MEKELLE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Training Module
PC Maintenance and Troubleshooting
MIT

1/1/2009
 Table of contents

Contents page

1. Module I: Preventive Maintenance

2. Module II: PC Components

3. Module III: PC Assembling and Disassembling

4. Module IV : Software Troubleshooting

5. Module V: Common Hardware Problems and Troubleshooting

6. Module VI: Printer maintenance and Troubleshooting

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Module I: Preventive Maintenance
 preventive maintenance definition
 Goals of preventive maintenance
 Advantage of preventive maintenance
 Activities preformed during preventive maintenance
 Cleaning pc components
 What materials are needed for cleaning
 How often you should clean pc
 What you can clean

 Dust and Dirty environment problem

 Disk clean up

 Disk cleanup
 Using disk cleanup
 Removing unneeded files
 Recycle Bin Overview

 Disk Defragmentation

 Disk Defragmenter overview

 Why volumes become fragmented
 Analyze a volume
 defragment a volume

 Virus scan
 File and folder compression

Preventive Maintenance.

 Is a schedule of planned maintenance actions aimed at the prevention of break downs and
failures
 Often abbreviated as PM which refers to performing proactive maintenance in order to
prevent to system problems.
 Is a service given for the purpose of maintaining equipments and facilities in satisfactory
operating conditions by providing systematic inspection detection and correction of
failures either before they occur or before they develop into major defects.

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Goals of preventive maintenance

 Is conducted to keep working and /or extending the life of the equipment
 Conducted to get equipment working again sometimes called repairing
 To prevent the failure of equipment before it occurs.

 Preserve and enhance equipment reliability by replacing worm components before they
actually fail.

Advantage of preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance has the following long term benefits:

 Improves system reliability

 Decreases cost of replacement
 Decreases system downtime

Cleaning of pc components:

 It is important that you clean your computer periodically to ensure that it will function
properly and have a long life.
 When you clean your computer you not only improve the physical appearance, but you
prolong the life of the computer.
 How often
 Generally you should try to clean your computer every 3-6 months.
 If you use your computer often and if it's in a very dusty environment then you
should clean it sooner (every 3-4 months)
 if you use your computer sparingly in a fairly dust free environment you don't
need to clean it as often (every 5-6 months

 What you need:

 Screwdriver (to open up the computer case)
 Can of Compressed air (to blow away dust inside the computer)
 Cleaning Liquid: Rubbing alcohol or mild cleaning agent (dish detergent mixed
with water...).
 Cotton swabs (Q-tips)
 Paper towel or cotton cloth
o Make sure your computer is turned off before you begin the cleaning
process!
o A computer on the ground attracts more dust than one elevated on a
platform.
o 2. Static attracts dust. Wiping down your computer with a solution of one
half vinegar and one half water will minimize static.

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  What u can clean?

• Computer Case cleaning

• Computer Mouse Cleaning
• keyboard
• DVD or CD-Rom Drive
• Floppy drive head
• Hard drive
• Monitor-Screen (LCD, flat panel)
• Cleaning the Monitor Casing
• Cleaning the Inside of The Computer
• Cleaning printer

 Dust and Dirty environment problem

It increases the overheating problem and mostly affect:-

 The Motherboard.
 The Processor and Power Supply fan.
 The CD-drive's Lens and Floppy drive's head.
 The Add-in card connection.
 The cable connection.
 The mouse and keyboard.

 NOTE: - Don't use any fluid to clean the inside part of the Pc. Unplug the system
from the power supply and use compressed air to clean dusts from the inside part .

Cleaning the Computer Case

Benefits: Improves the overall appearance of your computer.

Steps:

 Turn off the system.

 Unplug the system unit power connector from the wall outlet (power supply).
 Spray a Gentle cleaner (Alcohol) on hair free cloth.
 Then clean it slowly.
 Note: Don't put too much liquid on the cloth where it might drip through any openings
and into the inside of the computer

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Clean the mouse [mechanical mouse]:

Benefits:

 For a mechanical mouse cleaning it will make the mouse run smoother and for all
mousses in general cleaning it will improve it's appearance and give it a feeling of
cleanliness.
 The mouse may hang up or may not move in the correct way due to dust. It
may not work properly.
Steps:

1. Shutdown the PC.

2. Remove the mouse cable from its connection at the back of your PC.
3. Turn the mouse upside-down and remove the securing screws from the mouse case.
4. Remove the mouse ball from the cavity.
5. Clean the cavity and the mouse ball with proper available materials. [ use dry cloth]
6. Replace the ball carefully into the cavity.
7. Twist the plate to tighten it into position.
8. Reconnect the cable to the computer.
9. Turn ON the PC and see that if it is activated.

Cleaning the keyboard

Benefits: Cleaning your computer keyboard will not only result in sticky-free keys but
also ensure that your keyboard will continue to function properly by removing dirt, dust
and other particles that can damage the keyboard's circuits.

Steps:
While working on my PC, something (liquid) Spilled into the keyboard.

1. Remove the keyboard cable from its connection at the back of the PC. Do not wait!!
You need to cut power to the device in order to avoid a possible short circuit.
2. Shutdown the PC using the mouse [start>turn off computer ...].
3. Tip the keyboard upside down and drain out as much of the liquid as you can.
4. Try to dry the inside part of the keyboard properly by using blow dryer or direct
sunlight.
5. Reconnect the keyboard cable to the computer.
6. Power up the computer and manipulate the keyboard to assure proper functioning.

Note: Purchasing a keyboard cover or protector will protect your keyboard from dust and any
unexpected spills that may occur.

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Cleaning a DVD or CD-Rom Drive
Benefits: Prevents disc read errors.

Steps:

1. Take a clean cotton cloth and dampen it with warm water.

2. Wipe the disc from the center towards the edge of the CD (wiping along the track of the
disc can cause scratches).
3. Prepare the CD cleaner kit.
4. The CD cleaning DISC has two soft brushes: dry and wet.
5. Turn over the disc and drop one of the cleaning fluids on the brush.
6. Insert the cleaning DISC into CD-drive like you would insert an ordinary disc.
7. Try to open the CD Drive from "My Compute: and allow the CD to operate.
8. The cleaning Disc will automatically clean the CD heads with the picture displaying.

Cleaning the Floppy drive head

1. Prepare the diskette cleaner and fluid.
2. Drop one of the cleaning fluids on the brush surface of the diskette.
3. While the Windows is working, place the cleaning diskette in your floppy drive.
4. Try to open the floppy Drive from "My Computer" and the cleaning diskette will
automatically clean the read \ write heads.
5. After cleaning, put the cleaning diskette back to its special box.

Hard Drive Cleaning

Benefits: It takes a skilled technician to physically open up and clean a hard drive, but your
computer's performance can be optimized by doing such things as clearing out unnecessary files
on your hard drive.

Steps

 Uninstall any programs that are outdated or unnessesary (if you aren't sure if you
need the program for your computer to run it's best to just leave the program as is)
and go through your folders and delete any files (pictures, mp3's, text documents...)
that you don't have a need for.
 Empty your "Recycle Bin".
 Run ScanDisk which checks and repairs disk errors.
 Run Disk Cleanup which automatically deletes temporary files stored on your
computer.

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  Run Disk Defragmenter which optimizes your hard drive by rearranging programs,
files, and unused space which results in files opening quicker and programs running
faster.

Cleaning Monitor-Screen (LCD, flat panel)

Benefits: A clean screen on your monitor gives you a clearer view of the items displayed on your
computer.

Cleaning the Screen

Steps:

 Turn off the monitor

 Dampen a clean soft cotton cloth with water and gently wipe the screen starting from the
top of the screen to bottom wiping in a downward motion.

Note

o For LCD (laptop and flat panel) screens be careful not to press too hard or else
you may damage the screen.
o Using a paper towel or dirty cloth can scratch the screen.
o using methyl chloride, acetone, ethyl acid, ethyl alcohol or ammonia-based
cleaners can damage the screen,
o LCD monitors are especially sensitive to these agents.)

Cleaning the Monitor Casing:

Benefits: Improves the overall appearance of your computer.

Steps:

 Turn off the monitor

 Dampen a cloth or paper towel with a mild cleaning agent and wipe down the casing,
especially the top as this is where most of the dust tends to be. Don't put too much liquid
on the cloth where it might drip through the holes and into the computer monitor.
 Use a can of air and blow in the holes to get the any dust that may be in there out
(Alternatively you can use a vacuum cleaner and suck the dust out).

Clean Computer Inside:

Benefits: The inside of the computer is the most important part of the computer that needs to be
cleaned. Removing dust from the computer vents increases the internal air circulation. If you
don't remove the dust the circuit boards it can slow down or interfere with the connections

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running through the circuit boards. Dusting the inside of your computer also prevents it from
overheating.

Steps:

1. Turn off and unplug the computer.

2. Remove the casing of the computer (directions should be in your computer manual). It is
recommended that you bring the computer outside at this point because in the next step
there'll be a lot of dust coming out of your computer.
3. Use the can of air to clean out the dust from the vents and the fan in the back of the
computer.
4. Use a can of air to blow the dust out of the computer going in one direction while using
short bursts of air (you want to clean all the circuit boards, underneath the motherboard,
the bottom of the case, get rid of dust on any of your drives and blow air into the power
supply box). You want to try to get as much dust out of the computer as you can, if there
is dust on the inside of the case you should try to get that out of there as well. Try to
avoid any direct physical contact with any circuits in the computer.
5. Put the case back on.

Cleaning a Printer
Benefits: When your print job isn’t up to par, you can get rid of smudges, white lines and reduce paper
jams by simply cleaning your printer. Of course, the real benefit of cleaning is that it saves you money by
prolonging the life of your printer!

Your first step in cleaning a printer is always to check your manufacturer’s documentation.

If you don’t have a written manual, most manufacturers provide tips on what not to do and
provide support for even older printer models on their web sites. Use only the cleaners that your
manufacturer recommends and clean only recommended areas of your printer.

Tip: Search for terms like printer maintenance, printer cleaning, and troubleshooting.

Cleaning the Outside of Your Printer

Steps:

1. Turn your printer off before cleaning.

2. Clean the outside of your printer with a moist, lint-free cloth. Flour sacking or 100%
cotton white t-shirt material works well.
3. Usually a solution of one part vinegar and one part water is safe to use, but when
moistening a cloth, be sure to wring out all the excess. Distilled or RO (reverse osmosis)

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 water minimizes mineral residues. If you do use a prepared cleaner, make sure it is safe
for both electronics and plastics.
4. Always moisten the cloth. Never spray an aerosol directly onto your printer.

Disk Defragmenter overview

 The process of consolidating fragmented files and folders is called defragmentation.

 Disk Defragmenter analyzes local volumes and consolidates fragmented files and folders
so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume.
 Consolidates your files and folders
 Consolidates a volume's free space, making it less likely that new files will be fragmented
 The amount of time that defragmentation takes depends on several factors.
 The size of the volume
 The number and size of files on the volume
 The amount of fragmentation
 The available local system resources
 You can find all of the fragmented files and folders before defragmenting them by
analyzing the volume first. You can then see how fragmented the volume is and decide
whether you would benefit from defragmenting the volume. This method is called
analyzing. It is important to analyze the volume before degragmenting if not the process
of defragmenting will continue its process whether the volume has fragmented files ,
folders or not.
 You should analyze volumes before defragmenting them. This tells you whether you need to take
the time to defragment them.
 A volume must have at least 15% free space for Disk Defragmenter to completely and adequately
defragment it. Disk Defragmenter uses this space as a sorting area for file fragments. If a volume
has less than 15% free space, Disk Defragmenter will only partially defragment it. To increase the
free space on a volume, delete unneeded files or move them to another disk.
 You cannot defragment volumes that the file system has marked as dirty, which indicates possible
corruption. You must run chkdsk on a dirty volume before you can defragment it. You can
determine if a volume is dirty by using the fsutil dirty query command. For more information
about chkdsk and fsutil dirty
 You can defragment only local file system volumes, and you can run only one instance of Disk
Defragmenter at a time.
 To interrupt or temporarily stop defragmenting a volume, click Stop or Pause, respectively.
 If you start Disk Defragmenter while performing a backup, Disk Defragmenter stops.
 A volume must have at least 15% free space for defrag to completely and adequately defragment
it. Defrag uses this space as a sorting area for file fragments. If a volume has less than 15% free
space, defrag will only partially defragment it. To increase the free space on a volume, delete
unneeded files or move them to another disk.
 You cannot defragment volumes that the file system has marked as dirty, which indicates possible
corruption. You must run chkdsk on a dirty volume before you can defragment it. You can
determine if a volume is dirty by using the fsutil dirty query command. For more
 Running the defrag command and Disk Defragmenter are mutually exclusive. If you are using
Disk Defragmenter to defragment a volume and you run the defrag command at a command
prompt, the defrag command fails. Conversely, if you run the defrag command, and open Disk
Defragmenter, the defragmentation options in Disk Defragmenter are unavailable.

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  While defrag is analyzing and defragmenting a volume, it displays a blinking cursor. When
defrag is finished analyzing and defragmenting the volume, it displays the analysis report, the
defragmentation report, or both reports, and then exits to the command prompt.
 By default, defrag displays a summary of both the analysis and defragmentation reports if you do
not specify the /a or /v parameters.
 To interrupt the defragmentation process, at the command prompt, press CTRL+C.
 You can send the reports to a text file by typing >filename.txt, where filename.txt is a file
name you specify. For example:
 defrag volume /v >filename.txt

Why volumes become fragmented?

Volumes become fragmented as users:

 Create and delete files and folders

 Install new software
 Download files from the Internet.
 Computers typically save files in the first contiguous free space that is large enough for
the file
 If a large enough free space is not available, the computer saves as much of the file as
possible in the largest available space
 After a large portion of a volume has been used for file and folder storage, most of the
new files are saved in pieces across the volume. When you delete files, the empty spaces
left behind fill in randomly as you store new ones.
 The more fragmented the volume is, the slower the computer's file input/output
performance will be.

Color Description

Red Most of the clusters are part of a fragmented file.

Most of the clusters are contiguous files with clusters in the group that contain only free space and
Blue
contiguous clusters.

Green Most of the clusters are part of a file that cannot be moved from its current location.

White Most of the clusters are free space and contiguous clusters.

To analyze a volume

We can analyze a volume in to two ways

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Using windows interface

 To open Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to
System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
 Click the volume that you want to check for fragmented files and folders, and then click Analyze.
 When Disk Defragmenter finishes analyzing the volume, it displays its analysis of the volume in
the Analysis display. It also displays a dialog box that tells you whether you need to defragment
the volume.

Note: You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in

order to complete this procedure

 Using command prompt

 To open command prompt , click Start, point to Run press Enter or
 click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command
Prompt
 note: To view the complete syntax for this command, type defrag /?
 Type defrag volume [/a] [/v] on the command prompt

Argument Description

volume The drive letter or a mount point of the volume to be analyzed.

/a Analyzes the volume and displays a summary of the analysis report.

/v Displays the complete analysis report.

Defragment a volume:

Using windows interface

 To open Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point
to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.
 Click the volume that you want to defragment, and then click Defragment
 After the defragmentation is complete, Disk Defragmenter displays the results in the
Defragmentation display.
 Click View Report to view the Defragmentation Report, which displays detailed

Using command prompt

 To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All Programs, point to

Accessories, and then click Command Prompt
 Type defrag volume [/v] on the command prompt
 To view the complete syntax for this command, type defrag /?

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 Argument Description

volume The drive letter or a mount point of the volume to be defragmented.

/v Displays the complete analysis and defragmentation reports.

Using Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup helps free up space on your hard drive. Disk Cleanup searches your drive, and then
shows you temporary files, Internet cache files, and unnecessary program files that you can
safely delete. You can direct Disk Cleanup to delete some or all of those files.

To open Disk Cleanup, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to
System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.

Removing unneeded files

When running an operating system as complex as Windows, you may not always know the
significance of all the files on your computer. Sometimes Windows uses files for a specific
purpose and then retains them in a folder designated for temporary files. Alternatively, you may
have previously installed Windows components that you are no longer using. For a variety of
reasons, including running out of space on your hard drive, you may want to reduce the number
of files on your disk, or create more free space, if it can be done without harming any of your
programs.

Use the Windows Disk Cleanup Wizard to perform all of the following tasks to clear space on
your hard disk:

 Remove temporary Internet files.

 Remove any downloaded program files (ActiveX controls and Java applets downloaded
from the Internet).
 Empty the Recycle Bin.
 Remove Windows temporary files.
 Remove Windows components that you are not using.
 Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

Recycle Bin overview

 The Recycle Bin provides a safety net when deleting files or folders.

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  When you delete any of these items from your hard disk, Windows places it in the
Recycle Bin and the Recycle Bin icon changes from empty to full.
 Items deleted from a floppy disk or a network drive are permanently deleted and are not
sent to the Recycle Bin.
 Items in the Recycle Bin remain there until you decide to permanently delete them from
your computer.
 These items still take up hard disk space and can be undeleted or restored back to their
original location.
 When it fills up, Windows automatically cleans out enough space in the Recycle Bin to
accommodate the most recently deleted files and folders.
 If you're running low on hard disk space, always remember to empty the Recycle Bin.
You can also restrict the size of the Recycle Bin to limit the amount of hard disk space it
takes up.
 Windows allocates one Recycle Bin for each partition or hard disk.
 If your hard disk is partitioned, or if you have more than one hard disk in your computer,
you can specify a different size for each Recycle Bin.

Note To change the storage capacity of the Recycle Bin

 On the desktop, right-click Recycle Bin, and then click Properties.

 Move the slider to increase or decrease the amount of disk space that is reserved for
storing deleted items.

Important:

 A deleted item that is larger than the storage capacity of the Recycle Bin will not be
saved. It will be permanently deleted.

To empty the Recycle Bin

1. On the desktop, double-click Recycle Bin.

2. On the File menu, click Empty Recycle Bin.

Important

 Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently deletes all items.

To remove items permanently when you delete them

1. On the desktop, right-click Recycle Bin, and then click Properties.

2. Select the Do not move files to the Recycle Bin check box.

Important

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  If it Does not move files to the Recycle Bin check box is selected, you will not be able
to recover any items that you delete.

Notes

 You can also remove an item permanently by holding down SHIFT while dragging the
item to the Recycle Bin

To prevent delete confirmation messages from appearing

1. On the desktop, right-click Recycle Bin, and then click Properties.

2. Clear the Display delete confirmation dialog check box.

Notes

 This setting only applies when you move items to the Recycle Bin. This setting does not
apply when you move items from it.
 This setting is unavailable if the Do not move files to the Recycle Bin check box is
selected

To delete or restore files in the Recycle Bin

1. On the desktop, double-click Recycle Bin.

2. Do one of the following:
o To restore an item, right-click it, and then click Restore.
o To restore all of the items, on the Edit menu, click Select All, and then on the
File menu, click Restore.
o To delete an item, right-click it, and then click Delete.
o To delete all of the items, on the File menu, click Empty Recycle Bin.

Notes

 Deleting an item from the Recycle Bin permanently removes it from your computer.
Items deleted from the Recycle Bin cannot be restored.
 You can also delete items by dragging them into the Recycle Bin. If you press SHIFT
while dragging, the item is deleted from your computer without being stored in the
Recycle Bin.
 Restoring an item in the Recycle Bin returns that item to its original location.

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  To retrieve several items at once, hold down CTRL, and then click each item that you
want to retrieve. When you have finished selecting the items that you want to retrieve, on
the File menu, click Restore.
 If you restore a file that was originally located in a deleted folder, the folder is recreated
in its original location, and then the file is restored in that folder.
 The following items are not stored in the Recycle Bin and cannot be restored:
o Items deleted from network locations.
o Items deleted from removable media (such as 3.5-inch disks).
o Items that are larger than the storage capacity of the Recycle Bin.

Module2: Pc Components
Motherboard

Drives

Expansion cards

Power supply

Enclosures(case or chasis)

Peripherals

Computer Definition

 Is an electronic device That accepts information, processes it, and produces output
 Is not very intelligent device but, handles instructions flawlessly and fast
 Accurate, suited for repetitive work
 Can store large amount of data and performs complex calculations

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These are the important activities of computer

Input

Processes

Out put

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System 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
The components and peripherals necessary to assemble a basic modern PC system are listed in

Component
Motherboard

Memory
(RAM)
Case/chassis
Power supply
Floppy drive

CD or DVD drive
Keyboard
Mouse
Video card
Monitor
Sound card
Network/Modem

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 The PC consists of a central unit (referred as Computer) and various peripherals

The Computer is a box, which contains most of the working electronics. It is

connected with cables to the peripherals.

The following are the main components of pc

Components of the central

unit (Computer)

• Motherboard

• CPU, RAM, Cache, ROM chips with BIOS, Chip sets, ports, buses and
expansion slots

• Drives

• Hard disk drive

• Floppy disk drive

• CD-ROM drive

• Expansion cards

• Graphics card (video adapter)

• Network controller

• SCSI controller

• Sound card

• Internal Modem

• Power supply
• Enclosures (case or chassis)
• Peripherals

• Keyboard

• Mouse

• Joystick

• Monitor

• Scanner

• Speakers

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• External drives

• External modem

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1. Mother board:

 Motherboard is the base of the modern computer system

 If the processor is the brain of the computer, then the motherboard is the central nervous
system and circulatory system

 Is the main circuit board in the computer where everything comes together

 To plug in processor, memory, cache, video card, sound card, NIC, modem card, etc

 To connect all the peripherals

 Good understanding of motherboard is the most critical part of getting a good

understanding of how PCs work in general

 Generally motherboard is a computer`s primary circuit. The board contains most of the
computers basic components.

The importance of motherboard

 Organization: The way that the motherboard is designed and laid out dictates how the
entire computer is going to be organized

 Control: The motherboard contains the chipset and BIOS program, which between them
control most of the data flow within the computer

 Communication: Almost all communication between the PC and its peripherals, other
PCs, and you, the user, goes through the motherboard.

 Processor Support: The motherboard dictates directly your choice of processor for use
in the system.

 Peripheral Support: The motherboard determines, in large part, what types of

peripherals you can use in your PC.

 For example, the type of video card your system will use

 Performance: The motherboard is a major determining factor in your system's

performance, for two main reasons

 First, the motherboard determines what types of processors, memory, system

buses, and hard disk interface speed your system can have, and these
components dictate directly your system's performance
 Second, the quality of the motherboard circuitry and chipset themselves have
an impact on performance.

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Types of motherboard

 There are two types of motherboard that basically describe the shape and size of the
motherboards, as well as the layout of the components on the board.

 The case and power supply must then match the type of motherboard you have chosen

AT type: -An old type of motherboard that has a b keyboard port, and two small
separated power connectors [p8 & P9].

 It is advanced technology
 It is very huge(size)
 More expansion slots

A TX type: -The modem type of motherboard while, has a small keyboard port and
one big power connector [Pi].

 It is modern
 Less expansion slot
 Very compact

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2.Power supply
 A standard power supply draws power from a local, Alternating Current (AC)
source (usually a wall outlet) and converts it to either 3.3, 5 and 12 volts direct
current (DC), for on-board electronics, and hard drives
 Most PC power supplies also provide the system's cooling and processor fans
that keep the machine from overheating
 When replacing a power supply, there are three things to consider: physical
size, wattage, and connectors

Power-Supply Sizes

• Power supplies are based on the types of case they will be used in and the
types of motherboard connections they will support

• The older models are known as AT-style, and the newer ones are known as
ATX

• Older Pentium-based computers and all 486-based and earlier PCs used
AT supplies

• almost all Pentium II and later-based systems use ATX supplies

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 Power-Supply Wattage

• Power supplies are rated according to the maximum sustained power (given
in watts) that they can produce. A watt is a unit of electrical power equivalent
to one volt-ampere

Power-Supply Connectors

• Power supplies employ several types of connectors; all are easy to identify
and use

• On the outside of the computer enclosure, a standard male AC plug and

three-conductor wire (two power wires and a ground) draws current from a
wall outlet, with a female connection entering the receptacle in the back of the
power supply

3. Modem

 A device that allows computer information to be transmitted and received over a

telephone line Modems are most commonly used to connect to the Internet.

 A modem is a peripheral device that enables computers to communicate with

each other over conventional telephone lines

 The word modem comes from combining the words MOdulator and
DEModulator.

 It is the key that unlocks the world of the Internet and its World Wide Web,
commercial online services, electronic mail (E-mail), and bulletin board systems
(BBSes).

 It converts digital information to analog by MODulating it on the sending end and

DEModulating the analog information into digital information at the receiving end.

 Modems are known as Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE) while the

computer using the modem is often referred to as Data Terminal Equipment
(DTE).

Types of modems

Depending upon how your computer is configured and your preferences, you can
have an external or internal (Built in and Modem card).

24
External Modem

 This is the simplest type of modem to install because you don't have to open
the computer.

 External modems have their own power supply and connect with a cable to a
computer's serial port. The telephone line plugs into a socket on the rear
panel of the modem.

Advantage of external Modem

 Because external modems have their own power supply, you can turn off the
modem to break an online connection quickly without powering down the
computer.

 Another advantage over an internal modem is that an external modem's

separate power supply does not drain any power from the computer.

Internal modem

 Internal modems are more directly integrated into the computer system and,
therefore, do not need any special attention.

 Internal modems are installed in one of the motherboard's PCI or ISA

expansion slots depending on the modem.

 Internal modems usually cost less than external modems, but the price
difference is usually small. The major disadvantage with internal modems is
their location: inside the computer. When you want to replace an internal
modem you have to go inside the computer case to make the switch.

Common problems of modem

Dialing Problems

 Make sure the modem is setup and configured correctly. Refer to Configuring Your
Modem for details.
 Make sure the line you are using is working properly. Plug the modem’s phone line
into a telephone to see if you can get a dial tone. If not, contact your telephone
company for assistance with the line.

25
 Connection problems

 For external modems, be sure to use a high quality cable to connect your PC
to the modem and make sure the connection is secure.

 For internal modems, make sure the modem is properly seated in the bus
slot.

 Make sure the modem is properly configured and is not conflicting with other
devices.

 Check the phone line for noise. Try plugging in a regular phone to your
modem line and see if the line quality is good. Listen for hissing or static.

Modem driver:

A driver is necessary for the modem to work. There are hundreds of modem
brand names,

4.Memory

It is the working place of a computer system, which is usually called RAM-Random

Access memory. It stores data temporarily. Anything
stored on a RAM will be erased when the computer is
turned off. Therefore, the contents must be saved on to
storage devices [on hard disk, flash disk or floppy
diskette].

SRAM Static RAM

 It uses transistor to store data.

 Doesn't need refreshment because it is made mainly from transistor.
 It is the fastest memory.

 It is difficult to manufacture it in large capacity [size]. Therefore, you may not get it in
the mad easily.

• It is used to build cache memory.

Note: The cache memory is a small size memory, which found inside the CPU [and built-in

26
motherboard]. If no cache memory, the CPU will be in a wait-state to talk to the other
memory. Larger the capacity of the cache memory, the better the performance of the CPU
will be.

DRAM-Dynamic RAM

 It uses capacitor to store data.

 It needs a periodic refresh because 1t 1S 1 mainly from capacitors.
 It uses more power than SRAM.
 Easy to manufacture and used to build DRAM that most people call it RAM.

RAM-Synchronous DRAM

 It runs at the speed of the Motherboard. i.e. it runs at 66 MHz, 100 MHz, 133 MHz
motherboard speed.
 It is usually named as:

PC66, PC100, PC133 .....

Note:- when you see PC66, PC100, PC133 on the physical part of the RAM, it is the
SDRAM.

RSDRAM-Double data rate SDRAM

 It has its own motherboard to support it.

 It runs at double speed of the motherboard speed.
 It is usually named. as: PC1600\ 2100.

RDRAM-Rambus DRAM

 It has its own motherboard that uses a Ramble channel. 800 MHz.
 Data transfer rate IS
 If 800 MHz is not fast enough, you can

double the channel width for faster speed. [see its documentation manual]

*VRAM (video RAM) is found on video cards.

RAM modules

SIMM: - Single Inline Memory Module. It is a type memory stick found in 486 (old) and some
Pentium systems.

DIMM: - stands for Dual Inline Memory Module. It is faster in speed and better in capacity. The
popular type is SDRAM DIMMs.

27
RIMM: - stands for Rambus Inline Memory Mod In RIMM, the open slot must be filled with a sp
stick called CRIMM (Continuous RIMM).

*CRIMM is not a RAM; simply it is a terminator for open slot.

 Remember the four type of RAM:

 30pin SIMMs=8bit in wide.

 72pin SIMMs=32bit in wide.
 168pin DIMMs = 64bitin wide.
 72pin DIMMs = 32 bit in wide (for laptop).

5. Ports:

Serial port

 This port transfers data at a rate of l-bit at a time.

 It is a 9-pin male socketty [you can see this port at/he back of your PC]
 I t is commonly used to connect mouse and external modem.

* The windows system refers this port as COM 1 and COM 2.

Parallel port

 This port transfers data at a rate of 8-bit at a time.

 It is a 25-pin female socket [You can see this port at the back of your PC]
 It is commonly used to connect printer, scanner and external devices (Harddisk and
CD-drive].

NOTE: - On the printer device, there is a Centronics port [36-female contact pins], which
is used to connect the printer to the PCs parallel port through the printer cable.

Audio port

If your motherboard has a built-in sound card, you will get one or more outlets for speaker
and microphone. The Audio equipments use a mini-audio connector: [jack] to the audio
port.

Video port

 It is a 1S-pin [female port] in three rows socket.

 It is used to connect the PC’s monitor

28
Game port

 It is a is-pin [female port] in two rows socket.

 It is commonly used to connect joystick and MID

[Musical Instrumental Digital Interface- is found in the sound card]

Modem connector

 It is a 4-pin socket.
 The RJ -11 connector is used to connect the mode interface to telephone line via a
cable.

Network connector

 It is an 8-pin socket.
 The RJ-45 connector is used to connect a
PC to another via a network cable.

USB port

 USB means Universal Serial Bus.

 It is the fastest and modern type port.
 It is a 4-pin socket.
 It is used to connect mouse, keyboard, printer, 3 canner, digital camera, external
devices, flash disk etc….

While the PC is running, you can plug and use the USB devices; e system will detect the USB devices
automatically.

6. Expansion slots
It is an expansion bus slot, which is used to attach 3dapter cards to the motherboard.

There are three main types of expansion standards:

ISA-Industry Standard Architecture

ISA slots are black in color, long, slow speed and old type architecture.

8-bit and 16-bit wide lSA are common types of architecture.

29
PCl- Peripheral Component Interconnect

PCI slots are white in color, short, faster than lSA and modern type architecture. 32-bit [old
type] and 64 bit wide PCl are common types of architecture.

These days, every card plugs on PCl slots.

AGP-Acce1erated Graphics Port

AGP slots are brown in color, very short, faster speed and it is only designed for modern graphic
[video] cards. 64-bit wide is a common AGP slot and it is only found in Pentium II system and
above.

Bus and bits

A bus is the physical pathway on the motherboard through which a group of bits computer only
knows two digits. i.e. 0’s and 1’[binary system].

Capacity units used in computer-language

Byte [B} .................................. 8 - bits

Kilobyte [KB). ....................... 1,024 [103] bytes

Megabyte [MB] ......................1,024 kilo [106] bytes

Gigabyte [GB]. ..................... 1,024 mega [109] -bytes

30
 7. Mouse

A small input device with one or more buttons used for pointing or drawing [pointing
device]. Inside the mechanical mouse there is a ball,
which rolls against the surface of your mouse pad.

The optical mouse has no ball and wheels like the mechanical mouse. It uses the optical [light]
sensor to detect the motion of your mouse. The optical mouse does not always work well on
all surfaces. So, we shall use a mouse pad.

8. Keyboard

It is a primary input device that enables data enter into

Computer by pressing a set of keys (labeled button). Inside a keyboard

there is a small microchip called a keyboard controller. When this controller
detects any key contact, it sends out the signal to the system [CPU] through
the keyboard cable [it tells the system which key is pressed].

Keyboard connectors

 PS/2 type: 6-pins circular connector.

 USB type: 4-pins square shape connector.

9. Adapter cards
A small circuit board that you plug it into a slot [PC] on the motherboard.

Video card

It is the display adapter that is used to connect the motherboard system to the monitor.
You can't see any picture without the video card.

* While adding a new video card, the on board video c, [controller) can be disabled in the operating ~stem.

Network card

Sometimes called Network Interface Card (NIC), which is used to connect one computer
31
to the other. Network exists for one major reason: to share information resource [printer).

*While adding a new NIC card, the on board NIC [if e. should be disabled in the BIOS setting to resolve &
conflicting.

Modem card

In order to connect· the computer ·to the Internet connection, you must have a modem card
between the motherboard and Telephone line.

Problem

Modem cannot dial and "no Dial tone" message appears on the monitor

Solution

1. Check the phone card connection.

2. Make sure the jack on the modem labeled "line" is connected to phone line wall
jack.

Problem

The modem disconnects while on line.

This may be caused by line interference. Retry the connection by dialing the numbers
again.

Sound card

Usually built-in the motherboard and is used to give sound through the speakers.

Problem

No sound from the Computer

Possible cause:

 Software related problem.

 Speaker connection failure.

Solution

 Check your speaker and its connection.

 Check the volume control in the windows system
 Check the driver software for the sound card.

32
Problem

No sound from the CD drive

Solution

 Check the disc into another system.

 The audio cable connecting the CD drive to Sound card is detached. Therefore, unplug off]
the PC and reattach the audio cable to sound card.
 Run any sound card diagnostic software.
 Use the replacement method.

SCSI card

SCSI means Small Computer System Interface and pronounced as 'Skuzzy'. It is used to connect
more devices to a single computer [e.g. SCSI hard disk].

*The SCSI adapter uses a terminator for preventing signal bouncing on the data bus.

USB card

The Universal Serial Bus adapter card is one of the most useful interfaces for upgrading an older
system.

33
 10. Hard disk

The hard disk is the primary archival storage memory for the system.

A hard disk drive is a sealed unit that a PC uses for nonvolatile data storage.

Nonvolatile, or semipermanent, storage means that the storage device retains the data
even when no power is supplied to the computer.

Because the hard disk drive is expected to retain data until deliberately erased or
overwritten, the hard drive is used to store crucial programming and data.

It is a permanent storage device. The hard disk is the data center of the computer.
So, many computer software problems are occurred on the hard disk.

N.B If you have a lot of money, please choose HDD that capacity is large.
because a lot of data can be saved.

Hard drives store programs and data that are not currently being used by the CPU.
Like RAM, we measure hard-drive capacity in megabytes.

The outside structures of hard drive are:

o Data connector.
o Power connector.
o Jumper setting pins.
o Control board.

Data connector: -The hard drive uses a,40-pin IDl" (Integrated Device Electronic]
cable. *The SATA [Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) hard dri" contains a small4-pin data connector
with 7-wire narrow cable instead of the usual40-pin [80wire} IDE cable.

Power connector: - The hard disk uses a Molex power connector. The Molex
connector has 4- wires

Jumper setting pins:-If two drives on the same IDE/ ATAPI data cable where both
set to master or slave neither would work; one of them should be set to master or
slave-and the master drive is the first one to communicate with CPU.

*Cable Select (CS): - with such setting, the drive itself determines the setting.

*In the SATA hard drive, there is no jumper setting for master [slave) like the usual (IDE)
hard disk.

34
Tip: -To see the hard disk capacity in windows program:

1. Open 'my computer' from the desktop.

2. Right-click on the hard drive [C: \ D:]
3. Select property and visualize the disk total capacity [=free space + used space]
under the general tab.

12. Processor
Processor is often thought of as the "engine" of the computer. It's also called the CPU (central
processing unit). The Central Processing Unit performs all the calculations that take place inside
a PC

CPU stands for

“Central Processing Unit“,

The CPU controls the operation of the computer.

Therefore, the CPU is one of the most important parts of the computer.

It is an ACTION Taker

It is the brain of the computer that takes in data, processes it and gives it out again. The
processor is also called central processing unit-CPU. CPU controls every task in the
system.

CPU maker CPU model

Best manufacturer For Intel product

 Intel processor. Pentium .

 AMD processor. Pentium pro.
 Cyrix processor PentiumMMX
Pentium II
Celeron
Pentium III
Pentium IV

N.B : -Celeron is the poor man's version type processor and cheaper in price. From AMD
product: K5\K6\Athlon and Duron processor are best models, and Duron is cheaper in price.

The Type of CPU manufacturer

Pentium intel

Celeron intel

35
 Athlon AMD

Duron AMD

How are difference Pentium and Celeron ?

Even if the frequency of Pentium and Celeron are the same, but FSB clock and Cache-
memory are difference. FSB clock and cache memory of Pentium is bigger than
Celeron. Therefore, the price of Pentium is more expensive than Celeron.

N.B Cache Memory” is that stores copies of data that is often needed while a program is
running.

Module III: PC Assembling and Disassembling

Before Disassembling computer, always

36
  Back up every thing important
 Have a clean workspace with all necessary tools and equipment
 Take ESD precautions
 Document every thing
 Power all devices and disconnect them from the main power supply
 Typical Disassembly
 Detach keyboard and mouse from the back of the computer
 Detach monitor
 Detach serial and parallel devices
 Detach network cables, speaker cables, Modem phone line
 Detach power cable.
 Remove system case
 Detach internal power cables from storage device
 Remove hard device and other storage devices.
 Remove interface card
 Remove power cables from system board
 Remove CPU
 Remove RAM
Remove cables from system board
 Remove screws holding system board in place
 Remove system board

Reassembly

Reassemble in the reverse order

 Proper cable orientation

 Cpu orientation
 Jumper setting
 System board is well secured in place
 Everything you documented as you went along is back in its palce

37
Module IV: Software Trouble Shooting

To be well acquainted with the basics of software maintenance and troubleshooting we have to
first grasp the concept of the motor of the computer system, the operating system. So let’s first
define what the operating system is, what components make up the operating system and of
course how it does.

What is an operating system?

An operating system is a software the interfaces the user, software applications and the
underling hardware. Operating system interprets user commands and instructions and sends user
request to the appropriate application. It provides a consistent environment to other software to
execute commands.

Basic functions of operating system:

 File management
 Disk management
 Memory management

Points worthy knowing about OS:

 Minimum hardware requirements and recommendations(memory, processor, storage,

input/output devices)
 Boot file (to make an emergency boot disk) and sequence
 Important files and set up information
 File system Architecture
 And compatible applications

Types of Operating system include:

 Windows family
 Unix, linux
 Macintosh
 Etc

For our case, since a window is dominant in Ethiopia, we shall consider the modern windows
operating system troubleshooting hereafter. Moreover, since the basic foundation of the windows
operating systems is similar we shall take one operating system installation process in this
section.

38
Operating system Installation process:

Windows 2000/XP installation process involves the following procedures:

1. Start the start up program

2. Text Mode setup
 Create partition
 Select File system
 Format the partition, if needed
 Copy installation files to the hard disk

3. Restart the computer

4. Setup wizard (Graphics mode)
 Choose regional settings
 Enter name and organization
 Enter the product key
 Enter a 15 characters computer name(unique in the network)
 Choose a password for the local Administrator account
 Fill in the Date and time
5. Network Configuration
 Auto-detects NICs and installs windows networking(client for network for
Microsoft networks
 Choose to join the work group

6. Restart the computer

7. Final steps to tidy up

 Create start menu short cuts

 Set up choices applied
 Configuration saved to hard disk
 Temp files deleted

8. Last restart

Steps To Install Operating System(Server or Workstation).

39
 To Install Operating System (Server Or Workstation)from CD use the following steps.

1. Make sure that you have a CD-ROM connected to your computer and it is functional.

2. Make sure that you have a functional hard disk connected to your computer.

3. Prepare the CD which contains the operating system you want to install (Window XP, Vista
,Window Server).

4. Start your computer and Enter to BIOS setup by pressing the setup key. For example the
following are

Some of the setup key’s with their corresponding types of computers.

Setup key Computer

F2……………………Dell and HP

F1…………………...Gateway

F10………………….Compaq

Assume that we are working on “phoenixBOIS setup utility”. Which is available in most
computers.

st nd rd
5. Set the boot order to 1 CD-ROM, 2 Hard Disk 3 Floppy disk …from the BOOT menu
as shown in Pic-2 then press F10 to save the changes you made ,Click Yes to confirm save.

Pic-1 PhoenixBIOS Pic-2 The Boot Menu

40
 6. Insert the CD that contains your operating system in to the CD –Rom, Restart your PC. The
following screen will be displayed, at this time press any key from your keyboard.

Press any key to boot from CD…

When you press any
key Pic -4 will be
displayed

Pic-4 Set Up is loading files

7. Wait until the following screen displays.

Press “Enter” Key and

Press “Enter” Key and then
then accept the
accept the
Agreement in Pic-6 by
Agreement in Pic-6 by
pressing F8 key
pressing F8 key Pic-6 Licence Agreement

Pic-6 Licence Agreement

Pic-6 Licence Agreement

8. if your “Hard Disk is New the following Screen Will display , press C to create new partition
by selecting the un portioned space, else if your hard disk was installed operating system
before go to step 10.

When you press C Pic-8

will be displayed, then
assign the amount of your 41
first partition(C:) you want
to be in MB .
9. Repeat step 8 to create another Partition.(by reading the information papers on he screen).

10. Identify where are the necessary files which you do not want to format (Erase from the
Disk).If you are asked to install another’s computer please ask them the following questions.

1. On which partition you want to install the operating system?

2. On what partition were you put your files before it gets damage?
If the necessary files were stored in a different partition on which you are not
installing operating system no problem, this files are safe, and simply you can format the
disk. But if you have files on the partition you want to format, first you have to copy to
another storage media (CD ,Flash Disk, Or Onother Hard disk )By Making slave in a
functional computer.(Refer or Ask How to Make Slave Hard Disk If You Are Not
Familiar With Making Master And Slave Disks).

11. After you decide what partition to format(C: ,D:,E..)Select it using the “Arrow keys” then
press “Enter”.when you press Enter key Pic-10 will be displayed.

42
12. Choose “Format the partition using the NTFS file system” from “Pic-10” then press
“Enter”

Note

If you chose “Format the partition using the FAT file system” you will loose some
special futures of the NTFS file system which are not available in FAT file system.

Example

1. You can not install Active Directory(Which is to be add to the server operating
system to increase the security of your system).
2. You can not the “Disk quota management”(Which enable to the System
administrators to assign hard disk space to all users(Accounts)of the system
according to their need.

13. Wait until it finishes formatting ,Copying, and Restarting. Without touching (giving
command) anything it starts copying files as shown in Pic-12 .When copying file progress
finishes 100% set up will restart itself after 15 seconds.

43
Pic-12 Coping files
14. Click Next in Pic-15 , Enter, Name (Any Name)and Organization(Any Organization
Name) in Pic-17, Enter, Product key (BMPP3 9CJQQ W6GWH MDK7F 48GBB)in Pic-16,
Click “Next “in Pic-18,

You Can Modify this

Pic-17 no to 10,20 or any
Pic-15
number ,but it is
possible to modify it
after the installation
complete.For now
,make it 25

15. Enter “Computer Name”(E.g myserver) ,enter “Administrator password” and Conform
Password it in Pic-19 ,your password should not be less than 6 characters to increase the
complexity of your password. then click “Next”. When a warning message appears Pi-18
(that informs
about your password complexity and combination of possible characters and digits )in Pic-20
Pic-16
read it and click yes.

44
 Pic-19
Pic-20

16. Adjust Date and time in Pic-21 then click next, Select Typical setting from Pic-222 then
click Next.

Pic-21 Pic-222

17. Relax and back after around 25 -30 minutes and your installation will finalize and restart ,
Do nothing in

Pic-22,Click “Finish” in Pic-23, Click “yes” in Pic-24.

45
Pic- 22 Pic-23 Pic-24

18.The following dialogue will display always you start your server ,it is recommended that to
read some points about configuring(managing)your server but for now Close it by clicking the
close button in the control button of this window in the right upper .

19. Press “Ctrl+Alt+Del” key in Pic-26, Enter User Name=Administrator, password=that you
have created in step 15 then click OK in Pic-27

46
20. Now Enjoy Your “Windows 2003 Server”

Boot Sequence of the windows 2000/XP:

i. POST
ii. Pnp Devices
iii. Locates MBR
iv. NTLDR (Real mode to 32 bit memory model and then loads the drivers to
read the file system)

47
 v. Boot.INI(location of other OS files)
vi. BOOTSEC.DOS(for multi-Boot systems when other OS id detected)
vii. NTDETECT(Hardware detection)
viii. WINNT\SYSTEM32\NTOSKRNL.EXE(initialized *** win2k kernel file)
ix. HAL.DLL(hardware abstraction Layer for hardware independence)
x. WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM ( key
form the registry to initialize device drivers)

Graphical Display:

xi. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE key(the key from the registry for

detecting hardware settings)
xii. Clone copy of control set is created
xiii. Device drivers loaded
xiv. Windows service 2000 started
xv. Log on prompt

Maintaining windows 2000/XP:

Maintenance is about keeping Windows’ performance from degrading with time and use. It
focuses on running ScanDisk, Disk Defragmenter, antivirus, System Cleanup, and System
Backup utilities. When installed properly, all these work automatically, or nearly automatically,
freeing you up for more interesting problems.
You can update Windows in three different ways: patches, service packs, and new versions.

 Patches : are EXE files that you get from Microsoft to fix a specific problem. You run
these programs and they do whatever they're supposed to do-update DLLs, reconfigure
Registry settings, or whatever else is necessary to fix a particular problem.

Sometimes a patch might not totally fix a particular problem or it might even cause other
problems. In this case, you need a patch for the patch. Also, some patches must be
installed before another patch can be used.
 Service pack: group of patches

Windows update can be accomplished manually or using automatic updates through the internet.

The manual option can be accomplished as:

For windows XP:

Start-All programs--Windows update

For windows 2000:

48
 Start-Windows update

When you run Windows Update manually, the software connects to the Microsoft Web site and
scans your computer to determine what updates may be needed.

You have several choices here, although two are most obvious. If you click the Express button,
Windows Update will grab any high-priority updates—these are security patches—and install
them on your computer. If you click the Custom button, you can select from a list of optional
updates.

Automatic updates:

Updates are so important that Microsoft gives you the option to update Windows automatically
After installing XP (after a day or some days) a message balloon will pop up from the taskbar
suggesting that you automate updates. If you click this balloon, the Automatic Updates Setup
Wizard will run, enabling you to configure the update program. You say you’ve never seen this
message balloon, but would like to automate the update process? No problem—simply rightclick
My Computer (on the Start menu), select Properties, click the Automatic Updates tab, and select
Automatic Update options. Then, whenever your computer connects to the Web, it checks the
Windows Update page. What happens next depends on the setting you choose. You have four
choices:

 Automatic (recommended) Windows Update will simply keep your computer patched
up and ready to go. This is the best option for most users, although not necessarily good
for users of portable computers. Nobody wants to log into a slow hotel dial-up connection
and have most of your bandwidth sucked away by Automatic Update downloading hot
fixes!
 Download updates for me … Windows Update downloads all patches in the
background and then, when complete, tells you about them. You have the option at that
point to install or not install.
 Notify me … Windows Update simply flashes you a dialog box that tells you updates are
available, but does not download anything until you say go. This is the best option for
users of portable computers. You can download files when it’s convenient for you, such
as when you’re home rather than traveling on business.
 Turn off Automatic Updates This does precisely what is advertised. You get neither
automatic patches nor notification that patches are available. Only use this option on a
system that does not or cannot connect to the Internet.If you’re online, your computer
needs to be patched!

Driver Updates
Device manufacturers occasionally update their drivers. Most of these updates take place
to fix problems, but many updates incorporate new features. Whatever the case, when one
of your devices gets an updated driver, it’s your job to install it. Windows /Microsoft
Update provides an easy method to update drivers from manufacturers that take

49
 advantage of the service. The only trick to this is that you usually need to select the
Custom option to see these updates because Windows only installs high-priority updates
using the Express option. When you click on the Custom option, look under Hardware,
Optional (on the left) to see if Windows has any driver updates Take some time and read
what these updates do—sometimes you may choose not to install a driver update because
it’s not necessary or useful to your system.

Device Manager

Apart from installing and troubleshooting devicesd; device manager also is the tool to use when
optimizing device drivers.
Right-click on a device in Device Manager to display the context menu.
From here you can:
 Update or uninstall the drive
 Disable the device
 Scan for hardware changes, or display the Properties dialog box.
When you open the Properties dialog box, you’ll see several tabs that vary according to the
specific device. Most have General, Driver, Details, and Resources. The tab that matters most for
optimization is the Driver tab. The Driver tab has buttons labeled Driver Details, Update Driver,
Roll Back Driver, and Uninstall. Driver Details lists the driver files and their locations on disk.
Update Driver opens the Hardware Update Wizard not very useful given that the install programs
for almost all drivers do this automatically. The Roll Back Driver option enables you to remove
an updated driver, thus rolling back to the previous driver version. Rollback is a lifesaver when
you install a new driver and suddenly discover it’s worse than the driver it replaced! Uninstall
removes the driver.

Adding a New Device

Windows should automatically detect any new device you install in your system. If
Windows does not detect a newly connected device, use the Add Hardware Wizard to get the
device recognized and drivers installed. You’ll find it on the Hardware tab of the System
Properties dialog box.
Click Next on the Welcome screen, and the wizard will search for hardware that has been
connected but does not yet have a driver installed. If it detects the device, select the device, and
the wizard will install the driver. You may have to point to the source location for the driver
files. If it does not detect the device, which is very likely, it will ask you if the hardware is
connected. Select Add a New Hardware Device, and then click Next. If the device is a printer,
network card, or modem, select Search for and install the hardware automatically and click Next.
In that case, once it detects the device and installs the driver, you’re done. If you do see your
device on the list, your best hope is to select Install the hardware that and manually select from a
list.

Performance Options

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One optimization you can perform on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP is setting
Performance Options. Performance Options are used to configure CPU, RAM, and virtual
memory (page file) settings.
To access these options:
 Right-click My Computer select Propertiesclick the Advanced taband click
the Options button (Windows 2000) or Settings button (Windows XP) in the
Performance section of that tab.
 The Performance Options dialog box differs between the two families of
operating systems. In Windows 2000, the Performance Options dialog box shows
a pair of radio buttons called Applications and Background Services. These radio
buttons set how processor time is divided between the foreground application and
all other background tasks.

Set this to Applications if you run applications that need more processor time. Set it to
Background Services to give all running programs the same processor usage. You can also adjust
the size of the page file in this dialog box, but in most cases I don’t mess with these settings and
instead leave control of the page file to Windows. The Windows XP Performance Options dialog
box has three tabs: Visual Effects, Advanced, and Data Execution Prevention. The Visual
Effects tab enables you to adjust visual effects that impact performance. Try clicking the top
three choices in turn and watch the list of settings. Notice the tiny difference between the first
two choices. The third choice, Adjust for best performance, turns off all visual effects, and the
fourth option is an invitation to make your own adjustments. If you’re on a computer that barely
supports Windows XP, turning off visual effects can make a huge difference in the
responsiveness of the computer. For the most part, though, just leave these settings alone.

Managing User Accounts and Groups

The most basic element of Windows security is the user account. Each user must present a valid
user name and the password of a user account in order to log on to a Windows computer
Groups enable the system administrator to easily assign the same rights and permissions to all
members of the group without the need to set those rights and permissions individually.

Windows 2000 and XP have several built-in groups and two user accounts created during
installation—Administrator and Guest—with only the Administrator account enabled by default.
When you install Windows, you supply the password for the Administrator account. This is the
only usable account you have to log on to the computer. You manage users and groups using the
Local Users and Groups node in the Computer Management console, accessed by right-
clicking on My Computer and selecting Manage Local Users and Groups can also be used on
standalone computers.

Using the Users and Passwords Applet in Windows 2000

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When you install your OS you may choose to let the OS assume that you are the only user of the
computer and do not want to see the logon dialog box. You can check this setting after
installation by opening the Users and Passwords applet in Control Panel to see the setting for
Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.

There’s a second setting in Users and Passwords that’s important to enable for the sake of
security—the setting on the Advanced Tab under Secure Boot Settings. If checked it requires
users to press CTRL-ALT-DEL before logging on. This setting is a defense against certain
viruses that try to capture your user name and password, sometimes by presenting a fake logon
prompt. Pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL will remove a program like that from memory and allow the
actual logon dialog box to appear.

Creating a New User in Windows 2000

Creating a new user account enables that user to log in with a user name and password

To create a new user: open the Users and Passwords applet from Control Panel click the
Add button.
This opens the Add New User Wizard Enter the user name that the user will use to log on.
Enter the user’s first and last names in the Full name field, and if you wish, enter some text that
describes this person in the Description field. If this is at work, enter a job description in this
field. The Full name and Description fields are optional.
After entering the user information, click the Next button to continue. This opens a password
dialog box where you can enter and confirm the initial password for this new user. Click the
Next button to continue.
Now you get to decide what groups the new user should belong to. Select one of the two
suggested options—Standard User or Restricted User—or select the other option button and
choose a group from the drop-down list. Select Standard user, which on a Windows 2000
Professional desktop makes this person a member of the local Power Users Group as well as the
local Users group. Click the Finish button to close the dialog box. You should see your new user
listed in the Users and Passwords dialog box

N.B To create and manage users, you must be logged on as the Administrator, be a member of
the Administrators group, or have an Administrator account (in Windows XP). Assign a
password to the Administrator account so that only authorized users can access this all-powerful
account.

Managing Users in Windows XP

Although Windows XP has essentially the same type of accounts database as Windows 2000, the
User Accounts Control Panel applet replaces the former Users and Passwords applet and further
simplifies user management tasks. Windows XP has two very different ways to deal with user
accounts and how you log on to a system: the blank user name and password text boxes,
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reminiscent of Windows 2000 , and the Windows XP Welcome screen. If your Windows XP
computer is a member of a Windows domain, your system automatically uses the Windows
Classic style, including the requirement to press CTRL-ALT-DEL to get to the user name and
password text boxes, just like in Windows 2000. If your Windows XP computer is not a member
of a domain, you may use either method, although the Welcome screen is the default. Windows
XP Home and Windows XP Media Center cannot join a domain, so these versions of Windows
only use the Welcome screen.

Windows requires you to create a second account that is a member of the Administrator’s group
during the initial Windows installation. This is for simple redundancy—if one administrator is
not available or is not able to log on to the computer, another one can log on.

Creating users is a straightforward process. To create a new user in Windows XP, open the User
Accounts applet from the Control Panel and click Create a new account. On the Pick an
account type page you can create either type of account. Simply follow the prompts on the
screen.
In the User Accounts applet look at the Change the way users logs on and off option. Select it;
you will see two checkboxes. If you select the Use the Welcome screen checkbox, Windows will
bring up the friendly Welcome screen each time users log in. If this box is unchecked, you’ll
have to enter a user name and password.
The second option, Use Fast User Switching, enables you to switch to another user without
logging off the currently running user. This is a handy option when two people actively share a
system, or when someone wants to borrow your system for a moment but you don’t want to close
all your programs. This option is only active if you have the Use the Welcome screen checkbox
enabled. If Fast User Switching is enabled, when you click on the Log Off button on the Start
menu, you get the option to switch users .

Error-Checking and Disk Defragmentation

Implementing Hard Drives,” are the key Windows maintenance tools you use to accomplish this
task. When you can’t find a software reason (and there are many possible ones) for a problem
like a system freezing on shutdown, the problem might be the actual physical hard drive. The
tool to investigate that is Error-checking.
Error-checking can be done:
 From a command line using the chkdsk command
 Or through the GUI by opening My Computer, right-clicking on the drive you want to
check, selecting Properties, and then clicking the Tools tab, where you can click Check
Now to have Error-checking scan the drive for bad sectors, lost clusters, and similar
problems, and repair them if possible.
Run the Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis to keep your system from slowing down due to
files being scattered in pieces on your hard drive. Before you click the Defragment button, click
the Analyze button to have Windows analyze the disk and determine if defragmentation is
actually necessary.

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Temporary File Management with Disk Cleanup

Before you defrag a drive, you should run the Disk Cleanup utility to make sure you’ve cleared
out the junk files that accumulate from daily use. All that Web surfing uses up disk space,
leaving behind hundreds of temporary
Internet files. Those, and other bits and pieces such as those “deleted” files still hanging around
in your Recycle Bin, can add up to a lot of wasted disk space if you don’t periodically clean them
out.
The junk files that take up space fall the following categoris:

 Application temporary files that failed to delete

 Installation temporary files that failed to delete
 Internet Browser cache files
 Files in the Recycle Bin
 Internet cookie files
 Identical files in separate locations

You can access this tool through:

 Start menu (Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools), or you can open My
Computer, right-click the drive you want to clean up, select Properties, and right
there in the middle of the General tab you’ll find the Disk Cleanup button.
Disk Cleanup calculates the space you will be able to free up and then displays the Disk Cleanup
dialog box , which tells you how much disk space it can free up—the total amount possible as
well as the amount you’ll get from each of the different categories of files it checks. The list of
Files to delete only has a few categories checked, and the actual amount of disk space to be
gained by allowing Disk Cleanup to delete these files is much smaller than the estimate. If you
scroll down through the list, you will see a choice to compress old files. This is one of the few
choices where you will gain the most space. The other big heavyweight category is Temporary
Internet Files, which it will delete. Try Disk Cleanup on a computer that gets hours of Internet
use every day.

Registry Maintenance

Your Registry is a huge database that Windows constantly updates. As a result, the Registry
tends to get clogged with entries that are no longer valid. These usually don’t cause any
problems directly, but they can slow down your system. Interestingly, Microsoft does not
provide a utility to clean up the Registry. To clean your Registry, you need to turn to a third-
party utility. Before you start cleaning your Registry with wild abandon, keep in mind that all
Registry cleaners are risky in that there is a chance that it may delete something you want in the
Registry.

Security: Spyware/Anti-Virus/Firewall

You simply cannot run a computer today without a large number of security programs to protect
you from malicious attacks from spyware, malware, viruses, and hacking. In fact, the
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installation, monitoring, and updating of these programs (and possibly even hardware) is so
important that they get their own chapter.

Optimizing windows
Installing and Removing Software

The most common optimization performed on any PC is probably adding and removing
applications. Installing and removing software is part of the normal life of any PC. Each time
you add or remove software, you are making changes and decisions that can affect the system
beyond whatever the program does, so it pays to know how to do it right.

Installing Software

Most application programs are distributed on CD-ROMs. Luckily, Windows supports Autorun, a
feature that enables it to look for and read a special file called—wait for it—Autorun
immediately after a CD-ROM is inserted, and then run whatever program is listed in Autorun.inf.
Most application programs distributed on CD-ROM have an Autorun file that calls up the
installation program.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to choose the installation sequence yourself. The following
reasons may enforce for manual installation:

 Perhaps the installation CD lacks an Autorun installation program,

 or perhaps Windows is configured so that programs on a CD-ROM must be started
manually.
 Or In some cases, a CD-ROM may contain more than one program, and you must
choose which of them to install.
Regardless of the reason, beginning the installation manually is a simple and straightforward
process using the Add or Remove Programs (Add/Remove Programs in Windows 2000) applet
in the Control Panel. Click the Add New Programs button, follow the prompts, and provide the
disk or location of the files.

Prerequisite to install software: you must be an administrator or member of the administrators

group (not always necessary).
For a successful installation of an application the following points need to be full filled:
 You typically first must accept the terms of a software license before you are allowed to
install an application. These steps are not optional—the installation simply won’t
proceed until you accept all terms the software manufacturer requires,
 And in many cases enter a correct code.
 You may also be asked to make several decisions during the installation process. For
example, you may be asked where you would like to install the program and if you
would like certain optional components installed. Generally speaking, it is best to accept
the suggested settings unless you have a very specific reason for changing the defaults.

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Removing Software

Each installed application program takes up space on your computer’s hard drive, and programs
that you no longer need simply waste space that could be used for other purposes. Removing
unnecessary programs can be an important piece of optimization. You remove a program from a
Windows PC in much the same manner as you install it.

Ways to remove installed applications:

 Use the application’s own uninstall program, when possible. You normally find the
uninstall program listed under the application’s icon on the Start Menu
 If an uninstall program is not available, then use Windows’ Add or Remove Programs
applet from Control Panel. You select the program you want to remove and click the
Change/Remove button. Click yes if you are sure you no more need the application when
you are asked for confirmation.

Adding a New Device

Windows should automatically detect any new device you install in your system. If Windows
does not detect a newly connected device, use the Add Hardware Wizard to get the device
recognized and drivers installed. You’ll find it on the Hardware tab of the System Properties
dialog box.
Click Next on the Welcome screen, and the wizard will search for hardware that has been
connected but does not yet have a driver installed. If it detects the device, select the device, and
the wizard will install the driver. You may have to point to the source location for the driver
files. If it does not detect the device, which is very likely, it will ask you if the hardware is
connected. When you answer yes and click Next, it will give you a list of installed hardware

If the device is in the list, select it and click Next. If not, scroll to the bottom and select Add a
New Hardware Device, and then click Next. If the device is a printer, network card, or modem,
select Search for and install the hardware automatically and click Next. In that case, once it
detects the device and installs the driver, you’re done. If you do see your device on the list, your
best hope is to select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list. In the subsequent
screens, select the appropriate device category, select the device manufacturer and the correct
model, and respond to the prompts from the Add Hardware Wizard to complete the installation.

Performance Options

One optimization you can perform on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP is setting
Performance Options. Performance Options are used to configure CPU, RAM, and virtual
memory (page file) settings. To access these options:
 Right-click My Computer and select Properties

56
  Click the Advanced tab--Click the Options button (Windows 2000) or Settings
button (Windows XP) in the Performance section of that tab.

The Performance Options dialog box differs between the two families of operating systems. In
Windows 2000, the Performance Options dialog box shows a pair of radio buttons called
Applications and Background Services. These radio buttons set how processor time is divided
between the foreground application and all other background tasks.

 Set this to Applications if you run applications that need more processor time.
 Set it to Background Services to give all running programs the same processor usage.

The Windows XP Performance Options dialog box has three tabs: Visual Effects, Advanced,
and Data Execution Prevention.
 The Visual Effects tab enables you to adjust visual effects that impact performance. The
third choice, Adjust for best performance, turns off all visual effects, and the fourth
option is an invitation to make your own adjustments. If you’re on a computer that barely
supports Windows XP, turning off visual effects can make a huge difference in the
responsiveness of the computer. For the most part, though, just leave these settings alone.
 The Advanced tab has three sections: Processor scheduling, Memory usage, and
Virtual memory.
 Under the Processor scheduling section, you can choose to adjust for best
performance of either Programs or Background services. The
 Memory usage settings enable you to allocate a greater share of memory to
programs or to the system cache.
 Finally, the Virtual memory section of this page enables you to modify the size
and location of the page file
 Microsoft introduced Data Execution Prevention (DEP) with Windows XP Service Pack
2. DEP works in the background to stop viruses and other malware from taking over
programs loaded in system memory. It doesn’t prevent viruses from being installed on
your computer, but makes them less effective. By default, DEP monitors only critical
operating system files in RAM, but the Data Execution Prevention tab enables you to
have DEP monitor all running programs. It works, but you’ll take a performance hit. Like
other options in the Performance Options dialog box, leaving the DEP settings as default
is the best option most of the time.

Resource Tracking

One big issue with optimization is knowing when something needs optimization. Let’s say your
Windows computer seems to be running more slowly. Resource tracking is very important for

57
identifying the performance problem. Task Manager and the Performance Console are tools you
can use to figure out what (if anything) has become a bottleneck.

Task Manager

The Task Manager has many uses, for instance, the Applications tab is used to shut down a
troublesome program. For optimization purposes, Task Manager is a great tool for investigating
how your RAM and CPU are working at any given moment and why. The quick way to open the
Task Manager is to press CTRL-SHIFT-ESC. Click the Performance tab to reveal a handy
screen with the most commonly used information: CPU usage, available physical memory, the
size of the disk cache, commit charge (memory for programs), and kernel memory (memory
used by Windows).

Not only does Task Manager tell you how much CPU and RAM usage is taking place, it also
tells you what program is using those resources. Let’s say your system is running slowly. You
open up Task Manager and see that your CPU usage is at 100 percent. You then click on the
Processes tab to see all the processes running on your system. Click on the CPU column to sort
all processes by CPU usage to see who’s hogging the CPU . To shut off a process, just right-click
on the process and select End Process. Many times a single process will open many other
processes. If you want to be thorough, click on End Process Tree to turn off not only the one
process, but also any other processes it started.

Task Manager is also a great tool for turning off processes that are hogging memory. Let’s say
you’re experiencing a slowdown, but this time you also notice your hard drive light is flickering
nonstop—a clear sign that you’ve run out of memory and the swapfile is now in use. You go
into Task Manager and see that there is no available system memory—now you know the
swapfile is in use! In order to make the PC run faster you have got to start unloading programs—
but which ones? By going into the Processes tab in Task Manager, you can see exactly which
processes are using the most memory. Just be careful not to shut down processes you don’t
recognize; they might be something the computer needs!

Windows troubleshooting

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The first step to troubleshooting Windows is preparation. You must have critical system files and
data backed up and tools in place for the inevitable glitches.
The various versions of Windows offer five different tools for the job, although none offer them
all:
 System Restore
 The Backup or Restore Wizard (called NTBackup if you want to run it from the
command prompt),
 Automated System Recovery (ASR)
 The Emergency Repair Disk (ERD),
 And the Recovery Console.

System Restore

The System Restore tool enables you to create a restore point, a copy of your computer’s
configuration at a specific point in time. If you later crash or have a corrupted OS, you can
restore the system to its previous state.

To create a restore point: Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System
Restore.
When the tool opens, select Create a Restore Point and then click Next . Type in a
description on the next screen. There’s no need to include the date and time because the
System Restore adds them automatically. Click Create and you’re done.

The System Restore tool creates some of the restore points in time automatically. For
instance, by default, every time you install new software, XP creates a restore point. Thus,if
installation of a program causes your computer to malfunction, simply restore the system to a
time point prior to that installation, and the computer should work again.
During the restore process, only settings and programs are changed. No data is lost.
Your computer will include all programs and settings as of the restore date.

To restore to a previous time point, start the System Restore Wizard by choosing
Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore. Then select the first
radio button, Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next. Select a date on
the calendar; then select a restore point from the list on the right and click Next

The last screen before the system is restored shows a warning. It advises you to close all open
programs and reminds you that Windows will shut down during the restore process. It also
states that the restore operation is completely reversible. Thus, if you go too far back in time,
you can restore to a more recent date.
You don’t have to count on the automatic creation of restore points. You can open System
Restore at any time and simply select Create a restore point. Consider doing this before
making changes that might not trigger an automatic restore point, such as directly editing the
Registry. System Restore is turned on by default and uses some of your disk space to save
information on restore points. To turn System Restore off or change the disk space usage,
open the System Properties applet in Control Panel and select the System Restore tab.

Backup or Restore Wizard (NTBackup)

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 Windows 2000/XP Backup provides almost all the tools you need. It has come a long way
from its origins in Windows NT. It supports a greater variety of devices, enabling you to
network drives, logical drives, tape, and removable disks (but not CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-
R). Most folks, however, still turn to third-party utilities to create system, email, browser, and
personal data backups.

You can start Backup by navigate:

 Start | Accessories | System Tools,
 clicking the Backup Now button on the Tools page of the local disk properties box.
 Start | Run with the command NTBACKUP. This technique works in both Windows
2000 and Windows XP.

To create a backup, start the Backup utility, click Advanced Mode, and choose the
Backup tab. Check the boxes next to the drives and files you want to include in the
backup. To include your system state information, such as Registry and boot files (which
you should do), click the System State checkbox. To specify where to put the backup file
you’re creating, either type the path and filename in the Backup media or filename box or
click Browse, select a location, type the filename, and click Save. Click Start Backup.
Choose whether you want to append this backup to a previous one or overwrite it. Click
Advanced to open the Advanced Backup Options dialog box, select Verify data after
backup, and click OK. Click Start Backup again. A dialog box will show you the utility’s
progress. When it’s done, click Close and then close the Backup utility.

Installing Recovery Console

When things get really bad on a Windows system, you need to turn to the Recovery Console.
The Recovery Console is a text-based startup of Windows that gets you to a command prompt
similar to the Windows command prompt.
If you have the Windows 2000/XP CD-ROM, you can start the Recovery Console by running
Setup, selecting Repair, and then selecting Recovery Console. If you like to be proactive,
however, you can install the Recovery Console on your hard drive so that it is one of your startup
options and does not require the Windows 2000 or XP CD-ROM to run. The steps to do this in
Windows 2000 and Windows XP are very nearly identical.
First, you need to log into the system with the Administrator account. Grab your
Windows 2000 or XP installation CD-ROM and drop it in your system. If the Autorun function
kicks in, just click the No button. To install the Recovery Console and make it a part of your
startup options, click the Start button, select Run, and type the following:

d:\i386\winnt32 /cmdcons

If your CD-ROM drive uses a different drive letter, substitute it for the D: drive. Then just follow
the instructions on the screen. If you are connected to the Internet, allow the Setup program to
download updated files. From now on, every time the system boots, the OS selection menu will
show your Windows OS (Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP) and the Microsoft
Windows Recovery Console. It may also show other choices if yours is a multi-boot computer.

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Diagnosing Windows

Failure to Boot

Windows boot errors take place in those short moments between the time the POST ends
and the Loading Windows screen begins. For Windows to start loading the main
operating system, the critical system files NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, and BOOT.INI
must reside in the root directory of the C: drive, and BOOT.INI must point to the
Windows boot files. If any of these requirements aren’t in place, the system won’t get
past this step. Here are some of the common errors you see at this point:

 No Boot device Present

 NTLDR Bad or Missing
 Invalid BOOT.INI

Note that these text errors take place very early in the startup process. That’s your big
clue that you have a boot issue. If you get to the Windows splash screen and then lock up,
that’s a whole different issue, so know the difference.

If you get one of the catastrophic error messages, you have a three-level process to get
heal.
 First try to repair
 If repair fails try to Restore from a back up copy of windows
 If restore is either not available or fails, then your only recourse is to rebuild.

N.B You will lose data at the restore and rebuild phases, so you definitely want to
spend a lot of effort on the repair effort first!

Repair Using Recovery Console

To begin troubleshooting one of these errors, boot from the installation CD-ROM and
have Windows do a repair of an existing installation. Windows will prompt you if you
want to use the Recovery Console or the emergency repair process (ASR/ERD). Start
with the Recovery Console.
If Recovery console is not installed , start it as described earlier using the Windows 2000
or XP installation CD-ROM. When you select the Recovery Console, you will see a
message about NTDETECT, another one that the Recovery Console is starting up, and
then you will be greeted with the following message and command prompt:

Microsoft Windows XP<TM> Recovery Console.

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type Exit to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
1: C:\WINDOWS
Which Windows XP installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>?

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If there is only one installation of Windows XP on your computer, type the number 1 at
the prompt and press the ENTER key. If you press ENTER before typing in a valid
selection, the Recovery Console will cancel and the computer will reboot. The only
choice you can make in this example is 1. Having made that choice, the only change to
the screen above is a new line:

Type the Administrator password:

Enter the Administrator password for that computer and press ENTER. The screen still
shows everything that has happened so far, unless something has happened to cause an
error message. It now looks like this:
Microsoft Windows XP<TM> Recovery Console.
The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type Exit to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
1: C:\WINDOWS
Which Windows XP installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>? 1
Type the Administrator password: ********
C:\Windows>

Now you are supposed to use the recovery console commands to repair the problem.
The Recovery Console shines in the business of manually restoring registries, stopping
problem services, rebuilding partitions (other than the system partition), and using the
EXPAND program to extract copies of corrupted files from a CD-ROM or floppy disk.

Using the Recovery Console, you can reconfigure a service so that it starts with different
settings, format drives on the hard disk, read and write on local FAT or NTFS volumes,
and copy replacement files from a floppy or CD-ROM. The Recovery Console enables
you to access the file system, and is still constrained by the file and folder security of
NTFS.

The Recovery Console is best at fixing three items: repairing the MBR, reinstalling the
boot files, and rebuilding BOOT.INI. Let’s look at each of these.

i. A bad boot sector usually shows up as a No Boot Device error. If it turns out that
this isn’t the problem, the Recovery Console command to fix it won’t hurt
anything. At the Recovery Console prompt, just type:

Fixmbr

This fixes the master boot record.

ii. The second problem the Recovery Console is best at fixing is missing system
files, usually indicated by the error NTLDR bad or missing. Odds are good that if
NTDLR is missing, so are the rest of the system files. To fix this, get to the root
directory (CD\— and type

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 copy d:\i386\ntldr

Then type

copy d:\i386\ntdetect.com

iii. Rebuilding BOOT.INI. If the BOOT.INI file is gone or corrupted, run this
command from the recovery console:

bootcfg /rebuild

The Recovery console will then try to locate all installed copies of Windows and ask you
if you want to add them to the new BOOT.INI file it’s about to create. Say yes to the ones
you want.

If all goes well with the Recovery Console, then do a thorough backup as soon as
possible (just in case something else goes wrong). If the Recovery Console does not do
the trick, the next step is to restore Windows XP.

Attempt to Restore

If you’ve been diligent about backing up, you can attempt to restore to an earlier,
working copy of Windows. You have two basic choices depending on your OS. In
Windows 2000, you can try the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). Windows XP limits you
to the Automated System Recovery (ASR).

Rebuild

If faced with a full system rebuild, you have several options depending on the particular
system. You could simply reboot to the Windows CD-ROM and install right on top of the
existing system, but that’s usually not the optimal solution. To avoid losing anything
important, you’d be better off swapping the C: drive for a blank hard drive and installing
a clean version of Windows.
Most OEM systems come with a misleadingly-named Recover CD or recovery partition.
The Recover CD is a CD-ROM that you boot to and run. The recovery partition is a
hidden partition on the hard drive that you activate at boot by holding down a key
combination specific to the manufacturer of that system.
Both “recover” options do the same thing—restore your computer to the factory-installed
state. If you run one of these tools, you will wipe everything off your system—all
personal files, folders, and programs will go away! Before running either tool, make sure
all important files and folders are backed up on an optical disc or spare hard drive.

Failure to Load the GUI

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Assuming that Windows gets past the boot part of the startup, it will then begin to load the real
Windows OS. You will see the Windows startup image on the screen hiding everything until
Windows loads the Desktop.
Several issues can cause Windows to hang during the GUI-loading phase, such as buggy device
drivers or Registry problems. Even autoloading programs can cause the GUI to hang on load.
The first step in troubleshooting these issues is to use one of the Advanced Startup options to try
to get past the hang spot and into Windows.

Device Drivers

Device driver problems that stop Windows GUI from loading look pretty scary. The
common symptom of this is a Stop error, better known as the Blue Screen of Death
(BSoD). The BSoD only appears when something causes an error from which Windows
cannot recover. The BSoD is not limited to device driver problems, but device drivers are
one of the reasons you’ll see the BSoD.

Windows BSoDs tell you the name of the file that caused the problem and usually
suggest a recommended action.These are helpful—but not often.

BSoD problems due to device drivers almost always take place immediately after you’ve
installed a new device and rebooted. Take out the device and reboot. If Windows loads
properly, you are safe.
The second indication of a device problem that shows up during the GUI part of startup is
a freeze-up: the Windows startup screen just stays there and you never get a chance to log
on. If this happens, try one of the Advanced Startup Options, covered below.

Registry

Your Registry files load every time the computer boots. Windows does a pretty good job
of protecting your Registry files from corruption, but from time to time something may
slip by Windows and it will attempt to load a bad Registry. These errors may show up as

64
 BSoDs that say “Registry File Failure” or text errors that say “Windows could not
start.” Whatever the case, you need to restore a good Registry copy. The best way to do
this is the Last Known Good Configuration boot option. If that fails, then you can
restore an earlier version of the Registry through the Recovery Console. Boot to the
Windows installation CD-ROM, select the repair installation to get to the Recovery
Console, and type these commands to restore a Registry. Notice I didn’t not Registry in
the previous sentence. Your Registry is corrupted and gone, so you need to rebuild.

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

Advanced Startup Options

If Windows fails to start up, use the Windows Advanced Startup Options menu to discover the
cause. To get to this menu, restart the computer and press F8 after the POST messages, but
before the Windows logo screen appears. Windows 2000 and Windows
XP have similar menus. The basic to these advanced options are Safe Mode and Last Known
Good Configuration.
There are several differences between the two operating systems in this menu.
I. Boot normally in windows 2000 is termed as Start Windows Normally in windows XP
II. Windows XP has options not available in windows 2000(Disable automatic restart on
system failure and Reboot.)
A Windows system with multiple operating systems might also have the Return to OS Choices
Menu.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode starts up Windows but loads only very basic, non–vendor specific drivers for
mouse, VGA monitor, keyboard, mass storage, and system services. Some devices, such
as your USB mouse, may not work!

Once in Safe Mode, you can use tools like Device Manager to locate and correct the
source of the problem. When you use Device Manager in Safe Mode, you can access the
properties for all the devices, even those that are not working in Safe Mode. The status
displayed for the device is the status for a normal startup. Even the network card will
show as enabled. You can disable any suspect device or perform other tasks, such as

65
removing or updating drivers. If a problem with a device driver is preventing the
operating system from starting normally, check the Device Manager for yellow question
mark warning icons that indicate an unknown device.

Safe Mode with Networking

This mode is identical to plain Safe Mode except that you get network support. I use this
mode to test for a problem with network drivers. If Windows won’t start up normally, but
does start up in Safe Mode, I then reboot into Safe Mode with Networking. If it fails to
start up with Networking, then the problem is a network driver. I reboot back to Safe
Mode, open Device Manager, and start disabling network components, beginning with
the network adapter.

Safe Mode with Command Prompt

When you start Windows in this mode, after you log on, rather than loading the GUI
desktop, it loads the command prompt (CMD.EXE) as the shell to the operating system.
This is a handy option to remember if the desktop does not display at all, which, after you
have eliminated video drivers, can be caused by the corruption of the EXPLORER.EXE
program. From the command prompt you can delete the corrupted version of
EXPLORER.EXE and copy in an undamaged version. This requires knowing the
command-line commands for navigating the directory structure, as well as knowing the
location of the file that you are replacing. Although Explorer is not loaded, you can load
other GUI tools that don’t depend on Explorer. All you have to do is enter the correct
command.

Enable Boot Logging

This option starts Windows normally and creates a log file of the drivers as they load into
memory. The file is named Ntbtlog.txt and is saved in the %SystemRoot% folder.
If the startup failed because of a bad driver, the last entry in this file may be the driver the
OS was initializing when it failed. Reboot and go into the Recovery Console. Use the
Recovery Console tools to read the boot log (type ntbtlog.txt) and disable or enable
problematic devices or services.

Enable VGA Mode

Enable VGA Mode starts Windows normally but only loads a default VGA driver. If this
mode works, it may mean that you have a bad driver, or it may mean that you are using
the correct video driver, but it is configured incorrectly (perhaps with the wrong refresh
rate and/or resolution). Whereas Safe Mode loads a generic VGA driver, this mode loads
the driver Windows is configured to use, but starts it up in standard VGA mode rather
than using the settings for which it is configured. After successfully starting in this mode,
open the Display Properties and change the settings.

66
 Last Known Good Configuration

When Windows’ startup fails immediately after installing a new driver, but before you
have logged on again, you may want to try this option. This can be a rather fickle and
limited tool, but it never hurts to try it.
Disable automatic restart on system failure

Sometimes a BSOD will appear at startup, causing your computer to spontaneously

reboot. That’s all well and good, but if it happens too quickly, you might not be able to
read the BSOD to see what caused the problem. Selecting Disable automatic restart on
system failure from the Advanced Startup Options menu stops the computer from
rebooting on Stop errors. This gives you the opportunity to write down the error and
hopefully find a fix.

Start Windows Normally

This choice will simply start Windows normally, without rebooting. You already
rebooted to get to this menu. Select this if you changed your mind about using any of the
other exotic choices.

Troubleshooting Tools in the GUI

Once you’re able to load into Windows, whether through Safe Mode or one of the other options,
there are plenty of windows tools to diagnostic windows. For example, If a bad device driver
caused the startup problems, for example, you can open Device Manager and begin
troubleshooting.

Event Viewer might reveal problems with applications failing to load, a big cause of Windows
loading problems. It might also reveal problems with services failing to start. Finally, Windows
might run into problems loading DLLs. You can troubleshoot these issues individually or you
can use System Restore in Windows XP to load a restore point that predates the bugginess.

Auto loading Programs

Windows autoload some programs so they start at boot. The problem with Autoloading
programs is when one of them starts behaving badly—you need to shut off that program!

There are at least five different locations in folders, files, and the Registry that Windows
accesses to autoload programs. To help you, Windows XP includes the handy
System Configuration Utility (MSCONFIG.EXE), a one-stop spot to see and maintain
every program (and service) that autoloads at startup.

The System Configuration Utility enables you to keep individual programs and services
from autoloading, but it does not actually remove the programs/services. If you want to
completely delete a program, you’ll need to find the undelete or Add/Remove Program
option.

67
Services

Windows loads a number of services as it starts. If any critical service fails to load,
Windows will tell you at this point with an error message. The important word here is
critical. Windows will not report all service failures at this point. If a service that is less
than critical in Windows’ eyes doesn’t start, Windows usually waits until you actually try
to use a program that needs that service before it prompts you with an error message

To work with your system’s services, go to the Control Panel | Administrative Tools
| Services and verify that the Service you need is running. If not, turn it on. Also notice
that each service has a Startup Type—Automatic, Manual, or Disabled—that defines
when it starts. It’s very common to find that a service has been set to Manual when it
needs to be set to Automatic so that it starts when Windows boots

System Files

Windows lives on dynamic link library (DLL) files. Almost every program used by
Windows—and certainly all of the important ones—call to DLL files to do most of the
heavy lifting that makes Windows work. Windows protects all of the critical DLL files
very carefully, but once in a while you may get an error saying Windows can’t load a
particular DLL. Although rare, the core system files that make up Windows itself may
become corrupted, preventing Windows from starting properly. You usually see
something like “Error loading XXXX.DLL,” or sometimes a program you need simply
won’t start when you double-click on its icon. In these cases, the tool you need is the
System File Checker. The System File Checker is a command prompt program
(SFC.EXE) that is used to check a number of critical files, including the ever-important
DLL cache. SFC takes a number of switches, but by far the most important is /scannow.
Go to a command prompt and type the following to start the program:

SFC /scannow

SFC will automatically check all critical files and replace any it sees as corrupted. During
this process, it may ask for the Windows installation CD-ROM, so keep it handy!

System Restore

Windows XP systems enable you to recover from a bad device or application installation
by using System Restore to load a restore point. Follow the process explained earlier in
the chapter. System Restore is the final step in recovering from a major Windows
meltdown. Windows 2000 only REGEDT32 is safe to use for actual editing, but you can
use the older REGEDIT to perform searches, because REGEDT32’s search capabilities
are not very good.

68
Module V: Common Hardware problems and Trouble shootings
 Trouble Shooting Methods

 STARTING POINT FOR TROUBLESHOOTING

 Replacement Method
 Common Hardware problem and their solutions

 Mouse

69
  Keyboards
 Power supply
 Motherboard
 Main memory
 Hard disk
 Sound card
 Modem card
 Monitors

Common type of hard ware problems and trouble shootings:

TROUBELESHOOTING METHODS Troubleshooting is the process of identifying

and correcting problems. The best troubleshooters are usually people who have been
exposed to most problems. They have seen different types of problems and their
solutions. Therefore, if they run into a particular problem, they might see it before and
can quickly address the problems.

Most of the solutions are quite simple, so you don't have to be a technical expert to work
with your PC in good condition. If you want to be a good troubleshooter, just follow the
procedures detailed in this book.

STARTING POINT FOR TROUBLESHOOTING

Every technician [computer users] has his or her own way to troubleshoot. Some people
use their instincts while others need an advice from other people. But let us see a
common troubleshooting method.

POINT 1. GATHER INFORMATION

 Ask the customer the following questions to define the problems:

 Can you tell me something about the problem?
 What did you do to your computer lastly [Before it stopped working]?
 How often does this happen? Have you installed new software Have you deleted some
files?
 Have you added a new hardware device?
 Have you made any other changes to the computer recently?

70
 
POINT 2. CHECK THE POWER AND CABLE CONNECTORS
 Check the power line.
 Check the wall outlet power.
 Check the power sockets.
 Check the cables.
 Is it plugged in?
 Is it turned on?
 Is the computer ready to accept command from the user?
 Open the case covers and Reset chips and cables.

ESD
ESD stands for electrostatic discharge. ESD happen when two objects of dissimilar charge
(for example, man and the computer components) contact each other. This charge can
damage the computer components like CPU, RAM, Motherboards, cards and other
electronic components.

 To prevent ESD, simply touch the metal part of the case (power supply) in every
movement while working inside the computer. Or use anti-static wrist strap.

POINT 3. CHECK IF THE ERROR IS USER'S ERROR

 Because the user cannot print.

 Because the user cannot save the files
 Because the user cannot run application etc.

If the user is wrong, show him \ her how to use the computer.

POINT4. RESTART THE COMPUTER

This process is called a "cold boot" (since the machine was off or cold when it started). A
"warm boot" is the same except it occurs when the machine is rebooted using
{CTRL+ALT+DELETE}.

NOTE: -Reboot can solve or show the problem. Rebooting doesn't work, try to power down
the system completely, and then power it up

POINT 5. DEFINE IF THE PROBLEM IS A HARDWARE OR SOFTW

RERELATED

 Is it a startup problem?
 Is it windows problem?

71
  Is it a program problem?
 Is it a device problem?

Startup problem: An error occurs before or during boot process.

Window Problem: An error occurs with window system itself.

Program Problem: An error occurs with a specific program.

Device Problem: An error occurs with a specific piece of hardware parts.

POINT 6. FIND OUT THE PROBLEM AND SOLVE IT!

 If the problem is hardware related, determine which component is failing and try to
solve the problem.
 If the problem is software related; determine which is corrupted or missed and try
to solve the problem.

REPLACEMENT METHOD

When you troubleshoot, make one change at a time is my favorite troubleshooting

method). If the change does not solve the problem, change it back to its original state
before making another change.

For example, you may have trouble on your monitor. If you can get another monitor,
attach to your system and try it. If the other monitor works, you know that the problem is
with your monitor. But if the other monitor does not work, change it back to its original
state and try to find other possible causes.

Common hardware problems and their solutions:

 Mouse
 Keyboards

72
  Power supply
 Motherboard
 Main memory
 Hard disk
 Sound card
 Modem card
 Monitors

Mouse problems and solutions

Problem:

 The mouse may hang up or may not move in the correct way due
to dust. [Doesn’t work properly]
Solution

Clean the mouse [mechanical mouse]:

 Shutdown the PC.

 Remove the mouse cable from its connection at the back of your PC.
 Turn the mouse upside-down and remove the securing screws from the mouse case.
 Remove the mouse ball from the cavity.
 Clean the cavity and the mouse ball with proper available materials. [ use dry cloth]
 Look inside the mouse housing. You will see the two perpendicular bars. Use your
finger nail to scrape along each bar, removing any dirt.
 Reconnect the cable to the computer.
 Turn ON the PC and see that if it is activated.

Problem:

 The new PS/2 or serial mouse doesn't work when plugged on the system
running Windows XP.

Solution

 Restart the system.

 Plug the new mouse firmly.
 Restart the PC.
 The new mouse will be active.
 Else-use a replacement method.

73
Keyboard problems and solutions

 While working on PC, something (liquid) Spilled in to the keyboard.

Solution

 Remove the keyboard cable from its connection at the back of the PC. Do not
wait!! You need to cut power to the device in order to avoid a possible short
circuit.
 Shutdown the PC using the mouse [start>turn off computer ...].
 Tip the keyboard upside down and drain out as much of the liquid as you can.
 Try to dry the inside part of the keyboard properly by using blow dryer or direct
sunlight.
 Reconnect the keyboard cable to the computer.
 Power up the computer and manipulate the keyboard to assure proper
functioning.

 Some keys on the keyboard don't work.

Solution

For the current help:

Use On-Screen Keyboard. [Win XP]

To open On-Screen Keyboard: click on Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point
to Accessibility, and then click On-Screen Keyboard. Then you can use the mouse to type
any text.

OR

 Turn OFF the PC and Remove the keyboard cable from its connection at the back of
the PC.
 Turn the keyboard upside-down and remove the securing screws properly.
 Select the key that you want to remove. Just be careful not to damage the other key.
 Clean or adjust the sit of the key properly.
 If you remove multiple keys, be sure to return them to their proper seats.
 Make sure· that the keyboard is dry while cleaning.
 Replace the cover.
 Reconnect the cable to the computer.
 Boot up the PC and check that if activated.

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CPU problems and trouble shootings:

Problem

Both the CPU and power supply fan work Properly but the system shows a blank
screen.

Solution

The CPU might be damaged. Use the replacement method.

CPU problem Possible causes:

 Overheating.
 Static discharge.
 Bent or Broken pins.

General symptom of CPU

 The system fails to Boot (start).

 Black Screen.
 The system boots, but the operating system (windows) fails to load.
 The system locks-up or dies after several minutes of operations.
 The system says "hardware monitor error ..... "

General symptom of RAM

• The system refuses to do another task until you close some windows
program.
• Slow down in operation.
• The system freezes.
• Creates [shows] the ghost and crashes pictures on the screen.

General Troubleshooting

• Check the virtual memory.

• Check the capacity of your RAM.
• Use the replacement method.
• Run any memory diagnostic software that is supplied by your computer
manufacturer.

Problem

75
  The system displays blank screen with a long [multiple] beep sounds.

Solution

• The memory is not installed correctly [or the RAM is absent] .

• Press the RAM firmly on the motherboard.
• Or there's a problem with your memory or motherboard.
• Else-Use the replacement method.

Problem

 Some PC shows 200 series error any error (from 200-299) code during the POST
process.

Solution

• Any number starting with 2 usually indicate memory-related problem.

• Check the memory setting into the BIOS set on
• Use the replacement method.

Problem

 A PC shows memory size error

Solution

• Memory size error always (usually) hap] after memory has been added.
Running BIOS setup program will allow the system recognize the memory
and the error should away.
• If the system is out of memory, add a memory stick (RAM) to increase the
memory capacity.

Problem

 A PC shows memory parity error that halts the system operation

Solution

• If you get a parity error message, write down any memory address
information that appears. If the problem occurs again, then the RAM is
bad. Replace the RAM]

76
General power problems

The general power problems can be categorized in three types:

1) Power Quality problem

Possible causes:

• EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference] .

• Variable rate [frequency] from the power line.,

2) Too much power

Possible causes:

• Power spike [for few milliseconds].

• Power surge [for several seconds].

3) No-enough power

Possible causes:

• Power sag [for few milli second]

• Brownout [if sag lasts for longer than a second]
• Blackout [a complete of power failure]
•
Protection against power problems

You can use the following devices for proper

 Line conditioner
 Stabilizer
 Surge suppressor
 UPS

N.B ups means U ninterruptible Power 5uppfy. The UPS is also known as battery backup

Problem

 Monitor's power indicator lights but no power lights on the system unit.

Solution

• Check the system unit's power connection.

• Check your power supply DC volt outlet.

77
 • Use a replacement method for power supply.
• Check also the motherboard.

Power supply symptoms

• Fan noise sounds rough or louder than usual.

• Fan noise is absent altogether.
• The power supply chassis is unusually hot to touch.

General troubleshooting methods

• Check the power cable.

• Check the power supply [you can use a Multi- meter to test electronic
components]. Check the power outlet voltage.
• Replace the power supply unit.

Problem

 A PC accidentally reboots or shutdown

Solution

• Check your power line.

• Make sure that your power supply is rated [watt" to handle all the peripherals that it
powers [30Owatt or above is better]
• Check the power supply fan movement. • Use a replacement method.

Motherboard problems and trouble shootings:

Problem

 The PC shows 100 series error (any error from 100- 199) code and
freezes the system.

Solution

• Any number starting with 1 usually indicates system board problem.

78
 • Check the system board (motherboard)
• Use a replacement method.

Problem

 The power supply works properly' but no movement of the CPU fan and
the display shows black screen.

Solution

The system board power connector is plugged correctly or the motherboard failure
might cause this problem.

Symptom: - hard disk failure message on black screen

Troubleshooting

• Your hard drive is not hooked up right.

• Check the power cable for hard drive.
• Check the data (IDE) cable.
• Check the BIOS setting for hard drive and CDROM drive. [usually configured
AUTO]
• Check the jumper (MASTER \SLA VE) setting.
• Else-the hard drive has failed. If you can get another hard drive that works, plug
it in and see if it corrects the problem (replacement method).

Symptom: - boot failure message troubleshooting

Your hard disk can't start windows. It might have gone bad, or you might have a
computer virus. Re-installation of the operating system may solve the problem.

Problem

 The PC's hard disk is busy

Solution

• Check the viruses.

• Run the system maintenance·· tasks [disk defragmenter, disk cleanup,
scandisk.]
• Is the hard disk's Light indicator [on the PC's front case] blinking

79
 constantly? If so, your PC doesn't have enough memory. So, add more
RAM

Problem

 On POST (power on self test) routine, the system freezes and shows "no boot
device available" message on the screen

Solution

• Remove any floppy disk from the floppy drive so that the boot process can
continue.
• Check the IDE cables connectors.
• Check the jumper of the hard disk\CD drive.
• You have a bootable Hard disk partition but forget to set it active. [Reconfigure
the hard disk setting]

Problem

 Some systems show 1700-1799 error code on the screen during the POST
routine.

Solution

• Hard disk problems. The hard disk geometry might not be set correctly, or the
hard disk contains a bad controller.
• Use the replacement method.

Problem

The system shows "drive not found" or not boot device available" at boot
time.

Solution

• Check the connectivity first.

• Check the jumper setting for the HDD\ CDROM.
• Check the cable connection.
• Adjust the CMOS setting to 'Auto' detection.

Problem

 The system shows "no operating system" or "missing operating system" error

80
 message during boot process.

Solution

• Make sure the CMOS setting detects the hard disk properly.
• The hard disk might have a corrupted or missing, file.

Backup the data and reinstall the operating!" system.

Sound card
Usually built-in the motherboard and is used to give sound through the speakers.

Problem

 No sound from the Computer

Possible cause:

• Software related problem.

• Speaker connection failure.

Solution

• Check your speaker and its connection.

• Check the volume control in the windows system
• Check the driver software for the sound card.

Problem

 No sound from the CD drive

Solution

• Check the disc into another system.

• The audio cable connecting the CD drive to Sound card is detached. Therefore,
unplug off] the PC and reattach the audio cable to sound card.
• Run any sound card diagnostic software.
• Use the replacement method.

81
Modem card
In order to connect· the computer ·to the Internet connection, you must have a modem
card between the motherboard and Telephone line.

Problem

 Modem cannot dial and "no Dial tone" message appears on the monitor

Solution

• Check the phone card connection.

• Make sure the jack on the modem labeled "line" is connected to phone
line wall jack.

Monitor problems and trouble shootings:

General display problem

• Incorrect configuration. [Check the brightness and contrast control]
• Adapter might not be seated properly in II II expansion slot.
• Cable between the CPU and monitor may loose or fail.
• Software related problems.
• Failure in monitor s display electronics and in monitor's power supply.
• Incompatibility between software and display adapter.

Common symptom:

No display.

Troubleshooting
 Check the power to monitor.
 Check the brightness control on the monitor.
 Check the data cable between the monitor and the video port on the system
unit.

Problem

 When the system turns on, it sounds a single beep and shows the disk activity
(light flashes) but the display is blank.

82
Solution

• The computer is starting normally but the monitor doesn't display anything. Just
use the following simple method.

Methods

• Shutdown the PC [unplug the power cable] and press down the video card
firmly, restart the PC.
• Is the monitor turned on? If not, check the monitor power connector.
• If the problem is on the monitor, use the replacement method.
• Also check the connection (data cable) between the video card and the monitor.
• Your adapter hardware may not work, so use the replacement method.

Problem

 The Monitor shows only one bright vertical line in the center of the
screen

Solution

• The monitor is una\Jle to drag the ray (beam) to the horizontal side.
• There is a -problem on the horizontal section of the monitor circuit board.
• This symptom may also be the horizontal deflection' coil or its connection opened.
However, unsolder the horizontal transistor from its board and measure it by using a
multi-meter. [Usually Done by an electronics expert]

Problem

 The Monitor shows only one bright borizontalline in the center of the screen.

83
Solution

• The monitor is unable to pull the beam to the vertical the vertical side
• There is a problem in the vertical section [vertical IC].
• Cable between the CPU and monitor might fail or disconnected.
• Display adapter fault.
• Supply to vertical section is missing.
• Vertical deflection coil or its connection IS opened.

Problem

 The Monitor shows only one bright point in the center of the screen

Solution

• The monitor is unable to pull the beam to horizontal and vertical side of the
monitor .
• Check the horizontal transistor and vertical IC.

Problem
 No Power light appears on the Computer (Monitor &. System Unit) and

there is no display on the screen.

84
Solution

• Check the power line from the wall outlet.

• Check the adapter sockets.
• Check the power cables.
• Check that the system unit's power supply is plugged into the wall outlet (adapter
socket)
• Check that the monitor is plugged into the wall outlet (adapter socket).
• Check the system unit's ON\ OFF switch.
• Check the monitor's ON\OFF switch.

Problem

 Still black screen, no power light and no fan sounds.

Solution

• Both the system unit and the monitor not getting power properly.

• Is it plugged in?
• Is the wall outlet power working?
• Or Computer's power supply has gone bad

Problem

 System unit's power lights, fan sound and no power light on the
monitor.

Solution

• Check the monitor power connection.

• Use the replacement method.

Problem

 Both the monitor's and the system unit's power lights but no picture on the
screen.

Solution

Note: The red power light on the monitor indicates 'no signal’ has been sent to the
monitor through the monitor's data cable, and the green light indicates: that the monitor
has received a signal from the CPU.

• Check if the monitor brightness and contrast is on accurate setting.

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 • Re-attach the data cable. The data (video) cable that connects the monitor to
the video card may be unplugged.

Problem

 Still the monitor and computer system Power lights came on but there is no
picture on the screen.

Solution

• Reseat the video card firmly. [Don't forget ESD]

• The video cable (pins) might fail. [So check it]
• The video card might fail. [Replace it]
• The monitor might fail.
• Use the replacement method.

Problem

 The computer shows "keyboard error" message on black screen or you

couldn’t' type anything.

Solution

 Check the keyboard connection (Identify t.: keyboard and the

mouse connector (PS /2 types) at the back of your PC].
 Unplug and re-plug the keyboard cable to make sure it is
plugged in firmly.
 Make sure that nothing is holding any key down on the
keyboard.
 Or the keyboard might fail. Use the replacement method.

Problem

 A PC shuts down and reboots without warning.

Solution

 Fluctuation in voltage would cause sudden restart or shutdown.

 Heat problem could cause restart after a few minutes of operation.
 Check the power supply fan.
 Check the CPU cooling fan.
 Check also the thermal compound [grease] between the CPU chipset and heat sink.

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Module VI: Printers
 Printer definition
 Printer language
 Printer Quality
 Type of printers

 Printer operation stages:

 Laser printer image troubleshooting
 Toner cartridge Refill Method:
 Ink jet printer image Troubleshooting

Printer definition
 It is an electro-mechanical device that is used to put information from the computer
onto paper.
 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 vary in size, speed, sophistication, and cost. In general, more expensive printers
are used for higher-resolution color printing.

Printer Languages

Printer languages are commands from the computer to the printer to tell the printer how to
format the document being printed. These commands manage font size, graphics, compression of
data sent to the printer, color, etc

Printer qualities
Color:

 Color is important for users who need to print pages for presentations or maps and other
pages where color is part of the information.
 Color printers can also be set to print only in black-and-white.
 Color printers are more expensive to operate since they use two ink cartridges (one color
and one black ink)

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 Resolution: Printer resolution (the sharpness of text and images on paper) is usually
measured in dots per inch ( dpi ). Most inexpensive printers provide sufficient resolution for
most

Speed: If you do much printing, the speed of the printer becomes important. Inexpensive
printers print only about 3 to 6 sheets per minute. Color printing is slower. More expensive
printers are much faster.

Memory: Most printers come with a small amount of memory (for example, one megabyte )
that can be expanded by the user. Having more than the minimum amount of memory is
helpful and faster when printing out pages with large images or tables with lines around them

Type of printers

 Impact printer
 Non impact printer

Impact Printer

Impact printers worked something like an automatic typewriter, with a key striking an inked
impression on paper for each printed character .

Examples of non impact printer

 dot matrix printer

 passbook printer

The dot-matrix printer was a popular low-cost personal computer printer. It's an impact printer
that strikes the paper a line at a time.

It has a print head that cost as that of the printer and it has also a heat sink that controls the heat

Dot matrix is used mostly used in governmental offices

It is an old printer that is currently out of use due to the following three main reasons.

 Highly noisy
 Poor quality
 Very slow

Non impact printer

There are two common types of non impact printers Inkjet [color] and Laser Jet printers.
The Inkjet printer uses an ink cartridge where as the LaserJet printer uses a toner [black

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powder] cartridge

The best-known non-impact printers are

 Inkjet printer
 Laser printer

Laser jet printer

 Is a common type of computer printer that rapidly produces high quality text and
graphics on plain paper.
 Is a printer that uses a laser to produce an image on a rotating drum before
electrostatically transferring the image to paper.
 Is a printer that uses a laser and the electrophotographic method to print a full page at
a time. The laser "paints" a charged drum with light, to which toner is applied and
then transferred onto paper

.different types of laser jet printers and their cartridges numbers

Type of printer cartridgeno speed Quality memory

 4 plus 98A 4ppm 300dpi 8mb

 4l 74A 4ppm 600dpi 8mb
 5l, 6l 06A 6ppm 600dpi 8mb
 1100 92A 8ppm 600dpi 8mb
 1000,1200 15A 20ppm 1200dpi 64mb
 1150 24A 20ppm 1200dpi >>
 1300 13A 20ppm 1200dpi >>
 1320 49A 20ppm 1200dpi >>
 2013 53A 26ppm 1200dpi >>
 1010,1012 12A 12ppm 1200dp >>
 1015,1018,1020 12A 12ppm >1200dpi >>
 4050 27A 35ppm >1200dpi >>
 4100 61A 35ppm >1200dpi >>
 4200 38A 35ppm >1200dpi >>
 4250 42A 35ppm >1200dpi >>

4250 printer families

4250, 4250D, 4250N, 4250DN,

Where: D: means duplex used to print front and back

N: mean network card used for sharing printer among many computers

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 S: means step

TONER CARTRIDGE SECTION

 Drum unit.
 Developing unit.

Drum unit contains the following:

 Photosensitive drum.
 Charging roller (primary corona roller)
 Cleaning blade.
 Waste tanker.
 Bias voltage connector.

Developing unit contains the following:

 Toner powder
 Toner tanker
 Rubber blade
 Magnetic charging roller (developing roller)
 Bias voltage connector.

Toner

Powdery substance

It contains:

 Carbon substance [for black color]

 Plastic resins [for easy flow and melt]
 Iron oxide [for electrical charge]

Photosensitive drum

 It is the heart of the image formation system.

 Its electrical properties are charged when it is exposed to light. [The drum
becomes conductive when exposed to light and areas not exposed to light

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 remain non conductive and maintain their charges.]
 The drum is made from aluminum coated with an organic photo
conductive material(OPC)
 The drum sometimes called OPC[print drum or EP drum)

Cleaning blade:

 It is used to clean small amount of toner from drum, which is not transferred to
the print paper.
 It is MADE FROM long, flat strip of rubber

Waste tanker:

 It is part of drum unit

 It is a toner hopper for used toner

Note: Some people recycle the second hand of toner from the waste tanker but the print
quality will be less poor.

Primary charger:

 It is located close to the photosensitive drum

 It uses 600 dc v(bias voltage ) to charge the drum surface negatively
 Developer roller:
 It is located to parallel to the drum
 It is the toner transfer roller and major part of developing unit
 It contains the magnetic substance to attract the toner
 It uses -600cv( bias voltage ) to transfer toner on the exposed surface of the
drum.

Transfer roller

 This section is found outside the toner cartridge .

 It transfers the toner from the drum surface to the paper.
 It uses +600dcv( biasing voltage) to charge the surface of the paper.

Printer operation stages:

Stage 1 Cleaning process

Physical cleaning: the cleaning blade removes the toner from the drum surface

Electrical cleaning: the eraser lamp removes an electrical charge from the drum
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 surface.

Stage 2 Charging [Conditioning] process

The corona roller applies a uniform negative [-600dcv] charge to the surface
of the drum.

Stage 3: exposing[laser writing] process

From the laser assembly, a laser beam focuses on the print drum and creates an
image or text by discharging the negative surface of the drum.

Stage 4. Developing process

The toner from the developing roller is transferred to the drum surface and visible
image is formed.

Note: the friction feed mechanism feeds the paper into the printer.

Stage 5: transfer process

The transfer roller applies a positive charge at the back of the paper, causing the paper

 To attract the negatively charged toner from the drum surface.

Note Next to the transfer roller, there is static eliminator to discharge the paper.

Stage 6. Fixing [fusing] process

At the fIxing stage, the paper passes between the fuser film and pressure roller.

The fuser lamp melts and dries the toner while the pressure roller compresses the paper.

Remember: The mechanical and electronics part of a printer are usually repaired by office
machine technicians.

Laser printer image troubleshooting

Symptom:-white image

Possible Causes:

 Opc(drum) problem

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  Laser writer problem
 Lose contact to the magnetic sleeve
 Lose contact to the transfer unit
 Out of toner.
 Incorrect software setup.

Troubleshooting

 Replace the toner cartridge.

 Re-install the printer driver. [start>printer and faxes> select" add printer" and
follow the wizard]

Symptom: -black image

Possible Causes:

 Primary charger failure

 Fuser film
 Cleaning blade

Symptom: -light image

Possible causes:

 OPC
 Laser writer
 False contact to the magnetic sleeve
 False contact to the transfer roller

Toner cartridge Refill Method:

1. Disassemble the toner cartridge parts.

2. Remove the used toner from the waste tanker.
3. Clean the parts with dry cloth [or lI:d compressed air].
4. Add the original toner to the toner cylindll (some folks use photocopy toner).
5. Reassemble the cartridge.
6. Shake it gently.
7. Place the cartridge into the printer.
8. Make a self-test or print test page and see the outcome.

Problem

While printing, the computer displays a message: " there was an error writing to
LPT 1"
9.

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Solution

 Check the printer connection.

 Remove and re-attach the cable, then restart your PC.
 Make sure it is turned on and online.
 Check the printer in device manager.

Black stripes on paper

Possible Causes:

 Dirty prullary corona wire

 Poorly seated toner\OPC drum

solution

 Visual check
 Clean corona wire.

Paper jams or skewed printing

Possible Causes:

 Paper not loaded squarely.

 Too much paper loaded into the tray .
 Mechanical problem that do not allow the movement of the cartridge such as
motors

Solution for paper jams

 Visualize the problem.

 Check the paper feeder.
 Service the entire part of the printer.

Desk jet printer

 A printer that forms an image by using electromagnetic fields to guide electrically

charged ink streams onto the page
 High-speed computer-driven printer that sprays a row of fine streams of ink onto
labels and/or forms to create a dot pattern print image.
 Printer that forms characters by firing tiny dots of ink at the paper
 Operates by propelling variably-sized droplets of liquid or molten material (ink) onto

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 almost any sized page. They are the most common type of computer printer for the
general consumer] due to their low cost, high quality of output, capability of printing
in vivid color, and ease of use.
 Sprays ink at a sheet of paper. Ink-jet printers produce high-quality text and graphics.

Ink jet printer has the following three indicators for its functionalty

 Power green color


 Resume
 orange

Cartridge orange

Power:

 remains on : ready to use

 remains blinking: printing
 fast blinking: ink cleaner problem

Resume remains blinking: paper jam

Resume and power remains blinking : mechanical problem( that forces the cartridge assembly
from moving

Cartridge assembly includes the following:

 Motor
 Rail
 Belt
 Vertical adjustment sensor

Cartridge and power remains on: low ink

Cartridge remains blinking, and power remains on: cartridge problem.

Causes:

 missing cartridge
 Wrong cartridge number
 Defective cartridge

Cartridge, resume power remains on: control panel board problem

Ink jet printer image troubleshooting

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Problem

Poor print quality

Possible Causes:

 Print cartridge may need reactivation .

 Paper may be unsuitable.

Solution

 Check the manufacturer manual.

Problem

 Fading print

Possible Cause:

 Print cartridge has insufficient ink

Solution

 Visual check [quake it gently]

 You can refill the ink cartridge. [Officially not recommended. It may damage the
printer parts]
 Replace new ink cartridge.

Problem

• Faint print

Possible Cause:

• Paper may be unsuitable.

Solution

• Check the manufacturer's recommendations

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