Lab 03

ObjectivesWhat is an Operating System?Various types of Operating SystemsBuilt-in features of Microsoft Windows

Operating System• A program that acts as an intermediary

between a user of a computer and the computer hardware.

• Operating system goals:– Execute user programs and make solving

user problems easier.– Make the computer system convenient to

use.– Use the computer hardware in an efficient

manner.

Types of Operating SystemsSingle user/Single tasking OSSingle user/Multitasking OSMulti user/Multitasking OS

Graphical User InterfaceGraphical user interface (GUI)

Most common interfaceUses a mouse to control objectsShortcuts open programs or documentsOpen documents have additional objectsTask switchingDialog boxes allow directed input

Command Line InterfaceCommand line interfaces

Older interfaceDOS, Linux, UNIX

User types commands at a promptUser must remember all commandsIncluded in all GUIs

Different Operating SystemsWindowsLinuxMac OSSolarisRed Hat LinuxJavaUbuntuFedora

WindowsDeveloped by MicrosoftWindows is a GUI (Graphical User

Interface)Almost all applications and games are

compatibleAvailable in different flavorsAs of July 2009, Windows had

approximately 93% of the market share of the client operating systems for usage on the Internet

Starting your computerTo start your computer just turn on the

power switch or power bar.The computer will take a few minutes to

go through its initialization procedure and might ask you to enter password.

If computer was shut improperly, you may see a screen saying Windows would like to check your files for errors.

Shutting down your computerWindows is very demanding about being

shut down properly (do not just shut the power off).

Move your cursor to “start” button and click on “Turn Off Computer”.

Choose the option you wish.WAIT (Windows will go through an

elaborate process of making sure all programs are shut down. )

Restarting your computerSometimes your computer will start doing funny

things or your mouse will stop working etc.Try ALT + CTL + DELETEIf you see a program is not responding, you can

try to highlight that program and press the “End Task” button.

If nothing happens try to restart your computer.You might need to do a hard reset in worst

cases.

MousePointing device that moves pointer or

cursorPoint and click (tip of the arrow is the

point)Left and right buttons Start programs - 1 click vs 2 clicksHighlight text (click and drag)Practice makes perfect

Common Cursor Types

Scrolling PagesMouse

Click on up and down arrowsor

Click on up and down keys in the scroll baror

Click and drag the small box appearing in scroll bar

Keyboard (make sure cursor is on page by clicking on empty space)Use arrow keysUse page up, page down, home and end

Opening ProgramsIf on desktop as icon, double click on

icon. You may use “Enter” as well.Click on “Start” button, move cursor up

to “All Programs”. After menu on the right appears move cursor over to menu and up or down to required program. Click on program

Closing ProgramsClick on the X icon in the top right hand

corner of the window .Right click on program from taskbar and

choose "Quit” or “Exit” or “Close”. Hold down the Alt key and press F4.

Title bar

Menu barTool bar

Format bar

Status bar

Using Menu BarsAll Windows programs have a menu bar and

everything you can do with that program will be available from one of the drop-down menus

Place tip of the cursor on the word in Menu bar and click. Move cursor down drop-down menu to action you want to perform and click.

If item has an arrow pointing to the right move cursor to the right to see the submenu.

Menu items common to most Windows programs

File (includes New file, open file, save and print functions)

Edit (includes Find and Cut, Copy and Paste)View (allows you to change the look of screen by

adding and subtracting bars like tool bar)Tools (most programs but program specific)Window (allows you arrange windows and

choose between different files)Help used to give help in program’s functions

and gives version no. for troubleshooting purposes

Using Tool BarsIcons which represent frequently used

actionsPlace tip of cursor in middle of icon and

clickOpening files, printing, and saving files

are common in tool barsIf you do not know what an icon

signifies, move cursor over the icon and wait for a couple of seconds and a brief description will appear.

Handling filesOrganized hierarchy

My Documents (equivalent of filing cabinet)Folders (drawers)

(eg. House related items)Subfolders

(folders within drawer)Documents

(papers within folders)

Windows ExplorerOpen by right clicking on “Start” button

or going to start -> All Programs -> Accessories

Left-hand pane is hierarchical organization of your computer (includes folders only, no files)+ means subfolders are available under

heading- means all folders have been displayed

Right-hand pane lists all folder or files of the highlighted folder

Saving FilesSaving files for first time is “Save as”“Save” will save previously saved item in

same place as before wiping out originalWhen saving a file always remember to

check that “Save in” box is correctFailure to change to correct folder can make it

difficult to find file when needed

Opening FilesPut cursor on word “File” in file menu and

click. Move down the drop-down menu to “Open” and click

If you do not get the Dialog box with the “Look in” box in it, click on the box labeled “Browse”

You can also open a file by finding it in Windows Explorer and double clicking on it

Deleting FilesHighlight the file you want to delete and

press the delete key.Right click on the file and select “Delete”.Drag the file to the recycle bin.

Creating ShortcutsA shortcut is a pointer to a file or program

on your hard drive.A shortcut can be identified by an arrow

in the icon.Shortcuts can be deleted without deleting

the original program.Using Windows Explorer.

Hard Drive MaintenanceMonthly scan of your hard drive

Checks your drive for bad segments and marks them so that hard drive does not try to save things there

Monthly or semi-annual defragmentationChecks to make different parts of same file are

not stored in different places on hard drive (happens when files are resaved many times) in order to improve performance of hard drive

Control PanelAdd HardwareAdd or Remove ProgramsDate and TimeDisplayFolder OptionsKeyboardMousePrinters and FaxesRegional and Language SettingsSounds and Audio DevicesSystemTaskbar and Start MenuUser Accounts

HelpPrimary source of information about

Windows.Index tab can be used for detailed

information on specific topics.You can find information about printing a

document by searching keyword “printing” and selecting “documents”. Then click “Display” to see search results.

SearchUsed for searching files and folders in

your drives.You can specify file name, file type and

drive(s) to search.Search results are displayed on the right

side.

Recycle BinDeleted files and folders are temporarily

stored in Recycle Bin.You can retrieve the file or delete it

permanently from Recycle Bin.To retrieve, open Recycle Bin. Right click

on the icon you want to retrieve and select “Restore”.

To permanently delete file or folder, use “Empty Recycle Bin” option.

Task ManagerProvides detailed information about

computer performance, running applications, processes, CPU usage, memory information, logged-in users, and system services etc.

Can be used to set process priorities, forcibly terminate processes, shut down, restart, hibernate and log off from Windows.

Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or Ctrl+Shift+Esc directly launches Task Manager. You can also start “taskmgr.exe” from command prompt.

Further StudyHistory of Microsoft Windows

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Microsoft_Windows

Learning Windows XP

http://www.learnthat.com/courses/computer/windowsxp/

Windows Helphttp://www.helpwithwindows.com/