student handout 4 software on the pc.pdf

7/25/2019 Student Handout 4 Software on the PC.pdf

1/6

Student Handout #4

Topic: Software on the Computerprepared by Mr. Lemuel C. Condes

4.1 INTRODUCTION

A Software generally refers to any type of executable code that can be launched in a computer system. It isdesigned to implement and complete specific functions that are required by the user in his activities. Software can bedeveloped and distributed freely (freeware) by programmers in various communities and forums, or they can be sold

commercially either online or in computer stores by software companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and Sony among others.Some computer experts believe that software can be categorized as general application (can be installed and used by anyorganization) or customized (developed to cater to the specific needs of a particular group or enterprise). Generalapplication software like the Microsoft Office Productivity Suite for example can also be customized and tailor fitted to theneeds of a specific organization. This is done by using macro commands and a bit of programming.

4.2 OPERATING SYSTEM: HIDDEN SOFTWARE

When a brand-new computer comes off the factoryassembly line, it can do nothing. The hardware needssoftware to make it work. Part of the story is theapplications software, such as word processing orspreadsheet software, that allows users to perform useful

work. This type of software will be discussed further. Butapplications software cannot communicate directly with thehardware, so the operating system software serves asintermediary between the applications software and thehardware. An operating system is a set of programs thatlies between applications software and the hardware; it isthe fundamental software that controls access to otherhardware and software resources. The picture besideillustrates this concept. Incidentally, the term systemssoftware is often used interchangeably with operatingsystem, but systems software means all programs relatedto coordinating computer operations. Systems softwareincludes the operating system but also includes

programming language translators and a variety of utility programs.

Note that we said that an operating system is a set of programs. The most important program in the operatingsystem, the program that manages the operating system, is the kernel,most of which remains in memory and is thereforereferred to as resident. The kernel controls the entire operating system and loads into memory other operating systemprograms (called nonresident) from disk storage only as needed.

No matter what operating system is being used, when the computer is turned on, the kernel will be loaded fromthe hard drive into the computers memory, thus making it available for use. This process of loading the operating systeminto memory is called bootstrapping,or booting,the system. The word booting is used because, figuratively speaking,the operating system pulls itself up by its own bootstraps. When the computer is turned on, a small program stored on aROM chip performs some internal hardware components tests, and then loads the kernel from the hard disk.

An operating system has three main functions: (1) managing the computers resources, such as centralprocessing unit, memory, disk drives, and printers; (2) establishing a user interface; and (3) executing and providingservices for applications software. Keep in mind, however, that much of the work of an operating system is hidden fromthe user; many necessary tasks are performed behind the scenes. In particular, the first listed function managing thecomputers resources is taken care of without the user being aware of the details. Furthermore, all input and outputoperations, although invoked by an applications program, are actually carried out by the operating system.

Although many of its functions are hidden from view, you will have to communicate directly with the operatingsystem to begin using an applications software package and to perform various housekeeping tasks. This communicationoccurs through the operating systems user interface, which determines how the user interacts with the operatingsystem. The two basic forms of user interfaces are the Command-line Interface (CLI)and the Graphical User Interface(GUI).The command-line interface is text-based and requires you to type in complete operating system commands. MS-DOS, UNIX, Linux, and many large-computer operating systems use a command-line interface. GUIs use visual imagesand menus to allow users to enter commands. Windows and Mac OS use GUIs. Some installations of Linux and UNIX are

set up to offer a GUI.

4.3 TYPES OF OPERATING SYSTEM

If you browse the software offerings at a retail store, you will generally find the software grouped according to theplatform on which the software can run. The term platformrefers to a combination of computer hardware and operatingsystem software. The most common microcomputer platform today consist of some version of Microsoft Windows runningon an Intel-based PC, often referred to as Wintel PC for short. Generally, applications software word processing,spreadsheets, games, whatevercan run on just one platform. Just as you cannot place a Nissan engine in a Ford truckand expect it to run, you cannot take a version of WordPerfect that was designed to run on a computer using the IntelPlatform and run it on an Apple Macintosh using the Mac OS operating system. Software makers must decide for which

User

Applications

Operating System

Hardware

A conceptual diagram of an operating system.Closest to the user areapplications programs. The operating system is the set of programs between the

applications programs and the hardware


2/6

platform to write an applications software package, although some make versions of their software for more than oneplatform.

Most users do not set out to buy an operating system; they want computers and the applications software to makethem useful. However, since the operating system determines what software is available for a given computer, users mustat least be aware of their own computersoperating system.

Although operating systems differ, many of their basic functions are similar. Let us briefly examine some of thecommon types of operating system today.

OPERATINGSYSTEM

DESCRIPTION PICTURE

WINDOWS 10

Windows 10 is the latest release ofMicrosoft'sWindows operating system and the successor to theunderwhelmingWindows 8 (and Windows 8.1).Initially codenamed Windows Threshold, Windows10 debuted on July 29, 2015, following a "technicalpreview" beta release of the newoperatingsystem that arrived in Fall 2014 and a "consumerpreview" beta in early 2015.

With Windows 8 suffering from mostlynegative reactions by both enterprises andconsumers, Microsoft chose to eschew going with

the logical next iteration of Windows,Windows 9,opting instead for the name Windows 10.

WINDOWS 8

The next major release of theMicrosoftWindows operating system, Windows 8 officiallydebuted on October 26th, 2012 following a releaseto manufacturing on August 1st.

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 is acompletely redesignedoperating system developedfrom the ground up withtouch screenuse in mind aswell as near-instant-on capabilities that enable aWindows 8 PC to load and start up in a matter ofseconds rather than in minutes.

Windows 8 replaces the moretraditionalMicrosoft Windows OS look and feel witha new design system interface codenamed "Metro"that first debuted in the Windows Phone 7 mobileoperating system. The Metro user interface primarilyconsists of a "Start screen" made up of "Live Tiles,"which are links to applications and features that aredynamic and update in real time. Users will also beable to switch between apps in Metro by simplyswiping across the screen.

WINDOWS 7

Windows 7 made its official debut to the publicon October 22, 2009 as the latest in the 25-year-oldline of Microsoft Windows operating systems and asthe successor to Windows Vista (which itself hadfollowed Windows XP). Windows 7 was released inconjunction with Windows Server 2008 R2,

Windows 7's server counterpart.Enhancements and new features in Windows7 include multi-touch support, Internet Explorer 8,improved performance and start-up time, AeroSnap, Aero Shake, support for virtual hard disks, anew and improved Windows Media Center, andimproved security.

Another important change in Windows 7 is thereplacement of Windows Vista's Quick Launchtoolbar with a new "Superbar" that makes it possiblefor applications to be pinned to the taskbar. The"Superbar" also adds features like Jump Lists andAero Peek.

An initial service pack (SP) for Windows 7 iscurrently in development, with the official release of

Windows 7 SP1 expected in early 2011.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/windows_8.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/windows-9.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/touchscreen.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/metro.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/windows_phone.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/windows_phone.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/metro.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/touchscreen.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/windows-9.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/windows_8.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Microsoft_Windows.html


3/6

WINDOWS XP

Windows XP is an operating systemintroduced in 2001 from Microsoft'sWindows familyofoperating systems, the previous version ofWindows being Windows Me. The "XP" in WindowsXP stands for eXPerience.

Microsoft called the XP release its mostimportant product since Windows 95. Along with aredesigned look and feel to the user interface, thenew operating system was built on the Windows

2000 kernel, giving users a more stable and reliableenvironment than previous versions of Windows.

WINDOWS 98

Originally it was called Memphis,andthen Windows 97,but Microsoft changed the namewhen it realized that it was going to miss its target1997 release date.

Windows 98 offers support for a number ofnew technologies, including FAT32, AGP, MMX,USB, DVD, and ACPI. Its most visible feature,though, is theActive Desktop,which integratestheWeb browser (Internet Explorer) withtheoperating system.From the user's point of view,

there is no difference between accessing adocument residing locally on the user'shard disk oron aWeb server halfway around the world.

MAC OS

The official name of theMacintoshoperatingsystem. Earlier versions were called Systemx.x,wherex.x were the version numbers. With therelease of Mac OS 8,however, Apple droppedthe Systemmoniker.

LINUX

Pronounced lee-nucksor lih-nucks. A freely-distributableopen sourceoperating system that runson a number of hardware platforms. The Linuxkernel was developed mainly by Linus Torvalds andit is based on Unix. Because it's free, and because itruns on many platforms, including PCs andMacintoshes, Linux has become an extremely

popular alternative toproprietary operating systems.

ANDROID

Androidis a mobile operating system(OS)currently developed by Google, based on the Linuxkernel and designed primarily for touchscreenmobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Windows.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/FAT32.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AGP.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MMX.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/Universal_Serial_Bus.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DVD.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/ACPI.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/browser.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Internet_Explorer.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hard_disk.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Web_server.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Macintosh_computer.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/open_source.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/platform.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/K/kernel.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/PC.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Macintosh_computer.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/proprietary.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/proprietary.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Macintosh_computer.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/PC.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/K/kernel.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/platform.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/open_source.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/Macintosh_computer.htmhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Web_server.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hard_disk.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/Internet_Explorer.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/browser.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/ACPI.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DVD.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/Universal_Serial_Bus.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/MMX.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/AGP.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/FAT32.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/operating_system.htmlhttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Windows.html


4/6

4.4 WINDOWS 7 OVERVIEW

Please refer to the attached 13-page file named Introduction to Windows 7.

4.6 HOW TO INSTALL SOFTWARE ON THE COMPUTER

Now that you're done assembling the hardware and have put everything together, you're past all the difficultstagesthe rest is a cakewalk. Here's how to install your operating system and applications and get everything up andrunning.

4.6.1 Install the Operating System

If you've never installed an Operating System before, it's remarkably easy. If you have, I'd still suggest readingthrough this guide to make sure you've got it all down. Installing Windows on a custom machine can take a few extrasteps than installing it on a pre-built machine. For this guide, we're going to use Windows 7 as an example, but you can ofcourse install Windows XP, Linux, or even Mac OS X. Its a general guide and applicable to almost any kinds of operatingsystem.

Step One: Edit your BIOS

When you first start up your computer, it'll tell you to press a key toenter setup, usually DEL. This takes you to the setup of your BasicInput/Output System, or BIOS. Here, you can configure some of the lowest-level aspects of your new machine. You may not actually need to edit any ofthese settings, but it's a good idea to go through, get acquainted with them,and make sure everything's in good order before moving on.

Note that the BIOS will be a little bit different on different brands ofmotherboard, so your screen may not look exactly like the images here, but itshould be close.

First, make sure that everything's been installed correctly. If you have aSystem Information page in your BIOS, head there and make sure the amountof RAM listed is the same amount you put in. If it isn't detecting all of yourRAM, some of it might not be seated correctly, so go back and fix that beforecontinuing. If there isn't a System Information page in your BIOS, yourmotherboard probably lists the amount of RAM it detects on the POST screen,right after you press the power button.

Find the SATA configuration option, and make sure its configured asAHCI. If you're running Windows XP you'll need to change this to IDE,otherwise AHCI is probably what you want to go with.

Lastly, find the "Boot Order" or "Boot Priority" page. Make sure yourDVD drive is the first drive on the list (or your USB drive if you're installingfrom a flash drive), and that the hard drive you'll be installing to is second.Note that some BIOS utilities split this up into two menusone for setting theboot order for your different media (CD-ROM, hard disks, USB disks) andanother that lets you choose the order of just the hard drives.

If you don't see your hard drive listed, it may not be plugged in correctlyor it may be dead. Turn your computer off and re-check the connection ifnecessary.


5/6

Step Two: Install Windows

Before you install Windows, make sure you have the optimal version foryour system. That is, if you have more than 4GB of RAM, you'll want to use64-bit Windows instead of the standard 32-bitthat will allow your system to

take advantage of all of your RAM.Once you've got the right version of Windows, grab the installation DVD

(or flash drive, if that be the case) and pop it in. Start up your computer and itshould automatically boot into the Windows installer. If you ever get a "Pressany key to boot from CD" option, make sure to hit a key on your keyboard tocontinue.

Once the installer loads, hit the "Install Now" button, accept the terms ofuse, and choose "Custom (advanced)" when asked what type of installationyou want. Find your primary hard drive (if you have more than one), click onthe "Unallocated Space" partition, and hit Next. Windows should startinstalling.

If you aren't using a brand new drive, you may have to format it first.Click on the currently-used partition, click "Drive options (advanced)", and

then hit "Format". It should format the drive to be Windows-compatible, afterwhich you can hit next and let the installation run.From there, the rest is just a waiting game. Leave your computer alone

to do its thing. It'll copy all the necessary files to your disk and reboot anumber of times in the process. You'll know you're done when you hear thefamiliar startup chime and boot into the default Windows 7 desktop.

Step Three: Install Your Drivers

The last thing you need to do before you actually useyour computer isinstall your drivers. If your Ethernet or Wi-Fi works out-of-the-box, Windowsmay find most or all of your drivers for you. If not, you'll need to pop in the CDthat came with your motherboard to install the Ethernet or Wi-Fi drivers youneed to access the internet. Don't install any other drivers from that CD justyet.

Once you've got the internet up and running, Windows will install driversfor you. It might not catch everything though, so you'll have to install somemanually. The CDs that came with your motherboard, video card, and otherhardware are probably already out of date, so I don't recommend using themto install drivers.

Instead, you'll want to download the drivers manually from themanufacturer's web site. Head to your motherboard's support page anddownload any necessary drivers, including chipset, audio, SATA, and anyother drivers listed. Note that you probably only want the driversyou don'twant the extra bundled software it offers, unless there's something in thereyou really want. For your video drivers, download them straight from NVIDIAor AMD's web site rather than the card manufacturer's site.
http://lifehacker.com/5912682/do-i-really-need-to-update-my-drivershttp://lifehacker.com/5912682/do-i-really-need-to-update-my-drivershttp://lifehacker.com/5912682/do-i-really-need-to-update-my-drivershttp://lifehacker.com/5912682/do-i-really-need-to-update-my-drivers


6/6

Step Four: Install Windows Updates

The last thing you'll want to do is get Windows up to date. Chances are,you've already gotten a notification from Windows Update at this point, but ifnot, head into your Start Menu, go to Programs, and hit Windows Update.Install all the updates it gives you, and reboot your computer. Check forupdates again and it'll have a whole new slew of them for you. You'll have todo this quite a few times, but eventually it should stop serving you notifications

and you'll be all up to date. When you are, you're ready to actually start usingyour computer.

This is also a good time to get some antivirus on your machine, as wellas any other basic apps you want.

Congratulations! You've bought, built, and set up a working computer from start to finish! Don't be alarmed if youfeel an overwhelming sense of pride; that's normal. Enjoy your new custom-built machine!

4.6.2 Install the Applications

The installation process for applications software depends on youroperatingsystem and the program you are installing. As a result of these many combinations, we

have created the steps below as a general guideline. The following does not cover errorsduring the installation process, as they are too vast for one document. You can askGoogle for further information on errors during the setup.

General Tips

Make sure your computer meets thesystem requirements of the program, game,or utility you are attempting to install.

The manual or thereadme file contains exact instructions on how to install aprogram and are in the samedirectory as the installation files.

When installing a program, utility, or game, it is always a good idea first to close ordisable any other programs that are running.

After installing a new program, if it prompts you toreboot the computer, do it.

Microsof t Windows Users

Autorun from a CD or DVDMany software programs, games, and utilities have an AutoPlay feature. This featureautomatically starts a setup screen for the software program when inserting a CD orDVD. If your program contains this feature, follow the steps that appear afterinserting the disc.

No Autorun Feature1. OpenMy Computer.2. Within the My Computer window, open thedrive that contains the installation

files. For example, if the files are on the CD-ROM drive, open the D: drive or

letter of your CD-ROM drive. Or if the files are on a USB flash drive,open the E:drive or letter of your USB flash drive.3. Within the drive that contains your files, locate either

theexecutable setupor installfile. Double-clicking on this file starts theinstallation process. If you see multiple setup or install files, try to locate an executable file or double-click each ofthe setup or install files until you find the file that starts the installation. Many times the icons associated with theinstallation files have the same name.

An alternate method for starting installation in Microsoft Windows1. Click Startand Run.2. In the Run window, type x:\setupor x:\install, where x is the letter of the install drive.

Installing from a Download1. If the file you downloaded is anexecutable file, double-click the file icon to start the setup process. If the

downloaded file iscompressed (e.g. .zip), you mustextract the file's contents before setup can begin. Fortunately,this function is build into most versions ofWindows.

2. Once the files are extracted, double-click the setup to install.
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/software.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/o/os.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/o/os.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/systrequ.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/readme.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/director.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/reboot.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mycomput.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/drive.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/j/jumpdriv.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/execfile.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/doublecl.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/execfile.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/compress.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000506.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/w/windows.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/w/windows.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000506.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/compress.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/execfile.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/doublecl.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/e/execfile.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/j/jumpdriv.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/drive.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mycomput.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/reboot.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/director.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/readme.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/systrequ.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/o/os.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/o/os.htmhttp://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/software.htm

student handout 4 software on the pc.pdf

Documents