Hardware/Networks/File
Management/Mouse Use &
Windows Information
HARDWARE:
Look at the computer in front
of you. It consists of six major
hardware components listed below. Find
the parts of the hardware on your own computer as we discuss them.
1.
The VDT. Starting at
the top, the video display terminal (VDT), also called the monitor
is used to show you what you are doing as you use the computer. Look at your VDT. Can you find a power switch and controls for brightness and
contrast? You should be familiar with
the features of your VDT so that you can adjust the controls for maximum eye
comfort.
2.
The CPU. The brains,
or logic center, of the computer is housed in the piece of equipment called the
central processing unit (CPU).
Sometimes the CPU sits on your desk under the VDT. In other cases the CPU might be on the floor
beside the desk or on the desk beside the VDT.
Inside of the CPU is a hard drive where programs have been
installed. In many cases, however,
programs in schools are installed on the file server of a network. That means your PC may be running a program
stored on the CPU of a computer in a different room (or even a different
building). In addition to the hard
drive of the computer, the CPU has a temporary memory area called RAM (random
access memory) where your work is remembered until you save it on disk. When the power is turned off, anything in
RAM is lost.
3.
The Keyboard. Look at the
keyboard. In addition to the alphabetic
keys, you should find a set of function keys.
The function keys are labeled with F and a number, and they are
in a row across the top of the keyboard (there are 12 of them). These keys are used in certain programs as
shortcuts to run certain functions. On the
right is a series of different keys.
You should have a number keypad and some keys with arrows for moving the
insertion point. There should also be
keys with labels such as Home, End, Page Down, Page Up, And Delete.
4.
The Disk Drives. There are a
number of disk drives available for use on your computer. You have your internal hard drive (C:) where
programs are stored. We will NOT be
using this drive for storing our documents.
You have one external disk drive (A:) that holds 3 ½ inch disks that can
be plugged in at any time for your use.
You also have a CD-ROM drive.
The drive that we will use for storing documents is on the fileserver
through the network (H:).
5.
The Mouse. While it is
possible to use programs without a mouse, the use of a mouse is almost
imperative nowadays. Many features are
available only with a mouse. In
addition to accessing features, the mouse is an efficient means of selecting
text, positioning the insertion point, displaying QuickMenus, and moving
through your documents.
6.
Printers. There are
literally hundreds of printers that can be used in a classroom. Most printers are either laser printers or
ink jet printers and the printed pages look like they might have come from a
copy machine. Dot matrix printers are
printers with paper pushed or pulled through by wheels and holes which are
older and very noisy and slow.
NETWORK:
Your computers are connected
by way of a network. Files are saved to
your H: drive on the server. You must
log into the network each day using a designated username and password.
Creating and saving documents
(or files) is only part of what you need to do as a good computer student.
Managing those files after you’ve prepared them is an important part of your
job. The computer can help you, but it
is your responsibility to manage your files using folders and proper naming
systems in such a way that they can be located when needed.
NAMING FILES:
You can name files with up to
255 characters, spaces, and some punctuation marks. Use consistency and organization. This not only makes naming easier, but it also makes locating the
files easier. Whatever method you
choose, be sure that it is indeed a method—not just a haphazard naming of
files. To find a file, you need to know
exactly “which drawer to open and which file folder to retrieve”. The book will often gives names to create,
edit and save. Use those names. They include some information about the
topic of the file, the lesson and exercise number to help you and your instructor
identify your work.
ORGANIZING FILES:
Visualize an office with no
organized paper filing system. When you
open the file drawers, you find letters, memos, reports, and contracts piled
into the drawers. The same thing can
happen when you store files on disks and have no plan for what is stored on
which disk or in which folder. File
management is as important for computerized files as it is for paper
files. Maybe even more so because you
can’t see what’s on a disk by looking at it.
When saving on a hard disk
drive like we do in our computer lab, a few different steps need to be
taken. Often, both software and
document files are stored on the same hard disk so it is especially important
to set up a system of organizing files so you can find them when you need them
if you are saving on your local (C:) drive.
When saving on your home (H:) drive in the computer lab, you must group
the files into folders. A folder is a
place where related documents are kept together. The main folder can contain dozens of folders, and each of those
folders can contain dozens of folders of their own and so on. The same is actually true of diskettes. If the diskette is in Drive A, the main storage
area is referred to as A:\ you can create folders on diskettes, and those folders
can contain more folders.
One of the most important
things you must do when you are filing documents on disk is to make backup
files on a regular basis. This prevents
loss of important files due to disk damage or problems with the computer. Proper backup procedures also protect you
from theft and natural disaster. Backup
disks or tapes may be stored in a fireproof vault or at different
locations. Backup of your files at home
may simply include copying all of the files created during one working day from
the file disk or folder you were using that day onto another disk or perhaps
you may backup by week. This gives you
two copies of everything you save. In
the computer lab, everything is automatically backed up.
Regular paper filing cabinets
must also be cleaned out regularly.
Disk files need to be cleaned out on a regular basis, too. Time should be set aside to go through files
on your disks and ‘clean house’. By limiting the files stored in the main
folder on your disks to those currently needed, your retrieval time for
accessing files will be improved. Some
files can simply be deleted but other files may have value but are used only
once in a great while. Those that are
not needed on a regular basis might need to be archived. Archiving refers to storing
seldom-used files in a safe but out-of-the-way place. By copying these seldom-used files to a special disk and deleting
them from your working disks, you can improve your retrieval time.
USING
A MOUSE:
The
mouse is used to move the insertion point, select text, and choose items from
menus or dialog boxes in programs. When
used property, the mouse is very helpful.
On most
personal computers the mouse has either two or three buttons. The left button is the primary mouse button
and when you are told to click with the mouse, the assumption is that you will
use the left button. The button on the
right is known as the secondary mouse button.
In some programs, using the button on the right is becoming much more
common for certain tasks. Whenever you
are to use the right mouse button, you are usually told to right click.
When
you move the mouse on its mouse pad, the mouse pointer moves in the
window. Most of the time, when it is in
the document portion of the window, it is a vertical line. When the line is in the position where you
want the insertion point, click the left mouse button to position it there.
When
the pointer is an arrow, it helps you choose menu items or buttons from one of
the many bars or dialog boxes. It is
also used with the scroll bars. When
the pointer is in the left margin, the fat white arrow points in the opposite
direction.
Following
is a summary of some of the things you will do with the mouse on your computer:
ü
Click once to select an item
from the Toolbar, the property bar, or a dialog box. You will also click once to position the insertion point in your
documents. You will always use the left
mouse button for this.
ü
Right Click to display
the Quick Menu or certain bar preferences.
ü
Double Click to select a
word or start a program. In the Open
File dialog box, you may need to double click to change drives or
folders. Many choices made in dialog
boxes may involve clicking to select an item and clicking OK to close the
dialog box. If you double click the
item you are selecting, the process often makes the selection and closes the
dialog automatically.
ü
Click and Hold for some
drop-down menus in dialog boxes. If you
don’t hold the mouse button after pointing to the button and clicking, the menu
will close before you have a chance to make your choice.
ü
Dragging is when you
press the mouse button and hold it while you drag the mouse across the mouse
pad, moving the pointer from one location to another. You might use this to select or highlight a block of text. You might also use it to drag selected text
from one location to another.
ü
Selecting Files - To
select a single file, use the mouse pointer and click and use the quick menu to
work with the file. Also, Ctrl + Click (non-adjacent)
and Shift + Click (adjacent) will select multiple files so you can do something
with them all at once.
WINDOWS:
Microsoft
Windows XP is the operating system we use in our computer lab. Please open and read the Windows Info
on the web.