Introducing Windows Operating Systems

Objectives Learn what an operating system is and about different operating systems Exam Objectives: Compare and contrast various features and requirements of Microsoft Operating Systems (Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1)

What is an Operating System? (YT 3:36) Three elements that make a computer useful are the hardware, the operating system, and applications An operating system interacts with hardware and allows you to run programs or applications Years ago operating systems were text-based (used a CLI) Every time you wanted to run a program, you had to type in a command Today, most operating systems use a graphical user interface (GUI) You point and click with a mouse to interact with the computer

Users and applications depend on the OS to relate to all applications and hardware components

Different Operating Systems Modern operating systems for personal computers: Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, and Linux Each operating system has a different look and feel Mobile devices such as phones, tablet computers, and MP3 players are different from desktop and laptop computers However, modern operating systems are designed to be easy to use, and most of the basic principles are the same They run an OS designed specifically for mobile devices Examples of mobile operating systems include Apple iOS, Windows Phone, and Google Android

Windows Operating System Windows operating systems are used more than any other OS The primary Windows operating systems are Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 Windows Vista is the oldest Windows 7 was released between Vista and 8 Windows 8 and 8.1 are the most recent (for the exams) Windows 7 is considered an upgrade to Vista, Windows 8 is an upgrade to Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 is an upgrade to Windows 8 Every PC support technician needs to be a power user of Windows 7 and be familiar with Windows Vista and Windows 8/8.1

Most Popular Operating Systems Jan 2016 Jul-Aug 2016 March 2017 Mar 2016 Oct 2016

Windows Operating System Features The CompTIA A+ exams focus on the different features available in different Windows editions Many features are common to Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1 Some features are only in specific versions Some important features we’ll discuss include: Aero Desktop User Account Control Sidebar and Gadgets Windows Libraries

PM Video 16:36 PM Video 7:00 Feature Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows 8 Action Center Yes Aero BitLocker Gadgets No Easy Transfer Homegroups Ready Boost Sidebar Shadow Copy User Account Control Windows Libraries Windows XP Mode PM Video 16:36 PM Video 7:00

Windows Aero Desktop Aero is a feature that became available in Vista and was improved on in 7 Aero uses a variety of graphics features, such as translucency and animations Aero can enhance the usability of the system To use Aero, your system must support it 1 GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and 128 MB of graphics memory If your system is capable, Aero turns on automatically

Aero Snap, Shake, Peek, and Flip 3D Aero features include Snap, Shake, Peek, and Flip 3D Aero Snap automatically maximizes a window when you drag it to the top of the desktop or snaps to fill half the screen Aero Shake minimizes all other windows except the one you shake

Aero Snap, Shake, Peek, and Flip 3D With Aero Peek mouse over any taskbar icon and Aero previews the item Peek allows you to view the desktop with multiple windows open - Hover over the far right and windows become transparent Aero Flip 3D enables you to view and select open windows in a 3D format Press the Windows key and Tab key at the same time and release both keys to open a specific window

The Windows 7 desktop using the Aero interface has a glassy transparent look

Aero Peek - Mouse over the Internet Explorer icon in the taskbar to see each open tab in IE

Aero Flip 3D – Press the Windows key and the Tab key at the same time to start it

Windows Sidebar & Gadgets =vulnerabilities Vista includes a GUI feature called the Windows Sidebar The Sidebar sits on the side of the desktop and hosts gadgets that users can add A gadget is a mini-program that has specific functionality, such as a clock or weather update Windows 7 also includes gadgets but removes the sidebar concept and they can be placed anywhere on the desktop Several gadgets are available by default, but many more are online

Windows User Account Control The User Account Control (UAC) is a security feature that first appeared in Vista and a big reason people hated Vista The UAC window appears each time a user attempts to perform an action that can be done only with admin privileges The UAC is used to prevent malicious background tasks from gaining admin privileges Without UAC if a user is logged on with admin privileges and the system is infected, the malicious program has full admin access

Windows User Account Control The UAC works for both standard user accounts and admin accounts If a standard user attempts an action that requires admin privileges they will see a UAC window that requires an admin password If a user with admin privileges attempts an action that requires admin privileges a simple UAC window appears that does not require an admin password By default, UAC dims the desktop and disables all other interaction with the system

The UAC box of an admin does not require a password The UAC box of a standard user requires an admin password

Windows Libraries Libraries are included in Windows 7 and later but not Vista A library provides a central place to manage files that are located in multiple locations 4 default libraries are created when Windows is installed: Libraries don’t hold any data but are pointers to the actual location Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos When you add a folder to a library, that folder is still in it’s original location In Windows Explorer, you can access libraries from the Navigation Pane