Computer Repair & maintenance prepared by prabesh singh

Class: x

Chapter-1 Introduction to computer

Computer is an electronic machine that can execute the list of instruction and perform
result. Computer is a very important and useful device in almost all fields. Computer needs
electricity to work therefore it is called electronic device. The computer very faster than human
& it gives correct result than human.

Computers have different parts. Some important parts are described by following block diagram.

Input devices Processing devices Output devices

Storage devices

Fig. simple blog diagram of computer

User’s information is given from input devices & that information or data goes to processing
devices. After receiving the information from input devices, processing devices process that data
and gives result to the output devices or store result in the memory devices.

Data: Data is a collection of raw fact which keeps the information about person, place, Object.
The computer works according to data given by the user. Eg. Name of the student, number of
passed student etc.

Information: Information is the output of processed data. Every alphabet, number, sound, visual
information are information.

Program: collection of sequential instructions to solve the problem is called program. The
program is designed according to the user’s requirement. The program itself is a data and it also
uses data for operation.

Hardware: the physical parts of computer which can be touch is called hardware. Physically, all
operations are performed by hardware of computer. CPU, Mouse, Keyboard, monitor, hard disk,
RAM, CD-ROM etc are examples of hardware. In computer, Every information is transmitted by
cable from one hardware to another.

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Software: software is a computer instruction or data. Anything that can be stored electronically
which can’t be touch is called software. For example window operating system, ms-word, ms-
excel, ms-paint. Without software the computer can’t work. There are mainly three types of
software.

i. System software: this is large software which is designing for performing task, such
as controlling computer system, it help to interfacing to user and computer. Without
system software the computer can’t operate. This types of software mainly manage
and control to the overall computer system. Operating system, language translator
like compiler etc are the system software.
ii. Utility software: it is a computer software which is designed to help configure or
maintain a computer. it perform such as data transfer operation, recovery of data, disk
management, remove computer virus etc. this types of software is mainly used to
repair the computer system. for example computer antivirus like Norton antivirus,
NOD32 etc disk fragmentation software etc.
iii. Application software: Application program does specific job for the user such as
solving equation, producing bill, data processing of accounts etc. which are made
according to the requirement of user and company. This types of software is designed
by using system software. For example ms-word, power point, ms-excel, Photoshop
etc are the application software.

System case:-

System case is the metal and plastic box which is houses the main component of the
computer.

Function of the system case:

i. Motherboard or other internal computer components are mounted inside the system
case. So it fit the all components together and works well.
ii. The system case protects the inside of the system from outside world.
iii. The case contains light that gives the user information about what is going on inside
the box.
System case style and size
System case comes in several different major styles. The commonly used names
are tower, mini- tower etc.
There are two basic style case, tower case and desktop case.

Types of case according to size:

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Full Tower case

The full tower case is the largest standard

PC case available in the market. This case is
big, heavy, and at more than 76 cm in
height.

Mid tower case

The mid tower case is similar to

a tower case, but slightly smaller.

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“Midi” tower case

The combination of MID and Mini case is called midi tower case. It is smaller than a Mid
tower but larger than a Mini tower.

Mini tower case

This is roughly the same size as a desktop case but due to its design is generally easier to use
and often has more capacity. It also tend to keep components cooler than a desktop case.
Desktop case

In desktop case the box sits on the desk, and the monitor sits on the box. in this case, the
desktop usually saves space compared to a tower case.
Summary of case style
Case style size cooling cost
Full tower large best High
Mid tower medium better Medium
Midi tower Small to medium Good Low to medium
Mini tower small ok low
desktop small Worse low
System case form factors
The shape and general physical layout of a component is called form factor. There are three
main components that must be matches in term of their form factor: the case, power supply and
the Motherboard.
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 Switches

Most cases have either two or three switches on the outside of the box, and they are usually
same. Case switches are used to control the operation of the PC. Some of the switches are:
i. Power on/off switch:- the power on/off switch for modern PCs is on the front of the case.
This switch is used for on or off the system.
ii. Reset button:- the reset button is a simple normally-open switch that is concern to two
pins on the motherboard. When the button is pressed, the switch is closed. When it is
released, the system performs a hardware reset.
iii. Turbo button:- in computer, the turbo button is a button which change the effective
speed of the system, making equipment run faster(or slower) in some way.
1.1 Power supply:- it is responsible for supplying to the power every devices of the computer.
Internal power supply:- the internal power supply is responsible for converting your standard
household power into form that your computer can use.
Function of the power supply
 It convert household AC power supply to DC power because the computer system use (-12v
to +12v) DC power but household power supply is 220v.
 It distributes power supply in different parts of computer system through different cable.

There are two types of power supply linear power supply and switch mode power supply
(SMPS).
Linear power supply:- it does not have any feedback, therefore it is called linear power
supply. It converts the AC voltage into required DC voltage.
Switch mode power supply:- in switch mode power supply AC input is directly rectified
without the use of transformer to obtained a DC voltage. the switch mode power supply gives
a low voltage isolated output from a main source. a typical block diagram of such a supply is
shown below.

Primary Primary Solid state Transformer Secondary Secondary

Rectifie Filter Switch Rectifier Filter
r

Testing or switching
Circuit
Fig. parts of the switch mode power supply

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In the above diagram has an AC input, then the first stage is to convert the input to DC. This is called
rectification.

-Rectifier:- the rectifier is an electronic device, which convert AC waveform(usually a

bidirectional waveform) to DC(Unidirectional waveform).
-Filter:- the Rectified voltage initially filtered by a capacitor filter to produce a DC voltage. This
resulting DC voltage usually has some ripple or AC voltage variation. filter is used to reduce that
ripple of AC .
-Transformer:- the output of the solid state switch is connected to the generally step down
transformer for down to the level of the desired DC voltage.
-Ripple or AC voltage variation back through the testing or switching circuit as shown in figure.

Parts of the power supply

Casing
• The PSU case keeps the internal components of the PSU isolated from the components inside the
computer case. Some of the PSU components carry voltage that could do considerable damage if they
were to access computer components

Drive Connectors
PSUs usually have at least five power connectors for delivering power to internal components
not fixed to the motherboard. Typically, this includes hard disk drives and CD/DVD devices.
Different cable and connector types are needed to connect PSUs to different devices, such as IDE-
based drives and SATA-based drives. If more power connections are required, the number can be
increased by using splitters, which create two connections from one.

Motherboard Connectors
• Power is sent from the PSU to the motherboard via specific wired connections. The CPU, expansion
slots, memory and other components all need to receive the correct voltage from the PSU, and there
are locations on the motherboard designed to receive the PSU connections. Connections to the
motherboard must be made accurately, since the wrong connections can result in damage to the
computer.

Cooling Fan
• In early computers, the PSU fan was the primary cooling source for the whole computer. The PSU
fan is located inside its casing. Having the fan control the incoming air means that filters can be used
to limit the amount of dust getting into the computer case. More recently, this mechanism was
switched when more powerful processors needed additional cooling.

Power Cable

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 • A power cable runs externally from the PSU case and is connected to the mains using a three-pin
plug. The cable connects to the PSU using a standard three-point connector. Some PSUs also have a
pass-through connector, which allows them to feed mains power to other external components, such
as monitors.

Form factor of the power supply

The form factor of a power supply is a description of its size and connection to the motherboard. Size
is important; the power supply must fit into a specially designed area in the case and leave room for other
internal components. The connection must also fit the motherboard type.

1. PC/XT
o The first personal computer designs made widely available were the IBM PC/XT, using the
XT form factor motherboard; the first power supply form factor was the XT. This was an
invention of International Business Machines (IBM), but the company wisely decided to leave
the hardware standards open so other developers could create their own and expand on them.

PC/AT
o In 1984, the Advanced Technology (AT) form factor motherboard was released. It used the
same pair of six-conductor motherboard connectors and four-conductor hard drive connectors.
The AT form factor tripled the wattage on the power supplies to 192 watts and was the first
form factor to be included in tower-style computer cases.

Baby AT
o The Baby AT was a decrease in size of both the motherboard and power supply. This power
supply fit in either the smaller Baby AT cases or the full-size AT case. This meant more
flexibility at a time when PCs were becoming more popular. Many different companies
capitalized on this, and the Baby AT was used as the primary form factor for many years.

LPX
o The LPX form factor is also called the PS2 power supply, after the popular computer model.
The LP in LPX stands for Low Profile. This power supply allows for great flexibility in case
size and allows cases to be customized to fit many different areas in the modern office.

Motherboard and System devices

Motherboard:- A single printed circuit board which includes all the essential electronic components and
circuits called motherboard. Motherboard also called main board, where various circuit cards performing
various functions all plug into many similar sockets. Each circuit card perform a unique function in the
computer and gets it’s power from the socket. The motherboard itself was a large printed circuit card that
contained the 8088 microprocessor, the BIOS, sockets for the CPU’s RAM and collection of slots. If you

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want add a floppy disk drive or parallel port or a joystick, you bought a separate cards and plugged it into
one of the slots. Ships and sockets are soldered onto the motherboard.

Fig: parts of the motherboard

Motherboard form factor

The form factor of the motherboard describes its general shapes and its physical origination.
For example a company makes two motherboards that have basically the same functionality but that use a
different form factor. And only real differences will be the physical layout of the board, the position of the
components etc.

For examples a baby AT version and ATX version, the ATX form factor specifies changes not just the
motherboard, but the case and power supply as well, all of the improvements are examine here:

• Integrated I/O port connector: Baby AT motherboards use headers which stick up from the board,
and cable that goes from them to the physical serial and parallel port connectors mounted on to the
case. The ATX has these connectors soldered directly into the motherboard. This improvement
reduces cost, saves installation time, improve reliability.
• Integrated PS/2 mouse connector: on most Baby AT style motherboards, there is either no PS/2
mouse port, or to get one you need to use a cable from the PS/2 header from the motherboard, just
like a serial or parallel port, AT motherboards have the PS/2 port built into the motherboard.

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 • Power supply connector: the ATX motherboard uses single 20-pin connectors. But the AT
motherboard use 16-pin connector.
• Air flow:- The ATX power supply is intended to blow air into the case instead of out of it.

Parts of the motherboard

Motherboard is a printed circuit board where different components are soldered. some parts of the
motherboard are as:

• I/O cables/connectors:- if your motherboard use the ATX, LPX or NLX form factors it has
integrated serial and parallel port connector. If it is AT or Baby AT style, then you normally should
get three ribbon cables with the motherboard to connect the serial and parallel connectors to the
motherboard. The serial cables normally have 9 wires each and the parallel cable has 25.
• Floppy cable:- the motherboard should come with one standard 34-pin floppy disk cables. This is the
unusual-looking cable with 5 connectors on it.
• Printed circuit Board:- Motherboards are multiple layer printed circuit boards, also sometimes
called PCBs. The physical board that you see actually sandwich of several layer, each containing
some of the circuitry required to connect the various components on the board. At one time, this was
expensive, difficult to manufacture technology, but time and automation has reduced.
• Memory socket:- Most motherboard today come with between 2 and 8 socket for the insertion of
memory. These are usually either SIMMs (single inline memory module) or DIMMs (dual inline
memory module). These can come in different sizes. The type and size of memory socket is depends
on form factor of motherboard.
• ISA slot:- ISA slot stands for industry Standard Architecture and this is the oldest and slower data
bus used on pc.
• PCI slot:- PCI stands peripheral component interconnection PCI slot replace the slower ISA slot. The
PCI data bus gives the computer much faster data transfer from the device to the motherboard.
• AGP slot:- AGP stands for accelerated Graphic port. AGP slot is used by the video card to provide
quick and fast access by the CPU. Video Data is sent directly to the CPU without any delay what so
ever.
• Power connector:- the motherboard has a socket to attach the power cables coming from the power
supply. The cables are connected to the motherboard. The connector is usually found near the back
right-hand side of the motherboard, near the power supply.
• Capacitors:- capacitors are electrical components that are used to filter and smooth signals on the
motherboard.
• Keyboard & mouse connectors:- the type of Keyboard & mouse connectors your PC will have
depends on the style and form factor of your motherboard. Newer PCs, PCs using the ATX,LPX or
NLX form factors, and many machines, use a pair of small 6-pin connectors for the keyboard and
PS/2 mouse. Older PCs using the AT form factor use the older, large, 5-pin keyboard connector, do
not have a PS/2 mouse port connector. This PCs use the serial port for the mouse these connectors
located at the back of the motherboard.

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 • IDE (integrated drive electronics)/ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) interface cable:-
the motherboard normally comes with one standard 40-pin IDE (ATA) hard disk/ CD-ROM cable. It
should have three connectors on it, but sometimes will only have 2.

System Bus

A bus, in computer term, is simply a channel over which information flows between two or more devices.
The bus can send to, and receive information from, other devices. In fact, your home telephone wiring is a
bus where information flows through the wiring that goes through your house. Most of the internal system
components, including the processor, cache, memory, and storage devices talk to each other over one or
more buses.

Types of Buses

There are three types of bus as shown in given diagram

i. Control Bus:- it is used to send out signals to coordinate & manage the activities of the
motherboard components.
ii. Address Bus:- the components pass memory address one another over the address Bus.
iii. Data Bus:- transfer data between peripherals, memory & the CPU. The data bus can be
very busy pathway.

Functions of the buses

The function of the buses can be summarized as below:

i. Data Sharing:- all types of buses founds on a computer must be able to transfer data between the
computer peripherals connected to it.
ii. Addressing:- A bus has address lines , which match those of the processor. This allow data to be
sent to or from specific memory location.
iii. Power supply:- A bus supplies power to various peripherals that are connected to it.
iv. Timing:- the bus provides a system clock signal.
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Peripheral Component Interconnected (PCI) Local Bus

The PCI local bus is a high performance bus designed for high speed data transfer. The PCI bus resides on
the system board and add normally used as an interconnected mechanism between highly integrated
peripheral components peripheral add on the board, and host processor or memory system. PCI support the
32-bit & 64-bit data width. The bus data width is equal to the processor, for example 32-bit processor would
have 32-bit PCI bus.

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)

The need for high quality & very fast performance of videos on computers led to the development of
the AGP. The AGP port is connected to the CPU & operates at the speed of the processor bus.

The AGP uses the main PC memory to hold 3D images. To speed up the data transfer, intel designed
the port as a direct path to the PC main memory.

System BIOS

BIOS standard for Basic input/output System. the system BIOS is a lowest-level software in the
computer. It acts as an interface between the hardware especially the chipset and the operating system. the
BIOS provides access to the system hardware and enables the creating of the higher level OS (DOS,
Windows 95 etc.) that you use to run on your applications. The BIOS is also responsible for allowing you to
control your computer hardware settings, for booting up the machine when you turn on the power or hit the
reset button, and various other system functions.

System bios function

One of the most important function of the BIOS play is to boot up the system. The main function of
the system BIOS are:-

I. POST (power on self test):- test the computer hardware & make sure no error exist before loading the
operating system
II. Bootstrap loader:- it is located at the operating system. If a capable operating system located, the
BIOS will pass control to it.
III. Bios driver:- low level driver that gives the computer basic operational control over your computer
hardware.
IV. BIOS setup:- configuration program that allows you to configure hardware setting including system
setting such as computer password, date & time.
V. Password protection: you may want to prevent other people from accessing your Bios setting &
making adjustment. You can prevent this by setting password in the bios that will need to entered
every time someone tries to access the bios.
VI. Monitoring hardware:- your bios interface will monitor the speed of any case fan plugged into & the
temperature of the CPU.
VII. Identify hardware: your BIOS interface will list almost all of the hardware components inside your
computer. The main BIOS page will list your CPU, your internal storage device, RAM, Network
device & I/O hardware such as USB controller.

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BIOS setting

This section describes the most of the BIOS setting that you will find in a typical higher PC. Some
BIOS setting are quite universal. While other can be found on only the system made with one type of BIOS
or made by one manufacture. This section describes the most common setting that are used in modern PCs.

BIOS setting – standard setting

This section group contains basic parameters that you will normally need to set for your system to
work properly.

I. Date:- make sure that you enter it in the correct format. Normally this is mm/dd/yy. Newer version of
window will let you change the date within the “Date time property” features & BIOS Date will be
updated automatically by the system.
II. Time:- most system requires this to be entered to be a 24-hr clock (1:00 pm=13, etc). Newer version
of window will let you change the time within the “Date time property” features & BIOS Date will be
updated automatically by the system.
III. TDE channel:- this is used to where the hard disk parameters are entered IDE system.
IV. Cache setup:- this setting determine the speed that the chipset will use for reading data from external
cache.
V. Boot sequence:- in this section we can chose the boot option or boot priority the computer
automatically search the boot devices, then we can choose operation system.
VI. Virus warning:- if we enables the virus warning features, this notify us the various notification when
the virus or unwanted object are in the computer.
VII. Number luck status:- it is show the keypad number is lucked or unlocked.
1.2 The processor:
The processor (short form for microprocessor) is the central component of the PC. A microprocessor
is a multipurpose, programmable, register based electronic device that reads binary instruction from a
storage device, process data according to those instruction, & provides as result.

Processor Power and Voltage

In the early days of computers, there wasn't very much concern about how much power a processor used.
There weren't as many of them, and we weren't doing nearly as much with them. We were just thrilled they
existed at all! As time has gone on our demands on these machines have continued to increase and new uses
have put power consumption in the spotlight. This has led to a confusing set of voltage specifications where
before (up to the Intel 486DX2-66) everything ran on 5 volt power.

The power usage and the voltage support of a processor are important for the following reasons:

• Newer processors are larger and faster, and keeping them cool can be a major concern.
• With millions of PCs in use, and sometimes thousands located in the same company, the desire to
conserve energy has grown from a non-issue to a real issue in the last five years.
• Reducing power usage is a primary objective for the designers of notebook computers, since they run
on batteries with a limited life. (They also are more sensitive to heat problems since their components
are crammed into such a small space).

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Newer processors strive to add additional features and to run at faster speeds, which tends to increase power
consumption. Processor designers compensate for this largely through technology, by using lower-power
semiconductor processes, and shrinking the circuit size and die size.

Processor cooling

Heat can be problem in any high performance system. The higher speed processor consumes more
power and therefore generate more heat. The processor is usually the signal most power hungry chip in a
system, and in most situations, the fan inside your computer case is incapable of handling the load without
some help.

Heat sinks:

At one time, a heat sink was needed only in system in which processor heat was a problem. However
starting with the faster Pentium processor in the early 1990, heat sinks have been a necessity for every
processor.

Processor Sockets and Slots

When referring to a processor, a CPU socket or processor socket is a connection that allow a
computer processor to be connected to a motherboard. For example the socket 370 is an example of such a
socket.

When a referring to a programming language, a socket is a communication used between a client and server.
One of the most widely used socket API or Unix c library.

A slot is a computer processor connection designed to make upgrading the processor much easier,
where the user would only have to slide a processor into a slot. The original slot or slot 1 was first released
by the intel corporation. Later AMD released another slot processor known as the slot A.

1.2.2 System Memory, memory technology types, speed, size

Computer memory is a physical electronic device that is used to store data & information temporally or
permanently as required by computer.

Types of memory

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 Fig. block diagram of the memory types

Primary memory

Primary memory also called main memory, which is used for immediate access of data by the
processor. Primary memory can be divided into two types: RAM & ROM.

i. RAM:
RAM is a memory within the computer system responsible for storing data temporary basis,
so that it can be accessed by the processor when needed. It is volatile in nature, which means that data
will be erased when the power supply to the storage device is turned off. RAM stores data randomly
& the processor accesses these data randomly from RAM storages. The information storages in the
RAM is typically loaded from the computer hard disk, & includes data related to the operating system
& certain application. When the system is switch off, the RAM losses all stored information.
Primarily RAM is two types: Static RAM & Dynamic RAM.
(a) Static RAM:
Static RAM is a type of RAM that holds its data without external refresh. It is a more
expensive & faster than DRAM. SRAMs are made from four to six transistors (or more) per bit.
Static RAM is takes up more space than DRAM.
(b) Dynamic RAM:
Dynamic RAM is a type of RAM that only holds its data, if it is continuously accessed by
special logic called a refresh circuit. Many hundreds of times each second, this circuit reads the
content of each memory cell. DRAMs are smaller & less expensive than SRAM. DRAM use only
one, plus a capacitor. The capacitor, when energized, holds an electrical charge if the bit contain
“1” or no charge if it contains a “0”. DRAM is slower than SRAM.

ii. ROM:

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 One major types of memory that is used in PCs is called ROM. Unlike RAM, ROM is a
permanent form of storage. ROM does not losses the data or information when the power is turned
off.
Types of ROM:
(a) ROM:
It is designed to perform a specific function & can’t be changed. ROM is constructed from
hard wire logic, silicon.
(b) Programmable ROM(PROM):
This is type of ROM that can be programmed using special equipment, it can be written to,
but only once. This is useful for companies that make their own ROMs from software they write,
because when they change their code they can created new PROM without requiring expensive
equipments. This is similar to the CD-ROM recorder work by letting you “burn” program into
blanks once & then letting you read from them many times. In fact, programming in a ROM is
also called burning.
(c) Erasable Programmable ROM(EPROM):
An EPROM is a ROM that can be erased and Reprogrammed.

(d) Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM(EEPROM):

The next level of erasable is the EEPROM, which can be erased under software control. This
is the most flexible type of ROM, & is now commonly used for holding BIOS program.
Difference between static RAM & dynamic RAM

Static RAM Dynamic RAM

1. It does not requires external refresh. It requires external refresh circuit.

2. It is faster than DRAM It is slower than SRAM.

3. It is expensive than DRAM Less expensive than SRAM.
4. Larger than DRAM. Smaller than SRAM.
Difference between RAM & ROM

RAM(Random Access Memory) ROM(read only memory)

1. It is a volatile in nature. It is a non-volatile in nature.

2. RAM is read & writes. ROM is Read only

3. RAM is Random access ROM is not Random Access

4. RAM is faster than ROM. ROM is slower than RAM.

5. RAM is expensive than ROM ROM is less expensive than RAM.

Memory speed, access & timing:

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 This section describe the details on how the system memory works, this includes the particular
of how memory is accessed. The speed of the system memory is also very important because it is a
contributing factor to overall performance. There are many different aspects that influence the real world
speed of memory.

 The memory controller:

Every computer has within it is a hardware logic circuit called the memory controller. This is
the part of the System that control the memory signals to control the reading and writing of
information from & to the memory, & interface the memory with the other major parts of the system.
The memory controller is normally integrated into the system chipset.
 Memory access & access timing:
When memory is read or written this is called memory access. A specific procedure is used to
control each access to memory which consists of having the memory controller generate the correct
signal to specify which memory location need to be accessed, & then having the data show up on the
data bus to be read by the processor .

Note: the amount of time that it takes for the memory to produce the data required, from the start of the
access until when the valid data is available for use is called the memory access time. It is normally measure
in nanosecond (ns).

Flash memory:-

Flash memory is actually variation of EEPROM. The difference is that EEPROM can be erased
& rewritten at the byte level. But flash memory can erase or reprogram block of bytes. Flash memory stores
data in cells within the memory chip. A flash memory has grid of columns & rows, each intersection is called
cell.

Pen driver is latest implementation of flash memory which is mostly used now a day. This
memory device designed to function like removable disk storage. This device is directly connected in USB
port.

1.3 Video cards:

Video card is a component which responsible for producing the visual output from your
computer. The video card is the piece of the hardware which takes that output and tells the monitor which of
the dots on the screen to light up to allow you to see it.

1.3.1 Video modes, Resolution & color:

This section describes the technical details of video modes & signals, as well as describing the
major characteristics of the video images.

a) Text & graphics modes:

All video cards are able to display information in either text or graphical modes. In text mode,
information is stored as characters in a character set; usually on PC this is the ASCII character set. A
typical PC text screen has 25 rows & 80 columns.

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 Graphical modes are totally different; there the dots on the screen are manipulated directly, so
both text & images are possible. Graphical modes are allows for more flexible in term of what is
displayed on the screen.

b) Color & monochrome mode:

The first PC used monochrome video only; color monitor becomes popular in the later. Color
display originally very expensive, Most video cards today retain the ability to display information
monochrome text mode.
c) Pixel & resolution modes:
The image that is displayed on the screen is composed of thousands of small dots, these are
called pixels. A pixel represents the smallest piece of the screen that can be controlled individually.
The number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen is called resolution of the image. This
is normally displayed as a pair of numbers. Such as 640*480. The first is the number of pixels that
can be displayed horizontally on the screen, & second is displayed vertically.
Eg. 320*200
640*480
1024*768
d) Frame buffer memory requirement:
The frame buffer is a video memory that is used to hold the video images displayed on the
screen. The amount of memory required to hold the image depends on the resolution of the images.

1.3.2. video display standard

Video standard is define to agreed upon resolution, colors, refresh rate etc.
a. Monochrome display adapter(MDA):

This adapter could display only text (no graphics) in one color, at a resolution 640 pixel width
by 350 pixels height. It is suited for word processing work. Monochrome monitor displays clear &
attractive characters.

b. Color graphic adapter (CGA):

This video adapter was introduced by IBM, which provides low resolution text & graphics.
CGA provides several different text & graphics mode. It supported 640horizontal pixels by 200
vertical pixels with 2 colors, or 320 horizontal pixels by 200 vertical pixels with 4 colors.
c. Enhanced graphic array (EGA):
This standard offered improved resolution of more color than CGA. EGA allows graphical
output up to 16 colors at screen. It supported the resolution 640*350.

d. Video graphics Adapter (VGA):

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 It is used to special video chip to generate display. VGA offers more graphics, more colors &
high resolution of any graphical adapter. VGA supported the resolution 640*480 pixels, 256 colors
can be display. The monitor is controlled through RBG output.
e. Extended graphics array (XGA):
It supported the resolution of 1024*768 pixels & supported 256 colors.
f. Supper VGA:
The resolution supported up to 1024*768 pixels & color format is up to 20 bit/pixels.

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1.4 hard disk drives

It is a secondary storage device. Hard disk drive is the data center of the computer. Hard disk is the most
important of the various types of permanent storages used in computer.

1.4.1 Construction & operation of the hard disk drive

A hard disk is typically composed of many “disks”, called platters, positioned one above another but
not touching each other. This is possible because the platters are attached to a spindle that is installed
vertically through the center of each platter, holding them rigidly in parallel position with equidistant gaps
between them. The spindle also allows the whole platter assembly to be spun in unison, as one cylindrical
device.

The image below depicts a slightly older Parallel ATA (PATA) hard disk drive that has been opened,
revealing its spindle, platters and other inner components.

Hard disk is a common data storage used in computers. Data is stored on the hard disk in the form of

0 and 1. Through this article we will find out how actually data is stored on the hard disk drive. The part of

the hard disk that stores the data is known as platter. Platters are circular disk made of a typically aluminum

19
alloy, glass or ceramic and are coated with a thin layer (10-20nm) of a magnetic material. Platters are further

separated in to the tracks and sectors where tracks are concentric circles while sectors are pie shaped wedges

on the track.

Hard disk stores information in the form of magnetic fields. Data is stored digitally in the form of tiny

magnetized regions on the platter where each region represents a bit. To write a data on the hard disk, a

magnetic field is placed on the tiny field in one of these two polarities: N-S – If North Pole arrives before the

south pole and S-N – if the south pole arrives before the north pole while the field is accessed. An

orientation in the one direction (like N-S) can represent the ‘1’ while the opposite orientation (S-N)

represents “0”. This polarity is sensed by integrated controllers built within the hard disk.

1.4.1.1 Hard disk geometry, tracks, cylinder & sectors

To understand how disks stores data. we need to understand disk geometry. Disk geometry refers to

the electronic organization of any type of disk drive. Actually the physical number of cylinders, tracks &

sectors.
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 The concentric ring which is in two sides of platter is called tracts. They are numbered from
outermost to innermost, starting 0. Each track contains the same number of bytes. Therefore the amount of
data is limited by the size of the innermost tracks. A disk track is too large to manage data effectively as a
single storage unit. Many disk tracks can store 100,000 or more bytes of data, which would be very
inefficient for storing small files.
Cylinder
all the tracks simultaneously accessible at a single arm position known as a cylinder.

Sectors
Each of tracks of a platter is divided into individual segments called sectors. Sectors are
created by a series of straight line that cuts platter into the pie shaped. A sector is the smallest
accessible unit on a disk. Sectors may very slightly in their size. With the ones at the outer edge
of the disk being larger than the inner ones. However all sectors holds the same amount of data.

1.4.1.2 Partitioning, partition size & drive lettering

Partitioning is one of the necessary steps to prepare a drive for use. It is the process of
defining certain areas of the hard disk for the operating system. Partitioning the hard disk is the
act of dividing it into pieces; into logical volumes. This is one of the first things done when
setting up a new hard disk, because partitions are one of the major disk structures that define how
the disk is laid out. In fact, you must partition a hard disk, even if only "partitioning" it into a
single volume, before you can format and use the disk. The choice of how the disk is partitioned
21
is important because partition size has an important impact on both performance and on how
efficiently the disk's space is utilized. Even the matter of "efficiency" has several different facets,
depending on one's priorities.
The computer assigns the A: and B: drives to floppy disks and sometimes other
removable media such as tape drives. As you install other hard drives, create new partitions, and
add other drives such as CD-ROM or DVD drives, they will be assigned to other drive letters
after C, such as D, E, F, G, etc. For example, most computers today come with a hard drive, and
disc drive, such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD drive. With this common configuration, your
hard drive would be assigned to the C: drive, and your CD or DVD drive would be assigned to
the D: drive. If no floppy drive comes with the computer because A: and B: drive letters are
reserved for floppy drives your hard drive will still be assigned as the C: drive.

Hard disk formatting

Hard disk formatting means hard disk make to ready for data stores. all stores devices
must be formatted before it can be used. there are two formatting steps.

• low-level formatting (also called physical formatting)

• high-level formatting (also called logical formatting)

low-level formatting
The purpose of low-level formatting is to divide the disk surface into basic elements:

• tracks
• sectors
• cylinders
Remember that a hard drive consists of several circular platters rotating around an axis and
covered on either side by a magnetic oxide which, since it is polarized, can be used to store data.
The tracks are the concentric areas written on both sides of a platter.

High-level formatting
After low-level formatting is complete, we have a disk with tracks and sectors--but nothing
written on them. High-level formatting is the process of writing the file system structures on the
disk that let the disk be used for storing programs and data. High-level formatting is done after
the hard disk has been partitioned , even if only one partition is to be used.

Hard disk interfaces & configuration

The hard disk interface defines the physical and logical means by which the hard disk
connects to the PC. A modern PC uses the following hard disk interfaces:

IDE/ATA/ATAPI

(Advanced Technology Attachment) (Also known as IDE, ATAPI and Parallel ATA)
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 IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is a standard electronic interface used between a
computer motherboard 's data paths or bus and the computer's disk storage devices. The IDE
interface is based on the IBM PC Industry Standard Architecture ( ISA ) 16-bit bus standard, but
it is also used in computers that use other bus standards. Most computers sold today use an
enhanced version of IDE called Enhance Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE

The IDE cable connects CD drives and Hard drives to the mother board. They transfer
data and commands between the devices but not power. The cables come in the 40 pin and 80
pin configurations. You do have to observe and connect the cables correctly for them to work.

ATA (IDE, ATAPI, PATA) ATA is a common interface used in many personal computers
before the emergence of SATA. It is the least expensive of the interfaces.

Disadvantages

• Older ATA adapters will limit transfer

• Only ONE device on the ATA cable is able to read/write at one time
• Limited standard for cable length (up to 18inches/46cm)

Advantages

• Low costs
• Large capacity

Serial ATA (SATA)

Serial ATA ( SATA) is a newer technology that is replacing ATA. SATA has
several advantages over ATA, including smaller cables and connectors, higher
bandwidth, and greater reliability. Although SATA and ATA are incompatible at the
physical and electrical levels, SATA is generally compatible with ATA at the software
level, which means that the operating system ATA drivers work with either SATA or
ATA interfaces and hard drives.

SATA is basically an advancement of ATA.

Disadvantages

• Not supported in older systems without the use of additional components

Advantages

• Low costs
• Large capacity
• Faster transfer rates compared to ATA (difference is marginal at times though)
• Smaller cables for better heat dissipation.

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Hard disk formatting

Hard disk formatting means hard disk make to ready for data stores. all stores devices
must be formatted before it can be used. there are two formatting steps.

• low-level formatting (also called physical formatting)

• high-level formatting (also called logical formatting)

low-level formatting
The purpose of low-level formatting is to divide the disk surface into basic elements:

• tracks
• sectors
• cylinders
Remember that a hard drive consists of several circular platters rotating around an axis and
covered on either side by a magnetic oxide which, since it is polarized, can be used to store data.
The tracks are the concentric areas written on both sides of a platter.

High-level formatting
After low-level formatting is complete, we have a disk with tracks and sectors--but
nothing written on them. High-level formatting is the process of writing the file system structures
on the disk that let the disk be used for storing programs and data. High-level formatting is done
after the hard disk has been partitioned , even if only one partition is to be used.

1.5 CD,DVD-ROM Drive construction & operation

The compact disk (CD) is a small plastic disk with a reflecting metal coating, usually aluminum.

CD,DVD-ROM are optical storages because they store data on a reflective surface so it
can be read by a beam of laser light. a laser uses narrow beam of light, focused & directed with
lenses & mirror. CD-ROM reads digital data from a disk by focusing a laser on the disk surface.
when the reflects the laser beam into the sensor is interpreted as a 1. absence of a reflection
is interpreted as a 0. In a CD-ROM, the data are stored in sectors, which can be read
independently - like from a hard disk.

Let us start by look at the CD-ROM construction. To facilitate understanding, it will be

easiest to compare it with other disk types, especially the hard disk. The CD-ROM is a plastic
disk of 120 mm diameter and the hole in the centre is 15 mm.

24
 It is placed in a CD-ROM drive, which is like a drawer in the PC cabinet:

When the CD-ROM disk is placed in the drive, it starts to spin the disk. It reaches
operating speed in one to two seconds. Then the drive is ready to read from the disk.

Recordable CDs (CD‐R)

A CD-R disc is coated with a photosensitive materials that allow a user to record information. it
is a Write once Read many drive. With the CD‐R you can only write to the media once. CD-R is
a permanent Data storages.

Rewritable CDs (CD‐RW)

A CD-RW is a blank CD. unlike a CD-R a CD-RW can be written a multiple times. therefore
you have to completely erase a CD-RW every time you want to change the file or add new data.
CD-RW allows you to erase the contents and rewrite again.
DVD (also known as digital versatile disc or digital video disc) is a popular optical disc
stores media format. its main uses are videos and data stores. most DVDs are same dimensions
as compact Disk. but store more than six times as much data.
DVD-ROM has data which can only be read and not written.
CD,DVD ROM interface and configuration
CD ROM drive uses either IDE(actually ATAPI) or SCSI(small computer system interface). just
as hard disk do.

• ATAPI/IDE
most common interface used in modern CD-ROM drives is the Advanced Technology
Attachment Packet Interface(ATAPI). physically ATAPI CD-ROM drives connect to
system in about the same way that IDE hard disk do.
• SCSI
SCSI is a most higher level protocol than IDE. in fact, while IDE is interface but SCSI is
a system level bus. each SCSI device working together to manage the flow of information on the
channel. SCSI is fastest than IDE.

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Computer Monitors
Computer Monitors are the display devices used to view the display output of a computer. The
Technology of Monitors is rapidly expanding. Now you can even connect multiple monitors to a
single computer.

Monitor Resolution, size & refresh Rate:

Resolution:
Resolution of the monitor refers to the sharpness & clarity of an image. a monitors
resolution is determined by the number of pixels on the screen. for example resolution 640*480
means that there are 640 pixels horizontally & 480 pixels vertically on the screen.
Monitor size:
A monitor's size affects how will you can see images. with a larger monitor you can make
the objects on the screen appears larger. Display size of a monitor is calculated diagonally, the
actual display size is smaller. Consider 17" CRT monitor will actually have a display size of only
16" inch Size. The CRT monitor comes in 15-inch to 21-inch sizes (38 — 53 cm) and larger.
Display size of a LCD monitor: Display size of 17" LCD monitor will have 17" Display size.
Monitor Refresh rate
A monitor refresh rate is the numbers of time per second that the electron gun scan every
pixels on the screen. refresh rate is important because Phosphor dots fade quickly after the
electron gun charged them with electron. refresh rate is measured in Hertz(Hz), or in cycle per
second. this means that if a monitors refresh rate is 100 Hz, it refreshes its pixels 100 times
every second.

CRT Monitor
The basic CRT consists of four major components.
1. Electron Gun:- It is used for producing a strain of electrons
2. Focusing & Accelerating Anodes:- These are used for producing a narrow and sharply focus
beam of electrons.
3. Horizontal & Vertical Deflection Plates:- These are used for controlling the path of the beam.
4. Evacuated Glass Envelope:- With a phosphor screen which produces bright spot when strict
by a high velocity electron beam.

CRT Means “Cathode Ray Tube”, CRT monitor has more lines of dots per inch, higher
the lines more amount of the resolution. It creates the picture by number of rows or lines of the
small tiny dots. Consider this Resolution 1024 x 768 resolution will be sharper than 800 x 600
resolution. The primary output device in a graphics system is a video monitor. The operation of
most video monitors is based on the standard cathode ray tube (CRT) design.

26
 A CRT is a vacuum glass tube. in the figure An electron gun produces a beam of
electrons which is directed towards the front of the screen. The inner side of the screen is coated
with phosphor substance which gives off light when it is stroked by electrons. the tube consists
of vertical & horizontal deflection plates. The voltage applied to the horizontal deflection plate
controls the horizontal deflection of the electron beam & The voltage applied to the vertical
deflection plates controls the vertical deflection of the electron beam.

LCD Monitors
LCD Monitors are called as “Liquid Crystal Display”, It is an LCD Technology. Liquid Crystal
Display consists of two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them.
When an electric current passed through the liquid crystal solution, crystals align so that light
cannot pass through them. It is like a shutter either allows light to pass through or Blocking the
light.

27
Comparison between CRT and LCD Monitors
CRT Monitors are heavy and occupies more space at the desk and the major weight of CRT
Monitors is due to heavy weight of Cathod Ray Tube.
LCD Monitors have thin flat screen and even can be fixed on walls, occupies less space as
compared to CRT Monitors and are indeed lighter than the CRT Monitors.
Price
CRT monitors are much cheaper than LCD however they consume more power as compared to
LCD Monitor.
Radiation Emission
The radiation emission in CRT monitors are higher as compared to LCD Monitors. Working on
CRT Monitors for continuous long hours may affect eyesight or cause head ache.

1.7 Keyboard

Keyboard:

Keyboard is a primary input device for entering text & numbers. a standard keyboard
includes 100 keys. Each key sends different signals to the CPU.

• Alphanumeric key layout:

the area of the keyboard the looks like typewriters key. Alphanumeric key
produces letters & numbers. the alphanumeric key group include four key having
specific functions. the TAB, CAP LOCK, BACK SPACE & ENTER key.

Functions of the different types of keys in the keyboard

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• Modifier keys:
SHIFT,ALT(alternate), & CTRL;
• Numeric Key:
numeric keypad is usually located on the right side of the keyboard. the numeric
keypad looks like a calculator's keypad, with its 10 digits & mathematical
operators(+,-,*,/).

• the function keys:

the function keys which are labeled F1,F2……& so on are usually arranged in a
row along the top of the keyboard. they allow you to input command without
typing long string of characters or navigating menus or dialog box. each function
purpose dependent on the program you are using . for example most program, F1
is the help key.

• Cursor movement Key:

it is allow you to move cursor around the screen without using a mouse. there are
four types of curser key.

29
Operation of the keyboard:

when you press a key, keyboard controller notes which key has pressed. the keyboard controller
place a code into part of memory. buffer memory is a temporary storages area that hold data until
it can be processed. when the system software receive the signals it determine the appropriate
response. the system software reads the memory location & passes that code to the CPU.

30
 Unit-2 system care Guide

System care: System care is a maintained and cared for trouble free service.

2.1 Preventive Maintenance

The act of a regularly scheduled check of the computer hardware or software to help
ensure it continues to operate properly. Below is a list of some preventive maintenance steps you
can take with your computer.

a. Cleaning your computer hardware \

b. Download the latest drive your hardware.
c. Downloading the latest updates for your computer software
d. Verifying you have the latest anti-virus protection updates on your computer.
e. Running Disk utilities such as Defrag and scandisk on your hard drive.
f. Deleting unused program or other files on your computer.

Importance of preventive maintenance

i. Preventive maintenance improves performance of the System, eg. Speed, Accuracy.
ii. Preventive maintenance saves the money: it saves the money than Repair and
Replace the components.
iii. Preventive maintenance helps safeguard your data.
iv. Preventive maintenance saves the time.

2.2 System care

2.2.1 Cooling & ventilation

Computer processor executes the thousands of instruction at a time. Processor is a high

performance device, any high performance device produce the heat during the execution of
instructions. When the instructions are running the processor becomes heater. Overheating of the
any computer components, our data losses or even damages. So cooling & ventilation is
important for any computer system for properly working.

2.2.2 Background of viruses

Virus: A computer virus is a program that attaches to other pieces of code, so that when the user
tries to run the program, virus also run with the program. The virus code is designed to replicate
itself and infect other program.

Computer virus run without the user wanting. Viruses have the ability to infect or modify
other files or disk structure.

31
 Different Types of computer viruses

a. Worms: worms virus duplicate themselves & use communication such Email. They can look at
your Email address book & send themselves to users in your address book.
b. Trojan Horse: Trojans are harmful program that have not been authorized by user. This action
can includes:
• Deleting data
• Blocking data
• Modifying data
• Copying data

Unlike Worms Trojan are not able to self replicate.

c. ILOVEYOU virus: it is a computer virus which is seen in the E-mail. In the first time victims
receives an E-mail with the heading "I Love You" & the moment they opened it, the virus
would infect their computer and email itself to content in the their address book.
d. Bugs: A Bug is a computer virus which is error in the programs. it infected to the running
programs.
e. Dropper: A dropper is a program designed to install or deliver other virus into a system.

2.2.3 Virus scanning and anti-virus software

A computer virus scanning is a procedure designed to indentify & remove various types of
threats that download to computer hard drives. The programs that do this work are virus detection
program, usually called virus scanner or antivirus software. Some most used anti-virus software
are NOD32, Norton Antivirus, AVG etc.

2.3 Backup

Backup is a physical copying of data files to removable storages devices that allows the
data to be stored in another location. When needed, and individual data files or an entire set of data
files can be restored to a computer System.

2.3.1 Backup method, Devices & media

There are many different that you can use to backup the data on your hard disk. Different
media have different characteristics, such as capacity, speed etc. this section takes a look at some
of the different choices you have for backing up your data.

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 Media size matching

We must be determines matching size of the backup medium to the amount of data you
need to backup. It is essential that the size of the backup medium be matched to the size of the data
being backed up.

Different devices & media used to backup

i. Floppy disk: floppy disk is not suitable as backup devices for a modern pc. Floppies are slow,
unreliable and storage capacity is also limited.
ii. Tape drive
iii. Removable storage: it is a good performance and reliable for backup data.
iv. Optical drive (CD/DVD)
v. SSD (solid state drive)
vi. NAS (Network attached storages)
vii. Flash drive

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 Chapter 3 Troubleshooting, Repair & maintenance
Troubleshooting:

T he process of solving a problems or determining a problems to an issue.

Troubleshooting often involves the process of elimination.
3.1 General troubleshooting techniques
3.1.1 steps to take first when troubleshooting
Following steps are involved when the troubleshooting
i. Define the problems: check different parts of the computer & find the fault parts
or components.
ii. Identify Possible causes: Identify the cause of your problems.
iii. Research the problem
iv. Select & Test solution: to determine which solution appears to be most like to solve
your problems.
v. Preventative
3.2. Diagnostic, Troubleshooting and Repair Tools

Here are the items that I would recommend you definitely have in your toolkit; note that some of
these don't generally come in pre-assembled toolkits so you will want to add them yourself to the
carrying case. Every item in this list is one that I use personally on a regular basis:

• A Good Screwdriver: You want a good screwdriver with magnetic, interchangeable bits
and a comfortable handle. At a minimum you should have two different sizes each of
Phillips and flat bits. If you've never used a magnetic screwdriver before, you'll wonder
how you ever did without one once you do; the magnetic tip will prevent screws falling
into the PC, and will let you get access to drives mounted deep in your system case.
• Additional Screwdrivers: An additional Philips screwdriver and an additional flat blade
screwdriver, for when you misplace the good one. :^) Actually, it's sometimes useful to
have two screwdrivers anyway.
• Needle-Nose Pliers: These are useful for grasping small items and for removing and
replacing jumpers on circuit boards.
• Wire Snips: A pair of wire snips for cutting wire and stripping insulation. Some kits
include wire strippers for the latter purpose.
• A Small Flashlight: Very useful; the insides of PC boxes are quite dark and there are lots
of very small things you will need to see, such as the "pin 1" marking on a connector for
example.
• Tweezers: Or even better, a part retriever. A retriever is like a tiny set of retractable
claws with a spring-loaded handle. Useful stuff.
• A Large Crowbar: For making adjustments to stubborn hardware. (Just kidding. :^) )
• A Roll of Black Electrical Tape: They never include this in the kits but they should.
Used for wrapping wire ends and insulating components.
• A Can of Compressed Air: Very handy for cleaning things hands-free and without using
any hazardous liquids.
• A Soft, Lint-Free Cloth: For cleaning the monitor and other components.

3.2.1 Troubleshooting Boot time error message

34
 Different types of beep code error message of the BIOS ( AMI BIOS).
Beep code Description
1 short: DRAM refresh failure
2 short parity circuit failures
3 short 64K RAM failure
4 short system timer failure
5 short processor failure
6 short Keyboard controller Gate A20 failure
7 short virtual mode exception error
8 short display memory Read/ Write test Error
9 short ROM BIOS checksum error
11 short cache memory error
Troubleshooting Beep code error message
i. 1 short: DRAM failure
The system is having a problem accessing the system memory to refresh it.
Refresh is done on all system memory to keep its component active.
Troubleshooting
This code usually means a problem either with the system memory or with the
motherboard itself. So we can troubleshoot the motherboard and treat memory failure.

ii. 2 short parity circuit failure

This code is usually means a problem with the system memory or the
motherboard. So we can troubleshoot the motherboard and treat memory failure.

3.2.2 Troubleshooting specific components

3.2.2.1. Monitor
1. problem: No display in computer screen:
Potential causes
i. Loose connection of monitor cable with VGA card.
ii. Display card not fixed properly on expansion slot.
iii. RAM chips not fixed on memory slot.
iv. CPU not fixed on CPU socket.
v. Resolution of the monitor is set up in very high resolution, which is not supported by
monitor such as 1024*1200 in window 95,98 platform.
vi. Display card may be damaged.
vii. SMPS does not supply Accurate power.
viii. Reverse connection of data cable on HDD.
Potential solution:
i. Connect the monitor cable on display card with properly.
ii. Fix properly your display card on expansion slot.
iii. Fix properly RAM on RAM slot.
iv. Fix CPU on CPU socket.
35
 v. Reduce the Monitor resolution.
vi. Change display card & check display.
vii. Change SMPS & check for display.
viii. Check display by changing other fine monitor.
ix. Check HDD cable & change cable connection.

2. problem: No clear display

Potential causes:
i. improper installation of display card driver
ii. high resolution, which is not supported by monitor.
Potential solution:

i. Reinstall the display card driver software.

ii. Restart in safe mode and set resolution.
3. problem: Continuous long beep sound when switch on the computer & no display.
Potential causes
i. RAM do not fixed properly on RAM slot.
ii. Motherboard may be damaged.
iii. Display card does not fixed properly .
iv. Display card may be damaged.
Potential solution
i. Reinstall the display card drive software.
ii. Restart on safe mode & set resolution.

3.2.2.2. CD-ROM drive, FDD and HDD

1. problem: CD-ROM does not work
Potential causes
i. Improper jumper setting.
ii. Dirty lens of CD-ROM drive.
iii. Driver software is not installed properly.
iv. Improper cable connection between hard disk & CD-ROM.
v. Power cable connection is not properly.
vi. CD-ROM drive is defective.
Potential solution:
i. Set the jumper setting properly.
ii. Clean the CD-ROM drive by head cleaner.
iii. Install the CD-ROM drive software.
iv. Connect cable properly.
v. Connect power cable properly.
vi. Change other CD-ROM drive.
2.problem: CD is not reading properly
Potential causes
i. CD may be scratched.
36
 ii. Lens of drive may be dirty.
iii. Speed of CD-ROM drive is to slow.
iv. CD-ROM drive may be defective.
Potential solution:
i. Use new CD.
ii. Clean the CD-ROM's lens.
iii. Use high speed drive.
iv. Change the fine CD drive.

3. problem: FDD error

Potential causes
i. Data cable of FDD may have plugged in reverse direction.
ii. Not plugged power supply cable on floppy.
iii. FDD is not fixed in the causing
Potential solution:
i. Check data cable & connect correctly.
ii. Check & connect power connector in floppy drive.
iii. Fit the floppy drive.
4.problem: floppy can not be open
Potential causes:
i. Improper setting of floppy drive on BIOS setup.
ii. Floppy may be dirty/drive may be dirty.
iii. Floppy may be defective.
Potential solution:
i. Check floppy drive setting & choose proper setting on BIOS setup.
ii. Clean the floppy drive.
iii. Use new floppy.
5. problem: Hard disk fail
Potential causes
i. Data cable not connected properly.
ii. Data cable connected in reverse order.
iii. Not connected power cable on HDD.
iv. SMPS does not supplies required voltages.
v. Improper setting in BIOS setup for HDD.
vi. Hard disk may be damaged.
Potential solution:
i. Check data cable & restart computer.
ii. Plug the data cable on proper direction.
iii. Plug the power connector on HDD properly.
iv. Choose proper setting on BIOS setup for HDD.
v. If a hard disk is damaged, it produces some unusual sound form computer, replace it.
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3.2.2.3. Processor
1. problem: processor does not detected properly
Potential causes
i. Improper jumper setting of motherboard.
ii. Improper selection of CPU speed on BIOS setup on CPU menu.
iii. Motherboard does not support current CPU speed.
Potential solution
i. Do not remove or add any jumper on motherboard if needed.
ii. Set CPU proper speed on BIOS setup.
iii. Fit the CPU which is supported by motherboard.
2.problem: computer Restart itself frequently
Potential causes
i. SMPS does not regulate voltage properly.
ii. Hard disk is full by data or no free space on HDD.
iii. Motherboard may be defective.
iv. CPU fan is not working properly.
v. Processor may be damaged.
Potential solution:

i. Check SMPS power by multi-meter.

ii. Delete unnecessary data from hard disk to get free space.
iii. Change other motherboard.
iv. Change CPU cooler fan.
v. Change the CPU.
3. problem: frequently hang the computer
Potential causes:
i. Improper BIOS setting.
ii. Viruses infection on computer program.
iii. May be memory mismatch.
iv. Conflict of one device with other device.
v. Improper power output from power supply.
vi. Improper installation of drivers of any device.
vii. Insufficient memory.
viii. Not enough space in HDD.
ix. CPU fan not working properly.
x. Mismatch of RAM and display card.
xi. Desktop resolution is higher than supported by your computer.
Potential solution:
i. Set all option as properly on BIOS setup.
ii. Scan your all drive by latest antivirus.
iii. Use same type of memory.
iv. Check device manager on the property of my computer.
v. Change or repair power supply unit.
38
 vi. Install the proper drive software of device.
vii. Upgrade memory unit.
viii. Delete unnecessary file to increase free space on HDD.
ix. Change CPU fan.
x. Change that setting in lower order such as 600*800 pixels.
4. problem: computer slow
Potential causes:
i. Not enough memory for your program.
ii. Insufficient space in HDD.
iii. Due to virus infection.
iv. Lower speed of CPU.
v. Several programs are running at same time.
vi. Cache memory disabled in BIOS setup.
vii. A lots of applications kept in startup.
viii. Low video memory in display card.
Potential solution:
i. Upgrade the memory.
ii. Delete unnecessary files or change other hard disk.
iii. Scan HDD by latest antivirus.
iv. Upgrade the latest CPU.
v. Do not open several program at same time.
vi. Remove the program from startup.
vii. Enable cache memory in BIOS setup.
viii. Use fine display card.

3.2.2.4. Mouse
1. problem: mouse hang
Potential causes:
i. Conflict the port setting.
ii. Not properly connected in motherboard.
iii. Dust in mouse ball.
iv. Mouse may be damaged.
Potential solution:

i. Choose empty port for mouse.

ii. Connect properly in motherboard.
iii. Clean the mouse ball & its housing.
iv. Change other fine mouse.

39