recycle Bin.

double-click the Recycle Bin.

Note that:

Deleting an item from the Recycle Bin permanently removes it
from your computer. Items deleted from the Recycle Bin cannot
be restored.

Mr. D. Borg

10