IT CAPS Content Development

Grade 10

Computer management
On-going maintenance
Cleaning your computer
On-going management
• After the initial personalisation, there are
some routine tasks which we have to perform
to keep our computer functioning at an
optimal level.
Typical maintenance tasks
• Keeping the desktop neat and tidy
• Maintaining and refining the folder structures
on storage devices
• Removing or deleting files which are no longer
required
• Backing up important information
• Updating software
• Defragmenting the hard drive
• Archiving files which will not require any
further changes
Desktop management
• The purpose of the desktop is to keep
frequently used items close by for quick
access
• These items can include shortcuts to
programs, folders and files, as well as desktop
gadgets provided by Windows
Desktop management
• Consider the following screenshot of a
desktop:
Desktop management
• Such a cluttered desktop is the result of
dumping all sorts of folders and files on the
desktop.
• If you have to look through all these icons to
find what you are looking for, it defeats the
purpose of "quick access".
• A general rule of thumb is to only keep things
on the desktop that you will use daily.
Desktop management
• Remove seldom-used icons and shortcuts,
and close unnecessary gadgets.
• Certain programs can be pinned to the task
bar at the bottom of the screen to save even
more space.
• Create a folder on the desktop where you can
still keep the things that you use fairly
regularly close by.
Desktop management
• A well organised desktop makes it possible to
work more effectively
File and folder management
• A neat and tidy desktop is not worth much if
your folder structures are not equally well
organised.
• As discussed in term 2, a well organised
folder structure must be continuously refined
and updated where necessary.
• Make sure all files have descriptive names
and delete the ones no longer required.
• Cookies, temporary files and files in the
recycle bin can also be deleted to free up
storage space.
Cookies and other temporary files
• Cookies are small text files stored on your
computer which are created when you browse
the Internet.
• They are designed to hold a small amount of
data specific to a particular client and website.
• This allows the server to deliver a page
tailored to a particular user.
• Temporary files are files created by programs
before they close. They are stored in a TEMP
folder and can safely be deleted if they have
not been modified in over a week.
Disabling and deleting cookies
• You can either disable cookies in your
browser, or simply delete them.
• Depending on which Internet browser you
use, cookies can easily be disabled or deleted
by merely changing a setting, usually found
with the other privacy settings.
• See next slide for an example of how these
settings can be accessed in Google Chrome.
Disabling and deleting cookies
Disabling and deleting cookies
Disk Cleanup
• Windows provides a utility to help you remove
any unnecessary files, such as the ones
mentioned earlier.
• This utility is known as "Disk Cleanup".
• The quickest way to access
this wizard, is by clicking on
"Start" and then typing
"Disk Cleanup" in the search
box.
Disk Cleanup
• Once accessed, it will provide you with a list of
all the different types of items which can be
deleted in order to free up some space on the
hard drive.
Archiving
• The files which you do not regularly access,
but would like to keep for future reference,
can be archived.
• Archiving files is similar to taking a bunch of
last year's school notes, packing them
in a box and storing it at the back of
your cupboard.
• Files are normally compressed
before they are archived in order to
save some storage space.
Archiving
• Archiving cannot be scheduled to happen
automatically at certain intervals, but has to
be done 'manually'.
• It is thus a process where you take files that
are not going to change or be used in the near
future, compress them, and move them off the
main system to free up space.
• Archived files can be kept on a secondary
system or storage device, or you can create a
separate folder for them on the hard drive.
Compressing files
• File compression drastically reduces the size
of a file by "compacting" it.
• To view or use the file, you can "extract" it,
which is a very simple and straightforward
process.
• You can use the standard Windows
compression program, or you use a
commercial compression utility
such as WinZip or WinRAR.
Compressing (zipping) files using Windows
• Right-click the desired file or folder to
compress.
• In the right click context menu, hover
over Send To and select Compressed
(zipped) Folder from the pop up menu.
• The compressed file should be located in the
same folder as the original uncompressed
files. You can rename it if desired.
Decompressing files
• A zipped folder created in Windows can be
opened by double clicking the folder.
• You will now be able to open the original file.
• You will have to move the file out of the
zipped folder before you will be able to save
any changes.
Decompressing files with commercial software
• Commercial compression/decompression
software have the added advantage of being
able to open any type of compression file.
• Commercial compression software can also
encrypt files as you zip them to secure your
data.
Activity
• Complete the worksheet for this lesson.