Essential Maintenance Tips For Your Computer

The computer is one of the most important inventions to have taken place in the 20th century, which has grown over several decades contributing to the growth and changes in human learning and behavior. Today the computer is an essential part of human life without which they cannot do their day-to-day tasks. This amazing machine has made life easier for most people and contributed to their overall growth. Today almost all household have at least one computer but the most important question that arises here is, if the owner is concerned about the proper maintenance of the machine or not. Most people either fail or forget to properly maintain their computer from both internal and external threats that can seriously jeopardize the functioning of the machine. However, with just a few important tips you can effectively maintain your computer and can keep its functioning as good as ever.

Here are a few essential maintenance tips to keep your computer stable and in a perfect condition:

1. Perform a disk clean up for maintaining the speed of your computer. Running regulardisk clean up can clean your system of unnecessary data. This step can be done manuallyor by running the disk cleanup utility in Windows.

2. Running a registry cleaning software can relieve your system from obsolete and corrupt entries in the registry file. A clogged registry can severely hamper the performance of your system and can even cause it to crash. So, it is important to clean your Windowsregistry at regular intervals.

3. By using an Anti-Spyware program you can clean your system from malicious programs that intend to steal your data and cause your system to clog.

4. Viruses are one of the most common and serious threat to computers and using a good updated Anti-virus program will help your computer to rid itself from harmful viruses.

5. Lastly, you need to clear all un-important software installed on your computer as they cause a lot of trouble during the Windows startup process and make the process a rather clumsy one.

By following these simple steps you can effectively shield your computer from all internal and external threats. 

Introduction to Spreadsheets

Introduction to Spreadsheets 
Spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper worksheet. It displays  multiple cells that together formulate a grid consisting of rows and columns, each cell  containing either alphanumeric text or numeric values. A spreadsheet cell may alternatively contain a formula that defines how the contents of  that cell are to be calculated from the contents of any other cell (or combination of cells) each time any cell is updated. 
Spreadsheets are frequently used for financial information as they robotically enable the re-calculation of the total sheet, after a modification to

Text Processing Software

Text Processing Software 
The text processing Software or Word Processing is  one of the most significant  Application packages of Windows. The Word processing software is used for creating  documents. Drafts, letters, reports, essays, write-ups etc. can be created by means of word processing software. Earlier, Word Star was being used extensively for this purpose.  However, the most commonplace word processing package used today is Microsoft Word. 
Microsoft Word is Microsoft's word processing software. It was first released in 1983 bearing the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.Later, Versions for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS (1983), theApple Macintosh (1984), SCO UNIX, OS/2 and Microsoft Windows (1989) were written. It is a component of the Microsoft Office  system; however, it is also sold as a standalone product and included in Microsoft Works Suite. 

Different versions of windows

The different versions of Windows are discussed below: 
WINDOWS 1.0 
Microsoft released the first version of Windows wayback in 1985. It marked a major breakthrough as it allowed users to switch from character based (CUI)/non-graphical MS-DOS to the GUI based operating system. The product  incorporated a set of desktop applications, including the MS-DOS file management  program and value additions such as a calendar, card file, notepad, calculator, clock andtelecommunications programs. It allowed users to work with multiple applications at the same time (multitasking). 
WINDOWS 3.0 
Microsoft released this version of Windows in 1990.Some of its main features were: 
•  32 bit operating system with support for advanced graphics 

Features of windows

FEATURES OF WINDOWS 
Microsoft Windowsis a series of software operating systems and graphical user  interfaces developed by Microsoft. Some of its important features are listed below:
1. Faster Operating System:Windows include tools that increase the speed of the computer. Windows includes a set of programs designed to optimize the efficiency of computer, especially when used together.
2. Improved Reliability:Windows improves computer reliability by introducing new wizards, utilities and resources that lend a hand in helping your system operate  effortlessly. 

Intorduction to DOS

INTRODUCTION TO DOS 
Disk Operating System (specifically) and disk operating system (generically), most often abbreviated as DOS, refers to an operating system software, used in most computers, which provides the abstraction and management of secondary storage devices and the information on them (e.g., file systems for organizing files of all sorts). Such software is referred to as a diskoperating system since the storage devices it manages are made of rotating platters (such as hard disks or floppy disks). DOS is the medium through

Disk Operating Systems and Windows

Disk Operating Systems and Windows 
As the name implies, the Operating System is used  for operating the System or the Computer. It is a set of computer programs, which is used to execute a specific task. The single user operating is DOS (Disk Operating System). The main functions of DOS are to manage disk files and allocate system resources according to the requirement. DOS provides vital features to control hardware devices such as Keyboard, Screen, Disk Devices, Printers, Modems and Programs. 

Windows predecessor MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System)

Introduction 
Windows predecessor MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) was the most popular operating system earlier. However, its numerous drawbacks led to the emergence of a new class of system software. Windows, which was a product of this class, was based on a radically different approach called Graphical User Interface (GUI). 
The user is not expected to memorise or type any command; all that he needs to do is click on the appropriate picture (icon) with thehelp

Word Processing Softwere

Word Processing Softwere
Word processing software is used for creating documents. Drafts, letters, reports, essays, write-ups etc can be created using word processing software. Earlier, Word Star was being used widely for this purpose. Sidekick and Word Perfect are also used for drafting letters. However, the most commonly used word processing package in the world is Microsoft Word, which will be discussed later in this book. 
SPREADSHEETS

Computer Language

Computer Language
The computer performs its functions based on the instructions given by the user. The set of such instructions written for a particular task is known as a computer program. Program is the set of instructions that tells the computer how to process the data, into the form desired by the user. 
The language in which a computer program is writtenis known as programming language. The programming languages are classified  as Low-level language and High-level language. 

Generations of Computers and Computer Languages

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
Using size and features as the bases, computers areclassified into various generations. These generations of computers are discussed below: 
FIRST GENERATION
The first generation computers were bulky in size. They were able to execute hundreds of instructions per second and were expensive as well. They used vacuum tubes as their main components. Machine language is a first  generation language, for example EDVAC, UNIVAC etc. 
SECOND GENERATION

Components of Computer System

Components of Computer System 
MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard is the main component inside the case. It is a large rectangular board with integrated circuitry that connects the various parts of computer as the CPU, RAM, Disk drives (CD, DVD, Hard disk or any others)as well as any other peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion slots. Components directly attached to the motherboard include:
•  The central processing unit (CPU) performs most of  the calculations that enable a

Basic Computer Functioning

Basic Computer Functioning 
A computer can be defined as an electronic device that accepts data from an input device, processes it, stores it in a disk and finally displays it on an output device such as a monitor. 
To understand the basic rudiments of the functioning of the computer refer to the all types of computers such as Personal Computers, Laptops, Palmtops etc. In other words, the fundamental principle of working is the same. There are four main building blocks in a computer's functioning. input, processor, output and memory. The data is entered

Basic Elements of Computer System

Basic Elements of Computer System
Basic elements of a computer system are Mouse, Keyboard, monitor, memory, CPU, motherboard, Hard Disk, Speakers, Modem, power supply and processor.
Mouse:Mouse is used for operating the system. Nowadays,optical mouse is more popular as compared to simple mouse.
Keyboard:Keyboard is used to input data in to the system so that the system gives output to the user. Therefore, the keyboard is an integral part of the input system. A computer is essentially incomplete without a keyboard.

Types of computer

TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Computers are classified in a variety of ways depending upon the principles of working, construction, size and applications. Various types of computers are discussed in this section.
DIGITAL AND ANALOG COMPUTERS 
ANALOG COMPUTERS
The computers that process analog signals are knownas Analog Computers. The analog signal is a continuous signal. For example,  sine

Advantages of computer

Advantages of computer
Compared to traditional systems, computers offer many noteworthy advantages. This is one reason that traditional systems are being replaced rapidly by computer-based systems. The main advantages offered by computers are as follows:
 • High Accuracy • Superior Speed of Operation
 • Large Storage Capacity
 • User-friendly Features
 • Portability • Platform independence
 • Economical in the long term

EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY 
The origin of computer technology took place in the19th century. People desired to have a machine that would carry out mathematical calculations for them. The ABACUS is considered to have been the first computer in the world. It was used to perform simple measurements and calculations. ABACUS is available even today for school going children. In the 17th century, a scientist named Pascal developed a machine that could perform mathematical calculations. This machine comprised of a number

Introduction to Computer

Introduction to Computer 
The computer comprises of technologically advancedhardware put together to work at great speed. To accomplish its various tasks, the computer is made of different parts, each serving a particular purpose in conjunction with other parts. In other words, a 'computer' is an ensemble of different machines that you will be  using to accomplish your job. A computer is primarily made of the Central Processing Unit (usually referred to as the computer), the monitor, the keyboard and the mouse.Other pieces of hardware,commonly referred to as peripherals, can enhance or improve your experience with the computer.

Logging Off and Shutting Down

SHUTTING DOWN THE COMPUTER 
To log off or shut down the computer, click the Start button: Logging off your computer and shutting down your computer are two different things. Remember the analogy of the car: Logging off a computer is like locking the car (the computer is in a stationary mode and you can’t do anything). When you first log in to a computer, it’s like using a key (password) to get in, and when you are done using the computer, you need to log off (the computer will remain on) to make sure no one can make changes while you are away.

Managing “Windows”

Managing “Windows” 
Microsoft Windows is called “Windows” for a reason. Programs appear on your screen as “Windows” (rectangular shapes) and are laid 3 dimensionally on top of one another (see image at right), just like on a real desktop. The desktop is your work surface, and all of your open windows appear on top of it. If you can see a window, that means the program is open and running. It is possible to make the window bigger, smaller, or close it using the buttons in the top right corner of