lesson18

Operating System
Features & Interfaces
• Understanding software
• Operating System Terms and Concepts
• Microsoft OS
– Microsoft OS versions
– Determining Hardware Compatibility
– Minimum and recommended System Requirements
• Using Operating Systems
– Windows GUI components
– Control Panel
– The command prompt
– The Windows Registry
– Virtual memory
– System files
– Windows Explorer
– File and disk management
 Understanding software
• Here are three major distinctions of software you should be
aware of:
1. Operating system (OS)
2. Application
3. Driver
 1-Operating system (OS)
• Provides a consistent environment for other software to execute
commands.
• The OS gives users an interface with the computer so they can
send commands (input) and receive feedback or results (output).
• To do this, the OS must communicate with the computer
hardware to perform the following tasks,
• Disk and file management
• Device access
• Memory management
• Input Output format
 2- Application
• Used to accomplish a particular task
• application is software that is written to supplement the
commands available to a particular OS
• Either way, when accessing devices and memory, the
programs can simply request that the OS do it for them.
• This arrangement saves substantially on programming
overhead, because much of the executable code is shared—it
is written into the operating system and can therefore be used
by multiple applications running on that OS.
 3-Driver
• Extremely specific software written for the purpose of
instructing a particular OS on how to access a piece of
hardware.
• Each modem or printer has unique features and configuration
settings, and the driver allows the OS to properly understand
how the hardware works and what it is able to do.
OS Terms and Concepts
• Version
– A particular revision of a piece of software, normally described
by a number, which tells you how new the product is in relation
to other versions of the product.
• Source
– The actual code that defines how a piece of software works.
– Computer operating systems can be open source, meaning the
OS can be examined and modified by users, or they can be
closed source, meaning users cannot modify or examine the
code.
• Network
– Any group of computers that have a communication link
between them.
– Networks allow computers to share information and resources
quickly and securely.
• Shell
– is a piece of software that provides an interface for users to
an operating system to allows the user to issue commands.
– Operating system shells generally fall into one of two
categories: command-line interface and
graphical user interface (GUI).
• Graphical user interface (GUI)
– A method by which a person communicates with a
computer.
– GUIs use a mouse, touchpad, or another mechanism (in
addition to the keyboard) to interact with the computer to
issue commands.
• Cooperative multitasking
– A multitasking method that depends on the application itself to be responsible for
using and then freeing access to the processor.
– This is the way very early versions of Windows managed multiple applications.
– If any application locked up while using the processor, the application was
unable to properly free the processor to do other tasks, and the entire system
locked, usually forcing a reboot.
• Preemptive multitasking
– A multitasking method in which the OS allots each application a certain amount
of processor time and then forcibly takes back control and gives another
application or task access to the processor.
– This means that if an application crashes, the OS takes control of the processor
away from the locked application and passes it on to the next application, which
should be unaffected. Although unstable programs still lock, only the locked
application will stall—not the entire system.
• Multithreading
– The ability of a single application to have multiple
requests in to the processor at one time.
– This results in faster application performance, because it
allows a program to do many things at once.
• 32-bit
– An operating system that is 32-bit is one that can not only
run on 32-bit processors but can utilize the capabilities of
the processor fully.
• 64-bit
– A 64-bit operating system is one that is written to utilize the
instructions possible with 64-bit processors.
– Originally, these were more common with servers than
desktops, but with prices dropping, 64-bit processors have
become more common on the desktop, as have operating
systems that will run on them.
• x86
• The phrase x86 is commonly used to refer to operating
systems intended to run on the Intel processor since Intel
initially numbered their processors with numbers ending in 86
prior to switching to the Pentium line.
• X64
• The phrase x64 is commonly used to denote operating
systems that can run on 64-bit processors.
Microsoft OS
 Microsoft Disk Operating
System (MS-DOS)
• It was a dark place with no graphical interface
• No multitasking
• If you wanted something accomplished, you had to know the
command and type it in.
• Although it doesn’t sound user friendly, it was pretty advanced
for its time.
 Windows 1
• released in 1985
• Version 1 of Windows featured the tiling windows, mouse
support, and menu systems
• It also offered cooperative multitasking, meaning that more
than one Windows application could run concurrently.
• Windows 1 was far from a finished product.
• For one thing, it didn’t use icons, and it had few of the
programs we have come to expect as Windows standards.
• Windows 1 was basically just an updated, more graphical
version of the [Link] program.
 Windows 2
• released in 1987,
• added icons
• allowed application windows to overlap each other, as well as
tile.
• DOS applications more efficiently.
 Windows 3.x
Windows 3.0
• more flexible memory model, allowing it to access more memory than the
640KB limit normally imposed by DOS.
• It also featured the addition of the File Manager and Program Manager, allowed
for network support
• could operate in 386 Enhanced mode. This mode used parts of the hard drive
as virtual memory and was therefore able to use disk memory to supplement
the RAM in the machine.
Windows 3.1
• In 1992 support only 16-bit
• provided for better graphical display capability and multimedia support.
• It also improved the Windows error-protection system and let applications work
together more easily through the use of object linking and embedding (OLE).
Windows 3.11, (Windows for Workgroups)
• Windows offered support for both 16-bit and 32-bit applications.
 Windows 95
• Windows 95 integrated the OS and the shell.
(Where previous versions of Windows simply provided a graphical
interface to the existing DOS OS, the Windows 95 graphical
interface is part of the OS.)
• Windows 95 was designed to be a hybrid of the features of previous
DOS versions and newer 32-bit systems.
• It also supports both 32-bit and 16-bit drivers as well as DOS drivers
• support for the Plug and Play (PnP) standard.(legacy devices)
– The OS had to be PnP compatible .
– The computer motherboard had to support PnP.
– All devices in the machine had to be PnP compatible.
 Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP
• After Windows 95, Windows 98 was introduced as its
successor, followed by Windows Me (Millennium Edition).
• One of the earlier options that offered more power than
Windows 95 is the Windows NT OS.
• Nt more powerful than any previous Windows version.
• It uses an architecture based entirely on 32-bit code
• capable of accessing up to 4GB of RAM.
• After Windows 98 and NT, Windows 2000 was released.
• Four editions of Windows 2000 were released: Professional,
Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server
• Then came the introduction of Windows XP.
• XP comes in three versions: XP Home, XP Professional, and
Media Center.
 Windows Vista
• Microsoft then released Windows Vista in 2007.
• Vista comes in several flavors: Windows Vista Home, Vista
Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate.
• new user interface named Windows Aero, Internet Explorer 7,
speech and handwriting recognition, and easy-access pop-up
sidebars and gadgets.
• (User Account Control) was added to increase security
UAC can be turned off by choosing
• Start  Control Panel  Security  Security Center  Other
Security Settings.
 Windows 7
• Key goals of Windows 7 include overcoming the sluggishness
in Vista as well as the incompatibilities with applications
written for previous versions.
1. Windows 7 Starter
2. Windows 7 Home Basic
3. Windows 7 Home Premium
4. Windows 7 Professional
5. Windows 7 Enterprise
6. Windows 7 Ultimate

• [Link]
 Determining Hardware
Compatibility
• Before you can begin to install any version of Windows, it is
important that you determine whether the hardware you will be
using is supported by the Windows version you will be running.
• Microsoft has come up with several versions of its Hardware
• Compatibility List (HCL).
• [Link]
• The new term is the Windows Catalog, and eventually the Windows
Catalog will completely replace HCLs.
• Another name for the Windows Catalog is the Windows
Marketplace, available at [Link]
• ‘The point is, before you install Windows, you should check all your
computer’s components against this list and make sure each item is
compatible with the version of Windows you plan to install.
• upgrade advisor
 Minimum System
Requirements
• Microsoft (as well as other software publishers) publishes a list of both
minimum and recommended hardware specifications that you should
follow when installing Windows.
• Minimum hardware specifications are the absolute minimum
requirements for hardware you should have in your system in order to
install and run the OS you have chosen.
• Recommended hardware specifications are what you should have in
your system to realize usable performance.
• Always try to have the recommended hardware (or better) in your
system. If
• Note that in addition to these minimums, the hardware must be
compatible with Windows. Also, additional hardware may be required if
certain features are installed (for example, a NIC is required for
networking support).
Windows 2000 and XP Minimum and Recommended Hardware
Windows Vista Minimum and Recommended Hardware
Hardware Requirements for
Installing Windows 7
Minimum Requirements Hardware
1 GHz or faster CPU

1 GB for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit RAM

Aero Capable GPU

128 MB Video RAM

16 GB for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit HDD Free

DVD Optical Drive

Using Operating Systems
 Using Operating Systems
• Windows GUI components
• Control Panel
• The command prompt
• The Windows Registry
• Virtual memory
• System files
• Windows Explorer
• File and disk management
 Windows GUI components
The Windows Interface
• The interface of a machine running Windows 2000 looks very
similar to that of a machine running Windows 95/98/Me/NT;
• If you look closely, you will notice that the names of some of
the icons are different, but for the most part they’re identical

• Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows vista
• Windows 7
 The Desktop
• The Desktop is the virtual desk on which all of your other
programs and utilities run.
• To change the desktop
• right-clicking any area of the Desktop that doesn’t contain any
icon then choose Properties (personalize)
• You can also access the Display Properties settings by using
the Display icon under Control Panel.
• Effects & Web (Windows 2000 only)
By default it contains the
1. Start menu
2. icons.
 1-The Taskbar
• The Taskbar contains two major items: the Start menu and the
System Tray (systray).
• The Start menu is on the left side of the Taskbar and is easily
identifiable: it is a button that has the word Start on it or—in the
case of Windows Vista and windows 7 —is the large Windows icon
• The System Tray is located on the right side of the Taskbar and
contains only a clock by default, but other Windows utilities (for
example, screensavers or virus-protection utilities) may put their
icons here to indicate that they are running and to provide the user
with a quick way to access their features.
How to :
• You can increase the size of the Taskbar
• Lock The Taskbar
• The Windows Vista Sidebar
 Start menu
• Start menu always serves the same function: providing quick
access to important features and programs.
• Windows is that it usually displays the name of the OS
Programs (Windows 2000)/All Programs
(Windows XP and Vista)
Submenu
• and Windows XP if you’re using the Classic Start Menu
 Programs (Windows 2000)/All Programs
(Windows XP and Vista)
Submenu
• The Documents/My Recent Documents/Recent Items
submenu has only one function: to keep track of the last data
files you opened.
• To enable it, in the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties
screen, click the Start Menu tab and then click Customize
next to Start Menu.
Click the Advanced tab, select the List My Most Recently
Opened Documents option, and then click OK.
 Settings Submenu
(Windows 2000)
• The Settings submenu provides easy access to the
configuration of Windows.
• This menu has numerous submenus, including Control Panel,
Printers, and Taskbar & Start Menu. Additional menus are
available, depending on which version of Windows you are
using.
• In Windows XP and Windows Vista, you’ll find Control Panel
as an option directly off the
• Start menu (not below a submenu).
Search (Find) Submenu/Option
Help Command (Windows 2000)/
Help & Support Command
(Windows XP and Vista)
 Run Command
(Windows 2000 and Windows XP)
• You can use the Run command to start programs if they don’t
have a shortcut on the Desktop or in the Programs submenu.
 Shut Down Command
(Windows 2000)/
Turn Off Computer Command
(Windows XP and Vista)
• Shut Down (Windows 2000)/Turn Off (Windows XP and
Vista)
• Restart
• Stand By (Windows XP only)
• Hibernation
 2- Icons
• Icons are shortcuts that allow a user to open a program or a utility without
knowing where that program is located or how it needs to be configured.
• Icons consist of several major elements:
1. Icon label
2. Icon graphic
3. Program location
• The label and graphic simply tell the user the name of the program and
give a visual hint about what that program does.
• In operating systems newer than Windows 2000, additional functionality
has been added to an icon’s properties to allow for backward compatibility
• Standard Desktop Icons
• My Computer
• Network Neighborhood
• My Network Places,
• the Recycle Bin.
 My Computer
• allowing you access to your computer’s files
• Lets you view your machine’s configuration and hardware,
also called the System Properties.
 My Network Places
• (Network Neighborhood pre–Windows 2000)
• Opening My Network Places enables you to browse for and
access other computers and shared resources to which your
computer is connected.
• In Windows Vista, the wording of this option has been
changed to simply Network.
The Recycle Bin
 What’s in a Window?
Elements of a Window

States of a Window
1. Maximized
2. Restored
3. Minimized