Reading Material 2.

2: ACCESSING AND RETRIEVING COMPUTER BASED DATA Note: The

following discussions and presentations were excerpts fromthe Manual of the @ASEAN 2013 Training Manual “Access and Retrieve Computer Based
Data” , https://techterms.com/definition/data , https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-is-microsoft-word-definition--cms-34990 ,
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/26423/private-network and https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/open-an-existing-database-6f893b9d-9007-
4628-930b-7ee4864a8833
Computer based data is information processed or stored by a computer. This information may be in the form of text
documents, images, audio clips, software programs, or other types of data. Computer data may be processed by the
computer's CPU and is stored in files and folders on the computer's hard disk.
1.1 Use Computer Features to Access a Range of Data or Information
File Search
If you know the name of the file, or part of it, and you are not sure where the file is located on the disk you can search
for the file. Click Start and the Search Box will appear. Enter the name of a file and Windows will search the disk and show a
list of all files that match the criteria. When you have found the file click on the file and the parent application will load and
open the file for viewing or editing.

Searching From Computer

Click Start>Computer. In the top corner is the
search
box. You can enter the name of the file or the partial
name and Windows will search for the file. Once you
have
found the file, double click and the program will launch
and open the file for editing or searching.

File Name Conventions

Most businesses have filename conventions to help
and assist people to find files that have been created
by
other people. Under Windows a filename can be a
maximum of 256 characters and may include most
characters from the keyboard with the exception of
the
following: / \ * ? % * : | ; “ < > and the last ‘.’ which identifies
the start of the extension.

A filename should be descriptive of the contents.

Some businesses do not allow the use of space in the filename and instead use _, such as ‘Sales_July’. It may be required that
the version of the file be included in the filename, such as Sales_July_Ver_2-3. You should check with your organisation as to
their rules.

Folders
Files are generally stored in folders or sub-directories. This is an area that users can create to store files to assist in
locating them. Folder names follow the same rules as for filenames. Folders can hold files or other folders to allow files to be
stored in a meaningful and useful manner.

To learn more about accessing the data files, please click this link to read the article
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/windowsbasics/finding-files-on-your-computer/1/ and watch this short video clips for tutorials
at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=GtGVItw89NM&feature=emb_logo 1.2 Retrieve Data Using
Prescribed Systems, Sequences and Appropriate Keyboard Techniques
There are two different techniques that can be used to open a file. The first as you have seen is to use search or the
Computer icon to locate and open the file as discussed in Lesson 1. If you have the program open there are methods
from within each program to open a file. In most Windows programs like MS Office and MS Excel, the open option is located
under the file menu.
Microsoft Word
MS Word or simply Word is a word processor. An application use to “process”— format, manipulate, save, print,
share — a text-based document. Microsoft Office's Word is a great tool for creating business documents such as:
❖ postcard
❖ sign MS Excel
❖ banner ❖ letter
❖ resume ❖ report or paper ❖ proposal
❖ business card ❖ newsletter ❖ brochure
❖ invoice ❖ catalog
❖ receipt ❖ poster
❖ product packaging ❖ flyer
❖ mailing label ❖ invitation
❖ recipe cards ❖ gift tags
❖ place cards ❖ certificates

Another office suite program is Excel. This is a spreadsheet program, and this type of program collects the data that
has been entered and produces information from the data. This may be information such as: ·Customer details
·Sales History
·Inventory Lists
·Asset details

MS PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software. It is used to build all kinds of presentations to show
information. Common types of MS PowerPoint presentation are the Pitch Deck, Slide Show and Infographics.

To retrieve file from this programs just click Start and then click All Programs. Scroll to the Microsoft Office group and
then click on desired program application. In the file menu you can scroll down and click open or open recent files to find
the needed documents.

Microsoft Access
Microsoft Access is a Database Management System (DBMS) from Microsoft. It stores information which is called a
database. Data is stored in records or rows and is comprised of fields or cells. The presentation of data is similar to Excel,
but Access maintains the row as a complete unit. There are two types of Access tables, a flat table and a relational table.
A flat table has the data presented just as Excel, but is has much more sophisticated querying methods. A query is a question
for a database that is used to select or reject records. We may ask the database for all customers who have purchased in the
last six months. If a customer has purchased in the last six months they would be included in the outcome, if not the customer
would be excluded.
Many of the features operate exactly the same as they do in Excel, so the functionality becomes familiar very quickly. To use
MS Access, you will need to follow these four steps −

⮚ Database Creation − Create your Microsoft Access database and specify what kind of data you will be storing. ⮚
Data Input − After your database is created, the data of every business day can be entered into the Access
database.
⮚ Query − This is a fancy term to basically describe the process of retrieving information from the database. ⮚ Report
(optional) − Information from the database is organized in a nice presentation that can be printed in an Access
 Report.

▪ To retrieve file, in Windows Explorer, navigate to the drive or folder containing the Access database file you want to open
and double-click the database. Access starts and the database is opened.

If Access is already running, use the following procedure to open a database. Note, the steps vary slightly depending
upon your version of Access.
1. On the getting started page of Access, Click Open Other Files.
2. On the Open area of the Backstage view, click Browse.
3. Click a shortcut in the Open dialog box, or in the Look in box, click the drive or folder that contains the database
that you want.
4. In the folder list, browse to the folder that contains the database.
5. When you find the database, do one of the following:
6. Double-click the database to open it in the default mode specified in the Access Options dialog box or the mode
that was set by an administrative policy.
7. Click Open to open the database for shared access in a multi-user environment so that you and other users can
read and write to the database.
8. Click the arrow next to the Open button and then click Open Read-Only to open the database for read-only
access so that you can view but not edit it. Other users can still read and write to the database.
9. Click the arrow next to the Open button and then click Open Exclusive to open the database with exclusive
access. When you have a database open with exclusive access, anyone else who tries to open the database
receives a "file already in use" message.
10. Click the arrow next to the Open button and then click Open Exclusive Read-Only to open the database for read
only access. Other users can still open the database, but they are limited to read-only mode.

If you cannot find the database that you want to open:

✔ In the Open dialog box, click the This PC or My Computer shortcut on the left side (or in the Look in box,
click My Computer).
✔ In the list of drives, right-click the drive that you think might contain the database, and click Search. ✔
Enter your search criteria and press ENTER to search for the database.
✔ If the database is found, double-click it in the search dialog box to open it.
✔ Since the search was initiated from the Open dialog box, you must click Cancel in that dialog box before the
database will open.

When working with files, keyboard shortcuts can be a great help to conveniently do the tasks.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Many keyboard shortcuts require you to press two or more keys in a specific order. For example, to perform the
shortcut Ctrl+X, you would press and hold the Ctrl key, then press the X key, then release.

To perform most keyboard shortcuts you will use the Ctrl (Control) or Alt key normally found in the bottom left corner
of the keyboard. Below are the commonly used shortcuts:
Working with text
These keyboard shortcuts are useful when working with text in word processors, email applications, and more. They can
help you perform commonly repeated tasks, like copying and pasting text.

✔ Ctrl+X: Cut the selected text.

✔ Ctrl+C: Copy the selected text.
✔ Ctrl+V: Paste the copied or cut text.
✔ Ctrl+A: Select all of the text on the page or in the active window.
 ✔ Ctrl+B: Bold the selected text.
✔ Ctrl+I: Italicize the selected text.
✔ Ctrl+U: Underline the selected text.

Working With Files And Applications

Keyboard shortcuts are also used to open, close, and switch applications. When working with a file, like a Microsoft
Word document, shortcuts can be used to create new files, find words, and print.

✔ Ctrl+Alt+Delete: Force an unresponsive or frozen program to quit. This keyboard shortcut opens the Task
Manager. You can then select the unresponsive application and close it.
✔ Delete: Send a selected file or files to the Recycle Bin.
✔ Enter: Open a selected application or file.
✔ Ctrl+N: Create a new file.
✔ Ctrl+O: Open an existing file.
✔ Ctrl+S: Save the current file.
✔ Ctrl+Z: Undo the previous action. If you want to redo the action, press Ctrl+Y.
✔ Windows key: Open the Start menu (or the Start screen in Windows 8).

Internet Shortcuts

To navigate the web browser, keyboard shortcuts can also be used. Most of the text shortcuts previously presented are
also useful online, like the shortcuts for selecting, copying, and pasting text into your web browser's address bar.

✔ Ctrl+N: Open a new browser window.

✔ Ctrl+T: Open a new browser tab.
✔ Ctrl+D: Bookmark the current page.
✔ Ctrl+B: View bookmarks.
✔ Ctrl+J: View recently downloaded files.

Using the Alt Key to Navigate Menus

To access to all of the menus in the current application, press the Alt key. This means you can perform almost any task
with just your keyboard.

1.3 Access Data Stored on a Variety of Data Storage Mediums, Private Computer Networks and the
Internet
Media used in computer storage receive messages in the form of data, via software commands from the computer
system. The commands determine the type of storage media needed to hold the data, based on its business value,
compliance implications or other factors. In tiered storage, data is moved among disk, flash and cloud storage based on
automated software policies.
A storage medium may be internal to a computing device, such as a computer's hard drive, or a removable device such
as an external hard drive or universal serial bus (USB) flash drive.
The term storage encompasses all data, and can be either primary or secondary storage. Primary storage refers to data
that is kept in memory for fast retrieval by a computer's processor. Secondary storage is data placed on hard disk or tape to
ensure backup and long-term retention. Common storage mediums are:

Hard Disk
A hard disk provides a high-capacity alternative to magnetic storage media. It contains metal platters coated with
a magnetic layer. The platters usually spin continuously when a computer is on, storing data in different sectors on the
magnetic disk.
 Optical Disk
Optical disk technology uses lasers for write once, read many (WORM) data. The use of lasers allows high-density
optical disk to store more data than magnetic HDDs. Types of optical storage media include Blu-ray, DVDs and CD ROMs
for read-only data.

Flash Memory
Flash memory does not depend on moving mechanical parts. This gives flash devices advantages in speed over
traditional disks. In flash memory, blocks of data must be erased to allow new data to be written to the microchip.

USB Flash Drives

USB flash drives are also known as nearline storage, a storage medium that is not continuously connected to network
servers or the internet. Generally, this makes most removable media, such as encrypted cartridges or SATA drives, safe
from infection by Trojan horses, viruses or worms. These thumb-shaped devices slide into any USB to transfer or copy
data, and are variously called gum sticks, keychain drives and jump drives.

Private Network

A private network is any connection within a specified network wherein restrictions are established to promote a
secured environment. This type of network can be configured in such a way that devices outside the network cannot access
it. Only a selected set of devices can access this type of network depending on the settings encoded in the network routers
and access points. On the other hand, a public network is defined as a network that anyone can freely connect to little or no
restriction.
Private networks are most preferred in businesses and private organizations because they provide high security for vital
information.

Online Data Storage

Online data storage refers to the practice of storing electronic data with a third party service accessed via the Internet. It is
an alternative to traditional local storage (such as disk or tape drives) and portable storage (such as optical media or flash
drives). It can also be called "hosted storage," "Internet storage" or "cloud storage."
1.4 Use Searches and Queries to Find Desired Information
Searching for files

Each program has methods and approaches to find data or information within a file. Searching allows you to look
for any file on your computer.

To search for a file (Windows 10):

In the Cortana Search Box next to the Start button, type to search for a file. The search results will appear above
the search box.

To search for a file (Windows 8):

Click the Start button to go to the Start screen, then start typing to search for a file. The search results will
appear on the right side of the screen. Simply click a file or folder to open it.

To search for a file (Windows 7 and earlier):

Click the Start button, type the file name or keywords with your keyboard, and press Enter. The search results
will appear. Simply click a file or folder to open it.
Tips for Finding Files
✔ Try different search terms.
✔ Open the last application used to edit the file
✔ Move and rename the file after finding it.

Common Places to Look For Files in Cimputers

Downloads: By default, your computer will place downloaded files in a specific folder, known as the
Downloads folder. If you're having trouble finding a file you downloaded from the Internet, such as a photo
attached to an email message, this is the first place you should look. To view the Downloads folder,
open File Explorer, then locate and select Downloads(below Favorites on the left side of the window). A list of
your recently downloaded files will appear.
Default folders: If you don't specify a location when saving a file, Windows will place certain types of files
into default folders. For example, if you're looking for a Microsoft Word document, you could try looking in
the Documents folder. If you're looking for a photo, try looking in the Pictures folder. Most of these folders
will be accessible on the left side of the File Explorer window.
Recycle Bin: If you deleted a file by mistake, it may still be in the Recycle Bin. You can double-click the Recycle
Bin icon on the desktop to open it. If you find the file you need, click and drag it back to the desktop or to a
different folder.

Queries
Queries provide a higher level of control over the output by not only allowing greater control of the selection
process of which records are to be included but also the fields which are to be included in the report. A query is the
process of accepting or rejecting records for inclusion by using an identifiable set of criteria.
Consider the customer table. It has data that is confidential and should not be seen by people that do not have a
need for the data. Telephone numbers, credit limits, and amount owing is data that should only be viewed by those
people with a need for the data. A person wishing to contact a customer over an order may need the telephone
number, but they do not need to see the amount owing or the customer’s credit limit. By using a query the information
visible can be tailored to the needs of the user.
Editing a Query
The query that has been created simply presents the data and is not sorted or grouped in any fashion and there
are often reasons why data needs to be sorted. As there are discounts for postage if the letters are grouped
by postcode, it would be useful to have the mailout in postcode order. As the wizard has done most of the work, it is a
simple matter of editing the query to include a sort order.
If the query is open, click View>Design. If the query is not open then put the mouse on the query and right-click
and a menu will appear. Click on Design View and the plan of the query will be visible.

7 Most Popular Search Engines

Google® is one of the most popular search engines. Goggle maintains a database of the contents of the web sites
that it has searched and it is from the database that the results are presented. Doing a search for “Coffee” will bring
back about 1,1000,000,000 in 0.13 seconds.
YouTube Founded in 2005 by veterans of PayPal and was purchased just over a year later by none other than
Google, giving it control over the top two search engines on this list.
Amazon Launched in 1995 and, thus, is considered as one of the first large companies to sell goods online. They
started out selling books online but expanded rapidly. In 1999, founder Jeff Bezos won Time’s Person Of The Year for
making online shopping popular and accessible.
Facebook In 2006, Facebook (as we know it) was born. From 2004 until then, it was accessible only by students
and in 2006, it was opened up to the world. It’s not a natural go-to when thinking of search engines, however, last year
it surpassed 2 billion searches/day putting it ahead of Bing.
Bing replaced MSN Search as Microsoft’s answer to Google in 2009. Launching with just 8.4 percent of the
 search market share, they quickly crossed 10 percent, and in a deal later that year to power Yahoo search, rose to
28.1 percent. In 2016, they added AOL to the sites they provide search results for.
Baidu was founded in 2000 and is the dominant search engine in China with over 82 percent market
share where Google comes in at 0.61 percent and Bing at 0.37 percent.
Yandex has its roots in a project started by two Russian developers to aid in the classification of patents in 1990
under the company Arkadia.
1.5 Print or Transfer File to Data Storage Medium as Required 

Printing from Word
There are three methods that can be used to print from word: the File Menu option, Printer icon, or the shortcut key
Ctrl-P.

Open Personal_Computers.docx

Click File>Print and the print options page will occur. There is a preview of the current page shown on the right.

The 'copies' box allows you to specify the number of copies.

The printer allows you to change the printer as a business may have different printers for different situations.

Settings allows you to print all pages, the current page as shown on the right, or a custom range of pages, or the
document properties. By clicking on the arrows on the lower right side the current page can be changed for the “Print
current page” option. If the selected printer has the capabilities, there will be an option to allow double-sided or
duplex printing.

'Collated' applies when there is more than one copy to print and the copy has more than one page. Assume that four
copies of a document that has 3 pages and double-sided printing has been selected, which means there will be two
pieces of paper with printing on three sides. Collated will print the entire document four times. Uncollated will print
four copies of the first page and second page on one piece of paper and then four copies of the last page.

'Orientation' (Portrait or Landscape) determines how the page will be laid out. Portrait has the long edge on the
vertical, much like a portrait painting, or this page on the computer screen. Landscape will have the short edge on
the vertical and the long edge across, much like a landscape painting.

Margins provide the opportunity to set the beginning and ending position of text on the page from the edge of the
paper.

Pages per sheet will print smaller text and images on the page to fit more on the paper. Ensure one copy has been
selected and click on the print button to print the page.

Click the Home tab. Select the first paragraph and click on the File Menu>Print. The Settings will now have an option
to print the selected text. Print the selected text.

Saving the Document

To save the document with the same name click on the File Menu and then click Save.

To save with a different name click File and then click Save As and the dialogue box will appear.

Exit the Document

In some cases it is necessary to exit the document but not the program. You may want to clear the document and
prepare to open a new document.
 Again, click the File menu and then click Close.
Printing from Excel
Excel does not paginate a document as Word does until printing. It is therefore important to check the page
breaks before sending a document to the printer. To determine the page breaks simply open the print options and
then click 'Home' and Excel will show where the page breaks will occur. The print preview in the Print Options will
allow you to check that the page breaks are appropriate.
ased data
Saving the Spreadsheet
To save the sheet with the original click 'File' and then 'Save'. The spreadsheet will be automatically saved with
the same filename.
To save with a different file name click 'File' and then 'Save As'. You will be presented with a dialogue box and
you can navigate to the subdirectory where the file is to be saved. Find the location, enter the filename and then
click Save.

Printing from Access 


Printing from Access has many of the same approaches as the other two Microsoft Products. Open
the Customer's database.
Open the Customer's table and then click 'File>Print'. To see what is going to be printed and how it will appear
on the page click 'Print Preview'.
You will be presented with a Print Preview Tab. Access will insert a page break at the edge of a column and at
the end of a row to fit it on the paper. Click on the 'Landscape' and the page will reformat.
'Margins' will allow you to set the page margins.
'Size' will allow you to pick different size paper, and this will change the amount of data that can be printed on
the page.
Page Setup will allow you to select the printer and the margins.
The print button will send the document to the currently selected printer. This will export the table into an
Excel format file that can be read and edited within Excel.
Text 

This will export the table into a text file format file that can be read and edited by most word processors
and text editors.

Queries
The output from queries can be printed in the same manner as tables. Run or open the query and then select
File>Print and the same options will be available.

Run the qryMailout and print the first page in landscape format.