As I have completed all of my outstanding work, including the second assignment and all of my re-submissions, I am officially ready for the challenging practical. Since I have also arrived to the centre early, I used this time to go through my checklist and research any additional things I am confused on. When the day begun, "Jovial John" sent us an email which contains our starter. For this, we had to answer 30 questions from three quizzes, out of 30 marks. This was about computer systems, functions of operating systems, and control processing units. In the end I got 25/30 which is good. I only slipped on easily mistaken ones that plays mind tricks. Want to try it for yourself and beat me? Click here. Afterwards, "Jovial John" also showed us a video about e-waste. These are computer components and junk that a lot of the first world countries dump into Africa. Young children would take these machinery and burn them to extract the metal within it. However, although this makes money for them, it releases heavily toxic chemicals which essentially stunts the child's growth and development. I sympathise for them and hope that things will get better someday - I have learnt this in Year 10, Geography GCSE AQA.
Next, me and Ben R were the next batch to start the practical. We grabbed our assigned computer system and I had been given a Windows Vista (used one before), whereas Ben R had Windows XP. Although I believed mine was newer and had more advantages, it actually had many issues throughout the procedures. Here's a list of what I did for the first task of assignment three - this took me the entire day and as I was checking off my list, I documented evidence down by taking images via a camera John lent me:
Hardware:
- Before backup: Create a system restore point.
- Turn on PC and evaluate the system's performance and specifications.
- Install benchmark system software and test current PC speed.
- Identify areas that could benefit from upgrading or any additional functionality that could be added with new components.
- Health and safety issues + equipment.
- Install hardware components.
- Install supporting software (drivers) if necessary.
- Test new devices.
- Run benchmark system software again and compare new speed to previous results.
Software:
- Check and if necessary, install up-to-date antivirus software.
- Anti-virus settings - set to update automatically.
- Open anti-virus to test functionality.
- Create user account: Susan and password: 'susan1'.
- Create user account: Brian and password: 'brian1'.
- Log onto Susan's account to test password.
- Set the text and icons to be larger than standard.
- Install desktop publishing package if required.
- Install a web browser if required.
- Set the power saving options so the system goes to sleep if inactive for 30 minutes.
- The monitor should go to sleep after 10 minutes.
- Restore backup files (associated with the related account).
- Install latest OS patches (if required).
Throughout the day, the tasks were not difficult. However, the challenging parts are when I couldn't find something hidden away sneakily and not being able to install components as well as I thought. This isn't because I had not research but rather the components I wanted to install were not available (limited resources in college). In the end, "Jovial John" was able to help me so I am able to continue nicely. I also had issues with benchmarking and the GPU.
At the end of the day, I managed to get the first task of assignment three completed whereas Ben R has completed all three (his computer was faster and more reliable). All I require to do is to take the photos I have taken and put them in an organised folder, then I will finish off task two and three on Monday, followed by annotating it.
This week will also begin to be busy. University taster day, private art homework, Chinese literature and writing exam, and of course this assignment for college. Until Monday! :D
