Build Your Own Pc From Scratch

Build Your Own PC From Scratch

Developed by: Michael Long Computer Systems & Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

INDEX

A

E

L

Assessment Criteria ...........51 Attaching the Hard Drive and CD/ DVD rom Drive ...23, 24 Attaching the soft power, reset, Hard Drive and Power LED , and Speaker wires .............................20

ESD Precautions..................4

Laboratory Equipment, and Safety ........................... 43 Laboratory Equipment, and Safety cont… ....44, 45, 47 Loading Application Software....................... 38

B

F Final Assembly of Case.....27 Floppy ,Hard Drive and CDROM Power Connectors ....................25 Floppy Drive Installation Steps..............................22 G

Booting the pc for the first time ...............................29 Booting the pc for the first time (cont…)...........30, 31 Build Your Own PC From Scratch ...........................1

Getting Started with Pc Basics..................3, 2–1, 3 Graphics Card Installation .26 Graphics Installation Steps: ......................................26

C

I

Cases....................................8 Choosing an appropriate Motherboard .................10 Computer Systems and associated Programs......34 Connecting Peripherals......28 Connecting Power Supply Cables to the Motherboard ...............21 Creating a Computer Inventory.........................5

Installation Process ............13 Installing an Operating System ..........................32 Installing an Operating System cont…...............33 Installing RAM..................17 Installing RAM (Random Access Memory) ...........16 Installing the CPU .......13, 14 Installing the Floppy Drive, Hard Drive, and CD-ROM ......................................22 Installing the Heat Sink and Fan ................................15 Investigating a Computer's 37

D Data Cables........................24 Databases...........................41 Desktops or Towers.............7

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M Motherboard Configuration ................................11, 12 Motherboard installation... 19 Motherboard Installation .. 18 Motherboard Location Map ..................................... 11 O Origins of Internet ............ 35 P Power Supplies ..............9, 46 Practical Work .................. 48 Practical Work cont….. .... 49 Presentation Applications . 42 S Spreadsheets ..................... 40 Starting, Shutting Down, .. 36 T The Computer Case and Power Supply................. 6 W Word Processors ............... 39

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Getting Started with Pc Basics

Overview of General Safety Issues Before beginning any assembly process, review safety procedures. Assembling a computer is not a particularly dangerous job, but being aware of safety procedures is a good starting point. In addition to the safety procedures, there are safety concerns with leaving the computer plugged in while working inside it Use an anti-static mat and wrist strap or wrist strap only(clipped onto chassis) Use anti-static bags to store or move pc components Never install or remove components whilst pc is on Ground yourself by touching bare metal on chassis (15 seconds) Bare floors are always better to work on. Carpets are the worst with regards to static build-up Hold expansion cards by the front metal plate and never touch edge connectors To avoid possible hard drive damage never move a pc whilst turned on Avoid laying components down on a conductive surface to prevent battery shorting Avoid touching chips with magnetized screwdrivers Do not use pencils or metal tipped instruments to set dip switch or probe components as they are conductive and may result in component damage If passing a component to another person touch hands first to equalize potentials Keep the work area clean and tidy

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ESD Precautions Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is more commonly referred to as static electricity. ESD is the greatest single problem when a user is unwrapping newly purchased computer parts and components while preparing to assemble the computer. Just because a discharge cannot be felt does not mean it cannot harm a computer component. Computer chips run on low voltages and currents and if subjected to static electricity which could range into the tens of thousands of volts damage will occur ESD damage often destroys chips or worse still causes intermittent faults Always wear a wrist-strap whilst working on a pc. Never work on a powered up pc.

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Creating a Computer Inventory Importance of an Inventory When building a computer from scratch, it is important to document all of the components and parts that are purchased. Make sure the specifics about installation and maintenance requirements are saved, so that warranties will be valid. Computer Software Inventory Operating System Manufacturer Version Service Security Licence Key Networking Packs Capability

Application Software Manufacturer Version

Service Packs

Installation Directory

Licence Key

Networking Capability

It is important to save all the documentation that comes with the components. Store original documentation in zip lock type bags and paper work in 3-ring binders.(The motherboard box can be useful for storage) Keep a notebook in which websites can be referenced with useful information related to components such as devices drivers etc. Component Description (Include Brand Name and Model) Motherboard Cpu Ram Graphics Sound Hard Drive CD Drive DVD Drive Floppy Drive Network Adapter Other Devices

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The Computer Case and Power Supply Whether buying a tower or desktop it is recommended that the unit conforms to the ATX standard and has a 400-500 watt power supply. (Bigger PS for servers) Purchase a case that comes with a tray that allows easy access to the internal components. There are three basic system unit styles: desktops, towers, and portables. Each design offers characteristics that adapt the system for different environments.

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Desktops or Towers Desktops There are two important considerations in choosing a desktop case style for a computer: 1. Available desktop space 2. Form factor (describes the general layout of the computer case ) 3. Keep in mind that a desktop is basically a tower computer laid on its side but with inherently worse cooling characteristics

Desktop Pc

Towers Tower cases are usually designed to sit vertically on the floor beneath a desk. Tower cases come in three sizes: 1. Mid towers 2. Mini towers 3. Full-size towers

Mini Tower

Mid Tower

Full-size Tower

Cases When choosing your pc case ensure you cover your immediate needs and also foreseeable possible future needs. Questions you should ask yourself: Created by Michael Long Program Coordinator

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Available space? Server or workstation? Form factor? Power Supply? Number of 5.25” bays Number of 3.5” bays Front connectors for usb, firewire, sound? Provision for extra fans?

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Power Supplies The power supply unit provides electrical power for every component inside the system unit. There are two basic types of power supplies: 1. AT power supplies (Not common nowadays) Distinguishable by P8 P9 Molex Motherboard connectors and attached on/off switch 2. ATX power supplies (Commonly used today) Distinguishable by P1 Molex Motherboard connector and missing on/off switch Below is a commonly used ATX Power supply.

The power supply produces four (five in the ATX) different levels of wellregulated DC voltage for use by the system components. These are +5V, -5V, +12V, and -12V. In ATX power supplies, the +3.3V level is also produced and is used by the second-generation Intel Pentium processors. The IC devices on the motherboard and adapter cards use the +5V level. Be able to identify the uses for each voltage level and the corresponding colorcoded wire. This will allow testing of the wires using a multimeter to determine if there are problems with the power supply. The computer power supply produces a voltage only when it has a load. Some component must be running on the machine before a voltage can be found in the power cable connectors. Shorting green and black will activate an isolated power supply

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Choosing an appropriate Motherboard When deciding on a motherboard keep the following points in mind: Server or workstation? Form factor to suit case purchased Processor type and speed required to perform your tasks adequately Front-side bus speed (i.e CPU directly to memory) Chipset Ram provisions Graphics requirements ( Are you a gamer? If so perhaps an SLI motherboard with dual graphics cards provision) Audio ( Channels and jacks provided?) Network provisions Storage ( IDE channels, SATA connectors, Floppy Drive connector?) Operating System Support Expansion Slots Internal Connectors ( USB, Firewire, extra power connectors, extra fan connectors?) Rear I/O connectors (USB, Firewire, Serial port, Parallel port, K/board mouse connectors, RJ45 connector/s?) Bios flash features. Decisions, Decisions, Have fun☺

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Motherboard Location Map Before attempting any work on a pc ensure ESD precautions are catered for. A motherboard location map shows where the hardware and major components are located on the motherboard. Typically, everything listed in the specifications section of the motherboard manual is depicted and labeled on the location map. The main memory is subdivided into slots, and the slots are identified and numbered in sequence DIMM bank 1, DIMM bank 2, and DIMM bank 3 TYPICAL MOTHERBOARD LOCATION MAP

Motherboard Configuration Configuring the motherboard typically means the taking the following steps: Installing the CPU, installing the heat sink and fan, installing RAM, connecting the power supply cables to the motherboard power connectors, connecting miscellaneous connectors to the correct switches and status lights, and setting the system BIOS. Dip Switches and Jumpers (Plastic covered shorting devices) pictured below may be required to be set correctly prior to booting the pc for the first time. NB// Always read manual first! Created by Michael Long Program Coordinator

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Motherboard Configuration cont.. Location maps allow the correct configuration of the motherboard for the case controls and monitor lights on the front case panel . For the disk controllers, always remember that a coloured stripe on the data cable is pin 1. The BIOS interface can be keyboard driven (typical nowadays), or it can be graphical and mouse driven. When drives are replaced, memory upgraded, or adapter boards added, the BIOS setup will need to be updated to reflect the configuration changes and saved to the CMOS chip. The motherboard must be configured for the frequency of the installed processor.

Motherboard Jumpers There are several additional jumper settings that may have to be set along with the general motherboard configurations: BIOS Recovery Clear CMOS Password Clear BIOS Setup Access Processor Voltage

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Installing the CPU Problems will occur when the chip is hastily installed or installed out of alignment, which causes the chip pins to bend or break. Extreme care should be taken when installing the cpu , it is delicate and typically an expensive (If not the most expensive) component of the motherboard setup. There are two main types of CPU interfaces. 1. Socket type (less common) 2. Slot type (most common)

Slot Processor

Socket Processor

The newer processors now are often 64 bit and dual or quad core which improves efficiency dramatically when processing particularly when multi-tasking.(i.e one part of the processor assigned to certain tasks while the other/s free operate normally. Some new processors now have pads rather than pins to prevent pin damage. It is advisable to apply a small amount of heat-sink compound in between cpu and heatsink particularly after removing the heat-sink. The compound aids heat transfer between cpu and heat-sink. (Remember a small amount of compound in centre of cpu will suffice as it spreads when heat-sink is applied.)

Installation Process 1. Turn over the chip and inspect the pins to make sure none are damaged (bent or broken). All pins should stick straight out. 2. Align pin 1 on the chip with pin 1 on the socket for a correct installation. 3. Open the ZIF socket. Shift the lever slightly away from the socket, from its default closed, level position and raise it to the open, vertical position. 4. Align pin 1 according to the orientation that was determined in Step 2. Insert the processor chip into the socket so that all of the pins slide into the matching holes. 5. Double-check to make sure that there is no gap between the bottom of the CPU chip and the socket. If there is none, then the processor chip is properly inserted. 6. Secure the installed chip, push the lever back down to the closed position.

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Installing the CPU 7. Most motherboards are flexible enough to handle a variety of CPUs, but most CPUs are very particular about the amount of voltage they can handle. 8. Before installing the CPU, it is important to make sure that the right voltage is present for the proper performance of the processor. 9. If the proper voltage is not set, total damage to the system could occur, or the whole system will never operate correctly. 10. Voltages may be set by jumper or dip-switch or BIOS or automatically. 11. (Read The motherboard Manual first)

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Installing the Heat Sink and Fan Most microprocessors produce a lot of heat, which if not efficiently dissipated can cause the system to operate intermittently hang or reset or fail completely,. One way to dissipate heat from processors is to use the heat sink and cooling fan. Liquid cooled systems are growing in popularity.

Don’t forget heat-sink compound. Processors that come with the fan and heat-sink already attached to them are more convenient. These are called boxed processors. They also have better warranty coverage than those without the fan and heat sink attached. Boxed processors are referred to as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) processors. NB//Install cpu heat-sink and fan prior to mounting motherboard.

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Installing RAM (Random Access Memory) RAM (Stands for Random Access Memory and is Volatile) There are 2 main types of memory modules used on most PCs(DIMMS and SIMMS): 168-pin Dual In-line Memory Module,184 pin (DIMM) and 240 pin DDR1 and DDR2 cards, 72-pin Single In-line Memory Module (SIMM) cards. Ram chips operate at different frequencies Ensure Ram purchased matches the motherboard FSB (Front Side Bus) frequency/s If Ram is installed with different frequencies the motherboard may not boot up, may boot but not run efficiently or run at the lower of the two frequencies. Rule 1:Purchase Ram which runs at the higher end of available FSB frequencies and matches any existing Ram. Rule 2:If Motherboard supports Dual Channel Ram and you wish to utilise this feature make sure to get Ram with matching specifications. Rule 3: If installing uneven Ram Install largest module in first memory bank and smaller modules in subsequent banks. Note the notch positions!! DIMMS insert differently (90 o)to SIMMS(45o). NB//Install Ram prior to mounting motherboard (It’s easier and reduces possibility of flexing the motherboard unnecessarily.

Top:184 pin DIMM Middle:240 pin DIMM Bottom:240 Pin DIMM NB// Notches are all in different positions to stop istallation of the wrong type of ram Top:168 pin DIMM Bottom:72 pin SIMM

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Installing RAM New motherboards do not use SIMMs. It may be found, for example, that the DIMM sockets on the motherboard map are grouped into three or four banks of one slot each. DIMM1 and DIMM 2 are Bank 0 and Bank 1. In some cases, motherboards have more than two slots for RAM. These slots would be DIMM3 and DIMM4. Dual Channel Ram may be a feature of newer motherboards.

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Motherboard Installation After Cpu and Ram installation and any Dip Switch / Jumper settings which may be required to be set the motherboard Installation follows. Remove and replace old I/O shield with new shield provided with motherboard. Install required standoffs to provide adequate support particularly around areas which may be stressed like Cpu and Ram(Typically all the standoff holes on the motherboard will be filled ) A few “dry runs” may be necessary to determine which case holes need standoffs fitted. Install motherboard into I/O shield by via a tilting movement to get M/Board ports into the shield. (Do this Carefully motherboards damage easily!) Ensure correct screws are used NB//Best not to tighten motherboard screws until all are installed as it may be necessary to move the M/b slightly to align screws with holes. When all screws in tighten until “firm” Do not overtighten or you will strip the thread in the case and the standoff will never tighten!

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Motherboard installation Typical screws used in mounting a motherboard into a case. These may vary depending on the standoffs used.

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Attaching the soft power, reset, Hard Drive and Power LED , and Speaker wires LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), the status lights, are useful in indicating whether components inside the computer are on or working. LEDs that may be installed are for power, and the hard drive. Check polarity typically coloured wire +ve white -ve .Check motherboard manual for pins and orientation You may have extra connectors for cpu and hard drive temperatures, fan speeds etc, depending on the case purchased. If console wires are loose then try plaiting them to improve appearance, accessibility and airflow Read motherboard and case Instructions!

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Connecting Power Supply Cables to the Motherboard After successfully installing the motherboard in the computer case, proceed with attaching the appropriate power supply connector(s) to it. This process is easy with an ATX (boards and power supply) because there is only one connector that is also keyed to fit only one way. Could be 20 or 24 pin connector (P1) There may be extra power requirements to suit various motherboards

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Installing the Floppy Drive, Hard Drive, and CD-ROM 3.5” drives or 5.25” drives are installed in similar manner. Cd-roms and floppy drives are inserted from the front of the case after removing blanks.(Use short fine threads) Hard drives generally are installed from inside the case underneath the floppy drive but the position may vary depending on the case.(Use short coarse threads) Make sure the data cables and power cables are long enough to reach the drives before starting. Verify the drive is mounted right side up or it will not work. Ensure the correct screws are used and that both sides of the drives are secured.

Floppy Drive Installation Steps Step 1. Select which drive bay is to be used for the floppy drive. Remove the faceplate of that bay, and save the faceplate for future use. Step 2. Without connecting anything, insert the drive into the chosen bay, making sure it fits properly. Step 3. Select the proper size screws (preferably those that came with the drive). If using brackets to hold the drive in place, secure them now, or simply use the screws to attach the drive to the bay. If other drives are to be installed, this step can be skipped. This provides more maneuvering room in the case, especially if there are no removable drive bays. The drive cable and power cord can then be connected after all the drives have been installed. Make sure Pin1 on the cable aligns with Pin1 on the drive! (If you reverse polarity on the floppy data cable the light will remain on after booting) Step 4. Attach the power and ribbon cable to the drive. Check your work.

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Attaching the Hard Drive and CD/ DVD rom Drive Attaching the Hard Drive and CD-ROM are basically similar processes. Make sure that the interface cable will reach the drive in its intended location. With IDE/ATA (PATA) drives, the length of the cable is limited to 18" and less, in some cases which can cause problems . The designation of a hard drive or CD-ROM drive as either master or slave is generally determined by the jumper configuration, not by the order in which the drive is daisy-chained to the other drive unless Cable Select is jumpered.and eighty wire IDE cable(Ultra DMA) is used then back (end connector) will be master and blue(middle connector) will be slave. If using only 1 drive always use the end connector to limit interference. Configuring master /slave/cable select before installation is easier Step 1. Select which drive bay is to be used for the Hard Drive / CD-ROM Drive. Remove the faceplate of that bay, and save the faceplate for future use. Not necessary to remove faceplate for Hard Disk installation. Step 2. Without connecting anything, insert the drive into the chosen bay, making sure it fits properly. Step 3. Select the proper size screws (preferably those that came with the drive). If using brackets to hold the drive in place, secure them now, or simply use the screws to attach the drive to the bay. Make sure Pin1 on the cable aligns with Pin1 on the drive! (Hard drives and cdrom drives always have Pin1 nearest the power connector) Step 4. Attach the power and data cables (SATA or PATA) to the drive. Check your work.

IDE Drive

SATA Drive

DVD Drive IDE or SATA

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Attaching the Hard Drive and CD/ DVD rom Drive The hard drive can be inserted in any free bay in a computer case. However, there are some things that should be considered: They can generate a lot of heat. Therefore, keep these drives as far away from other hardware as possible If it is necessary to install a drive cooler, make sure there is enough room Install a hard drive away from the power supply Try to keep the hard drive near the front of the case. It will benefit from the cooling effect of the air current drawn into the case through the front by the system cooling fans SATA (Serial ATA) Hard Drives are becoming more and more popular If your Hard Drive is SATA the drive itself is still the same size (31/2 ”) and fits exactly the same way but the data cable will be much thinner and the power connector may be different as well. SATA transfers data faster than PATA .

Sata M/board connector

Sata Data , Molex Power

Sata Power Connector

Data Cables The floppy drive exchanges data with the motherboard devices, including the microprocessor, via a 34-pin flat ribbon (data) cable. The hard drive, CD-ROM, and DVD exchange data signals with the controller on the motherboard by means of a flat ribbon cable (40 pin) or smaller for SATA drives. Cover the four steps to connect the floppy drive to the motherboard. Cover the four steps to connect the hard drive, CD-ROM, and DVD to the motherboard

Floppy Data Cable

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IDE Data Cable

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SATA Data Cable

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Floppy ,Hard Drive and CDROM Power Connectors Power connectors for Cd Rom and Hard Drive may be the large or small 4 pin molex connector or the newer SATA power connector.

MOLEX POWER CONNECTORS

SATA POWER CONNECTOR

Irrespective of whether the drive uses Molex or Sata connectors the voltages delivered are still the same. RED--+5volts YELLOW--+12volts BLACK—0volts (Ground) If the Power supply does not provide a Sata Power connector an adapter may be purchased to accommodate.

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Graphics Card Installation The graphics card selection is one of the most important decisions when building a computer. The motherboard features will dictate the form factor of graphic cards available for installation. Remember that graphics processing is extremely demanding and an onboard graphics motherboard will rely on the CPU to do its processing and also will require a portion of the systems memory, hence severely impacting on the overall system performance. A gamer would never use onboard graphics whereas those who are concerned more with price than performance, may elect to go with the onboard graphics. (If deciding on onboard graphics it is wise to purchase a motherboard with an AGP or PCI Express slot to allow for later addition of a Graphics Card) Graphics Installation Steps: 1. Turn pc off and isolate from power 2. Open case 3. Anti-static wrist strap on connected to chassis 4. Decide on the Slot/s (AGP or PCI Express) to install the card/s. 5. Remove blank/s from case 6. Insert card/s firmly 7. Secure card to case (usually coarse thread hex screw) 8. Reassemble case 9. Power up 10. Load graphic drivers for optimal performance.

MOTHERBOARD PCI EXPRESS X16 AND PCI SLOTS

PCI EXPRESS GRAPHICS

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Final Assembly of Case Assembly Checklist: • CPU and RAM are properly fitted • CPU fan is plugged in • Drives are all correctly fitted into bays and powered up • Data cables are fitted to all drives (Pin 1 cable to Pin1 Drive) • Motherboard Jumpers and/or Dip-Switches correctly set • No cables or wires protruding • All connections firm • Screws sufficiently tight • All case expansion slots covered with blanks • Cables neat and not in air flow-through path • Close the case

TYPICAL COMPUTER CASE

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Connecting Peripherals After sealing the case the next procedure is connecting peripheral devices: 1. Keyboard 2. Mouse 3. Monitor (Don’t forget to plug it into the mains ) Power up the case! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. Printer (Optional) 5. Scanner (Optional) 6. Modem (Optional) 7. Router (Optional) 8. Switch.(Optional) 9. Hub (Optional) 10. Usb devices (Optional) 11. Firewire Devices (Optional) 12. Another Computer There are a wide variety of other peripheral devices which may or may not be plugged into a computer but the first three on the above list are essentials and it is best to make sure the computer is properly configured with (1,2,3) and running smoothly before adding extra peripherals.

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Booting the pc for the first time BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. It is typically accessed by pressing Del at first boot screen but may be accessed by pressing F1, F2, or Ctrl (varies with computers) It contains the program code required to control all the basic operating components of the computer system. BIOS contains the software required to test hardware at boot up, load the operating system, and support the transfer of data between hardware components. CPU ,RAM , Drives , must be seen in bios to be available for use in an Operating System The information gained from running the bios program is stored in a chip (Usually integrated into bios ) called CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide SemiConductor) by the aid of the cmos battery NB// If the battery dies then all information in cmos is lost.(i.e Drive Parameters, Memory quantity , Time ,etc) Hard disk information is not lost! The process of running the bios program is known as POST (Power On Self Test) Depending on the bios Manufacture POST provides error messages and warnings if found Series of long/short or intermittent beeps indicate a problem with POST and to determine the meanings one would need to know the beep code (Available from the chip manufacturers website) There are numerous bios manufacturers available but the three main ones were Award , American Megatrend (AMI), and Phoenix (Phoenix and Award have now merged leaving two main manufacturers) The best message to receive is a single auditory beep signaling a successful POST Depending on the bios manufacturer the bios interface may be menu /keyboarddriven (Typical) or Gui -Mouse point and click driven (Not so common) Boot priority is set up in bios and are found in advanced features Power management and Plug and Play screens allow advanced users to set up power usage features and IRQ’s (Interrupt Requests) DMA (Direct Memory Acces) Care needs to taken here to avoid conflicts but if the system becomes unusable or unstable bios has a setting which restores factory defaults ☺ Bios can prove to be a useful tool when troubleshooting to see if devices are being “seen” There are two password screens that will be encountered in the BIOS setup: 1. Supervisor Password 2. User Password

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Booting the pc for the first time (cont…) The Load Setup Defaults screen resets the BIOS setup to default settings. There are two BIOS exit options: 1. Save and Exit Setup 2. Exit Without Saving Setup Option 2 is useful for beginners to navigate around bios then exit without doing any harm. When exiting and saving settings, the computer will restart according to the new configuration.

TYPICAL 1ST BOOT SCREEN

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Booting the pc for the first time (cont…) Typical BIOS Interfaces:

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Installing an Operating System Now that the computer is built and peripherals assembled the operating system installation begins. 1. Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Next, configure the system BIOS boot sequence to boot from the CD-ROM first. 3. Keep the CD in the drive and restart the computer. 4. When the system starts up, watch for the message “Press Any Key to Boot from CD”. 5. When the message appears, press any key on the keyboard to boot the system from the CD. 6. The system will now begin inspecting the hardware configuration. 7. The windows XP Setup screen will now display and commence loading necessary files 8. Next the Welcome to Setup Screen will display and ENTER must be pressed to continue installation 9. The licensing Agreement screen will display next asking for an F8 key press 10. XP will now offer its partitioning program which allows the user to create, delete and format partitions prior to installing the OS (XP may be installed onto a Fat32 or NTFS partition and depending on the requirements of the user NTFS is generally chosen. Fat32 may be chosen if another OS is to be installed on a different partition (i.e Win 98) and communication between the two operating systems is needed.) 11. Assuming there is no need for Fat32 create a partition and format it with NTFS (Do not use the quick method) 12. Highlight the newly created and formatted partition and press ENTER to begin loading the OS into that partition.(You may have chosen the entire disk as one partition) 13. The next screen to be seen will be Wndows XP Professional Setup whereby system files will be copied to the hard drive. 14. The computer will restart and ask to press any key to boot from CD NB// Do not press a key this time or you will restart the entire process again! 15. The Windows XP slash screen will be seen next 16. The XP installation screen will be next and the OS installation begins 17. Hardware devices are loaded next 18. Regional and Language setup is next 19. Name and Organization requirements next 20. Administrators password will need to be entered next 21. Time and Date settings next 22. Time zone will be required next (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane +10 hours) 23. Network settings next (Choose typical) 24. Select the “No, this computer is not on a network, or is on a network without a domain”

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Installing an Operating System cont…. 25. WORKGROUP is default accept it (You may change this at a later date if network communication is required) 26. More files copied automatically 27. Completing the installation process 28. Menu Items will be installed next 29. Components registered 30. Log on as Administrator 31. XP default desktop appears now 32. Navigate to Device Manager and investigate components not configured 33. All components with Yellow question marks will need to be configured with their own drivers(Software) Windows may have loaded its own generic drivers for certain devices (i.e graphics card) but to get full functionality from these devices their own drivers must be loaded. 34. When the Device Manager shows no Yellow question marks then the computer is considered to be >>>configured!

Not Configured

Configured ☺

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The two main types of software are operating systems and applications (firmware is the code burned into low-level devices i.e BIOS). Application software accepts input from the user and then manipulates it to achieve the output. Examples of applications include word processors, database programs, spreadsheets, web browsers, web development tools, and graphic design tools. An Operating System (OS) is a program that manages all the other programs in a computer. It also provides the operating environment with the applications that are used to access resources on the computer. Examples of operating systems include The Disk Operating System (DOS), Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT, XP, Vista,Linux, Mac OS X, DEC VMS, and IBM OS/400. Operating systems are platform-specific. The Windows operating system (3.1, 95, 98, 2000, or NT,XP,Vista) is designed for use with a PC. The Mac OS will only work with Macintosh computers. PC and Macintosh are called platforms. A platform is the computer system on which programs can run.

Windows Vista

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Linux OS

Mac OS

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Origins of Internet Since the implementation of the US Department of Defense’s network of computers to safeguard the nation’s confidential military intelligence in the 1960’s (Birth of Internet) the growth of internet users has grown dramatically. The advent of Point and click GUI Operating Systems has hugely impacted on computer usage with particular focus from Windows 95 (Introduced August 1995) onwards. By 1987, there were 10,000 hosts on the network, and by 1989, that number increased to over 100,000. By 2007 there are over 100 million hosts The cost of the increasingly sophisticated technology has fallen. For under $1,000 users can buy a computer system that is capable of doing much more, and doing it better and faster than the $500,000 mainframe version of 20 years ago. A large percentage of all computers worldwide (Domestic and Corporate) are purchased for one main reason: Internet Access! High speed is available through Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) or cable modem at reasonable rates .

Computers and Internet will continue to gain popularity in the foreseeable future.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Starting, Shutting Down, and Restarting Microsoft Windows Starting a computer is also referred to as booting the system. A "cold boot" is performed when the PC is turned on using the power button. At the end of this process, a single beep tone will sound and the Windows operating system desktop will be displayed. Restarting a PC that has already been powered up is referred to as a "warm boot". This can be achieved by pressing the reset button on the front panel.

POWER AND RESET BUTTONS To shut down or restart the computer, click on the Start button on the lower left corner of the Windows Taskbar and select Shut Down or Restart. Or press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and click Shut Down or Restart from the menu that displays NB// It is important not to power off the computer with the power switch. Most operating systems like Macintosh and Windows have a specific method for turning the system off. Computers need to power off correctly to avoid the possibility of data loss or component damage.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Investigating a Computer's Basic System Information To view information about the system, go to the Start menu and choose Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information. These steps are similar for Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows 98/ME The window that opens gives the Operating System (OS) name and version, the system manufacturer and model, the processor type and manufacturer, the BIOS version, and the memory. This information can be saved as a text file by selecting Action from the toolbar and Save As Text File (When using Windows 2000). Where the file is to be saved can be specified This shows the System Info.txt file in the directory. Double-click on the file System Info.txt. The document will open in Notepad text editor. The document will open in Notepad text editor The text can then be copied and pasted into a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel so that the information is easier to read.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Loading Application Software After Loading and configuring Operating System software the next step is to load Application Software. The three main types of software are: 1. Application Software (High level) 2. Operating System Software (Medium level communicates up and down) 3. Firmware (Bios-Low level) The most frequently loaded application software immediately after loading Operating system includes: • Anti-Virus software • Anti-Spyware software • Firewall software • Office suite of applications (i.e Word, Excel, Access etc..) • Adobe Acrobat • CD-DVD burning software • DVD watching/ editing software • Winzip or winrar for zipping/ unzipping files • Quicktime Player • The Operating system itself also offers many applications and programs The List of application software available for purchase is endless and many businesses rely on specialty software packages. For our purposes we will concentrate on the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Word Processors A word processor is an application that creates, formats, edits, stores, and prints documents. The figure shows Microsoft Word 2003 as an example of a word processor. All word processors can insert or delete text, copy, cut, paste, and define margins. A word processor is a computer program that provides special capabilities beyond that of a text editor such as the WordPad program that comes as part of Microsoft's Windows operating systems. The term originated to distinguish text building programs that were "easy to use" from conventional text editors, and to suggest that the program was more than just an "editor.". A word processor is also known as having a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) user interface. The most popular word processor is Microsoft Word, which is often purchased as part of Microsoft's Office suite. However, there are a number of other general and specialized word processors that have user followings. (Open Office’s Writer)

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Spreadsheets A computer application program which provides a table of values arranged in rows and columns. Each value can have a predefined relationship to the other values. If you change one value, therefore, you may need to change other values as well. Spreadsheets are extremely useful and timesaving to anyone wishing to apply an algorithm to values to provide desired results instantly. Cells are referred to by their position in the grid according to the column and row they occupy. Many spreadsheets have the ability to plot data in the form of graphs, bar charts, and pie charts.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Databases A database is a collection of data that is organized so that its contents can be easily accessed, managed, and updated. Examples are Microsoft Access, Oracle Database, Open Office’s Base, and FileMaker. PC databases fall into two distinct categories, flat-file and relational. A flat-file database stores the information in a single table. Relational databases are a collection of flat-file databases linked through some particular relationship. (An example of a database application could be student records at an institution)

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Presentation Applications Presentation applications permit the organizing, design, and delivery of presentations in the form of slide shows and reports. Bar charts, pie charts, graphics, and other types of images can be created based on data that is imported from spreadsheet applications. An example is Microsoft PowerPoint 2003.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Laboratory Equipment, and Safety The workspace should be situated away from carpeted areas because carpets can cause the build up of electrostatic charges. It should be a nonconductive surface. It should be distant from areas of heavy electrical equipment or concentrations of electronics. It should be free of dust. It should have a filtered air system to reduce dust and contaminants. Lighting should be adequate to see small details.

Workshop workbench setup to minimize potential ESD problems

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Laboratory Equipment, and Safety cont… A wrist strap is a device that is attached to the technician’s wrist and clipped to the metal system chassis on which the work is being done. Allow 15 seconds to pass before touching any sensitive electronic components with bare hands. A wrist strap can only offer protection from ESD voltages carried on the body. ESD charges on clothing can still cause damage. Avoid making contact between electronic components and clothing. A wrist strap is never worn when working on a monitor or when working on a computer power supply. Monitors and power supplies are considered replaceable components. Antistatic bags are easily recognized by a shielding characteristic—usually a silvery-sheen, transparent appearance. Shielded antistatic bags are important because they prevent static electricity from entering the bags. When original packaging is not available, circuit boards and peripherals should be transported in a shielded antistatic bag. However, never put a shielded antistatic bag inside a PC. If computer components are stored in plastic bins, the bins should be made of a conductive plastic. Most computer repair and maintenance tools used in the computer workplace are small hand tools. They are included as part of PC toolkits that can be purchased at computer stores. If a technician is working on laptops, then a small torx screwdriver may be necessary. The right tools can save a technician a lot of time and help the technician avoid damage to the equipment. Tool kits range widely in size, quality and price. The following are workspace organizational aids: A parts organizer to keep track of small parts such as screws and connectors Adhesive or masking tape to make labels that identify parts A small notebook to keep track of assembly and/or troubleshooting steps A place for quick references and detailed troubleshooting guides A clipboard for paperwork

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Laboratory Equipment, and Safety cont… Below is a basic tool kit for pc maintenance or repair :

Below is a List of different screw head types which may be encountered when working on computers.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Laboratory Equipment, and Safety cont… The following are some commonly used 3rd party software diagnostic tools in PC computing: Partition Magic – Advanced drive partitioning software Ranish Part244 – Basic drive partitioning software CheckIt – Fault isolation software Spinrite – Hard drive scanning tool AmiDiag – Hardware fault isolation software DiskSuite – Hard drive defrag software SecureCRT – Feature filled terminal software VNC – Remote access software Norton Antivirus – One of the industry leading virus protection software Sisoft Sandra – System information software More useful devices for computer work; • Compressed air in a can to clean dust buildup on components inside cases.

•

A Multimeter which is relatively inexpensive can be useful for checking voltages in Power Supplies or continuity in circuits and is well worth having in kit.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Laboratory Equipment, and Safety cont… Abide by all electrical safety procedures at all times. Never become complacent about electrical safety. Electricity can injure or cause death. Never open up a CRT monitor or Power Supply Never wear a wrist strap connected to a pc whilst the pc is still plugged into the mains There is no substitute for common sense ☺

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Practical Work Prac #1 Computer Identification

Name: ______________________ Number: _____________________

Case

Number of 3.5” bays _____5.25” bays _____ Manufacturer: __________________ Manufacturer: __________________ Model: ________________________ Bus Speed_________ MHz Form Factor _______AT _______ATX Chipset Manufacturer:_____________ Model: _______________ BIOS Manufacturer:_______________ Version: _______________

Motherboard

Does the CPU use a socket or a slot? ________ How many CPU socket/slots are there? _______ How many ISA slots are there? ________ How many PCI slots are there? ________ How many IDE connectors are there? _______ How many floppy connectors are there? _______ How many serial ports are there? _____ How many parallel ports are there? _____ Is there an AGP slot? ________ Are there any PCI Express slots? _________ How many USB ports are there? ______ How many other ports or slots are there? _______ What kind(s) are they? _______ How many fans are

provided in the case?_________ Are there provisions for extra fans?________ CPU

Manufacturer: ______________ Model: ___________________ Speed ________________ MHz

Memory

168-pin DIMMs _____ 184 pin DIMMs (DDR ?)______ 240 -pin DIMMs (DDR ?)______ Others: ___________ How many memory slots are there? _________ What is the fastest type of memory supported? ______ What is the maximum memory supported? _______

Hard Drive

Manufacturer: __________________ Model: _________________ Size _______ Cylinders _________ Heads _________ SPT _______ Interface Type _ IDE _____ SATA _______SCSI______

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Practical Work cont….. Prac #2 Using the following wish list create a list of components you would like to purchase to build your own pc from scratch. Use the internet, computer trader magazine, pc literature, attend computer swap meets to gain insight into the wonderful, exciting, ever evolving world of computers. Item

Description

Price

Monitor Case/Power Supply Motherboard CPU RAM Video Card Sound Card Hard Disk Drive CD-ROM CD-R/RW* DVD-ROM* DVD-RW* Floppy Drive Keyboard Mouse Speakers*

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Practical Work cont…. Prac #3 Groups of 2-3 Choose a PC & check that it boots up Identify & list all external peripheral 1/0 devices Remove all external devices from ports at rear Make sketch of the rear of the P.C. & list the ports (i.e db9, male serial) etc to the best of your knowledge Remove P.C case cover (don’t lose screws) List everything you can visually identify inside the box Replace the case cover Re-attach all cables Make sure P.C boots up

Prac #4 Groups of 2-3. Choose a P.C. make sure it boots. Remove all external peripherals & base cover. Remove all cables & I.O. ports (not the small console & led cables) Remove cards & cpu Remove RAM (carefully) Remove hard drive List all particulars and be prepared to discuss them with the class Replace all and make sure P.C. boots up.

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Computer Systems and Electrotechnology Faculty of Engineering Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Assessment Criteria To Pass this module and receive a certificate from NMIT the student must to the instructors/ facilitators satisfaction: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Observe all Electrical safety and ESD precautions Complete all practical work Successfully build a computer from scratch using the correct screws Ensure successful P.O.S.T and LEDS are operational Load Operating System Software Configure all hardware with OS Load Application Software Pass the written test.

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