Computer Fundamentals for Teachers
Competency # 1 Computer Operation Skills
Module #1.1.1

Starting up and Shutting down a Computer

Getting there

First you must start up the computer (yes I know the one you are looking at is already on).

1. Turn on any peripherals (like printers or other external hardware)

2. Press the power button (WINDOWS: usually found on the front of the CPU case  MAC: usually a button with a triangle on the keyboard)

3. By the way, the system is now warming up and in a minute the disk drives will start whirling.  The computer will be looking for system software.  When the software is found the computer will BOOT (load the operating system and start acting like a computer).

Now lets think about shutting down the system:

1. QUIT (or EXIT) all the applications you may have running.   (MAC: just because you do not see the application menu bar, does not mean you have quit the program).

2. MAC: go to SPECIAL on the menu bar and choose SHUTDOWN
WINDOWS: go to the START button, and choose SHUTDOWN; when the next window pops open, choose SHUTDOWN THE COMPUTER and press YES.

3. Turn off all the peripherals

4. Go outside and enjoy real life

Something else you should know

Starting a computer is not the healthiest thing you can do to a computer.  If you need to clear out the mess the computer has become for some reason, you should RESTART the machine.

1. MAC: go to SPECIAL in the menu and choose RESTART
WINDOWS: press the START button and choose SHUTDOWN; when the next window pops open, choose RESTART THE COMPUTER and press YES.

2. Wait while the computer REBOOTS.

Exercise #1

Find a computer and practice shutting it down and starting it up.  If it is on when you want it on and off when you want it off, you have succeeded.

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Copyright 1998 Christopher I. Cobitz
Questions regarding this page may be sent to Christopher I Cobitz