A Guide to IT Technical Support 9 th

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition Chapter 7 Survey of Windows Features and Support Tools

Objectives • Use Windows to interface with users, files and folders, applications, and hardware • Use Windows tools to examine and support the system • Make network connections using Windows • Manage local user accounts and Microsoft accounts in Windows A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 2

Windows Interfaces • Operating system (OS) software – Controls a computer • Four main functions of all OSs – – Provide a user interface Manage files Manage hardware Manage applications • Windows 8 is an upgrade to Windows 7, which was preceded by Windows Vista A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 3

Windows Interfaces Figure 7 -1 Users and applications depend on the OS to relate to all applications and hardware components A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 4

Windows Interfaces • Editions of Windows 8: – Windows 8, Windows 8 Professional, Windows 8 Enterprise, and Windows RT – Windows 8. 1 is a free update • Editions of Windows 7: – Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Home Basic, and Windows 7 Starter • Every Windows OS provides a graphical user interface (GUI) A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 5

Windows 8 Modern Interface • Windows 8 modern interface – Also called the Windows 8 interface and formerly called the Metro User Interface or Metro UI – The Start screen contains tiles that represent lean apps (use few system resources) – Some apps use live tiles • Offer continuous real-time updates – Uses pages in comparison to windows used on the desktop – Designed for touch screens A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 6

Windows 8 Modern Interface Figure 7 -2 The Windows 8 Start screen is used to view app tiles and to open apps A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 7

Windows 8 Modern Interface • Charms bar appears on the right side of the screen when you move your pointer to a right corner – Click a charm to select it • Settings charm can be useful – Items at the top of the Settings pane can change depending on the situation A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 8

Windows 8 Modern Interface Figure 7 -3 (a) The charms bar, (b) the Settings pane on the Start screen, and (c) the Settings pane on the desktop A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 9

Windows 8 Modern Interface • Power icon in the upper-right corner of the Start screen can be used to shut down or restart computer – Items on this menu might include Sleep and Hibernate Figure 7 -4 Use the Power icon at the top of the Start screen to shut down or restart the system A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 10

Windows 8 Desktop • To access the desktop, click the Desktop tile on the Start screen – You can click the Start button in the taskbar to return to the Start screen • Taskbar is normally located at the bottom of the Windows desktop • Notification area (system tray or systray) is usually on the right side of the taskbar and displays open services – Service is a program that runs in the background A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 11

Windows 8 Desktop • To launch a program from the desktop, use one of these methods: – – – Start screen Quick Launch menu Pin to taskbar Double-click the program file in File Explorer Shortcut on desktop Run box A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 12

Windows 8 Desktop Figure 7 -9 Windows 8 desktop with charms bar in view A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 13

Windows 8 Desktop • Tips about managing windows on the desktop: – Press and drag the title bar of a window to move the window – Drag a window to the top of the screen to maximize it – Press and shake the title bar of a window to minimize all other windows except the one you shake A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 14

Windows 7 Desktop • Desktop is the initial screen that is displayed • Windows 7/Vista desktop provides a 3 -D user interface called the Aero user interface – Aero interface is not available for the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions – Windows 7 requires 1 GB of RAM and a video card that supports Aero • Can have gadgets on the desktop – Gadget is a mini-app that provides information such as the time, date, news headlines, or weather A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 15

Windows 7 Desktop Figure 7 -13 The Windows 7 desktop using the Aero interface has a glassy transparent look A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 16

Windows 7 Desktop • Start menu – Username shown at the top right – Applications used often are listed in the white left column (can change from time to time) – User libraries, files and OS utilities are listed in the dark right column – A Windows 7 library is a collection of folders A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 17

Windows 7 Desktop Figure 7 -14 The Windows 7 Start menu A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 18

Windows Tools for Users and Technicians • All users need to know how to use File Explorer or Windows Explorer • A technician also needs to know how to use: – – – Control Panel Power Options System Window System Information Window Action Center A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 19

Windows 8 File Explorer And Windows 7 Windows Explorer • To Open File Explorer or Windows Explorer – Click the yellow File Explorer or Windows Explorer icon in the taskbar • From Windows 8 desktop: – Open the Quick Launch menu (press Win+X) and click File Explorer in the menu • For Windows 7: – Right-click Start and select Open Windows Explorer from the menu A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 20

Windows 8 File Explorer And Windows 7 Windows Explorer Figure 7 -15 Windows 8 File Explorer window with the Computer ribbon showing A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 21

Windows 8 File Explorer And Windows 7 Windows Explorer Figure 7 -16 Windows 7 Windows Explorer window with the Computer item in the left pane showing A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 22

Files and Directories • Every OS manages a hard drive, optical drive, USB drive, or other type of drive by using directories (also called folders), subdirectories, and files • Drive is organized with a single root directory – At top of the top-down hierarchical structure of subdirectories – Exception: hard drive • Divided into partitions • Each volume has its own root directory and hierarchical structure of subdirectories A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 23

Files and Directories Figure 7 -17 Storage devices such as a USB drive, CD, or hard drive, are organized into directories and subdirectories that contain files A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 24

Files and Directories • Root directory can hold files or other directories – These directories are called subdirectories, child directories, or folders – Any directory can have files and other subdirectories in it Figure 7 -18 A hard drive can be divided into one or more partitions that can each contain a volume such as drive C: or drive D: A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 25

Files and Directories • Path: location of a file referenced by a drive and directories Figure 7 -19 The complete path to a file includes the volume letter, directories, filename, and file extension; the colon, backslashes, and period are required to separate items in the path A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 26

Navigate the Folder Structure • Tips to navigate when working with File Explorer or Windows Explorer – Click or double-click items in the left pane (called navigation pane) to drill down to subfolders – To control how files appear in the right pane in Windows 8, click one of the icons in the lower-right corner to select Thumbnail view or Details view • For Windows 7, click the View icon and select your view A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 27

Navigate the Folder Structure • Tips to navigate when working with File Explorer or Windows Explorer (cont’d): – To control column headings that appear in the Details view, right-click a column heading and select the headings that you want to appear Figure 7 -21 Right-click a column heading to select columns to display in Details view A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 28

Navigate the Folder Structure • Tips to navigate when working with File Explorer or Windows Explorer (cont’d): – Use the Search box in the upper-right corner of the window – Use the forward and back arrows in upper-left corner to move forward and backward to previous views – Click a right arrow in the path displayed in the address bar at the top of the Explorer widows to see a dropdown list of subfolder A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 29

Navigate the Folder Structure Figure 7 -22 Click a right arrow in the address bar to move up the folder tree and down to a new folder A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 30

Create a Folder • Create a folder: – Select parent folder – Use one of these methods to create a folder: • In Windows 8, select the Home ribbon and click New folder – In Windows 7, click New folder on the menu bar • Right-click in the white area of the right pane – Select New from the shortcut menu – Click Folder to create a regular folder of click Compressed Folder to create a compressed folder – Folder is created and highlighted so that it may be renamed A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 31

Navigate the Folder Structure Figure 7 -24 Edit the new folder’s name A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 32

Create a File • Methods to create a file – Use a particular application – Use File Explorer or Windows Explorer • Right-click in the unused white area in the right pane of the window and point to New • Click the application you want to use in order to create a file • You can rename the filename (keep file extension the same) A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 33

Copy, Move, Rename, or Delete Files or Folders • Copy – Right-click file, select Copy from the shortcut menu – Click in folder white area where the copied item goes – Select Paste from the shortcut menu • Alternative way to copy or move – Drag and drop item to its new location (move) – To copy, hold down the Ctrl key while you drag and drop • Rename a file or folder – Right-click it and select Rename A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 34

Copy, Move, Rename, or Delete Files or Folders • Delete a file or folder – Select the item and press the Delete key – Can also, right-click on the item and select Delete from the shortcut menu • To select multiple items to delete, copy, or move at the same time, hold down the Shift or Ctrl key as you click – Shift key selects adjacent items in a list – Ctrl key selects nonadjacent items in a list • Deleted files are stored in Recycle Bin on desktop A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 35

Create a Shortcut • Use File Explorer or Windows Explorer to locate the data file or program file – Right-click, click Create shortcut in the menu Figure 7 -25 Place a shortcut to a program file on the Windows desktop A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 36

The Control Panel • Contains applets used to manage the system • Accessing Control Panel in Windows – Right-click Start (click Start in Windows 7) and the click Control Panel • By default, Control Panel appears in category view – Utilities are grouped by category – Can switch to classic view by clicking Category A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 37

The Control Panel Figure 7 -26 Many technicians prefer to use Control in Classic view to more easily access utilities A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 38

Folder Options • Folder Options applet in Control Panel can be used to view and change options assigned to folders – Controls how users view files in a folder, what users can do with the files – File extension • Used to identify file types • Windows does not show file extensions if it knows which application is associated with a file extension • Windows hides system files until you force it to show them A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 39

Power Options • Power Options applet of Control Panel can help you conserve power and increase the time before a battery pack on a laptop needs recharging • Different power-saving states: – Sleep mode (suspend mode) – Windows saves current state including open files to memory • Everything is shut down except memory and enough of system to respond to a wake-up – Hibernation – saves all work to the hard drive and powers down the system A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 40

System Window • System window: can give you a quick look at what hardware and software is installed • To open the System window in Windows 8: – Open the Quick Launch menu (press Win+X) – Click System • In Windows 7: – Click Start – Right-click Computer – Select Properties A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 41

System Window • Useful information found there: – – Edition of Windows Type of OS installed Type of processor installed Whether Windows has been activated A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 42

System Information Window • Used to view detailed information about the system • Important features to view – – – BIOS version installed RAM is installed OS installation directory Hard drive size Names of currently running drivers • Device drivers: small programs stored on hard drive that tell the computer how to communicate with a specific hardware device A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 43

System Information Window • To run System Information in Windows 8: – Open the Quick Launch menu – Click Run – Enter msinfo 32. exe in the Run box and press Enter • To run System Information in Windows 7: – Click Start – Enter Msinfo 32. exe in the Search box and press Enter A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 44

Action Center • Action Center: tool to use when you want to make a quick jab at solving a computer problem – Lists errors and issues that need attention – Action center flag appears in the notification area of the taskbar Figure 7 -35 A red X on the Action Center flag in the taskbar indicates a critical issue needs resolving A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 45

Action Center Figure 7 -36 The Action Center shows a critical problem that needs a resolution A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 46

Windows Network Connections • If a network is public (public hotspot) resources are not shared • Private networks often share their resources • Windows offers three ways to share resources: – Workgroups – Homegroups – Domain A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 47

Windows Workgroup and Homegroup • Peer-to-peer (P 2 P) network – A network that doesn’t have centralized control • In a Windows workgroup – Each computer maintains a list of users and their rights on that particular computer • In a homegroup – Each computer shares files, folders, libraries, and printers with other computer in the homegroup – Provides less security than a workgroup A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 48

Windows Domain • Windows domain is implemented on a larger, private network – Forms a logical group of networked computers that share a centralized directory database of user account information and security for entire group of computers – A type of client-server network where resources are managed by centralized computers – The directory database is controlled by a network operating system (NOS) A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 49

Windows Domain Figure 7 -38 A Windows domain is a type of client/server network where security on each computer or other device is controlled by a centralized database on a domain controller A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 50

Windows Domain • Windows Server Active Directory – Windows directory database – Each user must have his own domain-level account called a global account, network ID, domain account, or global username • If connecting a computer to a domain: – Administrator will tell you the network ID and password to the domain that you can sign in to the network A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 51

Public and Private Networks • Windows 8 offers two types of network security: – Public network security – Windows configures strong firewall settings and you cannot join a homegroup or domain – Private network security – you can join a homegroup or domain and share files and printers • Windows 7 security options: – Public network – Network Discovery is turned off – Home network – Network Discovery is on and can join a homegroup – Work network – Network Discovery is on and you can join a domain, but not a homegroup A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 52

Making a Windows 8 Network Connection • To make a wired connection, plug in the cable and Windows does the rest – Unless you have an unusual network setup • To create a wireless connection in Windows 8, use the charms bar: – Click the Settings charm, click the network icon, click a network to select it, click Connect – Enter security key (if network is secured) – Open your browser window and verify you have access to the Internet A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 53

Making a Windows 8 Network Connection • To view network information and to troubleshoot network problems: – Use the Network and Sharing Center • Right-click the Network icon in the taskbar, click Open Network and Sharing Center in the menu that appears • Or, open Control Panel in classic view and click Network and Sharing Center A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 54

Making a Windows 8 Network Connection Figure 7 -43 Windows 8 Network and Sharing Center reports network information and gives access to network troubleshooting tools A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 55

Making a Windows 7 Network Connection • In Widows 7, to connect to a wireless network and secure the connection: – Click the network icon in the taskbar, click a network and click Connect – If network is secured, enter the security key – To verify or change the security setting, open the Network and Sharing Center window A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 56

Domain Setup • To access resources controlled by a Windows domain, you will need the network ID and password to the domain provided by administrator – Open the System window – Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, click Change settings – In the System Properties box that appears, click Network ID and follow directions on screen A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 57

Domain Setup Figure 7 -47 Setup Windows to join a domain A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 58

Windows User Accounts • Windows supports various types and privileges for user accounts: – The scope of the account – a local account is created on the local computer and is recognized only on the local computer – Privileges for the account – two types of privileges assigned to user account: administrator account and a standard account – A Microsoft account – an email address, which allows you to access several online accounts including Microsoft One. Drive, Facebook, Linked. In, Twitter, Skype, Outlook. com, and others A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 59

Using a Microsoft Account with Windows 8 • Advantages and disadvantages of signing in to Windows using a Microsoft account: – – Personal settings across several devices One. Drive storage in the cloud Windows Store Private settings are stored on the local computer A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 60

Connecting a Microsoft Account to a Local Account or Network ID • To connect an existing local account or network ID to a Microsoft account: – Open the charms bar, select the Settings charm, select Change PC settings, and click Accounts – Select Your account and then click Connect to a Microsoft account • To switch Microsoft account back to a local account: – Open the charms bar and go to PC settings screen, click Accounts, and click Disconnect A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 61

Connecting a Microsoft Account to a Local Account or Network ID Figure 7 -55 The Windows user account can be converted from a Microsoft account to a local user account A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 62

Connecting a Microsoft Account to a Local Account or Network ID • When signing in to Windows using a local account, network ID, or Microsoft account, consider where the account is authenticated: – Local account is authenticated on the local computer and gives access to the local computer – Network ID is authenticated by a computer on the network, gives you access to the local computer and other resources on the network – Microsoft account is authenticated on the live. com website, gives access to the local computer and online resources A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 63

User Account Control Box • User Account Control (UAC) dialog box appears each time a user attempts to perform an action that can be done only with administrative privileges • Used to: – Prevent malicious background tasks from gaining administrative privileges when the administrator is logged on – Administrator can log in using a less powerful user account for normal desktop activities, but still be able to perform administrative tasks while logged in as a regular user A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 64

User Account Control Box Figure 7 -56 (a) and (b) (a) the User Account Control box of an administrator does not require an administrative password; (b) The UAC box of a standard User requires an administrative password A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 65

Summary • OS manages system resources for users and applications • Windows 8 offers two GUIs: modern interface and the Windows 8 desktop – Windows 7/Vista desktop offers the Aero user interface • Ways to launch an application in Windows 8: using the Start screen, Quick Launch menu, icon pinned to taskbar, File Explorer, shortcut, and Run option – In Windows 7/Vista: use the Start menu, search box, icons pinned to taskbar, Windows Explorer, or a shortcut A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 66

Summary • Windows 8 File Explorer and Windows 7 Windows Explorer are used to manage files and folders on storage devices • The file extension indicates how the file contents are organized and formatted and what program uses the file • Control Panel give access to a group of utility programs used to manage the system – Folder Options applet changes the way files and folders are displayed in Explorer – Power Options applet manages power settings A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 67

Summary • The System window gives a quick overview of the system • The System Information window gives detailed information about the computer • The Action Center is used to solve problems with security and computer maintenance issues • Windows 8/7 supports workgroups, homegroups, and domains to manage resources • A network ID and password is used to authenticate to a Windows domain, which gives access to network resources A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 68

Summary • Use the Network and Sharing Center to view information about network connections and solve network problems • Use the System window to set up a computer to a Widows domain • Windows supports local accounts that are recognized only on the local computer and network IDs that are recognized on a Windows domain • Two types of privileges assigned to a Windows account: administrator account and standard account A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 69

Summary • Windows 8 offers a Microsoft account that is authenticated online at live. com website • Use the Settings charm to manage Windows 8 user accounts • You can associate a Microsoft account with a local account or network ID on a domain • The User Account Control (UAC) box is used to protect the system against malware or accidental changes to a system done by inexperienced users A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9 th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017 70