The Guide to Master Your PC

Computer Literacy Initiative
The Guide to Master
Your PC
The redesigned Windows 8.1 Start Menu.
Albert Chai
Andrew Lee
Joe Li
Ricci Lam
Hillary Fan
First Edition
i
The Guide to Master
Your PC
Computer Literacy Initiative
Albert Chai
Andrew Lee
Joe Li
Ricci Lam
Hillary Fan
First Edition
Preface
We are a group of technology-enthusiasts who want to help out the general public. So, we
have formed the Computer Literacy Initiative Corporation. This manual is what we consid-
ered to be essential basics. We hope you enjoy the manual and learn something about
computers!
Sincerely,
The Writers at Computer Literacy Initiative
ii
Disclaimer
iii
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Copyright Information
Images and illustrations are copyright of their respective owners.
Portions of this manual contain intellectual property of their respected owners. We do NOT own any of the pro-
grams or hardware listed in the manual.
None of these organizations were involved in nor endorsed in the production of this manual.
This manual includes software/hardware from the following companies/individuals, whom none were involved
in nor endorse in the production of this manual.
Black and White Edition ISBN: 978-1-312-41247-7
Color Edition ISBN: 978-1-312-41264-4
© 2014 Computer Literacy Initiative Corporation
Computer Literacy Initiative Corporation is a non-profit corporation whose goal is to help increase computer
literacy of the general public. This publication is provided free of charge.
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Piriform, Ltd Igor Pavlov
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McAfee, Inc. An Intel Company Kaspersky Lab ZAO
BitDefender Inc. AVG Technologies
COMODO Group, Inc. Advanced Micro Devices
Malwarebytes Corporation
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! All images in this manual of Microsoft content are used with permission from Microsoft.
! All images in this manual of Piriform content are used with permission from Piriform, LLC.
! All images in this manual of Paint.NET content are used the permission from dotPDN LLC.
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Dedication
We dedicate this manual to those who believe in our cause to increase the computer liter-
acy of the general public. Thank you.
x
A Note About Windows XP and Microsoft Of-
fice 2003
As of April 2014, Microsoft Corporation has discontinued support for Windows XP and Mi-
crosoft O"ce 2003. Since support has been dropped, we will not be covering any soft-
ware of Windows XP and Microsoft O"ce 2003. As our goal to increase computer literacy
of the general public continues, we also want you to use the latest software available pro-
vided by each company. We will do our best to update this manual with the latest software
available. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Sincerely,
The Computer Literacy Initiative
xi
Table of Contents
xii
Unit 1 - Computer Basics
Chapter 1 - Windows Interfaces and Features ................................. 14
Chapter 2 - Tasks and File Explorer .................................................. 29
Chapter 3 - Antivirus ......................................................................... 39
Chapter 4 - System Shortcuts .......................................................... 43
Unit 2 - Software Features
Chapter 5 - Microsoft O"ce ............................................................. 49
Chapter 6 - Browsers ....................................................................... 87
Chapter 7 - Open Source Software and Freeware ........................... 104
Chapter 8 - Photo Editing Functionality ........................................... 115
Unit 3 - System Maintenance
Chapter 9 - Control Panel and System Maintenance ....................... 156
Chapter 10 - File Formats and Size .................................................. 170
Chapter 11 - Advanced Computing .................................................. 176
Unit 4 - System Hardware
Chapter 12 - Computer Specifications ............................................. 188
Chapter 13 - Peripherals ................................................................... 194
Chapter 14 - Networking .................................................................. 201
xiii
1 BASICS
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Unit 1 - Computer Basics
Chapter 1 - Windows Interfaces and Features ................................. 14
Chapter 2 - Tasks and File Explorer .................................................. 29
Chapter 3 - Antivirus ......................................................................... 39
Chapter 4 - System Shortcuts .......................................................... 43
In this unit, we will go over some computer basics.
Windows Interfaces
and Features
1 BASICS
In this chapter, we will go over what an interface is and the di#erent types of interfaces
found within Windows.
“In many cases, the user interface to a pro-
gram is the most important part for a commer-
cial company: whether the programs works
correctly or not seems to be secondary.” -
Linus Torvalds
14
Image courtesy of Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Interfaces
Introduction
So you may be wondering right now,
“What is an interface?” Well an interface is
the look of a program or operating system.
Developers of programs make interfaces
look di#erent from one another, creating a
unique experience for the user.

Windows Interfaces
In this section, we will be talking about the
di#erent types of Windows Interfaces. Win-
dows has evolved away from its classic in-
terface of Windows XP. We will briefly go
over the di#erent types of interfaces start-
ing with Windows Vista.
15
Windows 8.1 Desktop
Windows Vista
Windows Vista has a similar interface to that Windows XP but with a few new changes. In
Windows Vista, Microsoft has introduced a new way to interact with Windows Explorer,
the Windows file manager (This will be covered in more in detail in a later chapter). In this
version of Windows, the Windows Explorer interface is “see-through” or uses Aero. The
other significant change in interface is the newly redesigned start menu. The start menu is
much di#erent from the old Windows XP start menu.
Windows 7
Windows 7 is considered to be the “new Windows XP.” Its interface is arguably the easiest
to use. The one major change in Windows 7 is the newly redesigned task bar. This task
bar uses large icons to determine what program is running.
Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 is the newest Windows operating system to date. It has a completely redes-
igned interface. The most significant change is the start menu. It no longer uses the clas-
sic pop up style used in previous versions but instead uses one that takes over the entire
screen.
16
Windows Features
Windows comes with a variety of features.
In this section, we will go over the main fea-
tures in each version of Windows from
Vista to 8.1.
The Desktop
The desktop is one of the most important
parts of the Windows experience. The
desktop allows you to place shortcuts to
programs or files for easy access. The
desktop has changed little over the years.
It is the same interface from Windows XP
to Windows 8.1.
17
Windows 8 Desktop
The Task Bar
The task bar is a method to see which pro-
grams are active. The interface of the bar
has changed over the years from Windows
XP to Windows 8.1. The task bar is located
at the bottom of your screen.
In Windows XP and Vista, the task bar
shows the full description of the program
running and condenses only when there
are a lot of windows open for that specific
program.
Now in Windows 7 and 8.1, the task bar
only shows an icon of the program and
you have the option to pin a program to
the task bar for faster access. This pinning
replaces the quick bar feature in Windows
Vista. To pin a program, right click the
open program and click “Pin this program
to taskbar.” In addition, the task bar in Win-
dows 7 and 8.1 allows you to access the
desktop instantly with just one click of a
button on the lower bottom right side of
the bar.
In all editions of Windows, the task bar has
the standard notification tray with the time,
date, and program icons. These items are
on the right side of the task bar. In Win-
dows Vista, the notification tray only has
the time listed, but in Windows 7 and 8.1,
the time and date are both listed.
The program icons expand di#erently in
Vista and 7. In Vista, the icons expand out
in the task bar while in 7, the icons expand
to a separate window, not disrupting the
task bar sizing.
There are a few features that make the
task bar in Windows 7 di#erent from previ-
ous versions of Windows. For example,
the task bar allows you to access a quick
menu to launch certain program shortcuts
available for that specific program. An-
18
other feature is the ability to peek at appli-
cations. In Windows Vista, you can only
peek at an application in a small window.
In Windows 7, you can view the applica-
tion in full screen in front.
The Start Menu
The start menu is a gateway to access the
installed programs on your computer. It is
located at the bottom left corner of your
screen. Over the years, Microsoft has
changed the interface of the start menu,
but the structure is generally the same. We
will take an look of the di#erent types of
Start Menus as mentioned in the previous
section.
In Windows Vista, the start menu no longer
expands to view all of your applications. In
addition, Microsoft added the ability to
search for specific files and programs with
a few keywords. This allowed easier ac-
cess to programs without needing to
browse through the long menus. The other
functions to access your files and common
Windows settings remain the same as in
previous versions.
In Windows 7, you are free to pin whatever
application to the start menu.
In Windows 8.1, the interface changes
completely. In this version of the start
menu, the menu takes over the entire
screen instead of a small portion as in pre-
vious versions. (Refer to the image in the
beginning of this section for the Windows
8.1 interface.) In Windows 8.1, the pinned
applications is the first part of the menu
19
you see. This is the equivalent of the
pinned programs on older start menu ver-
sions.
To access the all programs on the menu,
point the cursor on the lower left corner of
the start menu and look for an arrow point-
ing down. This will open the all programs
menu. To pin an application to the start
menu, right click on program, a menu will
open up on the bottom with several ac-
tions. Select the option to pin the program
to the menu. We will cover more of these
features in another section.
Shutdown and Other Options
Shutdown, restart, sleep, and hibernate
are some of the basic modes that your
computer can be in.
20
Function Description
Shutdown
Turns off the
computer
Restart
Turns off the
computer and turns
the computer on
automatically
Sleep
Puts the computer in
a low-energy state
and can quickly
resume work
Hibernate
Captures the state of
the computer and
turns off the
computer. All data is
exactly as it is.
Log Off Ends your session
Switch User
Captures the state of
your session and
makes the computer
available to another
local user.
In all versions of Windows, except for Win-
dows 8.1, the shutdown options are in the
lower right corner of the start menu. In Win-
dows 8.1, these options are in a di#erent
location. To access these options, you
need to locate the charm menu. It can be
accessed by clicking on the upper right or
lower right hand corners of the screen.
Once the menu is active, click on the set-
tings options and press the power option
to access these functions. We will cover
more features of the charm menu in an-
other chapter.
21
Windows Charm Bar
AeroSnap (Windows 7 and Higher)
AeroSnap is a feature in Windows that allows you to “snap” a window to one side of the
screen. This feature is useful when comparing documents or maximizing screen space.
You can activate this feature by dragging a window to either the left or right side of the
screen and Windows will automatically snap the window to the correct position as desired.
If you want to maximize a window, you can drag the window to the top of the screen. To
restore the window back to its normal size, select the window and drag it down. To restore
the window back to its original size, just drag the window out of its position and it will re-
store back to position.
In addition, AeroSnap can also be used to reduce window clutter. For example, if you want
to view only one window and there are 5 other windows open, select the window you want
and shake it. The windows will minimize and only the window you shook will be there. To
restore the windows, shake the originally selected window and they will reappear.
22
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Window Features and Title Bar Buttons
Almost all windows can be resized to any shape within the screen resolution. To resize a
window, select a corner or side of the window (make sure the arrows appear before resiz-
ing) then drag to the desired size. Almost every window has the title bar buttons on the top
right..
The icon on the far left is the minimize button. This will hide your screen in the task bar.
The icon in the middle is the restore button, this will increase the size of your current
screen to full screen or return the size to its previous state. The icon the far right, or the
red icon, will close the application. Not every program will have the first 2 buttons from the
left, but the red button will always be there.
23
Windows 8.1
Introduction
Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade to Windows 8 that improves upon the system based on the
feedback of users. There are still mixed feelings about the new Windows 8/8.1 interface;
most users prefer Windows 7 because of the familiar desktop interface as well as the ex-
tensive testing done on Windows 7 to ensure security and stability. However, there are a
few features of Windows 8.1 that make it a new experience.
New Features
Boot time - The time it takes for Windows 8.1 to start is less than that of Windows 8,
which already has a much faster boot time than Windows 7.
24
Performance Improvements - Windows 8.1 is faster and less resource intensive than Win-
dows 7.
Multi-tasking - Windows 8.1 makes it easier to multi-task than previous versions of Win-
dows because you can have 2 Windows applications on the same screen at once instead
of just 1.
25
“Universal Search” tool - You can now search for information on the web instead of just
apps, settings, or files.
Shutdown - Since Windows 8.1 Update 1, the power button appears next to the user’s
name in the Start Menu.
26
The Windows Store
In Windows 8.1, Microsoft has introduced the Windows Store, a place where you can
download apps designed for your Windows 8.1 computer. This is similar to the application
store on a smartphone or tablet. To install an app, select the application you want, agree
to the payment price, download, and install. To uninstall an app, you can go to the applica-
tion in the start menu, right click on it, and select uninstall in the menu below or you can
uninstall it within the app information page in the Windows Store. These apps may require
updates, and Windows will notify you when an update is available to install. Usually, up-
dates are free and easy to install.
27
Windows Store Applications vs Desktop Applications
Windows 8.1 features several default applications, which you will see on the start menu.
These include “Desktop,” “Internet Explorer,” and “Windows Store.” Notice that the Desk-
top is an application itself instead of your home screen, as in past Windows versions. You
can multitask with Windows Store Applications by dragging one application from the top
to the side edge of the screen until a separating bar appears. Then, you can open up an-
other application, which will fill up the remaining space. Additionally, you can drag the
separator bar left and right to resize each application.
Gestures
You can close a Windows-based application by going to the top of the application with
your mouse and dragging the application to the bottom of the screen.
Hot Corners
In Windows 8.1, there is a feature called Hot Corners, means that when you put your
mouse on di#erent corners of the screen, a di#erent application pops up.
! In the top left corner, other Windows apps will pop up, and if you click them, you will
switch to that task.
! In the top right corner, the Charm bar will appear.
! In the bottom left corner, the Start menu will appear.
28
Tasks and File
Explorer and File
2 BASICS
In this chapter, we will go over the definition of a task, how certain tasks a#ect system re-
sources, and the purpose of the task manager.
“Research shows you get multiple tasks
done faster if you do them one at a
time. It also decreases stress and
raises happiness.” - Shawn Achor
29
Image courtesy of Parkairoj / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tasks and The Task Manager
Introduction
Every active program on the computer is
called a task, whether it is a background
task or a foreground task. Every task uses
up portions of your system’s RAM.
Random Access Memory
(RAM)
What is RAM? RAM stands for Random Ac-
cess Memory. RAM is computer hardware
that allows a program to be accessed at
any time. RAM is your computer’s work-
space.
The more RAM you have installed on the
system, the better. For example, a com-
puter that has 6 GB of RAM will perform
better than a computer that has 1 GB of
RAM. Now you’re probably wondering how
these tasks a#ect system resources.
30
Newly redesigned task manager in Windows 8.1
The Task Manager
The Task Manager
Is there a method to manage active pro-
grams on the system? Yes, it is called the
task manager. The most typical way to ac-
cess the task manager is to push
CTRL+ALT+DEL (and select task man-
ager). Once the task manager opens up,
there are certain options available. But
there is a catch. The task manager was
completely redesigned in Windows 8.1. We
will first discuss the task manager in
Windows Vista and 7. In Windows 7, there
are 6 tabs. The tabs we will be focusing on
31
are the Applications and Processes tabs. The Applications tab allows you to view the ac-
tive programs that you have launched. The Processes tab allows you to view both active
and background programs running on the system. To kill a task, select the task in the man-
ager and select end task. Confirm you want to kill the task and the task is terminated. This
works in both tabs. If you want to view the functions of the tabs, here is a chart to summa-
rize them.
32
Tab Function
Processes
Allows you to control what processes are running on your system
(All processes).
Performance
Allows you to see the computers performance in RAM usage, CPU
usage, disk usage and Ethernet/WiFi connectivity usage.
App history
(Windows 8 only)
Allows you to see what each application has been active for, in the
case of using CPU and the amount of bandwidth used.
Startup
(Windows 8 only)
Allows you to control the applications that start when booting up
your computer for the first time. No longer need to use the
Windows Configuration Utility (msconfig) to control startup
applications. (Windows 7 or older users must use msconfig to
control startup applications.)
Users
Allows you to see the amount of resources each user is using on
the computer.
Details
(Windows 8 only)
Gives more detailed explanation of each process that is running.
Services
Allows you to see all the services that are installed on the computer,
tells you if the process is running or not. (Known to be background
applications)
Networking
(Windows 7 or older)
Allows you to see the computers network bandwidth.
Applications
(Windows 7 or older)
Shows you the applications that are running (no background
processes).
File Explorer
Introduction
File Explorer is an important program to understand about your PC because it helps you
keep organized digitally. Imagine the memory on your computer as a big file cabinet. File
Explorer is the program that lets you take a look at what is inside and how it is organized.
Whenever you save (store) a new document on your computer, it goes into a folder in File
Explorer.
33
Interface
Windows 8 and Above
File Explorer in Windows 8 uses tabs to help you manage your files. This interface is simi-
lar to that of Microsoft O"ce 2007 and higher. The options displayed on the tabs vary as
you click on di#erent folders, files, and programs located in di#erent areas on your com-
puter’s hard drive.
A. Back - Go back to the folder you viewed previously
B. Forward - Go forward to the folder you were viewing (only if you used the back button)
C. Up one level - Go up one level of the folders.
D. Tabs - House all the functions you can use to manage your files
E. Address bar - Shows the location of the folder you are viewing, also known as the path
F. Search box - Allows you to search for a file in the folder you currently have open
34
Windows 7 and Below
File Explorer in Windows 7 uses a bar to help you manage your files. Di#erent options are
displayed on a bar located near the top of the window as you click on di#erent folders,
files, and programs located in di#erent areas on your computer’s hard drive. For example,
if you click on the Recycle Bin folder in the File Explorer, the options displayed in the bar
will be di#erent from options displayed if you click on another folder outside the Recycle
Bin.
A. Back - Go back to the folder you viewed previously
B. Forward - Go forward to the folder you were viewing (only if you used the back button)
C. Address bar - Shows the location of the folder you are viewing, also known as the path
D. Search box - Search box - Allows you to search for a file in the folder you currently have
open
E. Tabs - House all the functions you can use to manage your files
F. New Folder - Allows you to create a new folder in your current location
35
Moving Files
Click the file you want to move. If you want to select multiple files to move at the same
time, hold down on the Ctrl button (located at the bottom left corner of your keyboard)
and click on each file you want to move. If you have a large list of files you want to move,
you can click the first file, then hold the Shift button (located at the bottom left corner of
your keyboard right above the Ctrl button), and click on the last item of the list. This will se-
lect all the items from the first file you clicked to the last.
Windows 8 and Above
Click the Home tab at the top left of File Explorer, then select Cut or Copy .
Cutting the file means that you want to move the file from one folder to another. Copying
the file means that you want to make a copy of the file, then put the copy in some other
folder. If you copy a file, you will have two versions of the file, so if you make changes to
one version, the other will not be a#ected.
Double click the folder you want to move the file to. Click the Home tab again, then press
Paste. The file will be moved to the folder you currently have open.
Windows 7 and Below
Click the Edit tab at the top left of File Explorer, then select one of two options, Cut or
Copy. Cutting the file means that you want to move the file from one folder to another.
Copying the file means that you want to make a copy of the file, then put the copy in some
other folder. If you copy a file, you will have two versions of the file, so if you make
changes to one version, the other will not be a#ected.
Double click the folder you want to move the file to. Click the Edit tab again, then press
Paste. The file will be moved to the folder you currently have open.
36
Deleting files
Windows 8 and Above
Select the file(s) you want to delete. Go to the Home tab, then press the Delete button.
Windows 7 and Below
Select the file(s) you want to delete. Go to the File tab, then press Delete. You may see a
box that confirms that you want to delete the file.
Renaming a file or folder
Windows 8 and Above
Click the file(s) you want to rename. In the Home tab, click the Rename button. Type
in the new name of the file you want, then press Enter on your keyboard.
Windows 7 and Below
Select the file(s) you want to delete. Go to the File tab, then press Rename. Type in the
new name of the file you want, then press Enter on your keyboard.
37
Searching for files
Windows 8 and Above
If you lose something, you can always search for it in the search bar at the top right corner
of File Explorer. If you know the folder your item is in, open up that folder. If not, click Com-
puter on the left pane of the window. Click on the Windows (C:) drive. Then, click on the
magnifying glass on the search bar (located at the top right of the window). Type in the
name or part of the name of the file you are looking for, then press Enter on your key-
board. As your computer searches for the file, every match it finds will appear on the
screen.
Windows 7 and Below
If you lose something, you can always search for it in the search bar at the top right corner
of File Explorer. If you know the folder your item is in, open up that folder. If not, click Com-
puter on the left pane of the window. Click on the OS (C:) drive. Then, click on the magni-
fying glass on the search bar (located at the top right of the window). Type in the name or
part of the name of the file you are looking for, then press Enter on your keyboard. As your
computer searches for the file, every match it finds will appear on the screen.
Creating a new folder
Windows 8 and Above
Go to where you want to create the new folder. Press the Home tab, then click New
Folder . Type in the new name of the new folder, then press Enter on your keyboard.
Windows 7 and Below
Go to where you want to create the new folder. Press the New Folder button at the top of
the window. Type in the new name of the new folder, then press Enter on your keyboard.
38
Antivirus
3 BASICS
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
In this chapter, we will talk about the definition of viruses, malware, trojans, and worms
and ways to protect yourself against these infections.
“For the average home-user,
anti-virus software is a must.”
- Kevin Mitnick
39
Viruses, Malware, Trojans, and Worms
Introduction
There are several types of security threats. At first they may all sound the same but they all
harm your computer in di#erent ways. They pose a threat to your computer because they
can invade your privacy, alter critical system files, or slow down computer performance.
For example, the conficker worm can hack into your computer to steal sensitive informa-
tion such as bank account passwords and credit card numbers. Let’s begin with a list of
the types of security threats.
40
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Type of Threat Purpose/Function
Virus
A program that harms the system by damaging
critical system files.
Malware
A program that allows a hacker to disrupt a
computer process, gather sensitive information, or
gain unauthorized access to private computer
systems.
Trojan
A non self-replicating software that allows malware
to gain unauthorized access to your system.
Usually by creating a “backdoor” to allow hackers
access the system. Trojan viruses can cause blue
screens, crashes, and file corruption.
Worm
A type of self-replicating software that allows
malware to be spread from one computer to
another. These can be spread through removable
media or the Internet.
41
Protecting Yourself
The best way to protect yourself from
these security threats is to install an antivi-
rus program. An antivirus program is a pro-
gram that is designed to detect these
threats before it can cause damage to the
system. It scans your system daily, looking
for any potential threats, and updates its
definitions daily. A definition is a file that
tells the antivirus program which threats to
look for when a scan is conducting.
Some users do not mind paying a subscrip-
tion for protection against threats. Such
programs are Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky,
BitDefender, but there is another option.
There are some antivirus programs avail-
able for free. Such programs are Microsoft
Security Essentials, AVG Free, COMODO,
Malwarebytes (requires main antivirus),
and more. These programs o#er the basic
protection you will need to protect your
computer from threats.
42
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
System Shortcuts
4 BASICS
In this chapter, we will cover what are computer shortcuts, why are shortcuts useful, and
how to use shortcuts for everyday tasks.
“Traditional science is all about
finding shortcuts.” - Rudy
Rucker
43
Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Basic Shortcuts
Introduction to Shortcuts
You may be wondering, “What are shortcuts? Shortcuts are actions that you can use to
complete a task faster. Most of these shortcuts are done with a keyboard combination. A
keyboard combination is a set of keys to you push on the keyboard to execute a shortcut.
Shortcuts are often a combination of keys, so make sure you press on all the keys at the
same time. Here are some of the basic shortcut keys that work for most programs.
44
Image courtesy of suphakit73 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We have some more lists of shortcuts that are standard but can vary from program to pro-
gram.
45
Shortcut Combination Shortcut Function
Ctrl+S Saves the document or file
Ctrl+Z Undoes an action
Ctrl+Y Redoes an action
Ctrl+C Copies the selected text or elements
Ctrl+X Cuts/Moves the selected text or elements
Ctrl+V
Pastes the previously selected text or
elements
Ctrl+F Find text on an page or element
Ctrl+A Selects all elements on a page or element
Alt+F4
Closes the current application or when no
applications are running gives user prompts to
shutdown computer.
Shortcut Combination Shortcut Function
Ctrl+W
Exits the current document, window, or current
element
Ctrl+O Opens a document in the current program
Ctrl+P Prints the current document or element
Ctrl+N
Creates a new document, tab, or element in
the current program
Ctrl+I Italicizes the selected text
Ctrl+B Bolds the selected text
Ctrl+U Underlines the selected text
Desktop Shortcuts
In the previous section, we discussed the common shortcuts used in almost every pro-
gram for Windows. Here will talk about some shortcuts that only apply to maximize desk-
top usage. Below is a list of shortcuts and its functions.
46
Shortcut Combination Shortcut Function
Alt+Tab or Windows (Logo) + Tab Switches between active programs
Windows (Logo) + F Searches for files on your system
Windows (Logo) + D Shows the desktop
Windows (Logo) + F1 Opens Help Center
Windows (Logo) + Up Arrow Maximizes the current application window
Image courtesy of thepathtraveler / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
47
Shortcut Combination Shortcut Function
Windows (Logo) + Down Arrow Minimizes the current application window
Windows (Logo) + Right/Left Arrow
Snaps the current application window to the right
side of the screen or the left side of the screen
Windows (Logo) + (+/-) Zooms in or out of a document or current element
Windows (Logo) + L Locks the computer
Ctrl+Alt+Delete
Opens task manager (or allows uesr to lock PC,
log off account, switch current user, or change
current account password.)
Ctrl+Shift+Esc Opens Task Manager
Alt+F4
Opens options to shutdown the computer when
no applications are running.
2 SOFTWARE FEATURES
In this unit, we will go over some software features.
Unit 2 - Software Features
Chapter 5 - Microsoft O"ce ............................................................. 49
Chapter 6 - Browsers ....................................................................... 87
Chapter 7 - Open Source Software and Freeware ........................... 104
Chapter 8 - Photo Editing Functionality ........................................... 115
48
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Microsoft Office
5 SOFTWARE FEATURES
In this chapter, we will discuss the interfaces of Microsoft O"ce, and the functions of Mi-
crosoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel
"We are not even close to finishing
the basic dream of what the PC can
be."
- Bill Gates
49
Microsoft Office Interface
Introduction
Microsoft O"ce is one of the most powerful productivity tools available. O"ce includes
several types of software depending on the package, but we will discuss the three most
common software in the Microsoft O"ce series, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint,
and Microsoft Excel. Many of the programs in Microsoft O"ce have similar functions.
50
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Common Features
A. File - You can make a new document, or open, save, and print an existing document.
B. Save - Stores the document on your computer
C. Undo - Undo the action you just did.
D. Redo - Redo the action (only after undo)
E. Clipboard - Cut, copy, and paste text or images.
51
File
New - Create a new document. You can choose a template to use a preset style.
Open - Open a document on your computer. On the Open menu, double-click “Computer”
to open File Explorer to find your document.
Save - Save the document on your computer.
Save As - Save your document under a di#erent name.
Print - Print the document.
52
Microsoft Word
Introduction
Microsoft Word is a word process-
ing application in the Microsoft Of-
fice series. In this section we will
discuss the functions of O"ce.
These functions will be organized
by the tabs.
53
By Microsoft (Aus der Exe extrahiert) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Basic Features
This is the paragraph dialog box. From
here, you can change everything that ap-
pears in the paragraph tab such as align-
ment, indentation, and spacing.
The Insertion Point is where everything you
input into the computer will go. When you
type in a character or post an image, it will
appear at the insertion point.
54
Home
A. Font - Changes the text to a di#erent “style”
B. Font Size - Changes the size of the selected text
C. Bullets and Numbering - Creates a list of bullets or numbers
D. Bold - Makes the text lines thicker, emphasizing the selection
E. Italicize - Slants the text
F. Underline - Underlines the text
G. Subscript/Superscript - Adds text below or above a line of text
H. Highlight - Highlight the text
I. Color - Change the color of text
J. Text Alignment - Changes how the text is aligned (where you start typing from)
K. Line Spacing - Change the space between lines
L. Borders - Add borders to selected text
M.Styles - Change selection to preset styles of text
55
56
Insert
The insert tab allows you to insert elements into your document.
A. Page Break - Start a new page after that point.
B. Table - Add a table
C. Illustrations - Add pictures, shapes, and screenshots
D. Hyperlink - Adds a link to a website
E. Header & Footer - Adds headers and footers (goes at the top/bottom of every page)
F. Text - Add text boxes and WordArt (graphic text)
57
Design
A. Themes - Changes design of the document.
B. Document Formatting - Changes the format of the text with a specific theme.
Page Layout
A. Margins - Change the limits/borders of the text.
B. Orientation - Change whether the format of the page is portrait or landscape.
C. Paragraph - Change the indent or spacing between lines of text.
D. Wrap Text - Wrapping text means the text can go around an image.
58
THIS PAGE DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY MATERIAL.
59
References
The references tab helps you create table of contents, footnotes, citations, and captions.
Mailings
The mailings tab has mail formats such as envelopes and labels.
Review
A. Proofing allows you to check spelling and grammar and count the number of words in
your document.
60
View
A. The Views section allows you to change how you see the document with layouts.
61
Microsoft PowerPoint
Introduction
Microsoft PowerPoint is a
presentation application in
the Microsoft O"ce series.
Microsoft PowerPoint allows
you to create presentations
with slide shows. Many of the
functions in Microsoft Power-
Point are similar to that of Mi-
crosoft Word and Microsoft
Excel.
62
By Microsoft [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Interface
The left pane of the window is the slide organizer, which allows you to scroll through all the
slides of your presentation. The main part of the screen is the slide viewer, which allows
you to view and edit the selected slide.
63
Home
A. New Slide - Create a new slide
B. Layout - Change how the slide text is organized
C. Font - Changes the text to a di#erent style
D. Font Size - Changes the size of the selected text
E. Bold - Makes the text lines thicker, emphasizing selection
F. Italicize - Slants the text
G. Underline - Underlines the text
H. Color - Change the color of text
I. Bullets and Numbering - Creates a list of bullets or numbers
J. Text Alignment - Changes how the text is aligned (where you start typing from)
K. Line Spacing - Change the space between lines
L. Shapes - Add shapes to the presentation
64
Creating a New Slide
Changing the Format of the Slide
65
Insert
A. New Slide - Create a new slide
B. Table - Create a new table
C. Images - Add pictures, clip art, and screenshots
D. Illustrations - Add shapes, SmartArt, and charts
E. Hyperlink - Adds a link to a website
F. Text - Create text boxes and WordArt
G. Media - Insert movies or sound elements to the presentation
66
Design
A. Theme - Changes design of the presentation.
B. Slide Size - Change the size of the slide.
Here is an example of a themed presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint.
67
Animations/Transitions
The animation tab allows you to add animations to the presentation to make it more inter-
esting. In some versions of Microsoft PowerPoint, the transitions feature has a separate
tab. The transitions tab manages how the slide transitions, or moves, from one slide to the
next. In addition with the transitions tab, you can record how long each slide will be pre-
sent on the screen until it moves to the next slide. Sounds can be added to the presenta-
tion upon the next slide as well.
A. Preview - Allows preview of the presentation with animations
B. Animation - Allows animations of each text element
C. Start - Specify when the animation will start
D. Duration/Delay - Specify how long the animation will last and when it will end
A. Preview - Preview the transition
B. Transition to this Slide - Change the type of transition
C. Sound - Play sound while the transition occurs
D. Duration - Change the duration of the transition
E. Timing - Change whether the transition is automatic or by mouse click
68
Slide Show
The slide show tab allows you to start your presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint.
A. Start Slide Show - Starts the presentation
B. Record Slide Show - Records the slide show
Review
A. Proofing - Checks the presentation for any spelling errors
69
View
The view tab allows you to change how the presentation is viewed.
A. Presentation Views - Change how the presentation is viewed in several di#erent formats
B. Notes - Make notes on specific slides
70
Microsoft Excel
Introduction
Microsoft Excel is a data process-
ing application in the Microsoft Of-
fice series.
71
By Microsoft [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Basics of Microsoft Excel
There are some key concepts to Microsoft Excel that are important. We have summarized
those concepts in a table below.
Cell
Row
72
Item Function
Cell Smallest selectable region to place information
Row Horizontal group of cells
Column Vertical group of cells
Function/Formula
Calculates a value from the selected cells
(Make sure to have parenthesis when using
formula)
Cell Reference Shows which cell(s) are selected
Formula Bar Shows the selected formula or text in a cell
Column
Function/Formula - It is important to note that you HAVE to include parentheses in every
formula you write.
73
Cell Reference
Formula Bar
74
Home
A. Font - Change the font of text
B. Font Size - Change the size of the text
C. Bold - Makes the text thicker
D. Italicize - Slants the text
E. Underline - Underlines the text
F. Border - Puts a border around the text
G. Color - Changes the color of the text
H. Text position - Changes whether the text is at the top, middle, or bottom of the cell
I. Alignment - Changes whether the text is at the left, middle, or right of the cell
J. Wrap text - Keeps the text within the column boundaries of the cell (adds another line
when the text spills over)
K. Merge & Center - Merges cells
75
Filtering Data
76
Wrapping Text
Merging and Centering Cells
77
Insert
The insert tab allows you to insert elements into your presentation. We have summarized
the basic functions of the insert tab.
A. Table - Insert a table
B. Illustrations - Insert pictures, shapes, screenshots, and SmartArt
C. Charts - Make charts based on data you have (they will change as your numbers
change)
D. Text - Create text boxes and WordArt
78
Here are pictures illustrating the location of a function and an example of that function:
Creating a Column (or any other type) Chart
79
Page Layout
The page layout tab allows you to modify page settings.
A. Themes - Change the design of the workbook
B. Print Area - Specifies the printing area of the workbook
C. Print Titles - Prints the titles of the data along with the data of a chart
80
Formulas
The formulas tab allows you to insert a function for easy calculation of data.
A. Function Library - Add a function to allow easier sorting of data. If you press Insert
Function, you will see the whole function library. The buttons to the right have the func-
tions organized into categories.
81
Microsoft Excel has a library of useful func-
tions. You may not use all of these func-
tions, but it is important to know how to be
able to use them. That is the main point of
Microsoft Excel! In excel there are 7 cate-
gories of functions: AutoSum, financial,
logical, text, date and time, lookup and ref-
erence, and math and trig. At this point,
you are probably wondering how to even
use these formulas. These formulas de-
pend on the cell of the data. The data se-
lected determines how a formula will work.
For example, if Andrew wants to calculate
the average work time he has spent work-
ing on this manual. He goes into excel to
enter the hours he has worked.
He already calculated the hours he worked
for each day but does not want to calcu-
late the average time and total time. So
what does he do? He selects the SUM for-
mula and have Microsoft Excel added the
total from cells D3 to D11 and have it pro-
duce the total in D12. By the data, he has
worked for a total of 38.5 hours in this pe-
riod. Now he needs to calculate an aver-
age. He setups another formula below the
total at D13 by using the AVERAGE for-
mula. Microsoft Excel calculates the aver-
age time he has spent working and deter-
mines that he has spent 4.278 hours per
Function Library Description
AutoSum
Allows data to be
summarized,
averaged, and more
Financial
Formulas when
dealing with
accounting figures
Logical Logical statements
Text
Insert Text Values as
Functions
Date and Time
Calculate Date and
Time
Lookup and Reference
Creating Reference
Formulas such as
Generating Addresses,
Hyperlinks, and more
Math and Trig
Common math
functions such as
finding degrees of an
angle
82
time. This is just one method on using a
formula. There are hundreds of formulas
available in Microsoft Excel. Covering all of
the formulas will take a lot of time and
pages. You can explore each of these for-
mulas yourself in Microsoft Excel. Micro-
soft Excel usually does a decent job of ex-
plaining what values can be used with the
specific formula. Now we will continue dis-
cussing the other features in Microsoft Ex-
cel.
Here are pictures illustrating the location of
a function and an example of that function:
AutoSum (Automatically Sum Numerical
Values):
83
Adding a Function in Microsoft Excel
84
Data
The data tab allows you to manage the data in the spreadsheet.
A. Sort - Sorts the data
B. Filter - Filter the data by a specific criterion
Review
The review tab allows you to proofread your document before it’s final. We have summa-
rized the basic functions of the review tab below.
A. Proofing - Check spelling and use the thesaurus
85
View
The view tab allows you to change how the spreadsheet is viewed.
A. Workbook Views - Change how you see the workbook
B. Freeze Panes - Locks certain rows or columns so you can always see the frozen rows/
columns
86
Browsers
6 SOFTWARE FEATURES
In this chapter, we will discuss the definition of a browser, interfaces of browsers, and func-
tions of browsers.
“Think of Internet on the TV like the
Web browser. The amount of time you
spend on the PC in the browser is just
going to grow continuously.” - Reed
Hastings
87
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
What is the Internet?
Introduction
The Internet is a global system of intercon-
nected computer networks. It allows for in-
stant transfer of information. The Internet
can be used for almost everything now in
the 21st century. It can be used to look up
research information, send messages in-
stantly, purchase materials through online
retailers, and more. Because of this, the
Internet has been deemed the “Information
Superhighway.” The Internet has vast
amounts of information that can be useful
in day to day life. It is hard to live without
the Internet today. Each website can be ac-
cessed by a link or URL (Uniform Resource
Locator). A URL is important for accessing
the webpage in your browser.
88
Image courtesy of hyena reality / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Browsers
Introduction
What is a browser? A browser is an appli-
cation that allows you to access content
on the Internet. Let’s look over some com-
mon interfaces of browsers before we look
over the common functions of a web
browser.
89
Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Mozilla Firefox
Internet Explorer
90
By Screenshot : HPD Software : Mozilla Foundation (Own work) [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), LGPL
(http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html) or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Google Chrome
Safari
By HPD [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
91
By Thomas Gilling (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Browser Functions
In this section, we will talk about the common features of browsers.
Please Note that all images are based on the Google Chrome web browser.
92
Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The Address Bar
The address bar is used to go to a web-
site. A website is a set pages that can be
accessed on a single domain. A web page
is a web document that can be accessed
on the World Wide Web.
To access a website, it is usually in this for-
mat:
http://www.[webpage].com
The first part is the http:// or the HyperText
Transfer Protocol or https:// or the Hyper-
Text Transfer Protocol Secure. HTTP or
HTTPS is a transfer protocol or type to
transfer content over the World Wide Web.
The main di#erence between HTTP and
HTTPS is that HTTPS transfers content se-
curely between your computer and the
hosting server of the website. This is impor-
tant when transferring sensitive informa-
tion. http:// part of a URL or link is hidden
some web browsers, for example Google
Chrome.
The next part is the “www.” This means
World Wide Web. Sometimes you might
not have to place “www” in the link since
the ISP automatically corrects this when
accessing the website.
The next part is the domain name of the
webpage.
The last part is the end domain name.
There are many end domain names such
as .com or .org. This is important to con-
nect to a website. Without this, the Internet
Service Provider, the service that connects
you to the Internet, cannot find the correct
website to connect you to it.
Here are some examples:
http://www.computerliteracyinitiative.weeb
ly.com **
http://www.cnn.com *
http://www.money.com *
http://www.google.com *
*We are not responsible for the damage that may be caused by these webpages.
We do not own any of the domains listed below and the content displayed on
these pages are the intellectual property of the respected owner(s).
** This is our corporate webpage. All rights reserved.
93
The Home Page
The home page is the page on the web browser that opens every time when you open a
new window or a new session. You can have the browser open a blank page, the default
page, or a specific webpage.
94
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
History
Your browser stores whichever website you visit. This storing is called history. You can
track which website you visited and when you visited that site. You can clear this history
from your browser but not records of your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that helps distribute content from a
server (Website) to your home. Some companies are Verizon, Time Warner Cable, Com-
cast, Charter Communications, and more.
95
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Private Mode
Your browser stores which websites you visited. But sometimes you want to visit a web-
site without having any data from that website stored on your computer. A little note, every
website you visit stores some data on your computer into a cache. A cache is a temporary
location that the web browser stores files from a website. In private mode of a browser, it
does not store any data from that site once you close the session but this does not hide
the data from your Internet Service Provider.
96
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Bookmarks
Bookmarking is a way to save a favorite website you visited without having to enter the
link in the address bar. You can add, delete, or modify a bookmark with the browsers book-
mark manager.
97
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Cache/Cookies
The cache is more of a behind the scenes feature. It stores webpage content to enable a
webpage to load faster. Cookies are log in data for a website. This allows you to log in to a
website without having to enter credentials every single time you visit the site. If a web-
page may act di#erently than usual, it is recommend to clear the cache. When clearing the
cache, webpages may load slowly at first. The way in which you clear the cache can vary
between web browsers, we will discuss more of those methods in another section.
98
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Security
Most web browsers have built in security features to prevent you from visiting a dangerous
site. When encountered with this problem, do not ignore the warning and turn back!
Tabs
Tabs are a convenient way to have more than one webpage open at the same time. They
save time when you need to visit several websites at once and reduce the amount of win-
dows active. You can have a window with multiple webpages open with tabs.
99
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Download Manager
Almost all web browsers have a download manager when you download content from the
Internet. This manager allows you to organize what files you downloaded on your system,
the location of the file on the web, and the location of the file on your system. With these
managers, you can pause or cancel a download easily.
100
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Autofill
Autofill allows you to fill in credentials a website might be asking for automatically. It recog-
nizes what type of field the website is asking and pulls up the information you filled in a
similar field on a prior site. This data can be easily cleared.
Plugins/Extensions
Plugins are programs that allow you to view certain files within your web browser. For ex-
ample, if you want to view a PDF document, you need an Adobe Reader (PDF Plugin)
Plugin to view the document within your web browser. This allows for quicker viewing with-
out the hassle of downloading the document and opening the document in the default ap-
plication. Extensions are additional add-ons to a web browser designed to enhance the ex-
perience. For example, you may install an extension that allows you to preview word docu-
ments in the browser. Each website will show its encrypted site whenever possible. These
extensions can be easily removed but plugins come with the program when you installed it
on your system. Plugins will be removed when the program is uninstalled.
Do Not Track
Do Not Track tells websites that you do not want to be tracked. This feature is included
now because more and more websites today are collecting more data about you when
you visit their website. This tells the website you do not want your data to be tracked in
any way. This may not be a 100% plan against tracking because there is no regulating law
at the moment that forces websites to honor this request (in the United States).
SSL Encryption
SSL Encryption is a type of connection that protects sensitive information that you trans-
mit over the internet. This is extremely important when you make purchases, view sensi-
tive information such as Social Security Information, or bank account information. It is im-
portant to check for an SSL connection. Most websites will have an “https://” in front of
their URL. Another way is to look for a website’s security certificate. A security certificate
101
verifies that the connection between your computer and the server (website) is safe. The
last way to check is for a lock. All of these methods work for checking a website is using
an SSL connection.
102
Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.
Accessing Functions in Browsers
Each web browser has the same purpose, to access the Internet. But not all web browsers
look and act the same way. Here we will go over how to access these features in the three
most popular browsers. We have placed the shortcut method to access these features in
this cart.
This chart is shared for all of these three web browsers.
103
Function Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Internet Explorer
Accessing History Ctrl+H Ctrl+Shift+H Ctrl+Shift+H
Clearing Cache/Autofill
Data/Cookies/Of the
Like
Ctrl+Shift+Del Ctrl+Shift+Del Ctrl+Shift+Del
Accessing Bookmark
Manager
Ctrl+Shift+O Ctrl+Shift+B Alt+C
New Private Tab Ctrl+Shift+N Ctrl+Shift+P Ctrl+Shift+P
Function Combination for Browsers
Access Download History Ctrl+J
Access History Ctrl+H
Create a new tab Ctrl+T
Create a new browser window Ctrl+N
Creating a new bookmark Ctrl+D
Open Source
Software and
Freeware
7 SOFTWARE FEATURES
In this chapter, we will discuss what is open source, some alternative open-source soft-
ware, and some freeware software.
“In real open source, you have
the right to control your own
destiny.” - Linus Torvalds
104
By Open Source Initiative (http://opensource.org/trademarks) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Introduction
Open Source Software is software created by the developer
community. Most of this software is free and available to use
for anyone. There are no licenses and no hidden frees. They
are safe to use and easier to use than some shareware. Share-
ware software is software that requires money to acquire a li-
cense to use. Freeware is software that is free for almost eve-
ryone to use. The developer may place restrictions where it
may be used, but the software is not open source. In this chap-
ter, we will go over some alternative software equivalent to
their shareware counterparts.
Open Source
Software
Chapter 7
105
By Open Source Initiative
(http://opensource.org/trademarks)
[CC-BY-2.5
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)]
, via Wikimedia Commons
Productivity
LibreO"ce
The most common productivity program available is Microsoft O"ce. However, Microsoft
O"ce can cost a fortune for the average consumer might not even use all of the programs.
In this section, we will discuss a friendly open-source alternative, LibreO"ce.
LibreO"ce is the most common open-source productivity software that is just as good as
Microsoft O"ce. LibreO"ce is a full productivity suite that is easy to install and use.
106
Here is a chart describing the functions included with LibreO"ce.
Google Docs/Drive
Google Docs is a online-based productivity. It is not exactly a program because it is all on-
line. The only requirement is an updated web browser and an internet connection. This is
another free alternative to Microsoft O"ce. To use Google Docs, a Google account is
needed.
107
Program Description
Text Document (Writer)
Allows you to type up documents (similar to
Microsoft Word)
Spreadsheet (Calc)
Allows you to make spreadsheets and organize
data (similar to Microsoft Excel)
Presentation (Impress)
Allows you to make presentations (similar to
Microsoft PowerPoint)
Drawing (Draw) Allows you to make drawings and graphics
Database (Base)
Allows you to create table, forms, and organize
data
Formula (Math) Allows you to type up mathematical formulas
Photo Editing
Many people edit photos everyday, perhaps you have as well, but many of the fancy and
professional or photo editing programs cost money. There are lots of great free alterna-
tives that allow you to edit photos with environments close to the professional versions. In
Microsoft Windows, there is a photo editing software included. It has some functionality
for basic photo editing. For more photo editing features, here is a list of some friendly edi-
tors:
! GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
! Paint.NET
108
By HeWhoE (Screenshot) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
GIMP - GNU Image Manipulation Program
Paint.NET
All of these photo editing programs have massive capabilities. The interface may be di#er-
ent for each one, but they are essentially the same.
109
Video Editors
Video editors allow you to modify personal videos with special e#ects, trim out parts of vid-
eos, or combine several videos together. Here are some video editors:
VLC Movie Creator (Beta) - Open Source
Windows Live Movie Maker
110
Antivirus
Back in Chapter 3 we mentioned some
free antivirus protection. Here we have
listed some more programs. Not all of
these programs are exactly open-source,
but they are free. Most of these free anti-
virus programs provide fairly strong protec-
tion against viruses.
! AVG Free
! Avira
! Microsoft Security Essentials*
! Avast Free!
! COMODO
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*In Windows 8/8.1, Microsoft Security Essentials is in-
cluded as Windows Defender.
Media Players
Media Players are extremely important for viewing video content. Not all video players can
play all types of videos but there is one video that can play just about everything. VLC Me-
dia Player can play about almost every video file format out there and is one of the best
free media players on the Internet. Not only is it powerful, but also user-friendly. You can
easily play, record, and save music files.
112
By Excalibur9205 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Archivers/File Compressors
Archivers/File Compressors are programs that compress a wide range of files for easy
transfer over the Internet or removable media. This saves time in needing to transfer every
single file manually and saves time in the transfer process. One of the most powerful and
free archivers is 7-Zip. 7-Zip is a file compressor that will compress your files. It can also
be used to help free up space on your hard drive. 7-Zip is completely free and can extract
and compress almost every file type out there.
113
By Igor Pavlov (Own work) [LGPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Where to Get the Software
At this point, you might be interested in get-
ting some of this software. We have pro-
vided a list of the software and the link to
access them.
*Note: These links may have changed when we made this
manual. We are not paid to promote any of these softwares,
we review these softwares voluntarily and are recommending
on our behalf.
114
Software Link
LibreOffice http://www.libreoffice.org
GIMP http://www.gimp.org
Paint.NET http://www.getpaint.net
AVG http://free.avg.com
Avast http://www.avast.com
COMODO http://antivirus.comodo.com
VLC Media Player http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html
7-Zip http://www.7-zip.org
Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Photo Editing
Functionality
8 SOFTWARE FEATURES
In this chapter, we will go over some features of photo editing software. This chapter will
be based on GIMP.
“You don’t take a photograph,
you make it.” - Ansel Adams
115
Image courtesy of Boians Cho Joo Young / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Photo Editing Software (GIMP)
Introduction
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation
Program) is a free image editing
software that allows the user to
perform tasks such as photo re-
touching, cropping, and editing.
In this section we will discuss
the basic functions of GIMP.
116
By The GIMP's art/developer team (The GIMP package) [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Three Main Windows

1. The Image Window
This window contains all the menus for basic and advanced functions.
It will display the picture that you want to edit and will be the place that you will alter the
picture.
117
2. The Toolbox
The toolbox contains:
! All the basic tools that can be used to edit the de-
sired image.
! The Foreground and Background colors
! The Tool Options, which allows you to make ad-
vanced and fine changes to the current tool that you are us-
ing.
- For example, you can change the size of the paint-
brush that you are using.

118
How to manage the foreground and background colors:
! The foreground color (default black) is the color that you are writing, painting, or drawing
with.
! The background color (default white) is any color that you will also be using frequently.
! Change the Fore/background color by clicking the black/white box. The screen below
will show up. Then, select a color.
! Press “X” on your keyboard to easily swap the colors or click on the doubled ended ar-
row.
! Press the miniature black and white boxes at the bottom left corner to
return the fore/background colors back to black and white.
119
3. The Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo History Dock
This window will help you manage the di#erent images and
layers that you are dealing with.
You can manage:
! The opacity of various layers
! Which layers should be seen or hidden
! When you are editing, you are
ONLY a"ecting the SINGLE layer that
you have selected.
Brushes, Patterns, and Gradients
You can use the di#erent types of pre-made brush styles,
textures/patterns, and gradients provided in this window.
These are examples of the pre-designed brushes, patterns
and gradients:
120
Tip: If you would like to change
from the multi-window mode to
single window mode, go to Win-
dows> Single-window Mode in
the image window.
Introduction to the Basic Tools
There are multiple tools, each with a unique function. These tools are separated into di#er-
ent categories based on function.
1. Selection Tools: Select regions of the picture that you would like to work on individually
without a#ecting the areas outside of the selected region. The accuracy of the tool that
you are using may depend on the image that you are editing.
Rectangle Select Tool (R): Make a rectangular selection.
Lasso Tool (F): Draw out the region that you would like the select.
Select by Color Tool (Shift+ U): Click on a specific color and it will select areas
with that color.
Foreground Select Tool: Select the foreground of the picture.
Ellipse Select Tool (E): Make an oval/circular shaped selection.
Magic Wand Tool (U): Select contiguous areas by color similarity.
Intelligent Scissors Select Tool (I): Select rough points around the desired region
and it will automatically fill in the line.
Paths Tool (B): Select points around the desired region and manually alter the se-
lection.
121



122
A perfect square/rectangle
region can be selected
A perfect oval can be se-
lected
The accuracy isn’t very ac-
curate since some other
areas are black too.
Rectangle Select Tool: Ellipse Select Tool: Select by Color Tool: (Black)
Scissors Select Tool:
Lasso (Free Select) Tool:
This tool allows you to make accu-
rate selections around certain ob-
jects.
The lasso tool allows you to make
completely freestyle selections.
Vulkan at the German language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia
Commons
2. The Paint Tools: These tools are controlled by making brush-strokes using the pointer.
! Brush Tools: These four tools are used to literally paint on the image with a brush. The
only di#erence is the style and finesse of the lines.
Pencil Tool (N): Somewhat rigid and rough.
Paintbrush Tool (P): Smoother than the pencil.
Airbrush Tool (A): Light and fades at the
edges.
Ink Tool (K): Thickens the ends of lines as an
ink pen or a calligraphy brush would do.
! Other Paint Tools: These tools are used to edit the image instead of painting on it.
Bucket Fill Tool (Shift+B): Fills a selected region with a particular color/pattern.

Gradient Tool (L): Fills the selected region with a gradient.

123
Eraser Tool (Shift + E): Erases the areas that it is used on.

Clone Tool (C): Copies a selected portion of the image to other areas of your choice.


Perspective Clone Tool: Copies a portion of the image to other areas with a di#erent
perspective.

124
Smudge Tool (S): Smears the area that it is used on.

Heal Tool (H): Corrects small defects using same technique as Clone Tool.

Blur/Sharpen Tool (Shift +U): Blurs or sharpens (hold Ctrl) the area it is used on.


125
By Old_zacatecas_lady.jpg: Tomas Castelazo derivative work: Dobromila (Old_zacatecas_lady.jpg) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) or
GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Dodge/Burn Tool (Shift + D): Lightens or darkens (hold Ctrl) the area it is used on.
3. Transform Tools: These tools allow the user to move, distort, or add perspective to the
image.
Align Tool (Q): Align one layer relative to another object.
Move Tool (M): Move the image/layer around.

126
Beach By http://www.flickr.com/people/37244380@N00/ [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Crop Tool (Shift + C): Eliminate unwanted -edges/borders


Rotate Tool (Shift + R): Rotates the image.


Scale Tool (Shift + T): Change the size of the image

127
Perspective Tool (Shift + P): Change the perspective.

Shear Tool (Shift + S): Distort/Shift the sides of the image

Flip Tool (Shift + F): Flip the image horizontally or vertically.

128
Cage Tool (Shift + G): Distort a specified region of the image.

129
By User:Jahoe (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
4. Color Tools: Tools that allow the user to sharpen your picture by modifying the color,
hue, saturation, brightness, etc.
These tools can be accessed through the “Color” Menu at the top of the image window.
Tip: For these tools, it is best to just toggle around with the sliders and the options until
you are happy with the results.
Color Balance: Makes light changes to color distribution.
Hue-Saturation: Make changes to hue, saturation, and lightness levels.
Colorize: Modifies the image so that it looks like a black and white image seen-
through colored glass.
Brightness-Contrast: Adjust brightness and contrast levels.
Threshold: Turn the image into a black and white picture.
Levels: Make an image lighter or darker.
Curves: Change color, brightness, contrast, and transparency of the layer.
Posterize: Makes the image seem more poster-like and cartoon-like by reducing the
amount of colors used in the picture.
Desaturate: Turn the picture into a greyscale image.

130
5. Other Tools: Tools that aren’t categorized in the previous four tool categories.
Color Picker (O): Select any color on the image.
Zoom (Z): Zoom in or out (hold Ctrl) of the image.
Measure (Shift + M): Measure angles and distances.
Text (T): Type text onto the image.
Selected Basic Tools (In more depth)
Text Tool
To use the text tool, click on the text tool button and
Click on the area that you would like to insert the text
and start typing.
If you only wish to change a few words in the text box,
as shown below, you need to highlight the words you
want to change and modify the settings in the hovering
option box next to your text.
131
Tip: Text can be moved by using the
Move Tool (M) and pointing DIRECTLY
on the text
If you want to change everything
in the text box, change the set-
tings in the Tool Options box.
Selection Tools
As mentioned before, making a selection allows you to work freely on that individual re-
gion without a#ecting outside regions.


The Magic Wand and Select by Color Tools have tool option boxes that look like:
The only major option for these two tools is the “Threshold”
setting.
The higher the threshold, the more lenient and broad the
tool’s e#ect is. For example, if you choose to select portions
of the image with a light blue color, and the threshold is low,
the program will be strict and select the same light blue por-
tions of the image. If the threshold is high, the program will
be lenient and select several shades of blue similar to the
one that you selected.
132
Tip: If you would like to add to your selected area, hold Shift and select another portion of
your image. If you would like to subtract part of you selection, hold Ctrl and select which
portion to leave out of the selection.
Tip: To unselect everything, press Ctrl + Shift+ A
Modifying Selections
After you have made a selection, you can modify it through the Select Menu at the top of
the Image Window. In the Select Menu, there are functions such as:
Feather: Blur the selection border so that it fades out smoothly.
Sharpen: The opposite of Feathering. This function removes the fuzziness of the selection
border.
Shrink: Contract/reduce the selection.
Grow: Expand/increase the selection size.
Border: Turn the selection into a border.
133
Results of the di#erent functions:
The border, shrink, grow, and feather func-
tion are all modified by a similar window:
Filling and Stroking a selection
To stroke a selection is to paint the selection border with the foreground color or a pattern.
You can stroke a selection by going to Edit>Stroke selection…

Stroked ellipse selections:
134
Choose your desired pattern in the pat-
tern tab at the bottom of the layers dialog
(leaf pattern).
Set the FG color to the color that you
want to stroke the selection with.
To fill the selection, use the bucket tool:


Gradient Tool
1. Use a selection tool to select a section of the image that you would like to apply the gra-
dient to.
2. Go to your fore/background colors and select your desired colors. The foreground color
will be the beginning color and the background color will be the ending color of the gradi-
ent.


135
3. Select the Gradient Tool and make your desired adjustments in the tool options:


4. Make a line across the selected region. The gradient will go in the direction of your line.
Also, the longer your line is, the smoother the gradient is. The shorter the line, the more
abrupt the change is.
Other examples:
136
=
An abrupt line results in:
Example of Spiral Gradient
Clone Tool and Heal Tool
These two tools are used the same way. The only di#erence is that the clone tool EX-
ACTLY copies the sampling point (the section that you want to clone). The heal tool, cop-
ies the sampling point while keeping the highlights and shadows of the places that you are
painting on.
First, select a sampling point by holding Ctrl and clicking on
the place that you would like to clone. You can change the
size of your sampling point by changing the brush size in the
tool options.
Next, just click on the area that you would like to clone the
sampling point. You can also click and drag the pointer
around to make a continuous clone.


137
Cloning pointer
Sampling Point
Transform Tools
For all transform tools, make sure you are working on the correct layer by checking the
Layers, Channels, Paths, and Undo History Dialog. Transform tools only a#ect the layer
that you are currently working on.
For the Scale Tool and Perspective Tool, first select the correct layer and then
click on the image. Drag the boxed corners of the gridded box to change the size or per-
spective of the layer (depending on the tool) or you can input a number into the Scale Dia-
log.



138
When you are done with the Scale or
Perspective Tool, press Enter on your
keyboard or “Scale” or “Transform” (de-
pending on the tool).
For the Crop Tool, make a rectangle around the part of the image that you want to
keep. The parts of the image that are not included in the bright rectangle will be cropped
out (discarded). Press Enter.

For the Rotate Tool and Shear Tool, click, hold, and drag any part of the image
until you are satisfied with the results or you can use the Rotate/Shear Dialog. Press Enter
when you are done.
For the Flip Tool, simply select whether you want to flip the image vertically or hori-
zontally and click on the image.
The Cage Tool is a complicated tool that requires patience.
139
1. Click on the Cage Tool and make a selection around the area that you would
like to distort. This selection is called the “Cage”.

140
2. Immediately after you finish making the cage, the tool will switch to the “Deform the
cage to deform the image”. In this mode, you need to move the anchors (the circles on the
corners of the cage) one by one. Every time you move an anchor, it may take a long time
for the program to transform the cage.


141
At the end of the cage transformation,
there will most likely be some obvious ab-
normalities with the background. You
might need to fix it with the clone/heal
tool.
Align Tool
To align items, the images need to be on separate layers.

Also, the layers need to be auto-cropped by selecting each layer individually and going to
Layer>Auto-crop Layer.

142
Next, select the align tool and click on the item that you would like to align the others rela-
tive to. This object is called the First Item. Then, hold Shift and select the objects that you
want to align to the First Item.

Note: This is just one of the most common uses of the Align
Tool. Each of the buttons does a di#erent action. Get used
to the various functions of the Align Tool.
143
Important Shortcuts
These shortcuts will make photo editing faster and more e#ective.
! Undo your previous actions: Ctrl + Z
! You can use this multiple times.
! To make a straight line with any paint tool:
First, use the tool anywhere on the image (this will be the starting point). Then, hold shift
and click any other point on the image. A straight line will appear.
! This shortcut can be used to speed up masking and painting in general.
! Quickly zoom in and out of your image by placing your cursor on the area that you would
like to zoom in/out of and Ctrl + Scrolling (up/down).
! Move the image around (so that you can center your working space) by holding Space
and moving your mouse.
Tip: You can add your own shortcuts by going to Edit>Preferences>Input Controllers
Next, select the action that you would like to use for the shortcut and choose what you
want that action to do. Select “OK” and close.
144

Quick Mask
Quick Masking allows you to make very fine selections. You can turn it on by pressing
Shift + Q or clicking the small button at the bottom left of the Image Window.

145
Select whether you would
like to add a shortcut that
uses the keyboard or the
Mouse wheel.
After turning on Quick
Mask, the image will look
light pink.
Change your FG and BG colors to Black and White and use
the Paintbrush Tool. Use white to paint the parts that you
want to be selected. Use black to fill in the parts that you
don’t want to be selected (erase mistakes).

When you are satisfied with the selection that you have painted
with white, press Shift + Q or click the quick mask button at the
bottom left corner again. This
should create the selection for you.


146
Change paintbrush size if needed.
Also, use a fuzzy brush if you would like a feathered/fuzzy
selection.
Masking
Masking allows you to bring something from another image into the current image that you
are working with. In order to mask, the two images must be on di#erent layers.
1. Go to File>Open as Layers… to open the second image as a layer.
2. Resize one of the layers using the Scale Tool so that the desired object is the
correct size and looks appropriate with the first image. Make sure the smaller layer is on
top of the bigger layer.

3. You will be
masking the image
that has unwanted
portions (in this case, the seal has strange back-
ground that does not match the lighthouse im-
age). Right click on the image with the unwanted
parts and click Add Layer Mask.

147
By Nanosanchez [1] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
4. Choose White (full opacity) and Add. The layer should now have a black box next to
the thumbnail. The layer mask thumbnail should now have a white box around it.


5. Click on the black box on that layer. Click on the Paintbrush Tool and set the FG and
BG colors back to black and white.
6. Use the black paint to erase the unwanted parts and the white paint to bring back the
erased portions of the image.


148
7. If you would like to move the object, you need to first select the image thumbnail
next to the black layer mask thumbnail. Then, you can use the Move Tool to move the im-
age (seal) around. The selected thumbnail will now have a white box around it.

8. Change the paintbrush size if necessary. Continue until you are satisfied with the re-
sults.
149
By Photographed by Adrian Pingstone (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Animations
There are two ways to make animations.
First method (automatically makes the frames for you).
1. Open up an image on GIMP.
2. Go to Filters>Animation and select a desired animation. Some of these include
the Rippling e#ect, Blend E#ect, and Waves E#ect.


3. After some processing, GIMP will auto-
matically open a new window with many
frames. You can view the created animation
by going to Filters>Animation>Playback…
and click “Play” to see the animation. If the
image is too big, you need to scale the im-
age through Image>Scale Image…
150
Second Method (make your own frames)
1. Create a new file. Draw any picture for the first frame with the Paintbrush Tool.
2. Create a New Layer by right clicking on the layer and selecting New Layer
(white). In the new layer, draw the next frame for the animation. Repeat this step until you
are satisfied with your drawing. The more layers, the smoother and longer your animation
will be.
3. The animation will start from the lowest layer and end with the topmost layer. Or-
ganize the layers so that they make sense in chronological order from bottom to top layer.
4. Rename all the files, starting from the bottom, Frame 1, Frame 2, Frame 3, and
so on. Also, at the end of the name, in parentheses, type the desired duration of each
frame in milliseconds.
1000 Milliseconds is 1 second.
5. To view your animation, go to Filters>Anima-
tion>Playback>Play.
151
Saving Animations
Note: Refer to the Saving and Exporting Section below for clarity.
If you are satisfied with your animation and would like to save it as a .gif:
1. Go to File>Export…
2. Name your file, choose the location where you will export the file, and select the
file type (.gif).
3. Check As Animation and Export.
152
Windows Menu
If you ever accidentally close your Layers, Channels, Paths, and Undo History Dialog or
your Toolbox Docks, go to Windows> Recently Closed Docks or Dockable Dialogs and
click on the dock that you would like to bring back.
Saving and Exporting
Saving
1. If you want to save your unfinished file, go to File> Save As…
2. Choose the folder where you want to save the file.
3. Name the file and press Save.
4. GIMP files save automatically as .xcf.



153
Exporting (as a .jpeg, .png, .bpm, etc.)
Note: If you would like to export as a .gif, refer to the Animations section in this manual.
First flatten your layers by right clicking any layer in the Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo His-
tory Dialog and selecting Flatten Image at the bottom of the menu.
Next, go to File> Export…
154
Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
In this unit, we will talk about ways to maintain your system.
155
3 SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
Unit 3 - System Maintenance
Chapter 9 - Control Panel and System Maintenance ....................... 156
Chapter 10 - File Formats and Size .................................................. 170
Chapter 11 - Advanced Computing .................................................. 176
Control Panel and
System Maintenance
9 SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
In this section, we will go over the functions of the control panel and methods on maintain-
ing your system.
“Maintenance is terri-
bly important.”
- Manolo Blahnik
156
Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The Control Panel
Introduction
The control panel is the center to change
and manage system settings. It is consid-
ered to be the mother center on your Win-
dows Operating System. In this chapter,
we will go over some basics and functions
of the control panel. First we will begin
with a list of basic functions, followed by
an in-depth explanation. Below is a list of
general categories of the control panel.
157
Image courtesy of Stoonn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
158
Category Description
System and Security
Access common system settings and security options. From
here you can access the Windows Action Center, Windows
Firewall, System Specifications, Windows Update, Power
Options, Backup and Restore Options, Administrative Tools,
and Windows Anytime Upgrade for Windows 7 Professional
and lower.
User Accounts and Family
Safety
Mange user accounts and credentials. From here you can
access User Account Settings, Parental Control Settings,
Windows CardSpace, and Credential Manager
Network and Internet
Manage network connections and settings. From here you can
access the Network and Sharing Center, HomeGroup Settings,
and Internet Options
Appearance and
Personalization
Personalize your system and manage display options. From
here you can access Personalization Settings, Display
Settings, Desktop Gadgets, Taskbar and Start Menu Settings,
Access the Ease of Access Center, Edit Folder Options, and
Change Font Settings
Hardware and Sound
Access Hardware based settings. From here you can access
Devices and Printers installed on the system, change AutoPlay
settings, Adjust Sound, Power Options, Adjust Display, and
Access the Windows Mobility Center
Clock, Language and Region
Adjust keyboard and input methods and change date/time
settings. From here you can access Date and Time settings,
and Region and Language settings
Programs
Manage the programs installed on your system. From here you
can access the Program and Features settings, set Default
Programs, and access Desktop Gadgets
Ease of Access
Setup settings for easier accessibility to the system. From here
you can access the Ease of Access Center and setup Speech
Recognition
Now that we have made a list of the gen-
eral categories that the control panel is
split into, we will go over each category
more in detail.
System and Security
In this section, you can access some of
the common system settings and security
options. Here is a chart summarizing the
specific details of the category.
159
Subcategory Function
Action Center
Allows you to review
messages from your
computer and resolve
problems
Windows Firewall
Change or set firewall
options to protect your
computer from outside
threats
System
View information about
your system such as
RAM, processor,
version of Windows
installed, and more
Windows Update
Updates your system
with the latest patches
(security or
enhancement) from
Microsoft
Power Options
Changes power option
on the system
Backup and Restore
Backup your computer
files
Administrative Tools
Change settings that
affect the entire
system. (Full System
Power) This feature is
more for advanced
users.
System and Security
User Accounts and Family
Safety
In this section, you can access user ac-
counts and manage credentials. Here is a
chart summarizing the specific details of
the category.
Network and Internet
In this section, you can manage network
connections and settings. Here is a chart
summarizing the specific details of the
category.
160
Subcategory Function
User Accounts
Manage your local
user account (or other
user accounts if you
have administrative
rights)
Parental Control
Set up Parental
Controls for Limited
accounts. (Beneficial
for Children)
Windows CardSpace
Manage information
cards use to log on to
online services. This
feature is not available
in Windows 8 or
higher.
Credential Manager
Stores credentials for
easier access to
websites or other
computers.
Subcategory Function
Network and Sharing
Center
Access the center to
connect to a network
and manage settings
on the network (not full
network access)
HomeGroup
HomeGroup is a
program that connects
Windows 7 and 8.1
computers to allow
systematic sharing.
Here you can adjust
HomeGroup settings
to create a group, edit
what files are shared,
and leave a specific
group.
Internet Options
Manage Internet
Explorer Settings
Appearance and Personaliza-
tion
In this section, you can manage your dis-
play settings and personalize your system.
Here is a chart explaining the details of the
category.
161
Subcategory Function
Personalization
Personalize your system
with options to change
your desktop background,
setup screen savers,
selecting the color of
Windows Explorer and
more.
Display
Changes your display
settings, make text and
other items larger or
smaller, and connect to a
projector or external
display.
Desktop Gadgets
Add gadgets to your
desktop. These gadgets
are similar to small
desktop programs. Aid in
not having to launch the
full program. This feature
is not available in
Windows 8 or above.
Taskbar and Start Menu
(or Taskbar and
Navigation for Windows 8
and newer)
Customize the taskbar
and start menu. Change
what elements are viewed
respectively.
Ease of Access Center
Allows you to interact with
your computer with
options such as on screen
keyboard, magnifier, and
speech recognition.
Folder Options
Change how folders are
viewed in Windows
Explorer (The Windows
File Manager)
Fonts
Change and manage fonts
installed on your system
Hardware and Sound
In this section, you can manage your hard-
ware based settings. Here is a chart ex-
plaining the details of the category.
162
Subcategory Function
Devices and Printers
Add, remove, or
change devices on
your system such as
printers, keyboard, or
mice.
AutoPlay
Change settings when
removable media in
inserted to the system
such as setting default
player when a DVD is
inserted
Sound Adjust sound options
Power Options
Change power options
to adjust for battery
performance
Display
Change your display
settings such as font,
screen resolution,
screensaver, and
external display
Windows Mobility
Center
Access common
settings for managing
a laptop device.
Clock, Language, and Region
In this section, you can adjust keyboard
and input methods and change date/time
settings. Here is a chart explaining the de-
tails of the category.
Subcategory Function
Date and Time
Change the data and
time settings. Some
options include
changing the time
zone and update time
and date from a time
server.
Region and Language
Change your location,
format of date and
time, and change your
language (such as the
keyboard format or
manage input
methods).
163
Ease of Access
In this section, you can change settings for
easier accessibility to the system. Here is a
chart explaining the details of the category.
Programs
In this section, you can manage the pro-
grams installed on your system. Here is a
chart explaining the details of the category.
Subcategory Function
Ease of Access Center
Allows you to interact
with your computer
with options such as
on screen keyboard,
magnifier, and speech
recognition.
Speech Recognition
Change speech
recognition settings
Subcategory Function
Programs and
Features
Uninstall programs on
the system or turn
Windows services on
or off.
Default Programs
Set default programs
for a certain file type.
Desktop Gadgets
Add gadgets to your
desktop. These
gadgets are similar to
small desktop
programs. Aid in not
having to launch the
full program. Not
available in Windows 8
or newer systems.
164
System Maintenance
Keeping your system maintained is impor-
tant for optimal performance. In this sec-
tion, we will go over methods on maintain-
ing your computer.
The Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is a place where files you
no longer want on your system goes. How-
ever, these files are not permanently de-
leted from the system. To delete these files
permanently from the system, you must go
to the recycle bin and empty it.
Disk Defragmentation
So you may be wondering what disk de-
fragmentation is. Your hard drive is a com-
ponent that uses magnetic strips to store
information relatively permanently. As you
save files onto it, space is used up. Some-
times, though, you delete those files, and
empty pockets of memory exist on your
165
Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
hard drive. When you save a big program
onto the hard drive, it fills up these empty
pockets but leaves the resulting program
“fragmented” because it is interrupted on
the hard disk physically. Your computer will
have to read the information on several dif-
ferent points on the hard disk instead of
just one continuous strip. “Defragmenting”
your hard drive means erasing content on
your hard drive and replacing it so that
every application is continuous and whole,
making for more e"ciency.
So how can I defragment my hard drive?
Windows has a default disk defragmenter,
but there are other programs, paid and
free, that can defragment your hard disk.
Some third party defragmenters are better
than the standard windows, but others
aren’t.
NOTE: The number one feature you need
in a disk defragmenter is safety because it
is a big job. Programs that do a poor job
can result in data loss, greater fragmenta-
tion, and even corrupt Windows system
files. For this reason, we warn you to be
very cautious when defragmenting your
hard drive and make sure to use a reliable
program. Also, if you have a solid state
drive, you DO NOT need to defragment
your hard drive.
The easiest method to defragment your
hard drive is to use the Windows Disk De-
fragment utility. You can access the pro-
gram through the start menu or by using
the run command and enter “dfrgui” (with-
out the quotes).
Disk Cleanup
What is disk cleanup? Cleaning your disk
means deleting all the temporary files and
useless data logs that your computer
stores up over time. It also deletes tempo-
rary internet cache files, freeing up room
on your hard drive.
So what program can you use to cleanup
the hard disk? Similar to defragmenting,
Windows provides a program called Disk
Cleanup. However, there is a better pro-
166
gram that cleans up more of your files,
CCleaner. It is a free program that is safe
and reliable. CCleaner deletes more tempo-
rary files that Disk Cleanup misses, so
you’ll have more space after using
CCleaner than Disk Cleaner.
To access the Disk Cleanup utility, you can
search for it in the start menu or by using
the run command and enter “cleanmgr”
(without the quote).
Other programs, such as CCleaner, pro-
vide a more comprehensive cleanup than
the default Windows tool. You have to
download and install CCleaner at
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
After installing the program, simply run it
and select which types of files you want to
delete like Disk Cleanup.
Windows Update
Windows Update keeps your computer up
with the latest virus information to keep
your computer as protected as possible. It
is recommended that you update your
computer regularly.
So how can I keep my computer up to
date? Usually, your computer will ask you
to update Windows when shutting down. It
will automatically install updates.
167
You can also install updates manually or
change update schedules by going to the
control panel. You can go to Control Panel
> System and Security > Windows Update
to access Windows Update. Once you are
in the panel, you can check and change up-
date settings or install updates immedi-
ately.
Backing Up Data
Data backups are important. In the event
your system crashes or becomes infected
with a virus and your data becomes irrecov-
erable, you want a method to retrieve
those files. It is highly recommended that
you backup your data at least once a
week. Most backup drives come with a
backup utility that you can use or you can
use the utility built into Windows.
The Windows Backup Utility can be found
in the Control Panel > System and Security
> Backup and Restore. You will need to
first setup a backup drive to backup with
the Windows Backup Utility. The Backup
Utility will backup EVERYTHING, such as
application data, program files, etc. We
want to backup your own personal files so
your drive does not get filled up with use-
less files. It is important to select the files
in your Documents folder or the “User-
name” Folder. This goes the same for
backup utilities in backup drives.
168
What about the time when you need to restore files?
For Windows Backup Utility
Well you can select the “Restore my files” and select the files backed up on the backup
drive.
For Backup Systems
Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
169
File Formats and
Size
10 SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
In this section, we will go over the the basic concepts of file formats and what programs
use these file formats to distinguish themselves.
“We have persistent ob-
jects, they're called
files.” - Ken Thompson
170
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
File Formats
Introduction
File formats is a very important concept.
All files on your computer are saved in a
specific format that only a specific applica-
tion(s) can open. In this chapter, we will go
over some basic concepts of file formats.
First, we will begin with how the computer
recognizes these file format types. The
computer recognizes the formats through
the registry. The registry is a string of val-
ues that tells the computer how to oper-
ate. Each program creates a registry value
that tells the system which file formats that
a specific program opens. Is there a way
to change these values? Yes, and no. Modi-
fying these values can damage your sys-
tem, but there is another way to change
the values. If you have another program in-
stalled that can view the same file format,
you can have Windows use that program
to open that file type as the default in the
Default Manager. (Yes, multiple programs
can open the same file formats, depend-
171
Adobe product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
ing). To get a better understanding of this
concept, let’s look at an example. Joe has
an audio file (.wav) that he wants to play
on his system. He has VLC media player
installed and VLC can view a wide variety
of formats. So, when he opens the file,
VLC Media Player opens and starts play-
ing the file.
Sometimes you may have more than one
program installed on your system that can
open the same file type. You do not want
to keep switching the default program in
the Control Panel. You can right click on
the file and select the “Open with...” option
in the menu to open a program that can
open the file type. Let’s look at an example
for a better understanding.
Joe wants to view a Microsoft Word Docu-
ment. He enjoys the features in Microsoft
Word but also enjoys the features in
OpenO"ce that Microsoft Word does not
have. Microsoft Word documents have a
file format of .doc or .docx. The system
has set Microsoft O"ce as the default pro-
gram that opens these formats. So, how
does Joe switch between the programs?
He can right click the file and select “Open
with...” in the menu. Joe does not have to
keep changing the default in the Default
Programs panel in the Control Panel.
To summarize, each file on your computer
has a specific format that its saved in.
Each program can open a specific set of
files.
172
File Types List
Here is a list of formats:
! 7z - 7-Zip Compressed File
! BAT - Batch File
! BIN - compressed Archive
! ZIP - Popular Compression format
! ISO - The generic file format for most op-
tical media, including CD-ROM, DVD-
ROM, Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD
! MPEG - 1 is found in a .DAT file on a
video CD.
! DOC - Microsoft Word Document
! DOCX - O"ce Open XML Document
! DOT - Microsoft Word document tem-
plate
! TXT - ASCII nebo Unicode plaintext Text
file
! DOTX - O"ce Open XML text document
template
! HTML - HyperText Markup Language
! ODT - OpenDocument text document
! OTT - OpenDocument text document
template
! BMP - Microsoft Windows Bitmap format-
ted image.
173
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
! GIF - CompuServe’s Graphics Inter-
change Format
! JPEG, JFIF (.jpg or .jpeg) - Joint Photo-
graphic Experts Group
! ODF - OpenDocument Math Formula
! PDF - Portable Document Format
! ODP - OpenDocument Presentation
! PPT - Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
! POT - Microsoft PowerPoint Template
! PPS - Microsoft PowerPoint Show
! PTTX - O"ce Open XML Presentation
! WAV - Microsoft Wave
! MP3 - MPEG Layer 3
! WMA - Windows Media Audio (.WMA)
! ODS - OpenDocument spreadsheet
! TXT - Tab Delimited Colmns
! AVI - Container
! WMV - Windows Media Video
! EXE - Windows executable
174
File Sizes
Introduction
Each file stored on your system has a spe-
cific size. Some files are incredibly small
and some are extremely large. The small
size is a byte and the largest file size in ex-
istence is a yottabyte. Every size is equal
to 1024. Here is a chart showing the file
size conversions. A common user usually
won’t exceed more than 5 terabytes (TB).
175
Input Conversion
1024 Bytes 1 Kilobyte
1024 Kilobytes 1 Megabyte
1024 Megabytes 1 Gigabyte
1024 Gigabytes 1 Terabyte
1024 Terabytes 1 Petabyte
Image courtesy of renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Advanced
Computing
11 SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
In this chapter, we will go over some for some advanced computer features.
“As humanity goes online, it's be-
coming an extremely advanced,
large-scale processing unit.” -
Luis von Ahn
176
Image courtesy of Feelart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
BIOS
The BIOS’ main function is to load the com-
puter’s operating system. After you press
the power button on your computer, the
computer/processor needs to retrieve oper-
ating system information from the hard
drive somehow. Since the operating sys-
tem is not accessible by the processor di-
rectly, the BIOS is basically the middle
man between the operating system and
the processor.  It provides instructions for
the processor on how to access the operat-
ing system.
The BIOS also tests to make sure other
parts of the system are functioning nor-
mally. It turns on other separate BIOS
chips in the computer, such as those in
graphics cards. The BIOS allows for the op-
erating system to basically connect to the
di#erent hardware parts of the computer
and it stores some settings for the com-
puter.
177
By krgn (Own work (my camera)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Installing Your Own Operating System
Introduction
Most of the time, manufacturers already in-
clude the operating system with your com-
puter, but sometimes you might want to up-
grade your current operating system.
Installing Windows Within Win-
dows
An upgrade means that you already have
an older operating system on your com-
puter and that you are replacing your old
operating system (i.e. Windows XP) with a
newer operating system (i.e. Windows 7 or
8). A clean install means that you are install-
ing an operating system for the first time
on your computer. Now when you hear
about 32-bit and 64-bit versions, here is
what that means. These all refer to the way
a computer handles information. 32-bit is a
standard, but 64-bit can process informa-
tion much more e#ectively than a 32-bit
system could.
178
Upgrading From an Older Version of Win-
dows
We will be upgrading to Windows 7 as an
example here; the upgrading process
should be very similar for Windows 8.
1. Click “Custom” during the Windows 7
installation.
1.1. Note: all files, programs, and set-
tings will be reset to default.
1.2. Move files out to external hard
drive before commencing with up-
grade.
1.3. All programs will need to be rein-
stalled after the upgrade.
2. Choose between the 32-bit version and
the 64-bit version. (To check your com-
puter’s version: click “Start,” right click
on “My Computer,” and click “Proper-
ties.”
3. Make sure your computer devices are
compatible with Windows 7. Download
and install Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.
Run the program and follow the on-
screen instructions.
4. Download and run Windows Easy Trans-
fer so that you can move your files to
prevent them from being wiped when
you install Windows 7.
5. When installing, choose “Custom” op-
tion.
6. Click Install Now
7. Accept Terms and Click Custom
8. Click the drive that has Windows XP in-
stalled (Usually C: Drive) and click next.
9. Finish the remainder of the instructions
that comes on screen.
10.Use the Windows Easy Transfer to trans-
fer your files.
11.Reinstall Programs and Update.
Clean Installation
Installing Windows 7 on a computer that
does not already have an operating sys-
tem.
1. Insert the installation disc when your
computer is on, then turn it o#.
2. Turn your computer back on and follow
onscreen directions.
3. Enter language when prompted to and
hit “Next.”
179
4. Accept terms.
5. Choose Custom Installation
6. Choose Unallocated Space if there are no partitions.
7. Finish the installation by following directions on screen.
Certificate of Authenticity and Product Keys
What is a Certificate of Authenticity (CoA)? A CoA is a label that is included with a Win-
dows PC that you purchase. This is proof that the Operating System included in your com-
puter is legitimate and you own the legal rights to use it. The CoA attached to your com-
puter also has your product key. In the case that you need to reinstall Windows, you may
need the CoA to prove your license upon installation. It is important that you keep the la-
bel as clean as possible and not disclose it to anyone. &
&
Please Note: Windows 8 Computers do not have CoA labels anymore as the product key
is embedded in the BIOS.
A product key is a key that is used to activate software. This is important when installing
software such as Windows or Microsoft O"ce. It is important that you do not lose your
product key and keep the key as neat and readable as possible!
180
Registry Editor
The Registry Editor, or Windows Registry,
stores operating system settings and op-
tions. Contained within it are the low level
settings for the operating system and for
certain programs that use the registry.
To access the Editor:
1. Click Start.
2. Type “regedit” in the search box,
press Enter and that will open the Registry
Editor.
3. Changes can now be made.
181
Hard Drive Partitioning
Partitioning the hard drive means to split
up one hard drive into several virtual parts
so di#erent systems can be saved onto
each individual part. Enough space is
needed on the hard drive to make the parti-
tioning possible.
How to create a partition in your hard
drive (Windows 7):
1. Click Start, then Control Panel
and then System and Security.
2. Click Administrative Tools and
choose Computer Management.
3. Click Disk Management.
182
4. Pick an available region on your hard drive, click New Simple Volume and hit
Next.
5. Enter in the amount of space (in megabytes) that you want designated to your
new partition.
6. Enter a drive letter.
7. You will see a dialog box titled “Format Partition”
a. Click Do not format this volume if you don’t want to format the partition.
b. Click Next if you want the default formatting settings.
183
Administrative Tools
Introduction
Administrative Tools can be found in the Control Panel. This folder contains many useful
tools that administrators and more advanced users will find helpful. We have summarized
the functions of the tools in a chart.
184
To access the Administrative Tools in:
Windows 7:
1. Click Start button.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Search for Administrative Tools
and click on it.
Windows Vista:
1. Click Start button.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Click System and Maintenance.
4. Click on Administrative Tools
185
Function Description
Component Services
Allows user to edit Component Object Model
components. Usually utilized by developers
and admins.
Computer Management
Allows user to use one tool to manage remote
computers and check system events, configure
hard drives, and check system performance.
Data Sources (ODBC) Allows user to move data between databases.
Event Viewer
Allows user to look at computer events such as
the starting and ending of programs or security
errors.
iSCSI Initiator
Allows user to edit connections and settings
between storage devices on networks.
Local Security Policy
Allows user to change security settings for
Group Policy.
Performance Monitor
Allows user to look at system information about
the CPU, network, hard drive and memory.
Print Management Controls printers and printer servers.
Services
Organizes background services on your
computer.
System Configuration
Spots problems that block Windows from
normal operation.
Task Scheduler Plans programs to run on their own.
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
Allows user to edit firewall settings on computer
and remote computer.
Windows Memory Diagnostic
Checks computer memory for the user to make
sure it is running normally.
Windows PowerShell Modules
Modules are similar to small applications that
can be managed using Windows PowerShell.
186
In this unit, we will talk about various types of system hardware.
Unit 4 - System Hardware
Chapter 12 - Computer Specifications ............................................. 188
Chapter 13 - Peripherals ................................................................... 194
Chapter 14 - Networking .................................................................. 201
187
4 SYSTEM HARDWARE
Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Computer
Specifications
12 SYSTEM HARDWARE
In this chapter, we will go over some basic concepts of computer specifications and what
types of specifications are best per user by price.
“A commercial society whose members
are essentially ascetic and indifferent in
social ritual has to be provided with blue-
prints and specifications for evoking the
right tone for every occasion.” - Marshall
McLuhan
188
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Understanding Specifications
Introduction
Computer specifications, or specs, are
properties of a computer’s parts that de-
fine how fast it can run. There are a few ba-
sic specs you should know before going
out to buy a new computer.
Processor
A computer processor, also known as the
Central Processing Unit (CPU), carries out
all the instructions sent to the computer.
The CPU is the brain of the computer.
Common processor specs look like this:
2.16GHz Intel Pentium N3520
! The major processor brands are
Intel and AMD. These days, Intel’s Pentium
is a rather low-end processor. Intel makes
Core 2 Duo and i-series processors (i3, i5,
i7) and AMD makes A-Series, FX, and Op-
teron. Sometimes, you’ll see that proces-
189
Image courtesy of Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
sors have multiple cores. A dual core can
do two processes at once.
! Clocking refers to how many in-
structions the CPU can process in one sec-
ond. 2.16GHz means it can process about
2,160,000,000 instructions in a second.
The higher the clock speed, as it is called,
the faster the computer can process in-
structions. If you’re just going to browse
the Internet and send some e-mails, 1GHz
is enough.
! Processing power depends both
on the series and clock speed. If you have
a choice between an i3 and i5 with the i3
having a little higher clock speed, choose
the i5.
RAM
Random Access Memory (RAM) is similar
to a big white board on your computer. It is
the space your machine uses to quickly
process things instead of accessing infor-
mation on the hard drive and working on it,
then putting it back. There are so many dif-
ferent types of RAM such as DDR, DDR2,
DDR3, DDR3 1333, SDRAM….etc. The
main thing you need to know is that the
more space you have, the more your com-
puter can process at once. If you’re just go-
ing to surf the web and type up word docu-
ments, 2GB is plenty.
Common RAM specs look like this: 8GB
DDR3
Hard Drive (Storage)
Your hard drive stores all the long-term in-
formation in your computer. The more
space you have, the more you can store.
500GB is more than enough for a typical
user.
Spindle speed, or rotations per minute
(RPM), refers to how fast the computer can
retrieve data from your hard disk. The
higher your RPM, the faster the computer
190
Image courtesy of posterize / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Sorapop / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
can get the data. Higher RPM also means more heat produced.
Common hard drive specs look like this: 500GB 5400RPM hard drive
Operating System
The operating system (OS) is the software that controls everything in a computer. Com-
mon operating systems are Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. Windows 7 is
popular these days, but Windows 8 is on the rise. As of now, it does not really matter
whether you choose Windows 7 or Windows 8.
191
Specifications By Type of User
The Standard User
If you are getting a computer just to send a
couple of emails or watch some videos,
you will probably be part of this group.
Here are the specs you can have that will
let you get by without experiencing major
di"culties.
Operating System: Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core i3 3.30GHz
RAM: 2.00GB
Hard Drive: 250GB 5400RPM
192
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Commons
The Power User
If you are one of those people who like video editing or gaming, you’ll need better specs
on your computer.
Operating System: Windows 7 or 8
Processor: i7 3GHz
RAM: 8+GB
Hard Drive: 750GB 7200RPM
193
Peripherals
13 SYSTEM HARDWARE
In this chapter, we will go over some basic concepts of what are peripherals and what are
drivers.
“People who are really serious
about software should make
their own hardware.” - Alan Kay
194
Image courtesy of dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Understanding Peripherals
Peripherals are the physical hardware that you attach to your system. Peripherals are not
required for your computer to function, but they make your computer easier to use or able
to have more capabilities. In order for the peripheral to properly interact with your system,
it needs to install a driver for it to function, we will go over this in the next section. Any
kind of hardware such as USB keyboards, USB Mouse, Cameras, SD Cards, and more are
all peripherals. Most peripherals use the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port to interact with
your operating system (with the exception of the SD card where it interacts with the SD
Card slot, if applicable). We will cover more information about installing the proper drivers
for the peripherals.
195
Image courtesy of debspoons / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Here we have included some common peripherals and their functions.
DVD/CD/Blu-Ray Drive
The DVD-ROM Drive is an internal drive
on your system that reads content from
DVD or CDs. CD s or Compact Disks
are disks that can store data from your
computer. These disks (CDs) can only
store typically 700 MB of data but DVDs
or Digital Versatile Disk can store more
data. These disks (DVDs) can store up
to 4.7 GB of data. If you ever want to
store more than 4.7 GB of data on a
disk then you can use a Blu-Ray disk. These disks can store up to anywhere from 25 GB
to 128 GB depending on the disc. These disks are another form of transporting data and
you must have a Blu-Ray drive, which can also read CDs and DVDs.
USB or Universal Serial Bus
A Universal Serial Bus is a port on your computer than can be used to
connect external devices such as Flash Drives, cameras, phones, and
more. These ports can read and transfer data from your computer to
your device as long as your device can support data transfers to your
computer and has the appropriate connections.
Secure Digital Cards
Secure Digital Cards are another form of removable media or devices that
can be removed from the computer, safely. These devices are mainly con-
nect to the computer externally. Secure Digital Cards are a small, thin cards
that slide into the computer's SD card slot. These slots perform the same
functions as a regular USB flash drive. These cards are mainly used in
196
Image courtesy of Supertrooper / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of artur84 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Cameras or phones. They are known for their small form factor and there is not many di#er-
ences to the USB.
Printers
Printers are devices that can be used to “write” information from
the computer to a physical item, such as paper, envelopes, station-
ery, and more. Configuring these printers vary by manufacturer.
Keyboards
Keyboards are devices that are used to type or input information
to the system. Keyboards are either built in (for laptops or all-in-
ones), wireless, bluetooth, or USB connected.  
Mouse
The mouse allows the user to navigate through the systems interfaces.
Mouses are either built-in (Trackpad for laptops), touch screen, wire-
less, bluetooth, or USB connected.
Monitor
A Monitor is a piece of hardware that allows the user to see the
graphic user interface. Each monitor has a certain resolution that
the interface can be displayed at optimally. A resolution is the
amount of detail that the monitor can display. The higher the
resolution, the better. In addition, the screen ratios are important
because they outline the proportion of the resolution to the moni-
tor's width to its height. Monitors come in a variety of options.
They are connected either through VGA (Video Graphics Array), DVI
(Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). This depends on
what ports your computer has. Most laptops will either have a VGA or/and HDMI connec-
tion, while desktops can have either or all three connections.
197
Image courtesy of hywards / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Keerati / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
External Hard Drives
External hard drives provide more space for you to store
files on your computer. You can also connect an external
hard drive to multiple computers on a network to provide a common
shared driver.
Image courtesy of winnod / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
198
Drivers
Introduction
In this section, we will be covering the in-
stallation of peripherals. Peripherals re-
quire a driver, or files that tells the operat-
ing system how to interact with the hard-
ware properly. These drivers are either in-
stalled automatically when the peripheral
hardware is plugged into the USB port or
require an additional installation. Hardware
that can be installed just by plugging in the
hardware is common in keyboard and
mice hardware. Other types of peripherals
such as cameras, printers, and smart-
phones require an additional driver from
the hardware manufacturer to be installed
on the system. You will need to refer to
your manufacturers instructions for install-
ing this software.
Device Manager
Drivers can be easily managed in Windows
with the Device Manager. From the device
199
manager, you can update drivers for hardware attached on your system and the hardware
as the system. In addition, you can uninstall drivers or install drivers manually. Usually to
fix a driver problem, you must use the device manager to install the correct driver for the
peripheral malfunctioning.
200
Networking
14 SYSTEM HARDWARE
In this chapter, we will go over what is a router, creating a network, and Windows Home-
Group.
“Networking is an essential
part of building wealth.” -
Armstrong Williams
201
Image courtesy of Chris Sharp / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Routers
Introduction
Routers are important when connecting to
the network. In this section, we will dis-
cuss some of the concepts of routers and
router security.
Routers Connect the Network
together
Routers “route” or direct data throughout a
network so that the correct devices receive
the correct information. Today’s home rout-
ers are actually “all-in-ones” that include a
firewall and wireless access point in the
package.
202
By Encryptedruler (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Di#erence Between Rout-
ers and Modems
Routers are used in a network to connect
multiple devices in a manner that devices
are independent of each other. Modems
are devices provided by the Internet Serv-
ice Provider to handle information. Mo-
dems do not necessarily route information
like a router, although most ISP’s provide
an integrated router/modem.
LAN vs. WAN
LAN stands for Local Area network. LAN’s
cover small areas such as one house, a
school, or a single shopping complex.
LAN’s are connected to each other by the
internet The internet as a whole is defined
as a WAN, or Wide Area Network. WAN’s
cover large expanses of land and are typi-
cally run by a large organization such as
the government. Many LAN’s connected
together through the internet create a
WAN.
Firewall
There are two types of firewalls, software
and hardware, although they share the
same purpose and work in a similar fash-
ion.
Hardware routers are large and expensive,
they are usually utilized by businesses to
filter out spam and unwanted network us-
ers.
Software Routers are used to filter out vi-
ruses and other malware from infecting a
computer. The more advanced ones can
also set certain credentials to certain areas
of a computer so that a computer does not
have everything open to access from every-
one.
Servers
Servers are devices that host large
amounts of information in a centralized lo-
cation that can allow access to people con-
nected to it.
Servers handle large computing work
within a network (IE: in a large business
building, a print server will handle all o"-
cial printer work and assign the proper
print jobs to the proper printers).
203
Creating a Network and Keeping it Secure
Introduction to Networks
Networks are self contained connections
between devices. Networks are based on
one central routing device called the
router. The router directs all the information
within the network to the correct locations.
Creating a Network
Creating a network is as simple as having
an ISP (Internet Service Provider) and a
home router that controls the flow of data.
The router will need to have a connection
to a modem (usually provided by the ISP).
After plugging in the router to the modem:
For Wired Connection:
Plug in an Ethernet cable (CAT 5 cable) to
the ethernet port on the back or side of a
computer and plug the other end to an
internet port (routers usually have four inter-
net ports and one input port, they are
marked.
204
Image courtesy of jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
For Wireless Connections*:
1. Turn on the device that is to be con-
nected to the internet
2. In the Wifi symbol on the taskbar, there
is a list of available connections
3. Find the router that has just been con-
nected.
4. Click connect, if there is a preset pass-
word, it will be written on either the instruc-
tions or on the router itself.
*Not all desktop computers have wireless
connection capability
Lastly, add devices as necessary to the
router in the same fashion.
How to Keep a Network Safe
and Secure.
The First and most powerful way of keep-
ing a network secure is to implement a
powerful password. Powerful passwords
are typically very long (10+ characters) and
have a combination of both upper and low-
ercase letters, numbers, and symbols (if
your router password can allow symbols).
Even with a password with the above crite-
ria, it also needs to not be obvious and
needs to have significance to you so that it
would be easy for you to memorize and dif-
ficult for others to remember.
Use antivirus software (will be covered in
detail in the antivirus sections). Avoid mali-
cious Websites and other non reputable
sources
205
Windows HomeGroup and Other Security
Tools
Windows HomeGroup
Windows HomeGroup is basically a cloud
service within a network (for Windows 7
and beyond) and allows di#erent devices
to share data through “Libraries”
Usernames and Passwords
Usernames and Passwords are network
credentials that help to screen unwanted
users from the network and to allow ac-
cess to only the desired clients.
206
About Us
Computer Literacy Initiative is a non-profit corporation whose goal is to improve the com-
puter literacy of the general public. We are a group of individuals who want to close the
technology gap between the generations by helping everyone who wants to learn more
about computers get up to speed. We hope this book helped you learn a little bit more
about technology.
ccvii
Albert Chai
Albert grew an interest in computers ever since he was at a
young age. He learned most of his computer knowledge
through exploration of di#erent types of computer features.
Albert has helped several people learn more about their com-
puters prior to the Computer Literacy Initiative. He also en-
joys watching television and reading tech related articles. Al-
bert hopes to increase the computer literacy of the general
public on a larger scale.
Andrew Lee
Andrew's interest in computers and technology sparked at a
young age in the form of computer games. Since then, he has
been learning more about computers with a passion. Andrew
also enjoys mathematics and running. He occasionally partici-
pates in math competitions and races. Andrew hopes to be
able to connect with the public and teach how computers can
be used to benefit their everyday lives.
Joe Li
Joe enjoys spending time with his friends and family but he
also takes pleasure in knowing that the work that he does will
benefit others and that he has made an impact on people's
lives. In his spare time, he likes to read novels, surf the Inter-
net and talk to his friends. He also likes to visit national parks,
go hiking with his family, and just enjoy and appreciate nature.
Joe wants to help others and interact with more people. 
Meet the Writers
ccviii
Albert Chai
Andrew Lee
Joe Li
Ricci Lam
Hillary Fan
Ricci Lam
Ricci has a broad interest in many technological fields, but
has become a hardware specialist through his love of com-
puter games and the desire for ever-increasing performance
standards. He has acquired much knowledge of computers
though various Technology courses and through his experi-
ences doing computer repair for people around him. Aside
from computers, he holds a huge passion for astronomy and
space exploration. He feels that the knowledge of computers
should not be limited to a few people and that it is essential
knowledge that should be accessible to all.
Hillary Fan
At a young age, Hillary was amazed by the e"ciency and prac-
ticality of computers. Her interest in computers was further in-
stigated by her hobby of video and photo editing. Some of her
favorite pastimes are playing video games, watching anime,
and browsing the internet. She also enjoys going outdoors
and spending time with her friends. With this program, she
hopes to improve the public’s general knowledge of the com-
puter that is such an essential part of today’s life.
Meet the Writers
ccix
Albert Chai
Andrew Lee
Joe Li
Ricci Lam
Hillary Fan
Book Reviewers
We would like to thank the following people who helped to review the guide:
ccx
Thomas Miller Sean Yang
Brian Deng Timothy Yeung
Seong Kwon Kim Jiaqi Fu
Corey Chow Carlos Aguilar
Henry Ao
Computer Literacy Initiative
The Guide to Master Your PC
First Edition