MODULE 3:

INSTALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND

NETWORKS

Content Standard Performance Standard

The learner demonstrates The learner independently provides

understanding of basic concepts, quality and marketable service in
underlying theories and core
computer hardware servicing in terms
competencies in computer
systems and networks. of computer systems and networks
installation and diagnose and trouble
shoot computer systems as
prescribed in the TESDA Training
Regulation.

Number of Sessions (Time Allotment): 60 Hours (2 Quarters)

32
 Welcome to the next level of your modular training in Computer
Hardware Servicing (CHS) under the Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) Course. In this module you will have a great deal of
understanding of Installing Computer Systems and Networks. At the end of
this module you will be able to apply the knowledge and skills on installing
computer hardware, operating system, software components and networks.
Those skills are essential for you to pass the National Certification II in
Computer Hardware Servicing.

In this module, topics will be introduced progressively lesson by lesson

for easy understanding. After carefully answering the diagnostic assessment,
reading all the lessons, answering all the guide questions, masterfully
performing all the activities, showing evidences of learning and finally
answering the summative test, then you will have a considerable knowledge
and skills in installing computer systems and networks essential to be
successful in computer hardware servicing as one of the career option in ICT.

Reminder! Just follow the instructions given in this module. Now let us
start exploring new things in this module.

In this module, there will be three (3) major topics that you will
encounter: (1) plan and prepare for installation; (2) install hardware and
software components and operating systems; and (3) conduct test on the
installed computer system. The three major topics contain sub-topics that
discuss the details on installing computer systems and networks. This
module contains what to KNOW, what to PROCESS, what to REFLECT and
UNDERSTAND as well as what to TRANSFER. The competencies for this
module are:

LO 1. Plan and prepare for installation

 Observe Occupational Health and Safety policies and procedures in
planning for installation activity in accordance with requirements
 Familiarize with computer hardware, software component and other
peripherals in accordance with established procedures on correct
operation and safety policies

33
  Consult appropriate/ technical personnel to ensure that work is
coordinated with others who are involved in the activity
 Obtain materials necessary to complete the work in accordance with
established procedures
 Check the materials received against job requirements

LO 2. Install equipment/devices (hardware, software components and

peripherals) and operating systems
 Follow OHS procedures in installing devices, systems, networking
devices, and peripherals
 Comply with the requirements in installing devices,/systems, networking
devices, and peripherals
 Install computer systems, networking devices and peripherals in
accordance with job requirements
 Perform installation of devices and variety of operating systems in
accordance with customer/client’s requirements
 Obtain approval from appropriate personnel before implementing
contingency procedures
 Respond to unplanned events or conditions in accordance to established
procedures
 Check the quality of the work undertaken in accordance with the
established procedures

LO 3. Conduct test on the installed computer system

 Follow OHS policies and procedures in conducting tests
 Check circuits and systems being isolated using specified testing
procedures
 Test devices, systems and/or installation to determine its conformity with
the requirements
 Undertake final inspections on the installed devices, systems to ensure
conformity with the requirements
 Accomplish technical reports on the tests conducted
 Follow procedures in forwarding documentation to appropriate personnel
and/or authority on the test conducted

In order to master the above listed competencies, you must be

knowledgeable of the topics under what to KNOW, perform activities required
under what to PROCESS, accomplish additional meaningful tasks under what
to REFLECT and UNDERSTAND and finally show some evidences of your

34
learning by transferring what you have learned in a different context under
what to TRANSFER.

You will be challenged to dig deeper into your prior knowledge and
previous experiences about computer hardware servicing.

SKILLS TEST
Direction: Listed below are some of the most important skills that you
must gain in order to render quality service when you enter the real world of
Computer Hardware Servicing. Read the skills carefully. Write “YES” if you
are familiar with the skill and “NO” if not. Feel free to answer each skill. Write
your answers in your notebook.

Skills in Computer Hardware Servicing YES NO

I can open a computer case.
I can connect the mouse.
I can connect the keyboard.
I can connect the monitor.
I can apply occupational health and safety precautions while
working.
I can remove the system fan.
I can detach the power supply from the system unit.
I know how to remove the RAM from the motherboard.
I can remove the hard drive from the system unit.
I can install the power supply.
I know how to install the motherboard.
I can install the internal drives in a system unit.
I know how to attach RAM in the memory socket.
I can install CD / DVD drives.
I know how to install an operating system
I know how to configure a hardware components and its related
software
I know the procedures in testing the installed computer
components

35
 The following topics will enable you to be familiar with planning and
preparing for installation, install equipment and devices, and conduct test on
the installed computer system. All you need to do is to read carefully all the
topics and apply the skills you’ve gained through the distinct activities
provided in this module.

LESSON 1: PLAN AND PREPARE FOR INSTALLATION

This lesson is intended to develop your skills in planning and preparing

for installation of computer devices and operating system. At the end of this
lesson you are expected to:
 Observe OHS policies and procedures in planning for installation activity
in accordance with requirements
 Familiarize with computer peripheral/ devices/systems in accordance
with established procedures correct operation and safety
 Consult appropriate/ technical personnel to ensure that work is
coordinated with others who are involved in the activity
 Obtain materials necessary to complete the work in accordance with
established procedures
 Check the materials received against job requirements

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy –An Information and

communication technology (ICT) student should know how to behave when
working in the computer laboratory, as well as implement a safe way of
accomplishing every task. Safety practices should be learned early and
always adheres in working with any electrical and electronic device, including
personal computers and its peripherals. This is for your protection as well as
to the people working with you, and for the devices that you are using. The
basis for this process begins with Occupational Health and Safety Policies.

36
Occupational safety and health (OSH) is a planned system of working to
prevent illness and injury where you work by recognizing and identifying
hazards and risks. Health and safety procedure is the responsibility of all
persons in the computer and technology industries. You must identify the
hazards where you are working and decide how dangerous they are.
Eliminate the hazard or modify the risk that it presents.

Occupational Health and Safety standards

Each student has a responsibility to their colleagues and their
organization to report and act upon any potential workplace hazard. Students
need to be aware of the type of hazards that are possibly present in their work
environment.

Procedure
1. Identify the hazard
2. Clear the area close to the hazard
3. Partition the hazard off or clearly identify the area to protect other
people from harm
4. If the hazard is easily and safely cleared, then do so

If not…
5. Report the hazard to the appropriate person (such as teacher in
charge, principal etc.) to obtain assistance
6. Following clearing of the hazard fill out the correct documentation to
assist in identifying improved practice to reduce further incidence of
hazards.

All hazards must be reported using Accidental Report form. This

enables us to track the kinds of hazards we have in our workplace, and take
action where necessary to make it safer for all student and clients.

Accident reports

Forms are used to give specific details with regards to the accidents
happened in the laboratory during experiments.

Accident reports contain the following details:

 Name of the person injured

 Date and time of the accident

37
  Type of injury
 First aid given
 Action taken to prevent further accidents

Hazardous substances
If the workplace hazard appears to be dangerous to staff and clients
and professional assistance is required:
A. Call the supervisor or manager and advise them of the problem and
the urgency of the matter.
B. Depending on the risk it may be called as an evacuation.
C. Follow the evacuation procedure.
D. The supervisor or manager will call in the fire brigade or specialized
personnel who will deal with the spill.

Accident report sample form

Date:

Form No: Accident Report Form

Rm. No:

Name: Yr/Sec:

Type of Injury Cause of Injury Remedy

38
Fire exits
All fire exits should be kept clear of from obstacles. All students have a
responsibility to make sure that chairs, empty boxes or any other type of
obstacle are not placed in or near fire exit doorways.
All corridors also need to have equipment stored on one side only to
ensure that in the event of an emergency there is a clear exit.

Fire Safety Procedure

Each work area has a designated fire warden, who in the event of a fire will
take charge. They are recognized by the wearing of a red hard hat.

If you find the fire

 Assess the danger prior to doing anything.

 If it is safe to move assist anyone in the vicinity of the fire away from
danger.
 If it is possible close the door to the fire area.
 Call for assistance. Verbally call FIRE, FIRE, in a loud and clear voice.
 Break the glass section of the fire alert call point.
 Call to the switch; ensure you know where the fire is, any other details
that may be of assistance to the fire brigade. Details could be size of
the fire, cause or type of fire, any people hurt or trapped, has anyone
tried to put it out.
 If safe to do so, attack the fire with the correct extinguisher or fire hose.

If the designated fire officer is not present, someone quickly needs

to take responsibility and:

1. Locate the source of the fire.

2. Locate any people.
3. Remove all people from the building.
4. Once outside do a head count?
5. Notify the authorities.

Personal Safety While Working with PC’s

Computer equipment can be dangerous, and you or others can be
injured or even killed if you don’t follow proper safety guidelines when
working along with PC’s. The following are some precautionary measures to
take before working with any computer equipment:

39
  Wear shoes with non-conductive rubber soles to help reduce the
chance of being shocked or seriously injured in an electrical accident.
 Do not work on components that are plugged into their power source.
 Do not remove expansion cards from a computer when it is turned on.
 Remove jewelries when working inside any computer related
equipment.
 Be sure not to mix electronic components and water.

Applying OH&S Policies

1. Group yourselves into six members.

2. Conduct a simulation on: “Applying OHS Policies and Procedures”.

3. The performance will be rated according to the following:

Performance Criteria:

5 - Have shown five OHS policies in different areas

4 - Have shown four OHS policies in different areas
3 - Have shown three OH&S policies in different areas
2 - Have shown two OH&S policies in different areas
1 - Have not shown any OH&S policies

40
UNDERSTANDING COMPUTER

A computer is one of the most brilliant inventions of mankind. Thanks

to the computer technology, we were able to achieve storage and processing
of huge amounts of data; we could rest our brains by employing computer
memory capacities for storing information. Due to computers, we have been
able to speed up daily work, carry out critical transactions and achieve
accuracy and precision in work. Computers of the earlier years were of the
size of a large room and were required to consume huge amounts of electric
power. However, with the advancing technology, computers have shrunk to
the size of a small watch. Depending on the processing power and size of
computers, they have been classified under various types. Let us look at the
classification of computers.

Different Types of Computers

Based on the operational principle of computers, they are categorized
as analog, digital and hybrid computers.

Analog Computers: These are almost extinct today. These are different from
a digital computer because an analog computer can only perform several
mathematical operations simultaneously. It uses continuous variables for
mathematical operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.

Figure1. Different Types of Computer

41
Digital Computers: They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on
two states, namely bits 0 and 1. They are analogous to states ON and OFF.
Data on these computers is represented as a series of 0s and 1s. Digital
computers are suitable for complex computation and have higher processing
speeds. They are programmable. Digital computers are either general
purpose computers or special purpose ones. Special purpose computers, as
their name suggests, are designed for specific types of data processing while
general purpose computers are meant for general use.

Hybrid Computers: These computers are a combination of both digital and

analog computers. In this type of computers, the digital segments perform
process control by conversion of analog signals to digital ones.

Classification of Computers
The following are the classification of the different types of computers
based on their sizes and functionalities:

Mainframe Computers: Large organizations use mainframes for highly

critical applications such as bulk data processing and ERP (Enterprise
Resource Planning). Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to
host multiple operating systems and operate as a number of virtual machines
and can substitute for several small servers.

Minicomputers: In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers lie

in between mainframes and microcomputers. Minicomputers are also called
mid-range systems or workstations. The term began to be popularly used in
the 1960s to refer to relatively smaller third generation computers.

Servers: They are computers designed to provide services to client machines

in a computer network. They have larger storage capacities and powerful
processors. Running on them are programs that serve client requests and
allocate resources like memory and time to client machines. Usually they are
very large in size, as they have large processors and many hard drives. They
are designed to be fail-safe and resistant to crash.

Supercomputers: The highly calculation-intensive tasks can be effectively

performed by means of supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics,
weather forecasting, molecular theory are best studied by means of
supercomputers. Their ability of parallel processing and their well-designed

42
memory hierarchy give the supercomputers, large transaction processing
powers.

Microcomputers: A computer with a microprocessor and its central

processing unit it is known as a microcomputer. They do not occupy space as
much as mainframes do. When supplemented with a keyboard and a mouse,
microcomputers can be called personal computers. A monitor, a keyboard
and other similar input output devices, computer memory in the form of RAM
and a power supply unit come packaged in a microcomputer. These
computers can fit on desks or tables and prove to be the best choice for
single-user tasks.

Figure2. Classification of Computer

43
 Personal computers come in different forms such as desktops, laptops
and personal digital assistants (refer to Figure 3). Let us look at each of these
types of computers.

Desktops: A desktop is intended to be used on a single location. The spare

parts of a desktop computer are readily available at relatively lower costs.
Power consumption is not as critical as that in laptops. Desktops are widely
popular for daily use in the workplace and households.

Laptops: Similar in operation to desktops, laptop computers are miniaturized

and optimized for mobile use. Laptops run on a single battery or an external
adapter that charges the computer batteries.

Figure3. Types of Personal Computer

Net books: They fall in the category of laptops, but are inexpensive and
relatively smaller in size. They had a smaller feature set and lesser capacities
in comparison to regular laptops, at the time they came into the market.

44
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): It is a handheld computer and popularly
known as a palmtop. It has a touch screen and a memory card for storage of
data. PDAs can also be used as portable audio players, web browsers and
smart phones. Most of them can access the Internet by means of Bluetooth or
Wi-Fi communication.

Tablet Computers: Tablets are mobile computers that are very handy to use.
They use the touch screen technology. Tablets come with an onscreen
keyboard or use a stylus or a digital pen. Apple's iPod redefined the class of
tablet computers.

Wearable Computers: A record-setting step in the evolution of computers

was the creation of wearable computers. These computers can be worn on
the body and are often used in the study of behavior modeling and human
health. Military and health professionals have incorporated wearable
computers into their daily routine, as a part of such studies. When the users'
hands and sensory organs are engaged in other activities, wearable
computers are of great help in tracking human actions. Wearable computers
do not have to be turned on and off and remain in operation without user
intervention.

Direction: Identify the type of computer being described in the following

sentences and write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. These are mobile computers that are very handy to use.

2. They are computers designed to provide services to client machines in a
computer network.
3. They are also called mid-range systems or workstations.
4. A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit.
5. They fall in the category of laptops, but are inexpensive and relatively
smaller in size.
6. A type of computer which is intended be used on a single location.
7. They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on two states,
namely bits 0 and 1.
8. Computers that have the capacities to host multiple operating systems
and operate as a number of virtual machines and can substitute for
several small servers.

45
9. It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a palmtop.
10. These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the
study of behavior modeling and human health.

COMPUTER SYSTEM, DEVICES AND PERIPHERALS

As an aspiring computer technician, it is very important to know the

system that runs your computer and different devices attached to it. Each
device plays an important role, without each other computer system will not
work properly.

What is an Operating System?

The operating system is the most
important program that runs on a computer.
Every general-purpose computer must have
an operating system to run other programs.
Operating systems perform basic tasks, such
as recognizing input from the keyboard,
sending output to the display screen,
keeping track of files and directories on
the disk, and controlling peripheral
devices such as disk drives and printers.
For large systems, the operating
system has even greater responsibilities and powers. It is like a traffic cop -- it
makes sure that different program and users running at the same time do not
interfere with each other. The operating system is also responsible
for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.

Operating systems can be classified as follows:

o Multi-user: Allows two or more users to run programs at the same
time. Some operating systems permit hundreds or even thousands
of concurrent users.
Linux
Unix
Windows 2000

46
 o Multiprocessing : Supports running a program on more than one
CPU.
Linux
Unix
Windows 2000
o Multitasking : Allows more than one program to run concurrently.
Unix
Windows 2000 and Windows multi point
o Multithreading : Allows different parts of a single program to run
concurrently.
Linux
Unix
Windows 2000 and Windows 7
o Real time: Responds to input instantly. General-purpose operating
systems, such as DOS and UNIX, are not real-time.

Operating systems provide a software platform on which

other application programs can run. The application programs must be written
to run on top of a particular operating system. Your choice of operating
system, therefore, determines to a great extent the applications you can run.
For PCs, the most popular operating systems are DOS, OS/2, and Windows,
but others are available, such as Linux.

What are the devices of a computer?

The physical, touchable, electronic and mechanical parts of a
computer are called the hardware which is composed of different devices
attached to the computer.

The following list represents a basic set of devices found in most

Personal Computers.

1. System Unit- The main part of a microcomputer, sometimes called the

chassis. It includes the following parts: Motherboard, Microprocessor,
Memory Chips, Buses, Ports, Expansion Slots and Cards.

47
 Source: computerit4u.com
Figure4. Tower Type System Unit

2. Motherboard / Mainboard / System Board- The main circuit board of a

computer. It contains all the circuits and components that run the computer.

Source: laptopmd.com
Figure5. Modern Motherboard

48
3. CPU (Central Processing Unit) - The processor is the main “brain” or
“heart” of a computer system. It performs all of the instructions and
calculations that are needed and manages the flow of information through a
computer.

Source: products.yumecompare.com
Figure6. Examples of CPU (Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Athlon)

4. Primary storage- (internal storage, main memory or memory) is the

computer's working storage space that holds data, instructions for processing
and processed data (information) waiting to be sent to secondary storage.
Physically, primary storage is a collection of RAM chips.

Two (2) Types of Memory

a. ROM – (Read Only Memory) ROM is non-volatile, meaning it holds

data even when the power is ON or OFF.
b. RAM – (Random Access Memory) RAM is volatile, meaning it holds
data only when the power is on. When the power is off, RAM's
contents are lost.

Source: www.oempcworld.com
Figure 7.Examples of RAM

49
5. Expansion Bus - A bus is a data pathway between several hardware
components inside or outside a computer. It does not only connect the parts
of the CPU to each other, but also links the CPU with other important
hardware.

Source: www.mypcmag.com
Figure 8.Expansion Bus

6. Adapters- Printed-circuit boards (also called interface cards) that enable

the computer to use a peripheral device for which it does not have the
necessary connections or circuit boards. They are often used to permit
upgrading to a new different hardware.

Source: www.oempcworld.com
Figure 9. Adapter (Network Adapter)

6. Power Supply Unit (PSU) - Installed in the back corner of the PC

case, next to the motherboard. It converts 120vac (standard house
power) into DC voltages that are used by other components in the PC.

50
 Source: www.dansdata.com
Figure10. Power supply

8. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) - Also known as hard drive, is a magnetic storage
device that is installed inside the computer. The hard drive is used as
permanent storage for data. In a Windows computer, the hard drive is usually
configured as the C: drive and contains the operating system and
applications.

Source: news.techgenie.com
Figure 11.Hard Disk
9. Optical Drive- An optical drive is a storage device that uses lasers to read
data on the optical media. There are three types of optical drives: Compact
Disc (CD), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) and Blu-ray Disc (BD).

Source: www.ktclear.in
Figure12. CD ROM

51
10. Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) - Designed to optically access data stored
on a DVD. A laser moves back and forth near the disk surface and accesses
data at a very fast rate.

Source: technology7days.blogspot.com
Figure 13.DVD ROM

What are the input and output devices of a computer?

The devices attached to a personal computer can be classified into

two- the input and output devices. Input Device is composed of a device that
accepts data and instructions from the user or from another computer system.
While, output device is any piece of computer hardware that displays results
after the computer has processed the input data that has been entered.

Two (2) Types of Input Devices

1. Keyboard Entry – Data is inputted to the computer through a keyboard.

Keyboard - The first input device developed for the PC. Data is
transferred to the PC over a short cable with a circular 6-pin Mini-din
connector that plugs into the back of the motherboard.

Figure14. Keyboard

52
2. Direct Entry – A form of input that does not require data to be keyed by
someone sitting at a keyboard. Direct-entry devices create machine-
readable data on paper, or magnetic media, or feed it directly into the
computer’s CPU.

Three (3) Categories of Direct Entry Devices

1. Pointing Devices - An input device used to move the pointer (cursor) on

screen.
 Mouse - The most common 'pointing
device' used in PCs. Every mouse
has two buttons and most have one
or two scroll wheels.

Source: www.ztenterprise.com
Figure15. Mouse

 Touch screen- A display screen that is sensitive to the touch of a

finger or stylus. Used in myriad applications, including ATM
machines, retail point-of-sale terminals, car navigation and
industrial controls. The touch screen became wildly popular for
smart phones and tablets.

Source: beestsoftwares.blogspot.com
Figure16. Touch Screen Devices

 Light Pen - A light-sensitive stylus wired to a video terminal used to

draw pictures or select menu options. The user brings the pen to
the desired point on screen and presses the pen button to make
contact.

53
 Source: majoarciniegas.wordpress.com
Figure17. Light Pen

 Digitizer Tablet - A graphics drawing tablet used for sketching new

images or tracing old ones. Also called a "graphics tablet," the user
contacts the surface of the device with a wired or wireless pen or
puck. Often mistakenly called a mouse, the puck is officially the
"tablet cursor."

Source: www.tutorialspoint.com
Figure18. Digitizer Tablet

2. Scanning Devices- A device that can read text or illustrations printed on

paper and translates the information into a form the computer can use.

Source: www.ztenterprise.com
Figure19. Image scanner
Source: www.barcodeman.com
Figure20. Bar Code Reader

54
3. Voice- Input Devices - Audio input devices also known as speech or voice
recognition systems that allow a user to send audio signals to a computer for
processing, recording, or carrying out commands. Audio input devices such
as microphones allow users to speak to the computer in order to record a
voice message or navigate software.

Source: www.digitalwish.com
Figure 21. Microphones

Output Devices

1. Computer Display Monitor- It displays information in visual form, using

text and graphics. The portion of the monitor that displays the information
is called the screen or video display terminal.

Types of Monitor
a. CRT Monitors - Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) were the only type of displays
for use with desktop PCs. They are relatively big (14" to 16" deep) and
heavy (over 15 lbs).

Figure22. Types of Monitor

55
 b. LCD Monitors – Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology has been
used in laptops for some time. It has recently been made commercially
available as monitors for desktop PCs.

c. LED Monitors (Light Emitting Diode) - A display and lighting

technology used in almost every electrical and electronic product on
the market, from a tiny on/off light to digital readouts, flashlights, traffic
lights and perimeter lighting.

2. LCD Projectors- utilize two sheets of polarizing

material with a liquid crystal solution between
them. An electric current passed through the
liquid causes the crystals to align so that light
cannot pass through them. Each crystal,
therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing light to
pass through or blocking the light.
Source: www.projectorpoint.co.uk
Figure23. LCD Projector

3. Smart Board - A type of display screen that has a touch sensitive

transparent panel covering the screen, which is similar to a touch screen.

Source: www.projectorpoint.co.uk
Figure24. Smart Board

4. Printer - A device that prints text or illustrations on paper.

Types of printer

a) Ink-Jet or Bubble-Jet Printer - spays ink at a sheet of paper. Ink-jet

printers produce high-quality text and graphics.

56
b) Laser Printer - Uses the same technology as copy machines. Laser
printers produce very high quality text and graphics.
c) LCD and LED Printer- Similar to a laser printer, but uses liquid crystals or
light-emitting diodes rather than a laser to produce an image on the drum.
d) Line Printer - Contains a chain of characters or pins that print an entire
line at one time. Line printers are very fast, but produce low-quality print.

Source: www.pcworld.co.uk
Figure 25.Types of Printer

(e) Thermal Printer- An inexpensive printer that works by pushing heated

pins against heat-sensitive paper. Thermal printers are widely used in
calculators and fax machines.

5. Speakers - 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.

57
 Source: www.tweaknews.net
Figure 26.Speaker

What is a Storage Device?

Aside from the devices attached on a PC, there are also the so called
storage devices that perform a special task in computing system. Storage
device is any apparatus for recording computer data in a permanent or semi-
permanent form.

Source: www.thecomputershow.com
Figure 27.Storage Devices

58
 Types of storage devices

Floppy diskette- is a random access, removable data storage medium that

can be used with personal computers. The term usually refers to the magnetic
medium housed in a rigid plastic cartridge measuring 3.5 inches square and
about 2millimeters thick. Also called a "3.5-inch diskette," it can store up to
1.44 megabytes (MB) of data.

Compact disc (CD) – also called optical disc is a nonmagnetic, polished

metal disk used to store digital information. The disc is read by the CD- ROM.

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)- an optical disc technology with a 4.7 gigabyte
storage capacity on a single-sided, one-layered disk, which is enough for a
133-minute movie.

Jump disk and USB flash disk- is a plug-and-play portable storage device
that uses flash memory and is lightweight enough to attach to a key chain. A
USB drive can be used in place of a floppy disk, Zip drive disk, or CD.

Hard disk- is the main, and usually largest, data storage device in a
computer. The operating system, software titles and most other files are
stored in the hard disk drive.

LS-120- is a drive which supports a special floppy diskette which can store up
to 120MB of information as well as being backwards compatible and still
supporting the standard 1.44MB floppy diskettes.

Zip disk-is a small, portable disk drive used primarily for backing up and
archiving personal computer files.

59
Direction: In the puzzle below, look for the 10 hidden computer devices and
determine whether it belongs to INPUT, OUTPUT or STORAGE DEVICE.

REVEAL THE PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

C G M M Q F Y L W K C P A H K H G C N H
P O R K I R X N A A O A U A K B M P H U
Z A M Z W G W P X W A F V R Q V X U M Y
Q U I P R Y P T E X V I R D B W A O R B
I R T B A R S R U Y L G R D V J B O C U
A O N R D C S G S I L N H I Q S M I L X
C U H L Q U T Z G D C J F S E E J K O U
N H X S P U P D A K O Z X K M T Y U Z S
G H L P F H G P I Z T A F D O U U F T R
A S L W W T R A O S Q F A R E H B G M O
R Y B E A E M J I X K P I I X E C F H T
E S A C M E T S Y S D D E V W T I D V I
K W M I Q K K I S I O R R E I L D F F N
L E I O M E H Y A S K S A I I D G Z K O
M Q U N D H M R W O Q U H O V K T M J M
W P T H E R M K Z W J U B J B E A P Q Z
K Z Z M L H M O U S E C K Y C Y V Y S D
Y B Y V X E W P L Q Q Y O V N H E Z H D
R N F H T U B U G L S N P F J W N K N J
M J G N Y H V J D U G F L U X O M K D A

1. ________________________ ______________________
2. ________________________ ______________________
3. ________________________ ______________________
4. ________________________ ______________________
5. ________________________ ______________________
6. ________________________ ______________________
7. ________________________ ______________________
8. ________________________ ______________________
9. ________________________ ______________________
10. ________________________ ______________________

60
Matching Type
Direction: Match column A with Column B and write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

A.
1. It serves as the brain of B.
computer. a. Adapter
2. Printed-circuit boards (also b. CD- ROM
called interface cards) that c. CPU
enable the computer to use a d. Floppy disk
peripheral device e. Microphone
3. Also called read/write memory f. Monitor
4. a small, portable disk used g. Motherboard
primarily for backing up files h. Mouse
5. The main circuit board of a i. Optical Drive
computer j. RAM
6. Also called diskette k. ROM
7. Acts as a pointing device l. Speaker
8. Device that makes sounds, clips m. Zip Drive
and any audio materials be
heard.
9. Component that reads and
record data in CDs and DVDs.
10. it is a visual device that displays
the information

To deepen your understanding with regard to the different

components / devices of a computer, utilize the Internet and the
website www.professormesser.com, view the video regarding parts
of the computer. Use the URLs below:
1. http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-801/an-
overview-of-motherboard-types/

61
2. http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-801/an-
overview-of-cpu-socket-types/

3. http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-801/an-
overview-of-cpu-socket-types/

4. http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-801/an-
overview-of-display-device-types/

62
5. http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-801/an-
overview-of-pc-input-devices/

 After watching the videos, answer the following questions:

1. What are the different types of motherboard shown in the
video?
2. What are the different sizes of a motherboard?
3. What are the different types of CPU?
4. Describe the different types of memory cited in the video.
5. What do you think is the most efficient monitor used in our
computers nowadays?
6. Give at least 5 input devices featured in the video
presentation.

Role Playing

The class will be divided into 5 groups (depending on the class

size), each group will have a minimum of 5 members and maximum of
10. Each member should have a special role pertaining to the devices
of a computer and their functions. Each group will be tasked to
showcase their talents in front of the class. Each presentation will be
rated using the following criteria:

63
 PERFORMANCE SCORE CARD

CRITERIA PERCENTAGE SCORE

Accuracy (Accurate role and function of a 30%
device was accurately shown)
Presentation (Organization or sequence 30%
of the play, appropriate gestures was
used)
Clarity (Clearly delivered each topic) 30%
Team work (cooperation of each member) 10%
Performance Rating

NETWORK

A network consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to

share resources (such as printers and CD-ROMs), exchange files, or allow
electronic communications. The computers on a network may be linked
through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light
beams.

There are three basic types of networks which includes the following:

 Local Area Network (LAN)

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
 Wide Area Network (WAN)

Local Area Network

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a network that is confined to a relatively

small area. It is generally limited to a geographic area such as a writing lab,
school, or building. Rarely are LAN computers more than a mile apart.

In a typical LAN configuration, one computer is designated as the file

server. It stores all of the software that controls the network, as well as the
software that can be shared by the computers attached to the network.

64
Computers connected to the file server are called workstations. The
workstations can be less powerful than the file server, and they may have
additional software on their hard drives. On most LANs, cables are used to
connect the network interface cards in each computer.

Metropolitan Area Network

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that interconnects

users with computer resources in a geographic area or region larger than that
covered by even a large local area network (LAN) but smaller than the area
covered by a wide area network (WAN). The term is applied to the
interconnection of networks in a city into a single larger network (which may
then also offer efficient connection to a wide area network). It is also used to
mean the interconnection of several local area networks by bridging them
with backbone lines. The latter usage is also sometimes referred to as a
campus network.

Wide Area Network

Wide Area Networks (WANs) connect larger geographic areas, such

as Florida, the United States, or the world. Dedicated transoceanic cabling or
satellite uplinks may be used to connect this type of network.

Networking Devices

Consist of, but are not limited to non-local printers, workstations,

servers, webcams, data loggers, instruments, dial-in devices, and, in general
anything that requires an Ethernet connection. These devices are supported
on a best-effort basis limited by the staffing and equipment level available.

Hub is a small, simple, inexpensive device

that joins multiple computers together. Many
network hubs available today support
the Ethernet standard. Other types
including USB hubs also exist, but Ethernet
is the type traditionally used in home
networking.
Source: www.stepbystep.com

65
Ethernet switch is a device that gathers the
signals from devices that are connected to it, and
then regenerates a new copy of each signal.

Source: www.dlink.com

Bridge is a device filters data traffic at a

network boundary. Bridges reduce the
amount of traffic on a LAN by dividing it into
two segments.

Source: www.quantrimang.edu.vn

Routers are small physical devices that join multiple

networks together.

Source: www.robertbcairns.com

Network gateway is an internetworking system

capable of joining together two networks that use
different base protocols. A network gateway can be
implemented completely in software, completely in
hardware, or as a combination of both.

66
 Network interface is a device that
connects a client computer, server, printer
or other component to your network. Most
often, a network interface consists of a
small electronic circuit board that is
inserted into a slot inside a computer or
printer. Alternatively, some computers,
Source:
printers, or other services include network
www.computerlogics.blogspot.com
interfaces as part of their main circuit
boards (motherboards).

Modem is a contraction of the terms

modulator and demodulator. Modems
perform a simple function: They translate
digital signals from a computer into analog
signals that can travel across conventional
phone lines. The modem modulates the
signal at the sending end and
Source:www.dlink.com demodulates at the receiving end.

Network firewall protects a computer

network from unauthorized access.
Network firewalls may be hardware
devices, software programs, or a
combination of the two. Network firewalls
guard an internal computer network
(home, school, business intranet) against
malicious access from the outside.
Network firewalls may also be configured
Source:www.security-solutions.co.za to limit access to the outside from internal
users.

67
Direction: Identify what is being described in the following sentences and
write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. It protects a computer network from unauthorized access.
2. Type of network that connect larger geographic areas, such as Florida,
the United States, or the world.
3. This is an internetworking system capable of joining together two
networks that use different base protocols.
4. It is consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share
resources (such as printers and CD-ROMs), exchange files, or allow
electronic communications.
5. They translate digital signals from a computer into analog signals that
can travel across conventional phone lines.
6. It is a device that connects a client computer, server, printer or other
component to your network.
7. A device filters data traffic at a network boundary.
8. It is a device that gathers the signals from devices that are connected
to it, and then regenerates a new copy of each signal.
9. It is a small, simple, inexpensive device that joins multiple computers
together.
10. Type of network that is confined to a relatively small area.

Now, that you are done with the introduction of network as well as the
networking devices, to enlighten your understanding and knowledge have
some more readings about it thru books and other resources. You should
consider the following topics for research:
1. Different types of Network Topology
2. Common networking tools

After the research, you can also deepen your understanding by

watching a video presentation using the URL below:

68
 o http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-
801/network-devices/

o http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-
801/network-topologies-3/

After the video presentation here are your tasks:

1. List down all the network devices and their advantages cited in
the video.
2. List down the different network topologies and their differences.

69
MATERIALS, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT and TESTING DEVICES

The following tools and equipment are classified according to their

functions and uses.

Equipment and Tools Materials

Accessories
LAN Card Screwdriver(standard) Software
UPS Screwdriver(Philips) applications
Server Long nose pliers Network OS
24 port-hub Mechanical pliers Software
Modem Allen wrench RJ 45
Fax machine Multi tester UTP Cat 5 cable
PC Video camera Crimping tools Motherboard’s
USBExternalCD writer Soldering iron (30 watts) manual and
USB scanner Wire stripper installer
USB printers LAN Tester Sound device
USB Flash Drive Anti-static wrist wrap driver installer
Device drivers/installers

 LAN Card – is a network interface card. This is a

computer circuit board or card that is installed in
a computer so that it can be connected to a
network.

 Server – is a part of a network. It is a special

computer that users on the network can access
to carry out a particular job.

70
 Port hub /Port – is a connector on the back of a
computer or other device. A port is either a serial
port or a parallel port.

 Modem - (Modulator-Demodulator) The

modem is a device that allows a given computer
to share data or otherwise a device which let
computers exchange information

 Scanner- it is an input device that read text

or illustration printed on paper, translates
the information into a form that a computer
can use

 Flat Screw Driver – is used to drive or

fasten negative slotted screws

 USB – Universal Serial Bus, a hardware

interface for low-speed peripherals such as
the keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner,
printer and telephony devices.

 Printer - is a piece of hardware that

produces a paper copy (also known as
‘hardcopy’) of the information generated by
the computer.

 RAM – Random Access Memory, is a

primary memory. This memory is used
inside the computer to hold programs and
data while it is running.

71
 BIOS – Basic Input/ Output System, chip
that controls the most basic functions of the
computer and performs a self-test every
time you turn it on.

 Flash drive– RAM that can retain data

without electrical power. It is widely used for
BIOS chips and for digital camera and digital
music storage

 Video Camera - camera using videotape: a

camera that records onto videotape

 Long nose Pliers – is used for holding,

bending and stretching the lead of
electronics component or connecting wire.

 Soldering Iron – is used to join two or

more metal conductors with the support of
soldering lead melted around it.

 Desoldering Tool – is used to unsolder

unwanted parts or component in the circuit
with the support of soldering pencil

 Philips Screw Driver- is used to drive or

fasten positive slotted screws

72
 LAN Tester- for RJ11,12,45& BNC w/
Remote Unit This ergonomic tester is
designed to test most network cable wiring.
You can either conduct an auto or manual
test.

 UTP – Unshielded Twisted Pair, is a popular

type of cable used in computer networking
that consists of two shielded wires twisted
around each

Using Testing Tools and Equipment

A. Direction: Identify the following tools and materials, give their uses.

1.

2.

3.

4.

73
5.

B. Identification.
Direction: Identify the appropriate term described in each sentence. Use
a separate sheet for your answers.
________1. It is a connector at the black of a computer or other device.
________2. A computer circuit board installed in a computer so that it can be
connected to a network.
________3. A device that allows a given computer to share a data.
________4. An input device that read text or illustration printed on paper,
translated the information into a form that a computer that can use.
________5.The least expensive and most popular network media.

For you to deepen your knowledge and skills and understanding in

planning and preparing for installation, you need to determine the location of
the devices / systems to be used, obtain materials necessary to complete the
work in accordance with established procedures and check the materials
received against job requirements . Your task is to have a research, find as
well and watch video presentations relating and showing the following:

1. Consult appropriate technical personnel to ensure that work is

coordinated with others who are involved in the activity;
2. Proper location / storage of the devices / systems and materials;
3. Correct way of obtaining the necessary materials to complete the work;
4. Fill up job order forms, request form and report sheets; and
5. Appropriate procedures in checking the materials received.

After doing the above tasks, make sure that you have a detailed
documentation of it. Write your reflections on your notebooks or other sheet of
paper.

74
 After reflecting on the task given to you, it’s your chance now to
transfer what you have learned from the activity by having a presentation in
front of the class. You will be grouped with 5 members during the
presentation. Make use of your creativity in presenting each topic to awaken
the interest of your classmates.

75
LESSON2. INSTALL EQUIPMENT / DEVICES and SYSTEMS

This lesson is designed to give you the proper procedures used in

installing devices and operating system of a personal computer, alongside
with it is the basic computer configuration set up. At the end of this lesson you
should be able to:

a) Apply OHS procedures in installing devices, systems, networking devices,

and peripherals;
b) Comply with the requirements in installing devices,/systems, networking
devices, and peripherals;
c) Install computer systems, networking devices and peripherals in
accordance with job requirements;
d) Perform variations in installing devices and systems in accordance with
customer/client’s requirements;
e) Obtain approval from appropriate personnel before implementing
contingency procedures;
f) Respond to unplanned events or conditions in accordance to established
procedures; and
g) Check the quality of the work undertaken in accordance with the
established procedures.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Personal Protective Equipment - It refers to protective clothing, helmets,

goggles, or other gear designed to protect the wearer's body or clothing from
injury by electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for job-related
occupational safety and health purposes.

PPE can also be used to protect the working environment from

pesticide application, pollution or infection from the worker (for example in a
microchip factory).

76
 It is important that students and teachers during their laboratory period
should be required to use personal protective equipment. Some of these are:

 Goggles A large spectacles, with

shields around the rims, for
protecting the eyes from dust,
excessive light, wind, etc.
 Rubber Sole A special type of shoes
used to prevent electrical shock and
for waterproofing and insulating
purposes.

 Apron A garment worn over the front

of the body as a protection for one’s
cloth.

 Face Mask A covering for the face to

prevent the inhaling or absorbing
dust and other chemicals

 Gloves The covering material with a

separate sheath for each finger used
for hand protection.

Anti-Static and Safety Precautions

The little shock you experience while you are walking across a
carpeted floor or when you touched a door knob, table, counter or even
another person is a result of static electricity. Static electricity is the
discharge of electricity between two objects with different electrical potential.

77
Humans can't feel a static shock until it is several thousand volts strong, but it
takes less than 30 volts to fry a sensitive computer component, such as a
stick of RAM or a processor.

That's why computer technicians and home computer builders have to

guard their computers against the damaging effect of static electricity, as well
as take steps to avoid injury.

Safety and Anti-Static Rules

 Always use an anti-static wrist strap when working on a computer

(except when working on monitors)
 Always disconnect a computer from the AC power and from any
powered peripherals while you are working on it.
 Always grasp a metal part of the computer chassis with your bare hand
before you touch anything inside. Do this even if you are wearing an
anti-static wristband.
 Always handle electronic components by a non-conducting (non-
metallic) edge. Don't touch the pins or other connectors.
 Never plug an ATX power supply into AC power unless it is connected
either to a computer's motherboard or to a dummy test load.
 Always use a UL-approved surge protector or an Uninterruptible Power
Supply that incorporates surge and spike protection.
 Never eat, drink, or smoke while working on a computer.

True or False
Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE otherwise.

1. Always disconnect a computer from the AC power and from any

powered peripherals while you are working on it.
2. Always grasp a metal part of the computer chassis with your bare hand
before you touch anything inside. Do this even if you are wearing an
anti-static wristband.
3. Always handle electronic components by a non-conducting (non-
metallic) edge. Don't touch the pins or other connectors.
4. Always use a UL-approved surge protector or an Uninterruptible Power
Supply that incorporates surge and spike protection.

78
 5. Never use an anti-static wrist strap when working on a computer
(except when working on monitors)
6. Everyone is allowed to eat, drink, or smoke while working on a
computer.
7. Never plug an ATX power supply into AC power unless it is connected
either to a computer's motherboard or to a dummy test load.
8. Static electricity is the discharge of electricity between two objects with
different electrical potential.
9. Apron is a garment worn over the front of the body as a protection for
one’s cloth.
10. PPE can also be used to protect the working environment from
pesticide application, pollution or infection from the worker.

Directions: The class will be divided into five (5) groups. Each group has its
own respective leader. The group will perform a task regarding familiarizing
the personal protective equipment. After the activity they will be graded using
the given Performance Score Card below:

PERFORMANCE SCORE CARD

Performance Criteria Percentage Grade

1. The student clearly identified personal protective

20%
equipment.

2. The student utilized actual tools/device in

15%
performing the actual procedures.

3. The student applied safety precautions during the

25%
task.

4. The task gave students more critical thinking on the

30%
personal protective equipment.

5. The student cooperatively performed the task. 10%

Performance Rating

79
SYSTEM’S SPECIFICATION

Whenever you purchase software or hardware for your computer, you

should first make sure your computer supports the system requirements.
These are the necessary specifications your computer must have in order to
use the software or hardware. For example, a computer game may require
your computer to have Windows XP or later, a 2.0 GHz processor, 512 MB of
RAM, a 64 MB graphics card, and 500 MB or hard drive space. If your
computer does not meet all of these requirements, the game will not run very
well or might not run at all.
It is just as important to check system requirements for hardware
devices. For example, if you buy a printer, it may require either Windows XP
or Mac OS X 10.3 or later. It may also require a USB port and 80 MB of
available hard drive space. If your computer does not have any USB ports,
you will not be able to physically connect the printer. If your machine does not
have Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.3 or later, the printer drivers may be
incompatible with your operating system. This means your computer will be
unable to recognize the printer.
Most hardware and software products have the system requirements
printed on the side or bottom of the product packaging. When you are
shopping for computer software or hardware, it is a good idea to first find out
exactly what your system's specifications are and write them down on a piece
of paper. The important information to record includes:
1. Operating System (i.e. Windows XP, SP 2 or Mac OS X 10.3.8)
2. Processor Speed (i.e. Pentium 4, 3.2 GHz or Power PC G5, 2.0 GHz)
3. Memory, a.k.a. RAM (i.e. 512 MB)
4. Graphics Card (i.e. ATI Radeon 9800 w/ 256 MB video memory)
5. Hard Disk Space (i.e. 80 GB available)
6. I/O Ports (i.e. USB, Firewire, Serial, Parallel, SCSI, VGA, DVI ports)
By recording these specifications from your computer, you will be able
to make sure your computer supports the products you are buying. In terms of
installation, systems’ specification is a big consideration in order for a
computer to run and work properly for the most efficient way it could be.
In broad terms, the performance of a computer depends on four
factors: the speed and architecture of its processor or "central processing

80
unit" (CPU), how much random access memory (RAM) it has, its graphics
system, and its internal hard drive speed and capacity. Also of importance to
most users will be the specification of its Internet connection. Most computer
users and in particular those working with a lot of photographs, music files or
videos should also think about the most suitable storage devices they will
need in order to keep and back-up all of their valuable data.

Processor speed and architecture

The speed of a computer's processor chip (technically known as its

"clock speed") in measured in gigahertz (GHz), with the fastest modern
processors currently running at up to 4.7GHz. However, for most computing
tasks, including web browsing, sending e-mails, word processing and
spreadsheet work any processor running at 1GHz or more remains perfectly
sufficient.

For applications such as video editing, 3D graphics work and (for the
majority of "power users") playing computer games, higher processor speeds
is highly required. CPU performance is now determined by far more than raw
speed alone. Intel made this very clear when it introduced its system
of processor numbers. These provide an indication of a processor's
"architecture", "cache" and "front side bus (FSB) speed" in addition to its clock
speed.

The architecture of a processor is the most important factor to

determine its performance, and refers to its basic design and complexity.
Some processors are simply more sophisticated than others, with Intel (for
example) producing "basic" processors called Celerons and Pentiums, as well
as more powerful processors under its "Core" processor family. The later
include the Core 2, Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7, with the last of these being
the most powerful.

In addition to clock speed and architecture, a processor's cache and

front side bus (FSB) speed also determine a computer's overall power.
Cache is a form of very fast memory integrated into the processor chip, and
used to store up instructions (work for the processor) so that it has to slow
down as little as possible between tasks. Cache is measured in megabytes
(MB), with (for example) low-end Celeron processors having as little as
0.25MB of cache (256KB), and high-end Itaniums having up to 24MB. The

81
simple message is, the more cache the better- though high levels of cache
still come at a very significant price.

Front side bus (FSB) speed is a measure of how fast a

microprocessor communicates with the computer's main circuit board (or
"motherboard") into which it is physically connected. Again, the higher the
measure the better for overall performance, with FSB speeds currently
ranging from 533MHz (still perfectly sufficient for the vast majority of
applications) up to 1600 MHz.

RAM

To a large extent, the more RAM a computer has the faster and more
effectively it will operate. Computers with little RAM have to keep moving data
to and from their hard disks in order to keep running. This tends to make them
not just slow in general, but more annoyingly intermittently sluggish.
RAM is measured in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB), as detailed
on the storage page. Just how much RAM a computer needs depends on
the software it is required to run effectively. A computer running Windows XP
will usually function quite happily with 1GB of RAM, whereas twice this
amount (such as 2GB) is the realistic minimum for computers running
Windows 7.

Graphics system

A computer's graphics system determines how well it can work with

visual output. Graphics systems can either be integrated into a computer's
motherboard, or plugged into the motherboard as a separate "video card".
Graphics systems integrated into the motherboard (also known as "onboard
graphics") are now quite powerful, and sufficient for handling the
requirements of most software applications aside from games playing, 3D
modeling, and some forms of video editing.

Any form of modern computer graphics system can now display high-
resolution color images on a standard-sized display screen (ie any monitor up
to about 19" in size). The more sophisticated graphics cards now determines
how well a computer can handle the playback of high definition video, as well
as the speed and quality at which 3D scenes can be rendered. Another key
feature of separate graphics cards is that most of them now allow more than

82
one display screen to be connected to a computer. Others also permit the
recording of video.

As a basic rule, unless a computer is going to be used to handle 3D

graphics or to undertake a significant volume of video editing or recording,
today there is little point in opting for anything other than onboard graphics
(not least because separate graphics cards consume quite a lot of electricity
and create quite a lot of heat and noise). Adding a new graphics card to a
computer with onboard graphics is also a very easy upgrade if required in the
future.

Hard Drive Speed and Capacity

Today 40GB is an absolute minimum hard drive size for a new

computer running Windows 7, with a far larger capacity being recommended
in any situation where more than office software is going to be installed.
Where a computer will frequently be used to edit video, a second internal
hard disk dedicated only to video storage is highly recommended for stable
operation. Indeed, for professional video editing using a program like
Premiere Pro CS5, Adobe now recommend that a PC has at
least three internal hard disks (one for the operating system and programs,
one for video project files, and one for video media).

Two key factors determine the speed of traditional, spinning hard

disks. The first is the rotational velocity of the physical disk itself. This can
currently be 4200, 5400, 7200, 10000 or 15000 rpm (revolutions per minute).
The faster the disk spins, the quicker data can be read from or written to it,
hence the faster the disk the better (although faster disks consumer more
power, make more noise, and generate more heat). Most desktop hard disks
run at either 5400 or 7200 rpm, whilst most laptop hard disks run at 4200 or
5400.

The second key factor that determines performance of a traditional,

internal hard disk is the interface used to connect it to the computer's
motherboard. Three types of interface exist: Serial Advance Technology
Attachment (SATA), which is the most modern and now pretty much the
norm on new PCs; Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) (also known as
UDMA), which is a slower and older form of interface, and finally SCSI (Small
Computer System Interface), which happens to be the oldest but in it most
modern variant is still the fastest disk interface standard.

83
 Now, in order for you to better understand the topics under system’s
specification, dig deep into your mind and answer the following essential
questions:

1. In your point of view, describe system specification?

2. How does it affect the performance of the computer?
3. What is the relevance of understanding system specification in
computer hardware servicing?
4. Why do you think that system specification is one of the most
important considerations during installation?

INSTALLATION OF HARDWARE COMPONENTS AND OTHER

PERIPHERALS

One of the basic skills that you must acquire in computer hardware
servicing is to independently assemble and disassemble a personal computer
or simply setting up a PC. After familiarizing with all the tools, devices,
peripherals and safety precautions I believe that you are now ready to gain
another experience in CHS by going through this lesson.

Personal Computer Disassembly

Before starting computer disassembly, make sure you have the tools
you need and they're all close by and handy and be sure to have a container
to keep the screws in so you have them when you want to put things back
together.

Step1. Unplugging - The first thing you do is to unplug every cable that is
plugged in to your computer. That includes the cables such as Power, USB,

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Mouse, Keyboard, Internet, Ethernet, Modem, AM\FM Antenna, Cable TV,
etc. Just unplug all the cables for safety purposes.
Now that your computer is fully unplugged, move your PC to a clean
work space.

Step2.Opening the Outer Shell/Case – First, unscrew the four screws at the
back of the computer. On most computer cases, there will be large knobs that
you can unscrew by hand or by screw driver on the back-right side of the
computer.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 28. Screw at the back of computer chasis

The left side has small screws because on that side you can’t access
much on the inside. Once the screws are removed, you can remove the side
panels. On most computers, they just slide off. Start with the left side panel
(the side that once had the knobs), slide it towards the back of the computer.
Now you can remove the left panel. Just like the other side, slide it towards
the back of the computer.

Side
panel

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 29. Removing the side panel

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NOTICE:
If you are working on a carpet, about every five minutes touch something that
is grounded (Sink faucet / pipe, wire coming from the ground part of a wall
outlet). This is done so you do not shock your motherboard or other parts.

Step3. Removing the System Fan - First, unplug the fan from the
motherboard. You can find the plug by following the wire from the fan. It
should be labeled "SYS_FAN1". Next, you will have to unscrew the fan from
the outside. You should now be able to lift the fan out of the PC.

System Fan

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 30. Removing the system fan

Step4. Removing the CPU Fan- The CPU fan is located right on top of the
CPU heat sink, which is a large piece of metal with fins on the top. The CPU
fan plugs into the motherboard in an awkward place, that is hard to access.
But just follow the wires and you should easily find it. It is labeled "CPU
FAN1". To remove the fan from the heat sink, remove the four screws
securing it in place.

CPU Fan

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 31. Removing the CPU fan

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Step5. Power Supply - The first thing to do is unplug every wire coming from
the power supply. You must disconnect the motherboard (very large
connector/plug), CD/DVD drive(s) power, internal hard drive power and
portable hard drive slot power.
Once everything is unplugged,
unscrew the four screws holding the
power supply in place, on the back of
the computer. Next, push the power
supply from the outside, and then lift
it out.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure32. Unscrew the power supply

Step6. CD/ DVD Drive(s)-First, unplug the ribbon from the back of the drive.
Once that is completed, pull on the tab securing the drive in place, then push
it out from the inside.

CD / DVD
Drive

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 33. Location of CD / DVD Drive

Step7. Hard Drive - First, unplug the connector at the back of the slot, and
unplug the other end from the motherboard. Also unplug the SATA cable from
the motherboard and the hard drive. The portable hard drive slot is secured
the same way the CD/DVD drive is, with a tab. Pull on the tab, then slide the
slot out.

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 Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 34. Unplugging the Hard Drive connector

To remove the hard drive from the side of the slot, unscrew the four screws
securing it in place. You must be very careful not to drop the hard drive, since
it is very delicate!

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 35. Removing the hard drive from the side of the slot

Step8. Memory (RAM) - To remove the RAM, push down on both tabs
holding the RAM in place, which are located at both ends of the RAM.

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 Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 36. Removing the Memory

Step9. Motherboard - The motherboard has seven screws holding it to the

frame, which are indicated by large white circles around them. Remove them
and then lift the motherboard out of the frame.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 37. Removing the Motherboard

Personal Computer Assembly

Now that you have the skills in disassembling a personal computer, I
believe that you are ready to take another step of this module which is
assembling a personal computer. All you need to do is to follow the step by
step procedures provided in this module.

Step 1. Prepare your workplace

1. Take Inventory:
Before you start, take an inventory of your parts. Do not begin
assembling your computer if you don't have everything you need. Begin the
step-by-step process once you are ready with everything you need.

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 Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 38. Take inventory of the Different Computer Parts

2. Make Space, Make Time:

Building a PC takes up space - about a dining room table worth. So
make sure you have plenty of working room and a few hours to proceed with
minimal interruption. Work on a flat, stable table top surface, or bare floor,
where you have room to layout all of the items.

3. Prepare Grounding Protection:

Use an inexpensive antistatic wrist strap. Make sure you are wearing
your antistatic wrist strap correctly (it does you no good at all if you do not
wear it!), and you are ready to proceed. Look at Figure 39 for details.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 39. Wearing the Anti- static Wrist Strap Correctly

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4. Have the Drivers Ready:
Assuming you have another internet connected PC, download the
latest drivers from the vendors' websites for each component you will be
installing. Sometimes drivers are updated between the time the component
was manufactured and the time you are installing it. It is always best to have
the latest. Copy them to a CD for easy access.

Step 2. Prepare the Motherboard

1. Great care should be taken when installing the motherboard. First, take
the board out of its packaging
and put it on top of the antistatic
bag it came in (see Figure 40).
Remember, you always want to
safeguard your components
from potentially hazardous
static electricity (wear your
strap).

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 40. Motherboard in an Antistatic Bag

2. Before you secure the motherboard onto the PC case/chassis, inspect

it carefully for any visible defects.
3. Next, review the motherboard manual, to make sure you are familiar
with the motherboard layout and understand which socket is which.
Manuals are extremely helpful, usually easy to read, and include
illustrations. Below you can find instructions on how to install the
processor, the heat sink and the memory modules on the motherboard.
You should not place the motherboard in the computer case until you
are told to do so.

Step 3. Install the CPU

1. Use the unlocking mechanism to open the CPU socket which is usually
a lever.
2. Carefully line up the pins and place the chip in its socket; it will fit only
when oriented the proper way. An arrow or a missing pin on one corner
of the chip will show you how to line things up.

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 3. Align Triangular CPU and socket key marks as shown in Figure 41.
4. Lower the lever to lock the CPU into place.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 41. Install CPU
Step 4. Install the CPU Heat Sink

1. Follow the manufacturer's directions to install the heat sink and the fan
that will cool the processor. If you bought an OEM CPU and a separate
heat sink, you may need to spread a thin layer of the thermal grease
that came with the heat sink over the chip to ensure proper transfer of
heat (some heat sinks come with this grease already applied).

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 42. Install CPU Heat Sink

3. Attach the clip that holds the heat sink in place keeping in mind that it
may require a fair amount of force. Again, follow the instructions that
came with the heat sink. They will show you how to fit it correctly. If

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 you are in doubt, you can visit the manufacturer's website for more
information.
4. Plug the CPU fan's power connector into the proper connector on the
motherboard.

Step 5. Install Memory (RAM Modules)

In order to install the memory modules, insert them into the proper
sockets (Figure 43) and push down firmly but evenly until the clips on both
sides of the socket pop into place. If your motherboard supports dual-channel
memory, consult the user manual to determine which pairs of RAM sockets
you should use. The motherboard and the CPU are the brain and nerve
center of your PC, so selecting these components is the most important
decision you'll make.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 43. Install RAM Memory

Step 6. Place the motherboard into the case

1. Some PC cases have a removable motherboard tray. If yours does,

remove the screws holding it in place and pull it out of the case (Figure 44).

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 Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 44. Remove Motherboard Tray

2. Note the pattern of the holes in your motherboard (Figure 45), and screw
brass standoffs into the motherboard tray or into the PC case in the correct
locations (ALWAYS check the manual and follow their instructions to the
letter).

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 45. Screw Brass Standoffs Into the Motherboard

3. Check the layout of the sockets on the motherboard, and confirm that the
ports on your motherboard's back panel match the holes on the case's
Input/Output (I/O) shield as shown in figure 46 that is installed in your case. If
necessary, remove the old I/O shield by tapping it firmly a few times with the
butt-end of a screwdriver, and then replace it with the shield that came with
the new motherboard.

4. Carefully position the motherboard on top of the brass standoffs (Figure

47), line up all the holes, and use the screws that accompanied the case to
fasten down the motherboard. If you are using a removable tray in your

94
system, slide the tray and motherboard back into the case and then secure
the tray.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 46. Case’s I /O Shield

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 47. Mount the Motherboard

Step 7. Connect the Power Supply

Making the proper connections is crucial to successfully assembling

your PC system. Fortunately, manufacturers provide color-coded power
cables and unique connector shapes to make the job easy.

1. First, plug the large ATX power connector (Figure 48) from your power
supply into the matching port on your motherboard. Look Figure X for details.
2. Locate the smaller, square processor power connector (Figure 49) (you
cannot miss it - it is the one sprouting the yellow and black wires) and attach it
to the motherboard. Note: your connector is usually located near the
processor. As always, refer to your motherboard's manual for the exact
locations.

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3. Use your motherboard user manual and find the description about front-
panel connectors.

Figure 53. Large ATX Connector

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 48. Connect the ATX Power in the Motherboard

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 49. Square Processor Power Connector

NOTE:
You are going to be doing work that requires attention to detail and can be
quite frustrating if you do not go into it with the right attitude.

4. Attach each of the tiny leads from the power and reset switches (Figure
50), the hard-disk activity lights, the PC speaker, and any front-panel USB
and FireWire ports to the corresponding pin on your motherboard. The
needle-nose pliers are useful for manipulating small pieces.

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 Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 50. Connect the different Leads

Step 8. Install Graphics / Video Cards

1. Begin by removing the backplane cover from the AGP or PCI Express
X16 slot (the metal piece where the monitor connector will emerge)
(Figure 51).

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 51. Remove the backplane cover

2. Install the graphics board in that slot, and then secure the card with a
screw (Figure 52).

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 Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 52. Install the Graphics Board

Step 9. Install Internal Drives

Now it is time to install your drives. This is an easy process, but it requires
attention to detail.

1. Make any necessary changes to jumpers on the drives before

mounting them in the case. A two-drive system (one or two SATA
(Serial ATA- is a standard hardware interface for connecting hard
drives and CD/DVD drives to a computer) hard drives, plus one parallel
ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) optical drive, for example) is
easy to set up; the SATA drives are jumper less, and the optical drive
can be set as master on its own parallel ATA channel. Many cases
have removable drive rails or cages to house drives.

2. Use the included screws to attach your drives to the rails or cage, and
slide them into the case. For externally accessible drives such as a
DVD recorder, you can save time by installing one drive rail and sliding
the drive in for a test fitting to make sure that its front is flush with the
case (Figure 53).

3. When the drives are installed, connect power and data cables to each
one. Parallel ATA drives use wide, flat data cables that can be installed
only in the correct way. Floppy drives use a similar but smaller cable;
SATA drives use a thin, 1cm-wide data cable. SATA drives use a new
type of power connector that many power supplies don't come with.
Fortunately, many motherboards ship with adapters for converting a

98
 standard four-pin power connector to a SATA power connector (Figure
54).

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 53. Attach your devices

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 54. Connect Power Connector

Step 10. Install the Add- in Cards

1. For each add-in card, you must choose a free PCI slot.

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 1. Remove its backplane cover to allow access from the rear of the case.
3. Carefully position the card above the slot, and press down firmly to
seat the card (Figure 55).
4. Secure the card with a screw.

Source: www.buildeasypc.com
Figure 55. Add- in Cards

Many motherboards have additional sound connectors or ports housed

on small add-in boards. Some of these plug into slots on the motherboard;
others screw into the back of the case in place of slot covers. Usually the
additional ports are not essential to your PC's operation. For example, if you
install a sound card, you do not need connectors to the motherboard's built-in
sound chip. Check your motherboard manual to determine what each of these
boards does.

Connecting Peripherals of a Personal Computer

When attaching hardware and peripherals of the computer, ensure that

they are connected to the correct locations or ports. For example, some
mouse and keyboard cables use the same type of PS/2 connector. So, you
must know first the different ports that can be found in the back panel of the
computer.

Keep in mind:
1. When attaching cables, never force a connection.
2. Plug in the power cable after you have connected all other cables.

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 Steps in Connecting Peripherals of a PC

Step 1.Attach the monitor cable to the video port.

Step 2.Secure the cable by tightening the screws on the connector.
Step 3.Plug the keyboard cable into the PS/2 keyboard port.
Step 4.Plug the mouse cable into the PS/2 mouse port.
Step 5.Plug the USB cable into a USB port.
Step 6.Plug the network cable into the network port.
Step 7.Plug the power cable into the power supply.

Source: www.geeks.com
Figure 56.Steps in Connecting Peripherals of a PC

After connecting all the cables into their proper places, figure 57 shows
the appearance of the back panel of your PC.

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 Source: www.geeks.com
Figure 57. Appearance of the PC’s Back Panel

Rearrange the Procedures

Direction: Rearrange the following procedures in their proper order. Use

numbers to indicate their order of precedence. The first number is done for
you.

A. Personal Computer Disassembly

__7_1. Detaching the Hard Drive
____2. Detaching the power supply
____3. Opening the outer shell / case
____4. Pull Out the Motherboard
____5. Removing the CD / DVD Drives
____6. Removing the CPU fan
____7. Removing the system fan
____8. Unplugging all the cables and wires

B. Personal Computer Assembly

__7_1. Connect the Power Supply
____2. Install Graphics / Video Cards
____3. Install Internal Drives
____4. Install Memory (RAM Modules)

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____5. Install the Add- in Cards
____6. Install the CPU
____7. Install the CPU Heat Sink
____8. Place the motherboard into the case
____9. Prepare the Motherboard
____10. Prepare your workplace

Performance Test

Direction: Follow and perform the given procedures on Activity A, B and C.

Safety precautions must be observed when working. You will be rated in
accordance with the rubrics provided after the activity:

A. PC Disassembly

103
B. Personal Computer Assembly

C. Connecting PC Peripherals

104
 Rubric for your performance Test

Criteria Percentage Grade

Accuracy 50 %

Adherence to the procedures 20%

Workmanship(applied safety 20%

precautions)

Speed 10%

Performance Rating

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 INSTALLING OPERATING SYSTEM

Before the installation process undertake, a technician must be aware

of the minimum requirements of a computer hardware that is compatible with
the operating system to be installed. Following the systems’ requirements
means an efficient computer system. The list below shows the windows XP
minimum requirements for installation:

 Pentium 233 Mhz or compatible processor or faster; 300MHZ or faster

recommended
 64MB of RAM minimum; 128MB or more recommended
 4.3GB hard hard disk space or more
 CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
 Super VGA (800X600) or higher-resolution monitor
 Keyboard and mouse

Windows XP Installation

1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM and reboot the computer

 If you see a message about press any key to boot the CD, do so now.
Otherwise, you will see a message about Setup inspecting your
system.

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 Figure 58.Boot from CD
2. MS-DOS portion of Setup begins

 In the first stage of setup; you will see a series of blue and gray MS-
DOS-based screens.
 In the first step, you will be asked to press F6 if you need to install any
third-party or RAID drivers.

Figure 59.Windows Set-up

3. Welcome to Setup

 Finally, Setup begins. In this step, you can set up XP, launch the
Recovery Console (another, more complicated system recovery tool),
or quit.
 Press ENTER to continue Setup, and it will examine your hard drives
and removable disks.

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 Figure 60.Welcome to Set-up
4. Read the license agreement

 Next, you'll have to agree to Microsoft's complex licensing agreement.

Among the highlights: You don't actually own Windows XP and you
can only install it on one PC.
 Hit F8 to continue.

Figure 61.License and Agreement

5. Choose an installation partition

 This crucial step lets you choose where to install XP.

 On a clean install, you will typically install to the C: drive, but you might
have other ideas, especially if you plan to dual-boot with 9x.
 Setup will show you all of your available disks (in this case, just one)
and let you create and delete partitions as needed. So, for example, if
you have one disk, but would like to create two partitions, one for XP
and one for your data, you can do that here.

108
 Figure 62.Choose an Installation Partition
6. Select the file system

 If you created a new partition, or wish to change the file system of an

existing partition, you can do so in the next step. NTFS (New
Technology File System) file system is more secured than FAT (File
Allocation System).
 Regardless of which file system you choose, be sure to select one of
the "quick" format options (the top two choices), if you do need to
format, since these will work much more quickly than a full format.

Figure 63.Select the File System

7. Optionally format the partition

 If you did choose to change or format the file system, this will occur
next. First, you'll be asked to verify the format. If you're installing XP on
a system with more than one partition, especially one that still holds
your data on one of the partitions, be sure you're formatting the correct
partition.
 Hit F to continue, and a yellow progress bar will indicate the status of
the format. When this is complete, Setup will again examine your
disks, and create a list of files to copy.

109
 Figure 64.Optionally Format the Partition

8. Setup folder copy phase and reboot

 Setup will now copy system files to the system/boot partition(s) you just
created. This will allow the PC to boot from the C: drive and continue
Setup in GUI mode.
 When the file copy is complete, Setup will initialize and save your XP
configuration.
 It will then reboot your PC. When the system reboots, you will probably
see the "Press any key to boot from CD" message again. If this
happens, do not press a key: Setup will now boot from your C: drive. In
the event that you cannot prevent the CD-based Setup from reloading,
eject the CD and reboot. Setup will ask for the CD when needed.

Figure 65.Setup Folder Copy Phase

110
9. GUI Setup begins

 Once the system reboots, you will be presented with the GUI Setup
phase, which is much more attractive than the DOS-mode phase. As
you progress through GUI Setup, you can read promotional information
on the right side of the screen about XP.
 Next, your hardware devices are detected. This could take several
minutes.

Figure 66.GUI Setup

10. Regional and language Options

 In the first interactive portion of GUI Setup, you can choose to

customize the regional and language settings that will be used by XP,
as well as the text input language you'd like. Users in the United States
will not normally need to change anything here.
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 67.Regional and Language Options

111
11. Personalize your software

 Now, enter your name and your company.

The name you enter is not the same as your user name, incidentally,
so you should enter your real name here (i.e. Rosalie Lujero or
whatever).
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 68.Software Personalization

12. Enter your product key

 Now you must enter the 25-character product key that is located on the
orange sticker found on the back of the CD holder that came with
Windows XP. You cannot install XP without a valid product key.Later
on, you will be asked to activate and optionally register your copy of
Windows XP. A product key can be used to install XP on only one PC.
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 69. Enter Product Key

112
13. Enter a computer name and administrator password

 In the next phase of Setup, you can create a name for your computer
(which is used to identify it on a network) and, optionally in Pro Edition
only, a password for the system Administrator, the person who controls
the PC (this will generally be you, of course).

Figure 70.Enter Computer Name and Administrator Password

14. Supply your date and time settings

 Next, you can supply the date and time, which are auto-set based on
information in your BIOS, and the time zone, which is irritatingly set to
PST, which is where Microsoft is. Change these as appropriate.
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 71.Enter Date and Time Settings

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15. Network setup

 If you have a networking card or modem, Setup now install the

networking components, which include the client for Microsoft
networks, File and Print Sharing, the Quality of Service (QoS) Packet
Scheduler, and the TCP/IP networking protocol by default.

Figure 72.Network Set-Up

16a. Choose networking settings

 In this phase, you can choose to keep the default settings

(recommended) or enter custom settings.

Note that XP doesn't include the legacy NetBEUI protocol out of

the box. If you want to use this protocol, you will need to install it
later from the XP CD-ROM.

 Click Next to continue.

Figure 73.Choose Networking Settings

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Windows XP Professional only:

16b. Enter workgroup or domain information

 In Windows XP Professional only, you will be able to select a

workgroup or domain name next. Home Edition doesn't work with
Windows domains, however, and Setup will automatically supply the
workgroup name MSHOME, which you can change later. The default
workgroup name in XP Pro is, imaginatively, WORKGROUP.
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 74.Enter Workgroup or Domain Information

17. Set-up completion

 From this point on, Setup will continue to completion without any
further need for interaction. Setup will now copy files, complete
installation, install your Start Menu items, register system components,
save settings, remove any temporary files needed by Setup, and then
reboot.
 Again, you will probably see the "Press any key to boot from CD"
message on reboot. If this happens, do not press a key, and your new
XP install will boot up. You can remove the XP Setup CD now.

115
 Figure 75.Set- Up Completion

18. First boot

 You’ll be greeted by the XP splash screen on first boot (this actually

appears briefly when you rebooted into GUI Setup as well).The splash
screens for XP Pro and Home are subtly different.

Figure 76.First Boot

19. Change display settings

 Users with CRT monitors and some LCDs (such as laptops and flat
panel displays) will see a Display Settings dialog appear, which asks
whether you'd like XP to automatically set the resolution. This will

116
 generally change the resolution from 800 x 600 to 1024 x 768 on a
CRT monitor, or to the native resolution of an LCD display.
 Click OK and let XP change the resolution. Then, accept the settings if
the screen display changes and can be read. If you can't see the
display, it will time out after 30 seconds and return to the sub-optimal
800 x 600 resolution.
 Click OK to accept the screen resolution change.

Figure77.Change Display Settings

20. Welcome to Microsoft Windows

 Now, you are presented with XP's "Out of Box Experience," or OOBE,
which presents a silly wizard to guide you through the final set up of
your PC.
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 78.Welcome to Microsoft Windows

21. Network setup

 In the opening OOBE phase, you are asked to set up your

network/Internet connection, which is required for activation and

117
 registration. If you selected the default networking configuration during
Setup and know it will work (because you're connected directly to a
cable modem, perhaps, or are on a local area network), then select
Yes (the default). Otherwise, you can select No and then Skip.
 We'll assume that your network is up and running and select Yes.
 Click Next to continue.

Figure 79.Network Set- up

22. Optionally activate and register Windows

 If you selected Yes in the previous step, you are asked if you'd like to
activate Windows XP. This will tie your copy of XP to the current PC
semi-permanently. Activation requires a connection to the Internet, but
you can perform this step later if you want (and don't worry, XP will
annoyingly remind you of this fact every time you boot the machine
until you do so).

Figure 80.Windows Activation

23. Set up users

 Now, you can set up the user names of the people who will be using
the PC. You will want at least one user (for you), since you shouldn't

118
 be logging on as Administrator. Curiously, each user you do create
here has administrative privileges, however, and no password. You
should set up your users correctly with passwords as soon as possible.
 This phase lets you create up to five users. You can create more later,
or manage users, using the User Accounts tool in Control Panel.
 Click Finish when done creating users. At this point, OOBE ends and
you're reading to go.
 Click Finish again.

Figure 81.Set-up Users

24. Logon to Windows XP for the first time

 Click your name, that account will logon and you'll be presented with
the XP desktop. After you create passwords, however, you'll be asked
to enter a password before you can logon.

Figure 82. Set-up Users

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Multiple Choice: Read each question carefully and choose the letter of the
best answer. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Which of the following is not a Windows XP minimum requirement?

a. 128MB RAM or higher c. Lower resolution monitor
b. CD- ROM or DVD ROM
d. 4.3 GB hard disk space or more
2. If you see a message to press any key to boot the CD and you fail to
do so, what do you think will happen?
a. The computer will restart
b. Set up inspecting your system will appear
c. It will be prompted to BIOS setup
d. It will return to boot menu

3. What key should you press if you need to install any third- party or
RAID drivers?
a. F2 c. F2
b. F6 d. F12

4. After reading the license agreement, what function key will press in
order to start the installation?
a. F6 c. F9
b. F8 d. F12

5. Where do we typically install the operating system?

a. Drive C c. External Drive
b. DVD d. Floppy Drive

6. What file system is usually used during installation?

a. FAT c. NTFS
b. FAT32 d. NTFS32

7. Suppose that you will install Windows XP on a system with more than
one partition, what important process should be done?
a. Change the file system
b. Delete the data and files on the different partition
c. Examine the partition
d. Format the correct partition

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 8. When the folder copy phase is complete your system will reboot, what
are you going to do if see the message “Press any key to boot from
CD”?
a. Press any key c. Reboot the system
b. Do not press a key d. Eject the CD

9. What is the next phase after the set up folder copy phase and reboot?
a. GUI set up c. Username setup
b. Software d. Software
personalization

10. What phase will immediately follow after the first boot phase?
a. Welcome to Windows c. Change display setting
b. Network Setup d. Set up users

For you to have a profound knowledge on the overview of what

windows XP is, utilize the internet and watch the following video
presentations:
1. Overview of Windows XP
 http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-
802/an-overview-of-windows-xp/

2. Planning for installation

 http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-
802/planning-a-windows-installation-2/

3. Windows XP installation
http://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/220-
802/installing-windows-xp-3/

After watching the videos, have a documentation containing the

overview of Windows XP and salient procedures in planning for installation
and Windows XP installation. Use a short white bond paper and be creative
for the documentation.

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Windows XP Installation

Equipment:

Computer unit with CD or DVD drive

AVR / UPS

Materials:

Windows XP Installer

Procedure:

1. Work in triads or quartet (depending on the number of computer

available)
2. Install the Operating System (OS), Windows XP.
3. Take turns in doing the above task.

You will be assessed using the criteria in the score card below.

PERFORMANCE SCORE CARD

Evaluation: Percentage Score

CRITERIA

1. Operating System is installed with no errors. 40%

2. Proper disk partitioning and partition is 40%

performed.
3. Proper use of equipment and materials is 10%
observed.
4. Observance of Safety Precautions. 10%

Performance Rating

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Windows 7 Installation

As a technician you must be able to know the variations or options in

installing an operating system that is compatible with the hardware
requirement of a personal computer. Another operating system available in
the market now is the Windows 7 version. Now, take a tour through the
procedures in installing a Windows 7 operating system. I believe, the
procedures will be very easy for you.

1. Turn your computer on then press Del or F2 (depend on your

computer’s main board) to enter the system BIOS.
2. Go to Boot menu and choose Boot from CD/DVD.

Figure 83.Boot Menu

3. Press F10 to save the configuration and exit BIOS then reset your
computer.

Figure 84.Save configuration settings

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4. Insert Windows 7 DVD into your DVD drive then start up your
computer, Windows 7 will be loading files.

Figure 85.Windows 7 loading files and Start up

5. Select your language, time & currency format, keyboard or input

method and click Next.

Figure86.Language, Time and Currency Set- up

6. Click Install now.

Figure 87.Install Now

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7. Check I accept the license terms and click Next.

Figure 88.License Terms Agreement

8. Click Upgrade if you already have a previous Windows version

or Custom (advanced) if you don’t have a previous Windows version
or want to install a fresh copy of Windows 7.

Figure 89.Windows 7 Options for Installation

125
9. (Skip this step if you chose Upgrade and have only one
partition) Select the drive where you want to install Windows 7 and
click Next. If you want to make any partitions, click Drive options
(advanced), make the partitions and then click Next.

Figure 90.Drive Options

10. It will now start installing Windows 7. The first step, (i.e. Copying
Windows files) was already done when you booted the Windows
7 DVD so it will complete instantly.

Figure 91.Windows 7 Starts Installation

126
11. After completing the first step, it will expand (decompress) the files that
it has been copied.

Figure 92.Expanding Windows Files

12. The third and fourth step will also complete instantly like the first step.

Figure 93.Installing Features and Updates

127
13. After that it will automatically restart after 15 seconds and continue the
setup. You can also click Restart now to restart without any delays.

Figure 94.Restart to Continue Installation

14. After restarting for the first time, it will continue the setup. This is the
last step so it will take the most time than the previous steps.

Figure 95.Completing Installation

128
15. It will now automatically restart again and continue the setup. You can
click Restart now to restart without any delays.

Figure96.First Start Up

16. Type your desired user name in the text-box and click Next. It will
automatically fill up the computer name.

Figure97.Software Personalization

129
17. If you want to set a password, type it in the text-boxes and click Next.

Figure98.Password Set- up

18. Type your product key in the text-box and click Next. You can also skip
this step and simply click Next if you want to type the product key later.
Windows will run only for 30 days if you do that.

Figure 99.Type Windows Product Key

130
19. Select your desired option for Windows Updates

Figure 100. Windows Update

20. Select your time and click Next.

Figure 101. Time and Date Settings

131
21. If you are connected to any network, it will ask you to set the network’s
location.

Figure 102. Windows 7 Set- up Complete

Figure 103. Preparing Desktop

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 Hands- on Activity:

You are tasked to reformat / install an operating system particularly

Windows 7, however, during the process of installation a problem occurred
the machine / computer did not boot from CD. What do you think might be the
reason for this unplanned incident? Your task now is to demonstrate the
correct procedures to solve and respond to this unplanned event in
accordance to the established procedures.
You will work in quartet or triads (depending on the number of
computers) to solve this problem. Your output will be rated according to the
following criteria:
PERFORMANCE SCORE CARD

CRITERIA PERCENTAGE SCORE

Accuracy 50 %

(Adherence to the correct procedure)

Workmanship 30 %

(Adherence to OHS policy, neatness and

organization of materials used)

Speed 20 %

PERFORMANCE RATING 100%

133
 Before implementing any contingency procedures in any unplanned
events you must have a deeper understanding in obtaining approval from
appropriate personnel. Your task now is to do the following:

1. Watch video presentation on the said topic and have a proper

documentation of the procedures in obtaining approval from the
appropriate personnel.
2. Interview a person in the field to acquire the knowledge (procedures)
and skills on the said competency.

Windows 7 Installation

Equipment:

Computer unit with CD or DVD drive

AVR / UPS

Materials:

Windows 7 Installer

Procedure:

1. Work in triads or quartet (depending on the no. of computer available)

2. Install the Operating System (OS), Windows 7.
3. Take turns in doing the above task.

You will be assessed using the criteria in the score card below.

134
 PERFORMANCE SCORE CARD

CRITERIA Percentage Score

1. Operating System is installed with no errors. 40%

2. Proper disk partitioning and partition is 40%

performed.
3. Proper use of equipment and materials is 10%
observed.
4. Observance of Safety Precautions. 10%

PERFORMANCE RATING

135
BASIC COMPUTER CONFIGURATION SETUP

Configuration is the way a system is set up, or the assortment of

components that make up the system. Configuration can refer to
either hardware or software, or the combination of both.

Basic Input / Output System (BIOS)

The Basic Input Output System, usually referred to as BIOS, is

software stored on a small memory chip on the motherboard.

BIOS instruct the computer on how to perform a number of basic

functions such as booting and keyboard control. BIO is also used to identify
and configure the hardware in a computer such as the hard drive, optical
drive, CPU, memory, etc.

Figure 104.BIOS Set- up

136
 The BIOS is accessed and configured through the BIOS Setup Utility.
The BIOS Setup Utility is, for all reasonable purposes, the BIOS itself. All
available options in BIOS are configurable via the BIOS Setup Utility. The
BIOS Setup Utility is accessed in various ways depending on your computer
or motherboard make and model.
BIOS access and configuration on PC systems is independent of
any operating system because the BIOS is part of the motherboard hardware.
It doesn't matter if a computer is running Windows 7, Windows Vista,
Windows XP, Linux, UNIX, or no operating system at all - BIOS functions
outside of the operating system environment and is no way dependent upon
it.
BIOS contain a number of hardware configuration options that can be
changed through the setup utility. Saving these changes and restarting the
computer applies the changes to the BIOS and alters the way BIOS instructs
the hardware to function. The following list shows the things you can do in
most BIOS systems:

Change the Boot Order Enable or Disable the Computer Logo

Load BIOS Setup Defaults Enable or Disable the Quick Power
Remove a BIOS Password On Self Test (POST)
Create a BIOS Password Enable or Disable the CPU Internal
Change the Date and Time Cache
Change Floppy Drive Settings Enable or Disable the Caching of
Change Hard Drive Settings BIOS
Change CD/DVD/BD Drive Settings Change CPU Settings
View Amount of Memory Installed Change Memory Settings
Change the Boot Up NumLock Status Change System Voltages

Device Drivers

Now that you successfully installed the operating system, you’ll need to
configure the devices such as Video Cards, Network Interface Cards, Sound
Cards, etc by installing the device drivers of each. In many cases, if Windows
recognizes the device, drivers will be installed automatically. In some cases,
generic drivers are installed so that the devices will work properly.

137
 Drivers are small software programs that help the operating system
use or “drive” the device. Whenever a device doesn’t work properly, ask if the
proper driver has been installed.

The procedures listed below describe how to obtain and install drivers
for hardware devices on a Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer.

Step 1: Determine the Hardware Manufacturer

If you do not know the manufacturer of the device for which you want to install
the driver, follow these steps to determine the manufacturer:

1. On the desktop, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.

Figure 105. Manage My Computer

2. Under System Tools, click Device Manager.

The devices that are installed on the computer are listed in the right
pane.

138
 Device Manager

Figure 106. Device Manager

3. In the right pane, expand the category of the device that you want to
configure. For example, expand Display adapters.

NOTE: The device may be listed under other devices.

Expanded
Device Category

Figure 107. Expanded Device Category

139
4. Right-click the device for which you want to install the driver, and then
click Properties.

NOTE: The device may appear as Unknown device or as a generic

device.

Figure 108. Device Properties

5. Click the General tab. Make a note of the manufacturer and model of
the device.

Figure 109. General Tab

140
 6. Click Cancel, and then quit Computer Management.

NOTE: If the device is not displayed in Device Manager, or the

device is listed as an "Unknown device," contact the computer
or device manufacturer to obtain more information about the
device.

Step 2: Obtain the Driver

To obtain the latest driver, use the following list of possible sources for
the driver, in the order in which they are presented.

 Original Computer Manufacturer

If the device was installed by your computer manufacturer, contact the
manufacturer of your computer to find out how to obtain, download, and install
the latest drivers for the device.

 Device Manufacturer

Contact the manufacturer of the device to inquire about how to obtain,

download, and install the latest drivers for the device.

 Chipset Manufacturer

Contact the chipset manufacturer of the device to find out how to

obtain, download, and install the latest drivers for the device. It is best to first
contact the manufacturer of the device for the drivers before you contact the
chipset manufacturer.

For example, if your display adapter uses a NVIDIA chipset, first contact the
manufacturer of the display adapter. If you cannot contact the display adapter
manufacturer or if the manufacturer does not have a driver, contact NVIDIA.

Some examples of chipset manufacturers (and their Web sites) include:

 NVIDIA (display adapters)
 PCTEL, Inc. (modems)

 Installation CD or Floppy Disks

If you have the original driver CD or floppy disks that were included
with the computer or device, and if no other source for the drivers is available,

141
use the original driver that is included with the computer or device.

NOTE: Whenever possible, try to first contact the Original Equipment

Manufacturer (OEM), device manufacturer, or chipset manufacturer to obtain
the latest version of the driver.

Step 3: Install the Driver

 The driver files that you download from the OEM, device manufacturer,
or chipset manufacturer differ depending on how the driver is
packaged by the manufacturer.
 If the file is an executable program, run the program to extract the files.
If the file is in .zip format, you can use a third-party utility such as
WinZip to extract the files. For more information about how to extract
the driver files, see the instructions that are provided by the
manufacturer of the driver.
 The driver may use a setup program. The driver package may contain
raw driver files, or it may contain only raw driver files. Some examples
include .inf files, and .sys files. To install the driver, use one of the
following methods as appropriate to your situation.

 Driver with a Setup or Installation Program

If the driver uses a setup or installation program, run the program to
install the driver. For more information about how to do this, see the
documentation or contact the driver manufacturer.

 Device Is Displayed in Device Manager

1. On the desktop, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
2. Under System Tools, click Device Manager. The devices that are
installed on the computer are listed in the right pane.
3. Expand the category of the device that you want to configure. For
example, expand Modems. NOTE: The device may be listed
under other devices.
4. Right-click the device for which you want to install the driver, and then
click Properties.
NOTE: The device may be displayed as Unknown device, or as a
generic device.
5. Click the Driver tab, and then click Update Driver. The Upgrade Device
Driver wizard starts.

142
 6. Click Next.
7. Do one of the following:
o Click Search for a suitable driver for my device
(recommended), and then click Next.
-or-
o Click Display a list of the known devices for this device so
that I can choose a specific driver, and then click Next.
Click Have Disk, click Browse, locate the .inf files that you
downloaded in Step 2: Obtain the Driver, click an .inf file, and then
click Open.

8. Follow the wizard instructions to install the driver.

9. Restart the computer.

 Device Is Not Displayed in Device Manager

Use the Add New Hardware wizard in Control Panel to install drivers for
non-Plug and Play devices. You may have to use this method to install certain
modems, serial ports, or printer ports.
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Hardware.
3. Click Next.
4. Click Add/Troubleshoot a device, and then click Next.
5. Do one of the following:
o Click Yes, search for new hardware, and then click Next.
-or-
o Click No, I want to select the hardware from a list, and then
click Next.
6. Follow the wizard instructions to install the driver.
7. Restart the computer.

143
Installing Device Drivers

Material: Installation CD
Direction: Given an installation CD, perform installation of a device driver.
Check the quality of your work undertaken in accordance with the established
procedures thru the Performance Score Card below.

PERFORMANCE SCORE CARD

Performance Criteria Criteria Grade

1. The system is correctly started. 20%

2. The Installation CD is properly inserted. 20%

3. Handling and safekeeping of installation CD is observed. 20%

4. The instructions how to install device drivers are accurately

20%
followed.

5. The device drivers are successfully installed 20%

PERFORMANCE RATING

144
Lesson3. CONDUCT TEST ON THE INSTALLED COMPUTER SYSTEM

In the previous lesson, you were introduced with all the necessary
knowledge and skills on installation of computer devices and operating
system. Now, after executing the correct procedures I am sure that
installation is a very easy task for you. Those skills will be very essential for
the next lesson.
In the next phase of your learning it will focus in conducting test on the
installed computer components. After reading all the required topics and
performing the essential skills you must be able to:
 Follow OHS policies and procedures in conducting tests
 Check circuits and systems being isolated using specified testing
procedures
 Test devices, systems and/or installation to determine its conformity with
the requirements
 Undertake final inspections on the installed devices, systems to ensure
conformity with the requirements
 Accomplish technical reports on the tests conducted
 Follow procedures in forwarding documentation to appropriate personnel
and/or authority on the test conducted.

TESTING INSTALLEDEQUIPMENT / DEVICES (COMPONENTS)

As computer technician you will need a good understanding of the
health and safety regulations from early on in your career, so that you
understand the good practices demanded by law. In particular, you need to:
 report any accidents
 take reasonable care of your own health and safety when
moving heavy components
 not cause any electrical hazards
 make sure that workstations meet safety requirements.

145
You need to adhere to health and safety regulations as they will help to
protect you and others and will avoid any unnecessary legal action for
reckless and unsafe working practices. If you identify any health and safety
problems, you should tell your line manager or the health and safety
representative immediately.

The most basic test is to switch the system on to check it starts without
errors. ICT professionals are also likely to use tools and utilities to check that
all is well with the system after an installation.

The Use of Diagnostic Tools in testing installed hardware components

and other peripherals
Diagnostic tools are used to test and diagnose equipment. Diagnostic
tools include the following:
 Digital multimeter is a device that can take many types of
measurements. It tests the integrity of circuits and the quality of
electricity in computer components. A digital multimeter displays the
information on an LCD or LED.

 A loopback adapter, also called a loopback plug, tests the basic

functionality of computer ports. The adapter is specific to the port that
you want to test.

 The toner probe, is a two-part tool. The toner part is connected to a

cable at one end using specific adapters, such as an RJ-45, coaxial, or
metal clips. The toner generates a tone that travels the length of the
cable. The probe part traces the cable. When the probe is in near
proximity to the cable to which the toner is attached, the tone can be
heard through a speaker in the probe.

Source: www.fluke-87.com
Figure 110. Diagnostic Tools

146
Software Tools

Like hardware tools, there are a variety of software tools that can be
used to help technicians pinpoint and troubleshoot problems. Many of these
tools are free and several come with the Windows operating system.

Disk Management Tools

Software tools help diagnose computer and network problems and determine
which computer device is not functioning correctly. A technician must be able
to use a range of software tools to diagnose problems, maintain hardware,
and protect the data stored on a computer.

You must be able to identify which software to use in different situations. Disk
management tools help detect and correct disk errors, prepare a disk for data
storage, and remove unwanted files.

The following are some disk management tools:

 FDISK: A command-line tool that creates and deletes partitions on a

hard drive. The FDISK tool is not available in Windows XP, Vista, or 7.
It has been replaced with the Disk Management tool.
 Disk Management Tool: Initializes disks, creates partitions, and
formats partitions.
 Format: Prepares a hard drive to store information.
 ScanDisk or CHKDSK: Checks the integrity of files and folders on a
hard drive by scanning the file system. These tools might also check
the disk surface for physical errors.
 Defrag: Optimizes space on a hard drive to allow faster access to
programs and data.
 Disk Cleanup: Clears space on a hard drive by searching for files that
can be safely deleted.
 System File Checker (SFC): A command-line tool that scans the
operating system critical files and replaces files that are corrupted.

Use the Windows 7 boot disk for troubleshooting and repairing

corrupted files. The Windows 7 boot disk repairs Windows system files,
restores damaged or lost files, and reinstalls the operating system.

147
Test procedures

A test procedure is a set of steps to guide you through what needs to

be done to thoroughly test the installation. It is designed to help you work
more effectively and to make sure you test everything that needs testing.

Test procedures are created in-house and could include these steps:
1. Gathering test information. The first step is to run the tests required by
the procedure and find out what happens. You should record all the results of
your tests in a log so that you know which pass and which fail, thereby
requiring further action.
2. Validating the test information. The next step is to check the data you
gathered from the tests to make sure it is correct. This is usually done by
running the tests again.
3. Responding to test information. This step is important because you need
to be able to recognize when a test shows problems or is successful. For
example, if ping is used to test a network connection then ‘Request timed out’
shows the test was not successful.
4. Checking specification. The final step is an important end to testing. You
need to check the specification for the installation to make sure that it has
been met. For example, if a user requested an upgrade to make their display
run at 1920 x 1200, then the ICT professional should check that the graphics
card and screen can do this.

External Visual Inspection

The external visual inspection consists of a quick inspection of the
exterior of the computer, the monitor, the keyboard, any peripherals, and
cables. While performing the visual inspection, make any necessary
corrections. To perform the external visual inspection, perform the following
steps:

1. Turn off the computer, the monitor, and all peripherals.

2. Verify that all power cables are properly connected to the computer,
the monitor and peripherals, and their power sources.
3. Verify that the keyboard and mouse interface cables are firmly
attached to the proper connectors on the back of the computer.
 For a PS/2-compatible mouse, the keyboard and mouse
interface cable connectors are identical except for their labels.

148
  For a serial mouse, the mouse interface cable must be firmly
attached to one of the serial port connectors, and its captive
screws must be secure enough to ensure a firm connection.
4. Verify that network cables (if present) are properly attached.
5. Verify that any devices attached to the serial and parallel port
connectors are properly connected.
 Each of the serial and parallel port interface cables must be
firmly attached to an appropriate connector on the back of the
computer as well as to the interface connector on the device.
The captive screws that secure these connectors at each end of
the interface cable must be secure enough to ensure a firm
connection.
6. Verify that the video interface cable is firmly attached to the video
connector on the back panel or to a video expansion card, and also to
the connector on the back of the monitor. For proper connection of the
video monitor, see the documentation for the monitor.
7. Inspect all external monitor controls for any obvious damage or
improper settings. For proper settings of the video monitor controls,
see the documentation for the monitor.
8. Inspect the keyboard to ensure that no keys are sticking. If one or
more keys are sticking, it may be necessary to replace the keyboard.
9. Inspect the exterior of the computer, including all controls and
indicators, and all user-accessible data storage devices for any signs
of physical damage. Does the inspection reveal any problems?

Yes. Proceed to the appropriate procedure in "Removing and Replacing

Parts."
No. Proceed to "Observing the Boot Routine."

Observing the Boot Routine

After you have performed an external visual inspection as described in
the previous section, you should boot the system and, while the boot routine
is running, observe the system for any indications of problems.

NOTE: Most of the steps in this procedure require observation of

system functions and indications, some of which can occur
simultaneously. It may be necessary to reboot the system several times
to complete all of these steps.

149
To observe problem indications during the boot routine, perform the following
steps:

1. If the system is off, turn on all peripherals and the computer.

2. Check the power supply fan.
Does the fan run normally?
o Yes. Proceed to step 3.
o No. Troubleshoot the system power supply.

3. Watch the <Num Lock>, <Caps Lock>, and <Scroll Lock> indicators on
the upper-right corner of the keyboard. After all three indicators flash
momentarily, and following a long pause (approximately 30 seconds),
the Num Lock indicator should light up and remain on (unless the Num
Lock option is set to Off in the System Setup program).

Do these indicators flash on and off within approximately 10 seconds

after the boot routine starts?
o Yes. Proceed to step 4.
o No. Troubleshoot the system power supply. If the troubleshooting
procedure indicates that the system power supply is operational,
troubleshoot the memory.

4. During the boot routine, observe the system for any of the following
indications:

o Beep codes — A beep code is a series of beeps that indicates

an error condition.

o System error messages — these messages can indicate

problems or provide status information.

o Diskette-drive and hard-disk drive access indicators — These

indicators light up in response to data being transferred to or
from the drives. If either of these indicators fails to light up
during the boot routine, troubleshoot the diskette drive or hard-
disk drive subsystem, as appropriate.

5. Observe the monitor screen for the Diagnostics menu.

150
Internal Visual Inspection

NOTICE: Before you proceed with the internal visual inspection

described in this section, ensure that the user has saved all open files
and exited all open application programs if possible.

A simple visual inspection of a computer’s interior hardware can often

lead to the source of a problem, such as a loose expansion card, cable
connector, or mounting screw. To perform the internal visual inspection,
perform the following steps:
1. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and
disconnect all the AC power cables from electrical outlets.

CAUTION: Before beginning to work inside the computer,

disconnect the power supply from the power source and the
power supply cables from the power supply.

2. Remove the computer’s right side cover.

CAUTION: The heat sink assembly can get extremely hot during
system operations. Be sure that it has had sufficient time to cool
before touching it.

CAUTION: When handling the heat sink assembly, take care to

avoid sharp edges on the heat sink.

3. Verify that the chips, expansion cards, and SEC cartridge and heat sink
assembly or assemblies are fully seated in their sockets or
connectors.
4. To ensure that the chips are fully seated in their sockets, press firmly
on the top of each chip.
5. Verify that all jumpers are set correctly.
6. Check all cable connectors inside the computer to verify that they are
firmly attached to their appropriate connectors.
7. Reinstall the computer cover.
8. Reconnect the computer and any attached peripherals to their power
sources, and turn them on.

151
 Suppose that you are in the workshop carrying out hardware
installations, the owner are very impressed with you. There has been a lot of
telephone time spent recently explaining to customers how to test installed
components of their computer systems. The shop has decided to create their
own video that will be uploaded to the website and YouTube. You have been
asked to create this video.

1. Create a video to demonstrate how to install the hardware

components. Make sure you include everything you need to doto work
safely.

2. Show how to configure any device installed in the computer.

3. Create another video on the following:

a. Undertake final inspection on the assembled computer system

for functionality. This will be o test that the newly installed
hardware components work without problems;
b. Accomplish technical reports on the tests conducted; and
c. Follow procedures in forwarding documentation to appropriate
personnel or authority

152
Test I. Identification

Direction: Identify the terms being described in the following sentences.

1. These are mobile computers that are very handy to use.

2. They are computers designed to provide services to client machines in a
computer network.
3. They are also called mid-range systems or workstations.
4. A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit it.
5. They fall in the category of laptops, but are inexpensive and relatively
smaller in size.
6. A type of computer which is intended be used on a single location.
7. They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on two states,
namely bits 0 and 1.
8. Computers that have the capacities to host multiple operating systems
and operate as a number of virtual machines and can substitute for
several small servers.
9. It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a palmtop.
10. These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the
study of behavior modeling and human health.
11. It is considered as the most important program that runs on a computer.
12. It is composed of a device that accepts data and instructions from the
user or from another computer system.
13. Any piece of computer hardware that displays results after the computer
has processed the input data that has been entered.
14. Any apparatus for recording computer data in a permanent or semi-
permanent form.
15. It protects a computer network from unauthorized access.
16. Type of network that connect larger geographic areas, such as Florida,
the United States, or the world.
17. This is an internetworking system capable of joining together two
networks that use different base protocols.
18. It is consists of two or more computers that are linked in order to share
resources (such as printers and CD-ROMs), exchange files, or allow
electronic communications.
19. It is a small, simple, inexpensive device that joins multiple computers
together.
20. A device filters data traffic at a network boundary.

153
Test II. True or false

Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE otherwise.

1. Always use an anti-static wrist strap when working on a computer

(except when working on monitors)
2. Always disconnect a computer from the AC power and from any
powered peripherals while you are working on it.
3. Always grasp a metal part of the computer chassis with your bare hand
before you touch anything inside. Do this even if you are wearing an
anti-static wristband.
4. Always handle electronic components by a non-conducting (non-
metallic) edge. Don't touch the pins or other connectors.
5. Always use a UL-approved surge protector or an Uninterruptible Power
Supply that incorporates surge and spike protection
6. Never eat, drink, or smoke while working on a computer.
7. Whenever you purchase software or hardware for your computer, you
should first make sure your computer supports the system
requirements.
8. The speed of a computer's processor chip (technically known as its
"clock speed") in measured in gigahertz (GHz).
9. A computer's graphics system determines how well it can work with
visual output.
10. Today 40GB is an absolute minimum hard drive size for a new
computer running Windows 7.
11. When attaching cables, never force a connection.
12. BIOS instruct the computer on how to perform a number of basic
functions such as booting and keyboard control.
13. The external visual inspection consists of a quick inspection of the
interior of the computer.
14. Disk management tools help detect and correct disk errors.
15. The most basic test is to switch the system on to check it starts without
errors.

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Test III. Multiple Choices

Direction: Read each questions carefully and write the letter of the best
answer.

1. These are small software programs that help the operating system
use the device.
a. Installer c. Driver
b. Application d. BIOS

2. Which of the following is software shared on a small memory chip on

the motherboard?
a. Installer c. driver
b. Application d. BIOS

3. It is the way to set up a system or the assortment of components that

make up the system.
a. Configuration c. Driver
b. Set up d. Installation

4. Which of the following is not a Windows XP minimum requirement?

a. 128MB RAM or higher
b. CD- ROM or DVD ROM
c. Lower resolution monitor
d. 4.3 GB hard disk space or more

5. If you see a message to press any key to boot the CD and you fail to
do so, what do you think will happen?
a. The computer will restart
b. Set up inspecting your system will appear
c. It will be prompted to BIOS setup
d. It will return to boot menu

6. What key should you press if you need to install any third- party or
RAID drivers?
a. F2 c. F9
b. F6 d. F12
7. Where do we typically install the operating system?
a. Drive C
b. DVD
c. External Drive
d. Floppy Drive

8. Suppose that you will install Windows XP on a system with more than
one partition, what important process should be done?

155
 a. Change the file system
b. Delete the data and files on the different partition
c. Examine the partition
d. Format the correct partition

9. What file system is usually used during installation?

a. FAT
b. FAT32
c. NTFS
d. NTFS32

10. Which of the following is a connector on the back of a computer or

other device?
a. Modem
b. Port hub
c. Router
d. Network Gateway

156
Test IV. Matching Type

Direction: Match column A with Column B and write your answer on a

separate sheet of paper.

11.
A. B.
12. a) Adapter
1) It serves as the brain of computer.
2) Printed-circuit boards (also called interface b) CD- ROM
13.
cards) that enable the computer to use a c) CPU
peripheral
14. device d) Flash Drive
3) Also called read/write memory e) Floppy disk
15.
4) Small portable disk drive usually used for f) Microphone
backing up files g) Monitor
16. board of a computer
5) Main h) Motherboard
6) Also called diskette i) Mouse
17. j) Multitasking
7) Acts as a pointing device
8) Device that makes sounds, clips and any k) Optical Discs
18.
audio materials be heard. l) PDA
9) Component
19. that reads and record data in m) Power supply
CDs and DVDs. n) Printer
10) It20.is a visual device that displays the o) RAM
information p) Register
21. q) ROM
11) Plug- and play portable storage device
12) Prints r) Speaker
22. text and illustrations in paper
13) Converts AC into DC s) Tablet
14) Allows more than one program to run t) Zip Drive
concurrently
15) Handheld computer

157
 SKILLS TEST

Direction: Listed below are some of the most important skills that you must gain
in order to render quality service when you enter the real world of Computer
Hardware Servicing. Read the skills carefully. Write “YES” if you are familiar with
the skill and “NO” if not. Feel free to answer each skill. Write your answers in your
notebook.

Skills in Computer Hardware Servicing YES NO

I can open a computer case.
I can connect the mouse.
I can connect the keyboard.
I can connect the monitor.
I can apply occupational health and safety precautions while
working.
I can remove the system fan.
I can detach the power supply from the system unit.
I know how to remove the RAM from the motherboard.
I can remove the hard drive from the system unit.
I can install the power supply.
I know how to install the motherboard.
I can install the internal drives in a system unit.
I know how to attach RAM in the memory socket.
I can install CD / DVD drives.
I know how to install an operating system
I know how to configure a hardware components
I know the procedures in inspecting operating systems and
software components

158
Books and Articles and Printed Materials:

Barry Press, Marcia Press, “PC Upgrade and Repair Bible,

Desktop Edition”., Wiley Publishing Inc., 10475 Crosspoint
Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256

Ron Gilster, “PC Repair Bench Book”., Wiley Publishing Inc., 10475
Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256

Barry Press, Marcia Press, “PC Upgrade and Repair Bible, Desktop
Edition”., Wiley Publishing Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard,
Indianapolis, IN 46256

Ronaldo V. Ramilo And Deover M. Pasco “K to 12 Basic Education

Curriculum- Technology and Livelihood Education Learning Module –
Computer Hardware Serviciing”

Marigen N. Leosala, Bobby P. Caoagdan, Ronaldo V. Ramilo, and Rosalie

P. Lujero “Technology and Livelihood Education- Information and
Communications Technology Learners Manual – Grade 7 & 8”

Efraim Turban, R. Kelly Rainer Jr., Richarrd Potter “Introduction to Information

Technology” 3rd Edition- 2005 at Rosewood Drive, Denver, John
Wisley and Sons(Asia) Pte. Ltd

Electronic Resources:

“Computer Memory Types” Retrieved from

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/computer-memory-types.html

“Measurements for Memory & Storage” Retrieved from

http://www.athropolis.com/popup/c-comp2.htm

“Fundamentals of PC repair” Retrieved from http://www.ustudy.in/ce/hard/u1

159
“Occupational Health and Safety Precautions” Retrieved from
http://danreb.com/sites/default/files/CHS-NC2%20Reviewer%20-
%20With%20Oral%20Questioning_0.pdf

“Puzzles for Activities” Retrieved from

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp

“Occupational Safety Precautions” Retrieved from

http://info.psu.edu.sa/psu/cis/kalmustafa/CISCO/Lecture%20Slides/ITE
_PC_v40_Chapter2.pdf

“Computer Hardware Basics” Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N7bqBsFL0w-

“How to install Computer Hardware” Retrieved from

http://www.wikihow.com/Install-Computer-Hardware-

“How to install Computer components” Retrieved from

http://www.directron.com/howtoupsys.html-

“Tool Selection” Retrieved from

http://www.bechtel.com/assets/files/Environmental/ToolboxSafetyTopic
s/20 /10/ProperToolSelection.pdf

“PC Assembly” Retrieved from http://www.iml.uts.edu.au/assessment-

futures/designing/assembling.html

“Computer Basics” Retrieved from

http://www.instructables.com/id/Disassemble-a-Computer/-

“PC Hardware, Networking ,Operating Systems and Troubleshooting”

Retrieved from www.professormesser.com-

160
Adapters- These are printed-circuit boards that enables the computer to use
a peripheral device for which it does not have the necessary connections or
circuit boards.

Analog Computers- It uses continuous variables for mathematical

operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.

Bridge is a device filters data traffic at a network boundary

Digital Computers- They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on
two states, namely bits 0 and 1

Digital multimeter is a device that can take many types of measurements. It

tests the integrity

Drivers- are small software programs that help the operating system use or
“drive” the device

Ethernet switch is a device that gathers the signals from devices that are
connected to it

Hard disk drive- Is a magnetic storage device that is installed inside the
computer.

Hardware-These are the tangible component of a computer system.

Hazard-Is a situation in the workplace that has the potential to harm the
health and safety of people or to damage plant and equipment.

Hub- is a small, simple, inexpensive device that joins multiple computers

together

Hybrid Computers- a combination of both digital and analog computers

161
Loopback adapter- is also called a loopback plug, tests the basic
functionality of computer ports

Mainframe Computers- these are computers have the capacities to host

multiple operating systems and operate as a number of virtual machines and
can substitute for several small servers

Microcomputers- A computer with a microprocessor and its central

processing unit it is known as a microcomputer

Minicomputers- are also called mid-range systems or workstations

Motherboard- is the main circuit board of a computer containing all the

essential parts of a PC.

Network firewall - protects a computer network from unauthorized access

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)- is a handheld computer and popularly

known as a palmtop

Smart board - Type of display screen that has a touch sensitive transparent
panel covering the screen.

Static electricity - is an accumulation of electric charge on an insulated

body.

Servers- They are computers designed to provide services to client machines

in a computer network

162
ATA- Advance Technology Attachment

BIOS- Basic Input Output System

CD- Compact Disc

CHS- Computer Hardware Servicing

CRT- Cathode Ray Tube

ESD- Electro Static Discharge

DVD- Digital Versatile Disc

FAT- File Allocation Table

GB- Giga Byte

HDD- Hard Disk Drive

LAN- Local Area Networking

LCD- Liquid Crystal Display

LED- Light Emitting Diode

MB- Mega Byte

NTFS- New Technology File System

OHS- Occupational Health and Safety

OS- Operating System

PDA- Personal Digital Assistant

163
PPE- Personal Protective Equipment

RAM- Random Access Memory

ROM- Read Only Memory

SATA- Serial Advance Technology Attachment

USB- Universal Serial Bus

WAN- Wide Area Network

VGA- Video Graphic Array

164