Basic PCMT PDF

COMSYSTEM SOLUTIONS [BASIC PC MAINTENANCE & TROUBLESHOOTING]
COMPUTER HARDWARES
CPU
Pronounced as separate letters it is the abbreviation

for central processing unit. The CPU is the brains of
the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the
central processor, but more commonly called
processor, the CPU is where most calculations take
place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the
most important element of a computer system.
Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers
Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are

speakers external to a computer, that disable the
lower fidelity built-in speaker. They often have a low-
power internal amplifier. The standard audio
connection is a 3.5 mm (approximately 1/8 inch)
stereo jack plug often color-coded lime green
(following the PC 99 standard) for computer sound
cards. A plug and socket for a two-wire (signal and
ground) coaxial cable that is widely used to connect
analog audio and video components.
Hard disk
A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive,"

"hard drive," or "hard disk drive," that stores and
provides relatively quick access to large amounts of
data on an electromagnetically charged surface or set
of surfaces. Today's computers typically come with a
hard disk that contains several billion bytes
(gigabytes) of storage. A hard disk is really a set of
stacked "disks," each of which, like phonograph
records, has data recorded electromagnetically in
concentric circles or "tracks" on the disk. A "head"
(something like a phonograph arm but in a relatively
fixed position) records (writes) or reads the
information on the tracks. Two heads, one on each
side of a disk, read or write the data as the disk spins.
Each read or write operation requires that data be
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located, which is an operation called a "seek." (Data

already in a disk cache, however, will be located more
quickly.
RAM
RAM is small, both in physical size (it's stored in

microchips) and in the amount of data it can hold. It's
much smaller than your hard disk. A typical computer
may come with 256 million bytes of RAM and a hard
disk that can hold 40 billion bytes. RAM comes in the
form of "discrete" (meaning separate) microchips and
also in the form of modules that plug into holes in the
computer's motherboard. These holes connect
through a bus or set of electrical paths to the
processor. The hard drive, on the other hand, stores
data on a magnetized surface that looks like a
phonograph record.
Most personal computers are designed to allow you

to add additional RAM modules up to a certain limit.
Having more RAM in your computer reduces the
number of times that the computer processor has to
read data in from your hard disk, an operation that
takes much longer than reading data from RAM.
(RAM access time is in nanoseconds; hard disk access
time is in milliseconds.)
OPTICAL DRIVE
In the real world, "optical" refers to vision, or the

ability to see. In the computer world, however,
"optical" refers to lasers, which can "see" and read
data on optical discs. These discs include CDs and
DVDs, which are made up of millions of small bumps
and dips. Optical drives have lasers that read these
bumps and dips as ones and zeros, which the
computer can understand.
Some common types of optical drives include CD-

ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RW, and Blu-ray
drives. CD and DVD writers, such as CD-R and DVD-R
drives use a laser to both read and write data on the
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discs. The laser used for writing the data is much

more powerful than the laser that reads the data, as
it "burns" the bumps and dips into the disc. While
optical drives can spin discs at very high speeds, they
are still significantly slower than hard drives, which
store data magnetically. However, because optical
media is inexpensive and removable, it is the most
common
PCI Card
These are the easiest way to upgrade your PC without

buying a new motherboard. PCI cards are small,
separate circuit boards that you can install onto your
current motherboard. The most common types of PCI
cards include video, audio, and modem cards.
Some more popular types of PCI cards on the market

include:
PCI fire wire card - a firewire card allows faster data

transfers between multiple PC's or you PC and other
peripherals.
PCI USB2 card - A USB 2.0 PCI card allows you to

utilize the faster speeds of USB version 2.0 without
upgrading motherboards.
Video 4-input pci card - These are great for home

security systems. They allow multiple video inputs.
TV Tuner- Watch television on your computer!
Computer cabinets
Computer cabinets are fitted with doors and side

panels (which may or may not be removable).
Cabinets enclose a rack, which is a frame that
provides a means for mounting electronic equipment.
Cabinets come in a variety of styles, colors, and many
contain baffles, fans, and other features. [Adapted
from The Sun Site Planning Guide for Entry-Level
Servers].
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The terms rack and cabinet are often used

interchangeably, which is incorrect. The rack refers
specifically to the frame that provides a means for
mounting electronic equipment, while a cabinet is
fitted with doors and side panels.
MONITOR
The term "monitor" is often used synonymously with

"computer screen" or "display." The monitor displays
the computer's user interface and open programs,
allowing the user to interact with the computer,
typically using the keyboard and mouse.
Older computer monitors were built using cathode
ray tubes (CRTs), which made them rather heavy and
caused them to take up a lot of desk space. Most
modern monitors are built using LCD technology and
are commonly referred to as flat screen displays.
These thin monitors take up much less space than the
older CRT displays. This means people with LCD
monitors have more desk space to clutter up with
stacks of papers, pens, and other objects.
SPEAKERS
Speakers are one of the most common output devices

used with computer systems. Some speakers are
designed to work specifically with computers, while
others can be hooked up to any type of sound system.
Regardless of their design, the purpose of speakers is
to produce audio output that can be heard by the
listener.
SMPS
A switched-mode power supply (switching-mode

power supply, SMPS, or simply switcher) is an
electronic power supply that incorporates a switching
regulator in order to be highly efficient in the
conversion of electrical power. Like other types of
power supplies, an SMPS transfers power from a
source like the electrical power grid to a load (e.g., a
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personal computer) while converting voltage and

current characteristics. An SMPS is usually employed
to efficiently provide a regulated output voltage,
typically at a level different from the input voltage
GRAPHICS CARD
A graphics card is a device installed in a computer

that consists of a graphics processing unit designed to
help process and display images, especially 3D
graphics. Graphics cards help take the processing
strain off the main processor, and can contain their
own memory to take the strain off the system RAM.
Onboard Cards
Onboard or integrated graphics cards are built into a
computer's motherboard and are typically less
powerful than cards installed in an expansion bay.
Dedicated Cards
Dedicated cards are graphics cards that are installed
in PCI express, AGP, PCI, or other expansion bays, and
have their own video memory separate from the
system's main RAM.
Power Draw
High-end dedicated video cards tend to draw a lot of
power from the power supply and may even require
an extra power cable to hook up directly to the card.
PRINTER
In computers, a printer is a device that accepts text

and graphic output from a computer and transfers
the information to paper, usually to standard size
sheets of paper. Printers are sometimes sold with
computers, but more frequently are purchased
separately. Printers vary in size, speed, sophistication,
and cost. In general, more expensive printers are used
for higher-resolution color printing.
Personal computer printers can be distinguished as
impact or non-impact printers. Early impact printers
worked something like an automatic typewriter, with
a key striking an inked impression on paper for each
printed character . The dot-matrix printer was a
popular low-cost personal computer printer. It's an
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impact printer that strikes the paper a line at a time.

The best-known non-impact printers are the inkjet
printer, of which several makes of low-cost color
printers are an example, and the laser printer . The
inkjet sprays ink from an ink cartridge at very close
range to the paper as it rolls by. The laser printer uses
a laser beam reflected from a mirror to attract ink
(called toner ) to selected paper areas as a sheet rolls
over a drum.
KEY BOARD
As the name implies, a keyboard is basically a board

of keys. Along with the mouse, the keyboard is one of
the primary input devices used with a computer. The
keyboard's design comes from the original typewriter
keyboards, which arranged letters and numbers in a
way that prevented the type-bars from getting
jammed when typing quickly. This keyboard layout is
known as the QWERTY design, which gets its name
from the first six letters across in the upper-left-hand
corner of the keyboard.
While the design of computer keyboards may have

come from typewriters, today's keyboards have many
other keys as well. Modifier keys, such as Control,
Alt/Option, and Command (Mac) or the Windows key
(Windows) can be used in conjunction with other keys
as "shortcuts" to perform certain operations. For
example, pressing Command-S (Mac), or Control-S
(Windows) typically saves a document or project you
are working on. Most of today's computer keyboards
also have a row of function keys (F1 through F16)
along the top of the keyboard, arrow keys arranged in
an upside-down T, and a numeric keypad on the right-
hand side. Some keyboards have even more buttons,
allowing you to change the system volume, eject a
CD, or open programs such as your e-mail or Web
browser.
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MOUSE
While most people don't want to see a mouse

running around in their home, they typically don't
have a problem seeing one sitting by their computer.
This is because, along with the keyboard, the mouse
is one of the primary input devices used with today's
computers. The name comes from the small shape of
the mouse, which you can move quickly back and
forth on the mouse pad, and the cord, which
represents the mouse's tail. Of course, if you are
using a wireless mouse, the analogy does not work so
well.
All mice have at least one button, though most mice

have two or three. Some also have additional buttons
on the sides, which can be assigned to different
commands. Most mice also have a scroll-wheel, which
lets you scroll up and down documents and Web
pages by just rolling the wheel with your index finger.
Early mice tracked movement using a ball in the

bottom of the mouse. This "mouse ball" pushed
against different rollers as it moved, measuring the
mouse's speed and direction. However, now most
mice use optical technology, which uses a beam of
light to track the mouse's motion. Optical mice are
more accurate than roller-based mice and they have
the added bonus of not getting dirty inside
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Basic Desktop PC Motherboard Layout
The Motherboard is the backbone of every Desktop PC. It is a printed circuit board that has
many different connectors located over the surface. These connectors allow support for a large
range of modular hardware, giving your PC the flexibility and versatility to be upgraded or
expanded.
There are many different shapes and sizes of Motherboard available today, these are grouped
together in form factors for compatibility. The most common form factors are ATX and
microATX.
The labeled photo below is of a microATX Motherboard. The key areas have been highlighted
and labeled
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A Hard Drive connector (blue), Floppy connector (black)

B Serial ATA connectors (SATA)
C USB Headers
D Power,Reset button / Power LED / Hard drive LED pins
E Memory Sockets
F CPU Fan power header
G CPU Socket
H PCI-Express x16 slot (Graphics card slot)
I PCI Expansion slots
J Battery (Retains BIOS settings when power is switched off)
K 4-Pin power supply
L 20-Pin power supply
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M PCI-Express x1 slot
N External Motherboard connectors (Parallel,USB,PS/2,RJ45)
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How to install a Processor
The socket on the motherboard below is known as Intel LGA 1156 CPU socket. This socket is
designed for Intel i3, i5 and i7 processors. To open the socket gently push the lever handle
down and away from the socket and lift upward. This will release the plastic protector. Lift the
plastic protector and remove it from the socket. Unlike older generation Intel Motherboard
sockets the LGA1156 does not have any holes. Instead the socket has 1156 pins sticking out.
These are the pins that make contact with the processor. Please note the 1156 socket is not
compatible with 1155 socket used for the new generation Intel Sandy Bridge based processors.
We are using Intel i3 540 processor which are the first generation i3 CPU’s. Take out the
processor and the heat sink from box and leave it on the side.
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When fitting a processor into the socket be careful to fit it correctly. To make sure this i3 540
processor only fits one way there are two notches on each side of the processor. There is also
little gold triangle in one corner to indicate that its pin 1. Make sure pin 1 on the processor is
aligned to pin 1 on the socket and the notches align perfectly. If everything is done correctly the
processor will easily fall in to place.
Close the CPU lever so it covers the processor. Finally close the lever handle by pushing down
then towards the socket until it locks into position.
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The next thing to do is to fit the CPU cooler. If you have a retail boxed processor it will come
with an Intel CPU cooler like the one below. It has thermal paste applied on the heat sink so
there is no need to add extra. The cooler has four push pins that fit perfectly into the holes in
the motherboard. Place the cooler on top of the holes. Push firmly on top of each push pins.
You will hear a click on each one to confirm its locked into position.
Take the CPU cooler power connector and attach it to the 4 pin fan socket. This is a very
important step as it powers the fan on top of the heat sink which keeps the CPU cool.
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Installing the CPU Cooler
Today's fast processors generate a tremendous amount of heat. Without a CPU cooler, a
processor would burn out in mere seconds.
Inadequate cooling also can result in data errors, performance problems, and reduced
processor life. CPU manufacturers typically provide lists of "approved" coolers for their chips.
These coolers may or may not be any better than other coolers, but using a non-approved
cooler might void the CPU's warranty.
To extend your homebuilt computer's life and maximize its performance while not running the
risk of voiding the CPU warranty, I recommend that you use the best cooler you can find that
has been manufacturer-approved for your particular processor. The processor cooler is not a
place to skimp. It would be a shame to spend all that time and money to build your own
computer, and then the CPU burns up because of a cheap cooling fan.
Parts of a CPU Cooler
Most CPU coolers are composed of three parts: A fan, a heat

sink, and a mounting device that attaches the cooler assembly
to the motherboard directly over the processor. A fourth
element of the cooling system is something called "heat sink
compound" or "thermal jelly," which is applied between the
heat sink and the die of the processor to improve heat transfer
from the processor to the heat sink.
Many heat sinks come with a patch of heat sink compound pre-
applied to the heat sink itself. The actual compound is covered with a little plastic tab during
shipping. If you are using a heat sink with pre-applied heat sink compound, then you need to
peel the protective tab off the heat sink prior to installing the cooler. Forgetting this simple step
can cause serious damage to your processor.
If your heat sink doesn't have pre-applied compound, you will

need to apply a thin coating of heat sink compound directly to
the processor die. This also applies if, for some reason, you
have removed and are replacing the heat sink.
The old compound must be completely are carefully removed

and new compound applied before replacing the cooler. Don't
use steel wool or abrasives of any sort! Just wipe the jelly off
the processor and the heat sink with a clean, lint-free cloth or paper towel.
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I suggest you use a high-quality thermal jelly. Arctic Silver is my personal favorite. The
difference in price is trivial, and high-quality thermal jelly will help keep your processor cool and
comfy.
Be careful not to get any heat sink compound on the motherboard! Some compounds are
conductive, and can short out the circuitry on the board. (Thanks for pointing out that omission
to me, Bob.)
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How to install DVD ROM / DVD-WRITER
On the right hand side you have the power connector. Next to power connector you have the
IDE connector. On the left hand side near the IDE connector you have the jumper settings for
the DVD-ROM. The jumper is set to Master by default. I am connecting the DVD-ROM on a
separate IDE cable therefore I will leave the jumper setting to Master. However if you are
sharing an IDE cable with another device like HDD, then you would have to set jumper to Slave,
as your HDD would be set to Master. Next to the jumpers you have the CD Audio-Out socket.
One side of your audio cable connects to this socket and other side connects to the sound card
cd-in socket. This would allow you to listen to Audio CD's on your computer.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Mount your CD/DVD-ROM drive into its mounting slot. Use the supplied screws to screw the
drive into position.
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Figure 3
Connect the IDE cable to the drives IDE connector. Make sure the pin 1 on the cable is
connected to pin 1 on the drives IDE connector. Pin 1 is the red or pink strip on the edge of an
IDE cable. Connect the other end of the IDE cable to the IDE socket on your motherboard as
shown in figure 4. Again, make sure you conncet the cable to pin 1. The IDE socket could be
your primary or secondary socket depending which socket you choose. If your HDD is on the
primary IDE socket and your secondary IDE socket is free, then it is better to use your secondary
IDE socket for the CD/DVD-ROM.
Figure 4
Finally connect the power cable to power connector and connect the audio cable to the CD
Audio-Out socket as shown on figure 3.
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How to install DDR3 SDRAM Memory
To build a stable system it is always a good idea to buy high quality memory modules. Over the
years I have always used memory from Crucial as you can buy it direct from Crucial website and
it comes with life time warranty. The quality of Crucial memory is extremely high and I never
had a single problem with them during the 10 years i have been using them. This is the reason I
have chosen to use Crucial DDR3 SDRAM on this system. Please note DDR3 may look similar to
DDR2 but the pin count are not the same and they are not compatible. So you are out of luck if
you want to recycle your old DDR2 memory.
Move both clips on the memory socket to open position. Since we have two DDR3 modules we
will insert the first module into socket DIM1 and the second into DIM3. This will run the
memory in Dual Channel Mode. DIM1 and DIM3 sockets are colored blue. Please note, if you
have 1 module it will be inserted into socket DIM1 and therefore will run in Single Channel
mode.
You will notice that the DDR3 memory has a notch at the bottom. This is to prevent the
memory from being inserted the wrong way round. Make the orientation of the memory
module so that the notch matches the memory socket. Push the memory module down using
two fingers or both of your thumbs as shown. You will hear a click as both clips on the memory
socket snaps into place.
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Repeat the same process for the second module.
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First Boot and BIOS Setup
Now that we have finished building the PC lets connect the base unit to a mains outlet. Connect
a keyboard, mouse and monitor so that we are ready for the first boot. Turn the PC on by
pressing the power switch. If everything goes well you will hear a short beep followed by a boot
screen. At this stage we need to enter the BIOS to check that all the hardware is detected
correctly. We will also make few changes so that we are ready to install an operating system
such as Windows 7.
To enter bios setup press the delete key as the computer boots up. Please note it could be a
different key on your system such as F1, so check your boot screen or manual for more details.
This is the main bios setup menu.
Lets select the Intelligent Tweeker menu by pressing enter. As you can see the CPU speed,
memory speed and size are detected correctly. Press escape to go back to the previous menu.
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Lets enter Standard CMOS features. As you can see the hard drive and dvd writer are also
detected correctly.
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This time we will enter the Advanced BIOS features.
We will make our first boot device CDROM, and second boot device as hard disk.
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By doing this we can make sure that the computer boot from Windows 7 DVD that is placed in
the DVD drive. If the hard drive is set to first boot device it will not boot as it has no operating
system installed.
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Finally we can save & exit setup. At this stage you can place a operating system disc in the DVD
drive and you are ready to install your chosen operating system.
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This concludes our PC building guide. We hope you enjoyed these videos and managed to build
your own perfect PC.
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NTFS vs FAT
Comparison between NTFS and FAT
NTFS FAT 16/32

 Default File system In Windows XP,  Fat 16 not compatible with XP, FAT is more
2k and NT compatible with other operating Systems(
 Support For Drives over 40gb, Files Windows 95, etc)
over GB  FAT 16 has 8.3 character limitation
 Allows extended file names, foreign  Has better, more and interactive recovery
characters utilities (scandisk)
 Has a severely crippled maintenance  Scandisk is very quick
system in chkdsk  Just a space for the OS to read files
 Chkdsk is notoriously slow  Faster on drives less than 10gb
 Increased security with file  FAT 16 cluster size is 32kb
encryption  Cluster chains containing data from
 Smaller file clusters, 4kb interrupted copies are marked as damaged
 Compression to reduce disk space  Master File Table are separate from files
 User permissions for files and folders
 File copies are “undone” if
interrupted, cluster chains is cleaned
 Small files are kept in Master File
Table at the beginning of the drive
 Not compatible with different
operating systems on the same
computer
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How to Install Windows 7
The best way to install Windows 7 is to do a clean install. It is not difficult to perform a clean
installation. Before you start the installation process I recommend that you check Windows 7
System Requirements list to ensure that your hardware is supported by Windows 7. If you don't
have Windows 7 drivers for all your hardware, it is a good idea to download all the drivers from
the hardware manufacturers website and save all the necessary drivers on a CD-R or a USB
drive before you start the installation.
Windows 7 DVD is bootable. In order to boot from the DVD 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-ROM/DVD-ROM.
Step 1 - Place Windows 7 DVD in your dvd-rom drive and start your PC. Windows 7 will start to
boot up and you will get the following progress bar.
Step 2 - The next screen allows you to setup your language, time and currency format,
keyboard or input method. Choose your required settings and click next to continue.
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Step 3 - The next screen allows you to install or repair Windows 7. Since we are doing a clean
install we will click on "install now".
Step 4 - Read the license terms and tick I accept license terms. Then click next to continue.
Step 5 - You will now be presented with two options. Upgrade or Custom (Advanced). Since we
are doing a clean install we will select Custom (Advanced).
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Step 6 - Choose where you would like to install Windows 7. If you have one hard drive you will
get a similar option to the image below. You can click next to continue. If you have more that
one drive or partition then you need to select the appropriate drive and click next. If you need
to format or partition a drive then click Drive options (advance) before clicking next.
Step 7 - Windows 7 starts the installation process and starts copying all the necessary files to
your hard drive as shown on the image below.
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Step 8 - It will go through various stages of the setup and will reboot your system few times.
Step 9 - When your PC reboots it attempts to boot from DVD as its the first boot device. Do not
press any key during the boot prompt so Windows 7 will continue with the installation by
booting from the hard drive.
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Step 10 - After the reboot your computer will be prepared for first use.
Step 11 - At this stage you need to choose a user name and computer name. Click next to
continue. The user account you create here is the Administrator account which is the main
account for your Windows 7 that has all the privileges.
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Step 12 - Choose your password and password hint just incase you forget your password and
need to jog your memory.
Step 13 - You can now type the product key that came with Windows 7 and click next. If you do
not enter the product key you can still proceed to the next stage. However Windows 7 will run
in trial mode for 30 days. You must therefore activate Windows within 30 days otherwise you
can not access your computer after 30 days.
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Step 14 - Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically. Choose Use
recommended settings.
Step 15 - Review your time and date settings. Select your time zone, correct the date and time
and click next to continue.
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Step 16 - Select your computer's current location. If you are a home user then choose Home
network otherwise select the appropriate option.
Step 17 - Windows will now finalize the settings for your computer and restart.
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Step 18 - After the final restart Windows 7 will start to boot up.
Step 19 - Finally you have the logon screen. Just type your password and press enter or click on
the arrow to logon to Windows 7 for the first time.
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Step 20 - After you have logged on to Windows 7 for the first time, you will see similar desktop
to the image below. At this point you can start using your computer. However it may not be
fully configured. You need to make sure that all the hardware is detected correctly and the
necessary device drivers are installed. This can be done from the device manager.
Step 21 - To go to device manager click - Start Menu -> Control Panel -> System and Security ->
System -> Device Manager. You will see all your hardware listed as shown on the image below.
You need to check if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to the name of the devices,
similar to "Multimedia Audio Controller" on the image below. This indicates that the driver has
not been installed for this device.
At this stage you can install the driver for this device. To do so, Right Mouse click on Multimedia
Audio Controller -> Update Driver Software...
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Step 22 - You can choose to "Search automatically for updated driver software" or "Browse my
computer for driver software". If you have the driver CD or if the driver is on a USB drive then
choose "browse my computer for driver software". Window 7 will search and install the driver
from the CD or you can locate the driver manually.
Once you have removed all the yellow exclamation marks from the device manager your
Windows 7 configuration would be fully complete.
Step 23 - Finally check if you have successfully activated Windows 7. Click Start Menu -> Control
Panel -> System and Security -> System. You will get a window similar to the image below.
Towards the bottom you will see Windows is activated followed by your product ID. This shows
that your copy of Windows 7 is fully activated.
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How to Change the Workgroup in Windows 7
Next, let’s learn how to change the current workgroup with something else. In the System
window, click or tap 'Change settings'.
The System Properties window opens. In the Computer Name tab, click or tap the Change
button.
The ”Computer Name/Domain Changes” window opens. In the Workgroup field, type the name
of the workgroup you want to join and click or tap OK.
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You receive a welcome note, informing you of this change. Click or tap OK.
Now you are notified that you must restart your computer in order for the changes to be
applied. Click or tap OK.
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You are back to the System Properties window. On the bottom of the window, you will notice a
note, reminding you once again that the computer must be restarted in order for the
workgroup change to take effect. Click or tap Close.
Windows asks if you want to restart your PC now or later. Before you click or tap Restart Now,
close any applications or work you have opened.
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After the computer is restarted, it will join the newly assigned workgroup and it will be able to
interact with other computers that are part of the same workgroup.
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Sharing a Printer in Windows 7
Step 1:
Go to the Start menu and select Devices and Printers.
Step 2:
Locate and double-click on the icon of the printer you would like to share.
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Step 3:
Double-click Customize your printer.
Step 4:
Go to the Sharing tab and check the Share this printer option.
Step 5:
Enter a Share name: for your printer and click OK.
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You should now be able to browse and add your printer on the other computers within your
network.
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How to Configure Windows Firewall in Windows 7
A Firewall is a Software/Hardware which checks every information coming from the internet or
a network and depending upon the Firewall settings, it either blocks or allow the information
to pass through to your computer.
It prevents the hackers and malicious software from getting access to your computer from the
internet or a network. You can let the intended data to get in and out by setting some
exceptions. Some exceptions are set up automatically by Windows 7, others have to be
configured manually. let's see how.
1. Click the Start button to view the Start Menu and then choose the Control Panel option.
2. The Control Panel window opens up.
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Now click the System and Security link from this window.
3. The System and Security section of Control Panel opens up and you can see the direct link
for the Windows Firewall.
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4. Click on the Windows Firewall and a new window opens up.
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On the left pane, you can see various links like, Change notification settings, Turn Windows
Firewall on or off, Restore defaults and Advanced settings etc.
On the right pane, there are two types of networks link for which you can set firewall settings.
They are Home or Work (Private) networks and Public networks.
By default the Firewall state is ON for both the networks.
5. Click on the Change Notification settings link in the Left Pane and the window will look like
below.
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To turn off the Windows Firewall click on the Turn off Windows Firewall option button.
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Click on OK button.
6. As you can notice a new button Use recommended settings is shown. To enable the default
or recommended settings either click on the Use recommended settings button on the right
pane or click on the Restore default link on the left pane.
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Click on the Restore default button and a confirmation popup opens up, Click on Yes.
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7. On the left pane, Click on the Advance Settings link to view or change settings. The
Advanced settings for the Local Computer displays as below.
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8. Click on the Inbound Rules link in the left pane. A list of all Inbound Rules is displayed. On
clicking an enabled rule, a list of actions are shown in the Actions Pane. Click on Disable Rule to
disable the selected rule. You can also Cut, Copy and Delete the rule.
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Note: Same procedure is for Enabling/Disabling the Outbound Rules.
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9. Click on the Monitoring in the left pane to monitor the settings like Active Networks,
Firewall State, General Settings and Logging settings etc.
57
58
Manually Configure Your Router Without Setup Software
1. Connect your wireless router to the modem, using an ethernet cable.
2. Connect the wireless router to a power source. Wait about a minute to ensure that your
router is fully operational.
3. Connect the wireless router to your computer using an ethernet cable.
4. Log in to your router’s Web interface by opening a browser and entering the IP address of
your router into the address bar. The IP address should be listed within your router’s
documentation; if you can't find it, most routers use a common IP address such as
http://192.168.1.1, http://192.168.0.1, or http://192.168.2.1.
5. Enter the default username and password, which you should find within your router’s
documentation. Alternatively, visit Port Forward’s Default Router Passwords page.
6. Use the Web interface to set up a network name and password.
7. Disconnect your computer from the wireless router and then reconnect wirelessly.
Caution: Be sure to use a password to protect your wireless network. Unauthorized parties can
easily connect to an unprotected network, stealing your bandwidth as well as your personal
data. Include a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers to build a better password, and
don’t use words found in the dictionary. Don’t worry about memorizing your password; just
write it down and file it away. The one-time minor inconvenience of connecting a computer to a
password-protected network is worth the huge security advantage.
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Connecting to the Wireless Network in Windows 7
On the right side of the taskbar, you will see a wireless network icon like the one below. Click
on it.
A window with available network connections will open. As you can see from the screenshot
below, the list is split by the type of available network connections. At the top you have dial-up
and virtual private network (VPN) connections, while at the bottom you have a list with all the
wireless networks which Windows 7 has detected. To refresh the list of available networks, click
on the button highlighted in the screenshot below.
You can scroll down through the list of available networks. If you leave your mouse cursor over
a network for a second, you will see more details about it. Windows 7 will show the following:
network name, signal strength, the type of wireless security used (if any) and its Service Set
identifier (SSID).
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Once you decided on which network to connect to, click on it. If you plan to use that network in
the future, make sure you check the box that says 'Connect automatically'. This way, when you
start your laptop next time, in the same area, it will automatically connect to this wireless
network without requesting any manual intervention. Next, click on the Connect button.
NOTE: be cautious with wireless networks which have no security enabled. They can be used to
steal personal data. If you connect to such networks make sure your security solutions are
turned on.
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After a few seconds, you will be asked to enter the security key. Ask the administrator of the
network for the wireless security key or, if you are in your own home network, take it from the
control panel of your router. If you are in a public place, it is best to check the 'Hide characters'
box so that other people don't see what you are typing. Then type the security key and click on
OK.
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If you typed an incorrect password, Windows 7 will request you to type it again and again until
it matches the password of the network you are connecting to. If everything is OK, Windows 7
will connect to the network you selected using the given security key. When the connection is
successful, the wireless icon from your taskbar changes as shown below.
NOTE: this procedure works only if your wireless adapter is enabled. If it is not enabled, you
won't see any wireless networks being available. The procedure of enabling the wireless
adapter is different for each model of laptop.
If you are connecting to a wireless network which you do not own, make sure you know the
password for it from its administrator. If you do not know the password of the network, your
connection will never work.
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1. Turn off your PC, unplug it, and remove your computer’s case.
Locate your PC’s old power supply sitting in a corner of your PC’s case. The power supply’s back
end fits snugly against the back of your PC so that its built-in fan can blow out the hot air. On its
other side, dozens of colorful cables flow from a small hole.
2. Make sure the new power supply’s cables will plug into the correct spots by putting a strip
of masking tape on the end of each plug and writing down its destination.
Each cable ends with one of several types of plugs. The plugs are shaped differently to mesh
with their particular connector.
3. Unplug the power cables from the motherboard (the large, flat, circuitry-and-slot-filled
board).
Two power supply cables plug into the motherboard: one pushes into a large, 20- or 24-pin
connector (left), the other pushes into a smaller, 4-, 6-, or 8-pin connector (right). On
motherboards set up to run two video cards, you’ll also remove a four-pin connector that looks
just like the ones plugging into older CD/DVD drives (see Step 4).
4. Unplug the power cables from the hard drives and the CD/DVD burners (new on left, old on
right), as well as any other places on the motherboard.
Motherboards usually include small four-pin connectors for controlling switches and fans. Your
old power supply will probably have some dangling cables that don’t plug into anything. (Those
cables are thoughtfully supplied to power any future upgrades.)
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5. Remove the four screws that hold the power supply to the computer’s case.
Be careful not to remove the screws holding the power supply’s internal fan. To see which
screws are which, try loosening the screws slightly and wiggling the power supply from inside
the case. Also, the screws that hold the power supply in place are generally closer to the
outside edge of the computer’s rear. The screws that hold the fan are generally closer to the
fan’s edge.
6. Lift out the power supply.
If the power supply is cramped, you may need to loosen the screws holding some drives in
place and pull them forward a bit. If the power supply still won’t come out, make sure that
you’ve removed all the screws. Some power supplies have extra screws around their base to
hold them down.
7. Buy a replacement power supply.
If you can’t purchase a replacement power supply online, take the old one to the store and look
for a replacement. If you’re planning on adding more computer gear — a powerful graphics
card, more hard drives, or more DVD burners — buy a power supply that has a higher wattage.
8. Plug your new power supply into the wall before installing it, just to listen for the fan.
If the fan doesn’t work, return the power supply for one that works. If you do hear the fan,
though, unplug the power supply before beginning to install it.
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9. Make sure that the power supply’s voltage is set correctly, if necessary.
On the back of some power supplies, near the fan, a red switch toggles the power to either 120
volts or 220 volts. If you’re in the United States, make sure that the switch is set to 120 volts. If
your country uses 220 volts, flip the switch to the 220-volt setting.
10 Place the new power supply in the old one’s place, and tighten the screws, then reconnect
the cables to the motherboard, the drives, the fans, and the power switch.
Look at the masking tape labels you put on the old power supply’s cables. Remember, some
cables won’t connect to anything; they’re for future add-ons.
11. Reconnect the power cord and plug your computer back in.
Its power cord should push into the socket near the fan.
12. Turn on the power and see whether it works.
Do you hear the fan whirring? Does the computer leap to life? If so, then all is well.
13. If the fan is not spinning, try plugging a lamp into the power outlet to make sure that the
outlet works.
If the outlet works, exchange the power supply for a new, working one.
14. Turn off the computer and put the case back on, then turn the computer back on
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Detecting Faulty RAM
If you have become the victim of unprovoked bluescreens and frequent system crashes as of
lately, you might want to have a look at the RAM in your PC or laptop. We'll show you how
you can thoroughly test it with specialised tools.
Apart from the ultimate piece of IT troubleshooting advice "Have you tried turning it off and on
again?", few other methods are quite as successful at resolving inexplicable PC issues as
checking for a broken RAM module. This particularly applies to PCs with telltale signs like
constant bluescreens of death (BSoD), distorted graphics in 3D games and failed booting
attempts, often in the company of strange beeping sounds. Though most of these symptoms
can have a wide range of other causes, checking the RAM first usually saves you a lot of time
and effort – after all, hardly any other hardware component is so infamously known for its
baffling proneness to cause seemingly random problems.
To check your memory for defects, we recommend two complementary methods: The quick
and easy-to-use Memory Diagnostics Tool from Microsoft included in Windows Vista, 7 and 8
and the more sophisticated and in-depth Memtest86, which has been around for 20 years and
is often considered to be the best free memory testing tool available. Which one of them you
want to use is ultimately up to your own preferences and spare time, but letting both have their
take on the situation certainly won't hurt the diagnosis either.
Testing with the Memory Diagnostics Tool
The Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool is one of the better and more convenient memory tests
out there. Plus, it's already included in your basic Windows package, so you can start it right
away and don't need to bother with installing third party software. Keep in mind though, that
the memory test itself is run independently from Windows in order to minimize memory load,
so that you will need to reboot your PC in the process.
To get started, hold down the Windows-key + R to open up the Run prompt. Type "mdsched" in
the empty field and hit Enter. After doing so, a new window will pop up, asking you to restart
your PC. Do so and wait for the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool to load. By default, the tool
will now start the standard scanning process automatically, though advanced user might want
to have a look at the options menu by pressing F1 before that. Depending on your CPU
performance and memory size, the scan might take a little while to complete.
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After finishing, the tool will automatically restart your PC and throw you back into the normal
Windows interface. Search the bottom right area of your taskbar for an overview of the testing
results with all relevant information. If errors have indeed been found, the tool will attempt to
pin-point their origin and walk you through solving the problem. In the most unfortunate case,
you may have to swap the faulty module out.
68
Detecting Faulty Hard Disk
Few hardware failures cause more headaches than a dead or dying hard drive. Other
components, like videocards and RAM, result in lost time and inconvienence as you wait for
your RMA to process, but when the replacement arrives, you're back up and running as if
nothing happened.
But when your HDD goes bad, you're not only looking at downtime, but lost data, like Word
documents, emails, pictures and videos, saved game files, browser bookmarks, and that snazzy
wallpaper that you can't remember where you downloaded it from. Fortunately, hard drives
rarely conk out without any warning, giving you both a chance to detect impending failure, and
to extract any important data that might not already be backed up.
Warning Signs
If your hard drive recently began making grinding, clicking, or other noises that it didn't used to
make, then there's something wrong. These symptoms represent mechanical or physical
defects, and while it's possible the drive may continue to work indefinitely, the more likely
scenario is it will stop working very soon.
A more subtle sign comes in the form of file errors, and you may receive warnings from
Windows that you need to run the check disk utility. If after doing so you continue to meet
head on with more errors, your hard drive may suffer from bad sectors.
Other signs include unusually slow access times, incomprehensible files names, crashes, and
other undesireable behavior. If you're experiencing any of these, or the ones previously pointed
out, backup your data immediately and then begin the diagnostic process.
69
To Run Chkdsk from Drive's Properties Page
1. Open the Start Menu and click on the Computer button on the right dark side.
2. Right click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and click on Properties. (see
screenshot below)
3. Click on the Tools tab, and click on the Check now button under Error-checking. (see
screenshot below)
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4. You will now see this window. Do the steps below for what you would like to do. (see
screenshot below)
71
5. To Only Scan the Drive for Errors

NOTE: This will just give you a report if there are any drive errors or not, and will not attempt to
fix them.
A) Leave both boxes unchecked and click on the Start button. (see screenshot below step 4)
6. To Only Scan and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors

NOTE: This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can
take much longer to complete.
A) uncheck the Automatically fix file system errors box. (see screenshot below step 4)
B) Check the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors box.
7. To Only Scan and Automatically Attempt to Fix Errors

NOTE: This will automatically attempt to repair problems with files and folders that the scan
detects.
A) Check the Automatically fix file system errors box. (see screenshot below step 4)
B) Uncheck the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors box.
8. To Scan and Automatically Attempt to Fix Errors and Recover Bad Sectors
NOTE: This will scan for both file errors and physical errors (steps 6 and 7). It will then attempt
to repair problems with files and folders, and recover physical errors.
A) Check the Automatically fix file system errors box. (see screenshot below step 4)
B) Check the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors box.
9. Click on the Start button, and do either step 10 or 11 below depending on if the drive is
currently in use or not. (see screenshot below step 4)
10. If the selected hard disk is not in use, then you will see check disk start checking the disk
now. (see screenshot below)
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A) When the scan is complete, you will then see

results similar to this. Click on Close. (see screenshots below)
73
B) Click on OK. (see screenshot below step 3)
C) Stop, you're done.

11. If the selected hard disk is in use, then click on the Schedule disk check button. (see
screenshot below)
74
NOTE: If the hard disk that you selected in step 2 is in use (for example, the C: drive or partition
that contains Windows 7), you'll be prompted to reschedule the disk check for the next time you
restart your computer. Otherwise you will not see this window below.
A) Restart the computer.

B) During startup, you will only have 10 seconds to press a key to cancel the Disk Check from
steps 7 or 8. (see screenshot below)
Warning
Once the Disk Check scan starts, DO NOT STOP the scan to prevent possible damage to the data
on your hard drive.
C) When the scan is complete you will see a report similar to this below briefly before the
computer automatically restarts.
75
76
To Run Chkdsk from Command Prompt
NOTE: The chkdsk command can be used on a FAT32 or NTFS formatted disk.
1. Open a elevated command prompt or a command prompt at startup.
2. In the command prompt, type in the following command below followed by one or more
switches that you would like to use below with a space between each switch and press Enter.
NOTE: For example, the most common command to run chkdsk on your C: drive is: chkdsk C: /F
chkdsk [drive letter]: [switches with space inbetween]
Switches that you can use in the command:
 /F - Fixes errors on the disk. The disk must be locked. If chkdsk cannot lock the drive, a
message appears that asks you if you want to check the drive the next time you restart
the computer. For example, on the C: drive.
 /V - Displays the name of each file in every directory as the disk is checked.
 /R - Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. The disk must be locked. /r
includes the functionality of /f, with the additional analysis of physical disk errors.
 /L:[size in KB] - Can only be used with a NTFS disk. Changes the chkdsk log file size to
the number size in KB you type. If you omit the size parameter, typing /L by itself will
display the current chkdsk log file size. For example, to have the default 65536 KB log
file for the C: drive, you would type: chkdsk C: /F /L:65536
 /X - Forces the volume to dismount first, if necessary. All open handles to the drive are
invalidated. /x also includes the functionality of /f.
 /I - Can only be used with a NTFS disk. Performs a less vigorous check of index entries,
which reduces the amount of time required to run chkdsk.
 /C - Can only be used with a NTFS disk. Does not check cycles within the folder
structure, which reduces the amount of time required to run chkdsk.
 /B - Can only be used with a NTFS disk. Clears the list of bad clusters on the volume and
rescans all allocated and free clusters for errors. /b includes the functionality of /r. Use
this parameter after imaging a volume to a new hard disk drive.
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COMSYSTEM SOLUTIONS [BASIC PC MAINTENANCE & TROUBLESHOOTING]

Pronounced as separate letters it is the abbreviation

Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers

Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are

A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive,"

located, which is an operation called a "seek." (Data

RAM is small, both in physical size (it's stored in

Most personal computers are designed to allow you

In the real world, "optical" refers to vision, or the

Some common types of optical drives include CD-

discs. The laser used for writing the data is much

These are the easiest way to upgrade your PC without

Some more popular types of PCI cards on the market

PCI fire wire card - a firewire card allows faster data

PCI USB2 card - A USB 2.0 PCI card allows you to

Video 4-input pci card - These are great for home

TV Tuner- Watch television on your computer!

Computer cabinets are fitted with doors and side

The terms rack and cabinet are often used

The term "monitor" is often used synonymously with

Speakers are one of the most common output devices

A switched-mode power supply (switching-mode

personal computer) while converting voltage and

A graphics card is a device installed in a computer

In computers, a printer is a device that accepts text

impact printer that strikes the paper a line at a time.

As the name implies, a keyboard is basically a board

While the design of computer keyboards may have

While most people don't want to see a mouse

All mice have at least one button, though most mice

Early mice tracked movement using a ball in the

Basic Desktop PC Motherboard Layout

A Hard Drive connector (blue), Floppy connector (black)

How to install a Processor

Installing the CPU Cooler

Parts of a CPU Cooler

Most CPU coolers are composed of three parts: A fan, a heat

If your heat sink doesn't have pre-applied compound, you will

The old compound must be completely are carefully removed

How to install DVD ROM / DVD-WRITER

How to install DDR3 SDRAM Memory

Repeat the same process for the second module.

First Boot and BIOS Setup

This time we will enter the Advanced BIOS features.

Comparison between NTFS and FAT

NTFS FAT 16/32

How to Install Windows 7

How to Change the Workgroup in Windows 7

Sharing a Printer in Windows 7

How to Configure Windows Firewall in Windows 7

2. The Control Panel window opens up.

4. Click on the Windows Firewall and a new window opens up.

By default the Firewall state is ON for both the networks.

Note: Same procedure is for Enabling/Disabling the Outbound Rules.

Manually Configure Your Router Without Setup Software

1. Connect your wireless router to the modem, using an ethernet cable.

3. Connect the wireless router to your computer using an ethernet cable.

6. Use the Web interface to set up a network name and password.

Connecting to the Wireless Network in Windows 7

6. Lift out the power supply.

7. Buy a replacement power supply.

12. Turn on the power and see whether it works.

Detecting Faulty RAM