Output Devices

Utilities

Chapter 1 : Practical  Utilities

1. Formatting a diskette

Formatting a disk is like putting lines on a blank sheet of paper, so that you can write on that paper.

When you format a disk, you divide the disk into areas called tracks and sectors. Without formatting there would be no way to know where the data is stored. You can buy formatted diskettes or unformatted diskettes which you would need to format yourself. When you format a disk, all  the data on the disk would be erased. Hence don't forget to make backup (a second copy) of the diskette before you start formatting.

 

Formatted diskette with tracks and sectors

2. Steps to a formatting a disk

• Insert the disk into the floppy disk
• Double click on My Computer
• Right click on the drive you would like to format
• Select format from the menu
• Choose the Full option. You may choose quick on a disk but has already been used,but it does not check the disk for errors and so is not generally recommended
• Enter a label for your disk if you wish.
• If this disk will be used to boot PC, check the box marked ' Copy system files ' to format the disk as bootable.
• Click start from the start button
• View the results to make sure the disk was properly formatted
• Click close button on the results window.
• Click close button on the format window

3. Scan disk 

Scandisk is another handy utility. It usually comes into action automatically when you shut down your pc improperly or when there is a power failure and so you PCwas switches off abruptly without you managing to perform the proper shutdown procedure .Scandisk checks you disk for any errros or faults- faults in file systems and physical faults in the disk itself and it either fixes these faults or it emarginates the faulty  sectors so that they are not used anymore.

3. Defragmentation 

A file that is too large for a single location on a disk is fragmented and stored in any free space on the disk. You can use fragmented files, but your computer takes longer to access them. The Disk Defragmenter (Defrag)  rearranges the files are opened more quickly becausethey are stored in adjacent units and free space is consolidated.

To start  Defrag

• Click start
• Point to programs
• Point to accessories 
• point to system tools 
• click defragmenter

 

4. Winzap/ Compressed files

Folders that are compressed using the compressed ( zipped) Folders feature use less space can be transferred to another computers more quickly

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 : The computer system  

It is important to know  that Data + Structure=Information . A digital computer is a machine that can be programmed to accept data (input) and process it into information (output) . A computer is a device that accepts input processes data, stores data and produces output. Input is the process  of entering the data into the computer while output processed data out of the computer.

Softcopy means that you can display your document on the screen while hardcopy means that the data was send to the printer and can see it on a paper.

Storage devices like Cd , pendrive, hard disk, floppy disk .. can hold data permanently so you can save and retrieve* it later.  *Retrieve means data is fetched from the computer and read.

Hardware are all those units that can be seen and touched e.g monitor, keyboard.... . Software is another word for programs. Application software is the kind of software that people uses to make a document . System Software is the the software that the computer uses to manage its own internal activities  and run application. 

A bus is a data road way along which data and commands travel. There are three types of bus

• The address bus
• The data bus
• The contol bus

Welcome

            Welcome to my new blog :) !