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Computer
Systems
Servicing NC II
(Exploratory Course)
Module 2: Performing Computer
Operations
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (OHS) GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Occupational Health and Safety is defined as a field in public health that focuses on
illnesses and injuries which happen in the workplace. This aims to prevent injuries and
illnesses from happening. In working with computers, you’ll have to deal with possible
risks and hazards. The following are some of the OHS procedures you should keep in
mind when working with computers.

 Always perform electrostatic discharge. As discussed in the previous

lesson, our bodies have electricity which can cause damage to computer
components. Always perform grounding before touching any component. To
do this, touch any unpainted metal part for 5-10 seconds to prevent static
electricity from building up.
 Check the pin alignment. When connecting cables, you need to check if the
pins have been aligned correctly before putting them in place. This will prevent
damage to the ports and the cables as well.
 Check power connections. Before opening a computer, always make sure
that the computer is turned off and unplugged from the power source.
 Always work with a buddy. Never work alone. This way, when you get in
trouble or need help, someone will be able to help you.
 Never work with liquids. Liquids such as water, juice, soda, etc. can cause
damage to computers or any electronic equipment. It is best to keep them
away from the work area.
 Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all times. Personal Protective
Equipment can vary in the workplace. In working with computers, you must
always wear clothes which are not loose, and always wear shoes that can
dissipate electricity. Also, never wear jewelry when working with
computers. This is to avoid being tangled in computer parts and equipment.
 Be familiar with the emergency exits. Emergencies such as fire and
earthquake may come at any time. It is important to know and be familiar
with the fire exits and fire extinguishers at all times. You should also be
aware of the emergency and evacuation plans for your workplace.

COMPUTER HARDWARE

A computer has two basic parts: hardware and software. Hardware components refer to
the tangible or touchable parts of the computer. On the other hand, software refers

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to parts that can’t be touched physically. Computer hardware can also be classified into
four categories: input, process, storage, and output.

Input Devices

Input devices refer to the hardware components which are used to load information
into the computer. This can be letters, numbers, characters, sounds, images, and other
forms of data. The following are the most common input devices used:

 The keyboard is similar to a typewriter. It

is composed of buttons that have letters,
numbers, and characters. It is used to
input letters, sentences, numbers, and
other special functions to the computer. Keyboard Photo by WikiMedia

 The mouse is a device that is operated using the

hand. It commonly has two buttons: the left-click
button and the right-click button. It also has a
scroll wheel in the center. The mouse is used to
interact with the computer screen. When you move
a mouse, the pointer on the screen also moves. Mouse Photo by Pixy.org

 The microphone is a device that is used to input audio

into computers. Most microphones come as a set with
earphones.
Headset with microphone Photo by Zephyris

Processing Devices

The data that has been received through the input devices will be processed by the
computer before it will be displayed on the screen or before it could be printed through a
printer. The device responsible for this stage is the processing device. A processing device
transforms input data into output. The following are processing devices:

A motherboard is a device that connects all the

hardware parts of the computer. It contains
components such as the CPU, RAM, and ROM chips. It
also contains ports that are used to connect other
hardware components such as the monitor and hard disk drive.

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  The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is also known as
the brain of the computer. Just like how the brain
functions in a human body, the CPU also controls
everything the computer does. It receives information
and carries out computer instructions. CPU Photo by
D-Kuru WikiMedia

 Random Access Memory (RAM) is used to store

programs and data that are currently being used
by the CPU. Any data on RAM can be read,
rewritten, or deleted when needed. Any data saved
on RAM is deleted once the computer shuts down. Laptop RAM Photo by
WannaBeEditor WikiMedia

ROM Photo by
 Read-Only Memory (ROM) is where the data needed Christian Bassow
by the computer to start is stored. Unlike the RAM, the
data saved on the ROM can’t be erased even when the
computer has been shut down.

Storage Device

The storage device is where files such as photos, documents, audio, videos, and many more
are stored. This also keeps files needed for the computer to run such as operating
systems files and utility files. The following are some storage devices:

 Hard Disk Drive is a magnetic device that is used to

store data. It is the main storage device on a computer.
It can be found inside the system case.
HDD Photo by
OpenClipartVectors

 Memory Card is commonly used and found on

electronic devices such as smartphones, digital
cameras, and dash cameras.

Memory Card Photo by PxHere

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Output Device

Output devices are used to display information that has been processed by the computer.
These can send out different kinds of information such as sound, text, images, and videos.
The following are examples of output devices:

 Speakers are output devices. The sound or data that

has been processed by the computer is sent out using
the speakers. Speakers allow users to listen to music,
watch movies, and talk to loved ones via video calls.
Computer Speakers
Photo by Pxhere
Printer Photo by
 Printers are devices that produce information and places OpenClipartVector
them in a piece of paper or any other form of medium.
Printers also allow materials such as tarpaulin, flyers, and
magazines to be reproduced.

 Monitors are devices that allow users to interact with

the computer. Monitors allow users to see what they are
typing, or view different applications, or watch videos.

COMPUTER APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Computer application software is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to
do. It is designed to complete a specific task. For example: in writing a business letter
using a computer, a word processing application is used. If you want to view a movie,
different application software would perform the job which is the media player. There
are many kinds of application software, a few of them are the following:

 Word Processing Application is used to create documents using a

computer. Examples of these documents are letters, reports, books, and
many more. Microsoft Word, Google docs, LibreOffice, and WPS writer are
examples of these. The most commonly used word processor is Microsoft
Word.
 Spreadsheet Application is used mainly for accounting and keeping
records through rows and columns. It is also used to create tables and
charts which can be added to a report to give a graphical representation of
data. It is also used in computing grades, sales reports, etc. Microsoft
Excel is the most commonly used spreadsheet application.
 Web Browser is used to view web pages. It allows users to read, visit, and
view different websites and webpages. Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Google
Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox are examples of web browsers.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNET SEARCH

The internet is defined as the largest computer network. It connects millions of

computers throughout the globe. With the use of the internet, sharing of data and
connecting with loved ones has become easier. As long as your device is connected to
the internet through a Wi-Fi or wired connection, you have a web browser, and you
have the following you can search almost anything under the sun on the internet.

 Uniform Resource Locator (URL) refers to the exact address of a webpage on

the world wide web. This can be seen on the address bar that is located on the
topmost portion of the browser. The text highlighted below is the URL.

 Search Engine is used to look for items or words on the internet. This
enables a user to search the internet. The most common search engines are
Google, Bing! And Yahoo!. A search engine has a search bar or search box,
where the questions are typed. In the previous figure, this is where “URL
meaning” has been entered using the Google search engine.

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE

A computer, just like any other equipment, also needs to be taken care of. It needs to be
cleaned from the inside to the outside. To do this, you need to conduct the following:

 Disk cleanup refers to a utility program that is used to clean the contents of
the hard disk. This involves deleting temporary files, cached webpages, and
items in the recycle bin.
 Checking disk errors is another utility program that checks the hard disk
for errors and automatically repairs it.
 Dusting the external and internal part of the computer