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Introduction to Computers
In this article
Are you new to computers? Do you wonder what they do and why you would want to use one?
Welcomeyou're in the right place. This article gives an overview of computers: what they are, the
different types, and what you can do with them.
Types of computers
Computers range in size and capability. At one end of the scale are supercomputers, very large
computers with thousands of linked microprocessors that perform extremely complex calculations.
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At the other end are tiny computers embedded in cars, TVs, stereo systems, calculators, and
appliances. These computers are built to perform a limited number of tasks.
The personal computer, or PC,, is designed to be used by one person at a time. Th
This
is section describes
the various kinds of personal computers: desktops, laptops, handheld computers, and Tablet PCs.
Desktop computers
Desktop computers are designed for use at a desk or table. They are typically larger and more powerful
than other types of personal computers. Desktop computers are made up of separate components.
The main component, called the system unit
unit, is usually a rectangular case that
at sits on or underneath a
desk. Other components, such as the monitor, mouse, and keyboard, connect to the system unit.
Desktop computer
Laptop computers
Laptop computers are lightweight mobile PCs with a thin screen. They are often called notebook computers
because of their small size. Laptops can operate on batteries, so you can take them anywhere. Unlike
desktops, laptops combine the CPU, screen, and keyboard in a single case. The screen folds down
onto the keyboard when not in use.
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Laptop computer
Handheld computers
Handheld computers, also called personal digital assistants (PDAs)
(PDAs), are battery-powered
powered computers small
enough to carry almost anywhere. Although not as powerful as desktops or laptops, handhelds are
useful for scheduling appointments, storing addresses and phone numbers, and playing games. Some
have more advanced capabilities,
lities, such as making telephone calls or accessing the Internet. Instead of
keyboards, handhelds have touch screens that you use with your finger or a stylus (a pen-shaped
pointing tool).
Handheld computer
Tablet PCs
Tablet PCs are mobile PCs that com
combine
bine features of laptops and handhelds. Like laptops, they're
powerful and have a built-in
in screen. Like handhelds, they allow you to write notes or draw pictures
on the screen, usually with a tablet pen instead of a stylus. They can also convert your handwriting
into typed text. Some Tablet PCs are convertibles with a screen that swivels and unfolds to reveal
a keyboard underneath.
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Tablet PC
The web
The World Wide Web (usually called the Web, or web)) is a gigantic storehouse of information. The web
is the most popular part of the Internet, partly because it displays most information in a visually
appealing format. Headlines, text, and pictures can be combined on a single webpagemuch
webpage
like a
page in a magazinealong
along with sounds and animation. A website is a collection of interconnected
web pages.. The web contains millions of websites and billions of web pages.
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Surfing the web means exploring it. You can find information on the web about almost any topic
imaginable. For example, you can read news stories and movie reviews, check airline schedules, see
street maps, get the weather forecast for your city, or research a health condition. Most companies,
government agencies, museums, and libraries have websites with information about their products,
services, or collections. Reference sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, are also widely
available.
The web is also a shopper's delight. You can browse and purchase productsbooks, music, toys,
clothing, electronics, and much moreat the websites of major retailers. You can also buy and sell
used items through websites that use auction-style bidding.
For information about how to explore the Internet and the web, see Exploring the Internet.
E-mail
E-mail (short for electronic mail) is a convenient way to communicate with others. When you send an
e-mail message, it arrives almost instantly in the recipient's e-mail inbox. You can send e-mail to
many people simultaneously, and you can save, print, and forward e-mail to others. You can send
almost any type of file in an e-mail message, including documents, pictures, and music files. And
with e-mail, you don't need a stamp! See Getting started with e-mail.
Instant messaging
Instant messaging is like having a real-time conversation with another person or a group of people.
When you type and send an instant message, the message is immediately visible to all participants.
Unlike e-mail, all participants have to be online (connected to the Internet) and in front of their
computers at the same time. Communicating by means of instant messaging is called chatting.
Gaming
Do you like to play games? Thousands of computer games in every conceivable category are
available to entertain you. Get behind the wheel of a race car, battle frightening creatures in a
dungeon, or control civilizations and empires! Many games allow you to compete with other players
around the world through the Internet. Windows includes a variety of card games, puzzle games,
and strategy games (see Learn about Windows games).
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Parts of a Computer
In this article
System unit
Storage
Mouse
Keyboard
Monitor
Printer
Speakers
Modem
If you use a desktop computer, you might already know that there isn't any single part
p called the
"computer." A computer is really a system of many parts working together. The physical parts,
which you can see and touch, are collectively called hardware. (Software,, on the other hand, refers to
the instructions, or programs, that tell the hardware what to do.)
The illustration below shows the most common hardware in a desktop computer system. Your
system may look a little different, but it probably has most of these parts. A laptop computer has
similar parts but combines them into a single notebook-sized package.
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System unit
The system unit is the core of a computer system. Usually it's a rectangular box placed on or
underneath your desk. Inside this box are many electronic components that process information.
The most important of these components is the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor,
mi
which
acts as the "brain" of your computer. Another component is random access memory (RAM),
(RAM) which
temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the computer is on. The information stored
in RAM is erased when the computer is turned off.
Almost every other part of your computer connects to the system unit using cables. The cables plug
into specific ports (openings), typically on the back of the system unit. Hardware that is not part of
the system unit is sometimes called a peripheral device or device.
System unit
Storage
Your computer has one or more disk drivesdevices
devices that store information on a metal or plastic
disk. The disk preserves the information even when your computer is turned off.
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CD
DVD drives can do everything that CD drives can, plus read DVDs. If you have a DVD drive, you
can watch movies on your computer. Many DVD drives can record data onto blank DVDs.
If you have a recordable CD or DVD drive, periodically back up (copy) your important files to
CDs or DVDs. That way, if your hard disk ever fails, you won't lose your data.
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Floppy disk
Why are floppy disks "floppy"? Even though the outside is made of hard plastic, that's just the
sleeve. The disk inside is made of a thin, flexible vinyl material.
Mouse
A mouse is a small device used to point to and select items on your computer screen. Although mice
come in many shapes, the typical mouse does look a bit like an actual mouse. It's small, oblong, and
connected to the system unit by a long wire that resembles a tail. Some newer mice are wireless.
Mouse
A mouse usually has two buttons: a primary button (usually the left button) and a secondary button.
Many mice also have a wheel between the two buttons, which allows you to scroll smoothly through
screens of information.
When you move the mouse with your hand, a pointer on your screen moves
mov in the
same direction. (The pointer's appearance might change depending on where it's
positioned on your screen.) When you want to select an item, you point to the item
and then click (press and release) the primary button. Pointing and clicking with your
yo mouse is the
main way to interact with your computer. For more information, see Using your mouse.
mouse
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Keyboard
A keyboard is used mainly for typ
typing
ing text into your computer. Like the keyboard on a typewriter, it
has keys for letters and numbers, but it also has special keys:
The function keys,, found on the top row, perform different functions depending on where they are
used.
The numeric keypad,, located on the right side of most keyboards, allows you to enter numbers
quickly.
The navigation keys,, such as the arrow keys, allow you to move your position within a document or
webpage.
Keyboard
You can also use your keyboard to perform many of the same tasks you can perform with a mouse.
For more information, see Using your keyboard
keyboard.
Monitor
A monitor displays information in visual form, using text and graphics. The portion of the monitor
that displays the information is called the screen.. Like a television screen, a computer screen can show
still or moving pictures.
There are two basic types of monitors: CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal
display) monitors. Both types produce sharp images, but LCD monitors have the advantage of being
much thinner and lighter. CRT monitors, however, are generally m
more affordable.
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Printer
A printer transfers data from a computer onto paper. You don't need a printer to use your
computer, but having one allows you to print ee-mail,
mail, cards, invitations, announcements, and other
materials. Many people also like being able to print their own photos at home.
The two main types of printers are inkjet printers and laser printers.. Inkjet printers are the most popular
printers for the home. They can print in black and white or in full ccolor
olor and can produce highhigh
quality photographs when used with special paper. Laser printers are faster and generally better able
to handle heavy use.
Speakers
Speakers are used to play sound. They may be built into the system unit or
connected with cables. Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear sound
effects from your computer.
Computer Speaker
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Modem
To connect your computer to the Internet, you need a modem.. A modem is a device that sends and
receives computer information over a telephone line or high
high-speed
speed cable. Modems are sometimes
built into the system unit, but higher
higher-speed
speed modems are usually separate components.
Cable modem
3 FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER
1. System Unit
2. Output Devices
3. Input Devices
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INPUT DEVICES
Basic parts
Holding and moving the mouse
Pointing, clicking, and dragging
Using the scroll wheel
Customizing your mouse
Tips for using your mouse safely
Just as you would use your hands to interact with objects in the physical world, you can use your
mouse to interact with items on your computer screen. You can move objects, open them, change
them, throw them away, and perform other actions, all by pointing and clicking with your mouse.
Basic parts
A mouse typically has two buttons: a primary button (usually the left button) and a secondary button
(usually the right button). The primary button is the one you will use most often. Most mice also
include a scroll wheel between the buttons to help you scroll through documents and web pages more
easily. On some mice, the scroll wheel can be pressed to act as a third button. Advanced mice might
have additional buttons that can perform other functions
functions.
Parts of a mouse
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your thumb resting on the side. To move the mouse, slide it slowly in any direction. Don't twist it
it
keep the front of the mouse aimed away from you. As you move the mouse, a pointer (see picture)
on your screen moves in the same direction. If you run out of room to move your mouse on your
desk
esk or mouse pad, just pick up the mouse and bring it back closer to you.
Clicking (single-clicking)
To click an item, point to the item on the screen, and then press and release the primary button
(usually the left button).
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Clicking is most often used to select (mark) an item or open a menu. This is sometimes called singleclicking or left-clicking.
Double-clicking
To double-click
click an item, point to the item on the screen, and then click twice quickly. If the two
clicks are spaced too far apart, they might be interpreted as two individual clicks rather than as one
double-click.
Double-clicking
clicking is most often used to open items on your desktop. For example, you can start a
program or open a folder by double
double-clicking its icon on the desktop.
If you have trouble double-clicking,
clicking, you can adjust the double
double-click
click speed (the amount of time
acceptable between clicks). Follow these steps:
Open Mouse by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel,, clicking Hardware, and
1.
then clicking Mouse.
2.
Click the Buttons tab, and then, under Double-click speed,, move the slider to increase or
decrease the speed.
Right-clicking
To right-click
click an item, point to the item on the screen, and then press and release the secondary
button (usually the right button).
Right-clicking
clicking an item usually displays a list of things you can do with the item. For example, when
you right-click
click the Recycle Bin on your desktop, Windows displays a menu allowing you to open it,
empty it, delete it, or see its properties. If you're ever unsure of what to do with something, rightright
click it.
Right-clicking
clicking the Recycle Bin opens a menu of related commands
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Dragging
You can move items around your screen by dragging them. To drag an object, point to the object on
the screen, press and hold the primary button, move the object to a new location, and then release
the primary button.
Dragging (sometimes called dragging and dropping) is most often used to move files and folders to a
different location and to move windows and icons around on your screen.
Mouse
Pointer
What it means
1. Normal Select
2. Help Select
3. Working in
background
4. Busy
5.
Precision Select
6.
Text Select
7.
Handwriting
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8.
Unavailable
9.
Vertical Resize
Horizontal Resize
Diagonal Resize
12. Move
14. Link Select
Used when the one of the menus is not available for the user
to select
These cursors appear when the normal mouse cursor is
placed on the edge of an open window. These are used to
resize the open window by dragging the edges to the desired
dimension.
This cursor appears when the MOVE command is chosen
from the menu. This enables the user to move the open
window within the desktop.
This cursor appears when the normal mouse cursor is above
a link that can be clicked; usually happens when user is
browsing the internet
Mouse- is a pointing device, because it allows you to point to items on the screen and click them.
A mouse is a handheld computer pointing device, designed to sit under one hand of the user and
detect movement relative to its supporting surface. In addition, it usually features buttons and/or
other devices, such as "wheels", which allow performing various system-dependent operations.
Todays operating systems including windows 98 now using a Graphical user interface. (GUI)
GUI- provides a point and Shoot interface in which options appear on the screen.
Place your mouse at elbow level. Your upper arms should fall relaxed at your sides.
Don't squeeze or grip your mouse tightly. Hold it lightly.
Move the mouse by pivoting your arm at your elbow. Avoid bending your wrist up, down, or to
the sides.
Use a light touch when clicking a mouse button.
Keep your fingers relaxed. Don't allow them to hover just above the buttons.
When you don't need to use the mouse, don't hold it.
Take short breaks from computer use every 15 to 20 minutes.
- 17 -
Whether you're writing a letter or entering numerical data, your keyboard is the main way to enter
information into your computer. But did you know you can also use your keyboard to control your
computer? Learning just a few simple keyboard commands (instructions to your computer) can help
you work more efficiently. This article covers the basics of keyboard operation and gets you started
with keyboard commands.
The set of typewriter like keys that enables you to enter data into a computer, Computer
Compute keyboard are
similar to electric typewriters.
The old - fashioned computer operating system such as DOS and UNIX used whats called a
Typing (alphanumeric) keys. These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and
symbol keys found on a traditional typewriter.
Control keys. These keys are used alone or in combination with other keys to perform certain
actions. The most frequently
uently used control keys are CTRL, ALT, the Windows logo key
, and
ESC.
Function keys. The function keys are used to perform specific tasks. They are labeled as F1, F2,
F3, and so on, up to F12. The functionality of these keys differs from program to program.
Navigation keys. These keys are used for moving around in documents or web pages and
editing text. They include the arrow keys, HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, DELETE,
and INSERT.
Numeric keypad. The numeric keypad is handy for entering numbers quickly. The keys are
grouped together in a block like a conventional calculator or adding machine.
- 18 -
The following illustration shows how these keys are arranged on a typical keyboard. Your keyboard
layout may differ.
Typing text
Whenever you need to type something in a program, ee-mail
mail message, or text box, you'll see a
blinking vertical line ( ). That's the cursor, also called the insertion point.. It shows where the text that
you type will begin. You can move the cursor by clicking in the desired location with the mouse, or
by using the navigation keys (see the "Using navigation keys" section of this article).
In addition to letters, numerals, punctuation marks, and symbols, the typing keys also include
includ
SHIFT, CAPS LOCK, the TAB key, ENTER, the SPACEBAR, and BACKSPACE.
Key name
How to use it
SHIFT
CAPS LOCK
TAB
ENTER
SPACEBAR
BACKSPACE
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Keyboard shortcuts are ways to perform actions by using your keyboard. They're called shortcuts
because they help you work faster. In fact, almost any action or command you can perform with a
mouse can be performed faster using one or more keys oon your keyboard.
In Help topics, a plus sign (+) between two or more keys indicates that those keys should be pressed
in combination. For example, CTRL+A means to press and hold CTRL and then press A.
CTRL+SHIFT+A means to press and hold CTRL and SHIFT and then press A.
- 20 -
Press ALT+F to open the File menu, then press P to choose the Print command
This trick works in dialog boxes too. Whenever you see an underlined letter attached to an option in
a dialog box, it means you can press ALT plus that letter to choose that option.
Useful shortcuts
The following table lists some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts. For a more detailed list, see
Keyboard shortcuts.
Press this
To do this
- 21 -
The navigation keys allow you to move the cursor, move around in documents and webpages, and
edit text. The following table lists some common functions of these keys.
Press this
LEFT ARROW, RIGHT
ARROW, UP ARROW, or
DOWN ARROW
HOME
END
CTRL+HOME
CTRL+END
PAGE UP
PAGE DOWN
DELETE
INSERT
To do this
Move the cursor or selection one space or line in the direction of
the arrow, or scroll a webpage in the direction of the arrow
Move the cursor to the beginning of a line or move to the top of
a webpage
ove to the bottom of a
Move the cursor to the end of a line or move
webpage
Move to the top of a document
Move to the bottom of a document
Move the cursor or page up one screen
Move the cursor or page down one screen
Delete the character after the cursor, or the selected text; in
Windows, delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
Turn Insert mode off or on. When Insert mode is on, text that
you type is inserted at the cursor. When Insert mode is off, text
that you type replaces existing characters.
Numeric keypad
- 22 -
To use the numeric keypad to enter numbers, press NUM LOCK. Most keyboards have a light that
indicates whether NUM LOCK is on or off. When NUM LOCK is off, the numeric keypad
functions as a second set of navigation keys (these functions are printed on the keys next to the
numerals or symbols).
You can use your numeric keypad to perform simple calculations with Calculator.
2. Check your keyboard light to see if NUM LOCK is on. If it isn't, press NUM LOCK.
3. Using the numeric keypad, type the first number in the calculation.
4. On the keypad, type + to add, - to subtract, * to multiply, or / to divide.
5. Type the next number in the calculation.
6. Press ENTER to complete the calculation.
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PAUSE/BREAK
This key is rarely used. In some older programs, pressing this key pauses the program or, in
combination with CTRL, stops it from running.
Other keys
Some modern keyboards come with "hot keys" or buttons that give you quick, one-press access to
programs, files, or commands. Other models have volume controls, scroll wheels, zoom wheels, and
other gadgets. For details about these features, check the information that came with your keyboard
or computer, or go to the manufacturer's website.
Place your keyboard at elbow level. Your upper arms should be relaxed at your sides.
Center your keyboard in front of you. If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, you can use the
spacebar as the centering point.
Type with your hands and wrists floating above the keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm
to reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.
Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while typing. If your keyboard has a
palm rest, use it only during breaks from typing.
While typing, use a light touch and keep your wrists straight.
When you're not typing, relax your arms and hands.
Take short breaks from computer use every 15 to 20 minutes.
- 24 -
Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer because you don't need to use
the mouse as often.
To do this
To do this
F1
CTRL+C
CTRL+X
CTRL+V
CTRL+Z
CTRL+Y
DELETE
SHIFT+DELETE
F2
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
CTRL+LEFT ARROW
CTRL+DOWN ARROW
CTRL+UP ARROW
CTRL+SHIFT with an arrow
key
SHIFT with any arrow key
Display Help
Copy the selected item
Cut the selected item
Paste the selected item
Undo an action
Redo an action
Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
Rename the selected item
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Select a block of text
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop,
desktop or select
- 25 -
To do this
CTRL+TAB
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
TAB
SHIFT+TAB
ALT+underlined
letter
ENTER
- 26 -
SPACEBAR
Arrow keys
F1
F4
BACKSPACE
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
Display Help
Display the items in the active list
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open
dialog box
To do this
- 27 -
To do this
CTRL+N
END
HOME
F11
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) on numeric
keypad
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) on
numeric keypad
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN (-)) on
numeric keypad
LEFT ARROW
ALT+LEFT ARROW
RIGHT ARROW
ALT+RIGHT ARROW
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel
ALT+D
+SPACEBAR
+G
- 28 -
To do this
CTRL+F
Open the Fix pane
CTRL+P
Print the selected picture
ENTER
View the selected picture at a larger size
CTRL+I
Open or close the Details pane
CTRL+PERIOD (.)
Rotate the picture clockwise
CTRL+COMMA (,)
Rotate the picture counter-clockwise
F2
Rename the selected item
CTRL+E
Search for an item
ALT+LEFT ARROW
Go back
ALT+RIGHT ARROW
Go forward
PLUS SIGN (+)
Zoom in or resize the picture thumbnail
MINUS SIGN (-)
Zoom out or resize the picture thumbnail
CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size of the picture thumbnail
CTRL+B
Best fit
LEFT ARROW
Select the previous item
DOWN ARROW
Select the next item or row
UP ARROW
Previous item (Easel) or previous row (Thumbnail)
PAGE UP
Previous screen
PAGE DOWN
Next screen
HOME
Select the first item
END
Select the last item
DELETE
Move the selected item to the Recycle Bin
SHIFT+DELETE
Permanently delete the selected item
LEFT ARROW
Collapse node
RIGHT ARROW
Expand node
Keyboard shortcuts for working with videos
J
Move back one frame
K
Pause the playback
L
Move forward one frame
I
Set the start trim point
O
Set the end trim point
M
Split a clip
HOME
Stop and rewind all the way back to the start trim point
ALT+RIGHT ARROW
Advance to the next frame
ALT+LEFT ARROW
Go back to the previous frame
CTRL+K
Stop and rewind playback
CTRL+P
Play from the current location
HOME
Move the start trim point
END
Move to the end trim point
PAGE UP
Seek to nearest split point before the current location
PAGE DOWN
Seek to nearest split point after the current location
- 29 -
To do this
ALT+C
ALT+N
F10
ALT+LEFT ARROW
ALT+RIGHT ARROW
ALT+A
ALT+HOME
HOME
END
CTRL+F
CTRL+P
F3
- 30 -
PARALLEL ports
po connect
the PARALLEL plug of the
printer to the CPU
Most computers have three types of ports: serial, parallel, and USB:
serial port is a type of interface that connects a device to the system unit by transmitting data
only one bit at a time. Serial port
portss usually connect devices that do not require fast data
transmission rates, such as a mouse, keyboard, or modem.
parallel port is an interface that connects devices by transferring more than one bit at a time.
Many printers connect to the system unit usi
using a parallel port.
universal serial bus (USB)) port can connect up to 127 different peripheral devices with a single
connector type, greatly simplifying the process of attaching devices to a personal computer.
- 31 -
USB
PS2
SERIAL
PARALLEL
Ports
A port is an interface on a computer to which you can connect a device. Most ports are located at
the back of the computer. Some ports are physically part of the motherboard or are connected
directly to the motherboard, whereas other ports are physically part of or connected directly to
expansion cards.
To identify the capabilities of the system and to identify an expansion ca
card,
rd, you will need to identify
the port by sight. PC 99 is a specification for PCs jointly developed by Microsoft and Intel in 1998.
Its aim was to encourage the standardization of PC hardware to aid Windows compatibility. The PC
99 specification set out thee color code for the various standard types of plugs and connectors used
on PCs. Because many of the connectors look very similar, particular to a novice PC user, the color
scheme made it far easier for people to connect peripherals to the correct ports on a PC. This color
code was gradually adopted by almost all PC, motherboard, and peripheral manufacturers.
USB Universal Serial Bus
Identify the colors typically used for the following ports:
Keyboard: Purple
PS/2 Mouse: Green
Parallel Port: Pink
VGA: Blue
Digital Monitor: White
Speakers (Main): Lime Green
Microphone (input): Pink
Identify the following as serial port or parallel port:
Also known as IEEE 1284: Parallel Port
Also known as RS-232: Serial Port
Connects external peripheral devices such as modems and mice: Serial Port
Maximum length of cable is 10 feet (3 m): Parallel Port
Maximum length of cable is 50 feet (15.2 m): Serial Port
Transmits data, multiple bits at a time: Parallel Port
Transmits data, one bit at a time: Serial Port
Used primarily
ly to connect printers: Parallel Port
Identify the following as USB 1.1, USB 2.0, or IEEE 1394:
Also known as FireWire: IEEE 1394
The maximum data transfer rate speed is 12 Mbps: USB 1.1
The maximum data transfer rate speed of is 480 Mbps: USB 2.0
Has a data transfer rate of 400 Mbps and supports up to 63 devices: IEEE 1394
Supports up to 127 devices: USB 1.1/USB 2.0
- 32 -
- 33 -
CRT monitors describing the technology inside traditional computer monitor or television.
The devise is based on a special form of vacuum tube, a glass bottle thats been partially evaluated
and filled with an inert gas with a very low pressure.
Another name for Cathode: Negative electrode of the tube shoots a beam or ray of electrons towards a
positively charged electrode, the anode. The primary colors are: RED, BLUE and GREEN.
How It Works?
Inside a CRT monitor is a picture tube that narrows at the rear into a bottleneck. In the
bottleneck is a negative charged filament or cathode enclosed in a vacuum. When electricity is
supplied, the filament heats up and a stream or ray of electrons pour off the element into the
vacuum. The negatively charged electrons are attracted to positively charged anodes which focus the
particles into three narrow beams, accelerating them to strike the phosphor-coated screen. Phosphor
will glow when exposed to any kind of radiation, absorbing ultraviolet light and emitting visible light
of fluorescent color. Phosphors that emit red, green and blue light are used in a color monitor,
arranged as stripes made up of dots of color. The three beams are used to excite the three colors
in the combinations needed to create the various hues that form the picture.
- 34 -
The CRT monitor creates a picture out of many rows or lines of tiny colored dots
The Cathode of a CRT is often called an electron gun.
Refresh rate indicates how many times per second the screen is repainted. Though monitors differ
in their capabilities, lower resolutions normally have higher refresh rates because it takes less time to
paint a lower resolution.
Another specification regarding CRT monitors is dot pitch which relates to the tightness or
sharpness of the picture. A lower dot pitch such as .25 is preferable over a higher dot pitch.
CRT comes with Flat Screen.
CRTs are very suitable for video and gaming, (i.e. fast moving pictures), and because the color
they display is consistent from any viewing angle, CRTs uphold the standard for graphics
professionals.
PHOSPHORS
Phosphor will glow when exposed to any kind of radiation, absorbing ultraviolet light and
emitting visible light of fluorescent color. Phosphors that emit red, green and blue light are used in a
color monitor, arranged as stripes made up of dots of color. The three beams are used to excite
the three colors in the combinations needed to create the various hues that form the picture.
The electrons flow to the tubes wide flat face where a layer of phosphorous compound lies.
Phosphorous compounds - it glows when struck by an electron beam.
LEDs consume extraordinary amounts of power. Consider a normal full sized LED can draw 10 to
100 miliwatts of full brilliance and that you need 100,000.
LED suffers the problem that they tend to wash out in bright light and are relatively expensive to
fabricate in large arrays.
Gas-Plasma Screen
A Gas Plasma Screen Display- Consist of three sheets of glass separated by a gas called Plasma.
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How It works? :
When electricity is sent through a point in the display, it charges the plasma, and the plasma
gives off energy in the form of orange colored light in the same way that a fluorescent light bulb
emits white light.
Most gas plasma screens have the characteristics orange- red glow of neon because thats the gas
they use inside.
Use: Gas Plasma displays are occasionally used in laptops because they are very thin and are easy on
the eyes.
Advantages:
Very thin and are easy on the eyes.
Do not have size limit
Used for large wall- sized display.
Disadvantages:
Gas plasma display uses a large amount of energy and cant display multiple color.
LCD stands for liquid crystal display, referring to the technology behind these popular flat panel
monitors.
Two Types of LCD Panels
1. Passive matrix or dual scan matrix
2. Active Matrix
Passive matrix LCD displays could not keep up with fast moving images. A mouse dragged across
the screen, for example, from point A to point B, would disappear between the two points.
Active Matrix uses more transistors to generate an image, making active matrix displays easier to
read and more expensive
A Active Matrix or TFT - TFT monitor uses thin-film transistor technology for the ultimate LCD or
liquid crystal display.
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How It Works?
The benefit of a TFT monitor is a separate, tiny transistor for each pixel on the display. Because
each transistor is so small, the amount of charge needed to control it is also small. This allows for
very fast re-drawing of the display, as the image is re-painted or refreshed several times per
second.
A typical 17-inch TFT monitor has about 1.3 million pixels and 1.3 million transistors. That leaves a
significant chance for a malfunctioning transistor or two on the panel TFT monitor can have dead
pixels. A dead pixel is a pixel whose transistor has failed, thereby creating no display image.
On a solid black background, dead pixels will stand out as tiny dots of red, white or blue.
A LCD Displays consist of five layers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A Backlight
A sheet of Polarized glass
A mask of colored pixels
A layer of liquid crystal solution responsive to a wired grid or x, y coordinates.
Second polarized sheet of glass.
LCD is actually a sandwich made from two plastic sheets with very special liquid made from rod
shaped or nematic molecules. The nematic molecules of liquid crystals is that they can be aligned
by grooves in the plastic to bend the polarity of light that passes through the.
How It Work?
By manipulating the orientations of crystals through precise electrical charges of varying degrees and
voltages, the crystals act like tiny shutters, opening or closing in response to the stimulus, thereby
allowing degrees of light that have passed through specific colored pixels to illuminate the screen,
creating a picture.
LCDs dont waste energy by shining, instead they merely block light that is otherwise available, to
make patterns visible they selectively blocked either reflected light or the light generated by a
secondary source, either behind the LCD panel or adjacent to it.
Important Specification of LCD
1.
2.
3.
4.
Contrast ratio
Brightness (nits)
Viewing Angle
Response time
Contrast ratio relates to the displays comparative difference between its brightest white values
and its darkest black values. A higher contrast ratio will have truer colors with less wash out.
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Brightness is measured in nits, or one candela per square meter (cd/m). Anywhere from 250
300 nits is standard.
Viewing angle There is a vertical and a horizontal viewing angle specification, which refers to
the degree you can stray from dead center before the picture starts to wash out. High contrast levels
usually go hand-in-hand with wider viewing angles. Many recommend a viewing angle of at least 140
degrees horizontal and 120 degrees vertical. The wider the viewing angles, the better.
Response time is measured in milliseconds (ms) and refers to how long it takes pixels to turn
from completely white to black and back again. Smaller values represent a faster response time and
are more desirable, especially if you will be gaming or viewing video. If the response time is slow,
ghosting or trailing can occur with fast-moving images, where repaints of the screen overlap. A
maximum response time should be no more than 25ms for general use, and 17ms is better. Many
gamers report no ghosting using LCD monitors with a response time of 16ms or less.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
A potential weak link of a LCD monitor is the backlight
LCD monitors come in standard sizes from 15-inches to 21-inches, and larger. The viewing screen is
the same size as the rated display
TYPES OF MONITOR
1. MONOCHROME
2. COLORED
MONOCHROME Monitor
Mono means one and chrome indicates color
Monochrome monitor show their images in one color, be it green, amber, white, puce or
crimson.
VGA Monochrome a VGA monitor will work with any VGA display adapter without
change.
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COLOR MONITORS
Five types of color Displays:
1) Composite Color- Generic video monitors the kind youre likely to connect to your VCR or
video camera use the standard composite video signal. They are still used where computer
generated graphics are destined for television and video productions.
3) ENHANCED RGB (EGA) - it can handle the 22.1 kHz horizontal synchronizing
frequency of the EGA standard.
4) VGA Displays VGA displays were introduced by necessity with the PS/2s. They used
analog inputs and 31 kHz horizontal synchronizing frequency to match with the VGA
standard.
5) Multiscanning Colors Displays - Multiscanning displays dont lock their horizontal and
vertical synchronizing frequencies to any particular standard. B
Byy automatically adjusting
themselves to the available signal, color multiscanning displays can work with just about any
video standar. Resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixel and higher.
CRT Monitors
A CRT monitor contains millions of tiny red, green, and blue phosphor dots that glow when struck
by an electron beam that travels across the screen to create a visible image. The illustration below
shows how this works inside a CRT.
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The terms anode and cathode are used in electronics as synonyms for positive and negative
terminals. For example, you could refer to the positive terminal of a battery as the anode and the
negative terminal as the cathode.
In a cathode ray tube, the "cathode" is a heated filament. The heated filament is in a vacuum created
inside a glass "tube." The "ray" is a stream of electrons generated by an electron gun that naturally
pour off a heated cathode into the vacuum. Electrons are negative. The anode is positive, so it
attracts the electrons pouring off the cathode. This screen is coated with phosphor, an organic
material that glows when struck by the electron beam.
There are three ways to filter the electron beam in order to obtain the correct image on the monitor
screen: shadow mask, aperture grill and slot mask. These technologies also impact the sharpness of
the monitor's display. Let's take a closer look at these now.
Dot pitch
Dot pitch is an indicator of the sharpness of the displayed image. It is measured in millimeters
(mm), and a smaller number means a sharper image. How you measure the dot pitch depends on the
technology used:
In a shadow-mask CRT monitor, you measure dot pitch as the diagonal distance between two
like-colored phosphors. Some manufacturers may also cite a horizontal dot pitch, which is
the distance between two-like colored phosphors horizontally.
The dot pitch of an aperture-grill monitor is measured by the horizontal distance between two
like-colored phosphors. It is also sometimes are called stripe pitch.
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The smaller and closer the dots are to one another, the more realistic and detailed the picture
appears. When the dots are farther apart, they become noticeable and make the image look grainier.
Unfortunately, manufacturers are not always upfront about dot pitch measurements, and you cannot
necessarily compare shadow-mask and aperture-grill CRT types, due to the difference in horizontal
and vertical measurements.
The dot pitch translates directly to the resolution on the screen. If you were to put a ruler up to the
glass and measure an inch, you would see a certain number of dots, depending on the dot pitch.
Here is a table that shows the number of dots per square centimeter and per square inch in each of
these common dot pitches:
Dot Pitch
.25 mm
.26 mm
.27 mm
.28 mm
.31 mm
.51 mm
1 mm
Approx. number of
pixels/cm2
1,600
1,444
1,369
1,225
1,024
361
100
Approx. number of
pixels/in2
10,000
9,025
8,556
7,656
6,400
2,256
625
1: Red out
6: Red return
(ground)
11: Monitor ID 0 in
2: Green
out
7: Green return
(ground)
12: Monitor ID 1 in
or data from display
3: Blue out
8: Blue return
(ground)
4: Unused
9: Unused
5: Ground
15: Monitor ID 3 in
or data clock
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LCD Monitors
Liquid crystal display technology works by blocking light. Specifically, an LCD is made of two pieces
of polarized glass (also called substrate) that contain a liquid crystal material between them. A
backlight creates light that passes through the first substrate. At the same time, electrical currents
cause the liquid crystal molecules to align to allow varying levels of light to pass through to the
second substrate and create the colors and images that you see.
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SYSTEM UNIT
In this article
Kinds and Parts of System Case
Storage Device/Multimedia
ultimedia Storage Devices
FD,CD, DVD,BLU-RAY
Connectors
Memory Card
Power Supply
Hard Disk /HDD
Expansion Card
CPU/Processor
Motherboad
SYSTEM CASE Is a plastic and metal box that houses components such as the mother board,
disk drives and power supply unit.
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CASE) - has a cover (Left and Right, which is removed by either undoing the screw\s at the
back or pressing together clips that release it.
FRONT PANEL provides access to the floppy and CD, a power on/off switch, a reset
LEDs (light emitting diodes) to indicate drive operation.
REAR PANEL has slots through which interface card connectors appears. These slots should
either be covered by an interface card or a metal strip known as a blanking plate.
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Memory
The two Fundamentals types of a Memory in a Computer System
1. Main Memory
2. Secondary Memory
Two basic categories or term: short-term and long-term.
Short-term
RAM
Virtual cache
Long-term
ROM
Computer memory is measured in bytes. A single byte is made up of a series of 1's and 0's
normally traveling in pairs of eight. These eight 0's and 1's are the way the computer communicates
and stores information. With each keystroke or character a byte of memory is used.
Measuring Memory
Term/Byte
Abbreviation
Value
Kilo
K, KB
1,024 bytes
Mega
M, MB, Meg
Giga
G, GB, Giga
Tera
T, TB, Tera
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= 1 byte
= 1 kilobyte
= 1 megabyte
= 1 gigabyte
= 1 tetra
ROM
ROM, or read-only memory is permanent, long-term, nonvolatile memory. Nonvolatile means is
doesn't disappear when the computer is shut off. It also can not be erased or changed in anyway.
However there are types of ROM called PROM that can be altered. The P stands for
programmable. ROM's purpose is to store the basic input/output system (BIOS) that controls the
start-up, or boot process.
RAM
RAM, or random-access memory unlike ROM works only when the computer is turned on. This
memory is vital to the computer because it controls the moment by moment processes of the
computer. The first thing that goes into RAM is the OS (operating system) which is most cases is
Windows 95. Next for the RAM might be a game, or the Internet browser, or some type of
software that you want to use.
Other types of temporary memory are cache (pronounced "cash") and virtual memory. Both of
these types of memory supplement the computer's primary RAM and perform the same function as
RAM.
Secondary Memory is where programs and data are kept on a long-term basis.
Here are the most common forms of Long term Storage Devices.
Floppy disk or Floppy or FDD
A round plastic surface that is coated with magnetic film. They come in 31/2 size.
They hold about 720k to 1440K of information. They are typically are used to install new software,
save, share, and/or copy files. Floppy drives are given letters. Commonly the floppy is A, a 2nd
floppy is B and the hard drive is C.
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Megabits/
s
1x
0.15
1.2
2x
0.3
2.4
4x
0.6
4.8
8x
1.2
9.6
10x
1.5
12.0
12x
1.8
14.4
20x
3.0
24.0
32x
4.8
38.4
36x
5.4
43.2
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40x
6.0
48.0
48x
7.2
57.6
50x
7.5
60.0
52x
7.8
62.4
SATA connector
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SATA CABLE
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Parallel ATA (PATA) is an interface standard for the connection of storage devices such as hard
disks, solid-state drives, and CD-ROM drives in computers. The standard is maintained by
X3/INCITS committee[1]. It uses the underlying AT Attachment and AT Attachment Packet
Interface (ATA/ATAPI) standards.
The current Parallel ATA standard is the result of a long history of incremental technical
development. ATA/ATAPI is an evolution of the AT Attachment Interface, which was itself
evolved in several stages from Western Digital's original Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE)
interface. As a result, many near-synonyms for ATA/ATAPI and its previous incarnations exist,
including abbreviations such as IDE which are still in common informal use.
The Serial ATA, or SATA, computer bus is a storage-interface for connecting host bus adapters to
mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives. The SATA host adapter is
integrated into almost all modern consumer laptop computers and desktop motherboards.
Serial ATA was designed to replace the older ATA (AT Attachment) standard (also known as
EIDE). It is able to use the same low level commands, but serial ATA host-adapters and devices
communicate via a high-speed serial cable over two pairs of conductors. In contrast, the Parallel
ATA (the redesignation for the legacy ATA specifications) used 16 data conductors each operating
at a much lower speed.
SATA offers several compelling advantages over the older parallel ATA interface: reduced cablebulk and cost (reduced from eighty wires to seven), faster and more efficient data transfer, full
duplex (the ability to transmit and receive at the same time), and hot swapping (the ability to remove
or add devices while operating).
Serial ATA - or simply SATA - is the new hard disk standard
They only have two channels:
a) one receiving data
b) one transmitting them.
This can be achieved with a very simple cabling. The data communication only requires 0,25 Volt
compared to the 5 Volt of parallel ATA.
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MAIN MEMORY
Main Memory where programs and data are kept when the processors is actively using them.
Holds the programs and data that the processor is actively working with.
Primary storage, presently known as memory, is the only one directly accessible to the CPU. The
CPU continuously reads instructions stored there and executes them as required. Any data actively
operated on is also stored there in uniform manner.
Kinds of Memory
(1) EDO
Extended Data Output RAM- A type of DRAM that is faster than conventional DRAM.
EDO DRAM: Extended data-out dynamic random access memory does not wait for all of
the processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As soon as the address of the
first bit is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the next bit. It is about five percent faster
than FPM. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 264 MBps.
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(2) SDRAM
Synchronous Dynamic RAM - a type of DRAM that can run at much higher clock speeds
than conventional memory. SDRAM actually synchronizes itself with the CPU's bus and is
capable of running at 133 MHz, and about twice as fast EDO DRAM.
SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic random access memory takes advantage of the burst mode
concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on the row containing the
requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns, reading each bit as it goes. The idea is
that most of the time the data needed by the CPU will be in sequence. SDRAM is about five
percent faster than EDO RAM and is the most common form in desktops today. Maximum
transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 528 MBps.
(3) DDRAM
Double Data Rate-Synchronous DRAM - a type of SDRAM that supports data transfers on
both edges of each clock cycle (the rising and falling edges), effectively doubling the memory
chip's data throughput. DDR-SDRAM also consumes less power, which makes it well suited to
notebook computers. DDR-SDRAM is also called SDRAM II.
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DDR SDRAM: Double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM is just like SDRAM except
that is has higher bandwidth, meaning greater speed. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is
approximately 1,064 MBps (for DDR SDRAM 133 MHZ).
DDR3 Memory
DDR3 SDRAM or Double Data Rate three Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory is a
random access memory technology used for high speed storage of the working data of a computer
or other digital electronic device. DDR3 SDRAM is an improvement over its predecessor, DDR2
SDRAM.
The primary benefit of DDR3 is the ability to run its I/O bus at four times the speed of the memory
cells it contains, thus enabling faster bus speeds and higher peak throughput than earlier memory
technologies. The DDR3 standard allows for chip capacities of 512 megabits to 8 gigabits,
effectively enabling a maximum memory module size of 16 gigabytes.
The DDR3 standard allows for chip capacities of 512 megabits to 8 gigabits, effectively enabling a
maximum memory module size of 16 gigabytes. DDR3 DIMMs have 240 pins, the same number as
DDR2, and are the same size, but are electrically incompatible and have a different key notch
location.
Features:
The DDR3 components are twice as fast as today's highest speed DDR2 memory products.
The first computer systems equipped with the advanced DDR3 memory technology are
expected to arrive in 2007.
The main advantages of DDR3 are the higher bandwidth and the increase in performance at
low power.
The DDR3 SDRAM devices will offer data transfer rates up to 1600 Mbps (megabits per
second).
The supply voltage for the memory technology is being reduced from 1.8 volts for DDR2 to
just 1.5 volts for DDR3 targeting a work day equivalent of battery time. The voltage
reduction limits the amount of power that is consumed and heat that is generated in
connection with the increase in bandwidths.
Introduction of asynchronous RESET pin.
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(4) RDRAM
Rambus DRAM - a type of memory (DRAM) developed by Rambus, Inc. Whereas the fastest
current memory technologies used by PCs (SDRAM) can deliver data at a maximum speed of
about 100 MHz, RDRAM transfers data at up to 800 MHz.
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Speeds
For various technologies, there are certain bus and device clock frequencies that are standardized.
There is also a decided nomenclature for each of these speeds for each type.
SDR SDRAM DIMMs - These first synchronous registered DRAM DIMMs had the same bus
frequency for data, address and control lines.
PC66 = 66 MHz
PC100 = 100 MHz
PC133 = 133 MHz
DDR SDRAM (DDR1) SDRAM DIMMs - DIMMs based on Double Data Rate (DDR) DRAM
have data but not the strobe at double the rate of the clock. This is achieved by clocking on both the
rising and falling edge of the data strobes.
PC1600 = 200 MHz data & strobe / 100 MHz clock for address and control
PC2100 = 266 MHz data & strobe / 133 MHz clock for address and control
PC2700 = 333 MHz data & strobe / 166 MHz clock for address and control
PC3200 = 400 MHz data & strobe / 200 MHz clock for address and control
DDR2 SDRAM SDRAM DIMMs - DIMMs based on Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) DRAM also
have data and data strobe frequencies at double the rate of the clock. This is achieved by clocking on
both the rising and falling edge of the data strobes. The power consumption and voltage of DDR2 is
significantly lower than DDR (1) at the same speed.
PC2-3200 = 400 MHz data & strobe / 200 MHz clock for address and control
PC2-4200 = 533 MHz data & strobe / 266 MHz clock for address and control
PC2-5300 = 667 MHz data & strobe / 333 MHz clock for address and control
PC2-6400 = 800 MHz data & strobe / 400 MHz clock for address and control
PC2-8000 = 1000 MHz data & strobe / 500 MHz clock for address and control
PC2-8500 = 1066 MHz data & strobe / 533 MHz clock for address and control
PC2-9600 = 1200 MHz data & strobe / 600 MHz clock for address and control
DDR3 SDRAM SDRAM DIMMs - DIMMs based on Double Data Rate 3(DDR3) DRAM have
data and strobe frequencies at double the rate of the clock. This is achieved by clocking on both the
rising and falling edge of the data strobes. The power consumption and voltage of DDR3 is lower
than DDR2 of the same speed.
PC3-6400 = 800 MHz data & strobe / 400 MHz clock for address and control
PC3-8500 = 1066 MHz data & strobe / 533 MHz clock for address and control
PC3-10600 = 1333 MHz data & strobe / 667 MHz clock for address and control
PC3-12800 = 1600 MHz data & strobe / 800 MHz clock for address and control
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72-pin SO-DIMM (not the same as a 72-pin SIMM), used for FPM DRAM and EDO
DRAM
100-pin DIMM, used for printer SDRAM
144-pin SO-DIMM, used for SDR SDRAM
168-pin DIMM, used for SDR SDRAM (less frequently for FPM/EDO DRAM in
workstations/servers)
172-pin Micro DIMM, used for DDR SDRAM
184-pin DIMM, used for DDR SDRAM
200-pin SO-DIMM, used for DDR SDRAM and DDR2 SDRAM
214-pin Micro DIMM, used for DDR2 SDRAM
240-pin DIMM, used for DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM and FB-DIMM DRAM
PC Expansion Card
An expansion card is an electronic board or card added in a desktop computer or other non-portable
computer to give a computer a new ability.
Also known as an internal card or interface adapter
An expansion card (also expansion board, adapter card or accessory card) in computing is a printed circuit
board that can be inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard to add additional
functionality to a computer system. One edge of the expansion card holds the contacts (the edge
connector) that fit exactly into the slot. They establish the electrical contact between the electronics
(mostly integrated circuits) on the card and on the motherboard.
Video Card (Video Adapter) an expansion board that plugs into the expansion bus or
motherboard to provide the text and graphics output to the monitor. Graphics and video
cards are added to computers to improve the computers ability to render 3D graphics and
video.
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PCIe (Express)
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1X.
64 MB
2X
128 MB
4X
256 MB
8X (Standard)
512 MB
16 X
1 GB
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Sound cards are dedicated to processing music and sound effects data and are commonly
seen in both gaming computers and media center computers.
A sound card is a computer expansion card that can input and output sound under control of
computer programs. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for
multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio,
presentation/education, and entertainment (games).
A typical sound card includes a sound chip, usually featuring a digital-to-analog converter, that
converts recorded or generated digital waveforms of sound into an analog format.
Connections
Color
Pink
Function
Analog microphone input.
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A network card, network adapter, network interface card or NIC is a piece of computer
hardware designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network.
The Network Cards are typically available in 10/100/1000 Mbit/s. This means they can support a
transfer rate of 10 or 100 or 1000 Mbit/s.
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A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information,
and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is
to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital
data (Modulator Demodulator)
Modems are generally classified by the amount of data they can send in a given time, normally
measured in bits per second, or "bps".
KINDS of MODEM
a) External Modem
b) Internal Modem
External Modem
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Internal Modem
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A wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that connects wireless communication
devices together to form a wireless network. The WAP usually connects to a wired network,
and can relay data between wireless devices and wired devices. Several WAPs can link
together to form a larger network that allows "roaming".
Wi-Fi Card (pronounced /wafa/) is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance for certified products
based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. This certification warrants interoperability between different
wireless devices.
The term Wi-Fi is often used by the public as a synonym for wireless LAN (WLAN)
Wi-Fi was used in place of only the 2.4GHz 802.11b standard, however the Wi-Fi Alliance has
expanded the generic use of the Wi-Fi term to include any type of network or WLAN product based
on any of the 802.11 standards, including 802.11b, 802.11a, dual-band, and so on, in an attempt to
stop confusion about wireless LAN interoperability.
Wi-Fi works with no physical wired connection between sender and receiver by using radio
frequency (RF) technology, a frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio
wave propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is created
that then is able to propagate through space. The cornerstone of any wireless network is an access
point (AP). The primary job of an access point is to broadcast a wireless signal that computers can
detect and "tune" into. In order to connect to an access point and join a wireless network,
computers and devices must be equipped with wireless network adapters.
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External Wi-Fi
A USB card composes of a USB host controller and several USB ports that allow you to
install a wide range of USB peripherals. USB cards come in two favors: USB PCI card, and
USB Card Bus. The latter is only made for fairly old laptop computers. USB PCI cards are
designed solely for desktop computers.
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TYPES OF USB
1.
2.
3.
4.
A
B
Mini A
Mini B
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Fire wire Card or IEEE 1349- for High performance serial bus. Fire wire will allow up to
63 devices chained together o a single serial to communicate at to 400MB per seconds.
FireWire is in essence a connector on your computer, which allows you to transfer information from
one FireWire device to another very quickly.
FireWire was created by a joint effort from Apple, Sony and Panasonic that was standardized in
1995 as IEEE1394. It is also commonly known as iLink on Sony devices and by the IEEE1394
standard.
FireWire was designed in order to assist the fast transfer of digital data - mainly for use in capturing
video from a camcorder onto a computer - but also to allow the use of an external digital device
such as a hard drive, CD writer or DVD writer at speeds faster than internal devices.
Recently the new FireWIre 800 standard has been launched, with the original FireWire being
renamed FireWire 400. FireWire 800 is twice as fast as FireWire 400, assuming a computer that can
handle the full speed
FireWire was the standard for video, audio, multimedia content creation and mass storage,
Thousands of PC users found FireWire for the first time at Firewire Direct, and are now making
their CDs, DVDs and keeping all their digital lifestyle backed up to FireWire HDD's.
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Power Cord
A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is a cord or cable that temporarily connects an
electrical appliance to the distribution circuits of an electrical power source via a wall socket or
extension cord.
The terms are generally used for cables using a power plug to connect to a single-phase
alternating current power source at the local line voltagegenerally 100 to 240 volts, depending
on the location). The terms power cable, mains lead or flex are also used.
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A UPS, however, can be used to provide uninterrupted power to equipment, typically for 515
minutes until an auxiliary power supply can be turned on, utility power restored, or equipment
safely shut down.
While not limited to safeguarding any particular type of equipment, a UPS is typically used to
protect computers, data centers, telecommunication equipment or other electrical equipment
where an unexpected power disruption could cause injuries, fatalities, serious business disruption
or data loss.
Power Supply
Power Supply - The device responsible for supplying power to the computer is the power supply.
The power supply is the metal box usually found in a corner of the case. The power supply is visible
from the back of many systems because it contains the power-cord receptacle and the cooling fan.
Pin
Wire
Color
Signal
Yellow
+12v
Black
Ground
Black
Ground
Red
+5v
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AT
ATX
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ATX form factors are capable of supplying the same voltages of AT (+5V, +12V, -5V and 12V), and also +3,3V voltage.
AT and ATX also differ in connector type used to connect the motherboard.
AT style power - supplies have two six-pin outs power connectors, which must be inserted into the
motherboard, in such a way that the black wires are placed in the center of the connector. But the
connection between ATX and the motherboard is done through just one connector of 20 terminals
divided in two rows of ten.
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PC Item
Watts
20 to 30W
5W
20 to 25W
5W
4W
10 to 25W
RAM
10W per
128M
5 to 11W
5 to 15W
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20 to 30W
30W
23.5W
18W
45W
Power supplies of the same form factor ("form factor" refers to the actual shape of the
motherboard) are typically differentiated by the wattage they supply and the length of the warranty.
The maximum capacity of a power supply can be easily calculated by multiplying the voltage of each
one of the outputs and adding the results.
12A
12 * 12 = 144W
+5V
30A
5 * 30 = 150W
-5V
0.3A
5 * 0.3 = 1.5W
-12V
1A
12 * 1 = 12W
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3.3 volts
5 volts
12 volts
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A hard disk is really a set of stacked "disks," each of which, like phonograph records, has data
recorded electromagnetically in concentric circles or "tracks" on the disk. A "head" (something like a
phonograph arm but in a relatively fixed position) records (writes) or reads the information on the
tracks. Two heads, one on each side of a disk, read or write the data as the disk spins. Each read or
write operation requires that data be located, which is an operation called a "seek." (Data already in a
disk cache, however, will be located more quickly.)
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Internal
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Logic Board
On the logic board you will find all circuitry in charge of controlling the hard drive. In these days of
highly integrated devices, you will find just three or four big integrated circuits on the logic board.
HARD DISK Printed Circuit Board and Its Parts and Function
1. The big circuit is the controller. It is in charge of everything: exchanging data between the hard
drive and the computer, controlling the motors on the hard drive, commanding the heads to read or
write data, etc.
2. Optionally there is a Flash-ROM circuit where the hard drive firmware is located. Firmware is
the name given to a program that is stored inside a ROM (Read Only Memory). The hard drive
firmware is the program its controller executes. Sometimes this device is embedded in the controller,
as it happens on the hard drive.
3. The controller doesnt drive enough current to turn on or move the hard drive motors. So all
hard drives use a motor driver chip. This chip is a current amplifier. It takes the commands sent
from the controller to the motors and passes them to the motors, but with a higher current. So, this
chip is located between the controller and the motors.
4. The fourth main chip you can find on a logic board is the RAM (Random Access Memory)
chip, also known as buffer. This chips has an ultimate role in the hard drive performance. The
higher its capacity, the fastest the data transfer between the drive and the computer will be.
COMPONENTS ON HARD DRIVE ASSEMBLY (INTERNAL PARTS)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Actuator Arm
Read/ Write Head
Platter
Motor Contained within Spindle
The platters - These typically spin at 3,600 or 7,200 rpm when the drive is operating.
The arm - This holds the read/write heads and is controlled by the mechanism in the upperleft corner. The arm is able to move the heads from the hub to the edge of the drive. The
arm and its movement mechanism are extremely light and fast. The arm on a typical harddisk drive can move from hub to edge and back up to 50 times per second.
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A motor (actually the correct term is actuator) called voice coil moves the arm. It is called
voice coil because it uses the same idea behind loudspeakers: a coil inside a magnetic field
provided by a magnet. Depending on the current direction on the coil the arm moves to one
side or to the other side. And depending on the intensity of the current, the actuator will
move more or less.
* You cannot open a hard drive or you will make your drive unusable. Hard drives are assembled in clean
rooms (cleaner than surgery rooms) and then sealed. Any particle of dust inside the HDA can destroy the
surface of the discs, because the discs spin at a very high speed (at least 5,400 rpm nowadays).
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Data is stored on the surface of a platter in sectors and tracks.. Tracks are concentric circles, and
Sectors are pie-shaped
shaped wedges on a track, like this:
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The master/slave jumper on ATA hard drives can be configured in three different ways:
Master: this means that this drive will be the only one attached to the cable that connects
the hard drive to the computer or will be the first drive in a two-drive configuration.
Slave: this means that this drive will be the second drive attached to the cable that connects
the hard drive to the computer.
CS (Cable Select): this means that you will use a special cable (called CS cable) that the
configuration of whether a drive will be master or slave will be made by the position of the
hard drive on the cable and not by a jumper configuration on the drive.
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The most common hard disk drive interface for end-users is called ATA (Advanced Technology
Attachment), while SATA (Serial ATA) interface was created to replace ATA and is becoming
more popular these days. After the released of SATA, ATA interface started being also called PATA
(Parallel ATA). Another famous interface is called SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface),
but it is targeted to servers and rarely seen on PCs targeted to end-users.
PATA Hard Disk
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Serial ATA - or simply SATA - is the new hard disk up on the market.
Connectors of SATA Hard Disk
The conventional IDE port transfers data in parallel. The advantage of parallel transmission over
serial transmission is the higher speed of the former mode, seeing that several bits are sent at the
same time. Its major disadvantage, however, relates to noise. As many wires have to be used (at least
one for each bit to be sent per turn), one wire generates interference in another. This is why ATA-66
and higher hard disks require a special, 80-conductor cable. The difference between this 80conductor cable and the normal 40-conductor IDE cable is that it includes a ground wire between
each original wire, providing anti-interference screening. The current maximum transference rate of
the IDE standard is 133 MB/s (ATA-133).
In the case of Serial ATA, a cable with a mere four wires applies. Thereby, problems with
interference just do not appear (provided the cable is externally screened obviously all Serial ATA
are screened). Another advantage is the use of a small cable and does not hamper the internal
cabinet ventilation). In these days of high operating rate processors, which generate a lot of heat, this
is a major concern.
Contrary to the case of the traditional IDE port, the Serial ATA port only allows installing a Serial
ATA device. Conventional IDE devices can be installed on Serial ATA ports via adaptor boards.
Adaptor cards are also available for converting normal IDE ports into Serial ATA ports, to allow
you to install Serial ATA disks on motherboards not fitted
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CENTRAL PROCESSING U
UNIT
Central Processing Unit (CPU) - is the device that interprets and executes instructions.
A central processing unit (CPU
CPU) or processor is an electronic circuit that can execute
computer programs.
Control Unit - directs the operation of the microprocessor. It sends and fetches signals from
one peripheral to another and it causes certain parts of the computers circuitry to respond
according to these signals.
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PinPin- Less
Slot Type 1 refers to the physical and electrical specification for the connector used by some
of Intel's microprocessors, including the Pentium Pro, Celeron, Pentium II and the Pentium
III.
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Intel 440FX
Intel 440LX
Intel 440BX
Introduced in: April 1998
FSB: 66 and 100 MHz (many motherboards supported overclocking to 133 MHz, allowing
usage of Socket 370 CPUs using a slocket)
Supported RAM types: SDRAM (PC66 and PC100 (PC133 with overclocking)
Supported CPUs:
o Pentium II with 66 and 100 MHz FSB
o Pentium III with 100 MHz FSB (133 with overclocking)
o Celeron (Covington, Medocino, Coppermine)
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AGP 4x Modus
Supported CPUs: All Slot 1 CPUs
Not only with some motherboards using the Intel 440BX chipset, as noted above, but also with
other chipsets of third-party developers, usage of socketed Celerons and Pentium IIIs was possible
by using a suitable slocket.
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Socket Type
A CPU socket or CPU slot is an electrical component that attaches to a printed circuit board
(PCB) and is designed to house a CPU (also called a microprocessor). It is a special type of
integrated circuit socket designed for very high pin counts. A CPU socket provides many functions,
including providing a physical structure to support the CPU, providing support for a heat sink,
facilitating replacement (as well as reducing cost) and most importantly forming an electrical
interface both with the CPU and the PCB. CPU sockets can most often be found in most desktop
and server computers, particularly those based on the Intel x86 architecture on the motherboard.
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The CPU is physically quite small. At its core is an electronic circuit (called a die), which is no bigger
than your little fingernail.
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Types of Microprocessor/CPU/Processor
Intel is the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue[3] The company is
the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most personal computers.
Intel was founded on July 18, 1968, as Integrated Electronics Corporation and based in Santa Clara,
California, USA. Intel also makes motherboard chipsets, network cards and ICs, flash memory,
graphic chips, embedded processors, and other devices related to communications and computing.
Founded by semiconductor pioneers Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, and widely associated with
the executive leadership and vision of Andrew Grove, Intel combines advanced chip design
capability with a leading-edge manufacturing capability. Originally known primarily to engineers and
technologists, Intel's successful "Intel Inside" advertising campaign of the 1990s made it and its
Pentium processor household names.
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Pentium - The name Pentium was derived from the Greek pente (), meaning 'five', and the
Latin ending -ium, a name selected after courts had disallowed trade marking of number-based
names like "i586" or "80586". In 1995, Intel started to employ the registered Pentium trademark also
for x86 processors with radically different micro architectures (Pentium Pro / II / III / 4 / D / M).
In 2006, the Pentium brand briefly disappeared from Intel's roadmaps,[4][5] only to re-emerge in 2007.
Celeron - A brand name for a line of Intel microprocessors introduced in June, 1998. Celeron chips
are based on the same P6 architecture as the Pentium II microprocessor, but are designed for lowcost PCs. They run at somewhat lower clock speeds (266 and 300 MHz) and are not as expandable
as Pentium II microprocessors
It is the budget version of the Pentium 4.
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http://www.cpu
http://www.cpu-collection.de
Types of AMD
Phenom (pronounced as IPA:/fin
/finm/, as in the word phenomenon) is the AMD desktop processor
line based on the K10 (not
not "K10h"
"K10h") micro architecture,[1] or Family 10h Processors, as AMD calls
them. Triple-core
core versions (codenamed Toliman)) belong to the Phenom 8000 series and quad cores
(codenamed Agena)) in the AMD Phenom X4 9000 series
Athlon XP: AMD's previous generation CPU, comparable the Pentium 4 they don't run at as high
frequencies but their architecture is better, so they run more or less the same in terms of
performance.
AMD 64: come in 3 sockets, socket 754, 940 and 939. AMD's current CPU, which perform better
than Intel's Pentium 4's although th
they don't run at as high frequencies.
Socket 754's
's were the first to come out, and they are mid to high end although they don't suport
dual channel memory (where 2 RAM disks work together to run faster)
Lecture in Computer Hardware Servicing
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Socket 940 is designed for the Opterons (server CPU's) and the high-end Athlon 64 FX CPU's.
(they do support dual channel)
Socket 939 is the latest, faster than socket 940. It is for higher end Athlon 64 processors
Sempron: designed to replace the Athlon XP's as low-end CPU's
currently AMD's mid to high end CPU's are the Phenom, Athlon 64's and Opteron's, their low
end CPU's are the Athlon XP's and Sempron's
Intel's high end CPU's are the Pentium 4's and Xeon's, their low end are the Celerons and Pentium
M's (although the Pentium M uses a lot less power)
The early Intel chip came in models called 286, 386, and 486.
The 586 chip was given the name Pentium.
The Power CPUs are Pentium 4, Core Duo, I7 from INTEL and AtlonXP and 64 and Opteron,
and Phenom 2,3,4 from AMD.
The Budget CPUs are the Celeron from INTEL and Sempron and Duron from AMD.
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Socket 754 - for AMD Sempron and some AMD Athlon processors
The newest Intel CPU does not have a PGA. It has an LGA, also known as Socket T. LGA stands
for Land Grid Array. An LGA is different from a PGA in that the pins are actually part of the
socket, not the CPU.
PGA CPU
LGA CPU
Note: Both Intel and AMD have PGA and LGA CPU.
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Processor Specifications
Processors can be identified by two main parameters: how wide they are and how fast they are.
The speed of a processor is a fairly simple concept. Speed is counted in megahertz (MHz), which
means millions of cycles per secondand faster is better! The three main width of a processor
specifications in a processor that are expressed in width. They are:
Internal registers
Data input and output bus
Memory address bus
Systems below 16MHz usually had no cache memory at all. Starting with 16MHz systems, highspeed cache memory appeared on the motherboard because the main memory at the time could not
run at 16MHz. Prior to the 486 processor, the cache on the motherboard was the only cache used in
the system.
Starting with the 486 series, processors began including what was called L1 (Level 1) cache directly
on the processor die. This meant that the L1 cache always ran at the full speed of the chip, especially
important when the later 486 chips began to run at speeds higher than the motherboards they were
plugged into. During this time the cache on the motherboard was called the second level or L2
cache, which ran at the slower motherboard speed.
Starting with the Pentium Pro and Pentium II, Intel began including L2 cache memory chips directly
within the same package as the main processor. Originally this built-in L2 cache was implemented as
physically separate chips contained within the processor package but not a part of the processor die.
Since the speed of commercially available cache memory chips could not keep pace with the main
processor, most of the L2 cache in these processors ran at one-half speed (Pentium II/III and AMD
Athlon), while some ran the cache even slower, at two-fifths or even one-third the processor speed
(AMD Athlon).
In a single-core or traditional processor the CPU is fed strings of instructions it must order,
execute, then selectively store in its cache for quick retrieval. When data outside the cache is
required, it is retrieved through the system bus from random access memory (RAM) or from storage
devices. Accessing these slows down performance to the maximum speed the bus, RAM or storage
device will allow, which is far slower than the speed of the CPU. The situation is compounded when
multi-tasking. In this case the processor must switch back and forth between two or more sets of
data streams and programs. CPU resources are depleted and performance suffers.
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In a dual core processor each core handles incoming data strings simultaneously to improve
efficiency. Just as two heads are better than one, so are two hands. Now when one is executing the
other can be accessing the system bus or executing its own code. Both AMD and Intel's dual-core
flagships are 64-bit.
SPECIFICATION OF DUAL CORE
Dual-core design. The CPU combines two independent cores working in parallel within the same
packaging. These cores work at the same clock speed and share 2MB L2 cache. They are connected
to the chipset using the same Quad Pumped Bus working at 1066MHz frequency and featuring
8.5GB/s bandwidth.
Intel Wide Dynamic Execution. Each of the two processor cores can process four instructions
per clock cycle.
SPECIFICATION OF MULTI- CORE
multi-core processor is a processing system composed of two or more independent cores (or
CPUs). The cores are typically integrated onto a single integrated circuit die (known as a chip
multiprocessor or CMP), or they may be integrated onto multiple dies in a single chip package. A
many-core processor is one in which the number of cores is large enough that traditional multiprocessor techniques are no longer efficient this threshold is somewhere in the range of several
tens of cores and likely requires a network on chip.
A dual-core processor contains two cores, and a quad-core processor contains four cores. A multicore processor implements multiprocessing in a single physical package. Cores in a multi-core device
may be coupled together tightly or loosely. For example, cores may or may not share caches, and
they may implement message passing or shared memory inter-core communication methods.
Common network topologies to interconnect cores include: bus, ring, 2-dimensional mesh, and
crossbar. All cores are identical in homogeneous multi-core systems and they are not identical in
heterogeneous multi-core systems. Just as with single-processor systems, cores in multi-core systems
may implement architectures such as superscalar, VLIW, vector processing, SIMD, or
multithreading.
Multi-core processors are widely used across many application domains including: general-purpose,
embedded, network, digital signal processing, and graphics.
The amount of performance gained by the use of a multi-core processor is strongly dependent on
the software algorithms and implementation. In particular, the possible gains are limited by the
fraction of the software that can be "parallelized" to run on multiple cores simultaneously; this effect
is described by Amdahl's law. In the best case, so-called embarrassingly parallel problems may realize
speedup factors near the number of cores.
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AMD Phenom
Phenom-based processor family
Desktop
AMD K10
Quad-core
Triple-core
Dual-core
Code-named Agena
65nm
Core
Date released Mar 2008
Toliman
65nm
Mar 2008
Kuma
65nm
Dec 2008
Code-named Deneb
45nm
Core
Date released Feb 2009
Heka
45nm
Feb 2009
Callisto
45nm
Jun 2009
Code-named Propus
45nm
Core
Date released TBC
Rana
45nm
TBC
Regor
45nm
Jun 2009
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Since the beginning of times Intel CPUs use an external bus called Front Side Bus or simply FSB
that is shared between memory and I/O requests. Nehalem-based CPUs have an embedded
memory controller and thus will provide two external busses: a memory bus for connecting the CPU
to the memory and an I/O bus to connect the CPU to the external world.
This change improves a lot the system performance for two main reasons. First, now we have
separated data paths for I/O and memory accesses. Second, memory access is faster as the CPU
doesnt need to communicate first with an external controller anymore.
On Figures 1 and 2 we are comparing the traditional architecture used by Intel CPUs and the new
architecture that will be used by Intel CPUs with an integrated memory controller.
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Memory Cache
Memory cache is a high performance kind of memory, also called static memory. The kind of
memory used on the computer main RAM memory is called dynamic memory. Static memory
consumes more power, is more expensive and is physically bigger than dynamic memory, but it is a
lot faster. It can work at the same clock as the CPU
Caching is a technology based on the memory subsystem of your computer. The main purpose of a
cache is to accelerate your computer. Caching allows you to do your computer tasks more rapidly.
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Motherboards will be delivered with a cover that protects the processor socket. Keep an eye on the
manufacturer of these parts, Foxconn, who is currently trying to conquer the channel market with its
own motherboards.
Using metal components, the LGA 775 socket is much more robust than former types. Since the
processor has no pins any more, the metal frame is now used to lock the processor. As a result, you
won't end up pulling out the processor when you want to remove the heat sink only.
LGA (Land Grid Array) technology comes from the high-end server arena and allows for higher pin
densities as well as very consistent electrical and mechanical characteristics. Less force needs to be
applied in order to secure physical contact. According to an Intel PR manager, the main reason for
introducing LGA 775 was the larger pin count, which makes it easier to supply power to future
processors. Although Tejas has gone, we can be fairly sure that future CPUs will require a decent
amount of power - particularly if you think dual core.
While the pins have been part of the CPU before, they are now relocated to the socket. Most of
Taiwan's motherboard makers are afraid that their motherboard return rates may skyrocket due to
damaged LGA 775 sockets. Of course they would have to answer for that type of damage in some
way. Considering the ongoing price war between Asus and most of the smaller manufacturers, costs
will become a matter of life or death.
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After opening the lever, the metal frame that covers the sides of the socket can be opened.
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It is not difficult to handle an LGA 775 motherboard and processor with care, as long as you keep a
few things in mind. Try to avoid touching the underside of the processor as well as the pins inside
the socket. Make sure you insert and remove the processor without any insertion or removal angle.
There are two notches in the upper and lower center of the frame (see third image on the next page)
that allow your fingers to grab the processor without having to fumble around in any way.
When you close the socket frame, make sure that the processor is inserted properly, and check that
pressure is applied equally to both sides of the chip before locking down the lever. You're done!
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Basically that is what LGA 775 is all about. The processor is supposed to 'land' on the pins.
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Make sure you install it carefully. Don't drop it and try to insert it as evenly as possible.
Notches make sure that you don't align the CPU incorrectly.
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The processor's imprint should be readable from the side to which the open lever points.
Now close the frame over the processor and make sure it closes flush with the CPU heat spreader.
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Motherboard
Motherboard - the main circuit board of a microcomputer. The physical foundation of the computer and it
is the largest board of the computer system.
Every component at some point communicates through the motherboard, either by directly plugging into it
or by communicating through one of the motherboards ports.
A motherboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB) in some complex electronic systems, such
as modern personal computers. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the main
board, system board, or, on Apple computers, the logic board. It is also sometimes casually
shortened to mobo.
FUNCTION OF MOTHERBOARD
1.
2.
3.
4.
The motherboard's main job is to hold the computer's microprocessor chip and let everything
else connect to it.
MOTHERBOARD COMPONENTS
CPU
Coprocessor (Chipset)
Memory
BIOS
Expansion slots,
Mass storage interfaces, serial and parallel ports (IDE 1 & 2, SATA, External Channels)
Support Circuitry
All the controllers required to control standard peripheral devices such as:
1. Display screen
2. Keyboard, and Mouse
3. Disk drive and CD - drive
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Chipset - all these chips that reside on the motherboard. The chipset is part of the motherboard's
logic system and is usually made of two parts
Two parts of chipset
1. Northbridge Chipset
2. Southbridge Chipset
These two "bridges" connect the CPU to other parts of the computer.
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Everything that runs the computer or enhances its performance is either part of the motherboard or
plugs into it via a slot or port
MOTHERBOARD COMPONENTS
The shape and layout of a motherboard is called the form factor. The form factor affects where
individual components go and the shape of the computer's case.
1. Microprocessor CPU or PROCESSOR
A set of pins that would connect the CPU to the motherboard, called the Pin Grid
Array (PGA) or Land Grind Array (LGA)
2. Coprocessor enables the computer to carry out certain operations much faster. It can
make a computer run five to ten times faster in some operations.
3. Memory and memory slots
4. BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a set of permanently recorded program routines
that gave the system its fundamental operational characteristics. (BIOS) chip controls the
most basic functions of the computer and performs a self-test every time you turn it on.
Some systems feature dual BIOS, which provides a backup in case one fails or in case of
error during updating.
5. Expansion Slots portals that allow new signal to enter the computer and directly react
with its circuitry.
6. Interfaces serial and parallel ports.The slots and ports found on a motherboard include:
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)- connections for video, sound and video
capture cards, as well as network cards
AMR, CNR and ACR slots - AMR (Audio Modem Riser), CNR (Communications and
Network Riser) and ACR (Advanced Communications Riser) are slots that you can find on
your motherboard that have the same goal: to install HSP (Host Signal Processing) devices
to your PC. These devices can be modems, sound cards and network cards.
PCI Express - is a newer protocol that acts more like a network than a bus. It can eliminate
the need for other ports, including the AGP port.
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Rather than relying on plug-in cards, some motherboards have on-board sound, networking,
video or other peripheral support.
Socket 754 - for AMD Sempron and some AMD Athlon processors
The newest Intel CPU does not have a PGA. It has an LGA, also known as Socket T. LGA stands
for Land Grid Array. An LGA is different from a PGA in that the pins are actually part of the
socket, not the CPU.
Anyone who already has a specific CPU in mind should select a motherboard based on that CPU.
CPUs simply will not fit into sockets that don't match their PGA.
Chipset
The chipset is the "glue" that connects the microprocessor to the rest of the motherboard and
therefore to the rest of the computer. On a PC, it consists of two basic parts -- the northbridge and
the southbridge. All of the various components of the computer communicate with the CPU
through the chipset
Northbridge -The northbridge connects directly to the processor via the front side bus
(FSB). A memory controller is located on the northbridge, which gives the CPU fast access
to the memory. The northbridge also connects to the AGP or PCI Express bus and to the
memory itself.
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Southbridge - The southbridge is slower than the northbridge, and information from the
CPU has to go through the northbridge before reaching the southbridge. Other busses
connect the southbridge to the PCI bus, the USB ports and the IDE or SATA hard disk
connections.
A motherboard chipset controls all the data that flows through the data channels (buses) of the
motherboard.
The primary function of the motherboard chipset is to direct this data to the correct area's of the
motherboard, and therefore the correct components
BIOS CHIPS
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a set of permanently recorded program routines that
gave the system its fundamental operational characteristics.
(BIOS) chip controls the most basic functions of the computer and performs a self-test every
time you turn it on.
Kinds of BIOS Chip
1. DIP (Dual in Parallel)
The real time clock chip is a battery-operated chip that maintains basic settings and the system
time.
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Chipset selection and CPU selection go hand-in-hand, because manufacturers optimize chipsets to
work with specific CPUs. The chipset is an integrated part of the motherboard, so it cannot be
removed or upgraded. This means that not only must the motherboard's socket fit the CPU, the
motherboard's chipset must work optimally with the CPU.
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The back side bus connects the CPU with the level 2 (L2) cache, also known as secondary
or external cache. The processor determines the speed of the back side bus.
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The IDE or ATA bus connects the southbridge to the disk drives.
The PCI bus connects PCI slots to the southbridge. On most systems, the speed of the
PCI bus is 33 MHz. Also compatible with PCI is PCI Express, which is much faster than
PCI but is still compatible with current software and operating systems. PCI Express is
likely to replace both PCI and AGP busses.
The AGP bus connects the video card to the memory and the CPU. The speed of the AGP
bus is usually 66 MHz.
The faster a computer's bus speed, the faster it will operate - to a point. A fast bus speed cannot
make up for a slow processor or chipset.
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Hardware Troubleshooting
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Hardware Troubleshooting
Trouble Shooting Methodology:
Troubleshooting steps
a) Analyze
- Determine the problem
b) Test
- Attempt to isolate the problem
c) Complete
- Make a correction attempt; test; repeat
- Call for help if need
- Clean up your Mess
- Document the results
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Troubleshooting Techniques
A fault is a physical condition that causes incorrect output when a circuit is exercised to perform
a function. Faults can be classified as static or dynamic
Static failures include the stuck at problems associated with open and short data paths in
the circuitry. These failures are typically catastrophic faults include wrong component
installed on a board, an improperly installed component, a missing component, and
dead or partially dead devices
Dynamic failures include time dependent errors such as loss of signal quality causing a
circuit output ready to reach steady sate too late to be properly used another part of the
system. The symptoms of dynamic faults include devices operating too slow.
Component dynamic failures are more difficult to find than the static catastrophic faults.
Excessive Heat
Dust
Magnetism
Stray Electromagnetism
Power Surges, Incorrect line voltage and power outrages.
Water and corrosive agents.
Excessive Heat
Heat Sink is small piece of metal, usually aluminum, with fins on it. The heat sink is glue or
clamped to the hot chip.
Dead Fans
Cause: Thermal Shock- comes from subjecting components to rapid large changes in temperature.
Dust
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Magnetism
Cross Talk
Radio Interference
Cell Phone signal/ Radiation
ESD
Transients is any brief change in power that doesnt repeat itself. It can be an under voltage or an
over voltage.
Steps to successful troubleshooting
Effective and efficient troubleshooting requires gathering clues and applying deductive
reasoning to isolate the problems. Once you know the cause of the problem, you can follow process
of analyzing, testing and substituting the failed parts.
When something functionally goes wrong in the computer, the first step is to determine
whether the trouble results from an actual failure or from a loose connection or human error. To do
this, you need to understand how the PC works and how it interacts with the other parts of the
system.
- 167 -
Once youre convinced a true component failure has occurred the first step is to determine
which functional section of the system is not operating: disk drive, keyboard, display or some other
part. To do this, break each section into stages and trace the trouble to a circuit stage within the
section.
POWER
CPU
MAIN
MEMORY
(ROM/RAM)
SECONDARY
STORAGE
DEVICE
CLOCK
SPEAKER
KEYBOARD
VIDEO
DISPLAY
- 168 -
- 169 -
The CRT is probably the only modern electronic component that is guaranteed to wear out.
The electron streams get weaker as the CRT ages. You can correct some of the effects of age, but
this requires knowledge and experience in television and monitor repair. Unless youre so trained, it
better not to open the display unit and expose yourself to dangerous high voltage
Here are some possible video display failures:
Short inside the CRT can result in hum noise and a bar across the screen
Very poor contrast
Bright beam on the screen
Diagonal lines on the screen
No characters displayed on the screen
In General, CRT failures cannot be corrected by anyone other than a trained service
technician. Unless you also repair displays, the only adjustments you should attempt are those that
can be accomplished from the outside of the chassis.
Repair Generated Failures
- 170 -
No Power
Turn the PC power on, and check for any indication of power (display screen brightens,
beep sound, disk drive lights comes on and so forth). Turn off power to the computer. If all voltages
are missing, check for an open fuse F1. If all the voltages tested well at the plug pins, turn off power
and reconnect the power plugs to the system board. Turn power back on and recheck for proper
voltage on the same plug pins tested earlier
- 171 -
Beep Indicators
Indicators
Failure Locations
Continuous beep
System board
System board
Display circuit
2 Beeps
POST/CMOS Error
Display Error
3 Long Beeps
Keyboard Error
Memory Error
CPU Overheating
- 172 -
Input Device
Keyboards Diagnostics
Although the keyboard does not readily lend itself to user servicing, there are nevertheless a few
diagnostics test that may be done to determine if it is indeed the keyboard itself that requires
attention or some other systems component that is at fault.
Stuck Keys
Occurrence
Possible Cause
: Lack of maintenance
- 173 -
: During Operation
: Anytime
: During operation
Possible Cause : Defective mouse/ I/O card, incorrect driver, virus-infected system.
a. Save your work using keyboard commands and turn-off the unit.
b. Check the connection of the mouse to the CPU if it is secure.
c. Check mouse port pins alignment and check also for broken one.
d. Try, restarting the unit with a boot disk and scan all files.
e. Restart the unit and see if its now working.
- 174 -
f. If not, do step (a) and use a working mouse to the same unit.
g. if it works, it might be a case of mouse driver problem. Install the appropriate mouse
driver and redo the process.
h. if still not, it might be a device problem.
Jumping Cursor
Occurrence
: During operation
: During operation
- 175 -
Output Device
Display Problems
Printer Problems
Display Problems
During the system power up, one of the BIOS routines initializes and starts the CRT
controller and test the video read / write storage. The program causes the CPU to check the setting
of the video switch. The program also conducts a test of the video storage memory. If a failure
occurs, the speaker is beeped, by reading the CRT controller status port.
No Display / Blackout
Occurrence
: During boot-up
- 176 -
j. Try changing the setting of the display adjusters for color and brightness.
k. If there still no display, try swapping it with another working unit and do step a o f.
l. If it works, problem might be with improper connection of the controller/disk cables
inside the CPU or defective video card if theres still no display.
No display with long continuous beep
Occurrence
: During boot-up
- 177 -
: During boot-up
- 178 -
f.
If still not working, try replacing the power cord with a working one and repeat the process.
Problem might be caused by a defective cord, not CPU.
g.
Try connecting the cord to other outlet. Problem might be a shorted or busted outlet.
: During boot-up
: During boot-up
e. If none of the devices is responding, do step (a) and replace the keyboard with a working
one. It might be the keyboard that is bad.
f. If the problem persists, its an indication of a motherboard problem.
Hanging unit
Occurrence
: During boot-up
- 179 -
c. If cant work anymore, restart the computer using a boot disk to check for a possible virus
infection. Always scan all files.
d. Turn off the unit and check all connections. A pinned connection may disrupt the flow of
data thus, causing the unit to hang (e.g. keyboard cable, mouse cable, stuck key, etc.)
e. Restart the unit and check its functionality. Is running an application, try run it again. If it
hangs, then its the application that is bad (refer to bad application).
f. If the system and applications are all good and the problem persists, its mostly likely a case
of bad hardware. Check problem if falls in any of other problem under this guide and try to
fix it accordingly.
File Allocation Table Bad
Occurrence
: During boot-up
Possible Cause : Virus infected system, defective disk/ drive controller, and memory error.
a. If its the floppy disk, repair it using a diagnostic tool such as NDD, Diskfix, Scandisk, etc.
whichever is available and allowable.
b. If the hand disk itself, reboot using a boot disk to check for a possible virus infection and
repair using a diagnostic tool as mentioned above.
c. You may need to unzip the units zip file or reinstall the program.
d. If still cant be fixed, you may need to reformat the disk and unzip the zip file. Make sure to
observe policy and procedures in doing so.
Whistling/Sparkling Plug Connection
Occurrence
: Anytime
- 180 -
: Anytime
: Anytime
: During boot-up
- 181 -
- 182 -
SOTFWARE
Computer software or just software is a general term used to describe the role that computer
programs, procedures and documentation play in a computer system.
The term includes:
Application software such as word processors which perform productive tasks for users.
System software such as operating systems, which interface with hardware to provide the
necessary services for application software.
Data entry
Update query
Report programs
Productivity software fore spread sheets
Word processing
Data bases and custom accounting programs for payroll
Billing and inventory
- 183 -
It is designed to people with specific task such as making a spread sheet of creating a graphic image.
Example of Application Software:
Word Processor
Spreadsheet Software
Presentation Software
Database Software
WEB Browser
2) Operating System (System Software) are software which controls the computer and runs
application it keep all the hardware and software running together smoothly, what the operating
system does is communicate information from the application software to a computer program.
Example of Operating Software:
DOS
Windows
Mac OS
LINUX
UNIX
3) Programming Languages are used to create all other software whether it is Operating system
or Application Software.
Example of Programming Languages:
Visual Basic
Delphi
C++
Java
Programming
Program is a sequence of instructions that tells the hardware of a computer what operations to
perform on data.
- 184 -
Program Languages
A computer must be given instruction in a Language that it understands that is a particular pattern
of binary digital information.
SOFTWARE CATEGORY
OPEN SYSTEM Software can be modified for use with any hardware. It is not the exclusive
property or design of a particular vendor or user.
Proprietary- Software products are designed for particular systems and can not be used with other
hardware.
Application Software
Word Processor are usually the first application that leads people to using a computer for their
work.
Word Processors normally have the Following:
Spelling Checking
Standard Layouts for normal documents
- 185 -
The ability to have some characters appears in bold, print, italics or underlined.
2 most common programs:
1. Word Perfect
2. Microsoft Word
Examples of Word Processing Software:
1. Microsoft Word XP
2. Lotus Word Pro
3. Word Perfect
Spreadsheet Software- are commonly used for accounting purposes such as tabulating of complex
mathematical equation with a row and column matrix. The spreadsheet packages are designed to use
number and formulas to do calculations with ease.
Examples of Spreadsheet Software:
1. Microsoft Excel XP
2. Lotus 123
3. Quicken
Database Software- is programs that manage large amounts of data organized as fields, records and
files. Database structure information so you can search the database by specific or generalized
content called a query.
Database Application are most popular with business information systems and companies needing
to keep track of detailed information.
Examples of Database Software
1. Microsoft Access
2. Lotus Approach
Presentation Software- is designed to showcase information to an audience. It is used extensively
in business to display graphics, charts, diagrams, photos and text blocks to highlight information.
Examples of Presentation Software
1. Microsoft PowerPoint
2. Lotus Freelance Graphics
- 186 -
Web Browsers- a web browser is a program that you use to view web pages.
Examples of Web Browser Software:
1. Internet Explorer
2. Netscape Navigators
Operating Systems
An Operating System (OS) is the actual software that controls the allocation and use of a
computers hardware. The Operating System keeps components working in unison, acting as a
communicator between the user the computers hardware and software. The Foundation to any
Software. Operating Systems perform basic tasks like recognizing input from the keyboard or
mouse, sending output to the video screen or printer, keeping track of files on the drives, and
controlling peripherals such as printers and modems.
System software
System software helps run the computer hardware and computer system. It includes combination of
the following:
device drivers
operating systems
servers
utilities
windowing systems
The purpose of systems software is to unburden the applications programmer from the details of
the particular computer complex being used, including such accessory devices as communications,
printers, readers, displays and keyboards, and also to partition the computer's resources such as
memory and processor time in a safe and stable manner.
A layer structure showing where Operating System is located on generally used software
systems on desktops
- 187 -
MS-DOS Versions
MS-DOS 1.x
MS-DOS 2.x
MS-DOS 3.x
MS-DOS 4.x
MS-DOS 5.x
MS-DOS 6.x
- 188 -
Windows Evaluation:
Windows 1.x
Windows 2.x
Windows 3.x
DOS Timeline
Year
DOS Version
12/1980
07/1981
09/1982
03/1983
11/1983
12/1983
09/1984
11/1984
04/1986
04/1987
04/1988
07/1988
11/1988
04/1989
04/1991
03/1993
11/1993
04/1994
08/1995
QDOS
86-DOS
MS-DOS 1.25
MS-DOS 2.0
MS-DOS 2.01
MS-DOS 2.11
MS-DOS 3.0
MS-DOS 3.1
MS-DOS 3.2
MS-DOS 3.3
MS-DOS 3.31
MS-DOS 4.0
MS-DOS 4.01
MS-DOS 4.01a
MS-DOS 5.0
MS-DOS 6.0
MS-DOS 6.2
MS-DOS 6.22
MS-DOS 7.0
MS-DOS Timeline
PC DOS 1.0 - August 1981 - Initial release with the first IBM-PC
PC DOS 1.1 - May 1982
MS-DOS 1.25 - May 1982 - First release for non-IBM hardware
MS-DOS 2.0 - March 1983 - Introduced features from Unix such as subdirectories, handlebased file operations, command input/output redirection, and pipes. Microsoft decided to
use backslashes as pathname separators rather than slashes as on Unix apparently due to the
latter character being used as the switch character in most DOS and CP/M programs. Adds
support for hard drives and 360KB floppy disks
PC DOS 2.1 - October 1983
MS-DOS 2.11 - March 1984
MS-DOS 3.0 - August 1984 - Adds support for 1.2MB floppy disks and larger hard disks
MS-DOS 3.1 - November 1984
- 189 -
MS-DOS 3.2 - January 1986 - Supported 2 hard disk partitions of up to 32MB, one primary
and one "logical drive" in an "extended partition"
PC DOS 3.3 - April 1987
MS-DOS 3.3 - August 1987 - Supported multiple logical drives
MS-DOS 4.0 - June 1988 - actually derived from IBM's codebase rather than the reverse
PC DOS 4.0 - July 1988 - added the DOS Shell, a graphical menu selector, & support for
hard disks of >32MB using the format from Compaq DOS 3.31. Also added many bugs and
offered less free conventional memory than before. Generally regarded as an unsuccessful
release and to be avoided
MS-DOS 4.01 - November 1988 - bug-fix release
MS-DOS 5.0 - June 1991 - In response to DR-DOS 5.0, adds comparable features to that
product: memory management, full-screen editor, QBasic programming language, online
help, and DOS Shell gains task switcher.
MS-DOS 6.0 - March 1993 - Response to DR-DOS 6.0. Added DoubleSpace disk
compression (copied from Stacker) and other features
MS-DOS 6.2 - November 1993 - Bug fix release
MS-DOS 6.21 - February, 1994 - Following Stac lawsuit, removed DoubleSpace disk
compression
PC DOS 6.3 - April 1994
MS-DOS 6.22 - June 1994 - Last official stand-alone version. DoubleSpace replaced with
non-infringing but compatible DriveSpace tool
PC DOS 7.0 - April,1995 - Bundles Stacker in place of DriveSpace
MS-DOS 7.0 - August 1995 - Shipped embedded in Windows 95. Included large disk (LBA)
and Long File Name (LFN) support
MS-DOS 7.1 - August 1996 - Shipped embedded in Windows 95B (OSR2) (and Windows 98
in June 1998). Added support for FAT32 file system
MS-DOS 8.0 - September 2000 - Shipped embedded in Windows ME. Last version of MSDOS. Removes SYS command, ability to boot to command line and other features
PC DOS 2000 - Year 2000-compliant version with minor additional features. Final member
of the MS-DOS family
Description
Type
ansi.sys
File
append
External
arp
External
assign
External
- 190 -
assoc
Internal
at
External
atmadm
Internal
attrib
External
batch
Recovery
bootcfg
Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild
the boot.ini
Recovery
break
Internal
cacls
External
call
Internal
cd
Changes directories.
Internal
chcp
External
chdir
Changes directories.
Internal
chdsk
External
chkntfs
External
choice
External
cls
Internal
cmd
color
command
comp
Compares files.
External
compact
External
control
External
convert
External
copy
Internal
ctty
Internal
date
Internal
debug
External
Internal
- 191 -
defrag
External
del
Internal
delete
Internal
deltree
External
dir
Internal
disable
Recovery
diskcomp
External
diskcopy
Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk.
External
doskey
Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past.
External
dosshell
External
drivparm
Internal
echo
Internal
edit
External
edlin
External
emm386
External
ename
Recovery
endlocal
Internal
erase
Internal
exit
Internal
expand
External
extract
External
fasthelp
External
fc
Compare files.
External
fdisk
External
find
External
findstr
External
fixboot
Recovery
- 192 -
fixmbr
Recovery
for
Internal
format
External
ftp
External
ftype
Recovery
goto
Internal
graftabl
External
help
External
if
Internal
ifshlp.sys
External
ipconfig
External
keyb
External
label
External
lh
Internal
listsvc
Recovery
loadfix
External
loadhigh
Internal
lock
Internal
logoff
External
logon
Recovery
map
Recovery
md
Internal
mem
External
mkdir
Internal
mode
External
more
External
move
Internal
- 193 -
msav
External
msd
Diagnostics utility.
External
msdex
External
nbtstat
External
net
External
netsh
External
netstat
External
nlsfunc
External
nslookup
External
path
Internal
pathping
External
pause
Internal
ping
External
popd
Internal
power
External
External
prompt
Internal
pushd
Internal
qbasic
External
rd
Internal
ren
Internal
rename
Internal
rmdir
Internal
route
External
runas
External
scandisk
External
scanreg
External
- 194 -
set
Internal
setlocal
Internal
setver
External
share
External
shift
Internal
shutdown
External
smartdrv
External
sort
External
start
Internal
subst
External
switches
Internal
sys
External
telnet
External
time
Internal
title
Internal
tracert
External
tree
External
type
Internal
undelete
External
unformat
External
unlock
Internal
ver
Internal
verify
Internal
vol
Internal
xcopy
Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another. External
- 195 -
Internal command
A command that is stored in the system memory and loaded from the command.com. Below are
examples of internal MS-DOS commands.
Assoc
Atmadm
Break
Call
CD
Chdir
Cls
Color
Copy
Ctty
Date
Del
Dir
Drivparm
Echo
Endlocal
Erase
Exit
For
Goto
If
LH
Loadhigh
Lock
Md
Mkdir
Move
Path
Pause
Popd
Prompt
Pushd
Rd
Ren
Rename
Rmdir
Set
Setlocal
Shift
Start
Switches
Time
Title
Type
Unlock
Ver
Verify
Vol
External command
A MS-DOS command that is not included in command.com. External commands are commonly
external either because they require large requirements and/or are not commonly used commands. .
Append
Arp
Assign
At
Attrib
Backup
Cacls
Chcp
Chkdsk
Chkntfs
Choice
Cipher
Comp
Compact
Fasthelp
Fc
Fdisk
Find
Format
FTP
Gpupdate
Graftabl
Help
Hostname
Ipconfig
Label
Loadfix
logoff
Pathping
Ping
Power
Print
Reg
Route
Runas
Scandisk
Scanreg
Setver
Sfc
Share
Shutdown
Smartdrv
Taskkill
Telnet
Tracert
Tree
Undelete
Unformat
Xcopy
- 196 -
Convert
Debug
Defrag
Delpart
Deltree
Diskcomp
Diskcopy
Doskey
Dosshell
Dumpchk
Edit
Edlin
Expand
Extract
Mem
Mode
More
Msav
Msbackup
Mscdex
Mscdexnt
Mwbackup
Msd
Nbtstat
Net
Netsh
Netstat
Nlsfunc
Nslookup
Sort
Subst
Sys
Systeminfo
Enable
Exit
Expand
Fixboot
Fixmbr
Format
Help
Listsvc
Logon
Map
Md
Mkdir
More
Rd
Ren
Rename
Rmdir
Set
Type
Systemroot
- 197 -
Multitasking gave personal computer users the illusion that multiple tasks could simultaneously
be managed.
Windows 95 is a hybrid 16 bit / 32 bit operating system. 32- Bit code is used as often as possible
for speed and stability, but 16- bit code is present to ensure compatibility with older DOS and
Windows 3.x.
an original version
version A
version B
Version C
Enhanced support for multimedia hardware and software, multiple monitor support, and a
helpful maintenance wizard.
Windows 98s most notable change was to integrate the Internet Explorer 4.0 browser into
the operating system.
Windows 98 brings FAT 32 support to the retail customer.
- 198 -
on floppy Disks
on Hard Drives
on CDs
Files hold and store information that can be read by the computer.
1. Run them if they hold a program
2. Look inside them If they hold graphics information or text.
NAME
.com
.exe
.bat
.txt, .doc
.gif, .jpg., .bmp
.Html
Whats Inside
A list of instruction for the computer a program.
A list of instruction for the computer a program
A list of instruction for the computer a program.
Text, that is readable, information
Graphical information
Textual information
Timeline of releases
Main article: Timeline of Microsoft Windows
Release date
November 1985
Product name
Windows 1.01
Current
Version /
Build
1.01
Notes
Last
IE
Unsupported
- 199 -
November 1987
March 1989
May 1990
Windows 2.03
Windows 2.11
Windows 3.0
2.03
2.11
3.0
Unsupported
Unsupported
Unsupported
March 1992
Windows 3.1x
3.1
Unsupported
October 1992
Windows For
Workgroups 3.1
3.1
Unsupported
NT 3.1
Unsupported
3.11
Unsupported
January 1994
Windows 3.2
(released in Simplified 3.2
Chinese only)
Unsupported
September 1994
Windows NT 3.5
NT 3.5
Unsupported
May 1995
August 1995
July 1996
June 1998
Windows NT 3.51
Windows 95
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 98
NT 3.51
4.0.950
NT 4.0.1381
4.10.1998
Unsupported
Unsupported
Unsupported
Unsupported
5
5.5
6
6
May 1999
Windows 98 SE
4.10.2222
February 2000
Windows 2000
September 2000
Windows Me
October 2001
Windows XP
March 2003
Windows XP 64-bit
Edition 2003
April 2003
July 1993
December 1993
April 2005
July 2006
November 2006
(volume
licensing)
January 2007
(retail)
Windows NT 3.1
Windows For
Workgroups 3.11
Windows XP
Professional x64
Edition
Windows
Fundamentals for
Legacy PCs
Windows Vista
Unsupported
Extended Support until July 13,
NT 5.0.2195
2010[20]
4.90.3000
Unsupported
Extended Support until April 8, 2014
NT 5.1.2600 for SP3 and July 13, 2010 for SP2.
(RTM and SP1 unsupported).
NT 5.2.3790 Unsupported
Current for SP1, R2, SP2 (RTM
unsupported).
6
6
6
8
6
8
NT 5.2.3790 Current
NT 5.1.2600 Current
- 200 -
July 2007
Windows Home
Server
February 2008
October 2009
(planned)[21]
Windows 7
NT 5.2.4500 Current
Current. Version changed to NT
6.0.6002 with SP2 (April 28, 2009).
8
8
8
- 201 -
- 202 -
OPEN SYSTEM
- 203 -
Application Software
- 204 -
- 205 -
Installing Windows XP
Step 1 Insert the Windows XP installation CD into the CD
CD-ROM
ROM drive. When the system starts up,
watch for the message Press Any Key to Boot from CD (see Figure 55-1).Instructor
1).Instructor Note: The
computer may boot the CD without this message. If the message appears, press any key on the
keyboard to boot the system from the CD. The system will now begin inspecting the hardware
configuration. If the message does not appear, the hard drives empty and the system will now begin
inspecting the hardware configuration.
5-1Booting
1Booting from a Computer with a Bootable CD
Step 2 The Windows XP Professional Setup screen appears (see Figure 55-2).
2). During this part of
setup, the mouse will not work, so you must use the keyboard. On the Welcome to Setup page,
press Enter to continue.
Figure5-22 Welcome Screen during the Windows XP Ins
Installation
- 206 -
Step 3 The Windows XP Licensing Agreement page appears (see Figure 55-3).
3). Press the Page Down
key to scroll to the bottom of the license agreement. Press the F8 key to agree to the license.
5-3The Windows XP Licensing Agreement
Step 4 Select the hard drive or partition on which Windows XP will be installed. Press Enter to
select Unpartitioned Space, which is the default setting (see Figure 55-4).
Figure 5-44 Specifying the Partition on Which to Install Windows XP
- 207 -
Step 5 Press Enter again to select Format the Partition Using the NTFS File System, which is the
default set-ting (see Figure 5-5).
Figure 5-5Choosing
5Choosing to Format the Partition Before You Install Windows XP
Windows XP Professional Setup erases the hard disk drive, formats the hard disk drive (see Figure
5-6),and
6),and copies the setup files from the installation CD to the hard disk drive. This process should
take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete.
Figure 5-66 Formatting of the Partition during the Windows XP Installation
- 208 -
Step 6 After the formatting and copying processes, Windows XP restarts and continues with the
installation process. At this point, tthe
he mouse can be used to make selections. The Regional and
Language Options page appears. Click Next to accept the default settings. Regional and language
options can be configured after setup is complete.
Figure 5-7Specifying
7Specifying the Name and Organization dur
during
ing Windows XP Installation
Note: You will need to tell your students what name and organization name they should use on the
Personalize Your Software page.
The Personalize Your Software page appears. Type the name and the organization name provided
by your instructor. Click next (see Figure 55-7).
Step 7 The Your Product Key page appears. On this page, type your product key as it appears on
your Windows XP CD case. Click next (see Figure 55-8).
Figure 5-8Entering
8Entering the Product Key during the Wi
Windows
ndows XP Installation
- 209 -
Step 8 On the Date and Time Settings screen, configure the computer clock to match your local
date, time, and time zone. Click Next (see Figure 55-10).
Figure 5-10
10 Specifying the Date and Time during the Windows XP Installation
Installatio
Step 9 On the Networking Settings page, click next to accept Typical Settings. Custom Settings can
be con-figured
figured after setup is complete (see Figure 55-11).
Figure 5-99 Specifying the Computer Name and Administrator Password
- 210 -
Note: You will need to provide the students with computer names and Administrator passwords.
The computer name should uniquely identify your computer in the home or office, such as
ROOM101 or HOME OFFICE. No spaces or punctuation can be used in the Computer
Compute Name. On
the Computer Name and Administrator Password screen, type the computer name provided by your
instructor. Type the Administrator password provided by your instructor, and retype it in the
Confirm Password section. Click Next (see Figure 55-9).
Step 10 on the Figure 5-11Selecting
11Selecting a Typical or Custom Installation
Workgroup or Computer Domain page, accept the default settings and click Next (see Figure 55
12).Figure 5-12Specifying
12Specifying a Workgroup or Joining the System to a Domain
- 211 -
Step 11 Windowss XP Professional Setup may take about 25 minutes to configure your computer.
Your computer will automatically restart when the setup program is complete. When the Display
Settings dialog box appears, click OK (see Figure 55-13).
Step 12 When the Monitor Settings dialog box appears, click OK (see Figure 55-14).
14).
Figure 55-14 Monitor Adjustment Check
Step 13 The final phase of Windows XP Professional Setup begins. On the Welcome to Microsoft
Windows page, click Next (see Figure 55-15).
Figure 55-15 Windows XP Welcome Screen
- 212 -
Step 14 On the Help Protect Your PC screen, select Help Protect My PC by Turning On Automatic
Updates Now. Click Next (see Figure 55-16).
Figure 5-16
16 Configuring Automatic Updates for Windows XP
Step 15 Windows XP will now check to make sure that you are connected to the Internet. If you are
already connected to the Internet, select the choice that represents your network connection. If you
are unsure of the connection type, accept the default selection aand
nd click Next (see Figure 5-17).
5
Figure 5--17 Configuring Your Internet Connection
- 213 -
Step 17 Windows XP Professional Setup displays the Ready to Activate Windows? screen (see
Figure 5-19).
Figure 5-19Activating Windows XP
- 214 -
If you are already connected to the Internet, click Yes, and then click Next. If you are not yet
connected to the Internet, click No, and then click Next .After setup is complete, the Windows XP
setup program will remind you to activate and register your copy of Windows XP.
Step 18 If you have an Internet connection, click Yes, Id Like to Register with Microsoft Now. If
you do not have an Internet connection, click No, Not at This Time. Click next (see Figure 5-20).
5
Figu
Figure 5-20 Registering Windows XP
Step 19 Instructor Note: You will need to provide your students with registration information. On
the Collecting Registration Information screen, fill in the fields using the information provided by
your instructor and then click Next (see Figure 55-21).
Figure 5--21Specifying the Registration Information
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Step 20 Instructor Note: You will need to provide the information for students to fill in the Who
Will Use This Computer? Screen. On the Who Will Use This Computer? Screen, enter the
information provided by your instructor. Click next (see Figure 55-22).
Figure 55-22 Specifying the Computer Users
Step 21 On the Thank You screen, click Finish to complete the installation ((see
see Figure 5-23).
5
Figure 5-23 Thank You Screen
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Lab 5.4.5: Create Accounts and Check for Updates In this lab, you will create user accounts and
operating system for automatic updates after the Windows XP Professional installation process.
The recommended equipment for this lab is a computer with a new installation of Windows XP
Professional.
Instructor Note: This lab assumes that Windows XP Professional was properly installed on the lab
computers. Step 1 Boot the computer. Navigate to the Control Panel window by clicking Start,
Control Panel (see Figure 5-24).
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If you already have another existing partition with enough free space and want to
install the Windows 7 RC on that partition to create a multiboot configuration, select
the partition you want to use, and then click Next to begin the installation. (Be sure
to install the RC on a different partition from where your current version of
Windows is installed.)
o If you want to create, extend, delete, or format a partition, click Drive options
(advanced), click the option you want, and then follow the instructions. Click Next
to begin the installation. (If the Drive options (advanced) option is disabled, you
need to start your computer using the installation disc.)
7. Follow the instructions.
o
Note about product keys: When you download the RC, you'll be given a product key to use for
activation. You don't have to activate when you install the RC, but after 30 days you'll get persistent
reminders to activate. If you lost your key or have a disc without a key, just go to the Download
page and start the download process. The first step is to register, and that's where you get a product
key. You won't need to download the RC. If you have an installation disc, you can get a product key
by going to the Download page and following the download process. You just need to give your
Windows Live ID and register; you won't need to download the software.
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COMPUTER VIRUS
A computer virus - is a program (a Block of Executable code) which attaches itself to, overwrites
or otherwise replaces another program in order to reproduce itself without the knowledge of the PC
user.
A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the
permission or knowledge of the owner. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to
refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive
ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable
code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a
network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or
USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a
network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer
Virus Mischief:
Different virus performs different kinds of mischief.
Some viruses print nasty messages, containing four letter words or threats or warnings, to
make you worry and waste lots of your time and prevent you from getting work done.
Some viruses erase some files, or even your entire hard disk.
Some viruses screw up your computer so if prints wrong answers or steps functioning.
Some viruses clog your computer, by giving computer more commands than the computer
can handle, so the computer has no time left to handle other tasks and all useful computer
tasks remain undone.
Some Viruses can make your hardware break.
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Slower operation
Decreased memory speed
Or a disk drive LED lighting up for no apparent reasons.
Polymorphic Viruses
Viruses that change their characteristics as they infect.
Sparse Infectors
Viruses that don't infect very often.
Armored Viruses
Viruses that are programmed to make disassembly difficult.
Multipartite Viruses
Viruses that may fall into more than one of the top classes.
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Tunneling Viruses
Viruses that try to "tunnel" under anti-virus software while infecting.
Camouflage Viruses
Viruses that attempted to appear as a benign program to scanners.
Metamorphic Viruses
Viruses that change from one form to another.
Buffer Overflow
Viruses can sneak into the system when data overflows a buffer holding it.
Botnet
Botnets can spread viruses and other malware automatically or on command.
Social Engineering
This is probably the fastest way for a virus, worm or Trojan to spread.
Peer-to-Peer Network
File sharing carries many risks when you don't know where files originate.
Search Poisoning
Viruses can be spread by Web pages constructed to be high in search results.
7 Kinds of Viruses
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
File Virus
Boot- Sector Virus
Multipartite Virus
Macro Virus
Email worm
Denial of Service Attack
Hoax
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File Virus- (also called parasitic virus) secretly attaches itself to an innocent program, so the
innocent programs become infected.
Boot-Sector Virus- on a Floppy disk or hard disk, the first sector is called the disk boot
sector or master boot record (MBR). A virus that hides in the boot sector.
Multipartite Virus hides in two places the boot sector and also the file system. If you
remove the virus from just the boot sector (or from files), you still havent completely
removed the virus, which can regenerate itself from the place you missed.
If a virus is very smart its called (SPAM virus) - Stealth Polymorphic, Armored Multipartite
Virus.
Stealth Virus is very special efforts to hide itself from anti-virus software.
Polymorphic Virus changes its own appearance each time it infects a file, so no two copies of
the virus look alike to anti-virus programs.
Armored Virus - protects itself against anti-virus disassembly.
Macro Viruses A macro virus hides in macros, which are little programs embedded in
Microsoft word documents and Excel Spreadsheets.
Email worms A email worm is a malicious program that comes as an email
attachment and pretends to be innocent fun.
DOS (Denial of Service) Attacks your computer can attack an internet website
server computer (called the target) by sending so many strange request to the target
computer that the target computer cant figure out how to respond them all.
The target computer gets confused and becomes to preoccupied worrying about your
request that it ignores all other work.
Hoaxes is just an email worm message that contains a scary incorrect rumor and
warns you to pass the message to all your friends. The hoax is not a program its just a
document.
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Preparation includes making backups of all software (including Operating System) and
making a contingency plan.
Prevention Includes creating user awareness, implementing hygiene, rules, using disk
authorization software, or providing isolated quarantine PCs.
Detection involves the use of anti virus to detect report and (sometimes) disinfect viruses.
Containment- involves identifying and isolating the infected items.
Recovery involves disinfecting or removing infected items, and recovering or replacing
corrupted data.
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If a backup session on optical media like CD and DVD is closed, it becomes read-only and can no
longer be affected by a virus (so long as a virus or infected file was not copied onto the CD/DVD).
Likewise, an operating system on a bootable CD can be used to start the computer if the installed
operating systems become unusable. Backups on removable media must be carefully inspected
before restoration. The Gammima virus, for example, propagates via removable flash drives.[22][23]
Another method is to use different operating systems on different file systems. A virus is not likely
to affect both. Data backups can also be put on different file systems. For example, Linux requires
specific software to write to NTFS partitions, so if one does not install such software and uses a
separate installation of MS Windows to make the backups on an NTFS partition, the backup should
remain safe from any Linux viruses (unless they are written to specifically provide this capability).
Likewise, MS Windows can not read file systems like ext3, so if one normally uses MS Windows, the
backups can be made on an ext3 partition using a Linux installation.
Recovery methods
Once a computer has been compromised by a virus, it is usually unsafe to continue using the same
computer without completely reinstalling the operating system. However, there are a number of
recovery options that exist after a computer has a virus. These actions depend on severity of the
type of virus.
Virus removal
One possibility on Windows Me, Windows XP and Windows Vista is a tool known as System
Restore, which restores the registry and critical system files to a previous checkpoint. Often a virus
will cause a system to hang, and a subsequent hard reboot will render a system restore point from
the same day corrupt. Restore points from previous days should work provided the virus is not
designed to corrupt the restore files or also exists in previous restore points.[24] Some viruses,
however, disable system restore and other important tools such as Task Manager and Command
Prompt. An example of a virus that does this is Cia Door.
Administrators have the option to disable such tools from limited users for various reasons (for
example, to reduce potential damage from and the spread of viruses). The virus modifies the registry
to do the same, except, when the Administrator is controlling the computer, it blocks all users from
accessing the tools. When an infected tool activates it gives the message "Task Manager has been
disabled by your administrator.", even if the user trying to open the program is the administrator.[
Users running a Microsoft operating system can access Microsoft's website to run a free scan,
provided they have their 20-digit registration number.
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Norton Anti-Virus
Mc Afee Anti- Virus
Sophos Anti Virus
AVG Anti Virus
Nod 32 Anti Virus
Kaspersky Anti- Virus
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The desktop is the main screen area that you see after you turn on your computer and log on to
Windows.. Like the top of an actual desk, it serves as a surface for your work. When you open
programs or folders, they appear on the desktop. You can also put things on the desktop, such as
files and folders, and arrange them however you want.
The desktop is sometimes
etimes defined more broadly to include the taskbar and Windows Sidebar. The
taskbar sits at the bottom of your screen. It shows you which programs are running and allows you
to switch between them. It also contains the Start button , which you can use to access programs,
folders, and computer settings. On the side of the screen, Sidebar contains small programs called
gadgets.
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Locate the item that you want to create a shortcut for. (For help with finding a file or folder, see
Find a file or folder.. For help with findin
finding a program, see The Start menu (overview).)
(overview)
2.
Under Desktop icons,, select the check box for each icon that you want to add to the desktop, or
clear the check box for each icon that you want to remove from the desktop, and then click OK.
Right-click
click the icon, and then click Delete.. If the icon is a shortcut, only the shortcut is
removed; the original item is not deleted.
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The taskbar is the long horizontal bar at the bottom of your screen. Unlike the desktop,
desktop which can
get obscured by the windows on top of it, the taskbar is visible almost all the time. It has four main
sections:
The
The
The
Start button , which opens tthe Start menu. See The Start menu (overview).
Quick Launch toolbar,, which lets you start programs with one click.
middle section, which shows you which programs an
and
d documents you have open and allows
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The Quick Launch toolbar sitss to the right of the Start button
You can customize the Quick Launch toolbar by adding your favorite programs to it. Locate the
program in the Start menu, right--click it, and then click Add to Quick Launch.. (If you don't see
this option, you can also drag the program's icon to the Quick Launch toolbar.) The program's icon
now appears in the toolbar. To remove an icon from the Quick Launch toolbar, right-click
right
it, click
Delete, and then click Yes.
By default, the Quick Launch toolbar also contains two special buttons. Click the Show Desktop
button to temporarily hide all open windows and show the desktop; click the button again to show
all windows again. Click the Switch between windows button to switch between open windows
using Windows Flip 3D. For more information, see Working with windows.
Notes
If you don't see icons that you've added to the Quick Launch toolbar, and you see double
chevrons instead, it means that the icons won't fit in the toolbar. You can click the double
chevrons to access the hidden toolbar programs, but it's better to resize the toolbar to
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preserve one-click
click access to them.
Right-click
click an empty area of the taskbar, and then click Lock the Taskbar to clear the
check mark and unlock the taskbar.
Move the toolbar sizing handle to the right (see picture) until you see all of your icons.
2.
Drag the handle to resize the Quick Launch toolbar
If your computer isn't running Windows Aero, clicking the Switch between windows
button won't open Flip 3D. Instead, you'll see the same window as you would if you pressed
ALT+TAB on your keyboard.
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Click the Show hidden icons button to display all icons in the notification area
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Right-click
click an empty space on the taskbar. If Lock the Taskbar has a check mark next to it, the
taskbar is locked. You can unlock it by clicking Lock the Taskbar,, which removes the check
mark.
Note: To lock the taskbar back into place, right
right-click
click an empty space on the taskbar, and then click
Lock the Taskbar so that the check mark appears.
Right-click
click an empty area on the taskbar. If Lock the Taskbar has a check mark next to it, the
taskbar is locked. Unlock it by clicking Lock the Taskbar,, which removes the check mark.
Taskbar
You can hide the taskbar to create more space. If you don't see the taskbar anywhere on the screen,
it might be hidden.
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If the taskbar is hidden, point to where you last saw it to show it again. If you can't remember
where you last saw it, try pointing to the bottom of the screen first, and then to the side or top of
Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button
, clicking Control
Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization
Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.
Menu
The taskbar is hidden from view. You can see it again by pointing to the place where you last saw
it.
Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button
, clicking Control
Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization
Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.
Menu
Right-click
click an empty area on the taskbar, and then point to Toolbars.. A list of toolbars
appears.
2.
The toolbar names with check marks beside them are already on the taskbar. Click any item in
the list to add or remove it.
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Parts of a window
Moving a window
Changing the size of a window
Hiding a window
Closing a window
Switching between windows
Arranging windows automatically
Dialog boxes
Parts of a window
Although the contents of every window are different, all windows share some things in common.
For one thing, windows always appear on the desktopthe
the main work area of your screen. In
addition, most windows have the same basic parts:
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Title bar. Displays the name of the document and program (or the folder name if you're working
Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons. These buttons hide the window, enlarge it to fill the
whole screen, and close it, respectively (more details on these shortly).
Menu bar. Contains items that you can click to make choices in a program. See Using menus,
buttons, bars, and boxes.
Scroll bar. Lets you scroll the co
contents
ntents of the window to see information that is currently out of
view.
Borders and corners. You can drag these with your mouse pointer to change the size of the
window.
Other windows might have additional buttons, boxes, or bars. But they'll usually have
ha the basic
parts, too.
Moving a window
To move a window, point to its title bar with the mouse pointer . Then drag the window to the
location that you want. (Dragging
Dragging means pointing to an item, holding down the mouse button,
moving the item with the pointer, and then releasing the mouse button.)
To make a window fill the entire screen, click its Maximize button
or double-click
double
the
window's title bar.
To return a maximized window to its former size, click its Restore button
(this appears in
place of the Maximize button). Or, double
double-click the window's title bar.
To resize a window (make it smaller or bigger), point to any of the win
window's
dow's borders or corners.
When the mouse pointer changes to a two
two-headed
headed arrow (see picture below), drag the border or
corner to shrink or enlarge the window.
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A window that is maximized cannot be resized. You must restore it to its previous size first.
Note: Although most windows can be maximized and resized, there are some windows that are
fixed in size, such as dialog boxes..
Hiding a window
Hiding a window is called minimizing it. If you want to get a window out of the way temporarily
without closing it, minimize it.
To minimize a window, click its Minimize button
. The window disappears from the desktop
and is visible only as a button on the taskbar,, the long horizontal bar at the bottom of your screen.
Taskbar button
To make a minimized window appear again on the desktop
desktop,, click its taskbar button. The window
appears exactly as it did before you minimized it. For more information about the taskbar, see The
taskbar (overview).
Closing a window
Closing a window removes it from the desktop and taskbar. If you're done with a program or
document and don't need to return to it right away, close it.
To close a window, click its Close button
Note: If you close a document without saving any changes you made, a message appears that gives
you the option to save your changes.
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Clicking the Calculator taskbar button brings its window to the front
To easily identify a window, point to its taskbar button. A small picture called a thumbnail appears
that shows you a miniature version of the window. This preview is especially useful if you can't
identify a window by its title alone.
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While holding down the Windows logo key, press TAB repeatedly or rotate the mouse wheel to
2. cycle through open windows. You can also press RIGHT ARROW or DOWN ARROW to cycle
forward one window,
dow, or press LEFT ARROW or UP ARROW to cycle backward one window.
3.
Release the Windows logo key to display the front most window in the stack. Or, click any part of
any window in the stack to display that window.
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Dialog boxes
A dialog box is a special type of window that asks you a question, allows you to select options to
perform a task, or provides you with information. You'll often see dialog boxes when a program or
Windows needs a response from you to continue.
Dialog box
Unlike regular windows, most dialog boxes can't be maximized, minimized, or resized. They can,
however, be moved.
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Using menus
Using scroll bars
Using command buttons
Using option buttons
Using check boxes
Using sliders
Using text boxes
Using drop-down lists
Using list boxes
Using tabs
Menus, buttons, scroll bars, and check boxes are examples of controls that you operate with your
mouse or keyboard. These controls allow you to select commands, change settings, or work with
windows. This section describes how to recognize and use controls that you'll encounter frequently
while using Windows.
Using menus
Most programs contain dozens or even hundreds of commands (actions) that you use to work the
program. Many of these commands are organized under menus. Like a restaurant menu, a program
menu shows you a list of choices. To keep the screen uncluttered, menus are hidden until you click
their titles in the menu bar, located just underneath the title bar. For example, clicking "Image" in
Paint's menu bar displays the Image menu:
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scroll bar.
Horizontal and vertical scroll bars
To operate a scroll bar:
Click the up or down scroll arrows to scroll the window's contents up or down in small steps.
steps Hold
down the mouse button to scroll continuously.
Click an empty area of a scroll bar above or below the scroll box to scroll up or down one page.
Drag a scroll box up, down, left, or right to scroll the window in that direction.
If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can use it to scroll through documents and web pages. To
scroll down, roll the wheel backward (toward you). To scroll up, roll the wheel forward (away
from you).
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Outside of dialog boxes, command buttons vary in appearance, so it's sometimes difficult to know
what a button is and what isn't. For example, command buttons often appear as small icons
(pictures) without any text or rectangular frame. The picture below shows a variety of command
buttons:
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The most reliable way to determine if something is a command button is to rest your pointer on it.
If it "lights up" and becomes framed with a recta
rectangle,
ngle, you've discovered a button. Most buttons will
also display some text about their function when you point to them:
Split buttons change into two parts when you point to them
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Click an empty square to select or "turn on" that option. A check mark will appear in the square,
indicating that the option is selected.
To turn off an option, clear (remove) its check mark by clicking it.
Options that currently can't be selected or cleared are shown in gray.
Using sliders
A slider lets you adjust a setting along a range of values. It looks like this:
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Using drop-down
down lists
Drop-down lists are similar to menus. Instead of clicking a command, though, you choose an option.
When closed, a drop-down
down list shows only the currently selected option. The other available options
are hidden until you click the control, as shown below:
A drop-down
down list shown closed (left); and open (right)
To open a drop-down
down list, click it. To choose an option from the list, click the option.
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List box
To choose an option from the list, click it. If the option you want isn't visible, use the scroll bar to
scroll the list up or down. If the list box has a text box above it, you can type the name or value of
the option instead.
Using tabs
In some dialog boxes, options are divided into two or more tabs. Only one tab, or set of options, can
be viewed at a time.
Tabs
The currently selected tab appears in front of the other tabs. To switch to a different tab, click the
tab.
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The short time it takes you to organize your desktop can save you time and help make your
computing experience simpler and more pleasant.
Move
ove program shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar
Many people keep program shortcuts on their desktop, but open windows can block your view of
the desktop. The Quick Launch toolbar solves this problem because it is on the taskbar, which is
visible even when you have windows open. For example, if youve added a web browser shortcut to
the Quick Launch toolbar and you are working in a document, you don't have to minimize the
document window to open the web browser. IInstead,
nstead, you can click the web browser icon on the
Quick Launch toolbar.
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Start menu
Right-click
click the program icon you want to pin to the Start
menu, and then click Pin to Start Menu.
Menu
You can find files, documents, folders, and other items you've been working with recently in Recent
Items on the Start menu.
2. Point to Recent Items.. Files you've worked with recently should appear in the list.
For more information, see Add or remove Recent Items on the Start menu and Customize the Start
menu.
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Using programs
In this article
Starting a program
Using commands in programs
Creating a new document
Saving a document
Moving information between files
Undoing your last action
Getting help with a program
Exiting a program
Installing or uninstalling programs
Almost everything you do on your computer requires using a program.. For example, if you want to
draw a picture, you need to use a drawing or painting program. To write a letter, you use a word
processing program. To explore the Internet, you use a program called a web browser.
browser Thousands
of programs are available for Windows.
Starting a program
The Start menu is the gateway to all of the programs on your computer. To open the Start menu,
click the Start button
. The left pane of the Start menu contains a small list of programs,
including your Internet browser, ee-mail program, and recently used programs. To start a program,
click it.
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The left pane displays programs that contain the search term
To browse a complete list of your programs, click the Start button, and then click All Programs.
For more information, see The Start menu (overview)
(overview).
You can also start a program by opening a file. Opening the file automatically opens the
program associated with the
he file. See Open a file or folder.
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Toolbars in WordPad
Clicking a toolbar button performs a command. In WordPad, for example, clicking the Save button
saves the document. To find out what a particular toolbar button does, point to it. The button's
name or function appears:
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Click the File menu in the program you are using, and then click New.. If you can open more than
one type of document in the program, you might also need to select the type from a list.
Saving a document
As you work on a document, your additions and changes are stored in your computer's random
access memory (RAM).. Storage of information in RAM is temporary; if your computer is turned off
or loses power, any information in RAM is erased.
Saving a document allows you to name it and to store it permanently on your computer's hard disk.
That way, the document is preserved even when your computer is turned off, and you can open it
again later.
To save a document
On the File menu, click Save.. If this is the first time you are saving the document, youll be asked
to provide a name for it and a location on your computer to save it to.
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Even if you've saved a document once, you need to keep saving it as you work. That's because any
changes you've made since you last saved the document are stored in RAM, not on the hard disk. To
avoid losing work unexpectedly due to a power failure or other problem, save your document every
few minutes.
For more information, see Save a file.
In the document, select the text that you want to copy or move. (To select text, drag the pointer
across it. The selection will appear highlighted.)
2.
On the Edit menu, click Copy or Cut. (Copy leaves the information in your original document.
Cut removes the information from the document.)
3.
Switch to the document where you want the text to appear, and then click a location in the
document.
4. On the Edit menu, click Paste. You can paste the text multiple times.
Switch to the document where you want the picture to appear, and then click a location in the
document.
3. On the Edit menu, click Paste. You can paste the picture multiple times.
Note: Pictures cannot be pasted into Notepad. Use WordPad or another word processor instead.
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To undo an action
On
or
Press F1. This function key opens Help in almost any program.
In addition to program-specific
specific help, some dialog boxes contain links to Help about their specific
functions. If you see a question mark inside a circle or square, or a colored and underlined text link,
click it to open the Help topic.
Help links
For more information, see Getting help
help.
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Exiting a program
To exit a program, click the Close button
Exit.
Remember to save your document before exiting a program. If you have unsaved work and try to
exit the program, the program will ask you whether you want to save the document:
A dialog box appears if you exit a program without saving your work
To save the document and then exit the program, click Yes.
To exit the program without saving the document, click No.
To return to the program without exiting, click Cancel.
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This article will help you learn how to find, organize, and use files and folders on your computer.
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You can tell what kind of file an icon represents by its appearance
A folder is little more than a container in which you can store files. If you put thousands of paper files
on someone's desk, it would be virtually impossible to find any particular one when you needed it.
That's why people often store paper files in folders insid
insidee a filing cabinet. Arranging files into logical
groups makes it easy to locate any particular file.
Folders on your computer work exactly the same way. This is what a typical folder icon looks like:
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There are many ways to find these folders. The easiest method is to open the personal folder,
folder which
gathers all of your common folders in one place. The personal folder isn't actually called
"personal"it's
it's labeled with the user name that you used to log on to the computer. To open it,
click the Start button , and then click your user name at the top of the Start menu's right pane.
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Address bar
Use the Address bar to navigate to a different folder without closing the
current folder window. For more information, see Navigate using the Address
Ad
bar.
Back and
buttons
ForwardUse the Back and Forward buttons to navigate to other folders you have
already opened without closing the current window. These buttons work in
conjunction with the Address bar; after you use the Address bar to change
folders, for example, you can use the Back button to return to the original
folder.
Type a word or phrase in the Search box to look for a file or subfolder stored
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in the current folder. The search begins as soon as you begin typing, so as you
type B, for example, all the files that start with the letter B will appear in the
folder's file list. For more information, see Find a file or folder.
Toolbar
The toolbar allows you to perform common tasks, such as changing the
appearance of your files and folders, copying files to a CD, or starting a digital
picture slide show. The toolbar's buttons change to show only the commands
that are useful. For example, if you click a picture file, the toolbar shows
different buttons than it would if you clicked a music file.
Navigation pane
Like the Address bar, the Navigation pane lets you change the view to other
folders. The Favorite links section makes it easy to change to a common
folder or start a search that you previously saved. If you often go to the same
folder, you can drag that folder to the Navigation pane to make it one of your
own favorite links. For more information, see Working with the Navigation
pane.
File list
This is where the contents of the current folder are displayed. If you typed in
the Search box to find a file, only the files that match your search will appear.
For more information, see Tips for finding files.
Column headings
Use the column headings to change how the files in the file list are organized.
You can sort, group, or stack the files in the current view. For more
information, see Tips for finding files.
Details pane
The Details pane shows the most common properties associated with the
selected file. File properties are information about a file, such as the author,
the date you last changed the file, and any descriptive tags you might have
added to the file. For more information, see Add tags or other properties to
files.
Use the Preview pane to see the contents of many kinds of files. If you select
an e-mail message, text file, or picture, for example, you can see its contents
without opening it in a program. The Preview pane is not displayed by default
in most folders. To see it, click the Organize button on the toolbar, click
Layout, and then click Preview pane.
Preview pane
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The Search box is located at the top of every folder. To find a file, open the folder that contains the
file you are looking for, click the Search box, and start typing. The Search box filters the current
view based on the text that you type. Files are displayed as search results if your search term matches
the file's name, tags,, or other file properties. Text documents are displayed if the search term occurs
in any of the text inside the document. Your search looks in the current folder as well as all
subfolders.
If you have no idea where to look for a file, you can expand your search to include the entire
computer, not just a single folder. For more information, see Find a file or folder.
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When you're done using your computer, it's important to turn it off properly
properly
not only to save
energy, but also to ensure that your data is saved and to help keep your computer more secure. Best
of all, your computer will start quickly the next time you use it.
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Open Power Options by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel,, clicking System
and Maintenance,, and then clicking Power Options.
2. Under the currently selected power plan, click Change plan settings.
3. In the Edit Plan Settings dialog box, click Change advanced power settings.
settings
4.
In the Power Options dialog box, click the plus sign (+) next to Power buttons and lid to
expand the list.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to Start menu power button to expand the list.
On a desktop computer, in the Setting list, click a setting for the Power button.
6.
or
On a mobile PC, in the On battery and Plugged in lists, click settings for the Power button.
Click OK.
7.
If you are connected to a network domain,, it's possible that settings made by your network
administrator (Group Policy settings) will prevent you from completing the steps above.
There's one other form that the Power button can take. If you've set your computer to receive
updates automatically, and the updates are ready to be installed, the button appears with a shield on
it:
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Note: Starting your computer after it has been shut down takes longer than waking your computer
from sleeptypically
typically 30 seconds or more, depending on the speed of your computer.
To shut down your computer, click the arrow next to the Lock button,
tton, and then choose Shut
Down.
Click the arrow next to the Lock button to access the Shut Down option
NoteWhen adding hardware that uses a USB cable, you don't need to
turn off the computer first. Most newer devices use USB cables. A USB
cable looks like this:
USB cable
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