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I.0.1 Computer Basics Student Manual
The Computer Basics training session is a two (2) to four hour course. You will learn basic information about computers. You will learn vocabulary about computer hardware, and computer software. You will earn how you can put information in computers and get information out of computers. You will also earn about file management and why it is important.
Learning Goals
- Describe why computers are important
- Explain how computers work
- Explain the difference between computer hardware and computer software
- Describe what an operating system is
- Identify the operating system you have on your own computer and phone.
- Explain office productivity and communications software.
- Start up and shut down computers properly
- Use the mouse and keyboard to complete tasks on the computer
- Identify the different groups of keys on the computer
- Create, open, save, and manage files and folders
Why is it important to know how to use a computer?
Computers are everywhere and everyone is using them! Computers are in our cars, our kitchens, our stores and in our workplaces. They are used to communicate, to play, and to make everyday tasks easier. Using a computer and the Internet will help you to keep in touch with friends and family.
You will also be able to complete common tasks more quickly. Computers can help you pay bills or find information on health or other topics. Computers can also help you reach goals like finding a job and improving your career.
What is a computer?
A computer is a piece of equipment that needs electricity or battery power. The computer does the following for you.
- accepts information (input)
- changes the information (process)
- produces new information for you (output), and
- stores the new information (storage)
The computer completes 4 basic functions that make up the information processing cycle.
- Input - data that you put into the computer
- Process - how your data changes
- Output – data that you can take off of your computer
- Storage – where data is stored
The way that the computer processes information is kind of like the way your own brain works.
- Input = what you take in through your eyes, ears, mouth & nose
- Processing = your brain
- Output = your verbal and written reactions
- Storage = what you save and where and what you throw away
Why should you use a computer?
- What types of things can you do on the computer?
- What kind of things do you want to do on a computer?
Can you do these things without a computer? You probably can! But computers can help you! They give you:
- RAM: This is the short term memory. The computer holds information it needs while it is working. When the computer turns off, the information in RAM disappears.
- ROM: These are Instructions that are a permanent part of the computer. These instructions are built on pieces of the computer called chips. These are used to start up the computer, keep time, and do other things that never change.
- Storage: This is where the computer keeps your information. There are many types of storage:
- Hard Drive: The hard drive is inside the actual computer.
- CD/DVD: You can read information from CD’s and DVD’s. On some computers you can also write information on CD’s and DVD’s.
- USB drive: This is a small object that many people use to store data. USB drives are easy to take with you from one place to another. People call USB drives other names: o Thumb drive o Jump drive o Flash drive
- The Cloud: The cloud is another word for the Internet. There are many free ways to store information in the cloud. Some examples are Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
What are advantages and disadvantages of different types of computer storage?
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Computer Programs
A computer program is a set of step-by-step instructions. These instructions tell the computer how to do its job.
- Operating System Software
This software works with the operating system. It controls how you, the software, and the hardware work together. Windows, Apple, Android, and Chrome are common operating systems. Computers and laptops usually use Windows or Apple. Cell phones and tablets usually use Apple, Android, or Chrome software.
- Application Software
This software is what the computer uses to carry out a job as specified by the user. There are different kinds of application software.
- Office Productivity Software. Word Processing is software that lets you work mostly with text. You can enter, edit, format and print documents. Microsoft Word is a popular example of word processing software.
- Spreadsheet is software. Spreadsheet software helps you work with numbers and text too. You can enter, edit, format, print, sort and do math with spreadsheet software. Microsoft Excel is a popular example of spreadsheet software.
- Communications Software. Communications software helps you read, write, talk to, and listen to other people. Examples are the Internet and Email. Internet Explore and Chrome are examples of Internet browsers. Browsers help you use the Internet.
- Function Keys. These keys do special things depending on your keyboard. You will not use the Function Keys for typing text.
1.0.3 Keyboard Practice is completed on the computer using the Keyboard Practice file.
File Management
Take notes as your teacher shows you File Management.
My Computer ......................................................................................................................
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My Documents ....................................................................................................................
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Folders ................................................................................................................................
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Subfolders ...........................................................................................................................
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Files .....................................................................................................................................
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File Naming Conventions ....................................................................................................
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File Types ............................................................................................................................
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1.0.4 File Management Practice is completed on your computer using the instructions below:
Follow the steps below along with your teacher to practice how to Save and Save As on your computer.
- Follow your teacher’s instructions to open Microsoft Word.
- Type in your first and last name and stop.
- Click “File” at the upper left hand corner of the screen and then click on “Save.”
- The box that pops us says “Save As” at the top. This is because it is the first time you are saving the file.
- Look at the folder names next to “Save As.” You may see two or three names of folders. This is the path to the folder where you are saving your file. Write down the folder path below:
- Type the file name “Practice 1” and click Save.
- Press the Enter key to go to the next line. Type in your street address and then go to File/ Save. Notice that now you do not get a box that asks you to choose a folder and to type in a name. That is because you already saved the file.
- Press the Enter Key again to go to the next line. Type in your city, state, and zip code. Now use File/ Save As to give the file a new name – “ Practice 2.” Press the Enter Key again to go to the next line. Type your phone number. Use File/ Save As and choose a different folder such as Documents or Downloads. Type in a different file name - “Practice 3.”
- You now have 3 different files in 2 different folders. Locate these folders and files on your computer.
Application Software: A computer program designed to help the user accomplish a certain task such as: word processing, spreadsheet, web browser, presentation, and email.
Note: More information can be obtained about any of the above by typing the bold words above, along with the word define, into any search engine
File Management Terminology
My Computer: The computer is the primary storage device, and it is designated “Drive C:” in most operating systems. You can think of this as the storage room for all saved files.
My Documents: My Documents is a folder on the hard drive of your computer or on a server. This is generally the default folder for saving files unless you instruct the computer to save the file somewhere else. You can think of this as the filing cabinet in the file storage room (Drive C:).
Folder: You can create as many new folders as you need to organize your files. Folders can be placed directly on Drive C:, inside the My Document folder, or on the desktop. You can think of this as a filing drawer, in the filing cabinet, in the file storage room.
Subfolder/Directory: Subfolders are folders inside of other folders. Again, you can create as many subfolders as you need to organize your files. You can think of these as the hanging files in the filing cabinet drawer.
File: Files are created when you save a document, a spreadsheet, a presentation, a webpage, a picture, a video, a song and so on… You can think of files as the papers you would put in the hanging folders, in the drawers, in the filing cabinet in the file storage room.
File Type: Files come in all types and sizes. Type is determined by what kind of file it is and what program created it. Example: “practice.docx” is a Word file
that was created using Word 2007 or Word 2010. We know that because the file extension (everything following the “.”, “period” or “dot”) is “docx.” File extensions associate the file with the program that created it, and “docx” is associated with Word 2007 and Word 2010. If you change the file extension, the program might not be able to open it because it won’t recognize it as its file type.
Saving Files
FILE / SAVE: If you don’t make any changes, FILE / SAVE saves the file to either the default location (usually My Documents) with a default filename (usually document 1 or the first few words of text in the document).
If the file has already been saved, FILE / SAVE saves the file in the same location with the same name.
FILE / SAVE AS: Allows the user to change the location of the file and/or the file name.
Keyboard Tips
QWERTY Keyboard: The section of your keyboard containing the standard alphabetic characters including the row of numbers, the ENTER and the SHIFT keys.
Numeric Keypad: Laid out using the same layout of the standard calculator. Includes symbols for addition (+), subtraction (-) multiplication (*) and division (/).
Modifier Keys: SHIFT , ALT, CTRL & FN are used to modify the actions of other keys when they are pressed at the same time.
INSERT : Enters text in place of existing text. The insert key is a toggle key which means you press it one time to turn it on and one time to turn it off.
Mouse Tips
Click: Press the left mouse button one time to position the cursor on the screen or to activate a hyperlink.
Right Mouse Click: Press the right mouse button one time to open a pop out or contextual menu for the item clicked.
Double Click: Click the left mouse button two times quickly to select a word, open a file or a program.
Click and Drag: Position the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to work with, hold the mouse button down and move the mouse over the text. Release the mouse button when you have all of the text highlighted.
Drag and Drop: Select text or a picture and click, hold down the mouse button and move the text/picture/file to the new location and release the mouse button.
Scroll Wheel: roll it forward to move up on the screen and roll it back to move down on the screen.
Cursor: the image on the screen which indicates the location of the mouse pointer. The cursor may assume a number of different shapes depending on the user input.
Common Windows Cursors
Normal Select
Link Select
Move
Help Select Text Select
Horizontal Resize Working in Background
Not Allowed/ Available
Diagonal Resize
Busy Busy Vertical Resize
Change Settings to Left-Handed Mouse
- Click the Start button at the bottom left of your screen then click “Settings” then click “Control Panel.”
- A new window will pop up. Look for the Ease of Access section and click on the bold “Ease of Access” link.
Click the “Change how your mouse works” link.
- At the bottom of this window (you might need to scroll down) you will see a “See Also” section. Click on the “Mouse Settings” link.
- A dialog box like the one to the right will appear. Click the white box next to the
Create a Shortcut to a Computer Program:
Click Start > All Programs > (Navigate to the program you want a shortcut for) Right Mouse Click on the Program > Click Send To > Desktop (create shortcut)
Create a Shortcut to a File:
Go to the folder you have saved the file in and right mouse click on the file. Click Send To and then click Desktop (create shortcut)
Basic Computer Maintenance
Daily, Weekly & Monthly: Like cleaning out the garage or weatherproofing the porch, you need to remove unused programs and scan your Windows Registry only occasionally. But computing also has equivalents to washing the dishes and vacuuming the living room floor--jobs you have to do all the time. Luckily, you can automate most of these tasks.
Back Up Every Day: Backing up your data is like brushing your teeth: You have to do it, and do it right. And you should do it every day or at least often enough to avoid losing important files! (Note from your trainer: If you follow the file management strategies taught in class, it will be much easier to back up your files because they will all be in one folder!) And where should you copy those files to? CD-RWs and DVD-RWs work great, but a
second hard drive is the best possible choice, especially if it's an external model that you can detach from the PC.
Weekly Scans and Updates: Antivirus software is useless if you don't keep it up to date. It's likely that your antivirus software can update itself automatically whenever you're connected to the Internet. But if it doesn't, do it yourself once a week.
Scan your hard drive for new viruses once a week, too. Every antivirus program is different, but you should be able to find a control that lets you do a manual scan. Most programs will also let you schedule weekly scans so you don't have to remember to do them yourself.
Of course, not all online evildoers use viruses; some exploit security holes that Microsoft left in Windows. You need to plug those holes. Luckily, Microsoft supplies the cement in the form of regular, downloadable patches. To see if there's one you need--and to download it if there is--just connect to the Internet and click the Windows Update icon that's near the top of the Start menu.
Scan your hard drive for errors: In Windows XP and 2000, open My Computer, right-click your hard drive, and select Properties. Click the Tools tab, then the Check Now button. In Windows 98 or Me, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk.
The Monthly Defrag: About once a month, you should defragment your hard drive.
Over the course of regular PC use, your files get fragmented--spread out all over your hard drive. That photo you just loaded may appear to be all in My Photos, but physically, bits and pieces may be spread out and mixed up like carrot slices in a well-tossed salad.
Lastly, blow air into the floppy disk, CD or DVD drives, and I/O ports—but again, not too aggressively. Wipe the inside of the cover with a lightly moistened cloth, and dry it before replacing it.
Step 2: Outside the case: Run a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol around all of the openings on the outside of your case. Give them one swipe with the damp end of the swab and one swipe with the dry end.
Step 3: Keyboard: Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it. Most of the crumbs and dust will fall out. Take a can of compressed air and blow into and around the keys. Next, take a cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, but not dripping wet. Run the cotton swab around the outside of each key. Rub the tops of the keys. Don't be stingy with the swabs. Discard them when they start to get dirty, and switch to a fresh one. If you have a laptop, follow the same procedure but take extra care with your machine—treat it as gently as you would a carton of fresh eggs. If your laptop has a touchpad, use the damp swap to wipe it clean, as well. Do this keyboard cleanup monthly.
It's tempting to use a vacuum cleaner to suck the debris out of the keyboard and other parts of the computer, but technicians warn that it can create a static electrical charge that can actually damage the computer's sensitive electronics.
Worried about spills? If a spill happens, immediately turn off your computer, disconnect the keyboard, and flip it over. While the keyboard is upside down, blot the keys with a paper towel, blow compressed air between the keys, and leave it to air dry overnight. Check to ensure that all traces of moisture have evaporated before using the keyboard again. Laptop spills need more attention because liquid can easily penetrate the keyboard and damage internal parts. For laptop spills, immediately turn off the computer and remove any external power source and other items plugged into it. Turn the laptop over, remove the battery, and then bring it
to your nearest repair center to check for internal damage. Simply blowing compressed air into the keyboard and letting your computer air dry upside down overnight aren't enough, because liquids can sit inside a laptop for days.
For all spills, be aware that anything other than plain water may cause severe damage, and never attempt to dry a keyboard or laptop in a microwave or conventional oven.
Step 4: Mouse: Disconnect the mouse from your computer. Rub the top and bottom of your mouse with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Scrape hard-to-remove grime with your fingernail. If you have an optical mouse, ensure that no lint or other debris obscures the light-emitting lens on the underside of the mouse.
If you use a mechanical mouse, open the underside of the mouse and remove the ball. (In most cases, you simply need to rotate the plastic ring encircling the ball one-quarter turn counterclockwise.) Wash the ball with water, and let it air dry. To clean inside a mechanical mouse, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub all of the interior components, paying particular attention to the little rollers, where gunk tends to collect. Finally, blow compressed air into the opening and ensure that the interior is dry. Replace the ball and the cover.
Step 5: Monitor: For liquid-crystal display (LCD) laptop and flat-panel monitor screens, slightly moisten a soft, lint-free cloth with plain water. Microfiber cloths are excellent for this purpose. Avoid using paper towels, which can scratch monitor surfaces. Do NOT spray liquid directly onto the screen— spray the cloth instead. Wipe the screen gently to remove dust and fingerprints. You can also buy monitor cleaning products at computer- supply stores.
