Operating Systems & Settings
What an operating system does, Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, Android and iOS, accounts, Settings, updates, apps and Task Manager.
⌨️ Start with your 10-minute typing warm-upBy the end, you will be able to:
- Explain what an operating system does and match Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Linux, Android and iOS to the devices that use them.
- Find, change and restore settings (display, sound, Wi-Fi, keyboard, accessibility), lock a shared PC with Windows + L and take a screenshot.
- Keep a computer healthy: check for updates, use Windows Security, install apps only from trusted places, uninstall an app and end a frozen programme with Task Manager.
What you need
No computer at home? Print the PDF and practise on paper.
Follow these steps in order
Tick each step when you finish it. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can stop and come back later.
Learn the ideas ⏱️ 35 min
Read pages 1–4 of the workbook and try every small task. Type your answers straight into the boxes: they save by themselves.
Explore the 3D lab ⏱️ 15 min
Play with the 3D model below. The 🎯 missions tell you exactly what to do next. When you finish every mission, this step ticks itself.
Do the Lab Mission ⏱️ 25 min
Page 5 is the hands-on task. Do it on a real computer, step by step. You need: a computer where you may change settings (with your mentor).
Check yourself ⏱️ 10 min
Answer the questions on page 6 without looking back, then check your answers below.
Finished? Check your answers
Your turn (Page 2): he should not guess or ask for someone's password. He should stop and ask the mentor, who decides whether the game is safe and allowed. (Only an administrator can approve it.)
Your turn (Page 4): any two of: updates fix mistakes (bugs); they close security holes that criminals and viruses use; they add new features; they keep the computer working with new apps and devices.
Lab tables (Page 5): answers depend on the PC. Every changed setting should be ticked as put back. Windows Update usually says "You're up to date" or lists updates. The screenshot should be in BIH_Practice with the BIH name.
Match the OS (Page 6): Tecno smartphone: Android. Hub desktop PCs: Windows. iPhone: iOS. Chromebook: ChromeOS. MacBook: macOS.
What would you do?
- Close the tab without clicking it and tell the mentor (it is a scam; real Windows Security never asks you to call).
- Don't download; look in the Microsoft Store or ask the mentor ("free" copies of paid games often hide malware).
Written Review Questions
- The OS is like the headteacher: programmes (pupils) ask it for the hardware (classrooms, staff, store), and it decides who uses what and keeps order. It also starts the computer, looks after files, talks to devices and keeps the computer safe.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, click the frozen programme in Processes, then click End task. (Unsaved work in it may be lost.)
Rate yourself and save your work ⏱️ 5 min
Tick how confident you feel on the last page, then press 🖨 Print / Save as PDF in the workbook to keep a copy. On a shared computer, press Clear my answers when you have saved it.
🎉 Session 8 complete!
Brilliant work. Next up: Session 9: Fix-It Day: Troubleshooting.
Go to Session 9 →🗂️ The Headteacher's Office
See how the operating system sits between apps and hardware, switch a laptop between Windows, ChromeOS and Linux, and rescue a frozen app. Follow the 🎯 missions on the right: they tell you what to do next.
Stuck? Try this
Most problems are one missed word. Look for the Panic Button or Help box in the workbook.
Refresh the page. On a very old computer it may not show 3D. The workbook still has everything you need.
Answers save on the computer you typed them on. Open the workbook on that same computer and browser.
Ask your mentor, a teacher or a friend. Show them the step number you are on.