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Index
Repairing and Upgrading Your PC
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A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
Foreword
Preface
Organization of This Book
Acknowledgments
We'd Like to Hear from You
How to Contact O'Reilly
How to Contact the Authors
1. Getting Started
1.1. Upgrading or Repairing Versus Buying New
1.2. Popular Upgrades
1.3. Choosing Components
1.4. Buying Components
1.5. Troubleshooting
1.5.1. Problem: When you apply power, nothing happens
1.5.2. Problem: The system seems to start normally, but the display remains black
1.5.3. Problem: When you connect power (or turn on the power switch on the back of the power supply), the power supply starts briefly and then shuts off
1.5.4. Problem: When you apply power, the floppy drive LED lights solidly and the system fails to start
1.5.5. Problem: The optical drive appears to play audio CDs, but no sound comes from the speakers
1.5.6. Problem: SATA drives are not recognized
1.5.7. Problem: The monitor displays BIOS boot text, but the system doesn't boot and displays no error message
1.5.8. Problem: The monitor displays a Hard Drive Failure or similar error message
1.5.9. Problem: The monitor displays a No Boot Device, Missing Operating System, or similar error message
1.5.10. Problem: The system refuses to boot from the optical drive
1.5.11. Problem: When you first apply power, you hear a continuous high-pitched screech or warble
2. Working on PCs
2.1. Rules to Upgrade and Repair By
2.2. Hand Tools
2.3. Software Tools
2.4. General Procedures
2.4.1. Before you open the case
2.4.2. Removing and replacing the case cover
2.4.3. Managing Internal Cables and Connectors
2.4.4. Working with expansion cards
2.4.5. Setting jumpers
2.4.6. Installing drives
3. System Maintenance
3.1. System Cleaning
3.2. Preventative Maintenance
3.2.1. Backing up the system
3.2.1.1. Backup hardware
3.2.1.2. Organizing your data directory structure
3.2.1.3. Developing a backup rotation scheme
3.2.1.4. Choosing backup software
3.2.2. Securing the system
3.2.3. Hard drive housekeeping
3.2.4. Keeping your system updated
3.2.4.1. Operating system and application software updates
3.2.4.2. Device driver updates
3.2.4.3. Firmware updates
3.2.5. Curing Windows Rot
3.2.6. A periodic maintenance checklist
4. Motherboards
4.1. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Motherboards
4.1.1. Choosing a motherboard
4.2. A Motherboard Tour
4.3. Identifying a Motherboard
4.4. Replacing a Motherboard
4.4.1. Getting started
4.4.2. Preparing the case
4.4.3. Seating and securing the motherboard
4.4.4. Connecting front-panel switch and indicator cables
4.4.5. Connecting front-panel ports
4.4.6. Reconnect the drive data cables
4.4.7. Reconnect the ATX Power Connectors
4.4.8. Reinstalling the video adapter
4.4.9. Finishing up the installation
4.5. Troubleshooting and Maintaining Motherboards
4.5.1. Configuring CMOS
4.5.2. Updating the BIOS
5. Processors
5.1. The Truth About Processor Performance
5.1.1. Price and performance
5.1.2. AMD versus Intel
5.1.3. Benchmarks lie
5.1.4. Optimizing price/performance ratio
5.2. Processor Characteristics
5.3. Processor Types
5.3.1. Budget processors
5.3.1.1. AMD Sempron
5.3.1.2. Intel Celeron
5.3.2. Mainstream processors
5.3.2.1. AMD Athlon 64
5.3.2.2. Intel Pentium 4
5.3.3. Dual-core processors
5.3.3.1. AMD Athlon 64 X2
5.3.3.2. Intel Pentium D
5.3.4. AMD and Intel processor summaries
5.4. CPU Coolers
5.5. Processor Upgrade Considerations
5.5.1. Identifying the current processor
5.5.2. Choosing a replacement processor
5.6. Replacing the Processor
5.6.1. Removing the old processor
5.6.2. Installing the new processor (Sockets 462/A, 478, 754, 939)
5.6.3. Installing the new processor (Socket 775)
5.7. Troubleshooting Processors
6. Memory
6.1. Understanding Memory
6.1.1. Memory types
6.2. Memory Performance
6.3. Other Memory Issues
6.3.1. Dual-channel operation
6.3.2. Non-parity versus ECC modules
6.3.3. Unbuffered versus registered modules
6.3.4. Motherboard compatibility issues
6.4. Choosing Memory
6.5. Installing Memory
6.5.1. Installing and removing a DIMM
6.5.2. Testing and configuring newly installed memory
6.6. Troubleshooting Memory Installation and Operation
6.6.1. When you have not added memory
6.6.2. When adding memory
7. Hard Disk Drives
7.1. Hard Disk Drive Interfaces
7.1.1. ATA
7.1.1.1. Assigning masters and slaves
7.1.1.2. Using Cable Select
7.1.1.3. Master/slave guidelines
7.1.1.4. ATA cables
7.1.2. Serial ATA
7.1.2.1. Serial ATA features
7.1.2.2. Serial ATA connectors and cables
7.1.2.3. Configuring an SATA hard drive
7.1.3. ATA RAID
7.2. Choosing a Hard Disk Drive
7.3. Installing a Hard Disk Drive
7.4. Enabling DMA Mode Transfers (PATA Only)
7.5. Troubleshooting Hard Drive Problems
7.5.1. Isolating the problem
7.5.2. Recovering data from a failed or failing drive
8. Optical Drives
8.1. Optical Drive Types
8.2. Optical Drive Performance
8.3. Optical Disc Types
8.3.1. Writable CD discs
8.3.2. Writable DVD discs
8.4. Installing and Configuring an Optical Drive
8.4.1. Choosing an interface configuration
8.4.2. Installing the optical drive
8.4.3. Enabling Bus Mastering (DMA) support
8.4.4. Changing optical drive letter assignments
8.5. Troubleshooting Optical Drives
8.5.1. Cleaning an optical drive
8.5.2. Updating drive firmware
8.5.3. Determining drive capabilities
8.5.4. Verifying quality of burned discs
8.5.5. Dealing with Book Type issues
9. External and Removable Storage Devices
9.1. Uses for External and Removable Storage
9.2. External Hard Drives
9.3. External Drive Enclosures
9.4. Removable Hard Drive Enclosures
9.5. USB Flash Memory Drives
9.6. Tape Drives
10. Video Adapters
10.1. Video Adapter Interfaces
10.1.1. PC adapter interfaces
10.1.2. AGP compatibility considerations
10.1.3. Adapter/display interfaces
10.2. Choosing a Video Adapter
10.3. TV Tuner/Capture Cards
10.4. Installing a Video Card
10.5. Configuring Windows Video
10.6. Troubleshooting Video Adapters Problems
11. Displays
11.1. CRT Displays
11.1.1. CRT Characteristics
11.1.2. CRT advantages
11.1.3. Choosing a CRT display
11.2. LCD Displays
11.2.1. LCD display characteristics
11.2.2. LCD advantages
11.2.3. Choosing an LCD display
11.3. Troubleshooting Display Problems
11.3.1. Troubleshooting CRTs
11.3.2. Troubleshooting LCD displays
12. Audio
12.1. Audio Adapters
12.1.1. Audio adapter components
12.2. Audio Adapter Characteristics
12.3. Choosing an Audio Adapter
12.4. Installing a Sound Card
12.5. Configuring an Audio Adapter Card Under Windows
12.6. Speakers and Headphones
12.6.1. Speaker and headphone characteristics
12.7. Choosing Speakers and Headphones
12.8. Troubleshooting Audio Problems
13. Input Devices
13.1. Keyboards
13.1.1. Choosing a Keyboard
13.1.2. Configuring a keyboard
13.1.3. Cleaning a keyboard
13.1.4. Troubleshooting and repairing keyboards
13.2. Mice and Trackballs
13.2.1. Choosing a mouse or trackball
13.2.2. Configuring a mouse or trackball
13.2.3. Troubleshooting a mouse
13.3. Game Controllers
13.3.1. Game controller characteristics
13.3.2. Choosing a game controller
13.3.3. Installing a game controller
13.3.4. Troubleshooting game controllers
14. Wireless Networking
14.1. Wireless Networking Standards
14.2. Wireless Components
14.2.1. Access points
14.2.2. Wireless adapters
14.2.3. Transmitter power, receiver sensitivity, and antenna considerations
14.2.3.1. Transmitter power
14.2.3.2. Receiver sensitivity
14.2.3.3. Antenna considerations
15. Cases
15.1. Case Characteristics
15.2. Tweaking Your Current Case
15.2.1. Improving cooling efficiency
15.2.2. Reducing noise level
16. Power Supplies and Power Protection
16.1. Power Supplies
16.1.1. Power supply characteristics
16.1.2. Power supply connectors
16.2. Choosing a Power Supply
16.2.1. Installing a power supply
16.2.2. Troubleshooting power supplies
16.3. Power Protection
16.3.1. Passive power protection
16.3.2. Active power protection
16.3.2.1. BPS types
16.3.2.2. BPS characteristics
16.3.2.3. Choosing a BPS
Index
About the Authors
Colophon
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