ABDU GUSAU POLYTECHNIC, TALATA MAFARA

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

BY
Abdulmalik Anka

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Computer software is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computer and
execute specific tasks. Software is a general term used to refer to applications, scripts and
programs that run on a device.
Categories of Computer Software
 System Software
 Application Software
System Software
A System Software are programs that controls and supports operations of a computer system.
System software includes variety of programs such as: Operating system, Database
management system, Communications control programs, Service, Utility programs.
Operating System
The operating system is a special type of program that 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. Examples of
operating systems are: UNIX or Linux, OS/2, Windows, Apple, etc
Main functions of an operating system
1. The operating system is a special type of program that loads automatically when you
start your computer.
2. 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.
3. Interpretation of the command language by which operators can communicate with the
operating system.
4. Error handling: For example, detecting and reporting inoperative or malfunctioning
peripherals.
5. Protection of data files and programs from corruption by other users.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is simply an additional part of the operating system that
display windows and drop-down menus and it enables you to drive your computer using a
mouse. Examples of operating system that uses GUI include: Windows and IBM's OS/2.
The advantages of using a GUI
 All programs look similar and when you switch from a program supplied by one
manufacturer to one from a different manufacturer, you will find the transition very easy.
 Application programs work in the same way as the underlying operating system.
 The GUI also allows programmers to easily, write consistent looking programs.
Program Generators
These software programs enable individuals to easily create a program of their own with less
effort and programming knowledge. With a program generator a user may only be required to
specify the steps or rules required for his or her program and not need to write any code or
very little code. Examples are: Adventure Maker, Alice, Stage cast creator and Yoyo games
Stage Cast creator: This program generator gives one the power to create an interactive
simulation, stories, games, etc.
Adventure Maker: This is a program generator that enables users to create point- and click
games and virtual tours for windows.
Yoyo game: This Program enables individual to come and play, make, and share online casual
games.

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Application Packages: These are prewritten computer programs designed for special or general
purpose tasks. Some applications packages perform single functions, while others integrate
several functions in a single package
Application packages could be categorized into the following classes:
a. Word processing Packages
b. Electronic spreadsheets
c. Database Management Systems (DBMS)
d. Desktop publishing Packages (DTP)
Modes of Acquisition of Application packages
Application packages could be acquired through the following ways:
a. Buying from Software Developers
b. Renting from Software Houses
c. Buying from Software Vendors
d. Hiring from Software Developers
Criteria for Application Packages acceptability
a. If the application packages meet the user’s needs
b. When the application packages meet up with the processing requirements
c. If the application packages are affordable by those who need them
d. When the packages are reliable
An application program is the type of program that you use once the operating system has been
loaded. Examples include:
Word-processing programs: is the activities of typing, editing, formatting, storing, retrieving
and printing mainly text-based document with computer.
Word processor: This is an application software package that enables the user to type, edit,
format, store, retrieve and print mainly text-based document. Examples of Word processors
include:MS Word, MultiMate, AmiPro, Word Perfect, Note pad, Word star, Letter Perfect
e.t.c.
Spreadsheets: A Spreadsheet is a Programmable Application Package that mostly operates
with Rows and Columns of numbers on the Screen and allows the users to enter Values,
Labels and Formulas for automated calculations of some expected results. As the name
suggests, Spreadsheets were simply a means of spreading figures or numeric data items over a
sheet of paper and carrying out calculations on them. Examples of Spreadsheet Programs
include the following: MS Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Multiplan, Supercalc, Viewsheet, Pipedream,
Quattro, Eureka, e.t.c.
Databases (for organizing large amounts of information): 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 simply produce a report listing only the
equipment above a certain value.
and
Graphics programs (for producing pictures, advertisements, manuals etc): 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.
Web browsing: These applications allow you to view and interact with the World Wide Web
(WWW).

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 Web authoring: These applications allow almost anyone to create a web site, quickly and easily.
Concepts of Windows
Windows is a graphical multi user interface that uses icons that represent tasks or short cut to
command and allows multitasking operation. Examples of windows are: windows NT, windows
XP, windows Vista, window 7, window 8, window 10.
Using the Start Menu
The Start menu provides access to the most useful items on your computer including all
programs, most recent documents, help and support, and other items on your computer.
To Access the Start menu:
 Click the Start button at the bottom-left of the screen
Starting and Ending your Computer Session
Logging On
Welcome Screen lists all user accounts.
To log on:
 Click your user account.
 Type your password.
 Click the arrow in the green box.
OR
 Click your user account.
 Type your password.
 Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Logging Off
Logging off does not shut down your computer. When you log off, all open programs are closed.
Switching Between Users
When you switch between users, all programs keep running and the computer switches to
another user. When you return to your user account, your open programs are exactly as you left
them.
To keep programs running and switch between users:
 Click Start > Log Off. This opens a Log Off Windows dialog box.
 Click Switch User.
Restarting the Computer
 Click Start> Turn Off Computer. This opens a Turn off computer dialog box.
 Click Restart.
Sending the Computer into Hibernation
Sending your computer into hibernation saves everything in computer memory onto your hard
disk. When your computer is awakened from hibernation, all programs and documents that were
open when you sent your computer into hibernation are restored on the desktop.
To send your computer into hibernation:
 Click Start > Turn Off Computer. This opens a Turn off computer dialog box.
 Click Hibernate.
Shutting Down the Computer
Shutting down the computer turns your computer off.
To shut down the computer:
 Click Start > Turn Off Computer. This opens a Turn off computer dialog box.
 Click Turn off or shut down.

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Icon(s)
Icon(s) is simply a picture representation of a program, files or document.
Folder
A folder is a container where you can save your documents or files. Folders on a computer
provide a storage system similar to folders in a filing cabinet. Folders can contain files and
other subfolders.
File
A computer file is digital data that contain stored information and stored in computer readable
form.
To open a file, folder, or program:
 Double-click on the file, folder, or program icon.
Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Files and Folders
Copying files and folders is useful if you want to copy (duplicate) a file or folder, and place it in
another location. Cutting a file or folder is useful if you want to move a file or folder to another
location.
To copy or cut files and folders:
 Right-click on the file or folder you want to copy or cut.
 From the pop-up menu, select Copy or Cut.
 Open the location you want the copied or cut item to be placed.
 Right-click in the location. •From the pop-up menu, select Paste.
Creating Shortcuts for Files and Folders
Creating a shortcut is useful when you frequently access a program, folder, or file, or when you
want to place a program, folder, or file in the Start menu. The desktop is a convenient location
to place shortcuts.
To create a shortcut from a program, file, or folder:
 Right-click on the program, file, or folder for which you want to create a shortcut.
 From the pop-up menu, select Create Shortcut.
 Cut and paste the shortcut to the location you want.
OR
 Right-click on the program, file, or folder for which you want to create a shortcut.
 From the pop-up menu, select Create Shortcut.
Renaming Files and Folders
 Right-click on the file or folder you want to rename.
 From the pop-up menu, select Rename.
 Type a new name and Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
To delete a file or folder located on the desktop:
 Right-click on the file or folder you want to delete.
 From the pop-up menu, select Delete.
OR
 Select the file or folder you want to delete.
 Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is the dustbin where a computer saved unwanted files (deleted files).
Using Windows

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Windows are frames on the desktop that contain the contents of opened files, folders, and
programs.
Using the Desktop
The desktop is the background displayed on your computer screen. File, folder, and program
icons can be displayed on the desktop for easy access to your most used tasks, documents, and
programs. Opening files, folders, and programs displays window frames on the desktop. The
desktop can be customized with themes and backgrounds to personalize the look of your
computer.
Taskbar
The taskbar displays opened files, folders, and programs. When multiple windows are open,
you can click on file, folder, or program buttons in the taskbar to switch between windows.
The taskbar also contains a notification area where the current time and Windows Messenger
program are displayed by default. The notification area is at the very right of the taskbar:
Accessing the Most Frequently Used Programs
The most frequently used programs are automatically displayed at the beginning of the Start
menu. Although only five programs are displayed at the beginning of the Start menu when
you use Windows XP for the first time, the Start menu will display up to six frequently used
programs by default.
Accessing All Programs: All Programs in the Start menu opens a list of applications
available on your computer.
To access All Programs:
 Click Start > All Programs.
 Select the application you want to open:
Note: When a menu item has a right pointing triangle next to it, clicking on the menu item
will open another menu displaying additional menu options.
Accessories
The Accessories folder is a default Windows XP folder listed under All Programs in the Start
menu. The Accessories folder contains Windows XP programs and helpful tools to get the most
out of Windows
To access the Accessories folder:
 Click Start > All Programs >Accessories.
Applying a Desktop Theme
A desktop theme affects the whole look of your desktop, including the desktop background,
screen saver, window appearance, pointers, and sounds. You can choose between the
Windows XP or Windows Classic theme or create your own theme. By default, the
Windows XP theme is applied the first time you start Windows XP:
Applying a Desktop Background
The desktop background can be customized with a picture, texture, or color. You can choose
from Windows XP backgrounds or use your own images.
To apply a desktop background:
 Right-click on the desktop.
 From the pop-up menu, select Properties. This opens the Display Properties dialog
box.
 Click the Desktop tab.
 Select a background from the Background list.
 Click OK.

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Applying your own Image to the Desktop Background
 Select the picture in the My Pictures folder that you want to apply as the desktop
background.
 Click the Set as desktop background link in the task panel
Applying a Screen Saver: A screen saver is activated automatically after your computer has been
idle for the number of minutes specified in the Wait box. The screen saver will automatically
return you to your work unless you have password protected the screen saver.
To apply a screen saver:
 Right-click on the desktop.
 From the pop-up menu, select Properties. This opens the Display Properties dialog
box.
 Click the Screen Saver tab.
 Select a screen saver from the Screen Saver drop-down menu.
 Click the Preview button to preview the screen saver.
 Click OK.
Note: To change screen saver settings, such as the color or speed of a screen saver, click the
Settings button.
 Click Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Themes.
 Click Choose a screen saver in the Pick a Task area. This opens the Display
Properties dialog box at the Screen Saver tab.
 Select a screen saver from the Screen Saver drop-down menu.
 Click the Preview button to preview the screen saver.
 Click OK.
To change window appearance:
 Right-click on the desktop.
 From the pop-up menu, select Properties. This opens the Display Properties dialog
box.
 Click the Appearance tab.
 Make the windows customizations you want.
 Click OK.
Note: To change individual elements of the window appearance such as the active title
bar, the inactive title bar, the font, and menu styles, click the Advanced button and make your
changes.
Changing Screen Settings
A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen, including windows, the
Start menu, and icons, and increases the relative space on your desktop. A lower screen
resolution increases the size of items on your screen and decreases the relative space on your
desktop.
To change the screen resolution:
 Right-click on the desktop.
 From the pop-up menu, select Properties. This opens the Display Properties dialog
box.
 Click the Settings tab.
 Click and drag the Screen resolution bar until you reach the resolution you want:

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OR
 Click Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Themes.
 Click Change the screen resolution in the Pick a Task area. This opens the Display
Properties dialog box at the Settings tab.
 Click and drag the Screen resolution bar until you reach the resolution you want.
Using the Desktop Clean-up Wizard
The Desktop Clean-up Wizard cleans up your desktop by moving unused desktop shortcuts to a
folder called Unused Desktop Shortcuts. By default, the Desktop Clean-up Wizard runs
every sixty (60) days.
To run the Desktop Clean-up Wizard:
 Right-click on the desktop.
 From the pop-up menu, select Properties. This opens the Display Properties dialog
box. Click the Desktop tab.
 Click the Customize Desktop button. This opens the Desktop Items dialog box.
 Click the Clean Desktop Now button. Complete the wizard steps.
 Click OK to exit the Desktop Items dialog box.
 Click OK again to exit the Display Properties dialog box.
Note: Uncheck the Run Desktop Clean-up Wizard every 60 days box if you do not want
the wizard to run automatically every 60 days.
Using the Title Bar
The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top of each window:

The title bar contains the program or folder icon, the title of the window, and the Minimize,
Maximize, and Close buttons.
Using the Program or Folder Icon
The program or folder icon displays a pop-up menu with options to minimize, maximize, or
close the window, or restore, resize, or move the window.
To display the program or folder icon pop-up menu:
Click on the program or folder icon in the title bar.
Using the Scroll Bars
When the contents of a window are too large to fit in the screen, scroll bars appear to scroll both
vertically and horizontally through the window:
To scroll vertically:
Click the up and down arrows to scroll up and down the window
OR click and drag the vertical scroll bar to scroll up and down the window.
To scroll horizontally:
Click the left and right arrows to scroll the window to the left and right
OR click and drag the horizontal scroll bar to scroll the window to the left and right. Minimizing
Windows
• Minimizing a window displays the window in the taskbar as a button:

• Minimizing windows is useful if you need to view the desktop or just want to temporarily
hide the open window.

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To minimize an open window:
• Click the Minimize button on the title bar:

OR
• Click on the program or folder icon on the title bar.
• From the pop-up menu, select Minimize.
Note: Click the program or folder button in the taskbar to restore the open window.
Minimizing All Open Windows
Minimizing all open windows is a quick way to access and view the desktop.
To minimize all open windows:
 Click the Show Desktop button on the taskbar
Note: The Show Desktop button is displayed on the taskbar when the Quick Launch toolbar is
displayed. The Quick Launch toolbar is discussed in more detail later in this training manual.
• Maximizing a window makes the window cover the whole screen.
To maximize a window:
• Click the Maximize button on the title bar:

OR
 Click on the program or folder icon on the title bar.
 From the pop-up menu, select Maximize.
Note: Double-clicking the title bar maximizes and restores a window.
Restoring Windows
Restoring a window puts a window that has been maximized or minimized back to its previous
size.
To restore a window:
 Click the Restore Down button on the title bar:

OR
 Click on the program or folder icon on the title bar.
 From the pop-up menu, select Restore.
Note: Double-clicking the title bar maximizes and restores a window.
Closing Windows
Closing a window ends a program or closes a file or folder.
To close a window:
 Click the Close button on the title bar:

OR
 Click on the program or folder icon on the title bar.
 From the pop-up menu, select Close.

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Resizing and Moving Windows
Resizing windows is useful if you want to view more than one window at a time.
To increase or decrease window width:
 Click and drag the left or right window border:
Moving a Window
 Click and drag the window title bar to the position you want.
OR
 Click on the program or folder icon on the title bar.
 From the pop-up menu, select Move:
 Click and drag the window title bar to the position you want.
Working with Accessories
About Notepad
Notepad is a program that is used for creating simple text documents.
Opening Notepad
 Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad.
Entering Text in Notepad
•Begin typing in the Notepad window:
Wrapping Text
When you type in Notepad, your text stays on one line so the Notepad document gets wider and
wider to accommodate the amount of text. To view all text, you need to use the horizontal scroll
bar. To have lines wrap at the end of a line and begin a new line when your text reaches the end
of the document window, you need to turn on Word Wrap.
To turn on Word Wrap:
From the Notepad main menu, select Format > Word Wrap.
Note: Text will move to different lines when you resize your Notepad window.
Saving a Notepad Document
 From the Notepad main menu, select File > Save. The first time you save a new
Notepad document, you will be prompted for a file name and a file location.
 Select a file location.
 Enter a file name.
 Click Save.
Printing a Notepad Document
 From the Notepad main menu, select File > Print. This opens the Print dialog box.
 Click Print.
Exiting Notepad
 From the Notepad main menu, select File > Exit.
Using Paint
Paint is a program that is used to create drawings and make basic edits to images.
Opening Paint
 Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint:
Drawing a Line with a Pencil
 Click the Pencil button on the Tool Box:

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  Click and drag your mouse on the drawing canvas:
Note: To change the color of a drawing tool, click a color in the Color Box.
Erasing a Drawing
 Click the Eraser/Colour Eraser button on the Tool Box:
 Click and drag your mouse over the drawings you want erased.
Opening an Existing Image
 From the Paint main menu, select File > Open.
 Locate and select the image you want to open.
 Click Open.
Saving an Image
 From the Paint main menu, select File > Save. The first time you save a new Paint
document, you will be prompted for a file name and a file location.
 Select a file location.
 Enter a file name.
 Click Save.
Exiting Paint
 From the Paint main menu, select File > Exit.
Introduction to MS Word
Microsoft Word is a word-processing tool that lets you create a variety of different documents
such as letters, single-file reports, multi-file reports, books, and web pages. With Microsoft
Word, you can format documents by creating headings, applying bullets, and numbering, and
adding tables, graphics and spreadsheets. You can also track document changes, merge versions,
and create indices and tables of contents.
Word files can be delivered in multiple formats. The two main file formats are .doc for
standard Word documents and .dot for Word templates.
Features of Microsoft Word
 Word Workspace: is the window in which you will do most of your word processing.
 The page area, which enables you type, edit, and format your document.
 The Main Menu and the Toolbars across the top of the screen, which contain all the
commands necessary for running Word.
 The Standard toolbar contains buttons that let you access common Word commands
easily
 The Formatting toolbar contains buttons that let you easily apply common formatting to
your document
 The Horizontal Ruler appears at the top edge of your document. You can use it to set
margins, indentations, and tabs in your document.
 The Office Assistant provides tips and suggestions for different tasks you are
performing. If you need information about Word or are unsure how to do something, you
can use the Office Assistant to find the information.
 The View buttons appear in the lower left corner of the Word window. They let you see
how your document looks in different formats.
 You can use the Drawing button to create, place and edit drawings in your document.
Editing text

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  Text can be entered manually anywhere on a blank page by double-clicking to place the
insertion point. Once entered, text can be cut and pasted into an area, and by selecting
the text, clicking and dragging, it can be moved anywhere on the page.
 AutoText can also be entered into a document, be it present and often-used greetings,
paragraph starters, etc.
 Attention Line: Allows you to insert a line stating that the letter is specifically for
someone.
 Closing: Allows you to select a closing line for a letter.
 Header/Footer: Allows you to select automatic headers and footers.
 Mailing Instructions: Allows you to select a specific instruction for handling.
 Reference Initials: Allows you to insert initials.
 Salutation: Allows you to select a greeting for a letter.
 Signature: Allows you to select an automatic signature.
 Signature Company: Allows you to select a company signature.
 Subject Line: Allows you to insert a subject line into the letter. Cutting, Copying and
Pasting
 You can use the Cut, Copy and Paste options to move text or other items in your
document.
Paragraph Formatting
 When formatting a paragraph, you should first decide how you want to align the text.
 Aligning text to the left means that each line of text starts at the left margin.
 Aligning text to the right means that each line of text starts at the right margin.
 Aligning text in the centre means the centre of each line is at the centre of the page.
 Justifying text means the text of each character in each line are spread out so the
paragraph aligns with both the left and right margins.
MicrosoftExcel
Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet and data analysis program in Office XP. It combines
incredible power with ease of use, giving professionals and occasional users the features they
need. Microsoft Excel is designed such that you can use it as a basic spreadsheet program and
learn more advanced skills as you need to. Excel automatically starts with a new Workbook
containing three Worksheets.
A Worksheet is essentially a very large table, consisting of rows and columns. Rows are
identified by numbers while columns are identified by letters. This is where you would enter
your data. Within Excel 2002, you can have up to 65,536 rows and up to 256 columns

A Workbook consists of one or more Worksheets. The name of the Worksheets is displayed on
the sheet tabs at the bottom of the Excel window. By default, the

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Worksheets in a new Workbook will be named Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3.
Excel File Types
Spreadsheet files
By default, Excel will save your Spreadsheet file with the .xlsextension. The Spreadsheet file
contains the Workbook and the Worksheets within the Workbook.
Template files
Templates can contain text, formulas, formatting, styles, macros, and custom toolbars. Templates
are especially useful for forms. This file format uses the extension .xlt
Working with the Excel window
The Excel window can be divided into five distinct areas:
Toolbars are located at the top under the Main Menu bar.
Formula Bar is located under the Toolbars.
The current Worksheet is the main area of the window.
Task Pane is the panel to the right of the Worksheet.
Status Bar is located at the bottom of the window.
You can put your mouse over a button or area to see the Tool Tip description of that button or
area.
Ranges
Ranges can be any rectangular area of Cells within a Worksheet. Excel identifies the Active Cell
with a bold outline around the Cell and highlighting the Column heading letter and Row heading
number of the Cell.
Entering a Formula
 Begin by clicking in the cell you want, making it the Active Cell.
 Type an equal (=) sign followed by the expression that will calculate the result you want.
 Press the Enter key to calculate the result.
 The following is an example: =A12+E8*2-F9/12
Note: The calculated value of a formula is displayed in the Worksheet cell. You can display the
formula in the Formula bar by making the cell active. If there is an error in the formula, the
upper-left corner will be marked with a green triangle and the cell will display a short error
message beginning with a # symbol. To see the complete error message, make the cell active to
display the Error Options icon. Place your mouse over the icon to see the complete error
message.
The following are the functions in the AutoSum drop-down menu:
 Sum: add the contents of the list of arguments.
 Average: determine the average value of the list of arguments.
 Count: count the number of values in the list of arguments.
 Max: return the maximum number in the list of arguments.
 Min: return the minimum number in the list of arguments.
Microsoft PowerPoint
PowerPoint is the presentation graphics program in Office. Professionals can create eye-
catching slides, handouts, outlines, and notes to deliver an impressive presentation.
Choosing between Presentation Types
A PowerPoint presentation can be delivered in many ways:
 Slide Show Presentation: A slide show presentation can utilize the special effects
available in PowerPoint including slide transitions, animations, sounds, timings, and
other on-screen features.

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  Online Presentation: Professionals can edit and review presentations online through
Microsoft NetMeeting, broadcast a presentation on the Web, or publishes a presentation
as a Web page.
 Printouts: Slide printouts deliver one slide per page which can be optimized by printing
in colour, pure black and white, or greyscale. The printed slides can be scaled, framed, or
have reviewer comments included.
 Overhead Transparencies: A presentation can be printed directly on to transparencies
using the same options as paper printouts.
 Supplemental Materials: Handouts, Notes Pages, and Outline Views can be printed and
distributed to an audience to support the PowerPoint presentation.
PowerPoint File Types
The following are some of the file types used in PowerPoint:
 Presentation (.ppt): By default, PowerPoint will save your presentation file with the .ppt
extension.
 PowerPoint Show (.pps): Saving a presentation as a PowerPoint Show with the
.ppsextension will always open your presentation as a slide show.
 Web Page (.htm, .html, .mht, .mhtml): PowerPoint allows you to save your
presentation as a Web page with the .htm or .html file extension, with an accompanying
folder containing associated files. Alternatively, you can save the presentation as a Web
archive that encapsulates the text and graphics into a single file. This file format uses the
.mhtor. mhtmlextension.
 Design Template (.pot): Custom Templates are useful when you often use the same style
in a presentation. You can save a presentation as a Design Template using the .pot
extension.
Working with the PowerPoint Window
The PowerPoint window can be divided into four distinct areas:
 The Slide Pane is the main area of the window. The Slide Pane is where you do the
majority of your work including entering text, inserting pictures and objects, and
animating your presentation.
 The Outline and Slides Tabs are to the left of the Slide Pane.
 The Task Pane is the panel to the right of the Slide Pane. The Task Pane lists some of
the most common tasks you may want to accomplish in
 PowerPoint. The task panes are descriptive to help you quickly locate the task you want.
 The Notes Pane is the panel underneath the Slide Pane
 Toolbars
 PowerPoint has 13 toolbars including the Task Pane. By default, the Standard,
Formatting, and Drawing toolbars are displayed. Most of the other toolbars are used
only for specific functionality in PowerPoint.
 The Standard toolbar provides quick access to commonly used actions. Each action is
represented by an icon. When you put your mouse pointer over an icon, it is highlighted
in blue and a descriptive tool tip appears. Click the icon/action you want to use.
 The Formatting toolbar provides quick access to commonly used formatting actions.
Each action is represented by an icon. When you put your mouse pointer over an icon, it
is highlighted in blue and a descriptive tool tip appears. Click the icon/action you want to
use.

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  The Drawing toolbar provides quick access to commonly used drawing actions. Each
action is represented by an icon. When you put your mouse pointer over an icon, it is
highlighted in blue and a descriptive tool tip appears. Click the icon/action you want to
use.
Computer Virus
A computer virus is a malicious program that self-replicates by copying itself to another
program. In other words, the computer virus spreads by itself into other executable code or
documents. The purpose of creating a computer virus is to infect vulnerable systems, gain admin
control and steal user sensitive data. Hackers design computer viruses with malicious intent and
prey on online users by tricking them.
How virus infect computers
 By accessing infected media
 Through downloading from internet
 Through email attachment
Signs of Virus Infection on computer
It is vital for any computer user to be aware of these warning signs:
 Slower system performance
 Pop-ups bombarding the screen
 Programs running on their own
 Files multiplying/duplicating on their own
 New files or programs in the computer
 Files, folders, or programs getting deleted or corrupted
 The sound of a hard drive
If you come across any of these above-mentioned signs, then there are chances that your
computer is infected by a virus or malware. Not to delay, immediately stop all the commands and
download an antivirus software. If you are unsure what to do, get the assistance of an authorized
computer personnel. If you are confident enough, start investigating on your own by following
the below mentioned step-by-step procedures.
Types of Computer Viruses
1. Boot Sector Virus: This type of virus infects the master boot record. To remove this
virus and often requires the system to be formatted. Mostly it spreads through removable
media.
2. Direct Action Virus: This is also called non-resident virus and it gets installed or stays
hidden in the computer memory. It stays attached to the specific type of files that it infect.
It does not affect the user experience and system’s performance.
3. Resident Virus: Unlike direct action viruses, resident viruses get installed on the
computer. It is difficult to identify the virus and it is even difficult to remove a resident
virus.
4. Multipartite Virus: This type of virus spreads through multiple ways. It infects both the
boot sector and executable files at the same time.
5. Polymorphic Virus: These types of viruses are difficult to identify with a traditional
anti-virus program. This is because the polymorphic viruses alter its signature pattern
whenever it replicates.
6. Overwrite Virus: This type of virus deletes all the files that it infects. The only possible
mechanism to remove is to delete the infected files and the end-user has to lose all the
contents in it. Identifying the overwrite virus is difficult as it spreads through emails.
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 7. Spacefiller Virus: This is also called “Cavity Viruses”. This is called so as they fill up
the empty spaces between the code and hence does not cause any damage to the file.
8. File infectors: Few file infector viruses come attached with program files, such as .com
or .exe files. Some file infector viruses infect any program for which execution is
requested, including .sys, .ovl, .prg, and .mnu files. Consequently, when the particular
program is loaded, the virus is also loaded. Besides these, the other file infector viruses
come as a completely included program or script sent in email attachments.
9. Macro viruses: As the name suggests, the macro viruses particularly target macro
language commands in applications like Microsoft Word. The same is implied on other
programs too.
10. Polymorphic Viruses: More and more cybercriminals are depending on the polymorphic
virus. It is a malware type which has the ability to change or mutate its underlying code
without changing its basic functions or features. This helps the virus on a computer or
network to evade detection from many antimalware and threat detection products.
How to avoid computer viruses and worms?
Here are some simple rules you can follow to avoid being infected by viruses through email.
• Do not open an email attachment unless you were expecting it and know whom it’s from.
• Do not open any unsolicited executable files, documents, spreadsheets, etc.
• Avoid downloading executable or documents from the internet, as these are often used to
spread viruses.
• Never open files with a double file extension, e.g. filename.txt.vbs. This is a typical sign
of a virus program.
• Do not send or forward any files that you haven’t virus-checked first
How to get rid of computer virus?
a. Effective anti-virus software installed on your computer to steer clear of all such threats.
b. Delete Temporary Files: In order to free the disk space, delete temporary files before
starting to run the virus scan. This approach helps speed up the virus scanning process.
The Disk Clean-up tool helps in deleting your temporary files on the computer.
c. Download Virus/Malware Scanner: If you are under the impression that a virus scanner
clean-up the bad stuff from your computer then sadly, that’s not true! It helps in
eliminating standard infections and not sufficient to remove the latest harmful infections.
d. Run a Virus/Malware Scan
e. Reinstall the Software or Damaged Files: Once the virus removal from your computer
is complete, go ahead and reinstall the files and programs that were damaged by the virus
or malware. Make use of the backups for re-installation.

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