2023 Information and Communication Technology

MALINDI COMMUNITY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Information and communication Technology
Module 4: Managing a Computer
Learning Outcome 1: Customizing a computer

Computer customization refers to the process of modifying the appearance and behavior of your
computer's user interface. This can include changing the desktop background, setting the date and time,
adjusting display settings, selecting a screensaver, choosing a color scheme, and customizing system
sounds.

Desktop background:

The desktop background is the image or color that appears behind the icons and windows on your
computer's desktop. Changing the desktop background is an easy way to personalize your computer and
make it feel more like your own. To change the desktop background, you can right-click on an empty
area of the desktop and select "Personalize" or "Properties" (depending on your operating system).
From there, you can choose from a variety of pre-installed backgrounds or select your own custom
image or photo.

Date and time:

The date and time settings on your computer are important for ensuring that your computer's clock is
accurate and set to the correct time zone. This is particularly important if you travel frequently or work
with people in different time zones. To adjust the date and time settings, you can usually find a clock or
calendar icon in the taskbar or system tray. From there, you can click on "Date and time settings" to
make any necessary adjustments.

Display settings:

Display settings allow you to adjust the resolution, scaling, and orientation of your computer's screen.
This can be particularly useful if you have a high-resolution display and want to adjust the scaling to
make everything appear larger or smaller. You can also adjust the orientation of your screen if you have
a monitor that can be rotated.

To access display settings, you can usually right-click on an empty area of the desktop and select
"Display settings" or "Screen resolution."

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Screensaver:
A screensaver is a program that displays images or animations on your computer's screen when it is idle.
Screensavers were originally designed to prevent "burn-in" on older CRT monitors, but they are now
mostly used for entertainment purposes.
To select a screensaver, you can usually find the screensaver settings under "Personalize" or "Screen
saver" in the control panel. From there, you can choose from a variety of pre-installed screensavers or
select your own custom screensaver.

Color:
Customizing the color scheme of your computer's user interface is a great way to make it feel more
personal and aesthetically pleasing. You can choose from a variety of pre-installed color schemes or
create your own custom color scheme by selecting individual colors for various interface elements. To
access color settings, you can usually find them under "Personalize" or "Appearance and
Personalization" in the control panel.

Sounds:
Customizing system sounds allows you to personalize the sounds that your computer makes, such as
when you receive a new email or when you shut down your computer. You can choose from a variety of
pre-installed sounds or select your own custom sound files.
To access sound settings, you can usually find them under "Sound" or "Audio" in the control panel.

Customizing themes:
In Windows 7 is a simple process that can be done in just a few steps.
To begin, right-click on an empty space on your desktop and select "Personalize." This will open up the
Personalization menu, where you can see all the themes that are currently installed on your computer.
From here, you can either choose a new theme or customize an existing one by clicking on the "Window
Color" or "Desktop Background" options. These options allow you to change the color of your taskbar,
windows, and other aspects of your user interface.

Another way to customize themes in Windows 7 is by downloading and installing new themes. There are
hundreds of free and paid themes available online that can completely transform the look and feel of
your computer. To install a new theme, simply download it from a reputable website and double-click
on the file. Windows will automatically install the theme, and you can then apply it by going to the
Personalization menu and selecting it from the list of available themes.

To customize mouse pointers,

Go to the control panel then click on “Mouse” settings. There, you can choose from a variety of pre-
installed mouse pointers or download new ones from the internet. You can also adjust the size and color
of the mouse pointer to suit your needs.
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Customizing mouse pointers can also help you improve your productivity by making it easier to find the
mouse pointer on the screen, especially if you have a high-resolution display

Another way to customize the user interface is through the use of widgets or gadgets. These are small
applications or tools that can be added to the interface to perform specific functions or provide quick
access to frequently used features. Widgets can be placed anywhere on the screen, and they can be
customized to match the theme or skin of the interface. Examples of widgets include weather forecasts,
news feeds, calendars, and calculators.

USER ACCOUNTS

A computer user account is a digital identity that a user creates to interact with a computer system.

It provides a way to authenticate and authorize a user to access system resources, such as files, folders,
applications, and settings.

In most operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, there are three types of user
accounts: guest, standard, and administrator.

1. Guest Account

A guest account is a limited user account that provides temporary access to the system.

This type of account is intended for people who need to use the computer for a short time, such as in a
public setting like a library or a kiosk. Guest accounts typically have very limited privileges and cannot
install software or make changes to system settings. Any changes made while using a guest account are
discarded when the user logs out.

2. Standard Account

A standard account is a regular user account that is created for people who use the computer on a daily
basis.

This type of account has more privileges than a guest account but fewer privileges than an administrator
account. Standard users can install software, modify their personal settings, and create and manage
their own files and folders. However, they cannot make changes that affect other users or the system as
a whole, such as installing system-wide software or modifying system settings.

3. Administrator Account

An administrator account is a powerful user account that has full control over the system.

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This type of account is created for people who manage the computer, such as system administrators or
the owners of the computer. Administrator accounts have the highest level of privileges and can
perform any task on the computer, including installing software, modifying system settings, creating and
managing user accounts, and accessing all files and folders. However, with great power comes great
responsibility, and administrators must exercise caution when making changes to the system, as they
can have significant and potentially harmful effects.

CREATING A USER ACCOUNT

Now, to create a new user account in Windows 7, you can follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start button and then click on Control Panel.

2. Click on User Accounts and Family Safety.

3. Click on Add or remove user accounts.

4. Click on Create a new account.

5. Enter a name for the new account and select the type of account you want to create (guest, standard,
or administrator).

6. Click on Create Account.

TO CONFIGURE A USER ACCOUNT

You can change the account type, password, and other settings by following these steps:

1. Click on the Start button and then click on Control Panel.

2. Click on User Accounts and Family Safety.

3. Click on User Accounts.

4. Select the account you want to configure.

5. Click on Change the account type to change the account type.

6. Click on Create a password to set a password for the account.

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TO DELETE A USER ACCOUNT

You can follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start button and then click on Control Panel.

2. Click on User Accounts and Family Safety.

3. Click on User Accounts.

4. Select the account you want to delete.

5. Click on Delete the account.

6. Follow the prompts to confirm the deletion.

The advantages of using local user accounts in Windows 7

Include improved security, better control over access to the computer, and the ability to customize each
user's experience on the computer.

By creating separate user accounts for each user, you can ensure that each user can only access the files
and programs that are necessary for their work, and you can also prevent unauthorized changes to the
system.

In summary, user accounts are essential for managing access to a computer system. Guest accounts
provide temporary access with limited privileges, standard accounts are for regular users with moderate
privileges, and administrator accounts are for system administrators with full control over the system.
By creating different types of user accounts, system administrators can ensure that users have access to
the resources they need while also maintaining the security and integrity of the system.