Purpose, Features and Functions of operating systems

There are several Operating Systems but we will go with the windows Operating system as it is the most popular and widely available operating system with maximum software support. We will talk about the purpose, features and functions of Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP.

Windows 2000:

Windows 2000 introduced the Multilingual User Interface (MUI).Besides English; Windows 2000 incorporates support for Arabic, Armenian, Baltic, Central European, Georgian, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai and Western European languages. It also has support for many different locales. Windows 2000 is very flexible and it is available in professional workstation and server versions appropriate for small or large businesses. It is designed such that it meets the needs of end users, system & network Administrators, Application Developers and Hardware Vendors.

Windows 2000-Features:

Support for large amounts of memory.
Increases the reliability.
Deliver higher levels of system availability.
Provide for scalability from a small network to a large enterprise network.
Windows 2000 has strong development platform support for Dynamic HTML behaviors and XML.
Multilingual support allows users to easily create, read, and edit documents in hundreds of languages.
Full 32-bit operating system minimizes the chance of application failures and unplanned reboots.

Windows 2000-Functions:

The Windows 2000 offers many functions which will provide more advanced and manageable networking, easier installation and configuration as well as improved reliability and performance. Windows 2000 also has an easier-to-use interface which is straight forward and it avoids the use of Styles. Windows 2000 also comes with several system utilities. This protects critical Windows system files by preventing and updating the programs.


Windows XP:

The term XP stands for "experience", in the sense that they are combining their years of experience creating two very successful desktop operating systems into one really great product. Microsoft Windows XP is designed for use on personal computers. Windows XP is also commonly used for business purposes as well as for entertainment. You may have seen Windows XP on personal computers as well as laptops and media centers.

Windows XP-Features:

Faster start-up and hibernation.
Driver roll-back option which means you can even return to an older version of a driver.
The ability to group taskbar buttons of a single application.
Ability to lock the taskbar.
Highlighting newly added applications in the start menu.
Shadows under menus.
Windows Security Center.
Improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.

Windows XP-Functions:

The most popular and common editions of Microsoft Windows XP are Windows XP Home edition, Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Media Centre. Windows XP Home Edition was designed for the use of home users and Window XP Professional contains few additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors and it is designed for offices and enterprise clients. Windows XP Media Centre edition has some additional multimedia features that offers the ability to record and watch Movies and TV shows, Play DVD, games and listen to Music.

Function of the system unit components

The function of the system unit components and how they communicate


A computer must have four types of basic forms.
· System Unit
· Storage Devices
· Input Devices
· Output Devices


System Unit:

The main body of a computer, consisting of a plastic or metal enclosure, the motherboard, and (typically) internal disk drives, or power supply, cooling fans, and whatever circuit boards plugged into the motherboard, such as a video card and sound card.

Central processing unit:

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) performs the actual processing of data. The data it processes is obtained via the system bus, from the main memory. The results from the CPU are then sent back to main memory via the system bus. The CPU also controls and co-ordinates the operation of the other major components. CPU’s use in their operation: Fetch, decode, execute, and write back. The speed of the CPU is measured in Gigahertz (billions of cycles per second).

Motherboard:

The motherboard is the main circuit board of a microcomputer. It is also known as the main board or system board. It contains and controls the components that are responsible for processing data. A motherboard provides the electrical connections by which the other components of the system communicate. All key internal and external components of the computer plugs into the Motherboard, such as the CPU, RAM, Hard Drive, real time clock, etc. The speed at which information travels across the Motherboard is referred to as the BUS speed.

BIOS:

The BIOS is built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing any programs from a disk. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to control the keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of other miscellaneous functions.


Storage Devices:

Random Access Memory:

Random access memory (usually known as RAM) is a hardware inside your computer that stores information while you work. RAM is one of the things that make your computer run faster. RAM is not permanent storage of data. Once you turned your computer off, all data in RAM will be lost. RAM is available in different types, sizes, and speeds.

Read Only Memory:

Read Only Memory (also known as ROM) contains startup instructions for each time the computer is turned on. ROM is permanent and remains when even the computer is turned off. This device is used for permanent storage of information. Data can be read many times but can’t be changed, delete or written over.

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE):

An IDE interface is a standard way for a storage device to connect to a computer. Floppy drive, hard drive and the CD-ROM drive they all devices connect to the computer through an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface.


Input Devices:

Keyboard:

An input device made up of individual keys representing individual letter, numbers, and symbols. You can use it to type in all your data or information. You can also use your keyboard to perform many of the same tasks you can perform with a mouse.

Mouse:

(A hand-operated electronic device that controls the coordinates of a cursor on your computer screen as you move it around on a pad; on the bottom of the device is a ball that rolls on the surface of the pad) "A mouse takes much more room than a trackball".

Scanner:

An electronic device that uses light-sensing equipment to scan paper images such as text, photos, and illustrations and translate the images into signals that the computer can then store, modify, or distribute.

Microphone:

A device used to convert sound into electrical signals, which can then be amplified or transmit for broadcasting. You can also use it for recording sounds such as music or voice.


Output Devices:

Printer:

A device for printing results from your computer on paper or other "hard" media. While there are many kinds of printers, most these days fall into two groups. Inkjet printers use a technique to "spray" the ink onto your paper.

Speakers:

A loudspeaker, speaker, or speaker system is an electromechanical device which plays sound. They may be built into the system unit or can be connected with cables. Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear sound effects from your computer.

Monitor:

A monitor displays information in visual form, using text and graphics. The portion of the monitor that displays the information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a computer screen can show still or moving pictures. Monitor attaches with system through a cable and whatever you will do in a computer will show you on the monitor screen.


Other Components:

Modem:

Equipment that converts digital signals into analogue signals for purpose of transmission over a telephone line. Signal is then converted back to digital form so that it can be processed by a receiving computer. Modems are typically used to link computers via telephone lines.

Hard Disk Drive:

Your computer's hard disk drive stores information on a hard disk, a rigid platter or stack of platters with a magnetic surface because hard disks can hold massive amounts of information. They usually serve as your computer's storage which holds almost all of your programs and files. The hard disk drive is normally located inside the system unit.

Video Card:

The video card is a board that plugs into the PC motherboard to give it display capabilities. New video cards come with their own RAM and processor to help speed up the graphics display. Many computers come with video chips built in. That makes a separate video card unnecessary, unless the computer is going to be used for high-end multimedia work or to play video games.

Conclusion:

Computer components are connected to each other via thin connections known as BUS on the motherboard. Once you have attached all the components/devices with each other through BUS, your system will work successfully.

Install a DVD rewrite drive

Install and configure a DVD rewrite drive

To install a DVD rewrite drive first you need to locate a blank drive bay. Most computers come with many drive bays and you need an empty one for your DVD drive. To locate a DVD drive you need to remove the case by unscrewing and sliding the case to its order. For installing a DVD drive which supposes to be located under the CD drive and above the Floppy drive, you need to check if any jumpers need to be adjusted. Jumpers are tiny connectors which connect adjacent pins. They jump between the pins. You need to start configuring the jumpers on your DVD rewrite drive. The way to do this is to check the drive manual and see which settings are correct. In a computer, there are two IDE channels called Primary and Secondary. You can configure the drive to be a master drive on the secondary channel or to the hard disk on the primary channel. Next you need to insert and secure the drive. For that there will be screws on the side of the drive as you slot it in. Close them tightly to the drive in the drive bay. In the end you will need to connect the two cables. One is the power cable and the other is the IDE cable. Connect these cables into the device correctly to use the DVD rewrite drive.

Software Utilities

Software Utilities

Utility software is a type of computer software that provides an addition to the capabilities provided by the operating system.It is specifically designed to help and manage the computer hardware, operating system or application software. It performs a single task or a small range of tasks; as opposite to application software which are likely to be software suites. Utility software has long been integrated into most major operating systems.

Virus protection:

A computer virus is a small software program that spreads from one computer to another computer and that interferes with computer operation. A computer virus may corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an e-mail program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the hard disk. Some Viruses are deliberately designed to damage files or otherwise interfere with computer’s operation while others don’t do anything but try to spread themselves around. Even the ones that just spread themselves are harmful, since they damage files and may cause other problems in the process of spreading.
Removing a computer virus can be a difficult task without the help of antivirus software program. By the help of antivirus software and by updating the computer, you can permanently remove the viruses from your computer. Antivirus software scan files to identify and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software (malware). The software will need to be updated because the new version would have more features to detect new viruses. If the software is not updated, it will detect the old viruses only and it will not detect the new viruses.

Firewalls:

A firewall is a system that protects a computer or a computer network against unwanted interference coming from the LAN or WAN. A firewall is a system that filters data packets that are exchanged over the network. The firewall system is a software system, often supported by dedicated network hardware, forming an intermediary between the local network or the local computer and one or more external networks.
A firewall examines all traffic routed between the two networks to see if it meets certain criteria. If it does, it is routed between the networks, otherwise it is stopped. A firewall filters both inbound and outbound traffic. It can also manage public access to private network resources such as host applications. It can be used to log all attempts to enter the private network and trigger alarms when hostile or unauthorized entry is attempted. Firewalls can filter packets based on their source and destination addresses and port numbers. This is known as address filtering. Firewalls can also filter specific types of network traffic. This is also known as protocol filtering because the decision to forward or reject traffic is dependent upon the protocol used, for example HTTP, ftp or telnet. Firewalls can also filter traffic by packet attribute or state.

Range of Utility Software

Range of Utility Software

Firewall:

Firewall is a security system consisting of a combination of hardware and software that limits the exposure of a computer or computer network to attack from crackers; commonly used on local area networks that are connected to the internet.

Mcafee:

McAfee is an antivirus software program designed to provide complete desktop protection with a selection of scanning features that keep a computer system clean, and virus-free. Using the latest technology, Virus Scan detects 100 percent of viruses including those found on floppy disks, Internet downloads, email attachments, Intranets, shared files, CD-ROM and online services.

Data Compression:

This is a term that is used to indicate the squeezing of data in a format that takes less space to store or less bandwidth to transmit. It is very useful in handling large graphics, audio and video files.

Benefits on the performance of the following activities

Benefits of Virus Protection:

· Prevents a virus damaging your PC or network.
· Prevents downtime, i.e. valuable working time could be wasted if you can not access your PC due to a virus infection.
· Protects valuable information on your PC.
· Prevents other people outside of your organisation being able to access your information whether it is business or personal data.
· Potentially prevents emails being sent by your system. Some viruses access your email folders and send an email to all of your contacts with the virus attached.

Benefits of Scheduling a full system scan:

Scheduling a full system scan helps you to prevent your computer from viruses. Antivirus updating should be done on regular basis to make it capable to deal with new viruses.

Benefits of Installing Service Pack 2 patches for Windows XP:

Installing service pack 2 helps in fixing the range of bugs in Windows XP. The file is a large download and can be applied to any version of Windows XP Home or Professional. It doesn't require an Internet connection to install and you can also use it on any system. Moreover, Installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 provides better security measures that will improve defences against viruses, worms and hackers, along with increased manageability and an improved experience for users. It will change many default settings to improve security.

Benefits of Defragmenting hard drive:

Disk Defragmenter is a computer program included in Microsoft Windows designed to increase access speed by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy closest storage locations. The purpose is to optimize the time it takes to read and write files to/from the disk by minimizing head travel time and maximizing the transfer rate.

Benefits of drive formatting:

Formatting drive makes your computer work faster. If you keep the backup of your important files and format the drive, it removes all the viruses from your computer.

Benefits of Installing Firewall:

A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria.

Benefits of Creating Folders:

Each program you install on a Computer creates its own folder in the Hard Drive where it keeps most of its files. Keeping files organized in folders can help user when working on PC.

Benefits of Copying and Deleting Files:

Benefits of copying file:
Copying files will restore your files as a backup so that if you delete any file accidentally or get a virus attack on your Computer, you can get it back from the backup storage where you copied the file.

Benefits of deleting files:
Deleting files help you increasing the memory of your computer. If your computer has less space/memory so you can delete the unwanted files from your computer to increase the memory.

Back-up to CD using compression software:

Data compression is a useful option when you need to back-up large amounts of data and you do not have a lot of storage space. You can store more data by using compression software.

Upgrades for an existing Computer System

Upgrading your current computer system is largely a matter of deciding what components need to be upgraded in order to solve the problems that you are experiencing. You must first determine what upgrades your computer is in need of.

Upgrading can include Memory: Upgrading the memory of your PC is one of the easiest and least expensive upgrades that you can make. Upgrading memory is so effective because improving the amount of memory in your computer system will not only allow your computer to perform more functions, but it will be able to do these functions faster. Instructions for installing more memory are fairly simple and will accompany the specific computer memory upgrade materials that you decide to purchase. Upgrading Hard Drive space is another simple but highly effective upgrade for your computer. You can either choose to purchase an internal hard drive or an external hard drive. For installation, you will need to know whether your computer uses a SATA rive or an IDE drive. Your computer specifications should help you to determine which drive type to use. A RAM upgrade can be a quick and easy way to speed up your computer. This is the best route to making any computer faster because more RAM means less time that your computer must pause to access the hard drive. Upgrading a Processor is not easy, and should be approached with caution. A faster chip will help make the computer process applications faster, but the additional speed may be negligible without sufficient RAM. The difficult part about installing a new processor is finding one that will work with your motherboard. Upgrading the CD/DVD drive is probably the least expensive upgrade that can be done to a computer system. CD/DVD drives are just as easy to install as a hard drive. Video cards are a less common upgrade unless you are looking for extra performance or functionality with 3D applications E.G: gaming or drafting. Upgrading Network Card from 10 Mbps to a 100Mbps will vastly increase the speed you can share documents in the office, or using the Internet. You will also have to make sure that your networking infrastructure can support the faster speeds. Upgrading your Graphics Card can bring major improvements to your system. If you have "on-board" graphics, a discrete graphics card will free some memory from your system. If you are upgrading an existing card, be sure that your motherboard can support the new card you are installing.

Building a New Computer System or Upgrading an Old Computer System:
Selection and Justification:

We will go with building a new computer system rather than upgrading the old computer system because sometimes, upgrading a poorly running computer seldom fixes any problems but many times, make it worst especially when you don’t know what you are doing.

Most computers work much better with the factory installed Operating System than after upgrading to a later Operating System. Because upgrading from an older Operating System to a newer one usually leaves much of the older system in place, and can cause all sorts of delicate problems which can damage your rest of the system.

Moreover, if we talk about the cost and the overall cost of upgraded parts is more than 50% of the cost of building a new one yourself and makes it a better system as you choose and get all the parts by yourself, it is better to build a new computer system instead of upgrading.

Health and safety requirements for PC users

Health and Safety for Pc users

Under health and safety regulations, the computer users should:

• Top of monitor casing 20 to 23 inch (55 to 58cm) at or slightly below eye level. Adjust the height of your chair.

• Try to sit directly in front of the monitor to avoid unnecessary neck movements..

• No glare on screen, use an optical glass antiglare filter if needed.

• Centre monitor and keyboard in front of you.

• Adjust your keyboard to get a good typing position. A space in front of keyboard is sometimes helpful for resting hands and wrists when not typing or you can also use wrist support while using the keyboard.

• Position the mouse within easy reach and keep it near to your keyboard. Use gel mouse pad to give rest and support to your wrist.