Lab 02 · Intro to Computers · About 30 to 45 minutes
Meet Your Operating System
You'll learn what an operating system does and how the major ones compare, then make yours your own and explore its settings like an IT pro. Along the way you'll complete 5 hands-on challenges, document your work, and write a professional lab report.
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Step 1
Before you begin
Locked
Same three boxes as every lab:
- HintHelp if you get stuck. Searching the web or asking an AI is encouraged; check what it tells you against your own screen.
- ChallengeHands-on work you do yourself, then capture as evidence for your lab report. Tick the box when you have it.
- Quick checkA question to make sure it clicked. Unlimited tries, and every answer explains why.
You'll need the computer you use most. Everything you change in this lab can be changed back.
Using a school or work computer? Only change personal settings you're allowed to change, like the background or clock. If something is locked, that's normal: an IT team manages it. Screenshot the locked setting and note it in your report.
Step 2 · Lesson
The manager behind the screen
Locked
Every computer runs an operating system (OS): the software that manages everything else. If the hardware from Lab 1 is the kitchen, the OS is the restaurant manager. It decides which app gets the chef's attention, keeps track of every file in the pantry, controls who's allowed in, and gives you a way to ask for what you want.
| Operating system | Where you'll find it | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Most home and office PCs | Runs the widest range of software and games |
| macOS | Apple computers | Works closely with iPhones and other Apple devices |
| ChromeOS | Chromebooks, common in schools | Simple, built around the web browser |
| Linux | Servers, developer machines, and many devices | Free and open source; runs most of the world's web servers |
| iOS and Android | Phones and tablets | Android is built on Linux; iOS shares roots with macOS |
They look different, but they all do the same jobs, and they all have a Settings app where you control them. Knowing your way around Settings is one of the most useful skills in IT. When something isn't working, the fix is often a setting.
Quick check
What is the operating system's main job?
Quick check
Which operating system runs most of the world's web servers?
Quick check
On your school or work laptop, the option to change the background is grayed out. Why?
Quick check
You need a program that only runs on Windows, but you have a Mac. What's a reasonable first step?
Step 3 · Challenge
Make it yours
Locked
Start with the fun part. Every OS lets you personalize how it looks.
Hint
Every modern Settings app has a search box. Instead of clicking through menus, search for words like background, wallpaper, theme, or dark mode. This trick works for almost every setting in this lab.
Challenge 1 · Screenshot
- Change your desktop background to something new
- Switch between light mode and dark mode, and keep the one you like
- Bonus: change your accent or highlight color
Take a screenshot of your desktop showing the new background.
Step 4 · Challenge
The clock, the taskbar, and the dock
Locked
The strip along the edge of your screen goes by different names: the taskbar on Windows, the Dock and menu bar on a Mac, and the shelf on a Chromebook. It's where your clock lives, and you can make it work the way you do.
Hint
Try right-clicking the taskbar, Dock, or shelf itself. On many systems that opens its settings directly. Or search Settings for taskbar, dock, shelf, or clock.
Challenge 2 · Screenshot
- Change how the clock looks: switch to 24-hour time, show seconds, or show the date
- Pin an app you use often to the taskbar, Dock, or shelf
- Find the setting that hides it automatically, try it, and decide whether to keep it
Take a screenshot showing your changed clock and your newly pinned app.
Step 5 · Challenge
Check your connections
Locked
Most "my computer is broken" calls to IT are really connection problems. Knowing where these settings live makes you the person who can fix them.
Challenge 3 · Screenshot
Open your network settings and find:
- The name of the Wi-Fi network you're connected to (or that you're using a cable)
- Whether Bluetooth is on, and which devices are paired
- Where airplane mode is, in case you ever need to turn wireless off fast
Take a screenshot of your network settings. Cover anything private, like a home network name or device names, before sharing.
Quick check
A friend says their laptop suddenly has no internet, but their phone works fine on the same Wi-Fi. What should you check first?
Step 6 · Challenge
Settings scavenger hunt
Locked
Now explore. IT people know where things live because they've poked around. Find each of these in your Settings:
- Storage: how much space is used and what's using it
- Updates: when your system last checked for updates
- Default browser: which web browser opens links
- Night light or Night Shift: the setting that warms your screen in the evening to reduce eye strain
- Notifications: where to turn them off for an app that bugs you
Challenge 4 · Screenshot
Take a screenshot of your updates page, showing when updates were last checked or installed.
Quick check
Your computer keeps reminding you to install updates. What's the best move?
Quick check
Your grandparent says the text on their screen is too small to read comfortably. Where would you look?
Step 7 · Finish
Get your badge
Locked
Connelly Labs badge
OS Explorer
Your name
Challenge 5 · Screenshot
Your badge, with your name showing.
Your lab report evidence
- Challenge 1: your personalized desktop
- Challenge 2: your clock and taskbar, Dock, or shelf
- Challenge 3: your network settings
- Challenge 4: your updates page
- Challenge 5: your badge
Write it up
Put these images into a short lab report: what you set out to do, what you did, and what you found. Note anything you couldn't change and why. The Start Here guide has a template and tips. Accuracy matters more than polish.