okay not sure if this is in the right place..

so i start my tafe course next week and there is an IT subject, in the info session they said it was fairly basic and if we wanted to sit a test to get an exemption then we could. so i put my name down to sit the test because i consider myself pretty good at using computers.. then they gave me a list of what i need to be able to do and now i'm doubting myself.. i think that part of the problem is that the test is on a PC and i have only used Macs for the last 5 or so years, also i think it could partly be the sheet is using all the technical terms, so i might actually be able to do it but just use different wording.. anyway these are the things that are confusing me.. i'm hoping that someone who is good with computers can help me?

Operate a Personal Computer:
>Navigate through the operating system to access system information to identify system configuration and application versions in operation.

Operate a Word Processing application:
>Change alignment and line spacing according to document information requirements.
>Create simple mailing lists in layout suitable for merging.
>Create or select another document for merging.
>Mail merge mailing list with another document.

Access and use Internet:
>Extracting (decompressing) software and virus scanners are used on downloaded files.
>Identify internet connection and protocols.
>Potential security risks are identified and avoided.
>Files are retrieved from a FTP repository.

okay so any help would be great!

[Oxidopamine]

Originally Posted by TheQuietOnexx

>Change alignment and line spacing according to document information requirements.

Alignment means determining position of text and images relative to top and bottom margins, as well as left to right margins (i.e. centering text or images).

http://www.stunningmesh.com/wp-conte...agraph-box.jpg
http://my.albybum.net/imageViewer/Pr...ages/align.jpg (horizontal alignment)
http://www.winona.edu/library/ig/hel...e_spacing.html (line spacing and alignment)

Originally Posted by TheQuietOnexx

>Create simple mailing lists in layout suitable for merging.
>Create or select another document for merging.
>Mail merge mailing list with another document.

https://knowledge.riverdale.edu/inde...rom_EE7_or_RE7 (Use if you have MS Word 2007 or later)

http://www.ssw.com.au/ssw/standards/...ccessdata.aspx (Use if you have MS Word 2003 or earlier)

Most new computers will have MS Word 2007/2010. It is much easier to do a mail merge on this version. I recommend using the Mail Merge Wizard if you are uncertain, it does not require any additional programs, it simply will open a small window within MS Word that guides you step-by-step.

Originally Posted by TheQuietOnexx

>Extracting (decompressing) software and virus scanners are used on downloaded files.

There are hundreds of thousands of virus scanners you can download and use, either for free or for a fee. They generally come included with your operating software. Some are specific to certain malwares (i.e. MalwareBytes) whereas others (i.e. Norton) are more general. These programs scan a file you download and look for certain coding sequences that are known to be, "malicious", or harmful.

I'm not sure if you're asking for recommended virus scanners or if you're asking what virus scanners are.

Originally Posted by TheQuietOnexx

>Identify internet connection and protocols.

On Windows, click on the Start Menu and search for network and sharing center. It may be named slightly different so you can access it by a) Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center (or whatever it's called on your computer), or b) Go to your taskbar and click the icon that shows 2 computers (may have an Internet icon). This should open the network and sharing center (or whatever it's called on your computer). In there you can browse through the various protocols, or commands but I recommend NOT adjusting them unless you understand what you're doing or have clear instructions. You may see there are these 2 somewhat confusing protocols: IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6). Your computer will use only ONE of them, so even though IPv6 is more recent, if you have IPv4, keep it as is.

Originally Posted by TheQuietOnexx

>Potential security risks are identified and avoided.

Many computers are equipped with a soft firewall (i.e. computer program that is already installed or you install that was either downloaded from the Internet or paid for at a computer store). When using the Internet, this program will alert you to security risks, which often are URL links that contain malicious coding or are known by your Internet web browser or search engine to be potentially harmful. To be extra safe, you can set your firewall to max security, HOWEVER, be aware that many sites will require, "cookies", or stored web information to properly run. This results in a compromise of how high you can set the firewall. Alternatively, there are hard firewalls, which are external devices (i.e. routers) that channel and restrict the data flow to your computer.

There are different types of malicious software and each can cause havoc in different ways with different ways of removing them. For example, Trojan horses are disguised within file types (i.e. PDF files), so at first glance, it seems harmless but once it is inside your system, it can replicate and cause havoc, often by disguising itself as different file types. Another type of malicious software are viruses, which open "back-doors" allowing other virus-filled programs to enter. These range in difficulty to remove. For example, bloodhound viruses are fairly easy to remove but cause havoc by creating numerous file types in your system. A quick way to detect these are by noticing new files with unusual randomized file names you didn't download.

Many malicious softwares attempt to knock out your anti-virus program, allowing them to spread through your system. There are free downloadable programs you can use to scan your computer and remove such software. One of the first things to do is turn OFF your internet connection to avoid private information being leaked out and to prevent virus-filled files from being downloaded through back-doors. I would NOT recommend trying to remove the software yourself when your anti-virus program is knock out unless you have training or experience and know what you're doing. These programs may try to establish themselves in your hard-drive encoding, such as through file folder System32 or System64 (depending whether your operating system is a 32 bit or 64 bit). These folders you should NOT fiddle with even if there are no malicious programs unless you know what you're doing.

You can prevent loss of information by encrypting either certain files or your entire system. For example, I use TrueCrypt (free downloadable) for encrypting my system. I also have my Internet password protected. In the event my anti-virus and Internet security program is knocked out, I have TDSSKiller (by Kaspersky Lab ZAO, free downloadable), Hijack This (free downloadable), MalwareBytes and SuperAntiSpyware Portable. The first two programs (TDSSKiller and Hijack This) are used to scan the PC for any malicious coding and generate a log, which you can load online or take to a computer service center as they will either use these exact programs or a similar one. TDSSKiller is more thorough and can remove the software. SuperAntiSpyware Portable can be uploaded onto any USB drive and plugged into your computer if it happens to be infected. I also have 1 soft firewall that I installed, 1 soft firewall that comes with the computer and 1 hard firewall (router).

If you have WIRELESS Internet connections, make sure they are password-protected. If not, anyone can use them and upload any program they want. In order to be extra safe, you can use proxies to mask your IP address because it is possible and very easy to not only find the geographic location of the IP address but also hack, such as read e-mails.

Originally Posted by TheQuietOnexx

>Files are retrieved from a FTP repository.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is used to transfer data between remote servers. The main problem is the server you're transferring or uploading data from must be online. For example, your laptop can store information that you wish to access remotely. This is only feasible if your laptop is powered on after you have set up a FTP server where you uploaded data onto.

To begin, you require a FTP program. There are many types and they're all pretty much the same, such as FileZilla (http://filezilla-project.org/) or FireFTP (http://fireftp.mozdev.org/). The latter is associated with FireFox (free Internet web browser) and has a short tutorial here.