The following is a sample excerpt from a study unit converted
into the Adobe Acrobat format. A sample online exam is
available for this excerpt.

Personal computers (PCs) have become extremely popular in
the industrialized world. In all types of businesses and for
people at all levels of education, the PC provides access to
vast amounts of information and computing power. In fact,
today’s commonplace desktop PC now boasts more comput-
ing power than the massive, room-filling mainframes of the
1960s, once affordable only to the largest universities and
corporations.

Today, schools and businesses aren’t the only places where
you’ll find powerful computers. The PC has also become a
permanent fixture in many homes. Some homes even have
more than one. In such cases, everyone in the family proba-
bly knows how to use the computer. Especially when con-
nected to the Internet, the PC can offer every member of the
family a variety of services, such as tracking finances, storing
recipes and other records, corresponding with friends and rel-
atives, or just exploring a topic of interest. From aardvarks to
the zodiac, it can all be accessed through a PC.

This program will teach you about the components, operation,
maintenance, and repair of PCs. Whether you’re looking to
maintain just your own computer or are seeking employment
in the field, this program will provide you with a thorough
knowledge of personal computers and related components.
Also, if you’re so inclined, the program will give you the
knowledge you’ll need to help you obtain your A+ Certification,
which requires successful completion of an A+ examination.

In this excerpt, we’ll discuss setting up a PC repair workshop.
After reading through the following material, feel free to take
the sample exam based on this excerpt.

A computer is composed of hardware, not to be confused with software, which is installed
on the hardware. The basic computer parts are the motherboard, processor, RAM, hard
drive, video adapter and power supply. You have to have all these parts to build a basic
computer.
The system unit is the core of a computer system. Usually it's a rectangular box placed on
or underneath your desk. Inside this box are many electronic components that process
information. The most important of these components is the central processing unit (CPU),
or microprocessor, which acts as the "brain" of your computer. Another component is
random access memory (RAM), which temporarily stores information that the CPU uses
while the computer is on. The information stored in RAM is erased when the computer is
turned off.
Almost every other part of your computer connects to the system unit using cables. The
cables plug into specific ports (openings), typically on the back of the system unit.


Hardware that is not part of the system unit is sometimes called a peripheral device or
device.
The motherboard is the most important part of a computer. Every other computer part
connects to the motherboard. If the motherboard does not work, none of the other parts will
either.
The cpu or processor is the computer's brain. It is in charge of telling your computer what
computer processes to do and when to do them. It is mounted onto the motherboard along
with the RAM.
Random Access Memory, also known as computer memory reads and writes data. RAM
does not store information but can remember information while your computer is on. Once
you turn off your computer, any information stored in the RAM is erased. The more RAM
your computer has, the faster it can run.
A hard drive stores programs, images, and all other files. Unlike RAM, a hard drive stores
and remembers information. The video adapter allows your display device to display a
picture from your computer. Video adapters are also referred to as a graphics card, video
board, video controller, and video card.
A power supply unit supplies power too all of the computer components. Without this you
would not be able to turn your computer on.
Your computer's not complete without such peripherals that must be attached to it. One
such peripheral would be the Monitor that displays all data. And you cannot give the
computer instruction with having a keyboard attached. A Mouse will make this task even
easier.
In this guide, you'll see detailed photos, audios, and videos of these components, how to
install, upgrade, and trouble most.
So, Let's Get Started....................

Troubleshooting Do's are extremely important to remember since they will save you
money as you follow these steps to prevent damage and save you grief should you ignore
any of these which may result in a problem showing up.
Take the time to go over these troubleshooting Do's first and pay close attention to
removing any and all static buildup from yourself.
Troubleshooting Do's consist of the following procedures.
DO make sure your hardware device drivers are up to date with any patches
downloaded and installed. Take the time to visit your video card, sound card,
motherboard, and other hardware manufacturer web sites to see if you have the most up to
date device drivers.

DO check that all connections are seated firmly and properly in their sockets. This is
a must check as these connections do tend to work themselves loose over time and cause
problems you may blame on software.
If you have been working in your system unit recently and you noticed a fault manifesting
itself, you want to go back and take a look at all connections you were near. Look to be
sure your fingers did not press against other connections and causing then to work loose.
DO perform preventive maintenance on your computer and keep it clean regularly.
Its a good idea to open up the system unit and remove all dust that have accumulated on
the motherboard as well as all other boards.

Dirt and dust conducts heat and will cause the computer to run at higher temperatures than
it normally would. Take a look at the vents in the back of the case and remove dust that
have accumulated.
The best way to remove dust from all circuit boards in the system unit is by a can of
compressed air, available at any computer store and now, most retail stores.
DO make absolutely sure you have removed any and all electrical static buildup from
yourself before working inside your computer and before touching any new circuit
cards and chips.
Please don't overlook this troubleshoot tip. It would be a tragedy to purchase new memory
only to short circuit them either before you installed them or you do so the process.
RAM, short for Random Access Memory chips are very vulnerable for this. So to rid
yourself of Electrical Static Charge you may consider purchasing a Wrist Strap. This tool is
especially designed for this. If you don't want to go this route, you can simply touch the
case's mental chassis.

Troubleshooting Don'ts are just as important to remember and follow as those
troubleshooting Do's and they will include the following.
DON'T allow your computer to run hot. Each device you install in the system will
generate heat. Be sure your system is well ventilated. If you install more than two extra
devices, you should consider installing an extra cooling fan.
Cooling fans are easy to install and will be well worth the effort. They come will
instructions that are easy to follow. It may be best to simply keep the extra devices in your
system down to two or three at the most.
DON'T use a brush when you decide to clean the circuit cards and motherboard in
your computer. They create static electricity that will render them useless. If you don't
have a can of compressed air, wait until you can get one.
DON'T download and install files from the Internet without scanning them for
viruses first. This as particularly true for any applications or files you download from filesharing
networks.
DON'T plug in your mouse, keyboard, or any peripheral while the computer is on.
Switch the computer off before disconnecting or connecting anything from it.
About the only device you can connect to, disconnect from your computer while it is
running are USB devices. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and now come in the new
version 2.0.
You may have escape that one time when you turn on your computer and something went
wrong. But it will happen at one time or another.
Don't add to the problem by failing to Do such tasks as removing static buildup.

Learn to troubleshoot your computer with great care and you'll be richly rewarded by the
fact that you were able to diagnose the problem and were safe in the process.

General Hard Drive Troubleshooting

The hard drive can display problems such as "retry, abort, ignore" or "cannot read sectors"
while operating. This is an indication that there may be bad or unreadable spots on the
drive.
Reformatting and reinstalling the operating system can normally correct this problem. This
will cause you to loose all data on your drive so it is important to always have a good
backup of your files daily.
If the hard drive seems to be causing you problems, such as constant error
messages. Watch this video and, watch this video for a possible cause if your hard drive

is showing errors and is slow.
There are good good utilities you can purchase that can repair hard drive problems without
destroying data. The utility Spinrite is a good utility and only cost $100.00 which is a good
price if you want to avoid the hassle of reformatting the drive and restoring the operating
system. Here are some general hard drive problems you should start from and we'll be
more specific later.
Use Operating System Utilities
First you may be able to correct those bad spots and errors from your hard drive by
performing those PC maintenance in the operating system. Windows has Disk
Defragment and you should run disk defragment after running Scandisk since scandisk
will need to fix any problems it finds. After scanning the drive and defraging the files, run
Disk Cleanup to ensure all junk files have been delete.
Check Drive Cables and Connections
If there is on indication that the drive is receiving power (you don't hear that familiar
clicking noise or the drive light is no working) check the 4 wire connector coming from the
power supply. Watch this video to understand and see the cables and some problems that
the connectors can cause.
If the connection is secure, you can remove the power supply connector and do two things.
You can check to see if there is voltage with a multimeter. But its much faster to connect
another 4 wire connector to the drive to see if the drive works.
There are normally extra connectors from the power supply or you can use the connection
to the cdrom drive to test for voltage from the power supply.

If the connection indicates no or very little voltage (4 volts or less) from the power supply,
the power supply may be going bad. Now check and double check all connections,
especially if you are someone else have recently worked inside the computer.
If the Drive Will Not Boot Up?
Boot the computer with your bootable DOS disk. If you don't have one made, STOP and
make one NOW by clicking on Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add and Remove
Programs and Startup Disk.
Try to access drive C: by typing DIR C: and press Enter. If you see the directories on drive
C: try to make the drive bootable by typing sys a: c: and press Enter. The system files
should be restored and the drive may be restored to boot on its own.
If this fails, you may have to reformat and partition the drive with the setup utility that
came with your drive or computer.
If the Drive Boots but Hangs Up at Boot?
Turn the computer off, open the system unit and disconnect the ribbon cable at the
motherboard end. Turn on the PC AND You will get an error message that the drive is bad
and in most cases will go into your BIOS.
Change the hard drive type to AUTO and shut off the computer. Reconnect the ribbon
cable and see if the hard works properly. The drive settings should be restored and should
operate fine.
A hard drive that fails to boot up may also have a bad controller. If the controller is

mounted on the hard drive, there is not much you can do except replace the drive.
In our next issue we will cover problems with the CMOS Settings, the IRQ Settings, using
Fdisk, the cmos Battery, and more.

Hard Drive Software Troubleshooting

Hard Drive Software Problems and Solutions
If the drive CMOS settings are not correct, the drive will not boot up. Find the key
combinations to access your BIOS and check the settings to see if the drive has been
recognized. Select "Auto" from the main BIOS screen and after rebooting, the drive should
be detected automatically. Be sure to save the changes and then reboot the computer to see
if the drive works.
Computer Boots but with Many Errors or Hangs
The LBA or Logid Block Addressing settings may be set wrong when your computer have
many errors, and if your computer is an older model. LBA is a method used by older PCs
to support IDE hard disks larger than 504 megabytes.
Access your BIOS and check the LBA settings. If the LBA settings are not enabled, enter
the BIOS and enable your LBA.
Your Hard Drive may have an IRQ Conflict
The primary hard drive controller normally uses the IRQ or Interrupt Request Line of
number 14 and if you have a second drive, it may use number 15.You may install a new
device such as a modem that uses IRQ 14 by default and once installed, the may not
recognize the hard drive.
The solution here would be to change the IRQ setting of the new device you installed to
another IRQ. Check the manual that came with the new device for possible IRQ settings.

Your Hard Drive Device Drives Causing Problems
In Windows XP, Vista, and 7, you can view the device drivers in the Control Panel and
update them if needed. If you are not sure you have the latest device drivers, perform these
steps to update, especially if you operating system is Windows 7.
Click on Start, Control Panel, System, and the System Properties will appear. Then click on
Hardware, and Device Manager. Click on Disk Drives and then your Hard Drive. Click on
Driver and here you can Update the Device Driver. You also have the option of Rolling
back to the old driver should something go wrong.