Potential C-Level Skill Gap Training

Hands on Lab 2
Install, configure and Upgrade personal computer components
A] Microprocessors
Objectives:
1. Identify the CPU, Fun and Heat sink
2. Install and upgrade CPU
3. Identify the make, model, speed and cache RAM of CPU
Procedures
Perform the necessary ESD
1. Unplug the power chord/cable
2. Record the make, model, & speed of the given processor & use it to configure the
processor
3. Properly sit the processor in the processors slot/socket, mount the heat sink & the
fun on the CPU.
4. Attach the keyboard, monitor, and then plug the power chord to the system unit.
5. Turn on the system’s power
6. Adjust the CPU optimal frequency using CMOS/Setup utility if required.
7. Save and exit
8. Verify the speed of CPU displayed on the monitor while the PC starts.
Reading CPU’s make, model, and speed
You can see a CPU’s specification by two methods
I. By entering to the CMOS /setup utility
Enter to the CMOS /setup utility and search for the entries of a CPU. This can be
different for different motherboards.
II. By entering to Windows Operating systems
This is common for most Operating systems.
To launch it
1. Click on start button
2. Point to All programs
3. Point to Accessories
4. Point to System tools

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5. Click on system Information

III. Using Run Commands

a. click on Start button
b. Click RUN command
c. Type dxdiag and press enter key
Dxdiag=> is used to represent ActiveX diagnostic Tools
B] Install and upgrade RAM
1. Perform the necessary ESD action
2. Unplug the power chord
3. Insert the Ram stick properly in the RAM slot
4. Plug the power chord & the turn on the power.
5. Read the size of the ram installed in the CMOS setup utility or in Windows
Operating system or using the dxdiag command. Also read the available virtual
memory size.
6. Switch of the pc properly.
7. Repeat the above steps 2,3,4 & 5
8. In what situation do we require to add RAM to a personal computer?
Perform RAM troubleshooting
1. Perform ESD switch off the pc and unplug the power chord.
2. Pullout all the installed RAM Properly
3. Plug in the power chord and switch on the power supply
4. What happen? Record the result.

Virtual Memory
All versions of Windows require the use of virtual memory - mapping a portion of the
hard drive with memory addresses to mimic RAM. Windows creates a swap file that
allows it to have more programs open on the screen than it could normally hold in

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real RAM. Windows sets the initial size of the swap file automatically based
on the amount of free space on the C: drive.
How would you correct if Low virtual memory error message appears at
the lower right corner of your computer?
Procedures
1. Right click on My computer
2. Click properties
3. Click on Advanced tab
4. Click on Settings button at the bottom of performance frame.
5. Performance option dialog box will be opened.
6. Click Advanced Tab
7. Click on Change button
A virtual Memory dialog box will be displayed as follows

8. Select the volume you are interested in.

Record the following total paging file size for all drives
a. Minimum allowed:___
b. Maximum Allowed:___
9. Click on Custom size option button
10. Type Initial and maximum size in MB

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11. Click on Set button

12. Click on OK

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Potential C-Level Skill Gap Training

Software Setup
Operating System, Software Application and Personal Data
It is very important when talking about maintenance and troubleshooting that you make
the difference between the Operating System, the Software application and the Personal
Data. That will help you in running the maintenance tasks, in diagnosing a problem and
in taking the step to solve it.
 The Operating System is a set of software (hence instruction) that allows the
computer to start properly, check that every component is working properly and
give access to these components to the other software. You must have an
operating system installed on your computer in order to operate it properly.
Microsoft is the company that provides the main Operating System for the PCs:
Microsoft Windows, which comes in different version: Windows 3.1, Windows
95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
The operating system is most likely to be involved in any problem that is related
to hardware.
 The software applications are the programs that allow you to run any kind of task
using your computer. Examples of software applications are Microsoft Word,
Norton Antivirus, Visual Geez… A program is usually composed by many files
and many folders. Only some of the files are directly executables by the user; they
are identified by their extension .exe. In general, before a program can be used, it
has to be installed on the computer by running its installation program which is
usually a file called setup.exe or install.exe.
 The personal data is the result of a work that is stored on the computer. This can
be a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, an email message… This is less
likely to cause a problem (apart from virus infection) but it is very important that
you save all the personal data before running any kind of troubleshooting activity
on your computer. Particularly, personal data should be regularly backed-up (see
maintenance).

Hardware detection / Driver Installation

Each time a new hardware device is added or connected to your computer, a small piece
of software, called a driver, has to be installed in the system in order to make the
Operating System aware of it.

Usually, when you install a new peripheral, your computer must be switched off (this is
not true for USB devices that can be connected while the computer is running). The first
time you start the computer after that, 3 alternatives can happen:
 The new device is recognized and its driver is already present into the operating
system (Windows for instance has a number of drivers for many common
devices). Then you just have to wait few minutes for the operating system to
configure properly the device.
 The new device is recognized by the operating system but the driver is not
present. You will then be prompted to provide it. Normally a peripheral is always

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sold or delivered with its driver on floppy disk or CD-ROM. Insert the disk that
contains the driver and follow the instructions.
 The new device is not recognized by the operating system. You have to install
manually the driver.
o The CD-ROM (or floppy) delivered with the hardware contains most of
the time an installation program that you can run to install properly the
device.
o Alternatively, follow those steps:
1. Click on the ‘Start’ Button
2. Click on ‘Settings’
3. Click on ‘Control Panel’
If all the options are not displayed, click on ‘View all Control Panel
Options’
4. Double-click on ‘Add Hardware’ and follow the on-screen
instructions.
o If you don’t have the driver (on floppy or CD-ROM), you will need to find
it somewhere, to a local retailer or on the Internet.

Important Note: Due to security restriction under Windows XP, you need to be logged as
Administrator in order to install new hardware and software (see the ACER Installation
manual).

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Add Application
To add a program to your system, you should have the installation files on a floppy or
CD-ROM. If some instructions are given, follow them. If not, follow those steps:
1. Click on the ‘Start’ Button
2. Click on ‘Settings’
3. Click on ‘Control Panel’
4. Double-click on ‘Add or Remove Program’

Dialog Box 13 –Add or Remove Programs

5. Click on ‘Add New Programs’

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Potential C-Level Skill Gap Training

Dialog Box 14 – Add New Program

6. Insert the CD-ROM or floppy and click on ‘CD or Floppy’
7. If Windows doesn’t find any installation files, the following window will be
displayed and it’s up to you to indicate which file should be executed by
browsing the storage media

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Dialog Box 15 – Click on Next Dialog Box 16 – Enter the path to the install program or
click on Browse

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Dialog Box 17 – Select the install program Dialog Box 18 – Click on Finsh

8. Then, follow the steps that appear on the screen. If you are ask for a location to
install the new program, try to put it under C:\Program Files\[Your Program]

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Potential C-Level Skill Gap Training

Remove Application
You have to follow a special process to remove an application. It is not just a matter of
removing the files from the hard disk. Windows keeps many information about each
application in some special files that must also be cleaned.

Each time you want to remove a program, you have to follow those steps:
1. Click on the ‘Start’ Button
2. Click on ‘Settings’
3. Click on ‘Control Panel’
4. Double-click on ‘Add or Remove Program’

Dialog Box 18 – Add/Remove Programs

5. Select the program to remove in the list at the bottom of the window and click
on ‘Change/Remove’
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen

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