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A detailed guide on operating a personal computer, covering topics such as starting and shutting down the computer, accessing basic system information, navigating and manipulating the desktop environment, organizing files, printing, and operating application software. The guide is designed to meet the industry requirements under the operate personal computer occupational standard.
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Prepared by: Ministry of Labour and Skill Aug, 2022 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Page 1 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
Page 2 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills
PC -Personal computer RAM -Random-access memory Gb –Gigabyte USB -universal serial bus Page 4 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
This module defines the competence required to operate a personal computer, including starting the PC, logging in, using and understanding desktop icons and their links to underlying programs, navigating a directory structure, saving work, printing, closing down the PC and working with word processing. This module is designed to meet the industry requirement under operate personal computer occupational standard, particularly for the unit of competency: Operate Personal Computer This module covers the units : Start and Shutdown the computer Access basic system information Navigate and Manipulate desktop environment Organize basic directory/ folder structure and files Organize files for user and/or organization requirements Print information Operate application software Learning Objective of the Module Start and Shutdown the computer Access basic system information Navigate and Manipulate desktop environment Organize basic directory/ folder structure and files Organize files for user and/or organization requirements Print information Operate application software Module Instruction For effective use this modules trainees are expected to follow the following module instruction:
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following content coverage and topics: Page 5 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
A computer is more than just another household appliance. The vast amount of information and possibilities can be overwhelming. But you can accomplish a lot with a computer, and using one can be a good experience. Let's walk through getting started with your first computer. Turning on a computer for the first time can be different from one computer to the next. Your experience could be different from this unit. It's OK to ask someone for help. If you're using a desktop computer, you'll need to make sure that peripheral device such as keyboard, mouse, and monitor etc…are plugged into the computer case before you continue. Or Review our module: connect hardware peripheral to learn more. Page 7 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
General Safety Safe working conditions help prevent injury to people and damage to computer equipment. A safe workspace is clean, organized, and properly lighted. Everyone must understand and follow safety procedures. Follow the basic safety guidelines to prevent cuts, burns, electrical shock, and damage to eyesight. As a best practice, make sure that a fire extinguisher and first-aid kit are available in case of fire or injury. Poorly placed or unsecured cables can cause tripping hazards in a network installation. Cables should be installed in conduit or cable trays to prevent hazards. This is a partial list of basic safety precautions to use when working on a computer: Remove your watch and jewellery and secure loose clothing. Turn off the power and unplug equipment before performing service. Cover sharp edges inside the computer case with tape. Never open a power supply or a CRT monitor. Do not touch areas in printers that are hot or that use high voltage. Know where the fire extinguisher is located and how to use it. Keep food and drinks out of your workspace. Keep your workspace clean and free of clutter. Bend your knees when lifting heavy objects to avoid injuring your back. Electrical Safety Follow electrical safety guidelines to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the home and the workplace. Power supplies and CRT monitors contain high voltage. CAUTION Do not wear the antistatic wrist strap when repairing power supplies or CRT monitors. Only experienced technicians should attempt to repair power supplies and CRT monitors. Some printer parts become hot during use, and other parts might contain high voltage. Check the printer manual for the location of high-voltage components. Some components retain a high voltage even after the printer is turned off. Make sure that the printer has had time to cool before making the repair. Electrical devices have certain power requirements. For example, AC adapters are manufactured for specific laptops. Exchanging power cords with a different type of laptop or device may cause damage to both the AC adapter and the laptop. Page 8 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
You interact with a computer mainly by using the keyboard and mouse, or a trackpad on laptops. Learning to use these devices on connect hardware peripheral. Most people find it comfortable to place the keyboard on the desk directly in front of them and the mouse to one side of the keyboard. Hands on keyboard positioned in front of a computer The mouse controls the pointer on the screen. Whenever you move the mouse across the desk, the pointer will move in a similar manner. A mouse usually has two buttons , which are referred to as the left button and the right button. You will often interact with the computer by moving the mouse pointer over something on the computer screen, then clicking one of the buttons. Single or double clicks? Single clicks are used more often than double clicks. If you use a single click and nothing happens, then try a double click. If you find double clicking very difficult, you can use a single click to select the item you want to activate, followed by pressing the Enter key. Hand on mouse controlling the pointer on the screen The keyboard allows you to type letters, numbers, and words into the computer. Whenever you see a flashing vertical line—called the cursor—you can start typing. Page 10 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
A blinking cursor in a browser's address bar Note that the mouse pointer is also called a cursor , but it is shaped differently. The keyboard cursor is also called the insertion point.
When you're done using your computer, it's important to shut it down properly. To shut down Windows, Click the Start button, then Select Shut down from the menu (in some versions, this may say Turn off Computer or look like the power symbol).
You can also click the power button for more options. For example, if your computer has become unresponsive, you can choose Restart to quickly turn it off and on again. You can also choose to put your computer into Sleep mode. This turns off most of your computer's processes, but it remembers which applications and files are open. It allows the computer to start up more quickly because you won't have to wait for the operating system and applications to load. Note that your computer may go into Sleep mode automatically if you haven't used it for more than a few minutes. Page 11 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
Definition An operating system is a group of computer programs that coordinates all the activities among computer hardware devices. It is the first program loaded into the computer by a boot program and remains in memory at all times. Functions of an operating system The basic functions of an operating system are: Handles system resources such as computer's memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various applications or peripheral devices Provides file management which refers to the way that the operating system manipulates, stores, retrieves and saves data. Booting the computer The process of starting or restarting the computer is known as booting. A cold boot is when you turn on a computer that has been turned off completely. A warm boot is the process of using the operating system to restart the computer. Performs basic computer tasks The operating system performs basic computer tasks, such as managing the various peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard and printers. For example, most operating systems now are Plug and play which means a device such as a printer will automatically be detected and configured without any user intervention. Provides a user interface A user interacts with software through the user interface. The two main types of user interfaces are: command line and a graphical user interface (GUI). With a command line interface, the user interacts with the operating system by typing commands to perform specific tasks. An example of a command line interface is DOS (disk operating system). With a graphical user interface, the user interacts with the operating system by using a mouse to access windows, icons, and menus. An example of a graphical user interface is Windows Vista or Windows 7, 8, 10, 11. The operating system is responsible for providing a consistent application program interface (API) which is important as it allows a software developer to write an application on one computer and know that it will run on another computer of the same type even if the amount of memory or amount of storage is different on the two machines. Handles system resources Page 13 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
The operating system also handles system resources such as the computer's memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various applications or peripheral devices. Programs and input methods are constantly competing for the attention of the CPU and demand memory, storage and input/output bandwidth. The operating system ensures that each application gets the necessary resources it needs in order to maximise the functionality of the overall system. Provides file management The operating system also handles the organisation and tracking of files and directories (folders) saved or retrieved from a computer disk. The file management system allows the user to perform such tasks as creating files and directories, renaming files, coping and moving files, and deleting files. The operating system keeps track of where files are located on the hard drive through the type of file system. The type two main types of file system are File Allocation table (FAT) or New Technology File system (NTFS). File Allocation table (FAT) uses the file allocation table which records, which clusters are used and unused and where files are located within the clusters. NTFS is a file system introduced by Microsoft and it has a number of advantages over the previous file system, named FAT32 (File Allocation Table). One major advantage of NTFS is that it includes features to improve reliability. For example, the new technology file system includes fault tolerance, which automatically repairs hard drive errors without displaying error messages. It also keeps detailed transaction logs, which tracks hard drive errors. This can help prevent hard disk failures and makes it possible to recover files if the hard drive does fail. NTFS also allows permissions (such as read, write, and execute) to be set for individual directories and files. What is Windows 10? Windows 10 is the most recent version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. There have been many different versions of Windows over the years, including Windows 8 (released in 2012), Windows 7 (2009), Windows Vista (2006), and Windows XP (2001). While older versions of Windows mainly ran on desktop and laptop computers, Windows 10 is also designed to run equally well on tablets. How is Windows 10 different from other versions? Many users complained that Windows 8, the previous version of Windows, was confusing and difficult to use. As a result, Windows 10 looks and feels similar to older versions. Still, it includes a lot of new features and improvements. Page 14 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
Cortana Similar to Siri and Google Now, you can talk to this virtual assistant with your computer's microphone. Cortana can answer questions like what’s the weather like today. Perform simple tasks like remind you to take out the trash , and much more. Page 16 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
Multiple desktops and Task view Instead of keeping everything open on the same desktop, you can move some of your windows to a virtual desktop to get them out of the way. And the new Task view feature makes it easy to manage all of your open windows. Action Center The new Action Center is pretty different from previous versions of Windows. For example, it's been expanded to let you access frequently used settings, such as Wi-Fi connectivity and tablet mode. It's also where you'll see important notifications , so if your computer receives an update you'll get a notification about it here. Page 17 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
Computer's built-in help Everyone needs to look for help sometimes. Luckily, when you want help with a computer program, it’s usually easy to find. Most programs have a help feature somewhere, and learning how to use it can make a big difference. You may not find everything you need, but your computer’s built-in help is a great place to start. Different programs integrate help features in different ways. Some are like interactive manuals included with the program that you can open with a menu, while others are just links to the developer’s support website. But they’re always designed with the same thing in mind: to help you learn the features of the program and to solve problems yourself. How to access built-in help Most programs have one of two ways to access built-in help. For example, Adobe Photoshop Elements has a Help menu with a variety of options. Many of these options open Adobe’s support page in your web browser, while others access features within the program itself. Other programs have a help button. For example, Microsoft Office 2016 has the Help tab with a Help button to open a search. Page 19 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
Features of a help file Help files can be organized in a variety of ways, including as a table of contents, FAQ, or searchable database. When you open the help panel in Office 2016, you'll see a search box. Much like a search engine, you type keywords in the search bar, and it will display topics relevant to the keywords you entered. The table of contents for Mozilla’s support page is a broad list of categories. Clicking any of these hyperlinks will lead to a list of narrower topics and specific help articles. There’s also a search bar to help you. Although built-in help can be useful, it may not always have the information you want. If you can’t find what you’re looking for or don’t understand what you've found, you can usually ask someone you know, do a Google search, or contact support staff. It can take a little extra time and effort, but learning how to find solutions on your own is a valuable skill—and you’ll Page 20 of 107 Ministry of Labor and Skills Operate Personal Computer Version - Aug, 2022
