1St Edition As Per C-20

Computer Fundamentals
Lab Manual
for
Diploma First Year Students
(Common to all Branches)

G. AMARNATH & N.DHANANJAYA

Price Rs. 198

Maanya’s M.G.B Publications

Hyderabad. Cell: 9290 429 549, Tirupati. Cell: 9000 3050 79
 Volume-I
Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
First Edition: Feb – 2021

© All Rights Reserved

Printing of books passes through many stages–writing, composing, proof

reading, printing etc. We try our level best to make the book error-free. If any
mistake has inadvertently crept in, we regret it and would be deeply indebted to
those who point it out. We do not take any legal responsibility.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or
transmitted in any form by any means - electronic, mechanical photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written, permission of the author and
publishers.

For Copies Please Contact

Maanyas M.G.B Publications
Hyderabad & Tirupati.

Cell No:
9290 429 549

Also Available at All Leading Book Shops

Name of the College: …………………………………………

Department of ………………………………………………

Certificate
Certified that this is the bonafide record of practical work done in the

Laboratory by MS/Mr…………………………………………………………….

a student of………………………………………………………………………..

with PIN No:………………...………….….during the year……….…………...

No. of Practicals Conducted

No. of Practicals Attended

Marks Awarded

Signature - LECTURER Signature - HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

Submitted for the Practical Examination held on: .………………………….……………………………….……

1. EXAMINER 2. EXAMINER
 Pointer
Sl.No. Date Name of the Experiment Page No.
 Pointer
Sl.No. Date Name of the Experiment Page No.
 Pointer
Sl.No. Date Name of the Experiment Page No.
 Pointer
Sl.No. Date Name of the Experiment Page No.
 Computer Fundamentals Lab
Learning Outcomes:
I. Computer Hardware Basics
1. To Familiarize with Computer system and hardware connections
2. To Start and Shut down Computer correctly
3. To check the software details of the computer
4. To check the hardware present in your computer
II. Windows’s operating system
1. To Explore Windows Desktop
2. Working with Files and Folders
3. Windows Accessories: Calculator – Notepad – WordPad – MS Paint
III. Practice with MS-WORD
1. To familiarize with Ribbon layout of MS Word
2. Home – Insert- Page layout – References – Review- View.
3. To practice Word Processing Basics
4. To practice Formatting techniques
5. To insert a table of required number of rows and columns
6. To insert Objects, Clipart and Hyperlinks
7. To use Mail Merge feature of MS Word
8. To use Equations and symbols features
IV.Practice with MS-EXCEL
1. To familiarize with MS-EXCEL layout
2. To access and enter data in the cells
3. To edit a spread sheet- Copy, Cut, Paste, and selecting Cells
4. To use built in functions and Formatting Data
5. To create Excel Functions, Filling Cells
6. To enter a Formula for automatic calculations
7. To sort and filter data in table.
8. To present data using Excel Graphs and Charts.
9. To develop lab reports of respective discipline.
10. To format a Worksheet in Excel, Page Setup and Print
V. Practice with MS-POWERPOINT
1. To familiarize with Ribbon layout features of PowerPoint 2007.
2. 24. To create a simple PowerPoint Presentation
3. To set up a Master Slide in PowerPoint
4. To insert Text and Objects
5. To insert a Flow Charts
6. To insert a Table
7. To insert a Charts/Graphs
8. To insert video and audio
9. To practice Animating text and objects
10. To Review presentation
VI. Practice with Adobe Photoshop
1. To familiarize with standard toolbox
2. To edit a photograph.
3. To insert Borders around photograph.
4. To change Background of a Photograph.
5. To change colors of Photograph.
6. To prepare a cover page for the book in your subject area.
7. To adjust the brightness and contrast of the picture so that it gives an elegant look.
8. To type a word and apply the shadow emboss effects.

Time schedule
No. of sessions
S.No. Chapter/Unit Title No.of Periods
each of 3 periods
duration
1 Computer hardware Basics 2 6

2 Windows Operating System 2 6

3 MS Word 8 24

4 MS Excel 7 21

5 MS PowerPoint 5 15

6 Adobe Photoshop 6 18

Total periods 30 90
1
Computer Hardware Basics

Lab:1
To Familiarize with Computer system and hardware
connections

Lab:2
To start and Shut down Computer correctly

Lab:3
To check the software details of the computer

Lab:4
To check the hardware present in your computer

M.G.B
Publications
1-2 Computer Hardware Basics

Lab To Familiarize with Computer system and

1 hardware connections
1.1. Aim
To Familiarize with Computer system and hardware connections
1.2. Resources Required
1. A Personal Computer
2. Tool kit
1.3. Theory
(a) Definition of Computer
 The term computer is derived from the Latin Word “Compute” which means to
calculate or to manipulate.
 Definition 1: A computer is an electronic device; it accepts data and instructions,
stores it in its memory, process and gives the results to the user.
 Definition 2: A computer is an electronic device which accepts the input and
after processing it gives output to the user.
 Definition 3: A computer is an electronic machine which converts raw data into
the meaningful information under program control.
 Definition 4: A computer is an electronic device which receives and stores a
large quantity of data in the form of symbols and numbers, and process them
at high speed as per the instructions given by the user and outputs the result
with a pre-selected degree of accuracy.
Do You Know?
1. A device that has one or more electronic components like diodes, transistors,
ICs, Microprocessors, is an “Electronic Device”.
2. All the inputs given to the computer are called “Raw Data”. In other words data
is anything (facts, figures, graphics etc.) we want the computer work on.
3. The result produced by the computer as per the instructions is known as
“Information”.
4. The command given to the computer to perform a particular task is known as
“Instruction”.
Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
Computer Hardware Basics 1-3
5. A set of instructions written in computer language is called “Program”.
6. A device that store information in electrical, magnetic or optical form is known
as “Memory”.
7. The data and instructions put into the computer for doing work together is
called the “Input”.
8. The work done by the computer on the input is called the “Process”.
9. The result/information that we get in the final form is called the “Output”.
10. “Processing” means converting the data into information.
11. User: The people who operate the computer.
12. A computer consists of input devices such as mouse, keyboard, etc, to enter
input data, a processor to process instructions and output devices such as
monitor, printer, etc, to display the output.

Activity 1: Identify various peripherals

Fig. 1.1

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-4 Computer Hardware Basics

Exercise 1: List the names of 5 input devices from the fig. 1.1.

1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Exercise 2: List the names of 3 output devices from the fig. 1.1.

1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Exercise 3: List the names of 4 storage devices from the fig. 1.1.
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Activity 2: Identifying the various Parts on the Front side System

Unit (CPU)

Fig. 1.2 (CPU Front side)

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
Computer Hardware Basics 1-5
Exercise 1: Write in the blanks the various parts are identified on the front side of
your system unit.
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Activity 3: State the Functioning of External Parts of System

Unit on the Front side.
The various parts of a computer on the front side of the system unit are listed
in table as shown below
Sl. No. Part of a Computer Function
Buttons
1 Power Button (ON/OFF) This is used to switch the power ON and
OFF.
2 Reset Button Sometimes a PC may HANG. That means,
it does not respond to any command. In
such cases, we can restart the PC by using
the reset button without disconnecting the
power. It makes the computer to work
again as usual.
3 Floppy Eject Button Floppy Eject button is used to eject the
inserted floppy in the Floppy Disk Drive
(FDD).
4 CD/DVD Eject Button CD/DVD Eject Button is used to eject the
inserted CD/DVD in the CD/DVD Disk
Drive.
Indicators Lights
1 Hard Disk Indicator
Light
2 Power Indicator Light
Indicator lights indicate the working of a
3 Floppy Disk Indicator particular component.
Light
4 CD/DVD Disk Indicator
Light

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-6 Computer Hardware Basics

Activity 4: To Identify the Various Components Inside the System

Unit (CPU).

Fig. 1.3 Internal parts of CPU

1. Motherboard
 All the electronic components in a PC are mounted on a PCB, called the
motherboard.
 A motherboard is also known as main board, system board, or logic board.
 Motherboard is the most important component in any personal computer.
 Motherboard contains almost every important component (ex: CPU, RAM, and
expansion cards) of the computer.
 The fig. 1.4 shows the layout of mother board.

Fig. 1.4
Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
Computer Hardware Basics 1-7
 The various parts shown in fig. 1.4 are listed in table.

Label No Label

1 Mouse & Keyboard Ports

2 USB(Universal Serial Bus) Ports

3 Parallel Port

4 CPU Chip

5 RAM Slots

6 Floppy Controller

7 IDE Controller

8 PCI Slot

9 ISA Slot

10 CMOS Battery

11 AGP Slot

12 CPU Slot

13 Power Supply Plug In

Exercise: 1 Identify the various components on your mother board and write in the
blanks.
1. ……………............. 2. ……………............. 3. …………….............4. …………….............
5. ……………............. 6. ……………............. 7. …………….............8. …………….............

2. Power Supply Box (SMPS).

 SMPS stands for Switch Mode Power Supply.
 The SMPS converts the normal house hold electric AC supply to  5V and  12V
DC supply.
 Usually  12V DC supply is connected to Motherboard, where as  5V DC
supply to other peripherals such as Floppy, Hard Disk etc.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-8 Computer Hardware Basics

Exercise: 1 Write the specifications marked on your SMPS in the blanks.

1. …………………………………. 2. ………………………………….
3. …………………………………. 4. ………………………………….

3. CPU or Microprocessor

 The CPU directs, coordinates and communicates with the hardware components
and performs all of the "thinking".
 CPU speed is measured by the number of completed instruction cycles per
second.
 Currently, CPU speeds range from 600 megahertz (MHz or million cycles per
second) to 4 gigahertz (GHz or billion cycles per second).
 The CPU is mounted on the motherboard, hidden under the cooling fan and
heat sink.
4. Chip Set
 Some of these chips control peripheral devices like FDDs, HDD etc, and some
others help the microprocessor to carry out its operations.
5. PCI slots
 The Peripheral Component Interconnect slots, commonly known as the PCI
slots.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-9
 These are used by the computer to connect peripheral devices, such as video
card, network cards, sound cards, TV tuners, graphics cards and many other
types of extension cards.

6. RAM Chips
 RAM (Random Access Memory) holds data and program instructions while the
CPU works with them.

 RAM chips can be installed individually directly on the motherboard or in banks

of several chips on a small board that plugs into the motherboard.
7. ROM Chips

 ROM (Read Only Memory) chips, which store the BIOS and other programs.
 Whenever the computer’s power is turned on, it reads the instructions from
ROM for directions that help in start up, and for information about its hardware
devices.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-10 Computer Hardware Basics

8. CMOS Battery
 CMOS stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor.
 It provides voltage to the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and to the system
clock.
9. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
 The hard drive and hard disks are one unity.
 A hard disk provides much greater storage capacity than a floppy disk or Zip
disk.
 Operating system, application software, utilities and data are stored on the hard
disk and the computer accesses them as needed.
 Its capacity is measured in terms of GB (Giga Bytes).

10. Floppy Disk Drive (FDD)

 The floppy disk drive is a device that records data onto a removable storage disk
called a floppy disk.

11. CD-ROM Drive

 CD-ROM stands for Compact Disc Read Only Memory.
 The CD-ROM drive is a device that reads information or music from a compact
disk (CD).
 A CD can store up to 700 MB of data.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-11
12. DVD Drive
 DVD stands for Digital Video Disk.
 A DVD has much storage capacity than CD. It can store around 4.7GB to 17GB of
data.
 DVD drives can also read CDs, now more common as a standard device on new
computer systems.

.
Activity 5: Identify and connect the cables used with computer
system
1. VGA Cable
 It is used to connect monitor/ LCD projector to your PC or Laptop.

2. IDE Cable
 IDE stands for Integrated Drive Electronics.
 These are data transmission cables used for transfer of data.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-12 Computer Hardware Basics

3. SATA Cable
 SATA stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment.
 Using these cables we connect Hard disk drives, CD/DVD drives to mother
board.

4. Power Cables
 SMPS Power Cables: These are used to give power to mother board and
various computer parts.
 Monitor Power Cable: It is used to give power to monitor.

SMPS Power Cables Monitor Power Cable

5. P/S2 Cables
 A PS/2 connection is a type of connection used on mouse or keyboards.
 It is a circular plug, compiling of 6 small silver pins and 1 black central pin.
 In most cases, PS/2 connections on mouse are green in color and purple on keyboards.

6. USB cable
 USB connections can be used for a variety of things such as memory sticks, printer
connections, mouse, keyboards etc.
 They are flat rectangular plugs.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-13
7. Printer Cables ( USB cables, Serial & Parallel)
 Printer cables enable communication between the computer and the printer.
 There are different types of printer cables--serial cables (RS-232, EIA-422), parallel
cables, and USB (Universal Serial Bus) cables.
 The most commonly used printer cables for home computing are the USB printer cables.
They are easy to use and only require to be plugged in.
 However, in bigger printing needs, such as in multi-user companies, the serial cables or
parallel cables are very common.

Activity 6: Identify various ports on CPU and connect Keyboard

& Mouse (or) Identifying the various Parts back side of System Unit.

Fig. 1.5 (CPU back side)

Exercise 1: Write in the blanks the various parts are identified on the backside of
your system unit.
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-14 Computer Hardware Basics

Exercise 2: Identify and list 4 ports on back side of system unit.

1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Activity 7: State the Functioning of External Parts of System

Unit on the Back side.
This fig. 1.5 shows the various parts of a computer on the back side of the
system unit are listed in the following table.

Sl. No. Parts of a Computer Description

Cooling System

1 Computer Fan  This is used to prevent over-heating.

Computer components generate heat
and must be kept as cool as possible.
 The computer fan is the primary
source of cooling for your computer.
 It is the key to a long life for the
computer.

Sockets

2 Power Sockets  Through these sockets, power is

supplied to the computer.

Ports

3 PS/2 Ports(Keyboard  The PS/2 ports are used to plug

and mouse ports) computer mouse and keyboards into
personal computer.
 It consists of 6 pins in small and round
shape socket.
 The PS2 ports are color-coded.
 The purple connector is for the
keyboard.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-15
 The green connector is for the mouse.

4 VGA port  VGA port has 15-pin as shown in fig.

1.33.
 This port is used to connect a monitor
or other VGA-compatible devices.

5 Audio ports  These ports are used to connect

speakers, Micro phone and Head
phones to the computer.
 The audio jacks are the most confusing
connectors on the back panel.
 Although the jacks are sometimes
color-coded, green port is used to
connect speakers, blue port is used to
connect headphones and light orange
is used to connect microphone.

6 Universal serial bus  USB (Universal Serial Bus) port is a

(USB) port plug-and-play hardware interface for
connecting peripherals such as the
keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner,
printer and modem. Without adding
an adapter card.
 These ports are replacement for
parallel and serial ports.

7 Ethernet Port  Ethernet port is used to connect a

computer on network through RJ-45
connector.

8 Parallel port  As shown in the fig. 1.33 parallel port

with 25-pins can be used to connect a
parallel port printer.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-16 Computer Hardware Basics

 Previously dot matrix, ink jet, bubble

jet printers etc were connected to
parallel port.
 Nowadays-parallel port is used to
connect Dot-Matrix printers

9 Serial port  It is a general-purpose

communications port, through which
data is passed serially, that is, one bit
at a time.
 These ports are used for transmitting
data over long distances.
 In the past, most digital cameras were
connected to a computer’s serial port
in order to transfer images to the
computer.
 However, because of its slow speed
these ports are used with computer
mouse and modem.

Result:…………………………………………………………..……………
……………………………………………………………………………….

Viva Voice Questions

1. What is a computer?

2. Write 5 important peripherals.

3. List parts on the front side system unit (CPU)

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-17
4. What are the various components inside the system unit (CPU)

5. Give 5 important cables used with computer system

6. What are the various parts back side of system unit

7. What is mother board? Why it is so called?

8. What are the functions of the Microprocessor?

9. List the types of RAM and ROM.

10. How can you measure memory capacity?

11. What is the use of CD-ROM drive?

12. Why secondary memory is important in a computer?

13. What does DDR3 mean?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-18 Computer Hardware Basics

Lab To start and Shut down Computer correctly

2
2.1. Aim
To start and shut down Computer correctly
2.2. Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP/Windows 10 Operating system
2.3. Theory

Choose strong passwords

Protect your devices and accounts from intruders by choosing passwords that
are hard to guess. Use strong passwords with at least eight characters, a
combination of letters, numbers and special characters. Don't use a word that can
easily be found in a dictionary or any reference to personal information, such as
a birthday. For example, HmWc@w2—How much wood could a woodchuck
chuck.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-19
Choose unique passwords for each online account you use: financial institution,
social media, or email. If you have too many passwords to remember, consider
using password manager software, which can help you create strong individual
passwords and keep them secure.

2.4. Procedure
Activity 1: Switching ON (Starting) a Computer
You should follow the steps given below to start the computer.
Step 1: “Switch ON” the main power supply button.
Step 2: “Switch ON” the power button on the UPS (UPS is a device that keeps the
computer ON even after the electricity goes OFF).
Step 3: “Switch ON” the power button on the Monitor.
Step 4: “Switch ON” the power button on the CPU.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-20 Computer Hardware Basics

OR

Step 5: Enter the correct password in the given area and click on Go button. If
entered password is correct, the computer starts.
Do You Know?
1. If entered password is incorrect, the computer informs you that it is a wrong
password and prompts for correct one.
2. Password is used to protect a computer from intruders or hackers. Some
computers need to enter a secret password to open the computer.
3. Do remember that password is case-sensitive i.e., lower case and upper case
letters differ. Example: 'MAANYAS MGB' and ' maanyas mgb’ are different
words.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-21
Activity 2: Switching OFF (shut down) a Computer
After completing your work on the computer, always remember to close the
computer. Closing the computer means to shut it down or turn it off. To shut down
the computer, carryout the follow steps:
Step 1: Click the “Start” button. A menu appears on the screen as shown in fig. 2.1.
Step 2: Click the “Turn OFF Computer” option.

Fig. 2.1
Step 3: A dialog box appears as shown in fig. 2.2. Click the “Turn Off” button.
Wait until the computer shuts down.
Note: To “Switching ON” the computer again, just press the reset button on the
front of the system cabinet. The computer automatically starts working and starts
working and starts loading the windows program. The desktop appears after few
minutes.
Step 4: Now “Switch OFF” the power button on the Monitor.
Step 5: “Switch OFF” the power button on the CPU.
Step 6: “Switch OFF” the power button on the UPS.
Step 7: “Switch OFF” the main power supply button.

Fig. 2.2

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-22 Computer Hardware Basics

Result:…………………………………………………………..……………
……………………………………………………………………………….

Viva Voice Questions

1. How can you start a computer?

2. Why password should be entered to start a computer?

3. What is meant by Booting?

4. What do you mean by the shutdown?

5. What is the shortcut to shut down a system?

6. What will happen if you do not start or shut down the computer properly?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-23

Lab To check the software details of the computer

3
3.1. Aim
To check the software details of the computer
3.2. Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP/Windows 10 Operating system
3.3. Theory
 In computer terminology, all computer peripherals are referred to as
hardware and all computer programs are known as software.
 The differences between the Hardware and Software are given in the
following table.

Sl. No. Hardware Software

1 Computer parts that we can Computer parts that we cannot

touch or feel are called the touch or feel are called the computer
computer hardware. software.

3 Hardware works based on Software tells the hardware what to

the instructions of the do.
software.

4 Hardware components are Software is generally costlier as

less expensive. compare to hardware.

 System software is designed to manage and control the hardware components

and to provide a platform for running application software
 Applications software (also known as 'apps') are designed to help the user to
perform specific tasks.
 Hardware works based on the instructions of the software.
 Hardware components are less expensive.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-24 Computer Hardware Basics

Some common and important software are shown in fig. 3.1.

Fig. 3.1
Exercise : List down the various software’s used in your PC.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-25
3.4. Procedure
Activity - 1: To check the software details of the computer
Step 1: Double Click on “My Computer” icon.

Windows XP Windows 7 Windows 10

Step 2: Open “Local Disk(C:)”

Step 3: Click on “Program Files” folder.

Then it will display the following window.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-26 Computer Hardware Basics

Activity - 2 : To find the details of Operating System being used

Step 1: Move the mouse pointer on to the “My Computer” icon located on
desktop.
Step 2: Press the “Right Mouse Button” once to single click. It opens a pop-up
menu as shown in fig. 3.2.

Fig. 3.2
Step 3: In that pop-up menu, select “Properties” option. It opens a window similar
to the following (fig. 3.3).

Fig. 3.3: Windows XP

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-27
Exercise: Note down the software details from your computer.
1. Operating System …………………………………………..
2. Version ………………………………………………………
3. Name ………………………………………………………...
4. Serial No. …………………………………………………….
5. Micro Processor …………………………………………......
6. Processor Speed …………………………………………….
7. RAM Capacity or Size ……………………………………...
8. RAM Speed ………………………………………………….

Fig. 3.4: Windows 10

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-28 Computer Hardware Basics

Activity - 3 : To find the details of Service Pack installed

Step 1: Click “Start” and click “Run”.

Fig. 3.5 Windows XP

Step 2: Type “winver.exe” in the Run dialog box and click OK. If RUN is not
available, the PC is running Windows 7 or later. Windows 7: Type "winver" in the
"search programs and files" textbox.

Fig. 3.6 Windows 7

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-29
Windows 10: Type "winver" in the "Type here to search" textbox.

Fig. 3.7 Windows 10

Step 3: The Windows Service Pack information is available in the pop-
up window that appears.
Step 4: Click “OK” to close the pop-up window.
Do You Know?
 A service pack (SP) is a Windows update, often combining previously
released updates, that helps make Windows more reliable.
 Service packs can include security and performance improvements
and support for new types of hardware.
 Make sure you install the latest service pack to help keep Windows up.
 “Winver” is a command that displays the version of Windows that is
running, the build number and what service packs are installed.
Result:…………………………………………………………..………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-30 Computer Hardware Basics

Viva Voice Questions

1. What is software?

2. List types of software’s?

3. What is an operating system?

4. Name any 3 operating systems.

5. What is system software?

6. What is application software?

7. Name any three operating systems developed by Microsoft.

8. How can you check the software’s installed in your system?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-31

Lab To check the hardware present in your

4 computer
4.1. Aim
To check the hardware present in your computer
4.2. Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP/Windows 10 Operating system
4.3. Theory
 In computer terminology, all computer peripherals are referred to as
hardware and all computer programs are known as software.
 Some popular and common hardware are shown in fig. 4.1.

Fig. 4.1
Exercise : List down the various Hardware components used in your PC.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-32 Computer Hardware Basics

a) CPU name
 A central processing unit, or CPU, is a piece of hardware that enables your
computer to interact with all of the applications and programs installed.
 Every computer contains at least one processor, also known as a CPU or
central processing unit. Your computer’s CPU is probably made by Intel or
AMD.
b) Clock speed
 CPU clock speed is a good indicator of your processor’s performance.
 CPU speed indicates the number of instructions per second the CPU (central
processing unit) can process. This speed is typically given in Giga hertz
(GHz).
 Processor cores and clock speeds determine how much information can be
received at a time, and how quickly that information can be processed on
your computer.
 The speed at which your computer’s cores and clock speed work together is
considered its processing speed.
d) Device manager
 Device Manager is used to manage the hardware devices installed in a
computer like hard disk drives, keyboards, sound cards, USB devices, and
more.
 You can use Device Manager to change hardware configuration options,
manage drivers, disable and enable hardware, identify conflicts between
hardware devices, and much more.
 Think of Device Manager as the primary list of hardware that Windows
understands. All the hardware on your computer can be configured from this
centralized utility.
 Device Manager can be accessed in several different ways in all versions of
Windows, most commonly from the Control Panel, the Command Prompt, or
Computer Management. However, a few of the newer operating
systems support some unique ways for opening Device Manager.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-33
Activity 1: Find the CPU name, Clock Speed & RAM details
Windows XP
Step 1: Move the mouse pointer on to the “My Computer” icon located on
desktop.
Step 2: Press the “Right Mouse Button” once to single click. It opens a pop-up
menu.
Step 3: In that pop-up menu, select “Properties” option. It opens a window similar
to the following (fig. 4.2).

Fig. 4.2: Windows XP

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-34 Computer Hardware Basics

Windows 10
Step 1: Click on Start button

Step 2: Navigate to Settings  System About.

Step 3: Look under “Device specifications.”

The name of your computer’s processor and its speed are displayed to the right of
“Processor.”
Do You Know? You can press Windows+i to open the Settings app quickly. You can
also press the Windows key, type “About” to search your Start menu for this
settings screen, and click the “About This PC” shortcut that appears.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-35
Activity 2: Find the details of Hard disk present

Step 1:
 In Windows 7/10 in the search box, enter “msinfo32”.
*Note: In Windows XP, from the Start menu, select Run..., and then enter “msinfo32”.
 It will show you “System information” window.
 In that it will display the “Hardware Resources”, “Components”, etc.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-36 Computer Hardware Basics

Step 2:

 Click on the plus sign of the “Components”.

 Click on the plus sign of the “Storage.

 Click on “Disks” option under storage. It opens the following window.
Activity 3: Access Device manager using Control Panel and
check the status of devices like mouse and key board
Windows XP
Step 1: Move the mouse pointer on to the “My Computer” icon located on
desktop.
Step 2: Press the “Right Mouse Button” once to single click. It opens a pop-up
menu as shown in fig. 4.3.

Fig. 4.3
Step 3: In that pop-up menu, select “Properties” option.
Step 4: Click on “Hardware Tab”. It opens a window as shown in fig. 4.4.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-37

Fig. 4.4
Step 5: In that window, click on “Device Manager” button. It opens a window as
shown in fig. 4.5.

Fig. 4.5

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-38 Computer Hardware Basics

Step 6: Click on the plus sign of the “Computer”. It displays: “ACPI

Uniprocessor PC”.

Step 7: Click on the plus sign of the “Disk Drives”. It displays: SAMSUNG
SP0822N

Step 8: Click on the plus sign of the “DVD/CD-ROM drives”. It displays: “HL-
DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H10N, NERO IMAGEDRIVE2 SCSI CD - Rom Device”.

Step 9: Click on the plus sign of the “Keyboards”. It displays: “Standard

101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard”.

Step 10: Click on the plus sign of the “Mice and other pointing devices”. It
displays: “Microsoft PS/2 Mouse”.

Step 11: Click on the plus sign of the “Monitors”. It displays: “Plug and Play
Monitor”.

Step 12: Click on the plus sign of the “Processors”. It displays: “Intel(R)
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz”.

Windows 10

Steps 1: Type “Control Panel” in type here to search box and press enter. It will
open Control Panel window.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-39

Steps 2: Click on “Hardware and Sound ”. It will open Hardware and sound
window.
Steps 3: Click on “Device manager”.

Step 4: Click on the sign of the “Keyboards”. It displays: “HID Keyboard

Device”.
Step 5: Click on the plus sign of the “Mice and other pointing devices”. It
displays: “HID-compliant mouse”.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

1-40 Computer Hardware Basics

Result:…………………………………………………………..……………
……………………………………………………………………………….

Viva Voice Questions

1. What is Hardware?

2. What are the most commonly used hardware’s in our computer?

3. What are the differences between hardware and software?

4. How can you differentiate software and hardware?

5. What is computer name?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Computer Hardware Basics 1-41
6. What is clock speed?

7. What is RAM?

8. What is Hard disk?

9. Write the differences between RAM & Hard disk?

10. Why a clock is needed for a computer?

11. What is device management?

12. What details does device manager give you about a device?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2
Windows Operating System

Lab: 1
Explore Windows Desktop

Lab: 2
Working with Files and Folders

Lab: 3
Windows Accessories: Calculator – Notepad –
WordPad – MS Paint

M.G.B
Publications
2-2 Windows Operating System

Lab To explore windows desktop

1
a) Aim
To start and shut down Computer correctly
b) Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP Operating system
c) Theory
1) Windows XP
 Windows XP (Windows eXPerience) is an operating system that was first
released on October 25, 2001, by Microsoft and designed to help bridge the gap
between Windows 9x/ME and Windows NT/2000.
 The Windows XP upgrade was available for Windows 98, ME, and 2000 users.
 The two primary versions of Windows XP are Windows XP Home Edition and
Windows XP Professional.
 Home Edition - Full or upgrade and only 32-bit.
 Professional - Full or upgrade and 32-bit or 64-bit.
2) Windows 7
 Windows 7 is an operating system released by Microsoft on October 22, 2009. It
follows the previous (sixth) version of Windows, called Windows Vista.
 An operating system allows your computer to manage software and perform
essential tasks.
 It is also a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows you to visually interact
with your computer‘s functions in a logical, fun, and easy way.
3) Windows 10
 Windows 10 is a Microsoft operating system for personal computers, tablets,
embedded devices and internet of things devices.
 Microsoft released Windows 10 in July 2015 as a follow-up to Windows 8.
4) Start Menu
 Start menu is the main gateway to open the computer's programs, folders, and
settings.
 As it provides a list of choices it is called menu.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

ComputerOperating
Windows Hardware System
Basics 2-3
 Start menu is mainly used to
o Start programs
o Open commonly used folders
o Search for files, folders, and programs
o Adjust computer settings
o Get help with the windows operating system
o Turn off the computer
o Log off from Windows or switch to a different user account
Do You Know?
 Click on ―Start button” placed on the bottom left corner to open the start menu or
press the start button (or windows button) on the key board.

Windows XP Windows 7 Windows 10

5) Taskbar
 A taskbar is a bar displayed on an edge of a GUI desktop that is used to launch
and monitor running applications.
 This is placed at the bottom of the window desktop.
 Task Bar Contains:
o Start button
o Quick launch
o Opened application programs
o Notification area
o System date and time
a) Windows XP Taskbar

M.G.B Publications 

Computer Fundamentals Lab ManualFundamentals Lab
Computer
Manual
2-4 Windows Operating System

b) Windows 7 Taskbar

c) Windows 10 Taskbar

Windows 7 Taskbar
6) Icons
 An icon is a graphic image, a small picture or object that represents a file,
program, web page, or command.
 Icons help you execute commands, open programs or documents quickly.
 To execute a command by using an icon, click or double-click on the icon.
 Icon image are very helpful to quickly recognize a file. Icon representation will
vary as the file changes.
 Shortcuts are easy way to open an application. These are placed on the quick
launch tool bar to easily and quickly open an application.
7) Task manager
 Task manager shows you the programs, processes, and services that are currently
running on your computer.
 Task manager is used to monitor your computer's performance or to close a
program that is not responding.
 If you are connected to a network, you can also use it to view network status and
network functionality.
 If more than one user is connected to your computer, you can see who is
connected, what they are working on, and you can send them a message through
Task manager.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

ComputerOperating
Windows Hardware System
Basics 2-5
8) Help support
 Help and Support Centre is an electronic reference manual on Microsoft
Windows that tries to answer queried problems while troubleshooting.
 It provides both offline and online manuals, and has been included with
Windows operating system itself.
 Offline manual can be opened and used without connecting to the Internet, and
the online manual can be used only when the computer is connected to the
Internet.
Activity 1: To Familiarize with Start Menu, Taskbar and Icons
Windows XP
 When we switch ON the computer, a colorful background having many pictures
appears on the monitor. It is called the Desktop (The first screen that appears
when you start your computer).
 The following are the important things on the desktop.
o Start button
o Wallpaper
o Icons
o Taskbar

Fig. (a) Windows XP

1. Start button
 To begin exploring Windows XP, click the Start button. When you click
the Start button, the Start menu appears.
 The Start menu is your gateway to the applications on your computer.
M.G.B Publications 
Computer Fundamentals Lab ManualFundamentals Lab
Computer
Manual
2-6 Windows Operating System

 The left side of the Start menu lists programs, while the right side allows
access to common Windows folders (My Documents, for example).
2. Wallpaper
 Wallpaper is the background image on the desktop on the computer. It can be
easily changed.
Note: Screen Saver is an image seen on the computer when it is idle for a
specified time.
3. Icons
 Icons are the small pictures on the desktop that represent the programs, files,
folders, etc. By clicking the mouse button twice on an icon, we can open a
program.
4. Taskbar
 Taskbar is a long rectangular bar present at the bottom of the desktop.
 It has three main Components: Start Button, Quick Launch Bar and System
Tray.
5. Recycle Bin
 Deleted files or folders are temporarily stored in the Recycle Bin.
Windows 7

Fig. (b) Windows 7

As soon as a computer system is switched ON, it will first load the operating
system from the memory for a few seconds, before it is ready for use. When the

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

ComputerOperating
Windows Hardware System
Basics 2-7
loading of operating system is completed the log on screen will be displayed as
shown in fig. (b).
Windows 10

Fig. (c) Windows 10

1. Desktop: The total screen area of a monitor is known as a desktop.
2. Desktop Icon: An icon on the desktop represents a program or Windows
7/10 feature. A program you install often adds its own icon on the desktop.
3. Mouse Pointer: When you move your mouse, this pointer moves along with
it.
4. Taskbar: The programs you have open appear in the taskbar. You use this
area to switch between programs if you have more than one running at a
time.
5. Start button: You use this button to start programs and launch many of
Windows 7's features.
M.G.B Publications 
Computer Fundamentals Lab ManualFundamentals Lab
Computer
Manual
2-8 Windows Operating System

6. Start Menu: Start menu list all the installed programs in the computer
7. Time and Date: It displays the current date and time. To see the full date,
position the mouse over time. To change the date or time, click the time.
8. Notification Area: This area displays small icons that notify you about
things that are happening on your computer. for example, you see
notifications if your printer runs out of paper or if an update to Windows 7 is
available over the internet.
9. Taskbar icon: You use this button to start programs and launch many of
the Windows 7 features.
Exercise: 1 List the various icons on your computer desktop.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Exercise: 2 Arrange icons on the desktop by
1. Name
2. Size
3. Item type
4. Date modified
Activity 2: To Study the Keyboard Shortcuts for Navigating
Windows 10
Press This To Do This
1. Windows Logo Toggle the Start menu

2. Windows Logo+A Open the Notifications pane

3. Windows Logo+D Minimize all open windows to display the
desktop
4. Windows Logo+E Run File Explorer
5. Windows Logo+M Minimize all windows
6. Windows Logo+R Open the Run dialog box
7. Windows Logo+T Activate the taskbar icons (use the arrow
keys to navigate the icons)
8. Windows Logo+W Activate the Search box

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-2 Windows Operating System

Activity 3: To Access application programs using Start menu

Windows XP
Step 1: Click “Start button”.
Step 2: Click on ―All Programs”.
Step 3: Slide your mouse pointer until you've selected the program you want to
open (it turns blue).

The ―WordPad” window is displayed on the screen as shown in fig.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-3
Step 4: If you want close that application, click on Close button on top right
corner of the window.
Windows 10
 To see a list of your apps, select Start and scroll through the alphabetical list.
 Some apps are in folders within the app list—like Notepad, which is in
the Windows Accessories folder.

Activity 4: To Access application programs using Task

manager
Windows XP / Windows 10
 Task Manager provides information about the programs and processes running
on your computer and the performance of your computer.
 You can use Task Manager to start programs, to stop programs and processes,
and to view a dynamic view of your computer's performance.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-4 Windows Operating System

 To open Task Manager (Windows XP or Windows 7/10), take any of the

following actions:
Method 1: Step 1: Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE,
Step 2: click Task Manager.
Method 2: Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.
Method 3: Step 1: Right-click on an empty area of the taskbar.
Step 2: Click Task Manager.

Fig. Windows XP Fig. Windows 10

Fig. Windows XP

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-5
 A window named “Window Task manager” will be opened.
 By default Task Manager will allow the currently running applications and
their working status.
 If you click on ―Processes”, it will show all the currently running processes,
process's respective user who started that process, its CPU usage and its
Memory usage.
 If you click on ―Performance”, it will show the CPU usage history graphically.
 If you click on ―Networking”, it will show all the network Connection
connected to the computer and their usage history.
 If you click on ―User”, it will show all the users connected to the computer,
and their working status.
 If you want to close application, click on that application and click on “End
Task” button to close that application.

Fig. Windows 10

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-6 Windows Operating System

Activity 5: To access the Help and Support Center

Windows XP
Step 1: Click Start Help and Support.
Step 2: The Help and Support Center window opens.
Step 3: The home section is displayed.
Note: Key board short cut for Help in any application is F1. Just pressing F1 will
open the Help window.
 A window opens showing the help topics and tutorials.
 You can select a predefined help topic on the left pane or you can search for
the topic you want by searching it in the given search box on top left of the
window and click on Go button to search for that specified topic.
 If you want Help in any window application, click on Help in the menu bar
and click of Help topics.
 A tutorial will be opened respective to the application.

Note:
 When you get to the Help and Support Center, you arrive in the home section.
Here, you can pick a help topic or task, search, and ask for outside assistance.
 Notice that the home section looks and acts much like a webpage.
 As you use Help, notice that some Help files are stored on your computer,
whereas others are stored on the Internet.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-7
Windows 10
To get help in Windows 10

Fig. Method - 1

Fig. Method – 2

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-8 Windows Operating System

 Windows 10 includes a Get Help application that can provide solutions to

many problems.
Method - 1: Click the Start button, type “Get Help” and click the ―Get
Help‖ shortcut that appears or press Enter.
Method - 2: You‘ll find it in your Start menu. You can also scroll through
the list of applications at the left side of the Start menu and click the ―Get
Help‖ shortcut.

Viva Voice Questions

1. Which operating system is loaded in your computer?

2. What is operating system?

3. What are the functions of operating system?

4. What is task bar?

5. What are the components of task bar?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-9
6. What is the use of start menu?

7. What are the components of start menu?

8. What is task manager?

9. What does task manager show?

10. What is Help centre?

11. What are the components of Help and Support Centre?

12. What is the need of Help in an application?

13. How to access application programs such as calculator, MS-Word, MS-excel

etc.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-10 Windows Operating System

Lab Working with Files and Folders

2

Lab 2-1: Exercise on creation of folders and organizing files in

different folders
Date: ……………………
a) Aim
a) To create a new folder on desktop
b) To create a new folder in a specified location
c) To copy & move the files and folders
d) To Exercise on creation of shortcut to files and folders (in other folders) on
Desktop
e) To Exercise on arranging of icons – name wise, size, type, Modified
f) To Exercise on searching of files and folders
b) Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows -XP
c) Theory
A computer system consists of hardware and software. To manage these, it
needs an operating system. The operating system is system software that makes the
other programs or applications of the computer run.
1. File
1. All work that we do on a computer is stored on it in the form of Files.
2. File is a set of logically related data. Files contain information like text,
graphics and numeric data. Initially they are created in the memory of the
computer and then saved on storage devices.
3. Each file must have a name. The name has two parts – file name and
extension name.
4. The name can be up to 256 characters long and extension can be up to 3
characters long. The name and extension are must be separated by a dot.
5. The file extension indicates what type of file is and what application it is
associated with. For example, a file extension ―.doc” is likely to be a
document created using Microsoft Word.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-11
6. When we install a new application, its setup procedure automatically tell
windows what file extension it uses.
7. The commonly used extensions are: ―.xls” for MS Excel spreadsheet,
―.mdb” for MS Access database, ―.txt” for simple text file, ―.wav” for
sound files, ―.avi” for audio or video files, ―.bmp” for bitmap graphic files,
―.exe” for program executable files, ―.dll” for program files, and ―.com” for
program files.
*Note: Each file has a name, a location, and a length, and usually a date on
when it was last changed. Files can be stored in several places like Floppy
Disks, Hard Disks etc.
2. Folder
1. A Folder is used to put similar files together.
2. You can also create folders inside a folder called Sub Folders. For example,
if you have a folder named ―M.G.B Publications‖ then you can create
folders such as Text Books, Lab Manuals, and Study Materials for holding
various files in these folders. Here Text Books, Lab Manuals, and Study
Materials are called subfolders.
3. In order to store the required files under a particular folder just drag the
file with mouse and put on the folder. The file automatically gets inserted
into that folder. This process can be continued till all the files and other
subfolders are kept in that folder.
4. A Folder can be created to provide a very convenient and useful method of
storing files and subfolders in an organized way on a computer‘s hard
drive or on a removable drive.
*Note: Give different names to different folders help you to find different
documents quickly. Thus, a folder or directory is used to organize your
data by grouping related files in one area on your hard drive and diskettes.
Activity 1: To create a Folder on Desktop

Fig. 2.1

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-12 Windows Operating System

Step 1: Move the pointer to the place where icons are not present on desktop.
Step 2: Right-click the mouse button on the desktop. It opens a pop-up menu as
shown in fig. 2.1.
Step 3: Move the pointer to ―New” option. It opens a sub menu as shown in fig.
2.2.

Fig. 2.2
Step 4: Move the pointer to ―Folder” option and ―click”. Then folder is created on
desktop as shown in fig. 2.3.

Fig. 2.3
Note: Now you can view a folder that has the name ―New Folder”. This is the name
that Windows gives new folders by default.
Step 5: Type the name for the folder, and then press ―Enter” key or click outside
the folder. Then a new folder is created on desktop as shown in fig. 2.4.

Fig. 2.4

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-13
Activity 2: To create a Folder on Specified location
Step 1: Double click on (―My Computer”) icon on desktop.
Step 2: Double click the drive you want (C: or D: or E: or F: drive except CD/DVD
drive).
Step 3: Under ―File and Folder Tasks”, click ―Make a new folder” hyperlink
or
Repeat the ―Steps 1 to 5” as discussed in ―Activity 1”.
or
On the ―File” menu, point to ―New” and select ―Folder” option.
Activity 3: To Copy Files and Folders
Step 1: Select the file or folder you want to copy.
Step 2: Right click on the selected file or folder. It opens a pop-up menu as shown
in fig. 2.5.
Step 3: Select ―Copy” option from the pop-up menu.
Step 4: Select the destination location where you want to copy the file or folder.
Step 5: Right click on the mouse. It opens a pop-up menu. In that pop-up menu
select Paste option.

Fig. 2.5
Note: A file or folder can be copied from one location to another simply by dragging
its location.
Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
2-14 Windows Operating System

Activity 4: To move/shift Files and Folders

Moving a file or folder means copying the element to the desired location
and then deleting its original location. The following steps are very similar.
Step 1: Select the file or folder you want to move.
Step 2: Right click on the selected file or folder. It opens a pop-up menu as shown
in fig. 2.5.
Step 3: In the pop-up menu, select ―Cut” option or press ―Ctrl + X”.
Step 4: Select the desired location where you want to copy the file or folder.
Step 5: Right click on the mouse. It opens a pop-up menu. In that pop-up menu
select Paste option or press ―Ctrl + V”.
Activity 5: To create shortcuts to files and folders (in other
folders) on desktop.
Step 1: Browse to the file/folder on your hard disk for which you want to create a
shortcut.
Step 2: Right-click the file/folder for which you want to create a shortcut.
Step 3: Select Create Shortcut from the menu.
Step 4: Drag (Ctrl+x and Ctrl+V) the shortcut to the desktop or any other folder.

Folder Shortcut to folder

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-15
Activity 6: To arrange icons by Name, size, type and modified
Step 1: Right-click the desktop
Step 2: Point to Arrange Icons By, and then click one of the commands on the
submenu, as explained in the table below.

Click To

Name Arrange icons in alphabetical order by the icon name.

Size Arrange icons in order of file size. If the icon is a shortcut to a

program, the size refers to the size of the shortcut file.

Type Arrange icons in order of type. For example, if you have shortcuts to
several PowerPoint presentations on your desktop, these will be
arranged next to each other.

Modified Arrange icons in the order that the shortcut was last modified.

Activity 7: Searching for Files and Folders

Step 1: Click “Start” button on the taskbar or press F3.
Step 2: Click on ―Search” option. It opens a dialog box as shown in fig. (a).
Note: First we need to choose one of the options presented, depending on what we
are looking for: Pictures…, Documents…, All files and folders..., Hardware...etc.
Step 3: Choosing ―All files and folders” a screen will appear as shown in fig. (b).
Note: If you do not see ―All files and folders”, you have probably changed your
default search behavior using the following steps.
 Click ―Change preferences”.
 Click ―Change files and folders search behavior”.
 Click ―Standard”, and then click ―OK”.
 Click ―All files and folders”.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-16 Windows Operating System

Fig. (a)

Fig. (b)

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-17
Step 4: Type part or full of the file or folder name in ―All or part of the file name”
box. For example, type ―Songs” as shown in fig. (c).
Step 5: Type a word or phrase that is in the file in ―A word or phrase in the file”
box. For example, type letter S as shown in fig. (c).
Note: It is not always convenient to use this box because this significantly slows
down the process as it looks for that word or phrase in each file.
Step 6: In ―Look in” box, click the drive or drivers, folder, network or network
location that you want to search. For example, select ―My Computer” as shown in
fig. (c).

Fig. (c)
Note: If you do not know either piece of information or want to narrow your search
further, select one or more of the following options:
 Click ―When was it modified?” to look for files that were created or modified
on or between specific dates.
 Click ―What size is it?” to look for files of a specific size.
 Click ―More advanced options” to specify additional search criteria.
Step 7: Click ―Search button” to start the search. The search results will appear on
the right side of the window as shown in fig. (d).

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-18 Windows Operating System

Fig. (d)
Note: If you get too many results, try using additional search criteria to make your
search more specific.
Lab 2-2: Exercise on use of Recycle Bin, My Computer and My
Documents
Date: ……………………
a) Aim
To Exercise on use of Recycle Bin
b) Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows -XP
c) Theory
When you delete a file in Windows it is usually not permanently deleted.
Instead, Windows moves the file to a special location called the Recycle Bin. First
implemented in Windows 95, the Recycle Bin is a special directory where deleted
files are stored in the event that you need to recover them. Sometimes the Recycle
Bin is referred to as the trash, trashcan, or garbage.

Recycle Bin icon - Windows XP Recycle Bin icon - Windows 7

The Recycle Bin can be accessed in a couple of different ways. The most
straightforward way of accessing the Recycle bin is to click on the Recycle Bin icon
on your desktop, which looks like the following image.
Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
Windows Operating System 2-19
My Computer shows you the contents of your floppy disk, hard disk, CD-
ROM drive, and network drives. You can also search for and open files and folders,
and gain access to options in Control Panel to modify your computer's settings.
Activity 1: Restoring Deleted Files
Deleted files or folders are temporarily stored in the Recycle Bin. We can get them
back from there. This is called Restoring. To do this, we can follow these steps:
Step 1: Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.
Step 2: Select the file or folder that has to be restored.
Step 3: Right click on the file or folder and click on Restore.
Step 4: The file is returned to its original location. Then close the Recycle Bin.
There is another method to restore the deleted files or folders from the Recycle Bin.
Select the file or folder, drag it out from the Recycle Bin and drop it on the desktop. Thus
the deleted file is restored from the Recycle Bin.
Activity 2: To open My Computer

Step 1: Click Start

Step 2: Click My Computer.
Or

Double-clicking the My computer icon on your desktop

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-20 Windows Operating System

Note:
1. The My Computer folder can be accessed in three different places on the
computer and does exactly the same thing in all three places. You can find the
My Computer folder on the computer's desktop, on the Start menu and within
Windows Explorer.
2. My Computer is another tool you can use to manage files and folders. With
this tool, you can create, rename, and move folders and copy, print, move,
delete, and rename files. It also allows you to gain access to other system
tools.
Activity 3: To open My Documents
My Documents is a folder that provides you with a convenient place to store
your important files and folders.
Step 1: Click Start
Step 2: Click My Documments.
Or

Double-clicking the My Documents icon on your desktop

The My Documents folder looks something like the example below:

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-21
Note: My Documents includes a few default subfolders called My Music, My
Pictures, and My Videos. Feel free to use, rename, or delete these folders.
Result:…………………………………………………………..……………
……………………………………………………………………………….

Viva Voice Questions

1. What is a Folder?

2. What is a File? How is it different from a File?

3. How many ways are there for creating a folder?

4. How to create a sub folder?

5. Is it possible to rename a file? If yes, how?

6. What are the steps involved to open a file or folder using windows explorer.

7. What is the need of shortcut?

8. How to create a shortcut to a folder?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-22 Windows Operating System

9. How to create a shortcut to a file?

10. How to delete a file or folder permanently from local disk D:?

11. Can you restore the deleted files? If yes, how?

12. What do you understand by drag and drop?

13. Can you copy more than one file or folder at a time to a specific location? If yes,
how?

14. List 4 commonly used file extensions.

15. What is the need of My documents?

16. How can you search a file created within the last week or past month?

17. How can you search video or music files?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-23

Lab To Use Windows Accessories: Calculator –

3 Notepad – WordPad – MS Paint

Lab 3.1: Exercise how to use calculator

Date: ……………………
a) Aim
To Exercise on creation of Text Files using Notepad, WordPad
b) Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP Operating System
c) Theory
1. You can use Calculator to perform any of the standard operations for
which you would normally use a handheld calculator.
2. Calculator performs basic arithmetic, such as addition and subtraction, as
well as functions found on a scientific calculator, such as logarithms and
factorials.
3. There are two types of calculator: one is Commercial and other one is
Scientific.
4. By default on the screen, you will get General (Commercial or Standard)
view of the calculator but you can change its view if you want to calculate
some scientific value.
5. You can use Calculator in Standard View to do simple calculations, or in
Scientific View to do advanced scientific and statistical calculations.
Activity 1: Opening Calculator Window
Method 1: Using Start Menu
Step 1: Click “Start” button on the taskbar.
Step 2: Point to ―All Programs” (fig. 3.1).
Step 3: Select ―Accessories”.
Step 4: Click on ―Calculator”. The ―Calculator” window is displayed on the screen
as shown in fig. 3.2.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-24 Windows Operating System

Fig. 3.1

Fig. 3.2
Note: To change the view of Calculator: Click ―View”  Click ―Scientific” option.
Method 2: Using Run Command
“Start”  ―Run” ―Open”  ―calc”.

Fig. 3.3
Activity 2: To Change Calculator View
 You can also perform scientific calculations by
Step 1: Click on ―View‖.
Step 2: Click on ―Scientific‖.
 Now you can perform all scientific operations by just clicking on the buttons.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-25

Exercise 1: Calculate total marks and percentage of each student.

Exercise 2: Perform the following operations

1) 10  (1 / 25)  (5  30)  2) 210 
3) sin 45  4) tan 270 
5) log e (10)  6) log 10 (10) 

7) 53  75  8) 42  33 

9) 3
81  10) 5!

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-26 Windows Operating System

Lab 3.2: Exercise on creation of Text Files using Notepad,

WordPad
Date: ……………………
a) Aim
To Exercise on creation of Text Files using Notepad, WordPad
b) Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP Operating System
c) Theory
A Microsoft window is a highly user-friendly PC operating system. It has a
large number of features – rich applications. Windows accessories can be used to
perform various tasks like creating and editing short documents, creating and
drawing objects, making calculations, making internet connections etc.
The utility under accessories can be activated as follows: Click Start 
Point to Programs  Point to Accessories  Click on the utility to invoke it.
These accessories include communication, entertainment, internet tools,
system tools, and address book, calculator, imaging pad, paint, WordPad and
notepad.
1. Notepad
1. This can be used to create small documents.
2. The documents can be saved, retrieved and printed in Notepad. It has only
limited formatting options compared to WordPad.
3. Since Notepad is a good document editor application, it is used for
creating HTML pages that can be viewed with a web browser.
4. Notepad saves documents with ―.txt” file extension.
5. Notepad can be used to create or edit text files that do not require
formatting and are small (Less than 64 KB in size). Notepad opens and
saves text in text format only.
2. WordPad
1. The WordPad is a word processor program which is a part of windows
accessories.
2. WordPad is a text editor for short documents.
3. WordPad permits creating and formatting documents with various font
and paragraph styles.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-27
4. WordPad can be used to create or edit files that require formatting or are
larger than 64 KB in size. WordPad saves documents with ―.rtf‖ file
extension.
Activity 1: Create Text Files using Notepad Window
Step 1: Opening Notepad Window
Method 1: Using Start Menu
―Start‖  ―All Programs‖  ―Accessories‖  ―Notepad‖.
Method 2: Using Run Command
―Start‖  ―Run‖ ―Open‖  ―Notepad‖.

Fig. 3.4
The ―Notepad” window is displayed on the screen as shown in fig. 3.5.

Fig. 3.5
Step 2: Enter text for your document.
When you reach the right margin, the text should wrap to the next line
automatically. (If wrapping isn‘t automatic, choose Format→Word Wrap to make it
so.) To place blank lines between text, press Enter. (Note: Use the Edit menu
commands, Cut, Copy, and Paste, to edit what you write.)
Step 3: Format the text
 Click and drag over the text to select it, and then choose Format→Font.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-28 Windows Operating System

 In the resulting Font dialog box, use the Font, Font Style, and Size text lists to
make formatting choices. The Sample area displays the new formatting as you
make your choices.

 Click OK.
 Clicking OK after you adjust all your formatting settings will apply those
settings to the selected text.
Step 4: Save text file created in note pad.
 After completing writing text into it, Click on ―File”  Click on ―Save’.
 A dialog box appears asking the file name
 Enter file name as ―Test1” and click on “OK”.
 Now the text written by you will be saved with file name as ―Test1”. txt is the
extension for files created in notepad which refers to text file.
Activity 2: Create Text Files using WordPad Window
Step 1: Opening WordPad Window
Method 1: Using Start Menu
―Start‖  ―All Programs‖  ―Accessories‖  ―WordPad‖
Method 2: Using Run Command
―Start‖  ―Run‖ ―Open‖  ―WordPad‖.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-29

Fig. 3.6
The ―WordPad” window is displayed on the screen as shown in fig. 3.7.

Fig. 3.7
Note: To ―Quit” a program, click on (―Close”) button in the upper right corner
of the window as shown in fig. 3.10.
Step 2: Enter text for your document.
Step 3: Format the text
Step 4: Save text file created in note pad.
 After completing writing text into it, Click on ―File”  Click on ―Save’.
 A dialog box appears asking the file name
 Enter file name as ―Test2” and click on “OK”.
 Now the text written by you will be saved with file name as ―Test2”. Rich Text
Format (rtf) is the extension for files created in WordPad which refers to rich text
file.
Activity 3: Comparing sizes of text files created in notepad and
word pad.
 RTF and TXT are two file formats used to store simple documents.
 The main difference between RTF and TXT is their feature list. RTF is a lot more
powerful than the very simplistic TXT format.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-30 Windows Operating System

1. Plain text (TXT) files:

 They have a ‗.txt‘ file extension.
 They store plain text – just letters, numbers, and symbols. So, no formatting,
fonts, images, etc.
 They‘re lightning fast to open, save, and store.
 You can open them with any text editing software, on any computer.

2. Rich Text Format (RTF) files

 They have a ‗.rtf‘ file extension.
 You can format your text and insert simple images. So, change the font, increase
the letter size, add paragraphs, align/justify your text, add bulleted lists, etc.
 They‘re easy to open, just like TXT files. The RTF format is ‗owned‘ by Microsoft,
but you can open them on any operating system (like Unix, Macintosh, and
Windows).
Procedure to find the size of .txt files
Step 1: Right click on “Test 1” file which created by notepad.

Step 2: Click on “Properties”. It will open “Test 1 Properties” dialog box.

Step 3: Note the size of the file. (As shown in fig. the size of file is 54 bytes)

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-31

Procedure to find the size of .rtf files

Step 1: Right click on “Test 2” file which created by notepad.
Step 2: Click on “Properties”. It will open “Test 2 Properties” dialog box.
Step 3: Note the size of the file. (As shown in fig. the size of file is 248 bytes).
It is clear that even the content is same in the same, file in notepad is smaller in size
than the file created in WordPad.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-32 Windows Operating System

Lab 3.3: Exercise on creation of .jpeg, .bmp Files using MS Paint

Date: ……………………
a) Aim
To Exercise on creation of Text Files using Notepad, WordPad
b) Resources Required
A Personal Computer with Windows XP Operating System
c) Theory
1. Paint is an Accessory in windows 98, 2000, and 2003.In older versions of
windows it was named as “Paintbrush”.
2. Using paint you can draw pictures, sceneries, cartoons etc. For making a
drawing you can pick pencil, brush and spray tools, which will help you
make freehand drawings and fill color. In addition there are number of
Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual
Windows Operating System 2-33
tools which help you make rectangles, squares, ellipses, circles, lines,
curves etc.
3. This is a utility to create drawing objects. Objects can be drawn, edited,
painted, saved and printed in paint. It can also be used to edit graphic
objects. Paint saves the object or picture with ―.bmp” file extension.
Activity 1: Opening Paint Window
Method 1: Using Start Menu
“Start”  ―All Programs”  ―Accessories”  ―Paint”
The ―Paint” window will be displayed as shown in fig. 3.6.
Method 2: Using Run Command
“Start”  ―Run” ―Open”  ―mspaint”.
Note:
(a) Canvas
The empty window on the Paint screen is known as “Canvas” which is used
as a drawing sheet. Once you get the Canvas, you need colors, and tools to make
drawing.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-34 Windows Operating System

(b) Color Palette

On the bottom of the screen, there is a color palette which holds a number of
different color boxes (28) as shown in fig. You can pick any color that you want to
use just by clicking at the color box.

Fig. (a)
(c) Tool Box
At the left edge of the screen, you will see the tool box. The tools can be
selected just by clicking on a particular tool which you wish to use as shown in fig.
(b).

Fig. (b)

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-35

Activity 2: To Set the Canvas Size

Step 1: Open the Image menu and select Attributes, the following window
appears.
Step 2: Under Units decide whether you want to define the size in Inches, Cm or
Pixels

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-36 Windows Operating System

Step 3: Now set up the Width and Height - here change it to 500 by 400 pixels
Step 4: Press [OK] and the canvas is resized.
Activity 3: To Rotate the selected area/picture
A selected area/picture can also be rotated or enlarged.
Step 1: Click on the [Select] button and select a small area of your canvas (eg the
text ).
Step 2: Now open the Image menu and select Flip/Rotate... - the following
window appears

Step 3: Keep the selected option as Flip horizontal

Step 4: Press [OK] - your selection is turned into a mirror image
Step 5: Now repeat steps 1 and 2 but this time choose Flip vertical
Step 6: Press [OK] - your selection is turned upside down.
Step 7: Repeat steps 1 and 2 but this time choose Rotate by angle and set this to
180º .
Note: You can try rotating through 90º or 270º, if you like.
Activity 4: To Rotate the selected area/picture

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-37
Step 1: Open the Image menu and select Stretch/Skew... - the following window
appears:
Here you can increase the horizontal or vertical dimensions by whatever
percentage you choose, or you can skew the selection horizontally or vertically by
a given number of degrees.
Activity 5: To Create Pictures with Paint
Step 1: Make sure the Paint program is open.
Step 2: Click the Ellipse tool.
Step 3: Position the pointer in a blank area of the picture, then click and hold the
mouse button and drag it down and to the right until you have a circle.
Step 4: Click the Fill tool.
Step 5: Click the Blue color from the color palette at the bottom of the screen.
Step 6: Click inside the circle with the fill tool.
Step 7: Click the Text tool.
Step 8: Click a blank area of the picture.
Step 9: Type This is a picture
Step 10: Drag the text box‘s lower right border up and to the right until the text
fits on a single line.

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-38 Windows Operating System

Step 11: Click the Select tool and select the circle object.
Step 12: Select Edit Copy from the menu.
Step 13: Click a blank area of the picture to deselect the circle, and then select Edit
 Paste from the menu.
Step 14: Move the selected circle by dragging it to a new position in the Paint
window.
Activity 6: To save your picture
When you have finished drawing your picture you can save it in a file. This can
then be loaded into another application or used as wallpaper for the background
to your Desktop. Files can be saved in various formats, including a bitmap (.bmp),
gif or jpeg.
To save your picture:
Step 1: Open the File menu and choose Save
Step 2: Type a File name: - note that pictures are held in the My Pictures folder by
default.
Activity 7: To create .jpg/.bmp file

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

Windows Operating System 2-39
Step 1: Click File on menu bar.
Step 2: Select Save As … option.
Step 3: The Save As dialog box appears as shown in fig.
Step 3: Set Save as type: as required (.JPEG, .PNG, or .GIF.)
Step 4: Press [Save]

Viva Voice Questions

1. List the operations performed by calculator?

2. What are the types of calculators?

3. Explain the way of changing the view of calculator?

4. What is the need of Calculation?

5. How do you open Calculator?

6. What is the difference between standard and scientific Calculator?

7. What is paint?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual

2-40 Windows Operating System

8. Write the extension file names for paint.

9. To select any square or rectangular part of the picture, which toolbox will you
use?
A. Line B. Fill with color C. Free-form select D. Select

10. Write the extension file names for Notepad and Wordpad.

11. What is the use of Notepad in windows?

12. What is the need of wordpad?

13. What is the difference between notepad and wordpad?

14. What is the need of paint?

15. What are the various tools in paint?

Computer Fundamentals Lab Manual