TOPIC 3: COMPUTER LAB CARE & MAINTENANCE

Sub Topic 1: Computer Literacy

Sub Topic 2: Secure Laboratory Environment

Sub Topic 3: Servicing and Maintenance of Computer Systems

COMPUTER LITERACY

Computer literacy is the ability to use computers and related technology

efficiently. It’s the level of familiarity with the basic ICT concepts that allows one
to easily use personal computers.

Computer Literacy skills

To be considered computer literate, one needs to possess skills such as §turning on

the computer and log in, opening and creating folders and files, Word processing,
Spreadsheets skills, Browser basics (Internet and Email),Basic hardware
terminology, Virus and security awareness.

Advantages of Computer Literacy

 Profitable Skills: The ability to use programs such as Word Processors can
aid one to make money or get hired for a higher-level job when other
candidates do not have the skills.
 Leadership and Promotions: Computer literacy skills may get one
promoted to a higher position within your work place or be put in a
leadership position in which you teach others how to use computers or
certain computer programs.
 Work Performance: Knowing how to use a computer often allows you to
get work done in a more organized, efficient and timely.
 Communication: Knowledge of how to access the Internet on a computer
opens up different possibilities for you to communicate with coworkers or
supervisors.

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  Being prepared For the Future; Computer technology is advancing faster,
so if you are familiar well with computer skills now this will makes you
ready for bright future

 Ability to use New Media; traditional media like newspapers and television
are being replaced by computer based media such as social media, and
online blogs which require computer literacy skills to use.

 More job opportunities; since almost all workplaces use computers, the
need for people having computer skills is really in great demand.

Digital divide

Digital divide is the inequality with regard to access to information and

communication technologies (ICT). It is the lack of opportunities experienced by
those with limited accessibility to technology, especially the Internet. Is can be a
result of having some societies one with very high levels of computer literacy and
others lagging far behind.

How to promote computer literacy

 Through undertaking computer training courses

 Through attending workshops
 Through practical hands on
 Through reading computer related literature.
 Through carrying out research
 By use of the internet where resourceful tutorials can be downloaded for use.

Limitations to computer literacy

 Computer phobia - people fear to use computers.

 Myths about using a computer e.g. You will kill your sight.
 Expensive hardware and software components
 Restricted to well to do people
 Some places lack connection to the power grid.

Ways you can improve computer literacy in your school

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  Through undertaking computer training courses
 Through attending workshops
 Through practical hands on
 Through reading computer related literature.
 Through carrying out research.

System Startup

On start-up, the OS may verify that the person attempting to use the computer is a
legitimate user through use of a password. After the user logs on, the desktop and
icons are displayed on the screen. Finally, the operating system also executes
programs in the Startup folder, which contains a list of programs that open
automatically when you boot the computer.

Microsoft Windows users can see each of the programs that startup each time their
computer boots by using the msconfigutility.

The Startup Folder

The Startup folder on Windows OS contains a list of shortcuts of those applications

that start when Windows starts.

On Windows 7, you could easily access the startup folder from StartMenu >
Startup.

To open the “Startup” folder the easy way, just hit Windows+Rto open the “Run”
box, type “shell:startup,”and then press Enter.

To manage all startup programs (even those not listed in the startup folder), you
can launch the msconfigby hitting Windows+Rto open the “Run” box, and typing
the “msconfig” command.

Opening application programs

An application is defined as a computer program designed to help people perform a

certain type of work. Examples of applications include word processing programs,
spreadsheets, media players, and even games.

You can open, or launch, a program by using any of the following methods:

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 1. Double-click a program shortcut icon on the desktop.
2. Click an item on the taskbar.
3. Choose Start→AllPrograms. Click the program name on the All Programs
list that appears.
4. You can use the Start menu’s search feature to launch a program

Secure Laboratory Environment

A computer laboratory is a room that is specially designed and prepared to

provide a safe and conducive environment for using computer systems

Factors to consider when preparing a computer laboratory

 Security of computers, programs and other resources

 Reliability of the power source.
 The number of computers to be installed and the available floor space.
 The maximum number of users that the computer laboratory can
accommodate.
 Strength of available furniture

Areas of laboratory security

Organizations, libraries, and schools running public computer labs face a variety of
complex computer security challenges. These institutions take measures to ensure
the safety of the equipment, software, data and users.

Physical security measures

Burglar proofing avoid unauthorized access to computer room.

Fit strong locks, doors, windows and roofing. Security should be good around
computer room to avoid thefts

Physical security measures

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  Employ security guards to keep watch over data and information centers.
 Apply burglar proof for the computer laboratory by reinforcing weak access
points like windows, doors, roofing with metal grills and strong padlocks.
 Set up alarms to alert you in case of break-ins.
 Use system locks (locked key systems) to make it difficult to access internal
components like hard disks and memory sticks.
 Use cables to lock the equipment to desk, cabinet or floor.
 Electronic locking mechanism with keys, swipe cards, finger print
recognition.
 CCTV Cameras to keep watch over computer systems and centers.

Security cameras

Security cameras act as a deterrent to theft and other crimes in computer labs and
data centers.

Closed Circuit Television(CCTV) surveillance cameras are used to record video

which can be viewed in the monitoring room and played back in case of any
investigations.

Burglar proofing

 Burglar proofing provides protection against any forced physical entry into
the computer laboratory.
 Burglar proofing involves fitting metal grills in windows and doors.
 Consider installing security alarms at strategic access points that would alert
the security personnel in case of a break-in.
 Fit strong metallic grills and locks on doors, windows and strengthen the
roof in case the roofing is weak.
 Use Desktop locks, system unit enclosures and laptop locks

Electric power security

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  Electric power security: Place no more than two computers on each circuit.
Do safe well insulated cabling.
 Keep the circuits for computer systems separate from all other equipment
such as printers, copiers and coffee makers.
 Plug each computer into a surge protector or UPS (Un interruptible Power
Supply Unit)

Stable power supply

Protect computers from being damaged and data loss due to power instabilities by
having:

 Power stabilizers maintain power at required voltages.

 A surge protector can be used to protect computer equipment against under
voltage and over voltage.

UPS-Uninterruptible Power Supply

 Computers need the time to shut down properly. Damage to devices and data
can occur when there is sudden power loss or fluctuation.
 UPS, or Uninterruptible Power Supply units, keep backup power for devices
in the event of a failure or other electrical problems.
 A UPS is essentially a small battery that keeps the power supply on for long
enough for you to switch off the computer safely when there is a sudden
blackout.

Electric power security

 Cable insulation: All power cables must be properly insulated and laid
away from pathways in the room.
 Lay them along the walls in trunks. This prevents electric shock and power
disconnections caused by stumbling on cables.
 Always install lightening conductors to the computer laboratory to protect
the machines and the users of the computers
 Always install lightening conductors to the computer laboratory to protect
the machines and the users of the computers.

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  Minimize Electrical noise / interferences in the computer environment.
ELECTRICAL NOISE refers to externally radiated signals that cause
undesirable additions to the current voltage

Electrical Noise

Electrical noise is commonly generated by devices like Fluorescent lights of high

frequency, Motors, Battery ,Chargers, Inverters, Radios, television, and Cell
phones

First aid kits and Toolkits

First aid box: A first aid kit is a box or bag that contains the necessary items for
providing care in case of any emergency in the computer lab such as an electric
shocks.
Tool kits are also necessary for keeping ICT repair and maintenance tools.

Fire Extinguisher

Fire extinguishers are a critical component of saving property and lives in the case
of a fire emergency. Owning a fire extinguisher is a form of ensuring safety. All
computer rooms need it just in case a fire starts.

It can save our property from burning because the use of the device will help
prevent it from spreading and can even stop the flame in no time

Have gaseous fire extinguishers like those filled with carbon dioxide. Water based
or powder extinguishers should be avoided since they can cause damage to
computer components

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Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

 Air conditioning units monitor and maintain the temperature, air distribution
and humidity in a computer room.
 An Air conditioning unit is a device used for cooling and controlling the
humidity and purity of the air circulating in a space.
 Have good air circulation in the computer room since users and computers
emit heat energy.
 This is possible through having enough ventilation points like windows,
installing an air conditioning system.
 Avoid overcrowding of machines and users.
 All the above prevent suffocation and overheating.
 Avoid direct sunlight and high Temperatures that may damage hardware
components.
 Ventilation should be good. Good aeration enables the computer to cool and
hence avoids overheating
 Dump Control: Humidity must be regulated in the computer laboratory to
remain at an optimum 50%.
 Low humidity may cause static electricity to build and damage sensitive
components.
 High Humidity of over 70% may cause rusting of the metallic parts of the
computer system.

Dust Control

 Blower: Used to blow/remove dust that may have entered inside the
computer.
 Dust and Water proof covers Protect computers from moisture, water and
liquids.
 When setting up the computer laboratory, consider a location away from
excessive dust.
 The room should have special curtains and computers should remain
covered using dust covers when not in use

Antiglare filter screens

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  This is used to avoid eye strain and fatigue caused by over bright CRT
monitor.
 Reduces electromagnetic rays from the CRT monitor.
 Radiation filter screens should be fitted to reduce the light that reaches the
eye
 They reduce the effect of light rays emitted from monitors.

Woolen carpet

 Absorbs dust in the lab.

 Reduces effects on damage when light objects fall.
 Minimizes effects of electric shocks.
 Absorbs electrical radiations from computer devices.

Software security measures

 Computers should have updated antivirus software installed to prevent

malware.
 Remote administration software should be considered with high number of
computers in a computer center.
 Computer management software to monitor and limit web browsing should
be installed for.
 Group policy or security software to prevent malicious software from being
executed and installed.
 Assigning unique authorized log-in for authentication before granting
network access

Software update and upgrade

Software update provides bug fixes and minor software improvements and is
made available by download. While

Software upgrade is the purchase of a newer version of software you currently

use of more fully-featured version of your current software. OR
The replacement of a product with a newer version of the same product.

Ways computers can be damaged in a laboratory

 Defacing computers by use of sharp objects like a campus.

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  Eating and drinking in the lab.
 Placing computers on non-flat surfaces.
 Using un-grounded power sources.
 Opening a computer when it is running.
 Moving the computer while it is running.
 Working with a computer in a dusty environment.

Measures to protect users

 Having all wires insulated to avoid electric shock

 Having the room well ventilated and installing air conditioners.
 Having enough space in the lab for movement.
 Avoid over-crowding.
 Using comfortable and standard furniture to avoid poor posture.
 Using LCD monitors other than CRT monitors or
 Providing antiglare screens and adjustable screens to avoid eye strain
brought by over bright light from the monitor screen.
 Cables should be laid away from users’ paths to avoid users falling while
passing through.

Measures to protect the computers

 Burglar proofing the room.(fitting grills on doors, windows and having a

roof)
 Installing the intrusion detection system (IDS)
 Employing security guards.
 Installing fire prevention and control equipment. (fire extinguishers)
 Having stable power supply. (surge protectors, standby generator,
uninterruptible power supply)
 Installing lightening arrestors
 Insulating all power sockets.
 Follow the computer lab rules and regulations.
 Dust and dump proofing. (cleaning the computers daily, air conditioning
systems, fitting curtains into windows

Importance of servicing and maintaining a computer

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  To ensure that the computer works continuously
 To ensure performance and efficiency of a computer.
 To take out dust that can spoil the internal parts of the computer
 In order to upgrade and update the computer.
 To reduce the costs of long run replacement and repairs.
 To prevent the computer from viruses and malware.

Activities involved in servicing and maintenance of computers

 Repairing and replacing damaged parts.

 Upgrading software.
 Installing power guards/surge protectors.
 Scanning devices before use
 Disk cleaning
 Emptying recycle bin
 Firewall activation
 Disk defragmentation
 Upgrading software
 Blowing dust off
 Installing software
 Covering computers with dust or water proof jackets.

Tools needed to service and maintain a computer

 Needle-Nose pliers
 Blower
 Crimping tool
 Screw drivers
 Wire cutters
 Tweezers

The following are the reasons why a computer may slow down and possible
solutions

Reason solution

Insufficient memory (RAM) Add more memory

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Bad hard drive (disk errors creating  Perform a test and repair
delays)  Replace the hard drive

Low performance CPU Replace the CPU with another improved and
faster CPU

Overheating due to failed fan Clean the accumulated dust using compressed air

Excessive dust blocking the heat sink

Memory leak(software bug causes  Upgrade the software causing excessive

program to use a lot of RAM) memory usage.
 Restart the computer more frequently
Wrong video driver making the display Upgrade the video drivers
slow

Low performance wireless connection Upgrade the wireless router.

due to distant antenna with weak signal

Viruses and spyware stealing memory Use scanning tools to identify and remove
and processor management. extraneous software.

Low performance hard disk Replace hard disk with a faster one

System configuration

What is system configuration?

This is the process of setting up of hardware and assigning them resources so that
they work together without problems.

System specifications

This is a structured collection of information that brings together the requirements

of a system

System specifications

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  Processor: Intel core 2 duo processor (CPU speed 3GHZ)
 Operating system: windows 8, home premium.
 Memory: 2GB, 800MHZ
 Boot hard drive: 160GB
 Video card:
 Optical storage device: DVD +/-RW
 Monitor: LED 17”
 Wireless: LAN (802.11n)
 Battery: 9-cell lithium ion battery

How do you check for a computer’s specifications?

1. Go to the start menu, find the icon for “my computer”,

2. Right click on the “my computer” icon, and choose properties
3. Click the “general” tab
4. The system displays the operating system installed on the computer at the
top.
5. At the computer section: it displays the computer name, speed, computer
memory,
6. To see the hard drive capacity, go to start button and double click on “my
computer” icon

OR Press click start button + run and type dxdiag (directxdiagnostic) then ok

Software installation

This refers to the act of making a program ready for execution.

An installer is a computer program that loads files, such as drivers, applications,

and other software onto the computer

Uninstalling a program

Uninstalling is the process of removing a program from the computer

Steps followed to uninstall a program

1. Go to the start button

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2. Open the control panel
3. Click on the word uninstall program under programs.
4. When all the installed programs display,
5. Click on the program you want to remove then click on uninstall at the top.

Requirements to perform an installation of an operating system (windows)

 A computer
 CD/DVD with the operating system
 Knowledge about installation
 Stable power source.

Troubleshooting

This is a form of problem solving used to repair products, processes.

Troubleshooting is the process of identifying a problem in the software or
hardware device, giving possible causes and finally finding possible solutions to
the problem.

How do you troubleshoot a computer?

 Restart the computer

 Check the cables.
 Check the power source
 Disconnect peripheral devices.
 Check the devices for proper connection.
 Listen to unusual sounds.

Safe use of the computer laboratory

 Always Sit upright: to avoid muscle pains and back aches caused by poor
sitting posture.
 A computer room should have enough light avoid eyestrain, and headaches.

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  Standard furniture: Have standard furniture so that the tables are wide
enough and strong to bear the weight of the computers and accommodate all
peripherals.
 The seat for the user must be comfortable and have a straight backrest that
allows someone to sit upright.

Laboratory rules and regulations

 Avoid smoking and exposing computers to dust since they contain small
abrasive particles that can damage computer components and cause wearing
of moving parts.
 Avoid carrying food and beverages to the computer room since these may
fall into moving parts causing rusting or electrical faults.
 Avoid unnecessary movements because you may accidentally knock down
peripheral devices.
 At all times follow the right procedures while starting and shutting down the
computer therefore abrupt switching on and off the computer should be
avoided since this can lead to damaging the computer

 Do not open up the metallic covers of computers or peripherals without

permission and particularly when the computer power is still on.

 Any repairs to the computer should be done by someone who has knowledge
regarding computer repairs.

 Any connections (keyboard, mouse, printer and monitor) to the computer

should be done when the computer power has been switched off.

 Computers should be regularly serviced and keep a regular record of

computer servicing and repair to establish maintenance costs and common
problems to your computer.

 Guard your computer against new users who might spoil the computer and
data corruption by unauthorized parties.

 Computer components should be kept dust-free. Avoid smoking and

exposing computers to dust.

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  Never try to remove the cover on your computer or touch inside the system
unit. There are many sensitive components. Instead, take it to a qualified
technician.

 Keep all liquids and food items away from your computer.

 Liquids and food crumbs can cause rusting and corrosion and damage
electronic circuits. Also, mixing liquids and electronic components can
cause serious electrical shock!

 Never use your computer during a storm. The computer is connected to

electricity and that means that lightning could be conducted to the computer.

 Physically, be careful, avoid knocking and dropping any hardware to the

ground as this could cause any of the delicate components to break or be
damaged.

 Proper shut down of computers should be followed to avoid disk and system
failure (avoid abrupt switching off).

 Be careful when using the internet. Do not accept downloads from websites
that you don't know and trust.

 And never open an email attachment unless you know and trust the person
who sent it.

 Avoid making hardware connections to the motherboard when the computer

is on. Eg keyboard, monitor and mouse connections.

 Don’t bring magnetic devices to the lab. The computer has magnetic disks
which can be spoilt if they come near other magnetic fields.

 Handle delicate storage devices with care. Don’t touch the inner surface of
Compact disks and Floppy disks. Safely remove Flash disks from the
system.

 Avoid excessively bright and flickering computer monitors. The brightness

of the computer monitors should be adjusted to avoid eye strain.

Servicing and Maintenance of Computer Systems

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  Maintenance of Computers In Good Working Conditions
 Importance of servicing and maintaining a computer
 Cleaning of computers
 Installing system and application software
 Uninstalling software
 Updating of software
 Upgrading software

Maintenance of Computers In Good Working Conditions

The following measures should always be carried out to keep computers in

good working conditions:

 Regular servicing should be done for hardware and software updates to ensure
proper working conditions of the computers.
 Computers require special cleaning even on the outside including hardware
parts such as the mouse and keyboard to perform correctly.
 Always use optimizer utilities that modify programs to make computers to
improve performance and make them to run more quickly
 Always use optimizer utilities that modify programs to make computers to
improve performance and make them to run more quickly.
 Always use and regularly updated antivirus software. Viruses and worms are
horrible computer-unfriendly programs that can crash your system and cause
damage.
 Avoid Installation Marathons (Installing many new programs at the same
time). Sometimes, installing a new program can cause conflicts within your
system.
 It is therefore advisable to use the computer long enough to see how your
system responds to the installation before installing the next program.
 Carry out Disk Defragmentation when necessary.
 Disk Defragmentation is the process in which scattered pieces of individual
files and free space are reorganized and stored in an adjacent manner (next to
each other) on the disk.
 Defragmentation consolidates fragmented files which makes it easy to access
and process them

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