FACILITATING AND LEARNING MATERIAL FOR

FUNDAMENTALS OF OPERATING SYSTEM

National Certificate I

This facilitating and learning material covers all the Learning Outcomes for the fundamentals
of operating system for the National Certificate I programme

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 LEARNING OUTCOMES

1 Demonstrate knowledge of operating system

2 Demonstrate skills in installing and upgrading operating system
3 Demonstrate skills in configuring operating system

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fundamentals of Operating System

LEARNING OUTCOMES 2
1.0 Introduction and Preliminary Notes 5
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LO 1: Demonstrate knowledge of operating system 6
PC (a) Explain operating system architecture 6
PC (b) Outline versions of operating system (OS) 7
PC (c) Describe file systems 7
PC (d) Describe Operating System Interfaces 8
PC (e) Explain steps in installing operating system 9
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LO 2: Demonstrate skills in installing and upgrading operating system 12
PC (a) Prepare installation media 12
PC (b) Setup system for installation 18
PC (c) Install operating system 19
PC (d) update operating system 33
PC (e) upgrade operating system 36
LO 3: Demonstrate skills in configuring operating system 48
PC (a) configure operating system 48
PC (b) Create user account 49
PC (c) Customize user profile 52
PC (d) Customise desktop 56

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 ICONS AND THEIR MEANINGS

# Icon Meaning

1 Learning Outcome

2.
Self- Assessment

Table 1: Icons and their meanings

The meaning of each icon is provided in Table 1. You should know what each icon represents.
Carefully observe the icons and their meanings.

for going through the icons and their meanings! We will

next look at the activities under LO 1.

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1.0 Introduction and Preliminary Notes

You are welcome to this learning material. This material introduces you to computers. At the end of this unit,
you should be able to demonstrate knowledge of operating system, skills in installing and upgrading
operating system and skills in configuring operating system.

This learning material should be used with the unit specification given as the unit specification will
guide you on the standards stated with all the range statement. You should also be guided by the
evidence requirements so that your learning is relevant to the required standards.

The way the learning material is written is to encourage learner autonomy and initiative (i.e.,
activities that require the learner to work independently of the facilitator and to make decisions
concerning how he/she might approach a task) so that you as a learner can take ownership of your
own learning. Follow the instructions and the steps indicated in the learning material and work as
independently as possible

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 LO 1: Demonstrate knowledge of operating system

Dear learner, welcome to this learning outcome. This LO is developed to help you
explain operating system architecture, outline versions of operating system, describe file systems
and operating system interfaces and explain the steps in installing operating system. To achieve this,
you will have to go through PCs (a) – (e).

PC (a) Explain operating system architecture

Dear Learner, in this session we shall learn about operating system and its architecture.

An operating system is a program that controls the execution of application programs and acts as an
interface between the user of a computer and the computer hardware. The purpose of an operating
system is to provide an enabling environment in which user can execute programs.

Operating system architecture refers to the overall design of hardware and software components and
their operational effectiveness as a whole. Figure 1 illustrates an operating system architecture.

Figure 1: operating system architecture

PC (b) Outline versions of operating system (OS)

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The versions of operating system include:
● Microsoft Windows
● Apple iOS (iPhone OS)
● Apple MacOS (Macintosh OS)
● Google android OS
● Linux OS

PC (c) Describe file systems

Dear learner, come with me let’s discuss the file system

A file system provides the way of organizing a drive. Its primary operation is to specify the way the
data is stored on the drive and the types of information attached to files such as filenames,
permissions, and other attributes. The types of file systems include:

1. File Allocation Table (FAT): The FAT allocates different file and folders using tables. This
was originally designed to handle small file systems and disks. This system majorly has three
variant FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32 which were introduced in 1980, 1984 and 1996
respectively. Figure 2 shows the variants of FAT.

Figure 2: FAT file system

2. High Performance File System (HPFS): This file system was created specifically for the

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 OS/2 operating system to improve upon the limitations of the FAT file system. Under HPFS,
directory entries hold more information than under FAT.

3. New Technology File System (NTFS): This was an enhanced and more advanced version
of FAT systems. All Windows installation is done on NTFS, it first formats the storage in
NFTS format and then install on it. Mostly NTFS is done on internal drives.

4. Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT): This file system was created to be used on flash
memory like USB flash drives, SD cards and so on. The exFAT is a newer version of the
FAT32 file system, and you can think it this way: it is a middle ground between FAT32
and NTFS file system.

PC (d) Describe Operating System Interfaces

This is the part of an operating system or device that allows a user to enter and receive information.
Operating system interfaces include:

1. Command line interface (CLI): This is a text-based user interface (UI). It is used to
run programs, manage computer files and interact with the computer. CLIs accept as
input commands that are entered by keyboard; the commands invoked at
the command prompt are then run by the computer.

2. Graphical user interface (GUI): This is an interface through which a user interacts with
electronic devices such as computers and smartphones through the use of icons, menus and
other visual indicators or representations (graphics). GUIs graphically display information
and related user controls, unlike text-based interfaces, where data and commands are strictly
in text. GUI representations are manipulated by a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball,
stylus, or by a finger on a touch screen.

3. PowerShell: This is an object-oriented automation engine and scripting language with

an interactive command-line shell. It is the new shell of Microsoft which combines the old

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 command prompt (CMD) functionality with a new scripting instruction set with built-in
system administration functionality.

4. Disk Operating System (DOS): This provides a command line in which the users can give
instructions in the form of commands. It was considered a stand-alone operating system.
Basic DOS commands include:
i. dir – Displays the contents of a directory.
ii. erase – Delete files.
iii. move – Move files to another directory.
iv. edit – Launches the text editor.
v. clear – Clears the screen.

PC (e) Explain steps in installing operating system

Step 1: Check the system requirements: If you decide to install a new operating system,
you will first need to figure out which one you want to use. Different operating systems (OS)
have varying system requirements. Most Windows installations require at least 1 GB of
RAM, and at least 15-20 GB of hard disk space.
Step 2: Decide whether to purchase or download: Windows licenses need to be
purchased. Each license comes with a key good for one installation. But most Linux
distributions are free to download and install as much as you would like.
Step 3: Research your software compatibility: Make sure the operating system you want
to install supports the programs that you want to use. If you use Microsoft Office for work,
you won't be able to install it on a Linux machine. There are substitute programs available,
but the functionality may be limited.
Step 4: Obtain your new operating system: If you have purchased a copy of Windows
operating system (OS) from a store, you should have received an installation disc along with
your product code. If you don't have the disc but have a valid code, you can download a copy
of the Windows OS online.
If you are installing Linux, you can download an ISO of the distribution from the developer's
website. An ISO file is a disc image that needs to be burned to a disc or copied to a bootable
USB drive.

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Step 5: Backup your data: When you are installing a new operating system, you are most
likely going to be wiping the hard drive in the process. This means that you will lose all of
your files on the computer unless you back them up. Always make sure that any important
files are copied to a backup location before starting the installation process. Use an external
hard drive or safe the data in the cloud (OneDrive, google drive).

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 Self-Assessment 1

This learning outcome (LO) has a little quiz at the end. I recommend you take this
whole quiz without looking back for any of the answers. This is meant to help you
determine how well you have understood this learning outcome. Now assess yourself with the
questions below:

1. ___________________________ is the overall design of hardware and software components

and their operational effectiveness as a whole.
2. The following are all versions of operating systems EXCEPT?
a. Linux
b. Windows
c. Network
d. Android
3. The following are all types of file systems EXCEPT?
a. exFAT
b. NTFS
c. HPFS
d. Dir
4. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is NOT an operating system interface. True/False
5. Checking system requirement before installation of operating system is NOT important.
True/False

I hope you enjoyed the activities we

have gone through. We will next look at
the activities under LO 2.

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 LO 2: Demonstrate skills in installing and upgrading operating system

Dear learner, welcome to this learning outcome. This LO is developed to help you prepare
installation media, setup system for installation, install operating system, update and upgrade
operating system.
To achieve this, you will have to go through PCs (a) – (e).

PC (a) Prepare installation media

Even though there are different methods used to prepare installation media, this session used the
Microsoft media creation tool to create a bootable USB flash drive. Same can be followed to create
bootable CD/DVD bootable drives.

The following steps are used to create a bootable USB flash drive:
1. Connect USB device to your Windows 10 PC.

2. Then go to Microsoft’s website (www.microsoft.com/en-us/software

download/windows10) and download the Windows Media Creation Tool. Click on
the Download tool now button, which you will see under Create Windows 10 installation
media.

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3. Double-click the file called MediaCreationToolxxxx.exe file to launch it. This file should
be in your Downloads folder or wherever you set downloads to go. The last four digits of the
file name indicate the version of Windows 10.

4. Then click Accept in the pop-up window.

5. Select the Create installation media option and click Next.

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6. Select the language, architecture, and edition that you want to use to create the bootable
USB. You can check the Use the recommended options for this PC box to use the same
language, edition, and architecture you are using now. You can also use the drop-down
options to change the options. If you’re not sure about whether you need a 64-bit or a 32-bit
architecture, select Both from the Architecture drop-down menu.

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7. Next, choose USB flash drive and click Next.

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8. Select the removable drive you want to use and click Next. If you have more than one
device connected to your computer and you’re unsure which one to use, disconnect the other
drives. If you don’t see the drive you want to use, click Refresh drive list.

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 The Media Creation Tool will then start to download the latest Windows 10 installation files
on your computer. This process can take around 30 minutes.
9. Finally, click Finish to complete the process.

The below checklist will be used to assess your learning.

No checklist Yes No
1 Appropriate installation media selected
2 Instructions are carefully read before
proceeding to next stage
3 Installation media prepared

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PC (b) Setup system for installation

To setup a personal computer for installation, the following steps are involved:

Step 1: Unpack: First, take the monitor, computer, and all of the other parts out of their boxes.
Make sure you set aside any manuals or documentation included in the boxes. After unpacking the
computer, you will have power cords, monitor or display device, mouse, and keyboard.
Step 2: Position the computer: Set the computer monitor on the desk and put the computer on or
next to the desk. Place the mouse and keyboard that came with the computer on the desk or table, in
front of the monitor.
Step 3: Connect all cables: connect the keyboard, mouse, power cord, monitor, ethernet, speakers
etc. Figure 3 shows all the ports and connections of a personal computer.

Figure 3: Back of computer case and its connection

Step 4: Ensure the voltage is set to 230V (Ghana operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz)

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The below checklist will be used to assess your learning.

No Checklist Yes No
1. Appropriate PPEs are used
2 Appropriate tools selected
3 Correctly unpacked computer and
accessories.
4 Cables connected appropriately.
5 Set computer voltage correctly.

PC (c) Install operating system

To start the Windows installation, you need to configure your computer to boot from either USB,
CD or DVD (installation media) before booting to the hard drive. Changing the boot process forces
the computer to look for the Windows installation media before booting from the hard drive.

To install Windows 10 using USB as the installation media, the following steps are used:
Step 1: Connect your Windows 10 installation media. If you created a flash drive, connect it to
the PC on which you want to install Windows 10. If you made a DVD, insert it into the drive now.

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Step 2: Boot the PC into the BIOS. If your PC is not already set up to boot from your flash or
optical drive, rebooting from your installation media won't work. You'll need to make a quick
change in your BIOS to change the boot order. There are a few ways to get in:
● Windows 8.1 or 10: From Windows, open Settings, select Update &
Recovery or Update & Security, and go to Recovery > Restart
now > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware
Settings > Restart.
● Any PC: Reboot the PC and immediately start pressing (over and over again) the
keyboard key required by your PC to enter "Setup," or the BIOS. The key varies
by computer, but here are some of the most common keys:
● Acer and Asus: F2 or Del
● Dell: F2 or F12
● HP: ESC or F10
● Lenovo: F1, F2, or Fn + F2
● Lenovo ThinkPads: Enter + F1.
● MSI: DEL
● Microsoft Surface Tablets: Press and hold the volume-up button.
● Samsung and Toshiba: F2
● Sony: F1, F2, or F3

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Step 3: Go to the Boot tab. You'll use the arrow keys to select it.
● The Boot tab may instead say Boot Options or Boot Order, depending on your
computer's manufacturer.

Step 4: Select a device from which to boot. You have a couple of options here:
● For a USB flash drive, select the Removable Devices option.
● For a disc installation, select the CD-ROM Drive or Optical Drive option.

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Step 5: Press the + key until your boot option is first. Once either Removable Devices or CD-
ROM Drive is at the top of the list, your computer will select your choice as its default boot option.
● On some computers, you'll instead press one of the function keys (e.g., F5 or the
arrow keys to navigate an option up to the top of the menu. The key will be listed on
the right side of the screen.

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Step 6: Save your settings. You should see a key prompt (e.g., F10 at the bottom of the screen that
correlates to "Save and Exit". Pressing it will save your settings and restart your computer.

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Step 7: Wait for your computer to restart. Once your computer finishes restarting, you'll see a
window here with your geographical data. You're now ready to begin setting up your Windows 10
installation.
Step 8: Click Next when prompted. You can also change the options on this page (e.g., the setup
language) before continuing if need be.

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Step 9: Click Install Now. It's in the middle of the window.

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Step 10: Enter your Windows 10 key, then click Next. If you don't have a Windows 10 key,
instead click Skip in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
● If you've already installed Windows 10 on this PC and were signed in with your
Microsoft account, your key should be linked to your account. When prompted, just
sign in with your Microsoft account and Windows will locate your key.[4]
● If you've changed hardware in the PC, such as replacing the motherboard, you can
activate Windows after installing by going to Settings > Update &
Security > Activation > Troubleshoot > I changed hardware on this device
recently. Sign in with your Microsoft account when prompted, choose This is the
device I'm using right now, and then click Activate.

Step 11: Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 10. You'll be asked to perform a
few tasks, such as connecting to Wi-Fi and choosing some preferences. Once the installation is
complete, you'll have a fresh new installation of Windows 10.

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 ● If you're upgrading from an earlier version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want
to upgrade the current operating system or do a custom install. If you
choose Upgrade, you'll preserve existing apps and files.
For this session, select Custom: Install Windows Only (Advanced) to completely install Windows
10.

Step 12: To install Windows, you need a partition on your hard drive for storing system files; this
will become the main C: drive. You can either pick an existing partition and format it, or you can
delete everything and create new partitions.

a) To use one of the existing partitions, select it, and click Format.

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b) To delete the existing partitions, select each one and click Delete, then OK.

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c) If you’ve deleted all the existing partitions, your hard drive’s space will be
unallocated, and you’ll need to create new partitions. If you just formatted
an existing partition, then skip to Step 13 now. To create new partitions:
Click Drive options (advanced).

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d) Now click New and choose the size for your new partition, then click Next.

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e) Windows will now create a new partition for storing system files.
Click OK to accept.

f) Repeat this process if you wish to create more partitions.

Once you’ve finished creating all the partitions you want, format each one
except for the partition you want to store your Windows system files on.
Select the partitions one by one and click Format, then OK when
prompted.

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Step 13: Windows 10 installation starts. This process will cause the system to restart itself.

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Step 14: Sign in with your account now. Then hit Next to continue.

The below checklist will be used to assess your learning.

No checklist Yes No
1 Correctly enter into BIOS setup
2 Instructions are read before
proceeding to next stage
3 Right tabs selected
4 Right drive is selected for installation

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PC (d) update operating system

To update drivers and service packs

The following steps are used to update windows 10 operating system:

Step 1: Select the Start (Windows) button from the bottom-left corner

Step 2: Go to settings (gear icon).

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Step 3: Select the Update & Security icon

Step 4: Choose the Windows Update tab in the left sidebar (circular arrows)

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Step 5: Click the Check for updates button. If there is an available update, it will begin
downloading automatically.

Step 6: Restart Windows to complete update. Note, your system will not be equipped with the latest
updates until it's been restarted).

The below checklist will be used to assess your learning.

No Checklist Yes No
1 Instructions are read before proceeding

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 to next stage
2 Correct procedure is followed

PC (e) upgrade operating system

In this session, we shall consider the upgrade of Windows 10 to Windows 11, since the installation
done in PC (c) is Windows 10. Before we proceed to upgrade, we have to check compatibility
(making sure windows 11 will fit on your machine).
The following steps are used to first of all, check compatibility before we upgrade from windows 10
to windows 11:

Step 1: Check for updates by typing "windows update" into the search bar.

Step 2: Click on “Check for update”

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Step 3: Go ahead and hit the Check hardware requirements link. It will launch Edge (or your default
browser) and take you to a page that tells you about Windows 11.

Step 4: Click Learn More, and you'll get another page:

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Step 5: Click Check for Compatibility.

Step 6: Download the PC Health Check App.

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Step 7: Double click to Launch it once it's in your Downloads directory.

No need to add shortcut to desktop because you're probably only going to run this thing once. So
let's run it. Hit Finish.
Step 8: punch that Check now button.

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Step 9: Visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sofware-download/windows11
To download windows 11

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Step 10: Click on download

Step 11: Click on “Accept and install”

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Step 13: The search bar is now at the top. Type “About” and confirm if indeed the system is
running on Windows 11.

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The checklist below will be used to assess your learning.

No. checklist Yes No

1 Instructions are read before proceeding
2 Upgrade is successfully done

Self-Assessment 2

This learning outcome (LO) has a little quiz at the end. I recommend you take this
whole quiz without looking back for any of the answers. This is meant to help you
determine how well you have understood this learning outcome. Now assess yourself with the
questions below:

46
1) ___________________________ is the overall design of hardware and software components
and their operational effectiveness as a whole.
2) The following are all versions of operating systems EXCEPT?
a. Linux
b. Windows
c. Network
d. Android
3) The following are all types of file systems EXCEPT?
i. exFAT
ii. NTFS
iii. HPFS
iv. Dir
4) The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is NOT an operating system interface. True/False
5) Checking system requirement before installation of operating system is NOT important.
True/False

I hope you enjoyed the activities we have gone

through. We will next look at the activities under LO
3.

LO 3: Demonstrate skills in configuring operating system

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Dear learner, welcome to this learning outcome. This LO is developed to help you configure
operating system, create user account, customize user profile and customise desktop. To achieve
this, you will have to go through PCs (a) – (d)

PC (a) configure operating system

Even though, there are a lot of things to be configured after installation, this session chose to discuss
configuration of power settings.

The following steps are used to set PC to sleep when you close the lid or press the power button:

Step 1: Open power options—select Start, then select Settings > System > Power &
sleep > Additional power settings.
Step 2: Do one of the following:

▪ If you’re using a desktop, tablet, or laptop, select Choose what the power
buttons does. Next to When I press the power button, select Sleep, and
then select Save changes.
▪ If you’re using only a laptop, select Choose what closing the lid does. Next
to When I close the lid, select Sleep, and then select Save changes.

To hibernate your PC, the following steps are used:

Step 1: Open power options—select Start, then select Settings > System > Power &
sleep > Additional power settings.

Step 2: Select Choose what the power button does, and then select Change settings that are
currently unavailable. Under Shutdown settings, select the Hibernate checkbox (if it's available),
and then select Save changes

The checklist below will be used to assess your learning

No checklist Yes No
1 Instructions are read

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 2 Correct approach is used

PC (b) Create user account

To create user account, the steps below are used:

Step 1: Right-click the Windows Start menu button.

Step 2: Select Control Panel

Step 3: Select User Accounts.

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Step 4: Select Manage another account.

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 Step 5: Select Add a new user in PC settings.

Step 6: Use the Accounts dialog box to configure a new account.

The checklist below will be used to assess your learning

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 No checklist Yes No
1 Instructions are read before proceeding to the next phase
2 Correct approach is used

PC (c) Customize user profile

The following steps are used to change account display names:

Step 1: Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key+I and click on “Accounts.”

Step 2: Underneath your picture and display name, click on “Manage my Microsoft account” to
open up your account preferences page in a browser.

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Step 3: After the browser opens and the page loads, click the “More Actions” drop-down and then
click on “Edit Profile” from the options below.

Step 4: Underneath your name, click “Edit Name.”

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Step 5: In the fields provided, enter your first and last names, enter the CAPTCHA challenge, and
then click “Save” to update your name.

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Step 6: When your Microsoft profile page reloads, this time, it will update with the name you
entered on the previous screen.

When you change your Microsoft account name, it changes on all devices that you sign in with this
account.

The checklist below will be used to assess your learning.

No Yes No
1 Instructions are read before proceeding to the next stage
2 Correct approach is used

PC (d) Customise desktop

To customise windows 10 desktop, the steps below is used:

Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the desktop, then select Personalize from the drop-down menu.
The Personalization settings will appear.

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Step 2: Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using the Personalization
settings

The checklist below will be used to assess your learning.

No Yes No
1 Instructions are read
2 Able to change background

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 Self-Assessment 3

This learning outcome (LO) has a little quiz at the end. I recommend you take this
whole quiz without looking back for any of the answers. This is meant to help you
determine how well you have understood this learning outcome. Now assess yourself with the
questions below:

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I hope you enjoyed the activities we have gone
through.

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