Exercises: Installation and configuration

On your home computer, each person has their own user account. Explain two advantages of having separate accounts instead of everyone using a single shared account.

What is an operating system update? Explain in your own words why it is best to install updates promptly rather than postponing them repeatedly.

The diagram shows the settings panel of a computer, with five visible sections and a sixth unlabelled card, as shown in the diagram.

Indicate which card you would open for each task: changing the desktop background, creating a new user account, connecting the computer to your home Wi-Fi and turning up the volume. Then look at the key icon on the sixth card: what settings do you think it contains? Give it a name and explain two tasks you would perform in it.

In which settings section would you change each item? (a) screen brightness; (b) keyboard language; (c) clock time; (d) notification volume. Explain how you would reach each section from the settings panel.

Your account password protects your files. Name two places where you should never write it down (a sticky note on the screen, a piece of paper inside your pencil case...) and explain what alternatives exist to avoid forgetting it without exposing it.

When closing a document with unsaved changes, the computer asks 'save changes?'. Explain what happens if you select 'do not save', who is warning you (the application or the operating system) and why this alert exists.

What is 'flight mode' (or 'aeroplane mode') on a mobile phone and which connections does it turn off? Describe two situations, inside and outside an aeroplane, where it would be useful to turn it on.

On a shared computer, there is a difference between 'sign out' (or 'log out') and 'switch user'. Explain what each option does to open programs and at what point during the school day you would use each one in the classroom.

Put the steps for creating a new user account on the computer in order and explain the difference between an account with administrator permissions and a standard account: (a) choosing the account type, (b) opening the system settings, (c) setting a secure password, (d) choosing the username.

Just as you are about to print a piece of schoolwork to hand in, the computer warns that it is going to restart to install an update. What options does the system normally offer you? Explain what you would do at that moment and how you would configure updates so that it does not happen again at the worst possible time.

Order these passwords from least to most secure and explain the criteria you followed: '123456', your date of birth, 'Casa2024', 'T9mQ2vL8'. Then write down two simple rules for creating passwords that are both strong and easy to remember.

On the classroom computer you cannot change the desktop wallpaper or install anything, but on your home computer you can. Explain who sets these limits (the school administrator account) and give two reasons why a school restricts these settings.

A classmate has difficulty seeing close up and has poor hearing in one ear. Indicate which system accessibility settings would help them (text size, high contrast, subtitles, mono audio, screen magnifier), where they are located, and how each one changes their daily use.

The laptop battery does not last until the end of the lesson. Suggest three system settings to extend battery life (lowering the brightness, shortening sleep time, closing background applications) and explain what comfort or convenience each setting "sacrifices".

Home Wi-Fi disconnects only on your laptop, while all other devices work fine. Suggest an ordered checklist of settings to check on the laptop (airplane mode turned off, forget the network and reconnect, restart the computer) before blaming the router, and explain each step.

In the system settings, the option "factory reset" appears. Explain what this means, what is lost, and what is kept when using it, and describe a situation where taking this step would make sense (mentioning beforehand what backup you would make).

The shared computer in the school library must allow any student to work without being able to view other students' files or install applications. Design the account and permission configuration you would propose to the library team, justifying each decision.

After updating the operating system to a newer version, the printer connected via USB cable has stopped printing. You observe the following details: the printer light is solid green (turned on and no paper jam), the test page printed by holding down the physical button on the printer itself comes out perfectly, but on the computer screen the sent documents remain indefinitely in the state "Error - Sending to printer...".

1. a) Determine with justification whether the source of the problem is in the hardware (physical connection or machine) or in the software (operating system or driver).
2. b) Design a three-step troubleshooting plan to solve the issue, ordered from least to greatest impact on the computer's configuration, explaining what you check or modify in each step.

In the school's administrative office, automatic operating system updates have been disabled "to prevent the computer from restarting on its own or changing appearance while serving the public". Four months later, the computer cannot access the educational management platform due to a "lack of compatible security certificates", and the browser continually shows infection risk warnings.

1. a) Justify how the decision to block updates has directly caused both problems.
2. b) Design a technical solution in the operating system configuration that allows receiving and installing the necessary security patches without interrupting the workday (from 8:00 to 15:00 h).

On a shared tablet, two profiles are going to be created: one for Alex (7 years old), who should only use offline logic games, and another for Sara (12 years old), who needs to browse the web to do schoolwork and use communication apps with the school.

1. a) Design the system configuration for each profile (account type, screen time limits, app installation permissions, and browsing filters), justifying each decision.
2. b) During a session, Sara tries to bypass the time limit by manually changing the system date and time in the settings. Explain what type of account she must be assigned so that the operating system prevents her from making that change.

You have changed the login password for your user account on the computer. The next day, you check that the web browser still accesses your email directly without asking for credentials, while the school's cloud storage app has locked and asks you to log in again.

1. a) Justify why changing the operating system account password has not affected the browser in the same way as the cloud app.
2. b) Predict what would happen if an unauthorized person accesses your open user session on that computer, and propose two configuration settings (in the system or in the applications) to protect your personal data against this risk.

At the start of class in the computer lab, it is discovered that on computer 14, the project folder of a student from the previous shift has been deleted and a program that alters the network configuration has been installed. Upon checking the computer, the teacher finds that all groups use a single local account named "Alumnado", which has administrator privileges and has no password.

1. a) Analyze what account and permission configuration flaws have made it possible for this incident to occur without being able to identify the person responsible.
2. b) Design an account structure for that computer (specifying the necessary account types, their passwords, and their read, write, and installation permissions) that ensures no student can delete others' work or modify the operating system.

A computer in the Technology workshop updated automatically over the weekend. On Monday, the program that controls the laser cutter does not open and displays the message: "Error: driver incompatible with the current operating system version".

A classmate suggests: "Let's go into settings, restore the system to the point before the update, and that way we can get back to cutting wood right now."

1. a) Evaluate your classmate's proposal by analyzing what immediate advantage it offers and what two security and operational risks or problems it would cause to the computer in the medium term.
2. b) Propose the technical procedure you should follow so that the program works again without having to leave the operating system outdated or unprotected.

When installing a simple calculator app on a mobile device, the operating system shows a screen requesting access to: the camera, the microphone, precise GPS location, and the contacts list. A friend tells you: "Accept everything; after all, we have nothing to hide."

1. a) Interpret the permission request and justify why it is suspicious and technically unnecessary for that tool to work.
2. b) Rebut your friend's statement with two technical arguments, explaining how granting those permissions infringes upon your direct privacy and how it puts at risk the information of third parties who have not given their consent.