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AOIT Computer Systems

Lesson 3Managing Software

Student Resources

Resource Description

Student Resource 3.1 List: Possible Software Applications to Research

Student Resource 3.2 Worksheet: System Requirements and Recommendations

Student Resource 3.3a and 3.3b

Reading: Using Windows System Tools (versions for Windows XP and Windows 7)

Student Resource 3.4 Worksheet: System Configuration

Student Resource 3.5 Reading: Resolving Software Application Problems

Student Resource 3.6 Writing Assignment: Will My Software Run on My Computer?

Copyright © 2008–2011 National Academy Foundation. All rights reserved.

AOIT Computer SystemsLesson 3 Managing Software

Student Resource 3.1

List: Possible Software Applications to ResearchDirections: In this lesson, you will use the Internet to search for the system requirements for a piece of software you would like to use. You won’t actually be installing this software, so think big—pick a game with realistic graphics, an application used to make video or music, or a software tool used by professionals! Below are some suggestions. Choose a piece of software from this list, or come up with another software application you like and ask your teacher whether it will work for this assignment.

Adobe Flash, Illustrator, and Photoshop: make web cartoons; design graphics; edit photos professionallyhttp://www.adobe.com/products/ AutoCAD: used by architects to design buildingshttp://usa.autodesk.com/autocad/ Autodesk Maya: make 3-D animations like the ones in Shrek or in many video gameshttp://usa.autodesk.com/maya/ Avid Media Composer and Liquid: movie industry tools for editing film and making special effectshttp://www.avid.com/US/categories/Video-Editing-Professional Avid Pro Tools: professional music and sound editing softwarehttp://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100& Camtasia Studio: make videos recorded off your own computer’s screenhttp://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp Dreamweaver: high-end website design toolshttp://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/?promoid=BPDEC Halo: a 3-D game with advanced graphics and physicshttp://www.microsoft.com/games/halo/ Second Life: an online 3-D virtual worldhttp://secondlife.com/ Sims Online: a massively multiplayer “real life” simulation gamehttp://thesims.ea.com/ Skype: free phone software with video chat capabilityhttp://www.skype.com/ Visual Studio: Microsoft tools for programmers, with a visual interfacehttp://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/products/default.aspx World of Warcraft: a massively multiplayer fantasy gamehttp://www.worldofwarcraft.com/


http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/products/default.aspx

http://www.skype.com/

http://thesims.ea.com/

http://secondlife.com/

http://www.microsoft.com/games/halo/

http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/?promoid=BPDEC

http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&

http://www.adobe.com/products/



Worksheet: System Requirements and Recommendations

Student Name:_______________________________________________________ Date:___________

Directions: Use the Internet to search for the system requirements and recommendations for the piece of software you chose. (Hint: The fastest way to do this is to enter the name of the software you want to use into a search engine, followed by the words system requirements.) Using the information you find, fill out all the following requirements and recommendations as well as you can. (Some software may not have requirements in each of these categories.) In the next class period, you will use system tools on your classroom computer to find out whether you could run this software on your computer, as well as what else you would need to keep the software running smoothly.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to include the name of the software you are researching below, as well as the web address (URL) of the websites where you found this information! If you don’t, your teacher will not know if your answers are correct.

Name of the software I am researching:

URL(s) I used to find this information:

Item Requirement Recommended

Operating system (type and version; for example, “Windows XP or newer”)

Computer processor (name, model, and power; for example, “Pentium III, 800 MHz or faster”)

Computer memory (RAM)



Item Requirement Recommended

Hard drive space

Monitor resolution

Video/graphics card

Web browser, Internet connection

Peripherals

Additional software

Other requirements or recommendations



Student Resource 3.3a

Reading: Using Windows XP System Tools Every operating system—be it Windows, Mac, Linux, or another system—has some tools that can help you manage the software and hardware on a computer. This reading covers the tools on a Windows XP system, but other operating systems have similar tools, with different names, in different places.

My Computer WindowHow to access it:

Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop. Or, Open the Start menu in the lower left of your screen, and select My Computer.What it looks like:

The My Computer window gives you a few pieces of information:

Access to your computer’s document files. A quick picture of the removable storage devices currently attached to your computer (CD drives, DVD drives, and flash drives, for example). Information about your hard drive, including its total memory space and how much space is currently available. To get this information, select (but don’t double-click) an icon under Hard Disk Drives. The information (including size and free space) will appear on the left, under Details.



Control PanelHow to access it:

Click the Start menu in the lower left of your screen. Then click Control Panel. Or, From the My Computer window, select Control Panel.What it looks like:

There are a lot of differences in the Control Panel from computer to computer, because machines have different software installed, some of which has its own control panels. But when you click Control Panel, you should see something like the previous image or the following image:

Clicking the link in the upper left which says Switch to Classic View or Switch to Category View will let you switch between these two views of the Control Panel. For now, we’ll be looking at the Classic View, where you can see all of your options at once.



Peripheral Properties WindowsYou will notice that there are a number of icons in the Control Panel related to the previous lesson on input and output devices, for example Display (for monitors), Keyboard, Mouse, Game Controllers, Printers and Faxes, Scanners and Cameras, and Sounds and Audio Devices. These properties windows give you the following:

Information on the qualities of the devices you’re using—their brand name, model number, speed, additional memory, and so on. The ability to select different devices if you have more than one installed or plugged in. And the ability to make changes to how these devices are working. For example, you can change how fast your mouse pointer moves, turn up the volume on your speakers, or adjust the display ratio of your screen if it looks squashed or blurry.

System PropertiesHow to access it:

In the Control Panel, you will also notice an icon marked System. This will open the System Properties window when clicked. Or, Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and select Properties.What it looks like:

The System Properties window is full of useful information, including the following:

The make (or brand) and model of your computer (for instance, Dell or Gateway) The version of the operating system you are running Your computer’s processor (CPU) power How much RAM your computer has Special service packs your PC may have installed



This information is all on the General tab. Some of the other tabs let you do other things:

In Windows XP, the Hardware tab lets you do the following:o Open the Device Manager (see Device Manager, below)

o Choose how your computer tells you about new drivers you need when you install a new peripheral

In Windows XP, the Automatic Updates tab lets you decide how your PC downloads and installs updates to Windows. The Advanced tab lets you:

o Adjust the operating system’s visual effects and make other changes which can affect your computer’s performance, helping it run faster or making the graphics look smoother

o Change how you see messages about errors and about start-up

o View the user accounts you have set up for this machine

Add or Remove ProgramsHow to access it:

In the Control Panel, open Add or Remove Programs.What it looks like:

Have you ever thought that you deleted a program, only to have your computer tell you that it’s still there, or part of it is still there, messing up how another program is running? Add or Remove Programs is a tool intended to keep this from happening. It provides you with the following:



A list of all the third-party software installed on your computer The ability, with a single click, to remove all the parts that help these programs run Support for installing new software Access to a download site for new Windows software and device drivers

Computer ManagementHow to access it:

In the Control Panel, open Administrative Tools. Then open Computer Management.What it looks like:

The Computer Management console is like a more advanced version of the Control Panel. It can perform a number of tasks, including defragmenting the data on your disks, displaying information on the computer’s performance, and displaying a log of error messages from all of the software on your computer. The two features we are going to use in this lesson are Device Manager and Disk Management.



Device ManagerHow to access it:

In the Computer Management screen, click Device Manager. Or, In the Control Panel, double-click the System icon. Choose the Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager button.What it looks like:

Like the device properties windows accessible from the Control Panel, the Device Manager can give you lots of information about the input and output devices attached to your machine. It can also tell you about the controllers or cards installed in your machine, as well as its processors, ports, drives, and other hardware in your system.

Right-click any of the devices in the Device Manager’s list, and you will see something like the following:



As you can see, right-clicking gives you the opportunity to do the following:

Disable the device, meaning turn it off temporarily Uninstall the device, meaning remove all of its related drivers Scan for hardware changes, to see whether the device is really still installed and to update its information Look at its properties (you can also get to this Properties window by double-clicking the device in the list). In the Properties window for a device, you can also do the following: Change the device’s settings Find out what slot or port the device is using Update its drivers Find out the names of driver files Find out whether drivers have been approved by Microsoft Roll back the drivers (return them to an earlier version which was not causing you problems) Uninstall the drivers

Disk ManagementHow to access it:

In the Computer Management screen, click Disk Management.



What it looks like:

Like the My Computer screen, Disk Management can give you a little more information on the amount of hard drive space on your system, including how much there is total and how much is not being used at the moment.

DirectX Diagnostic ToolDirectX Diagnostic Tool is another way to manage a number of graphics cards and drivers, including those related to your monitor (or display), which may be available on some PCs.

How to access it:

Click the Start menu at the lower left of your screen. Select Run. When a little dialog box pops up, type dxdiag into the text box to display the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.



What it looks like:

The DirectX Diagnostic Tool displays a summary report of all the DirectX components—files, display drivers, sound drivers, music controls, input devices, and network components, used to play or develop games or to produce other high-end software. It displays some of the information about cards (sometimes called controllers) a little more clearly than some of the other system tools.



Student Resource 3.3b

Reading: Using Windows 7 System Tools Every operating system—be it Windows, Mac, Linux, or another system—has some tools that can help you manage the software and hardware on a computer. This reading covers the tools on a Windows 7 system, but other operating systems have similar tools, with different names, in different places.

Computer WindowHow to access it:

Double-click the Computer icon on the desktop. Or, Click the Start menu in the lower left of your screen and click Computer.What it looks like:

The Computer window gives you information about:

The location of your computer’s system, recovery, and data files. A quick picture of the space available on the storage devices currently attached to your computer (hard drives, CD/DVD drives, and flash drives, for example). If you double-click any of the drive icons, you will see a directory of the files that are stored on that drive. If you double-click an icon for a CD or DVD drive, the program on the disc that is loaded in that drive will launch. If the drive is empty, it will open and you will be prompted to insert a disc.



Control PanelHow to access it:

Click the Start menu in the lower left of your screen. Then click Control Panel. Or, From the Computer window, click Open Control Panel.What it looks like:

From the Control Panel, you can see basic categories of your system settings and controls. You can use the Control Panel to make changes in areas such as Internet options, programs and features, user accounts, and region and language. Which options you see in the Control Panel depends on the hardware and software you have installed on your computer, although typically you will see links to:

Folder Options Power Options Date and Time PersonalizationYou will notice that there are a number of icons in the Control Panel related to the previous lesson on input and output devices, such as Display (for monitors), Keyboard, Mouse, Devices and Printers, and Sound. Clicking any one of these icons will give you the following:

Information on the device you’re using—the manufacturer’s name, model number, speed, input location, and so on. The ability to select different devices if you have more than one installed or plugged in. The ability to make changes to how these devices work. For example, you can change how fast your mouse pointer moves, turn up the volume on your speakers, or adjust the resolution, brightness, and display settings of your monitor.



System How to access it (any of these three ways):

In the Control Panel, click the icon named System. From the Start menu, click Computer and then click System Properties. Right-click the Computer icon on your desktop and then click Properties.What it looks like:

The System window gives you details about your machine, including the following:

The manufacturer name and model of your computer (for instance, Hewlett-Packard Pavilion) The version of the operating system you are running (such as Windows 7 Professional) The manufacturer, model name, and speed of the computer’s processor (CPU) power Installed and usable RAM From this window, you can click on the links on the left-hand side to access the Control Panel Home page for more information:

Device Manager (see Device Manager, below). Remote settings—You can control the type of connections that can be made to your computer. System protection—You can undo recent changes that you made to your system by going back to the way it was before you made the change. Your computer stores representations of these previous versions as restore points. From the system protection screen, you can also manage the way restore points are created and stored. Advanced—You can manage settings for:

o Performance—Adjust how the operating system uses its resources (processor and memory) and control how the system’s visual effects impact performance or



appearance. You can also protect your computer from viruses and other security threats.

o User Profiles—Change how you and others log on to your machine.

o Startup and Recovery—Control how the operating system loads and how it handles errors.

Device ManagerHow to access it:

From the Start menu, click Computer Management, and then click Device Manager. Or, In the Control Panel, double-click Device Manager.What it looks like:

You can use the Device Manager to display information about the input and output devices attached to your computer. It can also tell you about the controllers, cards, processors, ports, and other hardware in your system.

Expand the categories listed in the Device Manager, and then right-click any of the devices in the list. You will see something like the following:



As you can see, right-clicking gives you the opportunity to do the following:

Update the driver software, to get a newer version of the software if the device isn’t working properly with your computer. Disable the device, meaning turn it off temporarily. Uninstall the device, meaning remove all of its related drivers. Scan for hardware changes, to see whether the device is really still installed and to update its information. Look at its properties (you can also get to this Properties window by double-clicking the device in the list). In the Properties window for a device, you can also do the following: View the device status to see if it is working properly. View a detailed description about the device. Change the device’s settings. Find out which slot or port the device is using. Find out the name and date of driver software. Find out whether the driver has been approved by Microsoft. Roll back the driver (return it to an earlier version which was not causing you problems). Update the driver. Disable or uninstall the driver.

Computer ManagementHow to access it:

From the Start menu, select Administrative Tools and then click Computer Management. Or, In the Control Panel, open Administrative Tools and then open Computer Management.



What it looks like:

You can perform a number of tasks from the Computer Management screen, including defragmenting the data on your drives, displaying information on the computer’s performance, and displaying a log of error messages from all of the software on your computer. The two features we are going to use in this lesson are Device Manager and Disk Management.

Disk ManagementHow to access it:

In the Computer Management screen, click Disk Management. What it looks like:



The Disk Management screen gives you details on the amount of hard drive space on your system, including the total space set aside for that drive and how much is not being used currently. The Disk Management screen offers even more information than the Computer screen, including the following:

The drive letter assigned to each drive The type of file system The type of drive (basic or dynamic) The health status of the drive

Uninstall or Change a ProgramHow to access it:

In the Control Panel, click Programs and Features. Or, From the Computer screen, select Computer, then click Uninstall or change a program.What it looks like:

The Uninstall or change a program screen displays a list of all the application programs installed on your computer. There is also a link to display all the updates that are installed, as well.

Simply deleting a program icon from your desktop doesn’t get rid of the actual program files. The icon is only a shortcut to the program. If you no longer use a program or if you want to free up space on your hard drive, you can use the Uninstall or change a program tool. Some programs include the option to change or repair the program in addition to uninstalling it, but many only offer the option to uninstall.

When you uninstall a game, you might see a message asking if you want to keep saved game files. If you think you might want to play this game again and have the original installation CDs or DVDs, you can choose to keep these game files.

Depending on the program, the Device Manager screen provides you with the following:



The ability, with a single click, to remove all the parts that help these programs run. The ability to repair a program that isn’t working properly without completely uninstalling and reinstalling it. This is useful if you don’t have the original installation CDs or DVDs. A link to online technical support for the software. A link to the application’s online help files.

DirectX Diagnostic ToolHow to access it:

Click the Start menu at the lower left of your screen. Click Run. When the dialog box pops up, type dxdiag into the text box.

You might see a screen that looks like this:

If you do, click Yes.



What it looks like:

The DirectX Diagnostic Tool helps you find the source of problems with the DirectX multimedia technologies that are installed as part of Windows. If game animations or movies are not running properly on your machine, run the tool to troubleshoot the problem.

The DirectX Diagnostic Tool is also another way to manage your graphics cards and drivers, including those related to your monitor (or display), which may be available on some PCs.

The DirectX Diagnostic Tool displays a summary report of all the DirectX components—files, display drivers, sound drivers, music controls, input devices, and network components, used to play or develop games or to produce other high-end software. It displays some of the information about cards (sometimes called controllers) a little more clearly than some of the other system tools.




Worksheet: System ConfigurationStudent Name:_______________________________________________________ Date:___________

Directions: Use this worksheet to write down the configuration of the computer you’re using in your classroom. You will then compare these system specifications with the ones required by the software you were researching to see whether that software could be run on this computer.

At the end of this sheet there are a few questions about what you have learned about this computer. Fill these out; in the next class period you will be discussing these as a class.

Be sure to fill out the first question, or your teacher will not know if your answers are correct!

1. What is the name or number of the classroom computer you are using?

2. Operating system (type and version, for example “Windows XP”):

3. Computer processor (name, model, AND power, for example “Pentium III, 800 MHz”):

4. Computer memory (RAM):

5. Hard drive space:

6. Monitor (display) resolution:

7. Video/graphics card:

8. With VRAM:

9. Ports or cards (for example, FireWire, or SCSI):

10. Internet connection:

11. Web browser(s):

12. Peripherals (list only the ones required by your software):



13. Writeable drive (CD, DVD, etc.):

14. Additional software needed (list only the drivers, plug-ins, and so on, required by your software):

15. Does the computer meet other requirements and recommendations?

16. What did your computer not have that it would need if you were going to run your selected software?

17. Were you surprised by any of the requirements? Which ones?

18. Which requirements do you think were most important to running the software you chose? Explain why.

19. Which tools were most useful to you in finding out whether the computer’s configuration was correct?




Reading: Resolving Software Application Problems

This presentation shows some of the Windows tools you can use when software isn’t working properly.



Windows Task Manager provides detailed information about computer performance and running applications. Among other things, the Task Manager can be used to forcibly terminate processes or applications and shut down, restart, hibernate, or log off from Windows.

The Applications tab displays the status of the programs that are running on the computer. From the Applications tab, you can exit from a program (End Task), switch to another program (Switch To), or start a new program (New Task).

The Processes tab displays information about the processes that are running on the computer. A process can be an application that you start or subsystems and services that are managed by the operating system.

Proceed with caution when you end a process. If you exit a program by ending the process, data that has not been saved will be lost. If you end a system process, a system component may no longer function correctly (and may actually force the computer to shut down). To match a process with a running program, right-click the program name on the Applications tab of Windows Task Manager, and then click Go To Process.

To end a process, click the Processes tab.

• If you want to end a single process, click the process that you want to end, and then click End Process.

• If you want to end a process and all processes directly or indirectly related to it, right-click the process that you want to end, and then click End Process Tree.



The event log service records application, security, and system events in Event Viewer. The event logs in Event Viewer provide information about your hardware, software, and system components, and they monitor security events on a local or remote computer. Event logs can help you identify and diagnose the source of current system problems or help you predict potential system problems.

Event Viewer displays information from several different logs, including:

Application (program) events. These events are classified as error, warning, or information, depending on the severity of the event. An error is a significant problem, such as loss of data. A warning is an event that isn’t necessarily significant, but might indicate a possible future problem. An information event describes the successful operation of a program, driver, or service.

Security-related events. These events are called audits and are described as successful or failed depending on the event, such as whether a user trying to log on to Windows was successful.

System events. System events are logged by Windows and Windows system services, and are classified as error, warning, or information.



When a program crashes, you are likely to see a Dr. Watson box. Dr. Watson for Windows is a program error debugger that gathers information about your computer when an error (or user-mode fault) occurs with a program. On Windows XP, Dr. Watson is always running by default. Technical support groups can use the information that Dr. Watson obtains and logs to diagnose a program error. When an error is detected, Dr. Watson creates a text file (Drwtsn32.log) that you can send to support personnel. The file is stored on your computer in C:/Documents and Settings/All Users/Application Data/Microsoft/Dr Watson.




Writing Assignment: Will My Software Run on My Computer?

Directions: Write a piece that describes your experience determining whether a specific software package will run on your computer.

In the first paragraph, explain how close your computer came to meeting the requirements for the software package you wanted to install.

In the second paragraph, explain what you learned about system tools and any new facts you learned about installing software.

Your assignment should answer the following questions:

First paragraph: What kind of software did you research? What does the software do? What is one thing your computer has that this software needs? What is one thing your computer does not have that is needed? Which requirement did you think was most important for this software to run smoothly? Why?Second paragraph: Which system tools did you find most useful when evaluating whether the software was compatible? Did you get answers to any software installation problems you had already encountered? Describe any major “Aha!” moment, when you realized something new about computers.

Check to make sure your assignment meets or exceeds the following assessment criteria:

The assignment clearly demonstrates an understanding of the system tools and what they do.

The assignment correctly identifies the system requirements for the software.

The assignment explains how system tools can be used to analyze software problems.

The assignment provides personal examples of tools that you found useful and problems you now know how to solve.

The assignment is neat and uses proper spelling and grammar.



Example: Will My Printer Work with My Computer?Study this example to see what a quality writing assignment looks like. You can use it as a model for your paragraphs.

I have been looking for a new printer because my old one broke, and after some shopping around, I found a model I like. It’s called the Epson Stylus C120. My computer is a bit old, so I want to make sure the printer will be compatible. The specifications for the printer say it will run on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. I am running Windows XP, so my computer meets that requirement. The connection type that the printer uses is USB 2.0. I have USB 1.1 ports on my computer, since that was the norm when I bought it. So, I need to upgrade the USB ports in order for the printer to be able to communicate with my computer. I found a USB 2.0 card online that I can use to upgrade my computer. It uses a PCI slot on the motherboard. I opened my computer case and found that my motherboard has an available PCI expansion slot. The only thing I need to do to get the printer to work with my computer is to get the USB 2.0 card and install it.

When I was trying to figure all this out, what was most useful to me was learning how to look inside my computer and recognize the empty slots. Otherwise, I never would have known whether the USB card would fit. I didn’t know that all the ports I saw on the back on my computer were on cards that fit into slots on the motherboard, and it was really enlightening to learn that.
