Computer Technician

Computer Technician Computer Software: Failures, Corruptions, Repair, and the Future of Computing

Course Objectives Define computer software failures, corruptions, and repairs Identify and repair basic software failures Understand the future direction of computing in the modern world

Computer Software • Software: one or more programs and a collection of data that is stored on the computer for a purpose • There are many different types of software programs • Each piece of software serves a particular purpose in making the computer function

Computer Software Failure Software Failure: a crash or cessation of processing because of a logic error in a program Identifiable by a software program becoming unresponsive or a popup on screen

Computer Software Failure • Causes • Program Files were corrupted at installation • Files are missing • Hardware failure • Hard drive is failing • Processor is overheating

Computer Software Corruption Software Corruption: critical files or application data have been destroyed, altered, or deleted causing the application to be unable to function The Operating System will not allow the user to boot the applications when critical files are missing to prevent damage to the computer’s hardware or other software applications

Computer Software Corruption • Potential causes • Damaged installation program that did not contain and install the full contents of the software program • The end user accidentally deletes files from the hard drive • Adware or Spyware on an infected computer intentionally alter or delete important application files or folders • Hardware failures

Computer Software Repair • Operating System Corruption: PC • Repair by performing the following steps • Insert the Operating System disk, reboot the computer, and look for press any key prompt • Press any key to get to the Windows Setup • Press R to begin the Repair process • Select the Hard Drive with the arrow keys and press R • Files will begin to be checked and overwritten • Upon completion, the computer will prompt the user to set the computer up

Computer Software Repair • Operating System Corruption: Mac • Repair by performing the following steps • Insert the Disk Utility CD into the computer • Select Open Disk Utility under Installer at the top of the screen • The Macintosh HD window should allow you to select the computer’s Hard Drive on the left and then click the Repair Disk Permissions button • The computer will then scan and repair damaged files • Once completed, eject the disk and reboot

Computer Software Repair • PC Application Repair • Depending on the severity of the corrupted files, there are varying degrees to repairing software • Resetting the program’s to its defaults (rare) • Repairing the software (common) • Uninstalling and Reinstalling the software (less common)

Computer Software Repair • PC Application Repair • Resetting a program to its defaults is frequently accomplished by selecting the top menu and selecting the Options Menu • Repairing the Software • Click Start, Control Panel, Programs and Features • Select the Application you wish to repair and click Change • Click Repair, then click Continue • Upon completion, a computer restart may be necessary

Computer Software Repair • PC Application Repair • Uninstalling and Reinstalling the software • Click Start, Control Panel, Programs and Features • Select the Application, click Uninstall; then click Continue • Insert the installation disc back into the computer, and then reinstall the software Note: This step should be taken ONLY if the software repair failed to remedy the corruption

Computer Software Repair • Mac Application Repair • Resetting a program to its defaults is frequently accomplished by selecting the top menu and selecting the Preferences Menu • Because the Apple Operating system has a built-in feature called Time Machine, it is possible to open this utility and restore the computer or files to an earlier time • Type Time Machine into the finder and press Enter • Select an earlier time to restore from and Click Restore (Note: An external drive is required for this)

Computer Software Repair • Mac Application Repair • Uninstalling and Reinstalling the software • Open the Macintosh HD by double clicking • Click the Applications Folder • Click on the Application you wish to delete • Drag the Application to the trash and empty the trash • Reinstall the software by inserting the CD into the computer or re-downloading the software

Future of Computing • Moore’s Law: coined in 1970, states that as a rule of thumb in hardware computing history, the number of transistors that can inexpensively be placed on an integrated circuit doubles every 18-24 months. • Translation: Computer performance doubles about every two years

Future of Computing • Moore’s Law – What makes this possible? • Transistor sizes (the tiny electrical pathways) shrink allowing for more transistors to fit in the same space as the previous generation’s chip • What effect does this have? • The processor can run at faster speeds • The processor uses less energy • The processor runs cooler • Allows for more chips to be added to the processor increasing the number of duties it can fulfill

Future of Computing Quantum Computing: Applying the principles of quantum mechanics to computer technology, the concept could be made practical and result in computers of the future becoming markedly faster

Future of Computing • Photonics: the generation, emission, transmission, modulation, and signal processing of light • Currently this technology is used in printing, optical drives, remote controls, and audio • Future computers could see more reliance upon this technology in data transmission which is capable of much higher data speeds than current cables

Future of Computing • Nanotechnology: the study of manipulating matter at an atomic and molecular level • Often size deals with nanometers and ranges from 1nm to 100nm • Currently, transistors in many of today’s computers range from 22 to 40 nanometers • The lower the number, the smaller the size, less energy is used, and more densely a processor can be packaged for performance

Independent / Group Work Group • Get into your groups • Pick one of the emerging technologies (quantum computing, photonics, or nanotechnology) and do some research on-line to explain and show explicit examples of your technology • Your findings must be backed up by two or more reliable sources • Once complete, your group will present your finding to the class • Take detailed notes on each groups research as it is being presented Individual • Describe Moore's Law and pick one specific computer manufacturer to display in a chart and illustrate the last 12 years of its technology growth. Your chart should prove Moore’s Law. Included in the chart should be the CPU and transistor count, in addition to the percentage of growth from one year to the next.

Exam Preparation An exam will be given over the material presented in the presentation Make sure to review your class notes and these slides Questions will be multiple choice, true/false, and essay

Computer Technician