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PC User`s Bible

1. ssssssssssssee eee emere SEESE EErEE Ennn rnet 5 Pros and Cons of Desktop Computers sese pde dada eet Desktops cost less Leo nA o a dada e aldo tad D sktops se stapdard patts cia a eae qo dn es Desktops have a flexible design Desktops are easy to upgrade Desktops are easy to repair Desktops take up a lot of space este aa ete pa edere el Desktops are difficult to transport oce te ee pe thes eee qe tee Desktops require external power ete Dee ti geo rp te et ed Pros and Cons of Laptop Computers tala ehe Hee e T he Tar e IR dese Laptops are pottable reacia tiie AEA e laine ipe nghe Tibe ee ed Laptops have built in keyboards and monitors Laptops have desion limitations s e c dai EIT sce eite DER tu o Opp Uu sivas Small keyboard Limited disk size Laptops are easy to steal Laptops are More expensive tibia Laptops need repairs more Otten uie RR E dle eel Laptops use proprietary parts teet e RV redeo ted Laptops are difficult to repair or modify inn cnn caricias choosing the Best of Both dime ese tem te elei a devoted edited SUITE Ss eio aede tete ete btt te eld due ei eder edet Chapter 2 Evaluating the Warranty and Support 417 Read the Warranty Duration Coverage Service Contracts Tech Support Contents Does your personal support team know this machine e 20 A tte reg e RR eia
2. IN THIS CHAPTER Identifying the parts inside your computer case Opening the case Understanding the power supply Finding components on the motherboard Adding features and functions on expansion cards Supporting disk drives and other devices in drive bays Organizing the cables inside the case Moving air through your computer case Reducing the noise inside your computer
3. ee d en eee sue Bee treiben di Dee enit ce ied re 551 Inkjet3prititels secte ret toe eese Novet ten id dee beds eec is nano 553 Impact printers orp b oe ce ee e a eee ES 553 Contents Photo printers TT All in Ones printer scanner copier fax sssssssssseee es Connecting a Printer to Your Computer aate tie rest deut Doe Pes Parallel pot ed e e te m btt oe a siens USB BOTE fost sobres diste eet ed ea teet andud P nid e b as dde ense ThroughacnetWOrke iststoodetoitt nat eie b eue aee EN Accessing printer properties Using Fonts eme Understanding Printer Memory Choosing arid Handling Paper ie decise co Re ertt Ut dure te ge Printing Documents tte etre eee ete sides bi emi ness Printiustoahles 4 titt edem et Hefe edit Using Pape Setup idet te edt etate el e ob ae ons Using Print Er VIEW 3 tote A D RH SUNAM AL Yes me nac datado onte agit t intu Chapter 36 Making Presentations Using Presentation Software enner ia bapae et i ean ancianas POWEEPOLTIE csset tet regen r tegebat ere bete nd T SISI ST E esos Ae yd dee toa lies eat T Choosing a Projector Connecting tota Project lao Connecting E e le Connecting toadesktop Computes odore eene ege ade SUMMA sonata ala tala Chapter 37 Scanning to Your Computer Choosing ASMA EM SCAMMER types and size 4i abla Resolutionianid bit depths qot ee De ava tee tees Bundled soltwate caos do eene adt o Set
4. dictates the computers performance level and can have a significant impact on its cost Both of the major CPU manufacturers Intel and AMD offer several families of processors with somewhat different designs and feature sets Within each family the price of a CPU chip increases along with its speed and performance Therefore its necessary to choose a particular brand family and performance level when you shop for a new computer Or is it One of the great secrets of the consumer computer business is that most people buy com puters with much more processing power than they really need For the vast majority of computer users the real differences between CPUs may not matter very much Even a relatively slow processor can provide as much computing power as most of us are likely to need in a desktop or laptop computer unless you plan to play cutting edge video games or do large scale graphic design For high volume network servers that are constantly sending and 37 Part Choosing Your Computer 38 receiving files or messages and for systems in multimedia entertainment centers and other processor intensive applications a faster and more powerful CPU can provide a noticeable improvement in performance One reason to buy a better CPU than you need right now is to anticipate the next round of upgrades to your hardware and software A mid range or better processor might be inexpensive insurance that protects your computer from becoming
5. i dct een A Bata d eds 213 The TTT 213 The numeric keypad eicere etel S eoe deu ede 213 Using the On Screen Keyboard eee 214 Using a MOUSE icd us ten ate ett or tee ete du eder edits 215 Choosing a3ollse isse sette sede eo ete detinet da 216 Ball oropticaltracking toi et e dte 216 Mired or wireless s stigin eiie soe ue inte e redde 217 How many BUttens c nie etel dee ele deed ede 217 PS 2 USB OE Serial DOE ies rede eei hee eddie due 218 Otherdmportant specifications oie eret tete etd 218 Handheld mice trackballs touchpads and other alternatives see 218 Tweaking your mouse eee eren nere 219 Device typer c deos top ER ERR 219 Buttons od T pe De DEO a PEG eR 219 Dolters em Mee M M t t ANA t 220 Motion or pointer options e emen enne 221 Using Pen Tablets and Digital Notepads sssssss e 222 Using Bar Code Readers 5o s oer D RP RO e Dep pu pas 223 Summary ccce Rte rd e UN le CERE RE e E PR 224 Chapter 13 Sound Cards Speakers and Other Audio 225 Built Speakers m ota da 226 How Sound Cards WoW lemas ect EERE EE R d ee FD OR 226 Choosing a Sound Card errio bar ete D ene Tee nde Teta gpl 228 Sound Blaster and other Sand ardea nsnsi aiin i i iE rR EEE 228 Higher quality sound cards sire ete RE E he Tee e e d 229 Sound for games tetra defe pec eee e dd 229 Surround sound cnet ees Tete t che Tes ed dep 230 Professional recording ee fete t ee eve Se en 230 Ext rnal sound
6. who know what it is like to be organized 2006 Credits Acquisitions Editor Courtney Allen Project Editor Chris Wolfgang Technical Editors Barry and Marcia Press Copy Editor Scott Tullis Editorial Manager Robyn Siesky Business Manager Amy Knies Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Bob Ipsen Vice President and Publisher Barry Pruett Project Coordinator Erin Smith Graphics and Production Specialists Carrie A Foster Brooke Graczyk Denny Hager Jennifer Mayberry Alicia B South Quality Control Technician David Faust Proofreading and Indexing Techbooks Kevin Broccoli Wiley Bicentennial Logo Richard J Pacifico hanks to the editorial and production staff at Wiley for converting our words and pictures into an attractive and well organized book The words are ours but they have been polished and improved by Chris Wolfgang Scott Tullis and Marcia and Barry Press And thanks to Carole McClendon and the others at Waterside Productions for putting the project together As always the book would not have happened without their work Finally thanks to all the people corporations and organizations that made the job easier by pro viding useful information book images and helpful explanations of complex topics and products on their Web pages In particular thanks to Amy Whelan at Pinnacle Systems Mark Williams at Creative
7. 417 A Neteco A A e ste D Mf Lg 420 Setting your mouse options ssssssssse eene ene SEE EErEE nnne 421 Customizing the taskbar dre tte atn br esae eese 421 Optimizing the Syst m Tray 32 eese Dose ep TD REUNIR e Yee pH ead 425 Setting the dat and time ones setate tetur md 425 Hiding IMAactiVe ICONS uu ep ena TID RUIT REA TIT 427 Tweaking Windows 2 eot aoa ee ean wa ane POVERI LT 428 Delete the stuft you dont need ene orte nr ed emet dd 429 Tweak UL ong ectetuer ee e Ee pe dt A A d rae a e i 430 Choosing Startup Proprams er CAE Oe ha Annawan 431 Activating WINA OWS eere n RID RCNH Pese TV DO c OUVERTE Fare YVES YES 433 Making Recovery Disks en obice RET sn C ae Der rn E e rid 435 Install Your Application Programs etia ose yt ie ire patte ront 436 SUMMAT iso ror ERUIT me PDA PRI EUN trees 436 Chapter 28 Enhancing the View llle 439 Themes sees oh sunita tet stem ee mte d ue c s dress eus 439 Using More Than One Monitor sse emet cede ete e EN eret ud 442 Multiple video controller cards 4 tte d Dott e Tete 445 Cards withimultiple heads dios ined etica 446 Contents Configuring Windows for multiple monitors sss 447 Configuring the mew Screen te otis tu edet Ales 447 Positioning the SCreeiis suite eb e bob iter Ales 448 Connecting a Monitor to a Laptop Computer ee 450 Using Multiple Screens through a Network with MaxiVista sss 451 Managing Mu
8. 782 Protecting Yourself against Snoops Data Thieves and Eavesdroppers sss 783 Working with access Cotttol i depre she ER re qm ie e EUN 783 Assigning passwords to Windows users sss 783 Using a fingerprint Y aders oeste dito tibi e e ets 785 Using encryptlon oni eee ao 785 Protecting your Wi Fi connection seem nre eene 787 Setting ec TTT 789 Using Access Control tocca tere tetto bdto eae ten ende eb edad 790 Usinsathirewalb a tet ttm v e er ids ete iode eae is 792 Keeping Viruses and Spyware Out of Your COmDWLGT sss 793 Preventing virus infecHolis 1 5 eot Ceo dte ela eive inm e ease bus 195 Preventing spyware atlas tate so oid te e e eten rek Co lees 197 SUMMANLY UEM 197 Chapter 49 Preventing Trouble Through Maintenance 799 Keep I Gleanus soo tcov s tete edd doeet aei ue ttt PE ERR ens 799 Using the Disk Cleanup utility sss 800 Accessing more options sssssssss eee ne emen meree nenne nnne rennes 802 Defragment Your Drive sess 52i dove eee etr ese deret edente net qe edens 803 Using the Disk Defragmenter utility sss 803 Analyzing defragmentation sssssssssssee eee eene 803 Starting defragmentation see 805 Check the Integrity of Your Dive 805 Hard driveerTorSu teur testes TTT 806 Physicalsdamapest is ice otis e A A Maite aA RA T E a a dd 806 Cross Imked hles s tivo heroe et ie a vet n HEREDI RUN UA 806 Misaligned anidexes cct hrec ear nt
9. CH a acing E ETUR INI 806 Using the Error chec king tool mosni rt recte eee d name 806 Running the Error checking tool from the Command Prompt window 808 Back Up Yo r Datas unco eet sn alae so nO e etai E MARRE thee E DORSET EVANS 809 Making backups nune tme OA e lea TH FRE RO N 810 Restoring from backups sh eh arp e PARTE RE 814 SUIBBIALy o ya toe Forte toD ge A Santis sv ER EE PME E ONSE EUR EO EN 814 XXX Contents Chapter 50 Restoring Windows lees 815 Using the SystenvRestore Utiles iaa ti 815 Cr ating a restore point adas nilo 816 Returning to a restore point ceiece ced esc ce meret per retard eee ee eter dinis 818 Accessing the systemi Restore Settings cial uec em tret estes 819 Restoring Windows from CDs ssssssssssseeee ee eene eene 820 Using the Windows XP CDS dep eee e e eem re e Ets 820 Repairing a Windows installation se 820 Reinstalling Windowse isora depre e e e eedem el Ene 821 SUMMARY ie assess ERAT ee A DAI de is etd eis pA 821 Chapter 51 Troubleshooting Finding the Problem After It Happens 823 General Troubleshooting Techniques ihe tte Rete bie te eR rtr 823 Yourtroubleshooting plan svete VR LA Ae 824 Identify the Symptoms etre rt 824 Open tbe Event Vi Web 825 Restart the COmpuleEz see tede uen tei ade ch 826 Look tor atsimple fixe ouest ee tege de coelo bi tv ten 827 Isolate the problems ii ao otto a ct ERR HE Pets 827 L oktorhel pirmie E 828 The
10. Chapter 40 Synchronizing Your Data Files lt lt 631 Synchronizing Files Between Two or More Computers sss 632 Greaung aibrielcase zoe toes C s om etaed te oit e d Ote RUE 633 Moving a tile intoa briefcase tete ttim Oen RO teer 633 Updating files testes estemos etos oeste supcr rt c ut LM 633 Synchronizing with a PDA atra 636 SUMMA E A a A atte ud 638 Chapter 41 Using Windows Remote Desktop 639 Setting Up a Computer as a Remote Desktop Client oo 640 Connecting to a Remote Computer eee rem nne ere eren 649 Connecting to an Older Version of Windows eee 651 Connecting Through the Int rmet 425 dere pete e re Hcet b epe debt 652 STT ees PR e S Ae E A a 654 Chapter 42 Playing Creating and Editing Sound 655 VISENE ES 655 Playing R ceinture DOG dtes tret e UI epe e een RIEN US 656 Media player dU tates VPN oa 656 Windows Media Player ied ome emen 656 CUI CK MIME Fe ottiene te b NUM MIA 658 NIIT M 658 RealOne Played a 658 MA e ee eI o og 660 Changing media players iria 660 IMB o e IM tes Id 661 IRI Te L ettari bat NW p IRI ortu I UE 662 lyon M A 662 Streaming T E TTT 662 RECO ot eost tco ep editt fei us del coh ted emet 663 Recording sound TILES ac turco ete eoe tete en eto ed aes 663 Ripping CDssnto MPS files detesta hee o e eee ed dest 663 Editing Sounds tsp ates tenta es eto td itas atto Gast Praed o uat 665 Software fo
11. Internaldrive bays 5 iso eot ata tae ea E Moving Data Around Internal Cables sss Cooling and Air Blow december etm aet mae ista Controlling NOISE cete beue tee els SUI tintados Chapter 5 How Your Computer Computes EromiaiSwitch to Bit c ore Cetero a a a dc e als The Parts OF Compu ode eec redde tee edades Computers Structured in Logical Layers sss Thesphiysical layers i eds ud eee edes O S eec ce CENE NM cte a a A Ck ASR GAS ok The Operating SyStent a ate ee dai ehe ege Managing the processor eee Mana me Mt bee tbe MAMA ARS NA A bee de AMAT Managing generic I O devices Providing an interface to application programs Providing an interface to the user sss DEVICE Divers xis Aion nte TUI ERR AREE YER A REV ean Application PIOgramis oorr pc Westen e earns SUMMA eco IA IA e dae PY TU eve erie Contents xi Contents Chapter 6 The Central Processing Unit 91 History Ob the CPU editoras 91 Whiat the CPU DOES 5 5 ete Us esc tete tados bo tete reete 93 AP RR E 94 Mulet edite e e ceca ders 95 Tate a AMI ta ish nile Ais to cops Antes Loir dea 96 oup d C E MEE 97 Ie Te cou eee E ND qoM CE td a ge TETE 98 Northbridge and Southbridge controllers sss 99 A uu REESE ERU T 100 SouthbridPeue evum Edu ks eret set Aditi alos Ro Mets 101 SUMIMAL Ys acre ccn UA ARE edo oe MM Electi MAE eA rcc et AE oA deor 101 Chapter 7 R
12. Its worth the time to explore a computer makers online support services before you decide to buy anything from them It s a very good sign if it appears that they are committed to providing as much information as possible in clear and easy to understand form If theres an enthusiastic community of individual users who contribute to the support forums or news groups you have probably found a company that takes good care of its customers But dont limit yourself to the official company Web sites Many other Web sites are maintained by independent groups and self appointed experts On these sites users share hints and tips without the filter that a company site might apply when irate customers turn against them A Web search for a particular make and model number can often find pointers to both official and independent sources of helpful information Support by e mail Many companies prefer to receive questions from users via e mail rather than by telephone From the support centers point of view e mail is a much more efficient way to provide support because it allows them to let messages stack up without a customer tying up a telephone line And a sup port technician can send the user a prepared answer without the need to talk them through a com plicated procedure while the user is trying the suggested fix the tech can respond to several other questions from other people Because a support center can handle several e mail questions at the same tim
13. Laptops are more expensive When you buy a laptop computer you pay something extra for the added convenience of a light weight portable system The price of a laptop computer is always higher than a desktop system with similar performance That added cost is a combination of more expensive design you can t just assemble a new model out of common components non standard parts and an expensive battery in every computer A laptop also has to be more durable than a desktop system Even though you can recharge it when you run the computer on external power your computers battery wont last forever The life of a laptop battery depends on the way you use the computer but you probably need a new one at least every couple of years Repairs are another potential expense As the next section explains a laptop computer is more likely to need service than a desktop machine so thats one more item to add to the total cost of ownership The alternative is an extended warranty which is really a bet with the manufacturer that the computer will need service during the life of the warranty If the computer breaks you win the bet If it works perfectly you lose Desktop or Laptop Dont forget to add the cost of essential accessories when you re estimating the cost of your new computer At a bare minimum you need some kind of carrier bag or a backpack for your laptop and maybe some additional memory and a cable lock or other security device F Chapter
14. Microsoft Knowledge Base sse 828 Other manufacturers tech support centers sssssssssss 829 The collective wisdom of the Internet sss 829 Try a SOON ciere eer eae ERR RET RE ru e rcd tere 829 Keep hotes niteat vei diee vesci aia 829 Blue Screen Falles iR rape ete ied bre E Ge rcd test 850 Bypassthe Hard Drive 1 get iaa 832 Use the System Restores Tole ies care o ba HR et eed ua 832 Test for Virlises anid Py Wibal 833 Dont Reformat That Hard Drive sSYet aser e de dedo E e en 833 SUM ii d ttti sr vet ub endet tete alt tob Er d 835 Index 2a AD ed EAE OWE ERS RSI a 837 his book is a comprehensive reference for people who want to understand their Wintel computers inside and out before and after they buy them It contains advice about how to make informed buying decisions and how to use most of the features and functions supplied with your computer and the hidden tools and utilities in Windows XP that can make your computer easier to use The book explains what most internal components connectors and external devices do how they do it and how all those pieces parts and add on peripheral devices work together to form a computer By Wintel computers we mean computers designed around Intel processors and similar processors made by AMD and the Microsoft Windows operating system However this is not a How to Use Windows book that covers every imaginable feature and function in the Windows operati
15. actually equal to 1024 megabytes The most common sizes for memory modules are 256MB 512MB 1024MB 1GB and 2024MB 2GB If you order additional memory along with your computer instruct the dealer to install the new modules and test them in your system before they turn it over to you Dont accept the loose mod ules as separate pieces that you have to install before you can use them because loose modules may not have been tested before they were shipped to you If you add memory to an existing computer run a memory test such as Memtest86 available from www memtest86 com after you install the new modules If the test identifies any problems remove the new modules and return them to your supplier for a refund or replacement Some types of memory modules must be installed in matched pairs The manual for your computer or motherboard tells you if your system has this requirement Choosing a Hard Drive Most new computers come with a single hard drive to store programs and data files You can expect the dealer or manufacturer to format the drive and load Windows and other software before they deliver the computer The important characteristics of a hard drive are The amount of data the drive can hold expressed in gigabytes The speed at which the magnetic disks rotate inside the drive The buffer that stores copies of recently read data The type of interface between the drive and the motherboard Before you buy your computer i
16. can assemble your own computer from parts the savings can be even greater Major com puter builders such as Dell and Hewlett Packard may offer very inexpensive models with limited performance including slow processors limited memory and low capacity hard drives for less than the cost of assembling a similar machine yourself but if you want a system with better per formance you can often find higher quality parts for less than the cost of an off the shelf product Cases motherboards disk drives expansion cards and other standard parts for desktop comput ers are easy to find so building your own system can be a practical alternative for people who have more time and assembly skills than ready cash and who want something better than an entry level system But there are no widespread standards for the size and layout of laptop components so it s not always practical to look for a generic laptop case keyboard video display and motherboard that you can put together yourself SE See Chapter 4 for more details about motherboards expansion cards and other impor tant parts of your computer CGROSS RI Desktops use standard parts As explained later in this book the parts inside a desktop computer usually follow one or more design standards so it s often possible to replace a component that fails with a new one from a dif ferent manufacturer And when you want to add more memory a larger hard drive or maybe a sec ond graphic
17. controllets acta oce Att E stems 231 Configuring Windows for Your Sound Card 233 Jelnce og M i C C Ae 233 SGS ca beide teas UL LUE E Z 236 UGG ntu ar a seb ed eA Rt USC IU EUN 237 NOICE T 238 Hardware cnet o es ea UM DU Gc 238 Other Audio Control Utilities ote RR ARS 239 The Windows Volume Control ep Re bend e 240 Adding a Subweolers aei dono AE e 241 Using a Microphone s ates e mediae due b e ae e eret e edt 241 SHRITI ee obe tette ur e n m E EE Me Ir ed Potete dus 242 XV Contents Chapter 14 Using USB and FireWire Interfaces o ounnunaenanoe 243 How WSB Works citet tot tute ct aeta edem erede Br Pet tu S 244 Thesimple Versions estar oC Rises 244 The complicated version oett ness eee tomate RO tentes 245 Hubs and expansion cards oer bote Oe traps 245 Power distribution sssssssssssseeee eene 246 a AA eph pet peces ee een hee eas 246 IES DNE sat EV nie Aad Nal ache Aaah T 247 HOW Fire Wine ANOEIE eo RR EET 248 IsochrOHGUS Trasierra ode Potest ases de 249 Asynchronous transfers TT 249 NetWork Connections asne ai ash rM LE est s aU cM E deas ale ack Al is 249 Whats the Diterence avs canst ds e da lat ales qas dd 250 Connectors and Cables i THH 250 Connecting to a Windows Comnputer sei d et ees 253 SUMMA v rest CR DU P HY pert qa Og RE RAD EVEN REL ne to ev ie e LS 253 Chapter 15 Using Bluetooth 4 23 44 4404 4446 ue PES Oe x 255 How Bluetooth ST 256 Installing Bluetooth in Your Computer
18. dae thee ndi se be etd reddes hb ed Ue b etn et 496 Determining which version you have sss 497 Loading Windows aree eres eco ee epo m tend dette aed redde ess 497 Wiiderstanding Device DIA Vers ee choke a Hbc ag cmn 498 Adding new hardware to your System 499 Usine Device Manager TTT 499 Finding and Installing Patches Service Packs and Upgrades s 503 Using Automatic Updates sss eee eee nennen 503 What s New in Windows Vista sssssssssse eI eene nehmen ee mrn e ener ens 504 ON 505 Chapter 32 Essential Software oo 507 Software for Accessing the Internet 507 Selectirig a Wep Browser creer tette rb ee RPM REP pers 508 Choosing au e mail package viana ret ee aee hee YR eh n d 509 Using Web mall tere tne ee rei Gurnee aes ares ees 512 Using firewall antivirus and other security software cocinan 512 Enabling Windows Firewall ancre RTT Sannin pet gen te car 512 Protecting against virus threats erre petro no ee rant 514 ITE Se etre and ren ei ode ae SHEET 516 AdobesReaderand Plastic 517 Viewing PDE files A lenem n 517 Viewing Plash o emet cre ee ie ene oven d 518 xxii Contents Other Ra 519 Sereen Savers tidad Maku reb Ee EE eel dee 519 Backups iss cp deii etae o tee e ipe ER idees 521 File CODIDFessiQnDid d E a Hada d ete Dee e od Aute teat ed fete 521 Application PrOgFatis x meo eed ere utem io er d Bate me a sere 522 Word processor 5 1 edet e de ep oe
19. dde 683 Packeblata Pim eS est D etaed aL T LA M aetna EO UR de 684 Network connections rci tei LOT Py c Dee a rr i PER o reed 686 Remote terminals x23 er c Ob rep ARR RIT eI CETERI 686 TCP IP COnB CLOTS sie neta eene oen re ceri e AER YR TCI nente 690 El bs switches and routers wo esr eer he Ta XR uec EH EUH 692 Connecting Throughia Network restes c nter tege n eed aging IA IEC 695 Using a modem ce ater entire gsm nen dye n PIGH CR I ISI ETATE Vg 695 Setting Upan Ethernet COnnectiOh aire cr ROT lar ETE Eee td 697 Setting up alo network wi sect eicosanoid crease 700 Connecting through an infrared IrDA nK eee 701 Direct Connections eed e eed DG E d e DE EPIRI d tue ee IO PEU Res EL de bee EOS 703 O RUNS 704 Chapter 45 Sending and Receiving Faxes ess 705 Creating a Faxin Windows siera giire odere eret eerte prr epe bei tuc reed 705 Instalhing the fax component sic ed eene dei PR e bets 705 Gonfiguring the Fax Consoles tete teu eH pee odes pre et 706 Changing the tax settings 54 ideo h ertet vede tede dee oq egre 708 Using the Fax Console vate cette iie tenet este eet ederet eed Peer USE 708 ET ses ces meu ele ote TL ce eee Ae Ee Sel TS 709 Specitylug aqeciple nb tt ties tenni d estoit t coe decet sn 709 Establishing dialing ules et entices dls toda mta 710 Selecting a Cover pages cis scutes cione tese teet lis ati Red 710 Scheduling the Tax dcs cete c io O 711 Receiving axes A draht is deed etat
20. disks are smaller they cant hold as much data If you expect to use your computer to record audio or video or to store other very large files this difference in capacity means that you must either connect a second external drive to the laptop through a USB or FireWire port or transfer the files to another computer for permanent storage Laptops are easy to steal In an airport a railway station or a library an unattended laptop computer can easily disappear within minutes For all the same reasons that make laptop computers convenient to carry they are also extremely attractive targets for theft They re easy to grab and hide and easy to sell to an unscrupulous bargain hunter Worse the information stored on a laptops hard drive can be even more valuable than the machine itself Business records thesis notes and other information stored in data files can be difficult or impossible to reconstruct And you ve probably seen news reports about banks credit bureaus and government agencies losing confidential information when their laptops were stolen Of course you can and must take precautions to protect your laptop If you travel with gt a laptop you must never let it out of your sight If you use it in a public location use a cable lock to secure it to a table If you leave it in a car be sure to put it in the trunk where nobody can see it T Chapter 48 of this book offers many more ideas about keeping your computer secure
21. edt e oO f ed 345 Multiple battre ii 347 Charging the battery tee aired on ee ados 348 Inside the Computers esce er toe ee ae reet te e tee 348 Outside the computer uu oie er tee ede rete edic ess 349 Replacing the battery an eee ete e ote donee eu metas 349 What to look TOT o tr die cs 349 Removing the old battery and installing the new one sss 350 Disposing of old balls eene 351 Using an AC Adapter TTT 351 Ghoosing your adapter T 351 Adapters Tor Toreign trayel 85 testet eot ated 352 Using External DC POWeE c dh atas oer m cett et ioter ptus 352 R d cing Power Cons mpllOBs o oer ette e t oet etes 352 Remiove P Cands dotem USE rinsi oai tto ten tec a dn eee actus 353 Tarmotboptiorial Services cce cater ett en HR EE tette 353 Tarn down the Video SGreen iie seruit ter en tc a in tete deus 353 Use Windows Power Optlons sies core ina ae E n e ends 353 SUMMA cides tases tede sto rete tue estote decre te us e en bete Um c dede RR 355 xviii Contents Chapter 22 Using External Devices with a Laptop 357 Using a Separate Keyboatd eee te ete lt eta e etes 357 Using an IRO Tee 358 Using a T Vas a MORitOE s ionem cats que eate teo ED E ai maken 361 Using a Mouse or Other Pointing Device tetitas 361 Dsie Externalestorape xotobatul ooa de dol pd o ie AR AD RUE eA IE EM 362 Hard drives Antia saevae des s Manes cc rode EMILE 362 Elashidnyes s d Tro exei A EU TA SM NO eA ee o 362 Po
22. example the basic warranty might include free access to telephone support but if it s necessary to replace a part the service center sends you the new part and expects you to perform Evaluating the Warranty and Support the swap yourself or you might have to send the computer back to a service depot If you or your IT staff are comfortable working inside a computer that might be all you need The alternative could be a more expensive warranty that includes on site repairs by a service technician in your office or home Look for exceptions or other terms and conditions that can limit the warrantys coverage For example if the warranty doesn t cover damage due to misuse or abuse you might be out of luck if you drop your laptop or when you spill a cup of coffee into the keyboard And don t accept a war ranty that doesn t allow you to open the case if you ever upgrade a video card add more memory or even reattach a loose connector the manufacturer might refuse to honor the warranty Service Contracts A service contract or an extended warranty is a gamble between a consumer and a manufacturer or a third party service provider In effect you re betting that your computer needs expensive service during the life of the contract If your computer continues to work perfectly you lose the bet Most home and office computers are pretty reliable If they do require expensive service or repairs its probably within the first year wh
23. idea to get a hard drive with a generous capacity in your new computer but don t worry about underestimating your ultimate requirement When the original drive comes close to filling up with data its easy enough to add a second drive Speed Most new hard drives come with internal disks that spin at 7200 RPM revolutions per minute or more but you might find a slower 5400 RPM drive in a less expensive computer Obviously faster is better especially when you re working with very large files because a fast drive takes less time to locate individual files A computer with a faster drive loads Windows more quickly when you turn it on and reduces the amount of time needed to open and store files and perform other common maintenance tasks Buffer The disk cache or buffer is a temporary storage area on the drive that holds copies of data that the computer recently read and expects to read again in the near future When the drive reads data from the buffer it is able to transfer it to the CPU more quickly because it doesnt have to spend time searching through the whole drive for the file that contains that data Most drives used in desktop computers have either a 2MB buffer or an 8MB buffer some very large drives have 16MB buffers A 2MB buffer is adequate for things like office work e mail and Web browsing but a larger buffer improves performance on video games and in servers that have heavy workloads An 8MB buffer is a better choice for
24. irm e EO A ERG 712 Faking DOCUTIents ence e ede Ree e e o DE HO ade Ren 712 Faxing scanned docum ntscs cce cette e oet n e et e EO atada 712 Faxing from withinta word processor turca teet etur dato 713 xxvii Contents Creating a Custom Cover T 714 Faxing Using the Internet ns eee atus ata petet edd 715 SUMMAT td ter e vea eb e t ie bs 716 Chapter 46 Using Your Computer on the Internet 717 Connecting tothe Internet uci oociep te eo eee uto e e te ens 717 Choosing e T 718 COnMECHON OPUONS cita a rubo 718 Diale p contigurationz dioit ettet dte ERU itte ab estet 718 Broadband configuration see 719 Using the New Connection Wizard sss nes 719 Changing dial up connection properties 723 Changing broadband connection properties sss 728 Browsingithe Webi ceuta es Dio dia Mea vas del dev MA ach atv ha AS Ade Er 728 Searching the Web eo ssepe d ran ptio d dete ae Nr S Pepe di 730 SaVITIgBavoFItes zoo d etae edm oA eu eed ehe oU oc T 732 Viewing T Ee Uis ec dcn npn tere teen ert ey en teet en 733 Configuring Internet Explorer eee evento hee voe teret 134 Changing the default Web page sssssssss em 734 Managing cached files ied otn re tti dv Pn t RTI es 735 Managing Risto dren sate wha Fa adnate hates SRI Se 736 Changing the browsers colors and fonts sss 737 Changing the browsers text SIZE ae teer iaa S t e 738 Changing the browsers language
25. one or more software utilities and applications T T T T T T T T T T he manufacturer offers more or better technical support Quality Quality in a computer is partially reflected in more durable more reliable parts Although its possible to assemble a computer from premium quality components most manufacturers and screwdriver shops use less expensive parts that are still entirely adequate for most users Most of the components inside your computer can last long after advances to the technology make them obsolete The Internet is full of detailed reviews and anecdotal reports about every imaginable piece of com puter gear from fully assembled systems to individual cases motherboards and plug in cards If a particular item has a history of failure or terrible factory support you can be sure that a bunch of unhappy people have described their experiences online A Web search on the make and model name or number plus the word review can probably direct you to sites that offer praise or warn ings about the piece of equipment you re considering Don t pay much attention to the glowing reports in the manufacturers own site or those of their dealers but look for independent reports especially the ones in user forums and blogs Don t worry as much about one or two negative sto ries among a lot more positives even the best products get those If you find a ten page technical review look for the subjective evaluations on the
26. possible problems or errors that may occur as a result of performing a step incorrectly The Cross Reference icon refers the reader to other chapters or sections within the book that are relevant to the topic being discussed Z The Note icon identifies important information that is tangential to the discussion The Tip icon identifies special information or an insight What s in This Book PC Users Bible contains eight parts Part I Choosing Your Computer This part offers guidelines for selecting and buying a new computer It describes the relative advan tages and disadvantages of laptop and desktop computers explains where and how to buy the computer you really want or need how to choose individual features and options and how to evaluate the warranty Part II Understanding Your Computer s Components This part explains how a computer works and what each of the essential components contributes to the overall system Among other things it describes the central processor the memory the BIOS hard drives and many other components and how they all work together to move data around and perform useful work Part III Using Your Desktop Computer This part describes the appearance and locations of all the features and options inside and outside a desktop computer It also explains how to control power consumption and how to increase the computers operating speed by overclocking the CPU and the graphics controller Part IV Usi
27. processor chip R Noise control Some cases are designed to reduce the amount of noise and vibration that the computer produces W Number of internal and external drive bays Internal drive bays provide mounting space for additional hard drives External bays offer space for devices that must be physi cally accessible to a user such as a CD or DVD drive E Style and appearance Does the case fit into the d cor or style of the room in which it is needed RB Color and finish A case might be painted with a flat or a glossy finish black beige or a bright color or even unpainted metal W Weight Aluminum cases are lighter and more portable than similar steel cases Wi Fase of access Some cases include removable trays and sliding platforms for the mother board and internal drives These features make the computer easier to assemble and repair but they make no difference to the day to day user RB Position of the controls and indicators The power and reset buttons the pilot light and the disk activity light are all normally located on the computers front panel but the exact position depends on the case design Some users might prefer one layout over another R Power supply If you re buying a separate case to assemble your own computer from parts the power supply might be either be included with the case or sold separately If it s included is the power supply rated for enough watts to support all the internal parts without ove
28. take care Moves are sometimes blamed for system crashes Sometimes you dont have any choice about moving your computer around Maybe you re a teacher or a librarian who uses the same machine in different rooms or possibly you re running a conference that includes PowerPoint presentations in several different places If thats your situa tion and you can t replace the system with a portable your best bet is to find or build some kind of special computer cart that holds everything in place with all the cables connected When you arrive at the new location you can plug the power cord into the wall and hope that all the other cables haven t shaken loose from their sockets The computer is still big and heavy but it doesn t have to be quite as inconvenient to move Desktops require external power The electrical circuits fan motors and disk drives in your computer use DC power from the power supply inside the case On the other hand the power supply along with your video display and other external accessories needs a source of domestic AC power 110 volts in North America and Japan 220 volts in most other places If there isn t a wall outlet nearby you need some kind of generator or a big battery with an inverter or an extremely long extension cord It5 possible to replace the usual AC power supply with one that uses a 24 volt or 48 volt DC input but DC power supplies for desktop computers are expensive and uncommon A DC supply might b
29. the amount of RAM the capacity of the hard drive and the performance of the graphics con troller are all integral to making your computer work the way you need it to Don t forget about your preferences for monitor screen size and image quality as well as the quality of the speakers And if its a desktop computer decide whether you want a tower or a desktop case Finally there are two other very important things to consider when you re choosing a new com puter the length of the warranty and the quality of the service and technical support supplied along with the computer Its a sad fact that computers are complex machines that dont always work the way you expect Just about everybody needs some kind of help setting up the system or using some of its features and options When a component fails to work properly it s essential to know that you can get the thing fixed or replaced ipte TEST Understanding Your Computer s Components Chapter 4 Looking Inside the Case Chapter 5 How Your Computer Computes Chapter 6 The Central Processing Unit Chapter 7 Random Access Memory Chapter 8 Understanding the BIOS Chapter 9 Hard Drives and Other Storage Media Chapter 10 Understanding Graphics Controllers Chapter 11 Video Monitors Chapter 12 Keyboards Mice and Other Input Devices Chapter 13 Sound Cards Speakers and Other Audio Chapter 14 Using USB and FireWire Interfaces Chapter 15 Using
30. the cost of your computer without a sacrifice in quality or performance Building a computer from scratch is probably not worth the time and trouble involved if your only objective is to save money You can probably find an inexpensive brand name or white box system at a local retailer or through the Web for about the same price as the total cost of all the parts you would have to buy But if you already have an accumulation of usable spare parts or if you want to choose the particular components and features in your computer a home brew system might make sense There are many more variations available in things like cases and graphics controllers than you re likely to find in any retailers inventory Once you move beyond the low end you can often build a computer with better performance or special features for the same amount of money that an off the shelf system might cost Buying a Computer For example the manufacturers of desktop and tower cases offer many variations and options in their product lines but most white box assemblers limit themselves to one or two generic models When you re building your own system you can choose exactly the size shape and color you want You can choose a compact case or one with extra space for additional hard drives If you want a silent computer you can even choose an ultra quiet case from Antec Zalman and several other suppliers When you compare the cost of buying versus building don t forget
31. the price of a new copy of Windows Most store bought computers include Windows as part of the package but if you re building your own system you have to buy the operating system software separately you cant just install the same copy you already use on another computer One reason the big manufacturers can offer such low prices is that Microsoft charges them a lot less than you must pay when you buy one copy of Windows at a time Assembling a new computer out of parts is not something you might ever want to try but if you do theres a special kind of satisfaction when you turn on the power switch for the first time and there it is data begins to appear on your monitor screen But if it doesn t work remem ber that you have to find and repair the problem yourself you built it so you get to fix it Before you start you may want to read a book about building your own computer such as Building a PC For Dummies 5th Edition Z Building a usable PC is not usually a project for beginners But if you enjoy that sort of thing it can be a legitimate alternative to buying a new computer that has already been assembled and tested Choosing a Processor The CPU central processing unit is the core of your computer It5 the large integrated circuit mounted in a socket on the motherboard that controls all of the computers other components All of the actual computing inside your computer takes place in the CPU so the choice of a processor
32. the quality of its components Because the retail computer business is extremely competitive computers with simi lar performance and features almost always have similar prices A cheaper computer contains slower cheaper parts When you buy a new computer you usually get what you pay for Unless you can find a special sale or rebate its probably not productive to choose a computer based exclusively on price Its better to identify the fea tures and options that make a difference to the way you use the machine Let the performance and features drive your choice 29 IN THIS CHAPTER Purchasing online buying retail or building your own Deciding on the type speed and performance of your processor Comparing hard drive capacities Evaluating a new computer Finding a place to buy your computer Selecting a processor memory and other components Choosing features and options parti Choosing Your Computer 30 If one computer costs more than another it probably has one or more of these features he CPU has better or faster performance he computer has more RAM he hard drive is bigger he graphics controller has more memory he computer comes with a more expensive version of Windows he optical drive plays and records DVDs he computer comes with a more expensive monitor mouse keyboard or speakers he warranty is longer or it includes on site service calls he computer comes with
33. the question in its title you re probably disappointed and a bit unhappy by now The truth is that brand name computers are not always better or worse than the ones that come in white boxes If you know how to read the computers specifications and lists of features and options and how to evaluate the support supplied by the dealer and the manufacturer either type can be a reliable system that can do all the things you want it to do Buying a Computer Where to Buy Your Computer In todays marketplace you can buy a personal computer in almost as many places as you can buy a cup of expensive coffee The big office supply chains all offer computers and accessories in the next aisle beyond the paper clips and pencils and the electronics retailers in every shopping mall are ready to sell you a computer along with your home entertainment system Or if you prefer you can go to a smaller computer specialty shop where they assemble each computer to order in the back room And then there s the Internet where dozens of manufacturers and thousands of retail ers are waiting for your order Are some of these places better than others Yes Or at least maybe It depends on how much you know before you walk into a store or fire up your Web browser and whether it s important to take the computer home this afternoon You can get a fine computer from any of those sources But you can also end up with a system that is either wildly beyond what you and you
34. to the character of the listening experience you should expect your dealer to let you try speakers on your own system and allow you to return them if you dont like the way they sound See Chapter 13 for more detailed information about selecting and using a sound card and speakers for your computer ei 48 Buying a Computer Choosing a Keyboard The choice of a keyboard for your computer is almost entirely a matter of personal taste Some users are satisfied with generic keyboards and others prefer a keyboard with a more responsive touch in the individual keys or a special layout designed to reduce stress or increase typing speed The inexpensive keyboards supplied with many new computers use a flexible membrane or a sheet with rubber domes under each key When you press a key the membrane or dome closes an elec trical contact with a printed circuit board to send a set of codes back to the computers processor These keyboards have very few parts so they re cheap to build and sell More expensive keyboards use a separate spring loaded pushbutton switch for each key Some keyboards use a short range radio link to replace the cable that connects the keyboard to the computer case or they include special function keys and controls along with the standard letters and numbers And theres a whole world of specialty keyboards for left handed typists with the direction keys and the numeric keypad on the left side of the reg
35. 21 Bree or pald india 21 Can you get thro gh easily iai cepe etse cedi gd 22 Are the support people helpful acotada eden sed 22 Online TES MOS ded etica t edat i e ati Uca edo ges 23 Support bye mail sordet e Me deem dede d cent 23 Beware ot finger potins anc cd de tot e e etas ede ae 24 Repairs and Upgrades oct redeo ie eM oe b e eset et d 24 Can you do your own Tepalrs i oed deepest eee donet e easet 25 Finding aservice mantal tc 25 Are parts available fac tuto fece tu edo be ee eed ee god 27 Spe suse 27 Chapter 3 Buying a Computer lt sees va Sek wee ee 29 CG OS ELM M 29 O eo L 30 DEG DE DA ite DE diia tada coho Aleta ia bine sb do A Ud O 32 Where to Buy Your COMPU dl ad ot ad Ande 33 A O N 33 ScreWwdriver shops da dote An eds dial ot gos des be pr eva ds TA 34 Through the Web Mal 1e ed een tt AA 35 Build your own computer eio te rti teda neut bee ded 36 Choosing A Processors iw rat eese te ode qe dme e be rete be tend pe qd 37 Inte lor AMD ot T eet 38 Processor Speed aeos cod rh epe tet tra Pede e ee Pee TERR 38 Performance ten oso ted e a ele e e ee been ed 40 IMEImoOEV 4 sna rar a REV Foie DR d RA Ree eer Gane os 40 Choosing a Hard DRE ayec oi etes et cde a ede e eg dle dbegen ted 41 Gapaclty oat uec Cree et Rr RET De TRIP PR TU De eet Thar rod 42 Speed i oie tsi Aetas eruta a east eerte E Rd Loc Lbs ta I um 42 BUT rik uctus a EN DL ICI IE LII
36. 25 describes many other accessories you might also want to use with your laptop E If you re considering a laptop because you want to carry it between home and work but you don t care about portable operation there s another possible option Think about two inexpensive desktop systems and an external hard drive instead of a single laptop The total cost of the two desktops could easily be less than a single quality portable Laptops need repairs more often Its easy to understand why a laptop computer is more likely to need repairs than a desktop machine if you consider the way people treat them The owner of a laptop grabs it off the desk drops it into a bag or a briefcase and throws it over a shoulder or onto a baggage cart Then it gets shaken around for a couple of hours until the owner stops into a coffee shop and fires up the com puter to check for e mail Oops Was that hot coffee and warm milk you spilled into the keyboard Oh well use some napkins to soak it up and put it back in the bag On the other hand a desktop computer in an office or at home is set up and assembled just once and it sits in the same place for months or years at a time Maybe a heavy handed typist might wear out a keyboard or a hard drive might crash but most of the time the box just sits there with out any serious abuse If a keyboard or a mouse or even an internal component fails it s just a matter of unplugging the old one and installing a re
37. ARE 479 Ooa E s oe samet ter re icem E 483 Textatozspeechi translations eerte edidere 483 Adjusting or replacing sounds canina 483 Turn p thousand aedem aree 484 Sound schemes one ten ob i a et 484 ShowsSounds and SoundSen try osx aiat ento Ge te Or DR 484 MoUuse options and altematives ete estrena anc o hens 485 MOUSE Keys cette o REN EU EE E T xD ERES 485 Alternatives to conventional e o era cte cto e ted 487 Keyboard options and alternatives etos edo am eei etes 487 St ckyKeys cac ott tete tret et ic a CN Ee ea nte 488 PULP KGS caseo ttc ecu uidi eden edet e n ROS 488 xxi Contents S a e TTT 489 Alt rmative keyboards sten OR Ule ERE enun 490 Making Public Computers More Accessible sss 490 Snc 490 Part VI Putting Your Computer to Work 491 Chapter 31 Working with Microsoft Windows 493 Uniderstanding Operating Systems x pci a 493 Operating system functionality e iet oon Rep ee i re perdere 494 Operating System Options tritio I e ees tue EE 494 Choosing a T sauer testo etsium MIDI a uns 495 Windows evolution dan 495 DOS acts 405 U stal aso Ue ES 405 Windows e and Bkr De ree eoe eve eod ende dra tet ees ioc 495 Windows INFE st coe doner elect eod t Moos bte etd breed ht eed rb etd td 496 Windows 2000 and ME ethic Phe tct e to tenter Ded tende bes s 496 Windows XE ise tati ese be ttd bends hb eder edet t 496 balocus EE 496 ANIBOOWS VISUA 2c
38. Bluetooth hether the computer in question is housed in a desktop case a tower case a portable clamshell or some other less common package every Wintel computer Wintel systems are designed around the Windows operating system and Intel processors contains the same basic set of components These components might take different physi cal forms but they re always there An important first step in understanding how a computer works is to know where to find and identify the parts that combine to make up the whole This chapter describes each of the essential components including the power supply the central processing unit CPU Random Access Memory RAM and the motherboard It also briefly explains what each piece does and how it works with the other parts of the system You can find more detailed explanations of most of these components later in this book The Contents of a Case The essential components that exist in every computer include B Power supply The power supply converts AC power from a wall outlet to well regulated DC power for all the other components in the system R Central processor CPU As the name suggests the CPU also known as the chip is the computers core data processing device It accepts instructions also called commands from other components and responds to those commands by performing specific actions and sending the results of those actions to other components 53
39. EPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL ACCOUNTING OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE FURTHER READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support please contact our Customer Care Department within the U S at 800 762 2974 outside the U S at 317 572 3993 or fax 317 572 4002 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data is available from the publisher Trademarks Wi
40. In some cases those improved functions can compensate for a slower internal clock to produce faster overall performance Each processor family includes a different set of features You can find detailed descriptions of each family and recommended processors for different uses at the Intel and AMD Web sites www intel com products and www amd com Memory Every time you open a file or run a program the computer loads commands and data into RAM random access memory chips located on memory modules mounted in sockets on the mother board The CPU exchanges data with these modules millions of times every second When you save a file the computer transfers the data from RAM to permanent storage on the hard drive or some other media In Windows and other modern operating systems the CPU is often running one or more programs in the foreground and many other utilities and services in background The computer is constantly moving programs and files between the RAM and a section of the hard drive reserved for use as additional virtual memory Because the CPU can read data from RAM modules much more quickly than it can retrieve it from the mechanical or hard drive a computer processes data faster if it has more RAM Adding more RAM is often the single most cost effective way to improve a computers performance Chapter 7 explains how memory works with the other components inside your computer how to buy and install additional memory and how to
41. Labs and Kelly Odle from Logitech Acknowledgments reb TTT Taer be edge eA nitide v Introduction s See epp etc ene ttr ere dp een qttod steep rite xxxi Part I Choosing Your Computer ooooooocoooooo o 1 Ghapter le Desktop or Laptop unn dpe rtr tede tei ee vtl n 3 Chapter 2 Evaluating the Warranty and Support 17 Chapter 3 Buying a COmpUtet x ities eret ont dete d mee n bate ees 29 Part Il Understanding Your Computer s Components 51 Chapter 4 Looking Inside the Case 5 e ect eerte e petite peer qd 53 Chapter 5 How Your Computer Computes senssa aioa eee eene 75 Chapter 6 The Central Processing Unit ep Fide Pet rope o ete serta ipud Potete tti 91 Chapter 7 Random Access Memory eR mand te eie A ees 103 Chapter 8S Understanding the BIOS sse e ge tt ere dee Pee epu tees 117 Chapter 9 Hard Drives and Other Storage Media coin 131 Chapter 10 Understanding Graphics Controller aradeg ea EN 155 Chapter T1 Video Monitors aie etos be tele mede vam oi es 179 Chapter 12 Keyboards Mice and Other Input Devices 193 Chapter 13 Sound Cards Speakers and Other Audio 225 Chapter 14 Using USB and FireWire Interfaces sss 243 Chapter Usar og imd todos med he creta 255 Part IIl Using Your Desktop Computer 265 Chapter T6 Exploring Your Desktop Computer cop eoe tibt ats 267 Chapter 17 Managing Power on a Desktop COmpuGT cnn 289 Chapter T8 Overclocking You
42. N THIS CHAPTER Checking the terms and conditions of your computer s warranty Evaluating service contracts Getting the most out of formal and informal technical support Obtaining repairs and upgrades for your computer Choosing Your Computer 18 GROSS R one But computers are a lot more complicated because they re assembled from a lot of individual parts When something inside your computer fails you can expect a repair or a replacement for that component But you probably cant get a whole new computer In most cases the best you can expect is a new part Its important to understand what the manufacturer or dealer means when they tell you that the computer you re about to buy has a full warranty Does that include parts and labor Who per forms the repairs Does a service technician come to you or must you take the computer to them Duration A new computer should be covered under warranty for at least a year The warranty is intended to protect you against defective parts and premature failures but you should not expect it to cover normal wear and tear So for example if the letters printed on the keyboards keys begin to wear off after a few months you should have a legitimate warranty claim but if the same problem shows up after five or six years that probably counts as normal wear Fortunately most electronic circuits that fail are likely to do so soon after they are placed into service so a year is us
43. PC User s Bible John Ross and Kelly Murdock BICENTENNIAL 11807p S9 WILEY 2007F BICENTENNIAL Wiley Publishing Inc PC User s Bible John Ross and Kelly Murdock BICENTENNIAL 11807p S9 WILEY 2007F BICENTENNIAL Wiley Publishing Inc PC User s Bible Published by Wiley Publishing Inc 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis IN 46256 Copyright O 2007 by Wiley Publishing Inc Indianapolis Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing Inc Indianapolis Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN 978 0 470 08897 5 anufactured in the United States of America 10987654321 o part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording scanning or otherwise except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of he 1976 United States Copyright Act without either the prior written permission of the Publisher or authorization hrough payment of the appropriate per copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center 222 Rosewood Drive Danvers MA 01923 978 750 8400 fax 978 646 8600 Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department Wiley Publishing Inc 10475 Crosspoint Blvd Indianapolis IN 46256 317 572 3447 fax 317 572 4355 or online at http www wiley com go permissions LIMIT OF LIABILITY DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO R
44. S ILE CURL EN DES IRL LL LOT 42 Intekfaee vi eI UU DIU e este RR IUE Lbs e 1 42 Inputs nd Output cto ste SERERE ER E E IRL qd 43 Choosing a Gase eco i rH tete aite eee edu linen adn 44 Choosing a Graphics Controllers sc ent SEGUE Eten 46 Refresh rate nroa e ua ER Eu SE 47 Golorsand maximum resolution c ovo Rm be etus 4T Choosing a Moni victoria Eae aan ir Ded esse ciebat 47 Choosing an Audio Controller and Speakers e 48 Choosing a Keyboard TTT 49 Choosing a Mouse or Other Pointing Device ssssssssss eee 49 SM ad sema ink bam esed 50 Part Il Understanding Your Computer s Components Chapter 4 Looking Inside the Case The Gontents ofa Case scitote mne e ATUS EDI VERTO a ED rg Opening tlie Case msan me o WERE ou e Opening A LOWEN Case tergo res ove oec vet v Se Peter qun Openinga desktop Case mum ene me merece sacs Providing Electricity The Power Supply sss Supporting Everything The Motherboard see The CPU The brains of the outfit tac Mateos Inasupporting roles Ehe chipset pee bete The BIOS Starting the computer reete terere Memory atacando Inputs and outputs ai tee ERG te nbn e es Other components on the motherboard e Adding Special Functions Expansion Cards sss Interlace types citados rec et ERE Eee teen Installing expansion Cards teta tete Ure opted Holding ithe Drives Drive Bays eot eset a e tse lise e External drive Days cdta ote eie ote ese icem
45. a laptop computer Interface The interface is the system that the computer uses to exchange data with a disk drive Your new computer should use either an IDE interface also called an ATA interface or an SATA interface SATA drives were introduced more recently than the older IDE types but the drive manufacturers Buying a Computer still make both types The computers motherboard probably has sockets for both interface types if its a desktop system If you have a choice ask for an SATA drive but don t worry if IDE is your only option In today s computers the difference in performance is insignificant but SATA drives accommodate the faster processors and other improvements that may become available in the near future In addition SATA cables are more compact than the ones on IDE drives so they make it easier to work inside the computer case E Chapter 9 discusses the difference between IDE also called ATA and SATA interfaces Inputs and Outputs Todays computers have an almost overwhelming number of connectors and sockets that allow a wide variety of devices to exchange information with the processor You can expect any new computer to have many of the inputs and outputs listed in Table 3 1 unless you re buying a very compact system with limited capabilities However some systems use several USB ports in place of the dedicated printer mouse keyboard and other individual connectors The exact location of many connect
46. a worn out switch or a damaged display screen Summary The quality of a computers repair and support services is not as easy to evaluate as the speed of the processor or the size of the hard drive but it can be just as important Any computer supplier that does not provide good support does not deserve to remain in business To find a computer with good support read the warranty and any other service literature that comes with the computer look for an extensive support area on the makers Web site and search for online comments about other users experience with that company 27 hether you ultimately decide to buy a desktop computer or a laptop see Chapter 1 for help making that choice your strat egy for selecting exactly the right machine to fit your particular needs is the same Look for the best combination of features quality per formance support and price This chapter tells you how to identify the fea tures and options that your computer should include and how to evaluate the less tangible characteristics that make the difference between a cheap computer and a true bargain Cost As in most retail computer vendors do charge what the market can take New features tend to cost more upon their first introduction to the public and decrease in price as the novelty wears off fancy yet useless designs can also rack up the price a bit But the largest part of a computers cost is directly related to its performance and
47. an opportunity to reduce overhead instead of an opportunity to build good relationships with their customers It5 a lot faster to tell a caller to reformat a hard drive and reinstall Windows instead of searching the Windows Knowledge Base Microsofts set of articles about known problems to iden tify the real source of a problem and explain how to edit the Registry or install a new device driver to fix it If they can convince the caller to order a 150 replacement for a motherboard or some other expensive part with a big built in profit instead of searching for a loose connector thats even better Evaluating the Warranty and Support Working in one of those places is no fun at all These are the support centers that tell their agents to work from a one answer fits all problems script regardless of what the caller really needs Its not fair to blame the people who give you bad support because they re also victims of their employers poor attitude But if possible you should find a way to avoid dealing with those companies Online resources Most computer companies and their suppliers offer information on Web sites and accept questions by e mail as alternatives to live telephone support By offering answers to frequently asked ques tions and public forums where you can read about other users problems companies can often supply useful information without the need to devote as much staff time and other resources to accepting telephone calls
48. and Maintenance This part explains how to protect your computer against theft and how to install and use firewalls antivirus and anti spyware software It also includes advice about preventive maintenance and a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting Pertrt Choosing Your Computer IN THIS PART Chapter 1 Desktop or Laptop Chapter 2 Evaluating the Warranty and Support Chapter 3 Buying a Computer hen it s time to think about buying a new computer the very first question you must ask yourself and the other people who will use the new computer is the one in this chapters title Should I buy a desktop computer or a laptop This chapter should help you make that important decision it explains how to evaluate the special features of each type and describe their benefits and drawbacks Later in this book you can find a lot more detail about using each of those features but right now its most important to decide whether the lightweight and compact design of a laptop is important enough to sacri fice the lower cost flexible construction and generally larger keyboard and screen in a desktop system In this book the term desktop computer includes computers with both desktop horizontal and tower vertical cases even if you inoaii place the case on the floor rather than a desktop or tabletop G You can find more information about different kinds of cases CROSS REF in Chapter 3 Wh
49. andom Access Memory llle 103 How L eT ii pe anette ated PUR PR etudes 103 How Much Memory Do You Need ad ets tete tei intereunt 104 Adding More Mela Aia 106 How much RAM do you have peto eet pice i 106 AN Bat kind ofmermoty s derunt gi en e te e Pepe 107 Module types ii ii dept seit etur 109 Memory speed i m soci Motion dae ta diede egre p dte tei HU Baise 109 Latency and other complications sssssss 110 Identifying your memory type iler tete en RO RENE 112 Installing memory modules dnd 113 Testing Your Computers Memory TT 115 The Power On Self TTT 115 Other Memory TT 115 SUMMARY TTT 116 Chapter 8 Understanding the BIOS 117 What ithe BIOS DOES adest edet deg tese ra t eee a ede 118 The Rower On Selk Test x sets eoo nl co esee odes e lia a 121 E Ucet e rend tede aes 122 POST diagnostic COdesS i ostende etae biet eto rt dba cb Pts dens 122 Changing BIOS Settings till GO eto d valde den Head bites 123 Date and o trado 124 IDE Or ATA drive setos 124 Diskette dv aros 124 Boot SEQUENCE anod ota mde t edo o tees tice Rahas 125 Hard Disk Prionty od 125 N saEock Status ouo erst EP ORA ERR Y HI REN BRI SEE E ers 125 Power Management 22 n as n A hones EQUI Ege daten th 125 Memory SettltipS um n a be etre tasted et hes aa a Pre T cto ana SR EE end 126 Hardware MOMOR so o e ORI PP Pee DRAN UR PORE CB HET PARES 126 Defaultisettngs t 126 xii Contents Cleari
50. anita eR pte ere pete etg regt 257 Letting other Hosts find Vou o ote to ee teet Dente e Mp cts 260 Using Bluetooth as COM port eee ete eret dc ee biete 261 Using Bluetooth Devices sau ainda e etae p dco ers 262 SUImmary Jc ee o ente il 263 Part III Using Your Desktop Computer 265 Chapter 16 Exploring Your Desktop Computer 267 T rning the Computer On and Off se gente manila teats 270 Conhguring the powet button ise ctae a 270 The reset pushbuttotis mdd erede gelebt tens 272 Windows shut down xam deett e eR nineteen PER gri tbe Rope 272 The Restart command grys viere aa e a dada 273 Ti nothimg else works T 273 Sending and Receiving Data Input and Outputs eee 273 PS 2 mio se and keyboard sockets eee ii 275 Parallel printer POLE oae ree em ater eld ed aec 275 Parallel portistandards deett tee as 276 Alternatives tothe parallel Portoni dede eder erp aee 277 Seal por D 277 Null modem cables ede a eld ed aec 278 Cha ginethe serial port Settings 5 ecce oia 280 Testing game controller daras ae meds 283 Calibrating your game C ntroler nadar 286 ST 287 xvi Contents Chapter 17 Managing Power on a Desktop Computer 289 Setting Windows Power Options metadata 289 Standby and hibernate rt ete EO RR ERR 291 Power schemies 2 ottenere ttd o a e E G rb EROR 293 Reducing Power Consuiin pel On aate aa or tede e te ER Ee DO ROUES 295 Using an Uninterruptible Power Supply ooo ninio em
51. aptops use a combination of standard components hard drives and memory modules and proprietary parts just about everything else it may not be possible to do any repairs unless you obtain parts from the manufacturer REF More particulars about the designs of laptop computers are discussed in Chapter 1 and KS in more detail in Part IV Finding a service manual A service manual or some other source of detailed instructions is essential for many repairs Without some kind of specific instructions for opening the case and removing various interior parts you can sometimes spend more time trying to get the computer open than it takes to actually perform the repairs This is common for most makes of laptop computers but it can also be a problem for some desktop systems that don t use generic cases Fortunately most of the major computer makers offer free service manuals on their Web sites Many of the smaller computer builders use cases motherboards and other parts that come from third party manufacturers who also offer free service manuals or other online documentation For example Figure 2 1 shows a Dell Web page that explains how to open one of their desktop cases 25 Choosing Your Computer If a service manual was not supplied with your computer follow these steps to find one online Goto the computer manufacturers Web site Look for a link to Support or Downloads and jump to that page Find the link to the specific model nam
52. arder to refresh an image with more colors or greater resolu tion so a controller with more memory and a faster processor can produce a higher quality image han one with fewer resources In practice this means that a card with more memory can accept a higher maximum resolution refresh rate and number of colors In other words look for a con roller with more memory up to 64 or 128MB to produce a better looking image Cards with even more memory produce better results on games and other three dimensional images but they re not necessary for most other purposes Choosing a Monitor Some computer retailers include a monitor as part of their standard computer package and others sell the monitor separately Even if the computer is sold with a monitor as a combined deal it s always possible to choose no monitor as a lower cost option When you buy a new computer to replace an existing machine you can save some money by moving your old monitor to the new sys tem If you re ordering your computer through the mail or online you may want to consider shop ping for the monitor locally This way you can evaluate the quality of the image before you buy Unless you have a limited amount of space for your monitor such as a kitchen counter a bigger screen is almost always better Whether you use the added on screen real estate to display bigger text and pictures or to view more than one window at a time a large screen makes your computing ex
53. at s the Difference Before beginning a discussion on the pros and cons of each type it might be useful to define certain terms A desktop computer usually has most of its components in a modular case with a separate keyboard video display mouse and speakers connected to the case through cables or wireless links The case for a desktop computer IN THIS CHAPTER Understanding the difference between desktop and laptop computers Evaluating the way you plan to use your computer Understanding the relative advantages of desktops and laptops Part Choosing Your Computer might be either horizontal with the widest surface sitting on the desk or table or vertical with a short face on the table or on the floor Cases with their feet on the short surface are often called tower cases A few specialty manufacturers offer compact designs that don t meet the industry stan dards such as a computer with the processor and related parts built into the video monitor pack age but most desktop computers resemble the ones shown in Figure 1 1 CURE JJ A desktop computer is bigger and more flexible than a laptop A laptop computer is a self contained lightweight portable unit that can operate on battery power The most common laptop design is sometimes described as a clamshell because it opens up like a big bivalve with the keyboard in the bottom half and the screen in the top Figure 1 2 shows a typ ica
54. ates 326 Mouse and keyboard connectors e Sar adoa aT ESTATE PONENS 327 Video Monitor output x e eco ederet nies a a c m ede quee od te e 327 D cking POLE id tete dede e OR te Bids e e ede PIOS 321 Serial and parallel data ports tede ede e ne 327 Contents Data Storage TT 327 Harddisk desu situ ias o bem t e bie tens 328 CD and DVD deves cdas 328 Elash drivesu tt aito ette dte tet m su tot abesse 328 Upgrading the Computer Now or Later enis 328 Sniper 329 Chapter 20 Finding Your Way Around Your Laptop Computer 331 Controlsandiswitches versatil 331 PON trola Ea 331 AUdiO CONTO Sing ar AE sete E ELLA T 332 Te Em Keys cue mim Mise ER O 332 AN snes ren ETE E 333 WE pointing SH on seen et Eb etae RE edes hea itd coy Ead TS 334 Wireless Powers WICH 659 eus e bte O Tas ia ea t eh heg 335 Indicator Er od haces Ait dotada M cto MALLA le dad TT 335 puts and QUEUE ara step oper o tote O e Yee vedete ss be Sealed 336 Looking msid este TTT 338 Power Supplies for Laptop Computers sssssssssee eene 339 Adjusting the Monitoron ect it ale 341 Coolingthe TInnatds 5 6 vctioate bd adn aa Ped BST RED E 341 SUMA deiecti hA os Co ese ob ve ur Bade o AS ER aar E 342 Chapter 21 Managing Power on a Laptop Computer 343 Working with the Battery iaa teet et qiti lere a ceret 343 Watching usage and power drain sss 344 POWer MEtED tsk a toni eee n PAPER FEN rb re IEC 344 Battery 4 eve ea er
55. brands into a single trip Can you get through easily One sign of a less than great technical support center is an inadequate number of telephone lines and staff to answer the calls Most of the time you should expect to reach a live support person within a minute or two support center that consistently forces callers to wait 15 minutes or more on hold with or without a reassuring your call is important to us message does not deserve your business There are some exceptions Certain days and times are busier than others at a support center so you might have to wait longer on a Monday morning than a mid week afternoon But if it seems as though you can never get through to somebody without a long wait the company you re trying to call has a serious problem Are the support people helpful Look for a computer company that stands behind their product with helpful support people Excellent support and service is worth the extra cost it might add to the price of a new computer Working in customer support can be a rewarding and satisfying job if you enjoy helping people solve problems Good technicians in a support center run by a company that believes in real cus tomer service spend as much time as it takes to answer a question or solve a problem They might even call or e mail a day or two later to make sure the problem didnt reappear But many companies look upon their support operations purely as an unfortunate expense and
56. ches are available but they re extremely expensive and a screen that big makes the whole computer less compact and portable Small keyboard The size of a laptop computers keyboard is limited by the width of its case Except for a unique unfolding butterfly keyboard that IBM tried and abandoned in the mid 1990s a laptop keyboard cannot be any wider than the lower half of the clamshell Even though laptop keyboards dont include all of those extra keys that appear to the right of the traditional typewriter keys on a desk top keyboard the individual keys on a laptop are often smaller and closer together than those on a separate keyboard If you re a touch typist who is used to a traditional keyboard this can have a huge impact on your speed and accuracy All those typing exercises in high school and all those years of text and data entry have conditioned your fingers to expect to find each letter in the same place on any key board You dont have to think about finding a letter your brain automatically takes your fingers to that key But when the keys locations are slightly different you either hit the wrong key more often or you type more slowly in order to direct each keystroke to the right location 11 Choosing Your Computer 12 Limited disk size The standard hard drive in a desktop computer has one or more 3 5 inch platters inside the drive enclosure A laptop has space for only a single 2 5 inch drive Because the laptops
57. d name or white box A handful of major computer makers such as Dell Hewlett Packard and Lenovo formerly IBM add value to their products with custom software and special design features but they and the vast majority of other desktop computer makers use parts and components from the same suppliers Many smaller companies assemble computers entirely from generic parts that are often equal in quality to the ones used by the big brand name companies Their products are often known as white box computers because the packaging that surrounds the assembled computer does not always identify the company that put it together White box computers which are really beige or black more often than not are assembled from standard cases motherboards and other parts by wholesalers and retailers as their house brands and by Internet and mail order dealers They often carry an adhesive label with the assemblers name in an inch square indentation on the front of the case and maybe a serial number on the back panel but those are usually the only things that arent completely generic Assuming the com puter has been assembled from high quality parts a white box system is likely to be at least as reli able and perform as well as or better than one from a major manufacturer Laptop computers are a different story Because it s not practical to assemble a laptop from generic parts a house brand laptop is really a preassembled unit from a manufacturer who allows t
58. d outputs to a docking station or port replicator laptops only Infrared or I R Data port for infrared data transfer most common on laptops Digital Media Socket for one or more types of flash media card Many new computers use the USB ports in place of these connectors E There are no universal symbols to identify input and output connectors A few are com monly used among different manufacturers but you should look in your manual for the symbols on your computer E Look for explanations of the devices that connect to all these connectors in Parts II III and IV of this book Choosing a Case The first generation of personal computers were all true desktop systems because they were built into horizontal cases made to sit on a table or desk with the widest surface next to the tabletop But it didnt take long for somebody to turn the case up onto one side and create a tower case with a much smaller footprint Instead of placing the computer case on the table with the video monitor sitting on top many users moved their tower cases down onto the floor or to remote corners of their desks The choice of a desktop or tower case makes no difference to the computers perform ance but it could be a very big deal to some users Many name brand computer makers build all their systems in tower cases but a screwdriver shop can probably accept your order for either type TE EEE In addition to desktop and tower cases you might also find some othe
59. d teet due endende 522 Spreadsheets Presentations Databases 2 55 e Office suites Finance and AAA 525 A ot sese eoi testet eo eto fere Eb td ile eode 526 A di and video c eee tee e te redde datus 528 Games and Other Entertainment ee eere eene 528 Windows Ames dect e tr RO D ee ape AE pe ep EE e PRA Casualgamese A UL e NU ecu cC CAN GTGT T Online multiplayer games Gaming hardware Summa y ie exec od enu rd op t eO ment me ee to PR e Red pr Unies centre eene ei ede a n e ert een aud ENU Aat tete ten te acted ende Toe mds ena tet bert Gat Tee thas EE eA Y Goal E Finding Drivers for Unix and UR tia secte Teese o ER este TER e EY Ue 538 Loading a Different Operating System uerit sette Teese FEAR RR RAE 539 M ndoWws Servicesdor Unix vae eere cedet ens chs Toe had secti podes 540 SUMIMALY iui Mead Mave teens sd esed ie enu RR n Do RE nea HA REA 540 Chapter 34 Sharing a Computer llle 541 Accounts for Multiple 8 oett ete a RE EEG Creating a new account Changing account settings Switching between Users Anc ES LA LL M M AL im ote nr Using the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit sse 546 SUIMIMALY cicer enti eri usta eed tust tea coser Dre redi det ese pev ot ete 549 Chapter 35 Printing from Your Computer 551 Wrid rstanding Printer ty pes sti tico d ted td ale tend 551 Las r print rs
60. e many companies offer free support by e mail even if they charge for telephone calls A cost effective e mail support center may make sense for a computer maker but its not always in their customers best interest Some companies treat their e mail support addresses as some kind of electronic black hole where requests for help often disappear without a trace Others can take sev eral days to send a reply Still others might reply quickly but their answers don t contain any useful information This information is covered in your Users Manual or This is a known problem We will fix it in a future release is not what you want to hear from a support technician 23 Part Choosing Your Computer 24 Beware of finger pointing Finger pointing is another common method that computer support centers can use to avoid solv ing a users problem Whenever a customer calls with a new and difficult to fix problem the sup port person tells you that its not the support centers fault If you re talking to a hardware company they might blame it on the software If they re a software developer it must be a hardware problem Or they might tell you that using the computer with a plug in card they haven t approved cancels the warranty Sometimes this is legitimate but more often it s just a way to get you to go away and take your problem with you Computers are complex assemblies of hardware and software produced by several different suppli er
61. e adapter cables and books like this one Some of their sales people may know more about computers than their colleagues across the road at the discount store but may still be working on commission and suffering from poor training But you can usually find more choices in a specialty store and many manufacturers offer attractive rebates that are not always available at other stores Screwdriver shops Screwdriver shops are retailers who assemble desktop computers from parts They are different from other businesses that sell computers because they are often small local operations and because they are frequently flexible enough to build custom computers to meet their customers specific require ments When you want a computer with an extra graphics controller to support a second video display an extra quiet case or an ergonomic keyboard a screwdriver shop is the best alternative to assembling the computer yourself And if you re buying multiple computers over time a continuing relationship with a good screwdriver shop can be a huge asset to your business But remember that screwdriver shops can suffer from all the hazards of small businesses in an extremely competitive marketplace Don t be surprised to discover that a shop that appeared to have been thriving six months ago has disappeared from the face of the earth because the owner received a better offer or the competition from discount retailers has driven them out of business Screwdri
62. e or Other Pointing Device Most of the same advice about choosing a keyboard for your computer also applies to choosing a mouse You can settle for the simple inexpensive version that came with your computer or you can replace it with your choice of additional features Computer mice come in dozens of different sizes 49 Choosing Your Computer 50 shapes and configurations You can choose one that feels good in your hand one with buttons wheels or other types of switches and one with or without a cable If you dont want to drag a mouse around the table next to your keyboard you can replace it with a big ball that you can move with your fingers called a trackball or a touchpad that moves the on screen cursor as you slide your fingers You can even use a set of foot pedals to do the work of the mouse buttons The generic mouse supplied with a new computer probably adds less than 10 to its total cost so you might just as well let the dealer or mail order supplier include it in the package unless they offer the particular model you really want as an option It never hurts to have an extra mouse in your box of spare parts Summary When you re ready to buy a new computer consider several important things The reputation of the company that manufactured the computer or assembled it from parts is crucial and remember that the speed and performance of the CPU you need depends on the way you plan to use the computer Also
63. e or number of your computer A wW Na At the page devoted to your computer look for a link to a Service Manual The specific route from the home page to the Service Manual is different for every computer maker but most lead you to a service document of some kind If you can t find a service manual online call or e mail the company that built the computer and ask for the specific instructions you need If you can identify the original maker of your computers motherboard hard drive or other modu lar part inside the computer you can probably find a manual or other service information from that companys Web site The name of the original equipment manufacturer the OEM usually appears on a label or printed directly on a printed circuit board CURE 1 0 A 10 Dell s online service manuals provide detailed information for opening their cases NOTICE Ensure that sufficient space exists to support the open cover at least 30 cm 1 ft of desk top space 4 Lay the computer on its side so that the arrow on the bottom of the computer points up 5 Openthe cover a Facing the back of the computer press the release button on the right side of the computer with one hand while pulling up on the top of the cover with the other hand b Press the release button on the left side of the computer with one hand while pulling up on the top of the cover with the other hand c Hold the bottom of the computer with one hand and the
64. e practical in a location that uses solar power or in a telephone switching center that already has a room full of batteries but every off the shelf desktop system you re likely to find comes with an AC power supply If you can t provide it with a continuous source of AC power you re out of luck Pros and Cons of Laptop Computers Laptop computers are compact lightweight alternatives to full size desktop machines Your laptop is a self contained system that can easily fit into a briefcase or backpack When you arrive at your destination or when you want to use the computer along the way you can open up the clamshell case turn on the power switch and start working or playing a game just as soon as Windows com pletes its startup routine A laptop computer might be easy to carry around but that convenience comes at a price in ease of use and repair cost and security If you expect to move your computer often a laptop is the obvi ous choice But don t spend the extra money for a laptop until you consider the drawbacks of a portable system Laptops are portable The whole point of a laptop computer is easy transport If you re a frequent traveler or if you expect to use a single computer at the office or school and at home a laptop is far more convenient than a desktop system A laptop weighs less than a desktop machine with similar performance and it comes in a smaller package Desktop or Laptop Because laptop computers can u
65. egre 581 Chapter 38 Using Your Computer with a Digital Camera sss 59 Chapter 39 Scheduling Software BVents x2 rentre PH WR UC ee REP greet 613 Chapter 40 Synchronizing Your Data Files cacon 631 Chapter 41 Using Windows Remote Desktop se 639 Chapter 42 Playing Creating and Editing Sound sss 655 Chapter 43 Viewing Creating and Editing Video sss 667 Part VII Using Your Computer for Communications 681 Chapter 44 Connecting Your Computer to a Network or Another Computer s sss 683 Chapter 45 Sending and Receiving Faxes a cise nese eee hee tte EP He OR da 705 Chapter 46 Using Your Computer on the Internet 717 Chapter 47 Using Virtual Private Networks hene echa c eet e EP Te Ee er ett 761 Part VIII Security and Maintenance 2 773 Chap Chap Chap Chap er 48 er 49 er 50 er5l Keeping Your Computer and Data Secure ci emurar ee 775 Preventing Trouble Through Maintenance eee eee 799 Restore Windows Lt A P debe ge sete 815 Troubleshooting Finding the Problem After It Happens 823 THp ded ua dti eti Er t e peas 837 vii Acknowledgments 684 Re oy o ks wee N Introduction erne oh ES qo A go ee e A A IO Part I Choosing Your Computer 1 Chapter 1 Desktop or Laptop llle 3 Whatsithe Difference pss oot atento qe etes beh debeo augue hod Masts ia 3 How Do You Use Your Computer
66. en 295 CHOOSING asUPS mec a D Aene vede e aUe VEA LEE 297 Using a UPS with Windows sssssssssseeee eee eene 297 Usingia DG PoWEer Supply ide tee t eet e qe e AU E denen 300 Summary eee duet ode ee teo RR ns ctn MS LU rh e etes ot Nue Aedes 301 Chapter 18 Overclocking Your Computer 303 Reasons ito Overclock eo dd napi ttt pee EEE ob qtti i qa crt 303 Reasons Not to Ovetclock 5 5 t ART e 304 Methods btt pori RE tege Regler a ere ue tette ahh 305 Keeping Things Cool nose a a netten ai idos 308 Overclocking Your Video Card c n dte id 309 MI erc uen eroe peris de Div believe det edet ril ee Mahan Sieh Nate AD Te paid 313 Part IV Using Your Laptop Computer 315 Chapter 19 Choosing a Laptop Computer 317 Scteen Size and Appearance a BORN EP RR 318 Wet is doi 319 Battery ll A A ad 320 Processor Performance and Memo aire idas 320 Es UA AAA 321 Keyboard o estie A ae 321 Mouse touchpad or pointing stick 321 Control keys and buttons eta pente bete eti greed 322 Battery replace rptu 322 Eitand ETT E 327 Sec rity SI LT 323 The Watrafity s 5i e reete edet ote reels tee cadat cete Sal cbe uus 324 Inputs and Qutputs aa 325 USB d Fire Wire Ports siano ted vto esee ainda 325 Ethernet and miodem ports seen tur eet aca tae OON 325 Ka D ia 325 Audio CO BECLOESE oc dd o e eu Dd Ta e Be cr tut 326 PCMCIA PC Card and ExpressCard sockets 0 0 0ccccececceseeeseeeeeseesesessenevsnee
67. eo Aet ee Lc te c Ld A E ctr a ds 389 What to Carry with Your Laptop eee 389 SHE sut ia cA E DU EU M a de 391 xix XX Contents Chapter 26 Traveling with Your Laptop 393 Moving Through AIrportS cute etc eed tede tige irem tents 393 Using Your Computer on Trains and Airplanes sssssssssse ee 395 Finding and Using Wi Ei Hotspots un ter P te ce tete 395 Other Internet Connections che vete emet ert o wq b uo tee e 399 Finding a Placeto Prine os ipae eee dee os dens erede eene des 399 Sending Backup Data lomera ano epp o e Ren epe er e eed 401 SUMIMALY ates reese ih shah eget bec eth sU Lure oth eA Aa od AS Acc 402 Part V Improving Your Computer s Performance 403 Chapter 27 Setting Up Your Computer lees 405 Tnstall the Device Driv ts egt tere eh ti eps eee estet 405 Tastall S c rity Programs c cti osorno bete mede 406 Download and Install Windows Updates sss 406 Test Everything While Its Under Warranty 409 Checking the BIOS Set ngsa ui doeet mote tse scrotum base bere qund 410 Optimizing WIHdOWS dut euet etae ped Ce eso RE ec ee krai eed 410 TULIO E sound on OO usen rep rete eere tede dee repere eaa 410 Displays ete at ik TE Re needs H T 412 Phe Settings tab pests e e DN A E s a fu s 413 The Desktop tab dus e Me Se Eee a esp MS e Ae Ol 414 The Sereen Saver tabi des rete ete te re ern ede Eee nee 416 The Appearance tab a1 o ne eet ae eee e en
68. er of sockets Even the screws that hold things together are bigger inside a desktop case than the ones inside a laptop Bigger screws are often easier to insert and remove and they re always easier to find when you drop one on the floor especially on a carpet And the full size screwdrivers pliers and nut drivers are far less fiddly and are easier to handle than the smaller versions that are often needed to disassemble a laptop computer Desktop or Laptop Desktops take up a lot of space Desktop computers do have some drawbacks A desktop case with a separate keyboard occupies more physical space than a more compact laptop computer For most of us the space on our desks worktables or kitchen counters is prime real estate so a computer with a smaller footprint is highly desirable This may be less of an issue today than it used to be because flat panel moni tors are much less intrusive than the old cathode ray tube displays that were often 18 inches or more from front to back It might be possible to reduce the physical impact of a desktop system through careful design and planning You could place the main processor case on the floor or on a shelf and use longer cables to connect it to the monitor keyboard mouse and speakers but that big box has to go someplace and sometimes you need to reach the controls on the front panel so you cant just seal the thing permanently inside a cabinet There s a whole branch of the furniture i
69. er open without damaging something This also means that things that might have been on separate pieces in a desktop such as the graphics controller and the sound card are all integrated into the motherboard so you can t upgrade or repair your laptop by simply swapping out an plug in circuit board Instead you must either accept the original specifications or get yourself a new computer Of course this might not be an issue if you don t expect to repair or modify your own computer The major laptop manufacturers all encourage their users to send their computers back to a factory service center for repairs Factory service can be expensive but when the repaired computer comes back to you the service center usually guarantees its work Choosing the Best of Both Theres a third alternative that might be worth your attention when you re trying to decide what kind of computer to buy If you expect to use the computer in a single location most of the time but you want the convenience of a portable when you take your twice a year business trips and on those rare evenings and weekends when you must take work home with you consider using a lap top with a separate monitor mouse and keyboard In the office you have the functional benefits of a full size keyboard and screen but when it s necessary you can pull a few plugs out of their sockets and take the computer with you Desktop or Laptop Some manufacturers call this category a des
70. first and last pages There are a few places where a computer maker can cut corners In a desktop system the most com mon cheap parts are cases power supplies and memory modules In laptops the usual suspects are memory video displays and the fit and finish of the case itself A cheap desktop case might be constructed of thinner sheet metal inside and out with a less than perfect paint job When you re shopping for a new desktop system look for a solid case with close fittings between the top and the chassis If you find rough edges inside the case if the sheet metal seems a lot lighter than on other computers or if the case or cover wobbles or flexes find a differ ent computer Shoddy power supplies are not common but if its enclosure does not provide adequate shielding a badly designed power supply can generate spurious radio frequency RF signals that can interfere Buying a Computer with nearby radios televisions and even computer monitors If your radio starts to hum or whistle when you turn on your new computer or if you see a wiggling line moving up or down your TV or monitors screen and it stops when you turn off the computer the computers power supply is to blame It may not be possible to identify this before you buy but assuming the computer is still under warranty you should return it and insist on a replacement power supply from a different supplier RF interference is regulated by the Federal Communicatio
71. he retailer to place their own name on the case The dealer might plug a hard drive and an internal wireless network interface into some empty sockets but thats about it If you can identify the man ufacturers name and model number look on the shipping box and on the printed material that comes with the computer and if the collective wisdom of the Internet does not offer any tales of disaster about that model a white box laptop might be a bargain worth buying But without more information a brand name laptop is a safer bet The biggest differences between a generic computer and a computer from one of the big interna tional brands are the additional software supplied with the system and the quality of before and after purchase support The big manufacturers often include their own proprietary utilities for things like disaster recovery and online technical support preloaded onto the computers hard drive along with a customized version of Microsoft Windows that displays the manufacturers name instead of a generic Windows logo every time you turn on the computer Some of these pro grams are actually useful but others just take up space Its up to you to decide whether they re worth enough to justify a higher price Some computer makers take their commitment to customer support far more seriously than others Read Chapter 2 for advice about evaluating support services If you have been reading this section in order to find a definite answer to
72. he same computer at home or in your dorm room How about taking notes in the library or laboratory Will you want to take this computer home during vacations E Ifyou plan to use the computer at home do you want to carry it from one room to another If its portable will your children take it to their bedrooms and bury it under their toys or laundry R Are you buying this computer to share among two or more users who don t always work at the same location R Do you want to use this computer in places where AC power is not easily accessible W Will you have limited space in the location where you expect to use your computer Wi s security important Do you want to make sure that nobody else can use the computer when you re not there Do you want to protect the computer and the data stored on its drives from theft and damage In general you need a laptop if you expect to move the computer around That might mean carry ing it from one room to the next or from one continent to another or anything in between If you plan to keep the computer in the same place all the time a desktop computer is usually the way to go Its not always that easy Sometimes one type or the other might appear to be more convenient but one or more specific features could drive your choice in the other direction The rest of this chapter describes specific characteristics of each type that might contribute to your choice parti Choosing Your Computer Pr
73. he world On his own time he collects folk music restores antique toy trains and makes hard cider John Ross lives in a 100 year old house in Seattle which he is gradually restoring and updating to twenty first century technology Kelly Murdock is the author of multiple titles including the 3ds Max Bible recently published in its seventh edition Adobe Creative Suite Bible Maya Reveled and Poser Revealed all in their second editions along with numerous other graphics and Web related titles including Edgeloop Character Modeling 3D Game Animation For Dummies Master VISUALLY HTML and XHTML and JavaScript Visual Blueprint When not writing computer books Kelly works as a consultant and with his brother in the Logical Paradox Design studio that he helped found He enjoys spending time with his family playing bas ketball mountain biking and rock climbing The salesman says it s a machine that I need To organize my desh with accuracy and speed So I bought a computer and tooh it home To straighten up my office where papers freely roam So I unpacked the computer and put it to work By moving my papers just like a clerk I put all the critical papers next to the screen And under the keyboard the papers rarely seen Important papers are under the printer And next to the mouse are receipts from last winter The salesman was right my computer is great But kind of expensive for a paperweight To Kerry and Donna
74. ile the original warranty is in force most product defects show up within the first couple of months Remember a computer is not like an office copier or a home furnace that needs periodic maintenance in order to continue working properly And if you are reading a book like this one you can probably do many computer repairs yourself without the need for an expensive service call Therefore conventional wisdom tells us that most computer service contracts are a bad investment However there are some cases where a service contract makes a lot of sense For many users a service contract is an investment in peace of mind If you plan to use the computer in an environ ment where it is subjected to hard use such as a shop floor or a classroom you can expect it to need frequent service But if your business or school has its own computer support people you may not need an outside service contract A service contract on a laptop computer is often a good investment for several reasons Laptops often have more problems than desktop systems because most users handle them more roughly opening and closing the cover bumping them around when the computer gets moved from one place to another and so on And its a lot more difficult for a typical user to repair a laptop without special tools and an inventory of parts Look for the same range of terms and conditions on a service contract that you found on the initial warranty A low cost contract might on
75. ing Technical Specifications e 187 Working with Your Monitors Controls sss eee 188 Dead canc titio reta E o raten t e td ihe TT 190 Repairing a MODILOE 5 ees sert A uh Petr Wb iege AAA T 191 SUTIIIDATY Ane coe aE ede Tnt oa Td ev gat evade bas salsa Fere s PUB LOS E 191 Chapter 12 Keyboards Mice and Other Input Devices 193 Using a Keyboards tee ete tb ed b NP ut 193 Scar 0S A tte ee el edendo eite neni ee eben 195 PS 2vs USB yS Wireless gs 196 A tour okthli Keyboamdsus sour a hs etes 196 Typewriter Keys gue ie aret Por lere be Poi e edes 197 E lctiom e 198 control Keys and stat s lights i emt er eau Ege 199 Direction Keys autos sac e terme ueterum 201 OtherqiavIpatIon keys eye eie ete eir ee adig 201 IPSEC AN 202 Delete itae ente ie e tete dete titu 202 Tihemuteric Key Pade cse ee cre ia O 202 Special Windows keys cit e do eme 202 Iypematicdelay and rate 2 e ita 203 Extended character sets 35 use e et RE dat ete ees 204 The Character Map cet ete e at NE oat ei uos 204 Keystroke cod s ce epp opti Ee a ts 207 Shortcuts in programs c aate ctis i te beg cometas 207 Changing languages toc uet cerei p eot CER EN e d tts 207 Special layouts ace ecrit pet etat TR e oot CER EM oet i os 210 Gustomizing the keyboard a e ite e eq P aa 211 Contents Increasing the sizeof the keyboard b ller 2 4e Ret Rin 211 Using di ergonomic keyboard e le ad ale 212 Special keysan laptop computers
76. itor or laptop and ask for a replacement E Before you buy ask what kind of dead pixel policy the seller can offer Get it in writing Finally the clamshell case of a laptop should feel solid and the top and bottom should come together without any obvious gap If the hinge that holds the two parts together seems loose when the com puter is new you can expect it to get worse after you ve used the laptop for several months or years Another cost cutting technique is to look out for computers assembled from obsolete or discontin ued components Theres nothing wrong with buying a computer with last years parts inside as long as you know what you re getting and the price is right If you can identify the motherboard and expansion cards you can use the Internet to either confirm that they re current products or that the dealer isn t misrepresenting them If the dealer seems defensive or they wont tell you the makes and models of the components inside the box dont buy it F If you suspect that a computer contains obsolete parts run a Web search on the names of the companies that made the motherboard and the graphics controller to find their Web sites These sites almost always include a Products page that lists their current models If there s no obvious manufacturer s name on it use the FCC s Equipment ID Search Page www fcc gov oet fccid to trace the ID code printed on the product 31 Part Choosing Your Computer 32 Bran
77. kind of swap if you buy your computer at a chain store where the com puters on the shelf are preassembled and ready for you to take home without any alterations If you re shopping for a computer in a retail store that offers computers with a choice of graphics controllers ask to see the same image on identical monitors If you cant see any difference on the type of programs you expect to use buy the computer with the less expensive card Dont buy a more powerful card just because it looks great on video games that are designed to take advantage of all that enhanced performance unless you expect to play some of those games A more expensive and more powerful computer often includes a more powerful graphics con troller but you might save a bit of money by choosing a different card Or if you or your children will use the computer for graphics intensive games consider replacing the standard controller with one that has more memory and faster performance As a rule of thumb an inexpensive graphics controller with 32MB or 64MB of on board memory should be adequate for most Windows XP users For Windows Vista look for a card with at least 128MB and a DirectX 9 class graphics processor For full 3 D video on games and interactive tele vision try a card with as much memory and as much speed as you can afford RT In some computers the fan mounted on the graphics controller card is the loudest thing s JE inside the case but you might not no
78. king on commission the sales people in big box stores are often more interested in selling you something than learning what you really need If a manufacturer is offer ing a cash kickback to the sales staff this month on every one of their computers sold thats the make and model that is surprise exactly the one the sales folks recommend 33 Choosing Your Computer 34 So you should not expect any kind of useful assistance in one of these stores But if you prepare yourself with the information in this chapter and you dont allow the salespeople to up sell you to a computer with features you don t want or need they can often be decent places to buy a com puter especially one made by a major manufacturer E There are some decent salespeople out there Working retail can be a tough way to make a living and many stores don t provide adequate training to people trying to sell complex equipment So you should be nice to them even if you don t buy anything When you do get a good salesperson remember his or her name If you decide later to go back to that store to buy your computer make sure the original good guy or gal gets the credit and the com mission on your sale The salesperson appreciates it and will probably go out of his or her way to help if you have to return something for service or credit The big computer specialty stores are a class of their own They offer everything from fully assem bled computers to obscur
79. ktop replacement because the laptop takes the place of a conventional desktop processor case Many laptops even include a special docking station con nector that takes the place of all those separate cables and sockets GROSS Look for information about using a docking station port replicator or separate external D Lb y AN Im G i urn devices in Chapter 22 Summary Desktop and laptop computers can provide similar performance in very different packages When you re thinking about a new computer it s essential to decide which type meets your specific requirements The most important advantages of desktop computers are related to economy and the size of the components inside and outside the case Bigger keyboards and screens make it easier to use your computer while the modular construction and extra space inside the box allow you or your serv ice technician to repair or modify the computer more easily On the other hand those big cases and external devices are all heavy and bulky so they re more difficult to move around Laptop computers are compact and easy to transport but that also makes them harder to use and to service the keyboard and screen built into a laptop are smaller than the separate units connected to a desktop computer and less flexible when it s time to upgrade to a faster and better system 15 hen you buy a new computer you re also buying a relationship with the manufacturer importer or asse
80. l laptop computer EXENOTE 0 The newest portable computers known as tablets have touch sensitive screens that are 3 ANOTE often attached to the keyboard section with rotating hinges This allows a user to write on the screen with a special stylus without opening the clamshell Microsoft has designed support for tablets into the most recent versions of the Windows operating system Most laptop computers use a clamshell design o Desktop or Laptop How Do You Use Your Computer In most cases the choice between a desktop and a laptop computer depends on the way you expect to use this particular machine If you re planning to carry the computer with you when you travel for business or if you want to take the computer on vacation with you to surf the Internet while your family surfs the waves on a beach the choice is obvious You need a laptop portable On the other hand if you are looking for an office machine that never moves away from your workspace a desktop computer is the better choice To make a decision think about the way you expect to work with your computer W Will you always use it in the same location or will you carry it from one place to another R Do you expect to use your computer away from your own home or office R If youre in business do you expect to use the computer in your clients or customers offices or on a job site E If youre a student will you take the computer to class and use t
81. ley the Wiley logo and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley amp Sons Inc and or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission AII other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Wiley Publishing Inc is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books About the Authors John Ross has been working with and writing about computers and networks since the late 1960s He has authored more than a dozen books about computers networks and the Internet for major publishers including Random House Sybex IDG Books Microsoft Press No Starch Press and Sunset Books and has been a contributor to many others He has also written technical manuals white papers and marketing material about network and telecommunications equipment marine electronics and broadcast equipment for many corporations including Motorola and AT amp T As a sound archivist John Ross works with broadcasters music festivals and folklore societies in the Pacific Northwest to restore catalog and preserve old audio tape recordings and convert them to modern digital formats He has also produced radio news and feature reports for National Public Radio the BBC Radio New Zealand and other broadcasters around t
82. ltiple Screens with UltraMon cece cece cee eee rs cee eecneeeeseenesteetireeseeeees 453 Showing the Same Image on Two or More Screens sssssssssssse ee 454 SUIIDATy S sitame lette TTT 456 Chapter 29 Ergonomics Making the Most of Bad Design 457 Locating Your Equipment skag geass a eere ea hero Eiern 458 ihe keyboard fot a ast kes a toe A E e EP E 458 dN eT ALLE LAO M A A MM EAM TAE 460 Xe THoHLOE Sess tantas etu NAE LEA E EE AALS AS VEA od LM ae d 460 Jelephiones and copy holders e coe eter de 462 Choosing the Right EUTHIEUTE oe terree e eo edet e ee E ete uten 463 Tabler work ace so scene edo sese teen do od AG MA ahs e Meu Ae 463 I nho Mon e EA e eC UU A ADR LE OMA M ELM 464 Match Yolt Pestilte d o recs a te ete espe NADA c A ULLAMC T 464 WakesRrequent Brea este tas ote R AM UN A vd de o do 466 Preventing Repetitive Strain Injury cicer con nter etas Toe reete era rv n RP nd 467 Optimizing Your Lighting noit te e retreat pesca TNE Do s 468 Reducing the NoiSe Xatre aan An eet at Tenet o ende Dv Pee Ree 469 Working withra Laptop COnPpUter ete corte he see Too ti pee ee ta 470 SUMMA arta la Tra r 470 Chapter 30 Accessibility o a A ow UR 471 Using Windows Accessibility Features sss eene 472 Using the Accessibility Wizards ose Solids eee n Oe eR rts 472 Adjusting the display aoier eiti pecie eat peat e e d iiber 474 Changing the T 475 UAM E E 476 Changing Web pases tician ene a E E A ET
83. ly include mail in repairs and a limited number of tele phone calls to the support center while a more expensive contract could include on site service and unlimited telephone support 19 parti Choosing Your Computer 20 Tech Support Technical support is closely related to warranty coverage but they re not exactly the same The warranty protects you against defective equipment but tech support also includes help and advice about installing and using your computers hardware and software Even if the computer never requires any repairs you still want access to a reliable source of support Finding decent support is an important part of deciding where to buy your computer Bad techni cal support can often be worse than none at all It might be difficult to evaluate the quality of a computer suppliers technical support before you buy but its worth the effort Ask friends and colleagues about their experiences and use the Internet to find other owners reports Does your personal support team know this machine For most users the first line of technical support is not the official support center provided by a computer company its that informal network of friends relatives and co workers who know about computers and who answer questions and offer advice It might be the Help Desk or IT department that provides support for your business Don t forget about those people when you re choosing a new computer Although it s true tha
84. mbler of that computer So the computer makers ability to provide good bad or indif ferent service and support should be an important part of your choice Just about everybody who owns a computer needs some kind of technical assistance at one point or another over the life of the machine Therefore the warranty and the support services supplied with a new computer are often just as important as the processor and the keyboard It s entirely possible that the quality of service and support is the biggest difference between a brand name computer and a comparable unit from a screwdriver shop In this chapter you can learn how to read and evaluate a product warranty before you buy your computer and how to deal with the world of customer support to help keep your computer working properly and to obtain answers to your questions Read the Warranty In the United States the European Union and most other countries the manufacturers or importers of consumer products are required to provide a warranty that a product does what it is supposed to do that it meets its pub lished specifications and that none of the parts are damaged or defective If theres a problem during the life of the warranty the business that sold you the computer should promise to fix it at their expense Thats easy enough if you re buying something simple like a screwdriver If it breaks you take it back to the store and the salesperson gives you a new 17 I
85. mily or staff can open the case remove the old part and install the new one you can often perform the repair yourself without the need to take the computer to a repair shop or call an on site service technician Of course you may want to let the authorized service people handle any repairs that may become necessary during the warranty period But after the warranty has expired you can save both time and money by handling routine service and upgrades on your own If you do expect to do your own work the type of service offered by the people who sold your computer to you may be less important than the quality of the information you can obtain from their support center By Don t think about repairing individual circuit boards it isn t worth the time or effort to E troubleshoot parts down to the component level Most manufacturers simply replace bad motherboards and other printed circuits with new ones You should do the same Also don t try to repair your own video monitor especially if it has a CRT display The capacitors inside a video display can hold a lethal electrical charge even if the unit is disconnected from AC power Remember laptop computers offer a completely different set of problems Just because you have successfully done work on one type of laptop is no assurance to expect the same kind of luck with a different make or model You probably need specific instructions just to get to the part you want to replace Because most l
86. n pull open the cover with the other hand 26 Evaluating the Warranty and Support Are parts available Most desktop computers are assembled from common modular parts so its generally quite easy to find replacement parts for repairs and upgrades When you need a replacement you dont have to find an exact match for the original As long as it has the right type of connector to fit a socket in the motherboard it doesn t matter if the new part is the same make and model For example if you need a new video controller card you can go to a computer store or an online retailer and choose any card with the same kind of connection to the motherboard that offers the performance specifications you want even if it s a different brand from the original When you re ready to upgrade the computer with an additional memory module or hard drive you can choose the one that offers the best combination of price and performance regardless of who made it But some computer parts especially in laptop systems are unique to a specific model The only source for these parts is the original manufacturer This should not be a problem if you need war ranty service but after a few years some essential parts might no longer be available By the time you have handed down the computer to the second or third child in the family or relegated it to duty as a backup for low priority use in your business it could be extremely difficult to find a replacement for
87. ndustry dedicated to designing and selling tables cabinets media centers and other objects with the intent of placing computers and other electronic equipment on within or under them Even a company such as E A Clore which has been making chairs tables and cabinets since 1830 offers a fine early American computer table see Figure 1 3 It s an ugly modern computer but the table can still fit your d cor A A nt nt ee COMPUTER TABLE Catalog 564 T Table is 24 x 46 x 30 tall Available with turned legs as shown or plain tapered legs Keyboard arm is on ball bearing slides and is fully adjustable Keyboard tray measures 8 x 22 inside Also available in other sizes 564 Walnut E Cherry or Mahogany Oak 660 00 650 00 A m ba e e elre r elre r ele ne nee Desktops are difficult to transport Desktop computers are big and heavy If you ever have to move your desktop system with all its accessories and accouterments from one room to another you probably want to use a cart with several shelves or at least an office chair with wheels Then you must find and attach at least half a dozen different cables to the back of the box or convince your local computer expert to do it for you before you can use the computer again Moving a desktop computer is a complicated and time consuming exercise parti Choosing Your Computer 10 E If you re planning on moving your desktop computer several times
88. ng system there are other books in the Bible series for that This book may have been specifically written about using your computer with Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed but readers who run their computers with Linux or Unix and those who have upgraded to Windows Vista can also find a lot of useful information here As we wrote this book we made some assumptions about our readers R Youre probably not an absolute beginner but you dont think of yourself as a hardcore computer geek either You know how to turn on your computer and how to use Windows to do the basic stuff like opening windows using menus and starting programs from the Windows desktop and the Start menu Wi You know something about Windows icons files and folders RB You re comfortable moving your mouse around the screen using both the left and right mouse buttons and entering text and commands from your keyboard Wi You can send and receive e mail R You also know how to use Internet Explorer or some other Web browser to find your way around the Internet Throughout the book are pointers to Web sites that contain valuable information and useful utilities to download and install R Your computer has a lot of features and options that you have never used Icons Like the other books in Wiley Bible series we have used icons to identify helpful comments pointers and suggestions xxxi XXX Introduction F The Caution icon identifies
89. ng Your Laptop Computer This part tells you how to choose a new laptop what each of the controls and switches can do for you and how to use the special keys that often appear in laptop computer keyboards It also includes information about getting the most life out of your laptop batteries and how to use PC Cards and ExpressCards Part V Improving Your Computer s Performance This part contains a guide to setting up the computer for faster operation and improving the image on your monitor screen It includes many tweaks that can make the difference between an Introduction adequate system and one that gives you the best possible performance This part also contains information about adapting a computer for users with special needs Part VI Putting Your Computer to Work This part explains how to work with Microsoft Windows and how to use printers scanners pro jectors and digital cameras with your computer It also describes other operating systems as alter natives to Windows how to set up automatic scheduling and how to synchronize your data files between two or more computers Part VII Using Your Computer for Communications This part explains how to use the computer as a terminal for exchanging information with other people through a local network a telephone line and the Internet It contains instructions for fax ing through the computer connecting to the Internet and using virtual private networks Part VIII Security
90. ng the BIOS TT 127 Replacing the CMOS le autein eo de tu dg 128 Updatingithe BIOS tn tee eit s temo etes et e o 128 SUI s cfeme ette testatus tit eel eds ddr 130 Chapter 9 Hard Drives and Other Storage Media 131 Hard DFIVES ettet tt RENE ta o iem te e neers Rd 131 Howe hard drives work aetate ted pte e id a RS 132 choosing a hard driVeS id 134 A e A A A A A N 135 IRR Ra T LTE TTT 135 Speed dicc actus Mr I nM A UU SA LO E Nec E ek eh me 136 Cache DUET seen se Lo vie ao ie Es i MI c A 137 IDE SATA sand SCSI Interfaces ea y dee ee ef tee dees 137 Installing new h rd dE editadas 141 Jurmpersettngscate Po dM ecu obe Me T 141 Ind desktop mius aa ela 0 eeu eerie EAE EAT UN 142 I E mcns dM A A o NEA IE MALADE A de S 144 Formatting and partitioning a drive see 144 Floppy Disks scott riada Dolce 146 CDs and DVDS mata e a healt 148 Other Removable Storage Media eee rt ee tee gae ove god tu 150 USB Ba 151 Connecting a USB flash drive irte tete e rove edis 152 External USB elisSk deest teta tete etit eet tech te 153 Other Portable Drives rte enter eee eee pet tene Toe edi dr 154 SUMMA 4 ete eive ert p FCU Meese oec ter ondes eee et bert o eee Tre se d o ed 154 Chapter 10 Understanding Graphics Controllers 155 What a Video Garde Does tnde Teo ts 156 SelectingzamInterfacesIyDe zb TE e E 157 DCN std em er tet eio cbe dte ob HER NN 158 PGP a dcs m recie A t e erbe bre vette 159 PGEBXDIeSS in tede e
91. not have enough power for next years new programs 1 So the best strategy is usually to look for the best compromise between speed and cost most often someplace close to the middle of the range Unless you need to wring every possible bit of perform ance out of your computer you probably don t need the fastest CPU The CPU s History of Speed he speed and complexity of the CPU designs used in personal computers has grown almost unbelievably since Intel released the first microprocessor the 4004 in 1971 Those early proces sor chips had a clock speed of 108 kHz that s 108 000 cycles per second and they contained the equivalent of 2 300 transistors Today the CPU inside a desktop computer might operate at 3 GHz three billion cycles per second or more and contain more than 200 million transistors Moore s Law named for its creator Gordon Moore one of the founders of Intel predicts that the number of tran sistors within an integrated circuit of the same size will continue to double every 18 months so you can expect the next generations of CPUs to be even faster and more complex than the ones that are available today 39 Part Choosing Your Computer 40 Performance Raw processing speed is not the only thing that contributes to a computers performance Other features of a CPUS internal design such as multiple processors and the amount of onboard cache memory can also help move data through the system more quickly
92. ns Commission the FCC in the United States and by similar agencies in other countries so you are within your rights to expect your computer to be properly shielded It s the computer maker s responsibility to provide a power supply that doesn t create interference with other equipment Memory modules are small printed circuit boards that hold several RAM integrated circuits A brand name module and a less expensive generic product might use memory chips from the same supplier but the brand name module maker pays more for chips that have been carefully exam ined and tested Most brand name modules are sold with a lifetime warranty Cheaper memory chips might be just as good but if they do fail after they have been in use for a year or two you have to pay for the replacement module yourself If you can t open up the computer and look for a brand name label on the memory module ask the sales person about the modules in the computer you are considering or consult the makers Web site for information about their warranty Flat panel video displays in laptop computers and in stand alone monitors can suffer from dead pixels that are always dark or that always display the same solid color regardless of the image color on the screen A very small number of bad pixels especially at the outer edges of the display might be acceptable but if you discover more than about half a dozen of them or if they re all in the same part of the screen return the mon
93. o Y E ER ed 161 Graphics Controller Performante ne ii 164 S reenitesolutio n ei oe PEGO POD E LAA as Bee 164 ASPECETAUO ii di ets 165 Bitdepth zt veis atte e sie d pm ea bt teu 165 Rele Tate etna ec ete dieat n ttes 165 juu 166 Processor speed a et et ep Den ed n EE 168 Bandwidth cct cet eaten e cea n OR 169 Graphics Processors and Chipsets cs tec ed iaa 169 DigitalorcAnalogees e dote ens ete sew T 170 xiii xiv Contents How Much Power Does Your Controller Really Need sss 171 Older video carde ae orte t pe Im m 172 High p rformance video Catds ee tete i bt dub cid e reus 172 Upgrading for Windows Vista 5si dot det lue ed ihe ess 172 Changing the Display Settings etc tte tette deat eid eess 173 Supporting Multiple Monitors 2 dcl stent ose dee b deest 175 Using the Software Supplied with Your Video Controller sse 176 SUTHTBATDY ahasa ie ue utt pe td etu des eus petet dole regt 177 Chapter 11 Video Monitors xoc wees om xo mI Ce e 7a 179 How CRI DISplays WOEk 5 425080 eder Sen tere T 180 How Flat Panels Works stus pote EARN A en o ote etes 181 Digitalo r Analogna od Ata A emia e ns As A da e de 184 GRI oEECD Whats the Dilference e eee RE Re 184 SR A Basen etd apap sepe fer PA des a coi aut 185 DGDmOonitotsz aseo eroi toa dc seta AM austin M mE a e 185 How Biga Screen Do You Need us ass opas teda teet v ers 186 Understand
94. obsolete too soon If you buy a new com puter with the least expensive CPU you might not be able to use it a year or two from now when you want to install the latest gotta have it enhancement to your system such as a new operating system a popular new game or a program for editing digital photos or sound recordings Intel or AMD The two major manufacturers of CPU chips are Intel and AMD Advanced Micro Devices Both companies make excellent products Both companies would tell you that they are dedicated to advancing the technology to make all of our lives more rewarding Both work hard to meet those goals The competition between the two keeps prices low and encourages them to develop even faster and better processors in order to preserve and expand their shares of the market Its not possible to use one brand as a direct replacement for the other The physical form and some of the low level features of Intel and AMD processors are not identical so each processor requires a motherboard that was specifically designed to operate with that type of CPU But the motherboards for both brands follow the same specifications for dimensions electrical requirements and for input and output connectors and signals so its entirely possible to build similar computers with either make of processor Windows works equally well on either one Unless you go out of your way to run a diagnostic measurement program you might never notice any difference Processo
95. of diminishing returns where it s better and less costly to buy a new system but just about every desktop computer has room for economical improvement Part Choosing Your Computer The most common and effective way to improve a computers performance is to add memory In both desktop and laptop systems the motherboard has one or more sockets for memory modules so you can increase the total amount of memory by adding one or more new modules to the mem ory that is already in place You can also remove the existing memory and replace it with the same number of modules with more memory on each module Adding memory is easier in a desktop system because theres plenty of space inside the case Except for a few very small cases all desktop computers have two or more internal drive bays Therefore you can add storage capacity by installing another hard drive to the system simply by mounting the drive in a vacant drive bay and connecting a couple of cables Its not necessary to transfer the data already stored on the existing drive first The CPU chip in a desktop system the central processing unit that controls everything else is also relatively easy to remove and replace with a faster CPU with similar architecture and that fits in the same socket A new CPU can offer faster processing and better performance than the one that was originally supplied with the computer Unlike most of the other integrated circuits on the motherboard the CPU moun
96. omes with an OEM original equipment manufacturer version of Windows you have to call the computer maker for Windows support Microsoft won t take your calls This is not as bad as it sounds because the tech support of brand name computer makers should have the same kind of training and access to the same information resources as the people you reach when you call Microsoft directly Evaluating the quality of a computer company s support operation is a subjective process that can be extremely difficult before you have a problem In many cases the best you can do is talk to friends colleagues and other experts and look on the Internet for a pattern of praise or horror sto ries about a particular company but dont become overly concerned about one or two complaints among dozens of positive reports Everybodys entitled to a bad day If this is not the first time you have purchased a computer remember your previous support experiences if a company has been especially helpful you should encourage them with more business Free or paid Your new computers warranty should include free access to technical support for at least the first year After that some companies continue to offer free support and others charge a per incident or per minute fee Although it would seem that every manufacturer really ought to provide unlimited free service for the life of their products it does cost money to keep a support center going and it s reasonable to
97. on for frequent finger pointing you want to look elsewhere for your new computer Repairs and Upgrades If you buy a computer through a Web site by mail or from a discount store an office supply place or some other national retail chain remember to ask about repairs Obviously its a lot more convenient to have somebody come to you to perform repairs but that kind of service is almost always an extra cost option Other options include taking the computer to a local carry in service or sending it back to a factory repair center in another city There are a few disadvantages to shipping out your computer First if you didnt save the original packing materi als you either have to order and pay for an empty shipping box or run the risk of having the computer damaged inside an improvised container Second most companies expect you to pay for shipping so repairs from a distant center are usually more expensive than local work Finally you can expect to be without your computer for a longer period of time because it may take several extra days for delivery Evaluating the Warranty and Support Can you do your own repairs Fortunately there are very few computer problems that make it necessary to return the whole sys tem to a repair center In most cases the computer makers technical support center can diagnose a problem by telephone or e mail and send you one or more individual replacement parts If you or a member of your fa
98. ors front back or sides of the case is purely a matter of convenience As long as they work properly the precise location of most connectors and controls makes no difference to the computers performance If you have a choice look for a desktop com puter with at least one or two USB connectors on the front panel connecting and disconnecting portable devices like flash drives and digital cameras to the front panel is much easier than reach ing around to the back of the case ESEE Input and Output Connectors Connector Name Description Power AC or DC power input Monitor Output to video display Printer LPT Interface to a printer scanner or other parallel device or Parallel Serial or COM Serial data interface Modem Interface to the public telephone network Ethernet or LAN Interface to Local Area Network PS 2 Keyboard Input from keyboard continued 43 ETA Choosing Your Computer Connector Name Description PS 2 Mouse Input from mouse or other pointing device USB Input and output to Universal Serial Bus devices IEEE 1394 Input and output to FireWire devices Video Output to a television set PC Card Socket for a PCMCIA card most common on laptops Microphone Audio input from a microphone Line In Audio input from a high level source Line Out L amp R Audio output to speakers Left amp Right Headphone Audio output to headphone Docking Combined inputs an
99. os and Cons of Desktop Computers Desktop computers are the natural choice when a computer remains in the same place for all of its working life The modular design of a desktop system makes it relatively easy to configure it with exactly the right set of features and functions for your specific needs And if you expect to perform your own work a computer in a desktop case is much easier to repair and modify than a laptop On the other hand a desktop computer with its separate keyboard mouse monitor and speakers is big bulky and awkward to move around Desktops cost less When price is most important a desktop computer is the better choice because a desktop com puter almost always costs less than a laptop with comparable performance Even after you add the price of a separate monitor keyboard and mouse to the basic system the total is probably lower than a laptop with the same features If you re looking for the least expensive computer you can buy or the least expensive computer at a specific level of performance a desktop system is the clear choice Of course it is possible to spend more for a desktop computer than the price of a good laptop by choosing a super fast processor and graphics controller lots of memory a large flat panel monitor and other high end components and features but that s not a fair comparison The price of a desk top system is always far less than a laptop machine with similar specifications If you
100. pass that cost to the people who choose to call for help rather than reading the manual or searching the company s Web site Because the alternative is to increase the cost of the product to all users there is some logic to this approach E Many companies that charge for service calls after the warranty period is over waive the cost if you re calling about a problem that is their fault such as a bug in a software upgrade If you think you re being unfairly charged it never hurts to ask for free service 21 Part Choosing Your Computer 22 After the warranty has expired you dont have to go to the computer builders support center for help If you re willing to pay many independent service and support businesses are happy to answer your questions If necessary they might either send a service person to your home or office or accept walk in customers at their local service center Sometimes these are the very same busi nesses that the computer makers use to provide on site warranty service If your business has an assortment of computer equipment made by several different companies an independent service center might be the best way to maintain your entire fleet You dont have to worry about knowing which company to call for each system because the same people can fix any of them You might save some money with a single service contract that covers all of them because the repair folks can often combine calls for service on different
101. perience easier and more pleasant Over the lifetime of your computer you spend a huge amount of time looking at the monitors screen so its worth the extra expense to buy the best monitor you can afford Along with addi tional memory buying a monitor with a clean sharp image is the most effective way to upgrade your computer 47 Choosing Your Computer Unless a very low price is more important than anything else your new computer probably comes with a flat panel liquid crystal display LCD monitor Flat panel monitors occupy less space than the traditional cathode ray tubes CRTs and they consume less power so they cost less to operate For most users an LCD monitor is the better choice However some inexpensive LCD screens tend to smear colors when they display moving images such as DVD movies and animated Web pages Its almost always worth the extra money to buy a better quality monitor Chapter 11 explains how monitors work and offers more advice about choosing the best monitor for your particular requirements E When you turn on a monitor it might take some time for the image to stabilize Don t try to evaluate a monitor in a store display unless it has been operating for at least 20 minutes Choosing an Audio Controller and Speakers The audio controllers supplied with most new computers are entirely adequate for listening to MP3 files podcasts streaming Internet radio stations and most of the other sound file
102. placement Even if you handle your laptop computer carefully it may still be exposed to more hazards than a desktop system laptops run hotter they are turned on and off more often and they re subjected to more physical abuse Of course a laptop machine is designed to absorb a lot more abuse than a desktop but eventually all that bumping and all those spills can take a toll Some manufacturers and certain models have excellent track records for survival while others are almost notorious for breaking down so it s important to do some homework before you decide which one to buy Its worth spending more for a reliable machine Laptops use proprietary parts If a manufacturer controls the market for replacement parts they can charge whatever they want If you need that part they have you over the proverbial barrel A few laptop parts such as mem ory modules and hard drives are common among more than one manufacturer but case parts motherboards mounting hardware keyboards and screens are all unique in just about every make and model 13 Part Choosing Your Computer 14 Spare parts are often expensive but if you stick to well known brands they should be easy to find In order to identify the exact part your computer needs you must consult a service manual where you probably have to consult an exploded parts diagram Your local computer parts emporium probably doesn t keep parts for every popular laptop type in stock so you ha
103. quicksand When your advisors encourage you to buy a particular computer make and model they might feel an obligation to jus tify that recommendation by continuing to help keep the computer working properly Evaluating the Warranty and Support Telephone support When your local support system cant help you its time to move on to the official technical sup port centers provided by the builder of your computer and the companies that supplied individual parts and software Some support centers accept questions by telephone but others insist that you send your questions through e mail A good telephone support center answers most incoming calls within a minute or less and con nects callers to helpful agents and technicians who have been trained to recognize common prob lems and to use a knowledge base and other resources to find answers to more obscure questions If you have consistently good experiences with a companys technical support services you should seriously consider rewarding them with your repeat business On the other hand a bad support center can be a nightmare for callers and a hellhole for the people working there Fortunately stories about such places circulate quickly through the Internet and in magazines To find them run a Web search for the name of the company with the words review and support If you discover that a company has a reputation for terrible technical sup port dont buy its products If your computer c
104. r Com puter A eae eae 303 Part IV Using Your Laptop Computer 315 Chapter 19 Choosibg a Laptop Com puter ius sioe eee ha rete ts 317 Chapter 20 Finding Your Way Around Your Laptop Computer sss 331 Chapter 21 Managing Power on a Laptop Computer ees 343 Chapter 22 Using External Devices with a Laptop sss 357 Chapter 23 Connecting Your Laptop to the Internet ee 365 Chapter 245PC Cards and Express Cards nta nn e iem 375 Chapter 25 TaptOp ACCessSoLess e xot vested ee nee dee eerie es 383 Chapter 26 Traveling with Your Laptop iso de dre 393 vi Part V Improving Your Computer s Performance 403 Chapter 27 Setting Up Your Computer e 405 Chapter 28 Enhancing the VIew i odit ed e feeit e ite to 439 Chapter 29 Ergonomics Making the Most of Bad Design sssssssss 451 Chapter 30 Accessibility i etuer roe ain EE Ata ed iu e Leite i ped ura 471 Part VI Putting Your Computer to Work 491 Chapter 31 Working with Microsoft Windows e 493 Chapter 32 Essential Software set rares ret ee me ter ge ee ER reper elg err ined 507 Chapter 33 Alternatives to WInQOWS s sirve SR ee RARE uetus d 533 Chapter 345 5harng a Computers fae ta a a e Og OE SG edge na 541 Chapter 35 Printing from Your Computer israse nenaon e eene nennen 551 Chapter 36 Making Presentations 0 page PR D TRU TR Ege d 571 Chapter 3 Scanning to Your Coniputer ipee b RR c e
105. r business or family will ever use or one that won t keep up with the everyday demands you place on it Big box retail There are at least five different kinds of big box retail chain stores that sell computers Office supply stores such as Office Max Office Depot and Staples Home electronics retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop Discount clubs such as Costco and Sam s Club General merchandise places such as Wal Mart and Target Computer specialists such as CompUSA and Frys These are all North American examples You can substitute the names of similar chains in your own country Except for the computer specialists these stores have two things in common high volume and limited selection If they have exactly the computer you want in stock you can buy it at a fair price take it home and install it the same day Most of them offer one or more national brands such as Compaq Sony or Hewlett Packard along with their own less expensive house brands What they dont always offer are knowledgeable salespeople who can answer all your technical ques tions Even harder to find are sympathetic salespeople who understand that an elderly widow might only want to exchange e mail with her grandchildren and maybe do some genealogy research on the Internet she doesnt need the same computer with all the latest bells and whistles that her 15 year old grandson is using to play video games and download MP3 music files Because they re often wor
106. r designs for spe JS cial uses For example a computer for a child s bedroom might have pastel colored plastic trim and an extra durable keyboard and mouse A computer for use in an engineering lab or a broadcast studio might have a 19 inch wide front panel for mounting in a standard equipment rack 44 Buying a Computer Tower cases come in three basic sizes full towers typically about 2 feet tall midsize towers around 20 inches tall and mini towers about 15 to 16 inches high As the case gets taller theres more space inside and on the front panel for additional hard drives and other storage devices You should choose a full or mid size tower if you expect to install several extra drives in your computer Some cases are heavier and built more solidly than others but it s easy to find good examples of both shapes However many computer makers use inexpensive cases instead of increasing the prices of their finished products or cutting into their profit margins If you don t expect to open up the case you might never notice the difference between an inexpensive case and one that has more features and a better design Besides the choice between a desktop and a tower other things to consider when you choose a computer case include R Air flow A good case should have an exhaust fan near the back wall and vent holes in the front or sides Air should move across the motherboard and the expansion cards to move heat away from the
107. r speed Extra speed makes a difference when your computer runs very large programs or processes large amounts of data and benchmark programs that produce bar graphs like the one in Figure 3 1 can be impressive If you run a daily or weekly report that examines hundreds of thousands of records and evaluates every transaction a faster processor can complete the job more quickly But the improvement is far less visible during routine home and office tasks like word processing and Web browsing As their manufacturing processes improve and the technology advances both AMD and Intel intro duce newer and faster processors several times a year When that happens the prices of the previous speed demons drop along with all the other members of the same processor family And sometimes the slowest version disappears from the list Buying a Computer Faster processors can produce impressive results in benchmark tests Pentium 4E 3400 l Pentium LL Athlon 64 3400 j Athlon XE 3200 The difference in cost between the latest and greatest version of a CPU chip and a slower version that has been available for a year or two can be dramatic A processor with a clock speed just 15 percent slower than the top of the line version can reduce the cost of your computer by 200 or more In most home and office settings the apparent loss of performance is insignificant On the other hand buying the cheapest possible CPU is often false economy because it may
108. rloading 45 Choosing Your Computer Choosing a Graphics Controller A graphics controller also known as a video card or a graphics adapter transfers the signal supplied by a computers CPU to a video display unit called a monitor A graphics controller takes over much of the control of the video signal from the CPU so it carries its own special purpose processor and memory A faster graphics processor with more memory can send the monitor an image with more detail and more colors and it can refresh the signal more often If your monitor has a DVI digital video interface input connector look for a controller card that provides a digital signal Every computer needs at least one graphics controller but its easy to choose a card that offers far more speed and performance than you really need For the usual word processing number crunch ing and Web browsing an inexpensive graphics controller often provides an entirely satisfactory image Game players and graphic designers notice improvement with a more expensive card Chapter 10 contains a detailed description of a graphics controller s features and functions Unlike many other features and functions of a new computer that are built into the motherboard the graphics controller is often a separate expansion card Its easy for a manufacturer or a screw driver shop to substitute a different card for the one they include in their standard configuration Dont expect to make this
109. rrecording and editing 5 35 Bec eee eed 665 HOW toedit SOUTIQ s retrasa Gti ese be emiten dae divas 665 Connecting Your Computer to Your Stereo System 665 SUMA wisi m 666 Chapter 43 Viewing Creating and Editing Video 667 Playing DVDs on Your Laptop cse teeri ar eneiniad ari iaai Eea ya isat 667 Viewing Streaming Video from the Internet sssssssssssse ee 668 Viewing video on the Internet eere 668 Downloading video to a mobile media player sss 669 Using Your Computer with a Video Camera e 670 Stieaming to the Intetmet s odo Ae ee eben CODE E Rd 670 Makine movie aaen ML peur OE UL Le EVA SP Roue vA Ae 671 xxvi Contents Using Windows Movie Makers tete tie sd is 672 Gathering Xesolltees tl e b teu Z 672 Adding transitions and eflects ice te a ERU 673 Controllmg mme and audio eot ee edt mc tete te tees 673 Capture video eus ed reet o eel o tele Ae erede 674 Connecting VideO to a Computer x ice deese mc ette m x vet ee et ne dts 674 Using Fire WII inre edet uelint bre e he en eds 675 Capturing video vla USB2 53 6 rette te eet tei ul eoe rab teet deeds 675 Capturing video with a Video Capture Card 678 SUMMAT aonane iain e ea e da tier edite beu dta 678 Part VII Using Your Computer for Communications 681 Chapter 44 Connecting Your Computer to a Network or Another Computer 2 555 lt e bon on 2 0 683 How Networks Work serais eere rper dete teg eb ae tete e e De
110. rt Replicators and Docking Stations ee 363 SUMMA certe andes een Settore ds eta dee cau steh LU Le ett os eee 363 Chapter 23 Connecting Your Laptop to the Internet 365 Wired Connections sts vis eatin teer petes ete peeing qeu 365 Wireless ptions Acca RE a dd gs 367 Bluetooth ds ph prete eto aptent ated edet en oie dtes bete oed 368 AMIEEL Posh op en oni ls ias 368 WIMA pe 368 Digital cellular services ee tere lcd 368 Connecting through your collado 369 O RN 374 Chapter 24 PC Cards and ExpressCards LL 375 The PC Cara Staridard alt on RO OUR ias 376 Noltages zs cer REIR INDI REIR sc pe ied cise ca itte e MU Id Le UM 377 CardBus Cards and Slots ier RR das 377 Usestor PE Cards sa csse int 377 Exptr ssCardsunzt unten atm tat ce sacra tect acca Ga aR dex URINE IIR uU 378 Installing and Removing Cards nete Pie HIER B De PR IEEE 379 Adding a PC Card Reader to a Desktop Computer sss 382 SUI ttem teet qtd n tee boca eed o degit 382 Chapter 25 Laptop Accessories 2 6 oo 383 Bags and Gases TTT 383 Security TTT 384 Lock adicta ie ados 385 O PUMA TRUE ECC a Aik At 385 Tracking and recovery software and services 386 Reading Light and Flashlight i iere aee ea e e eee eene 386 A LA tea UA M OA AM LA DUM Aly qu UH Sae 387 Portable Deskx dte mre ne ater ADU a a da MAE RT a 388 Privacy shieldi exter O DURS o ANT NE he UME LE AMA Mee SUE cS ex 388 Cleaning Supplies s v
111. s You can be confident that the sockets on the mother board and the mounting holes in the drive bays fit the new expansion card or disk drive and the main printed circuit board that controls the rest of the system the motherboard works with the new parts Modular design also means that you can transfer some old parts to your new computer when you replace your Old Faithful machine that has finally become obsolete For example I wrote this book on an old Northgate keyboard that 1 have moved from one computer to the next for more than fif teen years I like the way its keys respond to my typing Northgate stopped making these key boards many years ago similar keyboards are still available from other makers but they re very expensive but the plug on the keyboards cable still fits the socket on my current computer and it works just fine with a twenty first century processor and motherboard Of course there are some limits to this flexible design You can t use a brand new memory module or the latest disk drives with a 10 year old motherboard because the designs have changed to accommodate newer and better processors and other devices Desktops are easy to upgrade You can improve the computers performance by adding new components and replacing existing parts with new ones that have faster speed greater capacity or more features Once again the desktop computers modular design makes it easy to work inside the case Of course theres a point
112. s Your computer might have been assembled by Dell or Gateway but it contains a motherboard made by a company based in Taiwan with a video card from Malaysia and a Korean monitor The Windows operating system came from Microsoft in the suburbs of Seattle and other software was produced by three different companies in California and by some shareware places you found on the Internet When something goes wrong its not always easy to know exactly which component caused the problem but you have to start someplace The computer is still under warranty so you call the computer makers support center Eventually you reach an expert at fixing your particular make and model of computer But they don t recognize the problem you describe and there s nothing in this months list of known problems So they blame it on somebody else Dont let them get away with this While its true that every support center receives calls requesting help for somebody elses product you shouldn t feel like the technician is just trying to get rid of you Computers are supposed to work with a wide variety of hardware and software If you have found a product that is not compatible with your computer which is possible a good support center wants to know about it That way they can either work with the other company involved to find a way to fix the problem or warn other users away from the offending program or gadget Once again if you discover that a company has a reputati
113. s NL e DNUS iE Ee eae 608 Renioyvitig objects ose ee DR RPM REOR PIRA 608 IA NN 609 Brnting ages ceci eor TO eR Ee PROBES ORE e PIN bed 609 Backing up images to a DVD eee eee emen 610 SUIDIBADY ctetu etre D e p Cot e e ieu er m Rd 611 Chapter 39 Scheduling Software Events 613 Using the Task Schedul r ans Ee t tede eedem 613 Which tasks should be scheduled cocina 614 Using the Scheduled Task Wizard it tete E 614 Working with the Scheduled Tasks eee t e dd 619 Starting and stopping tasks ih ede dT vette deste ge etd 619 Removing tasks Saari wheat santa end T venite ee Tete d e v cdd 620 Troubleshooting scheduled tasks ssssssssss 620 Setting scheduled task properties secet Tete d he Tee e e d 620 Changing the tasleschedule tate alt etse esi ted 621 Running tasks when the computer is idle sss 621 Using multiple schedules 5e od RR etui i o Ded le 621 Making tasks eos tu Lo 623 Usingthe Properties settlngs uote PE ERU a 623 S spending alltaSkSa 5 ide b ut 624 Creating a BatchuBlle caia t ro eet T di 625 Locating pr gram parameters eo eet Doe tee i ee ete ids 625 Entering parameters to a scheduled task sss 626 Entering parameters into the Run dialog box sss 627 Using the Command Propiedad N 628 Wutinga batch Mesias cete obe eee ee bate eei dena 628 SUM 628 XXV Contents
114. s controller and monitor to your system you can be confident that you wont have to Desktop or Laptop limit yourself to products from a single manufacturer Just because the label on the case says Compaq or Gateway or Ye Olde Neighborhood Computer Shoppe you can still go to a big box retailer such as Frys or CompUSA or an online source such as Newegg and choose from among many different brands This combination of modular design and competition is one reason that the prices of most desktop computer components are lower than the comparable non standard parts in a laptop In addition the common parts specifications allow a repair shop to maintain a smaller inventory because they can use the same parts in many different desktop computer makes and models Desktops have a flexible design Desktop computers are modular systems that make it easy to add or replace individual parts to meet each users particular requirements A computer intended for an illustrator or a computer aided designer might have a higher quality graphics controller and video display than the one in the next office where a purchasing agent may not use anything more demanding of computer resources than a word processor and a spreadsheet Most computer manufacturers let you order exactly the set of features and specifications that you want When your needs change its usually easy to open up a desktop case and reconfigure the system unless your computer uses proprietary part
115. s that people play through their computers They re also fine for recording MP3 files and Webcasts and transferring vinyl records and cassettes to audio CDs or storing them on a hard drive With a good set of stand alone speakers or a connection to a high fidelity home entertainment system you can enjoy sound from your computer that is comparable to FM radio or your audio CD collection Of course the quality of the playback is limited by the technical quality of the source material a heavily compressed MP3 music download doesn t have the same dynamic range or sound as the same song on a commercial CD EX The audio processors on a typical computer motherboard or a Sound Blaster card are E not as good as the equipment in a professional recording studio For serious recording and for archival quality audio preservation you want a separate analog to digital AtoD converter either on a special expansion card or an external device that connects to the computer through a USB or FireWire port or through a PC Card adapter Speakers for computer systems can range from inexpensive less than 10 units with sound compa rable to a table radio to high fidelity products that can cost 200 or more Once you move beyond the low end speakers which may be just fine for speech and MP3 music downloads the only way to make a rational choice is to listen to them and decide which ones you like best Because the acoustics of your computer room contribute
116. se batteries you can use them almost anywhere Combined with a wireless Internet link you can work on your own computer or connect to the rest of the world without the need to find a source of AC power for a few hours Laptops have built in keyboards and monitors A laptop computer is a self contained package In addition to the central processor memory and data storage that are common inside a desktop case a laptop computer also includes a keyboard a video display and a substitute for a mouse in the same convenient package Therefore you dont have to buy those devices separately and you don t have to connect them to the case before you can start using your computer Laptops have design limitations If laptop computers were better than desktop machines in every way nobody would bother with a desktop system However the same small size and reduced weight that makes a laptop easy to move around often makes it more difficult to use Smaller screen The screens on most laptop computers are no more than 15 inches from corner to corner often as little as 12 or 13 inches This compares to the most common desktop monitors whose screens measure anywhere from 17 to 21 inches or more When a desktop monitor and a laptop screen are set to the same resolution the images on the laptop are always smaller And the same text on the smaller laptop screen is almost always more difficult to read A few laptops with larger screens some more than 20 in
117. sse 738 Controlling security settings sssssssss eene 740 Controlling privacy settings etnan yanii En ees at rar Eee PP ege 741 Blocking inappropriate COnteDL s rin Feet waved Ped RATER St 743 Changing your login information sseseseee e 745 Setting browser prostans Rea tec darse do debebit 747 Sending and Receiymg E Mall ineo eet ios e HV DT es 747 Configuring yout email client via ida ad ee 748 Creating new e mall 2 c rt ys doin ORAT eru OR e dtes 751 Usingithe Address Bon E URS Rt 752 Receiving e tallsz deu cipe i ee e re OUR let ro RR eit eto 754 Manage Mal td bend 756 Using Instant Messaging tine ida ba 756 Configuring Windows Messenger eee 756 Using Wind ows G TT 757 STT TTT 759 Chapter 47 Using Virtual Private Networks 761 Hoya VEN WOEKS urraca 765 Setting Up a VEN ch sie dettes ye iol dde Deut aeterne ek ieu der C tede ua 766 Connecting RN 772 SUMMA tad ES 772 xxviii Contents Part VIII Security and Maintenance 743 Chapter 48 Keeping Your Computer and Data Secure 775 Physical SeCurlly pit ey mea ceri Pee verae Ha 775 ProtectingiagalnstEyelL iaa ov tr eye pv CH RO n rt er Eder 775 Preventing damage in pta 777 Protecting your computer from power surges e 1717 Back Up Your Data a AAA Rca 777 ISE Te T 781 Cov rage n IA HR NBN eR beris 781 Homeowners Or tenter COVerage io ecdesiae ee dete e e et eun 782 Making an inventor yet teer d rete pn remped est ees
118. t s a good idea to ask about the hard drives capacity speed buffer as well as its interface Its quite possible that the salespeople especially in a retail store won t know the answers to your questions but they should be able to tell you where to find out fa Look for more information about hard drives in Chapter 9 including instructions for culi buying installing and using a second drive 41 Choosing Your Computer 42 CROS Capacity A hard drive with a relatively small capacity costs less than a drive with more space but when you calculate the cost per gigabyte the larger drive might be more of a bargain If you expect to store very large audio video or graphics files on your system look for a computer with a big drive at least 200GB for a desktop system If you re buying a machine for your office that only needs to store relatively small text and data files a smaller drive might be all you need Hard drives for lap top computers are physically smaller than the ones inside desktop machines so the maximum capacity is also smaller See Chapter 1 for more differences between laptop computers and desktops KD ACE Don t assume that a home computer doesn t need a big drive If you or your children play games with complex graphics or download MP3 music files and podcasts the drive can fill up sooner than you think And dont forget all those pictures that you transfer from your digital camera It s a good
119. t most computers have similar designs your per sonal technology advisors experience with a particular combination of hardware and software makes it easier for him or her to help when you have a simple question or a more serious problem In a business or other organization that uses a lot of computers the in house support group proba bly keeps a small inventory of spare parts for quick repairs If you depend on a friend or a relative for that kind of support he or she probably has a junk box full of odd parts that can keep you going when something goes wrong Either way its often a good idea to adopt one or two makes and models as a standard system When a part fails it s often convenient to install an existing spare and restore the computer to service without the need to send the bad one back to the service cen ter and wait for the replacement to arrive When you re looking for a laptop computer its even more important to talk with your resident computer guru before you make a selection Each make of laptop uses somewhat different key board layouts special features and controls and each comes with a different set of bundled soft ware Somebody whose experience is limited to Hewlett Packard or Dell laptops might not be able to offer as much help after you buy an Acer or a Sony And dont overlook the value of appealing to your friendly experts ego by asking for advice before you get into trouble rather than after you re knee deep in digital
120. tant to trust your own instincts about whether or not you want to do business with them When you talk to sales people from a screwdriver shop you should expect them to ask how you plan to use your computer and recommend a system that meets your specific needs If you have done some homework first meaning you have read this chapter you should be able to tell if the proposed package is right for you or if the sales person is loading it with features and options that you will never use Through the Web or mail All the major computer manufacturers and many other suppliers sell computers through Web sites and mail order catalogs You can buy a brand name computer directly from the maker or importer or a white box system from a dealer who can pack and ship the computer to you overnight or within a few days Ordering a computer from your home or office via catalog or Internet offers several advantages E Access to more brands No retailer offers every one of the dozens of different makes and models that are available through the Internet If you re located far from an urban center your local options might be restricted R Choice When you order a system directly from the maker you can specify exactly the configuration you want You re not limited to the features and options in a local retailers inventory RB Special offers Web and mail order dealers might offer bundled upgrades or accessories such as extra memory or a bag for your new lap
121. test your computer s RAM The specifications supplied by the manufacturer or dealer for every computer always includes the amount of RAM installed on the motherboard The amount that your computer actually needs depends on the demands of the operating system and the application programs you expect to use For Windows XP the computer should include a bare minimum of 256MB for better performance increase the amount to at least 512MB or even 1024MB For Windows Vista the practical minimum is probably about 1024MB Those are minimums For audio or video editing graphic design or other work that involves very large data files and for games adding an extra 512MB or more of memory makes the computer significantly more responsive and reduces the time necessary to open and close files Even on less demanding applications additional memory can make a noticeable difference In most cases you can see a greater improvement in the computers performance after you add more memory than with a faster CPU But dont get carried away with adding memory Theres a point of diminishing returns where more memory doesnt make any more difference Buying a Computer How Much Memory t s easy to become confused by the way memory size is described because the names for large numbers of data bytes are based on multiples of 8 Therefore 1 kilobyte KB is 1024 bytes 8 x 128 rather than 1000 bytes 1 megabyte MB is 1024 kilobytes and 1 gigabyte GB of memory is
122. tice it in a noisy store A card that provides the same performance with a big heat sink instead of a fan mounted over the graphics processor chip reduces the overall amount of noise that you computer produces High performance graphics processor chips for game players often produce a lot of heat the cards without fans are usually limited to the ones with slower and less powerful processors 46 Buying a Computer Refresh rate The refresh rate is the number of times per second that the video controller wipes and replaces the image on the monitor screen Faster is better for monitors that use CRT displays up to about 75 or 80 Hz or more For most LCD displays the refresh rate is 60 Hz so the higher rates don t matter Colors and maximum resolution The image you see on a computers monitor screen is a composite of many tiny dots called picture elements or pixels Resolution is the number of pixels that it takes to fill the monitor screen The device driver software the software that converts image information from the CPU to specific instruc ions for the graphics controller supplied with your graphics controller can increase or decrease the resolution of the image that appears on the screen The device driver also sets the maximum number of colors each a slightly different shade that the monitor can display An image with more colors looks better because the different shades provide better definition The graphics controller must work h
123. ting Up a SCANNET hei e eei ree e Connecting the scanner Installing the scanner software coo The TWAIN standard nido de Testing these Scanning Images and Documents a Mia eh vamus USing text recognition soltwate 5 ce ets Using your scanner as COPIED sinsir etes tte esikas anii ener e dinis SUM vis cete edere eere dre Devices aee pedit et rq e pede d rx cdd Chapter 38 Using Your Computer with a Digital Camera Selecting a Distal Camera se sebo dee e ca e m d va ae ouo ma dtes denti Resolution in megapixels Dynamic range Carnierad ns s Nus ee e PR ER dis A RR RE EB ER REED xxiv Contents A ws oo ia e ur deett daala d 593 Image e ers ee a tenet ro 593 Camera settings ii ltd aoe 594 Other features tee teet rete redeo eee dee E ette eges 594 Downloading Pict res i oto ette mo beta eie e ete le dre eee detis 594 Connecting the camera to your computer eene 595 Downloading digital pictures ie cat ib ei ete led edits 596 Publishing images to a Web site Jeisten inenen eee 599 Viewing Pic oss hte ee he obe dashes e t ee dte ridens dut 600 Viewing images as a slide show sss eee 600 VIEWING 1mages s a Screen SAVET aieo ice eee laches tdi ade 601 Editing PICtUIeS us ose oe reete face rede odes dns 603 Rotating images tado cde toc ete e ete ta 603 CHOPPING 1m ageS Mirean eia iret REPRE OE PO tpe re himenio aiis 604 Adjusting brightness and contrast een 606 Removing A o
124. top or discounted prices that are not available from local retailers Many manufacturers also offer factory rebuilt systems often with full warranties at substantial discounts W Support When you buy directly from the factory their customer assistance center is your first line of support You dont have to take the computer back to a store whose staff may or may not know how to help you RB Convenience When a manufacturer or retailer ships a computer to you it is delivered directly to your door or your companys loading dock You dont have to load it into your own car or truck and back out again 35 parti Choosing Your Computer 36 The disadvantages of Web and mail order include E Delayed gratification You have to wait for delivery after you order your new computer R Added cost Most Web and mail order places charge extra for shipping which can increase the total by 10 percent or more depending on the speed of delivery If you can find a special free shipping promotion it can sometimes make a big difference W What you see is what you get Unless you can find a similar item locally its not possible to examine a computer before you buy it through the Web This is particularly important on laptops and the human interface portions of a desktop system such as the keyboard video display and mouse If you dont like the look and feel of a new computer you have to pack it up and return it which can be both costly and time cons
125. ts in a special socket that uses a latching mechanism to hold it in place so its not necessary or possible to solder a new chip directly to the printed circuit board All of these upgrades are easy to perform but they often require some changes to the computers hardware or software configuration Before you try an upgrade consult the computer manual or the motherboard manual for information about jumpers or switch settings on the motherboard and adjustments to the BIOS settings the BIOS basic input output system is the set of pro grams the computer uses to test hardware and load Windows or some other operating system For more in depth information about the CPU the BIOS and other PC components see Chapter 4 Desktops are easy to repair Repairs and modifications to desktop computers are not difficult because theres more space inside the case As a result their designers could use larger parts that are easier to find and easier to handle Cables connectors printed circuits and hard drives are all big enough to find without a magnifying glass and big enough for people with average sized hands to work with The modular structure of a desktop computer also contributes to its ease of repair The most com mon troubleshooting methods include swapping parts to identify a bad component and moving expansion cards and cables from hard drives to a different socket This may not be possible on a laptop system with only a limited numb
126. ually enough time to find and report problems Chapter 27 contains detailed instructions for testing your new computer while it s still covered by the warranty Some of the parts inside your computer carry their own warranties supported by the manufactur ers of those parts For example many hard drives come with a five year warranty and most brand name memory modules carry lifetime warranties If a component has a longer manufacturers warranty the computer builder should extend that longer warranty to the purchaser Coverage When you shop for a computer dont believe a salespersons verbal promises about the warranty without seeing something in writing or on a Web page Before you make the purchase be sure to read the printed warranty packed with the computer If the warranty is posted on the sellers Web site print a copy and keep it with the packing slip and other documents related to the computer Be sure you understand what the warranty covers Some warranties include both parts and service for the first year but only parts for an additional year or two The terms of your warranty also specify the type of service you can expect Some include on site service in your home or office but others require you to carry the computer into a local service center or pack up the computer and ship it back to a distant factory or service depot Sometimes a company offers a warranty with better service or longer duration as an extra cost option For
127. ular keys keyboards for foreign languages and keys with Braille key tops or high contrast lettering To find a special purpose keyboard search the Web for the one you want such as Russian keyboard or left handed keyboard E Fortunately many office supply stores and other computer retailers have a variety of makes and models on display so you can try them before you commit yourself to a par ticular type When you test keyboards in a store try to place them at about the same height as your own computer table or desk If you already know what kind of keyboard you want to use with your new computer you can often instruct the dealer to provide that make and model instead of their standard model If not go ahead and let them ship the computer with their generic keyboard The additional cost is insignifi cant and you can always keep it as a spare If you re happy with the keyboard attached to your old computer its easy to transfer that keyboard to a new system Just turn off the old computer pull the plug out of the case and plug it in to the new one If the new computer doesnt have a socket that matches the plug on the old keyboard cable you need an inexpensive PS 2 to USB keyboard adapter that you can buy from a local com puter supply store or through the Internet F See Chapter 12 for a lot more information about keyboards mice and other input devices and Chapter 29 for information about special keyboards Choosing a Mous
128. uming R Difficult returns If part of your order has been damaged in shipping or if a computer or component is defective or its not the one you ordered its usually necessary to telephone or e mail the seller describe the problem and request a return authorization Depending on the company you might have to pay for return shipping and wait until it arrives at the warehouse before they send out a replacement If you re dealing with a particularly uncooperative or dishonest dealer you could be in for a very long wait or worse When you re dealing with a distant business its even more important to take some time to investi gate the companys reputation before you trust them with your order Several independent Web sites offer ratings and comments from past customers so a Web search on the name of the company combined with the word ratings or review usually produces pointers to useful information Once again the collective wisdom of the Internet can reduce the risks involved in buying by mail or through the Web Build your own computer For some users assembling your own computer from parts is a legitimate alternative to buying a preassembled system through any of the retail channels discussed here If you have some experi ence and confidence working inside a computer case and if you are prepared to provide much of your own technical support a home built system can allow you to choose exactly the set of features you want and maybe reduce
129. ve to order the thing directly from the factory If you keep using the machine long after the manufacturer stops supporting it you eventually have to venture into the world of used and surplus parts to keep it alive There s probably somebody out there in an industrial park someplace who has a warehouse full of parts for your beloved machine All you have to do is find the person the Internet is your friend search for the part number and you can probably find what you need If you re very lucky he or she wont insist on a minimum order of 150 when you only need a 3 75 circuit board Laptops are difficult to repair or modify It sometimes seems as if the design of laptop computers is based on the Trash Compactor method Thats the one where you lay out all the parts on a big table and then squeeze everything down until it all fits into the case The parts inside a laptop clamshell are tightly stacked and combined in order to fit all the same features and functions that are available inside a much larger desktop case This makes it a lot more difficult to work inside a laptop case The parts are smaller and closer together and they are often held together with teeny tiny screws and connectors that are easy to lose Its often difficult to locate a disconnected cable or a loose screw because theres another com ponent in the way Without a detailed set of instructions from a service manual or a manufacturers Web site you might not even get the cov
130. ver shops have lower overhead than the big chain stores but they can t buy their stock in the same kind of volume Therefore the cost of a white box computer is probably comparable through either channel If a price seems unreasonably low look for a reason it could be either cheaper parts or inadequate service and support before and after the sale A screwdriver shop might be a one or two person business operating out of the owners basement or a somewhat larger operation with a dedicated sales force and a retail store in a strip mall Even if you don t need a custom design a good screwdriver shop can be an attractive place to buy a computer because it offers personal service from a local business If you ask the sales people can Buying a Computer probably explain exactly why the shop has selected the particular motherboards and other parts they re using If theres a problem the service technician can easily consult with the person who put the system together in the first place However these are generally small businesses that can t always afford to provide the same kind of 24 hours a day support available from a major corporation To find a good screwdriver shop ask friends and colleagues for their recommendations and look for advertisements in local computer publications Before you buy its worth a telephone call to the Better Business Bureau to learn if the shop has a record of complaints from previous customers In the end it s impor

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