guide to managing and maintaining your pc chapter 4

8/18/2019 guide to managing and maintaining your pc chapter 4

1/26

fit,,,,,,,ffi6th

Labs included in this chapter:

.Lab

4.L; Use the

H\fiNFO32

Hardware Information

Utility

.Lab

4.2: Examine and

Adjust BIOS Settings

.Lab

4.32

Identify

Motherboard

Components

.Lab

4.42Identify a

Motherboard

and Find

Documentation and

Drivers on the

Internet

.

Lab

4.5: Remove and

Replace

a

Motherboard

.Lab

4.6: Flash

BIOS


2/26

CHAPTER

LAB

4.1

IISE

THE

HW|NFO

HARDWARE

INFORMATION

UTILITY

OBJ

ECTIVES

The

goal

of this

lab is

to

help

you learn how to

use a

hardware

information

utility.

After

completing

this

lab, you

will

be able

to:

x

Download and

install

the

H'STiNFO utility

"*

Use

the

H\7iNFO utility

to examine

your

system

MATERIALS

REQUIRED

This

lab requires the

following:

",*

A computer designated

for this lab

,l

'lTindows

7 operating

system

;i

Internet

access

for file downloading

only

LAB

PREPARATION

Before the

lab begins, the

instructor

or

lab

assistant

needs to

do the

following:

;:

Verify

that Windows

starts

with

no

errors

;t

Verify

that Internet

access

is available

,*

For labs that don't

have

Internet access,

download

the

following

file

to

a

file

server

or

other storage

media available

to students

in the

lab:

Iatest

version

of

HWiNFO down-

loaded from www.hwinfo.com.

At

the

time this

lab

was

tested, the

latest

version

was

Version

4.00

and

the

filename was

hw32-400.exe

or

hw64-400.exe,

depending

on

your

version

of Windows:

either

the 32-bit

version or

the 64-bit

version.

However, the

version

number and filename

for

H'WiNFO might

have since changed.

ACTIVITY

BACKGROUND

A hardware

information

utility

can

be

useful when

you want to

identify

a

hardware

component

in

a

system

without

having

to

open the computer

case.

Also, a

hardware

information

urility can

help you

identify

features of a

motherboard,

video

card,

or

processor installed

in a

system

and

establish benchmarks

for these

components.

In

this

lab,

you learn to use

H'WiNFO

written

by Martin

Malik

from Slovak

Republic.

The utility

comes

in

a'S7indows

version

and a

DOS version.

You

can

use the

$(indows

version

on'S7indows

XP, Vista,

or

7

computers,

and

you can

install

the

portable

version

on a USB

flash drive

or CD

so

that

the

utility

is available

on

any computer

you're

troubleshooting.

In this

lab,

you

download

a

shareware

Windows

version

of

H\7iNFO

from the web

and

then

learn

how to

use

it.

'Web

sites

sometimes

change,

so

as

you

follow

the

instructions

in this

lab,

you might

have

to adjust

for

changes

to

the

uww.hwinfo.com

site.

If

your

lab

doesn't

have

Internet

access,

ask

your instructor

for the

location

of the

file downloaded

previously for

your use.

Write

the

path to that

file

here:


3/26

Lab

4.1

Use

the

HWiNF0 Hardware

Information

Utitity

|

69

Sl.,'n

uir

Follow these steps

to

download

and

run

the'Windows

H'WiNFO utility:

1.

Go

to

the

HWiNFO

web

site at

www.hwinfo.com. In

the

submenu

under

Download,

click

H'WiNFO32 or

HWiNFO64, depending

on which version

of

'Windows

your

computer

uses. Select the self-installing

EXE from

one

of the download

locations, and

the

File

Download dialog box opens.

Be careful to

not

click

links

to

ads or

to

other

downloads.

Save the

file

to

your

hard drive.

'lfhat

is the

path and

name of the down-

loaded file?

2.

Vhen

the download

is complete, click

Close.

If your

browser

did

not close automati-

cally,

close

it.

Open'lTindows

Explorer,

and then double-click

the application

file

to

install

H\7iNFO for'Windows.

If

the Security'Warning

dialog

box

opens,

click

Run or

Yes to start setup.

Follow

the directions

on the

screen

to

install the software.

Retain all

the default

settings.

3. After the software

is

installed,

access

the

H'STiNFO Help

feature by opening

Start,

All

Programs,

HWiNFO32,

HWiNFO32

Help for

32-bit Windows

or

Start,

All Programs,

HWiNFO64,

HWiNFO64

Help for 64-bit

STindows, depending

on which

version

you downloaded

based

on

which version

of Windows

your computer

uses. Use the

H\fiNFO

Help feature to answer

the

following

questions about

the utility:

.e

\X/hy

does the

utility's

installation

program install

a

driver running

in kernel

mode?

x

\What

kind

of rights

are

required

to

install

the kernel-mode

driver?

.m

\(/hy do

you

think

it

is necessary

for the

utility to be updated

often?

4.

Close

the

HN7iNFO Help window.

5.

'When

the

utility

runs,

it

examines

your

system,

and then

the

HWiNFO

window

shown

in

Figure

4-1

opens.

Click

Run to run the

utility

now.

Many times

you

are

not

given

step-by-step

directions

when

using utility software

but

must

learn

how to

use

it

by exploring

menus

and using the software's

help functions.

The

following

steps

give

you practice in

doing that.

1.

Use

the

H 7iNFO utility to

find the

following

information about

your

system:

"*

Motherboard

model and

manufacturer:

,e

Motherboard

chipset:


4/26

70

I

cnnprrn 4

A11

About Motherboards

l.jrlilrr

il a::

ibr r..a ltlj

afl

: r.sr

k :

e:Ft

b6:

il

Sl

cen*il

Pro{ersor{:.}

.i,'|r1

Hotleborri

ir:

S

ldeo idsFter

rr'$€ ilontDr

rr

-S

Dnyps

q

S Aurc

a

i'

Fofs

Figure 4-1

HWiNF0

for

Windows

hardware

information's initiat disptay

.uJ

Motherboard

slots:

.'i:

BIOS manufacturer:

.*

BIOS version:

.'

BIOS

(release)

date:

.i

CPU

brand

name:

,r

Processor

socket

(platform):

*:

Original

processor

frequency:

.",;

Number

of

CPU

cores:

,d

Amount

of

L1 cache:

,rj

Amount of L2cache:


5/26

Lab

4.2

Examine

and

Adjust

BI0S

Settings

I

,,

*

Amount of

L3

cache:

x

Slot type

of

the video bus,

as

reported by

the

video

card:

.*

Video

chipset:

x

Amount

of

video memory

(RAM):

2. To identify

your motherboard's serial

number,

expand

Motherboard,

SMBIOS

DMI,

and then click

Mainboard. S7hat

is

your

motherboard's serial

number?

3.

Exit

the

program.

REVIEW

QUESTIONS

1. IThy does a'Windows

driver

need

to

run

in kernel mode?

2.

List the steps

to

display

information about

memory using

HWiNFO:

3. List

three

reasons

you might use

H\ffiNFO

when troubleshooting

or upgrading

a

PC:

4. What

is

an advantage

of using

the

portable version instead of

the

Windows

version

of

the

H'WiNFO utility?

LAB 4.2

EXAMINE

AND ADJUST

BIOS

SETTINGS

O

BJ ECTIVES

The

goal

of this

lab

is

to

help

you

explore

and

modify BIOS

settings.

After completing

this

lab,

you

will

be able

to:

'*

Enter the

BIOS setup

utility

#

Navigate

the

BIOS

setup

utility


6/26

72

l

+rnprrn + Att About

Motherboards

Examine some setup

options

Save changes

to setup

options

MATERIALS

REQUIRED

This

lab requires the

following:

x

A

\X/indows

7

computer

designated

for

this

lab

x

Any

necessary

BIOS

passwords

(may

need

to obtain

from

your instructor)

#

A copy

of the Computer

Inventory

and

Maintenance

form used

in Lab

1'.2

LAB

PREPARATION

Before

the

lab begins, the

instructor

or lab assistant

needs

to

do the

following:

x

Verify

that'lfindows

starts

with

no errors

,*

Either verify

Internet

access

so

the students can

download

the

Computer

Inventory

and

Maintenance

form, or

provide the

form

in

print

or

digitally

ACTIVITY

BACKGROUND

7hen a system

is

powered

up, the

startup

process

is

managed by

a set of

instructions

called the

Basic

Input/Output

System

(BIOS).

The BIOS,

in turn,

relies on

a set of

configuration

information

stored

in CMOS

(Complementary Metal-Oxide

Semiconductor)

that's

recharged continuously

by

battery

power

when the

system

is

off.

You can

access

and

modify CMOS

setup

information

via the CMOS

setup

utility

in the

BIOS.

In this

lab,

you

examine

the

BIOS setup

utility,

make some changes,

and

observe

the

effects

of

your

changes.

Setup

utilities vary

slightly

in

appearance

and function,

depending

on the

manufacturer

and

version.

The

steps

in this

lab are based

on

the BIOS

setup

program for

Award BIOS,

which

is

a

common

BIOS.

You

might

have

to

perform

different

steps

to

access

and

use

the

BIOS

utility

on

your

computer.

Changes

in

BIOS are

often

performed by

computer technicians.

One

reason

to

change

BIOS settings

is if

you're attempting

to

overclock

a system,

which

is

done by changing

the default

frequencies

of

the

processor and/or motherboard.

Overclocking

isn't a

recommended

best

practice, however,

because

of

problems with overheating

and

possibly

causing

the

system to

become unstable.

Overclocking

usually

voids

any

manufacturer

warranty

on

the system.

@1,i*ivii1;,'i:i.:.

i'

Before

you

access

the

BIOS on

your

computer,

you need to

record the

exact

date and

time

indicated by

your

computer's

internal

clock.

(You

use this

information

later

to

confirm

that

you

have indeed

changed

some

BIOS settings.)

Do the

following:

1. Start

your

computer.

On the Windows

7

taskbar,

move

your

mouse over

the clock

and

record the

time

and

date:

2.

Use a

system

analyzer

such

as Speccy

(www.piriform.com/speccy)

to obtain

informa-

tion about

the

motherboard

and

installed

BIOS on

your

computer.

In

Speccy,

you'll

find

j


7/26

Lab

4.2

Examine

and

Adiust BI05 Settings

I

73

Manufacturer,

BIOS, and Revision data under the

Motherboard section.

Record the

following information:

i

BIOS brand:

.,t

BIOS version:

ri

Revision date:

;ii

System

temperature:

r::i

51orr

in use:

Now that

you

know which

BIOS

your

computer

runs,

you

can determine

how to

enter the

setup util-

ity. In

general,

to start the

setup

utility,

you

need

to

press

a

key

or

key

combination

as

the computer

is

booting.

Some

BIOS utilities are

password

protected

with a

supervisor

password and

a user

password

(also

called

a

power-on

password). The supervisor

password allows

full

access

to

BIOS setup, and the user

password

allows

you to view

BIOS

setup

screens, but

you u'on't be able to change

any settings

or

some-

times

you

can change

only certain settings.

(In

addition,

if

the user

password is

also

set to

be a

power-on

password

and

you

don't

know this

password,

you

won't be

able to boot the system.)

\X/hen

you

attempt

to

access

BIOS setup,

if

password

protection

has been

enabled, when asked,

you must

enter

a

valid

pass-

word to

continue.

BIOS

setup supervisor,

user. and

power-on

passwords

are

different

from the

Windows

pass-

word required

to

log

in to

Windows.

Atso,

if

you're

responsibte

for a

computer and

have

forgotten

the

supervisor

password,

you

can

move

a

jumper

on

the

motherboard to

return

all

BI05

settings

to their

defauit

values. which erases

any

BI05

passwords.

Lab

4.5

covers how to

find

this

jumper.

Another way

to

cause CMOS setup

to

return

to default settings

and

erase

passwords is to remove

the CM0S

battery.

To

learn more

about

entering the setup utility

on

your

computer,

follow these

steps:

1. Using the

information

you recorded

in

the

previous

exercise, consult

T

able

4-1

to

find

out

how to enter

your

system's setup

utility.

(Alternatively,

when

you first

turn

on

your

PC,

look for

a

message on

your screen, such

as "Press

F2 to access

setup"

or

"Press Del

to

change

BIOS settings.")

Now

you're

ready

to

enter

the

CMOS

setup

utility

included

in your

BIOS.

As

you

examine the BIOS

set-

tings,

you

will also

record

information

in

the

BIOS Settings

and

Data

section

of

the Computer

Inventory

and

Maintenance

form that

you

used

in

Lab

1..2.

Follow

these

steps

to enter the

BIOS utility:

1. Restart the computer.

2. \X/hen

the system

restarts, enter the

setup

utility using

the correct

method

for

your

computer.

If

you

weren't

fast enough and

the computer boots

to the operating

system,

return

to

Step

1.

Notice that the

BIOS utility

groups

settings

by

function. For example,

all

the

power management

features are

grouped

together

in a Power

Management section.


8/26

74

I

cHntttn 4

Att About

Motherboards

Boot the computer, and then

press

the F2 key.

Boot the computer,

and then

press

the

Delete key.

Boot the computer, and

then

press

the

Detete key.

Boot

the

computer, and

then

press

the

F2

or

F1 key.

Boot the computer,

and then

press

the Ctr[+Alt+Esc

or

Ctrl+Att+S

key

combination.

Boot the computer,

and

then

press

the

Ctrt+Alt+Enter

key

combination.

De[[

Computers

with

Phoenix

BI0S

Boot

the

computer, wait

for two

beeps, and

when the

cursor

is in the

upper-right corner

of the

screen,

press

the F10

key.

Some

Compaq computers,

such

as

Prolinea,

Deskpro,

Deskpro XL,

Deskpro

LE,

or

Presario

Ptace

the

diagnostics disk

in the drive,

reboot the system,

and

choose

Computer

Setup

from the

menu.

Some

older

Compaq

computers,

such as Deskpro

286 or

386

Use

the setup

program

on the

floppy disk

that

came

with

the

PC. If

the

ftoppy disk

is lost, contact

the

motherboard

manufacturer to

get

a

replacement.

A[1 other older

computers

O Cen0aqe

Learning 2014

Tabte

4-1

Methods

for entering CM0S

setup

util.ities

by BI05

The main

screen

usually

has

a

Help section

that

describes

how

to

make selections

and

exit

the utility.

Typically,

you

can

use

the arrow

keys or

Tab key to

highlight options.

After

you have highlighted

your

selection,

usually

you need to

press

Enter,

Page

Down,

or the

Spacebar.

The main

screen

might

display

a

short

summary

ofthe

highlighted

category.

Look for and

select a category

called

something

like Standard

BIOS

Features.

Follow these steps

to

gather and

record

BIOS information:

1. In the Standard

BIOS Setup screen,

you

should

see

some

or

all of the

following

settings.

If

the

information

is available

in your

BIOS

utility,

record the

current

setting

for

each

of

the

following:

;|

Date:

,,,.

Time:

,:l

For SATA

hard

drives,

write down

the drive

size and

mode

of operation'

Is

your

SATA

drive

set

to

RAID?

,i;

Installed drives:

.

Virtualization

support:

,s

Halt on error

setup

(the

type

of error

that halts the

boot

process):

e

Memory

summary

(summary

of

system

memory divisions):


9/26

.:ab

4.2

Examine

and

Adiust BI0S Settings

I

,u

;d

Boot sequence

(drives

the

BIOS

searches

for

an

OS):

;6

Temperature

and

fan

speed:

d

Intrusion-detection:

2. Return to the

main screen. Select

a section

called something

like

Advanced

Chipset

Features.

This section

may be

split

into North

Bridge and South

Bridge

sections.

Record

settings

for

the

following

as

well as any

other settings

in

this

section:

.*

Setup

options for

memory

or

RAM:

x

Setup

options

for expansion

buses such

as

PCIe

or

AGP:

#

CPU-specific

setup options:

d

Settings

for

VO

ports

such

as USB:

#

Provisions

for enabling

and disabling

onboard

drive controllers

and

other

embedded

devices:

3. Return

to

the

main

screen.

Explore

the

menus and submenus

of

the

BIOS setup

utility

and

answer

the following

questions.

Note that

most of the

BIOS settings

never

need

changing,

so understanding

every

setting

isn't necessary.

;*

Does

BIOS setup

offer the

option

to

set

a supervisor

password?

If so,

what's

the name

of the screen

where the

password

is

set?


10/26

76

I

clnPrrn 4

Att About

Motherboards

,,i

Does

BIOS

setup

offer the option

to set a user

password?

Is

so,

what options

can

affect the

way

users can access

and

use BIOS setup?

4. Fill in

all the

information

required

in the "BIOS Settings

and

Data"

section

of

the

Computer

Inventory

and Maintenance

form

that

you

used

in Lab

1'.2.

5.

Return

to

the main

screen.

You might

see

options

for

loading

BIOS

defaults

(which

resrore factory settings

and can

be

helpful in troubleshooting)

as well

as options

for

exiting with

or without

saving changes.

Exit

BIOS without

saving

any

changes

to

prevent

saving

any accidental

changes

while

you

were

exploring

the

BIOS setup

utility.

Now that

you're familiar with the

way the

BIOS setup

utility works,

you can

change the

date and time

settings.

Follow these

steps to change

the date

and

time

settings:

1.

Reboot the computer and go

to

the Standard BIOS

Setup

screen.

2. Highlight

the time

field(s)

and

set

the time ahead one

hour.

3.

Move to the date

field(s) and set

the

date

ahead

one

year.

4.

Return to the

main BIOS setup

screen) and select

an

option

named something

like

Save

Settings and

Exit.

If

prompted, verify

that

you want to

save

the

settings.

5.

'$Vait

while

the system

reboots.

Log in

to

S7indows.

6.

At the desktop,

check the

time

and

date.

Are

your BIOS setup

changes

reflected

in

Windows?

If

a computer

is

connected

to

a network

that

is

managed

by a domain controtler,

such

as

Windows Server

2008,

the

server

miqht

automaticalty

push

a

new.date

and

time

to the

computer,

which

can cause

your

changes

to be

sverwritten.

7.

Manually update

the time

on the

computer via

'$Tindows

Internet

Time

feature.

To

do

this, right-click

the time

on the taskbar,

and

select

Adjust

dateltime

from the shortcut

menu ro open

the

Date and

Time dialog

box. Click the

Internet

Time tab.

Click Change

settings....

Click

Update

now. Click

OK to

close

both open

windows.

8.

Reboot the computer

and

return

to

BIOS

setup.

Note the

time

in the

BIOS:

9.

Exit

BIOS and log

in

to

the computer.

Verify

again

that

the

changes are reflected

in

S7indows.

cRrTrcAL

THINKING

(ADDITIoNAL

30

MINUTES)

Form workgroups

of two

to

four

people, and do the

following

to

practice troubleshooting

problems

with

BIOS:

L. Propose

a change

you

could

make

to

BIOS

setup

that would

prevent

a

computer

from

booting

successfully.

What

change

did

you

propose?


11/26

Lab

4.2

Examine

and

Adjust BI0S Settings

I

,,

2. Have

your

instructor

approve

the

change because some changes

might cause

informa-

tion written to the

hard drive to be lost,

making it

difficult

to

recover

from

the

problem

without

reloading the

hard

drive.

Did

your instructor

approve

the change?

3.

Now

go

to another team's computer

and

make

the change

to

BIOS setup

while

the

other

team makes a change

to

your

system.

4. Return to

your

computer

and troubleshoot

the

problem.

Describe the

problem

as

a user would:

5.

\fhat

steps

did

you go

through to discover

the source of the

problem

and

fix

it?

6.

If

you

were to encounter this

same

problem in

the

future, what

might

you

do differently

to troubleshoot

it?

REVIEW

QUESTIONS

1. Do all

systems

use

the

same

method to enter

BIOS

setup?

Can

you enter

BIOS setup

after the system

has booted?

2.

How are settings usually

grouped in

the

BIOS setup utility?

3.

In what section

do

you

usually

find time

and date setup

in

the

BIOS setup

utility?

4.

'S7hat

types

of

options

are shown

on the

BIOS setup main screen?

5. \7hat

happens automatically

after

you exit

BIOS

setup?

6.

Is

it

possible

for

a virus

to infect the

BIOS of a computer

system?


12/26

CHAPTER

7. Why does

a computer

need

BIOS?

When troubleshooting

a

computer,

why

might you

have

to

enter

BIOS setup?

List at

least

three

reasons:

LAB 4.3

IDENTIFY

MOTHERBOARD

COMPONENTS

O

BJ

ECTIVES

The

goal

of this

lab

is

to

help

you learn to

identify motherboard

form

factors and compo-

nents. After completing

this

lab,

you

will

be able

to:

.*

Identify

a

motherboard's

CPU

type

,*l

Identify

connectors

x

Identify the

form factor based

on

component type

and

placement

MATERIALS

REQUIRED

Instructors

are encouraged

to supply

a variety of

motherboards,

some

common

and others

not

as

common.

At the very

least, this

lab requires the

following:

,d Three

different

motherboards

If three motherboards

aren't

avaitable,

refer

to

the web

sites

of three

motherboard

manufacturers.

LAB PREPARATION

Before

the

lab

begins,

the

instructor

or

lab assistant

needs to

do the

following:

.xs

Gather an

assortment

of

motherboards,

with as

many

form

factors

as

possible, and

label

the

motherboards

as

Motherboard

1, Motherboard

2, and

Motherboard

3

ACTIVITY

BACKGROUND

As

a PC

technician,

you

should

be able

to look

at

a

motherb

oard

and

determine

what

type

of CPU,

RAM, and

form

factor

you're

working with.

You should

also

be able to

recognize

any

unusual components

the board

might

have.

In this

lab,

you examine

different

mother-

boards

and

note some

important

information

about them.

$

*tivity

Fill

in

the

following

chart

for your

assigned

motherboards.

If you

have

more

than three

motherboards,

use

additional

paper.'When

the entry

in the

Item column

is a

question

(such

as

"SCSI

Controller?")'

write

a

yes

or

no answer.


13/26

lab 4.3

Identify

Motherboard

Components

I

,t

Manufacturer/model

BI0S manufacturer

CPU socket

Chipset

RAM slot

type

How

many

RAM stots?

RAM channets?

How

many PCI slots?

How

many

PCIe

x1

slots?

How many

PCIe

116

slots?

How many

AGP stots?

Parallel

ATA

(IDE)

connectors?

Seriat

ATA

(SATA)

connectors?

SCSI contro[[er?

Embedded

audio, video,

and so

on

How

many

power

connectors?

Form

factor

Describe

any unusual

components

REVIEW

QUESTIONS

1. What

are the

two main

differences

between

an

ATX

and a

microATX

board?

2.

How can

you

determine

the chipset

if

it's not written

on the

board?

3. Of

the motherboards

you

examined,

which

do

you

think

is the

oldest?

rX/hy?

4.

Which

motherboard best

supports

old and

new technology?

\X/hy?


14/26

C

HAPTE

R

5.

'Which

motherboard seems

to

provide the

best

possibility

for expansion?

'S7hy?

6. Which

motherboard

is most

likely the

easiest

to configure?

\7hy?

7.

Which motherboard

do

you

think

is the most expensive?

Why?

\7hat are some

considerations

a motherboard

manufacturer

has to contend

with

when

designing

a

motherboard?

(For

example,

consider

room

for large

CPUs and

cooling

fans, where the

power

supply

is

located in relationship

to the

power

connector,

new

technologies,

and

so

forth.)

LAB

4.4 IDENTIFY

A

MOTHERBOARD

AND

FIND DOCUMENTATION

AND

DRIVERS

ON

THE

INTERNET

O

BJ

ECTIVES

The

goal of this

lab is to

learn

to identify

a

motherboard

and

find online

documentation

for

it.

After completing

this

lab, you will

be able to:

*i

Identify a

motherboard by

examining

it

physically

'j

Determine a

motherboard's

manufacturer

and

model

.*:

Search

the

Internet

for

motherboard

documentation

MATERIALS

REQUIRED

This

lab requires the

following:

rri

A computer

designated

for

disassembly

lii

Intefnet aCCeSS

.;;

Adobe

Acrobat

Reader

"+

A

PC

toolkit

with

antistatic wrist

strap

;l

Ability

to

print

(optional)

LAB

PREPARATION

Before the

lab

begins, the

instructor

or

lab assistant

needs

to do

the

following:

'+

Verify

that'Windows

7

starts

with

no errors

d:

Vslify

that

Internet

access

is

available

"*

Verify that

Adobe

Acrobat

Reader

is

installed

8.


15/26

Lab

4.4ldentify a

Motherboard and

Find Documentation and

Drivers

on

the Internet

|

81

ACTIVITY BACKGROUND

Often

a

PC technician

is

asked

to

repair

a

computer, but the documentation

for that com-

puter

is lost

or

not

available.

Fortunately,

you can

usually

find documentation

for

a device

online, as

long

as

you have

the

device's

manufacturer name and

model

number. In this

lab,

you

learn

how

to

find the

manufacturer's name

and model number

on a motherboard

and

then locate documentation

for

that

device

on the Internet.

@

nctivity

Follow these steps to

gather

information about

your

motherboard

and

processor:

1. lTindows

can

identify

the

installed

processor and might be able

to identify

the moth-

erboard

installed. Boot

your

computer

to the'lTindows desktop.

Click

Start, enter

msinfo32.exe

in

the search

box and

press

Enter.

The System

Information

window

opens.

Write

down

the

following

information:

.;

Processor

installed:

.,,i:

System manufacturer

(likely

to

be

the

motherboard

manufacturer):

,,r

System

model

(likely

to be

the motherboard

model):

3.

4.

".*

BIOS

version/date

(might

help identify

the motherboard):

2. Shut down the system,

unplug

the

power

cord,

and

press

the

power button

for

three

seconds

to

drain

residual

power.

Following

safety

precautions,

including using an antistatic

ground strap,

remove the

computer's

case cover,

and

then

remove any

components obscuring

your view of

the

motherboard.

In some cases,

you might

have

to

remove the

motherboard

itself, but this

step usually

isn't

necessary.

If

you

think

it is necessary to remove

the

motherboard, ask

your

instructor

for

guidance.

Look for a stenciled

or

silkscreened

label

printed

on

the circuit

board that

indicates the

manufacturer and

model. Note

that other

components sometimes

have labels

printed

on a

sticker affixed

to the component.

On a

motherboard, the

label

is usually

printed directly on

the

circuit

board. Common motherboard

manufacturers include

AOpen,

ASUS,

and

Intel.

Also,

note that the

manufacturer

name

is

usually

printed

in

much larger

type

than

the

model

number. Modet

numbers

often

include both

letters

and numbers;

and many

indicate

a version

number

as wett.

Figure 4-2 shows

an example

of

a motherboard labet.

5.

Record the

information on

the motherboard

label:

6.

Take

your information

to

a

PC

with

Internet

access

and

open a

web browser.


16/26

82

I

cHntttn

q

At[ About

Motherboards

Motherboard

manulacturer

(ASUS)

Model

number

(P5A)

O Cengage learning

2014

Figure

4-2

Label

printed

directty on

a

motherboard

7.

If

you

know the

manufacturer's

URL,

go

directly

to

the

manufacturer's

web

site.

(Table

4-2 lists the URLs

for

some

motherboard manufacturers.)

If you don't

know the

manufacturer's URL,

search using

the

manufacturer

or

model

with

your

favorite

search

engine, as shown

in Figure 4-3

.

ln the search

results, click

a

link

associated

with

the

manufacturer.

If

this

link doesn't

take

you

directly

to

the documentation,

it

usually

gets

you

within two

or three

links. Continue

until

you find the

manufacturer's

web site.

For a

tisting of

web sites

about

motherboards,

inclUding

motherboard

rnanufacturers,

diagnostics,

and

product

comparisons

and reviews,

see www..motherboards.,,org'

A0pen

www.qopen.com

ASUS

www.osus.com

ASRock

www.osrock.com

Biostar

www.biostor-uso.com

Dett

www.dell.com

EliteGroup

www.ecsusg.com

EVGA

www.evgo.com

Foxconn

www.f

oxco

n

n

c

h a n n e

I. co

m

Gateway

www.gatewsy.com

GIGABYTE

www.gigobyte.us

IBM

www.ibm.com

Intel Corporation

www.intel.com

MSI

us.mst.com

Supermicro

Computer,

Inc.

www.supermicro.com

Tyan

Computer

Corporation

www.tyan.com

Iabte

4-2

URLs

for

major

motherboard

manufacturers

@ Cengage

Learning 2014


17/26

Lab

4.4ldentify

a

Motherboard and

Find Documentation and

Drivers

on the

Internet

I

83

8.

9.

10.

When

you

have

found

the

site of

your motherboard's

manufacturer,

look

for

a

link

for

service

or support.

Click this

link,

and,

if

necessary, select

a

product category

and

model

number.

Sometimes

knowing the type

of

processor the board

supports

can be

useful

in

finding the

right motherboard.

Continue

working

your

way through

the

site until

you find the

motherboard

documen-

tation.

The

documentation

might

include a

variety of documents

covering

technical

specifications

and

installation

instructions.

Often the documentation

includes

a basic

manual,

which

is

usually

a combination

of technical and

installation

specifications.

When

you find the documentation,

you

might

also

find a

link to

updated

drivers.

If

you

see

this

link, click

it

and

note the

release date of the

drivers.

If they

are

newer than the

current

drivers,

it's

often

advisable

to update

the drivers

as

well.

If available,

record the

release

dates

for

updated drivers:

11. Return

to the

main documentation

page, and,

if

available,

select

the

manual.

If

it's

not

available,

select

the installation

instructions.

12. The

manual

is

probably in

PDF format,

so

you

need to have

Adobe

Acrobat

Reader

installed.

If

you have the browser

plug-in,

you

can open

the document

from

the source

location,

or

you can download

the

manual

to

your

computer

and

then open

it.

Using

your

preferred method,

open

the document.

Either save or

print the document

because

you

will

need

it

in Lab

4.5.

Source:

ww.googie.com

Figure

4-3

Search

results using

manufacturer

name and

model number


18/26

84

|

cHnprrn

4 Att

About

Motherboards

REVIEW

QUESTIONS

1.

How is the label usually

applied

to or written on

a motherboard?

How is

it

most often

applied

to

other

components?

2.

On

the label

of

a

motherboard or

other component,

how

can

the

manufacturer often be

differentiated

from the

model

number?

3. IThat

type

of link on

a

manufacturer's

web site usually

leads

you

to

manuals and

other

documentation?

4.

'What

other

information

about

your motherboard might

you

want

to

examine

on

the

manufacturer's web site?

5.

In what

format is documentation

most often available

for download?

6.

What

information

besides

motherboard

documentation,

such

as

BIOS

updates

and

drivers,

can be

found at the

manufacturer's web

site?

LAB

4.5

REMOVE

AND

REPLACE

A

MOTHERBOARD

O

BJ

ECTIVES

The goal

of this lab

is

to

familiarize you

with

the

process

of

replacing an

old or faulty

motherboard.

After completing

this

lab'

you

will

be able

to:

,d

Use CPIJ-Z

to determine

the

motherboard's

specifications

.#

Remove a

motherboard

#

Install a replacement

motherboard

k

Configure

a

new

motherboard according

to

its documentation

MATERIALS

REQUIRED

This lab

requires the

following:

x

A

computer

designated

for this

lab

,*

Motherboard

manual

(see

manufacturer's web

site

or

use

documentation

from

Lab 4.4)

#

lforkgroup

of two

to

four

students

k

A

PC

toolkit

with

antistatic

ground strap

d

Internet access

used to

download

CPU-Z

LAB

PREPARATION

Before the

lab

begins,

the

instructor

or

lab

assistant

needs

to do

the

following:

x

Verify

that Windows

starts

with

no errors

x

Verify

Interner

access

is available

or

provide

the downloaded

file from

wt'ut'u.cpuid.com/

softwares/cpu-z.btml

needed

to

install CPU-Z


19/26

Lab

4.5

Remove

and

RepLace a

Motherboard

I

85

ACTIVITY

BACKGROUND

In

this

lab,

you

exchange a

motherboard with

another

team to

simulate the

process

of

replacing a

fadty motherboard.

'When

you

install

the new

motherboard,

you must configure

it

for

your

system by adjusting

jumper

and CMOS

settings as

needed according

to the docu-

mentation

you

found at the

manufacturer's web site or saved

in Lab

4.4.Then

you install

the

replacement

motherboard.

$

ectivity

In this lab,

you

will download

and

install

CPU-Z

and remove

and

install

the motherboard.

lfhile

you

remove the motherboard,

follow

the safety

precautions

discussed

in earlier chapters

as well as those

outlined

in

the

motherboard's documentation.

Be sure to use an antistatic

wrist strap to

protect

the

motherboard

from ESD

as

well

as other devices.

Follow

these steps

to

gather information

about

your motherboard:

L. Using

your favorite web browser,

go

to www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

2.

On the

right

side

of the

screen

under

Download

latest release, click the

latest version

of

CP\J-Z

then

click

Download now

on the

next

screen

to

start

the

download.

At

the

time

of this

revision

the latest version

was 1.61 and the

filename was cpu-z-1.61-setup-en

.exe.

This file contains both the 32-bit

and 64-bit versions.

Click Save,

then save the

file

to

your

computer

in

the

Downloads folder.

Navigate

to the

file using

\X/indows

Explorer

and

launch the installation

wizard. Follow

the on-screen instructions

to

install the CPU-Z

program.

Be

sure

you

don't

accept any

ads

or browser toolbars

the

installation

might

want

to

install.

3.

Double-click

the new CPU-Z

icon on

your desktop

to

run the

program.

If

necessary,

click

Yes

in

the

UAC

dialog box. CPU-Z

displays as shown

in

Figure

4-4.

Figure 4-4

CPU-Z

displays

CPU

information

initiatty

Sorrce:

CPLJ-Z bv CPLJ

D


20/26

86

I

ctottr*

o

Atl About

Motherboards

4.

Click

the Mainboard

tab

in

CPIJ-Z

and

record

information

about

the motherboard:

..,:;

Manufacturer:

Model:

5.

If this

is

a

different

motherboard

than

you

used

in Lab

4.4,

use

the

motherboard

infor-

mation to search

for

the documentation

at the

manufacturer's

web site.

Save

or

print

the

docu

mentation.

Follow these

steps

to

remove

your motherboard

from

your

computer:

1.

Power down the system,

unplug

all

cords

and

cables

connected

to the

computer,

press

the

power

button

for

three

seconds

to drain any

remaining

power,

and

remove the

case

cover.

Take

all

necessary

precautions

(including

using

an

antistatic

ground

strap),

and

make

a

sketch of cabling

and

component

placement.

Then

remove the cabling

and

expansion

cards

from the motherboard.

2.

Six to

nine screws

usually attach

the

motherboard to the

case

via

spacers

or stand-offs.

The

spacers

prevent

the

printed

circuitry

from shorting

out

on the

metal case

and

provide

space for air circulation.

Also, it's

important that the

motherboard

be securely

attached

to

the

case

with enough

spacers and

screws so that

the

motherboard

won't

crack when

expansion

cards

are being inserted. Remove

the

screws

attaching the motherboard

to

the

case and

ser them

aside

in

a

cup,

bag,

or

bowl

so that

you

don't

lose

any

of them.

In

this

tab, ifs not

necessary

to

remove the spacers

from the

holes

in

the

computer

case.

However, sometjmes

you

might

have

to

move

a spacer from

one

hote

to

another.

such

as when

you're

replacing a motherboard

and the new board

lines

up over

different

holes

in the computer

case. To

remove

a

plastic

spacer

held

in

place

with

barbs,

use

needle-nose

pliers

to

pinch

the

spacer

and

slide it out

of

the

hoie. To

instatt it

in

a

new hol.e,

push

the

spacer

into

the

hole

until

it

pops

in

ptace,

For metal spacers,

carefulty

squeeze

the

spacer with

ptiers

and

remove

it from

the

bracket

hotding

it

to the computer

case'

3.

Carefuliy

lift

the

motherboard

out of

the case.

You might

have to

tilt the board

to

clear

the drive bays

and

power

supply.

In some cases,

you might

have

to

remove

the

drives to

get

the

motherboard

out.

4.

Exchange the

motherboard and

motherboard documentation

with

that of

another

team.

You might

also

exchange

the CPU

and

memory, depending

on

whether

your current

CPU

and memory

modules are

compatible

with

the

new motherboard.

Follow directions

from

your instructor

on what to

exchange.

Be sure

you

have the

new motherboard's

documentation,

which

you

should

have

previously found

on the

Internet.

Your

instructor

might ask

you to

remove

jumpers

on

your

motherboard

before

passing

it

to

the other

team.

These

modifications

will

make the other

team's

configuration

more

challenging.

As an alternative,

your

insrructor

might have a display

motherboard

somewhere

in the

lab that

uses

jumpers

for

part of its

configuration.

Follow

these steps

to

install the

new

motherboard:

1.

'With

the

new motherboard

in front

of

you,

consult

its documentation

and find

any

jumpers

that

must

be

configured

to

match the

system.

Older

motherboards

use

jumpers

to adjust

clock

multipliers

and

memory speeds

and

to

clear

CMOS

settings.

Unless

oth-

erwise

instructed, do

not

remove the

jumper

to clear

CMOS

settings.

Note that

newer

boards

are often

"jumperless,"

with all configuration

settings

made

in

CMOS

setup.

The only

jumper

these

boards

have

is the one

to

clear CMOS

settings.

Remove

and

replace the

jumpers

in the configuration

specified to

match

your

processor information.

2. Install the

motherboard,

cabling,

memory, expansion

cards,

and

any other

components

you removed.

3.

Have

your

instructor

check

your work

before

you

attach

the

case

cover and

turn

on

the

power.


21/26

Lab 4.6

Ftash BI0S

I

tt

4. Boot the system and enter

the BIOS setup

utility.

For

jumperless

motherboards,

make

any

adjustments specified

in the

motherboard's documentation.

5.

Save

your

settings

and exit

BIOS

setup.

6.

Reboot the system and

verify that the system

is

functioning correctly.

Describe any

error

messages:

7.lf

an error appears,

what steps do

you plan to

take

to troubleshoot

this error?

cRrrrcAL

THTNKTNG

(ADDITIoNAL

30

MINUTES)

To

learn more about motherboards, do the

following:

1. After

the

PC is

working,

ask

your instructor to configure a

power-on

password

on

your

computer.

2.

\X/ithout

knowing

the

password,

boot

the computer.

3.

List the steps

required

to

boot the computer

without

the

power-on

password:

REVIEW

QUESTIONS

1. How many screws usually

attach the

motherboard

to

the computer

case?

2.

\7hat

is the

purpose

of spacers?

3.

Even a

jumperless

motherboard

is likely to

have

one

jumper.

Which

jumper

is it?

4.

Where

can

you

access

configuration

settings

for

a

jumperless

motherboard?

LAB

4.6 FLASH

BIOS

O

BJ ECTIVES

The

goal

of this

lab is to

help

you

examine

the

process

of

flashing

BIOS.

After completing

this

lab,

you will be able to:

x

Gather

motherboard

information

*d

Gather

BIOS string

information


22/26

CHAPTER

"'*

Research correct

BIOS update

information

":l

Record current

BIOS settings

*r.

Flash

your BIOS, if

permitted by

your

instructor

MATERIALS

REQUIRED

This lab requires the

following:

,x

\(/indows 7 openting

system

#

Motherboard

documentation

or

Speccy

by Piriform

(installed

inLab

4.2)

J

Internet access

;r

Some

BIOS may require

a

bootable

USB or CD

drive

"u*

Printer

access

(optional)

LAB

PREPARATION

Before the

lab begins, the

instructor

or

lab

assistant

needs

to do

the

following:

,*

Verify

that

Sfindows

starts

with

no errors

,'e

Verify

that

Internet access

is available

,*

Determine

if the

Flash

program will

require any external

media

ACTIVITY

BACKGROU

N D

The

BIOS on a motherboard

controls

many of the

system's

basic

input/output

(I/O)

func-

tions.

You can update

the

BIOS programming

by downloading

the

latest update

from

the

BIOS or

motherboard

manufacturer's

web

site and then

following

specific

procedures

to

update

(or

"flash")

the

BIOS.

Flashing

a computer's

BIOS

is necessary

when

troubleshooting

an

unstable

motherboard.

You

might

also

need

to

flash a computer's

BIOS

to

provide sup-

port for

new hardware

(such

as a

processor, hard drive,

or

DVD-ROM

drive)

or an

operat-

ing

system

you're

about

to

install.

For example, before upgrading

your

operating

system

to

'Windows

7

x64

edition,

you might

need to update

your computer's

BIOS to

support

64-bit

drivers.

Because

flashing

BIOS sometimes

causes

problems of

its own,

don't

flash the

BIOS

unless

you have a

good reason

to

do

so.

Do not update

BIOS on computers

that do

not

need

it.

In this

lab,

you

gather

information

about

your

system,

including

what

BIOS

your

computer

is using

and

how to flash

it. If

your instructor

permits,

you

also

flash

your

BIOS.

@

s*ioity

Before

making

hardware,

software,

or

BIOS changes

to

a system,

it's important

to

know

your

starting

point

so

that

if

problems occur,

you know whether

the

problems already existed

or

you created

them

by

any

changes

you

made

ro the

system.

Complete

the

following

steps

to verify

if

your computer

is functioning:

1. Verify

that

your computer

can

boot successfully

to

a lfindows

desktop

with

no

errors.

2. How

long

does

it take

your

computer

to

boot?


23/26

Lab

4.6

Ftash

BI0S

I

89

When

flashing the

BIOS, using the correct

BIOS

update

is critical. Using the wrong

BIOS update can

render

your

system

inoperable.

Follow

these steps

to

gather

information

on

the

motherboard chipset

and

BIOS:

1.

Use

motherboard documentation

or Speccy

to find

and

record the

following:

x

Motherboard manufacturer:

x

Motherboard

model number and version/revision:

x

Chipset

manufacturer:

x

Chipset

model number and version/revision:

Next,

you need to record the

BIOS manufacturer and

version

as

the BIOS

reports

it. Follow these steps:

1. Reboot the system and

enter BIOS setup.

2.

Look on the

main

screen

of

BIOS

setup.

What

is

the

BIOS identifying

information?

For

older

computers,

you

might need to

record the BIOS

string and manufacturer

information

displayed

during the boot

process.

Follow

these steps:

1. To make

it possible to record this

information,

for

an older

computer,

turn off

the com-

puter, unplug

your

keyboard, and then

turn

on the computer.

In most cases,

the first

screen

contains

video

BIOS information

from the video card and

is

identified

by "VGA

BIOS" or

"Video

BIOS." Ignore this screen

and

wait

for

the

next

screen,

which

indicates

the

start of

POST

(power

on self-test).

At this

point,

because

you

unplugged

the

keyboard,

POST stops and

reports the

error

about

a

missing keyboard. This

freezes the screen

so

that

you

can

read the BIOS

information.

For a newer computer,

turn off

the

computer

and then

turn

it

on again

while

pressing the

Pause/Break

key, which causes

POST

to

halt.

2.

Usually,

you

can

find

the

BIOS manufacturer

and version at

the top

left of

the

POST

screen.

You might also

see

a

release date,

which

is useful

in

determining

whether

newer

versions of

the BIOS are available.

The

motherboard identification

string

is

usually

located

at

the bottom

left

and

often contains

dozens

of

characters.

Make

sure

you verify that this

string

is

correct

so

that

you get the correct

BIOS update. Record

your information

here:

#

BIOS manufacturer and version:

#

BIOS

release

date:

x

Motherboard

identification string:

Using the

information

you gathered,

you

can

search

the web

to

determine

what

files

you

need

to

update

your

BIOS:

1.

The motherboard

manual

gives

detailed

directions as to

how

to

flash

BIOS.

If you

have the

manual saved

from Lab

4.4,

use

it

to

answer

the

following

questions.


24/26

90

I

cHnrrrn

a

Att

About

Motherboards

If

you

don't

have the

manual

or the

manual

does

not

give

the

information

you

need, search

the

motherboard

manufacturer's

web

site

and

then

the

BIOS

manu-

facturer's

web site

in

the

Support

section

for

information

on updating

your BIOS.

Alternatively,

search

by

motherboard

model

number

or

BIOS

version

number.

Answer the

following

questions:

*

Which

manufacurer

provides the

BIOS: the BIOS

manufacturer

or

motherboard

manufacturer?

x

'What

is

the

latest

BIOS version

released?

'$(hat

is the

release

date

of the

latest ver-

sion?

,x

Is

the

BIOS version

a

later version

than

the

one

you

have

installed?

,d

Do

you

think

your

system

would

benefit

from flashing

BIOS?

Explain

your answer:

Download

the

files

to

update

your BIOS or,

if

your

computer

is

running the

latest

version of

the

BIOS, download

the

files

to

refresh

your existing

BIOS'

d

'$rere

the

files

you downloaded

to update or

refresh

your BIOS?

'S7hat

are the

names

of the

files

you

downloaded?

Search

the

motherboard

manual or

the manufacturer's

web

site

for the steps

to

flash

your

BIOS.

Print this

procedure

so

that

you

can

use

it

during

the

upgrade.

Download

any additional

BIOS

utility

or

flash

utility

the

procedure

requires

as documented

in

the

manual

or on

the web

site.

If

you

are

having

problems finding

the

directions

to

flash

your

BIOS,

research

flash utili

ties

on www.wimsbios.com.

'S7im's

BIOS is an excellent

web site

for

researching

BIOS

information

in

general.

List the

names

and descriptions

of three

BIOS utilities

available

on

this

site:

5.

The

next step

is to

record

any changes

you

have

made

previously

to BIOS

settings.

Generally,

when

BIOS

is updated,

settings are

returned

to

their

default

state,

so

you

probably

need

to

return the

settings

to their

present state

after

you have

flashed

BIOS-

In

addition,

you might

need

to

manually

input

settings

for all

hard drives

(or

allow

these

settings

to be detected

automatically).

Use

the

BIOS

Settings

and

Data section

of

the

Computer

Inventory

and

Maintenance

form from

Lab

1.2 to

record

any settings

you

know

you

changed,

any

hard drive

settings

that

might

have to

be

reconfigured

after

you

2.

.'t.

4.


25/26

Lab 4.6

Flash BI0S

I

nt

update

the BIOS, and any additional

settings

specified by

your instructor.

Record the

following information:

u

Hard drive

information:

x

Settings

you

have changed:

x

Settings

specified by

your instructor:

6.

At

this

point, if your

update

procedure requires using external

media,

verify that the

boot

order allows

you

to boot

from it before the

local hard drive.

7. Sometimes

you need to recover

from

a

failed

BIOS

update,

which can

be tricky.

What direc-

tions,

if

any,

does the

documentation

give

about

recovering

from a

falled BIOS update?

8.

Before

you

flash BIOS, does

the manufacturer

offer

a

way to

save

the

current

BIOS

code?

If

so,

list

these steps

to

save

BIOS

before

you

flash

it:

u

On what

storage

media does the

manufacturer

recommend

you

save

the

BIOS?

9.

rWhy

would

you

want to

save the

current

BIOS

before

you

update

it?

10. Prepare

to

update

your BIOS. Uncompress

any files, double-check

procedures,

read any

Readme.txt

files included

in the upgrade

files

(which

often

contain

last-minute

adiust-

ments

to

the procedure), and

create

the upgrade

boot

disk,

if

necessary.

11.

If

your instructor

permits, follow the

BIOS update

procedure

to

flash

your BIOS. During

the

procedure, if you're

given

the

opportunity

to

save

your old

BIOS, do

so. This

infor-

mation

makes

it

possible

to

return to

the

previous BIOS version

if

you encounter

prob-

lems

with

the

new BIOS.

12.

Reboot, verify

BIOS settings,

and

verify

that the computer

boots

to

a

Windows

desktop

successfully.


26/26

Documents

guide to managing and maintaining your pc chapter 4