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Safety precautions to protect yourself and Your Computer

When you work on a computer, it is possible to damage the computer and cause
yourself harm. To protect yourself and the computer, you should take the following safety
precautions as you work on a computer:

Turn off power of the computer.

To protect both yourself and the equipment when working inside a computer, turn off
the power, unplug the computer, and always use a ground bracelet as described below and in
chapter 1. You should never open the case on a power supply or monitor unless you are
working with an expert or are qualified to do so and know exactly what you are doing. Both
the power supply and the monitor can hold a dangerous level of electricity even after they are
turned off and disconnected from a power source.

Protect Against ESD. Electrostatic discharge (ESD), commonly known as static electricity,
is an electrical charge that can build up on the surface of insulating materials, such as
clothing or plastic. ESD can cause total failure of an electronic component, or it can damaged
the component so it does not perform well, or works only intermittently. To protect against
ESD, always ground yourself before touching electronic components, including the hard
drive, motherboard, expansion cards, processors, and memory modules. Ground yourself and
the computer parts, using one or more of the following static control devices or methods:

 Ground bracelet or static strap. A ground bracelet it is an antistatic strap

you wear around your wrist. The wrist strap grounds you by attaching to a
grounded conductor such as the computer case or a ground mat. The bracelet
also contains a resistor that prevents electricity from harming you. It should
be considered essential equipment when working on a computer.
 Ground mat. A ground mat provides a grounded surface on which to place
components with which you are working. A ground bracelet also can be
connected to a ground mat, some of which come equipped with a cord to
plug into a wall outlet. As you work, remember that if you lift the component
off the mat, it is no longer grounded and is susceptible to ESD.
 Static shielding bag. A new computer component often is shipped in a static
shielding bag. When working on a PC, you can lay components on these
static shielding bags. The bags also can be used to store other devices that are
not currently installed in a PC.

The best solution to protect against ESD is to use a ground bracelet together with a ground
mat. Consider a ground bracelet to be essential equipment when working on a computer.

Follow Additional Safety Precautions. Other safety precautions that can help prevent
accidents while you are working on a computer include the following
 Make notes as you work so you can go back step-by-step to check your
work later if necessary.
 When unpacking hardware or software, remove the packing tape and
cellophane from the work area as soon as possible.

 Keep components away from your hair and clothing.

 Keep screws and spacers orderly and in one place, such as a cup or a
tray.
 Do not stack boards on top of each other; you could dislodge a chip
accidentally.

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 When handling motherboards and expansion cards, do not touch the

chips on the boards. Hold expansion by the edges. Do not touch any
soldered components on a card, and do not touch chips or edge
connectors unless it is absolutely necessary.
 Do not touch a chip with a magnetize screwdriver.
 Do not use a graphite pencil to change DIP switch settings, because
graphite is a conductor of electricity, and the graphite can lodge in the
switch.
 Always turn off a computer before moving it. A computer’s hard drive
always spins while it is on, unless it has a sleep mode. Therefore, it is
important not to move, kick, or jar a computer while it is running.
 To protect disks, keep them away from magnetic fields, heat, and
extreme cold. Do not open the shuttle window o a floppy disk or touch
the disk’s surface.
 In a classroom environment, after you have reassembled everything,
have your instructor check your work before you put the cover back on
and power up.

Protecting Against EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)

Another phenomenon that can cause electrical problems with computers is

electromagnetic interference (EMI). When electricity flows, it creates an electromagnetic
field in a radio frequency range. The internal circuits of personal computers generate
electromagnetic fields in the radio frequency, as do many computer monitors. Unfortunately,
these emissions from one device can interfere with other devices, causing EMI. EMI can lead
to data loss, picture quality degradation on monitors, and other problems with your computer,
or problems with radio and TV reception.
One of the reasons computers have a case is to reduce the EMI emitted to other
nearby computers. Power supplies are also shielded to prevent them from emitting EMI. To
help decrease EMI between computers, always install face plates in empty drive bays or slot
covers over empty expansion slots. You also should avoid having computers on the same
circuit as high-powered electrical equipment. If intermittent errors persist on a PC, EMI may
be the cause. To solve the problem, try moving the computer to a new location a few feet
away. If the problem continuous, move the computer to a location that uses a different
electric circuit.

Providing Surge Protection and Battery Backup

In addition to protecting your PC against ESD and EMI, you need to consider how the
power (known as AC or alternating current) coming into a computer is regulated. Many
devices are available to filter the AC input from a wall socket to a computer and its
peripherals, as well as to provide backup power when the AC fails. These devices, installed
between the house current and the computer; fall into three general categories: surge
suppressors, power conditioners, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs). Each device
provides protection against temporary voltage surges, called overvoltages or spikes, and
temporary voltage reductions caused by brownouts. These devices measured by the loads
they support in watts, volt-amperes (VA), or kilovolt-amperes (kVA), each of which is a
measure of electricity. These devices also should have the UL (Underwriters Laboratory)
logo to indicate that the device has passed certain safety certification standards.

SURGE PROCESSORS. A surge suppressor, also called a surge protector, provides a row of
power outlets and an on/off switch that protects equipment from overvoltsages on AC power
lines and telephone lines. Surge suppressors can come as power strips (note that not all power

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strips have surge protection), wall-mounted units that plug into AC outlets, or consoles
designed to sit beneath the monitor on a desktop. Some surge suppressors also provide
telephone jacks to protect modems and fax machines from power surges.

The most important measure of a measure of a surge suppressor is the let-through voltage,
which is the maximum voltage the surge suppressors allows to reach your equipment. This
often is listed as the UL 1449 rating. A surge suppressors rated at 330 volts lets through the
least amount of electricity and provides the most protection. Also look for surge suppressors
that guarantee protection against damage from lightning, and that reimburse for equipment
destroyed while the surge suppressors is in use.

THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER

The first step I understanding PC hardware is learning the correct names for
the major parts of the PC. Figure 1.5 shows a standard PC setup. You should
be able and describe all the major components:
 The System Unit is the box that contains the essence of the computer
in the system unit; you will find the computer’s brain, its short- and
long-term memory, and the wiring that’s links all the pieces together.
Peripheral devices attach to it using special connectors, usually on the
back of the box
 The keyboard is the typewriter component of a PC. it enables you to
enter letters, numbers, and special characters into the computer.
 The mouse is a primary input device on a modern computer. It
enables you to interact with images on the monitor screen by
controlling an on-screen icon called a cursor.
 The monitor is the computer’s primary output device. Over the years,
monitors have progressed from small, black screens with crudely
formed glowing green or orange characters to large, flat-panel screens
that display photographic-quality images in over 4 billion colors.
 Speakers provide the audio output for your system. The first PC
speaker system often consisted of two rather cheap speakers, but
today’s computer sound systems may have up to six speakers,
including a subwoofer.

Pretty much everything attached to the system unit is known generically as a

peripheral device. Peripheral devices performed what are called input/ output (i/o)
functions for the system unit. That is they move information into and output of the
computer. A keyboard is a good example of an input device because it in enables a
user to inter data into the computer. A monitor (the computer TV like screen) is an
example of an output device. The computer communicates with us through its output
on the monitor screen.
Almost every PC consists of a system unit, keyboard, monitor, mouse, and
speakers. However many other peripherals are also quite common on a typical PC.
Figure 1.6 shows my personal system, which as you can see, has quite a few
additional peripherals:
 Cameras are quite popular on many systems today.
 With a microphone, you can input sound into your computer.
 Joysticks are primarily used for computer games.
 Speakers bring you sound. See the subwoofer system?
 You still need a printer to create paper output.
 A zip drive is one way to store or transfer files that are too large for a floppy
disk.

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Let’s take a closer look at the system unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Pay attention to how the three peripherals connect to the system unit.

SYSTEM UNIT
The system unit is far and away the most complicated part of a PC. It
houses the actual computing power of the system, provides the connections to all
the peripherals, and hold the disk drives where you insert removable storage media
such as CDs and floppy disks.

THE BACK OF THE SYSTEM UNIT

Let’s start by taking a closer look at the back of the system unit, shown in fig,
1.7 notice the many connection points, the generic term to these connection points is
ports. The back of these system has a place to plug in the power cord; a vent for the
cooling fan; special ports where you can plug in a monitor, keyboard, mouse,
speaker, communications devices, and a joystick; plus a parallel fort of a printer, a
serial port (used by many newer devices.)
 Power input the power inputs is where you plug in the PC’s electrical power
cord.
 Keyboard port this special dedicated port is just for the mouse.
 USB ports Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are general- purpose connectors
founds on newer PC’s. The more unusual the peripheral, the more likely it will
use a USB port
 Serial port this 9-pin connector is one of the oldest and most universal ports
found in the back of the PC. Before the introduction of USB in the mid 1990s,
serial ports were heavily used.
 Parallel port virtually as old as serial port, the 25 pins parallel port has been
updated a number of times over the years. Despite the growing prominence
of USB, parallel ports remain a popular mean for connecting printer.
 Video port this unique three- row, 15- pin connector is where the monitor
connector is where the monitor connects to the system unit.
 Games port also known as a joystick port, this 15- pin connector can be used
both for joysticks and for MIDI musical devices.
 Modem port this looks like a telephone jack., and for a good reason- that’s
what it is. Modems enable your computer to communicate with other
computers via a telephone line. Notice that there are two connectors. One is
an IN jack, which you use to plug your computer into the wall jack, and the
other is un out jack, which you can use to plug in a telephone.
 Network interface the network interface is normally called just that, and not
port. It is sometimes referred to as an Ethernet connector. It connects your
PC to the other PC in a local area network.

MONITOR
Monitors come into one of two types: the older cathode ray tube (CTR) type or the
more modem liquid crystal display (LCD) variety. CRT monitors have a picture tube like a
TV, so they have a big front – to – back footprint by contrast, LCD monitors are quite thin,
but the technology is still new and thus such much more expensive. Both kinds of monitors
have roughly the same types of controls and connections.
 The on/off switch- often a button – turns the monitor on and off.
 Screen Adjustment control, which vary widely in how they operate from
one monitor to another, can be used to adjust many features of the display,
including its size and position on the screen; its shape characteristics; and
its clarity, brightness, and color tones.

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Fig 1.8 shows the front of a typical monitor. Fig 1.9 shows the back of a CTR- type
monitor. Although an LCD – type monitor uses a totally different display technology;
CRT’s and LCDs share the same types of connections. Both have a power cord that
provide electricity to the monitor, and a special video connection on the back of the
system unit for the video cable that the transmits the video signal from the system to
the display screen.

KEYBOARD

Fig. 1.10 shows two types of keyboard at the top of the fig. Uses a round of
connector. System with both PS/2 and USB port can use either of these keyboards;
however, no system is designed to use two keyboards at the same time.

MOUSE DEVICES

Can you imagine a PC without a mouse? Well, for the first 10 years of
the personal computer, until about 1990, computer mice were the exception rather
than the rule. Unit window became a standard featured a PC (apple computer had
graphical interfaces from the beginning so they have always used mice). Instead to
use a keyboard to type instruction of the computer. Even today, window still enables
users to operate most of its features using strokes rather than the mouse clicks.
Figure 1.11 shows three mices, each with4f2 different types of connector.

The first and still the most common way that computer mice detect
motion is with a small roller ball set into the bottom of the mouse. These ball-type
mice work best when used with special mouse pad to provide good traction for the
ball. A standard mouse has two buttons on top that are used to interact with
elements of the screen. At one point, somebody has the bright idea of inverting the
operation of a standard mouse; instead of positioning the ball of the bottom of the
device so that you must push the mouse around on a pad to turn the ball, the was
positioned on the top of the mouse, so that you may turn it with your thumb or
fingers. This type of mouse is called a trackball mouse. Another spin (pardon the
pun) on the traditional ball mouse is the optical mouse, which uses light sensor
instead of a mechanical ball to detect the mouse’s motion. You still push around an
optical mouse, but it doesn’t require a mouse pad. Figure 1.12 shows all three types
of mouse devices.

Handling PC Connections
Troubleshooting PCs almost always involves plugging and unplugging
various peripherals from the system unit. The step-by-step exercise is design to help
you feel comfortable handling the various types of the connections on the back of a
system unit. If you have trouble with a connection, try plugging and unplugging it
several times to get the feel of it. Look carefully at the plug on the end of the plug of
the cable and the connector on the back on the case. Notice any design features,
such as the shape or the color of the plug and connector, that may have been added
to help you connect them properly. Notice which one is male ( has pin sticking out of
it) and which one is female ( has holes for inserting the pins). It is standard to refers
to many computer connectors as either male or female, and some type come in both
flavors, so it matters which one you’re looking at okay, take deep breath and let’s
begin! To complete in this exercise, will need the following:

 A computer with standard peripherals, attached, including a mouse,

keyboard, and monitor
Step 1

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`
Before you do anything else, you must shut down your system. Make sure to
do this using the proper shutdown procedure for your operating system.

Step 2
Unplug the other end of the power cord from the back of the system unit.
Take a close look at the plug. Notice that its irregular shape ensures that it can be
inserted in only one oration. Plug notice that its irregular shape ensures that it can
be inserted in only one orientation. Plug the power cord back into the wall socket!

Step 3
Now find your mouse connection. Unplug the mouse inspect the plug. What
type is it? If it’s a PS/2 plug, observed the orientation the pins. Note that the mouse
plug, too, must be properly oriented to plug successfully. Now plug the mouse back
into the mouse port. Unplug is again and then very gently try to plug the mouse into
the port incorrectly. It won’t go, Of course, and that’s a good thing.

Step 4 Now find your keyboard connection. On many systems, both the keyboard
and mouse are PS/2 ports, often right next to each other. This arrangement makes
it quite easy to insert the mouse plug accidentally into the keyboard port, and the
keyboard plug into the mouse port. Happily doing this will not do any damage,
although neither device will work. If you work.if you both a system after reconnecting
these devices and they don’t work, check the plugs. If you got them reversed, simply
turnoff the system and switch them.

Step 5
1 Finally locate the video connector where your monitor cable connects to the
system box, and unplug it. Some of these plugs are held in by thumbscrews on
either side of the plug. If yours in this type, you must unscrew both thumbscrew
before you can unplug it. Usually these screws are designed to remain attached to
the plug, so don’t try to remove them entirely. When you think the screws are
disengaged, pull gently on the plug to remove it. The video connector may take
slightly more force to remove than the mouse and keyboard plugs did, but still not a
lot. If it resist strongly, check to see whether one of the screws is still engaged.

Step 6

Take look at the plug once you’ve removed it. Is it male or female? How many
rows of holes does it have? Only monitor plug are have this exact arrangement.
Okay now you get to reattach the connector to the system box. Don’t forget to screw
in the thumbscrews.

Step 7
Recheck everything to verify that all of the connections are in place. Now
plug the power cord back into the socket and boot the computer. If you didn’t get the
main power cord reinserted correctly, the computer will sit there like a giant
paperweight. If you got that messed up on the monitor power cord. The system until
will make noises, but the monitor’s power light will stay off and you won’t respond. If
you didn’t quite get one of those plug in all the way, then one or both of them won’t
respond. If this happens don’t worry about it-. Even experienced PC techs mess
these things up periodically. It just means you get a chance to do your first real
trouble shooting. If you did everything right the first time, high- five somebody.

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IDENTIFYING TH E INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF A PC

Now that you learned about ESD and familiarized yourself with the major
components of a PC, it’s time to learn about the parts most peole never see. Your
first look inside a PC system can be a bit scary. In this case, however, a little fear is
not a bad thing. The average PC cost enough to make it one of the more expensive
appliances in most homes, and an expensive business machine as well. So if
cracking the case on a PC to poke around inside seem like a big deal, good-it will be
a big deal, if you destroy somebody’s precious system, and no tech should get so
cocky that he or she forgets to be careful! Before you open a real case, you should
have a good idea of what’s inside. Fig. 1.13 shows a typical system unit opened to
make the internal components invisible.

 The central processing unit (CPU), also called the microprocessor, is

the brain of computer, the place where all the work gets done. Two
companies currently control almost entire PC CPU market: Intel and
AMD. The CPU is usually easy to locate because it cover by a large fan.
 Random access memory (RAM) is in effect, the CPU’s short-term
memory. Just like fact stored in our short-term memory, data store in
RAM can be accessed very quickly, but it disappears when the power is
turned off. For long-term storage, your computer uses the hard drive. The
CPU uses RAM to store information relevant to whatever it is currently
doing, so what’s actually in RAM is constantly hanging. RAM comes
packaged on small, flat cards commonly referred to as sticks of memory.
They connect to the motherboard by snapping into specially designed
slots. Computer memory is measured in megabytes (MB) for most PCs,
or gigabytes (GB) for high-end systems.
 Motherboard is the big printed circuit board that covers most of the
bottom of the system unit. The motherboard’s main job is to provide an
area where all of the internal components of the PC can connect. All
motherboards have connections for the CPU, RAM, and storage drives,
as well as a variety of general-purpose expansion slots.
 Expansion Slots enable you to expand the capabilities of your system
by adding extra components. Any device that snaps into an expansion
slot is known generically as an expansion card. Many expansion cards
are designed with a long, thin metal plate on one end that shows through
a matching hole in the back of the case. The plate contains connectors
for devices that use that card.
 Hard Drive is your PC’s primary storage area. It’s like the computer’s
long-term memory; data stored there remains available for later use,
unlike data in RAM, which disappears when you power off the computer;
however, the hard drive can’t be accessed as quickly as RAM. The
computer uses the hard drive to store all of the software that it uses and
all of the documents and pictures and other data that you create and
save on the PC. Modern hard drive storage is measured in GB.
 Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory Drives, or CD-ROM Drives, are
designed to read CDs. All modern computers come with some version of
a CD-ROM Drive. Basic CD-ROM discs can only be read from – you
cannot write any data onto a CD-ROM disc. Compact disc-recordable
(CD-R) Discs allow you to write data to them, but only one time. Newer
PC models usually include compact disc-Rewriteable (CD-RW) drives
that enable you to read and write repeatedly to special CD-RW discs, just
like a floppy drive.
 Floppy Drives read floppy disks. The disks are known simply as floppies.
Floppies were the first kind of the storage used by PCs, even before hard

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drives./ compared to more modern storage media, floppy disk hold only a
very small amount of information, but they can hold a good number of
document of pictures, and they are cheap, small, and easy to buy. Their
continue usefulness, combined with PC manufacturer’s fear of eliminating
backward comp ability, means that most PCs still come with a floppy
drive.
 Also known a graphical adapter, the video card acts the interface
between the computers in the monitor. It take a lot at the computing
power to generate the complex visual display on the average computer
screen, so most video cards come with their own on- board on CPUs.
Thanks for to the explosion of video games in recent years, the power of
the CPUs on high-end graphics adapter rivals that of the system CPUs
just a few years ago.
 The computer power supply is misnamed. It doesn’t actually supply
power to the computer; that’s the power company’s job. A computer
power supply convert standard household, A/C current into the D/C
current need by the PC. Note the many cable coming out of the power
supply to provide power to the various internal components.
 Sound cards provide on sound input and output on for your PC. The
earliest PC sound cards often considered of nothing more than a stereo
output on the stereo input. Modern PC sound cards often come with
soround – sound capabilities, digital inputs, and most recently, support for
DVDs. Many PCs have the sound built into the motherboard.

 To access a local area network (LAN). Like the one connecting many
office connecting many office computers, most PCs require a special
expansion card called a Network Interface Card (NIC) that snap into
one of the PC’s expansion slots. Many newer motherboards have this
capability built in.

 Before network cards and broadband access, there were modems and
phone lines. For many people, a modem and phone line are still primary
tools to accessing the Internet. Modems come in two flovors; external and
internal. The earliest modems were all external devices that you plugged
into a serial port on the back of the case. Modern modems tend to be the
internal type, which are expansion cards that snap into standard
expansion slots on the motherboard.

SETTING THE JUMPER – first step in the motherboard to go in the case

a. The documentation for a motherboard, such as this one that uses three jumpers to
configure the BIOS lists how jumpers should be set for booting.
b. The jumper caps in the normal mode to allow BIOS to use the current configuration
for booting.

MODES (JUMPERS TO CONFIGURE THE BIOS)

1. NORMAL (Defult) – current BIOS configuration used for booting

2. CONFIGURE – displays a menu in CMOS setup that can be used to clear the user
and supervisor power on passwords.
3. RECOVERY MODE – used to recover from a failed BIOS update.

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Thermal Grease(Thermal Compound) – help transfer heat from the processor to the heat
sink.

- Do not use too much, because it may squish out the sides and interfere with other
components.

Clip Assembly – surrounds the fan and heat sink

- Line up the clip assembly with the retention mechanism
- Press lightly on all four corners to attach it
- Different coolers use different types of clipping mechanisms

INSTALLING THE MOTHERBOARD IN THE CASE

Before doing this, double check that your CPU is securely installed and the CPU voltage,
system bus, and clock multiplier are set correctly fro your specific CPU.

STEPS:

1. Install the faceplate (or I/O shield) – metal plate that comes with the motherboard and
fits over the ports to create a well-fitting enclosure around them.

a. select the faceplate that fits over the ports that comes off the motherboard.
b. install that faceplate in the hole at the rear of the computer case.

2. Install the standoffs and spacers – round plastic or metal pegs that separate the
motherboard from the case.
- make sure the locations of the standoffs or spacers match the screw hoes or the
motherboard.

3. Place the motherboard inside the case, and use screws attach it to the case.

4. If you are using an ATX motherboard, connect the power cord from the power supply
to the P1 power connection on the motherboard.
If you are using an AT motherboard, you have two power connections.

5. Connect the wire leads from the front panel of the case to the motherboard

FIVE WIRE LEADS/ CONNECTORS

1. Reset switch – used to warm boot the computer

2. HDD LED (Hard Drive Led) – controls a light on the front panel that lights up when
any IDE device is in use. LED (Light Emitting Diode).
3. Speaker – controls the speaker
4. Power led – light indicating that the power is on
5. Remote switch – controls power to the motherboard

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