Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING MATERIAL
Unit of Competency
Assemble / Troubleshoot / Maintain Computer Systems &
Network
Module Title
Assembling / Troubleshooting / Maintaining Computer
Systems & Network
January 2011
Computer Hardware Servicing Department
Information and Communications Technology
Prepared by:
NERIO V. BASAS
Area Chair
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Approved by:
DR. LOURDES M. VICTORIANO
Managing Consultant CESO V
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Checked by:
ANTONIO M. ERRO
Dean ACAD
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
This module is subject to revision, alteration, addition or changes that may deem necessary to
cope with the new trends in information technology.
This is an intellectual property, no copy from this module should be reproduced without any
permission from this institution.
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PROPRIETORY COPY -
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Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. . COURSE DESIGN
B. MODULES OF INSTRUCTION

BASIC COMPETENCIES
o Participating in workplace communication
o Working in a team environment
o Practicing career professionalism
o Practicing occupational health and safety procedures
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COMMON COMPETENCIES
o Applying quality standards
o Performing computer operation
o Performing mensuration and calculation
o Preparing and interpreting technical drawing
o Using hand tools
o Terminating and connecting electrical wiring and electronics
circuit component
CORE COMPETENCIES
o Installing computer systems and networks
o Configuring computer systems and networks
o Maintaining computer systems and networks
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o Diagnosing and troubleshooting computer system
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
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
COURSE DESIGN
Course Title
:
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING NCII
Nominal Duration
:
48 hours
Course Description
:
This course is designed to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a Computer
Service Technician in accordance with industry standards. It covers basic, common and
core competencies such as installing, configuring, diagnosing and maintaining computer
systems and networks.
Entry Requirements:
Able to communicate both oral and written
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Physically and mentally fit.
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With good moral character.
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Can perform basic mathematical and logical computations.
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Analytical and logical thinking
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Candidate/trainee must posses the following qualifications, must be:
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
COURSE STRUCTURE:
BASIC COMPETENCIES
(1 hour)
Units of
Competency
1. Participate in
workplace
communication
Module Title
1.1 Participating in
workplace
communication
Learning Outcomes
Nominal
Duration
1.1.1 Obtain and convey workplace
information
1.1.2 Complete relevant work-related
document
1.1.3 Participate in workplace
meeting and discussion
2.1.1 Describe and identify team role
and responsibility
2.1.2 Describe work as a team
member
2. Work in a team
environment
2.1 Working in a
team
environment
3. Practice career
professionalism
3.1 Practicing career 3.1.1 Integrate personal objectives
professionalism
with organizational goals.
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3.1.2 Set and meet work priorities.
3.1.3 Maintain professional growth
and development.
4. Practice
4.1 Practicing
4.1.1 Identify hazards and risks.
occupational
occupational
4.1.2 Evaluate hazards and risks.
health and safety
4.1.3 Control hazards and risks.
health and
procedures
safety procedure 4.1.4 Maintain occupational health
and safety awareness.
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
COMMON COMPETENCIES
(1 hour)
1. Apply quality
standards
1.1 Applying quality
standards
2. Perform
computer
operations
2.1 Performing
computer
operations
Learning Outcomes
Nominal
Duration
1.1.1 Assess quality of received
materials
1.1.2 Assess own work
1.1.3 Engage in quality improvement
2.1.1 Plan and prepare for tasks to
be undertaken
2.1.2 Input data into computer
2.1.3 Access information using
computer
2.1.4 Produce output/datd using
computer system
2.1.5 Use basic functions of a web
browser to locate information
2.1.6 Maintain computer equipment
and systems
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Module Title
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Units of
Competency
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
3. Perform
mensuration
and calculation
3.1 Performing
mensuration and
calculation
3.1.1 Select measuring instruments
3.1.2 Carry out measurements and
calculation
3.1.3 Maintain measuring
4.1.1
5. Use hand tools
5.1 Using hand tools
5.1.1
4.1.2
4.1.3
5.1.2
5.1.3
6. Terminate and
connect
electrical wiring
and electronics
circuit
6.1 Terminating and
connect
electrical wiring
and electronics
circuit
5.1.4
6.1.1
6.1.2
6.1.3
instruments
Identify different kinds of
technical drawings
Interpret technical drawing
Prepare/make changes on
electrical/electronic
schematics and drawings
Plan and prepare for tasks to
be undertaken
Prepare hand tools
Use appropriate hand tools
and test equipment
Maintain hand tools
Plan and prepare for
termination/connection of
electrical wiring/electronics
circuits
Terminate/connect
wiring/electronic circuits
Test termination/connections
of electrical wiring/electronics
circuits
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4.1 Preparing and
interpreting
technical
drawing
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4. Prepare and
interpret
technical
drawing
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
CORE COMPETENCIES
(46 hours)
2. Diagnose and
troubleshoot
computer
systems
Learning Outcomes
Nominal
Duration
1.1 Installing
computer
systems and
networks
1.1.1
Plan and prepare for
installation
Install equipment/device
system
Conduct test
hours
2.1 Diagnosing and
trouble shooting
computer
systems
2.1.1 Plan and prepare for diagnosis
hours
1.1.2
1.1.3
of faults of computer systems
2.1.2 Diagnose faults of computer
systems
2.1.3 Repair defects in computer
systems and networks
2.1.4 Test systems and networks
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1. Install computer
systems and
networks
Module Title
Page
Units of
Competency
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
RESOURCES
Operating System
Application program
Components / Dividers
Oscilloscope
Rulers
T-square
Calculator
Multi-tester
Soldering gun
Pliers
Cutters
Screw drivers
Goggles
Gloves
Protractor
Steel rule
LAN tester
Utility softwares
Anti-static wrist wrap
Masks
Crimping tools
Flashlights
Sharp pointed tweezers
Mirror (inspection)
Soldering gun
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Hubs/switches
CDROMs
Modem/router
Printers
Hubs
Server
Peripherals
Desktop Computers
Materials
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UTP Cat. 5 cables
UTP Cat.3 cables
RJ 45 modular plug
Learning Manuals
Work Instruction
Hand-outs
Board marker
White board
Schematic diagrams
Charts
Block diagrams
Layout plans
Location Plans
Instrumentation diagrams
Loop diagrams
System Control diagrams
Drawing boards
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Equipment
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Tools
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
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Hands on
Direct observation
Practical demonstration
Oral and written exam
COURSE DELIVERY:
Lecture-demonstration
Self-paced instruction
Group discussion
Safety & Anti-Static Precautions
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 If you haven't already read the page about safety and anti-static precautions, read it now.
You can find it here. Go ahead. We'll wait for you right here.
 A static shock that is much too small for a human to feel can still be enough to fry
sensitive computer components. So if you don't have an anti-static wrist strap, stop right
now and go buy one.
 The anti-static kit pictured on the right is a professional model that comes with an antistatic mat (the red thing in the picture). The strap attaches to the anti-static mat as well as
to the computer's chassis. Less expensive ones (and even disposable ones) are also
available.
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Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
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 The wrist strap attaches to the computer's chassis by means of a high-tech device commonly
known as an alligator clip. Connect the alligator clip to an unpainted, metal part of the
computer chassis, and check it frequently to make sure it hasn't fallen off.
 The wrist strap may be placed on either wrist, as long as it fits snugly. Most people place it
on their non-dominant wrist so it's less in the way while they are working.
 Anti-static kits are sometimes called "ESD" kits. ESD stands for "Electro Static Discharge."
It means exactly the same thing. It's just that we geeks love our three-letter acronyms.
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Introduction to Desktop
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 Types of System Boards
 System Board Factors
 System Board Components
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Identifying Motherboards and Components
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Motherboard – known as system board and less commonly called as planar board
 the olive green or brown large circuit board in which all vital components are mounted.
 connects all the other components of a PC
Types of System Boards
Non-integrated System Board
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 board with expansion slots occupied by video circuitry, disk controller, and accessories
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Page
System boards are classified by their form factors or design.
Advance Technology Extended (ATX)
 motherboard that has the processor and memory slots at right angles
MicroATX
 form factor that works with standard ATX as well as its own smaller cases
 designed with power supplies of lower wattage
New Low-profile Extended (NLX)
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System Board Form Factors
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
 adapter card or daughter board that normally plug into expansion slots vertically in ATX
motherboard
Balanced Technology Extended (BTX)
 is a form factor for motherboards, originally slated to be the replacement for the aging ATX
motherboard form factor in late 2004 and early 2005. It has been designed to alleviate some
of the issues that arose from using newer technologies (which often demand more power and
create more heat) on motherboards compliant with the circa-1996 ATX specification.
Advance technology Extended
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Micro ATX
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Picture of System Board Form Factors
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Balanced Technology Extended (BTX)
New Low-profile Extended (NLX
Chipsets
Expansion slots
Memory slots and external cache
CPU and processor slots or sockets
Power connectors
Onboard disk drive connectors
Keyboard connectors
Peripheral port and connectors
BIOS Chip
CMOS battery
Jumpers and DIP switches
Firmware
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System Board Components
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
The Three Major Chipsets of the Motherboard
Chipset
– collection of chips or circuits that perform interface and peripheral function for the processor
Northbridge
 set of circuitry or chips that performs management of high-speed peripheral
communications
 responsible for communication with integrated video using AGP and PCIe and processorto-memory communication
Southbridge
 provides support to myriad onboard peripherals (PS/2, Parallel, IDE, and so on)
 responsible for managing communications with other expansion buses, such as PCI,
USB, and legacy buses
Expansion Slots
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 small plastic slots, 3 to 11 inches long and approx. ½ inch wide.
 use to install various devices to expand computer capabilities
Types of expansion slots
 ISA
 PCI
 AGP
 PCIe
 AMR
CNR
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) Expansion Slots
 two parts black slots, one shorter and one longer.

Peripheral Components Interconnect (PCI) Expansion Slots
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 white slots at around 3 inches long
 found in computer with Pentium-class processor or higher
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Accelerated Graphic Port (AGP) Expansion Slots
 usually brown slots for video card use
PCI Express (PCIe) Expansion Slots
 designed to be replacement of AGP and PCI
 with 7 different speeds designated as 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x and 32x that corresponds to
designated AGP speed.
 slot size correspond to the speed, the lower speed have shorter slot size, the longer the
size, the higher the speed.
Memory Slots and External Cache
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 slots that contain modules that hold memory chips which make up primary memory
usually black in color with white toggle lock
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Identifying Characteristics of Ports and Cables
 A port is a generic name for any connector on a computer into which a cable can be
plugged. A cable is simply a way of connecting a peripheral or other device to a
computer using multiple copper or fiber-optic conductors inside a common wrapping or
sheath. Typically, cables connect two ports, one on the computer and one on some other
device.
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 Computer ports are interfaces that allow other devices to be connected to a computer.
Their appearance varies widely, depending on their function.
We’ll examine the following types of peripheral ports:
 D-subminiature
 RJ-series
 Other types
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Peripheral Port Connector Types
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
D-subminiature Connectors
 D-sub connectors are typically designated with DXn, where the letter X is replaced by the
letters A through E, which refer to the size of the connector, and the letter n is replaced by
the number of pins or sockets in the connector
 D-sub connectors are usually shaped like a trapezoid
Gender
Use
DE9
Male
Serial port
DE9
Female
Connector on a serial cable
DB25
Male
DB25
Female
DA15
Female
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Connector
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Common D-sub Connectors
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
DA15
Male
DE15
Female
DE15
Male
RJ-Series
 Registered jack (RJ) connectors are most often used in telecommunications. The two
most common examples of RJ ports: RJ-11 and RJ-45
 RJ-45 connectors, are most commonly found on Ethernet networks that use twisted-pair
cabling
 A small locking tab on the bottom prevents the connector and cable from falling or being
pulled out of the jack accidentally
Other Types of Ports
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A few other ports are used with computers today. These ports include the following:
 Universal Serial Bus (USB)
 IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
 Infrared
 Audio jacks
 PS/2 (mini-DIN)
 Centronics
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
USB ports
 Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are used for connecting multiple (up to 127) peripherals
to one computer through a single port (and the use of multiport peripheral hubs). USB
version 1.1 supported data rates as high as 12Mbps (1.5MBps). The newest version,USB
2.0, supports data rates as high as 480Mbps (60MBps)
IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
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 the IEEE 1394 port, more commonly known as a FireWire port is easy to use and has
very high (400MBps) transmission rates
 Originally developed by Apple, it was standardized by IEEE in 1995 as IEEE 1394
 most often used as a way to get digital video into a PC so it can be edited with digital
video editing tools
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Infrared
Page
 Infrared ports send and receive data at a very slow rate (maximum speed on PC infrared
ports is less than 4Mbps). Most infrared ports on PCs that have them support the Infrared
Data Association (IrDA) standard, which outlines a standard way of transmitting and
receiving information by infrared so that devices can communicate with each other.
 infrared is a wireless technology, most infrared communications (especially those that
conform to the IrDA standards) are line-of-sight only and take place within a short
distance (typically less than four meters). Infrared is typically used for point-to-point
communications such as controlling the volume on a device with a handheld remote
control.
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many computers (especially portable computing devices like laptops and PDAs) are now using
infrared ports to send and receive data. An infrared (IR) port is a small port on the computer that
allows data to be sent and received using electromagnetic radiation in the infrared band. The
infrared port itself is a small, dark square of plastic (usually a very dark maroon) and can
typically be found on the front of a PC or on the side of a laptop or portable
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Audio/Video Jacks
 RCA jacks and connectors (or plugs) are used to transmit both audio and video
information. Typically, when you see an RCA connector on a PC video card (next to a
DE15F connector), it’s for composite video output (output to a television or VCR).
 digital audio uses S/PDIF, which is an RCA jack.
An RCA jack (female)
and RCA plug (male
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 A PS/2 port (also known as a mini-DIN 6 connector) is a mouse and keyboard interface
port first found on the IBM PS/2 (hence the name) PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports
 smaller than previous interfaces (the DIN-5 keyboard port and serial mouse connector)
 usually the keyboard port is purple and the mouse port is green
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Centronics
 Centronics connector is a micro ribbon connector named for the Wang subsidiary that
created it
 Consists of a central connection bar surrounding by an outer shielding ring
 primarily used in parallel printer connections and SCSI interfaces
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 brain of computer who does all the calculations and performs 90 percent of all functions
 basically flat and have several rows of holes arranged in a square
 Varies depending on the processor class
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Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Processor Socket or Slot
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
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CPU Socket
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Page
Socket Slot Types and Processor Supported
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Slot 1 connector slot
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
Pentium 60/66, Pentium 60/66 OverDrive
Socket 5
Pentium 75-133, Pentium 75+ OverDrive, AMD K5
Socket 6*
486DX4, 486 Pentium OverDrive
Socket 7
Pentium 75-200, Pentium 75+ OverDrive, Pentium
MMX, AMD K6
Super Socket 7
AMD K6-2, K6-III
Socket 8
Pentium Pro
Slot 1
Pentium II, Pentium III, Celeron, and all SECC and
SECC2
Slot 2
Pentium II Xeon, Pentium III Xeon
Slot A
Early AMD Athlon
Socket 370
PPGA processors, including Pentium III and
Celeron
Socket 423
Early Pentium 4
Socket A (Socket
462)
AMD Athlon, Athlon XP, Athlon XP-M, Athlon MP,
Thunderbird,Duron, Sempron
Socket 478
Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Celeron
Socket 479
Pentium M, Celeron M
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Socket 4
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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Socket 486
80486
Socket 563
AMD low-power mobile Athlon XP-M
Socket 603
Intel Xeon
Socket 604
Intel Xeon with Micro FCPGA package
Socket 754
Athlon 64, Sempron, Turion 64
Socket 771
Xeon 50x0 dual-core
Socket T (LGA 775)
Pentium 4, Pentium D dual-core, Celeron D,
Pentium Extreme Edition
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Memory Packaging
 each motherboard supports memory based on the speed of the front side bus (FSB) and
the memory’s form factor.
 as example, if the motherboard’s FSB is rated at a maximum speed of 533MHz, and you
install memory that is rated at 300Mhz, the memory will operate at only 300MHz
 most motherboards list which type(s) of memory they support as well as its maximum
speeds.
 memory slots on a motherboard are designed for particular module form factors or style
 most popular form factors for primary memory modules today are these: DIMM, RIMM,
SoDIMM and MicroDIMM
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
DIMM
 DIMM stands for Dual Inline Memory Module. DIMMs are 64-bit memory modules that
are used as a package for the SDRAM family: SDRAM, DDR, and DDR2. The term dual
refers to the fact that, unlike their SIMM predecessors DIMMs differentiate the
functionality of the pins on one side of the module from the corresponding pins on the
other side. With 84 pins per side, this makes 168 independent pins on each standard
SDRAM module
 DIMM used for DDR memory has a total of 184 pins and a single keying notch, while the
DIMM used for DDR2 has a total of 240 pins, one keying notch, and an aluminum cover
for both sides, called a heat spreader, designed like a heat sink to dissipate heat away
from the memory chips and prevent overheating.
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 RIMM is a trademark of Rambus Inc., perhaps a clever play on the acronym DIMM, a
competing form factor. A RIMM is a custom memory module that varies in physical
specification based on whether it is a 16-bit or 32-bit module. The 16-bit modules have
184 pins and two keying notches, while 32-bit modules have 232 pins and only one
keying notch, reminiscent of the trend in SDRAM-to-DDR evolution
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
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34
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
How Hard Drives Work
35
•
•
Components of a hard drive:
– One, two, or more platters (disks)
– Spindle to rotate all disks
– Magnetic coating on disk to store bits of data
– Read/write head at the top and bottom of each disk
– Actuator to move read/write head over disk surface
– Hard drive controller: chip directing read/write head
Head (surface) of platter is not the read/write head
Physical organization includes a cylinder
– All tracks that are the same distance from disk center
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•
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology
Dandelion Street, Doña Manuela Subdivision, Las Piñas City. 872-5226
COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
Hard Drive Interface Standards
•
•
•
Facilitate communication with the computer system
Several standards exist:
– Several ATA standards
– SCSI
– USB
– FireWire (also called 1394)
– Fibre Channel
The various standards will be covered
Power Supplies
Page
When the power supply stops working, the computer stops working, and when a power
supply stops
functioning properly—even slightly—all sorts of computer problems can take place.
From unexpected system reboots to data corruption, from unrecognized buspowered
36
The power supply is really misnamed: It is actually a power converter that changes
high-voltage alternating current (AC) to low-voltage direct current (DC).
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USB devices to system overheating, a bad power supply is bad news. The
power supply is vital to the health of the computer.
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37
Most power supplies include one or two fans to dissipate the heat created by the
operation of the
power supply; however, a few power supplies designed for silent operation use passive
heat sink technology instead of fans.
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A typical ATX power supply.
Power Supply Ratings
Page
You can use the label attached to the power supply, to determine
its wattage rating and see important safety reminders.
38
Power supply capacity is rated in watts, and the more watts a power supply provides,
the more devices it can safely power.
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A typical power supply label.
Typically, power supplies in recent tower-case (upright case) machines use 500watt or larger power supplies, reflecting the greater number of drives and cards
that can be installed in these computers. Power supplies used in smaller desktop
computers have typical ratings of around 300 to 400 watts.
What happens if you connect devices that require more wattage than a power supply
can provide? This is a big problem called an overload. An overloaded power
supply has two major symptoms:
■ Overheating
■ Spontaneous rebooting (cold boot with memory test) due to incorrect voltage
on the Power Good line running from the power supply to the motherboard
Page
Most power supplies are designed to handle two different voltage ranges:
■ 110–120V/60Hz
■ 220–240V/50Hz
39
Multivoltage Power Supplies
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A typical power supply’s sliding voltage switch set for correct North American voltage
(115V). Slide it to 230V for use in Europe and Asia.
Causes and Cures of Power Supply Overheating
Got an overheated power supply? Not sure? If you touch the power supply case
and it’s too hot to touch, it’s overheated. Overheated power supplies can cause system
failure and possible component damage, due to any of the following causes:
■ Overloading
■ Fan failure
■ Inadequate air flow outside the system
■ Inadequate air flow inside the system
■ Dirt and dust
Use the following sections to figure out the possible effects of these problems in
any given situation.
Page
There are two major types of power connectors on motherboards:
■ 20-pin, used by older motherboards in the ATX family
■ 24-pin, used by recent ATX/BTX motherboards requiring the ATX12V 2.x
power supply standard
40
Replacing Power Supply Form Factors and Connectors
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Some high-wattage power supplies with 20-pin connectors might also include a
20-pin to 24-pin adapter.
Some motherboards use power supplies that feature several additional connectors
to supply added power, as follows:
■ The four-wire ATX12V connector provides additional 12V power to the
motherboard; this connector is sometimes referred to as a “P4” or “Pentium
4” connector.
■ Many recent high-end power supplies use the eight-wire EPS12V connector
instead of the ATX12V power connector.
■ Some older motherboards use a six-wire AUX connector to provide additional
power.
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41
Typical power supply connectors to the motherboard.
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The power supply also powers various peripherals, such as the following:
■ PATA hard disks, CD and DVD optical drives, and case fans that do not plug
into the motherboard use a four-pin Molex power connector.
■ 3.5-inch floppy drives use a reduced-size version of the Molex power supply
connector.
■ Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks use an L-shaped thinline power connector.
■ High-performance PCI Express x16 video cards that require additional 12V
power use a PCI Express six-pin power cable.
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Typical peripheral power connectors.
Removing and Replacing the Power Supply
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43
Step 1. Shut down the computer. If the power supply has an on-off switch, turn
it off as well.
Step 2. Disconnect the AC power cord from the computer.
Step 3. Open the case to expose the power supply, which might be as simple as
removing the cover on a desktop unit, or as involved as removing both
side panels, front bezel, and case lid on a tower PC. Consult the documentation
that came with your computer to determine how to expose
the power supply for removal.
Step 4. Disconnect the power supply from the motherboard (refer to Figure 57). The catch securing the power supply connector must be released to
permit the connector to be removed.
Step 5. Disconnect the power supply from all drives.
Step 6. Disconnect the power supply from the case and CPU fans.
Step 7. Remove the power supply screws from the rear of the computer case
(see Figure 5-8).
Step 8. Remove any screws holding the power supply in place inside the case.
(Your PC might not use these additional screws.)
Step 9. Disconnect the power supply switch from the case front (if present).
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Removing the mounting screws from a typical power supply.
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44
Step 10. Lift or slide the power supply from the case.
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To install the power supply, follow these steps:
Step 1. Lower the power supply into the case.
Step 2. Attach the power supply to the shelf with screws if required.
Step 3. Attach the power supply to the rear of the computer case; line up the
holes in the unit carefully with the holes in the outside of the case.
Step 4. Connect the power supply to the case, CPU fans, drives, and motherboard.
Note that some power supplies provide a two-wire cable for use
by motherboards that can monitor the power supply fan speed. Be sure
to connect this cable as well as the main power cable and additional
power cables as required.
Step 5. Check the voltage setting on the power supply. Change it to the correct
voltage for your location.
Step 6. Attach the AC power cord to the new power supply.
Step 7. Turn on the computer.
Step 8. Boot the system normally to verify correct operation, and then run the
normal shutdown procedure for the operating systems. If necessary, turn
off the system with the front power switch only.
Step 9. Close the case and secure it.
Troubleshooting Power Problems
A dead system that gives no signs of life when turned on can be caused by the
following:
■ Defects in AC power to the system
■ Power supply failure or misconfiguration
■ Temporary short circuits in internal or external components
■ Power supply or other component failure
Page
Step 1. Check the AC power to the system; a loose or disconnected power cord,
a disconnected surge protector, a surge protector that has been turned
off, or a dead AC wall socket will prevent a system from receiving power.
If the wall socket has no power, reset the circuit breaker in the electrical
service box for the location.
45
The following steps are designed to determine whether the
power problem is caused by a short circuit or another problem:
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Step 2. Check the AC voltage switch on the power supply; it should be set to
115V for North America. Turn off the power, reset the switch, and
restart the system if the switch was set to 230V.
Step 3. Check the keyboard connector; a loose keyboard connector could cause
a short circuit.
Step 4. Open the system and check for loose screws or other components such
as loose slot covers, modem speakers, or other metal items that can
cause a short circuit. Correct them and retest.
Step 5. Verify that the cable from the front-mounted power switch is properly
connected to the motherboard.
Step 6. Check for fuses on the motherboard (mainly found in very old systems).
Turn off the power, replace any blown fuse on the motherboard with a
fuse of the correct rating, and retest. Never try to short-circuit or bypass
fuses on the motherboard or anywhere else.
Step 7. Remove all expansion cards and disconnect power to all drives; restart
the system and use a multimeter to test power to the motherboard and
expansion slots per Table 5-4, earlier in this chapter.
Step 8. If the power tests within accepted limits with all peripherals disconnected,
reinstall one card at a time and check the power. If the power tests within
accepted limits, reattach one drive at a time and check the power.
Step 9. If a defective card or drive has a dead short, reattaching the defective
card or drive should stop the system immediately upon power-up. Replace
the card or drive and retest.
Step 10. Test the Power Good line at the power supply motherboard connector
with a multimeter.
Page
The basic input/output system (BIOS) is an essential component of the motherboard.
This boot firmware, also known as System BIOS, is the first code run by a
computer when it is booted. It prepares the machine by testing it during bootup
and paves the way for the operating system to start. It tests and initializes
components such as the processor, RAM, video card, magnetic disks, and optical
disks. If any errors occur, the BIOS will report them as part of the testing stage,
known as the power-on self test (POST). The BIOS resides on a ROM chip and
stores a setup program that you can access when the computer first boots up.
46
BIOS
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From this program, a user can change settings in the BIOS and upgrade the
BIOS as well. Within this chapter you will find out about how the BIOS,
CMOS, and batteries on the motherboard interact, and will learn how to configure
and upgrade the BIOS.
Understanding BIOS, CMOS, and Firmware
Page
The BIOS is a complex piece of firmware (“software on a chip”) that provides support
for the following devices and features of your system:
Selection and configuration of storage devices connected to the motherboard’s
host adapters, such as hard drives, floppy drives, and CD-ROM drives
Configuration of main and cache memory
Configuration of built-in ports, such as PATA and SATA hard disk, floppy disk,
serial, parallel, PS/2 mouse, USB, and IEEE-1394 ports
Configuration of integrated (built into the motherboard chipset) audio, network,
and graphics features when present
Selection and configuration of special motherboard features, such as memory
47
BIOS chips and CMOS batteries on typical motherboards.
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error correction, antivirus protection, and fast memory access
Support for different CPU types, speeds, and special features
Support for advanced operating systems, including networks and plug-and-play
versions of Windows
Power management
Hardware monitoring (processor temperature, voltage levels, and fan performance)
Without the BIOS, your computer would be a collection of metal and plastic parts
that couldn’t interact with one another or do much of anything but gather dust.
The BIOS also performs two other important tasks:
It runs the power-on self test (POST) when the system is started.
It establishes a list of locations that can be used by an operating system to boot
the computer (hard disk, CD or DVD drive, USB drive, floppy drive, network)
and turns over control of the system by using the Bootstrap loader after completing
its startup tasks.
Page
The CR2032 lithium watch battery (center) is the most common battery used to
maintain CMOS settings in recent systems, but other batteries such as the Dallas
Semiconductor
48
The BIOS doesn’t do its job alone. It works with two other important components:
CMOS memory
Motherboard battery (also called the CMOS battery)
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DS12887A clock/battery chip (left) and the AA-size 3.6 volt (V) Eternacell (right) have
also
been used in older systems.
Configuring the System BIOS
The system BIOS has default settings provided by the system or motherboard
maker, but as a system is built up with storage devices, memory modules, adapter
cards, and other components, it is usually necessary to alter the standard settings.
To perform this task, the system assembler must use the BIOS setup program to
make changes and save them to the CMOS. Originally, the BIOS setup program was
run from a bootable floppy disk, but for many years most system BIOS chips have
included the setup program.
Accessing the BIOS Setup Program
On most systems built since the late 1980s, the BIOS configuration program is
stored in the BIOS chip itself. Just press the key or key combination displayed onscreen
(or described in the manual) to get started.
Although these keystrokes vary from system to system, the most popular keys on
current systems include the escape (Esc) key, the Delete (Del) key, the F1 key, the
F2 key, the F10 key, and various combinations of Ctrl+Alt+ another specified key.
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49
Most recent systems display the key(s) necessary to start the BIOS setup program
at startup. However, if you don’t know which key to press to start
your computer’s BIOS setup program, check the system or motherboard manual
for the correct key(s).
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The splash screens used by many recent systems display the keystrokes needed
to start the BIOS setup program.
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BIOS Settings Overview
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A detailed discussion of the most important CMOS/BIOS settings.
Use this table as a quick reference to the settings you need to make or verify
in any system. Examples of these and other settings are provided in the following
sections.
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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
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COMPUTER HARDWARE SERVICING DEPARTMENT
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Automatic Configuration of BIOS/CMOS Settings
Let’s be frank—after reading Major CMOS/BIOS Settings, you might be wondering,
“Isn’t there an
easier way to configure the BIOS?” Well, actually there is, in a way.
Many BIOS versions enable you to automatically configure your system with a
choice of these options from the main menu:
BIOS defaults (also referred to as Original/Fail-Safe on some systems)
Setup defaults (also referred to as Optimal on some systems)
Turbo
With many recent systems, you can select Optimal or Setup defaults, save your
Page
Use BIOS defaults to troubleshoot the system because these settings are very
conservative
in memory timings and other options. Normally, the Setup defaults provide
better performance. Turbo, if present, speeds the memory refresh rate used by
the system.
55
These options primarily deal with performance configuration settings in the BIOS,
such as memory timings, memory cache, and the like. The settings used by each
BIOS setup option are customized by the motherboard or system manufacturer.
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changes, and exit, and the system will work acceptably. However, you might want
more control over your system. In that case, look at the following screens and
make the necessary changes.
Selecting Options
On typical systems, you set numerical settings, such as date and time, by scrolling
through allowable values with keys such as + and - or page up/page down. However,
you select settings with a limited range of options, such as enable/disable or
choices from a menu, by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard and choosing the
option desired from the available choices.
Main Menu
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56
When you start the BIOS configuration program for your system, you might see a
menu similar to the CMOS Setup Utility menu shown below. From this
menu, you can go to any menu, select default settings, save changes, or exit the
CMOS setup menu.
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A typical CMOS Setup utility main menu.
Standard Features/Settings
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57
The Standard Features/Settings menu (Figure 4-5 shows an example) is typically
used to configure the system’s date and time as well as drives connected to PATA
(ATA/IDE), SATA, and floppy drive interfaces on the motherboard.
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A typical CMOS Standard Features/Settings menu.
Page
Most recent systems automatically detect the drive connected to each PATA and
SATA host adapter, as shown earlier. However, some systems might
use manual entry of the correct settings instead. These are usually listed on the
drive’s faceplate or in the instruction manual.
58
PATA and SATA BIOS Configuration
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Typical PATA configuration menu.
Page
Some systems display system information such as processor type, clock speed,
cache memory size, installed memory (RAM), and BIOS information on the standard
menu or a submenu
59
System Information
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Viewing system information.
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Advanced BIOS Settings/Features
A typical Advanced BIOS Features menu.
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61
The Advanced BIOS Settings/Features menu typically includes settings that control
how the system boots.. Enabling Quick Boot skips memory and drive tests to enable
faster startup. Enabling Boot Sector Protection provides some protection against boot
sector computer viruses. Enabling Boot Up Num-Lock LED turns on the keyboard’s
Num Lock option.
The Boot Sequence submenu shown in Figure 4-9 is used to adjust the order that
drives are checked for bootable media. For everyday use, follow this order:
First drive—Hard disk
Second—Floppy (if present) or CD/DVD drive
Third—CD/DVD drive or USB device
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A typical Boot Sequence submenu configured to permit booting from a CD/DVD
or floppy disk.
The order shown in this figure is recommended for situations in which you need
to boot from a CD/DVD or floppy disk drive (installing a new operating system or
booting diagnostic software).
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62
Note that if you have more than one drive in any category that you can select the
boot drive from the submenus below the boot device listing.
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Integrated Peripherals
The typical system today is loaded with onboard ports and features, and the Integrated
Peripherals menu and its submenus are used to enable, disable, and configure them.
Page
Note that most systems have separate settings for USB controller and USB 2.0
controller. If you connect a USB 2.0 device to a USB port on your system and you
see a “This device can perform faster” error message in Windows, make sure the
USB 2.0 controller or USB 2.0 mode is enabled. If USB 2.0 features are disabled
in the BIOS, all of your system’s USB ports will run in USB 1.1 mode only.
63
A typical Integrated Peripherals menu.
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Onboard Devices
The Onboard Devices submenu on this system, is used to
enable or disable newer types of ports, such as IEEE-1394 (FireWire), audio, and
Ethernet LAN ports (this system has two). The onboard LAN option ROM is disabled
on this system, but should be enabled if you want to boot from an operating
system that is stored on a network drive.
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A typical Onboard Devices submenu.
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I/O Devices
Page
A typical I/O Devices submenu.
65
Most systems separate legacy ports such as floppy, serial (COM), and parallel port
(LPT) into their own submenus, as in the I/O Devices submenu. Some systems might
also have a setting for the PS/2 mouse port on this or another CMOS/BIOS menu.
The COM (serial) port is disabled on this system because there are no devices
connected
to it (most devices that formerly used COM ports, such as modems, pointing
devices, and printers, now use USB ports; similarly, most mice that formerly
used PS/2 ports now use USB ports). The parallel (LPT) port is enabled because it
is used by a printer.
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PATA/IDE and SATA Configuration
The PATA/IDE and SATA configuration menus usually don’t need adjustment, except
when you need to create a redundant array of inexpensive drives (RAID) array
from two or more drives.
Page
Typical SATA configuration menu.
66
Use the SATA configuration menu to enable, disable, or specify how many SATA
host adapters to make available; to enable or disable SATA RAID; and to configure
SATA host adapters to run in compatible (emulating PATA) or native (AHCI) mode.
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Power Management
Although Windows includes power management features, the BIOS controls how
any given system responds to standby or power-out conditions.
Page
ACPI is the power management function used in modern systems, replacing the
older APM standard; it should be enabled. Most systems offer two ACPI standby
67
Typical power management configuration menu.
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states: S1/POS (power on standby) and S3/STR (suspend to RAM). Use S3/STR
whenever possible, as it uses much less power when the system is idle than S1/POS.
You can also configure your system power button, specify how to restart your system
if AC power is lost, and specify how to wake up a system from standby, sleep,
or hibernation modes.
Configuring Wakeup Events.
Page
The PnP/PCI Configuration dialog is used to specify which
graphics adapter is primary (PCI Express versus PCI or AGP versus PCI), the IRQ
settings to use for PCI slots, the settings for the PCI latency timer, and which IRQ
68
PnP/PCI Configurations
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and DMA hardware resources to set aside for use by non-PnP devices.
Configuring PnP/PCI settings.
Hardware Monitor
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69
As hot as a small room containing a PC can get, it’s a whole lot hotter inside the
PC itself. Excessive heat is the enemy of system stability and shortens the life of
your hardware. Adding fans can help, but if they fail, you have problems.
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A typical Hardware Monitor screen.
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Processor and Memory Configuration
Some older processors, such as the Athlon XP, do not automatically configure the
system BIOS settings for processor clock multiplier and frequency, while newer
processors typically do. However, the processor configuration dialog
is found in performance-oriented systems and displays current settings
and enables the user to adjust these and other settings to overclock the system
(running its components at faster than normal settings).
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71
Security Features
Security features of various types are scattered around the typical system BIOS dialogs.
These include
BIOS password— BIOS Settings Password or Security dialogs
Power-on password— Configured through the Security dialog
Chassis Intrusion— Various locations
Boot sector protection— Advanced BIOS Features dialog
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A typical processor configuration screen. Options shown with * are used for
overclocking.
Exiting the BIOS and Saving/Discarding Changes
Page
A)
72
When you exit the BIOS setup program, you can elect to save configuration
changes or discard changes. Choose the option to save changes (Figure 4-22a) if
you made changes you want to keep. Choose the option to discard changes
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B)
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Power-On Self-Test and Error Reporting
Every time you turn on your PC, the BIOS performs one of its most important
jobs: the POST (power-on self-test). The POST portion of the BIOS enables the
BIOS to find and report errors in the computer’s hardware.
73
Typical exit dialogs: saving changes (a) and discarding changes (b).
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The POST checks the following parts of the computer:
The CPU and the POST ROM portion of the BIOS
The system timer
Video display (graphics) card
Memory
The keyboard
The disk drives
You hope the POST always checks out OK. But what happens if the POST encounters
a problem? The system will stop the boot process if it encounters a serious
or fatal error (see the following “Beep Codes” section). During the POST
process, the BIOS uses any one of several methods to report problems:
Beep codes
POST error messages (displayed on the monitor)
POST (hex) error codes
The next sections describe each
Beep Codes
Beep codes are used by most BIOS versions to indicate either a fatal error or a serious
error. A fatal error is an error that is so serious that the computer cannot continue
the boot process. A fatal error would include a problem with the CPU, the
POST ROM, the system timer, or memory. The serious error that beep codes report
is a problem with your video display card or circuit. Although systems can
boot without video, seldom would you want to because you can’t see what the system
is doing.
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Because beep codes do not report all possible problems during the startup
process, you can’t rely exclusively on beep codes to help you detect and solve system
problems.
74
Beep codes vary by the BIOS maker. Some companies, such as IBM, Acer, and
Compaq, create their own BIOS chips and firmware. However, most other major
brands of computers and virtually all “clones” use a BIOS made by one of the “Big
Three” BIOS vendors: American Megatrends (AMI), Phoenix Technologies, and
Award Software (now owned by Phoenix Technologies).
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For additional beep codes, see the following resources:
AMI BIOS— http://www.ami.com/support/bios.cfm
Phoenix BIOS— http://www.phoenix.com/
IBM, Dell, Acer, other brands— http://www.bioscentral.com
Windows XP Professional System Requirements
Here's What You Need to Use Windows XP Professional
• PC with 300 megahertz or higher processor clock speed recommended;
233 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system);* Intel
• 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum
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processor recommended
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Pentium/Celeron family, or AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible
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supported; may limit performance and some features)
• 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space*
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
• CD-ROM or DVD drive
• Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
Additional Items or Services Required to Use Certain Windows XP
Features
• For Internet access:
• Some Internet functionality may require Internet access, a Microsoft .NET
Passport account, and payment of a separate fee to a service provider;
local and/or long-distance telephone toll charges may apply
• 14.4 kilobits per second (Kbps) or higher-speed modem
• For networking:
• Network adapter appropriate for the type of local-area, wide-area,
wireless, or home network you wish to connect to, and access to an
appropriate network infrastructure; access to third-party networks may
require additional charges
• For instant messaging, voice and videoconferencing, and
application sharing, both parties need:
• Microsoft .NET Passport account and Internet access or Microsoft
Exchange 2000 Server instant messaging account and network access
(some configurations may require download of additional components)
• For voice and videoconferencing, both parties also need:
• For videoconferencing, both parties also need:
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• Microphone and sound card with speakers or headset
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• 33.6 Kbps or higher-speed modem, or a network connection
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• Video conferencing camera
• Windows XP
• For application sharing, both parties also need:
• 33.6 Kbps or higher-speed modem, or a network connection
• Windows XP
• For remote assistance:
• Both parties must be running Windows XP and be connected by a
network
• For remote desktop:
• A Windows 95 or later–based computer, and the two machines must be
connected by a network
• For sound:
• Sound card and speakers or headphones
• For DVD video playback:
• DVD drive and DVD decoder card or DVD decoder software
• 8 MB of video RAM
• For Windows Movie Maker:
• Video capture feature requires appropriate digital or analog video capture
device
• 400 MHz or higher processor for digital video camera capture
* Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the
applications and features you choose to install. Additional available hard disk
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space may be required if you are installing over a network.
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Install Windows XP
This procedure demonstrates how to install Windows XP Professional. The procedure to install
Windows XP home edition is very similar to the professional edition. Since Windows XP Pro is
more advanced operating system, it will be used to demonstrate the installation procedure.
The best way install Windows XP is to do a clean install. It is not difficult to perform a clean
installation. Before you perform the installation I recommend that you check Windows XP
Compatibility List to ensure that your hardware is supported by XP. If your hardware is not on
the compatibility list you can check your hardware manufactures website to download the drivers
for Windows XP. Save all the necessary drivers onto floppy disks or CD before you start the
installation.
All versions of Windows XP CD are bootable. In order to boot from CD/DVD-ROM you need to
set the boot sequence. Look for the boot sequence under your BIOS setup and make sure that the
first boot device is set to CD/DVD-ROM. You can then perform the following steps to install
Windows XP:
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Step 2 - At this stage it will ask you to press F6 if you want to install a third party Raid or SCSI
driver. If you are using a an IDE Hard Drive then you do not need to press F6. If you are using a
SCSI or SATA Hard drive then you must press F6 otherwise Windows will not detect your Hard
Drive during the installation. Please make sure you have the Raid drivers on a floppy disk.
Normally the drivers are supplied on a CD which you can copy to a floppy disk ready to be
installed. If you are not sure how to do this then please read your motherboard manuals for more
information.
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Step 1 - Start your PC and place your Windows XP CD in your CD/DVD-ROM drive. Your PC
should automatically detect the CD and you will get a message saying "Press any key to boot
from CD". Soon as computer starts booting from the CD your will get the following screen:
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Step 3 - Press S to Specify that you want to install additional device.
Step 3 - Press S to Specify that you want to install additional device.
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Step 4 - You will be asked to insert the floppy disk with the Raid or SCSI drivers. Press enter
after you have inserted the disk.
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Step 5 - You will see a list of Raid drivers for your HDD. Select the correct driver for your
device and press enter.
Step 6 - You will then get a Windows XP Professional Setup screen. You have the option to do a
new Windows install, Repair previous install or quit. Since we are doing a new install we just
press Enter to continue.
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Step 7 - You will be presented with the End User Licensing Agreement. Press F8 to accept and
continue
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Step 8 - This step is very important. Here we will create the partition where Windows will be
installed. If you have a brand new unformatted drive you will get a screen similar to below. In
our case the drive size is 8190MB. We can choose to install Windows in this drive without
creating a partition, hence use the entire size of the drive. If you wish to do this you can just
press enter and Windows will automatically partition and format the drive as one large drive.
However for this demonstration I will create two partition. The first partition will be 6000MB
(C: drive) and second partition would be 2180MB (E: drive). By creating two partition we can
have one which stores Windows and Applications and the other which stores our data. So in the
future if anything goes wrong with our Windows install such as virus or spyware we can reinstall Windows on C: drive and our data on E: drive will not be touched. Please note you can
choose whatever size partition your like. For example if you have 500GB hard drive you can
have two partition of 250GB each.
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Step 8 - Windows will show the total size of the hard drive and ask you how much you want to
allocate for the partition you are about to create. I will choose 6000MB. You will then get the
screen below. Notice it shows C: Partition 1 followed by the size 6000 MB. This indicates the
partition has been created. We still have an unpartitioned space of 2189MB. Next highlight the
unpartitioned space by pressing down the arrow key. Then press C to create another partition.
You will see the total space available for the new partition. Just choose all the space left over, in
our case 2180MB.
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Press C to create a partition.
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Step 9 - Now you will see both partition listed. Partition 1 (C: Drive) 6000MB and Partition 2
(E: Drive) 2180MB. You will also have 8MB of unpartitioned space. Don't worry about that. Just
leave it how its is. Windows normally has some unpartitioned space. You might wonder what
happened to D: drive. Windows has automatically allocated D: drive to CD/DVD-ROM.
Select Partition 1 (C: Drive) and press Enter.
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Windows will now start formatting drive C: and start copying setup files as shown on the two
images below :
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Step 10 - Choose format the partition using NTFS file system.This is the recommended file
system. If the hard drive has been formatted before then you can choose quick NTFS format. We
chose NTFS because it offers many security features, supports larger drive size, and bigger size
files.
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Step 11 - After the setup has completed copying the files the computer will restart. Leave the XP
CD in the drive but this time DO NOT press any key when the message "Press any key to boot
from CD" is displayed. In few seconds setup will continue. Windows XP Setup wizard will guide
you through the setup process of gathering information about your computer.
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Step 12 - Choose your region and language.
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Step 13 - Type in your name and organization.
Step 14. Enter your product key.
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Step 15 - Name the computer, and enter an Administrator password. Don't forget to write down
your Administrator password.
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Step 16 - Enter the correct date, time and choose your time zone.
Step 17 - For the network setting choose typical and press next.
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Step 18 - Choose workgroup or domain name. If you are not a member of a domain then leave
the default settings and press next. Windows will restart again and adjust the display.
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Step 19 - Finally Windows will start and present you with a Welcome screen. Click next to
continue.
Step 20 - Choose 'help protect my PC by turning on automatic updates now' and press next.
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Step 21 - Will this computer connect to the internet directly, or through a network? If you are
connected to a router or LAN then choose: 'Yes, this computer will connect through a local area
network or home network'. If you have dial up modem choose: 'No, this computer will connect
directly to the internet'. Then click Next.
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Step 22 - Ready to activate Windows? Choose yes if you wish to active Windows over the
internet now. Choose no if you want to activate Windows at a later stage.
Step 23 - Add users that will sign on to this computer and click next.
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Step 24 - You will get a Thank you screen to confirm setup is complete. Click finish.
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Step 25. Log in, to your PC for the first time.
Step 26 - You now need to check the device manager to confirm that all the drivers has been
loaded or if there are any conflicts. From the start menu select Start -> Settings -> Control
Panel. Click on the System icon and then from the System Properties window select the
Hardware tab, then click on Device Manager.
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Your hardware should come with manufacturer supplied drivers. You need to install these
drivers using the automatic setup program provided by the manufacturer or you need to manually
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If there are any yellow exclamation mark "!" next to any of the listed device, it means that no
drivers or incorrect drivers has been loaded for that device. In our case we have a Video
Controller (VGA card) which has no drivers installed.
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install these drivers. If you do not have the drivers, check the manufacturers website to download
them.
To install a driver manually use the following procedure:
(a) From the device manager double click on the device containing the exclamation mark.
(b) This would open a device properties window.
(c) Click on the Driver tab.
(d) Click Update Driver button. The Wizard for updating device driver pops up as shown below:
You now get two options. The first option provides an automatic search for the required driver.
The second option allows you to specify the location of the driver. If you don't know the location
of the driver choose the automatic search which would find the required driver from the
manufacturer supplied CD or Floppy disk. Windows would install the required driver and may
ask you to restart the system for the changes to take affect. Use this procedure to install drivers
for all the devices that contain an exclamation mark. Windows is completely setup when there
are no more exclamation marks in the device manager.
DOS TOP 10 COMMANDS
cd
dir
copy
del
edit
move
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Below is a listing of the top 10 MS-DOS commands most commonly used and that
you will most likely use during a normal DOS session.
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7.
8.
9.
10.
ren (rename)
deltree
cls
format
TOP 10 COMMAND PAGES
Below is a listing of the top 10 MS-DOS command pages by the amount of times
they have been accessed on the Computer Hope server.
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fdisk
format
copy
xcopy
dir
cd
deltree
net
Ansi
ping
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Managing Hardware on
Windows XP
IN THIS CHAPTER
◆ Installing and removing hardware
◆
◆
◆
◆
INSTALLING AND MANAGING HARDWARE on Windows operating systems has been a
real chore for even experienced users in the past. You had to deal with conflicts, know your
interrupt request lines (IRQs), and overall just hope that things worked out well. Fortunately,
computer hardware has come a long way, and Windows XP is the easiest operating system so far
in terms of installing and managing hardware on your PC. With the tools Windows XP gives
you, hardware no longer needs to be a major problem. This chapter explores the features and
tools Windows XP gives you to manage computer hardware.
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Windows XP is a plug-and-play system, meaning that Windows XP can detect hardware changes
and adapt to them. For example, you can install a new video card and, upon reboot, Windows XP
will detect the new hardware and attempt to automatically install it. If the installation is
successful, the hardware is automatically ready for use. If installation is not successful, a prompt
appears for the Add Hardware Wizard, so that you can attempt to manually install the hardware.
Under most circumstances, Windows XP can automatically install up-to-date plug-and-play
hardware. Windows XP has the most extensive device driver database to date, and Windows XP
can usually locate a basic driver to work with most plug-and-play devices. The trick is to use
hardware that is compatible with Windows XP. When purchasing and installing new hardware,
check for compatibility, and also check the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) at
www.microsoft.com/hcl to see if the device is listed. Note, however, that just because a hardware
device is not listed on the HCL does not mean the device will not work with Windows XP—it
just means that Microsoft hasn’t tested the device.
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Installing and Removing Hardware
on Windows XP
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In the event that you need to manually install a hardware device on Windows XP, you can use
the Add Hardware Wizard in the Control Panel, which will help you install the device. Before
installing a device manually, you’ll probably need the driver for the device. A driver is a piece of
software that allows Windows XP and the hardware device to communicate with each other. As I
mentioned, Windows XP has a large database of generic drivers that will often work, but the
specific driver created for the hardware device (by the hardware vendor) is often your best
choice .If Windows XP is having problems installing the device automatically through plug and
play, you will probably need the device driver. The driver often accompanies the hardware
device on a floppy disk or CD-ROM, or you can usually find it on the device manufacturer’s
Web site. The following steps show you how to use the AddHardware Wizard.
1. Click Start→Control Panel→Add Hardware.
2. Click Next on the Welcome screen.
3. The wizard searches for any hardware that has been connected to the computer. If the
hardware is not found, a window appears that asks if the hardware is connected. Make
the correct selection and click Next.
4. You can use the Add Hardware Wizard to troubleshoot a device that is not working or
add a new hardware device. In the provided window, make a selection.
5. The wizard prompts you to either install the hardware by selecting it from a list or have
Windows search again. Because Windows has not been able to detect the hardware up to
this point, it is usually best to choose the Install the hardware that I manually select from
a list radio button. Click Next.
6. A hardware-type window appears that allows you to choose the kind of hardware device
you want to install. Choose a desired category and click Next.
7. Windows XP generates a list of hardware from the category that you selected. In the
selection window, choose the manufacturer and the model of the hardware that you want
to install. If you have an installation disk for the hardware, you can click the Have Disk
button and run the hardware installation routine from the disk. Make a selection and click
Next.
8. The hardware you want to install is listed. Click Next to continue the installation. Files
are copied and the device is installed. Click Finish to complete the installation.
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The following steps show you how to use the Add Hardware Wizard to troubleshoot a
device:
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You can also use the Add Hardware Wizard to troubleshoot problematic devices. This
option essentially provides you with a look at the device’s properties and attempts to help
you discover what is causing the problem so that it can be fixed.
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1. Click Start→Control Panel→Add Hardware.
2. Click Next on the Welcome screen.
3. Windows XP searches for new hardware. If none is found, you’ll see the list of devices
currently installed on the computer. Devices that are not functioning properly appear with
a yellow exclamation point beside them.
Select the problematic device and click Next.
4. The final screen appears with a status message for the device. Click Finish and the
troubleshooter for the device begins. From this point, you can use the troubleshooter or
attempt to solve the problem on your own.
The Add Hardware Wizard’s troubleshooting feature is helpful, but you can easily gain
the same information using Device Manager, which is explored in next section.
Using Device Manager
A helpful tool that you can use to explore the configuration of hardware device sand make
changes to that configuration is the Device Manager. Device Manage has been around for several
iterations of Windows, and it is still an important feature in Windows XP. You can access
Device Manager via the Computer Management console, or you can simply click the Device
Manager option on the System Properties’ Hardware tab .Either way, the Device Manager
interface, shown in Figure 6-1, gives you a listing of hardware categories. If you expand the
category, you can see the hardware devices installed under that category. Using Device Manager,
you can easily scan hardware categories and the installed hardware. If you right-click a hardware
device, you can do any of the following:
◆Update the driver
◆Disable the device
◆Uninstall the device
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◆Access the device’s properties
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◆Scan for hardware changes
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Figure 6-1: Device Manager
If you right-click the desired device and click Properties, you’ll see a few different tabs. As a
standard, most devices have the General, Driver, and Resources tabs. Some devices may have
additional tabs specific to those devices. For example, Mouse properties usually has an
Advanced Settings tab where you can configure how the wheel operates. Because the General,
Driver, and Resources tabs are available for most devices, let’s consider the available options on
each On the General tab, shown in Figure 6-2, you have a few basic items. First, you see the
following:
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◆Device type
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◆Device name
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◆Device manufacturer
◆Physical location of the device on the system
In the Device status window, you can see any error messages or problems that apply to the
device. If problems exist, you can start the hardware trouble shooter by clicking the Troubleshoot
button. In the Device usage drop-down menu, you have the enable or disable device options. To
disable the device, simple choose the disable device option from the drop-down menu.
◆ Memory ranges
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The Driver tab provides you with an easy way to manage a device driver. Because driver
management is overall a big part of hardware management, the next section devotes more time to
the device drivers and the information on this tab.
On the Resources tab, shown in Figure 6-3, you’ll see the following:
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Figure 6-2: General tab
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◆ I/O range
◆ IRQ setting
◆ Related hardware resource configuration that has been configured automatically
by Windows XP
Note: that the settings cannot be changed unless there is a conflict. If a
conflict does exist, the conflicting device will be listed in the dialog
box, and the option to manually change the setting will not be grayed
out. You can then try to adjust the resource settings so that the devices
do not conflict with each other.
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Figure 6-3: Resources tab.
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Configuring Hardware Profiles
Hardware profiles are nothing new in Windows XP—they have been around since the
days of Windows 9x, but they continue to be an important part of Windows XP hardware
configuration—especially for laptop computers.
The purpose of hardware profiles is to enable a laptop computer to have different
hardware configurations, without having to install and/or uninstall hardware every time the
computer is in use. Consider an example. Say that you use a laptop computer in an office setting.
While connected to the local area network (LAN) at the physical office, you use a mouse,
keyboard, and desktop monitor with the laptop.
You also have a local printer. However, when you are on the road, the external keyboard,
mouse, monitor, and printer are not used.
Using hardware profiles in this situation, you could configure a docked and undocked profile so
that Windows XP knows what hardware to use when you are connected to the physical network
and when you are traveling. The end result is that you save system resources when you are on the
road by not loading additional unnecessary hardware configuration data, and your applications
do not get confused about what device is available. You can easily configure hardware profiles
for a computer, as needed, and the following steps show you
how:
1. Open Control Panel→System Properties.
2. Click the Hardware tab and click the Hardware Profiles button. You see the Hardware Profiles
window appear, as shown in Figure 6-4.
Figure 6-4: Hardware Profiles.
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Figure 6-5: Profile Properties.
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3. You see the current default profile. If you click the Properties button, you can see the basic
properties of the default profile, as shown in Figure 6-5.You have two basic options here. You
can identify the profile as a profile for a portable computer, and you can choose to always
include the profile as an option when Windows starts.
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4. To create a new profile, click the Copy button. A Copy Profile dialog box appears. Enter a
desired name for the new profile and click OK. The current configuration from the default profile
is copied to the new profile.
At this point, you have two profiles that are the same.
5. You can now select the new profile and click Properties. In the provided dialog box, you can
choose the portable computer option and to always include the profile option when Windows
starts.
6. In the Hardware Profiles window, you now see the two profiles. When you restart the
computer, you’ll see a boot menu so that you can select the profile that you want. Click OK in
the Hardware Profiles window and restart Windows XP.
7. During bootup, a hardware profile menu appears. Select the new hardware profile that you
want to use and allow Windows XP to boot using that hardware profile. Log on to the computer.
8. Open System in the Control Panel, click the Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager
option.
9. Now that you are in Device Manager, access the properties pages for the devices that you do
not want to use under the new profile. On the General tab of those devices, choose the Do not
use this device in the current hardware profile (disable) option. Continue this process until you
have disabled any devices that should not be part of the portable hardware profile configuration.
10. Close the properties pages for the device. Notice that the devices you have disabled now
appear in the Device Manager with a red X over them, noting that the device is disabled.
11. At any time, you can create additional hardware profiles by following these steps, or you can
delete any hardware profiles by returning to the Hardware Profiles window
Working with Device Drivers and
Driver Signing
Page
Even though device drivers are the responsibility of hardware manufacturers, Windows XP still
maintains a generic database of drivers so that hardware can function with Windows XP, even if
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A device driver is software that allows Windows XP to interact with a hardware device. The
driver determines communication parameters and, essentially, acts as a bridge between the
operating system code and the device driver. The driver, then ,allows the operating system to
drive the hardware device, which you then control through the operating system interface.
Drivers are developed by hardware vendors, and from Microsoft’s point of view, how well a
driver operates with Windows XP is solely the hardware vendor’ responsibility. When Microsoft
releases a new operating system, an updated device driver generally needs to be created so that
the device can communicate with the new operating system. This is the primary reason that some
devices fail to operate after an upgrade—the driver is incompatible with the new operating
system.
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a manufacturer’s driver is not available. Undermost circumstances, the manufacturer’s driver
should be used, if at all possible, because it is specifically developed for the hardware device’s
interaction with Windows XP. So, the short lesson here is to simply use hardware that is
compatible with Windows XP, and make sure you are using the most current driver designed
by the manufacturer, if possible.
Because driver configuration and management can be difficult, Windows XP provides you with
the Driver tab, found on each device’s properties pages, which can be accessed from the Device
Page
Figure 6-6: Driver tab.
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Manager. The Driver tab, as you can see in Figure 6-6, gives you a few different button options
that you can use to manage the
device’s driver.
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Page
There are two colour-code standards in common use: EIA/TIA 568A and EIA/TIA 568B. These
standards derive from telecom usage and the pairs shown correspond to four phone lines, each
with its own line pair. This same wiring was adopted for LAN standard Ethernet RJ45 wiring as
well.
It is important to eliminate any confusion between 568, the standard, and 568, the wiring
scheme.
If someone refers to 568A, are they talking about the standard, or the wiring scheme? The
answer depends on the context.
If they were to say "The entire office fully complies with 568A", obviously, they would be talking
about the standard.
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568A & 568B Wiring Schemes
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If they were to say "The jacks and patch panels are all 568A", then they would be referring to
the wiring scheme.
The definitions of the two are:
568A Standard
This standard was published in July of 1991. The purpose of EIA/TIA 568A, was to create a
multiproduct, multivendor, standard for connectivity.
Prior to the adoption of this standard, many "proprietary" cabling systems existed. This was
very bad for the consumer.
Among other things, the standard set the minimum requirements for category-5E cable and
hardware.
The 568 "standard" is not to be confused with 568A or 568B wiring schemes, which are
themselves, part of the "568A standard".
568A & 568B Wiring Schemes
When referring to a jack or a patch panel's wiring connection, it is to either the 568A, or 568B
wiring scheme, which dictates the pin assignments to the pairs of cat 5E cable.
There is no difference, whatsoever, between the two wiring schemes, in connectivity or
performance when connected from one modular device to another (jack to Patch panel, RJ-45
to RJ-45, etc.), so long as both of the two devices are wired for the same scheme (A or B).
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The 568 committee decided, with good intentions, to allow both wiring methods (568A & 568B)
to exist within the 568A Standard. The reason was that at the time, a great deal of cabling
plants had been installed to the B standard (formerly known as WECO or AT&T 258A). Even
though they allowed both wiring methods, they stated in their standard that 568A wiring would
be the preferred method for all new installations. Time, and popular opinion though, went in
the other way and the most popular wiring method today is 568B.
Having both A & B methods is often the cause of errors and confusion. Patch panels and jacks
were originally manufactured either A or B, but generally were not labeled as such. Most
suppliers stocked only the B wired products. Fortunately almost all jacks and patch panels today
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The only time when one scheme has an advantage over the other, is when one end of a
segment is connected to a modular device, and the other end to a punch block. In which case,
the 568A has the advantage of having a more natural progression of pairs at the punch block
side.
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show diagrams for both A and B. The only difference between the two is the interchanging of
the 2nd and 3rd pairs (white/orange and white/green, respectively).
As to which method to choose? As stated earlier, there is no difference, whatsoever, between
the two wiring schemes, in connectivity or performance when connected from one modular
device to another. Therefore it does not matter at all, unless you are terminating one end onto
a punch block, in which case, the A method has an advantage.
The charts below illustrate the difference between the A & B methods.
The important thing is to choose one method, and stick with it.
For those who are not familiar with telephony, tip (T) refers to the positive (+) side, and ring (R)
refers to the negative side of the circuit. The white/blue pair (the first pair in the cable) consists
of two wires that are twisted together. They are the white/blue (tip) and the blue/white (ring).
The white/blue wire is predominately white with a blue stripe. The blue/white is the inverse,
predominately blue with a white stripe.
ASSIGNING IP ADDRESS
FIRST METHOD
1. Click Start | Right-Click Network Places
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2
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SECOND METHOD
1. Double-Click LAN Status
2. Right-Click Local Area Connections |Properties
1
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3. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) | Properties
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4. Click Use the ff. IP Address
Type your desired IP Address
Click Subnet Mask
Click OK
Join or Create a Workgroup
Workgroup
A group of computers that are connected on a network and share resources, such as
printers and files. When you set up a network, Windows automatically creates a
workgroup and gives it a name.
Creating a workgroup
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A. 1ST Method
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1. Click the Start button and then
click Control Panel
2. Double click System icon of
control panel
A view of System Properties
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3. Click the Computer Name Tab
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4. Click
button to
change current computer name and
workgroup
5. To join an existing workgroup,
type the name of the workgroup that
you want to join, and
then click OK.
6. To create a new workgroup, type the name of the
workgroup that you want to create, and
then click OK.
Notes
 Assign each computer a
different, meaningful name.
 Assign each computer to the
same workgroup.
7. Click OK
8. To restart your computer click
YES.
9. You have successfully created or joined a workgroup.
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B. 2ND Method
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1. Right-click my computer icon and
choose properties.
2. Click COMPUTER NAME TAB
THEN CLICK CHANGE BUTTON

Type Computer Name.
Example : Station1

Tick the Workgroup

Type the Workgroup name
Example: Networking
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3. Click Ok
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Files and Folders Sharing
Network users can access the files and folders that are shared. Resources that are not set up for
sharing remain private. For example, you can enable the following resources for sharing:




Folders
Drives
Printers
Internet access
Sharing files and folders
1. Locate the file and folder which you want to share
2. Right-click the file that you want to share, and then click Sharing and Security to view
additional settings.
3. Remote access is turned off by default. Click the Security warning message:
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If you understand the security risks but want to share files without running the wizard, click here.
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4. Select Just enable file sharing and click OK
5. Click Share this folder on the network, and then type a share name. You can use this name
later to access the data. You can Allow network users to change files by enabling it.
Click OK
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Notes: The share name and the folder name do not have to be the same.
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6. The shared folder will appear like this (with a hand under the folder)
7. You have successfully shared a folder.
Accessing a Shared Folder
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1. Click Start button and then click My Network Places.
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2. You can see all the shared files and folder
Sharing a Printer
1. Click Start button, click Control Panel, and click Printers and
Other Hardware
2. Click View installed printers or fax printers
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(If you are using Classic view in Control Panel, double-click Printers and Faxes.)
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3. Right-click the printer and then click Sharing
4. If you are sharing printer or folder for the first time, the following warning message will
appear. Click on the warning message:
If you understand the security risks but want to share files without running the wizard, click here.
5. The following screen will appear, click Just enable printer sharing, and then click OK.
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6. Click Share this printer, type a share name, and then click OK
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7. The printer is now shared and icon will appear like this
On the other computers, the Windows automatically installs the network printer that has the
share name you entered in step 6. You can install additional drivers by clicking button. Network
shared printer icon will look like one shown below.
Adding a Network Printer
1. Click Start button, click Control Panel and click Printers and Faxes
2. Click Add a printer
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3. Add Printer Wizard starts, click Next
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4. Click A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer, and then click Next
button.
5. Click Browse for a printer to find the printer in the network, and then click Next.
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7. Connect to Printer dialog box appears, ignore this warning and click YES
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6. Look for the workgroup, look for the computer, look for the share name, and then click Next
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8. Click Finish. Windows configures your printer and copies the printer driver over the network
9. You have successfully added a network printer. Network Shared printer will look like this
Creating and Sharing Internet Connection
The Internet
The Internet is the largest network of the world. The Internet provides almost instantaneous
communication by using telephone lines and other media to transmit information from computer
to computer. The World Wide Web (WWW) is a network of computerized information that can
include text, photographs, video clips and sound.
Shared Internet connection gives everyone access to surf the web when they want it using a
single connection. To create a broadband Internet connection, use the following procedure:
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1. Click Start button, click Control Panel
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2. Click Network and Internet Connections
3. Click Network Connections
4. Under Network Tasks, click Create a new connection
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5. New Connection Wizard will appear, click Next button
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6. Click Connect to the Internet, and then click Next
7. Click Setup my connection manually, and then click Next button
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8. Click Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name and password
and click Next
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9. In the Connection Name dialog box, type the name of the ISP. This becomes the name of
the connection. Click Next
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11. In the Internet Account Information dialog box, type the user name and password.
Additional checkboxes allow you to specify whether this connection and its user name and
password is available to all users (selected by default), whether this connection is your
default Internet connection (selected by default) and then click Next
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10. Enter the Phone number provided by ISP and click Next
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12. In the Completing the New Connection Wizard dialog box, review the settings. If you
need to modify any of them, click Back as many times as necessary. If all the settings are
correct, click Finish.
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13. Click Connect to attempt the connection, you have just created.
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13. Connecting TMnet… dialog box appears
You have successfully created broadband Internet connection
Internet Connection Sharing
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2. Right click the TMnet icon and click Properties
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1. Click Start button, click Control Panel, then Click Network and Internet Connections,
Click Network Connections
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3. TMnet Properties dialog box appears, click Advanced Tab and check Internet
Connection Sharing then click OK
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4. You have successfully enabled the Internet sharing for all users on the ne