A+ Guide to Hardware: Managing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting, Third Edition, Enhanced

by Andrews, Jean

• ISBN13: 9781418835613
• ISBN10: 1418835617
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-05-02
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

Written by a best-selling author and instructor expressly for the classroom, the Enhanced edition of A+ Guide to Hardware: Managing, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting, Third Edition, now includes free video clips on CD!

Table of Contents

A+ 2003 Upgrade Core Hardware Exam	xi
Introduction	xxii
CHAPTER 1 How Computers Work	1	(38)
Hardware Needs Software to Work	2	(2)
PC Hardware Components	4	(29)
Hardware Used for Input and Output	5	(2)
Hardware Inside the Computer Case	7	(2)
The Motherboard	9	(2)
The CPU and the Chip Set	11	(1)
Storage Devices	12	(9)
Motherboard Components Used for Communication Among Devices	21	(4)
Interface (Expansion) Cards	25	(2)
The Electrical System	27	(1)
Instructions Stored on the Motherboard and Other Boards	28	(2)
Motherboard Configuration Settings	30	(3)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	33	(2)
KEY TERMS	35	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	35	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	36	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	37	(2)
CHAPTER 2 How Hardware and Software Work Together	39	(34)
How an Operating System Manages Hardware	40	(6)
How an OS Uses Device Drivers	41	(3)
How an OS Uses System BIOS to Manage Devices	44	(2)
System Resources	46	(8)
Interrupt Request Number (IRQ)	47	(4)
Memory Addresses	51	(1)
I/O Addresses	52	(2)
DMA Channels	54	(1)
OS Tools to Examine a System	54	(3)
Booting Up Your Computer	57	(6)
Startup BIOS Controls the Beginning of the Boot	58	(4)
Troubleshooting a Failed Boot	62	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	63	(1)
KEY TERMS	64	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	65	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	66	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	66	(7)
CHAPTER 3 Electricity and Power Supplies	73	(50)
Measures and Properties of Electricity	74	(6)
AC and DC	75	(1)
Hot, Neutral, and Ground	76	(3)
Some Common Electronic Components	79	(1)
Protecting Your Computer System	80	(8)
Static Electricity	81	(3)
EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)	84	(1)
Surge Protection and Battery Backup	85	(3)
The Computer Case and Form Factors	88	(9)
Case, Power Supply, and Motherboard Form Factors	89	(5)
Types of Cases	94	(3)
Detecting and Correcting Power Supply Problems	97	(10)
Upgrading Your Power Supply	97	(1)
Introduction to Troubleshooting	98	(2)
Troubleshooting the Power System	100	(7)
Energy Star Systems (The Green Star)	107	(3)
Power Management Methods and Features	107	(2)
Energy Star Monitors	109	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	110	(2)
KEY TERMS	112	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	112	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	113	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	114	(9)
CHAPTER 4 The Motherboard	123	(70)
Types of Motherboards	124	(4)
Components on the Motherboard	128	(24)
The CPU and the Chip Set	128	(24)
ROM BIOS	152	(19)
Buses and Expansion Slots	155	(4)
Hardware Configuration	159	(11)
Protecting Documentation and
Configuration Settings	170	(1)
Building a Computer: An Introduction	171	(3)
Installing the Motherboard	174	(10)
Preparing the Motherboard to Go into the Case	175	(5)
Installing the Motherboard in the Case	180	(4)
Completing the Installation	184	(1)
Troubleshooting the Motherboard and CPU	184	(2)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	186	(1)
KEY TERMS	187	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	188	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	189	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	189	(4)
CHAPTER 5 Managing Memory	193	(28)
RAM on the Motherboard	194	(12)
Static RAM Technologies	196	(2)
Dynamic RAM Technologies	198	(5)
Error Checking and Parity	203	(1)
CAS Latency and RAS Latency	204	(1)
Memory Speeds	205	(1)
Upgrading Memory	206	(10)
What to Look for When Buying
Memory Chips and Modules	206	(1)
How Much and What Kind of Memory to Buy	207	(4)
Reading Ads About Memory Modules	211	(1)
Installing Memory	212	(4)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	216	(1)
KEY TERMS	217	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	217	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	218	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	219	(2)
CHAPTER 6 Floppy Drives	221	(22)
How Floppy Drives Work	222	(7)
How Data Is Physically Stored on a Floppy Disk	222	(3)
How Data Is Logically Stored on a Floppy Disk	225	(1)
The Formatting Process for a Floppy Disk	226	(3)
Exchanging and Supporting Floppy Drives	229	(8)
Replacing a Floppy Drive	229	(4)
Adding a New Drive	233	(1)
When a Floppy Disk Drive Doesn't Work	233	(2)
Some Common Error Messages and Their Meanings	235	(2)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	237	(1)
KEY TERMS	238	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	238	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	239	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	240	(3)
CHAPTER 7 Understanding and Installing Hard Drives	243	(62)
Hard Drive Technology	244	(13)
Types of Hard Drive Interfaces	244	(8)
How Hard Drives Work	252	(5)
Communicating with the Hard Drive Controller	257	(4)
Calculating Drive Capacity on Older Drives	257	(1)
Hard Drive Size Limitations	258	(3)
How a Hard Drive is Logically Organized to Hold Data	261	(8)
Hard Drive Partitions and Logical Drives	262	(7)
Installing a Hard Drive	269	(17)
Prepare for Installation	270	(2)
Set Jumpers	272	(2)
Mount the Drive in the Bay	274	(6)
Use CMOS Setup to Change Hard Drive Settings	280	(1)
Setup for Large-Capacity Hard Drives	281	(2)
Use Fdisk to Partition a Drive	283	(2)
Format Each Logical Drive	285	(1)
Using Windows to Partition and Format a New Drive	285	(1)
Managing and Troubleshooting Hard Drives	286	(11)
Troubleshooting Hard Drive Installations	286	(2)
An Ounce of Prevention	288	(1)
Commands to Use with Hard Drives	289	(4)
Resolving Common Hard Drive Problems	293	(4)
Getting Technical Support	297	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	297	(3)
KEY TERMS	300	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	300	(2)
THINKING CRITICALLY	302	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	303	(2)
CHAPTER 8 Supporting I/O Devices	305	(64)
Basic Principles of Peripheral Installations	306	(1)
Installation Overview	306	(1)
Using Ports and Expansion Slots for Add-On Devices	307	(28)
Using Serial Ports	308	(6)
Using Parallel Ports	314	(3)
Using USB Ports	317	(5)
Using IEEE 1394 Ports	322	(3)
Installing an Expansion Card in an Expansion Slot	325	(3)
Using PCI Expansion Slots	328	(3)
Using ISA Expansion Slots	331	(4)
Keyboards	335	(5)
Keyboard Connectors	337	(1)
Installing Keyboards	338	(1)
Troubleshooting Keyboards	338	(2)
Pointing Devices	340	(4)
Cleaning the Mouse	343	(1)
Touch Screens	343	(1)
Other Pointing Devices	343	(1)
Troubleshooting a Mouse	344	(1)
Computer Video	344	(18)
Monitors	344	(7)
Video Cards	351	(6)
Troubleshooting Video Problems	357	(5)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	362	(2)
KEY TERMS	364	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	364	(2)
THINKING CRITICALLY	366	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	367	(2)
CHAPTER 9 Multimedia Devices and Mass Storage	369	(50)
Multimedia on a PC	370	(12)
CPU Technologies for Multimedia	370	(1)
Sound Cards	371	(6)
Digital Cameras	377	(2)
MP3 Players	379	(3)
Video Capture Card	382	(1)
Optical Storage Technology	382	(15)
CD-ROM	383	(6)
CD-R and CD-R W	389	(1)
DVD	389	(8)
Hardware Used for Backups and Fault Tolerance	397	(12)
Tape Drives	398	(3)
Removable Drives	401	(4)
Fault Tolerance, Dynamic Volumes, and RAID	405	(4)
Troubleshooting Guidelines	409	(3)
Problems with CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, or DVD-RW Installation	410	(1)
Troubleshooting Sound Problems	410	(1)
Troubleshooting Tape Drives	411	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	412	(2)
KEY TERMS	414	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	414	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	415	(2)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	417	(2)
CHAPTER 10 Supporting Modems	419	(30)
All About Modems	420	(18)
How Modems Are Rated	423	(9)
Installing and Configuring a Modem	432	(6)
Troubleshooting Guidelines for Modems	438	(5)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	443	(1)
KEY TERMS	444	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	444	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	445	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	446	(3)
CHAPTER 11 PCs on a Network	449	(52)
Physical Network Architectures	450	(16)
Ethernet	451	(6)
Wireless LANs	457	(2)
Token Ring and FDDI	459	(1)
How NICs Work	459	(3)
Segmenting a Network	462	(4)
Windows on a Network	466	(6)
Addressing on a Network	469	(3)
Installing a Network Card and Connecting to a Network	472	(13)
Installing a NIC Using Windows 2000/XP	472	(5)
Installing a NIC Using Windows 9x/Me	477	(4)
Installing a Wireless NIC	481	(4)
Troubleshooting a Network Connection	485	(2)
Connecting Networks	487	(6)
Routers	487	(3)
Bandwidth Technologies	490	(3)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	493	(3)
KEY TERMS	496	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	496	(2)
THINKING CRITICALLY	498	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	498	(3)
CHAPTER 12 Notebooks, Tablet PCs, and PDAs	501	(38)
Notebook Computers	502	(25)
Windows Notebook Features	503	(2)
Caring for Notebooks	505	(1)
Power Management	506	(5)
Connecting Peripheral Devices to Notebooks	511	(7)
Upgrading Memory	518	(3)
Other Field Replaceable Units for Notebooks	521	(2)
Online Resources for Troubleshooting Notebooks	523	(1)
Tablet PCs	524	(3)
PDAs	527	(5)
Battery Life on a PDA	529	(1)
Applications on a PDA	529	(1)
Connecting a PDA to a PC	530	(1)
PDA Manufacturers and Operating Systems	531	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	532	(1)
KEY TERMS	533	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	533	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	534	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	535	(4)
CHAPTER 13 Supporting Printers	539	(38)
How Printers Work	539	(12)
Laser Printers	540	(6)
Ink/et Printers	546	(2)
Dot-Matrix Printers	548	(1)
Thermal Printers and Solid Ink Printers	549	(2)
Installing and Sharing a Printer	551	(8)
Installing a Local Printer	551	(1)
Sharing a Printer with Others in a Workgroup	552	(7)
Troubleshooting Guidelines for Printers	559	(13)
How Windows Handles Print Jobs	559	(1)
Printer Maintenance	560	(1)
General Printer Troubleshooting	561	(8)
Problems Printing from Windows	569	(2)
Troubleshooting Networked Printers	571	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	572	(1)
KEY TERMS	573	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	573	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	574	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	575	(2)
CHAPTER 14 All About SCSI	577	(30)
SCSI Basics	578	(14)
The SCSI Subsystem	578	(2)
Host Adapters	580	(2)
SCSI Device Drivers	582	(1)
Variations in SCSI	583	(9)
Comparing IDE and SCSI	592	(1)
Installing SCSI Devices	593	(3)
Installing a Host Adapter Card	594	(2)
Setting Device IDS During Installation	596	(3)
Installing a SCSI Hard Drive	597	(2)
Troubleshooting SCSI Devices	599	(2)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	601	(1)
KEY TERMS	602	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	602	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	603	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	604	(3)
CHAPTER 15 Purchasing a PC or Building Your Own	607	(40)
Selecting a Personal Computer to Meet Your Needs	608	(6)
Upgrading a PC	608	(1)
Buying a New PC	609	(5)
Preparing to Build Your Own PC	614	(3)
Getting Ready for Assembly: Selecting Parts	615	(1)
Getting Ready for Assembly: Final Preparations	616	(1)
Building a Personal Computer, Step by Step	617	(23)
Overview of the Assembly Process	617	(1)
Step 1: Verify That You Have All the Parts	618	(1)
Step 2: Prepare the Computer Case	619	(1)
Step 3: Install Drives	620	(5)
Step 4: Set Jumpers or Switches on the Motherboard	625	(2)
Step 5: Install the CPU and CPU Fan	627	(1)
Step 6: Install RAM on the Motherboard	628	(2)
Step 7: Install the Motherboard and Attach Cabling	630	(6)
Step 8: Install the Video Card	636	(2)
Step 9: Install the Modem Card	638	(1)
Step 10: Plug In the Computer and Attach External Devices	638	(1)
Step 11: Boot the Computer, Check Settings, and Verify Operation	639	(1)
Step 12: Install Peripheral Devices and Applications	640	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	640	(1)
KEY TERMS	641	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	641	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	642	(2)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	644	(3)
CHAPTER 16 Troubleshooting and Maintenance Fundamentals	647	(28)
Troubleshooting Perspectives and Tools	648	(5)
Troubleshooting Tools	648	(5)
Your Approach to Troubleshooting	653	(6)
Fundamental Rules	653	(2)
Gathering Information	655	(4)
Preventive Maintenance	659	(10)
When a PC Is Your Permanent Responsibility	660	(3)
A Preventive Maintenance Plan	663	(3)
Moving Equipment	666	(1)
Disposing of Used Equipment	666	(2)
Fire Extinguishers	668	(1)
CHAPTER SUMMARY	669	(1)
KEY TERMS	670	(1)
REVIEWING THE BASICS	670	(1)
THINKING CRITICALLY	671	(1)
HANDS-ON PROJECTS	671	(4)
APPENDIX A Error Messages and Their Meanings	675	(4)
APPENDIX B Understanding Binary	679	(4)
APPENDIX C Electricity and Multimeters	683	(18)
Electricity: A Basic Introduction	683	(6)
Voltage	686	(1)
Amps	686	(1)
Relationship Between Voltage and Current	687	(1)
Ohms	688	(1)
Relationships of Resistance to Current and Voltage	688	(1)
Wattage	688	(1)
Measure the Voltage of a Power Supply	689	(12)
Using a Multimeter	689	(3)
How to Measure the Voltage of a Power Supply	692	(6)
Practicing Measuring the Output of Your Power Supply	698	(3)
APPENDIX D The Professional PC Technician	701	(12)
What Customers Want: Beyond Technical Know-How	701	(1)
Support Calls: Providing Good Service	702	(6)
Planning for Good Service	702	(1)
Making an On-Site Service Call	703	(1)
Phone Support	704	(3)
When You Can't Solve the Problem	707	(1)
Recordkeeping and Information Tools	708	(1)
Professional Organizations and Certifications	709	(1)
Why Certification?	710	(1)
Protecting Software Copyrights	710	(3)
What Does the Law Say?	711	(1)
What Are Your Responsibilities Under the Law?	711	(2)
APPENDIX E Supporting Notebooks	713	(46)
Special Considerations when Supporting Notebooks	713	(12)
Warranty Concerns	713	(2)
Service Manuals and Other Sources of Information	715	(3)
Diagnostic Tools Provided by Manufacturers	718	(1)
Operating System Upgrades	718	(1)
Replace or Substitute a Component	719	(2)
Protecting the Notebook and Its Data	721	(4)
Disassembling and Reassembling Notebooks	725	(17)
Special Tools for Disassembling a Notebook	725	(3)
Preparation for Servicing a Notebook	728	(1)
Components that Are Easy to Get To	728	(2)
Full Disassemble of a Notebook	730	(12)
Solving Common Problems with Notebooks	742	(17)
Protecting and Retrieving Data	743	(1)
Slow Systems, Pop-Up Ads, and Viruses	743	(1)
Problems with the Power System	744	(5)
Problems with Video	749	(4)
A Notebook Gets Wet	753	(1)
The Notebook Is Dropped	754	(1)
General OS or Application Problems	754	(1)
Problems Connecting to the Network	755	(1)
Problems with the Hard Drive or Other Drives	755	(1)
More Errors and What to Do About Them	755	(4)
Glossary	759	(22)
Index	781