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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 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:
· A keyboard and a mouse
· An Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor
· At least 1 GB of RAM
· 2 GB of hard disk space
· A DVD-ROM drive for installation
· A monitor with a minimum resolution of 1280×960 at 24-bit color or better
Software requirements
You will need the following software:
· Microsoft Windows 7 (preferred) or Windows XP with Service Pack 3 or Windows Vista with Service Pack 2
· Adobe Acrobat X Pro or Acrobat X Suite (Hardware requirements are significantly higher for Acrobat X Suite. Refer to the Adobe Web site for details.)
· Adobe Reader X
· Internet Explorer 7.0 or later; Firefox 3.5 or 3.6
· A printer driver (An actual printer is not required, but students will not be able to complete Activity F-1 in the “Color separations” unit unless a driver is installed.)
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
– Downloading the student data files (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 according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. If the student machines have Internet access, and they are behind a software or hardware firewall, install the latest critical updates and service packs.
Note: You can also use Windows Vista or XP, but the screen shots in this course were taken in Windows 7, so students’ screens might look somewhat different.
2 With flat-panel displays, we recommend using the panel’s native resolution for best results. Color depth/quality should be set to High (24 bit) or higher.
3 Display file extensions and hidden files.
a In Windows, click Start and choose Computer.
b Click Organize, choose “Folder and search options,” and click the View tab.
c Clear the check box for “Hide extensions for known file types.”
d Select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” and click OK.
e Close Windows Explorer.
4 Install Adobe Reader.
a Go to http://www.adobe.com and download Adobe Reader X.
b Double-click the installation file to open Adobe Download Manager and follow the instructions to install Adobe Reader. (It’s not necessary to install the Google toolbar.)
5 Install Adobe Acrobat X Pro according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. Perform a typical installation.
Note: You can also use Adobe Acrobat X Suite, which offers a superset of the features described in this course. RAM and hard disk requirements for Suite are significantly higher than for Pro.
6 Start Acrobat X Pro. Accept the Acrobat license agreement and then close Acrobat. Verify that “Make Adobe Acrobat my default viewer” is checked during setup.
7 Install the Xerox Phaser 6180N PS printer.
a Click Start and choose Devices and Printers.
b Click “Add a printer.”
c Select “Add a local printer.”
d Verify that “Use an existing port:” is selected, and that “LPT1 (Printer Port)” appears in the list of ports. Click Next.
e In the Manufacturer list, select Xerox. In the Printers list, select Xerox Phaser 6180N PS. (This printer occurs at or near the bottom of the list.) Click Next.
f If prompted, select “Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended).” Click Next.
g Verify that the name in the Printer name box is Xerox Phaser 6180N PS. Click Next.
h Select “Do not share this printer.” Click Next.
i Clear “Set as the default printer.” Click Finish.
8 If the operating system is Windows XP, open Outlook Express and configure an e-mail account. If the operating system is Windows Vista, then open Windows Mail instead. If the operating system is Windows 7, install an e-mail application and configure an e-mail account. The e-mail account does not need to be a working address, and students will not be sending e-mail in this course, but students will not be able to complete activity E-2 in the “Interactive PDF forms” unit without an account.
9 Create a folder called Student Data on the Windows desktop.
10 If you don’t have the 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.
11 Copy the data files to the Student Data folder.
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.