Notes: Microsoft Windows & Office | Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for UGC NET PDF Download

Desktop

When you turn on the computer, the first screen displayed is known as the 'desktop.' The background image of the desktop is called 'wallpaper.' A small arrow or blinking symbol that moves on the desktop is referred to as the 'cursor.' The desktop contains essential elements such as the start menu, taskbar, icons, and gadgets.

• Start Menu: Provides access to programs, folders, and system settings.
• Taskbar: Shows open applications and provides quick access to system functions.
• Icons: Represent files, applications, and shortcuts that users can click to open.

Files

Files are collections of data stored on auxiliary storage media. In Windows, files are the basic unit for storing data. The name given to a file or document by the user is called the 'file name.' Each file has a specific name and a 'file extension' that identifies the file type. Some common file extensions are:

• .rtf: WordPad document
• .txt: Notepad text file
• .eml: Email file
• .exe: Executable file
• .htm, .html: HTML file (Web page)
• .pptx: MS-PowerPoint Presentation
• .png: Portable Network Graphic
• .gif: Graphics Interchange Format
• .bmp: Bitmap image

Folders

Users organize files by storing them in folders. Folders can also contain other folders, known as sub-folders. You can create any number of sub-folders, and each can hold any number of files and additional sub-folders.

• Folder Structure: Helps in categorizing and managing files efficiently.
• Navigation: Users can navigate through the folder hierarchy to access different files.
• Folder Properties: Similar to files, folders have properties such as size and the number of items contained.

Additional Components and Features of Microsoft Windows

• Control Panel: A central location for managing system settings and configurations.
• Windows Explorer/File Explorer: A file management application that allows users to browse, open, and manage files and folders.
• Recycle Bin: A system folder where deleted files are temporarily stored, allowing users to restore them if needed.
• System Utilities: Include tools for disk cleanup, defragmentation, and system maintenance.
• Security Features: Windows Defender, firewall settings, and regular updates to protect against malware and other threats.
• Networking Capabilities: Tools and settings for connecting to and managing network connections, both wired and wireless.

Microsoft Windows continues to evolve with regular updates and new versions, providing enhanced features, security, and user experience.

Microsoft Office, abbreviated as MS-Office, was created by Microsoft Inc in the year 1988. 

It consists of a suite of software applications, each designed for specific purposes, primarily utilized in office-related tasks.

Features of Microsoft Word

MS-Word is the most popular word processing application due to its user-friendly features, such as:

• Text Editing: Offers flexibility in editing, adding, deleting text, and modifying text content, including cut, copy, and paste functions.
• Format Text: Allows users to modify text with hundreds of design options, including styles like bold, italic, and underline.
• Indentation: Indicates the distance between text boundaries and page margins, offering three types: positive, hanging, and negative.
• Page Orientation: Allows selection of text orientation, either horizontally (landscape) or vertically (portrait) on a specified page size.
• Bullets and Numbering: Provides a list of features for organizing tables, lists, pages, and tables of contents with unordered (bullets) and ordered (numbering) lists.
• Mail-Merge: Facilitates merging addresses for a large number of recipients with a common text document.
• Graphics: Enables the incorporation of drawings into documents, enhancing their utility.
• Horizontal and Vertical Scroll Bars: Allow users to move up and down or left and right across the window. The horizontal scroll bar is above the status bar for moving back and forth in the document, while the vertical scroll bar is on the right side of the screen for moving up and down.

Microsoft Excel (MS-Excel)

An electronic spreadsheet used for analyzing, sharing, and managing information for accounting purposes, performing mathematical calculations, budgeting, and billing. A spreadsheet or worksheet is a matrix of rows and columns similar to an accounting ledger. The default extension for MS-Excel files is .xlsx.

Microsoft PowerPoint (MS-PowerPoint)

This application software is used to create professional-looking visual aids known as presentation graphics software. It is used for creating slides and displaying information in the form of slide presentations.

Microsoft Access (MS-Access)

A database is a collection of logically related and similar data. Microsoft Access is an application that allows the creation of databases. The default file extension for MS Access databases is .accdb.