Step-by-step practical guides for all 7 OS exercises — managing programs, taskbar, desktop, folders, files, audio, printer, and screen capture.
Running a program from Windows Explorer (File Explorer)
Objective: Learn how to open programs, run multiple programs simultaneously, switch between open windows, and launch applications directly from Windows Explorer.
Notepad) → press Enter or click the resultnotepad, calc, mspaint) → click OKStart → search "Notepad" → press Enter. Notepad window opens.
Without closing Notepad: Start → search "Paint" → press Enter. Both Notepad and Paint are now open simultaneously.
Press Win+R → type calc → OK. Now three programs are running at the same time.
All three open programs appear as buttons in the Taskbar at the bottom. Each button shows the program's icon and name.
Alt and press Tab repeatedly — a thumbnail strip appears showing all open windows. Release Alt to select.Win+Tab → Task View opens showing all open windows and virtual desktops. Click any window to switch.Press Win+E or click the folder icon 📁 in the taskbar.
In the address bar, type: C:\Windows\System32 → press Enter. This folder contains many Windows utilities.
In the search box (top right), type notepad → press Enter → you will see notepad.exe appear → double-click it to run.
Navigate to Documents folder → double-click any .docx file → it opens in MS Word automatically (program associated with that file type).
Tip: Use Alt+Tab to switch windows quickly during exams — it's faster than clicking the taskbar. Practice pressing Alt, then tapping Tab multiple times to cycle through all open windows before releasing Alt.
Controlling the size, layout and pinned programs of the Windows Taskbar
Taskbar is the horizontal bar at the bottom of the Windows desktop. It contains the Start button, pinned program shortcuts, open application buttons, and the System Tray. It can be customised to suit your workflow.
Right-click an empty area of the taskbar → click "Lock the taskbar" to toggle off (remove the checkmark). This allows resizing.
Move the mouse pointer to the top edge of the taskbar — the cursor changes to a double-headed arrow (↕). Click and drag upward to make it taller.
Once resized, right-click the taskbar → click "Lock the taskbar" to prevent accidental resizing.
Note: In Windows 11, the taskbar height cannot be resized directly through drag. Use Registry Editor or third-party tools. For the COA exam, this exercise applies to Windows 10.
Managing deleted files and organising the Windows desktop
Right-click Desktop → New → Text Document → name it TestFile.txt → press Enter.
Click TestFile.txt → press Delete key → click Yes in the confirmation dialog. The file moves to Recycle Bin (not permanently deleted).
Double-click the Recycle Bin 🗑️ icon on the desktop. You will see TestFile.txt listed inside.
Right-click TestFile.txt → click "Restore". The file returns to its original location on the Desktop.
Delete the file again → go to Recycle Bin → select the file → press Delete key → confirm. Now it is permanently removed.
Right-click Recycle Bin → "Empty Recycle Bin" → click Yes. All items in the Bin are permanently deleted.
Caution: Files deleted with Shift+Delete are permanently deleted immediately — they do NOT go to the Recycle Bin and cannot be restored easily. Use with care.
Find the program in Start Menu or Explorer → right-click → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut). A shortcut icon (with small arrow) appears on the Desktop.
Right-click an empty area of the Desktop → New → Shortcut → Browse to the program (C:\Windows\notepad.exe) → Next → give it a name → Finish.
Find the application in C:\Program Files → right-click the .exe file → Create shortcut → a shortcut file is created in the same folder → move it to Desktop.
Double-click the desktop shortcut to confirm it launches the correct application. Shortcut icons have a small curved arrow overlay ↗ in the bottom-left corner.
Managing the folder structure in Windows File Explorer
Ctrl+Shift+N inside Explorer to instantly create a new folderShift+Delete → confirm to bypass Recycle Bin\ / : * ? " < > | — Windows shows an error if you try\ / : * ? " < > |Viewing file information and performing fundamental file operations
Right-click any file or folder → click Properties at the bottom of the context menu. OR select the file → press Alt+Enter.
Shows: File name, Type (e.g., Microsoft Word Document), Location (full path), Size, Size on disk, Created/Modified/Accessed dates, and Attributes (Read-only, Hidden).
Check "Read-only" → Apply → the file can be read but not modified. To allow editing, uncheck Read-only → Apply.
Check "Hidden" → Apply → the file/folder disappears from view. To see hidden files: View → Show/hide → check "Hidden items".
| Property | What it Shows |
|---|---|
| Name | The filename including extension (e.g., Report.docx) |
| Type | File type and associated application (e.g., Microsoft Word Document) |
| Location | Full folder path where the file is stored (e.g., C:\Users\Student\Documents) |
| Size | Actual data size of the file (e.g., 24.5 KB) |
| Size on disk | Space occupied on the storage device (always slightly larger than file size) |
| Created | Date and time the file was first created |
| Modified | Date and time the file content was last changed |
| Accessed | Date and time the file was last opened or read |
Click on the file to select it (e.g., Report.docx in Documents folder).
Press Ctrl+X or right-click → Cut. The file icon becomes slightly faded, indicating it is ready to be moved.
Open the destination folder where you want to move the file (e.g., C:\Users\Student\Desktop).
Press Ctrl+V or right-click → Paste. The file moves from the source to the destination. Original location no longer has the file.
Click the file to select it.
Press Ctrl+C or right-click → Copy. No visual change to the icon — the file is copied to the clipboard.
Open the folder where you want the copy to appear.
Press Ctrl+V. A copy of the file appears in the new location. The original file remains in its original location (unlike Cut).
Key Difference: Cut+Paste MOVES the file (original gone). Copy+Paste COPIES the file (original stays). If you Copy to the same folder, Windows adds "Copy of" to the filename.
Mouse-based file operations, the Search function, and understanding file extensions
Ctrl while dragging → this always COPIES even on the same drive. A + symbol confirms copy operation.Shift while dragging → this MOVES even across drives.Open File Explorer → navigate to the drive/folder to search in → click the Search box (top right corner) → type the filename or keyword → press Enter.
Click the 🔍 Search icon in the taskbar (or press Win+S) → type the file name → results appear showing Documents, Apps, Settings, and Web matches.
Use * for any characters: *.docx finds all Word documents. report* finds all files starting with "report". *2026* finds files with "2026" anywhere in the name.
In File Explorer Search → use the Search Tools tab (appears when you click in search box) → filter by Date modified, Kind (file type), Size.
| Icon | Extension | File Type | Opens With |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📄 | .docx / .doc | MS Word Document | Microsoft Word / LibreOffice Writer |
| 📊 | .xlsx / .xls | MS Excel Spreadsheet | Microsoft Excel / LibreOffice Calc |
| 📽️ | .pptx / .ppt | MS PowerPoint Presentation | Microsoft PowerPoint / Impress |
| 📝 | .txt | Plain Text File | Notepad, any text editor |
| 🌐 | .html / .htm | Web Page | Web Browser (Chrome, Firefox) |
| 🔴 | .pdf | PDF Document | Adobe Acrobat Reader, Edge browser |
| 🖼️ | .jpg / .jpeg | JPEG Image / Photo | Windows Photos, Paint, browser |
| 🖼️ | .png | PNG Image (transparent support) | Windows Photos, Paint |
| 🎵 | .mp3 | Audio File | Windows Media Player, VLC |
| 🎬 | .mp4 | Video File | Windows Media Player, VLC |
| 🗜️ | .zip / .rar | Compressed Archive | WinRAR, 7-Zip, Windows (built-in for .zip) |
| ⚙️ | .exe | Executable Program | Double-click to run (be careful with unknown .exe files) |
| 📋 | .odt | OpenDocument Text | LibreOffice Writer, MS Word |
| 📊 | .ods | OpenDocument Spreadsheet | LibreOffice Calc |
| 📊 | .csv | Comma-Separated Values | Excel, Notepad, any spreadsheet |
Show File Extensions: By default, Windows hides file extensions. To show them: File Explorer → View tab → check "File name extensions". This is important for security — a file named "photo.jpg.exe" is actually a program, not a photo!
*.pdf finds all PDF files.Working with audio recording, printer setup, and screenshot tools
Click Start → search "Voice Recorder" (or "Sound Recorder" in older Windows) → press Enter to open it.
Ensure a microphone is connected (built-in on laptops, external USB mic on desktops). The microphone icon should be active (not muted).
Click the large 🎙️ microphone button (or press Ctrl+R). The recording timer starts. Speak clearly into the microphone.
Press the flag 🏴 button during recording to mark an important moment. Useful for long recordings — markers appear in the playback timeline.
Click the ⏹️ Stop button. The recording is automatically saved in Documents\Sound Recordings as an .m4a file with a timestamp name.
Right-click the recording in the list → Rename → type a meaningful name (e.g., COA_Practice_Record). Click the Play ▶ button to listen back.
Connect the printer to the computer using the USB cable. Turn on the printer. Windows detects it automatically and installs the basic driver (Plug and Play).
If not detected automatically: Start → Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners → Add a printer or scanner → Wait for Windows to find the printer → click Add device.
If the printer needs a specific driver: Insert the driver CD → run Setup.exe, OR download the driver from the manufacturer's website (e.g., hp.com/support → enter printer model) → run the installer.
Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners → click your printer → Manage → Set as default. The default printer has a green checkmark ✓ beside it.
Settings → Devices → Printers → click printer → Manage → Print a test page. Confirms the printer is working correctly.
PrtSc (Print Screen) → the entire screen is copied to the clipboard → open MS Paint → press Ctrl+V to paste → File → Save As → choose JPEG or PNG → saveWin+PrtSc → screenshot is automatically saved as a PNG file in Pictures\Screenshots folder — no need to paste in PaintAlt+PrtSc → captures only the currently active window (not the whole screen) → paste in Paint → save| Method | What is Captured | Where Saved |
|---|---|---|
PrtSc | Entire screen (all monitors) | Clipboard only (paste in Paint) |
Win+PrtSc | Entire screen | Auto-saved to Pictures\Screenshots |
Alt+PrtSc | Active window only | Clipboard only (paste in Paint) |
Win+Shift+S | User-selected region | Clipboard + Notification (click to edit) |
| Snipping Tool | Any shape — window, region, full, freeform | User chooses save location |
| Exercise | Topic | Key Skill | Important Shortcuts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ex. 1 | Starting & switching programs | Multi-tasking; Explorer navigation | Alt+Tab, Win+R, Win+E |
| Ex. 2 | Customising Taskbar & Start Menu | Pinning apps; resizing taskbar | Win, Win+T, Win+1–9 |
| Ex. 3 | Recycle Bin & Desktop shortcuts | Delete/Restore files; create shortcuts | Delete, Shift+Delete, F2 |
| Ex. 4 | Folder creation & management | Create/rename/sort folders | Ctrl+Shift+N, F2 |
| Ex. 5 | File properties & Cut/Copy/Paste | Move vs copy; file attributes | Ctrl+X/C/V, Alt+Enter |
| Ex. 6 | Mouse operations & search | Drag-to-move/copy; wildcards | Win+S, Ctrl+drag |
| Ex. 7 | Audio, Printer, Screenshots | Recording; printer setup; PrtSc | PrtSc, Win+PrtSc, Alt+PrtSc, Win+Shift+S |