HARDWARE & SOFTWARE HARDWARE & SOFTWARE TROUBLESHOOTING, TROUBLESHOOTING, MAINTENANCE & NETWORKINGMAINTENANCE & NETWORKING

CMOS/ BIOS Setup

What is CMOS

• Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is a type of semi-conductor chip that holds data without requiring an external power source. In a personal computer (PC), CMOS holds the basic instructions the computer needs to initialize its hardware components and boot up. These settings are known as the basic input output settings (BIOS), also referred to as CMOS settings.

How to access CMOS

• Computer Manufacturers allow you to enter the CMOS by pressing one of the below five keys during the boot. Usually it's one of the first three.

• F1• F2• DEL• ESC• F10

How to install Windows XP Professional

How to install Windows XP Pro

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer and restart your computer.

2. If prompted to start from the CD, press SPACEBAR. If you miss the prompt (it only appears for a few seconds), restart your computer to try again.

• Windows XP Setup begins. During this portion of setup, your mouse will not work, so you must use the keyboard. On the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.

• On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement page, read the licensing agreement. Press the PAGE DOWN key to scroll to the bottom of the agreement. Then press F8.

1. This page enables you to select the hard disk drive on which Windows XP will be installed. Once you complete this step, all data on your hard disk drive will be removed and cannot be recovered. It is extremely important that you have a recent backup copy of your files before continuing. When you have a backup copy, press D, and then press L when prompted. This deletes your existing data.

• Press ENTER to select Unpartitioned space, which appears by default.

• Press ENTER again to select Format the partition using the NTFS file system, which appears by default.

1. Windows XP erases your hard disk drive using a process called formatting and then copies the setup files. You can leave your computer and return in 20 to 30 minutes.

Part 2: Continue the installation• Windows XP restarts and

then continues with the installation process. From this point forward, you can use your mouse. Eventually, the Regional and Language Options page appears. Click Next to accept the default settings. If you are multilingual or prefer a language other than English, you can change language settings after setup is complete.

• On the Personalize Your Software page, type your name and your organization name. Some programs use this information to automatically fill in your name when required. Then, click Next.

• On the Your Product Key page, type your product key as it appears on your Windows XP CD case. The product key is unique for every Windows XP installation. Then, click Next.

• On the Computer Name & Administrator Password page, in the Computer name box, type a name that uniquely identifies your computer in your house, such as FAMILYROOM or TOMS. You cannot use spaces or punctuation. If you connect your computer to a network, you will use this computer name to find shared files and printers. Type a strong password that you can remember in the Administrator password box, and then retype it in the Confirm password box. Write the password down and store it in a secure place. Click Next.

• On the Date and Time Settings page, set your computer’s clock. Then, click the Time Zone down arrow, and select your time zone. Click Next.

• Windows XP will spend about a minute configuring your computer. On the Networking Settings page, click Next.

• On the Workgroup or Computer Domain page, click Next.

Part 3: Complete the installation

• Windows XP will spend 20 or 30 minutes configuring your computer and will automatically restart when finished. When the Display Settings dialog appears, click OK.

• When the Monitor Settings dialog box appears, click OK.

• The final stage of setup begins. On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows page, click Next.

• On the Help protect your PC page, click Help protect my PC by turning on Automatic Updates now. Then, click Next.

1. Windows XP will then check if you are connected to the Internet:– If you are connected to the

Internet, select the choice that describes your network connection on the Will this computer connect to the Internet directly, or through a network? page. If you’re not sure, accept the default selection, and click Next.

• If you use dial-up Internet access, or if Windows XP cannot connect to the Internet, you can connect to the internet after setup is complete. On the How will this computer connect to the Internet? page, click Skip.

• Windows XP Setup displays the Ready to activate Windows? page. If you are connected to the Internet, click Yes, and then click Next. If you are not yet connected to the Internet, click No, click Next, and then skip to step 24. After setup is complete, Windows XP will automatically remind you to activate & register your copy of Windows XP.

• On the Ready to register with Microsoft? page, click Yes, and then click Next.

• On the Collecting Registration Information page, complete the form. Then, click Next.

• On the Who will use this computer? page, type the name of each person who will use the computer. You can use first names only, nicknames, or full names. Then click Next. To add users after setup is complete or to specify a password to keep your account private, read create & customize user account.

• On the Thank you! page, click Finish.

SOFTWARE SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE

Disk Defragmenter

In the context of administering computer systems, defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmentation in file systems.

It does this by physically reorganizing the contents of the disk to store the pieces of each file close together and contiguously.

It also attempts to create larger regions of free space using compaction to impede the return of fragmentation.

Using Disk Defragmenter

• Open My Computer, right-click Local Disk, and then click Properties.

• On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now. The Disk Defragmenter opens.

• Click your first hard disk (normally C:), and then click Defragment. Disk Defragmenter will work for at least several minutes, though it may take several hours.

• If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed starting at Step 3.

Disk cleanup

• A computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space on computer users' hard drive.

Starting Disk Cleanup

• Disk Cleanup is available on both Home and Professional versions of XP. The utility can be accessed in any of the methods listed below.– Click Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup– Click Start | Run and in the Open box type cleanmgr and click OK– In Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the disk in which you

want to free up space, click Properties, click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.

Starting Disk Cleanup• Use the drop down menu arrow to select the drive you want to clean.• Click [OK] and Disk Cleanup will analyze the selected drive to determine

the amount of space that can be freed.

Add or Removed programs

• The Currently installed programs list in the Add or Remove Programs tool lists all of the Windows-compatible programs that have an uninstall program or feature.

Add or Removed programs• How to change an installed program

– To change a program, follow these steps: Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.

– In the Currently installed programs box, click the program that you want to remove, and then click Change or Change/Remove.

– Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to make the changes that you want.

• How to remove an installed program– To remove a program that is installed on your computer,

follow these steps: Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.

– In the Currently installed programs box, click the program that you want to remove, and then click Remove.

– If you are prompted to confirm the removal of the program, click Yes.

Maintaining your PC virus-free

Definition of Terms

• Browser – an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.

• Cache - a place to store something temporarily. The files you automatically request by looking at a Web page are stored on your hard disk in a cache subdirectory under the directory for your browser (for example, Internet Explorer)

VIRUS & MALWARES

• Virus - a program or programming code that replicates by being copied or initiating its copying to another program, computer boot sector or document

• Worms - A program that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting the system down

• Trojan Horse - a program in which malicious or harmful code is contained inside apparently harmful programming or data.

VIRUS & MALWARES

• Spyware - is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge

• Adware - is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running.

How to Protect your PC

• Install Anti-Virus Software

• Make sure that your anti-virus subscription is not out of date.

• If you receive an unsolicited piece of e-mail do not open it. Delete the e-mail right away;

• If you receive e-mail from a friend or associate that you were not expecting or one that has an odd subject line like "Subject: The pictures I promised you!" or "The program you requested", contact you fiend and ask them if they actually sent it;

• Configure you anti-virus software to check for virus pattern updates on a frequent basis.

How to Protect your PC

• Make sure your anti-virus software is configure to perform a scheduled scan of your computer.

• Don't rely on anti-virus software alone. Make sure that you are using some sort of anti ad-ware and spy-ware software.

Getting the best Antivirus

• VERY VERY IMPORTANT

Antivirus Programs

Norton and McAffee come with many new computers for trial periods.

After your “trial period” it will prompt you to buy the program. What you are paying for is to stay updated on virus definitions (meaning the # of viruses your antivirus is able to detect). If you don’t stay up-to-date, then your ability to ward off viruses and remove them becomes limited.

Antivirus Programs

Free programs exist:AvastAVGPC ToolsAviraKasperskyClamwinNod32

In Conclusion…

• Be on the look out for unexpected attachments and pop-ups.

• Stay away from sites that always require you to download something.

• Have virus protection and a good Spyware detector program.

SOFTWARE TROUBLESHOOTING

Using Safemode• Safe Mode is a special way for

Windows to load when there is a system-critical problem that interferes with the normal operation of Windows. The purpose of Safe Mode is to allow you to troubleshoot Windows and try to determine what is causing it to not function correctly. Once you have corrected the problem, then you can reboot and Windows will load normally.

Using Safemode

• Restart your computer.• When the machine first starts again it will generally list

some equipment that is installed in your machine, amount of memory, hard drives installed etc. At this point you should gently tap the F8 key repeatedly until you are presented with a menu.

• When you have the menu on the screen. Select the option for Safe Mode using the arrow keys.

• Then press enter on your keyboard to boot into Safe Mode.

• Do whatever tasks you require and when you are done reboot to boot back into normal mode.

Several things that happen when Windows boots in Safe Mode

• Safe Mode does not run the autoexec.bat or config.sys files.

• Most device drivers are not loaded. A device driver is the software that Windows uses to interact with a piece of hardware, such as a printer or scanner.

• Windows boots using a batch file called system.cb instead of the standard system.ini file. This file loads the Virtual Device Drivers (VxDs) that Windows uses to communicate with the standard parts of the computer.

MSCONFIG

• Microsoft System Configuration Utility is a tool designed to help you troubleshoot problems with your computer. MSCONFIG allows you to edit your start-up applications and provides access to the SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, and BOOT.INI files.

Using the MSCONFIG1. In Windows XP, go to

Start > Run

2. Type MSCONFIG in the "Open:" box and then either press enter on your keyboard or click on the OK button.

3. This launches Microsoft's System Configuration Utility. Click on the Startup tab (the tab at the far right).

Using the MSCONFIG4. This takes you to a page with a

list of "startup items." Startup items are programs that are automatically loaded every time you turn on your computer. Some startup programs are absolutely necessary, others are simply a waste of RAM.

5. Click on the OK button.

6. A message will pop up telling you that you must restart your computer before these changes will take effect. Click on "Yes" and your computer will automatically reboot.

SYSTEM RESTORE

• Enables administrators to restore their PCs, in the event of a problem, to a previous state without losing personal data files (such as Word documents, drawings, or e-mail).

• System Restore actively monitors system file changes and some application file changes to record or store previous versions before the changes occurred.

Using System Restore

• Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.

• On the Create a Restore Point page, enter a descriptive name for your restore point

• On the Welcome page, click Create a restore point.

• On the Select a Restore Point page, select the date from the calendar that shows the point you'd like to restore to and then click next.

• On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, verify that the correct restore point is chosen, and then close any open programs.

• Click Next if you are ready to proceed or click Back to change the restore point.

• The computer will shut down automatically and reboot. On reboot, you'll see the Restoration Complete page, and then click OK.