configuration
This page provides information about configuring a Computer System in order to meet user needs.
BIOS Configuration
When you turn on your computer, look for ‘Entering Setup’. In order to do this, press ‘F2’ or‘F12’ on your keyboard then press ‘Enter BIOS’. The BIOS allows you to change your computer settings, such as your password, the power of your fan, the time and date. In order to get a BIOS password, you need to go to the Security tab. In this tab there are two settings: ‘Set User password’ and ‘Set Supervisor password’. Select ‘User password’ and you'll be asked to enter a new password of up to eight characters (most BIOS passwords are limited to this). The password will then be set and you should save and exit the BIOS settings to avoid making any unwanted changes. Do not forget the user password as you will not be able to access your computer.
Editing Power Management Content
To edit power management options on a PC, you need to go into Control Panel and select ‘Power options’. In this window, you are able to change the performance of your computer. There is a ‘Power Saver’ setting, ‘Balance’ (recommended) setting and a ‘High performance’ setting. You can edit all of these settings in order to personalise your computer to suit your needs. For example, working from a home computer for work will need different settings than a laptop that’s mainly for personal use. Home computers are usually plugged into a main power supply, so the power should always be on full, in order to run throughout the day, whereas laptops have different settings depending on what you are doing, so you can set the power for high performance (which will drain your battery quite quickly) or set it to work mode, which will allow you to conserve the battery usage.
Editing Anti-Virus Configurations
To edit anti-virus configurations, you need to locate the icons at the bottom of your screen on the toolbar. Click on the icon you want to configure and an analogue bar where you will be able to change your anti-virus settings. You can edit settings such as daily scans and blocking of selected web sites. Editing the Anti-Virus software can improve the performance of your computer, as you can change the scheduled times for Anti-virus to communicate with your computer and updates can be edited to check the functions of your computer on a regular basis so that you don’t have to do it manually.
Editing the Desktop
To edit the desktop, you need to open Control Panel. Once you have located the Control Panel, find the option ‘Appearances’. A new tab will then appear. In this new tab you have the option to edit various appearance settings, such as the background screen saver, wallpaper, icon size, font, mouse and colour scheme. Editing the Desktop allows you to adapt visuals to suit your needs. For example, changing the desktop background depending on the usage, i.e.: home use or for teaching. You may want to have a standardised screen so that applications are easy to find and accessing them is straightforward. However, if you have a personal computer, you may want to have a more interactive desktop – with a busy looking background, and ‘prettier’ looking icons and type faces. All of these settings are easy to change as of when you need or want to.
Setting File Sharing/Permissions
To share or secure a folder, you need to go into ‘My Computer’ and find the folder you want to share or keep safe. Right click on the folder you wish to modify and choose either ‘Share’ or ‘Security’. If you are sharing the folder, you will be asked where you would like it to be located. If you are securing a folder, it will ask you to set a password. Once you have set the password your folder will be secure. Again, make sure you remember your password. Sometimes it’s a good idea to keep a diary of all passwords and what they are for, in order to avoid confusion as you are supposed to set a different password for everything. This is for security reasons.
Creating and Reconfiguring Application Toolbars
To personalise the toolbar to suit your needs, right click on the toolbar and select ‘Properties’.This will open a window where you will be able to change the features, layout and colours of your toolbar. If you have an application open, you can right click on the tab and select the option to hide it. Editing application toolbars is an efficient way to gain access the applications that you want and that you use the most, for easy accessibility that prevents you having to search for particular applications that you use all of the time.