CALENDAR

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Chapter 7 Assembling Your Own Computer System

• 7.1 Assembling the Hardware
• 7.2 Installing the Operating System
• 7.3 Compatibility Issues in Hardware

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Choose the right combination of hardware
• e.g. Home use and web surfing
• LAN card or modem is needed
• no need to install sophisticated hardware
• Cost considerations
• never go for CPU with the highest speed
• choose a hard disk with appropriate capacity
• consider reputation and warranty

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Precautions in computer assembling
• Discharge oneself before handling hardware
• Hold the main board and expansion cards by edges
• Return the main board and peripherals to
  anti-static bags
• Disconnect the power before working on the system

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 1 Installing the Power Supply

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 2 Configuring the Main Board jumper
• CPU System Bus Frequency
• CPU Clock Ratio
• CPU Core Voltage

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 3 Inserting CPU into the main board
• The socket, heat sink and fan support base are
  mounted onto the main board
• Heat sink and fan prevent overheating

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 3 Inserting CPU into the main board

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 4 Inserting the RAM

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 5 Mounting the main board into the
  computer case

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 6 Main board signal connections

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 7 Connecting the Power Supply to the
  Main Board

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing the expansion cards
• Install the video adapter first
• AGP card goes into the AGP slot

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing IDE devices
• IDE drives hard disk, CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs
• Set the jumpers on the drives before mounting
• Two IDE channels on the main board
• Each channel can attach to two devices

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing IDE devices

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing IDE devices

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing IDE devices
• Master device alone device on IDE cable
• Slave device second device on the same cable
• Ultra ATA 66/100 IDE cable
• black for Master drive
• grey for Slave drive
• blue for connecting to IDE port onboard

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing IDE devices
• Installing CD-ROM drive
• Install the drive into an available bay
• Insert the power cord into the drive
• Connect the drive to the main board via the
  ribbon wire
• Connect the sound cable from the drive to the
  main board connector

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 8 Installing IDE devices
• Installing CD-ROM drive

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Procedure 9 System check
• Connect the power cable
• Switch on the computer
• Check the message on screen
• Set up BIOS and install OS if the system works
  fine

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7.1 Assembling the Hardware

• Fine tuning the computer installation
• The drives are connected to the power supply
  properly.
• A fan is attached to the CPU with the power plug
  connected to the main board.
• Ribbon cables of floppy disk and IDE drives are
  attached correctly.
• All connections are tight.
• CPU core voltage is set correctly.
• Cards are inserted fully in slots.
• No wires protrude into any fans.

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7.2 Installing the Operating System

• Clean install
• All the content of the hard drive are erased and
  everything is installed from scratch
• Format the hard drive and install the OS
• Back up the data before clean installing an
  existing PC
• Upgrade
• A new OS is installed directly over the previous
  version
• Old files are left which affect the system

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7.2 Installing the Operating System

• Materials needed
• Hardware documentation
• Driver disks of hardware
• Users menu of new OS
• Start-up procedures for installing an OS
• Start from floppy disk
• e.g. Windows 98
• Start from CD-ROM
• e.g. Windows XP

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7.2 Installing the Operating System

• Start from floppy disk (Windows 98)
• Prepare a boot disk
• Check the boot-up sequence
• Ensure the partition of the hard disk where OS is
  installed is active
• Insert the boot disk into the floppy disk
• Turn on the power supply
• Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM into the drive and
  type D\setup.exe
• Follow the on-screen prompts

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7.2 Installing the Operating System

• Start from CD-ROM (Windows XP)
• Check the BIOS boot sequence
• Insert Windows XP CD-ROM into the drive
• Boot the system
• Start installation process
• Remove the Windows XP CD-ROM
• Reboot the computer

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7.2 Installing the Operating System

• Installing applications

Start
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7.3 Compatibility Issues in Hardware

• Compatibility problem among main board, video
  adapter and expansion cards
• Solutions
• Place each expansion card in different slots
• Take turns at replacing every expansion card in a
  certain order
• Use step-by-step approach to analyze the
  installation of device driver.

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END