ITALC Maintainance & Troubleshooting Training Manual

© Intelligent Teaching and Learning Computers ( ITALC) Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2002 ዓ.
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Table of contents
Contents Page
Chapter One 1
Introduction to Computer 1
What Is a Computer 1
Application of Computers 1
Characteristics of Computers 2
Types of Computers 3
Chapter Two 6
Computer Systems 6
Computer Hardware 6
Computer Software 17
Chapter Three 20
Operating Systems 20
What is Operating Systems 20
Operating System Functions 20
Types of Operating Systems 21
Chapter 4 23
Install Windows XP 23
Chapter 5 36
Recover lost files and Collect Drivers 36
Chapter 6 49
Troubleshooting Computer Problems 52
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER
1.1 What is a Computer?
In its literal meaning, a computer is any calculating device or machine, which is

electrical, mechanical or electromechanical. But that doesn’t mean that computer
performs only calculation. This literal meaning was attached because the inventors
(Mathematicians or physics) invent computers for making calculations only. But today’s
computers not only process numbers, they process texts, pictures, and multimedia and
so on. Therefore the meanings of a computer, nowadays, are broader than computing
concepts.
Generally a computer is an electronic device that takes input, processes it under a set
of instructions called program and produces output.
Why we need computers is that computers can solve problems if the problem can be
organized in a set of logical steps.
1.2 Application of Computers
Why we use Computers?

The following are some of the capabilities and potential of Computers, which are
reasons for using Computers.
¾ Store and process large amount of information with high speed and accuracy;
¾ Transmit information across continents via communication channels;
¾ Simulate events;
¾ Perform complex mathematical computations and make comparisons;
¾ Monitor ongoing industrial operations;
¾ Perform repetitive processes with great ease, speed, and reliability; Making
simple and complex calculation
¾ To make statistical chars
¾ For research purposes
¾ Listening music
¾ For diagnostic Purposes
¾ For weather for casts
¾ For drawing purposes
¾ For watching movies, Etc.
Therefore, computers are applicable for any functions, task or process that requires
these abilities.
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The main areas of computer applications are categorized into:
a) Commercial or business applications

¾ Covers the use of computers for clerical, administrative, production and
business use.
Examples are:
Text processing
Accounting and Finance management
Inventory control
Database management
Statistical analysis
b) Scientific, Engineering and Research applications

¾ Using computers for scientific research, complex mathematical calculations,
design work, and analysis and control of physical systems.
Examples are:
9 Space technology
9 Meteorological observatory systems
9 Astronomical investigations
9 Design of machines and
9 Control of manufacturing process
9 Nuclear control systems
1.5 Characteristics of Computers
The characteristic of a computer shows the capability and the potential of the computer
for processing data. This saves time, space, money, labor etc.
There are four basic characteristics of computer.

Speed
The most important characteristic of a computer is its speed. Computer works only one
step at a time.
Its speed is measured by the amount of time it takes to perform or carry out a basic
operation. Computer speed measured in terms of micro second (10-6 one millionths),
nano second (10-9 one billionths), and Pico second (10-12 one trillionths).
Storage
A computer can store huge amount of information in a few numbers of disks. And the
time it takes to retrieve or process single information is not more than a micro or
nanoseconds. In general a computer has a capacity to store a very large amount of
information in organized manner so that accessing information is very fast.
Accuracy
Now a day’s computers are being used for surgical purposes which need almost
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hundred percent accuracy. From this we can understand that computer is accurate and
consistent. Unless there is an error in the input data or unreliable program the computer
processes with a very accurate.
Automatic
Once necessary information and program is feed to the computer, it performs
processing without human intervention.
Versatility
Computers have the potential to perform or solve varieties of tasks and problems, as
long as the problem or the task can be put or reduced in the form of logical steps.
1.6 Types of Computers

There are different types of computers. Their difference depends on different categories
of characteristics.
Classification by the method of operation (processing)

Computers are classified by the type of data they are designed to process. They are
classified into three: Analog, Digital and hybrid Computers.
a) Analog Computers
Analog computers operate by measuring. They deal with continues variables, they don’t
compute directly with numbers, rather, they operate by measuring physical magnitude
such as pressure, temperature, voltage, current etc.
Examples
• Thermometer
• Voltmeter
• Speedometer
• Gasoline pomp: – contains an analog Computer that converts the flow of pumped
fuel into two measurements the price of the delivered gas and the quantity of pumped
fuel.
They are special purpose computers.
However, analog computers have limited accuracy
b) Digital Computers
Digital computers deal with discrete variables; they operate by counting rather than
measuring. They operate directly up on numbers (or digits) that represent numbers,
letters, or other special symbols.
Examples:
• Abacus
• Desk & pocket computers
• The general purpose computers
Digital computers have very high accuracy and speed than the analog ones.
c) Hybrid computers
The best features of analog and digital computers can be combined into a single device
to form a hybrid computer. A hybrid computer processes the information by collecting
input data with analog method, converts it into digital quantities, processes the digital
values and converts the output from digital to analog form.
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Example:
In hospital insensitive-care unit analog devices may measure a patient’s heart function,
temperature and other vital signs. These measurements may then be converted into
numbers and supplied to a digital component in the system. This component is used to
monitor the patient’s vital signs and to send an immediate signal to the nurse’s station if
any abnormal readings are detected.
Classification by purpose of application

Computers can be applied or used for different purposes. Based upon their application,
they are classified as special purpose or general purpose computers.
a) Special purpose computers
They are designed to solve a single type of problem, that is their components and their
functions are uniquely adapted to a specific situation involving specific application.
Example:
9 The public telephone box
9 Traffic control system
9 Ticket machines (used in grocery, super market etc.)
9 Pocket-calculators etc.
9 Counters
Most analog computers are special purpose computers.
b) General purpose computers

They are designed to solve variety of problems through the use of “store program
concept”. A program or set of instructions designed to solve a problem is read and
stored into the memory and then executed by the computer one by one. The same
computer can be applied to solve another set of problem using different program.
General computers are more flexible and versatile.
Examples
9 Micro computers
9 Mini computers
9 Super computers etc.
Classification by physical size, price, capacity and performance
At this stage, by a computer, we mean a general-purpose digital computer. General-
purpose digital computers are then classified as follows by their capacity and size.
a) Super computer:- are the fastest, largest and most potential types of computer. They
have speed of hundreds of millions of operation per second, a primary memory capacity
of about 80 million characters, a secondary memory of capacity of about 20 times its
primary memory. They are multi-user systems in intercontinental range. They can carry
out enormously complex scientific calculations. They are used to process huge amount
of data and are commonly used in space technology centers, meteorology stations, and
astronomical observatories, inter continental communications, airline organizations.
b) Mainframe computers:- Smaller than in size and capacity, lower in speed & memory
capacity than the super computers. However they are multi-user systems and handle
hundreds of users, usually used in large organizations. The older ones used punched
card for data input.
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c) Mini computers:- have relatively lower speed, can handle multi-users, are smaller in
size than the mainframe computers. They use terminals for inputs and output. Mini
computers are used in small organizations.
d) Micro computers:- are the most widely used type of computers. They are single users,
can fit on desktops, are of varying capacity and easy to handle. Microcomputers are
sometimes referred as personal computers. They have video display unit for output
purpose. Data is entered through the keyboard and by the help of floppy disk.
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Chapter 2
Computer Systems
System is a group of components, consisting of subsystems or procedures that work

in a coordination fashion to achieve some objective.
A computer system composed of components that are classified either as Computer
hardware or Computer software.
1. Computer Hardware
Computer hardware is the physical equipment of the computer you see and touch.
Hardware can be classified as:
9 Input Hardware
9 Processing hardware
9 Memories
9 Output devices
9 Storage Hardware
A typical looks for personal computer
a) Input Devices
We use input devices to put information into the computer or convert any format of
information in a format that can be processed by computer. Typical input devices are
listed below.
9 Keyboard
9 Mouse
9 Joystick
9 Touch Sensitive Screen
9 Light Pen
9 Digital Stills Camera
9 Bar Code Reader
9 Voice Data Entry
9 Video Capture
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Joystick: The joystick is a rotary lever. Similar to an aircraft's control stick, it enables
you to move within the screen's environment, and is widely used in the computer
games industry.
A joystick
Mouse: A mouse is an input device used to move the cursor on the computer’s screen
when it is moved on a surface and give different commands to the computer by
clicking over user interface components.
Touch Sensitive Screen

A Touch Sensitive Screen is a device that enables the user to interact with the
computer by touching the screen.
Light Pen: A Light Pen is a pointing device shaped like a pen and is connected to a
VDU.
The tip of the light pen contains a light-sensitive element which, when placed against
the screen, detects the light from the screen enabling the computer to identify the
location of the pen on the screen.
A light pen
Light pens have the advantage of 'drawing' directly onto the screen, but this can
become uncomfortable, and they are not as accurate as digitizing tablets.
Digital Stills Camera: Digital Stills Cameras capture an image which is stored in
memory within the camera. When the memory is full it can be erased and further
images are captured.
The digital images can then be downloaded from the camera to a computer where
they can be displayed, manipulated or printed.
A digital stills camera
Bar Code Reader: You might have seen bar codes on goods in supermarkets, in
libraries and on magazines. Bar codes provide a quick method of recording the sale of
items.
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An infra-red bar code reader
A bar code
A bar code is a pattern printed in lines of differing thickness. The system gives fast
and error-free entry of information into the computer.
Voice Data Entry: This system accepts the spoken word as input data or commands.
Human speech is very complex, involving emphasis and facial expressions, so
complete voice recognition will not be developed for some time.
A microphone used for data input

However, simple commands from one user can be used to control machines.
In this way a paralyzed person can operate a wheelchair or control heating and
lighting.
b) Processor – CPU
The CPU of the computer is the brain of the computer which performs all
arithmetic, logical and control operations. The function of the CPU is to execute
programs stored in the main memory by fetching instructions, examining them, and
executing them one after the other.
They are processor chips which are very large integrated circuits mainly made up
of silicon and gold. Processor chips vary slightly in look depending on which company
has made them.
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The underside of a Pentium processor
CPU - Architecture
The CPU consists of a control unit, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers.
Units of a processor chip (CPU)

Control Unit
Tasks carried out by a CPU are listed below:
¾ Decoding the instructions within a computer
¾ Sequencing the reading and writing of data within the CPU and externally on the data
bus
¾ Controlling the sequence in which instructions are executed
¾ Controlling the operations performed by the ALU.
ALU (arithmetic and logic unit)
The arithmetic logical unit (ALU) is responsible for performing arithmetic and logical
operations and comparisons of data.
CPU - Registers
The CPU also contains a small high speed memory which is used to store temporary
results and control information.
c) Output Devices
These devices display information that has been held or generated within a computer.
Convert information processed by CPU to human understandable format either
visually or in any other format.
Some examples are shown below.
9 VDU or Monitor
9 Printer
9 Robot
9 Machine Tool
9 Synthesized Voice
9 Plotter
Visual Display Units (VDU)
Also called monitors are used to visually interface with the computer and
are similar in appearance to a television.
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A cathode ray monitor A plasma monitor
Printers:- are devices used to print out information that is in the computer onto paper.
By printing you create what is known as a 'hard copy'.
Robots
9 Robots are able to perform a variety of tasks as a result of executing instructions
contained within a program.
9 We are still a long way from the science fiction robots and androids portrayed by the
film industry.
A robot arm
Robots in a business sense mean automated machines designed to perform mundane

operations which require accuracy, such as assembling cars.
They are seldom manufactured to resemble the human form.
Voice
9 Voice synthesis has a robotic sound due to the difficulties of replicating the
complexities of human speech and pronunciation.
9 Voice answer back (VAB) is used to respond to telephone enquiries, such as the
speaking clock.
A speak and spell toy

.
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Plotters
9 Plotters are used to produce graphs or diagrams.
A drum plotter
d) Storage Devices
There are two types of memories. These are the primary storage devices and the
secondary storage devices.
I. Primary Storage Devices
9 The memory of a computer is the part used to hold /store/ programs and data.
9 The memory of a computer is constructed from microchips. Memory can be thought of
as a set of pigeon holes or cells with each one having a unique address. Each pigeon
hole can store 8 bits of data.
9 A computer contains two types of memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read
Only Memory (ROM).
Random Access Memory (RAM)

9 Random Access Memory (RAM) is responsible for storing the instructions and data
that the computer is using at that present moment in time. It is described as volatile
memory as the contents of RAM chips can be lost when the computer is turned off or
when new data is being written to RAM while other data is being processed.
Different RAM Types and its uses
The type of RAM doesn't matter nearly as much as how much of it you've got, but
using plain old SDRAM memory today will slow you down.
There are three main types of RAM:
1. SDRAM
2. DDR and
3. Rambus DRAM.
SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)

Almost all systems used to ship with 3.3 volt, 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs. SDRAM is not
an extension of older EDO DRAM but a new type of DRAM altogether. SDRAM
started out running at 66 MHz, while older fast page mode DRAM and EDO max out at
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50 MHz. SDRAM is able to scale to 133 MHz (PC133) officially, and unofficially up to
180MHz or higher. As processors get faster, new generations of memory such as
DDR and RDRAM are required to get proper performance.
DDR (Double Data Rate SDRAM)
DDR basically doubles the rate of data transfer of standard SDRAM by transferring
data on the up and down tick of a clock cycle. DDR memory operating at 333MHz
actually operates at 166MHz * 2 (aka PC333 / PC2700) or 133MHz*2 (PC266 /
PC2100). DDR is a 2.5 volt technology that uses 184 pins in its DIMMs. It is
incompatible with SDRAM physically, but uses a similar parallel bus, making it easier
to implement than RDRAM, which is a different technology.
Check this site for information about DDR SDRAM memory and DDR Memory
recommendations.
Rambus DRAM (RDRAM)
Despite its higher price, Intel has given RDRAM it's blessing for the consumer market,
and it will be the sole choice of memory for Intel's Pentium 4. RDRAM is a serial
memory technology that arrived in three flavors, PC600, PC700, and PC800. PC800
RDRAM has doubled the maximum throughput of old PC100 SDRAM, but a higher
latency. RDRAM designs with multiple channels, such as those in Pentium 4
motherboards, are currently at the top of the heap in memory throughput, especially
when paired with PC1066 RDRAM memory.
DIMMs vs. RIMMs
DRAM comes in two major form factors: DIMMs and RIMMS.
1. DIMMs are 64-bit components, but if used in a motherboard with a dual-channel

configuration (like with an Nvidia n Force chipset) you must pair them to get maximum
performance. So far there aren't many DDR chipset that use dual-channels. Typically,
if you want to add 512 MB of DIMM memory to your machine, you just pop in a 512
MB DIMM if you've got an available slot. DIMMs for SDRAM and DDR are different,
and not physically compatible. SDRAM DIMMs have 168-pins and run at 3.3 volts,
while DDR DIMMs have 184-pins and run at 2.5 volts.
2. RIMMs use only a 16-bit interface but run at higher speeds than DDR. To get
maximum performance, Intel RDRAM chipsets require the use of RIMMs in pairs over
a dual-channel 32-bit interface. You have to plan more when upgrading and
purchasing RDRAM.
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From the top: SIMM, DIMM and SODIMM
Read Only Memory (ROM)
9 ROM is responsible for storing permanent data and instructions.
II.Secondary Storage Devices

In many cases the information that has been processed is stored in machine-readable
format so that it may be accessed at a later time by a computer. This data is stored in
binary form in 'bits'.
Storage Devices:
9 Hard Disk
9 Magnetic Tape
9 Floppy Disk
9 Optical Disk
Hard Disk: The hard disk is direct-access storage medium with a rigid magnetic disk.
The data is stored as magnetized spots arranged in concentric circles (tracks) on the
disk .Each track are divided into sectors.
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Hard disk showing internal mechanisms
High data rates demand that the disk rotates at a high speed (about 7,200 rpm). As
the disk rotates read/write heads move to the correct track. The storage capacity of a
hard disk is in Gigabytes (up to 5ooGb), i.e. millions of Megabytes (1000, 000Mb), of
information.
Different types of Hard Disk Drive Interfaces

The following are some of the popular interfaces for connecting hard disk drives to a
computer
1. SAS Serial Attached SCSI.
2. SCSI Small Computer Systems Interface.
3. SATA Serial ATA or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment.
4. IDE Integrated/Intelligent Drive/Device Electronics.
There are also four types of Hard Drive failures other than Hammer
It cost us, and we would not have bothered if we had been sensible and done our
backing up properly.
a) Hard disk firmware failure
Hard disk firmware is the software code that is embedded within the actual hard drive
hardware. The corruption of this firmware can make the hard disk unreadable or the
computer is unable to fully interact with the hard disk. We understand that it is often
the case that the data on the disk is fully recoverable because an expert has a decent
chance of being able to repair and reprogram the faulty drive.
b) A basic electronic system failure.
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Really here we are talking about power spikes or surges that affect the controller
board of the hard disk. This then knocks out the hard disk and the BIOS has no idea it
exists anymore. You will often see a burn if you take the drive out and have a look.
You will here no spinning at power on, the drive is effectively dead. Again, in our early
days here at Mirandasbeach, before we were disciplined enough to back up religously
and also to use decent surge protection, our house was hit by lightning and we lost a
hard drive. I cannot remember now if we bothered to get the data back - I think we just
fumed at the loss of hours of animation work, but we were skint and could not afford
the data recovery charges at the time - this is something you have to weigh up, how
many hours of work have you lost compared with the cost of recovery. If you can
stomach the quotes then an expert data recovery company can often get your data
back for you because it is the controller board that has been zapped and not your data
and they have ways of bypassing the dead controller and copying out your precious
life's work.
c) Mechanical Failure
Inside your hard disk are small moving parts that can go wrong and fail. These
mechanical failures of hard disk components will often make the data on the hard
drive inaccessible. One common symptom is a regular clicking sound but you may
hear and see nothing, just sense that heart sinking, gut wrenching feeling of utter
despair when you realize that all your data has disappeared. But it may not be as bad
as you think, these types of mechanical failures are often salvageable but it can come
at a cost. The recovery of data from hard drives with mechanical failure should be
carried out in lab conditions known as a "clean room" where the drive can be safely
taken apart, poked around, investigated, and fixed. Do not take a drive apart yourself;
you'll do no good, unless you want to cathartically wreck the beast. If you are thinking
of using a data recovery service asks them about their clean room first.
d) Logical Errors
What we mean here is for some reason your file system is up the creek. There is
nothing physically wrong with the hard drive. It’s like a software problem, not a
hardware problem. But the effect can be the same i.e. you cannot get at your data.
There is a better chance that you may be able to fix this without the help of a Data
Recovery firm but there is also the risk that the logical problem is a symptom of a
mechanical, electrical or firmware problem, so you could be wasting your time and
making hinges a whole lot worse. If your drive was severely fragmented, i.e. you had
not been regularly defragmenting, then that may be the cause of you not being able to
access your data. The drive has effectively given up and got itself in such a state that
the underlying file system has become corrupt. Microsoft Scandisk, Chkdsk and Fsck
utilities are there to try to find and fix logical errors.
Magnetic tape: A recording medium consisting of a thin tape with a coating of a fine
magnetic material, used for recording analogue or digital data. Magnetic tape is a
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serial access medium, similar to an audio cassette, and so data (like the songs on a
music tape) cannot be quickly located.
Magnetic Tape
One of the many types of magnetic storage devices available; however large amounts
of information can be stored within magnetic tape. This characteristic has prompted its
use in the regular backing up of hard disks.
Floppy Disk: A floppy disk is a thin magnetic-coated disk contained in a flexible or

semi-rigid protective jacket.
A 3.5" floppy disk

The floppy disks are usually 3.5" in size. However, older floppy disks may be in use;
these would be 5.25" in size.
Double sided high density 3.5" disks can hold 1.44 Mb of data. Once data is stored on
a floppy disk it can be 'write protected' by clicking a tab on the disk. This prevents any
new data being stored or any old data being erased.
Optical Disk: An optical disk is impressed with a series of spiral pits in a flat surface.
A master disk is burnt by high-intensity laser beams in bit-patterns from which
subsequent copies are formed which can be read optically by laser.
A CD-ROM
The optical disk is random access storage medium; information can be easily read
from any point on the disk. A standard CD-ROM can store up to 650Mb of data, with
14,500 tracks per inch (tpi).
CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk - Read Only Memory. It is now possible to have
CD-ROMs where extra tracks of information can be written onto them by the user.
These are called read/writable CD-ROMs and these are becoming a popular and
cheap method for storage.
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2. Computer software
Computer hardware alone can not perform a task. To accomplish any task, hardware
must be given a serious of instructions called software.
The finite set of instructions that the computer follows to do a given job is called
program. The group of programs that the computer needs to function is known as
software.
We can classify software in two major parts
1. System Software
2. Application Software
a) System software
Refers to programs designed to perform tasks associated with directly controlling and
utilizing computer hardware. It does not accomplish specific task to the user, such as
creating document or analyzing data. System software constitutes those programs,
which increase the facilities of the hardware system. It lies between the hardware and
the application software.
Systems software was developed in order to automate the following routine tasks:
9 Allocation of various programs to main memory
9 Loading of programs that perform routines to control peripheral devices.
9 Execution of programs.
System software provides a means of standardizing the various activities performed
during the execution of these tasks.
Systems software has been categorized into Operating Systems, utility software and
programming language.
I. Operating Systems
It is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose

computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems
perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to
the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling
peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.
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Operating systems are responsible for providing essential services within a computer
system:
9 Initial loading of programs and transfer of programs between secondary storage
and main memory
9 Supervision of the input/output devices
9 File management
9 Protection facilities
For large systems, the operating system has even greater responsibilities and powers.
It is like a traffic cop -- it makes sure those different programs and users running at the
same time do not interfere with each other. The operating system is also responsible
for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.
II. Utility programs
This is another category for system software generally used to support, enhance, or
expand existing programs in a computer system. Many operating systems have utility
programs built in for common purposes. Additional utility programs are available
separately. Some of examples of the utility programs are the following.
9 Backup software it is a type of software which facilitate to a user to have a recovery
copy if his/her computer suddenly stop.
9 Data recovery: it is used to restore data that has been physically damaged or
corrupted. Data can be damaged by viruses, bad software, and hardware failure and
power fluctuation.
9 Virus protection if there is an attack of computer viruses on your computer system
there may be a need to have antivirus utility software.
9 Data compression utility removes redundant elements, gaps and unnecessary data
from the computer storage space so that you will have enough space to work and to
transport data.
III.Language software:
It is the other subdivision of system software which is normally used by the

programmer to develop application program. It is a generic name consisting of various
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programs that serves as compliers and translators to develop a program in a number
of different programming languages.
b) Application software
Application software refers to those programs developed to meet particular user

requirements for specific application.
The common application programs are.
Word processing: it is a type of software which permits the user to create, edit,
format, file and print usually text documents. Eg MS-WORD, WordPerfect, WordStar,
WordPad.
Spreadsheet: it is an electronic tabular spreadsheet displayed on the VDU of the

computer. It provides the user the opportunity to create, edit, format, file, print,
calculate, and analyze data in tabular form. E.g. FoxPro, MS-Excel and so on.
Database management: serve to create computerized datable, to insert records, to

make queries, to analyze data, and append data. Eg.MS-acess.
Graphics software: these are a type of application software which provides the user
the workspace to create, edit, and format image and graphical information. Eg
AutoCAD.
Presentation application software: which provide the user to create edit and present
presentations, eg. MS-power point.
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Chapter 3
Operating systems
3.1 What are operating systems?
It is the most important system software that runs on a computer. It is a layer of

software which takes care of technical aspects of a computer's operation. It
shields the user of the machine from the low-level details of the machine's
operation and provides frequently needed facilities. Every general-purpose
computer must have an operating system to run other programs. You can think of
it as being the software which should already be installed on a machine, before
you add anything of your own (Eg- application soft wares). At the foundation of all
system software, an operating system performs basic tasks such as controlling
and allocating memory, prioritizing system requests, controlling input and output
devices, facilitating networking, and managing file systems. Normally the
operating system has a number of key elements:
9 a technical layer of software for driving the hardware of the computer, like
disk drives, the keyboard and the screen;
9 a file system which provides a way of organizing files logically, and
9 a simple command language which enables users to run their own programs
and to manipulate their files in a simple way. Since the operating system (OS) is
in charge of a computer, all requests to use its resources and devices need to go
through the OS. An OS therefore provides
9 legal entry points into its code for performing basic operations like writing to
devices.
In general operating system coordinates the activity between the user and the
computer. Some of the currently in use operating systems are: - MS windows,
UNIX, Linux, Mac OS and the likes.
3.2 Operating system functions
i. Controlling operations (control program)
¾ Coordinates, or supervises the activity of the computer system.

¾ Decides where programs and data should be stored in the computer
memory.
¾ Handles communications among the computer components, applications
software and the user.
¾ Controls the saving and retrieving of files to and from disks in the disk
drive.
¾ It performs all its controlling tasks with out the involvement or awareness
of the user.
¾ Memory management
¾ File management
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ii. Input/output Management
9 The I/O manager coordinates the computers communication with outside
world, flow of data to the display screen and other output devices (printers/
plotters) and from the key board or other input devices.
9 Handles the flow of data to and from the disk drives (file management).
9 Handles the process of preparing a disk for use, the copying, renaming,
erasing task of a file.
iii. Command Processing (command Interpreter)

¾ It interprets the commands or what you enter using the keyboard or other
input devices.
If you write an internal command it carries out the function of that command if it is
external command or other executable file it searches for the corresponding file
in the default (current disk) or the user specified disk, loads the file into memory
and transfers control to that program. Once this program is terminated, control
returns to operating system and the program for that command or file is
discarded from memory.
iv. Protection facilities

¾ Internal security can be thought of as protecting the computer's resources
from the programs concurrently running on the system. Most operating systems
set programs running natively on the computer's processor, so the problem
arises of how to stop these programs doing the same task and having the same
privileges as the operating system (which is after all just a program too).
Processors used for general purpose operating systems generally have a
hardware concept of privilege. Generally less privileged programs are
automatically blocked from using certain hardware instructions, such as those to
read or write from external devices like disks. Instead, they have to ask the
privileged program( the operating system ) to read or write. The operating system
therefore gets the chance to check the program's identity and allow or refuse the
request.
v. Networking
¾ Most current operating systems are capable of using the TCP/IP
networking protocols. This means that one system can appear on a network of
the other and share resources such as files, printers, and scanners using either
wired or wireless connections.
For large systems, the operating system has even greater responsibilities and
powers. It is like a traffic cop -- it makes sure those different programs and users
running at the same time do not interfere with each other. The operating system
is also responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access
the system.
3.3 Types of Operating Systems
Operating systems may be classified by both how many tasks (programs) they
can perform `simultaneously' and by how many users can be using the system
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`simultaneously'(i.e. terminals or micro-computers connected to a central
computer). That is: single-user or multi-user and single-task or multi-tasking. In
addition they can also classify on the way they process a single program. The
following are the possible types of operating systems based on the above points.
¾ Single user: can only accommodate a single user at a time. Do not

support more than one user to use the system.
¾ Single tasking operating systems: With single tasking operating
systems only one program can be run on a computer at a time. In order
to run another program, one must remove the first program loaded in the
computers main memory and load the other one(i.e. it can’t handle two or more
programs at a time)
¾ Multi-user : Allows two or more users to run programs at the same time.
Some operating systems permit hundreds or even thousands of concurrent
users.
¾ Multitasking : Allows more than one program to run concurrently. . A
multi-user system must clearly be multi-tasking.
¾ Multiprocessing : Supports running a program on more than one CPU.
¾ Real time: Responds to input instantly. A real time is a system that is
capable of processing data so quickly that the results are available to influence
the activity currently taking place. A real-time operating system (RTOS) is a
multitasking operating system intended for real-time applications. Such
applications include embedded systems (programmable thermostats, household
appliance controllers, and mobile telephones), industrial robots, spacecraft,
industrial control and scientific research equipment.
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Chapter 4
Install Windows XP
Most new computers come with Windows XP installed; so many people never have to
install it. However, you may need to install Windows XP if:
• You replaced your hard disk drive with a new hard disk drive that does not
have Windows XP installed.
• You are reinstalling Windows XP on a computer because you want to clean
off your hard drive and remove any unwanted programs, such as spyware.
• You purchased a computer without an operating system.
Fortunately, you do not need to be a computer expert to install Windows XP. Installing
Windows XP is a straightforward process that takes between one to two hours. Of that
time, you need to be present for only about 30 minutes.
• Pre-installation checklist
• Install Windows XP
Note: If you have a computer with an older operating system, such as Windows 98,
Windows ME, or Windows 2000, you should upgrade to Windows XP instead of
performing a clean installation.
Pre-installation checklist
Before you begin the installation process, use this checklist to make sure that you are
prepared:
You have the Windows XP CD.
You have the product key available. The product key is located on your Windows
XP CD case and is required to install and activate Windows XP.
Your computer hardware is set up. At a minimum, you should connect your
keyboard, mouse, monitor, and CD drive. If available, you should connect your
computer to a wired network.
You have Windows XP drivers available. Drivers are software that Windows XP
uses to communicate with your computer’s hardware. Most new computers include a
CD containing drivers. If you do not have drivers available, Windows XP may already
include drivers for your hardware. If not, you should be able to download them from
your hardware manufacturer’s Web site after you set up Windows XP.
If you are reinstalling Windows XP on an existing computer, you need a backup
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copy of your files and settings. The installation process will delete all of your files. You
can use the File and Settings Transfer Wizard to store your files and settings on
removable media and then restore them after installation is complete.
Installation process
Installing Windows XP can take up to two hours. To make the process more
manageable, it has been broken up into several sections. When you are ready, install
Windows XP:
• Part 1: Begin the installation

• Part 2: Continue the installation
• Part 3: Complete the installation
Part 1: Begin the installation
1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer and restart your computer.
2. If prompted to start from the CD, press SPACEBAR. If you miss the prompt (it
only appears for a few seconds), restart your computer to try again.
3 Windows XP Setup begins. During this portion of setup, your mouse will not
work, so you must use the keyboard. On the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.
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4. On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement page, read the licensing
agreement. Press the PAGE DOWN key to scroll to the bottom of the agreement.
Then press F8.
5. This page enables you to select the hard disk drive on which Windows XP
will be installed. Once you complete this step, all data on your hard disk drive will be
removed and cannot be recovered. It is extremely important that you have a recent
backup copy of your files before continuing. When you have a backup copy, press D,
and then press L when prompted. This deletes your existing data.
6. Press ENTER to select Unpartitioned space, which appears by default.
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7. Press ENTER again to select Format the partition using the NTFS file
system, which appears by default.
8. Windows XP erases your hard disk drive using a process called formatting and
then copies the setup files. You can leave your computer and return in 20 to 30
minutes.
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Part 2: Continue the installation
9. Windows XP restarts and then continues with the installation process. From this
point forward, you can use your mouse. Eventually, the Regional and Language
Options page appears. Click Next to accept the default settings. If you are
multilingual or prefer a language other than English, you can change language
settings after setup is complete.
10. Personalize Your Software page, type your name and your organization
name. Come programs use this information to automatically fill in your name when
required. Then, click Next
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.
11. Your Product Key page, type your product key as it appears on your Windows
XP CD case. The product key is unique for every Windows XP installation. Then, click
Next.
12. Computer Name and Administrator Password page, in the Computer name
box, type a name that uniquely identifies your computer in your house, such as
FAMILYROOM or TOMS. You cannot use spaces or punctuation. If you connect your
computer to a network, you will use this computer name to find shared files and
printers. Type a strong password that you can remember in the Administrator
password box, and then retype it in the Confirm password box. Write the password
down and store it in a secure place. Click Next.
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13. Date and Time Settings page: - set your computer’s clock. Then, click the
Time Zone down arrow, and select your time zone. Click Next.
14. Networking Settings page, click Next.
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15. Workgroup or Computer Domain page, click Next.
Part 3: Complete the installation

16. Windows XP will spend 20 or 30 minutes configuring your computer and will
automatically restart when finished. When the Display Settings dialog appears, click
OK.
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17. When the Monitor Settings dialog box appears, click OK.
18. The final stage of setup begins. On the Welcome to Microsoft Windows
page, click Next.
19. On the Help protect your PC page, click Help protect my PC by turning on
Automatic Updates now. Then, click Next.
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20. Windows XP will then check if you are connected to the Internet:
• If you are connected to the Internet, select the choice that describes your
network connection on the Will this computer connect to the Internet directly, or
through a network? Page. If you’re not sure, accept the default selection, and click
Next.
• If you use dial-up Internet access, or if Windows XP cannot connect to the

Internet, you can connect to the Internet after setup is complete. On the How will this
computer connect to the Internet? page, click Skip.
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21. Windows XP Setup displays the Ready to activate Windows? Page. If you are
connected to the Internet, click Yes, and then click Next. If you are not yet connected
to the Internet, click No, click Next, and then skip to step 24. After setup is complete,
Windows XP will automatically remind you to activate and register your copy of
Windows XP.
22. On the Ready to register with Microsoft? page, click Yes, and then click
Next.
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23. On the Collecting Registration Information page, complete the form. Then,
click Next.
24. On the Who will use this computer? Page, type the name of each person
who will use the computer. You can use first names only, nicknames, or full names.
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Then click Next. To add users after setup is complete or to specify a password to
keep your account private, read Create and customize user accounts.
25. On the Thank you! Page, click Finish.
Congratulations! Windows XP setup is complete.
After logon, take a few minutes to validate your copy of Windows. Validation gives you
access to hundreds of free downloads from the Microsoft Download Center. To learn
about the new features Windows XP provides, click the Start button, click All
Programs, click Accessories, and then click Tour Windows XP.
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Chapter 5
Recover lost files and Collect Drivers
5.1 Recover lost files
Step 1: Scan for drives
The first screen displays a list of drives and devices, which are possibly accessible.
Check as many drives as you wish. You can uncheck one or more drives, if you want
to omit them. This might be necessary if a complete drive lookup causes your
computer to crash.
However, include at least

the drive you want to
recover.
On the right side of the
screen you can define the
default temp directory
and where the log file of
the recovery will be saved
- if you want one.
Press Next to start

searching for accessible
drives.
Step 2: Select Source
In Step 2 the accessible drives and

devices will be displayed, depending
on what you chose in the first step.
The left side displays the entries you
need to select from. The right side
contains additional information about
the data source selected on the left
side (e.g. the geometry and the
number of sectors).
Which entry to choose?

You now must select the appropriate
entry from that list. Since GetDataBack
performs recovery on a partition level
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the general rule is:
Select an entry that completely contains the partition you want to recover.
The chosen entry must not be a subset of this partition. It must be a superset instead.
Selecting an entry significantly larger than the partition is allowed, but will slow down
the recovery process and might cause confusing entries in Step 4.
You should prefer physical drives over logical drives, because logical drives are
already interpreted by the operating system. Very often you don't even see a logical
drive that might contain the data you want to recover. Physical drives provide the most
undisturbed low-level access to the raw data of the drive.
Examples:
You want to recover: Select this entry:
2nd drive that contained one partition 2nd hard drive (HD129 :)
1st partition of 2nd drives (40GB) Entry (2) is the entry you should
containing 4 partitions with 10GB choose.
each. The tree is looking like this: If you want to recover other partitions
(1) 2nd hard drive 40000MB (HD129 :) as well, select entry (4) for the 2nd
(2) + 1st partition (NTFS) 10000MB partition, entry (6) for the 3rd partition
(3) + 2nd partition (DOS Extended) and entry (8) for the 4th partition.
30000MB You also can select entry (1) and all 4
(4) + 1st partition (NTFS) 10000MB partitions will show up in Step 4.
(5) + 2nd partition (DOS Extended) However, it is recommended to
10000MB recover the partitions one by one, if
(6) + 1st partition (NTFS) possible.
10000MB
(7) + 2nd partition (DOS
Extended) 10000MB
(8) + 1st partition (NTFS)
10000MB
Same example as above, but the tree The partition table is obviously
is looking like this: damaged. Therefore you must
(1) 2nd hard drive 40000MB (HD129 :) choose entry (1) and all 4 partitions
will show up in Step 4.
You can manually apply a sector
range in the next step (Step 3) in
order to make the selected range fit
more.
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Physical Drives
If you selected one or more physical drives in Step1, the hard drives will be listed
with all their partitions underneath. The physical drives are named by their BIOS
number: FD0 is the 1st floppy drive, FD1 is the 2nd floppy drive, HD128: is the 1st
hard drive, HD129: is the 2nd hard drive etc.
The NTFS system might use chained partition tables, if the drive contains more than
one NT partition. That’s the reason why often partitions are displayed twice, as a
NTFS partition and as a "DOS extended partition" (in these cases you should go with
the "NTFS partition").
Usually you should pick the NTFS partition as the source to perform the data recovery
on. Only if the right partition (with the approx. right size and position) is not shown, use
the DOS extended partition or the whole drive.
Note: Choosing a certain partition is nothing more than choosing certain start and end
sector to be scanned on the particular drive. The start and end sector will be displayed
for review in Step 3. It is possible to override these values there.
Logical Drives
If logical drives were selected Step 1, all available logical drives will be shown with
their assigned drive letters (A:, B:, C:, ...).
Image files and remote drives
You can also load an image file or a remote drive by pressing the corresponding
buttons at the bottom of the window.
If the image file is an image of a physical drive all partitions will be shown too and you
can treat it like a physical drive.
Remote drives are physical drives on another computer, accessed through a serial
cable or TCP/IP. They are treated like physical drives.
Now select the drive or partition you want to recover and press Next.
Step 3: Select Range and File system
In Step 3 you are asked to select the range of the drive to be scanned and the type of
file system you want to recover. Normally the range and file system type is already
set correctly by Step 2 and you don’t have to change anything.
Narrowing the sector range to be scanned to the area the file system was located will
speed up the recovery and will enhance the recovery results. However, do not alter
the sector range to be searched unless
• the partition you need to recover wasn't shown correctly in Step 2 and you therefore
had to check the whole drive,
• or if the preset sector range doesn't seem right and you know where the partition
approximately was located.
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To do so, select "Search partial drive" and insert the starting and the ending sector
of the drive or partition. In case you don’t know the exact range rather enter a wider
than a smaller range: The selected range must completely contain the partition
you want to recover.
Using the "Excessive search" feature will slow down the recovery process, so check
it only if the demanded file system is not displayed in Step 4 - especially on media with
very few data or directory
information on it - like diskettes.
Checking this feature will yield
more entries in Step 4.
To open a scan from a previous

recovery click "Load Recovery".
Press Next to start the scanning
of the drive.
GetDataBack will now scan the
drive and the recovery process
will be in full swing.
Depending on the size of the drive this process can take from a few minutes to several
hours. Don' t interrupt this process unless you have to - you would have to do the scan
all over again.
Step 4: Select File System
After the scan is complete, the file systems GetDataBack has found are displayed on
the left side of the window.
Don't be confused, if you see a whole bunch of file systems! GetDataBack conducts a
very thorough scan of your drive, and particularly when you have scanned a large
drive with more than one partition, or a drive which was re-partitioned, the software
can find many possible file system starts.
By default the most

accurate file system is
displayed on top of the
list.
The sort order of this list
is determined by the data
matches of each file
system. The higher the
position the more
recoverable files can be
expected.
Another value to look for

is the quality of a certain
file system. You can interpret this number as how the files inside are covered by this
certain file system structure.
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• File systems with a quality of 50% or higher are marked with a green dot,
• file systems with a quality of at least 10% with a yellow dot
• and file systems with a quality of less than 10% with a red dot.
• A green dot usually indicates a good file system with potentially high quality recovery
results,
• the file systems with a yellow dot can also produce very satisfactory results (especially
if no green dot file systems show up),
• the file systems with a red dot are not very promising, unless you are recovering from
a drive that was nearly empty.
But take a closer look! Which of the file systems in the list comes closest - in terms of
the size of the partition, the cluster size and the file system type - to the file system
you want to recover? Pick this one.
The file system details on the right side of the screen can give you additional
information about the quality of the file system.
Now select the file system you want to get displayed in the recovery tree and press
Next.
GetDataBack now will create the tree of the recovered directories and files. Depending
on the size of your drive, this can take its time, but will be much faster than the scan.
Do not stop this process unless you have to.
Pressing Back in Step 4 will take you back to Step 3. You would have to do the scan
all over again when you resume the recovery from Step 3 unless you save the scan
while in Step 4.
Step 5: Recovery Tree
On the left side of the screen you see the recovery tree, consisting of the recovered
directories and folders and a "lost files" folder created by the program, containing the
files without directory information.
When you open a folder on the left side, the files in this folder are displayed on the
right side - much as you know it from the Windows Explorer.
Copy
Tag the files you want to copy. Push the copy button and a window will pop up where
you can choose the destination to copy the files to. Never copy the files to the drive
or partition you recovered the data from.
While you can see all your recovered files, use the viewer, the search function and
the file information feature in the unregistered version. Copying files to a save
medium requires that you register the software. Registering is very quick and very
easy. You don' t have to conduct the recovery process all over again, just enter the
registration key while you are in step 5 and the copying will be enabled.
Quality of the Recovery
Don’t feel insecure about the recovery results after copying the files. In most cases
what you see in the recovery tree is what you get after copying the files. That means,
if you can see your files in the recovery tree and they look alright, they most likely will
be alright after saving them.
However, it is recommended to check several files. Use the following features of
GetDataBack to verify the quality of the recovery:
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• View the file (F3)
• Open the file with its native application
• Investigate the file information for the file
It can happen that you have folders in the recovery tree which look similar to this one:
(1229BD). This means that the root
directory entry for this directory was
lost and the directory name could not
be retrieved. The subdirectories (if
there are any) and the files in the
directory should nevertheless be in
order.
Particularly in the "lost files" folder you
will find files which look like this:
#345HD33.doc this is due to the fact
that these files were recovered without
any directory information. Therefore
the original file name could not be
restored. The file extension though
should be correct and can give you at
least some information about the file.
If you have problems opening the
recovered files please see our check
list.
Save a recovery
To save your recovery for further use click File->Save Recovery and choose a file
name. Never save this file to the drive or partition had you recovered the data
from.
This feature does not save the recovered files. It saves the structure of the recovery
tree only. To save the recovered files see Copy.
Sort
Sort the files on the right side by size, name, attributes, and creation data and so on
by clicking on the corresponding column header.
Open
Open files by double-clicking the file, clicking the open button or pressing Enter.
When possible the file will be opened in its native application. Otherwise you can
choose the application to open the file with.
Clicking the Open with button or pressing Ctrl-Enter will allow you to choose the
application to open the file with.
View
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Use the viewer to have a first look at the files you recovered. Select the file you want
to examine and press the view button or F3. The viewer is able to display the file
content for various file types (.txt, .doc, .bmp). Where the file type is not supported the
file content will be shown in hexadecimal format.
Rename
If the right file names didn't come up (for instance because the root directory
information was destroyed), the rename property lets you rename these files before
copying them. Select the file or folder you wish to rename and press F2. Of course
you can also rename the files after you have copied them to a safe location.
Search
GetDataBack includes a file search function. Hit the search button and give in the
search term.
Appearance of the file names - Attributes
5.2 Collecting Drivers
Before reinstalling the operating system, you should first backup your drivers.
1. Click the 'Backup Drivers' icon. The

program will search for all installed
drivers in the system.
2. You will see a list of installed drivers

in the right window pane. To view details
of a device driver, click the device in the
list. The details will be displayed in the
window.
Current used Drivers: - these are drivers

that are currently working on your
computer. These will need to be backed
up.
Windows Original Drivers: - These drivers are included in the Windows installation
CD and will be installed automatically during the Windows installation procedure. They
normally do not need to be backed up.
Disconnected Devices Drivers:- these drivers belong to devices that are not
currently connected to your computer. If you want to use these devices in the future,
their drivers must be installed on your PC. Therefore, you will need to back them up.
This is especially important when installing drivers on a clean operating system.
3. Select the drivers that you want to back up and click 'Next'.
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4. Select the Backup type. Driver Genius can backup drivers to a ZIP file, a self-
extractor, or an Auto-Installer. Click the drop down menu -> Select the Backup type.
You will see 4 options, choose the one you want. If you want to install drivers on
multiple computers with the same configuration, we strongly recommend you backup
the drivers to an auto-installer. You can use the Auto-Installer to install drivers on a
new system without Driver Genius. This will greatly save you time.
5. Choose a location to save your driver backup files and click 'Next' to start the
backup process.
Attention! The backup files must not be saved in the same partition that you install
Windows. During the Windows installation, all data in this partition will be lost.
Backup drivers in command line
Driver Genius allows you to backup your drivers in command line mode.
Usage: DriverGenius.exe [/B|?] [/T|A] [/D|Z|E|I] Backup location
First parameter - Specify the action

/? - Show help for usage
/b - Backup drivers
Second parameter - Specify which drivers you want to backup

/t - Third-Party drivers (Recommended)
/a - All drivers
Third parameter - Specify the backup type

/d - Default backup type, backs up selected drivers to the specified folder.
/z - Backs up selected drivers and sends them to a ZIP file.
/e - Backs up selected drivers and sends them to a self-extracting file.
/i - Backs up selected drivers and sends them to an Auto-Installer.
Fourth parameter - Specify the backup location
Example:
C:\Driver-Soft\DriverGenius\DriverGenius.exe /B/T/I D:\DriversBackup.exe
Restore drivers to your computer
Driver Genius makes it easy for you to install drivers. With several mouse clicks, all
drivers will be installed at one time rather than having to install each driver disk one-
by-one.
1. Click 'Restore Drivers' icon.
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2. Select the source type. If your backup type is 'Default', select 'Folder' option. If your
backup type is 'ZIP file', or 'self-extracting file', please select 'File' option.
3. Click 'Browse' button to choose the location for the backup file, and then click 'Next'
4. Now your backup files and their details will display in the list. Select the driver you
want to restore, click 'Next' to start restoring.
ATTENTION: We suggest you close all running applications before restoration to

avoid any conflicts. Do not perform any operations during the restoration process. You
will be prompted to restart your computer after restoration is complete. All drivers will
be installed and will then work properly after system reboot.
Restore by the Auto-Installer
If you have backed up your drivers to an auto-installer, all you need to do is launch the
.exe file, and select drivers in the list. Then click 'Start Restore' button to start
installation. You can also perform unattended installation in command line mode.
Using Auto-Installer, you can also reinstall on multiple computers that have the same
configuration simultaneously-This is another time-saving feature.
Usage DriverBackup.exe /s/r
/s : Silent mode, restore all drivers automatically in silent mode. (No prompt dialog box
appears.)
/r : Reboot computer after the installation has completed.
ATTENTION: You can only restore drivers for video card and network card when
using the trial version. This limitation will be removed after you have registered your
software.
Install new drivers to your computer
If you don't know how to install drivers, please consult the steps below:
If the downloaded file is a Setup executable file, you can double-click it to install.
(Sample 1)
If the downloaded file is a compressed file or a self-extracting file, the extended name
should be ZIP or EXE. You will need to extract it to a folder first.
If there is a setup executable file in the folder, you can double-click it to install.
(Sample 2)
If there is no setup executable file in this folder, you have to install it manually.
(Sample 3)
Sample 1
For example: Intel Pro 100/1000 series network card drivers. This driver is a setup
executable file. Just double-click it to install.
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Sample 2
For example: Realtek RTL 8139 series network card drivers. This driver is a ZIP
compressed file. You need to extract it to a folder first; then, launch the setup
executable file in this folder to install drivers.
Extract it to a folder first
Find the setup executable file, double click it to install
Sample 3
For example: Broadcom 57xx series network controller drivers. The folder that it has
been extracted to does not contain a setup executable file, therefore, you must install
it manually.
1. Right click 'My computer' icon on desktop. Select 'Properties'.
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2. Go to the 'Hardware' tab and click the 'Device manager' button.
3. Find and double-click the network controller.
4 . Click 'Update drivers' button to open 'Hardware Update' Wizard.
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5. Choose 'No, not this time' then click 'Next' button.
6 . Choose 'Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)' then click 'Next' button.
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7. Choose "Search for the best driver in these locations" then click 'Browse' button to
select the folder that the extracting drivers file is in. Click next button. Windows will
automatically find a suitable drivers file to install.
Uninstall drivers from your computer
Driver Genius can help you uninstall drivers easily.
1. Click 'Uninstall Drivers' icon. The program will search for all installed drivers in the
system.
loaded drivers
The drivers that have been loaded by the system and are working properly.
Stopped Drivers
Drivers that have been stopped by the system. Drivers are not automatically
uninstalled just by removing the device. These leftover drivers will stay in your system
and slow down the system performance.
Invalid Drivers
Drivers that have not been installed correctly. You should uninstall them first, then
install the correct drivers.
2. Select the drivers you want to uninstall and click 'Next' to uninstall them.
ATTENTION: Never uninstall IDE Controller drivers or System device drivers. This will
cause your system to crash.
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Chapter 6
Troubleshooting Computer Problems
The following are list of possible solutions to problems that may occur when using
your computer. The list contains:
Symptoms that describe the sign or warning message for the type of problem.
Possible solutions that describe what you should do to try to solve the problem.
Audio
Symptom Possible solution
No sound is produced. Press the Mute button on the keyboard to see if the Mute
feature is turned on.
Or
1 Click the Windows Start Button, and then click Control Panel.
2 Click Hardware and Sound, and then Adjust system volume.
3 If applications are muted, click the mute button to unmute.
Click the task bar Volume icon use the keyboard controls to increase
the volume.
Ensure powered (active) speakers are turned on.
Turn off your computer, and reconnect the speakers.
Press the Sleep button (select models only), or press the Esc key on the
keyboard to resume from sleep mode.
Replace the passive speaker system with an active speaker system (sold
separately). Active speakers have a power cord and On button and connect to the
Audio Out (green) connector on the computer.
Unplug headphones if they are connected to your computer.
CD and DVD Drives

The CD or DVD drive cannot read Ensure the disc is inserted with the label facing up and centered
in the tray.
a disc or takes too long to start. Wait at least 30 seconds to let the drive determine the type of
media.
Clean the disc with a disc cleaning kit, available from most computer stores.
The driver may be corrupted or outdated. Refer to “Updating Drivers” on
page 22 for detailed information about restoring and updating drivers.
I cannot remove a CD or DVD. Turn on your computer, and press the Eject button
nearest the drive
to open the tray.
If you suspect a problem with the actual Eject button:
1 Click the Windows Start Button and then Computer.
2 Right-click the CD or DVD drive you want to open.
3 Select Eject from the menu.
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I cannot create (burn) a disc. Ensure the disc is inserted with the label facing up and centered
in the tray.
Verify that you are using the correct disc type (media) for the drive. Try adifferent brand of disc.
Make sure the disc is clean and undamaged. If recording stopped during arecording session, the disc
may be damaged; use a different disc.
Use the correct type of disc for the type of files you are recording.
When using a CD-R disc, make sure that it is blank when recording music andis blank or appendable
(with space to add more data files) whenrecording data.
Verify that you are using the correct disc type when making a copy of a disc.
Some recording programs can record only to the same disc type as the source.
For example, you can record a DVD only to a DVD+R/–R or a DVD+RW/–RWdisc, and you can
record a CD only to a CD-R or a CD-RW disc.
Make sure the disc is in the correct drive and you specify the same drive in theCD or DVD recording
software. Select a slower write speed for the recording drive, if it is available.
The recording software may not let you add a track if it exceeds the available space on your disc. You
can make space available by removing one or more tracks from the list before recording the files to
disc. Close all software programs and windows before recording.
Video
Some video files do not play. Your file may be corrupt or in an unsupported format. Open the video
file in a
video editor, and then resave the file in a supported format.
Error message: Files Needed 1 Click the Windows Start Button, right-click Computer, and then
To Display Video Are Missing select Properties.
or Corrupt. 2 Under Tasks, click Device Manager.
3 Click the plus sign (+) next to Sound, video and game controllers.
4 Right-click TV tuner (select models only) and then select Update Driver
Software.
5 Select Search automatically for updated driver software.
6 Follow the instructions to update the driver.
7 If prompted, restart the computer.
Display (Monitor)
Screen is blank, and monitor Reconnect the power plug on the back of the monitor and the wall
outlet.
power light is not lit. Press the On button on the front of the monitor.
Screen is blank. Press the space bar or move the mouse to make the screen display
visible
again.
Press the Sleep button (select models only), or press the Esc key on the
keyboard to resume from sleep mode.
Press the On button to turn on the computer.
Inspect the monitor video connector for bent pins:
_ If any of the pins are bent, replace the monitor connector cable.
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_ If no pins are bent, reconnect the monitor connector cable to the
computer.
Images on the screen are too Adjust the monitor resolution setting in Windows Vista:
large or too small, or the 1 Right-click the desktop, and then select Personalize.
images are fuzzy. 2 Click Display Settings.
3 Adjust the Resolution slider as needed.
Hard Disk Drive

Computer seems to be locked Use the Windows Task Manager to close any programs not responding
or
up and not responding. restart the computer:
1. Press the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and the Delete key on the keyboard at the
same time.
2. Click Start Task Manager.
3. Select the program that is not responding, and click End Task.
Or
If closing programs does not work, restart the computer:
A. Press the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and the Delete key on the keyboard at
the same time.
B. Click the arrow next to the Shut Down button and then click
Restart.
C. If this does not work, press and hold the On button for 5 or more
seconds to turn off the computer. Then, press the On button.
Hard disk drive error message Press the Help ? button on the keyboard to open the Help and Support
Center,
displays. or refer to the Limited Warranty and Support Guide to contact Support
.
Hardware Installation
A new device is not Install the device driver from the CD provided with the device, or download
recognized as part of the and install the driver from the device manufacturer’s Web site.
system. You may need an updated driver for Windows Vista. Contact the device
vendor directly for an update.
Ensure that all cables are properly and securely connected and
that the pins in the cable or connector are not bent.
Turn off the computer, turn on the external device, and then turn on
The computer to integrate the device with the computer.
Restart the computer, and follow the instructions for accepting the changes.
Deselect the automatic settings in the operating system for the card, and
choose a basic configuration that doesn’t cause a resource conflict.
You can also reconfigure or disable devices to resolve the resource conflict.
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© Intelligent Teaching and Learning Computers ( ITALC) Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2002 ዓ.

Telephone: 0918702640, 0918700917, 0918165511 Page i

1.1 What is a Computer?

In its literal meaning, a computer is any calculating device or machine, which is

1.2 Application of Computers

Why we use Computers?

a) Commercial or business applications

b) Scientific, Engineering and Research applications

1.5 Characteristics of Computers

There are four basic characteristics of computer.

1.6 Types of Computers

Classification by the method of operation (processing)

Classification by purpose of application

b) General purpose computers

System is a group of components, consisting of subsystems or procedures that work

A typical looks for personal computer

Touch Sensitive Screen

A digital stills camera

A microphone used for data input

Units of a processor chip (CPU)

Robots in a business sense mean automated machines designed to perform mundane

A speak and spell toy

I. Primary Storage Devices

Random Access Memory (RAM)

There are three main types of RAM:

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)

DDR (Double Data Rate SDRAM)

Rambus DRAM (RDRAM)

DIMMs vs. RIMMs

DRAM comes in two major form factors: DIMMs and RIMMS.

1. DIMMs are 64-bit components, but if used in a motherboard with a dual-channel

Read Only Memory (ROM)

9 ROM is responsible for storing permanent data and instructions.

II.Secondary Storage Devices

Different types of Hard Disk Drive Interfaces

a) Hard disk firmware failure

b) A basic electronic system failure.

Floppy Disk: A floppy disk is a thin magnetic-coated disk contained in a flexible or

A 3.5" floppy disk

It is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose

II. Utility programs

It is the other subdivision of system software which is normally used by the

Application software refers to those programs developed to meet particular user

Spreadsheet: it is an electronic tabular spreadsheet displayed on the VDU of the

Database management: serve to create computerized datable, to insert records, to

3.1 What are operating systems?

It is the most important system software that runs on a computer. It is a layer of

3.2 Operating system functions

i. Controlling operations (control program)

¾ Coordinates, or supervises the activity of the computer system.

iii. Command Processing (command Interpreter)

iv. Protection facilities

3.3 Types of Operating Systems

¾ Single user: can only accommodate a single user at a time. Do not

You have the Windows XP CD.

If you are reinstalling Windows XP on an existing computer, you need a backup

• Part 1: Begin the installation

Part 1: Begin the installation

14. Networking Settings page, click Next.

Part 3: Complete the installation

• If you use dial-up Internet access, or if Windows XP cannot connect to the

25. On the Thank you! Page, click Finish.

Congratulations! Windows XP setup is complete.