Chapter 1: Computing

fundamentals
[Health Track]
Computer Skills

Computer Department
Deanship of Preparatory Year and Supporting Studies
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

2021-2022
Table of Contents
1. Part 1: Computer system components 4
1.1. What is computer? .............................................................................................................. 5
1.2. Classification of computers ................................................................................................ 5
1.3. Computer system components ........................................................................................... 6
1.3.1. Hardware components ................................................................................................................ 6
1.3.1.1. Central Processing Unit (CPU).......................................................................................... 6
1.3.1.2. Computer memories....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.3.1.3. Input devices ........................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.1.4. Output devices ........................................................................................................................ 8
1.3.1.5. Communication devices....................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2. Software component ................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2.1. System software ..................................................................................................................... 9
1.3.2.2. Application software.............................................................................................................. 9

2. Part 2: Networks, Internet, and Clouds 10

2.1. Networks ........................................................................................................................... 11
2.2. The Internet ....................................................................................................................... 11
2.2.1. Internet keywords ..................................................................................................................... 12
2.2.2. Efficient Google search ............................................................................................................. 14
2.2.3. Internet Threats ........................................................................................................................ 15
2.2.4. How to protect yourself ? .......................................................................................................... 15
2.3. The Clouds ........................................................................................................................ 16
2.3.1. Clouds service models ............................................................................................................... 17
2.3.2. Clouds deployment models ....................................................................................................... 18
2.4. Microsoft OneDrive Cloud service and Office Online: an example of SaaS .................... 19
2.4.1. What is Office Online? .............................................................................................................. 19
2.4.2. What is Microsoft OneDrive?.................................................................................................... 19
2.4.2.1. Creating a Microsoft account ................................................................................................ 19
2.4.2.2. Getting to know OneDrive ................................................................................................... 21
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 2.4.2.3. Installing the Microsoft OneDrive app ............................................................................... 22
2.4.3. Create and share Office documents ........................................................................................... 24
2.4.3.1. Opening documents ............................................................................................................ 26
2.4.3.2. Sharing files and folders ..................................................................................................... 29
2.4.4. Upload, sync, and manage files .................................................................................................. 31
2.4.4.1. Uploading and syncing files with OneDrive ....................................................................... 30
2.4.4.2. Uploading files on the Web ................................................................................................... 31
2.4.4.3. Managing files .......................................................................................................................... 32

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1. Part 1
Computer system components

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 1.1. What is computer?
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has the ability to store,
retrieve, and process data.
Any computer carries out five functions:
− Takes data as input.
− Stores the data/instructions in its memory and use them when required.
− Processes the data and converts it into useful information.
− Generates the output.
− Controls all the above four steps.

1.2. Classification of computers

Computers can be classified according to their size, purpose or data handling (see Table 1.1).

Table 1.1: Classification of computers

− General purpose computers are designed to perform a range of tasks. They have the ability to store
to purpose
According

numerous programs, but lack in speed and efficiency.

− Specific purpose computers are designed to handle a specific problem or to perform a specific task.

− Analog computers work on the principle of measuring, in which the measurements obtained are
translated into data.
According to data

− Digital computers are those that operate with information, numerical or otherwise, represented in a
handling

digital form. Such computers process data into a digital value (in 0s and 1s). They give the results with
more accuracy and at a faster rate.
− Hybrid computers incorporate the measuring feature of an analog computer and counting feature of
a digital computer. For computational purposes, these computers use analog components and for
storage, digital memories are used.

− Supercomputer: The fastest and most powerful type of computer. They are very expensive and are
employed for specialized applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations. For
example, weather forecasting, animated graphics, nuclear energy research, and petroleum exploration.
− Mainframe Computer: A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or
even thousands, of users simultaneously.
According to size

− Minicomputer: A midsized computer. In size and power, minicomputers lie between workstations
and mainframes. In general, a minicomputer is a multiprocessing system capable of supporting from
4 to about 200 users simultaneously.
− Microcomputer (or Personal Computer): It is an affordable, stand-alone computer designed for
use by one person at a time such as a tablet, Smart phones, notebook, desktop and laptop
computer.
− Workstation: is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. They are
commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems.

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 1.3. Computer system components
A complete computer system has four components: hardware, software, data, and users. We will
lock the two main components that are related to the computer itself: hardware and software.

1.3.1. Hardware components

Hardware refers to the physical equipment used for the input, processing, output, and storage activities
of a computer system. It consists of the following:
− Central processing unit (CPU)
− Memories (Storage devices)
− Input devices
− Output devises
− Communication devices
1.3.1.1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Like the brain of the computer. The main part in the computer that performs the actual computation
or “number crunching” inside any computer. The CPU is a microprocessor made up of millions of
microscopic transistors embedded in a circuit on a silicon wafer or chip.

The CPU has three components:

1. The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): which performs arithmetic and logical operations.
2. The Control Unit (CU): which extracts instructions from memory, decodes, and executes
them, calling on the ALU when necessary.
3. Registers: storage area with high speed inside the CPU which keep very small amount of data
and instructions for short period.
1.3.1.2. Computer memories
Memory is an essential part of a computer. It stores data and instructions. Computer memories can be
divided into 4 different categories:
- CPU Register
- Cache Memory
- Primary memory
- Secondary memory / Mass Storage

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Figure 1.1 shows the computer memories:

Figure 1.1: Computer memories

1. CPU Register
As mentioned previously in subsection 1.3.1.1., a register is a storage area with high speed inside the
CPU which keep very small amount of data and instructions for short period.
2. Cache Memory
Cache memory is a very high-speed semiconductor memory which can speed up CPU. It acts as a
buffer between the CPU and main memory. It is used to hold those parts of data and program
which are most frequently used by CPU. The parts of data and programs are transferred from disk
to cache memory by operating system, from where CPU can access them.

3. Primary Memory
It is divided into two subcategories RAM and ROM.
− Random Access Memory (RAM) (main memory): is primary-volatile memory.
It is a temporary storage area where the computer uses to run programs and store
data when the computer is on and is erased when the computer is turned off. It is
generally made up of semiconductor device. This memory is not as fast as registers.
The data and instruction required to be processed reside in this memory.
− Read-Only Memory (ROM) is both a non-volatile and permanent form
of primary storage. It is a “built-in” computer memory containing data that
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 normally can only be read, not written to. ROM contains the programming that
allows your computer to be “booted up” or regenerated each time you turn it on.

4. Secondary memory
This type of memory is also known as external memory or non-volatile. It is slower than main
memory. These are used for storing data/Information permanently. CPU directly does not access
these memories instead they are accessed via input-output routines. Contents of secondary
memories are first transferred to main memory, and then CPU can access it. For example: disk,
CD-ROM, DVD, etc.
1.3.1.3. Input devices
An input device is any hardware device that sends data to a computer, allowing you to interact
with and control the computer. The most commonly used input devices on a computer are:
keyboard, mouse, scanner, and microphone. However, there are dozens of other devices that can
also be used to input data into the computer.

1.3.1.4. Output devices

An output device is any peripheral that receives data from a computer, usually for display, projection,
or physical reproduction.
The most commonly used output devices on a computer are: monitor, projector, plotter, speakers,
head set, and printer.

1.3.1.5. Communication devices

A communication device is a hardware device capable of transmitting an analog or digital signal over
the telephone, other communication wire, or wirelessly. The best example of a communication device
is a computer Modem, which is capable of sending and receiving a signal to allow computers to talk to
other computers over the telephone.
Other examples of communication devices include a Network Interface Card (NIC), Wi-Fi devices,
and an access point.

1.3.2. Software component

A software is a collection of programs (instructions) that enable the user to interact with a computer,

its hardware, or perform a specific task. Without software, computers would be useless. For example,

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without your Internet browser, you could not surf the Internet and without an operating system (like
Windows, Linux, Mac OS X...), the browser could not run on your computer.

Software can be purchased at a retail computer store or online and come in a box containing all the
disks (floppy diskette, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray), manuals, warranty, and other documentation. Software
can also be downloaded to a computer over the Internet. Once downloaded, setup files are run to start
the installation process on your computer. Software component can be classified into two categories:
system software and application software.
1.3.2.1. System Software

System software is designed to be used by the computer system itself, not human user. It includes
drivers for hardware devices, linkers, programs to manage computer resources. For instance,
Operating System which computer software that manages all other programs on the computer, such
as Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, etc.
Since system software runs at the most basic level of your computer, it is called “low-level” software.
It generates the user interface and allows the operating system to interact with the hardware.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about what the system software is doing since it just runs in the
background. It's nice to think you are working at a “high-level” anyway.

1.3.2.2. Application Software

Application software is designed to be used by people for specific tasks such as word processing,
accounting, cataloguing, library management, animation and more.
While system software consists of low-level programs that interact with computers at a basic level,
application software resides above system software and includes database programs, word processors,
spreadsheets, etc. Application software may be grouped along with system software or published alone.
Application software may simply be referred to as an application.

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2. Part 2
Networks, Internet, and Clouds

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 2.1. Networks
A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices that are
linked together through communication channels to facilitate communication and resource-sharing
among a wide range of users. Networks are used to:
− Facilitate communication via email, video conferencing, instant messaging, etc.
− Enable multiple users to share a single hardware device like a printer or scanner
− Enable file sharing across the network
− Allow for the sharing of software or operating programs on remote systems
− Make information easier to access and maintain among network users.
LAN (Local Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) are
the three major types of the network designed to operate over the area they cover. There are some
similarities and dissimilarities between them. One of the major differences is the geographical area they
cover, i.e.:
− Network in small geographical area (Room, Building or Campus) is called LAN.
− Network in a City is called MAN.
− Network spread geographically (Country or across Globe) is called WAN.
Figure 1.2 show samples of LAN, MAN, and WAN networks.

Figure 1.2: Samples of LAN, MAN, and WAN

2.2. The Internet

The Internet is a global network that links computer networks all over the world so that users can
share resources and communicate with each other. Connection between computers could be wired
using telephone lines or cables or wireless based on communication satellites. Some organizations
have direct access to all the facilities on the Internet such as the universities, and other computers, e.g.
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privately-owned ones, have indirect links through companies that provide the user with access to the
internet, those companies are called Internet Service Providers (ISP). The ISP will set up a user
account for you which will contain a username and a password.
Examples of ISP: STC, Mobily …

2.2.1. Internet keywords

Internet is growing with tremendous speed. It became one of the important part of life. Life without
internet cannot be imagined. Therefore, it's important to understand some of internet Concepts:
− Communication Protocol: The Communication protocol is a set of rules or standards which
controls the process of exchanging data among different kinds of computers on the internet.
There are a lot of protocols on the Internet, sometimes referred to as the Internet Protocol
Suite control all the processes on the network. The most common protocols used on the
Internet are TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) which define how to
send and receive data and how to select the route of the data packet during their way from
computer to another on the internet. Before sending files, the information is broken down into
smaller pieces, called packets. Other protocols like SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol),
FTP (File Transfer Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol), POP (Post Office Protocol),
and HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) also used.
− HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): A network request / respond protocol used on the
World Wide Web (WWW) to retrieve HTML (HyperText Markup Language) documents.
HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers
and browsers should take in response to various commands.
− Internet Protocol (IP) Address: Each computer or device connected to the internet is given
a unique address known as the INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESS (IP address). This is
assigned by the ISP and is unique for that particular internet session.
The IP address gives the location of a device on the internet. You can think of the IP address
as the address of the house you live in (it will have some unique way of identifying it, such as
a postal code).
− MAC addresses: MAC address (Media Access Control address) also called the physical
address is a unique number that identifies a device connected to the internet.

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− HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML): is a standard markup language used to display
and create Web pages. HTML isn’t a programming language but is simply a mark-up language.
HTML consists of a set of markups and codes which tells the web browsers how to display
the contents of a Web pages.
− Web Browser: Web browsers are software applications that used to locate and display Web
pages. The web browser reads the HTML symbols or tags and use them to determine how to
display the page. There are many web browsers available today such as Explorer, Safari,
Chrome, Opera, and Firefox.
− The World Wide Web: Also known as the Web, it is a global interactive system that lets you
access information on the Internet. People often use the term Web to refer to the Internet, but
they are not exactly the same thing. The Internet is the underlying network of computers and
the WWW is the system which uses the Internet to access the information.
− Website: A location on the World Wide Web (and Internet) that contains information about
a specific topic. A website usually contains multiple pages with different types of information
about the topic.
− Home Page: The first page you see when you open a website, or the opening page of a website.
It usually gives information about the site and provide hyperlinks to other pages on the site.
− Link (or hyperlink): A highlighted or underlined feature on a web page that, when clicked, will
take you to another web page. A link most often appears as underlined words or an image.
One sure way to tell if something is a link or not: Whenever your cursor turns into a pointing
hand, the image or word you are pointing to is a link.
− Web Address or URL: Stands for Uniform Resource Locator.) Web addresses usually start
with the letters www (for World Wide Web) and end with a dot followed by letters that indicate
the type of website or called domain. Domains divided the web sites into categories based on
their natures or provided services.
Common domains are:
 .com = commercial enterprise or business
 .org = non-profit organization
 .edu = educational institution
 .gov = government agency
 .mil = military agency

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  .net = another ending for a commercial website

Figure 1.3: URL anatomy

On the Internet, you get to a website by typing in the Web address (or URL) into the address box of
the browser. For example, to get to the website of the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, you
would type http://www.iau.edu.sa in the address box.

2.2.2. Efficient Google search

− Use quotes: Quotes always used when you want to search for something specific. Putting your
search in a quotes tells the search engine to search for documents that contain that phrase
exactly as you type, while without quotes it will search for the documents which contain that
phrase with any order of its words. For example:
“How to pray correctly”
− Find a specific filetype:
If you prefer to see a particular set of results with a particular file type included (for example
PDF), simply type “filetype:pdf” within the search box along with your search terms. For
example:
Blackboard filetype:pdf
− Exclude Words: Let us say you want to search for content about Quran, but you want to
exclude any results that contain the term AlAfasi. To do this, simply use the minus sign (-) in
front of the word you want to exclude (or NOT).

Quran - AlAfasi

− Searching in a specific site: Sometimes you want to search about something in a certain
website. For example, if you want to search for assessment in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal
University website you can use the following syntax:

Assessment site:iau.edu.sa
This will search for all content about assessment, but only on iau.edu.sa. All other search results All
other search results will be removed.
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 2.2.3. Internet Threats
Before we can learn how to protect ourselves, we need to understand what the threats are on the
Internet.
Malware is intentionally malicious software or code that is designed to damage your computer or
collect information without your knowledge. Viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and spyware are all
considered malware. Sometimes adware and freeware can be malicious. Here are some of the common
internet threats we should be aware of:

− A virus is a self-replicating program that is designed to infect a computer by rapidly spreading

from one file to another, sometimes causing great harm.
− Worms are similar to viruses; except they are usually spread over a network without human
help.
− Spyware is a type of malware that collects information about users without their knowledge,
often to track browsing habits and to create pop-up advertisements. Along with invading your
privacy, it can sometimes interfere with a computer's functions. Spyware is
sometimes bundled with other software. Before downloading software, it's a good idea to read
the reviews to see if it has a good reputation.
− Trojan horse is a type of malware that appears to be benign or desirable and thus tricks the
user into allowing the program access to their computer, usually through a download or email
attachment.
− Spam is unsolicited email or junk mail. Sometimes, it comes from legitimate companies, but it
can also be used for scams, phishing, and malware.
− Mousetrapping keeps visitors from leaving a website by locking them into a window, opening
multiple windows on the desktop, or relaunching their website in a window that can't be closed.

2.2.4. How to protect yourself?

The best defence against Internet threats is good antivirus software. Antivirus software can protect
you from infected email attachments, corrupt websites, Internet worms, and spyware. There are tons
of antivirus products on the market, so figuring out what you need can become confusing and
overwhelming. Therefore, we will outline the things you need to consider giving you a better idea
of what you should be looking for in an antivirus program. The protection you obtain should include
the following three components:
− Antivirus: Specifically protects against viruses.

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 − Anti-spyware: Protects against malicious software that may be gathering your
information without your knowledge.
− Firewall: Screens out threats that try to reach your computer over the Internet.

Some security suites offer several additional protections, but these are the three main components
you will need.
In addition to that, there are some additional tips you can use to keep your computer healthy:
− Restart your computer regularly: Some of us leave our computers on all the time, but
it is a good practice to turn it off and restart it at least once a week. This gives your
computer a chance to perform regular diagnostic checks and fix minor issues before they
become a problem.
− Install software updates: When your operating system informs you of a software
update, download and install it. Software updates are designed to fix security
vulnerabilities and other bugs in your operating system. This will help protect your
computer against some of the latest threats.
− Use system restore: If you have a download that is causing problems, try your operating
system's system restore function. This feature allows you to restore your computer to
how it was before it began having issues.
− Back up your computer: With antivirus protection, your chances of losing your files to
damaging malware are greatly reduced. However, no product offers 100 percent security;
therefore, it's a good idea to back up your files on an external source. Windows 7 come
with internal backup systems, but this will not help you if your computer is lost, damaged,
or stolen. For externally backing up your files, there are two basic options for home users:
external hard drives and online backup services.

2.3. The Cloud

The Cloud, or sometimes called Cloud computing, is a general term used to describe a new class of
network-based services. It means that you can store and access data and programs over the Internet
instead of your computer’s hard drive.
Think of it as:
− A virtual server on the Internet, where we can store data, or as a software we can access and
do computations from any connected computer to the Internet.

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 − A platform where we can create our customized programs, or
− An infrastructure where companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google provide a backbone
that can be “rented out” by other companies.
This Cloud model promotes availability and is composed of three service models, and three
deployment models.

2.3.1. Clouds service models

The providers of Cloud computing offer their “services” according to three models as follow:
1) Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS): In this model, we look at the Cloud as an
applications provider, where the consumer can use the applications provided on the Cloud.
For example, Google Apps is a Cloud where we can access from any device connected to
the Internet.
The benefits of SaaS are:
− You can access your data from any connected device.
− Your data is saved on the Cloud.
− Flexibility on increasing or decreasing your storage capacity.
2) Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS): In the PaaS model, the consumer can deploy his
applications on the Cloud, and he can manage them after that. The service providers offer
tools to the consumer to create and manage his applications. One of the PaaS providers is
Google by offering Google Apps engine.
The consumer does not manage or control the underlying Cloud infrastructure including
network, servers, operating systems, or storage.
The benefits of PaaS are:
− Fast delivery for your applications to the market.
− Easy to deploy new Web applications on the Cloud.
3) Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): In the IaaS model, the service provider
provides companies with computing resources including Cloud based platforms to deploy
their applications, data storage to store their data, and data centers to host their web
applications.
The benefits of IaaS are:
− No need to invest in your own hardware.
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 − Infrastructure scales on demand to support dynamic workloads.
− Flexible, innovative services available on demand
Figure 1.4 shows the Cloud computing service models.

Figure 1.4: Cloud computing service models

2.3.2. Clouds deployment models

There are three common Cloud deployment models: Public Clouds, Private Clouds, and
hybrid Clouds.
1) Private Cloud: A private Cloud is an infrastructure operated solely for an organization. It
may be managed by the organization or a third party and hosted either internally or externally.
Private Clouds offer a consumer support and deliver on demand IT resources. It also provides
a high level of security to meet their consumers need.
2) Public Cloud: A public Cloud is an infrastructure made available to the public and offers
access to Cloud services over public network. Architecture of public and private Clouds
almost the same, however, security may be substantially different for public to private Clouds.
3) Hybrid Cloud: A hybrid Cloud is an infrastructure that uses a private Cloud organization
with integration and use of public Cloud services. Most companies use public Clouds to scale
up or down quickly and easily to meet demand, they keep their important applications and
sensitive data on private cloud while use public Cloud resources for IaaS.

2.4. Microsoft OneDrive Cloud service and Office Online: an example of

SaaS
Microsoft Office Online is a suite of online applications that lets you create Word documents, Excel
spreadsheets, and more. You can store the documents you create—plus any other files you want—

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on Microsoft OneDrive, an online file storage service. Both of these tools are accessible from
anywhere with an Internet connection, and both are free.

2.4.1. What is Office Online?

Office Online is a free basic version of the most popular programs in the Microsoft Office suite. It
lets you create Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and more without having to buy or install
software. There are four Office Online apps:

− Word: For creating text documents.

− Excel: For working with spreadsheets.
− PowerPoint: For creating presentations.
− OneNote: For taking and organizing notes.

You don't need to install anything on your computer to use Office Online. Instead, you work with
it online using a service called Microsoft OneDrive.

2.4.2. What is Microsoft OneDrive?

OneDrive is a free online storage space you can use as your own personal online hard drive. When
you create a document with Office Online, it will be saved to your OneDrive. You can store other files
there as well. This type of online storage is referred to as the cloud. Because Office Online and
OneDrive are based in the cloud, you can access them from any device with an Internet connection at
any time.
Once you’ve used Office Online and OneDrive to store files in the cloud, you can edit and share them
without ever having to download them to your computer. You can also upload files from your
computer, including photos and music. You can even sync your computer and OneDrive so any
changes you make to your files are automatically copied between the Cloud and your computer.

To use Office Online and OneDrive, you'll need a Microsoft account (@hotmail.com, @live.com,
or @outlook.com) or any other account that lets you use a Microsoft service like your university
email.

2.4.2.1. Creating a Microsoft account

To access OneDrive, just sign in with your existing account.

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To create a Microsoft account (https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/)

1. Go to the OneDrive sign-in page. Select Create one.

2. A form will appear prompting you to fill information, including your email address and
password. Fill out the form, then click Create account.
3. Your Microsoft account is now created, and your OneDrive will appear.

You can access to OneDrive from your university email web page.

You will have the following options:

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 2.4.2.2. Getting to know OneDrive

You can access OneDrive at any time by going to www.onedrive.com in your Web browser. From
here, you can access your files, create new documents in Office Online, and much more.

4 5 7

1 3
6 8

10

1. Search bar: searching for files stored on your OneDrive.

2. Quick view: switching between different document views, including the option to show recently
edited files and photos.
3. Messenger
4. Settings: ability to view options, upgrade your storage, and change the language.
5. Help: searching for and viewing questions and topics.

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 6. View options
7. Profile: modification of account settings, editing your profile, and more.
8. Info pane: ability to view specific details, comments, and shared users for specific documents.
9. Folders.
10. Files.

2.4.2.3. Installing the Microsoft OneDrive app

If you prefer working in the desktop, you can download the OneDrive desktop app. This will add a
OneDrive folder to your File Explorer. When you move files into this folder, they will automatically
be uploaded to OneDrive, and you can access them anywhere you go. You'll even be able to access
any files stored on your computer remotely, even if you haven't uploaded the files to OneDrive.

If you have Windows 8.1 or later, you already have the OneDrive app on your computer so you won't
need to download and install it.

In your Windows, from the desktop you can access your files from OneDrive, from File Explorer click
OneDrive link, then you can find your files and folders.

Folders

Files

If you want to make changes in you file that has been saved in OneDrive, first you have to open the
file (a local copy downloaded and synced to your PC) which allows you to make the changes locally in
your PC; then the changes will be automatically synchronized back to the cloud.

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 1) How to choose which folders to sync from OneDrive
Sometimes you don’t want to keep a local copy of your files, if you may use others' PC. So, you can
force Windows 10 to not keep a local copy of OneDrive files or folders by the following steps:
a. Right-click OneDrive
b. Click settings
c. In the “Account” tab, click the Choose folders button
d. Select the individual folders that you want synchronized on the PC.

e. Click OK.

2) How to understand the sync status of OneDrive files

OneDrive uses different status representation of the app (see Table 2.1) for further explanation.

Table 2.1: OneDrive icon status

Indicates that a “OneDrive for business” account is configured. The
Solid blue Cloud icon
sync is up-to-date, and there are no problems.
OneDrive is running but isn't connected to any account, or you're signed
Solid gray Cloud icon
out.

Cloud icon with arrows OneDrive is actively downloading or uploading files and folders to the
forming a circle cloud.

Windows 10 come up with a great service “OneDrive”, because of the amount of storage you can
have, in addition that you can access you file files anywhere by other Microsoft products, also its
provide a way to back up your files.
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Note: OneDrive also offers mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. While the mobile
app will allow you to view and upload files, you will not be able to edit or create new documents.

2.4.3. Create and share Office documents

Whether you're working at home or the office, OneDrive makes it easy to create new documents
and share your files. You can even collaborate with others on a document.

We’ll learn how to create documents and folders. We'll also talk about how to share your files with
different groups of people, as well as the various collaboration tools available in Office Online 1.

Types of Office documents:

Office Online allows you to create several types of documents, including:

− Word documents
− Excel workbooks
− PowerPoint presentations
− OneNote notebooks
To create a new Office document:

In this example, we'll create a Word document.

1. Click the New button, then select the desired document type from the drop-down menu.

2. Your document will be created and opened.

1
https://youtu.be/jwSg7zvso-E

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To create a new folder:
1. Click the New button, then select Folder from the drop-down menu.

2. Enter a name for the new folder, then click Create.

3. Your folder will be created. Click the folder to open it.

4. You can create new documents inside the folder by following the same steps as above. Just
click the New button, then select the type of document you want to create.
After creating the file /folder, you can download it, move to another folder, copy it to another folder,
rename it, ….
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 2.4.3.1. Opening documents

You can open and edit your documents in your Web browser with Office Online. If you have
Microsoft Office installed on your computer, you can also open and edit them with the desktop
Office programs. While editing your documents with Office Online is convenient, it does have fewer
features and editing tools than the desktop Office programs.

To open a document with Office Online:

1. Click the document you want to open. In this example, we'll select a Chapter 1.

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 2. Your document will appear. You can now edit it with Office Online.

To close the document and return to OneDrive, click the OneDrive link at the top of the page.

To open a document with a desktop Office program:

You will need to have a version of Office installed on your computer to use this option.

1. Locate and right-click the document you want to open.

2. Select Open in PowerPoint from the menu. (Your menu may read Open in Excel or Open
in Word depending on what file you're opening.)

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 3. Follow the instructions, and your document will open in its desktop Office program.

When you're ready to return to OneDrive, simply save the document within the desktop program
and close it. The changes you made will be saved to the file on OneDrive as well.

2.4.3.2. Sharing files and folders

When you use OneDrive to share a document with someone, you're actually giving that person access
to the exact same file you're working on. This lets you and those you share with edit the same
document without having to keep track of multiple versions.

There are two ways to share in OneDrive. You can share 2:

− Individual files.
− Entire folders and all of the files they contain.

To share a file or folder:

1. Hover the mouse over the file or folder you want to share, then click the check box that
appears.

2
https://youtu.be/PIQHN0jEvzY

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2. Click the info pane button in the top-right corner of the screen to open the info pane (if it's
not already visible).

3. The info pane will appear on the right side of the screen. Locate the Sharing group, then
click Add People.

4. Click on “Manage access” to add people.

5. A pop-up window will appear. You can either click Copy Link to generate a link of the folder
to send to people or click Email to send the file via email.

6. If you chose Email, enter the email addresses of the people you want to share with and add
a note (if desired). When you're ready, click Share.

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 7. Your file or folder will be shared.

To edit the permissions of a shared file or folder, go back to the details pane and use the controls
in the Sharing group.

You can also manage accesses while choosing “Grant Access” (to view or to edit).

Remember, when you share a folder, all of the documents in that folder will be shared. You cannot set
individual sharing settings for documents within a shared folder.

2.4.4. Upload, sync, and manage files

OneDrive isn't just for storing documents. You can also upload other files, like photos, videos,
and music. In total, OneDrive gives you 5GB of free space to store files of all types.

2.4.4.1. Uploading and syncing files with OneDrive

The OneDrive desktop application makes it easy to upload and sync files across all of your devices. The
OneDrive desktop application works like any other folder on your computer. Whenever you move a file
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to the OneDrive folder, that file is moved online to the Cloud, allowing you to access the same version
of that file from any computer connected to the Internet.

To upload files/folders:
1. Locate the file on your computer that you want to upload to your OneDrive.
2. Click and drag the file to the OneDrive folder.

3. The file will appear on your OneDrive. Now you can access the file from anywhere by signing
in to your OneDrive account.

2.4.4.2. Uploading files on the Web

If you don't have access to the OneDrive desktop application, you can upload files using the Web
uploader. The process takes a little more time than uploading files with the OneDrive application,
but it's still an easy way to upload files from anywhere.
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To upload files to OneDrive on the Web:
1. Navigate to OneDrive. Locate and select the Upload button.

2. Locate and select the desired file. You can select multiple files by holding down the Ctrl key,
then click Open.

3. Your files will be uploaded to OneDrive (this may take a few moments).
2.4.4.3. Managing files

After you've been using OneDrive for a while, you might find yourself having a difficult time keeping
track of all of your files. Fortunately, OneDrive offers several features to help
you manage and organize them 3.

Sorting your files

When you navigate to the OneDrive main page, you'll see all of your files and folders. You can choose
which files to view by selecting various options in the left navigation pane.

You can also change how your files are displayed by clicking the View Options icon.

• Tiles view lets you view your files in a grid of icons. This is the default view for your files and
folders.

3
https://youtu.be/l2aKGdJEJqE

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 • List view lets you view your files with their names and other information, which may feel
more familiar if you usually work with files on a desktop computer.

Searching for files

You can find documents by using the search feature. Searching lets you look for a specific document
using words contained within the document and its title.

• To search for a file, click the search bar. Type the word or words you want to search for, then
press Enter. Your search results will appear.

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Try out
1. Go to the OneDrive sign-in page
(https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/signin/) and use your university
email to log in.
2. Create a folder with the name COMP.
3. Move to COMP folder and create a new word file. Name it as Your Name
and your ID (example: YourName_ID).
4. Open your document and write “Hello! I’m here”.
5. Upload sample fie from the computer to your OneDrive.
6. Share your file and send the shared link with two of your friends.

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