Module 1 / Unit 2 & 3

Using the Start Screen

The Start Screen in Windows 10 (or Start Menu in earlier versions) is used to manage apps and PC settings and launch desktop software applications. It can be accessed by clicking the Start button on the left-hand side of the taskbar or by pressing the START key.

If the computer is in tablet mode, the Start screen displays in full screen mode; otherwise, it displays as a menu. Tablet mode is selected automatically on hybrid laptop/tablet devices. For example, removing the keyboard from a Microsoft Surface tablet or folding the screen of an HP X360 device over through 360 degrees puts Windows 10 into tablet mode. You can manually select tablet mode and configure these automatic behaviors using Windows 10 settings.

To display all applications in tablet mode, click the All apps icon on the upper left of the display. In desktop mode, all applications are displayed in Start on the left side without user intervention.

Apps are installed and managed by using the Microsoft Store app. Desktop software programs are managed with Control Panel. Any app, program, or file can be launched from the Start Screen by typing its name and selecting the icon from the list of search results. The Search box is on the taskbar next to Start.

Customizing the Start Screen and Taskbar

You can configure the look and behavior of the tiles showing in Start. Select Start > All Apps, right-click the application you want to configure, and select Pin to Start. After a tile is pinned, you can configure it by right-clicking the tile and choosing from the following options:

• Unpin from Start.

• Resize (Select from Small, Medium, Large, and Wide).

• Uninstall.

• More (for Microsoft Store apps)—select from Turn Live Tile Off, Pin to taskbar, Rate and review, Share.

• More (for desktop applications)—select from Pin to taskbar, Run as administrator, Open file location.

Once you have pinned and configured your tiles on Start, you can group the tiles. To create a new group, drag one of the tiles to an unused area. Drag additional tiles to the new group. You can drag tiles between groups if you want to move them. Hover your mouse above the new group of tiles and type a name for your group.

You can set options for how the taskbar and Start Menu are displayed. Select Start > Settings > Personalization, and click Start or Taskbar as required.

Using Input Devices

To operate a PC, you need to be familiar with the operation of input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, and touchscreen.

Using a Mouse or Touchpad

The mouse or touchpad is used to select and move objects on the desktop and in windows. Moving the mouse (or moving your finger on a pad) moves the cursor.

• To select an object such as an icon, point to it with the cursor then click the main mouse button once. To open an object, double-click it with the main mouse button.

• You can configure the main mouse button as either the left or right.

• A touchpad will come with buttons and may also support tapping the surface of the pad to perform a mouse click.

• To select commands in menus and dialogs, point to the command or button and click the main mouse button once.

• To select the shortcut menu for an object, point the cursor at it then click with the second mouse button (right-click).

• To move an icon or window, point to it and hold down the main mouse button. Move the mouse to the target then release the button. This process is called Drag and Drop.

• To scroll within a window, rotate the scroll wheel or drag your finger in the marked scroll area of the touchpad.

Using a Keyboard

The keyboard is used for simple typing and also to issue commands. Ideally, you should learn to touch type. This will make operating the computer more comfortable and efficient. To touch type, you use the A to F and J to ; keys as a "base" for your fingers. Once you have learned the position of the other keys, you can reach for them without looking. For example, you use the little finger on your left hand to press Q then return it to rest on A.

Most keyboards designed for use with Latin scripts use the QWERTY key layout. There are different layouts though, such as the small differences between US and UK layouts, the Dvorak alternative layout for Latin script, and keyboards for different scripts, such as Cyrillic. It is important that the keyboard type is set correctly in the OS.

Additionally, hot keys or key combinations can be used to navigate between and around windows. If you are not familiar with a computer keyboard, take some time to identify some of the special keys:

• ENTER (or RETURN) is usually used to confirm a command. ESC can often be used to cancel a command.

• CTRL and ALT are often used with other keys to activate a special command. The ALT key also activates an application's menu. You can navigate menus using the underlined access keys or using the ARROW keys. Menus in Windows 10 are not shown until you press the ALT key. Most other software applications show the menu all the time.

• TAB can be used in a window to move to the next pane. SHIFT+TAB moves back. Use the ARROW keys and the PAGE UP / DOWN, HOME, and END to navigate between icons or within a text file.

• The SHIFT key is used to type capitals or the superscript symbol shown on the key. You can toggle CAPS LOCK on and off to type in capitals without holding down SHIFT. You can also use the SHIFT key with the ARROW keys to select multiple icons.

• When NUM LOCK is off, the keypad works like the ARROW keys; when it is on, the keypad works like a calculator keypad.

• On a laptop keyboard, there might not be a separate numeric keypad. In this case, keypad functions marked on normal keys can be toggled on or off.

• Press START to display the Start Screen or Start Menu and enable Instant Search. Press SHORTCUT to display a context menu for the selected object.

• The function keys (F1, F2, and so on) perform special actions (for example, F1 always activates the help file for an application).

• BACKSPACE deletes the character to the left in a document or returns to the previous window. DELETE erases the character to the right or deletes an icon when working within a window.

• On a laptop, use the FN key to operate commands marked on other keys in a color accent. These perform laptop-specific functions, such as toggling the display or switching the wireless radio on or off.

Using a Touchscreen

Most portable devices can be operated using a touchscreen. Touchscreen input is made by performing gestures or using the on-screen keyboard. Some of the basic Windows 10 gestures are as follows:

• Tap—pressing once is the same as a left mouse click.

• Tap and hold—this is equivalent to a right-mouse click. For example, you can open a shortcut menu for an icon, or touch-and-hold some text to open a "copy" command. This might also be implemented as a two-finger tap.

• Pinch and stretch—using two fingers, either pinch them together to zoom in or move them apart (stretch) to zoom out.

• Swipe—as noted above, swiping from a particular screen edge performs different actions. Swiping within an app window can also perform custom actions, such as moving from page to page or screen to screen. Swiping down from the top of the app window usually refreshes the content.

Most touchpads also have gesture support.

Recognizing Desktop Icons

You need to be familiar with some of the standard types of objects and interface controls you see on-screen.

Icons are the pictures used in an operating system to represent folders, files, and other system objects. The main types of icons are as follows:

• File (or document) icons—data files have the picture of the application used to edit the file on them. There are hundreds of different types but the icon shows what type of data is in the file (text, pictures, or music for instance) and which application is used to open it.

• Shortcut icons—links to a file have an arrow icon superimposed. Do not confuse a shortcut for the file itself. You can delete the shortcut at any time without losing the information in the file itself. In Windows, shortcuts to all your programs are located in the Start Menu or Start Screen. Programs may also put shortcuts on the desktop, and you can add desktop shortcuts to files or folders that you use often.

• Folder icons—folders are used to store and organize files. The type of icon also indicates what the folder contains (documents, pictures, subfolders, and so on).

• Application icons—these are the files that contain the program itself. Contrast Word's program file shown here with the icon for a Word document file shown above.

• Device icons—hard disk drives store data saved or installed on the computer. Removable drives have different icons, such as an optical drive or USB thumb drive. You may also see an icon for printers and other devices connected to the computer. If you allow it, Windows can display vendor-specific icons for compatible devices by downloading the image from the Internet.

Working with Windows

Every desktop application runs in a window. You can open multiple windows and switch between them. All windows share some basic features in common. Some windows are split into multiple panes; click or press TAB and SHIFT+TAB to navigate between them. If the window is not large enough to display its contents, a scroll bar is shown. Click the arrows or click the button on the scroll bar to move it (or use the scroll wheel on the mouse).

The application controls are displayed as toolbars and/or a menu bar at the top of the window. Microsoft prefers the use of buttons or tools on a "ribbon" that combines the functions of a menu bar and toolbar. A menu bar may only be shown if you press the ALT key.

The Status bar shows useful information about whatever is selected in the rest of the window. When selecting files, you can enter information about the file

A window can either fill the whole desktop or occupy a part of it. This is done by clicking the Maximize /Restore button. To resize a window, you can click-and-drag on the window's border. To move a window, click-and-drag the title bar. Right-clicking the taskbar gives you options for arranging windows in a single pattern.

The Minimize button hides the window from the desktop. You can re-activate it by clicking its taskbar icon. You can also use the taskbar to switch between windows. Right-click an empty part of the taskbar. If you right-click a window button, you will get a different shortcut menu.

When working with a window, you can "shake" it to clear the desktop of other windows or drag it to the edge of the screen to "snap" it to an appropriate size relative to other windows.

You can work with several programs at the same time, but you should note that each program takes up memory. If you open too many windows, your computer will slow down. If you have finished using a program, close the window to free up resources.

To close a window, either select Close or Exit from the File menu, click the Close button, or press ALT+F4.

Lab 1 / Setting up the Computer

If you happen to have a new computer, complete this lab to set it up correctly. If you are already using a computer, run through the steps to check that it is set up safely.

1. Read the PC's instruction manual and make sure the contents listed on the box are all present.

2. Put the system unit on the desk or floor—remember the following points:
   ○ Close enough to an electrical outlet.
   ○ Close enough to your desk so that cables for the mouse and keyboard are not stretched.
   ○ 6" space around the unit for air to circulate freely.
   ○ Not positioned close to a radiator and ideally not exposed to direct sunlight.

3. Position the monitor on your desk and adjust it and your chair so that the top of the screen is level with your eyes.

4. Connect the monitor to the port on the system unit, using the connector as shown in your system documentation.

5. Connect the mouse and keyboard to the ports on the system unit, using the connector as shown in your system documentation.

6. Try to keep the cables tidy so that they do not trail under your desk or cross walkways.

7. Plug the monitor into a building power outlet or into the power socket on the system unit (check the system documentation to find out how the monitor is powered).

8. Plug the power cable into the back of the system unit and then into the building power. Turn on the building power wall switch.

9. Press the power switch on the monitor then the power switch on the PC.

10. Wait for the computer to start ("boot"). As the PC powers up, listen and look for the following signs that the computer is operating normally:
    ○ Power LED comes on
    ○ Fans start spinning
    ○ Single short beep (most computers these days do not beep though)
    ○ be some soft noise (grinding or clicking indicates a problem])

Lab 2 / Navigating the Windows User Interface

In this lab, you will sign in to your computer and explore the features of the Start Screen, desktop, and taskbar. If you are using a new computer, a wizard may run to help you set up your computer (choose a user name and password and so on). Refer to the computer's setup guide to complete this, then continue with the lab. It is assumed you are using Windows 10 Spring Creators Update (1803). If you are not, steps might vary slightly.

Exercise 1 / Exploring the Start Screen

In this exercise, you will learn to navigate around the Start Screen.

1. Press a key to open the privacy shade then, if necessary, click the icon representing your computer account.

2. With your account name and picture showing, type your password. Remember that this is case-sensitive, so upper and lower case characters are treated as different.

3. Press ENTER or click the arrow button . Wait for the desktop to load.

4. Point to the Start button and click once to show the Start Screen menu.

5. On the right-hand side of the taskbar, click Notifications and then click Tablet mode. Notice that Start is now displayed as a full screen.

6. At the top of the Start Screen on the left-hand side, click All Apps then locate and click the Tips tile.

7. Take a few minutes to read the various articles.

8. Press the START key to switch to the Start Screen again.

9. Back on the main part of the Start Screen practice customizing the tile layout:
   ○ Drag tiles to new positions.
   ○ Right-click or long finger-press to resize a tile.

10. From the Start Screen, if you have a touchscreen, swipe from the right edge to view Notifications. Otherwise, click Notifications on the taskbar.

11. Click Tablet mode to switch back to desktop mode.

12. Click the Tips window icon on the taskbar.

13. Click the Close button on the top-right corner of the window to exit the app.

14. Click Start, click Settings and then click Personalization. You can make any changes you want to the pictures and colors used on the desktop.

15. Close the Settings app when you have finished.

Exercise 2 / Exploring the Desktop and Taskbar

In this exercise, you will explore the features of the desktop and taskbar.

1. Press the START key to switch to the Start Screen.

2. Open the Photos tile. If prompted to add a Microsoft account, click the Close button to cancel the dialog. Photos is an example of a Microsoft Store app. In Windows 10 (1709 and later), all apps, even those downloaded from the Microsoft Store display in a window on the desktop.

3. Click Start and then type paint, then click the icon that appears in the search results. This loads the Paint application. This is an example of a desktop application.

4. In Paint, create a picture; perhaps of a boat sailing on the sea.

5. When you have created a picture, click the File menu on the ribbon once. Move the mouse down the menu to point to the Save command and click once.

6. Enter a file name of The Sea, double-click the Pictures folder, and then click the Save button.

7. Press the keys START+E together (hold down START and press E then release both at the same time). This should open a File Explorer window. Note the file you created is listed under "Recent files."

8. Double-click the Pictures folder to view the file where you saved it.

There are various ways to switch between windows when you have more than one open. We’ll take a look at each of these methods.

9. Look at the taskbar—you should see underlined icons for the three windows you have open. Note the difference between open windows and icons that have been "pinned" to the taskbar but that aren't currently running. Also, the active (currently selected) window is shown with a highlight.

10. Click the icons to switch between the windows. Right-click the icons to observe their shortcut menus (do not select anything from the menus though).

11. Try using the ALT+TAB keyboard shortcut. Hold down the ALT key then press-and-release TAB. This shows a list of open desktop windows and Start Screen apps. Still holding ALT, press TAB again and keep pressing it to cycle through the icons until you have found one you want to look at. Release the ALT key to open the selected app or window.

Finally, you can use Task View to switch between windows.

12. Press START+TAB or click the taskbar icon to open Task View. Alternatively, if you have a touchscreen, you can swipe from the left edge. Task View shows previews of all open windows, whether they are minimized or not. You can also use Task View to configure multiple desktops, but we won't explore that feature here. In Windows 10 (1803), you'll also see a timeline of previously used apps. You can choose to sync this with other devices, via a Microsoft account.

13. Click the Photos app to select it.

14. Press START+D or click the empty space on the taskbar to the right of the date and time to minimize all windows. You can also use START+D to return to the desktop from the Start Screen quickly.

15. Press START+D to show all the windows again then practice using the window control icons to maximize, restore, and minimize them.

16. Practice arranging windows on the desktop:
    ○ Using its title bar, drag the File Explorer window to the left edge. Select the Paint window to display alongside it.
    ○ Drag the Paint window out of its current position and then to the top of the screen to maximize it.
    ○ Drag the Paint window back to the middle of the screen to restore the window size then use the window borders to resize it manually.

17. Close all the open windows using either the button or by pressing ALT+F4. You can close minimized windows from the taskbar by right-clicking and selecting Close window.

18. Point to each of the icons in the Notification Area in turn. A ScreenTip will be displayed to identify each one.

19. Right-click an empty part of the taskbar and select Taskbar settings. This opens a dialog to configure the taskbar.

20. Browse the options on the Taskbar tab.

21. Click the Start tab.

22. Browse the options.

When you have finished using the computer, you should shut it down.

23. Open the Start Screen, click the Power icon in the bottom-left. Select Shut down from the submenu.

Using an OS

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

□ Distinguish between different types of operating systems designed for workstations, servers, mobiles, embedded systems, and virtualization.

□ Identify commonly used commercial and open source operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Chrome, and Android.

□ Use a browser to view websites.

Syllabus Objectives and Content Examples

This unit covers the following exam domain objectives and content examples:

□ 3.1 Explain the purpose of operating systems.

Interface between applications and hardware • Types of OS (Mobile device OS, Workstation OS, Server OS, Embedded OS, Firmware, Hypervisor [Type 1])

Functions of an Operating System

A computer requires an Operating System (OS) in order to function. The operating system provides interfaces between the hardware, application programs, and the user. The OS handles many of the basic system functions, such as interaction with the system hardware and input/output.

Interface Between User and Computer

One of the basic functions of an OS is to provide an interface between the user and the computer. This type of interface is referred to as a shell. The earliest operating systems for PCs, such as Microsoft's Disk Operating System (DOS), used a command-line interface or simple menu systems. Windows and later applications were marked by the use of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). This helped to make computers easier to use by non-technical staff and home users.

Actually, some DOS applications presented a GUI (of a kind). Windows is sometimes described as a WIMP (Window, Icon, Menu, Pointing device) interface.

Consequently, an OS may have more than one shell. For example, it might have a graphical shell, allowing users to select commands via icons and menus, and it might have a command line shell, allowing the user to access functions by typing commands.

A shell will allow the user to configure the computer hardware, install and manage software applications, and access programs and files.

Interface Between Applications and Hardware

Another function of an OS is to "drive" the computer hardware. OS software is built from a kernel of core functions with additional driver software and system utility applications. Each hardware component requires a driver to work. The OS is responsible for identifying the components installed on the PC and loading drivers to enable the user to configure and use them.

One fundamental difference between computer systems is the "size" of the instructions that the Central Processing Unit (CPU) can process. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, most computers and software were based around processing 32-bit instructions. Most CPUs released in the last few years can work in either 32-bit or 64-bit mode. 64-bit mode is not necessarily that much faster, but it can address more memory.

A computer with a 64-bit CPU can run either 64-bit operating systems and 64- bit and/or 32-bit applications or a 32-bit operating system and 32-bit applications. A computer with a 32-bit CPU cannot run 64-bit OS or applications.

An OS provides a common environment within which different software applications can run. Application software is the programs that allow users to perform different tasks, such as web browsing, email, and word processing. With an OS, application software developers do not need to worry about writing routines to access the hard disk or send a document to a printer; they simply "call" functions of the OS that allow them to do these things.

This allows application software designers to concentrate on application functions and makes the computer more reliable. One consequence of this is that there are relatively few operating systems, as it takes a lot of work to produce software applications that will work with different systems. Application vendors have to decide which operating systems they will support.

Changes to an operating system have to be made very carefully in order to remain compatible with previous generations of software and hardware. Eventually though, the OS may change so much that legacy software will no longer work.

System Health and Functionality

As mentioned above, an OS comes with a kernel and driver files that provide the core functionality of interacting with the hardware. Operating systems also ship with additional utility software that allows the user to configure and monitor the computer. One class of utility software is that which allows the user to monitor system health and performance.

An OS might provide logs to record system events or trigger alerts. Performance monitoring tools would allow the user to find out if a component is "overworked" and might require upgrading or if a software application or driver is faulty.

Data Management

Another class of utility software provides an interface between the user and the storage devices and mechanisms available to the computer. In a computer, information is stored as files. There are many different types of files. The OS and software applications are made up of executable and configuration files. Users can also create data files in different formats using different software applications.

Files must be saved to some sort of persistent storage, such as a hard disk. To organize files on a storage device, the OS creates a directory (or folder) structure. Files are saved to the storage device within a particular directory. Operating systems may also provide tools for the user to manage directories, allowing them to create directories and move or copy files between them.

Types of Operating System

While they share the same basic functions, there are many different types of operating systems. These support different commercial models and types of devices.

Workstation, Server, and Mobile Device OS

A workstation OS is one that runs a traditional desktop PC or laptop. Examples include Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X/macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS. The market for workstation operating systems is divided into three main sections:

• Enterprise client—designed to work as a client in business networks.

• Network Operating System (NOS) or server OS—designed to run on servers in business networks.

• Home client—designed to work on standalone or workgroup PCs and laptops in a home or small office. This will also allow each client to run some basic peer-to-peer network services, such as file sharing.

A mobile device OS is one designed for handheld devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The principal mobile operating systems are Apple iOS and Android.

A workstation OS can normally be uninstalled and replaced with a different kind of OS. For example, you could remove Microsoft Windows from a PC and install Linux instead. This is not typically possible with a mobile device OS. A smartphone or tablet can only run the OS it was designed for.

A server OS, such as Windows Server, Linux, or UNIX, is often based on similar code to its workstation OS equivalent. For example, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 are very similar in terms of the OS kernel. A server OS is likely to include software packages (or roles) to run network services and use different licensing to support more users. A server OS is also likely to have a simpler command-line interface, rather than a GUI, to make it more secure and reliable.

Open Source versus Commercial

A commercial OS means that the user must purchase a license to install and use the OS software on a particular device. The programming code used to design the operating system is kept a secret by the developer. Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Apple iOS are examples of commercial operating systems.