Introduction to Personal Computers:
Windows 7 Edition
Frequently asked questions and instructor notes
All our courses assume that each student has a personal computer to use during the class. Our hands-on approach to learning requires that they do. This topic gives information on how to set up the classroom to teach this course. It includes minimum requirements for the students’ personal computers, setup information for the first time you teach the class, and setup information for each time that you teach after the first time you set up the classroom.
Hardware requirements
Each student’s personal computer should have:
· 1 GHz or faster 32- or 64-bit processor
· At least 1 GB of RAM (for 32-bit version), or 2 GB of RAM (for 64-bit version)
· At least 16 GB of available disk space for 32-bit version, or at least 20 GB of available disk space for 64-bit version (40 GB or more is recommended)
· A DVD drive for installing Windows 7
· An XGA monitor set to a minimum resolution of 1024´768 (or higher)
· A video adapter card compatible with DirectX 9 or newer, with at least 64 MB of video memory
· A sound card with a working system speaker (peripheral speakers are also acceptable)
· A keyboard and a mouse
· A printer is useful but not required
· Examples of removable storage devices (i.e., CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives, memory cards, etc.)
Note: The hardware in your computer(s) will determine some of the Windows 7 features that are enabled. For example, the default user interface theme is determined by the type of graphics card in your computer. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you standardize the equipment in your classroom. Furthermore, we recommend that you key through the course before teaching it and be prepared to help students through sections where keystrokes and screenshots might vary from those included in this manual.
Software requirements
You will need the following software:
· Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, or Windows 7 Enterprise. You’ll need a copy of the installation DVD for each student computer.
Note: This course was tested using Windows 7 Ultimate.
Network requirements
The following network components and connectivity are also required for this course:
· Internet access, for the following purposes:
– Downloading the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com
– Completing several course activities.
– Downloading the Student Data files from www.axzopress.com (if necessary)
First-time setup instructions
The first time you teach this course, you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 Install Windows 7 on an NTFS partition according to the software manufacturer’s instructions, following these additional detail steps:
a If prompted, click the button specifying to go online and get the latest updates.
b In the Set Up Windows dialog box, in the “Type a user name” box, type Admin.
c In the “Type a computer name” box, type Computer01. (You’ll name each subsequent PC Computer02, Computer03, and so on.) Students will need to know the names of their computers, so you might want to put a card with this information on it next to each computer.
d Click Next. In the Type a password box, type !pass. In the Password Hint box, type Exclamation abbreviation.
Note: This password is referenced in this course, so it’s important that you enter this password.
e Click Next. Enter your Windows 7 product key, and click Next.
f On the “Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically” screen, click “Use recommended settings.”
g Click Next. From the Time zone list, select your time zone, and verify the accuracy of the current time. Edit the time if necessary.
h Click Next. On the Windows networking screen, select Work. Windows completes the setup and displays the desktop.
2 Open the Control Panel. Under User Accounts and Family Safety, click “Add or remove user accounts.” Then click “Create a new account.”
3 Create a standard user account named User## where ## is the computer number. For example, on Computer01 you would create a user account named User01. Set the password for each user account to mypassword. (This password is referenced in course activities.)
4 If you don’t have the data CD that came with this manual, download the Student Data files for the course. You can download the data directly to student machines, to a central location on your own network, or to a disk.
a Connect to www.axzopress.com.
b Under Downloads, click Instructor-Led Training.
c Browse the subject categories to locate your course. Then click the course title to display a list of available downloads. (You can also access these downloads through our Catalog listings.)
d Click the link(s) for downloading the Student Data files, and follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
5 Close all windows and log off.
6 Log on as User##.
7 Move the Student Data folder from C:\ to the My Documents folder of each student’s user account.
8 Start Internet Explorer. In the Setup window, click Next. Select “No, don’t turn on” and click Next. Select “Use express settings” and click Finish. Close Internet Explorer.
Note: Future versions of Internet Explorer might require different basic setup steps. If you prefer, you can guide students through these steps the first time they start Internet Explorer.
9 Shut down the computer.
Setup instructions for every class
Because so many system settings are modified during class, every time you teach this course, you will need to perform the steps in the “First-time setup instructions” section of this document.
CertBlaster software
CertBlaster pre- and post-assessment software is available for this course. To download and install this free software, students should complete the following steps:
1 Go to www.axzopress.com.
2 Under Downloads, click CertBlaster.
3 Click the link for Introduction to PCs (Windows 7).
4 Save the .EXE file to a folder on your hard drive. (Note: If you skip this step, the CertBlaster software will not install correctly.)
5 Click Start and choose Run.
6 Click Browse and navigate to the folder that contains the .EXE file.
7 Select the .EXE file and click Open.
8 Click OK and follow the on-screen instructions. When prompted for the password, enter c_ipc7.
Topic B: Frequently asked questions
There are no frequently asked questions for this course at this time.
Topic C: Course notes
There are no notes for this course at this time.
Topic D: Additional information
There is no additional information for this course at this time.