Review : Homework

The review homework assignment is to determine certain basic facts about the computer you are presently using. Since this assignment is ungraded there is no need to forward your responses to your instructor, but, if you wish to validate your answers, you may feel free to contact MACH 2010 Technical Support or your teaching assistant.

Questions to be answered:
1. What operating system (version of Windows) do you have?
2. How much RAM memory is installed in your computer?
3. How much free space is available on your hard drive?

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Determining your operating system, Windows version,
and amount of installed RAM?
Since practically all PC computers run MS Windows within a standard disk operating system (called DOS) when we discuss operating systems we are almost always referring to the version of Windows you have installed. The name of the operating system currently running on your computer may be determined in a number of ways. The method we propose below will allow you to determine both the amount of RAM installed, the Windows version, the Windows serial number, and edition of Windows on your machine. This information can be useful when choosing new software, reporting system problems to a customer support line, and in numerous other circumstances.

1. Start up your computer

2. Select START > SETTINGS > CONTROL PANEL
(The start menu is located in the bottom left hand corner of your screen)

3. Locate and open the control panel labeled "System"

4. On this panel (see example below) you'll see all the information you need.

(On newer PCs these four steps can be accomplished by right-clicking the "My Computer" icon on your desktop and selecting "Properties")

The system above has:
- Windows 98 (second edition)
- An Intel Pentium Processor
- 127 MB of RAM

(On Macintosh Computers: This same information can be obtained by clicking the desktop background to return to the Finder. Next select "About this Computer" from the Apple Menu in the screen's upper left-hand corner.)

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About Hard Disk Drives:
"...hard disks do one thing well -- they store changing digital information in a relatively permanent form. They give computers the ability to remember things when the power goes out.... Hard disks were invented in the 1950s. They started as large disks up to 20 inches in diameter holding just a few megabytes. They were originally called 'fixed disks' or 'Winchesters' (a code name used for a popular IBM product). They later became known as 'hard disks' to distinguish them from 'floppy disks.' Hard disks have a hard platter that holds the magnetic medium, as opposed to the flexible plastic film found in tapes and floppies. At the simplest level, a hard disk is not that different from a cassette tape. Both hard disks and cassette tapes use the same magnetic recording techniques...(and). Hard disks and cassette tapes also share the major benefits of magnetic storage -- the magnetic medium can be easily erased and rewritten, and it will "remember" the magnetic flux patterns stored onto the medium for many years."

-Michael Brain "How Hard Disks Work"

Determining the amount of free space on your computer?
The amount of free space on your computer's hard drive dictates (to a certain extent) what files and programs can be installed. Determining the amount of free space available on your computer is a common first step before downloading files or installing software (this ensures there will be sufficient space for a complete installation/download). Fortunately, checking the amount of space remaining on your hard drive is a very simple process.

1. Locate and double-click the icon "My Computer" on your desktop

2. You will now see a window containing your computer's (a) storage peripherals (floppy drives, ZIP drives,...), (b) network folders (these are folders stored on a computer to which your computer is connected.), and (c) partitions of your hard drive

3. Locate the folder whose name contains "C:" (or "D:")

4. Right-click one of these folders and select "Properties"

5. The pop-up window (example below) you see will state the amount of free and used space on the volume you selected

The window above indicates that about 10.1 GB (1GB=1000MB) of the initial 17 GB of storage space have been used to store data. There remains 6.8GB of free storage space. If more space was needed existing files and applications could be permanently deleted to bring the amount of available memory closer to the initial amount of 17 GB.