ystem Components

A modern PC is both simple and complicated. It is simple in the sense that over the years, many
of the components used to construct a system have become integrated with other components
into fewer and fewer actual parts. It is complicated in the sense that each part in a modern system
performs many more functions than did the same types of parts in older systems.

This section briefly examines all the components and peripherals in a modern PC system. Each
item is discussed further in later chapters.

Here are the components and peripherals necessary to assemble a basic modern PC system:

 Motherboard
 Processor
 Memory (RAM)
 Case/chassis
 Power supply
 Floppy drive
 Hard disk
 CD-ROM, CD-RW, or DVD-ROM drive
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Video card
 Monitor (display)
 Sound card
 Speakers
 Modem

A breakdown of these items is shown in Table 2.4.

Table 2.4 Basic PC Components

Component Description
Motherboard The motherboard is the core of the system. It really is the PC;
everything else is connected to it, and it controls everything in
the system. Microprocessors are covered in detail in Chapter 3,
"Microprocessor Types and Specifications."
Processor The processor is often thought of as the "engine" of the
computer. It's also called the CPU (central processing unit).
Memory (RAM) The system memory is often called RAM (for random access
memory). This is the primary memory, which holds all the
programs and data the processor is using at a given time.
Memory is covered in detail in Chapter 6, "Memory."
Case/chassis The case is the frame or chassis that houses the motherboard,
power supply, disk drives, adapter cards, and any other
physical components in the system. The case is covered in
detail in Chapter 21, "Power Supply and Chassis/Case."
Power supply The power supply is what feeds electrical power to every
single part in the PC. The power supply is covered in detail in
Chapter 21.
Floppy drive The floppy drive is a simple, inexpensive, low-capacity,
removable-media, magnetic storage device.
Hard drive The hard disk is the primary archival storage memory for the
system. Hard disk drives are also covered in detail in Chapter
10, "Hard Disk Storage."
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM CD-ROM (compact disc read-only) and DVD-ROM (digital
versatile disc read-only) drives are relatively high-capacity,
removable media, optical drives. These drives are covered in
detail in Chapter 13, "Optical Storage."
Keyboard The keyboard is the primary device on a PC that is used by a
human to communicate with and control a system. Keyboards
are covered in detail in Chapter 18, "Input Devices."
Mouse Although many types of pointing devices are on the market
today, the first and most popular device for this purpose is the
mouse. The mouse and other pointing devices are covered in
detail in Chapter 18.
Video card The video card controls the information you see on the
monitor. Video cards are covered in detail in Chapter 15,
"Video Hardware."
Monitor Monitors are covered in detail in Chapter 15.
Sound card It enables the PC to generate complex sounds. Sound cards and
speakers are covered in detail in Chapter 16, "Audio
Hardware."
Modem Most prebuilt PCs ship with a modem (generally an internal
modem). Modems and other Internet-connectivity devices and
methods are covered in Chapter 19, "Internet Connectivity."

A computer peripheral is a device that is connected to a computer but is not part of the core
computer architecture. The core elements of a computer are the central processing unit, power
supply, motherboard and the computer case that contains those three components. Technically
speaking, everything else is considered a peripheral device. However, this is a somewhat narrow
view, since various other elements are required for a computer to actually function, such as a
hard drive and random-access memory (or RAM).
Most people use the term peripheral more loosely to refer to a device external to the computer
case. You connect the device to the computer to expand the functionality of the system. For
example, consider a printer. Once the printer is connected to a computer, you can print out
documents. Another way to look at peripheral devices is that they are dependent on the computer
system. For example, most printers can't do much on their own, and they only become functional
when connected to a computer system.

Types of Peripheral Devices

There are many different peripheral devices, but they fall into three general categories:

1. Input devices, such as a mouse and a keyboard

2. Output devices, such as a monitor and a printer
3. Storage devices, such as a hard drive or flash drive

How to use the System Configuration utility to troubleshoot

configuration errors in Windows Vista

INTRODUCTION

This article describes how to use the System Configuration utility (Msconfig.exe) to troubleshoot
configuration errors that might prevent Windows Vista from starting correctly.

More Information

The System Configuration utility finds and isolates issues. However, it is not a startup management
program.

For more information about how to disable or to permanently remove the programs that run when
Windows starts, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

270035 How to disable programs that run when you start Windows XP Home Edition or Windows Vista

Advanced troubleshooting
These troubleshooting steps are intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with
advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or to contact support. For
information about how to contact support, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/
The System Configuration utility automates the routine troubleshooting steps that Microsoft Customer
Support Services professionals use when they diagnose system configuration issues.

When you use this utility, you can select options to temporarily prevent services and programs from
loading during the Windows startup process. When you do this, you reduce the risk of making typing
errors when you use Registry Editor. Additionally, when you use the utility, it is easy to restore the
original configuration.

When you use the System Configuration utility, you can start Windows while common services and
startup programs are disabled. Then, you can enable them one at a time. If an issue does not occur
when a service is disabled but does occur when the service is enabled, the service could be the cause of
the issue.

You can easily reset or change the configuration settings in Windows Vista to include preferences for the
following settings:

 Startup options
 Services that are set to start during the startup process
 Programs that are set to load during the startup process

Note These programs are specified in the Programs/Startup folders and in the registry.

Note To use the System Configuration utility, you must be logged on as an administrator or as a member
of the Administrators group.
Startup options that are available
The following startup options are available:

 Normal startup
 Diagnostic startup
 Selective startup

Normal startup
The normal startup option is the Windows default. This option enables Windows to start in normal
mode together with all programs, services, and device drivers loaded.

Diagnostic startup
The diagnostic startup option enables Windows to determine which basic device drivers and software to
load when you start Windows. When you use this option, the system temporarily disables Microsoft
services such as the following services:

 Networking
 "Plug and Play"
 Event Logging
 Error Reporting
 System Restore
Note Do not use this option if you have to use a Microsoft service to test an issue.

To perform a diagnostic startup, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password,
or click Continue.
2. On the General tab, click Diagnostic startup, and then click OK.
3. Click Restart.

If the issue does not occur after Windows restarts, use the selective startup option to try to find the
issue by disabling and enabling individual services and startup programs.
Selective startup
The selective startup option enables you to select the programs and services that you want the
computer to load when you restart the computer. You can select from the following options:

 Load system services

 Load startup items
 Use original boot configuration

By default, all these options are selected. The following rules apply to these options:

 When you click to select the check box, the option is processed when you restart the computer.
 When you click to clear the check box, the option is not processed when you restart the
computer.
 When the check box is selected and when you cannot click to clear the check box because it is
unavailable, some items are still loading from that option when you restart the computer.
 When the check box is not selected and when you cannot click to select the check box because it
is unavailable, the option is not present on the computer.
 You cannot change the Use original boot configuration option.

Note When you click to clear the Load system services check box, you disable Microsoft services such as
the following services:

 Networking
 "Plug and Play"
 Event Logging
 Error Reporting
 System Restore

Do not click to clear this check box if you have to use a Microsoft service to test an issue.

To perform a selective startup and to troubleshoot the issue, follow these steps:
 1. Click Start , type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password,
or click Continue.
2. On the General tab, click Selective startup, and then click to clear the Load system services and
Load startup items check boxes.
3. Click OK, and then click Restart.

If you can reproduce the issue after the computer restarts, the issue is not related to system services or
startup items. In this case, the System Configuration utility will not help troubleshoot the issue.

If you cannot reproduce the issue after the computer restarts, the issue is related to either the system
services or the startup items. To determine the items to which the issue is related, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password,
or click Continue.
2. On the General tab, click Selective startup, and then click to select the Load system services
check box.
3. Click OK, and then click Restart.

If you can reproduce the issue after the computer restarts, the issue is related to one of the system
services. If you cannot reproduce the issue after the computer restarts, the issue is related to one of the
startup items.

After you determine the items to which the issue is related, follow the steps in the "How to determine
the service or startup item that is causing the issue" section to determine the individual service or
startup item that is causing the issue.
How to determine the service or startup item that is causing the issue
To determine the cause of the issue, you can prevent individual services and startup items from loading
when you restart the computer. To do this, follow these steps.

How to determine the system service that is causing the issue

1. Click the Services tab, click Disable all, click to select the check box for the first service that is
listed, and then restart the computer.

If the issue does not occur, you can eliminate the first service as the cause.
2. With the first service selected, click to select the check box for the second service, and then
restart the computer.
3. Repeat this process until you reproduce the issue. If you cannot reproduce the issue, you can
eliminate system services as the cause. Continue to the next procedure.
How to determine the startup item that is causing the issue

1. Click the General tab, and then click to select the Load startup items check box.
2. Click the Startup tab, click Disable all, click to select the check box for the first startup item that
is listed, and then restart the computer.

If the issue does not occur, you can eliminate the first startup item as the cause.
3. With the first startup item selected, click to select the check box for the second startup item,
and then restart the computer.
4. Repeat this process until you reproduce the issue.

How to enable and to disable individual services and startup items

Services and startup options
The Services and Startup tabs in the System Configuration utility have the following options:

 Check boxes enable you to enable or to disable an option. To enable or to disable an option so
that it loads or does not load at startup, click to select or click to clear the check box. A selected
check box indicates that the option will be started or loaded at startup.
 The keyboard arrow keys enable you to move through the different options when you do not
have a mouse.
 The SPACEBAR enables you to select and to clear options when you do not have a mouse.

Note When you click to clear a check box for an item, the Selective Startup option on the General tab is
automatically selected.
How to return to normal startup
After you complete your troubleshooting and fix your configuration, return to a normal startup. To do
this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start , type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password,
or click Continue.
2. On the General tab, click Normal startup, and then click OK.
3. Click Restart.

How to start diagnostic tools and other advanced tools

You can use the Tools tab in the System Configuration utility to start diagnostic tools and other
advanced tools. The Tools tab also displays the path and the switches for the tools.

To start one or more of the tools that are listed on the Tools tab, click the tool that you want to start,
and then click Launch. Or, click the tool that you want to start, and then press ALT+L.

References
For more information about advanced troubleshooting for general startup problems in Windows Vista,
click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

927392 How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and
repair startup issues in Windows Vista

For more information about how to use System Restore to restore Windows Vista, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

936212 How to repair the operating system and how to restore the operating system configuration to
an earlier point in time in Windows Vista

For more information about how to configure Windows Vista to start in a "clean boot" state, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

929135 How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista

If these articles do not help you resolve the issue or if you experience symptoms that differ from those
that are described in this article, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information. To search
the Microsoft Knowledge Base, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com

Type the text of the error message that you receive, or type a description of the issue in the Search box,
and then press ENTER.

Last Updated: 17 Apr 2018

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