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BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

SOFTWARE

Software, which is abbreviated as SW or S/W, is a set of programs that enables the hardware
to perform a specific task. All the programs that run the computer are software. Software is a
set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function. A program is a sequence
of instructions written to solve a particular problem.

Software is a set of instructions, data or programs used to operate computers and execute
specific tasks. It is the opposite of hardware, which describes the physical aspects of a
computer. Software is a generic term used to refer to applications, scripts and programs that
run on a device. It can be thought of as the variable part of a computer, while hardware is the
invariable part.

TYPES OF SOFTWARES

Following are different types of software based on their functionalities:

(1) SYSTEM SOFTWARE

System software is software that directly operates the computer hardware and provides
the basic functionality to the users as well as to the other software to operate smoothly.
Or in other words, system software basically controls a computer’s internal functioning
and also controls hardware devices such as monitors, printers, and storage devices, etc.
It is like an interface between hardware and user applications, it helps them to

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ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

communicate with each other because hardware understands machine language(i.e. 1

or 0) whereas user applications are work in human-readable languages like English,
Hindi, German, etc. so system software converts the human-readable language into
machine language and vice versa.

Types of System Software

(1) Operating System: It is the main program of a computer system. When the
computer system ON it is the first software that loads into the computer’s memory.
Basically, it manages all the resources such as computer memory, CPU, printer,
hard disk, etc., and provides an interface to the user, which helps the user to interact
with the computer system. It also provides various services to other computer
software. Examples of operating systems are Linux, Apple macOS, Microsoft
Windows, etc.

(2) Language Processor: As we know that system software converts the human-
readable language into a machine language and vice versa. So, the conversion is
done by the language processor. It converts programs written in high-level
programming languages like Java, C, C++, Python, etc(known as source code), into
sets of instructions that are easily readable by machines(known as object code or
machine code).

(3) Device Driver: A device driver is a program or software that controls a device and
helps that device to perform its functions. Every device like a printer, mouse,
modem, etc. needs a driver to connect with the computer system eternally. So, when
you connect a new device with your computer system, first you need to install the
driver of that device so that your operating system knows how to control or manage
that device.

(4) Middleware : The term middleware describes software that mediates between
application and system software or between two different kinds of application
software. For example, middleware enables Microsoft Windows to talk to Excel
and Word. It is also used to send a remote work request from an application in a
computer that has one kind of OS, to an application in a computer with a different
OS. It also enables newer applications to work with legacy ones.

(5) Programming software: Computer programmers use programming software to

write code. Programming software and programming tools enable developers to
develop, write, test and debug other software programs. Examples of programming
software include assemblers, compilers, debuggers and interpreters.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Features of System Software :

• System Software is closer to the computer system.
• System Software is written in a low-level language in general.
• System software is difficult to design and understand.
• System software is fast in speed (working speed).
• System software is less interactive for the users in comparison to application
software.

(2) APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Software that performs special functions or provides functions that are much more than
the basic operation of the computer is known as application software. Or in other words,
application software is designed to perform a specific task for end-users. It is a product
or a program that is designed only to fulfill end-users’ requirements. It includes word
processors, spreadsheets, database management, inventory, payroll programs, etc.

Types of Application Software

1. General Purpose Software: This type of application software is used for a variety
of tasks and it is not limited to performing a specific task only. For example, MS-
Word, MS-Excel, PowerPoint, etc.

2. Customized Software: This type of application software is used or designed to

perform specific tasks or functions or designed for specific organizations. For
example, railway reservation system, airline reservation system, invoice
management system, etc.

3. Utility Software: This type of application software is used to support the computer
infrastructure. It is designed to analyze, configure, optimize and maintains the
system, and take care of its requirements as well. For example, antivirus, disk
fragmenter, memory tester, disk repair, disk cleaners, registry cleaners, disk space
analyzer, etc.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Features of Application Software

• An important feature of application software is it performs more specialized
tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc.
• Mostly, the size of the software is big, so it requires more storage space.
• Application software is more interactive for the users, so it is easy to use and
design.
• The application software is easy to design and understand.
• Application software is written in a high-level language in general.

Difference Between System Software and Application Software

System Software Application Software

It is designed to manage the resources of the
It is designed to fulfill the requirements of
computer system, like memory and process
the user for performing specific tasks.
management, etc.
Written in a low-level language. Written in a high-level language.
Less interactive for the users. More interactive for the users.
Application software is not so important for
System software plays vital role for the
the functioning of the system, as it is task
effective functioning of a system.
specific.
It is independent of the application software
It needs system software to run.
to run.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

A program is a set of instructions that help computer to perform tasks. This set of instructions
is also called as scripts. Programs are executed by processor whereas scripts are interpreted.
The languages that are used to write a program or set of instructions are called "Programming
languages". A computer language is a group of instructions that are used to create computer
programs. The main goal is to achieve human-computer interaction. A programming language
is a computer language that is used by programmers (developers) to communicate with
computers. It is a set of instructions written in any specific language ( C, C++, Java, Python)
to perform a specific task. A programming language is mainly used to develop desktop
applications, websites, and mobile applications.

A language is the main medium of communicating between the Computer systems and the
most common are the programming languages. As we know a Computer only understands
binary numbers that is 0 and 1 to perform various operations but the languages are developed
for different types of work on a Computer. A language consists of all the instructions to make
a request to the system for processing a task. From the first generation and now fourth
generation of the Computers there were several programming languages used to communicate
with the Computer.

TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

(1) Low-level programming language

Low-level language is machine-dependent (0s and 1s) programming language. The
processor runs low- level programs directly without the need of a compiler or interpreter,
so the programs written in low-level language can be run very fast.

Low-level language is further divided into two parts –

(i) Machine Language : Machine language is a type of low-level programming

language. It is also called as machine code or object code. Machine language is easier
to read because it is normally displayed in binary or hexadecimal form (base 16) form.
It does not require a translator to convert the programs because computers directly
understand the machine language programs. The advantage of machine language is
that it helps the programmer to execute the programs faster than the high-level
programming language.

(ii) Assembly Language : Assembly language (ASM) is also a type of low-level

programming language that is designed for specific processors. It represents the set of

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

instructions in a symbolic and human-understandable form. It uses an assembler to

convert the assembly language to machine language. The advantage of assembly
language is that it requires less memory and less execution time to execute a program.

(2) High-level programming language

High-level programming language (HLL) is designed for developing user-friendly
software programs and websites. This programming language requires a compiler or
interpreter to translate the program into machine language (execute the program). The
main advantage of a high-level language is that it is easy to read, write, and maintain. High-
level programming language includes Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, C#, C++, Objective
C, Cobol, Perl, Pascal, LISP, FORTRAN, and Swift programming language.

A high-level language is further divided into three parts -

(i) Procedural Oriented programming language
Procedural Oriented Programming (POP) language is derived from structured
programming and based upon the procedure call concept. It divides a program into
small procedures called routines or functions. Procedural Oriented programming
language is used by a software programmer to create a program that can be
accomplished by using a programming editor like IDE, Adobe Dreamweaver, or
Microsoft Visual Studio.
The advantage of POP language is that it helps programmers to easily track the program
flow and code can be reused in different parts of the program.
Example: C, FORTRAN, Basic, Pascal, etc.

(ii) Object-Oriented Programming language

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) language is based upon the objects. In
this programming language, programs are divided into small parts called objects. It is
used to implement real-world entities like inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction, etc
in the program to makes the program resusable, efficient, and easy-to-use.
The main advantage of object-oriented programming is that OOP is faster and easier to
execute, maintain, modify, as well as debug. Object-Oriented Programming language
follows a bottom-up approach.
Example: C++, Java, Python, C#, etc.

(iii) Natural language

Natural language is a part of human languages such as English, Russian, German, and
Japanese. It is used by machines to understand, manipulate, and interpret human's
language. It is used by developers to perform tasks such as translation, automatic
summarization, Named Entity Recognition (NER), relationship extraction, and topic
segmentation.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

The main advantage of natural language is that it helps users to ask questions in any
subject and directly respond within seconds.

(3) Middle-level programming language

Middle-level programming language lies between the low-level programming language
and high-level programming language. It is also known as the intermediate programming
language and pseudo-language.
A middle-level programming language's advantages are that it supports the features of
high-level programming, it is a user-friendly language, and closely related to machine
language and human language.
Example: C, C++, language

GENERATIONS OF PROGRAMMING LANGAUAGES

Programming languages have been developed over the year in a phased manner. Each phase
of developed has made the programming language more user-friendly, easier to use and more
powerful. Each phase of improved made in the development of the programming languages
can be referred to as a generation.

The programming language in terms of their performance reliability and robustness can be
grouped into five different generations,
1. First generation languages (1GL)
2. Second generation languages (2GL)
3. Third generation languages (3GL)
4. Fourth generation languages (4GL)
5. Fifth generation languages (5GL)

1. First Generation Language (Machine language)

The first generation programming language is also called low-level programming language
because they were used to program the computer system at a very low level of abstraction. i.e.
at the machine level. The machine language also referred to as the native language of the
computer system is the first generation programming language. In the machine language, a
programmer only deals with a binary number.

Advantages of first generation language

• They are translation free and can be directly executed by the computers.
• The programs written in these languages are executed very speedily and efficiently by
the CPU of the computer system.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

• The programs written in these languages utilize the memory in an efficient manner
because it is possible to keep track of each bit of data.

2. Second Generation language (Assembly Language)

The second generation programming language also belongs to the category of low-level-
programming language. The second generation language comprises assembly languages that
use the concept of mnemonics for the writing program. In the assembly language, symbolic
names are used to represent the opcode and the operand part of the instruction.

Advantages of second generation language

• It is easy to develop understand and modify the program developed in these languages
are compared to those developed in the first generation programming language.
• The programs written in these languages are less prone to errors and therefore can be
maintained with a great case.

3. Third Generation languages (High-Level Languages)

The third generation programming languages were designed to overcome the various
limitations of the first and second generation programming languages. The languages of the
third and later generation are considered as a high-level language because they enable the
programmer to concentrate only on the logic of the programs without considering the internal
architecture of the computer system.

Advantages of third generation programming language

• It is easy to develop, learn and understand the program.
• As the program written in these languages are less prone to errors they are easy to
maintain.
• The program written in these languages can be developed in very less time as compared
to the first and second generation language.
Examples: FORTRAN, ALGOL, COBOL, C++, C

4. Fourth generation language (Very High-level Languages)

The languages of this generation were considered as very high-level programming languages
required a lot of time and effort that affected the productivity of a programmer. The fourth
generation programming languages were designed and developed to reduce the time, cost and
effort needed to develop different types of software applications.

Advantages of fourth generation languages

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

• These programming languages allow the efficient use of data by implementing the
various database.
• They require less time, cost and effort to develop different types of software
applications.
• The program developed in these languages are highly portable as compared to the
programs developed in the languages of other generation.

Examples: SOL, CSS, coldfusion

5. Fifth generation language (Artificial Intelligence Language)

The programming languages of this generation mainly focus on constraint programming. The
major fields in which the fifth generation programming language are employed are Artificial
Intelligence and Artificial Neural Networks

Advantages of fifth generation languages

• These languages can be used to query the database in a fast and efficient manner.
• In this generation of language, the user can communicate with the computer system in
a simple and an easy manner.

Examples: mercury, prolog, OPS5

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

OPERATING SYSTEM

An Operating System (OS) is an interface between a computer user and computer hardware.
An operating system is a software which performs all the basic tasks like file management,
memory management, process management, handling input and output, and controlling
peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

An operating system is software that enables applications to interact with a computer's

hardware. The software that contains the core components of the operating system is called
the kernel. The primary purposes of an Operating System are to enable applications
(software) to interact with a computer's hardware and to manage a system's hardware and
software resources.

The operating system helps in improving the computer software as well as hardware. Without
OS, it became very difficult for any application to be user-friendly. Operating System provides
a user with an interface that makes any application attractive and user-friendly. The operating
System comes with a large number of device drivers that makes OS services reachable to the
hardware environment. Each and every application present in the system requires the Operating
System. The operating system works as a communication channel between system hardware
and system software. The operating system helps interact an application with the hardware part
without knowing about the actual hardware configuration. It is one of the most important parts
of the system and hence it is present in every device, whether large or small device.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Functions of the Operating System

1. Resource Management: The operating system manages and allocates memory, CPU
time, and other hardware resources among the various programs and processes running
on the computer.

2. Process Management: The operating system is responsible for starting, stopping, and
managing processes and programs. It also controls the scheduling of processes and
allocates resources to them.

3. Memory Management: The operating system manages the computer’s primary

memory and provides mechanisms for optimizing memory usage.

4. Security: The operating system provides a secure environment for the user,
applications, and data by implementing security policies and mechanisms such as
access controls and encryption.

5. Job Accounting: It keeps track of time and resources used by various jobs or users.

6. File Management: The operating system is responsible for organizing and managing
the file system, including the creation, deletion, and manipulation of files and
directories.

7. Device Management: The operating system manages input/output devices such as

printers, keyboards, mice, and displays. It provides the necessary drivers and interfaces
to enable communication between the devices and the computer.

8. Networking: The operating system provides networking capabilities such as

establishing and managing network connections, handling network protocols, and
sharing resources such as printers and files over a network.

9. User Interface: The operating system provides a user interface that enables users to
interact with the computer system. This can be a Graphical User Interface (GUI), a
Command-Line Interface (CLI), or a combination of both.

10. Backup and Recovery: The operating system provides mechanisms for backing up
data and recovering it in case of system failures, errors, or disasters.

11. Virtualization: The operating system provides virtualization capabilities that allow
multiple operating systems or applications to run on a single physical machine. This
can enable efficient use of resources and flexibility in managing workloads.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

12. Performance Monitoring: The operating system provides tools for monitoring and
optimizing system performance, including identifying bottlenecks, optimizing resource
usage, and analyzing system logs and metrics.

13. Time-Sharing: The operating system enables multiple users to share a computer
system and its resources simultaneously by providing time-sharing mechanisms that
allocate resources fairly and efficiently.

14. System Calls: The operating system provides a set of system calls that enable
applications to interact with the operating system and access its resources. System calls
provide a standardized interface between applications and the operating system,
enabling portability and compatibility across different hardware and software
platforms.

15. Error-detecting Aids: These contain methods that include the production of dumps,
traces, error messages, and other debugging and error-detecting methods.

Types of Operating Systems

1. Batch Operating System: A Batch Operating System is a type of operating system

that does not interact with the computer directly. There is an operator who takes similar
jobs having the same requirements and groups them into batches.

2. Time-sharing Operating System: Time-sharing Operating System is a type of

operating system that allows many users to share computer resources (maximum
utilization of the resources).

3. Distributed Operating System: Distributed Operating System is a type of operating

system that manages a group of different computers and makes appear to be a single
computer. These operating systems are designed to operate on a network of computers.
They allow multiple users to access shared resources and communicate with each other
over the network. Examples include Microsoft Windows Server and various
distributions of Linux designed for servers.

4. Network Operating System: Network Operating System is a type of operating system

that runs on a server and provides the capability to manage data, users, groups, security,
applications, and other networking functions.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

5. Real-time Operating System: Real-time Operating System is a type of operating

system that serves a real-time system and the time interval required to process and
respond to inputs is very small. These operating systems are designed to respond to
events in real time. They are used in applications that require quick and deterministic
responses, such as embedded systems, industrial control systems, and robotics.

6. Multiprocessing Operating System: Multiprocessor Operating Systems are used in

operating systems to boost the performance of multiple CPUs within a single computer
system. Multiple CPUs are linked together so that a job can be divided and executed
more quickly.

7. Single-User Operating Systems: Single-User Operating Systems are designed to

support a single user at a time. Examples include Microsoft Windows for personal
computers and Apple macOS.

8. Multi-User Operating Systems: Multi-User Operating Systems are designed to

support multiple users simultaneously. Examples include Linux and Unix.

9. Embedded Operating Systems: Embedded Operating Systems are designed to run on

devices with limited resources, such as smartphones, wearable devices, and household
appliances. Examples include Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.

Cluster Operating Systems: Cluster Operating Systems are designed to run on a group of
computers, or a cluster, to work together as a single system. They are used for high-
performance computing and for applications that require high availability and reliability.
Examples include Rocks Cluster Distribution and OpenMPI.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM

Windows is a graphical operating system developed by Microsoft. It allows users to view

and store files, run the software, play games, watch videos, and provides a way to connect to
the internet. It was released for both home computing and professional works.

The first version of Windows was released on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating
system shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces
(GUIs). Windows is the most popular desktop operating system in the world. As of September
2022, the most recent version of Windows is Windows 11 for consumer PCs and tablets,
Windows 11 Enterprise for corporations, and Windows Server 2022 for servers.

FEATURES OF WINDOWS
Below are mentioned some of the most crucial and notable features of the Windows operating
system:
• Control Panel
• Cortana
• File Explorer
• Internet Browser
• Disk Cleanup
• Speed
• Hardware Requirements
• Search and Organization
• Compatibility
• Taskbar
• Safety
• Interface

Let us read about them in detail.

(1) Control Panel

Windows provides a Control Panel feature that includes many tools to configure and
manage the resources on their computer. As the name suggests, it controls and
configures the resources and apps on our computer. There are a lot of functions that can
be performed according to the user's needs. Right from system administration to set the
time, everything can be done here. If we want to interface our computer with hardware,
the settings can be changed here and various network-related settings can be changed
too. In this way, the user can use and change system settings according to his discretion.
For example, users can change settings for audio, video, printers, mouse, keyboard,
network connections, date and time, power saving options, user accounts, installed
applications, etc.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

(2) Cortana
It is used to display the files and folders which are on the computer. It is also known
as Windows Explorer. It gives the user the ability to browse data on the hard drive,
SSD, and other inserted removable disks. It allows the user to manage the content
according to their preference, such as a user can delete or rename a file and search and
transfer data. Windows 10 introduced a feature named Cortana, which is able to accept
voice commands. It can perform various tasks such as it can answers your questions,
search data on your computer, online purchases, set reminders, and appointments, etc.
Furthermore, it acts like other voice-activated services such as Google Assistant, Alexa,
or Siri, including one more benefit of searching the information on your computer. To
open the Cortana in Windows 10, press Window key + S.

(3) File Explorer

It is used to display the files and folders which are on the computer. It is also known as
Windows Explorer. It gives users the ability to browse data on the hard drive, SSD, and
other inserted removable disks. It allows the user to manage the content according to
their preference such as a user can delete or rename a file, and search and transfer data.

(4) Internet Browser

One of the major use of computers is to access the web/internet. Therefore, an internet
browser is very necessary to search for anything, view pages, do online shopping, play
games, etc. There is a pre-installed internet browser available in the Windows operating
system. From Windows 10 onwards, the Edge internet browser is the default browser,
while earlier internet explorer used to be the default browser. It allow users to search
for information and surf the internet using the browser. Windows come in with a pre-
installed browser. Earlier the default browser was Internet Explorer but later it was
changed to Edge. It renders results of search faster and has security features like
malware protection, phishing protection, and detection of insecure websites.

(5) Disk Cleanup

One of the major tasks of an operating system is to perform cleanup operations. Disk
Cleanup is a feature of the Windows operating system that is used to free up disk space
by deleting unnecessary files or temporary files no longer required. It helps increase the
system's performance and boosts storage space to download programs and documents.

We can open disk cleanup by using the following steps:

• Open the file explorer using Window + E
• Right-click on any of the disk drives and click on the properties option from the
drop-down menu.
• Click on the Disk Cleanup option.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

(6)Start Menu
Microsoft Windows contains a start menu to the left side of the taskbar. It displays
programs and utilities that are installed on the computer. It can be simply opened by
clicking on the Start menu button or pressing the start key on the keyboard. As the name
suggests, this is the part where the user starts his actions, after turning on the computer.
The start menu contains a list of all the applications, pinned applications, and recently
used applications. We can search various files and applications using the search bar.
There is also an option of switching the user and turning off/restart/sleep mode options.
So start basically is a place where user can begin their work by choosing the desired
place to start their task.

(7)MS-Paint
This is a feature from the 1st version of Windows itself. As the name suggests, it is used
to paint, i.e., create drawings, paintings, colourings, etc. A blank canvas along with
various inks, pens, and shapes. Now an improvised version of MS Paint that is known as
Paint-3D comes with more and improved features.

(8) Task Manager

The task manager is used to manage all the currently running tasks. We can force stop
tasks that are currently running and also get information that which tasks are running
in the background. The 'End Task' option enables the user to force stop the background
and foreground running application. We also get information on how much CPU, RAM,
and memory is used by various system resources. You can also check how much of the
system resources, such as RAM, CPU, disk I/O, are being used by each of the
applications.

(9) Task Bar

The task bar is one of the features of windows operating system. The element of the
graphical user interface which shows the tasks or applications that are open right now.
It also contains pinned applications which is done by the user, date and time. We can
customise the taskbar. The taskbar varies according to the operating system but it is
usually a small strip located at the bottom of the screen.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Difference between Linux and Windows OS

Topic Windows Linux

Windows allows users to use the command Although the Linux command-
line, but not as a Linux command line. To line offers more features for
Command
open the command line, click on the Run administration and daily tasks,
Line
dialog box and type CMD in the run search it does not offer much to end-
bar and press Enter key. users.

Linux is more reliable and

Windows has improved its reliability in the secure then Windows OS. It
Reliability past few years, but still it is less reliable as mainly focuses on system
compared to Linux. security, process management,
and up-time.

Although Linux has the ability

Windows is easier to use as it provides a
to perform complex tasks
Usability simple user interface. But its installation
easier, its installation process
process can take more time.
is complicated.

Microsoft has enhanced the security

features in Windows over recent years. As Linux is a more secure
it has a huge user base, mostly for new operating system as compared
computer users, it can be easily targeted for to Microsoft Windows. Even
Security
malicious coders. Furthermore, among all attackers found difficulty in
of the operating systems, Microsoft breaking the security with the
Windows can be part of developing help of Linux.
malware and viruses.

It provides users the online and integrated A wide number of books are
help systems, as well as a large number of available to offer help about
Support
informative books, are available to provide Linux, including online
help for people at all skill levels. support.

Regular Windows update makes users Linux provides users full

frustrated by alerting the Windows update control over updates. They can
Updates
for inconvenient times. Additionally, it update it accordingly, and it
takes more time to get an update. takes less time to get an update

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

as well as without any reboot

the system.

Linux operating system with a

Microsoft Windows with license does not license offers users the benefit
allow to modify the software (don't have to re-use the source code on
Licensing access to the source code). It can be any number of systems. It is
installed only on the systems with a also allowed the users to
Windows license key. modify the software and sell
its modified version.

ADVANTAGES OF WINDOWS OS

• Backing of majority of equipment- The majority of the clients use windows and that
amounts to almost 95%, the drivers for windows are made by a majority of merchants.

• Programming and gaming support- Windows is a big platform that supports a

majority of applications and games which are both paid and unpaid. Most gaming
laptops are windows based because of their performance so programmers prefer the
windows operating system because of this feature.

• Clean and lucid GUI- The Graphical User Interface provided by Windows is clean
and can be understood well by a new user too. Windows UI is better than MAC and
Linux.

• Microsoft Office- Windows users are provided with Microsoft Office which contains
a lot of applications like- Powerpoint, excel, word, OneNote, teams etc. This has built-
in support for Windows and works smoothly on windows.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

DISADVANTAGE OF WINDOWS OS

• Many of the Windows products are paid- Many of the essential features of windows
os are paid which include applications like photoshop, games and various other
applications.

• Malicious virus- The majority of the virus is made for windows as it has a huge number
of clients. For our security purpose, we have to be cautious and install antivirus
software.

• Costly- With respect to Windows, Linux is open sourced so it can be used by anyone,
but the cost of Windows is high.

• Technical support- Most users do not get good technical support from the Windows
team. If there is an organisation that uses windows, they get technical support from the
windows team.

• Rebooting a system- When the system slows down, the system has to be rebooted.
This happens when many programs run at the same time which slows down the system.
This leads to a slower speed so rebooting has to be done.

• Prone to hacking- Since windows are widely used, hackers tend to hack windows OS
more than other OS. There is no feature in Windows OS that prevents this.

• High system requirements- There are a lot of requirements that need to be fulfilled
before installing Windows. The requirements specify the required specifications of
processor, hard disk space, OS, display and graphic card.

VERSIONS OF WINDOWS
The very first version of the Windows operating system was introduced by Microsoft as 1.0. It
was released for home computing and professional services in 1985. Later, Microsoft launched
different versions of the Windows operating system. The major motive of launching the
Windows Operating System was to provide home computing along with professional uses.

Windows operating system offers users distinctive features such as :

• Users can view or store their files.
• Users are allowed to run the software.
• Users can play games as well as watch videos.
• Windows Operating System can be connected to the Internet.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

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Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

1. Windows 1.0
• It was released on November 20, 1985
• Pure Operating Environment
• Used Graphical User Interface
• Simple Graphics
• Offered limited multi-tasking was expected to have a better future potential

2. Windows 2.0
• It was released on December 9, 1987
• 16-bit Graphic User Interface (GUI) based operating environment
• Introduced Control Panel, and the first version of MS Word and Excel
• Unlike Windows 1.0, it had the capacity to allow applications to overlap each other
• It was also the last Windows OS which did not require a hard disk
• Hardware played an important role

3. Windows 3.0
• It was released in 1990
• It was better at multitasking
• Used 8086 microprocessors
• It has both, conventional and extendable memory
• First version of Windows to gather critical appreciation
• Better memory/ storage

Note* – None of the above mentioned Windows was Operating Systems. They all came under
the category of Windows, working based on a graphical operating environment. It was
Windows 95, which was the first Operating System released by Microsoft.

4. Window 95
• It was the first complete Operating System
• It was released on August 15, 1995
• It merged MS-DOS and Windows products
• It simplified plug and play features
• Taskbar and Start menu was introduced with this Windows OS
• Advanced from 16 bit GUI to 32 bit GUI
• Long file names could be saved
• Initially, computers with Windows 95 did not have Internet Explorer installed but by
the release date of Windows 95, the first version of Internet Explorer was installed in
the software
• On December 31, 2001, Windows declared this version of OS outdated and ended its
support for the same

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

5. Windows 98
• It was released to manufacturing on May 15, 1998
• It was a 16 bit and 32 bit product based on MS DOS
• It was not an entirely new version but just a tuned-up version to Windows 95
• Internet Explorer 4.01 was released along with this Windows version
• It did not support USB printers or mass storage devices
• An update to this version “Windows SE” was released in 1999

6. Windows 2000
• It was officially released on February 17, 2000. However, its manufacturing had begun
in late 1999
• A core set of features was followed for manufacturing Windows 2000 but 4 different
editions, targeting different sectors of the market were released. These included: Server,
Professional, Advanced Server and Datacenter Server
• It was considered as one of the most secure OS ever
• A local disk manager was introduced with these Windows
• Multilingual User Interface – it supported many different languages

7. Windows XP
• While the manufacturing started on August 24, 2001, the official product was released
on October 25, 2001
• Advanced portable PC support
• Automatic wireless connection support
• Fast start-up
• Better Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Help and support centre

8. Windows Vista
• It was released on January 30, 2007
• It had an upgraded version of Graphical User Interface
• It was the first operating system to use DVD-ROM for installation

9. Windows 7
• It was released on October 22, 2009
• A large number of new features were introduced
• Redesigned Windows shell with an updated taskbar
• Incremental upgrade to the Windows line
• Libraries were added in the file management system
• A few features from the past Windows were removed
• Extended hardware support

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

10. Windows 8
• It was released for retail on October 26, 2012
• Optimisations for touch-based
• Installed in new devices like Laptops, Mobile phones, tablets, etc.
• Increased integration with cloud services
• Windows Store service for software distribution
• Task manager had been redesigned
• New security features were introduced
• Online Applications could be directly downloaded

11. Windows 10
• It was released on July 29, 2015
• Addresses shortcomings in the user interface first introduced with Windows 8
• A virtual desktop system
• It had the ability to run windows store apps within windows on the desktop rather than
in the full-screen mode
• Included new icons
• To reduce storage shortcomings, Windows 10 automatically compresses the file size

12. Windows 11
• It was released on October 05, 2021
• It offers a refreshed look with start button in the centre at the bottom.
• Improved performance, Xbox gaming enhancements
• It will run Android apps
• It’s a free upgrade from Windows-10
• Easier transition from monitor to laptop, and better multitasking

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

DISK OPERATING SYSTEM (DOS)

MS-DOS stands for Microsoft Disk Operating System and is also known as Microsoft DOS. It
was the Microsoft-marketed version of the first operating system to be widely installed on
personal computers (PCs). It was essentially the same OS that Bill Gates's young company
developed for IBM as Personal Computer - Disk Operating System (PC-DOS).

In 1981, IBM licensed and marketed its PC-DOS rebranding of MS-DOS to run on IBM PCs.
MS-DOS was released for x86 computers, went through eight major versions and was
ultimately retired from all active support in 2006. Most users of either DOS system simply
referred to it as Disk Operating System. Like PC-DOS, MS-DOS was and still is a non-
graphical, line-oriented, command-driven OS. It has a relatively simple but not overly friendly
user interface.

MS-DOS commands perform tasks like:

 Manage files and directories
 Maintain Disks
 Configure Hardware and Networking
 Optimize the use of memory
 Customize MS-DOS

DOS COMMANDS

DOS Commands are instructions to perform tasks on files and directories very useful to
Windows users. DOS commands are case insensitive. And as you already know, file is the area
where we store group of information or data, and collection of group of files is called a
directory.

In MS-DOS the file name follow 8dot3 format and is divided into two parts – primary name
and secondary name. Primary name is up to 8 characters long and secondary name is up to 4
characters with dot. For example, in the file-name Logo.jpg, Logo is the primary name and .jpg
is the secondary name. Secondary names are fixed for particular type of file, meaning for
system files the secondary name is designated as .sys, for text files it is .txt and so on.

To name a file or directory special characters like < > , . / * ? | & Space are not allowed.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Here is the list of some of the important types of files with their default secondary names:

Text file .txt

Command file .com

System file .sys

Programme file .prg

Database file .dbm

Library file .lib

Batch file .bat

Executable file .exe

DOS Commands are divided into 2 types:

1. Internal Commands : These commands are used for performing basic operations on
files and directories and they do not need any external file support and are defined inside
an important system file called COMMAND.COM.

2. External Commands : These commands are used for performing advanced tasks and
they do need some external file support as they are not stored in COMMAND.COM.

There are also Batch commands or Batch files which are text files that contain a list of internal
and/or external commands which are executed in sequence when the batch file is executed.
AUTOEXEC.BAT gets executed automatically on booting.

In MS-DOS, keyboard shortcuts involving handy ones like Functional keys, arrows, pipe
character (” | “), asterisk (*), ?, [] and ESC are of great help for recalling to searching to clearing
command line etc.

Here are few of them:

• UP (↑) and DOWN (↓) arrows recall previously entered commands.
• ESC clears the present command line. It abandons the currently construct command
and the next prompt appears.
• F1 or → retypes one character at a time from the last command entry from the current
cursor position.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

• F2 retypes all characters from the last command entry up to the one identical to your
next keystroke. It asks you to enter char to copy up to and retypes the last command up
to that char.
• F3 retypes all remaining characters from the last command entry.
• F4 stores all characters beginning at the first match with your next keystroke and ending
with the last command entry.
• F5 or F8 keys give all the previously typed commands.
• F6 places a special end-of-file code at the end of the currently open file. Sometimes
referred to as Ctrl+z or ^z.
• F7 key displays command history and ALT+F7/ESC hides it.
• F9 is used to select a command by number. Just enter the command number and it
fetches the command line for you.
• Pipe character (” | “) combines several series of commands or programs inter-
dependent.
• Name enclosed within [] indicate a sub-directory.
• Asterisk (*) is used to represent zero or more any characters.
• ? is used to present zero or single character.

INTERNAL DOS COMMANDS

1. DATE
This command is used to display the system current date setting and prompt you to
enter a new date. The syntax is: DATE [/T | date]

If you type DATE without parameters then it displays current date and prompts to enter
new date. We should give new date in mm-dd-yy format. If you want to keep the same
date just Press ENTER. DATE command with /T switch tells the command to just
output the current system date, without prompting for a new date.

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Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

2. TIME
This command is used to displays or set the system time.
The syntax is: TIME [/T | time]

Same as DATE command, typing TIME with no parameters displays the current time
and a prompt for a new one. Press ENTER to keep the same time. TIME command used
with /T switch tells the command to just output the current system time, without
prompting for a new time.

3. COPY CON
It is used to create a file in the existing directory. Here CON is a DOS reserved word
which stands for console.

Syntax is: COPY CON <filename> after that press Enter and start typing your text and
after you’re done typing your text, to save and exit hit F6 key.

4. TYPE
This command is used to display the contents of a text file or files.
The syntax is: TYPE [drive:][path]<filename>
Now, lets try to display the contents of the file named filename we’ve created earlier
using COPY CON command.

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ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

5. CLS
It is used to clear the screen. Syntax is CLS

6. REN
This command is used to change/modify the name of a file or files.
Syntax is: REN [drive:] [path] filename1 filename2.
Here, filename1 is source file for which you wanted to change the name, and filename2
will obviously becomes your new file name. Also note that you cannot specify a new
drive or path for your destination file.

7. DIR
This command displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory. Syntax
is: DIR [drive:] [path] [filename]
[/A[[:]attributes]] [/B] [/C] [/D] [/L] [/N] [/O[[:]sortorder]] [/P] [/Q]
[/S] [/T[[:]timefield]] [/W] [/X] [/4]
Here,
[drive:][path][filename] Specifies drive, directory, and/or files to list.

Displays files with specified attributes. The possible

attributes are as follow: D → Directories, R → Read-only
/A:attributes
files, H → Hidden files, A → Files ready for archiving, S
→ System files, – Prefix meaning not

display in bare format with no heading information or

/B
summary

Using this attribute with dir by default displays the thousand

/C separator in file sizes. To disable display or separator use /-
C

/D Displays file list sorted by column.

/L Uses lowercase in listing file names and sub-directories.

Display in new long list format where filenames are on the

/N
far right.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

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Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Displays list by files in sorted order. The sortorder attributes

are as follow: N → By name (alphabetic), S → By size
/O:sortorder (smallest first), E → By extension (alphabetic), D → By
date/time (oldest first), G → Group directories first, – Prefix
to reverse order

Display page wise pausing after each screenful of

/P
information and prompts to press any key to continue.

/Q Displays the owner of a file or files.

Displays files in specified directory and all subdirectories.

Bear caution in using this in your root directory as you may
/S
end up in overflowing information. To stop the screen
overflow at any point hit Pause-Break key.

This sorts and displays the list based on time field specified.
T:timefield
C for Creation, A for Last Access, W for Last Written

/W Displays list width wise or wide list format.

This is used to display the short names generated for non-

/X
8dot3 file names.
Note that switches may be different in the DIRCMD environment variable, in which case just
override present switches by prefixing any switch with – (hyphen), for example instead of using
/P use /-P

8. PATH
This command displays the path that how we have come to the present position or sets
a search path for executable files.
Its Syntax is PATH [[drive:]path[;…][;%PATH%]]
Typing PATH without any parameters displays the current path under current directory.
Typing PATH ; clears all search-path settings and direct cmd.exe to search only in the
current directory. And including %PATH% in the new path setting causes the old path
to be appended to the new setting.

9. VER
This command displays the version of the Microsoft Windows running on your
computer.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

10. VOL
It displays the disk volume label and serial number, if they exist for the drive specified.
If no drive is specified it displays for the active drive.
Syntax is VOL [drive:]

11. DEL/ERASE
Used to delete one or more files.
Syntax is DEL [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A [[:] attributes]] <names>

Here,
Specifies a list of one or more files or directories.
Wildcards * and ? may be used to delete multiple files. *
indicates group of unknown characters whereas using
names
wildcard ? in file-names is for single unknown character.
And using this command if a directory is specified, all
files within the directory will be deleted.

Prompts for (Y)es/(N)o confirmation before deleting each

/P
file.

/F Used to force delete read-only files.

Delete specified files from all subdirectories. If Command

Extensions are enabled DEL and ERASE change while
/S
using /S switch such that it shows you only the files that
are deleted, not the ones it could not find.

Delete in quite mode and do not ask if ok to delete on

/Q
global wildcard

Delete files based on specified attribute. The attributes

/A:attributes
are: R for Read-only files, S for System files, H for

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Hidden files, A for files ready for archiving and – Prefix

meaning not.

12. COPY
This command is useful in copying one or more files to another file or location. Syntax
is COPY [/D] [/V] [/N] [/Y | /-Y] [/Z] [/A | /B ] source [/A | /B] [+ source
[/A | /B] [+ …]] [destination [/A | /B]]

The different switches that can be used with this command as follow along with their
use.
source It specifies the file or files to be copied.

/A Indicates an ASCII text file.

/B This switch indicates a binary file.

This allows the destination file to be created with

/D decryption.

This specifies the directory and/or filename for the new file
destination or files.

/V Helps to verify new files to be written correctly.

Specifying this switch uses short filename, if available,

/N when copying a file with a non-8dot3 file name.

If destination file already exists, this switch suppresses

prompting to confirm you want to overwrite it and does it
/Y asap.

Contrary to above switch, this causes prompting to confirm

/-Y you want to overwrite an existing destination file.

/Z Copies networked files in restartable mode.

For appending multiple files for source use wildcard or file1+file2+file3 format and make sure
to specify a single file for destination.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

13. MD, CD and RD

 MD (or MKDIR) command stand for make directory and it is used to create a
directory. Syntax is MD [drive:]path

 CD (or CHDIR) stands for create or change directory and it allows to display
the name of or change the current directory or rather we can say come out of a
directory. Syntax is CD [/D] [drive:][path]

 Typing CD drive: displays the current directory in the specified drive. This CD
(or CHDIR) command does not treat spaces as delimiters due to which it allows
to CD into a subdirectory name that contains a space without surrounding the
name with quotes.

→ If you type CD without any parameters it displays current drive and

directory. CD.. specifies that you want to change to the higher directory in the
current path. Whereas, using CD you can directly change to parent/root directory
from any location in the current drive.
→Using /D switch changes current drive in addition to current directory for a drive.

 RD (or RMDIR) command removes or deletes a directory. There are two

conditions to remove any directory – (1) Directory to be removed should be
empty. and (2) We should be outside the directory we are commanding to delete.
Syntax is RD [/S] [/Q] [drive:]path
 Here, using the switch /S removes a directory tree meaning it removes all
directories and files in the specified directory in addition to the directory itself.
And using /Q is the quiet mode that doesn’t asks for ok approval to remove a
directory tree.

14. PROMPT
This changes the cmd.exe command prompt. By default the prompt is always set to the
name of current drive followed by > sign.
Customize the Prompt
To customize the prompt to display any text of your choice, use the syntax
prompt anytext and this will change the prompt to new command prompt anytext.
Prompt with Options (or Special Codes)

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Department of Computer Applications
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 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

You can use prompt with options. To let the prompt display the current working
directory use prompt $p$g
$p in the above signifies the current drive and path.
$g signifies the greater than sign >

The other options used with prompt command are as follows.

Any combination of these can be used with prompt command.
$A & (Ampersand)
$B | (pipe character)
$C ( (Left parenthesis)
$D Current date
$E Escape code (ASCII code 27)
$F ) (Right parenthesis)
$H Backspace (erases previous character)
$L < (less-than sign) $N Current drive $Q = (equal sign) $T Current time $V Windows
XP version number $_ Carriage return and linefeed $$ $ (dollar sign)

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

EXTERNAL DOS COMMANDS

1. EDIT
This command is used to modify or change the data of a file.
Syntax is EDIT [/B] [/H] [/R] [/S] [filename(s)]
Using switch /B you can force the edit in monochrome mode. /H displays the maximum
number of lines possible for your system hardware. Whereas using /R and /S one can
load files in read-only mode and force the use of short filenames respectively.
[filename(s)] is used to specify file(s) to go edit. You can use wildcards (* and ?) to
specify multiple files.

2. XCOPY
This command is used to copy files and directory trees from one disk to another disk.
Syntax is XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S
[/E]] [/V] [/W] [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U] [/K] [/
N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]…]

3. LABEL
It is used to create, change, or delete the volume label of a disk.
Syntax is: LABEL [drive:] [label]

Eg. LABEL [/MP] [volume] [label]

Here, [drive:] is for secifying the drive letter of a drive to be labelled and [label]
specifies the label of the volume disk. [/MP] is used to specify that the volume should
be created as a mount point and [volume] is used to specify volume name, usually
mentioned after drive letter followed by colon and then giving volume name required.

4. DISKCOPY
This command copies the contents of one floppy from the source drive to a formatted
or un-formatted floppy disk in the destination drive. This command copies the data from
particular position on the source disk to exactly the same position on the destination
disk. Syntax Diskcopy A: B:

copies contents of A: to B: drive. This command can be used with /V switch which
verifies that the disk is copied correctly.

5. CHKDSK
This command is used to check a disk and display a status report with properties of disk
like serial number, volume label, memory and other properties along with errors on the
disk if any.

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BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Syntax is CHKDSK [volume path] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/I] [/C] [/L[:size]]

[volume path] is where you specify the drive letter followed by a colon and volume
name to be checked. using /F switch allows you to fix errors on the disk. /V display full
path and/or cleanup message if any. /R is used in tandem with /F and used to locate bad
sectors and recover readable information. If you wanted to perform a less vigorous
check of index entries on the disk then the right option is to use /I or /C rather then /R
as they skip checking of cycles on the volume and helps in reducing the amount of time
required to run chkdsk. Using /X forces the volume to dismount first before checking
is performed. /L:size is all about specifying the log file size in kilobytes.

6. TREE
This command is very useful to view the list of directories and subdirectories present
on the disk in graphical form. If you wanted to include files also with directories and
subdirectories, then you’ll have to give the command line as tree/f which presents the
tree view of all the content on your disk. Here is the syntax for this command with
allowed switches: TREE [drive:path] [/F] [/A]

In case you wanted use ASCII instead of extended characters, then go ahead include /A
in the command line.

7. DELTREE
This command is used to remove a directory along with its contents.
Syntax is deltree [drive:path]
here, [drive:path] specifies the directory name to be deleted. All the subdirectories and
files in this directory will be deleted without prompt and there’s not getting back. So,
keep caution while using this command.

8. DOSKEY
This command is generally used to edits command lines and recalls commands.
Syntax is DOSKEY [/REINSTALL] [/HISTORY] [text]
Here, /REINSTALL installs new copy of doskey, /HISTORY is used to display all
previously given commands stored in memory. And [text] specifies the commands you
want to record.

9. FIND
This command searches for a specific text string in a file or files. Syntax
is FIND [/V] [/C] [/N] [/I] [/OFF] “string” [[drive:][path]filename[ …]]
The basic essential elements in the command line for find are – the string enclosed in ”
” and [[drive:][path]filename(s)]. String specifies the text string to find in the file and
[[drive:][path]filename(s)] specifies the file or files where the text string search is to be

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The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

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done. If a path is not specified, FIND searches the text typed at the prompt or piped
from another command. When you append /OFF in the command line, it searches and
finds even those files with offline attribute set. Apart from searching the text string, this
command is useful in:
 Displaying all lines not containing the specified string @ /V
 Displaying only the number count of lines containing the text string @
/C
 Displaying line numbers with the displayed lines @ /N

10. SORT
This command is used to arrange the data of a file in alphabetical order (A-Z, 0-9) or
reverse alphabetical order.
Syntax is SORT [/R] [[drive1:][path1]filename1] [/T [drive2:][path2]] [/O
[drive3:][path3]filename3]
/R in command line reverses the sort order; that is, the data of the specified file sorts
sorts Z to A, then 9 to 0. [drive1:][path1]filename1 specifies the file to be sorted.
/T [drive2:][path2] is used in cases of data overflow in main memory and it specifies
the path of the directory to hold the sort’s working storage. And
/O [drive3:][path3]filename3 specifies the file where the sorted input is to be stored.

11. FORMAT
This command creates a new root directory and a File Allocation Table (FAT) for the
disk. In order for MS-DOS to be able to use a new disk you must use this command to
format the disk.

FORMAT with /S switch

When the disk is formatted with /s option, the disk can be used as a booting
disk. C:>DOS>Format A: /s

The above command copies the OS files MSDOS.SYS, IO.SYS and

COMMAND.COM which are required for booting the machine from your
system startup drive to the newly formatted disk. The disk can then be used for
booting.

FORMAT with /U switch

Here’s the command C:DOS>Format A: /U
This command specifies an Unconditional Format which destroys all existing
data and prevents you from later unformatting the disk.

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FORMAT with /Q switch

This can be used only with the previously formatted disk. This deletes FAT,
Root directory and data of disk but doesn’t scan for the bad errors. This is
generally used for Quick formatting.

Warning As Format command deletes all existing data, use this command with
extreme caution. Any disk formatted (except with /U switch) may be later
unformatted using the UNFORMAT command.

12. BACKUP
The Backup command backs up one or more files from one disk to another. You can
backup files onto either a hard disk or on a floppy disk. Syntax is
BACKUP Source Destination
Here source specifies the location of files to be backed up and destination drive specifies
the drive on which you want to store the backup files. The backed-up files are stored in
backup.nnn and control.nnn files where nnn represents the backup disk number.
Backup with Switches
 The /S switch can be used to backup the contents of all files in the source
including the contents of sub-directories.
 The /N switch can be used to backup only those files that have changed
since the last backup.
 Backup command with /D:mm-dd-yyyy switch will backup files that
have changed since the data specified.

13. RESTORE
The RESTORE command restores files that were backed up by using BACKUP
command. Syntax: RESTORE drive1 drive2:path
Here drive1 specifies the drive on which backup files are stored.
drive2:path specifies the path to which those backup files will be restored.
► Using backup command with /S switch is used to restore all backup files to their
original directories and sub-directories.

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Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

COMPUTER VIRUS

The full form of "virus" in a computer is "Vital Information Resources Under Siege". It refers
to a type of malicious software or malware that can damage a computer's data, files, and
software.

A computer virus is a kind of malicious computer program, which when executed, replicates
itself and inserts its own code. When the replication is done, this code infects the other files
and program present on your system. These computer viruses are present in various types and
each of them can infect a device in a different manner.

A computer virus is a type of malicious software program (“malware“) that, when executed,
replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its code. When this
replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be “infected“. Viruses can spread to
other computers and files when the software or documents they are attached to are transferred
from one computer to another using a network, a disk, file-sharing methods, or through infected
email attachments.

A computer virus is a program which can harm our device and files and infect them for no
further use. When a virus program is executed, it replicates itself by modifying other computer
programs and instead enters its own coding. This code infects a file or program and if it spreads
massively, it may ultimately result in crashing of the device. Across the world, Computer
viruses are a great issue of concern as they can cause billions of dollars’ worth harm to the
economy each year.

What Does a Computer Virus Do?

A virus can harm or destroy data, slow down system resources, and log keystrokes,
among other things. A virus can have unexpected or harmful outcomes during this
procedure, such as destroying system software by corrupting data. Some viruses are
made to mess things up by deleting files, messing up programs, or even wiping out your
hard drive completely. Even if they’re not super harmful, viruses can still slow down
your computer a lot, using up memory and making it crash often. Others might just
make copies of themselves or send so much stuff over the internet that it’s hard to do
anything online.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

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SIGNS OF COMPUTER VIRUS

Since the computer virus only hits the programming of the device, it is not visible. But there
are certain indications which can help you analyse that a device is virus-hit. Given below are
such signs which may help you identify computer viruses:

• Speed of the System – In case a virus is completely executed into your device, the time
taken to open applications may become longer and the entire system processing may
start working slowly

• Pop-up Windows – One may start getting too many popup windows on their screen
which may be virus affected and harm the device even more

• Self-Execution of Programs – Files or applications may start opening in the

background of the system by themselves and you may not even know about them

• Log out from Accounts – In case of a virus attack, the probability of accounts getting
hacked increase and password protected sites may also get hacked and you might get
logged out from all of them

• Crashing of the Device – In most cases, if the virus spreads in maximum files and
programs, there are chances that the entire device may crash and stop working

How do computer viruses spread?

Through the following activities you may get your device infected by the virus :
1. Sharing the data like music, files, and images with each other.
2. If you open a spam email or an attachment in an email that is sent by an unknown
person.
3. Downloading the free games, toolbars, media players, etc.
4. Visiting a malicious website.
5. Installing pirated software(s) etc.

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The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

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Parts of a Virus
There are various parts of a virus for it to function normally. It is a program which replicates
itself. The parts of the viruses are:-
• Infection mechanism:- this the way in which the viruses are spread it propagates. To
be simple, a virus follows a search routine in which the virus finds new files of new
disks to get them infected and harm the data stored in it in the process
• Trigger:- It is the part of the program which is the compiled version of it and can be
used anytime inside of a file which can be executed. During the time of the program
running in the computer determines the payload to be started. This Trigger may be a
particular data or a particular action performed by the user such as double Click to
upload a particular file
• Payload:-payload is the real body of the program which is to be executed for the
Malicious purpose Of the virus to be fulfilled. It is an activity which can cause harm to
the computer and at times it can be not harmful too But can lead to the spread of the
activity

Phases of Virus
4 stages of virus which are as follows:-
• Dormant phase- This is the time when the computer program is usually idle. This is
when the virus is hidden on your system, lying in wait. It signifies that time when the
virus has usually found out its target place in the computer but stays silent and does not
take action during this time .It waits for the virus to activate by the trigger

• Propagating phase- It is that part In time when the virus Starts its normal working
starting to replicate and multiply itself in various parts in the computer storage probably
every program which gets infected. The virus will have a clone which will be in the
propagating phase on its own. This is the viral stage, when the virus begins to self-
replicate, stashing copies of itself in files, programs, or other parts of your disk. The
clones may be slightly altered in an attempt to avoid detection, and these copies will
also self-replicate, creating more clones that continue to copy and spread

• Triggering phase- In the earlier stages we saw that the viruses were staying silent and
waiting for this moment. The trigger face gets activated when the several copies of the
virus at different files are off then facing the trigger of the viruses being activated starts
the execution of the program. A specific action is generally required to trigger or
activate the virus. This could be a user action, like clicking an icon or opening an app.
Other viruses are programmed to come to life after a certain amount of time, such as
a logic bomb designed to trigger after your computer has rebooted a certain number of
times (this is done to obfuscate the origin of the virus).

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

• Execution phase- These start the execution of the program in this phase the payload is
released and it can cause destructive activities such as detecting files on it’s own
corrupting files or even popping humorous messages on screen. Now the virus’s
program is executed and releases its payload, the malicious code that harms your
device

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Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

TYPES OF COMPUTER VIRUSES

Discussed below are the different types of computer viruses:

• Boot Sector Virus – It is a type of virus that infects the boot sector of floppy disks or
the Master Boot Record (MBR) of hard disks. The Boot sector comprises all the files
which are required to start the Operating system of the computer. The virus either
overwrites the existing program or copies itself to another part of the disk.
• Direct Action Virus – When a virus attaches itself directly to a .exe or .com file and
enters the device while its execution is called a Direct Action Virus. If it gets installed
in the memory, it keeps itself hidden. It is also known as Non-Resident Virus.
• Resident Virus – A virus which saves itself in the memory of the computer and then
infects other files and programs when its originating program is no longer working.
This virus can easily infect other files because it is hidden in the memory and is hard to
be removed from the system.
• Multipartite Virus – A virus which can attack both, the boot sector and the executable
files of an already infected computer is called a multipartite virus. If a multipartite virus
attacks your system, you are at risk of cyber threat.
• Overwrite Virus – One of the most harmful viruses, the overwrite virus can completely
remove the existing program and replace it with the malicious code by overwriting it.
Gradually it can completely replace the host’s programming code with the harmful
code.
• Polymorphic Virus – Spread through spam and infected websites, the polymorphic
virus are file infectors which are complex and are tough to detect. They create a
modified or morphed version of the existing program and infect the system and retain
the original code.
• File Infector Virus – As the name suggests, it first infects a single file and then later
spreads itself to other executable files and programs. The main source of this virus are
games and word processors.
• Spacefiller Virus – It is a rare type of virus which fills in the empty spaces of a file
with viruses. It is known as cavity virus. It will neither affect the size of the file nor can
be detected easily.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

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• Macro Virus – A virus written in the same macro language as used in the software
program and infects the computer if a word processor file is opened. Mainly the source
of such viruses is via emails.

MALWARE
The term "malware" refers to harmful software that disrupts or manipulates an electronic
device's normal operation. Malware can infect personal computers, smartphones, tablets,
servers and even equipment basically any device with computing capabilities. The first form
of malware ever developed was the computer virus. As technology, computing and software
have advanced during the last two decades, so has the sophistication and prevalence of
malicious software.

Types of malware include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware and spyware.
These malicious programs steal, encrypt and delete sensitive data; alter or hijack core
computing functions; and monitor end users' computer activity.

Malware can infect networks and devices and is designed to harm those devices, networks and
their users in some way. Depending on the type of malware and its goal, this harm might present
itself differently to the user or endpoint. In some cases, the effect of malware is relatively mild
and benign, and in others, it can be disastrous.

Malware can typically perform the following harmful actions:

• Data exfiltration. Data exfiltration is a common objective of malware. During data
exfiltration, once a system is infected with malware, threat actors can steal sensitive
information stored on the system, such as emails, passwords, intellectual property,
financial information and login credentials. Data exfiltration can result in monetary or
reputational damage to individuals and organizations.

• Service disruption. Malware can disrupt services in several ways. For example, it can
lock up computers and make them unusable or hold them hostage for financial gain by
performing a ransomware attack. Malware can also target critical infrastructure, such
as power grids, healthcare facilities or transportation systems to cause service
disruptions.

• Data espionage. A type of malware known as spyware performs data espionage by

spying on users. Typically, hackers use keyloggers to record keystrokes, access web
cameras and microphones and capture screenshots.

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Department of Computer Applications
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 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

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• Identity theft. Malware can be used to steal personal data which can be used to
impersonate victims, commit fraud or gain access to additional resources. According to
the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2024, there was a 71% rise in cyberattacks
using stolen identities in 2023 compared to the previous year.

• Stealing resources. Malware can use stolen system resources to send spam emails,
operate botnets and run cryptomining software, also known as cryptojacking.

• System damage. Certain types of malware, such as computer worms, can damage
devices by corrupting the system files, deleting data or changing system settings. This
damage can lead to an unstable or unusable system.

No matter the method, all types of malware are designed to exploit devices at the user's expense
and to benefit the hacker -- the person who has designed or deployed the malware.

How do malware infections happen?

Malware authors use a variety of physical and virtual means to spread malware that infects
devices and networks, including the following:

• Removable drives. Malicious programs can be delivered to a system with a USB drive
or external hard drive. For example, malware can be automatically installed when an
infected removable drive connects to a PC.

• Infected websites. Malware can find its way into a device through popular
collaboration tools and drive-by downloads, which automatically download programs
from malicious websites to systems without the user's approval or knowledge.

• Phishing attacks. Phishing attacks use phishing emails disguised as legitimate

messages containing malicious links or attachments to deliver the malware executable
file to unsuspecting users. Sophisticated malware attacks often use a command-and-
control server that lets threat actors communicate with the infected systems, exfiltrate
sensitive data and even remotely control the compromised device or server.

• Obfuscation techniques. Emerging strains of malware include new evasion

and obfuscation techniques designed to fool users, security administrators and
antimalware products. Some of these evasion techniques rely on simple tactics, such as
using web proxies to hide malicious traffic or source Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
More sophisticated cyberthreats include polymorphic malware that can repeatedly
change its underlying code to avoid detection from signature-based detection tools;
anti-sandbox techniques that enable malware to detect when it's being analyzed and to

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ASHISH JAIN
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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

delay execution until after it leaves the sandbox; and fileless malware that resides only
in the system's RAM to avoid being discovered.

• Software from third-party websites. There are instances where malware can be
downloaded and installed on a system concurrently with other programs or apps.
Typically, software from third-party websites or files shared over peer-to-peer networks
falls under this category. For example, a computer running a Microsoft operating
system (OS) might end up unknowingly installing software that Microsoft would deem
as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). However, by checking a box during the
installation, users can avoid installing unwanted software.

TYPES OF MALWARES

Different types of malware have the following unique traits and characteristics:
• Virus.
A virus is the most common type of malware that can execute itself and spread by
infecting other programs or files. A computer virus is designed to reproduce itself and
spread from one file or program to another, and, less frequently, to other computers on
a network.

A virus is a computer program that connects to another computer software or program

to harm the system. When the legitimate program runs, the virus may execute any
function, like deleting a file. The main task of a virus is that when an infected software
or program is run, it would first run the virus and then the legitimate program code will
run. It may also affect the other programs on the computer system.

After damaging all files on the current user's computer, the virus spreads and sends its
code via the network to the users whose e-mail addresses are stored on the current user's
computer system. Specific events may also trigger a virus. Several types of viruses
include parasitic, polymorphic, stealth, boot sector, memory resident, and metamorphic
viruses. Infection with a virus can be avoided by blocking the entry of a virus.

• Worm.
A worm can self-replicate without a host program and typically spreads without any
interaction from the malware authors. Computer worms replicate themselves to spread
through a network. A computer worm will spread across computer networks, as
opposed to viruses that usually spread from file to file on a single computer.

A worm is a form of a malicious program (virus) that replicates itself as it moves from
one system to another and leaves copies of itself in the memory of each system. A worm

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

discovers vulnerability in a computer and spreads like an infection throughout its

related network, continuously looking for more holes. E-mail attachments spread the
worms from reliable senders. Worms are spread to a user's contacts through an address
book and e-mail account. Some worms reproduce before going dormant, while others
cause harm. In such circumstances, the code of the worm's virus is known as
the payload.

• Trojan horse.
A Trojan horse is designed to appear as a legitimate software program to gain access to
a system. Once activated following installation, Trojans can execute their malicious
functions. Trojan horses masquerade as harmless programs, but when activated, they
damage their host computer. Unlike a virus, a Trojan horse does not replicate itself;
instead, this malware usually attempts to steal files or passwords

The Trojan horse gets its name from the well-known story of the Trojan War. It is a
malicious piece of code with the ability to take control of the system. It is intended to
steal, damage, or do some other harmful actions on the computer system. It attempts to
deceive the user into loading and running the files on the device. Once it executes, it
permits cybercriminals to execute various tasks on the user's system, like modifying
data from files, deleting data from files, etc. The trojan horse cannot replicate itself,
unlike many viruses or worms.

A Trojan virus spreads by spamming a huge number of users' inboxes with genuine-
looking e-mails and attachments. If cybercriminals induce users to download malicious
software, it may affect the users' devices. Malicious malware could be hidden in pop-
up ads, banner adverts, or website links.

Some well-known Trojan horses' instances are Beast, Back Orifice, Zeus, and The
Blackhole Exploit Kit.

• Spyware. Spyware collects information and data on the device and user, as well as
observes the user's activity without their knowledge. Spyware infects and operates on
a user’s computer to monitor user activity and extract information. For instance, while
spyware runs on a machine, the hacker can monitor the programs used and sites visited
while tracking keystrokes to determine login and password information.

• Ransomware. Ransomware infects a user's system and encrypts its data.

Cybercriminals then demand a ransom payment from the victim in exchange for
decrypting the system's data. Ransomware is a form of malware that locks a user's
computer and then demands a ransom payment to restore access. Ransomware can be

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ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

delivered to a computer if a user clicks on a link that contains malware.4 It often

resembles a phishing attack, which is an attempt to gather personal information like
passwords, banking details, credit card numbers or even Social Security numbers.
Phishing involves a scammer sending emails that can appear harmless and typically ask
the recipient to click a link or download a file.

• Rootkit. A rootkit obtains administrator-level access to the victim's system. Once

installed, the program gives threat actors root or privileged access to the system.

• Backdoor virus. A backdoor virus or remote access Trojan (RAT) secretly creates a
backdoor into an infected computer system that lets threat actors remotely access it
without alerting the user or the system's security programs.

• Adware. Adware tracks a user's browser and download history with the intent to
display pop-up or banner advertisements that lure the user into making a purchase. For
example, an advertiser might use cookies to track the webpages a user visits to better
target advertising.

• Keyloggers. Keyloggers, also called system monitors, track nearly everything a user
does on their computer. This includes writing emails, opening webpages, accessing
computer programs and typing keystrokes.

• Logic bombs. This type of malicious malware is designed to cause harm and typically
gets inserted into a system once specific conditions are met. Logic bombs stay dormant
and are triggered when a certain event or condition is met, such as when a user takes a
specific action on a certain date or time. Logic bombs are concealed in programs and
can either be triggered by a user’s action or released at a predetermined time. They can
crash a system or wipe a hard drive

• Exploits. Computer exploits take advantage of existing vulnerabilities, flaws or

weaknesses in a system's hardware or software. Instead of depending on social
engineering tactics to execute, they exploit technical vulnerabilities to gain
unauthorized access and perform other malicious activities such as executing arbitrary
code inside a system.

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Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Features Virus Worm Trojan horse

Definition Viruses are A worm is a malware program A Trojan Horse is a

computer similar to a virus that doesn't type of malware that
programs that interact with other system steals sensitive data
connect to other applications but instead from a user's system
software or multiplies and executes itself and delivers it to a
programs to to slow down and harm the different location on
harm the system. system's performance. the network.

Replication It replicates It also replicates itself. It doesn't replicate

itself. itself.

Execution It relies on the It replicates itself without It is downloaded as

Method transfer. human action and utilizes a software and executed.
Executed via network to embed itself in Executed through
infected other systems. Executed via deceptive software.
executable files. system vulnerabilities

Remotely A virus could It may be remotely controlled. It may also be

Controlled not be remotely remotely controlled.
controlled.

Infection Viruses spread Worms take advantage of The Trojan horse runs
Method through system flaws. as a program and is
executable files. interpreted as utility
software.

Rate of Viruses spread Worms spread at a quicker rate In addition, the spread
Spreading at a moderate than viruses and Trojan horses. rate of Trojan horses is
rate. slower than that of
viruses and worms.

Purpose It is primarily These are utilized to excessive It may be utilized to

utilized to using system resources and steal user data to
modify or erase slow it down. obtain access to the
system data. user's computer
system.

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Department of Computer Applications
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 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

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System System Impact System Impact System Impact

Impact

Detection Often detectable Often detectable by antivirus Often detectable by

by antivirus software. antivirus software.
software.

Damage Can cause loss Can overload system resources Can steal personal and
of data and and network bandwidth. financial information.
corruption of
programs.

How to detect malware

Users might be able to detect malware if they observe unusual activity. Common malware
symptoms include the following:
• A sudden loss of disk space.
• Unusually slow computer or device speeds.
• A blue screen of death.
• Repeated system crashes or freezes.
• Changed browser settings and redirects.
• Increase in unwanted internet activity.
• Disabled security features in firewalls and antivirus software.
• Changes in file names and sizes.
• Pop-up advertisements.
• Programs opening and closing by themselves.

Antivirus and antimalware software can be installed on a device to detect and remove malware.
These tools can provide real-time protection through constant scanning or detect and remove
malware by executing routine system scans.

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Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

How to prevent malware infections

There are several ways users can prevent malware, including the following:

1. Use antimalware software: As previously mentioned, installing antimalware software

is crucial when protecting PCs and network devices from malware infections.

2. Exercise caution with email: Users can prevent malware by practicing safe behavior
on their computers or other personal devices. This includes not opening email
attachments from strange addresses that might contain malware disguised as a
legitimate attachment -- such emails might even claim to be from legitimate companies
but have unofficial email domains.

3. Use a firewall: Users should enable or configure a firewall on their network router to
monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic. Firewalls can help block
unauthorized access and protect against the spread of malware.

4. Update antimalware regularly: Users should update their antimalware software

regularly, as hackers continually adapt and develop new techniques to breach security
software. Security software vendors respond by releasing updates that patch those
vulnerabilities. If users neglect to update their software, they might miss a patch that
leaves them vulnerable to a preventable exploit.

5. Avoid pop-ups: Users should always avoid clicking on pop-ups even if they look
legitimate. Clicking on a pop-up advertisement can lead to unintentional downloads of
malware or redirect users to malicious websites where malware could be automatically
downloaded or installed without their consent. Additionally, web browser settings
should be set to block both pop-ups and adware.

6. Use strong passwords: Strong and unique passwords that aren't easily guessable
should be created for all accounts and devices. Additionally, multifactor
authentication should be enabled wherever possible, as it requires multiple levels of
authentication from a user before they can log in or access a system.

7. Avoid dubious websites: Users should be selective when browsing online and avoid
websites that seem risky, such as those that offer screensavers for download.

8. Perform regular backups: Users should do regular offsite or offline backups to ensure
the most recent version of data can't be breached but is available to be recovered after
a malware attack.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

What is an Anti-Virus?
An anti-virus is a software which comprises programs or set of programs which can detect and
remove all the harmful and malicious software from your device. This anti-virus software is
designed in a manner that they can search through the files in a computer and determine the
files which are heavy or mildly infected by a virus.

Antivirus software is a program that searches for, detects, prevents, and removes software
infections that can harm your computer. Antivirus can also detect and remove other dangerous
software such as worms, adware, and other dangers. This software is intended to be used as a
preventative measure against cyber dangers, keeping them from entering your computer and
causing problems. Antivirus is available for free as well. Anti-virus software that is available
for free only provides limited virus protection, whereas premium anti-virus software offers
more effective security.

Given below is a list of few of the major antivirus software which is most commonly used:
• Norton Antivirus
• F-Secure Antivirus
• Kaspersky Antivirus
• AVAST Antivirus
• Comodo Antivirus
• McAfee Antivirus
These are few of the many anti-virus software widely used to remove viruses from a device.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Difference Between Virus and Malware

Aspect Virus Malware

Definition A type of malicious software A broader category of harmful software

Behavior Self-replicating Can include viruses, worms, trojans, etc.

Can spread through various methods,

Spread Often requires user interaction including email, downloads,
and vulnerabilities

Can cause a range of harm, including data

Damage Can corrupt or delete files
theft, system damage, and spying

Can be detected by antivirus Requires comprehensive security measures

Detection
software and practices

Examples Morris Worm, ILOVEYOU WannaCry ransomware, Zeus trojan

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

E-WASTE

E-waste, also known as electronic waste, refers to discarded or broken electronic devices like
computers, smartphones, televisions, and other household appliances. With the rapid
advancements in technology, e-waste is becoming an increasingly significant problem.

Computer equipment, monitors/TV’s, cell phones, batteries, stereos, etc. are popular examples
of items that contain harmful toxic components that need to be recycled properly. Although E-
waste is simply categorized as hazardous waste, it has significant potential for value recovery.
E-waste in fact consists of several valuable materials (such as iron, copper, aluminum, and
plastics) as well as precious metals (such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium). Hence, it
could be said that E-waste is a feasible urban mine. It provides materials for remanufacture,
refurbishment as well as recycling. E-waste is a complex mixture of many materials that
contain up to 1,000 toxic substances. E-waste is classified as a hazardous waste because it is
composed of toxic substances such as antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead,
manganese, mercury, indium, selenium, brominated flame retardants, polyaromatic
hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Distinct from
other categorization, E-waste also has significant potential for value recovery. E-waste can be
composed of several valuable materials (such as aluminum, copper, iron, and plastics) and
precious metals (such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium)

The resource in E-waste is normally recycled by both formal and informal procedures. Manual
E-waste recycling inescapably leads to the release of toxins and persistent organic pollutants
into the environment in addition to harming the health of the recycling person due to the
primitive techniques used. The hazards of E-waste contamination to the surrounding
environment including soil, sediment, water, and air has become a serious issue in many
countries such as in China, India, Thailand, USA. In case of humans, exposure to toxic
substances through inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact can harm the human health in both
chronic and acute conditions

E-waste recycling industries become increasingly aware of such danger, and start to mitigate
impacts from unsafe procedures along with applying appropriate E-waste treatment
technologies. Innovative technologies including pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy,
biometallurgy, high-pressure compaction, thermal treatment, organic dissolution, thermal
plasma coupled with acid leaching, substrate oxidation and bioleaching can be applied to
recover the potential resources in E-waste.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

Electronic Waste’s Impact on the Environment

• E-waste is a major source of environmental pollution. Old electronic products contain
hazardous materials that can leach into the soil and water if not disposed of properly.
This can lead to serious health risks for both people and wildlife.
• Additionally, electronic waste contains valuable raw materials like copper, gold, silver,
and precious metals that could be recycled rather than thrown away.
• When these materials are landfilled, they’re wasted instead of reused or recovered.
• E-waste has a direct impact on climate change as well. When electronics are not
disposed of properly, they may end up in landfills where their hazardous materials can
leach into the soil and water.
• This contributes to water pollution, air pollution, and other forms of environmental
damage that contribute to global warming.
• Soil Pollution: Electronic waste contains hazardous chemicals that can leach into the
soil and water when not disposed of properly.
• Air Pollution: Burning electronics releases toxic pollutants into the air, contributing to
climate change.
• Water Pollution: Leached materials from e-waste have the potential to contaminate
local drinking water sources and create health risks for people or wildlife who come in
contact with it.
• In addition, recycling e-waste helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by preventing the
need for new materials to be produced from scratch.
• By recycling old electronics instead of throwing them away, we’re helping to create a
circular economy where resources are reused repeatedly instead of being lost forever.

The Increasing Importance of E-Waste Recycling

• It helps conserve natural resources.

Electronic devices are often made from valuable materials like gold, silver, and copper,
which are finite resources. By recycling e-waste, we can recover these materials and
reuse them in the production of new devices. This not only helps to conserve our natural
resources but also reduces the need to extract new materials, thereby reducing the
environmental impact.

• It helps prevent pollution.

Electronic devices contain toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, which
can cause harm to the environment and human health if not properly disposed of. When
electronic waste is sent to a landfill, these toxic substances can leach into the soil and
groundwater, contaminating our environment. However, when e-waste is recycled,
these toxic substances are safely removed and disposed of, helping to protect our planet.

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences
 THE BHOPAL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BCA I-sem : Computer Fundamentals and Architecture Reference Notes

• It helps create jobs and stimulate the economy.

The process of recycling e-waste requires specialized skills and equipment, creating
jobs in the recycling industry. This creates employment opportunities and helps
stimulate economic growth by creating new industries and businesses.

• There’s more electronic waste being produced than ever.

With the rapid advancements in technology and the increasing number of electronic
devices being used, the amount of e-waste being generated is growing at an alarming
rate. This means that if we don’t take action to recycle e-waste, the environmental and
health impacts will only become worse over time.

REFERENCES

(1) https://www.javatpoint.com
(2) https://www.tutorialspoint.com
(3) https://www.geeksforgeeks.org

*Edited & Compiled for Students by:

ASHISH JAIN
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
The Bhopal School of Social Sciences

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