UNI 11 Information and Communication Technology Skills

CHAPTER 10
Basic Computer Operations
Computer hardware and software are interdependent on each other. If any of these is not functioning properly, a

computer is of no use. In this chapter, you will learn the process to start a computer and know about software and its

types. This chapter also gives an overview of the commonly used operating systems.

PROCEDURE FOR STARTING A COMPUTER

When we start a computer, the booting process begins, which, initially checks whether all the hardware and software
installed on the computer are working correctly. It also loads all the files needed to run a system. The next step in the

booting process is called POST (Power On Self Test). This test checks the functioning of all the connected hardware,
including primary and secondary storage devices.

On passing PosT, the contents of CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) chip are checked. It is a small
amount of memory on the motherboard that stores BIOS (Basic Input Output System) settings. The primary function of

hardware.
BIOS is to boot up an operating system on the computer. BIOS includes the instructions to load basic computer
It is responsible for accessing and configuring the system settings ike password, date, and time.

Once all the steps of BIOS gets completed, the operating system is loaded into RAM. The OS then executes the pre

Once the booting process gets over, you can log in to the
configuration startup routines to define user configurations.
ofthe operating system appears, and you can start working
on
computer with a username anda password. The desktop
the computer using the required software applications.

IPROCEDURE FOR SHUTTING DoWN ACOMPUTER

When you shutdown a PC, the following things happen:
Ifa program contains unsaved data, you are prompted to saveit.
All the open application programs get closed.
The operating system shuts down by closing its programs, services and processes.

The power management hardware turns off

the power.

Now, you can turn offthe computer's power supply.

OPERATING SYSTEM
machine cannot do anything on its own. t requires specific
Computer being a
Mouse iSk Drive
the instructions are to
instructions how to perform each and every task. Further,
on
machine understands. It means that the user
be converted in a language, which a OPERATING

cannot communicate with the computer directly.

Thus, we require an interface SYSTEM
Keyboard
acts like that interface. Monitor
between the user and the hardware. The operating system
the user with the help of an
The computer interprets the instructions given by Application
which makes our PC alive and helps in Printer

operating system. It is the master program,

running different applications. Fig. 10.1: Operating System

school. The principal has various responsibilities regarding the

The operating system is just like the principal of your
management of the school,
like supervising students, teachers, and workers, maintaining discipline, analysing

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examination schedules, timetables, same way, a number of servicesare
visitors. In the
curriculum, parents, and
provided by an operating system. Imagine, whatmeeting
will happen if there is no principal in a school. Everything will
become
unorganised. Similarly, ift h e operating system is not working in a computer, it will not be aole e

The Hardware provides the user with basic physical resources to work upon. The application/utilty sortwares empower

the user to performa variety of functions on the puter, like solving problems, creating documents, playing games,
erc. Operating system acts as a central coordinator between hardware and software.

Some of the popular operating systems are:

WINDOWs MACOOs LINUX DOS

FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING SYSTEM USER

To manage and share the hardware/software resources of a computer system.

Application Programs
To provide an interface to the users to communicate with the computer
Operating system
system.
Kernel
To communicate with each application or interactive user (or to a system
operator) about the status of operation and any errors that may have occurred. Hardware

CPU Memory Devices

To secure the system and block unauthorised access to the system.

TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM

In the past three decades, computers have taken a giant stride towards excellence and high performance. This has been
possible due to the evolution of operating systems. Let us learn about the different types of operating systems:

Single User Operating System: These operating systems could support only one user to do one thing at a time, like
Microsoft Windows 3.1, Microsoft Windows 95, and Microsoft DOS.

Graphical User Interface (GUI): This operating systerm is graphic based and interactive in nature, like Windows Operating
System, Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Multi-user Operating System: Multi-user operating systems allow more than one user to use the same computer at the
same time, like Linux, Unix, and Microsoft Windows 2000 onwards.

Multitasking Operating System: The ability to perform more than one task at the same time is called Multitasking, like
Microsoft Windows 9x, Windows 2000 onwards, Linux operating systems.

Multithreading Operating System: These are the operating systems which allow different parts of an a0plication or
program to run simultaneously, like Microsoft Windows 9x, Windows 2000 onwards, Linux

DISK OPERATING SYSTEM

Disk Operating System (DOS) is a type of system software that runs from
-
hard disk drive. It is a command line operating system where a user
a
for every action to be performed on the
needs to type the commands
support multiple directories, networking,
enhanced
computer. DOS can

text editing functions, disk compression, and

memory management,
its command line utility makes it difficult for
fragmentation. However,
use. DOS does not support multiple users or multitasking as
beginners to
time. DOS was most commonly found
it c a n run program at a
only one
Fig. 10.2: DOS Prompt
Microsoft in 1981.
PCs that w e r e developed by
operating system in 1BM

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LINUX

Linuxis the operating system that is open source

and free.

Linux
It was developed by Linus
alds in the year 1991. Linux has become the most
popular alternative to other cOstly
atine systems due to its amazing features
given below:
Portable
Open Source and Free
Multi-User and Multiprogramming
Hierarchical File System
Shell
Security
WINDOWS

Microsoft Windows is a series of Graphical User Interface (GUI) operating systems, which are developed, marketed, and

sold by Microsoft. Windows OS was the first graphical user interface for IBM-compatible PCs, which soon dominated thne
PC market.

MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM

Mobile Operating System is also known as Mobile OS. It is particularly designed to operate smartphones, PDAs, tablets
and other mobile devices. Mobile Operating System is a software, which provides platform on which other programs or

applications can run on mobile devices.

There are various kind of Mobile Operating System used in smartphones such as, BlackBerry (RIM), Android (Google),

OS(Apple), Symbian (Nokia), and Windows Mobile (Microsoft).

ANDROID OPERATING SYSTEM
Android is the world's most popular Mobile Operating System. It is an open source (Linux based) platform initially
developed by Android Inc. in October 2003, and later on purchased by Google Inc. in 2005. The green robot is the logo for
the Android operating system. Android OS turns your phone into a powerful web browser, game console, and personal
assistant allin one.

SYMBIAN OPERATING SYSTEM

Symbian is a mobile operating system which is specifically created for smartphones. Symbian was originally developed
by Symbian Ltd and is currently maintained by Accenture. Symbian was primarily used by Nokia and was also used by
many major mobile phone brands like Samsung, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson. Android overtook it in the end of 2010
untilthenitwas the most popular OS for smartphones.
iOS

OS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple. It is the world's most advanced mobile operating system. It was
originally released in 2007 and is used to run the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Formerly it was known as iPhone Os
Unlike other Mobile OS such as Android (Google) and Windows (Microsoft), Apple does not authorize i0S for installation
on any non-Apple hardware. Therefore, iOS devices are created exclusively for its hardware. Apple designs the iOS
devices to maintain a high level of security without compromising the user's experience. Due to their exceptionality of
apps, games, and features, iOS devices cost more than any other mobile OS gadgets available in the market.

WINDOWS MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM

tisa mobile operating system developed by Microsoft for smartphones and mobile devices based on the Windows CE
Kernel. It is designed to look and operate similar to desktop versions of Microsoft Windows. It has given a whole new

imension toe-mailing and documentation.

ume of the Windows Mobile OS are: Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung ATIVS, and Windows Phone 8C by HTC.

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n d o w s Mobile OS is mainly classified into three main versions for various hardware
Smartphones with touchscreen are supported with Windows Mobile Professional Version, mobile phon
ones withou
Oucnscreen run on Windows Windows Mobile
O nmobile
OS is Windows 10 which
Mobile Standard, and the last version of
uns on mobile phones and tablets. Microsoft will stop providing support and updates for VWindows l0 mobile by the en.
nd
of 2019.

ASSESSMENT TIME
A. Multiple Choice Questions:
1. The name of the Edubuntu's Graphical User Interface is. ***********'******'****

d. shell
a. Unity b. Bash C. Kernel

2. The C h e c k s the functioning of all the connected hardware, including primary and
*****ssn
secondary storage devices.
a. Booting process C. Power on
d. Input Unit
b. POST
************************.*..... Operating system runs on computers which are located in different geographical areas,
interconnected through a network.
a. GUI b. Command line c. Real time d. Distributed
4 The small labelled pictures or symbols present on the desktop are called **** ***

a. Iconss b. Pixels c. Buttons d. Commands

5. The operating system has twocomponents.. . and..
a. Software and Hardware b. Software and Technologies
c. Shell and Kernel d. Files and Devices

B. Fill in the Blanks:

1. The operating systems allow different parts of an application or program to run
simultaneously.
2. The stores the deleted files in Edubuntu.
3 A batch file consists of a series of . to be executed by the command-line interpreter
4. DOS files are organised ina ***********************
oder
an inverted tree-like structure.
5. Linux was developed by . in the year 1991.

HINTS Directory Disk Single User Linus Torvalds Interpreter

C. Answer the Following Questions:
1. What is system software?

What do you mean by multitasking operating system?

Who wrote the original disk operating system?

4. What do you mean by multithreading OS?

What are the various categories of system software?
5
What security measures does an operating system provide to a computer
6.
Explain the directory structure of DOs with the help of an example
7

ACTIVI zONE
Create a presentation on the topic, v a r i o u s tYpes of Operating Systems
For Better
Concept Clarity

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with KlPS
Computers
UNIT-1: Information and Communication
Technology Skills

CHAPTER R11
As you know, an
Operating System is the
Operating Systems
first software that gets loaded into the
acts as a medium between computer memory while booting and it
a user and the hardware. Two of the most
Windows 7 and Linux. Let's discuss them.
commonly used operating systems now-a-days are

WINDOWS 7
Windows7 was produced as a part of Windows NT
family of operating systems. It was made available for use on October
22, 2009. It became very popular because of its
user-friendly environment, noticeable speed improvement, and its
modest system requirements. Some of its significant features are
discussed below:
FEATURES OF WINDOWS 7
ICons

EasyTo Use
Desktop
Multitasking
SearchingMade Easier
Pinning To Taskbar
Aero Peek
LiveTaskbar Preview Start
button
Taskbar
Jump List On Start Menu

STARTING WINDOWs Fig. 11.1 Windows Desktop

When you switch the computer, Windows starts automatically and

on
displays a welcome message. It is followed by the
first screen of Windows known as Desktop. It contains some graphic symbols called icons.

DESKTOP
The word 'Desktop' is derived from the real life desktop (the top of our working table) where you may find pen stand,
notepad, calculator, files, etc. The desktop of Windows also serves the same purpose. You can find various icons like
objects, shortcut icons, document icons, disk drive icons, etc., on the desktop.

Taskbar
Taskbar is a long horizontal baratthe bottom ofthe desktop. It has the Start buttonon the extreme left side. The
midle section of the bar shows buttons with a label for each of the opened applications and allows us to quickly switch
between them. You can activate the application window by clicking on its taskbar button. When an application is active,
its button is highlighted in a lighter shade.

Quick Launch Bar is present on the right side of the Start button on the taskbar. The icons displayed on this bar help in

quickly accessing programs/applications.

Notification Area at the right side ofthe taskbar includes a clock and group of icons that provide status and notifications
about things like updates, network connectivity, incoming mails, battery, volume, etc.
Show Desktop button is present on the extreme right of the taskbar. Simply placing cursor on this button minimises all
the open windows and shows the desktop.

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 Show Desktop Button
Quick Launch Bar

PM
4 412/2012
Start Button
Fig. 11.2: Taskbar
Notification Area

Start Button
ne start button is
probably the most frequently used component of the Windows desktop. wnen
you click on
Duton, a menu the sStan
displaying the major applications appears. These headings provide access to tne mdin programs of
Omputer. You your
can start programs,
open documents, customise your system, get help, and search for items on your
computer through the Start button.
Let us have a
glimpse at the menu of the Start button:
Documents
Pictures
Music
Games
Computer
Control Panel
Devices And Printers

Default Programs
Help And Support

Shut Down Your Computer

Click on the Start button and select the Shut down button at the bottom of the
right pane. The system gets shutdown. 1
Fig. 11.3: Shut down

Icons

Small eraphic symbols displayed on the desktop are called icons. Windows uses many objects that have
specific functions
Such as:Files, Programs, Computer, Folders, Network Neighborhood /Network, Shortcuts, and Recycle Bin. Icons play
very important role in Graphical User Interface.

Some Important Icons:

Let's discuss some default icons that appear on Windows 7 desktop.

Computer
la click on this icon to explore your computer. it Opens the icons to
explore all your hard drives and displays a Sid ebar
that contains Favorites, Libraries and Computer sections.

in
Windows 7, Favorites for Internet Explorer are
vorites

saved in the
C:\Users\Jusernamel\rav
folder
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 hraries: A Library is a rererence to one or more folders on your computer and the files found inside those folders. wnen
Libra

opening a library, windows txplorer displays all the files and folders that are part of it, as if they are physically stored
insidede the Library. They help users organize their files and foiders
can
efficiently in one place regardless of where they are
ored. The default sub-tolders inside Library are:
store
Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos.
Computer: Complete intormation regarding the
system drives and other peripherals can be viewed under Computer.
Usually, it displays three categories of information Hard Disk Drives, Devices with Removable Storage, Network
Location.

Network: This icon allows you to access the shared resources, such as files and
printers.
Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin

is used by Windows
computers to store deleted items. it temporarily stores files and folders before they
are permanently deleted. You can open the
Recycle Bin by double-clicking the icon on the Windows desktop. The Recycle
Bin window allows you to delete items individually or restore them to their
original location. If you want to permanentiy
remove all items in the Recycle Bin, select "Empty the Recycle Bin" in the left sidebar of the window.

Shortcut Files & Folders

The Windows desktop contains shortcut icons of various files, folders and programs. These icons can be used to open it
respectively from the ease of the desktop

cOMMON DESKTOP OPERATIONS

The Windows 7 desktop provides various features to control and manage its appearance. Some of them are:

Managing Wallpaper: The desktop background is called the Wallpaper. To change it :

1 Right-click a blank part of the desktop and choose Personalize. The Control Panel's Personalization pane appears.
2 Click the Desktop Background option along the window's bottom left corner.
3 Click any of the pictures, and Windows 7 quickly places it onto your desktop's background.
4. Click the Browse button and click a file from inside your personal Pictures folder.

5. Click Save Changes and exit the Desktop Background window when you're satisfied with your choices.

Managing Screensaver: A screensaver is a computer application that blanks the screen of the computer when it is
inactive or fills it with images or patterns to avoid phosphor burn-in on plasma and CRT monitors. To set a screensaver:

1 Right-click a blank part of the desktop and choose Personalize. The Controi Panel's Personalization pane appears.

2. Choose Screensaver icon from the bottom of the screen

3. Under Screen saver, in the drop-down list, click the screen saver you want to use.

4. Click Preview to see what your chosen screen saver will look like.

5. Click OK.

Setting up System Date/Time: Current system Date and time is displayed on the bottom right corner of your desktop. To
change it
1. Click on the clock in the icon tray at the bottom right of your computer screen.

2 This should show the clock, date and calendar. Click on Change date and time settings... to get the Date and Time
menu. (Alternatively, use Start> Control Panel> Date and Time.)

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 Cick on
Change time zone and select your time 7onf.

yO have the correct time

zone, check that the time displayed
in the Date &Time tabis correct Iff not,
not chang
it
and click Apply.
When complete, click on OK
the Windows /
Volume Control: The volume
control icon icon is displayed on the bottom right corner of desktop. Use
to control the
volume of all types of sound output

LINUX
Linux is the
operating system that is available free of cost. It was by Linus Torvalds
developed
on sth October 1991. Linux has become most popular because it is freely availatble, easy to

Use and operate and also allows users to work on many programs at the same time
LinuxA
COMPONENTS OF LINUX OPERATING SYSTEMSs
UDuntu 15 a free open-source Linux operating systems which is especially designed to be used in the field of education.k

has a lot of educational applications and tools which help students in their studies.

Desktop
The first that appears covering the entire
screen screen with two bars, one on its top and other on its left, is calledthe
Desktop. The image in the background is called the Desktop Wallpaper. The small labelled pictures or symbols present
on the desktop are called Icons. These icons are used to open specific programs or docurments.

Let us understand each component of a desktop in detail:

ubuntu Desktop

Dash
IndicatorArea

Launcher

GAIMP iTEyeEditor dititnao

Icons

DESKTOP
Apache
Opetiornte at1
Liu xuG Jstall.

Srotch

Video fie

Trash

Fig
11 4
Edubuntu Desktop

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Computers with
The Menu Bar

lenu bar
Menu bar is is a ong horiz/ontal bar located at the topof 1he desktop. I1 includes
a
functiong ued i
The (ommon Du
Indicator Area

he
right side of the Menu bar lies the Indicator Area, which shows clock, calendar, speaker volurme, ett

The Launcher

Launch
ncher is the vertical bar on the left side of the desktop. Here you can add (ommonly Used programs, which can Be

anened easily whenevter required, The Trash at the bottom, stores the deleted files The Launcher alo shows th

application ons icons that are currently running on your cormputer

The Dash

It is the topmost icon on the Launcher and has Ubuntu logo on it Its function is similar to the Start menu ot Window

When you click on the Dash icon a window opens up towards its right. This window has a Search bar at the top and

he icons of recently used applications, files, and downloaded items at the bottom

ASSESSMENT TIME
A. Fill in the Blanks:
Windows is a very popular operating systerm because of its environment

isthe first screen displayed after switching-on windows.

at
the right side of the taskbar includes a clock and group of icons.
4. Small graphic symbols displayed on the desktop are called
. The *'***'***'**'*****'******1 IS used by Windows computers to store deleted itemns.

HINTS Notification area Desktop Recycle Bin Icons User-frnendhy

B. State True or False:

Start button is located on the extreme right side of the Taskbar on the Windows desktop
The desktop background is called the Wallpaper
3 Linux operating system was developed by Microsoft Corporation.
4 Ubuntu is a free open-source Linux operating systems
C. Answer the Following Questions:
L. What is Linux? Discuss a few features of Linux.
2 What is a Screensaver?
3 What is Recycle Bin in Windows? How to empty it?
4. How to setup system date and time in Windows?
Define Icon. Mention some of the important icons present on Windows 7 desktop.

ACTIVITN ZONE
Prepare a presentation on the components of Windows 7 desktop
For Better Concept Clarity

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