BASIC COMPUTER FOR BEGINNER
SHORT TERM TRAINING
FOR
THREE MONTH
LEVEL I
March 4, 2024
Introduction to Computer
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Computer
A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory that can
accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules, produce information (output), and store the
information for future use
Functionalities of a computer
Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:
Computer Components
Any kind of computers consists of HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE.
Hardware:
Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer system. Computer
hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard,
computer data storage, hard drive disk (HDD), system unit (graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard
and chips), etc. all of which are physical objects that can be touch
Software
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Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two
major categories: system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer, and
application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks.
Software Types
1. System software
2. Application software
Practical
The first steps:
Turning the computer on:
o connect all the components then plug in the power cord into the wall socket
o press the key to turn on the computer
o login using your username and password if it is password protected
Turning off the computer:
o press , then ; options:
Stand by
Turn Off
Restart (the key Reset on the computer case has the same
function) – turns the computer off and then on again
In the event that an application does not
respond to a command, open the Task Manager
(press the keys Ctrl + Alt + Delete
simultaneously)
o ending a non-responding (“frozen”)
application: on the Applications tab
choose the non-responding application
and then press „End Task“
To open the Help function: click with the left mouse button on the Start menu and then choose Help. The
following window will open:
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In the blank field next to the word “Search” enter the name of the tool or term you need help with and
press the left mouse button on the arrow “next” or press “Enter”
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WINDOWS XP operating system
The Desktop
is always in the background, the "office desk"
users can adjust the outlook of the desktop in many ways
it contains:
o the Start button
o icons
o the taskbar
Start:
to begin working on the computer, click with the left mouse button on the Start button. A menu with
submenus will open
in the left column of the Start menu you can find:
o shortcuts to installed Internet browsers (programs that search
the Internet and enable viewing of web pages), examples of these
shortcuts on the picture are Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer;
software for sending and receiving electronic mail (e-mail), an example
of this kind of software on the picture is Mozilla Thunderbird
o shortcuts to the most frequently used applications, examples on
the picture are: FileZilla, Media Player Classic, Notepad, etc.
o All Programs – the menu that lists all installed programs
enabling you to run the desired software
in the right column of the Start menu you can find:
o My Documents – the default folder for user files
o My Recent Documents – the list of recently used files
o My Pictures – the default folder for user pictures
o My Computer – browses the
computer for folders and
files
o Printers and Faxes – enables
viewing of installed printers
and faxes
o Control Panel – this panel
provides all options for
managing the computer
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(display, sound, add or remove program etc.)
o Help and Support
o Search – searches the computer for a file or folder
o Run – runs applications by entering the name of the application (.exe)
o Log off – logs off the user, but does not shut down the computer
o Turn Off Computer – options: shut down or restart the computer
Icons:
images that represent applications, program shortcuts, folders, or files
predefined Microsoft Widows icons are: My Computer, My Documents and the Recycle Bin
most frequent icons: folders, applications for text editing (OpenOffice.org Writer, Microsoft Word)
Working with icons
Selecting icons: position the mouse pointer (cursor, arrow) over the desired icon, press and release the
left mouse button; the icon will become colored meaning that it is selected
Moving icons (the drag-and-drop method):
1. press and hold down the left mouse button on the desired icon
2. drag the icon to the desired position
3. release the left mouse button
Opening an icon:
o double-click on the icon with the left mouse button, or
o select the icon and press Enter
Shortcuts to programs or files
This is an icon for a file in the PDF format named syllabus
double-click on the shortcut with the left mouse button in order to open a file or start a program
shortcut icons have an arrow within the white square in the lower left corner
its size is 1 kb; you can delete shortcuts without consequences to the program or document that the
shortcut points to
creating a shortcut:
1. press and hold down the right mouse button on the icon of the application, folder, or file
2. drag the icon to the desktop using the mouse and release the right mouse button
3. choose the option Create Shortcut Here
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Taskbar:
it is located on the bottom of the desktop
shows running programs, open folders and files;
can be moved, hidden
has an area called Quick launch to place shortcuts of favourite applications
Windows
folders and files open within a window, some programs open in full screen (games for example)
window elements:
1. Title bar
2. Menu bar
3. Toolbar
4. Status bar
5. Side bar – horizontal and vertical
6. Buttons: minimize, maximize (restore) and close
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Moving a window:
o press and hold down the left mouse button on the windows title bar, move it in a desired
direction, release the mouse button (the drag and drop method)
Resizing a window:
o Position the mouse pointer over the edge of the window, press and hold the left mouse button, change
the window size as you please, release the mouse button
o buttons in the upper right corner of the window:
Minimize: minimizes the window placing it on the taskbar
Maximize: resizes the window to cover the entire desktop
Restore: restores the window to the size it was before maximizing
it Close: closes down the program or folder
Working with multiple windows
o you can have more than one window open, but only one active
o the active window has a highlighted title bar which is greyed out when inactive
o you can activate a window by pressing on it with the left mouse button
o when on the taskbar, you can activate the window by pressing the left mouse button on its slot
Data organization on the computer
Data storage devices:
Hard Disk
Floppy Disk
CD, DVD
USB Stick
online data storage device
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Working with data storage devices within Windows XP
Start > My Computer – the window displaying data storage devices:
Each device has an appropriate icon, title and letter within the brackets (A, B, C, D, E...):
A - Floppy disk
C – usually a system disk- the disk the operating system is installed on
D, E - usually assigned to CD, DVD, DVD-ROM or CD-RW
o there can be more than one disk drive in the computer and one disk drive can be divided into several
partitions
o if there is more than one disk drive in the computer, or more than one partition on the hard disk
drive, the letters usually assigned are:
A - Floppy disk
C - usually system disk – the disk the operating system is installed on
D – usually the letter for another partition or the hard disk drive
E, F- usually assigned to CD, DVD, DVD-ROM or CD-RW
Files and folders
data on the computer is placed within files
o a file: a set of digital data representing specific content (text, image, video, program)
defined by a name and an extension
the extension indicates a file format (files containing images -. jpg, text documents - .doc
or .odt, sound -. mp3)
o files are placed in folders
a folder (directory): a container files or other folders are placed in. You can create
files and folders within a folder in order to better organize data
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a folder can contain subfolders which can have their own subfolders and they can also
contain subfolders ... – a branching map
path - the path to a desired folder or file
if you choose the Folders tool in the folder window:
o you get the
Windows
Explorer view
o the hierarchical
structure of
folders appears
on the left side
Working with files and folders within Windows Explorer
displays the hierarchy of folders
Start > All programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer; or press the right mouse button over the Start
button and on the quick menu choose Explore
working within the left pane of the window:
o displays entire folder structures enabling easier navigation
o + folders can be further branched
o – folders are branched out
o press the left mouse button on a folder and in the right pane of the window folder its content will
be displayed
working within the right pane of the window:
o folders will open if you double-click on them
o when Detailed view is selected, several informational columns will be shown:
Name – lists files and folders by name
Size – shows the size of files and folders on the disk
Type – shows file type (text file, spreadsheet, picture, video etc.)
Date Modified – shows the date when the file was last modified
Status bar – located on the bottom of the window; provides information about the file
or folder
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Creating folders and subfolders
Windows Explorer: within the left pane of the window select the folder you want to create a subfolder in
and:
o on the menu bar select File, then New > Folder > enter a name > press Enter; or
o press the right mouse button within the right pane of the window > New > Folder > enter a name
> press Enter
Displaying the name, size and location of a folder and subfolder
the view can be changed by choosing the tool View; the options are:
o Thumbnails
o Tiles (on the image below)
o Icons
o List
o Details
each file has its own properties:
o press the right mouse button on the file and on the quick
menu select the Properties option
o it displays the location, size, creation date, date modified,
author etc.
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Files and folders can be hidden:
press the right mouse button on the file and choose Properties; on the tab General mark the checkbox
next to Hidden, press the Apply button and then OK
the dialog box Confirm Attribute Changes appears with the following options:
o Apply changes to this folder only
o Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files
Hidden files and folders can be made visible:
o on the Tools menu choose Folder Options; on the tab View select Show hidden files and folders;
press the Apply button and then OK
To show the file extension
files have extensions that define the file type and determine the application that will open the file. The
extension is placed after the name, separated by point
to display the file
extension: on the
Tools menu
choose Folder
Options; open the
tab View and
unmark the
checkbox next to
“Hide extensions
for known file
types”. Confirm
the change by
pressing the Apply
button and then
OK
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To change a file status
files can be opened, modified and deleted if their properties allow it
change the file status to read only: select the tab General, press the left mouse button over the box next to
the Read Only attribute, confirm the change by pressing the Apply button and then OK
when you want to change the file status back, press the left mouse button over the same box and the
box becomes empty again, confirm the change by pressing the Apply button and then OK
Most often used files:
OpenOffice.org suite Extension:
text document: Writer .odt
create and view presentations: Impress .odp
work with spreadsheets: Calc .ods
Extension:
Microsoft Office 2003 version 2010 version
text document: Word .doc .docx
create and view presentations: PowerPoint .ppt .pptx
work with spreadsheets: Excel .xls .xlsx
More applications: Common
extension:
audio file .mp3
image .jpg
video file .mpeg
compressed file .zip
executive file .exe
Renaming files and folders
press the right mouse button over the file, on the quick menu choose the option Rename, enter the name
and press Enter
be careful not to change the extension, or you might not be able to open the file
Selecting files and folders
selecting one file: press the left mouse button on the file
selecting a number of sequential files – press the left mouse button on the first file, press and hold the
Shift key and press the left mouse button on the last file, then release the Shift key
selecting a number of files that are not sequential – press the left mouse button over the first file, press and
hold Ctrl and then press the left mouse button over other files or folders you want to select, then release
the Ctrl key
selecting all files within a specific folder: on the Edit menu choose the option Select All (keyboard
shortcut Ctrl + A)
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File count
to count files within a folder: press the right mouse button on the folder > Properties> and see the files and
subfolders the folder contains
count the same file type: View > Details > Display Type> Check files of the same type> you can find the
number in the status bar
Copying files and folders:
1. select the file or folder you want to copy
2. press the right mouse button and on the quick menu choose the tool Copy (Ctrl + C)
3. position the cursor to the place you want to copy the content to
4. press the right mouse button and on the quick menu choose the tool Paste (Ctrl + V)
Copying via drag and drop method:
1. select the file or folder you want to copy
2. over the selected file or folder press and hold down the left mouse button and then press and hold
down the Ctrl key
3. “drag” the mouse pointer to the place you want to copy the content to
4. release the mouse button and then release the Ctrl key
Moving files or folders:
1. select the file or folder you want to move
2. press the right mouse button and on the quick menu choose the tool Cut (Ctrl +X)
3. position the cursor to the place you want to move the content to
4. press the right mouse button and on the quick menu choose the tool Paste (Ctrl + V)
Moving via drag and drop method: the same as copying, but without the Ctrl key- just apply the drag and
drop method.
Deleting files and folders
Windows Explorer > within the left part of the window select a folder containing files or folders you
want to delete > in the right window select the file or folder and on the File menu choose Delete
right-click on the folder or file and on the menu select Delete
press and hold the left mouse button over the file or folder you want to delete, drag the cursor to the
Recycle Bin and release the mouse button (drag-and-drop)
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Restoring files and folders
deleted files and folders
are moved to the
Recycle Bin
options:
o Empty the
Recycle Bin
o Restore all
items
restoring a file: press
the right mouse button
on it and on the menu
choose Restore
Compressing files and folders
compression reduces the space the data occupies on the disk
o right-click the file or folder and select the command Send to > Compressed (zipped) Folder
o a compressed folder or file is created with the same name as the original and with the letter Z on the
icon
o to add files and folders use the drag-and-drop method
o programs for compression are: Win Zip, WinRar
Decompressing files and folders (extract)
in order to modify compressed files and folders you need to decompress them first
o right-click over the compressed folder or file > select a decompressing program > specify the
location you want to save the folder in
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Search for files and folders
you use it when you want to find something you saved, but you do not know the location you saved it in
Start > Search > choose what you are searching for (picture, music, video, documents, printers…)
Sorting data
possible by using the view Details (on the image below)
o next to the sort criteria is a gray triangle showing whether the data is sort in an ascending
or descending order
o sorting criteria:
Name Type
Size Date modified
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MANAGING PRINTING
Change the default printer
if there are multiple printers, only one is default; documents will print on the default printer unless
you choose another printer in the print dialog
changing the default printer: Start > Printers and Faxes > select printer > press the right mouse button >
Set as default
Installing a new printer to your computer
Start > Printers and Faxes > Add printer, or
use the installation CD provided with the printer
Printing documents from a text editing application
on the File menu choose the
Print option; enter the desired
settings (number of copies, print
page range) and press OK
o when printing, the printer
icon appears in the low
right corner of the taskbar >
double-click with on it the
left mouse button to open
the print jobs dialog
o to pause or cancel the print
job: double-click on it with
the left mouse button to
open print jobs dialog,
select the job you wish to
pause or
cancel, press the right mouse button and choose Cancel or Pause
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Working with programs within the operating system Windows XP
Start > All Programs > Accessories:
o Paint – the program for drawing, painting
and simple photo editing
o Notepad – the program for text editing
with basic formatting
o Calculator
Working with programs for text editing (OpenOffice.org Writer, Microsoft Office Word)
when saving a document for the first time: on the File menu select Save as; in the dialog box that appears
specify the location you wish to save the file in (Save in), enter the filename and then click the Save
button
Formatting removable media (floppy disks, memory stick)
formatting media prepares media for use and if there was any data on
the media, it was deleted after formatting
in the My Computer window, right-click on the disk you wish to format,
press the right mouse button and select the option Format and then press the
OK button
it is advisable to make a copy of data before formatting media
Antivirus programs (Norton, McAfee, Sophos, free-av)
programs that are used for protection against computer viruses
antivirus programs need to be updated regularly. It can be done automatically or manually. The icon of the
installed antivirus program is placed in the lower right taskbar corner, right-click on the icon and there is
an option for updating the program on the menu
Using Print Screen
Print Screen is used when we want the picture currently on the monitor to be saved as an image
1. Press the PrtSc button (full name: Print Screen) on the keyboard
2. Open an application for image editing, like Microsoft Paint, paste the image into the application, edit
the image, choose the name and the location you want to save the image in
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CONTROL PANEL
The Control panel is a panel enabling access to all settings available for maintaining or tuning our PC.
You can access it through the icon placed on the Start menu
views:
o Category view
o Classic view
Getting the basic system information: double click on the icon to open system properties.
To set the date and time:
Start > Control panel > Date and Time; or: double-
click on the clock in the lower right corner of the taskbar
after setting the time and date, press the Apply button
and then OK
Change the desktop background
any image stored on the computer can be set as a desktop background
to set an image as a desktop background: go to the Control Panel and double click the Display icon, or
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press the right mouse button anywhere on the desktop (not on an icon!) and choose the option
Properties from the quick menu (shown on the image below)
o the Display Properties icon contains several tabs, on the
Desktop tab choose an image for the desktop
background, press the Apply button and then OK
o you can also Browse and find any image stored on the
computer and set it as a desktop background image
Setting the Screen Saver
• by using dynamic images, the Screen Saver protects the
monitor; it turns off when the mouse is moved or any key on the
keyboard is pressed
• in the Control Panel, open the Display icon with a double-
click, select the Screen Saver tab, choose one of the listed
screen savers. In the field Wait choose the period of time the
computer has to be unused for the Screen Saver to activate.
After entering the changes, press the Apply button and then OK
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Change the screen resolution
the screen resolution depends on the quality of the
monitor and graphics card
resolution determines the quality of the displayed image
on the monitor. Better resolution means better image
quality
in the Control Panel open the Display icon and on the tab
Settings there is an option for Screen Resolution with a
sliding bar – move the slider. After you have chosen the
resolution, press the Apply button and then OK
Change the keyboard language layout
the Windows operating system has support for a number of official languages
in the Control Panel, open Regional and Language Options> Languages> Details
if there is no keyboard layout offered for your language, choose the option Add
Uninstall a program
in the Control Panel open the Add / Remove icon, select the program you want to remove and
select the Remove button
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Installing new programs
new programs can be installed in different ways: using a CD, DVD or any removable media,
media downloaded from the internet etc.
to launch the installation, double-click on the .exe file usually named: setup.exe or install.exe
after starting the installation, the installation wizard appears. Follow the instructions, enter the license
key if necessary and press Finish.
Adjusting the sound and speakers is possible through the Sound icon found in the Control Panel. Double-click
the Sound icon and a window with sound options will appea
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