Unit 1 of 1 · B.Sc IT Sem 1

Unit 1: PC operation and productivity tools

Software Lab-II (Information Technology) notes · PTU syllabus (BSIT106/BSBC106)

4 min read8 topics10 exam questions

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Unit summary
Familiarising with the PC and Windows
Creating and editing files and directories in Windows
DOS internal and external commands
MS Word: creating and formatting documents
MS Word: newsletters and mail merge
MS Excel: formulas and cell referencing
MS Excel: sorting, charts and analysis
MS PowerPoint presentations
Key terms
Quick revision
Important questions

Unit summary

This lab builds everyday computer skills: getting familiar with the PC and Windows, creating and organising files and folders, mastering DOS internal and external commands, and using MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint for documents, calculations and presentations.

After this unit you can

Operate a PC and Windows and manage files and folders
Use DOS internal and external commands
Create and format documents in MS Word
Build spreadsheets in Excel and presentations in PowerPoint

PTU syllabus topics

Familiarizing with PC and Windows commands
file creation and editing
directory creation
mastery of DOS internal and external commands
using MS Word
MS Excel and MS PowerPoint

ComparisonDOS internal vs external commands

Internal

External

Stored in

COMMAND.COM (always in memory)

Separate files on disk

Examples

DIR, CD, MD, COPY, DEL, TYPE

FORMAT, XCOPY, CHKDSK, TREE

Needs file on disk?

Yes

Topic 1

Familiarising with the PC and Windows

Parts of a PC: CPU cabinet, monitor, keyboard, mouse, ports (USB, HDMI, LAN, audio), power supply.
Booting: power on → BIOS/UEFI self-test (POST) → loading Windows → login.
Windows desktop: Start menu, taskbar, icons, system tray, File Explorer, Settings, Control Panel.
Useful shortcuts: Win + E (File Explorer), Win + D (desktop), Alt + Tab (switch windows), Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Task Manager), Win + L (lock).

Topic 2

Creating and editing files and directories in Windows

File Explorer shows drives, folders (directories) and files.
Create a folder: right-click → New → Folder. Rename: F2. Copy: Ctrl + C, paste: Ctrl + V, cut: Ctrl + X. Delete: Delete key (to Recycle Bin); Shift + Delete (permanent).
File extensions identify types: .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .pdf, .jpg.
Organise with meaningful folder names and use search and sorting.

Topic 3

DOS internal and external commands

Command Prompt: open with Win + R → cmd. Internal commands are built into the command interpreter (cmd.exe); external commands are separate program files on disk.

Command	Type	Purpose
DIR	Internal	List files and folders
CD / CHDIR	Internal	Change directory (CD .. goes up)
MD / MKDIR	Internal	Make a directory
RD / RMDIR	Internal	Remove an empty directory
COPY	Internal	Copy files
DEL / ERASE	Internal	Delete files
REN	Internal	Rename files
TYPE	Internal	Display a text file
CLS, DATE, TIME, VER	Internal	Clear screen, show date, time, version
XCOPY	External	Copy folders and subfolders
TREE	External	Show folder structure
ATTRIB	External	View or change file attributes
FORMAT	External	Format a disk
CHKDSK	External	Check a disk for errors
EDIT / NOTEPAD	External	Edit text files

textC:\> MD LAB
C:\> CD LAB
C:\LAB> COPY CON NOTE.TXT
This is my first file.
^Z
C:\LAB> TYPE NOTE.TXT
C:\LAB> REN NOTE.TXT FIRST.TXT
C:\LAB> DIR *.TXT
C:\LAB> CD ..
C:\> XCOPY LAB BACKUP /E /I
C:\> TREE BACKUP

Wildcards: * (any characters) and ? (one character), e.g. DEL *.TMP.

Topic 4

MS Word: creating and formatting documents

MS Word is a word processor used to create, edit, format and print documents.

Styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Normal) give a consistent look and let Word build an automatic table of contents.
Tables organise information such as education details in a resume.
Bullets and numbering make lists easy to scan.
Hyperlinks (Ctrl + K) link text to a website or email address.
Track Changes (Review tab) records every edit so a teacher or colleague can accept or reject them.

ProcessFormatting a professional resume

1
Set margins and font
e.g. 1-inch margins, 11 pt font
2
Add name and contact
As a heading style
3
Insert sections
Objective, education, skills, experience
4
Use a table for education
5
Apply bullets for skills
6
Proofread and save as PDF

Exam tip

For practicals, keep one consistent font and use built-in styles rather than manual bold text — examiners check for styles.

Topic 5

MS Word: newsletters and mail merge

A newsletter uses columns (Layout → Columns), pictures, WordArt for the masthead and text wrapping around images. Mail merge creates many personalised letters, labels or forms from one main document and a list of data (for example an Excel sheet of names).

ProcessMail merge in Word

1Start mail merge
Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Letters
2Select recipients
Use an existing list (Excel)
3Insert merge fields
«Name», «Address»
4Preview results
5Finish and merge
Print or edit individual documents

Example

A feedback form for 50 students can be generated in one go: the form is the main document and the student list in Excel supplies each name.

Topic 6

MS Excel: formulas and cell referencing

MS Excel organises data in a grid of rows (numbers) and columns (letters); each box is a cell with an address like B3. Every formula begins with =.

Function	Purpose	Example
SUM	Adds a range	`=SUM(B2:B10)`
AVERAGE	Mean of a range	`=AVERAGE(C2:C10)`
MAX / MIN	Largest / smallest value	`=MAX(D2:D10)`
IF	Tests a condition	`=IF(E2>=40,"Pass","Fail")`
COUNTIF	Counts cells meeting a condition	`=COUNTIF(F2:F50,"Pass")`

ComparisonTypes of cell reference

Written as

Behaviour when copied

Relative

Changes with the new position

Absolute

$A$1

Never changes

Mixed

$A1 or A$1

Only the row or only the column changes

Example

In a marks sheet, total = =SUM(B2:F2) copied down every row (relative), while percentage = =G2/$H$1*100 keeps the maximum marks cell fixed (absolute).

Topic 7

MS Excel: sorting, charts and analysis

Sorting arranges rows by a column (A–Z or largest to smallest), e.g. ranking students by percentage.
Conditional formatting colours cells by rule, e.g. marks below 40 in red — ideal for performance analysis.
Data validation restricts what can be typed, e.g. marks only between 0 and 100, or a drop-down list of departments.
Pivot tables summarise large data quickly: drag fields into Rows, Columns and Values to see totals by category (for example total sales by region and month).
Schedulers: a timetable or task planner built with dates, fills and formatting.

Topic 8

MS PowerPoint presentations

Slide layouts: title slide, title and content, two content, section header.
Slide Master (View → Slide Master) sets fonts, colours and a logo once for every slide.
Multimedia: insert pictures, charts, SmartArt, audio and video.
Animations move objects within a slide; transitions are effects between slides.

Exam tip

Keep to one idea per slide and about six bullet points at most. Use transitions sparingly — practical examiners mark clarity, not effects.

Key terms

POST: Power-on self-test during booting
Internal command: Command built into the command interpreter
External command: Command stored as a separate program file
Wildcard: Symbol standing for other characters in file names
Mail merge: Combining a document with a data list to create personalised copies

Quick revision

PC parts; booting; Windows desktop; shortcuts.
Folder and file operations; extensions.
Internal (DIR, CD, MD, RD, COPY, DEL, REN, TYPE, CLS) vs external (XCOPY, TREE, ATTRIB, FORMAT, CHKDSK).
Word: formatting, tables, mail merge.
Excel: formulas, references, charts, sorting; PowerPoint: slides, transitions.

Important exam questions

Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).

Short-answer questions

Q1.Distinguish internal and external DOS commands.
Q2.Write the command to create a directory named DATA.
Q3.What does the TREE command do?
Q4.What is the use of wildcards?
Q5.State the steps of mail merge.
Q6.Distinguish relative and absolute cell references.

Long-answer questions

Q1.Explain the main DOS internal and external commands with examples.
Q2.Describe how files and folders are managed in Windows.
Q3.Prepare a newsletter and perform mail merge in MS Word.
Q4.Create a marksheet in Excel with formulas, charts and sorting, and a presentation on it in PowerPoint.

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