BSAD 104 class

1. Understanding Computers, O/S, File Management

2. Types of Computers
Microcomputers
 PC or Desktop
 Laptop
 Tablet
 Netbook
 Mobile Phone or Smart Phone
Business Computers
 Servers (Help to share information like Word over all Business
computers)
 Mainframes (used in banks for massive amount of data computation)
 Supercomputer (used in large computational projects like weather
forecasting)
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3. Hardware
Hardware comes with system like mouse, monitor, keyboard
 Input Device Hardware
 Mouse
 Keyboard
 Scanner
 Output Device Hardware
 Monitor
 Printer
 Speakers
 Storage Device Hardware
 Hard Drive
 External Hard Drive
 Flash Drive
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4. Hard Drive
 Hard Drive has platters (plates) stacked on top of each
other and a spindle reads the platter
 Platters are covered with metal oxide that stores data
as compressions or magnetic spots on platter (e.g. tape
used in car stereo)
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5. Basic Terms Answers
 BIOS (Basic Input/Output system)
 Port (outside computer that plug peripheral devices)
 CD-ROM drive, CD-R, CD-RW disk
 CPU (central processing unit)—brain of
computer/needs fan to cool it off
 Motherboard—main circuit board that has other
circuit boards on it like video and sound card
 See link on Kaboose.com for picture of Motherboard,
CPU, and BIOS
 http://resources.kaboose.com/brain/comp-les2.html
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6. Pictures of parts of computer
Hard Drive Video Card
Keyboard
Monitor
Motherboard Power Supply
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7. What happens when computer
starts?
 Turn on computer (boot up) or booting
 Booting is process of bringing on O/S
 BIOS (Basic Input/Output system) chip (also called ROM-BIOS because
permanent, repeated instructions) located on motherboard
 BIOS chip tells to look on hard disk for a special program called boot loader
 Boot loader is pulled into memory to start the real O/S
 Boot loader looks for kernel and loads into memory
 Kernel is interface btwn application programs and CPU, devices, and memory;
kernel can also be called manager of system resources by managing the
communication between application programs and CPU, devices, and memory
 POST test (Power On Self Test) –CPU performs check of peripheral devices on-
line like mouse, monitor, sound card, keyboard
 POST checks storage devices (have good FAT table)
 Login screen
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8. What is the FAT table?
 File Allocation Table
 Table of Contents tells what sector files are located
 O/S uses FAT table to tell where files on hard drive (O/S
writes new FAT table when save file)
 A corrupted FAT table is a serious problem
 Without good FAT table O/S can’t find location of files on
hard drive
 Can use scandisk at dos prompt to fix (two FAT table (Fat1 and
Fat2); uses Fat2 to fix Fat1
 Checked in boot up process
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9. What is the kernel?
 Picture of Kernel from Wikipedia
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kernel_Layout.svg#
file
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10. ROM vs. RAM
 ROM stands for Read Only Memory
 Permanent memory like BIOS (hard-code instructions
on what to do when boot up computer)
 RAM stands for Random Access Memory
 Temporary memory
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11. Types of CD Drives
 CD-ROM—Compact Disk – Read Only Memory
 Can only read information on disk
 CD-RW—Compact Disk Rewritable
 Can read and write on disk
 DVD (Digital Video Disc)
 Holds more information than CD
 Watch Movies or play Games
 Want to usually buy computer with DVD disc drive
 Remember DVD can play movies or CD but a CD drive
can’t play DVD
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12. Bits and Bytes
 Computer reads data as switches
 Off switch is 0
 On switch is 1
 A bit is a 0 or 1 switch
 Eights bits make up a byte
 Abbreviations
 KB is about 1,000 bytes (thousand) kilobyte
 MB is about 1,000,000 bytes (million) megabyte
 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes (billion) gigabyte
 TB is one trillion bytes or 1,024 gigabytes
 PB (petabyte) is 1015 bytes (1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes) or 1,000 TB
 Abbreviations help when knowing disk storage on hard drive when
buying software or computer
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13. What types of Operating Systems are
there?
 MS-DOS
 (Eight versions that stopped making in 2000) created by
Bill Gates and put on IBM machines as PC-DOS
 Can still use by Start in search (put cmd.exe)
 Command driven copy a:*.* c:files*.*
 Linux
 Windows 3.1
 Windows XP
 Windows Vista
 Windows 7 then 8 (tablets but can put on PC)
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14. Operating System
 Has Gui (gooey) interface that helps use to do tasks
like copy and paste files
 Enables multitasking so can do several tasks at once
like view e-mail and look at Web page
 Helps to manage and keep track of peripheral devices
like printers or mouse through Control Panel
 Gives users availability to do Backups and manage
fragmenting disk
 Recycle bin can recover deleted files
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15. Is there a difference between Uninstall and
Deleting Programs?
 Yes
 Manually deleting doesn’t usually get all files deleted
with software installation and some files that are used
by other programs might accidently be deleted (maybe
a printer driver)
 Uninstall under Control Panel
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16. Backup--System Image vs.
System Repair
 System Image backups Windows 7, hard drive (C: Drive), programs, and all files plus
system repair disc (booting up disc). System Repair Disc is included with Windows 7
Operation system and can load restore from Windows 7 installation disk or made system
repair disc. This is preferred method of backup.
 Custom backup—select what files want
 System Repair Disc is booting up disc and can make separate in case have no Windows 7
software when got computer such as laptop or netbook (may have to download or borrow
copy of Windows 7 installation disk and then use product code). The system repair disc
can be used in case have crash on Windows 7 and no way of booting. In the case of
Windows 7 not booting up, may just need to use System Repair disc to get to Startup
Repair option that will fix problems in Windows 7 and not have to do complete System
Image Recovery.
 Driver/Utility Disc (loaded device drivers like for printer that may need after install or
during restore) to get printer to work etc.
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17. On-line backups
 Several companies like SkyDrive (free for limited use)
or Mozy offer on-line backup solutions
 Good in case of natural disaster
 SOS On-line backup will back up computer and
mobile phones (Android, iPhone, iPads)
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