When you switch on a computer, the first big programme that wakes up is not Word or Chrome. It is the operating system (OS for short). Today you will learn what it does, meet the main operating systems, take charge of the Settings, keep a computer healthy and rescue a frozen programme. The Hub's computers are yours to practise on, so you will do all of it for real.
Think of your school. Pupils do not walk straight into the staff room, take chalk from the store or move into any classroom they like. The headteacher decides who uses which classroom, when, and keeps order so everything runs smoothly. On a computer, the programmes (apps) are the pupils, the hardware (processor, memory, storage, printer) is the classrooms, staff and store, and the operating system is the headteacher.
1. Starts the computer and shows you the desktop.
2. Runs programmes and shares out the processor and memory.
3. Looks after files and folders (File Explorer is part of Windows).
4. Talks to devices: keyboard, printer, Wi-Fi, sound.
5. Keeps it safe: user accounts, passwords, updates and antivirus.
| OS | Made by | Where you will meet it |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Microsoft | Most desktops and laptops in Ghana, including the Hub's PCs (Windows 11 or 10). |
| macOS | Apple | Apple's Mac laptops and desktops (MacBook, iMac). |
| ChromeOS | Chromebooks: simple laptops that work mostly through the Chrome browser. | |
| Linux | Free, made by people all over the world | Many web servers and supercomputers, and some laptops (for example Ubuntu). Free to download and use. |
| Android | Most smartphones and tablets in Ghana (Tecno, Infinix, Samsung, itel…). | |
| iOS | Apple | iPhones (iPads use iPadOS, a close cousin). |
They look different, but every one does the same five jobs. Once you know one well, learning another is much easier.
A user account is your own space on a computer: your desktop, your Documents folder and your settings. You sign in with a name and a password or PIN. There are two main kinds:
Can use programmes, save files and change their own settings. Must ask an administrator before installing some apps or changing settings for everyone. This is the safest account for everyday work.
The "headteacher's key". Can install anything, change any setting and manage other accounts. When Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", it is asking for administrator permission. Only say Yes if you know exactly what it is.
To see which kind you are: Settings → Accounts → Your info. If it says Administrator under your name you are an administrator; if not, you are a standard user (it may look slightly different on Windows 10).
Your turn: Yaw wants to install a game on the Hub PC, but Windows asks for an administrator password. What should he do?
Open Settings with Start → Settings (the gear), or press Windows + I. The menu down the left side takes you to each area. This is Windows 11; Windows 10 looks slightly different.
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Connect to Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot | Click the network icon on the taskbar (bottom right) → the arrow > beside Wi-Fi → choose the network → Connect → type the network's password (ask the owner). Also in Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi. |
| Change brightness or make everything bigger | System → Display (Brightness, and Scale: 100%, 125%…) |
| Pick speakers or headset, change volume | System → Sound (Session 7) |
| Add a keyboard layout | Time & language → Language & region → the ⋯ beside your language → Language options → Add a keyboard. Switch layouts with Windows + Space. |
| Make text easier to read | Accessibility → Text size (drag the slider, click Apply), or Accessibility → Contrast themes |
| Have the computer read aloud | Accessibility → Narrator (or press Windows + Ctrl + Enter to turn it on and off) |
Press Windows + Shift + S, then drag a box round what you want. The picture is copied, so you can paste it (Ctrl + V) into Paint or a document, or click the pop-up to open it in the Snipping Tool and save it. Windows + PrtScn saves the whole screen in Pictures → Screenshots. Screenshots are great for showing a helper an error message (Session 9).
Updates fix mistakes and close holes that criminals use to break in. Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. When it asks you to restart, save your work first, and never switch off during "Working on updates".
Windows comes with Windows Security, a free antivirus. Open Start, type Windows Security → Virus & threat protection. Green ticks mean you are protected. Quick scan checks for harmful programmes (called malware).
A restart clears the worktable (Session 6) and finishes updates. If a PC has been on for days and feels slow, Start → Power → Restart often fixes it.
To uninstall: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → the ⋯ beside the app → Uninstall. Fewer apps means more free space and fewer things running.
Your turn: Name two reasons why updates matter.
First open The Headteacher's Office 3D lab on your session page: watch the OS sit between the apps and the hardware, switch a laptop between Windows, ChromeOS and Linux, judge app installs with the traffic light, and rescue a frozen app. Then do it for real:
Screenshot_Settings_YourName.| Setting I changed | Before | Changed to | Put back? ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task | What happened |
|---|---|
| Windows Update said… | |
| App I installed and uninstalled | |
| Screenshot saved as | |
| Task Manager: programme I ended |
Choose from: Windows • macOS • ChromeOS • Android • iOS
| Device | Operating system |
|---|---|
| Esi's Tecno smartphone | |
| The Hub's desktop PCs | |
| Uncle Kojo's iPhone | |
| A Chromebook laptop | |
| A MacBook laptop |
| Situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| 1. A web page suddenly flashes: "VIRUS FOUND! Call 0800 now to fix your PC!" | |
| 2. Kofi finds a website offering a paid football game "free". It asks to download setup.exe. |
Question 1: Explain what an operating system does, using the headteacher.
Question 2: A programme has frozen and will not close. What keys do you press, and what do you do next?
| Operating System Competency | With Help | Almost Alone | All By Myself! |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. I can explain what an OS does and name four operating systems. | |||
| 2. I can find and change settings, then put them back. | |||
| 3. I can check for updates and install and uninstall an app safely. | |||
| 4. I can take a screenshot and close a frozen app with Task Manager. |
BIH JHS Tech Club · a Bozoma Innovation Hub programme · Your answers are saved only on this computer.