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| STEP 7: SOFTWARE, CLIPBOARD VIEWER, PAINT, WINDOWS EXPLORER ANTI-VIRUS | ||
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| SOFTWARE | ||
| Software is the stuff
that makes the hardware do something. The printer is a fundamental
hardware component but it needs a software program to make it operate
properly. When purchasing a printer it comes with a floppy disk or a CD
that contains the program instructions that tells the CPU how to make
the printer operate. When you purchase a game for the computer it will
probably be on a CD that contains the instructions for the computer.
This program has to be installed on to the hard drive
for it to be recognized and utilized by the CPU.
The program instructions have to be recorded on the hard drive,
not the whole game, thus the game’s name generally appears on the list
of installed programs. If you try to play the game the computer will
many times inform you that the game CD must be inserted. This setup
saves space on the hard drive. The basic instructions are now on the
hard drive can be accessed much faster than if the computer had to read
them off the CD each time.
You can buy software at computer stores, on line, and through many educational resources. There are also thousands of programs available on the Internet. Some programs are free and available for downloading. Others can be purchased and then downloaded. Before you purchase software at the computer store or on the Internet look around on the Internet to see what is available free on-line. There are games that can be played and even encyclopedias to be accessed, for instance: http://www.encyclopedia.com/. The larger ISP’s usually provide this service. AOL provides Compton’s and Columbia’s Concise, for example. Other subject specific encyclopedias like the Baseball Encyclopedia and the Basketball Encyclopedia are also available. Manufacturers install some programs on your computer or the Windows Operating Systems contain some. These mini-programs are listed under the Accessories section of the Program Menu that pops up when you hit the Start Button. Other mini-programs may not even appear on your menus, for some reason Windows hides them when you install the Windows CD. To look for some you might like but can’t find,
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| CLIPBOARD VIEWER | ||
| This is a very useful program because it enables you to see exactly what you Copied and wish to Paste in a different location, especially if you choose the Cut command. The data or graphic selected simply disappears and you can't see where it went. Or if you choose the copy command nothing seems to happen and you might click on Copy several times thinking it is not working. It probably is. You can check by clicking on Start, Programs, Accessories and Clipboard Viewer. Up pops a little box showing exactly what you just Cut or Copied, waiting to be pasted in a document somewhere. This material rests on the clipboard until you Copy something else or until you delete it. Once you are finished pasting it, which you can do several times, you do not have to recopy if you wish to use the same material multiple times, it is a good idea to delete it from the clipboard. Just click on Edit and Delete and it will go away and not use up RAM space. If you leave it there it can cause some systems to slow down, especially in the case of large files and graphics. See Print Screen Key | ||
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| PAINT | ||
| Paint allows the user to create pictures and graphics for use in other programs. You can draw or customize your own pictures and use them for wallpaper, the background of your desktop, see CONTROL PANEL. You can also change graphics that have been downloaded if they are saved as a bitmapped image, see GRAPHICS. Like all Windows Programs you can access the help file to get you started, this is a complex program that the Windows OSs includes in its bundling. If you use it and want more sophistication and complexity there are many commercial products available such as Paint Shop Pro or Corel Draw. | ||
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| WINDOWS EXPLORER | ||
| Windows Explorer is included in all
Windows Operating System Programs. Rather than using the My Computer
Icon, Windows Explorer is another way to look at all the folders and
files on your computer. Programs are stored in folders on the hard drive
along side the files the computer needs to operate. Think of Windows
Explorer as a large filing cabinet containing everything necessary to
make the computer do what you want it to do. Windows Explorer is the
organizer of that filing system, thus making it easier for you to find
or rearrange the system files (See FINDING
A FILE and TO
CREATE A NEW FOLDER IN WINDOWS EXPLORER).
This is where you go to rearrange particular files or directories. From
here you can move file locations to a new folder, perhaps you create one
for graphic files you download, (see DOWNLOADING, GRAPHICS,
and SOUNDS), or to
copy multiple files to another drive, (see SAVING
A FILE TO A FLOPPY DISK). These
tasks are accomplished quite simply in Windows Explorer by selecting,
dragging and dropping the file to its destination location, (see DRAGGING WITH THE RIGHT MOUSE
BUTTON). If you are working within the same
drive, for example moving a file from the folder you downloaded to a new
folder you just created, you can either move it, or copy it, then it can
be accessible in both locations. But, if you are trying to move the file
to a different drive, for example from your hard drive where you
downloaded a file to a floppy disk to create a backup, (see BACKING UP YOUR WORK),
dragging and dropping the file always only copies it. If you no longer
want the file on your hard drive, because it is taking up space, you
will have to delete it in a separate operation.
This filing cabinet system is arranged from the general to the more specific in descending order just like an old fashioned regular filing cabinet. When you first open Windows Explorer you will see two columns of items, the large general locations of items, such as Desktop, My Computer, 3 ½ Floppy ["A:"], [C:]... located in the left column. These have + signs next to them if they are closed and contain further items, or a – sign if they are open and their contents are currently on display. If they are open the plus sign is located in the next descending category next to folders that are closed which may have further folders contained within them. Clicking on the plus sign opens that particular item or folder and the contents are displayed underneath. The location or folder that you have opened and are exploring is highlighted and the next category of folder or files located within the one you have opened is displayed in column to the right. Each time you click on a plus sign it automatically changes to a minus sign and the items that were in the right column now transfer to the left column, sometimes with + signs of their own, indicating there is another set of categories within that are not displayed yet. All folders can be transferred to the left column to see their contents by clicking on the + sign or by double clicking on the folder name in the right column. It is sometimes necessary to keep selecting specific folders and opening them before getting to the last of the hierarchy within the filing system, which is a specific file. When you locate the file you wish to move or copy it is advisable to also have the destination folder displayed on the left column side. Select the file or files in question, see SELECTING FILES, hold down the LEFT mouse button, drag the mouse across the mouse pad and you will see a little box or a ghosted view of the file itself moving. This process is known as Clicking and Dragging. As you move across the divider between the columns guide the ghosted file to the destination folder you have selected. The folder that will be the location when you release the mouse button will highlight showing you exactly where you are. When you release the button the file will be inserted into that location. This is known as dropping. If you do this in the same drive with the LEFT mouse button, the file will move its location. If you drag and drop it with the RIGHT mouse button a menu will pop out. It is asking you whether you wish to move the file, thereby deleting it from its old location and assigning it to the new location; or if you wish to copy the file, thereby having it in both locations. It will also ask if you wish to cancel the operation entirely. This is by far the safer way to go if you are not sure you performed the operation correctly. To check it out simply open the destination folder and see if the file is there. |
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| ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS | ||
| A virus is a program that disrupts
the normal operation of a computer. A virus can cause a variety of
problems, such as the appearance of annoying messages on the screen to
the destruction of information on the hard drive. A friend or colleague
may pass a virus on to you unknowingly through a floppy disk or through
sending you an email file, because some viruses don’t show an effect
until a certain date, such as the infamous Friday the 13th
Virus. This is possible because the computer keeps the date and time
internally, see BACKING UP YOUR WORK.
You should regularly use an anti-virus program to protect your computer.
Some computer manufacturers include a virus program as part of a software bundle and some do not. If a program is included on the system it needs to be updated regularly as new viruses are continuously being created. Visit your program manufacturer’s web site for updates you can download as they become available. Most manufacturers will email you reminders when a new updates or versions are released. There is usually a nominal yearly fee to keep your program current. If you don’t have a program already installed, or if you want a different one, you can research the following sites on the Web -- |
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