INTRODUCTION
Operating system is special system software that makes computer hardware, other programs and users able to communicate or link with each other. Operating system makes hardware usable in computer and provides environment to software and users for doing their tasks. Operating system is the basic requirement of a computer. Without Operating system in a computer, we cannot operate the computer. Operating system control and manages the overall operation of a computer. Operating system is the first software that is loaded into the computer memory (RAM) when you switch on a PC and works till you shut down the computer. Operating system is responsible for the smooth and efficient operation of the computer system.
Microsoft Disk Operating system (MS-DOS), Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Apple Macintosh, IBM OS/2, UNIX and LINUX are some examples of operating systems.
WORKING IN WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT
Microsoft Windows XP is one of the popular GUI based operating system software. In GUI based operating system, you don’t need to remember commands and key combinations to perform tasks. The small icons and menus themselves indicate what type of task they perform. When you turn on the power switch of CPU, your computer automatically starts Windows XP.
Important terms related with Windows
a. Desktop
Desktop is the first screen of the Windows that you see on the monitor when Windows XP is loaded. You see many small pictures on the desktop. Some of them are displayed on the desktop permanently. You can keep some other useful items on the Desktop so that they are easily accessible to you. Desktop may look a little different according to the way it is set.
b. Icon
The small pictures on the Desktop are known as icons. The Icon represents a program, file, folder or drive. My computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin, My Network Places, etc. are some important icons that you see on the Desktop.
c. Taskbar
Taskbar is the long horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of the Desktop. The position of the Taskbar can be changed. All the opened drive, program and folder buttons appear on the Taskbar. You can use these buttons to switch between the open programs. The start button on the Taskbar is the entry point in windows. The System Tray displays system time and the icons of the service that might be running in the background.
Arranging the Icons
You can arrange the icons on the desktop to give a better look.
Moving the icons
In order to move an icon from one place to another first uncheck the ‘Auto Arrange’ option and follow these steps.
Setting Date and Time
On the system tray of the task bar, current system time is displayed. When you place mouse pointer on Date/Time Indicator, it displays system data as Monday, January 07, 2008. If the system data and time are not correct then you can change them as follows:
a. Double click on the date/time indicator. It displays date/time properties dialog box.
b. Set ‘GMT + 05:45 Kathmandu’ in Time Zone.
c. Set correct Time and Date.
d. Click on OK button or Apply button.
Display Setting
You can change Desktop Background (Wallpaper), Screen Saver, Appearance and more from the Display Properties Dialog box.
a. Changing Desktop Background
To set Wallpaper of the Desktop according to your choice, follow these steps.
b. Changing Screen Saver
When a computer is left on for sometime, you will see some moving pictures or graphics that covers the desktop. If you change the position of mouse or press any key on the keyboard, the Desktop again appears on the screen. These moving pictures or graphics are known as Screen Saver.
To change the Screen Saver, follow these steps.
- Click on screen saver tab.
- Select a screen saver that you want to set from the screen saver drop down list box. If you want to set scrolling text, then select ‘Marquee’ from the screen saver drop down list box and click on setting button to enter the text.
- Set other required setting.
- Click on Apply button.
- Click on OK button.
c. Changing Appearance of the Screen
The Appearance allows you to change color, font and size of viewable items like title bar, working area, icons etc. of the Desktop and Windows.
To change the appearance, follow these steps.
- Click on Appearance Tab.
- Select appearance from the list of appearance scheme.
- Click on Apply button.
- Click on OK button.
Opening a program
- Click on the Start button. A menu appears.
- Point to All programs. A submenu appears.
- Click on the program that you want to open.
FILE
A file is a collection of data stored on a storage device with a unique name. when you finish work on any program, the work which you have done can be stored in a disk with a name. The work which is saved with a name in a disk is known as a file. You can save your drawings which you have drawn in Paint as a bitmap file. Similarly, a file prepared in Notepad is saved as text file. So, there are many different types of files in a computer. All the files stored on the computer have specified file icons, which display the name of the file and the type of program used to open it. For example, a file named ‘ Nepal.bmp’ is displayed with a MS-Paint program icon.
FOLDER
When you keep everything in box, it is very difficult to find the desired things. In a same way, when you store all the files at the same place, it becomes difficult to find a particular file. In order to manage files in a computer i.e. in a storage disk, folders are used. A folder may have one or more files and other folders on it. The folders that are inside other folders are called sun-folders. The related files are kept in a particular folder. When you save files in My Document folder. A folder is also known as a Directory. A folder is represented by Folder Icon.
Working with ‘MY COMPUTER’
My Computer displays the contents of a computer. My Computer displays drives, files and folders. My Computer is used to manage files and folders present in a hard disk or any other storage disk. To open My Computer, follow these steps.
a. Click Start Button.
b. Click My Computer.
You can also open My Computer directly by just double clicking My Computer icon on the Desktop. My Computer may have many drives and each drive is represented by a specific letter.
WINDOWS EXPLORER
Windows Explorer allows you to explore the contents of a computer. It divides the window into two vertical sections. The left section displays list of drives and folders and the right section displays folders and files of the selected folder or drive. It is used to manage files and folders on a computer. To load Windows Explorer, follow these steps.
Click on Start button.
Point to all programs, Accessories.
Click on Windows Explorer. It displays Windows Explorer.
Click on a drive or a folder on the left section window whose contents you want to manage.
Note:
Organizing Files and Folders
You can manage file(s) or folder(s) on the disk by moving, copying deleting or creating. The management of file(s) or folder(s) you can do efficiently by using either My Computer or Windows Explorer.
Opening a File or a Folder
You can open a folder or a file to see its contents. To open the folder or the file, just double click on the folder or the file that you want to open.
Creating a File or a Folder
To create a file or a folder, follow these steps.
Renaming a File or a Folder
You can change a name of a file or a folder. To change the name of file or folder, follow these steps.
- Right-click the file or folder that you want to rename.
- Click Rename option.
- Type a new name for the file or the folder.
- Press Enter key or click on the empty place.
Moving a File or a Folder
You can move a file or a folder from one location to another. To move a file or a folder, follow these steps.
- Select a file or a folder that you want to move.
- Click Edit menu or right-click on the file or the folder and click Cut option.
- Open drive or folder where you want to move the file or the folder.
- Click Edit menu or right-click on empty place and click Paste option.
Note:
Copying File(s) or Folder(s)
You can copy a file or folder at more than one location. To copy a file or a folder, follow these steps.
Deleting a file or a folder
To delete a file or a folder, follow these steps.
Select the file or the folder that you want to delete.
Press Delete key. It displays the Confirm Folder/File Delete dialog box.
Click yes button.
Recycle Bin
Recycle Bin is a reserved space on a hard disk where deleted files or folders are stored temporarily. When you delete files or folders, they will not be deleted permanently. They are stored in Recycle Bin. But when you delete from Recycle Bin, they are permanently deleted from the computer. Files or Folders on the Recycle Bin can be restored. To restore file(s) or folder(s), follow these steps.
Operating system is special system software that makes computer hardware, other programs and users able to communicate or link with each other. Operating system makes hardware usable in computer and provides environment to software and users for doing their tasks. Operating system is the basic requirement of a computer. Without Operating system in a computer, we cannot operate the computer. Operating system control and manages the overall operation of a computer. Operating system is the first software that is loaded into the computer memory (RAM) when you switch on a PC and works till you shut down the computer. Operating system is responsible for the smooth and efficient operation of the computer system.
Microsoft Disk Operating system (MS-DOS), Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Apple Macintosh, IBM OS/2, UNIX and LINUX are some examples of operating systems.
WORKING IN WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT
Microsoft Windows XP is one of the popular GUI based operating system software. In GUI based operating system, you don’t need to remember commands and key combinations to perform tasks. The small icons and menus themselves indicate what type of task they perform. When you turn on the power switch of CPU, your computer automatically starts Windows XP.
Important terms related with Windows
a. Desktop
Desktop is the first screen of the Windows that you see on the monitor when Windows XP is loaded. You see many small pictures on the desktop. Some of them are displayed on the desktop permanently. You can keep some other useful items on the Desktop so that they are easily accessible to you. Desktop may look a little different according to the way it is set.
b. Icon
The small pictures on the Desktop are known as icons. The Icon represents a program, file, folder or drive. My computer, My Documents, Recycle Bin, My Network Places, etc. are some important icons that you see on the Desktop.
c. Taskbar
Taskbar is the long horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of the Desktop. The position of the Taskbar can be changed. All the opened drive, program and folder buttons appear on the Taskbar. You can use these buttons to switch between the open programs. The start button on the Taskbar is the entry point in windows. The System Tray displays system time and the icons of the service that might be running in the background.
Arranging the Icons
You can arrange the icons on the desktop to give a better look.
- Right click over the blank area of the desktop. It displays the list of options.
- Select ‘Arrange Icons By’ option.
- Click on ‘Auto Arrange’ option.
Moving the icons
In order to move an icon from one place to another first uncheck the ‘Auto Arrange’ option and follow these steps.
- Move the mouse pointer and place it over the icon
- Click and drag it to a new location.
- Release the mouse button.
Setting Date and Time
On the system tray of the task bar, current system time is displayed. When you place mouse pointer on Date/Time Indicator, it displays system data as Monday, January 07, 2008. If the system data and time are not correct then you can change them as follows:
a. Double click on the date/time indicator. It displays date/time properties dialog box.
b. Set ‘GMT + 05:45 Kathmandu’ in Time Zone.
c. Set correct Time and Date.
d. Click on OK button or Apply button.
Display Setting
You can change Desktop Background (Wallpaper), Screen Saver, Appearance and more from the Display Properties Dialog box.
a. Changing Desktop Background
To set Wallpaper of the Desktop according to your choice, follow these steps.
- Right click anywhere on the Desktop. It displays list of options.
- Select ‘Properties’ option. It displays ‘Display Properties’ dialog box.
- Click on ‘Desktop Tab’.
- Choose one of the available backgrounds from the list of Background.
- Click on Apply button or OK button.
b. Changing Screen Saver
When a computer is left on for sometime, you will see some moving pictures or graphics that covers the desktop. If you change the position of mouse or press any key on the keyboard, the Desktop again appears on the screen. These moving pictures or graphics are known as Screen Saver.
To change the Screen Saver, follow these steps.
- Click on screen saver tab.
- Select a screen saver that you want to set from the screen saver drop down list box. If you want to set scrolling text, then select ‘Marquee’ from the screen saver drop down list box and click on setting button to enter the text.
- Set other required setting.
- Click on Apply button.
- Click on OK button.
c. Changing Appearance of the Screen
The Appearance allows you to change color, font and size of viewable items like title bar, working area, icons etc. of the Desktop and Windows.
To change the appearance, follow these steps.
- Click on Appearance Tab.
- Select appearance from the list of appearance scheme.
- Click on Apply button.
- Click on OK button.
Opening a program
- Click on the Start button. A menu appears.
- Point to All programs. A submenu appears.
- Click on the program that you want to open.
FILE
A file is a collection of data stored on a storage device with a unique name. when you finish work on any program, the work which you have done can be stored in a disk with a name. The work which is saved with a name in a disk is known as a file. You can save your drawings which you have drawn in Paint as a bitmap file. Similarly, a file prepared in Notepad is saved as text file. So, there are many different types of files in a computer. All the files stored on the computer have specified file icons, which display the name of the file and the type of program used to open it. For example, a file named ‘ Nepal.bmp’ is displayed with a MS-Paint program icon.
FOLDER
When you keep everything in box, it is very difficult to find the desired things. In a same way, when you store all the files at the same place, it becomes difficult to find a particular file. In order to manage files in a computer i.e. in a storage disk, folders are used. A folder may have one or more files and other folders on it. The folders that are inside other folders are called sun-folders. The related files are kept in a particular folder. When you save files in My Document folder. A folder is also known as a Directory. A folder is represented by Folder Icon.
Working with ‘MY COMPUTER’
My Computer displays the contents of a computer. My Computer displays drives, files and folders. My Computer is used to manage files and folders present in a hard disk or any other storage disk. To open My Computer, follow these steps.
a. Click Start Button.
b. Click My Computer.
You can also open My Computer directly by just double clicking My Computer icon on the Desktop. My Computer may have many drives and each drive is represented by a specific letter.
WINDOWS EXPLORER
Windows Explorer allows you to explore the contents of a computer. It divides the window into two vertical sections. The left section displays list of drives and folders and the right section displays folders and files of the selected folder or drive. It is used to manage files and folders on a computer. To load Windows Explorer, follow these steps.
Click on Start button.
Point to all programs, Accessories.
Click on Windows Explorer. It displays Windows Explorer.
Click on a drive or a folder on the left section window whose contents you want to manage.
Note:
- The plus sign (+) indicates that a folder has sub folders. When you click on plus signed folder, it displays all the folders within it and plus sign changes into minus (-) sign.
- The minus sign (-) indicates that a folder has displayed its contents.
Organizing Files and Folders
You can manage file(s) or folder(s) on the disk by moving, copying deleting or creating. The management of file(s) or folder(s) you can do efficiently by using either My Computer or Windows Explorer.
Opening a File or a Folder
You can open a folder or a file to see its contents. To open the folder or the file, just double click on the folder or the file that you want to open.
Creating a File or a Folder
To create a file or a folder, follow these steps.
- Open My Computer or Windows Explorer.
- Open the drive and the folder where a new file or folder is to be created.
- Click File menu or right-click on the empty place and choose New option. A submenu appears.
- Click Folder to create a folder or Click any of the file types from the list to create a file of that type.
- Type the suitable name for the new file or the folder.
- Press Enter key.
Renaming a File or a Folder
You can change a name of a file or a folder. To change the name of file or folder, follow these steps.
- Right-click the file or folder that you want to rename.
- Click Rename option.
- Type a new name for the file or the folder.
- Press Enter key or click on the empty place.
Moving a File or a Folder
You can move a file or a folder from one location to another. To move a file or a folder, follow these steps.
- Select a file or a folder that you want to move.
- Click Edit menu or right-click on the file or the folder and click Cut option.
- Open drive or folder where you want to move the file or the folder.
- Click Edit menu or right-click on empty place and click Paste option.
Note:
- To select more than one file or folder, press and hold ctrl key and then click on files or folders, click on the first file or folder, one by one.
- To select consecutive files or folders, click on the first file or folder, press and hold shift key and click on the last file or folder.
Copying File(s) or Folder(s)
You can copy a file or folder at more than one location. To copy a file or a folder, follow these steps.
- Select the file(s) or the folder(s) you want to copy.
- Click on Edit menu or right-click on the file or the folder and then click on copy option.
- Open the folder or drive where you want to paste copy of the file or the folder.
- Click on Edit menu or right-click on the empty place and then click on paste option.
Deleting a file or a folder
To delete a file or a folder, follow these steps.
Select the file or the folder that you want to delete.
Press Delete key. It displays the Confirm Folder/File Delete dialog box.
Click yes button.
Recycle Bin
Recycle Bin is a reserved space on a hard disk where deleted files or folders are stored temporarily. When you delete files or folders, they will not be deleted permanently. They are stored in Recycle Bin. But when you delete from Recycle Bin, they are permanently deleted from the computer. Files or Folders on the Recycle Bin can be restored. To restore file(s) or folder(s), follow these steps.
- Open Recycle Bin.
- Select the file(s) or folder(s) which you want to restore.
- Click on file menu and select Restore command
- Right click on empty area, select Restore command.
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