Maintain equipment and consumables

ICAITU007B Maintain equipment and consumables

Preventative Maintenance
It is important to maintain equipment and consumables. Routine or preventative maintenance ensures that the computer equipment will remain in good working order. Examples of preventative maintenance on computer equipment is the cleaning of your keyboard, monitor and mouse.
The keyboard can be cleaned by turning the keyboard upside down and gently tapping the bottom of the keyboard. Monitors can be cleaned with a damp cloth. The mouse requires regular maintenance as the tracking ball under the mouse collects dust as it rolls inside the mouse. To clean the mouse, turn it upside, remove the panel, clean the tracking ball and the rollers inside the mouse.
Printers require routine maintenance as well. Clearing out paper jams, changing cartridges and cleaning the printer will lengthen the life of your printer. Most printers have a print head cleaning function or you can use a print head cleaning kit. Make sure that you read the manufacturer's instructions before you perform any maintenance.
Consumables like floppy disks, CD's and paper require correct storage to ensure that they will be usable when required. They should be stored in a clean, dry area. To ensure that the moisture content of the paper is kept at an optimum level, paper should be stored in a sealed container. Moist paper tends to curl and jam in the paper path of a printer.




Backup
A method of storing files for use in an emergency The backup medium includes tape, disk or CD
Defrag
Defragmentation is the process of locating the non contiguous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk, and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file.

Hard Copy
The output from software applications printed and stored on paper.
Inventory
A record of items in stock This is used to track consumables or to accurately describe devices.
Maintenance
Maintenance refers to rectifying faults and changing settings or components to ensure that equipment continues to work effectively.
Non-routine Maintenance
When a device or its components are serviced to rectify a specific fault Procedures such as replacing a faulty floppy disk drive or adding extra RAM to a poorly performing computer are some examples of non-routine maintenance.
Print Server
A network node which stores print jobs and then passes them to the printer This action frees up the network from the slow printer output speed causing network congestion.
Printer Bubble Jet
A printer which uses the process of spraying the ink onto the page by superheating a bubble of ink to eject the spray onto the paper
Printer Dot Matrix
An impact printer that uses a series of pins to press an inked ribbon onto the paper surface to create a character or image
Printer Driver
The software the printer uses to interpret the signals from the various applications that have the ability to output hard copy.
Printer Impact
A printer that forms the characters and images on the paper by physical contact They can be used to make a real time carbon copy.
Printer Ink Jet
A non-impact printer that sprays the ink onto the paper through a series of fine nozzles
Printer Laser
A printer that uses electrically charged powdered toner to create the image, which is then fused onto the paper using heated rollers. They are more expensive to purchase than ink jet printers, however they are often economical to operate.


Printer Networked
A printer that can be set up as a network node and store and then print jobs from a number of remotely connected computers.
Printer non-impact
A printer that does not cause an impression to be made on the page
Purchase Order
The initial order which is a record of the items to be ordered and the associated auditing details
Routine Maintenance
When a device or its components are serviced as a matter of course Procedures such as adding paper to the printer tray, cleaning the ink jet cartridges, aligning the print heads or changing toner cartridges are some examples of routine maintenance.
Scan Disk
Scandisk is a Windows utility used to check your hard disk for errors and to correct problems that are found.






A GLOSSARY OF KEY WORDS

Syllabus outcomes, objectives, performance bands and examination questions have key words that state what students are expected to be able to do. A glossary of key words has been developed to help provide a common language and consistent meaning in the Higher School Certificate documents.
Using the glossary will help teachers and students understand what is expected in responses to examinations and assessment tasks.
Account Account for: state reasons for, report on. Give an account of: narrate a series of events or transactions
Analyse Identify components and the relationship between them; draw out and relate implications
Apply Use, utilise, employ in a particular situation
Appreciate Make a judgement about the value of
Assess Make a judgment of value, quality, outcomes, results or size
Calculate Ascertain/determine from given facts, figures or information
Clarify Make clear or plain
Classify Arrange or include in classes/categories
Compare Show how things are similar or different
Construct Make; build; put together items or arguments
Contrast Show how things are different or opposite
Critically
(analysis/evaluate) Add a degree or level of accuracy depth, knowledge and understanding, logic, questioning, reflection and quality to
(analyse/evaluation)
Deduce Draw conclusions
Define State meaning and identify essential qualities
Demonstrate Show by example
Describe Provide characteristics and features
Discuss Identify issues and provide points for and/or against
Distinguish Recognise or note/indicate as being distinct or different from; to note differences between
Evaluate Make a judgement based on criteria; determine the value of
Examine Inquire into
Explain Relate cause and effect; make the relationships between things evident; provide why and/or how
Extract Choose relevant and/or appropriate details
Extrapolate Infer from what is known
Identify Recognise and name
Interpret Draw meaning from
Investigate Plan, inquire into and draw conclusions about
Justify Support an argument or conclusion
Outline Sketch in general terms; indicate the main features of
Predict Suggest what may happen based on available information
Propose Put forward (for example a point of view, idea, argument, suggestion) for consideration or action
Recall Present remembered ideas, facts or experiences
Recommend Provide reasons in favour
Recount Retell a series of events
Summarise Express, concisely, the relevant details
Synthesise Putting together various elements to make a whole

Training Notes and Operate computer hardware

ICAITU005C Training Notes and Operate computer hardware




Introduction
On completion of this unit, learners should be competent in determining, selecting and correctly operating basic computer hardware.
Learners should have the ability to:
1. Use appropriate office peripherals
2. Operate and maintain a range of hardware
3. Use a keyboard and equipment
PCWebopedia Online dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology definitions.
PCTechGuide Great site for detailed information on computer hardware and peripherals.
Karbosguide A complete illustrated guide to PC hardware.
The PC Guide Detailed PC reference site.
Howstuffworks The computer channel has lots of detailed information about how computer systems work.










Use appropriate office peripherals
What should I know?

What does a computer do?
What is the role of software in a computer system?
What's in a computer system?
Exercise 1 - Explain the following specifications
Exercise 2 - Specify a machine suitable for video editing
How can I connect more equipment to my computer?
Exercise 3 - Computer ports
What equipment can I connect?
Exercise 4 - Select appropriate hardware
How do I connect equipment to my computer system?
Exercise 5 - Peripheral installation
How do I know what components and equipment are installed in a computer sytem using operating system tools?
Exercise 6 - Examine your computer system
How do I know what components and equipment are installed in a computer system using software?






What does a computer do?











A computer system is designed to accept INPUT from devices such as keyboards and mice.
It takes this information and will PROCESS the data.
The next step is to then present the OUTPUT of this processing in the required format to an output device such as a printer or monitor.

To complete these tasks, computer systems have:
• hardware - physical devices that make up the system
• software - programs designed to process the data
• data.


What is the role of software in a computer system?
There are three main types of software that a computer system uses:
• BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) which is stored on the system ROM (Read Only Memory)
• Operating System or OS
• Application software such as Microsoft Office

At Start up











1. BIOS tests essential hardware and performs routine tasks. This process is called the boot process.
2. BIOS passes control of the computer system to the operating system.
3. The operating system then performs more start up tasks.

During operation











1. The user interacts with both the operating system and the application software.
2. For the user or the application software to access a piece of hardware such as a printer, the request is passed through either the BIOS or software called device drivers. Devices such as memory and floppy drives are controlled by BIOS. Devices such as printers and graphics cards will use a device driver.

What's in a computer system?
Read an explanation of each component and an example specification of each component.

Desktop
Processor Intel® Pentium® 4 with HT Technology 2.8GHz CPU
Operating system Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition Operating system
Memory 512MB DDR-SDRAM Memory
Hard drive 80GB Hard Drive 7200 Storage drives
Monitor 17" Flat Panel Monitor (17.0"v.i.s.) Video
Optical device CD-RW Combo Drive 48x 24x Optical devices
Video card 128MB DDR nVidia® GeForce® FX 5200 Video
Sound card Sound Blaster® Live!TM 5.1 Sound Card Sound
Speaker PC Stereo Speakers Sound
Keyboard Keyboard Keyboard
Mouse Mouse Mouse



Top of Form
How can I connect more equipment to my computer?

Most of the peripheral devices that you can connect to your computer system are connected externally through different ports.
Ports are identified by:
• their shape
• number of pins
• and whether male or female (in the descriptions below, the connectors are as ON the computer system)


Place mouse over images to see what equipment connects to these ports
Picture Description






Serial port
• DB connector
• can be 9 or 25 pin male
• usually two on a computer system labelled COM1 and COM2
• only one device per port







Parallel port
• DB connector
• 25 pin female
• usually one on a

computer system labelled LPT1
only one device per port, but devices can be daisy chained (only one can be used at a time)







PS/2 port
• 6 pin mini DIN connector
• usually two on a computer system












USB port
• typically 2 or 4 ports on PC
hot swappable (devices can be attached while the computer is powered)
can connect up to 127 devices
• can supply power to devices
• two varieties of USB
1. USB 1.1 - 12 Mbit/sec
2. USB 2.0 - 480 Mbit/sec










IEE1394 high performance serial bus (commonly known as Firewire)
• typically requires the installation of an internal adapter card for a desktop computer system
• Hht swappable
can connect up to 63 devices
• high data transfer rates of 400Mbps (in 1394a) and 800Mbps (in 1394b).





What equipment can I connect?
There is a wide variety of peripheral devices that can be connected to a computer system. Broadly, they fit into one of the following three categories.
Input devices • keyboard
• mouse
• scanner
• digital camera
• microphone
Output devices • monitor
• printer
• modem (a modem is really both an input and output device)
• speakers
Storage devices • USB memory sticks
• Large capacity disk drives such as zip drives

Maintain system integrity

ICAITS017C Maintain system integrity

Outline of unit content
On completion of this unit, learners should be able to protect and secure stand-alone or client server environments. Specifically, learners should be able to:

• Carry out file maintenance
• Carry out virus scanning
• Follow software copyright procedures
• Record software licences
• Restore system back-up
• Maintain Virus Protection.





Activities
Theory exercise 1
Questions:
1 List 5 risks to a users computer data.
2 List 6 different types of media that can be used to backup data.
3 How would you determine what the backup requirements of an organization actually are? What factors would you consider? List 5.
4 What are the 3 different types of backup? In your answer explain the difference between them.
5 When you have set up a backup system, you would establish a backup register. What information do you think you would record in this register?
6 What does the term "Retention period" mean?
7 How do "Rotation Systems" work in relation to backups?
8 What is a Disaster Recovery Plan and what factors would you need to consider when creating this Plan?

Answers:
1
Hardware/Software failure
Unintentional file deletion
File corruption
Malicious software/viruses
Sabotage and Theft
Natural Disaster

2.

Tape Drives
Floppy Disks
Hard Disks
Optical Media
Removable Drives
Network Resources





3.

How much data is to be backed up?
Are unattended backups possible?
How important is the data?
How long can organisation work efficiently without the data?
How often will backup be carried out?
Who is responsible for ensuring backups are carried out?
Where will backup media be stored?
What backup software will be used?



4.

Full Backup - copies all files.
Incremental Backup -copies all files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup.
Differential Backup – copy all files that have changed since the last full backup.

5.

Date/Time of backup
Backup Type
Media used
Name of person completing the backup
Location of media
Problems encountered
6.
Time period before backup media re-used
Problems with short retention periods, e.g., virus infection of all backup media


7.

Media rotation
Retention periods
Protection against media failure


Written plan, detailing the steps an organisation will take to restore computer operations in the event of a disaster
Contact details of emergency services and essential organisation personnel
Equipment shutdown procedures
Employee evacuation procedures
System Restore procedures
Return to Normal Operations procedures
Testing of Disaster Recovery Plan




Theory exercise 2
1 What is a computer virus?
2 What are 3 main categories of virus?
3 What’s a “Trojan Horse” program?
4 List 7 ways of preventing viruses from infecting your computer system.
5 If you were the Assistant Computer Support Officer (say for a large company) and discovered a computer virus what action do you think you would take?
6 What are some symptoms of viruses?
7 What does a Virus Definition File contain?
8 List 5 commercial Anti-Virus programs.




answers


Backup To copy files to another media as a precautionary measure, in case the first media fails
Boot sector Infectors Virus that infects the boot sector of a floppy or hard disk
Differential backup Any files that have changed since the last full backup, are duplicated
Disaster recovery plan Detailed, written plan describing how an organisation will restore computer operations, in the event of a disaster
File infectors Virus that attack and modify program files, usually .exe and .com files. When the program is run the virus is executed
Full backup All files in the system, including program files and data files, are duplicated
Incremental backup Any files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup, are duplicated
Logic bomb Virus that activates when it detects a certain condition, e.g., a certain date
Macro viruses Makes use of the built in programming languages in Microsoft Word and Excel (VBA). A malevolent macro that duplicate themselves into other documents and spread just like any other virus once the file has been opened
Polymorphic virus Virus which modifies its program code every time it attaches itself to another program file
Restore The process where files are returned from a backup to their original condition and location
Software licence The terms and conditions under which a piece of software may be used
Trojan Horse A destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. While Trojan Horses do not copy themselves they can do just as much damage as viruses
Virus A program that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs without your consent. Most viruses can also replicate themselves












Common Information Technology Terms
.bmp: Short for bitmap - a collection of small dots known as pixels that are used to create an image
.gif: Graphical Interchange Format – a common format for saving graphic files
Absolute reference: A cell or range reference in a formula whose location remains the same (absolute) when copied.
Accident report: A document that should be filled out by anyone involved in workplace accidents/injuries, regardless of however minor they might be.
Acquisition number: A unique number given to an item of inventory
Active listening: Responding to what you hear, indicating you are listening.
ACTU: Australian Council of Trade Unions
Aggressive: To put others down, only see your point of view, pushy and abusive at times.
Anonymous FTP site: Sites that offer files that are open to the general public for downloading.
Answering machine: A machine that records messages when the telephone is unanswered. The recipient can play these messages back.
Archie: A search engine for anonymous FTP sites.
Assertive: To be clear and honest when speaking about your feelings and respect the rights and needs of others without making judgements.
Asset: An item having some value
Attachments: Files that are sent separately from, but attached to, an e-mail message.
Auto correct: Automatically corrects common typing and spelling errors as your type
Auto text: Offers a way to store and quickly insert text, graphics, fields, tables, bookmarks, and other items that you use frequently.
Backup: To copy files to another media as a precautionary measure, in case the first media fails
BCC Blind Carbon Copy (sometimes Blind Courtesy Copy): A recipient of an email that no other recipient knows about. Useful when you have a list of email addresses that you want to keep confidential.
Body language: Movement of the body and facial expressions to communicate.
Bookmarks: Notation that you create to list sites you visit often or would like to quickly return to.
Boot sector infector: Virus that infects the boot sector of a floppy or hard disk
Browser: A software program that translates and allows you to view HTML files.
Bullets: Can be represented by a range of symbols, usually round dots, which are used to set apart points in paragraph style.
Business: An organisation that seeks profit by providing goods and services.
Cache: The location where browsers keep a copy of recently visited pages.
Calculated field: A field that displays the result of a calculation in a query.
Call waiting: Where a caller is put on hold and can be listening to music, the radio or messages.
CC: Carbon Copy
CD-ROM Compact Disk Read Only Memory: An optical 120mm diameter disk with 650 megabytes capacity. It is used to store text, graphics, sound and video. The digital data is recorded in a spiral from the centre to the outermost edge
Cells: The rectangles created at the intersection of columns and rows.
Chart: A graphical representation of data
Checksum: A mathematical calculation that verifies whether the data being transferred in a packet has been corrupted.
Clipboard: A facility in operating system to store items of text or graphics when they have been cut or copied, so they can be pasted to a different location.
CMOS Complementary Metal-Oxide Semi-conductor: A low power using memory chip in personal computers the holds time, date and other critical system startup information
Code of practice: Guidelines that should be implemented to maintain safe work practices.
Communicate: Successfully convey an idea from one person to another using some form of medium – verbal, non-verbal.
Communication Breakdown: Failure to communicate or be understood for some reason.
Compose: To produce or put together an idea, usually written.
Conference call: This is where several people are calling by telephone from different locations and everyone can be heard simultaneously.
Consumables: Items that need to be replaced such as toners, ink cartridges, paper, blank disks etc.
Cookies: Text files that visited Web sites store on you computer’s hard disk.
CPU Central Processing Unit: A chip or chips on the mainboard containing the control unit and the arithmetic/logic unit, that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer.
Criteria: A specific set of conditions that you want records to meet in order to be displayed in a query, form or report.
Cut and paste: A feature that allows you to remove information from one place to another.
Data: A collection of pieces of information.
Data type: The attribute for a field that determines what type of data it can contain.
Database: An organised collection of related information.
DBMS: Database Management System
DCITA: Department of Communication Technology and Arts
Detail section: The section of form and report design that contains the records of the table (in Micros.
Dialogue box: Dialog boxes prompt the user to enter information.
Differential backup: Any files that have changed since the last full backup, are duplicated
DIR: Department of Industrial Relations
Disaster recovery plan: Detailed, written plan describing how an organisation will restore computer operations, in the event of a disaster.
Disk drive: The device that operates (reads and writes) to the floppy disk, HDD, DVD and CD-ROM.
DMA: Direct Memory Access -: A method of allowing the peripherals to bypass the processor and send blocks of data to a secured memory location. This can speed up data transfer operations enormously.
Domain: The name of a particular Internet site.
Download: The act of copying information from a distant computer to your local computer.
Driver: Operating systems and applications use a general system call to operate hardware devices. The driver is a software routine that translates it into the specific instructions needed to control the hardware device.
DVD: Digital Versatile Disc: 120mm optical disc with a capacity of 4.7 gigabytes. Expected to replace CDROM.
Edit: To make changes to existing text.
EEO: Equal Employment Opportunity
E-mail: Electronic mail: messages that are sent and received electronically.
Empathy: The ability to see things from the other person’s point of view.
Entity: The subject of the database or table.
Ergonomics: The study of the work environment in relation to the user.
Export: The process of taking (exporting) data from an application, i.e. a database, and placing it into another application, i.e. a spreadsheet
External lines: Telephone access from outside the organisation or company.
Facsimile (FAX) machine: Operated via telephone lines, producing a hard copy for the receiver.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions- llist of questions and answers to the most commonly asked question about a topic.
Feedback: Any reply to a message.
Field: A single category of data in a database.
Field name: Label used to identify the data stored in a field.
Field property: An attribute of a field that affects its appearance or behaviour.
File compression: Refers to files that have been reduced in size using file compression software.
File infector: Virus that attack and modify program files, usually .exe and .com files. When the program is run the virus is executed.
Filter: A restriction placed on records in an open form or datasheet to temporarily isolate a subset of records.
Firewire: A fast (up to 50megabyes per second) serial bus with support for 63 hot swap, plug and play devices. Has the potential to replace serial, parallel, IDE and SCSI hard disk type interfaces.
Flame: A rude or inflammatory e-mail message.
Font: All the characters in a particular typeface.
Footer: Information that appears at the bottom of a page.
Form: A database object used primarily for data entry and making changes to existing records.
Format: To change the look of a document, text, graphics, characters.
Formula: An equation that performs operations on worksheet data.
FTP: F ile Transfer Protocol - Protocol used to transfer files between two computers.
Full backup: All files in the system, including program files and data files, are duplicated
Function: A predefined formula that performs calculations by using specific values, called arguments
Gopher: Text-based Internet protocol that allows people to view documents in a menu-driven environment.
GUI: Graphical User Interface - combines text, graphics and other visual cues to make software easier to use.
Hacker: A person who illegally gains access to computer systems.
Hands-free: Not having to hold the telephone, but carry on a conversation using a microphone speaker facility.
Hardware: The physical components of the computer system eg keyboard, mouse, speakers etc.
Hazard: A situation or substance that could cause injury or illness.
Header: Information that appears at the top of a page.
Hits: The number of matches a search engine returns based on the search topic.
Home page: The main or introductory Web page for a site.
IF statement: A function that can be used when the value you want to assign to a cell depends on a logical test.
Import: The process of bringing (importing) data into an application which has been exported from another application
Inbox: The location where new e-mail messages arrive.
Incremental backup: Any files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup, are duplicated
Information: Data that has been processed and is meaningful.
Insertion point: The flashing vertical bar that indicates where the text will be entered; the current position.
Integrate: The process of combining data from multiple applications
Internal Client: Other workers within the same organisation.
Internal line: Telephone access inside the organisation or company.
Interpretation: What the receiver understands from the communication and what they get from it.
Inventory: A list of assets
IRQ: Interrupt ReQuest: hardware devices can gain some processor attention by sending a signal via the interrupt request line. Early devices required some knowledge of interrupts to avoid conflicts. Plug and Play now handles the set up of a new device’s communication channels with the rest of the system including the IRQ.
IT: Information Technology: the application of science and engineering to provide a practical efficient method for the collecting, processing and storing of information.
Justification: Paragraph alignment: left, centre, right or fully justified.
Landscape: The orientation of the document when printed; wider than it is long.
Leaders: Used between text and tab stops such as dots, dashes, lines or symbols.
Left align: All text aligns to the left hand side of the document
Legislation
Local printer: A printer directly attached to the server computer.
Logic bomb: Virus that activates when it detects a certain condition, e.g., a certain date
Macro virus: Makes use of the built in programming languages in Microsoft Word and Excel (VBA). A macro that duplicate itself into other documents and spread just like any other virus once the file has been opened
Mail merge: To attach a data file or database to one main word document, enabling multiple copies to be printed.
Mail merge: The process of merging a main document with a data source to produce form letters
Mailing list: An automated software program that distributes your message to a large group of people via e-mail. Also known as a listserver or listprocessor.
Manual handling: Lifting or moving any equipment or other objects.
Marquee: A dashed line, used to define an area in a window to be operated upon. In Excel it defines items placed on the clipboard or to be used in a calculation or chart.
Medium: The method or channel you choose to send the message by: verbal, written, visual, non-verbal.
Memory dialling: The facility to store numbers in memory on the telephone and be able to dial or redial by a code.
Menu: In Microsoft Word, pull-down menus give a choice of options to make it easier to use the program eg File, Edit, View
Message: What you want to communicate: an idea, instruction, request, statement.
Mission statement: A brief statement stating the purpose of the organisation.
Modem: A communications device that converts a computer’s digital signals to analog signals so they can be transmitted over standard telephone lines.
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheets: specifies how to handle certain material and substances.
Netiquette: The etiquette rules of the Internet.
Network: Two or more computers connected together for the sharing of resources such as printers and drives.
Network peripheral: A hardware device connected to the network allowing users on the network access to that device.
Network printer: A printing device connected to the network; it is accessed through a print server or may be directly connected to the network, without using a server.
Newsgroup: Discussion group or forum.
Newsreader: A software program designed to read newsgroup articles.
Non-verbal: Without talking (words)
NOS: Network Operating System.
Object: A table, form, or report that can be selected and manipulated as a unit.
Office Assistant: In Microsoft Office products, it assists in the use of the software, can give on-screen prompts when necessary or can be used as on-line help.
OH and S: Occupational Health and Safety
OHS committee: A body of workplace employees committed to ensuring a safe work environment; attends regular meetings and carries out regular inspections.
On-line help: Can be accessed to explain and help the user with any questions or problems relating to the application being used.
OOS: Occupational Overuse Syndrome, also know as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Caused by repetitive tasks and/or having poor posture.
Oral: By way of speaking in words.
Organisation: A group of people working together to accomplish a goal.
Overtype (OVR): A word processor feature that can be turned on or off by the Insert Key, which deletes current text as you are typing.
PABX: Private Automatic Branch eXchange: can handle many telephone lines within an organisation.
Packet switching: The process where packets of data are transferred over the Internet via different paths.
Pager: A small device used to page a person by displaying a message or telephone number.
Passive: When you do not clearly communicate what you think or feel.
PC: Personal computer -CPU, keyboard, mouse, monitor
Peripheral: Hardware device connected to a PC to enhance the capabilities of the machine. Examples include: printers, modems, scanners, CDROM.
Peripherals: Hardware devices which are attached to the computer eg printer, speakers, scanner etc.
Pessimists: People who always seem to see the negative side of things.
Plug-ins: Software applications that expand a browser’s basic capabilities by becoming extensions of the browser itself.
Polymorphic virus: Virus which modifies its program code every time it attaches itself to another program file
Port: With reference to printing is the physical port on PC the printing device is connected to.
Portrait: The orientation of the document when printed; longer than it is wide.
Ports: The interface or point of attachment an external device has to the system unit.
Power supply: Converts wall outlet AC power into DC power, which is the type of power required by a computer.
Primary industry: Industries that are involved in the production of raw materials.
Primary key: One or more fields in a table that uniquely identify a record.
Print driver: Software component that translates the printer device driver interface (DDI) into printer specific commands.
Print monitor: Software component that transmits the print job to the printing device.
Print processor: Performs any necessary modifications to the print job before passing the job to the print monitor.
Print router: Directs print jobs to the appropriate print spooler.
Print server: A computer configured to accept print requests from other computers over the network and may send the resulting print jobs over the network to a physical printer.
Print spooler: It accepts print jobs from the print router and stores the print jobs that are waiting to be printed in memory or on disk as spool files.
Protocol: A set of rules by which data is transferred; a set of standards, rules or procedures.
PS/2: A 6-pin mini DIN socket on most computers used for the mouse and keyboard.
Query: The process of asking a question of a database. Queries are used to view, change, and analyse data in different ways
Receiver: The person you want to communicate with.
Record: The set of fields that contain the data for one entity.
Redirecting calls: A system whereby you can redirect calls from one place to another if you know where you are going to be eg from an office phone to a mobile.
Relationship: A link made between tables, usually through at least one common field.
Relative reference: A cell or range reference that automatically adjusts to the new location in the worksheet when the formula is copied.
Remote printer: A printer attached to either another server or workstation on the network.
Report: A way of summarising and grouping data which can be formatted as required
Request for Proposal (RFP): A form on which problem details and user requirements are listed. Suppliers use this to submit details of their proposed solution.
Request for Quotation (RFQ): A form on which hardware and software requirements are listed. The RFQ is forwarded to suppliers and helps to ensure that quotations are based on exactly the same items.
Restore: The process where files are returned from a backup to their original condition and location
RS-232: Recommended Standard 232C - now ratified as the EIA-232 standard, which is used by all dial-up modems. The serial port may be either 25-pin or 9-pin D shell.
Scheduling: Controls the availability of the printer and how print jobs are presented to the printer.
Screening calls: Listening to the caller and asking questions to establish the purpose of the call, then make a decision based on this information and the company policy.
Search engine: A tool to help locate information on the Internet.
Secondary industry: Industries that are involved with the manufacture of goods.
Secondary storage: Hardware device used to record and retrieve data and instructions eg floppy disk, tape, CD-ROM
Shareware: Software you can use free of charge for a trial period, usually 30 days, after which time you are expected to pay for the program.
Sharing: Configuration of peripherals attached to a network to allow permitted users to use the peripheral over the network.
Software: Programs: a series of instructions that tell the computer hardware what to do; can also be the interface between the user and the computer system.
Software licence: The terms and conditions under which a piece of software may be used
Specifications: A description of the criteria for the construction, appearance or performance of a computer system.
Spellcheck: A process where the words in a document are matched against a list of words in a dictionary. If a word in the document does not match one, it is signalled as a spelling error.
Spreadsheet: Computerised worksheet on which text, numbers and formulas can be entered for fast, accurate calculations.
Standard: An approved model.
Status bar: Located at the bottom of the screen and displays information for the user eg Page no, Section, Total pages, line, column.
STD: Subscriber Trunk Dialling: long distance calls.
Stereotyping: Judging or classifying people into a particular category according to appearance, behaviour, clothes or a belief.
Table: A facility, which allows the user to make columns with or without borders, can be used instead of tabulating.
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol: the suite of programs that determine how information is sent over the Internet.
Template: A document that can be used as a pattern for creating other similar documents.
Taskbar: Contains the Start button, the clock and currently running tasks.
Thesaurus: Provides synonyms (word with similar meanings) and antonyms (words with opposite meanings) for a word or phrase.
Toolbar: A toolbar contain buttons with that can be clicked to provide a shortcut to tasks.
Trojan horse: A destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. While Trojan horses do not copy themselves, they can do just as much damage as viruses
Troubleshooting: To locate the cause of trouble and removes, fixes or treats it.
UNCL: Universal Naming Convention
Undo: Allows the user to reverse the last action performed.
Union: An association that seeks to defend and improve employee wages and working conditions
URL: Uniform Resource Locator: an address on the Internet.
USB: Universal Serial Bus: An external peripheral interface with a 12 Mb transfer rate. It supports up to 127 hot swappable, plug and play devices. It is expected to replace the standard serial and parallel ports
USENET: An Internet service made up of discussion groups called newsgroups to which you can subscribe or join.
Validation rule: A check that Microsoft Access performs to determine whether entered data meets certain criteria.
Validation text: Text that is displayed when a validation rule is violated.
VDU: Visual Display Unit or screen or monitor.
Virus: A program that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs without your consent. Most viruses can also replicate themselves
Vision statement: A brief statement on what the organisation sees and wishes for the future.
Voicemail: A type of answering machine where messages can be recorded.
Windows Explorer: The file manager used where you can locate all folders, files and drives available.
Word wrap: When your text reaches the right-hand margin in a document it automatically starts on the next line.
Workbook: A spreadsheet file containing one or more worksheets
WorkCover: The managing body for NSW Workplace Health and Safety
Worker’s compensation: A payment made to any person who is injured or suffers a work-related illness to compensate for the injury or illness.
Worksheet: A sheet within a spreadsheet workbook; used for displaying rows and columns of figures and labels
Worksheet tab: The tab at the base of a worksheet, default tab names in Excel are Sheet1, Sheet2 etc.
Workstation: Includes the whole work area and positioning of the computer, monitor, keyboard, desk, chair, document holder and footrest.
WWW World Wide Web: documents that reside on computers on the Internet.


On completion of this unit, learners should be able to protect and secure stand-alone or client server environments. Specifically, learners should be able to:

• Carry out file maintenance
• Carry out virus scanning
• Follow software copyright procedures
• Record software licences
• Restore system back-up
• Maintain Virus Protection.
Glossary

Backup To copy files to another media as a precautionary measure, in case the first media fails
Boot sector Infectors Virus that infects the boot sector of a floppy or hard disk

Differential backup Any files that have changed since the last full backup, are duplicated
Disaster recovery plan Detailed, written plan describing how an organisation will restore computer operations, in the event of a disaster
File infectors Virus that attack and modify program files, usually .exe and .com files. When the program is run the virus is executed
Full backup All files in the system, including program files and data files, are duplicated
Incremental backup Any files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup, are duplicated
Logic bomb Virus that activates when it detects a certain condition, e.g., a certain date
Macro viruses Makes use of the built in programming languages in Microsoft Word and Excel (VBA). A malevolent macro that duplicate themselves into other documents and spread just like any
other virus once the file has been opened
Polymorphic virus Virus which modifies its program code every time it attaches itself to another program file
Restore The process where files are returned from a backup to their original condition and location
Software licence The terms and conditions under which a piece of software may be used
Trojan Horse A destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. While Trojan Horses do not copy themselves they can do just as much damage as viruses
Virus A program that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs without your consent. Most viruses can also replicate themselves

Install software applications

ICAITS015B
Install software applications
Outline of unit content

On successful completion of this competency, learners should be able to record, prioritise and escalate client requests. Specifically, the learner should be able to:
1. Determine software or software upgrade requirements of clients:
• Document and report client requirements to supervisor.
• Act on supervisors instructions to meet client requirements in line with organisational guidelines, corporate purchasing, licensing arrangements and budget.
2. Obtain software or software upgrade:
• Obtain software under instruction from management.
• Determine and record licensing requirements in line with organisational guidelines.
3. Install software or upgrade:
• Install upgrade to meet supervisor’s instructions.
• Undertake process so clients experience minimal disruption.
• Computer is installed to accept software.
• Testing and acceptance are carried out in line with corporate guidelines.
• Client requirements are satisfied. Amendments are made as required for client, or client is referred to appropriate person/supervisor if necessary.





Description
Installing Software helps you master the basic skills of adding and removing programs on your PC, and includes: performing complete and custom installs from a CD-ROM, installing internet downloads, using a decompression program, downloading and installing a font, upgrading using Windows Update, using patches to fix problems, installing plug-ins, acquiring driver software, and maximizing your hard disk space by uninstalling old programs.

Activities
Activity 1: completing a system specification
Before you install software or even before you purchase it, you need to know if your existing hardware has the capacity and capability of running the new software. Now think what this means if you are required to organise a major upgrade of software organisation-wide. You need to know details of all of the computers on which the software/upgrade will be installed. You need to know if the PCs have enough memory, hard disk space, if the version of the operating system is compatible, are the workstations connected to the network?

If your organisation consists of a number of sites, it would take a lot of your time, if every time you needed to do an install, you needed to visit each site and carry out an investigation.

Information Technology departments usually keep detailed records of all the computer systems in the organisation. More often than not this information is stored in a database and is updated every time a change is made to a computer. The record containing the computer system details is often referred to as a System Specification.

Completing your system specification
You will be provided with a blank system specification form. You are required to complete all the details on the System Specification form for the workstation you are using.

Aside from the tools provided within Windows, there is a range of software tools on the market that can assist you in gathering the information required.


Activity 2: software maintenance log
It is important to maintain a record of the software maintenance carried out on a computer. There are a number of reasons for this:
• Assists in maintaining software licence control
• Assists in troubleshooting software problems
• Provides a “software history” for the computer

In this activity you are required to design a Software Maintenance Log. The purpose of the log is to record all software installations, upgrades, un-installs and major configuration changes for the workstation you are using.

Design a software maintenance log
Design a form to record the installation and modification of software installed on your system. This form should include fields for the following information:
• Details of the system to which log refers
• Location of system
• Details of installation (name of package, version, and any other details eg uninstall, reinstall, new install, upgrade, configuration change)
• Name of Support Person undertaking the work
• Date of installation/modification








You may use the following example as a guide:
Software Maintenance Log
PC Make/Model Location
PC Serial No.

Date Software Package and Version Type of Maintenance* Name Signature


* Might be a New Install, Upgrade, Configuration Change, Un-install, or Re-install


You are to record on this form all software installations/modifications/ uninstalls carried out.

Activity 3: software installation checklist
Having satisfied yourself that the available hardware has the capacity and capability to handle the software that you are going to install, and having purchased the software and recorded the licensing arrangements, you now need to plan the actual software installation, configuration and testing.

At all times it is important to try to minimise disruption to the client. You should follow organisational guidelines in relation to this. However, at the very least, you should contact the client, organise a time suitable for the install, and advise the client as to the length of time it is likely to take.



There are quite a number of tasks associated with software installation. These can be broken into three categories:
• Pre-installation planning
o Call logged to Help Desk
o System specification checked
o Software licence checked
o Software obtained and backed up
o Installation and configuration requirements obtained
o Installation scheduled with client
• Pre-installation system preparation and application testing
o Virus scan run
o User data backed up
o Critical system files backed up
o Startup disk available
o Temp and Internet Temp files deleted
o Recycle bin emptied
o Scandisk run
o Disk Defragmenter run
o Selection of existing applications tested and output produced
• Software installation, configuration and testing
o Software installed in accordance with organisational standard
o Software configured according to requirements
o Software tested & output produced
• Post-installation application testing and documentation
o Existing applications re-tested and output produced
o System specification updated
o Software licence recorded
o Software maintenance log updated
o Help Desk call closed
o Follow-up call to user
o Client acceptance/sign-off






As you can see, there are a lot of tasks to keep track of. To assist in this process and ensure that all of the tasks are completed, a Software Installation Checklist form is often used. The Checklist lists all of the tasks to be undertaken and, as they are carried out, they are ‘checked off’ the list. The Checklist is used every time a software package is installed.

Based on the list of tasks discussed above create your own Software Installation Checklist form. Make sure you include space to record the package being installed, details of the system on which it is to be installed and columns so that you can ‘check off’ each task as you complete it.

Review questions
Questions:

1. What is a software licence?

2. What does EULA stand for and what is it?

3. What are the differences between a single-user, multi-user and site licence for software?

4. List 5 effects of using illegal software.

5. When installing software on a client’s workstation, it is important to be aware of the client’s needs. List 6 behaviours that you should exhibit when interacting with the client.

6. Pre-Installation System Preparation and Application Testing are important aspects of the software installation process. List 9 tasks that should be undertaken as part of this process.

7. Why would you run disk defragmenter before installing a software application?

8. You have installed an upgraded version of a software package on a client’s workstation but the package will not work. Will you:

(a) Advise the client there is a problem and make a time to come back and fix it.
(b) Advise the client there is a problem, re-instate the original software from the backup and advise client of the action you intend to take.
(c) Ask the client to locate another machine to use in the interim and take away the machine with the faulty software to fix it.
(d) Stay and fix the problem no matter how long it will take.

9. Before installing a new application, a software support person should advise the client to:

(a) backup all programs.
(b) backup all data files.
(c) compress the hard disk.
(d) printout a directory tree structure of the workstation.

10. What does the term ‘preferred supplier’ mean?

Answers

1. A software license allows the purchaser to use the software under certain specified conditions. The license also stipulates what the purchaser may or may not do with the software.

2. End User Licence Agreement. The EULA specifies the conditions under which a purchaser may use the software.

3. Single-User: Software may be loaded on only one machine at a time.
Multi-User: Specified number of licenses (eg 5-user; 10-user licence). May be loaded on a maximum of machines allowed by licence.
Site: Licence that allows loading of the software on any/all machines at one physical location.

4. Increased chance of viruses
No support from manufacturer
No access to upgrades
No manuals
Prospect of prosecution and fines

5. Be diplomatic and polite
Make sure you don’t “talk down” to the client
Always ask before using the client’s telephone
Don’t pile your belongings or tools on top of the client’s things
Make sure you accommodate the client’s urgent business
Protect the confidentiality of the client’s data

6. Scan for viruses
Back up user data
Back up critical system files
Make sure a Startup disk is available
Delete Temp and Internet Temp files
Empty the Recycle bin
Run Scandisk
Run Defragmenter
Test a selection of existing applications and produce output

7. So that the application is installed into a contiguous block of space on the hard disk.

8. (b) Advise the client there is a problem, re-instate the original software from the backup and advise client of the action you intend to take.

9. (b) backup all data files

10. A preferred supplier is one who has a special relationship with a customer/company. This relationship usually means that the customer will, other things being equal, give the supplier a certain amount of (almost guaranteed) business during the course of a year. In return, the supplier is expected to match certain standards of quality and timeliness.

Connect hardware peripherals

ICAITS014C Connect hardware peripherals

Glossary
Overview
In general Hardware Peripherals can be classified in either internal/external or input/output/storage. Input devices relate to equipment that allows us to put data into the computer system for processing. After the data has been processed there is an output. This is a classical “input-process-output (IPO)” viewpoint about computers. However, the data may be stored, either prior or subsequent to processing, in a storage device. Of course there are devices, especially multi-function, that blur the distinction between these generalised areas of hardware peripherals.
CDROM
Compact Disk Read Only Memory – An optical 120mm diameter disk with 650megabytes capacity. It is used to store text, graphics, sound and video. The digital data is recorded in a spiral from the centre to the outermost edge

CMOS
Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semi-conductor: A low power using memory chip in personal computers the holds time, date and other critical system startup information
DMA
Direct Memory Access: A method of allowing the peripherals to bypass the processor and send blocks of data to a secured memory location. This can speed up data transfer operations enormously.

driver
Operating systems and applications use a general system call to operate hardware devices. The driver is a software routine that translates it into the specific instructions needed to control the hardware device.
DVD
Digital Versatile Disc: 120mm optical disc with a capacity of 4.7 gigabytes. Expected to replace CDROM.


Firewire
A fast (up to 50megabyes per second) serial bus with support for 63 hot swap, plug and play devices. Has the potential to replace serial, parallel, IDE and SCSI Hard disk type interfaces.
IRQ
Interrupt Request: Hardware devices can gain some processor attention by sending a signal via the interrupt request line. Early devices required some knowledge of interrupts to avoid conflicts. Plug and Play now handles the setup of a new device’s communication channels with the rest of the system including the IRQ.
PS/2
A 6 pin mini DIN socket on most computers used for the mouse and keyboard.
RS232
Recommended Standard 232C: now ratified as the EIA-232 standard, which is used by all dial-up modems. The serial port may be either 25pin or 9pin D shell.
USB
Universal Serial Bus: An external peripheral interface with a 12Mb transfer rate. It supports up to 127 hot swappable, plug and play devices. It is expected to replace the standard serial and parallel ports






Other resources
• whatis.techtarget.com/ - General purpose site for Information Technology related definitions
• www.webopedia.com/ - General purpose site for Information Technology related definitions
• peripherals.about.com/cs/findingdrivers/ - A site for software drivers targeted to peripherals devices
• www.windrivers.com/ - A site for Microsoft Windows related software drivers
• www.drdriver.com/ - A site for device drivers


Summary of peripherals


Input
Keyboard, mouse, joystick, microphone, trackball, graphics tablet, glidepad, network interface card, barcode reader, scanner, touch screen, sensor, digital camera
Output:
Speakers, monitor, printer, network interface card, force feedback device (mouse, headphones, steering wheel, chair, vest, joystick), actuator
Storage:
Floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, optical based disks (CD, DVD etc..), flash cards, memory stick.




Activity 2
Match the port with the description
The Port Match Choice Description


ICAITS014C Connect hardware peripherals 1
Glossary 1
Other resources 3
Summary of peripherals 4
Input 4
Activity 2 5






ICAITS014C Connect hardware peripherals

Glossary
Overview
In general Hardware Peripherals can be classified in either internal/external or input/output/storage. Input devices relate to equipment that allows us to put data into the computer system for processing. After the data has been processed there is an output. This is a classical “input-process-output (IPO)” viewpoint about computers. However, the data may be stored, either prior or subsequent to processing, in a storage device. Of course there are devices, especially multi-function, that blur the distinction between these generalised areas of hardware peripherals.
CDROM
Compact Disk Read Only Memory – An optical 120mm diameter disk with 650megabytes capacity. It is used to store text, graphics, sound and video. The digital data is recorded in a spiral from the centre to the outermost edge

CMOS
Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semi-conductor: A low power using memory chip in personal computers the holds time, date and other critical system startup information
DMA
Direct Memory Access: A method of allowing the peripherals to bypass the processor and send blocks of data to a secured memory location. This can speed up data transfer operations enormously.

driver
Operating systems and applications use a general system call to operate hardware devices. The driver is a software routine that translates it into the specific instructions needed to control the hardware device.
DVD
Digital Versatile Disc: 120mm optical disc with a capacity of 4.7 gigabytes. Expected to replace CDROM.


Firewire
A fast (up to 50megabyes per second) serial bus with support for 63 hot swap, plug and play devices. Has the potential to replace serial, parallel, IDE and SCSI Hard disk type interfaces.
IRQ
Interrupt Request: Hardware devices can gain some processor attention by sending a signal via the interrupt request line. Early devices required some knowledge of interrupts to avoid conflicts. Plug and Play now handles the setup of a new device’s communication channels with the rest of the system including the IRQ.
PS/2
A 6 pin mini DIN socket on most computers used for the mouse and keyboard.
RS232
Recommended Standard 232C: now ratified as the EIA-232 standard, which is used by all dial-up modems. The serial port may be either 25pin or 9pin D shell.
USB
Universal Serial Bus: An external peripheral interface with a 12Mb transfer rate. It supports up to 127 hot swappable, plug and play devices. It is expected to replace the standard serial and parallel ports






Other resources
• whatis.techtarget.com/ - General purpose site for Information Technology related definitions
• www.webopedia.com/ - General purpose site for Information Technology related definitions
• peripherals.about.com/cs/findingdrivers/ - A site for software drivers targeted to peripherals devices
• www.windrivers.com/ - A site for Microsoft Windows related software drivers
• www.drdriver.com/ - A site for device drivers


Summary of peripherals


Input
Keyboard, mouse, joystick, microphone, trackball, graphics tablet, glidepad, network interface card, barcode reader, scanner, touch screen, sensor, digital camera
Output:
Speakers, monitor, printer, network interface card, force feedback device (mouse, headphones, steering wheel, chair, vest, joystick), actuator
Storage:
Floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, optical based disks (CD, DVD etc..), flash cards, memory stick.




Activity
port with the description


Joystick / MIDI 1 Monitor



Bayonet Network Connector 2 Power in



“Firewire” IEEE1394 3 RJ45



Microphone / speakers 4 Voltage selector switch



RJ45 5 Microphone / speakers



Power in 6 Bayonet Network Connector



Universal Serial Bus 7 PS/2 Mouse



PS/2 Mouse 8 Universal Serial Bus



Monitor 9 “Firewire” IEEE1394



Voltage selector switch 10 Joystick / MIDI

Design Organisational Documents using Commercial Computing Packages

Outcomes - What you will learn from this unit
Templates - Why are templates used?
Word Processing - Word processed templates with examples and practical tasks for you to do.
Exercise 1 - Short answer, multiple choice and true or false questions
Exercise 2 - Multiple choice questions
Spreadsheet template - Spreadsheet templates with examples, a practical task for you to do and some helpful tips
Creating a useful Help File - This is a practical task where you will learn how to create a useful help file
Creating a form - This is a practical task where you will learn how to create a form
Exercise 3 - Short answer questions
Sample Work Placement Project - Practical tasks that could complete at your work placement
Glossary - Explanation of terms that will help you with this unit
Other resources - Useful links

Outcomes

On completion of this unit learners should be competent in creating documents and templates that meet client requirements.

They should have the ability to:

1. select the appropriate software
2. manage document design to reflect the needs of the client
3. provide support mechanisms for the client to use the documents effectively
4. store the documents in a form and location suitable for the client to use effectively.

Glossary

ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange is the most common format for text files in computers and on the Internet

Bookmark
A bookmark is an item or location in a document that you identify and name for future reference

Desktop publishing
A software application used to combine graphics and text objects to produce high quality publications

Document
A file that is usually printed off. It may consist of many pages

Document status
Where in the creation, use and updating of the document the information is up to

Expiry date
The date by which a document is no longer accurate or viable

Fault log
A listing of faults and remedies in a system to allow trends to be seen and rectified

Footer
A section at the bottom of a page that has consistent information that is the same on each printed page

Form
A document created to provide a layout that a user can use to enter the required information

Header
A section at the top of a page that has consistent information that is the same on each printed page

Help file
Usually an online document that is designed to give the user assistance in using an application

html
Hypertext Markup Language

Hyperlink
Connection from a word, section of text, picture, or information object to another

Inventory
A data store of items

Letterhead
A pre-printed shell used to identify commercial documents. It usually has the organisation details and a logo. It may have a watermark to make unauthorised copying more difficult.

Meeting agenda
A list of the topics to be discussed at a future meeting

Meeting minutes
A document containing the results of discussions at a meeting. It is used to ensure that decisions and actions are recorded to avoid confusion.

OCR
Optical character recognition is the recognition of printed or written text characters by a computer

Print preview
Allows a developer to ascertain if a hard copy will print correctly

RSI
Repetitive Strain Injury is caused by long sessions involving the same physical movement

Scanner
A scanner captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources for computer editing and display

Style guide
A document created to identify the spelling, layout and common grammatical issues within an organisation

Target
The destination of a link

Target audience
The intended viewers or users of the file(s) or the people intended to actually enter data when using the documents

Template
A document that has some of the consistent elements already created such as headings, logo

User
A person who employs components of the system to complete a task

Version Control
A method used to ensure that the correct version of the document goes to the specific audience

Wizard
A facility included in many commercial software applications which allows complex tasks to be automated for inexperienced users or to save time for “experts”

YSIWYGW
What you see is what you get. The printout is the same as the screen display

Other resources

The Microsoft Office Home Page Selecting this link will take you to an external site. .
You can find tutorials on applications and design principles at this site.

Whatis.com Selecting this link will take you to an external site.
You can find more definitions and quizzes on this site.

Templates

Templates and a consistent document format ensure that commercial documentation maintains a coherent look and “feel” across an organisation. The use of consistent information (e.g. organisation details, phone numbers etc) ensures accuracy across documents.

Templates also ensure that objects that are applied to a number of documents (eg an organisation logo) can be stored in the one file location and dynamically linked within an organisation’s network. This has many advantages. All documents have the same look and feel and if information needs to be updated, such as a new fax number, logo or email address, the new information needs to be updated only once.

Microsoft Office has several examples of templates. In MS Word there are templates for minutes, memos, faxes and resumes and other publications. These documents have a .dot extension. In MS Excel there are templates for invoices and finance related templates. These have a .xlt extension. Familiarise yourself with these standard templates.

Exercise 1

Questions 1 to 5 are short answer questions.

1. A template is available for most applications when you store them in a Templates Directory. What is the location of this directory on the computer you are using now?

To find where your template files are stored, use the find facility to look for *.dot files.

2. Describe some of the common tasks that are performed when creating a new template.

* setting up headers and footers
* adding a logo
* placing commercial information to create a letterhead
* setting the default font and styles
* setting page margins.


3. Touch typing is a useful data entry skill. What is touch typing?

Touch-typing is the skill of knowing where all of the keys are on a standard keyboard layout and using specific finger movements to most efficiently activate the appropriate key. It relies on having a standardised key layout and the concept of “home keys”.

4. What course of action should you take to prevent RSI?

RSI or Repetitive Strain Injury is caused by long sessions of the same movement as in the action of touch-typing. Regular rest breaks and ensuring that the fingers are moved through their full range of movement is a good method of avoiding this type of injury.

5. What does “confidential” mean when used in connection with commercial documentation?

“Confidential” refers to the fact that some documents are not intended for general distribution and may be protected to ensure that only the specified recipients are able to view the contents when online or via emails. In the past, hard copy documents could be kept locked away from public access. With the advent of networks and electronic storage the concept of confidentiality is more difficult to enforce.

6. Choose from the options below.

WYSIWYG means: -
1. what you see is what you get
2. the file is displayed on the screen as it is to be printed
3. the web layout of a printed page.

What you see is what you get. The acronym is a leftover from the first computer programs when they often showed only the code and the hard copy would display the actual code actions. This is similar to modern HTML where hello would display in a web browser as hello.

Answer True or False to the following questions.

7. A data entry person who uses a template to create a document should then save the file to the document template directory.
TRUE / FALSE

FALSE. If the files have been created from a template that is opened from the templates directory then the user is given the default option of saving the file as a document that they can name. If the template has been saved in other directories then they may have to use the Save As option.

8. A scanner can only digitise photographic images.
TRUE / FALSE

FALSE. Scanners are merely a device designed to digitise black and white areas or coloured areas of a scanned document. Graphics programs and Optical Character Recognition programs allow the digitised information to be manipulated correctly.


9. Each page of a printout is a separate file.
TRUE / FALSE

FALSE. This is a common mistake of new users of word processing software, especially where different topics are covered in the one document. Word processors are able to delineate page spaces effectively to create multi page documents.

10. There is an automatic facility to include page numbers in a document.
TRUE / FALSE

TRUE. There are a number of scripted modules that allow text that is commonly used in documents to be included in the files using the appropriate metadata to update automatically (eg date, time printed page number).


Exercise 2
Multiple choice

1. Desk Top Publishing is:
1. a device used to create high quality printouts by ensuring that the paper size is accurately accounted for
2. a software application used to combine graphics and text objects to produce high quality publications
3. an organisation listing where the output to be printed on large printing presses using lead typeface
4. a type of commercial enterprise where they specialise in coffee table books of a high quality.

2. The Print Preview:
1. will appear different if an alternative printer is selected for the print job
2. allows a developer to ascertain if a hard copy will print correctly
3. allows a developer to ensure that all words are spelt correctly
4. ensures that the document will be readable when printed on orange paper.

3. A form is:
1. only available as a printed document
2. only available when using a database application
3. a document used to gather data from an audience
4. a document designed to lead a user in entering data to ensure consistency and accuracy of information.

4. Which of the following is a health hazard?
1. laser printer toner powder
2. ink jet printer ink
3. paper dust
4. All of the above.

5. Expiry date is:
1. the date by which a document needs to be removed from circulation
2. the date by which a project is to be completed
3. what happens when the manager finds out you didn’t put the ad in the Yellow Pages
4. the date by which a document is no longer accurate or viable.


Word Processing

To ensure that documents belonging to an organisation are consistent and include correct, relevant information (logo, contact details and text styles) we create a letterhead and style sheet. This ensures that the information will be placed correctly and appropriately in the document.

To create text documents on a computer we use a word processor rather than a text editor. A text editor stores the ASCII characters in a data table of character position and ASCII value. A word processor has a similar basic function, however each character has large amounts of metadata held in the array as well.

Touch typing is a good skill to possess – use a typing tutor program to practise such as TypeQuick or Typing Tutor. Touch-typing allows for the quick entry of original text data. If hard copy exists then scanning and OCR is often an appropriate method. Speech to text recognition software, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Point and Speak Voice Recognition, can speed up the process of text entry for slow typists.
Word Processing Documents

As most documents created in a word processor are meant to be viewed as hard copy (printed on paper) the basic word processing applications tend to be WYSIWYG. Use the Print Layout option on the View menu to see how the document will looked in printed format as you are creating it. This is important if you are drawing objects such as a flowchart.

Tip If you need to change the settings of the various document sections use the File - Page Set-up Menu.
Document Templates

To allow for quick development of complex documents and to keep uniformity within the commercial environment, templates are often created. You will need to create your own template to use as a basis for the rest of the task.


Task 1

For this task you are going to create a letterhead for your school/college and store it as a template. Here is an example of a letterhead. Look at the sample letterhead before you attempt to create your own.

Example of a letterhead
Instructions

* Use the Find facility to locate the document templates (*.dot) used by MS Office. Note the location.

* Open MS Word.

* File – New
Create New – Template

* File - Page Set-up: paper size, margins, different first page, orientation

* Format – Font: font set, size, style

* View - Header and Footer: School (or your) name, subject, year
Tip --Most of the items below will be found on the Tool Bar or in the Insert Menu.

* Footer: auto-text filename, page number, date
NB--use the tab key to move the cursor in your footer.

* Save.

Styles

Create a new Heading Style using a different Font (eg Paddington), size, spacing character formatting (bold or italics).

Use Styles (your style) to format the Headings

Use a 1.5 pt rule line to create the underline

Save your work to a floppy disk regularly – it can save a lot of stress if something goes wrong.


Task 2 Create more templates

Now that you have created a template, create a series of templates suitable for the Work Placement organisation you have worked with or another organisation that you are familiar with. Once a number of suitable items are created, look for consistent objects and link them to a single data source (e.g. logo, header, etc)

NB You will need to create the logo and then insert it as an object that islinked.

You will need to draft a “rough” sketch by hand for each before you create the documents. Remember to develop a consistent “feel” for the set of documents that your Work Placement organisation or other organisation would use.

Examples of suitable documents could be:

* intra-office memo
* official correspondence
* office newsletter
* fax cover sheet
* monthly report
* section report
* entry on duty data sheet
* accident report form
* order form
* purchase request form

Here are some examples of organisational documents.
These samples will help you create your own documents.

* Inventory sheet
* Memo sheet
* Minutes sheet


Task 3

List some of the documents you have used while at YOUR Work Placement(s).

Exercise 3

1. What are some of the ways Help files aid new users unfamiliar with a software procedure?

- the ability to find out how to perform a specific task
- to research how a task could be managed more efficiently
- to solve a specific problem encountered while using the software.

2. Compare and contrast the two types of Help files available, namely printed booklets and online resources.

- Both types allow a user to find out how to solve problems with software applications or hardware devices.
- Both are able to be referenced by using an index and a contents page.
- Both are organised into passages that deal with related problems.
- Online files are able to be searched for keywords efficiently.
- Online resources are able to have wizards and macros attached to allow a user to see a procedure in a step by step fashion.
- Paper based resources are able to be accessed even when the computer has frozen.
- Paper based resources are able to be read anywhere, e.g. on public transport whereas online resources require access to computers and a network.

3. How would the language used differ for the different audiences you may have to deal with?

An experienced user will generally be looking for very specific information and will be able to comprehend technical terminology. New or inexperienced users will require simpler sets of instructions using less technical language. They would probably benefit from the more time consuming development of wizards and “how to” animations.

4. Define the term hyperlink.

A word, section of text, image or information object which has a connection to another.

5. What is a “target” when referring to links?

A “target” when referring to links is the destination of the link

6. Define the term “bookmark” in reference to linking.

A bookmark is an item or location in a document that you identify and name for future reference.


7. Why are bookmarks often used in templates and documents?

Book marks are used to automate data entry and to find information in documents. They are also used in table of contents and indexes.

8. Briefly describe the process of creating a bookmark in Microsoft Word.

Select the item you want to bookmark. On the Insert menu select Bookmark. Give your bookmark a name. Click Add.

9. Describe the process of saving a word processed document as a web document.

From the File menu select the Save as Web page option and give your document a name. The file is saved as .html.

10. Why do organisations often save their documents in both word processed format and web format?

To be able to publish documents on a network and on a intranet/internet.




Creating a Useful Help File
Target Audience

When creating documents it is important to target the document to the people you expect to actually read it and use it. Your Help file needs to have the language and concepts matched to the people who are most likely going to be using your document.

Shown below is a screen from the initial Help function in Windows 2000 Help Screenshot












The screen below is for a process in Microsoft Access that is something a person familiar with Access may want to do. The styles are different, as is the language used. Technical terms are used.














Microsoft Access help screenshot

You will need to create a word processed file accessible from all of your documents which will enable new users to know how YOU expect them to be able to use your templates. They may do it differently in the end – you are just giving expert advice!

You will need to create a link from your documents to this help file.

Remember to continue to develop a consistent “feel” for the set of documents that your Work Placement organisation or another organisation would use.

Examples of suitable topics could be:

* opening a template
* creating a default directory in which to save files
* changing the password on the spreadsheet
* moving data from the forms to the database
* storing the templates in the correct location for them to use the File – New command

Most importantly – get someone else to test the Help file to ensure that it makes sense.
What your help file will need

* Use the table of contents function to create hyperlinks to the main Headings.
* Create a button on the toolbar to allow a user to select the “find function”.
* Use any other facilities to make the file more usable.

Tips on creating a help file

Creating a form

Automated forms are widely used for data entry. The forms are designed so that the cursor moves to the next data entry point automatically. This saves time and there is less chance of entering incorrect data.

When a survey is being conducted the data is usually saved in a database. It is extremely important that the client fills in the details in the appropriate manner with complete accuracy.

Automated forms can be created to allow people to enter data into an online form and then: -

* print the completed form
* upload the completed form
* output the data ONLY to a text file ready to import into another application (eg database or spreadsheet)

Create a form

Follow the steps below to create a form that will allow you to capture the data from students about: -

* the type of computer they own and/or use and
* their travel arrangements to school/college

Procedure

* Create a new template from a blank document.
* Create a title for your form.
* Create four blank lines.
* Insert a table into the second line (i.e. leave 1 blank line
between your title and the table).




* Enter the following data into the table.
Type of computer you own or use
Method of getting to school/college

The grey cells are where you will create your data entry points.
• Display the Forms toolbar which is shown below. Forms toolbar
•











( View-Toolbars – Forms) Familiarise yourself with the functions of the buttons on this toolbar.





Name field
* Position the cursor in the cell where they will type their last name (as shown in the diagram above) and use the text Form Field to create a data place for the SURNAME, 20 characters in size, ALL CAPS (use the Form Field Options button).
* Do the same for the First Name except use First Cap.
* Create a drop list for the type of computer using the Drop-Down Form Field.
* Types to be Pentium, Pentium II, Pentium III, Macintosh G3, Macintosh G4. You may add others if you wish.
* Create a drop list for the type of transport they use to get to college. Types to be bus, train, bike, car, walking.
* Save the form as a template in the appropriate folder.
* Protect the form – you will not be able to see the items from the drop lists until you protect and open a new document.
* Save it again.
* Close the document.
* Select File – New-Create new document. Choose your template.
* Enter the appropriate data for yourself.
* Save the document using the Save data from form option(you will find this in the save window under Tools - General Options) as yourname.txt onto your floppy disk.
* Close the document and then create another new document for a fictitious person. Save this as fictitious.txt.

Once you have saved the data into the text files you can then import the two files into a single database table. You can either create the data table first or create the table as you import the first example of form data.

Spreadsheet Template

Spreadsheets are used to perform calculations. Often a data entry person will be required to enter figures that are used to produce mathematically complex results. In addition to this when wage calculations are considered there are privacy, security and accuracy issues to be dealt with. For these reasons it is often necessary to create a template for users to enter data into specific cells and then see only the results they are entitled to view.
Create a spreadsheet template

You will be required to create a spreadsheet that will calculate the wages of the employees of a section of a small organisation. The employees are only allowed to enter in the number of hours they have worked that week. The Section Manager is allowed to enter the base pay rate for the employees’ award, as well as the seniority pay scale. The Manager is also able to enter any overtime hours the employees work. You will need to password protect the template

An example of a possible spreadsheet is given for you to use as a basis for developing your own.

Sample Wages Spreadsheet

Tips on protecting worksheets

Sample Work Placement Project

Organisational Documents and Templates

This project is to be completed using your Work placement as a source of information.

Work Placement organisation name

...................................................

Short Description: Creating a set of complex documents and procedures intended to allow new users to create well-designed documents and files.

Assessment Type: Practical Project

Scenario

You have been employed to create a series of work place templates intended to allow novice users to create complex documents and files. These items will be created in such a way as to allow users to access a set of instructions if they require it. The links to various files should be dynamic (e.g. the organisation logo should be stored on the floppy disk and a dynamic link created from all of the other documents so that the logo can be updated in one place and all of the documents included will update automatically when next opened.)


Task 1

Create each of the following documents, paying attention to any other specific instructions given for individual items:

* Letterhead for the organisation you named above
* Inter/intra Office Memo
* Meeting minutes
* Entry on Duty Form
* Technology Fault Log
* Technology Inventory Sheet

You will also need to create a:

* database to collect the Entry on Duty information. This database is used to gather the information from the Entry on Duty form as a text file.
* spreadsheet to calculate a section’s wages. The general staff are only allowed to enter the hours they worked. The section manager is able to view the staff wages and is able to change the pay rate and also enter any overtime hours.

All documents are readily identified as organisation documents and each is to be linked to a help file. The help file should be searchable using the find command.

The organisation logo should be placed on all documents in an appropriate place and your name must appear as the author/ employee.


Task 2

Customise the applications software to:

* allow full menus to show in Word, Access and Excel
* make a: drive the default saving location.

All documents must be saved onto the one floppy disk.

Examples of some of the documents

* Inventory sheet
* Memo sheet
* Minutes sheet