1. Computer Hardware How to’s
GUIDE BOOK FOR
STUDENTS
Computer Hardware How to’s
By:
MUHAMMAD AHMED HUSSAIN
/ yahoo / homail.com

2. What will I Cover ? Internal Hardware: Parts & Ports
Hardware Show & Tell
Internal Hardware: Parts & Ports
Peripheral Hardware
The XP Control Panel: Why it rules ! ! !
Drivers:
Why do we need them?
How to get them?
Installing a peripheral device
Troubleshooting Hardware: (Get the hammer)
Fun With Windows (Formatting a drive, removable storage)
Questions: Stump the Rob ! ! !

3. Definitions
Drivers – A driver acts as a translator btw the device and the software (The Nervous system of a computer) re. Printer printing the document you made in MS Word
Operating System – The system that allows you to control your hardware/software/network (Windows XP, Linux)

4. Hardware Show and Tell What is hardware ?
The mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system. I will mainly be speaking about peripheral (external) hardware devices. But first here are some internal devices . . .

5. Internal Hardware Motherboard Motherboard
A big plastic board that holds all the conductors and many components including connection to power supply.
Motherboard
The foundation of the computer

6. The Bios/ROM Chip The Backup Battery The Brains
A chip that stores the program that runs when the computer starts up.
The Backup Battery
Maintains clock and setting saved in CMOS (system setup)

7. The Big Mother Brain The CPU
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
Most PC’s have microprocessors speed measured in micro hertz. CPU consists of 2 primary parts:
ALU – Arithmetic Logic Unit performs Arithmetic and logical operations
Control Unit – Extract instructions from memory; decodes and executes them

8. Storage
Hard Drive
The main storage device where software, documents, and files are kept on the computer
Terms to know:
Bytes – Storage space
RPM – Rotation speed; the faster it goes the faster it can get information

9. Other Storage Floppy Drives – Becoming obsolete
CD Drive – Only CD/R/W burners with a CD-R disk can save information
Removable Storage – To be discussed later

10. Ports – A Brief Guide Parallel Ports Serial Ports Used for:
Faster than Serial port, slower than USB.
Serial Ports
Very slow (transmits data one bit at a time); being replaced by parallel and USB ports. Still used for some keyboards and mice
Used for:
Printers, Scanners, External hard drives, Iomega Zip removable drives

11. Parallel Port Parallel Port
Moves data 8 bits at a time; faster than serial port; slower than USB.
Still used for older :
Printers
Scanners
External hard drives
Iomega Zip removable drives
Network adapters
Tape backup drives

12. USB Ports/Cable The Connection of Today
USB Symbol
Faster than serial and parallel ports.
Most popular port for most devices, also used for PDA’s and game counsels.
Expected to replace serial and parallel ports.
Many USB devices are “plug and play” (do not require drivers, start up once you plug them in)

13. USB Ports
Many USB ports are conveniently kept on the front end which makes connecting peripheral devices much easier.
Which means no more climbing/moving furniture or the horror of “plumber views”

14. Printers LaserJet Cartridge Inkjet Cartridge
Most now connect to computer via USB port and include software/drivers that can monitor ink levels. Many printer drivers are already preset in Windows.
Two main kinds of printers are inkjet and LaserJet

15. Pro’s and Con’s of Printers
Inkjet
Pro’s
Prints finer, high quality, and photo quality pictures
No warm up time
Con’s
Expensive ink cartridges
Ink can blur and bubble if white

16. LaserJet Printer
Pros
Prints huge quantities of material at a time, at a lower cost than inkjet
Cons
More expensive to purchase than Inkjet
Does not have the picture quality of inkjet

17. Other Printers Line Printers:
Only used for huge bulk printing jobs (re. professional printer).
Dot Matrix :
Obsolete. Only dot matrix I would recommend is for cash registers or receipt printer.

18. come in many forms including:
Keyboards
come in many forms including:
“Classical”
Natural
Wireless
Most Keyboards are plug and play and do not require individual driver “software
Most keyboard ports are circular and located in the back of the computer below/next to the mouse port
Can be cleaned using a cleaning spray, keys can be removed via flat object

19. Mouse
Many laptops have finger pads that act as a mouse but one can also hook up a traditional mouse to the computer
Much like a keyboard, a mouse can be wireless; some older mice and portable mice do have software that acts as a driver and also ask you to align mouse so that it knows all of its positions (can also aligned in the control panel under mouse).
If mouse is unresponsive or insensitive clean using a Q-tip.

20. Removable Storage USB Stick/Flash Drive
A stick-like device that connects to a USB port and can store data like a zip drive or a floppy drive.
Will store dozens of floppy disks worth of information. Many sticks have file encryptions feature and write protect options which prevents viruses from infiltrating computer.
Can be used multiple times

21. USB Sticks Problems
The biggest problem with sticks is that some are not “plug and play”; thus if someone tries to use a USB stick on your library computer it might not work. Despite the fact that manufacturers say that flash drivers are installed on all Windows O/S post 2000 and Lynx; I have personally had problems with some sticks working on our computers (had to install driver software)

22. Portable Media Player/Drive
A type of flash drive that stores, organizes and plays digital music files. It is more commonly referred to as an MP3 player or brand name I Pod
Data can be downloaded from sites such as tunes, MP3.com, or downloaded from your own CD’s on to a computer and transferred to drive
Most computers are equipped with a form of an internal MP3 player (Win amp, Real Player, Windows Media Player

23. Much of the hardware discussed can be accessed or controlled with Windows XP Control Panel

24. Control Panel What is it ?
The control panel is the virtual nerve centre of your computer. It is a very user friendly way to deal with hardware and O/S configuration.
It can be found in:
Start | Setting | Control Panel

25. Some notable options include . . .
Change Display Settings

26. Add or Delete Software

27. Update Windows

28. Add Hardware

29. System Properties Create system restore Name Computer (Very
important to prevent confusion on system maintenance)
Remote Settings (when computer is down 3rd Party can take over computer)

30. User Accounts
Change
Passwords
&
Permission

31. What is a Driver ? Further Definition
A program that controls a device; every device requires a driver. Many are already installed on the computer or are included in the “system program” (re. when you buy a Dell computer there should be a disc that includes drivers for software included or it is a part of the reboot program).

32. How to get Drivers
The device might be plug and play. Plug the device into the USB/fire wire port (Driver already configured on O/S)
Look in hardware package: a driver disk should be included (Run the startup/install program of the disc and follow instructions)

33. Get Driver from company website
Look for support/drivers section. Most companies have downloadable drivers. If there is no driver on line, contact company to see if they can send you disk with the driver on it.

34. Get Driver from Control Panel
Go to Control Panel | Add Hardware
Follow instructions

35. Many sites such as: www.driverguide.com www.windrivers.com
Go to a Driver Website
Many sites such as:
Offer drivers for large amounts of hardware. I can not guarantee the security for these sites. I recommend only using these sites as a last resort.

36. Things to Consider When Purchasing/Installing Hardware
Do you want it to be read from the network or an individual terminal ?
Who do you want to use it ?
Do you want a warranty ?
Is the port accessible if you are moving hardware around frequently ?

37. Things to Consider When Installing/Connecting Hardware
Is the hardware going to be using a dedicated port or are you going to be moving the hardware around to various machines?
Is the port accessible if you are moving hardware around frequently ?
Do you have a USB cable? (Some hardware does not come equipped with a cable)

38. Installing a peripheral device
Open box and remove all wiring and documentation (see Marianne’s Presentation)
Peruse/Read manual
Connect all wiring to hardware
Insert wiring into internal port (see manual for port)
See if O/S reads hardware (might require a minute) if not a driver should be installed

39. Software & Drivers for Peripheral Devices
Install/run driver software (if it is being used by multiple machines install driver on Network computer)
Do a test on device. Does it work ? If so you might want to look at the additional software that came with hardware and decide whether or not you want to use the software (re. picture editing software)

40. Making Peripheral device work on a network
Change Users by going into Control Panel | Peripheral Device | Right Click Peripheral Device | Sharing.
Set users to desired permission.

41. Add Device to Workstations
If peripheral device is connected to Network and is to be used on individual terminals go to individual terminals and add device. (might require installing driver on individual terminal).

42. Troubleshooting a Peripheral Device
Make sure the peripheral device is plugged in/turned on
Can you use the peripheral device from other programs (re. if stuff is not being printed from Internet Explorer but is from Notepad it might be the program settings)
3. Check ink/light bulb/battery. Do any of these need replacing? If one of these are out sometimes a peripheral device will not work
4. Can you print a test page (usually printers have a button that can do test printers). if it does print a test page it might be an idea to check connections again (push them all in) or it might be a setup problem.

43. Troubleshooting Cont’d Troubleshooting System Setup Problems
On the computer you are sending output from Go to Control Panel | Printers and Faxes (or other peripheral device you are having trouble with); is the printer/device installed/added to your computer? If not you have to use the add a … option
Check on the Port options to make sure that correct port is selected

44. User Setting
Is the user given permission to use the device? If not they should be added by selecting the user sending item to printer .

45. The Last Resorts
Try peripheral device on another computer. Does it work. If so the driver for the device might have been erased or needs to be reconfigured on the computer. Can you just use the device from the computer that it the device works on or not?
/call manufacturer. Some companies provide better service than others; some will only speak to you if you have a warranty or only answer via
If manufacturer is not helpful you might want to get assistance from 3rd party or just buy a new device (new printer $ about equal to 2 hours of a service call $160)

46. A True Story
Did the trouble shooting procedure 3 times (step 7 through 9) each time with more and more colorful language
Finally called unnamed printer company (starts with E and ends with N)
When I went to send something to the printer (to get the error message for the printer manufacturer); it finally worked.

47. 3 Lessons I learned after this experience
Lesson 1: sometimes stuff happens without a logical explanation (it is not your fault and out of your control)
Lesson 2: Colorful language will not repair your computer but you will feel better
Lesson 3: “Computers are like having a compact, silicon version of Gary Busey on your desk – you never know what is going to happen” – Bill Maher

48. Fun with Windows (Formatting a Floppy or Flash Storage)
Insert disk or stick
Go into My Computer and find the drive that is labeled to the desired drive
Right click on the drive | Format
Select quick format
Note: CD/DVDs do not require formatting

49. MUHAMMAD AHMED HUSSAIN
THANK YOU ! ! !
MUHAMMAD AHMED HUSSAIN
/ yahoo / homail.com