Question | Answer |
Motherboard | -Main printed circuit board
-Contains buses, or electrical pathways found in a computer. Buses allow data to travel among the various components.
-CPU, RAM, expansion slots, heat sink/fan assembly/ BIOS chip, chip set, internal and external connectors |
Motherboard form factors | -AT - Advanced Tech.
-ATX - Advanced Technology Extended
-Mini-ATX - Smaller footprint of ATX
-Micro-ATX - Smaller footprint of ATX
-LPX - Low-Profile Extended
-NLX - New Low-profile Extended
-BTX - Balanced Technology Extended |
CPU | -Brain of Comp.
-Executes program
2 CPU architectures
-Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)
-Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) |
Cooling Systems | -Case fan = Makes cooling more efficient (Can be dedicated to Graphics-Processing-Unit(GPU)
-Heat Sink = Draws heat away from the core of the CPU |
ROM | -Read-only Memory
-Contains basic instructions for booting comp. & loading operating system |
RAM | -Random-access memory (RAM)
-Temp. storage for data and programs that are being accessed by the CPU
-Ram is volatile memory (Which means that the contents are erased when the computer is powered off)
-More RAM means more capacity to process programs |
Adapter Cards | Adapter cards increase the functionality of a computer by adding controllers for specific devices or by replacing malfunctioning ports.
-Examples=Sound/Video Adapter,USB
-Types=Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI),Advanced Graphics Port AGP,PCI-Expre |
Hard Drives/Floppy Drives | -Read/Write info. to magnetic storage media
-Hard Disk Drive (HDD) - Magnetic storage devices. (Uses GB)
-Solid State Drives(SDDs)-Faster w/out moving parts
Floppy Disk Drive (FDD) - Uses removable 3.5 inch floppy disks that can store up to 1.44 of da |
Optical Drive | -Storage device that uses lasers to read data on the optical media.
-CD, DVD, & BD |
Flash Drive | -Removable storage device
-Connects to USB Port
-No power needed to maintain data |
Common Drive Interfaces | -Intergrated Drive Electrionics (IDE)
-Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE)
-Paralle ATA (PATA)
-Serial ATA (SATA) & External Sata (eSATA)
-Small Computer System Interface (SCSI |
External Bays | -Drives in external bays allow access to the media without opening the case
-Optical Drive, FDD |
NIC's | -enables a computer to connect to a network
-Uses PCI and PCIe expansion slots on the motherboard
WIRELESS NIC
-enables a comp. |
Booting Comp. for First Time | Basic input.output system (BIOS) will perform a power-on self test (POST) to check on all internal components (Beep code if an error occurs during hardware check) |
BIOS | -Contains a setup program used to configure settings for hardware devices. The configuration data is saved to a special memory chip called a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) |
Trouble Shooting Process | -Identify problem
-Establish a theory
-Determine an Exact Cause
-Implement a Solution
-Verify Solution and Full System Functionality |
Operating System | -Controls almost all functions on a computer. |
Command Line Interface (CLI) | -User types commands at prompt |
Graphical User Interface (GUI) | -User interacts with menu's and icons |
CPU Modes (1) (XP) | REAL MODE
-CPU that operates in real mode can only execute on program at a time, and it can only address 1 MB of system memory at a time. In real mode, when an application creates an error, the entire comp. can be affected because direct access to memory |
CPU Modes (2) | PROTECTED MODE
-Access to all of the memory in the comp, including virtual memory. App's are protected from using the memory reserved for another app. that is running |
Desktop Operating System | -Supports single user
-Runs single-user app's
-Shares files and folders
-Shares peripherals
-Used on small network |
Network Operating System | -Supports multiple users
-Runs Multi-user app's
-Provides increased security
-Used on a network |
Boot Sequence for Windows XP (1) | -POST
-POST for each adapter card that has a BIOS
-BIOS reads the master boot record (MBR)
-MDR takes over control of boot process and starts NT Loader (NTLDR) |
Boot Sequence for Windows XP (2) | -NTLDR reads the BOOT.INI file to know which OS to load and where to find the OS on the boot partition
-NTLDR uses NTDETECT.COM to detect any installed hardware
-NTLDR loads the NTOSKRNL.EXE file and HAL.DLL |
Boot Sequence for Windows XP (3) | -NTLDR reads the registry files and loads device drivers
-NTOSKRNL.EXE starts the WINLOGON.EXE program and displays the Windows Login Screen |
Registry File
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT | Info. about which files extensions map to a particular application |
Registry File
HKEY_CURRENT_USER | Info., such as desktop settings and history, related to the current user of a PC |
Registry File
HKEY_USERS | Info. about all users who have logged onto a system |
Registry File
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | Info. relating to the hardware and software |
Registry File
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG | Info. relating to all the active devices on a system |
NTFS | -Supports more files than FAT32, and provides more flexible security features for folders, files, and sizes |
FAT3 | -Where files need to be accessed by multiple versions of Windows. FAT32 is not as secure as NTFS
-Partitions can be converted from the FAT32 to NTFS using the CONVERT.EXE utility, but not in the reverse direction |