UNIT- 3

Information and Communication

Technology Skills
CONTENT:-
1:Basic Computer Operations

2: Performing Basic File Operations

3: Computer Care and Maintence

 1:BASIC COMPUTER OPERATIONS
Computer Hardware and Software
A computer system consists of two main parts –
The hardware and the software.
• The physical parts that we can see and touch are called hardware. These are the keyboard, monitor,
CPU, etc.
• There is another important part i.e ., the software . Though we cannot see it, it makes the hardware work
the way we want.
• The most important software in any computer is the Operating System (OS). This is the software that
starts working as soon as we switch on a computer.
• E.G - Ubuntu, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS.
• All the computer applications, such as browsers, games, Office tools, etc., are also software programs
that perform particular functions.
STARTING A COMPUTER
To start a computer, press the Power button on the CPU. Computer automatically runs a basic program
called BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) as soon as it is switched on. The BIOS first does a self-test. If the
self-test shows that the system is fine, the BIOS will load the Operating System.

Login and Logout

To make sure your computer is locked, you have login-IDs and passwords. When you login to the computer
with your login-ID and password, the computer knows that you are an authorised person and allows you to
work on the applications in the computer. Once you finish working, you must log out or sign out so that no
one else can see your work.
USING THE KEYBOARD

Keys labeled from F1 to F12 are function keys.

Control keys: Keys, such as Control (CTRL), SHIFT, SPACEBAR, ALT, CAPS LOCK and TAB,
are special control keys that perform special functions depending on when and where they are used.

Enter Key: You use the ENTER or the RETURN key to move the cursor to the beginning of a new
line. In some programs, it is used to send commands and to confirm a task.

Punctuation keys: Punctuation keys include keys for punctuation marks, such as colon (:),
semicolon (;), question mark (?), single quotation marks (‘ ’), and double quotation marks (“ ”).

Windows key: Pressing this key opens the Start menu

Command keys: Keys, such as INSERT (INS), DELETE (DEL), and BACKSPACE are
command keys.

Navigation keys: Keys, such as the arrow keys, HOME, END, PAGE UP, and PAGE DOWN
are navigation keys.
USING A MOUSE
• Drag and drop-To move the item to a new location. After you move the item to the new location, you
release the mouse button. This is called drag and drop.
• Double-click Double-clicking means to quickly click the left mouse button twice. When we doubleclick
on a file, it will open the file.
• Roll-over: Some actions can be done by simply rolling over or hovering over an item
• Hover- When you bring the mouse over a file in File Explorer, it will show the details of that file.
• Point and click:As you move the mouse on your desk, a pointer moves correspondingly on your screen.
The mouse allows you to select an item on the screen. When you click a particular file, it gets selected
CHAPTER-2:PERFORMING BASIC FILE
OPERATIONS
Files and Folders All information stored in a computer is kept in files. Different types of files
store different types of information. Each file is given a file name and has a file name extension that
identifies the file type.
A folder is a location where a group of files can be stored.

Creating a File: Open text editor, Write your ideas, give this a name and .txt extension, click
SAVE

Creating a Folder
To create a folder:
• (a) Choose a location where the folder has to be created for example ‘Desktop’.
• (b) Right-click and then choose the ‘New Folder’.
• (c) Type the name of the folder as ‘Demo
CHAPTER-3: COMPUTER CARE AND
MAINTENANCE
Computers and mobiles are very expensive. When we take good care of them on a regular basis, we can
use them for a longer time. This will help us save money as we do not need to buy new devices too often.

Basic Tips for Taking Care of Devices

Keyboard : First we should not eat anything over a keyboard. Crumbs can damage the internal
parts of a keyboard. You can clean a keyboard with a soft brush.

Screen: You can wipe the screen with a soft cloth to remove any finger marks.
Be careful with :Avoid eating and keeping glasses of water or cups of coffee near a
computer.

FOOD AND DRINKS: Any liquid spilt over an electronic device can spoil it beyond repair.
Handle devices carefully: Handle and move your laptop carefully and avoid dropping
or banging it against a hard surface.
Keep the computer cool:
We should be careful when using a laptop while sitting in bed and make sure that the fan in not covered.

Do not overcharge your battery:

Sometimes we keep a device plugged in for charging even after it is fully charged. This reduces the battery
life.

Always plug in devices carefully:

Any device being connected to a laptop or computer such as a USB drive or headphones, should be done
gently.

Do not run too many programs at a time:

-When too many programs are running at the same time, the computer can become slow and even crash.
PREPARE A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

We need to prepare a plan or a schedule

for maintenance to keep the computer
running in perfect condition for a long
time. This can include:💨💨💨
(a) Daily Maintenance
i. Clean up your e-mail inbox
ii. Download e-mail attachments and save in proper folders

(b) Weekly Maintenance

i. Clean your keyboard
ii. Clean your monitor
iii. Dust CPU and printer
iv. Backup your data to an external drive

(c) Monthly Maintenance

i. Transfer photographs to computer and delete from drive
ii. Organise photos into folders or albums
iii. Clean up ‘Download’ folder
iv. Uninstall unused programs and app
(d) Yearly/Annual Maintenance
i. Clean up contacts list on social media accounts
ii. Clean up e-mail contact list
iii. Update your operating system
iv. Check for expiry of anti-virus software and renew

Backup Your Data :Backing up data means to save the information present on your
computer on another device, such as CD/DVD drives

Scanning and Cleaning virus:

Sometimes computer viruses can enter a computer from such attacks we can install anti-virus software.
This will prevent any viruses from entering and will also clean any viruses that may enter our system before
they affect the data.
• Increasing Computer Performance
If we have been using a computer for a long time we have a lot of unnecessary files and data, such as
temporary files and images. When they use too much hard-disk space, the performance of the computer
goes down. It is important that we keep cleaning by removing any extra files.

Removing SPAM from your Computer

Sometimes we get mails from companies who are advertising a product or trying to attract you to their
website. Such mails are called SPAM.
CHAPTER-4: COMPUTER SECURITY AND
PRIVACY
• If information stored in a bank’s computer gets leaked it can cause many people to lose a lot of money.
Hence, it is essential to keep computers secure and our data safe.
THREATS TO COMPUTER
(A) Theft: Theft means stealing of information or hardware. These maybe of three types:
• Physical: Where a person may steal your desktop computer or laptop.
• Identity: Where a hacker steals your personal information and assumes your identity. Using this false
identity, the hacker can gain access to your account information or perform illegal activity.
• Software Piracy: This is stealing of software and includes using or distributing unlicensed and un
authorised copies of a computer program or software.

(B) Virus: Viruses are computer programs that can damage the data and software programs or
steal the information stored on a computer. Major types of viruses are Worms and Trojan Horse.
• Worms: These are viruses that replicate Worm virus themselves and spread to all files once they attack a
computer. This makes it very difficult to remove them.
• Trojan Horse: A Trojan Horse disguises itself i.e., it appears to be a useful software program but once it
reaches a computer it starts behaving like a virus and destroying data. Threats to Computer
• Online Predator: Online predators are people who trap you into inappropriate relationships. They may be
older people posing to be your age, bullying you into doing illegal activities online and sometimes face to
face.
• Internet Scams: Sometimes you may receive very attractive offers saying you have won a huge money in a
lottery and that you can claim the prize by depositing a certain amount of money. When you deposit the
money using credit card or online banking, you not only lose the deposit money but your card / account
information may be misused later. Protecting your Data
To protect our data from theft and viruses we can take the following measures:

(a) Use passwords to login to your computer :

Use passwords that are difficult to guess. Passwords are difficult to hack if they are a mix of small and
capital letters ,numbers and special characters. This would prevent unauthorised people from using your
computer
(b) Install Anti-viruses and Firewall :
monitor the data coming in and out of a computer and prevent and viruses from entering. Anti-viruses can
also detect and clean viruses that may have entered a computer.

(C) Encrypt Data: This is usually done by banks and companies in which important customer
information is stored. This would force users to use a decryption password (or key) before starting the
computer thus preventing unauthorised usage.

(d) Secure sites: Give details of your credit card or bank account only on secure sites. See in the
address bar of the browser. If the site address starts with https://and a lock symbol, then it is safe to give
your credit card and bank details