Operating Systems
Identifying the Operating System
1
This assessment will help you identify a computer’s operating system and the characteristics of the computer’s RAM,
hard disk drives, and optical disk drives. You will also analyze your lab or home computer from the point of view of
upgrading it.
Respond to the following questions:
? Identify the operating system in your home or lab computer and check if there is any service pack installed for
this operating system. Provide five features of the edition of the operating system on your computer.
? Identify the processor speed, amount of RAM, and disk space of the computer.
? Determine whether the operating system can be updated to a later version. For example, if you are using
Windows Vista, can you update it to Windows 7?
Use the following website for more information and aid in your analysis:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor
Required Setup and Resources:
A Windows computer and a working Internet connection are required for this laboratory.
Recommended Procedures:
1. Go to Device Manager.
I. For Windows XP: Click Start. Right-click My Computer and click Properties->Hardware->Device
Manager.
II. For Vista or Windows 7: Click Start. Right-click Computer->Properties->Device Manager.
2. In the Device Manager window that opens, view the details of each device attached to your computer by clicking
the “+” icon beside each item in the list.
Submission Requirements:
? Submit your responses in a two- to three-page Microsoft Word document.
? Use 12-point Arial font and double spacing.
? Cite references from the textbook, the ITT Tech Virtual Library, or credible websites to substantiate your
answers.
Evaluation Criteria:
The Lab rubric will be used to evaluate this assessment.





