Unit 2.2 Task 3

Task 3 (P7)

Using the computer system provided check that the changes that you have work correctly:

Design a simple test table that shows the results of the following tests.

1. software applications open and work as intended
2. default folder settings are correct
3. desktop shortcuts go to the right place
4. the correct device drivers are installed
5. the correct paper sizes are set for printing
6. menu options work as intended
7. the correct date and time are set

24th May

TEST	EXPECTATION	OUTCOME	ACTION REQUIRED
Software applications open and work as intended.	When I wish to open a program I can double click the software link and it will load up automatically with no problems.	I tried to open several different applications and all opened successfully.	No action required as applications work as expected.
Default folder settings are correct.	When I open a folder I am presented with all of the right folders and files.	I opened a folder but there were several files that were missing and had been duplicated.	The hard-drive may have become fragmented, so defragmentation is necessary.
Desktop shortcuts go to the right place.	When I want to open a shortcut the correct software is opened with no faults.	I opened all of my desktop shortcuts and all redirected me to the correct place.	No action required as desktop shortcuts all work.
The correct device drivers are installed.	My devices are linked to the computer and are fully operational.	I attempted to use the printer but my computer could not find the printer option.	The device drivers will have to be upgraded for compatibility with the printer.
The correct paper sizes are set for printing.	When I want to print off some work then the correct paper size is chosen automatically.	I printed off several pages and all came out complete and to size.	No action required as printing works well.
Menus options work as intended.	All menu options are fully functioning and redirect me exactly where I want to go.	All options on the start menu take me to exactly the right program and applications with no problem.	No action required as menu options work as intended.
The correct date and time are set.	The date and time are already set to the correct date and time for my time-zone.	The date was correct but the time was slightly incorrect.	I opened the control panel and manually reset the time according to the time on my phone.

Unit 2.2 Task 2

Task 2 (P6)

Using the computer system provided:

• Change the icon size to large
• Change the font size to large
• colour/background to red

Witness statement
Learner name		Callum James
Qualification		BTEC National 1st certificate in IT
Unit number and title		Unit 2 computer systems.
Assignment		Set up and maintain a computer system
Description of activity undertaken (please be as specific as possible)
Task 2 (P6) Using the computer system provided: 1)     Change the icon size to large 2)     Change the font size to large 3)     Colour/background to red
Assessment and grading criteria
To configure a computer system to fit the consumer’s needs.
How the activity meets the requirements of the assessment and grading criteria, including how and where the activity took place
A single computer was set up in IV6 and the above tasks were completed under supervision.
Witness name	Rosey Sellars		Job role	Student
	MB
Witness signature	RSellars		Date	15/05/14
Assessor name	Chris Sumpter
Assessor signature			Date	15/05/14

Unit 2.2 Task 1

Task 1 (P5)
You are required to:
set up and connect the provided computer:

• monitor
• keyboard
• mouse

Install additional hardware:

• The Memory (RAM) provided

Install software:

• Microsoft Office 2003
• Microsoft security essentials
• device driver for printer

Create the following folder structures on the c: drive:

• User
• Systems Software
• Application Software
• Documents

Configure: BIOS configuration:

• Setting or change password

Editing anti-virus configurations:

• change the time of day when the virus database is updated, OR the time of day when the system is scanned.

13th May

Witness statement
Learner name		Callum James
Qualification		BTEC National 1st certificate in IT
Unit number and title		Unit 2.2
Assignment		Set up and manage a computer system
Description of activity undertaken (please be as specific as possible)
After making a successful start in your role as an IT trainer for the IT Support Department of RS Components, you have been have been asked to prepare training material of a more advanced and practical kind. Before you are allowed to do this you are required to prove your abilities in hardware and software upgrades. Task Achieved Date achieved Connect a monitor to a computer / 15/05/14 Connect a keyboard to a computer / 15/05/14 Connect a mouse to a computer / 15/05/14 Demonstrate where the graphics card is installed / 15/05/14 Install MS Office 2003 / 15/05/14 Install MS security essentials / 15/05/14 Create a user account / 15/05/14 Configure system software, application software and documents / 15/05/14
Assessment and grading criteria
P5 set up a standalone computer system, installing hardware and software components [SM3] For P5, learners must install at least one hardware and one software component in a stand-alone system. This is best evidenced with a witness statement or observation record and screen shots. Learners must use suitable safety equipment/tools and pay due regard to health and safety issues.
How the activity meets the requirements of the assessment and grading criteria, including how and where the activity took place
Ryan connected the monitor to the computer, as well as the keyboard and mouse by simply looking at the appropriate ports to plug the peripherals in. When another student in the group had their computer opened, Ryan pointed out where the graphics card was installed. Ryan then moved onto the laptop in the room and installed MS Office 2003 by opening the setup file, as well as the security essentials. A user account was already present on the computer, however Ryan displayed knowledge of how to complete this task.
Witness name	Rosey Sellars		Job role	Student
Witness signature	RSellars		Date	15/05/14
Assessor name	Chris Sumpter
Assessor signature			Date	15/05/14

Unit 2 Task 5

Task 5 (D1)

Expand on your notes for Task 3 explaining the purpose of different software utilities to explain how each can improve the performance of a computer system. You need to cover:

• security virus protection and/or firewalls;
• clean up tools for removal of cookies and/or internet history and/or defragmentation;
• drive formatting

Friday 16th May 2014

Virus Protection: Anti-virus software is very important in order to keep your computer secure and to a high performance. Viruses can cause real harm to a computer such as destroying important data, slowing down a computer or shutting down a computer altogether. Anti-virus software is used to identify potential threats to a computer system and block them.

Firewall: A firewall is another form of security that can be added onto a computer. Firewalls act as a barrier to keep harmful software out of a network or a specific computer. They are designed to block or prevent unauthorised access to a network. They work as filters for your network traffic by blocking incoming information that is seen as unsafe. It is very important to make sure that you've got protection from these kinds of things like malicious software.

Clean Up of Cookies: While cookie files are quite small, they can still build up and slow down your system performance. When too many cookies accumulate, those files can cause the system to run a lot slower than it should. It is important to take the time to delete the cookies to increase the speed and performance of computer.

Clean Up of Internet History: Removing all internet history will increase the general performance of a computer; it will be able to run faster because there is less data stored on to the system. It is also useful to do this if you are on a public computer as you can remove all information related to you from the system. This can be extremely important if the information is usernames or passwords.

Defragmentation: Fragmentation makes your hard drive do extra work that can slow down your computer. Defragmentation rearranges fragmented data so your hard drive can work more efficiently. Defragmentation can be done manually or can be set to perform this task to a certain timeline.

Drive Formatting: Over time a computer’s hard drive may experience malfunctions due to wear and tear, viruses, or other programs that slow down and corrupt the computer. To maintain the performance of your PC, reformatting the hard drive every once in a while is a good solution. After formatting a hard drive and reinstalling the operating system, software program glitches and general lag should disappear, and the computer’s performance should improve.

Unit 2 Task 4

Task 4 (M1)

Develop a table that can be included in your web pages that compares the features and functions of Windows XP and Mac OS in the following areas;

Functions

• machine and peripheral management
• security
• file management
• device drivers

Features

• ability to customize or
• support for connectivity of portable media or
• security or
• stability and reliability or
• ease of management or
• associated utilities 

Wed 14th May 2014

	WINDOWS XP	MAC OS
MACHINE/PERIPHERAL MANAGEMENT	The entire machine, including all of the components, is controlled by the operating system as well as peripherals like keyboards, mouse and printers. For example, Windows controls the monitor by altering the resolution to be suitable.	The controlling of a Mac OS is quite similar to that of the Windows operating system. However any peripheral devices must be bought separately specifically for the Mac. Mac OS can control the keyboard, for example, by changing the input language.
SECURITY	Operating systems need to make sure that everything works properly and that there is no unauthorised access that can harm your data. Windows has security functions like user accounts with password protection, but also has firewall which can be easily bypassed by going to safe mode.	Mac OS has security features like blocking the ports that are potential security issues. It also uses security features that check if the downloaded content is safe or not. In email programs attachments are not opened automatically so they can’t harm the user’s computer without his knowledge.
FILE MANAGE	File management is required in an operating system to perform different tasks, such as organising, creating and deleting files. On a Windows operating system there is a program called explorer.exe designed to handle the file management.	The program for file management that Mac OS use is called Finder. It is pretty similar to explorer.exe: it has an appropriate icon for every file type as well as other handy features such as
DEVICE DRIVERS	Drivers are programs that tell the operating system what and how to do certain functions. For example when you buy a new graphics card, to make it work properly with all of its power and efficiency you need to install drivers provided with the card.	Same as Windows device drivers, the drivers are programs that control the devices. In the Mac OS every driver required to run the computer is included in the system. However when you want to install a new printer, you have to install a new version of driver for the Mac OS.

	WINDOWS XP	MAC OS
ABILITY TO CUSTOMISE	With Windows XP you have the option to fully customise your computer with ease because they have been designed to be easily accessible and other machines and peripherals can easily be connected to the computer.	The Mac OS can be customised but it is a lot harder to do so as it is more difficult to access these customisable features. Other programs, devices and additional peripheral will have to all be bought and installed manually.

Unit 2 Task 3

Task 3 (P3)

Produce notes explaining the purpose of different software utilities.

The presentation should contain screen shots or images and has to cover:

• security virus protection and/or firewalls
• clean up tools for removal of cookies and/or internet history and/or defragmentation
• drive formatting

Wednesday 7th May 2014

Security Virus Protection + Firewalls = Virus protection software is used to prevent any unwanted viruses from infecting your computer as well as worms and Trojan horses. Anti-virus software can also remove any viruses that have already infected your computer. Some of the different types of virus protection software come with additional safety features, such as anti-spyware (software that can gather data through the internet connection of a computer without the owner’s knowledge or permission) and anti-malware (software designed to damage or disrupt a system, such as a Trojan horse). Firewalls prevent unauthorised access to a private network and are typically used to prevent people from accessing private networks like Intranets. A firewall will also prevent certain data and information from leaving the private network.

Clean-Up Tools for Cookies, Internet History and Defragmentation = Clean up tools for cookies are designed to eliminate any connections your computer has to frequented sites. Cookies are small files that keep track of your account information (e.g. login usernames and passwords) and the types of things you search for (if you've ever wondered why adverts on websites will often advertise the exact thing you’re looking for, it’s because of cookies). Clean up tools for your internet history are designed to ensure that every trace of any previously visited websites has been removed. You can choose to either delete individual websites or wipe the entire memory clean. This is often used when you’re buying a present for a family member on the family computer or is sometimes required when resetting your computer. Defragmentation is used to increase the performance and life span of your hard drive by keeping all files and software in check. A hard drive can become fragmented over time which could lead to several files being duplicated, so the defragmentation process will control duplication, but cleaning up your computer before defragmentation is recommended as it will greatly reduce defragmentation time.

Drive Formatting = The purpose of formatting a drive is to create and organise an indexing system in your computer, which allows for easy location of files. A table of contents should also be created as this will keep a record of where all of the data is on the drive. It is this drive-formatting that can become fragmented, so defragmentation will be an eventual necessity.