BASIC OPERATIONS
POSTURE: is the correct way of sitting when working with the
computer.
Make sure that you are 18 inches away from the monitor
Make sure that your elbow is below the keyboard
The legs should form an angle of 90 degrees
Your back must be resting on an adjustable chair.
The centre of your body should be opposite the j key.
Your head must be upright.
COMPUTERS AND PERIPHERALS
Powering up and powering down.
You switch a computer on by pressing the power button. When
switched on, the computer automatically loads the operating
system.
The process of starting a computer is called the booting or boot
process.
When a computer is off and you switch it on, this is referred to as a
cold boot
When you restart a computer while the computer is on, this is
referred to as a warm boot or a hot boot.
Powering down a computer
Click on the start button
Click on the shutdown button.
SECURITY AND SAFETY
HARDWARE THEFT
Hardware theft refers to stealing computers and computer devices.
CONSEQUENCES OF HARDWARE THEFT.
Loss of information:
Inconvenience
Cost
Software theft:
Information theft:
Identify theft
USER INTERFACE
A user interface is a system by which people interact with a
machine. The user interface includes hardware physical and software
logical components.
COMMAND LINE INTERFACE
This means that the user has to communicate with the computer
using typed words.
MENU DRIVEN INTERFACE: a way by which a user can interact with a
computer. The user can interact with a computer by choosing
command and available options from a menu using a keyboard or a
mouse.
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
This uses images as well as words to prompt user choice. Many
graphical user interfaces are designed as WIMP interface. WIMP is an
acronym, with the letters standing for windows icons, mouse or
menu and pointer.
WISYWIG – What You See Is What You Get
COMPUTER VIRUSES
DEFINITIONS.
Computer virus refers to a program which damages computer
systems and destroys or erases data files.
A virus is a program that disturbs the way the computer is supposed
to be running.
Malware is the name given to any software that could harm a
computer system.
Malware is short for malicious software.
TYPES OF COMPUTER VIRUS
TIME BOMB.
A time bomb is a virus program that performs an activity on a
particular date. Bombs hide in usual files and do not duplicate
themselves.
LOGICAL BOMB
A logical bomb is a destructive program that performs an activity
when a certain action has occurred.
WORM VIRUS
A worm is also a destructive program that fills a computer system
with self-replicating information, clogging the system so that its
operations are slowed down or stopped. Worms do not need to
attach themselves to other programs. entire network. It is important
to avoid foreign diskettes being used on your computer.
TROJAN HORSE
Trojan horse is a destructive program. It usually pretends as
computer games or application software. A Trojan horse will hide or
disguise itself as something else. It could disguise itself as part of a
game or graphics demonstration program.
EFFECTS OF VIRUSES
Delete vital files
Windows crashes
System operation slows down noticeably
Hard disk controller failure
Hard disk stops booting and files are corrupted.
Displaying irritating messages to deleting all the files on your
computer.
SOURCES OF VIRUSES
Using other people’s infected floppy disks
Copying illegal software
Starting the computer with infected floppy disks in the drives.
Opening electronic mail messages or attachments which have been
infected.
Down- loading infected software from the internet.
Exchanging flask disks
HOW CAN ONE PREVENT COMPUTER VIRUS INFECTION?
Do not use other people’s diskettes unless you first check for
viruses.
Do not illegally copy software and uses it with your machine
Beware of internet downloads, some of them may have a virus.
Ensure that there is no floppy disk in the drives when you boot up
the computer.
Avoid opening Spam electronic mail messages Install anti- virus
software, and keep it up to date.
Install security updates for your operating system and programs as
soon as possible.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF ICT
If we use a computer for many hours (as people often do at work),
there are some health issues that might affect us...
(1). Eye-Strain
One health issue that can occur after using computers for a long
time is eye-strain (tiredness of the eyes). This is caused by looking at
a monitor which is a constant distance away. The muscles that focus
your eyes do not move, and so get tired and painful. Eye-strain can
also cause headaches.
This problem can be solved:
Look away from the monitor at regular intervals – re-focus on distant
or close objects to exercise the muscles in the eye.
Take regular breaks.
Use an anti-glare filter in front of the monitor to cut down on screen
reflections that can also tire the eyes.
(2). Back and Neck Ache
Many people suffer from back and neck pain after working at a
computer for a long time. This is usually due to them having a bad
sitting posture.
This problem can be solved:
Use an adjustable, ergonomic chair, and take the time to set it up
properly.
The computer keyboard and monitor should be at the correct height
for the seated person (keyboard lower than the elbow, top of monitor
at eye level).
Take regular breaks: get up, walk around, stretch your muscles
Bad Posture
Good Posture
The science of how we interact with the objects around us is called
ergonomics.
An ergonomic chair is one that fits the body well, giving support to
areas such as the lower back (lumbar region)
(3). Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) in Wrists and Hands
Any repetitive movement (same movement over and over again) can
result in a health problem called Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
In particular, typing and using a mouse for long periods are common
causes of RSI in the wrist (it is often called carpal-tunnel syndrome).
This problem can be solved:
Use a wrist-rest to support the wrists while typing and when using
the mouse.
Take regular breaks from typing or using the mouse.
A rest wrist
SAFETY ISSUES WITH ICT
You wouldn't imagine that using computers could be dangerous, but
there are a few situations that can result in accidents...
(1). Trailing Cables
Computer equipment is often connected to lots of cables: power,
network, etc. If these cables are lying on the floor, they can cause
people to trip over them.
Solution: Place cables inside cable ducts, or under the carpet /
flooring
(2). Spilt Drinks or Food
If any liquids are spilt on electrical equipment, such as a computer, it
can result in damage to the equipment, or an electric shock to the
user.
Solution: Keep drinks and food away from computers, at school, do
not enter the computer lab with food stuffs or drinks.
(3). Overloaded Power Sockets
Plugging too many power cables into a socket can result in the
socket being overloaded, overheating, and a fire starting.
Solution: Never plug too many cables into a socket. Always make
sure there are fire extinguishers nearby
(4). Heavy Objects Falling
Many items of computer equipment are very heavy: CRT monitors,
laser printers, etc. Heavy items can cause serious injury if they fall
on people.
Solution: Make sure equipment is placed on strong tables / shelves.
UNRESPONSIVE COMPUTERS
A computer is said to be unresponsive ( i.e. not responding) when
one of the following happens;
When it freezes or stops loading during the booting process.
When it freezes or stops during the process of shutting down.
When it freezes or hangs during a process.
The process of starting a computer is called Booting
A cold boot is when you switch on a computer that was off
A warm boot is when you restart a computer that is already on.
THE BOOTING PROCESS.
During the booting process, the following, take place inside the CPU.
First, the CPU performs a BIOS test to make sure that all computer
hardware is correctly connected and functioning well. The BIOS tests
also check the system clock, adapter cards and RAM chips. These
tests are called POST (Power On Self – Test). Once the POST is
successfully, the BIOS test checks the operating system files.
Depending on the setup, the operating system files may be located
on the hard disk. Alternatively, the files may be on a CD, DVD or a
peripheral device like a USB.
SECURITY AND VIRUSES
Usernames and passwords
Security issues associated with ICT use
It’s irresponsible to set up a computer without regard to security.
Authentication; a process by which you verify that someone is who
they claim they are.
Identification verifies that an individual is a valid user.
Authentication verifies that the user is the person he or she claims to
be.
Logon is the process of entering a username and a password to gain
access to a computer.
Logoff is the process of disconnecting a user from the computer or
network.
A user account is set up for each user, which allows him or her to log
on to a computer or network.
The user account consists of a username (user ID) and password.
A username is a series of characters that uniquely identifies a
specific user.
Every user has a username.
Password: a secret combination of letters and numbers that you
enter on a computer to access the system.
A password is a combination of characters that is linked to the user
name and is used to control access to a resource.
When compiling a password, users need to ensure that the password
is a minimum of eight characters, consists of a good mix of
characters (alphabetical letters, numbers and symbols), uses
uppercase and lowercase, and is not a birthdate, family name or
anything else that is easy to guess.
Passwords must be kept secret, and must be changed on a regular
basis.
SAFETY PROCEDURES
Antivirus software
A computer virus is a computer program specially created to cause
harm on a computer system.
Against other harmful or malicious software, also known as malware.
COPYRIGHT
Software product ID numbers
Licensed software and authenticity.
A license agreement is a contract between the manufacturer and the
user one the right to use the software.
Certificate of authenticity: this is a document, card or sticker label
included with a software program that proves the customer
purchased it legally.
OPEN- SOURCE VS PROPRIETY SOFTWARE
Proprietary software these are software that can be bought from
computer stores or downloaded from websites at a fee
Open source software is usually downloaded from the internet.
Freeware, shareware and end – user licenses
Freeware software software that is offered by the software copyright
owner at no cost.
Freeware: software that is free to use
Shareware is copyright software that is distributed free for a trial
period. Once trail period has expired, the user must send payment to
the software developer to continue using it.
