ECDL NOTES Computer Essentials Define the term Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Transcription

1 Computer Essentials

2 Computer Essentials 1. Computers and Devices 1.1 ICT Define the term Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums. In the past few decades, information and communication technologies have provided society with a vast array of new communication capabilities. For example, people can communicate in real-time with others in different countries using technologies such as instant messaging, voice over IP (VoIP), and video-conferencing. Social networking websites like Facebook allow users from all over the world to remain in contact and communicate on a regular basis. Modern information and communication technologies have created a "global village," in which people can communicate with others across the world as if they were living next door. For this reason, ICT is often studied in the context of how modern communication technologies affect society Identify different types of ICT services/uses like: Internet services, mobile technology, office productivity applications Internet Services Wi-Fi Some public places, such as airports and local councils now offer wireless access to the Internet. Sometimes this service is provided free of charge. It may also be provided with a charge, or else you may need a username and password in order to use the service (e.g. in universities) 2

3 Cable The same cable that supplied TV channels can also supply your Internet connections. Often cable gives you very high speed Internet access Dial Up The most common type of Internet connection. Your computer is connected to a modem which connects to the phone line. You can use dialup or broadband via the phone line. Satellite If you live in a very remote area, your only way to connect to the Internet may be via a satellite link. This may require large satellite dishes and expensive specialised equipment. The cost of the Internet connection may also be high Mobile Technology Smart phone A Smartphone is a mobile phone (cell phone) offering advanced computer-like features. Capabilities and standards vary from one manufacturer to another. Most smartphones have some sort of operating system allowing you to connect to other devices and also to install applications. Most smartphones allow you to send and receive s and may even allow you to browse the Web. Some have a personal organizer built into them and some sort of contact management organiser. Some even have a miniature computer-type keyboard built into them, while others have a touch screen. You might even have GPS positioning systems. Some smartphones allow you to read documents in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. 3

4 Other features can include a built-in camera, the ability to play music, display photos and video clips, media software for playing music, browsing photos and viewing video clips. Mobile Phone A mobile phone or cell phone is used for mobile communication (including speech, text-messaging, ing and accessing the web) Many also allow you to send and receive pictures and video. Most mobile phones use a signal from a local transmission tower and will not work when you are out of range or if the signal is blocked by mountains, or even buildings. Satellite phones use a signal coming from a satellite. They tend to be much more expensive to purchase and use. While you should never be out of range, the satellite signal may be blocked by tall buildings. Office productivity applications Word processing applications A word processing program (such as Microsoft Word) allows you to produce letters, memos, etc., easily. You can easily mail merge a list of names and addresses to produce mass mailers, individually addressed to customers or subscribers. Spreadsheets applications A spreadsheet program (such as Microsoft Excel) allows you to work out a company s income, expenditure and then calculate the balance. It enables you to make 'what if' type projections of how the company will fair in the future and to forecast how changes in prices will affect profits. Database applications A database program (such as Microsoft Access) allows you to compile information and then to search this information to extract just the information you require. For instance, if you have a database of all the equipment housed within an office you can very simply produce a report listing only the equipment above a certain value. Presentation applications A presentation program (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) allows you to produce professional looking presentations, which can be printed out directly onto slides for use with an overhead projector. Alternatively, you can display your presentations directly on a computer screen or via a computerised projector. 4

5 1.2 Hardware Define the term hardware. Identify the main types of computers like: desktops, laptops, tablets. Identify the main types of devices like: smart phones, media players, digital cameras What is Hardware? The term hardware refers to the physical components of your computer such as the system unit, mouse, keyboard, monitor etc. 5

6 Main types of computers:- desktops, laptops, tablets. Desktops A desktop computer (or desktop PC) is a computer that is designed to stay in a single location. It may be a tower (also known as a system unit) or an all-in-one machine, such as an imac. Unlike laptops and other portable devices, desktop computers cannot be powered from an internal battery and therefore must remain connected to a wall outlet. In the early age of computers, desktop computers were the only personal computers available. Since laptops and tablets did not exist, all home PCs were desktop computers. Still, the term "desktop computer" was used back then to differentiate between personal PCs and larger computers, such as mainframes and supercomputers. Laptops Laptop computers, as the name implies, are small portable computers which can run on batteries as well as mains power. They use special screens, rather than the traditional bulky VDUs (Visual Display U nits), which allows for longer battery life as well as portability. A newer term, Notebooks, simply indicates a VERY small laptop. These are especially popular with salespersons on the move or people giving presentations. While they tend to still be more expensive than an equivalent Desktop computer, they can now match the power of a Desktop computer. Tablets A tablet, or tablet PC, is a portable computer that uses a touch screen as its primary input device. Most tablets are slightly smaller and weigh less than the average laptop. While some tablets include fold out keyboards, others, such as the Apple ipad and Motorola Xoom, only offer touch screen input. 6

7 Early tablet touch screens were designed to work with light pens, but most modern tablets support human touch input. Many tablets now support multitouch input, which allows you to perform gestures with multiple fingers, such as pinching an image to zoom out, or spreading your fingers apart to zoom in. Tablets without physical keyboards allow you to enter text using a pop-up keyboard that appears on the screen. Main types of devices:- smartphones, media players, digital cameras Smartphone A Smartphone is a mobile phone (cell phone) offering advanced computer-like features. Capabilities and standards vary from one manufacturer to another. Most Smartphone have some sort of operating system allowing you to connect to other devices and also to install applications. Most Smartphone allow you to send and receive s and may even allow you to browse the Web. Some have a personal organizer built into them and some sort of contact management organiser. Some even have a miniature computer-type keyboard built into them, while others have a touch screen. You might even have GPS positioning systems. Some Smartphone allow you to read documents in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Other features can include a built-in camera, the ability to play music, display photos and video clips, media software for playing music, browsing photos and viewing video clips Media Players Media players allow you to store digital music and video. A famous example is the ipod from Apple, which lets you store your digital music which you can then listen to at your leisure. Thousands of songs can be stored on these devices. You can also get devices with a built-in screen which will allow you to watch films and video clips that you download to these devices. 7

8 Digital Cameras A digital camera can be used in the same way a traditional camera can, but instead of storing images on rolls of film which require developing, the images are stored digitally in memory housed within the camera (or on memory cards). These pictures can easily be transferred to your computer and then manipulated within any graphics programs which you have installed on your computer Define the terms processor, Random Access Memory (RAM), storage. Understand their impact on performance when using computers and devices. Processor A processor, or "microprocessor," is a small chip that resides in computers and other electronic devices. Its basic job is to receive input and provide the appropriate output. While this may seem like a simple task, modern processors can handle trillions of calculations per second. The central processor of a computer is also known as the CPU, or "central processing unit." This processor handles all the basic system instructions, such as processing mouse and keyboard input and running applications. Read only Memory (ROM) Read Only Memory (ROM) as the name suggests is a special type of memory chip which holds software which can be read but not written to. A good example is the ROM-BIOS chip, which contains read-only software. Often network cards and video cards also contain ROM chips Random Access Memory (RAM) Random Access Memory (RAM) is the main 'working' memory used by the computer. When the operating system loads from disk when you first switch on the computer, it is copied into RAM. The original IBM PC could only use up to 640 KB of memory (just over half a megabyte), whereas a modern computer can effectively house as much RAM as you can afford to buy. Commonly modern computers are supplied with over 128 MB of RAM (Usually you find computers with 1 or 2 GB or RAM 1 GB is equivalent to 1024 MB). As a rough rule, a Microsoft Windows based computer will operate faster if you install more RAM. When adverts refer to a computer having 128 Mbytes of memory, it is this RAM which they are talking about. Data and programs stored in RAM are volatile (i.e. the information is lost when you switch off the computer). 8

9 Storage A computer storage device is any type of hardware that stores data. The most common type of storage device, which nearly all computers have, is a hard drive. The computer's primary hard drive stores the operating system, applications, and files and folders for users of the computer. While the hard drive is the most ubiquitous of all storage devices, several other types are common as well. Flash memory devices, such as USB keychain drives and ipod nanos are popular ways to store data in a small, mobile format. Other types of flash memory, such as compact flash and SD cards are popular ways to store images taken by digital cameras. External hard drives that connect via Fire wire and USB are also common. These types of drives are often used for backing up internal hard drives, storing video or photo libraries, or for simply adding extra storage. Finally, tape drives, which use reels of tape to store data, are another type of storage device and are typically used for backing up data Identify the main types of integrated and external equipment like: printers, screens, scanners, keyboards, mouse/track pad, webcam, speakers, microphone, and docking station. Printers Most data is printed once you have created it and there are a vast number of different printers available to accomplish this. Most common are inkjet and laser printers both of which can now produce coloured output. There are many different types of printers. In large organisations and offices, laser printers are most commonly used because they can print very fast and give a very high quality output. In most organisations, the printers are connected to the computers via a network. This means that each person with a computer does not require his or her own printer. Each computer connected to the network can print using a particular shared printer. Laser Printer This type of printer is mostly used in offices where high amount of copies is necessary to be printed, it is more economical and it uses the same system as a photocopier, these are more common in black and white only, but nowadays colour laser printers are also being introduced. Inkjet Printer The inkjet printer is the most commonly used printer at home. It makes use of cartridges filled with inks. 9

10 Impact Printer A printer in which a keystroke actually hits the paper, like a typewriter, to produce hard copy. Dot Matrix Printer Used in offices for invoicing purposes. They make use of papers with holes at the sides, and also have a carbonated paper. Daisy Wheel and Line Printer An almost obsolete type of printer. A daisy wheel printer has a small plastic 'wheel' with spokes running out from its centre. At the end of each spoke there is a flat part that has a raised alphanumeric character shape. The way it works is that the wheel is rotated to bring a character up against an inkribbon. Then a tiny hammer pushes the shape on to the ribbon causing a letter or number to appear on the paper behind the ribbon. Daisy wheel printers are noisy and slow compared to modern ink-jet and laser printers. Plotter Plotters are used to print or plot large formats such as floor plans and large photographic posters. Plotters are often used by engineers, designers and architects to produce large technical drawings (often a metre wide and any length). The paper is rolled back and forth; while a set of ink pens move side to side, dropping down onto the paper when required. Screens Monitor- (VDU- Visual Display Unit) VDU stands for Visual Display Unit. In other words, it is the monitor of the computer. It is used for showing the main output of the computer in way that humans can understand, since the computer works and calculates only in binary (1 and 0). Traditional computer monitors are based on the same sort of technology that is used within a television screen. Recently, the TFT (Thin Film Transistor) monitors were introduced. These will take less space on the desk than the traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors and use less energy. Projection devices Projection devices can be attached to your computer and are useful for displaying presentations to a group of people. They are best used in combination with presentation programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint. They are used within education and are also very popular for sales presentations. 10

11 Touch Screen A touch screen is a display that also serves as an input device. Some touch screens require a proprietary pen for input, though most modern touch screens detect human touch. Since touch screen devices accept input directly through the screen, they do not require external input devices, such as mice and keyboards. This makes touch screens ideal for computer kiosks, as well as portable devices, such as tablets and smart phones. Scanners A scanner allows you to scan printed material and convert it into a file format which may be used within the PC. You can scan pictures and then manipulate these inside the PC using a graphics application of your choice. In addition, you can scan printed text and convert this not just to a picture of the text but also to, actual text which can be manipulated and edited as text within your word-processor. There are a number of specialist programs, generically called OCR (Optical Character Recognition) programs which are specifically designed for converting printed text into editable text within your applications. Keyboards The keyboard allows you to type information into the computer. It has evolved over the years. The keyboard is built into laptop computers but is a separate item if used with a Desktop computer. They can be connected via cables or may be wireless. Mouse/trackpad Mouse When using an operating system, such as Microsoft Windows, you use the mouse to select drop down menus, to point and click on items, to select items and to drag and drop items from one place to another. Trackpad A trackpad (also touchpad) is a pointing device consisting of specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on screen. They are a common feature of laptop computers and also used as a substitute for a computer mouse where desk space is scarce. Touchpads vary in size but are rarely made larger than 40 square centimeters (about 6 square inches). They can also be found on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and some portable media players. 11

12 Webcam Ever since it was invented, the Web has become increasingly interactive. You can now use a small digital movie camera (a Webcam) mounted on the PC monitor to allow two-way communication involving not just text communication but sound and video communication as well. While not yet considered a standard piece of PC kit, it is only a matter of time Speakers Most computers are sold with the capability to add a pair of speakers to your system unit. In fact, in some cases, the computer screen may have speakers built directly into the unit. Microphone Early voice recognition systems offered very poor results, due to the limitations of the software combined with hardware limitations. It takes an awful lot of CPU processing power to convert the spoken word into text which appears on the screen. Things are changing rapidly however and recent systems allow you to talk to a PC and see text appear on the screen. Most of these systems require an initial training period, where you train the software to respond to your particular voice. Whilst still not perfect this is a key technology of the future. Docking station. A docking station, or dock, is a device that connects a laptop to multiple peripherals. It provides a single connection point that allows a laptop to use a connected monitor, printer, keyboard, and mouse. This allows a laptop to function like a desktop computer Identify common input/output ports like: USB, HDMI. Universal Serial Bus (USB) Port You will see one or more USB sockets at the back / front of the system unit, allowing you to plug in devices designed for the USB. These devices include printers, scanners and digital cameras. Memory sticks can also be plugged into a USB port allowing you to copy data to or from your hard disk. 12

13 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a compact audio/video interface for transferring uncompressed video data and compressed/uncompressed digital audio data from a HDMIcompliant device ("the source device") to a compatible computer monitor, video projector, digital television, or digital audio device. HDMI is a digital replacement for existing analogue video standards. There are a number of HDMI-standard cable connectors available, each of which can be used for any uncompressed TV or PC video format, including standard, enhanced, high definition, and 3D video signals 1.3 Software and Licensing Define the term software and distinguish between the main types of software like: operating systems, applications. Know that software can be installed locally or available online. Software Software is the collection of instructions which makes the computer work. For instance, when you type in words via the keyboard, the software is responsible for displaying the correct letters, in the correct place on the screen. Software is held either on your computer s hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD or on a diskette (floppy disk) and is loaded (i.e. copied) from the disk into the computers RAM (Random Access Memory), as and when required. Software is also available online There are two types of software: Systems or Operational Software (Operating System) Applications Software Systems Software System software refers to the files and programs that make up your computer's operating system. System files include libraries of functions, system services, drivers for printers and other hardware, system preferences, and other configuration files. The programs that are part of the system software include assemblers, compilers, file management tools, system utilities, and debuggers. The system software is installed on your computer when you install your operating system. 13

14 Applications Software An application program is the type of program which you use once the operating system has been loaded. Examples include: - Word-processing programs (for producing letters, memos etc) - Spreadsheets (for doing accounts and working with numbers) - Databases (for organising large amounts of information) - Games - Graphics programs (for producing pictures, advertisements, manuals etc). It is important that you recognise examples of application programs covering the following areas: - Word processing - Spreadsheets - Databases - Presentations - ing and Web browsing - Photo editing - Computer games Define the term operating system and identify some common operating systems for computers and devices. The operating system is a special type of program which loads automatically when you start your computer. The operating system allows you to use the advanced features of a modern computer without having to learn all the details of how the hardware works. There are a number of different types of operating system in common use. The IBM PC (Personal Computer) was introduced way back in 1981 and was originally supplied with an operating system called DOS (Disk Operating System). This operating system was very basic, and you had to be a bit of a computer expert just to understand how to use it. It was NOT user-friendly. Later on, Microsoft introduced Windows and this is the operating system which is most widely used on PCs today. There are a number of different types of Windows. Most people are today running Windows XP or Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 Other examples of Operating Systems are: - Windows 95 - Windows 98 - Windows 2K (or Windows 2000) - Linux and UNIX 14

15 1.3.3 Identify common examples of applications like: office productivity, communications, social networking, media, design, mobile applications. Examples of office productivity software include Microsoft Office, Google Apps For Business, Libre Office Productivity Suite, Open Office, Zoho, KOffice, MS Publisher, Notepad, WordPad, Paint, and PhotoFiltre. Examples of Communications include Skype, Viber, What s Up Examples of Social Networking Facebook, Twitter, Linked IN Examples of Media include Windows Media Player, VLC Example of Design include Photoshop, Gimp, Kompozer Example of Mobile Applications such as Play store, Calendar, Define the term End-User License Agreement (EULA). Recognise that software must be licensed before use. When you purchase a piece of software you don't actually own the software. What you are buying is a licence to be able to use the software. You are able to load your software onto your machine at home and use it for as long as you like. The licence which comes with commercial software is also known as the EULA or End User Licence Agreement. An End user Licence agreement is a legal contract between a software author or publisher and the user. Software Copyright is a way to legally protect the ownership of software. The EULA will appear on the first screen of the installation wizard when you start to install the product. In order to continue with installation, you must read and agree to the terms set out in the licence Outline the types of software licenses: proprietary, open source, trial version, shareware, freeware. Proprietary Proprietary software or closed source software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder with the intent that the licensee is given the right to use the software only under certain conditions, and restricted from other uses, such as modification, sharing, studying, redistribution, or reverse engineering. Usually the source code of proprietary software is not made available. Open source software This type of software licence makes the programming code available to anyone who wishes to enhance or develop the code. Over the years many companies have complained that Microsoft is reluctant to share this level of code detail with competitors, which they claim gives Microsoft an unfair advantage and stifles competition. It is important not to confuse open source software with free software. Sometimes the source code is made available within the public domain for use by all, as they see fit. In other cases the source code is made available to particular companies under tight non - disclosure agreements, to protect commercial sensitivities. 15

16 Trial Version Trial version refers to a version of the product that will be close to full-featured, but with certain aspects "disabled." Shareware This is where you can use software for a free trial period. Sometimes the shareware versions may be fully functional, but after a time period will either start to display an annoying message, asking you to register (i.e. pay for) your software, or in some cases it may stop working altogether after the trial period. This 'try before you buy' method of getting software is becoming increasing popular with the major software suppliers. Freeware This is software which can be copied or downloaded free. It is often fully functional. Examples may include software developed by organisations such as Universities, where the aim was not to profit from the software. It is very important not to confuse freeware and shareware. 1.4 Start Up, Shut Down Start a computer and log on securely using a user name and password. First check that all cables are plugged securely into the rear of the machine. Then check that the monitor is turned on. Locate the power switch on the system unit (tower) and press it once to turn on the computer. You may be asked to supply a logon ID and a password Log off, shut down, and Restart a computer using an appropriate routine. Log off Click on button that represents Start Click on the arrow next to shutdown 16

17 And then click Log Off Shut Down Click on button that represents Start Click on the button to shutdown Restart Click on button that represents Start Click on the arrow next to shutdown And then click Restart 2. 2 Desktop, Icons, Settings 2.1 Desktop and Icons Outline the purpose of the desktop and the task bar The Desktop is the first screen you see in your computer after Windows is loaded. And it always stays there (sometimes underneath other windows) until you shut down your computer. The Purpose of the Desktop is to provide icons such as Recycle Bin, Shortcuts which you have created and more 17

18 The purpose of the taskbar is to provide the user with an easy way of opening and managing programs installed on their computer Identify common icons like those representing: files, folders, applications, printers, drives, and shortcuts/aliases, recycle bin/wastebasket/trash. 18

19 2.1.3 Select and move icons. Click on the icon to Select it and then drag it to where you need the icon you can also use Cut, Copy and Paste techniques Create, rename, move, delete a shortcut/alias. Creating Desktop Shortcut Icons Sometimes it might be necessary for you to create a shortcut on the desktop. Usually the reason behind this is that you use a particular file / folder on a regular basis and you want to be able to open it easily and quickly. To Create a New Shortcut: Right click on a file / folder. Move the pointer to send to. Click Desktop (Create Shortcut). A shortcut to that file / folder will be created on the desktop. Move a Shortcut to another Location on your Computer Right click on a file / folder. Click create shortcut. The shortcut will be created next to your selected file / folder. Move the shortcut to the desired location. (Using cut & paste or drag & drop techniques). 19

20 Rename a shortcut or Delete a Shortcut Right click on the shortcut. Click on Rename to change the name of the Shortcut or Delete if you want to remove the shortcut 2.2 Using Windows Identify the different parts of a window: title bar, menu bar, toolbar, ribbon, status bar, scroll bar. Ribbon Menu Bar Title Bar Status Bar Tool Bar Scroll Bar 20

21 2.2.2 Open, collapse, expand, restore down, maximise, resize, move, and close a window. You need to do other actions with windows, including: collapsing, expanding, restore, resizing, moving and closing To MOVE a window, hover over the title bar. Then click the left mouse button and drag the window to the position you want. To COLLAPSE the window, click the minimize icon To Expand the window, click the maximize icon To CLOSE the window, click the close icon To Open a File. Click Once and a Window will open. Choose the file you want to open and click Open To RESIZE a window, move the mouse over the edges of the window until you see a doubleended arrow. You then need to click the left mouse button and drag the window to the right size Switch between open windows. If you have windows open, but they are minimized, you can restore them quickly and easily. All you need to do is click on the window that you want to open, displayed in the taskbar. If you want to switch between two open windows i.e. if you have one open but want to view another that is minimized, simply click on the application icon and then choose from the files you have opened 21

22 2.3 Tools and Settings Use available help functions. Click on button that represents Start Then Click on Help and Support A window will load up. In Search Help box write what you need to search example how to rename files and click on the magnifier glass Click on the category you need the information about example rename a file and then all the information about renaming a file will occur View the computer's basic system information: operating system name and version number installed RAM. Click Start Control Panel 22

23 Click on System and Security and then click on System The following window will be displayed: Operating system Version Number CPU Speed RAM Random Access Memory Note: You can also display the computer s basic system information, by right clicking on the computer from the menu Start and selecting Properties Change desktop configuration settings: date and time, volume settings, background, resolution. Change Date and Time From the Control Panel Click on Clock, Language and Region Click on Date and Time 23

24 Change the date, Month and year from the calendar given and the time from the arrows facing up and down Volume Settings From the Control Panel Click on Hardware and Sound Click on Sound Then double click on speakers 24

25 Click on the tab Levels and change the volume of the speakers accordingly Background From the Control Panel Click on Appearance and Personalization Click on Personalization Click on Desktop Background From Picture location choose whether you need solid Colours, a picture from library or Top Rated Photos. In case it s a picture saved in your documents click on browse and search for the desired picture After you have chose the picture choose how the picture should be positioned ex fit to screen, tile etc 25

26 Resolution From the Control Panel Click on Appearance and Personalization Click on Display Click Adjust Resolution from the left Change, add, and remove keyboard language. Change default language. Change/Add keyboard Language From the Control Panel Click on Clock, Language and Region 26

27 Click on Region and Language Then Click on the tab Keyboards and Language Click on Change Keyboard Click on Add and select a Country Remove Keyboard Language Click on the Language you want to remove from the installed Service and Click Remove Change Default Language Click on the arrow to change the default Language 27

28 2.3.5 Shut down a non-responding application Sometimes a program / application fail to respond i.e. the program hangs. Typically non-responsive cannot be closed in the normal way. In such case, you need to follow these steps in order to shut down (close) the program: Press Ctrl, Alt and Delete on your keyboard A window will occur. You will see a list of things which you can choose from. It s important that you click on Start Task Manager. You will see a list of programs. Click on the program that is not responding and click End Task The End Program dialog box will be displayed. Click End Now button Install, uninstall an application. To install an application put the CD that you bought in the CD Drive. Open the computer from the Start Button and double click on the Application Icon. Then follow step by step by its wizard To uninstall an application: From the Control Panel Click on Programs Click on Programs and Features 28

29 Choose Software from the list below that you wish to Remove and Click on Uninstall Connect a device (USB flash drive, digital camera, media player) to a computer. Disconnect a device using an appropriate routine. Connect a USB Flash Drive Put the pendrive in a USB port and automatically the Computer will install it Connect a Digital Camera and Media Player Attach appropriate end of cable to the camera and the other end to the USB port found either on the front or on the back of your tower. Connect to camera Connect to USB port 29

30 Disconnect a device using an appropriate routine. Click on the arrow facing upwards in the system tray Click on the icon that shows a USB wire and click Eject. When the Text Safe to Remove Hardware appears on the screen pull out the pendrive Capture a full screen, active window. Locate the print screen button on your keyboard and press it once. This will take a picture of the current screen. Click Paste. If you only need to capture a copy of the active window, press Alt from your keyboard and press the print screen button, whilst holding the Alt key. When you click Paste in an application, you will see that only the active window will be pasted and not the whole screen 30

31 3. 3 Outputs 3.1 Working with Text Open, close a word processing application. Open, close files. Opening a Word Processing Application Click on the Start Button Click All Programs Select Microsoft Office Click on Microsoft Office Word To close a Document / Microsoft Word Click the Microsoft Office Button and click close, Close. OR Otherwise click on the small x button Opening an Existing Document Click the Microsoft Office Button and Click Open, or Press CTRL+O (Depress the CTRL key while pressing the O ) on the keyboard Choose the location where the file is Saved Click on the file and Click Open Enter text into a document. Flashing insertion point indicates where the next character you type will appear. Simply start typing to enter text. If you make any mistakes, use the Backspace key to delete unwanted characters Copy, move text within a document, between open documents. Paste a screen capture into a document Select the text that you wish to copy. Click on the Home tab and select Copy Click at the position within the document where you wish to paste the copied text. If you wish to paste it in another document, click on the document window on the taskbar. Click on the Home Tab again and Select Paste. Move text within a document or between open documents. Select the text that you wish to move. Click on the Home tab and select Cut Click at the position within the document where you wish to paste the copied text. If you wish to paste it in another document, click on the document window on the taskbar. Click on the Home Tab again and Select Paste. 31

32 Paste a screen capture into a document Locate the print screen button on your keyboard and press it once. This will take a picture of the current screen. Click Paste. If you only need to capture a copy of the active window, press Alt from your keyboard and press the print screen button, whilst holding the Alt key. When you click Paste in an application, you will see that only the active window will be pasted and not the whole screen Save and name a document. Click the Microsoft Office Button Click Save or Save As OR Press CTRL+S (Depress the CTRL key while pressing the S ) on the keyboard, OR Click the Save icon on the Quick Access Toolbar 32

33 Write the name of the document in the file name field then click Save 3.2 Printing Install, uninstall a printer. Print a test page. Install a Printer Click Start button. Click Control Panel. Click on Hardware and Sound 33

34 Click on Devices and Printers Double-click Add Printer to start the Add Printer Wizard, and then click next. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the wizard. Uninstall a printer Click Start button. Click Control Panel. Click on Hardware and Sound Click on Devices and Printers Click on Remove Device and Click Yes 34

35 Print a test page Open Printers by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, Then click Control Panel Click Hardware and Sound, And then click devices and Printers. Right-click the printer that you want to test, and then click Properties. On the General tab in the Printer Properties dialog box, click Print Test Page Set the default printer from an installed printer list. Normally in a computer network environment, there will be several printers. Users will therefore need to send their documents to a specific printer probably to the printer closest to their computer system. Such users will set this printer as the default printer. The default printer is the printer to which a computer sends documents when you select the Print command without first specifying which printer you want to use with a program. You can have only one default printer; it should be the printer you use most often. To set a printer as the default printer: Click Start button. Click Control Panel. Click on Hardware and Sound Click on Devices and Printers 35

36 The Printers window appears, showing a list of printers connected to the network will be displayed. Right-click the name of the printer to set as a default printer. Click Set as Default Printer. The icon of selected printer will display a checkmark on the top right corner Print a document from a word processing application. Click on the Office Button. Point to Print, and then click on Print from the sub-menu The Print dialog box will be displayed as illustrated below. In the Page range section choose whether you wish to print all the pages in the document, the current page only, selected pages, or a particular selection. In the Copies section specify how many copies of the same document you wish to print. 36

37 You can choose to print all the pages in the range specified, or else you can choose to only print the odd or the even pages. Finally, click OK View, pause, restart, cancel a print job. View a Print Job Once you have started printing you can view a print job s process. Double click on the printer icon displayed at the bottom-right of your screen. This will display a dialog box showing the progress of your print jobs. Otherwise, from the Control Panel, click on Printers, then doubleclick on the printer in use. Pause, Restart or Cancel a Print Job Open to View the Print Job Progress Right click on the file you want to cancel, pause or Restart and choose From the Menu given 4 File Management 4.1 Introducing Files and Folders Understand how an operating system organises drives, folders, files in a hierarchical structure. Navigate between drives, folders, sub-folders, files. What are Drives, Folders and Files? When accessing a drive on your computer, Windows uses a system of drive letters to serve as logical pointers to the different physical drives you have access to. From each drive letter it is possible to access all of your files stored on that particular physical drive. For instance, the Hard Disk drive letter is usually C. On some computers, you will find two hard disks, one of which will be the C drive and the other will be the D drive. The Floppy Disk is referred to as drive A. Pen drives are referred to as 37

38 Removable Disks and they may be assigned different letters, depending on the number of disks installed on your computer. To help organise your files it is possible to create folders (also referred to as directories) to help divide and even sub-divide the files stored within the various logical drives available. A system of hierarchical folders within folders which represent your hard disk are often referred to as the folder (directory) tree, in the same way the very top of the file system is known as the root folder (directory). Finally, at the very end of this structure are the various files which we use. Each file name can be up to 255 characters in length Display file, folder properties like: name, size, location. Right click on the folder. Click Properties Change view to display files and folders like: tiles, icons, list, and details. Open the Folder and click on the View tab on the right hand side of the screen and choose between tiles, icons, list and details 38

39 4.1.4 Identify common file types like: word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, portable document format (pdf), image, audio, video, compressed, executable files. Within the Windows Explorer window each file will be marked with a small icon, as illustrated. In the example shown, the first file displays an icon representing Microsoft Word, and if you look along the line of information about this file, it clearly states (assuming that you are using the details mode to view the files) that the file is indeed a Microsoft Word Document. The second file is marked as a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation file in the same way. File extensions File names usually end with a 3 character extension. A period (.) separates the filename from the file extension. Some of the common file extensions are listed below: 39

40 4.1.5 Open a file, folder, drive. To open a File, folder or drive, double click on it Recognise good practice in folder, file naming: use meaningful names for folders and files to help with searching and organisation. Create file names that are logical, meaningful to all users, simple to read and relevant. Use lowercase when naming files. Do not use the following characters: &, ( ) % # â â oe / \ - { } [ ] < When numbering similar types of files or sequences try to anticipate maximum numbers Files should not be located in directory structures with more than six levels, as this can create difficulties when accessing and archiving files. 40

41 4.1.7 Create a folder. Identify the area where you will create your new folder, e.g. Desktop or My Documents. Right click in an empty space, point to New, and then click Folder. A new folder will be created and you can use the keyboard to type a name for the folder. Press Enter Rename a file, folder. Right click on the folder / file. Click Rename. Type in a new name. Press Enter Search for files by properties: all or part of file name using wildcards if necessary, content, date modified. To open the Search dialog box, click on the Start button, and write the file/folder where you have Start Search and click on See more results. Automatically it will start searching but f you need more options click on the Search Box. This will show the Add Search filter window. Options you can search for files and folders by date modified, kind, type size etc. Click on the one you need to Search with 41

42 To search for a file using wildcards instead of the full name. In the previous example, we knew the full name of the file or folder for which we were searching. In some cases we may only know part of the name, in which case we can use wildcards. For example: To search for all files whose names start with z o Type: z* To search for all files whose names start with za o Type: za* To search for all files whose names start with za and contain 5 characters o Type: za??? To search for all Microsoft Excel files whose names start with za and contain 5 characters o Type: za???.xls View list of recently used files. Click on the Start icon (bottom-left of your screen), and from the popup menu displayed select Recent Items A submenu will display a list of recently used documents. Clicking on one of these document files will load the document into the relevant program. 4.2 Organising Files and Folders Select individual, adjacent, nonadjacent files, folders. To select an individual file / folder simply click once on the file / folder. The file / folder will be highlighted in blue. To select a number of adjacent files / folders. Click on the first file / folder in the block you wish to select, then press Shift and keep holding the key whilst clicking on the last file / folder in the block. 42

43 To select a number of non-adjacent files / folders. Click on the first file / folder that you wish to select. Then press and hold the Ctrl key, whilst clicking on the other files / folders that you wish to select Sort files in ascending, descending order by name, size, type, date modified. The files displayed in My Computer window can be sorted by name, size, file type and the date/time last modified: Click View, Details. Click the appropriate header: Note: To reverse the sort order, re-click the appropriate header. Counting the Number of Files of a particular type in a Folder Let s say you have a folder that contains files of different types and you want to know the number of files that are of the type.txt (text files). Follow these steps: 43

44 Set the view to Details. Sort the files by type. Click on the first text file in the list. Press and hold the Shift button, while clicking on the last text file in the list. Right click on one of the files in the list and click Properties. You will see the following window: This means that in the folder we have 10 files which are of the type.txt. 44

45 4.2.3 Copy, move files, folders between folders, drives. Select the files / folders that you wish to duplicate / move. Right click on the file or folder to Copy (to duplicate) OR Cut (to move). Open the folder where you want to paste the files / folders and Right click, Paste Delete files, folders to the recycle bin/wastebasket/trash and restore to original location. Deleting Files To delete a file, simply right click on it and click Delete. The same procedure applies for a folder. Files and folders that you delete are placed in the recycle bin, from where you can permanently delete a file or restore it. 45

46 To permanently delete a file / folder: In the Recycle Bin right click on the file / folder that you wish to remove permanently, then click on delete Restore from Recycle Bin: Double click on the Recycle bin to open it. Right Click on the file or folder you want to Restore Click Restore OR In case you want to restore all of them: Double click on the Recycle bin to open it. Click Restore all Empty the recycle bin/wastebasket/trash. To empty the Recycle Bin: Double click on the Recycle bin to open it. Click, Empty Recycle Bin. 4.3 Storage and Compression Identify the main types of storage media like: internal hard disk, external hard disk, network drive, CD, DVD, Bluray Disc, USB flash drive, memory card, online file storage. Internal Hard Disk: All PCs are supplied with an internal hard disk. This is where the operating system (such as Windows) is stored. It is also were you store your data. When you install new applications, they are copied from CD or DVD to your internal hard disk. External hard drives: As the name suggests these are secondary hard disks that you can plug into your computer. They are normally connected via a USB cable. They are available in a range of speeds and storage capacities and are an ideal way to backup your data, such as photos or movies. Network Drives and online file storage: Within an office it is normal that the computers are connected together via a network. This allows you to store your data centrally, on a network server. This network server should be backed-up by the IT support staff on a daily basis. This means that your data is safely backed up for you. Alternatively you may create and store your data 46

47 on your own PC or laptop and periodically copy it across the network to be stored safely on a central network server. In many companies network software automatically backs up selected folder on each computer to the central server. CD: Most computers are now supplied with a CD- ROM (Compact Disc - Read Only Memory) drive. CD-ROM discs look exactly like music CDs but contain computer data instead of music. The advantage of a CD-ROM is that it can hold a vast amount of data (equivalent to the storage capacity of over 450 floppy disks). The other big advantage of CD-ROMs is that they are interchangeable. This means that you can own a range of different CD-ROM s and choose which one to insert into your CD-ROM drive. DVD: Short for "Digital Versatile Disk. Similar to CD-ROM drives but allows you to use DVD disks, which contain vastly more information than a traditional CD - ROM disk. These also transfer the data from the disk to the computer far faster, allowing you to watch movies on your computer screen. A CD-ROM can store MB of data, while a single-layer; single-sided DVD can store 4.7 GB of data. Blue-ray is an optical disc format such as CD and DVD. It was developed for recording and playing back high-definition (HD) video and for storing large amounts of data. While a CD can hold 700 MB of data and a basic DVD can hold 4.7 GB of data, a single Blu-ray disc can hold up to 25 GB of data. USB flash drive: Flash drives plug into the USB port and when viewed via the Windows Explorer, look just like any other drive. They are supplied in a range of sizes with the 1 GB devices being a very cheap way of transferring relatively small amounts of data between computers. Memory Card: A memory card (also called a flash memory card) is a card containing memory chips that is often used in devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones, music players, video game consoles, GPS system and similar devices where there is a need to store data in a compact from, often using a battery power source. There are a number of different types of memory cards with different storage capacities. Many new PCs have built-in slots for different ty pes of memory cards Identify file size, folder size, storage capacity measurements like: KB, MB, GB, and TB. KB: Kilobyte represents 1,024 bytes, MB: Megabyte represents 1,048,576 bytes, GB: Gigabyte represents 1,073,741,824 bytes TB: Terabyte represents 1,099,511,627,776 bytes 47

48 4.3.3 View available space on a storage device. Go to Computer from the Start Button Right Click on The drive which you need to check the available space Click on Properties Understand the purpose of file, folder compression. File compression allows you to compress files so that the file size becomes smaller. This allows you to save disk space. It is useful when sending files over the Internet (especially when you have a slow connection) Compress files, folders. Right click on the folder, From the popup menu displayed, select Send to, Then click Compressed (zipped) Folder. 48

49 4.3.6 Extract compressed files, folders to a location on a drive. Right click on the zipped folder that contains the files that you wish to open. Click Extract All This will display a Window and click Extract 49

50 5 Networks 5.1 Network Concepts Define the term network. Outline the purpose of a network: to share, access data and devices securely. Network is when you have two or more computers connected to each other, you have a network. The purpose of a network is to enable the sharing of files and information between multiple systems and also access data and devices securely by a Username and Password the Internet could be described as a global network of networks. Computer networks can be connected through cables, such as Ethernet cables or phone lines, or wirelessly, using wireless networking cards that send and receive data through the air Define the term Internet. Identify some of its main uses like: World Wide Web (WWW), VoIP, , IM. Internet A collection of networks started by and for the US military to enable them to 'survive' a nuclear war. Later adopted by the educational system, and now exploited by the commercial world. The Internet is a global network of interconnected networks. The unique thing about the Internet is the sheer amount of information which you can access from it. Whatever your interest, you can search for and find information on the most obscure topics. The Internet is an incredibly valuable tool, which can be used for research, communication, marketing and business, amongst other things. World Wide Web (WWW) vs. the Internet The World Wide Web (WWW) is just a small part of the Internet as a whole. The Internet relates to all the hardware and software involved, as well as the WWW. It also includes FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and newsgroups. The WWW is basically the text and pictures which you can view using your web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Netscape Navigator. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Voice over Internet Protocol, is a technology that allows you to talk with other people via the Internet. You can talk at no extra cost to other people using VoIP on their computers. You can even make calls to real telephones at a much cheaper rate than normal. This system is ideal when you need to make a lot of long distance of international calls. You can use VoIP by just installing a microphone and headset, or you can purchase a special VoIP compatible phone, which will normally plug into one of the USB sockets on 50

51 your computer. A well known VoIP product supplier is Skype, who produce a range of excellent phones. Electronic mail ( ) allows you to send a message to another person almost instantly, anywhere in the world. It requires both computers to be connected to the Internet. As well as sending a text message, files can be sent as attachments. Instant messaging (IM) Instant messaging (IM) provides a mechanism for real-time communication between two or more people sending text messages via their computers. This is different from sending an which once sent may be read sometime later by the person you sent the to. Some types of instant messaging software let you speak rather than having to type your messages. You can use your web cam so that you can see the person you are talking to Define the terms intranet, virtual private network (VPN) and identify their main uses. Intranet is a smaller, closed version of the Internet, which can only be accessed by authorized members of an organisation. Intranets are becoming an increasingly popular way to share information within a company or other organisation. An Intranet uses Internet technologies to allow users to access company documents, search databases, schedule meetings and of course send s. The Intranet can only be accessed by employees working within a particular firm, using a specific username and password. VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network. A virtual private network can be contrasted with an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one organization. The goal of a VPN is to provide the organization with the same capabilities, but at a much lower cost. 51

52 5.1.4 Understand what transfer rate means. Understand how it is measured: bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kbps), megabits per second (mbps), and gigabits per second (gbps). Transfer rate is commonly used to measure how fast data is transferred from one location to another. For example, a hard drive may have a maximum data transfer rate of 480 Mbps, while your ISP may offer an Internet connection with a maximum data transfer rate of only 1.5 Mbps. When you download or upload data the speed of the data transfer is measured by the amount of data that is transferred per second. Common transfer rate units are: Bits per second (bps). (Very slow connections will be quoted in bits per second). Kilobits per second (kbps). Megabits per second (mbps). (High speed data transfer is measured in megabits bits per second.) Gigabits per second (gbps) Understand the concepts of downloading from, uploading to a network. You can download data from a network, for instance you can download a file from a web site. Another example of downloading would be copying a file from another computer on your Local Area Network to the hard disk on your computer. Uploading refers to copying data from your computer to another computer, either on your local area network or on your company website. 5.2 Network Access Identify the different options for connecting to the Internet like: phone line, mobile phone, cable, wi-fi, wi-max, satellite. Phone line The most common type of Internet connection. Your computer is connected to a modem which connects to the phone line. You can use dialup or broadband via the phone line. Cable The same cable that supplied TV channels can also supply your Internet connections. Often cable gives you very high speed Internet access. Mobile phone: This is often very expensive. The connection is established via special, Internet compatible mobile phones. Wi-Fi Some public places, such as airports and local councils now offer wireless access to the Internet. Sometimes this service is provided free of charge. It may also be provided with a charge, or else you may need a username and password in order to use the service (e.g. in universities) 52

53 Wi-Max WiMAX systems are expected to deliver broadband access services to residential and enterprise customers in an economical way. Loosely, WiMax is a standardized wireless version of Ethernet intended primarily as an alternative to wire technologies ( such as Cable Modems, DSL and T1/E1 links ) to provide broadband access to customer premises. WiMAX would operate similar to WiFi but at higher speeds, over greater distances and for a greater number of users. WiMAX has the ability to provide service even in areas that are difficult for wired infrastructure to reach and the ability to overcome the physical limitations of traditional wired infrastructure. Satellite If you live in a very remote area, your only way to connect to the Internet may be via a satellite link. This may require large satellite dishes and expensive specialised equipment. The cost of the Internet connection may also be high Define the term Internet Service Provider (ISP). Identify important considerations when selecting an internet subscription option like: upload speed, download speed and quota, cost. ISP stands for Internet Service Provider If you want to connect to the internet you need to subscribe via an Internet Service Provider. The ISP gives you a connection to the internet either via your telephone line, cable connection or via a special digital high-speed line (ADSL). It s important to consider these options when selecting an internet subscription:- Upload speed It t determines how quickly your computer/lan can transmit data to other locations. In media streaming, its function is to send the initial request for web pages and files to the server. Download speed It reflects how much data can be transmitted to your computer/lan at one time. This affects the speed of web page loading, file downloading, video/audio streaming, etc A quota it is the limit example of downloading from Internet Cost It depends on the service and what it consist of Recognise the status of a wireless network: protected/secure, open. Click Networks Icon. Available networks are displayed in the system tray In the Wireless Network Connection Hover your cursor over a network name to view a popup that lists the security type. o If the security type is something such as WEP or WPA2, your network is secured. 53

54 o o If the security type is something such as Unsecured or No authentication (open), your network is not secured. If you notice an exclamation on the network icon that means also that it is not secures Connect to a wireless network. Click on Start Then click on Control Panel Then click on Network and Internet Click on Network and Sharing Then click Connect to a Network And choose which wireless you would like to connect to. Note: Those wireless networks that are for free you will notice that they will have an exclamation mark on top of them the others you would need a password 6 Security and Well-Being 6.1 Protecting Data and Devices Recognise good password policies like: create with adequate length, adequate character mix, do not share, change regularly. 54

55 Password policies refer to guidelines or requirements on the structure and use of passwords. They can be required for access to a computer system or a group of files or a single file. The following are some guidelines for password policies: They should never be blank. They should not be the names of family members or pets or anything else that would be easy for an intruder to try out. Ideally they should never be words, especially words like administrator, admin or root. They should never be less than five characters and preferably longer. Short passwords can easily be determined by a brute force password cracker. This is a piece of software that repeatedly feeds in all combinations of letters and numbers until accessed is gained. With short passwords this can be done in seconds. A good policy is to use a meaningless combination of letters and numbers that is seven or eight characters long. What some users do is to take a meaningful word such as looking and replace the o with the number 0 and the letter i with the number 1 so that the password becomes l00k1ng. You could also make a less obvious change, for example replace k with 3 and g with 9 so that the password becomes loo3in9. Passwords should be changed on a regular basis. Administrators can set a policy that automatically causes passwords to expire after a certain period of time, for example 7 days Define the term firewall and outline its purpose. A firewall consists of software and hardware protection against invasion via the internet. In larger companies any connection to the internet automatically goes through a firewall that would have been installed and customized by the company s technical IT team. The importance of including a firewall in your security strategy is apparent; however, firewalls do have the following limitations: A firewall cannot prevent users or attackers with modems from dialling in to or out of the internal network, thus bypassing the firewall and its protection completely. Firewalls cannot enforce your password policy or prevent misuse of passwords. Your password policy is crucial in this area because it outlines acceptable conduct and sets the ramifications of noncompliance. Firewalls are ineffective against nontechnical security risks such as social engineering, as discussed in Chapter 1, There Be Hackers Here. 55

56 Firewalls cannot stop internal users from accessing websites with malicious code, making user education critical. Firewalls cannot protect you from poor decisions. Firewalls cannot protect you when your security policy is too lax Understand the purpose of regularly backing up data to a remote location. It s important to take regular backups as your files can be lost or destroyed accidentally; the hard disk may also develop problems. Thus, backups have to be made not only on the hard disk but also on an external device such as CDs, DVDs, external hard disks or tape drives. This data should also be protected from fire or flood disasters Recognise the importance of regularly updating software like: anti-virus, application, operating system software. No computer software is perfect, just as no human is perfect. This is why, over time, the software matures as a result of important updates released by their developers. Upon the first release of a computer program, there will be numerous unforeseen problems and issues experienced by the initial user base, most of which the developer could not have discovered without the feedback from users. Hence, the developers release updates. Basically, updates are additions to software that can help prevent or fix problems, or enhance and improve how your computer works. With this in mind, it is important to remember to regularly check for updates to your software (including Windows, Microsoft Office) for a variety of reasons. Improved security is the most important reason why you should make sure to update your software. Security updates are designed to protect your software (and computer) from harmful programs, viruses, and exploits. You wouldn t want your software to leave a back door open on your computer and give intruders access to your personal information. New features are released over time for software as the creators continue to develop and mature it. Some features may improve the functionality of the program, or allow you to easily perform that one task you could never do before. Enhanced overall performance of the software and the computer is also often a good reason to keep up-to-date with updates to your PC programs. At initial creation developers may only envision one way of writing code and using computer resources to accomplish the necessary task. Then, down the road, the software developer may discover a less resource-intensive way to complete the same task, or a simpler way to write the code, either of which could help improve load times of software and inuse performance. 56

57 6.2 Malware Understand the term malware. Identify different types of malware like: virus, worm, Trojan, spyware. Malware is short for malicious software - computer programs designed to infiltrate and damage computers without the users consent. Malware is the general term covering all the different types of threats to your computer safety such as viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, rootkits and so on Virus These are malicious programs that are intended to make sabotage. They can destroy some or all your files stored on your computer or even the computer itself. An anti-virus program is a must to be installed on your computer system to be protected. It is important that you update the antivirus on a regular basis. Computer Viruses can easily copy themselves once downloaded on your computer; sometimes they can also send themselves to recipients in your address book. Worm A worm is a virus that does not infect other programs. It makes copies of itself, and infects additional computers (typically by making use of network connections) but does not attach itself to additional programs; however a worm might alter, install, or destroy files and programs 57

58 Trojan Trojan is a malware attack that disguises itself as something innocent, such as a computer game, or a YouTube search results page. An example of a devastating Trojan horse used an with a link that supposedly connected the reader to a video of the Saddam Hussein hanging, but instead just infected them with malware. Once installed on a computer, the 'Saddam' Trojan horse then downloaded and installed a key logger onto the infected computer. This key logger was used to record every keystroke by a computer s user, thus stealing financial account information and passwords. Trojans are particularly dangerous because they all appear so harmless on the surface. Often Trojans are found on a particular website (usually adult, gaming, or gambling), hide in downloaded free software, or, as in the "Saddam" Trojan horse, a person might be infected by clicking on a link sent to them in an . Spyware As the name implies, this is software that "spies" on your computer. Nobody likes to be spied on, and your computer doesn't like it either. Spyware can capture information like Web browsing habits, messages, usernames and passwords, and credit card information. If left unchecked, the software can transmit this data to another person's computer over the Internet. So how does spyware get on your computer? Just like viruses, spyware can be installed when you open an attachment containing the malicious software. It can also be installed when you install another program that has a spyware installer attached to it Be aware how malware can infect a computer or device Once a computer has been compromised by malware, cyber criminals can attempt to access your personal information by logging your keystrokes or monitoring your computer s activity. Your computer could also be controlled to visit websites or perform other actions without your knowledge. The effects of malware range from brief annoyance to computer crashes and identity theft. 58