Understanding

Windows

Inkjet printers - 1

• Supposedly, there is a second method of getting ink out of the nozzle.

• The first is to use a thermistor (or resistor) to heat up the ink to boiling temperature and thus forcing it out the nozzle.

• The second method uses pizeoelectrics to shake the ink out of the nozzle. Not sure who uses this method.

Inkjet Printers - 2

• Ink clogs in the nozzle area is the major failing of inkjets.

• Use them often, the longer they sit, the worse the output

• Newer inkjets will go through a (short) cleaning cycle each time they start up.

• Most inkjet software includes a Utilities section that contains cleaning and alignment functions.

Laser Printers

• Toner cartridges have a (shipping) protective tape covering between the toner and drum.

• If you forget to remove the tape, you will get blank pages from the printer.

Laptops

• The wisdom is that you should “calibrate” the battery every so often – maybe once a month.

• Charge the battery, disconnect the AC line, boot in Safe Mode and set the system to Always On.

• Clock how long the laptop runs before it shuts itself off due to low power.

• Over time, this run time will decrease until it is time to replace the battery.

POST

• POST checks out the basic hardware each time the system boots.

• If given a choice of options, the “correct” answer is: CPU, Memory and Video card.

• Selecting keyboard is incorrect; I guess because POST only looks for one and does not check keys for proper functioning.

Back to Windows

• Login screen. You could get away with “Cancel” in Win98, not with 2000 or XP

• Most systems don’t have a password on the Administrator account; often you can start up (in Safe Mode) and use that account to reset User password.

• There are UNIX boot CDs that will reset (blank) the Administrator password. Find them on the Internet.

Desktop

• Windows 2000 puts icons for My Computer, My Network Places, My Documents, Internet Explorer and Recycle Bin on the desktop.

• XP, in contrast, only puts Recycle Bin.• Use Display Properties to add additional

icons

Taskbar

• Start button, Quick Launch, Running Programs and System Tray (with clock)

• Start menu in 2000 is rather one-dimensional: just task areas

• Start menu in XP is more two-dimensional: Programs and task areas

General Rules of Clicking

• Click once (left) on menu item to use it• Left-click icon once to select it• Left-click icon twice to use it• Right-click anything to find Properties

option

Icons

• Programs (.exe files) bring along their own icon(s)

• Windows has a collection of icons available

• You get Window icon for unknown extensions

• Stored in the Registry

My Computer

• Icon on desktop in 2000; have to add it in XP or access it from the Start button

• Displays all the drives on the system (and scanners in XP)

• Right-click to get to Properties (and Device Manager)

• Last slide.