Week-1

Hardware Identification

The computer cases are a visible part of our computers called PC towers and Computer towers. Its
function is to serve as a protective structure for the rest of the internal components where they
will be assembled.
The following are the computer case sizes and models available in the market.
4 Different Types of Computer Case

1. Full tower
• Full Tower is used to accommodate an E-ATX or CEB motherboard. This is very useful
for high-performance servers that can use two processors and massive RAM and other
storage units at once.
• One big drawback to having a Full Tower is that it takes up a lot of space and is difficult
to hide. But if you have free space available, then it is not essential for you, then Full Tower
can be the best choice for your PC.
2. Mid Tower
• Mid-tower or ATX format is the most popular and widely used computer case that allows
you to use many drives and almost all types of motherboards with acceptable overall
dimensions in it.
• Inside the mid-tower case, there is more enough space for installing full-size components,
such as most extensive video cards over 300 mm long, and this case can use 120, 140, or
even 200 mm fans for a positive effect on cooling the air.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 1
 • This type of format includes both those developed for the mini ITX standard and those
designed for the micro ATX standard.
3. Mini Tower
• These types of computer cases are designed to take up as little physical space and without
installing decent-sized graphics cards.
• Their thermal enclosures are not the best on the market, so it is more convenient for you to
install low-consumption components rather than high-consumption ones.

4. HTPC and SFF

• HTPC stands ‘Home theatre PC’ for and SFF stands for ‘Small Form Factor ‘.
• HTPC is the perfect choice for the computer at your home multimedia entertainment.
The computing power of this is more enough to play music and video in any modern format.
• Also, such a PC will not make a sound – often, you can have passive cooling.
• SFF takes little space. Due to their small size and lightweight, they can be an excellent
alternative to laptops.
• It will also be much easier to repair and improve such a PC than a laptop with the feature
of portability.
• It has one drawback that they are most often limited to only one CD drive.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Sorab 2
Back Side Connectors of PC:

• SMPS. Switch Mode Power Supply uses electronics circuitry that converts the AC input
voltage to different values of regulated DC supply which is fed into various color-coded
wires fixed to connectors.
• SMPS FAN. The fan is fixed inside the SMPS and is used to radiate the internal heat of
SMPS to outside.
• Power In Socket. This socket is used to input 220V AC to the PC from mains supply when
the computer switch on the front side is pressed.
• PS-2 Port. You can see two different colored 6-pin round shaped connectors. These
connectors are used to connect input devices, keyboard and mouse. Color Coding defines
the connector type. The purple connector is dedicated to connect Keyboard and Green color
is used for Mouse.
• USB Port. The full form is Universal Serial Bus and is used to connect various input and
output devices like Mouse,Keyboard, Printers, Webcams etc. USB 3.0 is the latest version
which offers high data transfer speed.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 3
 • DVI Port. Digital Video Interface is a high-speed serial link for connecting output display
Devices.
• HDMI Port.HDMI stands for high definition multimedia interface. This is a latest interface
that helps to get high definition video and multi-channel sound. You can connect HDMI
enabled blue ray devices, LED’s etc.
• 15-pin Female VGA Port. This is used to connect display devices like Monitor / LCD /
LED Display.
• LAN Port. The LAN or network port is used to connect to other devices and computers in
a network.
• Audio Ports.Generally there are 3 number of audio ports on the back side of a PC. These
parts are either aligned vertically or in horizontal position. Green color port is dedicated
for headphones or speakers, a blue colored port is marked as Line-in and Mic can be
inserted in a pink port.
• Expansion Slots: These expansion slots are used to connect add-on cards to increase the
capabilities of the motherboard.
Front Side buttons on PC:

• DVD-Writer. Top slot of the cabinet is reserved to fix CD-ROM or DVD-writer.

• Power-LED: The LED glows and indicates that the Input Power is ON

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 4
 • HDD LED: When we are working on the computer, the hard disk is in use, this LED glows
and is the indication that the hard disk drive is in use.
• Reset Switch: This computer switch is quite handy when the computer is stuck-up, and
you are not able to work on the computer. Just press this switch, the computer will Reboot.
• Front USB. Cabinet provides a facility for you to connect USB devices from front-side as
it is quite awkward to get to the back side of the computer again and again.
• Front Audio Ports: The ports for MIC and Headphone at the front are for user quite easy
to approach.
• Power Switch. It is used to switch-ON the computer.

Identify and understand different cables and connectors:

Video cables:

VGA Cable for Computer and

Projector HDMI Cable

Mini HDM DVI Port

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 5
Hard Drive Cables:
There are three main types of cables: IDE/PATA, SATA and SCSI. IDE (Integrated Drive
Electronics) drives, also known as PATA (Parallel AT Attachment) drives, are commonly found
in personal computers.
There are several types of hard drives, and they all require different data cables. To connect a hard
drive to a computer, one must have the proper cables and plug the cables into the appropriate
places.
IDE/PATA Cable:
An IDE/PATA hard drive cable is a ribbon cable containing 40
pins. Either one or two devices may be connected to an IDE/PATA
cable, and the devices need not be of the same type.
For example, an IDE/PATA DVD-R drive may be connected along with an IDE/PATA hard drive
on the same cable.

SATA Cable:

A SATA hard drive cable has seven conductors and is smaller than an IDE/PATA
cable. A SATA cable connects a single hard drive to a single connector on the SATA
controller, which is usually found on the computer's motherboard.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 6
SCSI Cable:

SCSI 50-pin cable - by Smial on Wikimedia, Creative Commons

Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 Germany.
SCSI cables look similar to IDE/PATA cables in that both drives
use ribbon cables. However, SCSI cables have more pins than IDE
cables. Depending on the SCSI interface, a SCSI cable may have 50
or 68 pins (IDE/PATA drives have 40). Like IDE, multiple SCSI devices can be connected to a
single channel through "daisy chaining." Depending on the SCSI interface, as many as 7 or 15
devices may be connected to a single SCSI channel.

Adapters:

DVI to HDMI USB to Ethernet

Usage: Computers and Laptops and Projectors Usage: Network Connection

DVI to VGA
Usage: Multimedia, DVD Player, Computer,
Monitor, Game Player

Sl.
Name of the identified Cable/ Connectors Usage
No.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 7
Installation of a Local printer:
Steps:
• Get the Installation Disk that come along with purchased Printer. (or Download the proper
installable Printer Driver From legal Website).
• Connect the Printer to the PC where Printer to be installed using Printer Data Cable
(possibly USB).
• Connect the Printer to the Power supply Slot. And Check the Printer is Turned ON.
• Insert the CD (/Downloaded Installable driver) into your computer. and follow the
installation wizard using all defaults.
• If you DO NOT have the installation CD that came with your printer or added Printer Icon
is got removed: proceed to Manual Installation and follow directions (as mentioned below).
Installing Manually
• Click the START button and select DEVICES AND PRINTERS.

• Select "Add a Printer"

• Select "Add a Local Printer"

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 8
 • Choose to "Use an Existing Port", and leave as default "LPT1: (Printer Port)" If you
already have another printer connected to this PC, you may need to change to USB

• Select "Windows Update" to populate the list of known printers. This may take several
minutes.
o Then choose your printer from the list. If multiple drivers are listed for your printer,
select the one that say HP. For instance: HP LaserJet 1020

• Choose a name for your printer. The default name is fine, unless you have multiples of the
same printer.

• If you wish to test your printer to make sure it was installed correctly, select "Print a test
page"
• When you're all done, press "Finish"

NAME/MODEL OF THE PRINTER INSTALLED: ____________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 9
Installation of shared printer through wired and wireless means share the printer on the
primary PC:
There are two ways to share your printer: using Settings or Control Panel.
Share your printer using Settings
1. Select the Start button, then select Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Choose the printer you want to share, and then select Manage.
3. Select Printer Properties, and then choose the Sharing tab.
4. On the Sharing tab, select Share this printer.
5. If you want, edit the share name of the printer. You'll use this name to connect to the printer
from a secondary PC.

Connect the Shared Printer to another PC

There are two ways to connect a shared printer to another PC: using Settings or Control Panel.
1. Select the Start button, then select Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Under Add printers & scanners, select Add a printer or scanner.
3. Choose the printer you want, and then select Add Device.

4. If you don’t see the printer you want, select The printer that I want isn’t listed.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 10
 5. In the Add printer dialog box, select Select a shared printer by name, and then enter the
computer or device name of the primary PC and the share name of the printer using one of
these formats:
o \\computername\printername
6. When prompted to install the printer driver, select Next to complete the installation.
7. Finally, Printer Icon for the Remoter Printer will appear in Devices List.

NAME/MODEL OF THE PRINTER INSTALLED: ____________________________

Installing Cloud Printer:

• Download PrinterShare Software (full Version) from
http://download.printershare.com/files/PrinterShare2308.exe
• Install PrinterShare in Personal Computer (Windows OS)
• Launch the PriterShare Software at the end of Installation
• Login to PrinterShare Software with valid Gmail Account by Clicking icon at Taskbar (or
Search for PrinterShare Console) at TaskBar. Provide password of your own choice.
• Select the Printer which is to be shared (From Share Local Printer Lists)
• Click Share (Which will appear in Remote Printers List after Success)
• Download and Install "PrinterShare" Software Application in Mobile (Another Device)
using Google Play Store.
• In Mobile, Login PrinterShare App with Username and Password (Which is available in
message sent to gmail account, in case of Forgot Password)
• Select the File to be printed remotely From Mobile Gallery and Click on Print, Select the
Shared Printer Name which is Shared in Personal Computer.
• And Click Print.
• Go to Personal Computer, the New Printing job is now available at Personal Computer
PrinterShare Application and automatically Prints the file which is sent remotely (through
Mobile).

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 11
 PrinterShare Software GUI at Desktop and Android Mobile.

NAME/MODEL OF THE PRINTER INSTALLED: ____________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 12
 Week-2
Power Supplies

Inside a computer, a PSU is the device that converts alternate electricity (the electricity
from your outlet, normally 220V) to direct current to the components inside the case.
Computer power supplies (PSU) convert AC to low voltage regulated DC power. Most
modern desktop computers conform to the ATX standard, which supplies three positive rails:
+3.3V, +5V and +12V.

Wires coming out of an ATX PSU are Color-Coded as follows:

• Yellow: +12V
• Red: +5V
• Orange: +3.3V
• Black: Ground
• Purple: 5V SB (standby voltage)
• Green: /PS_ON (it can be shorted to ground to start PSU)
• Grey: PWR_OK (status signal generated by PSU to indicate voltages are OK)
• White: -5V (optional on newer ATX-2 PSUs)
• Blue: -12V

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 13
 • +5 Volts: This voltage is used to drive motors present in drives of form factors 2.5 inch
and 3.5 inches. Also a 5 Volts green wiring is used to connect the power button to the rest
of the circuitry.
• +12 Volts: This voltage is used by the cooling systems and cooling fans of the computer.
Also, this supply may be used to drive motors which can’t run on a +5V DC Supply.
• -12 Volts: This voltage is used in the ISA bus slots. Now mostly the work which was
carried out earlier by a -12 volts supply, is being taken care of by the +/- 5 Volt supply.
• + 3.3 Volts: The +3.3 Volts orange line is the most basic supply line. Most of the CPUs
and RAM use 3.3 volts. The PCI Bus is powered with this supply voltage and hence any
components attached to it use this voltage line. In addition, a 3.3 Volts line powers up the
motherboard and is used to compensate any line losses since every device needs a constant
supply voltage.
• The Power-Good Signal prevents the computer from attempting to operate on improper
voltages and damaging itself.
Unmount the power supply from PC cabinet. Identify the types of output connectors:

● 20 + 4 Pin ATX / Motherboard Connector: This is the main ATX connector that supplies
power to your motherboard and other components like RAM, Low-end graphics card, PCI cards
that are connected to your motherboard. Earlier motherboards have 20 pin sockets only, but now
modern-day motherboards require 24-pin power connectors.
● CPU 4 + 4 Pin Connector: This is the 12 Volt connector that supplies power to your CPU
or Processor. Some motherboards have 4 pins 12V CPU socket and some have 8 pins 12V socket,
therefore most of the good power supplies come with 8-pin (4 + 4) detachable connectors which
can be split into two 4 pin connectors.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 14
● SATA Power Connector: This power connector is used to power up SATA devices that
mostly include Hard Disks, DVD Writers / Drives.
● Floppy 4 Pin Connector: This 4 pin power connector is used to power floppy drives. Floppy
Drives are not being used commonly, but in some cases they can prove very useful.
● Peripheral 4 Pin Molex Connector: Peripheral 4 Pin Molex Connector is used to provide
power to IDE devices and other peripherals like Fans, case lights etc. You can also use this Molex
4 pin connector to power other devices like SATA devices, Graphics cards etc. by the use of
converters or adapters e.g. Molex to SATA power connector etc.
● PCI-e 6 Pin / PCI-e 8 Pin Connector. PCI-e 6 Pin or PCI-e 6+2 Pin are 12 Volt Connectors
that are used to provide power to mid to high range graphics cards that require extra amount of
power for their working.

Sl.
Type of Output Connector Found/Not Found
No.
1 20 + 4 Pin ATX / Motherboard Connector
2 CPU 4 + 4 Pin Connector
3 SATA Power Connector
4 Floppy 4 Pin Connector
5 Peripheral 4 Pin Molex Connector

Identify output voltages using colour coding:

COLOUR OF THE WIRE ASSIGNED VOLTAGE

1. Yellow

2. Red

3. Orange

4. Black

5. Purple

6. Green

7. Grey

8. White

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 15
 9. Blue

Measuring/Checking AC Voltage:
1. Remove the POWER Connection from SMPS.
2. Power ON the switch from AC Main Wall.
3. Set the Multi-meter knob to AC Voltage around (600V range)
4. Connect multi-meter Positive and Negative Terminal any one of the Earth, Neutral, Phase pin and
note down the reading about its permissible range.

Sl. AC Power Supply Voltage (3-Pin Socket) Measured Voltage/Remark

No.
1 Earth-Neutral

2 Earth-Phase

3 Neutral-Phase

SMPS Voltage measure using Multimeter:

Measuring/ Checking DC Voltage:
1. In SMPS outlet, Short the Green and Black Pins
2. Power ON the SMPS and verify SMPS fan is running.
3. Set the Multi-meter knob to DC Voltage around (20V range)
4. Connect multi-meter Negative Terminal to any one of the Black Outlet.
5. Connect multi-meter Positive Terminal to all the pins of multi-meter outlet and note down
the reading about its permissible range.

SL. WIRE COLOR WITH THEORETICAL VOLTAGE MEASURED

NO. VALUE VOLTAGE

1 Yellow: +12V

2 Red: +5V

3 Orange: +3.3V

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 16
 4 Black: Ground

5 Purple: 5V SB (standby voltage)

6 Green: /PS_ON (it can be shorted to ground to start PSU)

Grey: PWR_OK (status signal generated by PSU to indicate voltages

7
are OK) – Power Good Signal
8 White: -5V (Optional on newer ATX-2 PSUs)

9 Blue: -12V

SMPS Fault Checking Using PSU Tester (Diagnosing SMPS faults using PSU Tester):

A 'power supply unit tester' is a tool used to test the functionality of a computer's power
supply. Testers can confirm the presence of the correct voltages at each power supply
connector. Testing under load is recommended for the most accurate readings.

PSU Tester allows to quickly diagnose or troubleshoot power problems, which are the first
things to check when diagnosing computer problems.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 17
Steps in Fault Finding using PSU Tester:
1. Turn-on the SMPS
2. Plug-in 24 pin power supply connector to the PSU Tester
3. Check whether LED Lights corresponding to Voltages are ON or OFF
4. Plug HDD connector , Check for +12V, +5V
5. Remove HDD Connector and Plug P4/P6/P8 connector, Check for +12V
6. Remove P4/P6/P6 connector
7. Plug SATA Connector and Check for +12V, +5V, +3.3V
8. Similarly repeat the steps for DVD connector and other connectors
9. Tabulate the result of all SMPS Connectors

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 18
 Sl.
Diagnosis using PSU Tester Observed Fault/Remark
No.

20 / 24-pin ATX (motherboard) power

1
supply

2 SATA (hard disk) power supply

3 Molex (old hard drive/IDE) power supply

4 Mini-Molex (floppy disk) power supply

5 6-pin PCI-e (graphics card) connector

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 19
 Week-3
Electronics Components on Motherboard

Active and Passive Components on Motherboard:

As a computer professional, you should be familiar with the more common types of electronic
components within a power supply.
Fuse
Before the advent of the circuit breaker, fuses were common in the home and office. A fuse serves
one purpose-to fail-and thus cut the flow of power in the event of a current load that has exceeded
the safe capacity of the system components to absorb.

Capacitors
A capacitor is an electrical component used to hold an electrical charge.
In PCs, they are often used to regulate the flow of current to areas of the system circuits for a short
period of time. Some are fixed-capacity models, whereas others can absorb or hold variable
amounts of power. The amount of electrical current a capacitor can control is called capacitance,
measured in microfarads

Rectifiers and Diodes

Rectifiers are devices that convert AC power into a DC form (rectification). A diode is a device
that lets current flow in only one direction (see Figure 13.12). Two or more diodes connected to
an AC supply will convert the AC voltage to DC voltage.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 20
Transistors
Transistors are basically a pair of diodes connected in series with an "on-off" switch. Varying the
voltage sent to a transistor turns the switch on or off.

Transformers
The most common forms of electrical transformers are step-down or step-up devices. A stepdown
transformer decreases the transformer's voltage on the output side; a step-up model
increases it.

Inductors (Coils)
Inductors, commonly called coils because of their shape, are loops of conductive wire (see Figure
13.16). Current passing through the inductor sets up a magnetic field. This field reduces any rapid
change in current intensity. Inductors can also be used to distinguish between rapidly and slowly
changing signals in a circuit.

Types of Electronic Components

These are of 2 types: Passive and Active Components. Both these types of components can be
either Through-Hole or SMD.
1. Passive Components
These components are those that do not have gain or directionality. They are also called Electrical
elements or electrical components.
Example: Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes, Inductors.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 21
 2. Active Components
These components are those that have gain or directionality.
Example: Transistors, Integrated Circuits or ICs, Logic Gates.

Function of Basic Electronic Components

1. Terminals and Connectors: Components to make electrical connection.
2. Resistors: Components used to resist current.
3. Switches: Components that may be made to either conduct (closed) or not (open).
4. Capacitors: Components that store electrical charge in an electrical field.
5. Magnetic or Inductive Components: These are Electrical components that use
magnetism.
6. Network Components: Components that use more than 1 type of Passive Component.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 22
 7. Piezoelectric devices, crystals, resonators: Passive components that use piezoelectric.
effect.
8. Semiconductors: Electronic control parts with no moving parts.
9. Diodes: Components that conduct electricity in only one direction.
10. Transistors: A semiconductor device capable of amplification.
11. Integrated Circuits or ICs: A microelectronic computer circuit incorporated into a chip
or semiconductor; a whole system rather than a single component.

Identify and tabulate the electrical and electronic components used in the computer:
Sl. No. Name of Component found Passive/ Active?

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 23
 Identify the working and non- working state of basic components and
semiconductor devices:
Using multi meter- Check Output voltage of basic components and
semiconductor devices:

Measured Value Measured Value

Or Or
Status of the Device Status of the
Component Component
(Working/Not-working) Device
(Working/Not-
working)
RESISTOR CAPACITOR

DIODE TRANSISTOR (BJT)

MOSFET LED

INDUCTOR

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 24
Checking different voltage levels of opto-coupler, PWM and rectifier:

Opto-coupler:
An optocoupler (also called opto-isolator) is a semiconductor device that
allows an electrical signal to be transmitted between two isolated circuits.
... The input circuit takes the incoming signal, whether the signal is AC or
DC, and uses the signal to turn on the LED.
Its function is to provide an electrical control across an isolated interface
- that is, between circuits at significantly different voltage levels.
Basically, it is a IC chip package with two semiconductor chips in it. One a LED, the other a photo
transistor. The light from the LED is coupled to the base junction of the phototransistor so than
when the diode is energized and turned on then the transistor is also turned on, can be driven to
saturation and conducts. When the diode is off then the photo transistor is off.

Pulse-width modulation (PWM):

PWM is a common method of controlling computer fans. A PWM-capable fan is usually connected
to a 4-pin connector (pinout: Ground, +12 V, sense, control).
The sense pin is used to relay the rotation speed of the fan and the control pin is an open-drain or
open-collector output, which requires a pull-up to 5 V or 3.3 V in the fan.
The control signal is a square wave operating at 25 kHz, with the duty cycle determining the fan
speed. 25 kHz is used to raise the sound of the signal above the range of human hearing.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 25
20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 26
Rectifier:
A rectifier is a device that converts AC to DC. The primary functional elements are diodes, which
only let current pass one way.
Rectifiers are used inside the power supplies of almost all electronic equipment. In power supplies,
the rectifier is normally placed in series following the transformer, a smoothing filter, and possibly
a voltage regulator.

Sl. No. Name of the Component Observation

1 OPTO-COUPLER

2 PWM

3 RECTIFIER

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 27
 Week-4
Motherboard

• The motherboard is the piece of computer hardware that can be thought of as the
"backbone" of the PC, or more appropriately as the "mother" that holds all the pieces
together.
• The motherboard is the main component of a computer. It is the circuit board that all the
other components of the computer connect to. It holds the CPU and memory as well as the
connectors for the power supply, hard drives, and other peripheral devices. The
motherboard is what connects all these components in a system that functions as a
computer.
• It is typically the second component chosen when building a computer after the CPU. It is
the biggest circuit board in a computer chassis.
• The motherboard is generally a thin circuit board that holds together almost all parts of a
computer except input and output devices.
• It allocates power to all hardware located on it and enables them to communicate with each
other. It is meant to hold the computer's microprocessor chip and let other components
connect to it.
• Each component that runs the computer or improves its performance is a part of the
motherboard or connected to it through a slot or port.
• There can be different types of motherboards based on the type and size of the computers.
So, a specific motherboard can work only with specific types of processors and memory.

Components of a Motherboard:
• CPU Slot: It is provided to install the CPU. It is a link between a microprocessor and a
motherboard. It facilitates the use of CPU and prevents the damage when it is installed or
removed. Furthermore, it is provided with a lock to prevent CPU movement and a heat sink
to dissipate the extra heat.
• RAM Slot: It is a memory slot or socket provided in the motherboard to insert or install
the RAM (Random Access Memory). There can be two or more memory slots in a
computer.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 28
 • Expansion Slot: It is also called the bus slot or expansion port. It is a connection or port
on the motherboard, which provides an installation point to connect a hardware expansion
card, for example, you can purchase a video expansion card and install it into the expansion
slot and then can install a new video card in the computer. Some of the common expansion
slots in a computer are AGP, AMR, CNR, PCI, etc.
• Capacitor: It is made of two conductive plates, and a thin insulator sandwiched between
them. These parts are wrapped in a plastic container.
• Inductor (Coil): It is an electromagnetic coil made of a conducting wire wrapped around
an iron core. It acts as an inductor or electromagnet to store magnetic energy.
• Northbridge: It is an integrated circuit that allows communications between the CPU
interface, AGP, and memory. Furthermore, it also allows the southbridge chip to
communicate with the RAM, CPU, and graphics controller.
• USB Port: It allows you to connect hardware devices like mouse, keyboard to your
computer.
• PCI Slot: It stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect slot. It allows you to connect
the PCI devices like modems, network hardware, sound, and video cards.
• AGP Slot: It stands for Accelerated Graphics Port. It provides the slot to connect graphics
cards.
• Heat Sink: It absorbs and disperses the heat generated in the computer processor.
• Power Connector: It is designed to supply power to the motherboard.
• CMOS battery: It stands for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor. It is a memory
that stores the BIOS settings such as time, date, and hardware settings.

Motherboard form factors

• The form factor is basically the size of the motherboard, of which there are 3 main
classifications. The largest is ATX, followed by micro-ATX, and finally mini-ATX.
• The larger the motherboard, the more support it has for internal hardware and peripherals.
ATX boards, for example, often include support for multiple graphics cards and expansion
cards, whereas mini-ATX only supports 1 or 2. Larger boards have more ports.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 29
 • The large boards, like ATX and micro-ATX motherboards, also require larger cases, or
computer towers to accommodate both the bigger size and the added components that will
be plugged into them.
• A motherboard form factor is a specification for its general shape and size. It helps to
prevent incompatibilities between many hardware manufacturers.
• It also determines the types of power supply, supported case, the physical layout and
organization of the board, and the placement of mounting holes.
• ATX is the most common form factor for desktop computers.

There are different types of form factors of the motherboard, which are as follows:
1. AT & Baby AT: The size of AT is 12" wide x 13.8" deep, which is rarely used, and its
replaced by ATX and Baby AT.
Baby AT motherboard was introduced by IBM that is a replacement for the AT motherboard,
which is also known as BAT. The width of Baby AT is 8.57" and 13.04" deep, which is more
similar to the original IBM XT motherboard. It was mainly designed for peripheral devices
such as a keyboard and mouse.
2. ATX: It stands for Advanced Technology eXtended, which was first released by Intel.
The size of Standard ATX or Full-ATX is 12" wide x 9.6" deep. There were some
improvements in the ATX form factor as well as a single 20-pin connector for power supply,
less overlap between the drive bays and motherboard, and integrated I/O Port connectors
soldered directly onto the motherboard.
3. BTX (Balanced Technology Extended): The BTX includes features such as a more
efficient layout to facilitate cooling, low profile, support for high-mass motherboard
components, and a scalable board to accommodate several system sizes. BTX was
developed to offer advantages like PCI Express, ATA, and USB 2.0.
Furthermore, it uses in-line airflow and allows to switch the places of memory slots and
expansion slots. Its main components, such as chipset, graphics controller, and processor,
use the same airflow, which decrease the required fans in the system; that's why
unnecessary noise reduces. The industry considers the ATX form factor in terms of
standard, although legacy AT systems are mainly still used today. The BTX form factor is
incompatible with the design of ATX. Thus, it is not a standard for the industry.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 30
 4. DTX: In telecommunications, it stands for discontinuous transmission. It is a method that
is used to improve the efficiency of two-way wireless voice communication. In the
computer, it is a form factor for motherboards, which is a variation of ATX specification. It
was designed for small form factor computers such as home theater PCs with dimensions
of 8 × 9.6 inches. It is an open standard declared by AMD and is lower compatible with
ATX form factor cases. Furthermore, the Mini-DTX, a smaller version, was also developed
that had 8.0-inches by 6.7-inches dimensions. It uses fewer layers of printed circuit board
wiring through which it offers a lower cost of manufacturing.
5. LPX (Low Profile eXtension): The size of an LPX motherboard is 9" wide and 13" deep.
As compared to other motherboards, it has several placements of the video, serial, parallel,
and PS/2 ports. It is known as low profile as it contains a big slot for a riser card that gives
the permission to the expansion cards to be installed parallel to the motherboard. The
computers using low profile motherboards are much slimmer as compared to use a Baby-
AT motherboard computer.
6. microATX: It is a smaller motherboard that is designed by following the ATX form factor,
having the same benefits. But it improved the overall design cost by reducing the physical
size of the motherboard. Intel developed the first mATX motherboard. The size of mATX
is 9.6" wide x 9.6" deep, which can be reduced to size as 6.75" wide x 6.75" deep. It provides
more I/O space at the rear, and with the help of integrated Input/Output, connectors help to
reduce the emissions.
7. NLX: It is based on the boards, stands for New Low Profile Extended. These motherboards
can be removed easily, and it was developed to replace the nonstandard LPX design. The
size of the NLX motherboard is 9" wide x 13.6" deep maximum to 8" x 10" deep minimum.
It includes various features such as provide support for AGP, DIMM, USB, Pentium II,
larger memory modules, lower cases, and can reduce cable length. Additionally, it is an
actual standard (unlike NLX form factor) that has more component options for repairing
and upgrading.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 31
Mother Board Example: GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS Master

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 32
20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 33
20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 34
Other Motherboards:

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 35
20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 36
Precautions to be taken before removing the mother board from PC cabinet/case:

Precautions to be taken before disassembling computer tower for safety:

1. Fully shut down and unplug the computer before you make any attempts to disassemble the
tower.

2. Take off any metal objects on your arms or fingers such as bracelets, rings or watches. Even if
your unit is unplugged, there may still be some remaining electric charge.

3. Make sure your hands are completely dry to avoid damaging any mechanical parts as well as to
avoid electrocution.

4. Work in a cool area to avoid perspiration for the same reason as seen in the previous number.

5. Before touching any part within the tower, put your hands against another metal surface (such
as the computer casing) to remove static charge, which may damage sensitive devices.

6. Prepare a place to keep any screws you may remove. A container or piece of paper with labels
for each part (casing, motherboard, CD drive, etc) is ideal to avoid confusion between the similar-
looking screws.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 37
7. Handle all parts with care. Place each piece you remove carefully down onto a stable surface.

8. If a component does not come out easily, do not forcefully remove it. Instead, check that you
are removing it correctly and that no wires or other parts are in the way.

9. Be careful when holding the motherboard, it’s underside actually quite pointy and able to hurt
you.

10. Never attempt to remove the power source, a box attached to the side or bottom of the unit to
which all cables are connected.

11. When removing any cables, wires or ribbons, make sure to grasp the wire at the base or head
to keep it from breaking.

12. Be careful not to drop any small parts (particularly screws) into unreachable areas such as into
the computer fan or disk drive.

13. Take note that the three of the most damaging things to a computer are moisture (sweat,
drinking water), shock (electric or from being dropped) and dust (any debris from household dust
to bits of food).

CPUID CPU-Z Tool:

The CPU-Z utility displays detailed information about the memory modules installed in a
computer using a feature called Serial Presence Detect. The "SPD" tab in CPU-Z displays this
information, helping you learn more about the computer's configuration and confirm that memory
module makes and models are as expected.

Information Displayed in CPU-Z

• Size, Maximum Speed, Manufacturer, Model Number and Production Date of each
memory module in the computer.
• CPU-Z detects whether a module is Registered, Buffered or Error-Correcting.
• CPU-Z displays the Latency Timings that a memory module is compatible with at all
supported speeds.
• CPU-Z displays an overview of the Hardware Installed in a computer.
• CPU-Z displays the Brand, Model and Speed of the Processor, the Manufacturer, Model
and Chipset of the Motherboard and the Manufacturer and Model of the Video Adapter.
• With CPU-Z Computer System Report can be Generated and Saved.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 38
 Output Observed in CPU-Z Tool for CPU

Processor Name and

Specification

Core Speed and BUS

Speed

Number of Cores

Number of Threads
each Core Supports

Bus Speed

Cache L1 Data Size

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 39
 Cache L1 Inst. Size

Level-2 Cache Size

Level-3 Cache Size

RAM Connection
Slot

GPU Chipset
Manufacturer

Clock Speeds of
Cores and Memory

Type of RAM and

Its Size

BIOS/UEFI Brand
Name and
Manufacturer

Instructions the
Processor Supports

South Bridge Chipset

with Rev.

North Bridge
Chipset with Rev.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 40
Few Terms Found in CPU-Z Report:
• Concurrency or Single Core: In Operating Systems, concurrency is defined as the ability
of a system to run two or more programs in overlapping time phases.
• Parallel Execution or (Multi-Core): In parallel execution, the tasks to be performed by
a process are broken down into sub-parts, and multiple CPUs (or multiple cores) process
each sub-task at precisely the same time.

• Thread: A thread is a unit of execution on concurrent programming. Multithreading is a

technique which allows a CPU to execute many tasks of one process at the same time.
• CPU Core:
o A CPU core is the part of something central to its existence or character. In the same
way in the computer system, the CPU is also referred to as the core.
o The number of threads you have depends on the number of cores in your CPU. Each
CPU core can have two threads. So a processor with two cores will have four threads.
A processor with eight cores will have 16 threads.
• MMX: The MMX instructions enable x86 processors to perform single-instruction,
multiple-data(SIMD) operations on packed byte, word, doubleword, or quadword integer
operands contained in memory, in MMX registers, or in general-purpose registers.
• Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE). Older processors only process a single data element
per instruction. SSE enables the instruction to handle multiple data elements.
• A Cache is a reserved storage location that collects temporary data to help websites,
browsers, and apps load faster.
• Recently used Instructions or upcoming instructions will be made available in
Instruction Cache
• Recently used Data or upcoming data will be made available in Data Cache

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 41
 • VID/FID – Voltage Identification / Frequency Identification
• The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a publicly available specification
that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware.
• The RAS to CAS delay determines the time between memory accessing RAS (Row
Address Strobe) and CAS (Column Address Strobe). The lower the number, the better.
• Serial Presence Detect (SPD) is a standardized way to automatically access information
about a memory module.
• EHCI PCI: The Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) is a register-level interface
that enables a host controller for USB or FireWire hardware to communicate with a host
controller driver in software.
• eXtensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) is a computer interface specification that
defines a register-level description of a host controller for Universal Serial Bus (USB),
which is capable of interfacing with USB 1.x, 2.0, and 3.x compatible devices.
• Universal Host Controller Interface (UHCI) was created by Intel as an implementation
of the USB 1.0 host controller interface. The UHCI specification defines a set of I/O
mapped registers that allow communication between the controller and the operating
system.
• High Definition Audio (HDA): High Definition Audio Specification includes architecture,
register and electrical interface, programming model, link protocol, and codec features.
• The DMI (Desktop Management Interface) is an abstraction layer provided by your
system management BIOS that provides information about your computer's hardware to
your operating system.
• Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is an industry framework for managing and
keeping track of hardware and software components in a system of personal computers from a
central location.

Windows Resource Monitor:

When Windows slows down or freezes, we usually turn to the Task Manager to figure out
what is going on. If you need a better understanding of the way Windows and its apps use
the resources of your computer, Resource Monitor (resmon.exe) is the right tool for the
task.
• The information is concise and real-time with graphs and grouping by resources.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 42
 • You can monitor the use of the CPU, memory, disk, and network. This tutorial shows what
you need to know about Resource Monitor and how to use it:

How to Start the Resource Monitor in Windows:

• An easy way to start Resource Monitor that works in all Windows versions is to search for
the name of its executable file resmon or for Resource Monitor, and click or tap the search
result with the same name.

• Go to CPU and Identify Different Running Processes names for the applications opened:
o Open applications like Notepad, Ms Paint, Word Pad, Calculator etc. and identify
respective process names like Notepad.exe, mspaint.exe, wordpad.exe, calc.exe,
explorer.exe o Identify CPU usage Percentage.
o Right Click on above processes for Terminating/Suspending Processes.
Identify at least Five available Services either Running or Stopped. o DHCP – will provide
service like dynamically assigning IP address to Client o Eventlog – will provide
service like will record all the events taken place in system after it uptime since OS
installation.
o PlugPlay – will provide service like tries to detects external devices automatically
as and when connected to external ports of computer.
o WSearch – will provide services like, helps in searching files/contents/folders in
disk. o Simptcp – will provide services required of the network/internet
connection, ie. provides TCP/IP Services.
o Right Click on above Services for Stopping/Restarting/Starting Services.
o Identify CPU usage Percentage

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 43
 • Go to the Memory Tab:
o Identify Memory usage Percentage o Identify Memory used for any process which
is currently running.
o Identify Total Size of the Installed Memory, Hardware Reserved Memory, Physical
Memory in use, Available Memory, Cached Memory Sizes.
• Go to the Disk Tab: o Identify Disk Input / Output Activity in terms of Kilo Bytes / Sec

• Go to the Network Tab:

o Observe Network activity (if Connected to Internet) o Observe Local area Network
Message exchange activity (if connected Wireless/Wired Network, by disabling or
Enabling the Network Connections).

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 44
 Week-5
POST CARD/UEFI/BIOS/CMOS

Identify System Faults using POST Diagnostics Card:

Whenever you power on your computer, the ROM BIOS runs a diagnostic test of the
hardware, called the Power On Self Test (POST).
• Each stage of testing generates a two-digit hex code. By tracking these codes, you can view
a progress report of the boot-up process and diagnose computer problems.
• By monitoring POST codes using a POST diagnostic card, which plugs into a machine's
ISA or PCI port, one can troubleshoot a computer right on the bench, without needing to
hook up a monitor, keyboard, or even a disk drive.
• These cards allow you to make quick work of fixing components and avoid the usual time-
consuming method of swapping them out one at a time and retesting.

POST Codes verses BIOS beep codes:

• Beep codes use audible signals to alert users to computer problems—an especially useful
feature if a hardware failure occurs before the video card is initialized.
• While some sets of beep codes, such as those generated by the latest Phoenix BIOSs, can
provide extensive troubleshooting information, others are less revealing.
• There may be only 10 beep codes—a tiny subset of the up to 255 two-digit POST codes
that can be displayed right on a POST diagnostic card, via digital readouts.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 45
20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 46
 • The POST diagnostic card plugs into an PCI/ISA port. In addition to digital readouts, the
POST diagnostic card also includes four LEDs to diagnose power-supply voltage problems.

POST card quick facts

• POST codes are most often sent to port 80h (although some manufacturers use different
ports, Compaq, for example, uses port 84h.) POST cards either automatically detect the
port or contain jumpers for setting it manually.
• In addition to providing digital readouts of POST codes, these cards typically include LEDs
for troubleshooting power-supply voltages. For example, POST card pictured above
contains four LEDs for testing +5V, +12V, -12V, and -5V power supplies, as well as five
contacts for testing these voltages with a probe.
• For a more complete troubleshooting solution, get an PCI/ISA card if possible.
• Sometimes PCI ports do not show all the available codes, for two reasons.
o 1. ISA busses are initialized before PCIs—the PCI bus will only receive the codes
that are generated after it is initialized.
o 2. ISA busses connect to the South Bridge chip; motherboards with damaged North
Bridge chips may not be able to send codes to the PCI bus at all.
• Before using a POST diagnostic card, you'll need a code manual.

POST Card Usage

• As simple as POST cards are to use, they do require some care. Not all models have
protection circuits built in. Therefore, be careful not to install these cards in reverse or
upside down. Doing so could burn out the card. A marker shows which way to orient the
card. After you plug in the card, power up the machine and follow the progress of the POST
test.
• The code you'll see is sent to the card just prior to the start of each test.
• In above Figure, the code displayed (53) indicates the start of a video display ROM test.
The four lit LEDs indicate normal power from the power supply.
• Should the computer fail during the POST, the failing test number will be the last one
displayed. Consider the failed test as only a possible indicator of the real problem at hand—

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 47
 another component may, in fact, be the culprit. For example, a failed memory test could
indicate a badly seated chip or a motherboard problem.

POST Diagnostic card use Procedure:

1. Power down the computer

2. Plug in the POST diagnostic card
o For the PCI version, just plug into PCI slot
o For the USB/Parallel version, plug both USB and parallel in (not the PCI part)
3. Power up and read the codes

Sample POST Codes (Hex):

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 48
Using POST codes as given in the manual of the post diagnostic card used:

SPECIFICATION OF THE POST CARD: _________________________________

BIOS USED IN DESKTOP PC: Award / AMI/ P hoenix4.0/ Tandy3000 (Please tick)

FAULT CHECK USING POST-DIAGNOSTIC CARD

FAULT FOUND
SL.NO. CODE FAULT DESCRIPTION
(Yes / No)?

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI):

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 49
 • The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a publicly available specification
that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware.
• UEFI replaces the legacy Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) firmware interface originally
present in all IBM PC-compatible personal computers, with most UEFI firmware
implementations providing support for legacy BIOS services.

UEFI can support remote diagnostics and repair of computers, even with no operating system
installed.

• Intel developed the original Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) specifications. Some of
the EFI’s practices and data formats mirror those of Microsoft Windows.
• The Unified EFI Forum is the industry body that manages the UEFI specifications throughout.

EFI Services:
EFI defines two types of services: boot services and runtime services.
• Boot services are available only while the firmware owns the platform (i.e., before the
ExitBootServices() call), and they include text and graphical consoles on various devices, and
bus, block and file services.
• Runtime services are still accessible while the operating system is running; they include
services such as date, time and NVRAM access.

UEFI booting
• Unlike the legacy PC BIOS, UEFI does not rely on boot sectors, defining instead a boot
manager as part of the UEFI specification.
• When a computer is powered on, the boot manager checks the boot configuration and based
on its settings, then executes the specified OS boot loader or operating system kernel (usually
boot loader).
• The boot configuration is defined by variables stored in NVRAM, including variables that
indicate the file system paths to OS loaders or OS kernels.
• OS boot loaders can be automatically detected by UEFI, which enables easy booting from
removable devices such as USB flash drives.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 50
BIOS Settings:
• BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System, is the built-in core processor software responsible for
booting up your system.
• Typically embedded into your computer as a motherboard chip.
• Programmed on an erasable, programmable, read-only memory (EPROM) chip, BIOS is
stored on this memory chip which retains data when the power source is switched off.
• The BIOS system is also responsible for managing data flow between your computer’s
operating system and any attached devices including a hard drive, keyboard, video adapter,
printer, or mouse.
• Each time you power your PC on, BIOS runs through a process called Power-On Self-Test,
or POST, that determines whether your attached devices are operating correctly and are in
their proper place.
• Once all attachments are allocated and given the OK, your computer startup continues as
usual and takes you to your load screen in a matter of seconds.
• If BIOS detects any problems, an error screen will appear or a series of beep codes will sound,
effectively indicating to you that something has gone wrong.
• In order to access BIOS on a Windows PC, you must press your BIOS key set by your
manufacturer which could be F10, F2, F12, F1, or DEL.

Basic Functions of BIOS:

BIOS’s functionality can be broken down into four key responsibilities.

1. POST
o POST (Power-On Self-Test) that your PC runs through the moment you turn it on.
POST tests the hardware of your PC and ensures that there is nothing out of order
and no errors present with your operating system.
o If No Problem found, POST will continue as usual and allow your PC to boot
normally.
o If there is a detected error, BIOS will issue an error message that may come in the
form of displayed text or a series of error-indicating beeps.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 51
2. CMOS setup o Your PC stores all low-level settings like system time and hardware
configuration within its CMOS. This means that every change you make to your BIOS structure
is saved on this special memory chip called the Complementary
o Metal-Oxide Semiconductor, or CMOS. The CMOS setup is responsible for setting your
password, time, and date.
3. Bootstrap loader o The program that lives within your computer’s EPROM or ROM, the
bootstrap loader is tasked with reading your PC’s hard drive boot sector to move along the
complete operating system load.
o When you restart your PC, the bootstrap loader activates the POST, then loads Windows10
into memory.
o Newer PCs have replaced the bootstrap loader with an EFI, or Extensible Firmware
Interface.
4. BIOS drivers o BIOS drivers are the many programs stored in your computer’s many memory
chips.
o These low-level drivers are used to boot your system and prompt basic operational controls
on your PC.

Working with Settings:

• Change the Boot order
• Create a BIOS password
• Change your Date and Time
• Change Keyboard Typing Speed
• Change System Password.
To check desktop PC to know whether it uses BIOS or UEFI using System Information:

1. Open Start on Windows 10.

2. Search for System Information and click the result.

3. Check BIOS Mode: Legacy / UEFI

RESULT:

THIS PC USES: BIOS / UEFI (Tick)

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 52
When to replace CMOS battery?
• Computer is losing its time or date settings.
• An error or alert message, like the following, is displayed when the computer boots.
• CMOS Read Error
• CMOS Checksum Error
• CMOS Battery Failure
• System battery voltage is low

Procedure to replace CMOS:

Locate CMOS battery
• Open the computer case and find the battery on the motherboard.
• Verify it is accessible and can be removed. Today, most computers use a coin cell CMOS
battery (like the CR2032 battery shown in the picture.
Note:
❖ Some CMOS batteries may be held down by a metal clip or bar. The battery can be removed
by sliding it out from under the clip. Do not bend this clip to get the battery out, as a bent clip
can result in the new battery not staying in the socket.
❖ With some computers, you may need to disconnect cables, remove drives, or remove other
parts of the computer to get full access to the CMOS battery.

Obtain battery information

• Once the battery is located, it is recommend writing down its specifications (voltage,
chemistry, wiring). If possible, remove the battery and take it to a retail location.

Removing the battery

• If a computer uses a coin cell battery, removing the battery is relatively simple. Use fingers
to grab the edge of the battery and pull it up and out of the socket holding it in place.
o Some motherboards have a clip holding the battery down. If computer’s motherboard
has this clip, it is necessary to use one hand to move the clip up and the other hand to
pull the battery out.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 53
 o Unfortunately, not all CMOS batteries are removable. Some manufacturers only allow
a replacement battery to be added.
o If computer’s motherboard does not have a removable battery, you need to set a jumper
on the motherboard to install the new battery.
Insert the new battery
• After purchasing a new battery, remove the old battery and replace it with the new
battery.
o Some computers may not have a removable battery, for these computers insert the new
battery into the secondary battery socket on the motherboard.
Enter CMOS values
• Once the battery has been replaced, turn on the computer and reset the CMOS values to the
defaults.
• After the values have all been entered, make sure to save the settings before exiting. Many
CMOS setups allow you to press a key, such as F10, to save values and exit with one action.
Bad hardware
• If you continue to receive the error after following all the steps above, this is a sign of a
more serious issue. The most likely causes are a bad power supply or bad motherboard.

Non-volatile BIOS memory refers to a small memory on PC motherboards that is used to store
BIOS settings.
• It is traditionally called CMOS RAM because it uses a volatile, low-power complementary
metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) SRAM powered by a small “CMOS” battery when
system and standby power is off.
o It is referred to as non-volatile memory or NVRAM because, after the system loses
power, it does retain state by virtue of the CMOS battery.
o The typical NVRAM capacity is 256 bytes.
• The CMOS RAM and the real-time clock have been integrated as a part of the southbridge
chipset and it may not be a standalone chip on modern motherboards.
• In turn, the southbridge have been integrated into a single Platform Controller Hub

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 54
CMOS battery

• Type CR2032 button cell, the most common CMOS

battery.
• The memory battery (CMOS, real-time clock (RTC), clock
battery) is generally a CR2032 lithium coin cell.
• This cell battery has an estimated life of 3 years when power
supply unit (PSU) is unplugged or when the PSU power
switch is turned off. This battery type, unlike the Lithium-ion battery, is not rechargeable
and trying to do so may result in an explosion.
• Motherboards have circuitry preventing batteries from being charged and discharged when
a motherboard is powered on. Other common battery cell types can last significantly longer
or shorter periods, such as the smaller CR2016 which will generally last about 40% less
time than CR2032.
• Higher temperatures and longer power-off time will shorten battery cell life. When
replacing the battery cell, the system time and CMOS BIOS settings may revert to default
values.

CMOS PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN THE PC:

CMOS REPLACED /
SOLUTION
NOT REPLACED

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 55
 Week-6
Memory

Computer memory is any physical device capable of storing information temporarily like RAM
(random access memory), or permanently, like ROM (read-only memory). Memory devices utilize
integrated circuits and are used by operating systems, software, and hardware.
Types of Memory

=== * ===

Comparison and Hierarchy of Memory Memory Locations

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 56
Memory Units:
Memory units are used to measure and represent data. Some of the commonly used memory units
are:
❖ Bit (b): The computer memory units start from bit. A bit is the smallest memory unit
to measure data stored in main memory and storage devices. A bit can have only one
binary value out of 0 and 1.
❖ Byte (B): It is the fundamental unit to measure data. It contains 8 bits or is equal to 8
bits. Thus, a byte can represent 28 or 256 values.
❖ Kilobyte (KB): A kilobyte contains 1024 bytes.
❖ Megabyte (MB): A megabyte contains 1024 kilobytes.
❖ Gigabyte (GB): A gigabyte contains 1024 megabyte.
❖ Terabyte (TB): A terabyte contains 1024 gigabytes.
❖ Peta Byte (PB): A Petabyte contains 1024 Terabytes
❖ Exa Byte (EB): An Exabyte contains 1024 Petabytes
❖ Zetta Byte (ZB): A Zettabyte contains 1024 Exabytes
❖ Yotta Byte (YB): A Yottabyte contains 1024 Zettabytes

1. Identify RAM chips and HDD/SSD, study their features and note their technical
specifications:
RAM is a volatile memory which requires power supply to retain data. When you turn off your
PC, the RAM data is lost.
It is further divided into two types, namely, the Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM)
and Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM).
▪ DRAM stores and retains memory data by using capacitors. These capacitors lose charge
over time due to leakage, even if the supply voltage is maintained. DRAMs are typically
used for computer memory modules.
▪ SRAM uses transistors instead of capacitors in a cross-coupled flip–flop configuration and
does not have leakage. It still requires constant power to maintain the state of charge.
SRAMs are designed for processor caching.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 57
 ▪ Today, most operating systems require at about 1GB RAM for running the system, which means
that the system should have at least 4GB or more of system RAM. Typical systems commonly
have 8-16 GB RAM.

▪ The amount of RAM in the system is very critical, even to basic users. Having more RAM
enables the system to run more applications simultaneously.
▪ If the system has less ram than required, then it will start using the secondary storage device
like hard disks for paging or swap memory which is much slower than ram and will make
the system feel very laggy.
▪ Hard drives (HDDs) come in two basic physical sizes: 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch. These sizes
refer to the size of the data platters, not the size of the hard drive mechanism. Traditionally,
2.5-inch drives are used for laptops while 3.5-inch drives are used for desktop computers.

▪ A form factor is the physical form, or physical dimensions, of the drive. Solid State Devices
(SSDs) have three form factors: 2.5-inch, mSATA, and M.2. The 2.5-inch form factor is
used in many desktops and laptops. The mSATA version is commonly used in ultra-thin
laptops and compact systems. The M.2 version is commonly used in tablets and ultrabooks.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 58
 RAM/HDD/SSD details of the Desktop PC:
Sl. No. Item Specification
1 RAM
2 HDD
3 SSD

2. Identify SIMM and DIMM memory modules, their number of pins, specs and type:
SIMM and DIMM
S.NO SIMM DIMM

In SIMM, Pins present in either facet is

1. connected. DIMM pins are freelance.

SIMM supports 32-bit channel for data DIMM supports 64-bit channel for data
2. transferring. transferring.

3. SIMM consumes 5 volts of power. DIMM consumes 3.3 volts of power.

SIMM provides the storage 4 MB to 64 DIMM provides the storage 32 MB to 1

4. MB. GB.

The classic or most common pin

The foremost common pin configuration
5. configuration of the SIMM module is 72
of the DIMM module is 168 pins.
pins.

DIMMs are the replacement of the

6. SIMMs are the older technology. SIMMs.

7. SIMMs are installed in pairs at a time. DIMMs are installed one at a time.

SIMMs are used by 486 CPU as well as DIMMs are used by modern Pentium
8. early Pentium computers. computers.

The length and width of DIMM are

The length and width of SIMM are respectively 1.67 to 5.25 inches and 1 to
9.
respectively 4.25 inches and 1 inch.
1.75 inches.

10. There are single notches in SIMMs. There are two notches in DIMMs.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 59
 RESULT: The Memory module found in the PC is SIMM / DIMM (Tick)

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 60
3. Identify the interface type of a hard drive and connect it to a PC for data recovery:
Hard disk drives are accessed over one of several bus types, including parallel ATA
(PATA, also called IDE or EIDE; described before the introduction of SATA as ATA), Serial ATA
(SATA), SCSI, Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), and Fibre Channel.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 61
RESULT: The interface type of the HDD used in the PC is ________________________.

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 62
 Week-7
RAM Technologies/ Features Identification

1. Use CPUID CPU-Z tool to identify capacity, speed, technology, and related features of
RAM:

RAM Used in the PC and details/features of RAM as displayed in the tool

2. Check for RAM and Motherboard compatibility and install additional RAM stick.
▪ From the Windows Start menu, search for System Information on your computer and open
the app.
▪ Under System Summary, you will find your Processor.
▪ Using this information, search for your specific processor on the manufacturer website to
see which RAM is compatible with your processor.

RESULT: Compatible RAM for this PC is _____________________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 63
 Install RAM stick:

• Make sure to use a static-free work area when beginning any component change in your
computer, and make sure the computer is unplugged.
• Clear away any paper, tape, and electrical devices (including your smartphone) from the
area.
• Always touch the metal chassis of your computer to ground yourself and draw away any
static electricity

.
The RAM slots, at the right, are red and yellow.
Find out how much memory your computer can handle, and how much you want to add.
• Step 1: Right-click on My Computer (or go to Control Panel > System and Security and
under System, click on View Amount of RAM and processor speed))
• Step 2: Use some Tool that will scan your system and return a report that tells you how
much RAM your system can take, how much RAM you currently have, how many slots

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 64
 you have—both available and occupied—and even suggest which RAM to buy to upgrade.

There are four RAM slots here.

• If using unbalanced RAM (a 2GB and a 4GB module, for instance) pair up RAM in slots
1 and 3 or 2 and 4. If there is old RAM here and you are going to use it, pair the new
RAM correctly. Try not to put three modules in a 4 module slot. It will be less effective
• Unhinge the clips (on some motherboards, there is one clip, on others there are two—one
on each end). Unseat the old RAM by pulling on each end, wiggling it up and down just a
bit. Do not wiggle it from side to side.

Make sure that the pins and cutout on the RAM match the slot before placing the new RAM (if
you purchased it according to the steps above, they should match). Never force a RAM module
into a slot that doesn’t match the notch on the module.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 65
Make sure the RAM is seated securely; it takes a slight amount of force. If positioned properly, it
usually snaps the retaining hinge into place. Unseated RAM is the major cause of the RAM not
being recognized by the computer OS.

Plug the computer back in and start it up. On Windows 7 computers, click on the Windows tab,
and right-click on My Computer (or go to Control Panel > System and Security > and under
System, click on View Amount of RAM and processor speed), on Windows 8.1, right-click on the
Windows tab, click System. Your new RAM should be seen immediately.

3. Find on Windows system properties to check the RAM for correct installation.:

Press the Windows Key, type ram, and select the View RAM info option in the search results.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 66
Windows 11:

RESULT: Installed RAM found in this PC is _________________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 67
4. Query the SPD RAM chip to identify all Possible information using CPUID CPU-Z:

Serial Presence Detect (SPD):

Serial presence detect (SPD) is information stored on an EEPROM chip when a computer
is booted. It is located on an SDRAM memory module and communicates to the BIOS the module
size, data width, speed and voltage, which are used to configure the module memory controller for
maximum reliability and performance.
The manufacturer of the memory module will put the SPD information on the EEPROM
chip. When a computer is turned on, if the BIOS is not provided with SPD, it will assume the
memory module information, which presents no problem to some memory modules.
Parallel presence detect (PPD) data was used in earlier 72-pin SIMMs. However, the
standard changed to SPD with the later model 168-pin DIMM. SPD encodes much more
information.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 68
 • Column Address Strobe (CAS) latency, or CL, is the delay in clock cycles between the
READ command and the moment data is available.
▪ tRP (RAS Precharge):
• tRP refers to the length of time between disabling access to one
line and initiating access to another line. The Precharge command
is issued once data is collected from a given row. It closes the row
that was used and allows for a new one to be activated.
▪ RAS to CAS Delay (tRCD):
• tRCD is the number of clock cycles it takes to open a row and
access a column.
▪ Row Active Time (tRAS):
• “The minimum number of clock cycles required between a row
active command and issuing the precharge command.
▪ tRC - Row Cycle Time:
• The minimum time interval between successive ACTIVE
commands to the same bank is defined by tRC.

Note:
o Every stick of RAM contains information baked into EEPROM (Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory), including some safe timing/frequency profiles-these
can be viewed in the SPD tab of CPU-Z under the JEDEC header.
o The JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) Solid State Technology
Association is an organization that publishes standards for DDR4, DDR5, SSDs, mobile
memory, ESD, GDDR6, and more. They are responsible for standardizing and defining
everything from abbreviations to the entire concept of DDR4.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 69
 Output Observed in CPU-Z Tool for Memory Module (MM)

Maximum
Bandwidth of MM

Manufacturer of
MM

Size of the MM

Slot Number of MM

Clock Speeds of
Cores and Memory

CAS Latency tRAS

RAS to CAS (tRCD) tRC

Voltages

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 70
 Week-8
Windows Installation

1. Windows Installation Inspect prerequisites for windows 10 installation on a given

computer.

Requirements Needed to Install Windows 10:

To Check whether the device meets the Windows 10 system requirements.

The minimum specification needed to run Windows 10:
CPU: 1GHz or faster processor
RAM: 1GB for Windows 10 32-bit or 2GB for Windows 10 64-bit
Storage: 32GB of space or more
GPU: DirectX 9 compatible or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
Display: 800x600 resolution or higher
DETAILS FOUND IN THE DESKTOP PC
CPU
RAM
STORAGE (HDD/SSD)
GPU
DISPLAY RESOLUTION
RESULT: Can install Windows 10 / Cannot install Windows 10
in this PC.

2. Perform clean installation of Windows 7/10/11 OS:

Performing a Clean Install on an Empty Hard Disk/SSD or Reinstall by Booting from Install Media
(DVD or USB Thumb Drive):

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 71
 ▪ Once you have your Windows 7/10/11 installation media ready, all you need to do is boot from the
disc or USB thumb drive to begin setup.
o If you don't have install media, see instructions: How to download official Windows 10
ISO files or Scan QR code :

▪ Review the following guide for instructions and details about configuring your BIOS or UEFI boot
settings for DVD, CD, USB or SD Card.

o BIOS/UEFI Setup Guide: Boot from a CD, DVD, USB Drive or SD Card
o Once your computer is set to boot from the DVD, you should see this option. If you are
installing from a retail Windows 10 USB thumb drive, you will be asked to select either
32- or 64-bit Windows 7/10/11.

Procedure:
1. Create USB installation media. Visit Microsoft's Windows 10 download page and select
“Download tool now” under the “create Windows 10 installation media” section. Transfer the
downloaded installer tool to a USB drive.
2. Run the installer tool. Open the installer tool by clicking on it. Accept Microsoft’s terms, and
then select “Create installation media for another PC” on the “What do you want to do?”
page. After selecting which language you want Windows 10 to run in, and which edition you
want as well (32-bit or 62-bit), you’ll be asked what type of media you want to use.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 72
Installing from a USB drive is definitely the preferred option but you can also install from a CD
or ISO file. Once you choose your device, the installer tool will download the required files and
put them onto your drive.
3. Use your installation media. Insert your installation media into your device and then access
the computer’s BIOS or UEFI. These are the systems that allow you to control your
computer’s core hardware.
The process of accessing these systems is unique to each device, but the manufacturer’s website
should be able to give you a helping hand here. Generally, you'll need to press the F2, F12 or
Delete keys as your computer boots up.
4. Change your computer's boot order. Once you have access to your computer’s BIOS/UEFI
you’ll need to locate the settings for boot order. You need the Windows 10 installation tool to
be higher up on the list than the device’s current current boot drive: this is the SSD or HDD
that your existing OS is stored on. You should move the drive with the installer files to the
very top of the boot order menu. Now, when you restart your device the Windows 10 installer
should load up first.
5. Restart your device. Save your settings in the BIOS/UEFI and reboot your device.

6. Complete the installation. Your device should now load up the Windows 10 installation tool
on restart. This will guide you through the rest of the installation process.

RESULT: CLEAN INSTALLTION OF WINDOWS ______ DONE / NOT DONE.

3. Installation - Upgrading to Windows 10: Upgrading from an older version of Windows.

Upgrading to Windows 10 can be done from Windows 7 or Windows 8:

Download the installer tool. Visit Microsoft's Windows 10 download page and select “Download
tool now” under the “create Windows 10 installation media” section.
1. Run installer tool. You can just upgrade your version of Windows directly from the
installer tool, without creating separate installation media. When you reach the “what do you want
to do?” section, select “Upgrade this PC now.”

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 73
2. Complete Windows 10 installation. Now the installer tool will guide you through the rest
of the process. Just follow the steps to complete the installation process and you'll have Windows
10 installed on your device at the end of it.

RESULT: Upgradation to Windows 10 /11 done / not done from existing Windows_____.

4. Create dual boot for a given system, learn and rectify errors in dual boot:

❖ Dual-booting or multi-booting means installing multiple Windows versions (or

other operating systems) on the same computer and being able to choose which

operating system you’d like to boot into.

❖ Different operating systems have different uses and advantages. Having more than one
operating system installed allows you to quickly switch between two and have the best
tool for the job. It also makes it easier to dabble and experiment with different operating
systems.
❖ If Separate Disk space is allocated for the installation of another Operating System, use
that space during second Operating System.
❖ If separate space is NOT allocated, then go to the existing operating system Device
Manager, Select the Drive and Right Click and Apply Shrink Volume, it will ask the
amount of Disk Space required for the new Operating System. Set the correct space for
new operating system and restart the PC for loading new operating system as usual like
loading from DVD/Pen Drive.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 74
20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 75
After Successful installation, the system will ask for choosing operating system to get load.

COMMON ERROR’S RECTIFICATION:

❖ If you installed multiple Windows versions on the same PC, your dual-boot (or multi-
boot) configuration may stop working.

❖ The most cause for a dual-boot or multi-boot configuration error (to stop working) is
when you reinstall the older Windows version before the newer Windows version.

❖ For example, Windows 7/10 were already installed as dual-boot and then Windows 7
was reinstalled again. At the second installation, Windows 7 overwrites the MBR and
the new MBR isn’t recognized by Windows 10.

RESULT: The given desktop PC prepared/ not prepared for Dual booting and dual booting of
following Operating Systems done / not done:
1. ___________________________ 2. ________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 76
 5. Practice on Recovery Partition:

❖ A recovery partition is a partition on the disk that helps to restore the factory settings of
the OS (operating system) if there is some kind of system failure. This partition has no
drive letter, and you can use only Help in Disk Management.

The recovery partition has two varieties:

• The first of the varieties is the most widespread and installed with the Windows
operating system on a GPT disk and occupies a negligible amount of disk space.
• The second is set by the computer manufacturer (like Lenovo, Dell or HP). It occupies
a significant amount of disk space since it is this part of the recovery partition that
contains the manufacturer settings for application drivers and other things that allow
you to restore these default settings. This partition is also called the OEM section.

To create a recovery drive in Windows 10:

1. In the search box next to the Start button, search for Create a recovery drive and then select it. You
might be asked to enter an admin password or confirm your choice.
2. When the tool opens, make sure Back up system files to the recovery drive is selected and then
select Next.
3. Connect a USB drive to your PC, select it, and then select Next.
4. Select Create. Many files need to be copied to the recovery drive, so this might take a while.

Note:
▪ If you ever need to use the recovery drive to reinstall Windows 10 on your PC, see Recovery
Options in Windows for further instructions.
▪ It's a good idea to Backup and Restore in Windows frequently because the recovery drive isn't a
system image. It doesn't contain your personal files, settings, or programs.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 77
New Recovery Partitions get created after every Windows Upgrade.
• A curious thing is that every time you update Windows, a new recovery partition is
created. This happens due to a lack of free space in your recovery partition or in system
reserved partition. As a result, you will get as many recovery partitions as you update
your system.
• When you get a new recovery partition on your disk, the old recovery partition can be
removed without worries, as it is nonfunctional. That’s how you can get a bit of free
space.

Deleting Recovery Partitions:

• Use Disk Manager, and select old recovery Disk Partitions and delete (if sure)
• Use Diskpart utility to remove old recovery Disk Partitions with suitable commands o
Diskpart → list disk → Select disk 0 (Assume Disk 0 is Listed) → list volume → select
volume 1 (Assume Volume 1 is Recovery Partition) → Delete Volume 1

RESULT: Recovery partition of Windows _____ done successfully / not done.

6. Practice Ten Windows Registry Tweaks:

❖ Start the Settings of Windows Registry opening the Registry Editor:

• Hit Win+R
• Type regedit
• Click OK.

(1). Add “Open with Notepad” to the context menu

When you right-click on your desktop the appeared list is called the Context menu. There are a
few options available in the context menu but if you want you can even customize it accordingly
and one such customization adding the Open with Notepad option.
• Navigate using the following route:-
o Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell
• Right-click on Shell> New> Key. Then rename it to Open With Notepad.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 78
 • Right-click on Open with Notepad> New> Key. Then rename it to Command.
• Double-click on Default from the right panel of the Window, in the Value data section
type “notepad.exe %1” and click OK.
• Now, close the Registry Editor, right-click on the file that you want to open with Notepad,
and select the “Open with Notepad” option.
=== * ===
(2). Change your Logon Screen Background
Changing the wallpaper on your desktop is one of the easiest things to do in Windows. But if you
can have that display any image you want, why not do the same with your logon screen?
Go to the Key:
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authent
ication\LogonUI\Background
• Double click on “OEMBackground” to open it.
• Change the value in the “Value data” field to 1.
• Click OK.
• Using Windows Explorer, navigate to your Windows directory and go to the path
C:\Windows\System32\oobe
If there’s a folder in here called “info,” go into it; if there’s a folder inside of that one called
“backgrounds,” go into that. If neither exists, you’ll need to create them both first.
• Copy the image (it must be a JPEG, and smaller than 256KB in size) you want to use as
your logon screen background into the info\backgrounds folder.
• Rename the image backgroundDefault.jpg
The next time you restart your computer, or log out, see this image as the new logon screen.
• If you chose an image that prevents the buttons and text from looking their best on the
logon screen, you can adjust their appearance as well.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authent
ication\LogonUI (Now NOT going into Background this time).
• Add a DWORD value called “ButtonSet.”
• Change its value to either 1 (darker text shadows and lighter buttons, intended for lighter
backgrounds) or 2 (no text shadows and opaque buttons, for darker backgrounds); 0 is
the Windows default.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 79
(3). Adding Applications to the Desktop Context Menu: Adding Notepad
Go to the Key:
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell
• Right-click on Shell →New →Key. Then rename it to Notepad
• Right Click on Notepad → New →Key. Then rename it to Command
• Select the Command. Double Click on Default on Right Pane. Set the Value data to
“notepad.exe”
• Go to the Desktop → Right Click. Popup Menu will display Notepad

(4). Remove the “- Shortcut” Text by Editing the Registry Manually Go to the Key:
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
• On the right-hand side, scroll down and locate a value named link. (If it is not there, create
it by right-clicking the Explorer key, choosing New→ Binary Value, and then Renaming
the New value “link”
• Double click on link. In the “Value data” box, replace the current value with “00 00 00
00”. (Note that the current value will depend on what version and edition of Windows
running. It doesn’t matter what’s there already. Just replace it with all zeroes.)

Old values in Value data New values in Value data

• Sign out and back in (or Restart your computer) to complete the change.
• Test it out by creating a new shortcut. Windows should no longer add the “- Shortcut”
text.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 80
 • If you want to reverse the changes, just head back into the Registry and delete the link
value.
o This will work whether the value was already there or you created it yourself.
Windows will recreate the value with the default setting when it needs to.

Output Before and After Registry Settings

(5). Change the Width of Window

• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

• Scroll to find the “BorderWidth” entry. (If it’s not there, create it. Right click in the right
pane, select New, then Select “String Value,” and name the object BorderWidth.
• Double click BorderWidth to open it. (Note down the number in that for recovery)
• Change the number in the “Value Data” field to the width you want to allot to the window
(say -150).
• Click OK.
• Sign out and back in (or restart your computer) to complete the change.

(6). Disable Short cut Key Win-X (Test Win+D for Desktop, and Win+E for
Explorer)
• Navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explo
rer
• Right Click on Explorer → New → Key → Create a 32-bit DWORD. Rename it to value
called NoWinKeys.
• Double Click on NoWinKeys and set the Value data to 1.
• Click Ok
• Sign out and back in (or Restart your computer) to complete the change.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 81
 • Try Win+D (by opening many application) and Win+E to go to Explorer – See the
Changes.
• To reverse the changes, go to the Registry key, and delete NoWinKeys and Sign
out/Restart

(7). Make " Open Command Window Here" Always Display for Folders or Drives
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd
• Select cmd. On Right Pane, Rename Key “Extended” to “Extended-Orig”
• Go to any Folder and Right Click on Folder, will get “Open Command Window Here”,
with this one can work with Command Prompt. Do the Same thing for Drive by
Navigating to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\cmd
• Select cmd. On Right Pane, Rename Key “Extended” to “Extended-Orig”
• Go to any Drive in My Computer and Right Click on Drive, will get “Open Command
Window Here”, with this one can work with Command Prompt.

(8). Remove “Send To” from Menu in Windows

• Navigate to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Send To
• Select SendTo, in Right Pane Double Click on Default
• Note down the data (numbers) in Value data (Required for Value Recovery).
• Clear the Contents of Value data
• Click OK.
• To Test, Go to Desktop, Right on any File, “Send To” will not be visible.
• To reverse, the task, just head back into the Registry and Restore the “SendTo” Value

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 82
 data to Original Value i.e. {7BA4C740-9E81-11CF-99D3-00AA004AE837}
To Test, Go to Desktop, Right on any File, “Send To” will be visible now.

Output Before and After Registry Settings

(9). Enable and Disable Task Manager in Windows

• Navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
• If System is not found Create New Key System
• Right-click on Policies →New →Key. Then rename it to System
• Right Click on System → New →DWORD (32bit). Then rename it to DisableTaskMgr
• Double Click on DisableTaskMgr, Set the Value data to 1 (For Disabling Task
Manager)
• Click OK,
• Test it by right Click on Task bar.
• If you want to reverse the changes, just head back into the Registry and set the Value data
of DisableTaskMgr to 0.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 83
 Output Before and After Registry Settings

(10). Change the Title Bar Text Color and Button Text Colors
• Navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
• Select Colors, and on Right Pane Select TitleText o Set the Value data for TitleText to
Color of your Choice in RGB format (Original Value is 255 255 255, it means Text
appeared in Title bar is in pure White Color).
o Set the color to 0 0 0 (means Title bar Text appears in Black Color)
• Select Colors, and on Right Pane Select ButtonText o Set the Value data for ButtonText
to Color of your Choice in RGB format (Original Value is 0 0 0, it means Text appeared in
Buttons is in pure Black Color).
o Set the color to 0 0 255 (means Button Text appears in Blue Color)
• Click OK,
• Sign out and back in (or Restart computer) to complete the change.

(11).Revert to Windows 10-style Start Menu (from Windows 11):

❖ One of the hallmark features of Windows 11 is a new-look Start menu. It’s a pretty nice look,
resembling something you might see in Ubuntu or macOS, but for some the change is a little too
drastic and you may want to go back to the old-look Start menu.
Well, with this Windows 11 registry hack you can. Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
Right-click an empty space in the right-hand pane, then New -> DWORD 32-bit Value, and call it
“Start_ShowClassicMode”.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 84
 ❖ Once it’s created, double-click it and change the “Value data” to “1” to enable the Windows 10-
style Start menu.

(12). Add Command Prompt to Context Menu

❖ Typing things manually into the command prompt all the time can be a pain. It would be much
easier if, say, you could just open the command prompt pointing straight to a location by right-
clicking in that location. Well, you can!
❖ In the registry editor, navigate to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd
❖ At this point, you’ll need to take ownership of the “cmd” registry key, as it’s protected by default.
Follow our guide on how to take ownership of protected registry keys.
❖ Once that’s done, right-click the entry in the right-hand pane of the cmd folder called
“HideBasedOnVelocityId”, click “Rename” then put a “_” at the start of the name so it doesn’t
register it any more.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 85
❖ Close the registry editor and the “Open command window here” option should appear in the right-
click context menu.

7. Practice Disk Management Utilities:

Disk Management is a system utility in Windows that enables you to perform advanced storage
tasks. Here are some of the things Disk Management is good for:
• To setup a new drive.
• To extend a volume into space that's not already part of a volume on the same drive
• To shrink a partition, usually extend a neighboring partition
• To change a drive letter or assign a new drive letter.
• Format the Drives

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 86
Here are some common tasks but that use other tools in Windows:
o To free up disk space
o To defragment your drives.
o To take multiple hard drives and pool them together, similar to a RAID

Opening Disk Management tool in Windows:

Way-1:
❖ The easiest way to open Disk Management in Windows 10 is from computer Desktop.
❖ Right click on Start Menu (or press Windows+X hotkey) and then select "Disk
Management".
Way 2:
❖ Use Windows+R hotkey to open Run window.
❖ Then type "Diskmgmt. msc" and click "OK" or hit "Enter" key.

RESULT: Disk Management tools practiced / not practiced in Windows ___________.

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 87
 Week-9
Recovery/ Task Manager

1. Practice data recovery methods:

Data Recovery Software : Recuva

• Superior file recovery: Recuva can recover pictures, music, documents, videos, emails or
any other file type you’ve lost. And it can recover from any rewriteable media you have:
memory cards, external hard drives, USB sticks and more!

• Recovery from damaged disks: Unlike most file recovery tools, Recuva can recover files
from damaged or newly formatted drives. Greater flexibility means greater chance of
recovery.

• Deep scan for buried files: For those hard-to-find files, Recuva tool has an advanced deep
scan mode that scours your drives to find any traces of files you have deleted.

• Securely delete files: Sometimes you want a file gone for good. Recuva’s secure overwrite
feature uses industry- and military-standard deletion techniques to make sure your files
stay erased.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 88
 HARD DRIVE RECOVERY:

❖ A large percentage of data recovery services comes from hard drive failures and is increasing.
Because technology is advancing everyday, hard drives are getting larger and holding more data,
which means that data recovery is more important than it used to be because people are worried
about losing all of their precious data.
❖ Hard drives are reaching capacity levels of 200 gigabytes or more. This means that the potential
for extreme data loss has skyrocketed. Almost everything that is done is put on a hard drive in one
form or another and people are neglecting to back up that hard drive and are at risk of losing
everything.

2. Working with task manager to troubleshoot configuration and other performance related issue:

Task Manager:
• Task Manager displays the programs, processes, and services that are currently running on
your computer.
• Task Manager can be used to monitor your computer’s performance or to close a program
that's not responding.

Way to Open Task Manager:

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager with a keyboard shortcut
• Right-Click the Windows taskbar and select “Task Manager.”

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 89
The Task Manager includes the following tabs:
• Processes: A list of running applications and background processes on your system along
with CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU, and other resource usage information.
• Performance: Real-time graphs showing total CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU
resource usage for your system. Many other details like computer’s IP address, model
names of your computer’s CPU and GPU etc. can be obtained here.
• App History: Information about how much CPU and network resources apps have used
for your current user account. This only applies to new Universal Windows Platform
(UWP) apps—in other words, Store apps—and not traditional Windows desktop apps
(Win32 applications.)
• Startup: A list of your startup programs, which are the applications Windows
automatically starts when you sign into your user account. You can disable startup
programs from here, although you can also do that from Settings > Apps > Startup.
• Users: The user accounts currently signed into your PC, how much resources they’re using,
and what applications they’re running.
• Details: More detailed information about the processes running on your system. This is
basically the traditional “Processes” tab from the Task Manager on Windows 7.
• Services: Management of system services. This is the same information you’ll find in
services.msc, the Services management console.
Performance Information in Task Manager:

• The Performance tab shows real-time graphs displaying the usage of system resources like
CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU.
• If multiple disks, network devices, or GPUs are present that could be viewed all of them
separately.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 90
 • The small graphs in the left pane shows resource usage over the last 60 seconds.

In addition to resource information, the Performance page shows information about system’s
hardware. Some different panes are:
• CPU: The name and model number of CPU, its speed, the number of cores it has, and
whether hardware virtualization features are enabled and available. It also shows system’s
“uptime,” which is how long system has been running since it last booted up.
• Memory: How much RAM the system has, its speed, and how many of the RAM slots on
motherboard are used. It also shows how much of memory is currently filled with cached
data.
• Disk: The name and model number of disk drive, its size, and its current read and write
speeds.
• Wi-Fi or Ethernet: Windows shows a network adapter’s name and its IP addresses (both
IPv4 and IPv6 addresses) here. For Wi-Fi connections, it also shows the Wi-Fi standard in
use on the current connection—for example, 802.11ac.
• GPU: The GPU pane shows separate graphs for different types of activity—for example,
3D vs. video encoding or decoding. The GPU has its own built-in memory, so it also shows
GPU memory usage. It shows the name and model number of GPU here and the graphics
driver version it’s using.
=== * ===
Working with Task Manager:
• Identify Running Applications and its associated Process Names.
• Load New Application and identify its associate Process Name
o Example: Load Notepad Editor, identify its process notepad.exe
• Identify different Services available like Running/Stopped
o Example: DHCP, Eventlog, PlugPlay, WSearch, Simptcp
• Note down the Process id of any running application and end the process either manually
or through command
• Identify Different users currently logged in and try to Disconnect or Log off the users from
the system.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 91
 3. Working with task scheduler:

Task Scheduler:
• Task Scheduler is a tool that allows you to create and run virtually any task automatically.
• Task Scheduler works by keeping tabs of the time and events on your computer and
executes the task as soon as the condition is met.
• Task Scheduler is a job scheduler in Microsoft Windows that launches computer programs
or scripts at pre-defined times or after specified time intervals.
• Steps to Open Task Schduler:
• Open the Control Panel.
• Open the Administrative Tools window.
o In Windows 7, look under System and Security.
• Open the Task Scheduler icon.
• If prompted, type the administrator’s password or click Continue.

The Task Scheduler window appears.

• On the left side, select the top item, Task Scheduler (Local).

You see the Task Scheduler Summary. It provides a review of your tasks, including which tasks have run
and which are active.

How to create a Basic Task using Task Scheduler:

To create a task using basic settings on Windows 10, use these steps:
1. Open Start.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 92
 2. Search for Task Scheduler and click the top result to open the experience.
3. Right-click the "Task Scheduler Library" branch, and select the New Folder option.

4. Type a name for the folder. For example, MyTasks. (This step isn't a requirement, but it's
a recommended step to keep your tasks separate from the system and apps tasks.)
5. Click the OK button.
6. Expand the "Task Scheduler Library" branch, and select the MyTasks folder.
7. Click the Action menu.
8. Select the Create Basic Task option.

9. In the "Name" field, type a short descriptive name for the task. For example, Notepad
Launcher.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 93
 10. (Optional) In the "Description" field, create a description for the task.
11. Click the Next button.
12. Select the Monthly option.

Task Scheduler allows you to select from a number of triggers, including on a specific date,
during startup, or when you or a particular user signs in. Depending on your requirements,
you'll need to configure additional parameters. In this case, we'll be selecting the option to
run a task every month.
13. Click the Next button.
14. Using the "Start" settings, specify when the task should start running and the time (very
important).
15. Use the "Monthly" drop-down menu to the months of the year that you want to run the task.

16. Use the "Days" or "On" drop-down menu to specify the days that the task will run.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 94
 Quick Tip: Using the "On" setting may be your best option if you're planning to run a task
during a specific day of the week.
17. Click the Next button.
18. Select the Start a program option to launch an app, run a command, or execute a script
file.

You can select the Send an e-mail or Display a message option, but these are deprecated
features, which means that they may or may not work because Microsoft is no longer
maintaining them.
o Send an e-mail: Triggers an email notification with a custom message on schedule,
but it requires to specify an email server to work.
o Display a message: Allows to display a text message on the screen on schedule.
19. In the "Program/script" field, specify the path for the application.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 95
 Quick Tip: If you don't know the path of the app, click the Browse button to find it.
20. (Optional) In the "Add arguments" field, you can specify arguments to run the task with
special instructions.
21. (Optional) In the "Start in" field, specify the folder in which the program will start.
(Usually, you can leave this setting empty.)
22. Click the Finish button.

Once you've completed the steps, the task will be saved, and it'll run automatically on the schedule
you specified.

RESULT: Task scheduling of ___________________________________ Application is

done.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 96
 4. Customizing Windows Desktop:

❖ Windows 10 makes it easy to customize the look and feel of your desktop.
❖ To access the Personalization settings, right-click anywhere on the desktop, then
select Personalize from the drop-down menu. The Personalization settings will appear.

Change the Welcome Screen

• There are two basic things you can change that will affect the welcome screen. First of all,
you can change your profile picture. Secondly, you can apply a hack or software to change
the background image.
• To change your profile picture, go to > Start and type > User Accounts into the bar that
says > Search programs and files, then open the respective entry under > Control Panel.
Next, select > Change your picture. You can now choose a default image or click > Browse
for more pictures... at the bottom of the list to access your own files.
• Once you have selected an image click the > Change Picture button and you're done.

Add Desktop Gadgets

Gadgets are tiny tools that sit on your desktop. They add functionality and quickly let you complete
tasks without launching a large program. Some of my three favorite Windows gadgets are:
• Clipboard Manager - Manage your clipboard history, search entries, store favorite clips,
and more.
• Skype Gadget - Keep a minimized Skype interface on your desktop and save space.
• The Magic Folder - Automatically sort files into pre-defined folders based on their file
extension.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 97
To browse, discover, and install gadgets, visit the Windows Live Gadget Gallery. To launch
existing gadgets, go to > Start and type > Desktop Gadgets into the bar that says > Search
programs and files, then open the respective entry under > Control Panel.

Change the Windows Theme

Changing the theme will have the greatest impact on your system in terms of look and feel. And
you'll be surprised how easy it is. > Right-click desktop and select > Personalize..

Create a Custom Desktop Slideshow

To add some variety to your desktop or showcase your own photos, you can create a custom
desktop slideshow that will regularly change your wallpaper.
> Right-click desktop, select > Personalize, and click on > Desktop Background. To create a
slideshow, you need to select any entry from the > Picture location drop-down menu other than

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 98
the default 'Solid Colors'. Now > Browse for the folder that holds your pictures, > Select the ones
you like, choose a > Picture position and time interval to > Change picture. Finally click the >
Save changes button and enjoy.

Like the > Desktop Background you can also customize > Window Color and > Sounds and so
create your own custom theme. Don't forget to > Save theme!

Add Toolbars to Taskbar & Enable Quick Launch Bar

A toolbar located in your taskbar can provide instant access to often used programs, for
example iTunes. Simply > right click Taskbar, expand > Toolbars, and check the ones you would
like to see.
Follow the same steps outlined above and select > New toolbar..., enter the following path >
%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch and click > Select
Folder. The Quick Launch bar will appear, but it needs more customization. > Right-click Quick
Launch and uncheck > Show title and > Show Text to make it more compact. You can also uncheck
> Lock the taskbar and then > drag and drop Quick Launch into place.

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 99
 Week-10
Command Prompt and PowerShell

• The Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE) is a host application for
Windows PowerShell.
• In Windows PowerShell ISE, one can run commands and write, test, and debug scripts in
a single Windows-based graphic user interface with multiline editing, tab completion,
syntax coloring, selective execution, context-sensitive help, and support for right-to-left
languages.
• One can use menu items and keyboard shortcuts to perform many of the same tasks that
you would perform in the Windows PowerShell console. For example, when you debug a
script in the Windows PowerShell ISE, to set a line breakpoint in a script, right-click the
line of code, and then click Toggle Breakpoint.
• To open it you just go to Start - Search and then Type - PowerShell
• Command-line shell and scripting language built on the .NET Framework Designed
specifically for system administration o Automate tasks on local and remote Windows
machines
o Originally designed as a replacement for the current command environment and
BATCH files

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 100
Start PowerShell by typing powershell
• Looks like command prompt, but with PS in front
• For help use:
get-help <cmdlet name>
• For help on all the possible get commands use: get-help –Name get-*

1. Execute basic commands in Windows using command prompt and PowerShell like listing
the drives in a system, creating a new file, removing a file or directory, retrieving the list of
processes and services:

Basic Commands in Windows using Command Prompt:

Commands Description

dir Listing Files and Folders/Diectories

md FolderName To make the Folder/Directory

rd FolderName To remove Folder/Directory

cd NextFolderName Change Directory to successor Directory

cd .. Change Directory to Previous Directory
cd Display Current Working Directory

del FileName Deleting File

ren OldFilename NewFilename Renaming Old File with New Name

Create New file and Adding Contents, Copying

copy con FileName
Contents on the Console to File

echo Text to be Displayed To Display the typed Text

tasklist List of Processes running

taskkill –pid Taskid End Process (pid)

prompt UserPromptText To display the Prompt with user Defined Text

cls Clear the contents in Console

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 101
 type FileName Display the Contents of the File

exit Close the Command Prompt

copy OriginalFile CopyofFile Copies the Contents of OriginalFile to CopyofFile

move FileWithPath1 File which is one path will be moved to another path
FilewithAnotherPath with same or different name.

attrib [+h] [-h] [+r][-r] Attach the attributes to the File like, add hidden,
FileName remove hidden, add Read Only, Remove Read only

ping <ip or domain> The ping command sends packets of data to a

specific IP address (or domain) on a network and
then lets you know how long it took to transmit that
data and get a response.
Checks if Server is Reachable.
ipconfig ipconfig will provide ip address along with your local
network.

driverquery Lists Installed Drivers in the PC.

systeminfo Basic information about pc’s hardware, like –

motherboard, processor & ram

cls To clear the existing commands in prompts.

Simple DOS Command based Example:

• Create Folder named DTE
• Create Four Folders inside DTE as, Engineering, Diploma, Office, Polytechnic
• Create file named diplomafile.txt with initial Content “Hardware Lab” inside Diploma
Folder
• Create file named enggfile.txt with initial Content “Hello,” inside Engineering Folder
• Create file named officefile.txt with initial Content “Welcome to ” inside Office Folder
• Create file named polytechnicfile.txt inside the Polytechnic Folder in such a way that, the
Final Content of the diplomafile.txt should be “Hello, Welcome to Hardware Lab”,

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 102
 which is obtained by placing of contents of respective files inside the Folders inside the
DTE Folder.
• Create one Command.cmd and execution of this file should create above task
automatically in Current Directory in one go.

Contents of file Command.cmd

• set path=%cd%
• md %path%\DTE %path%\DTE\Engineering %path%\DTE\Diploma
%path%\DTE\Office %path%\DTE\Polytechnic
• echo Welcome to > %path%\DTE\Office\officefile.txt
• echo Hello, > %path%\DTE\Engineering\enggfile.txt
• echo Hardware Lab > %path%\DTE\Diploma\diplomafile.txt
• type %path%\DTE\Engineering\enggfile.txt %path%\DTE\Office\officefile.txt
%path%\DTE\Diploma\diplomafile.txt >
%path%\DTE\Polytechnic\polytechnicfile.txt

Experiments on Command Prompt Commands Executed:

Commands List Command Code

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 103
 Basic Commands in Windows using PowerShell Prompt
Command Description

Get-PSDrive Listing Drives in System

pwd Get Preset Working Directory

ls List all the Files and Folders in Drive

New-Item FileName Create a new text file

Set-Content FileName Putting content to the File

“Content to Overwrite”

Get-Content FileName Reading contents of the File

Add-Content FileName Adding Content to a File

“Content to be Added”

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 104
Get-Content test.txt | Display Number of Characters, Words and Lines in a File
measure-object -character
-line -word

Clear-Content FileName Erasing content of the File

New-Item FolderName - Create a New Folder

ItemType Directory

Remove-Item FolderName Delete the Created Folder

Remove-Item FolderName Delete the Created Folder and its included folders
Recursively
- Recursive

Cipher /e FileName Encrypt File or Folder

Cipher /d FileName Decrypt File or Folder

Cipher FileName To View all the Encrypted or Decrypted Files / Folders

Get-Process To get list of Processes

Get-Service To get list of Services

Practice on Power Shell- Commands Executed:

Commands List Command code

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 105
Use command line to encrypt and decrypt files and folders/directories:

Steps to Encrypt your file using Command Prompt

● Open ‘cmd‘ from the start menu and change your working directory to the folder where
your files are. This can be done by using the “cd”.
o E.g. C:\>cd Desktop C:\>cd specific

● Type cipher /E and press Enter.

o E.g. C:\specific>cipher /E and automatically the command prompt encrypt
the files in the folder.
● Files in that specific folder will get Encrypted with [OK] written in front of the File
name.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 106
Steps to Decrypt your file using Command Prompt

● As for decryption, the process of encryption is the same, but the only difference is typing
cipher /D and automatically the command prompt decrypted the files in the folder.
● Files in that specific folder will be Decrypted With [OK] written in front of the file name.

Folder Created_____________. Files Created inside folder ____________

Encryption/ Decryption of Files and Folders (Done / Not Done): _____________

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 107
 Week-11
Troubleshooting Laptops-I

1. Observe the layout of a laptop and compare it with a desktop:

Verify the comparison between Desktop and Laptop:-

Desktop Laptop Remark

(Yes/No)
It needs external devices to be
It is all-in-one computer
fully functional.
system.

It is large in size. While it is small in size.

It can have multiple internal It can have limited internal

drives. drives.
It is not portable. While it is easily portable.

While it can run on battery, AC

It runs only on main power
supply and main power supply
supply.
too.
External keyboard are Keyboard and mouse are in-
and mouse necessary built. However external
to work. keyboard and mouse also can
be used.
It has more powerful processor. It has less powerful processor
except gaming laptops.
It has wide rage of screen size. While the range of screen size
in laptops is limited.
The repairing of desktops is easy
While the repairing of laptops
work as compared to laptops.
is little complex.

Components of desktop can be

Components of laptops are not
easily removed.
easily removable.

The number of data ports are more

The number of data ports are
in desktops.
less in laptops.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 108
2. Follow/review manufacturer maintenance guide for repair and maintenance.

Sample guide for repair and maintenance:

● Protect with padding. ...
● Organize cords. ...
● Update your operating system. ...
● Unplug to avoid overcharging. ...
● Purge your system of junk files and programs. ...
● Run regular antivirus scans. ...
● Clean the keyboard and case. ...
● Update your passwords.
● Organise your data
● Backup your data

3. Power Issues: Battery not charging, No power.

Laptop Is Plugged in But Not Charging:

Laptop is plugged in but not charging and suddenly the computer informs that the battery is nearly dead.
A dead adapter is one of the most common reasons your laptop isn't charging.

• Check whether the charging port is making a good connection with the adapter and charging
brick.
• Check the plug that goes into the laptop might be worn out from use.
• Check the power jack on the laptop.

Most common and easy-to-address issues.

Lose the Battery

First, check the integrity of the battery. If your laptop comes with a removable battery, take
it out, and hold the power button down for about 15 seconds to drain any residual power
from the device. Then, with the battery still removed, plug in the power cable and turn the
laptop on.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 109
 • If the laptop powers on properly, that means the power adapter is working properly and the
problem is likely a bum battery. One can always re-install the battery and try again—
maybe the battery was just poorly seated.
• If your laptop doesn't have a visible battery compartment on the bottom, it may be built
into the laptop (like most Macs are), and you'll either have to open it up yourself or take it
to a repair specialist to test the battery.

Make Sure You're Using the Right USB-C Port

• USB-C is a popular cross-platform standard for connecting peripherals, transferring data,

and charging your battery. The new standard allows for thinner devices, but might also
cause some confusion. Some manufacturers have opted to make certain USB-C ports data-
only, so they won't charge your device.
• In some cases, you may find a device with two USB-C ports: one that can be used for
charging or data transfer, and one that is only designated for data transfer. If you run into
a non-charging issue, make sure you are connected to the correct USB-C port. You may
even be able to see a little icon on the side that indicates which port is meant for charging.

Is Your Charger Powerful Enough?

Similarly, just because a power adapter fits into your laptop's charging port doesn’t mean
it’s powerful enough to charge your computer. This goes for any type of charger, but it’s
an especially common problem with laptops that charge over USB-C—you can technically
plug in any USB-PD charger, but some may have too low a wattage to properly charge.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 110
 • Check the wattage of the charger that came with your laptop—if it came with a 45W
charger, you’ll probably want to stick with a 45W charger (or higher) to power it, and so
on. A lower-wattage charger might keep the battery from draining while you use it, but it
won't be enough to charge it any higher.
• It is generally recommend sticking with the manufacturer’s official charger. Cheap,
nobrand chargers can be low quality or even dangerous, so if you have one of those, try
charging with the laptop’s official charger instead.

Breaks, Burnouts, and Shorts

• Feel along the length of the power cord, bending and flexing as you go, to check for any
kinks or breaks. Check the ends for any broken connections, such as plugs pulling loose or
spots that may have gotten chewed by a pet or caught in a vacuum cleaner.
• Inspect the AC brick. Is it discolored? Are any parts warped or expanded? Give it a sniff—
if it smells like burnt plastic, that's likely where the trouble lies. You may need to replace
the power connector. Contact the manufacturer and see if they'll send you a new one under
warranty.

Check the Connector

When you plug in the laptop's power connector, the connection should be fairly solid. If
there's dust or other build-up inside the jack, it may not be able to make a clean connection.
Try cleaning out the jack with a toothpick, and plugging in again.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 111
 • In more extreme cases, you may find the jack is wobbly or loose, or gives when it should
stay firm. This could mean the power jack has broken inside the chassis, and you'll need to
take your computer to a repair shop (or, if you're comfortable opening it up, doing some
at-home repairs).

Beat the Heat

• Batteries are susceptible to heat, so if your laptop is overheating, that could cause a
problem. As the temperature rises, the battery sensor may misfire, telling the system that
the battery is either fully charged or missing completely, causing the charging problems.
You may even find that your system shuts down to prevent overheating a battery and
causing a fire.
• These problems become far more likely when dealing with older laptops, which have
lower-quality cooling than more modern devices—or if you tend to use the laptop on the
couch or in bed, which can block the cooling vents. Turn the system off, give it some time
to cool down, and take a moment to make sure the air vents are free of dust and
unobstructed by blankets.

Check Your Settings in Windows

• In Windows 10, open the Start menu and search for "Power & Sleep Settings," then click
the Additional power settings link. (On older versions of Windows, open the Control
Panel and search for "Power Options.") Click Change Plan Settings and visually check
that all are properly set.
Be on the lookout for incorrect settings for the battery, display, and sleep options. For
example, your battery settings may cause trouble if you set the computer to shut down
when the battery level drops too low or set the low battery level at too high a percentage.
• You can also assign actions like sleep and shut down when your lid is closed, or the power
button is pressed. If these settings have been changed, it's easy to suspect a power
malfunction even though there's no physical problem with the battery or charging cable.
The easiest way to make sure that your settings aren't causing problems is to restore the
power profile to default settings.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 112
 • Mac users can open System Preferences > Energy Saver, then review your preferences.
Mac settings are adjusted with a slider, letting you select the amount of time the computer
can sit idle until it goes to sleep. If the interval is too short, you might suspect battery issues
when settings are the true culprit.
• Don't forget to check these settings for both battery power and wall power. You may want
to revert to the default settings to see if a change in settings is causing the problem.
Update Your Drivers

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 113
 • Open the Start menu and search for "Device Manager." Under Batteries, you should see a
few items: usually one for the charger and one listed as Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control
Method Battery, though there may be others. Right-click each item and choose Update
Driver.
• Once the drivers are all up to date, reboot the laptop and plug it in again. If this doesn't
resolve the problem, you may want to download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's
website. You can also try uninstalling Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery
completely and rebooting, which should prompt Windows to reinstall the driver from
scratch.
• On a Mac, you'll need to try resetting the System Management Controller (SMC). For
laptops with removable batteries, this is as simple as shutting down power, removing the
battery, disconnecting power, and pressing the power button for five seconds. Reinsert the
battery, connect power, and fire up the laptop.
• For newer Macs with batteries sealed into the chassis, shut down the computer but leave
the power adapter connected. With the power off, press and hold the power button while
pressing Shift + Control + Option on the left-hand side of the keyboard. Release the keys
and power button simultaneously, then attempt to power on the laptop.
Swap Out the Cord and Battery
• If the above software tricks don't work, and you aren't able to fix the problem with the parts
you have on hand, you may have to buy a new battery or power adapter (which one will
depend on what you were able to narrow down with the above troubleshooting steps).
• You may be able to find a replacement power cable or battery on Amazon, but again, make
sure it's a legitimate part from the original manufacturer. Using third-party replacements
for the real thing is never recommended, especially when it comes to power.
• Your best bet is to contact the manufacturer directly and order a replacement part, if you
can. It will be a little more expensive, but you'll know you're getting a quality component.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 114
Problems Inside

• When all your options are exhausted—you've tried other power cables and batteries,
checked and rechecked your settings, fixed any potential software problems—the problem
is likely found inside the machine. This is probably a good time to contact tech support.
• Several internal parts can cause problems when they malfunction or fail. Common culprits
include a faulty motherboard, damaged charging circuits, and malfunctioning battery
sensors. Your particular make and model of laptop will likely have its own unique issues,
and a seasoned tech support operator will have seen all of them.
• The person you talk to will likely walk you through many of the steps outlined above, but
will also be aware of software and hardware issues specific to your configuration, such as
what bits of hardware commonly fail.

4. Trouble shooting of computer hardware issues in the different scenarios:

Sl.
Hardware issue Trouble shooting/Solutions
No.
1 Unexpected shutdowns An overheating power supply, due to
…………………………… a malfunctioning fan, can cause a
computer to shut down unexpectedly
2 Computer Locks ups or Freezes 1. Wait. Give the computer a few
……………………………… minutes to process. Sometimes a
computer may appear frozen, but it's
only slow or busy processing a
……………………………… complex task.
2. Check if the computer responds by
pressing the Caps Lock key on the
……………………………….. keyboard and watching the Caps
Lock LED (light) to see if it turns on
and off.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 115
 If nothing happens, the computer is
deadlocked, and so reboot the
computer. If the computer can turn
Caps Lock on and off, continue to the
next step.
3. If the Caps Lock can turn on and
off, Windows is still working, but
another program may not be
responding, causing the computer to
freeze. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open
the Windows Task Manager. If the
Task Manager can open, highlight the
program that is not responding and
choose End Task, which should
unfreeze the computer.
4. If none of the steps above helped,
you must reboot the computer. To
reboot a frozen computer, press and
hold down the Power button until the
computer turns off. Once the
computer is off, wait a few seconds,
turn it back on and let it start as
usual.
3 POST & Boot Hardware failure or system instability can
cause the computer to reboot automatically.
The problem could be the RAM, Hard Drive,
……………………………. Power Supply, Graphic Card or External
devices: – or it could be an overheating or
BIOS issue.
4 Continuous reboot Continuous booting may be because of the
faulty hardware, corrupted driver, malware
infection or dirt & dust.
……………………………. 1. Disable the Automatically restart feature
2. Check the hardware issue
3. Update all the drivers
…………………………….. 4. Run a virus scan

1. Disable the Automatically restart feature

………………………………
1) Boot your computer into Safe Mode.
2) After entering the Safe Mode, press the
…………………………….. Windows logo key and R at the same time on
your keyboard.
3) Type sysdm.cpl and click OK.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 116
 4) Click the Advanced tab and click Settings
in the Startup and Recovery section.
5) Uncheck Automatically restart.
6) Click OK to save.

2. Check the hardware issue

1) Check RAM
2) Check CPU
3) Check External Devices
4) Clean the dust inside the computer
3. Update all the drivers
The missing or outdated drivers can cause the
computer restarting, because the devices can’t
communicate with your system properly.
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click Scan Now.
Driver Easy will then detect any problematic
drivers.
3) Update drivers

4. Run a virus scan

The malware or virus infection is likely to
cause computer to keep restarting,
1) Run the full virus scan in the computer to
make the system works properly.
2) Run a complete check with existing anti-
virus program or
3) Windows Defender may not be able to help,
try another anti-virus program, like Norton,
MacAfee, etc

5 No Power 1. Make sure to turned on every power switch

and power button involved in computer system
2. Check for disconnected computer power
……………………………. cable connections.
3. Plug the tablet/ laptop, or desktop directly
into the wall, remove any power strips, battery
……………………………… backups, or other power distribution devices
between PC and the wall outlet.
4. Perform a "lamp test" to verify power is
………………………………. being provided from the wall.
5. Remove the main battery in the laptop or
tablet and try using AC power only.
……………………………… 6. Carefully inspect the power receptacle on
the laptop or tablet for damage.
7. Replace the computer's power cable or AC
adapter.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 117
 8. Replace the CMOS battery, especially if the
computer is more than a few years old or has
spent a lot of time turned off or with the main
battery removed.
9. Make sure the power switch is connected to
the motherboard if you're using a desktop. This
is not a very common point of failure, but the
PC might not be turning on because the power
button isn't properly connected to the
motherboard.
10. Test SMPS of a desktop PC for failure
11. Test the power button on the front of
desktop computer's case and replace it if it fails
the testing.
12. Replace the motherboard of the desktop
PC. If the wall power, power supply, and
power button are working, it's likely that there
is a problem with the PC's motherboard and it
should be replaced.
6 Loud Noises • The two biggest culprits for excess
noise in computers are fans and
the hard disk.
………………………………. • Fans are used to move the heat
produced by the processor,
motherboard, and graphics card
………………………………… out of the computer, SMPS Fan.
Clean the Fans.
• If the fans are loose, too small, or
………………………………… not powerful enough, they can
create noise.
• Hard disks can also make noise as
the platters spin and the head
seeks data. Consider changing
HDD after taking backup.
• Computers can also make noise if
any components have come loose
and are vibrating against the
frame of the computer. If the
computer is in the wrong area,
any noise from inside the
computer can become amplified.
Fix the components firmly.
• As computers age, they acquire
dust, pet hair, and lint, which can
block fans from running

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 118
 efficiently. Parts can also come
loose, or just wear out, increasing
vibrations and noise. Clean and
replace the wear out parts/fans.
7 Intermittent device failure Most common reasons why a computer turns
(Computer shuts down off without warning:
randomly) • Overheating
• Driver Issues
……………………………… • Malware Infection
• Battery Problems
……………………………….. • UPS / Surge Protector Failure
• Insufficient Charger Voltage
………………………………. • Dodgy Sleep Mode
• Fast Startup Disadvantages
• Out-of-date BIOS
• Software Failures
• Problematic OS
Work on to fix the random shutdowns and
identify the cause.
8 Smoke and burning smell • A burning smell emitting from the
laptop indicates that the
machine’s cooling system is not
……………………………….. functioning properly.
• If the laptop smells like something
is burning, this usually means that
………………………………… the computer is overheating.
• Immediately turn the computer
off and allow it to cool for 10 to 15
………………………………… minutes.
• If you continue to use your laptop
with a recurring overheating
problem, you can permanently
damage the hard drive and
internal components.
• Possible causes:
o air intakes on the case are
blocked- make sure the

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 119
 vents are free of dust and
debris
o fan fails, the laptop may
overheat during periods of
extended use. Troubleshoot
the issue by actively using
the laptop for about an
hour, then listen for the fan
to turn on. If you instead
smell something burning
when the machine heats up,
and you do not hear the fan
kick on, your fan may need
to be replaced.
o laptop batteries will fail and
may emit a burning smell-
Changed the batterries.
o AC adapter will fail, causing
power surges or shortages
to the laptop. A faulty AC
adapter may also emit a
burning smell. Replace the
adapter if needed.
o If you determine that the air
intake vents are clean and
clear, the battery and AC
adapters are functioning
properly and the fan kicks
on when the laptop gets
warm, the problem is with
another component inside
the laptop case. Give the
laptop to authorised service
centre.
o Do not continue to use the
laptop while the machine
exhibits overheating issues.
If you must use the
computer for a short time
while still experiencing the
problem, place a chill mat
under the unit while in use.

RESULT: Sl. No. of Hardware issues resolved __________________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 120
 5. Indicator Lights:
❖ An indicator is a light or LED that prompts the user to the status of a hardware device.
❖ Examples of indicators include the indicators for when the hard drive is working
(reading/writing) and when the caps lock is enabled.
❖ The picture shows the three indicator LEDs on the keyboard. These lights show
whether the num lock, caps lock, or scroll lock are enable or disabled.

BATTERY CHARGE LED:

• If the battery charge LED indicator light turns on and off while AC power is connected
and the battery is still charging, the battery is simply in a low-charge state.
• The Windows battery property shows that the battery is Online - discharging. This
occurs because of the battery's charging cycle.
• Understanding the battery LED status- Laptop with a dual colour battery charge
indicator:
LED STATUS BATTERY CHARGE STATUS
AMBER 0% to 99% charge
GREEN 100% charge
OFF No battery inserted or power has been removed and re-applied.

• Understanding the battery LED status- Laptop with a single colour battery charge
indicator:
LED STATUS BATTERY CHARGE STATUS
ON 0% to 99% charge
OFF No battery inserted or power has been removed and re-applied.

❖ If power is removed and then re-applied while the battery is at or above 95%, the
battery charge LED will not illuminate. The battery charge LED will only
illuminate if the battery is between 0 and 85% or 94% when power is applied.
❖ To reduce the number of short charge cycles and extend the service life of the
battery, the notebooks/laptops are designed to initiate charge only when the battery

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 121
 capacity is below 85% or 95%. Therefore, even though an AC adapter is connected
to the system, the battery will not charge if its capacity is 85% or 95% or greater.
❖ If the adapter is plugged into the notebook/laptop and the battery capacity is 85%
or 95% or greater, the charge LED will not light until the battery begins to charge.
This may take several days since there is no drain on the battery while the notebook
is running on AC power.

Note:
❖ Battery getting charge when adapter connected depends on the Make/Model of the
notebooks/ laptops.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 122
There are two categories of Indicator Lights:
1. Top Cover LED's
2. Device Status LED's (Diagnostics)
1. Top Cover LED's
The three LED indicator lights on the top cover of the computer specify the following:

LED Features
1. Power light - Computer power management indicator.
2. Hard drive activity light - Hard drive activity indicator. Blinking white when the laptop reads
or writes data.
3. Battery light - Battery power management indicator.
2. Device Status LED's (Diagnostics)
The device status LEDs are located either on the top or left side of the keyboard. They are used to
display the storage, battery, and wireless devices connectivity and activity. Apart from that they
can be useful as a diagnostic tool when there is a possible failure to the computer.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 123
Here is how to read the laptop LED codes when a possible error occurs:

RESULT: Laptop diagnosed for Fault/s _______________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 124
 Week-12
Troubleshooting Laptops-II

1. Perform the same operations in week-7 on a laptop:

Week-7 Operations:-
1). Use CPUID CPU-Z tool to identify capacity, speed, technology, and related features of RAM

2). Check for RAM and Motherboard compatibility and install additional RAM stick.

3). Find on Windows system properties to check the RAM for correct installation.
4). Query the SPD RAM chip to identify all Possible information using CPUID CPU-Z

1. RAM Used in the PC and details/features of RAM as displayed in the tool

2. RESULT: Compatible RAM for this Laptop is _____________________________________

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 125
3. RESULT: Installed RAM found in this PC is _________________________________

4. Output Observed in CPU-Z Tool for Memory Module (MM)

Maximum
Bandwidth of MM

Manufacturer of
MM

Size of the MM

Slot Number of MM

Clock Speeds of
Cores and Memory

CAS Latency tRAS

RAS to CAS (tRCD) tRC

Voltages

2. LCD display trouble-shoot: No display/dim video/flickering video:

No Image/display:

If your LCD displays no image at all and you are certain that it is receiving power and video signal,
first adjust the brightness and contrast settings to higher values. If that doesn't work, turn off the
system and LCD, disconnect the LCD signal cable from the computer, and turn on the LCD by
itself. It should display some sort of initialization screen, if only perhaps a "No video signal"
message. If nothing lights up and no message is displayed, contact technical support for your LCD
manufacturer. If your LCD supports multiple inputs, you may need to press a button to cycle
through the inputs and set it to the correct one.
Dim display / Video:

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 126
Firstly, check if your laptop’s brightness level is set to maximum. If the display is still dim,
try restarting the device. This could just be a system error that can be resolved by restarting
the device. Also, check if the AC adapter cord is loose and firmly connect it to the outlet and
laptop. If the issue still persists, it is mostly due to a failure of the LCD. Behind the LCD,
there is an inverter board and backlight bulb which control the picture.

The inverter board converts the low voltage your laptop uses, into higher voltage required by
the long bulb that lights up the LCD screen. If the inverter board or bulb fail, you will experience
the problem of a dimmed display. Even if one of these two components fail, the screen will
need to be replaced, unless the service center can help by just replacing the bulb. We wouldn’t
recommend you try resolving it yourself, as this is more complex and you could end up
damaging the circuit board and the backlight lamp. So, it’s best to leave this job to the expert.

Screen Flickers/ Flickering Video:

Unlike CRTs, where increasing the refresh rate always reduces flicker, LCDs have an
optimal refresh rate that may be lower than the highest refresh rate supported. For
example, a 17" LCD operating in analog mode may support 60 Hz and 75 Hz refresh.
Although it sounds counterintuitive to anyone whose experience has been with CRTs,
reducing the refresh rate from 75 Hz to 60 Hz may improve image stability. Check the
manual to determine the optimum refresh rate for your LCD and set your video adapter
to use that rate.

RESULT: PRACTICE DONE

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 127
3. Wireless troubleshooting: Multiple antennae, check presence of wireless cards:

Multiple antennae

A dual or triple Wi-Fi antenna is a set of identical antennas on a wireless router or Wi-Fi-equipped
device, intended to eliminate signal fading and dead spots.
Dual Wi-Fi antennas operate on a principle known as antenna
diversity, which offers two different reference points for signal
reception or transmission (or both) and uses the better one.
These systems all operate on the principle of antenna diversity,
which engineers have exploited in long-distance
communications systems for decades.

When
you
get a
router
with simultaneous dual-band technology, it
can broadcast a 5 GHz signal and a 2.4
GHz signal. Devices that support modern 5
GHz Wi-Fi will connect to the faster one, while any older devices you have lying around will
connect to the older, slower, but more compatible 2.4 GHz signal. Essentially, the router can host
two different Wi-Fi networks at once.

A dual antenna on either the router or the end user device offers a
solution to the problem of Wi-Fi fading, dead spots, and drop-
outs. If one of the antennas fall s into a dead spot, the device can
switch to the other antenna, which will most likely provide a usable
signal.
The Wi-Fi system constantly monitors the signals from both
antennas and automatically uses the stronger of the two. A dual Wi-
Fi antenna requires additional hardware and integration compared
with a single antenna, but many users find that the performance improvement justifies the increase
in complexity and cost.

While dual-band routers broadcast two separate signals, tri-band routers broadcast three differe nt
signals. Essentially, they’re hosting three different Wi-Fi networks at once.
But the similarities end there. Rather than hosting a network at a third different frequency, a tri-
band router actually hosts a 2.4 GHz signal and two separate 5 GHz signals.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 128
Check presence of wireless cards

A wireless adapter (or networking) card is a device used to allow the computer to send and receive
a wireless signal for communicating across a network. After installing your wireless card, you will
naturally want to test it to see whether the installation was a success. This can be accomplished in
a number of ways, so choose the method(s) that is most to your liking. The testing process should
take no longer than 10 to 20 minutes.

Step 1:

Determine whether the wireless card is properly recognized by the computer. Accomplish this by
navigating to the "Start" menu, then to the "Control Panel," then to the "Device Manager." From
there, open the option for "Network Adapters." You should see your wireless card in the list.
Double-click on it and the computer should display "this device is working properly."

Step 2:
Test your wireless card by seeing whether you can detect wireless networks. Go to the "Start"
menu, then to the "Control Panel," then to the "Network and Sharing Center." Click on the option
to "Connect to a Network." The available wireless networks in your neighborhood should be
displayed on screen. Note that this will only work if you have already set up your own network or
if your neighbors have a wireless network, so do not be alarmed if you cannot see any networks if
none is actually in existence.

Step 3
Ping websites to test the ability of your wireless card if you are attached to a network and the
Internet. "Pinging" a site is sending a small bit of data to the site and measuring the amount of time
it takes for the data to return. Accomplish this by navigating to the "Start" menu, then typing "cmd"
in the search box. Click on the "cmd" program that appears to be taken to a DOS prompt. At the
prompt, type in "ping" followed by a space and the name of a website (e.g. "ping
www.google.com"). If all of your test packets are sent and received without problem, your card is
working fine.

RESULT: PRACTICE DONE

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 129
4. Scan and remove malwares in each computer or mobile device:

Scan and Remove malware from PC in Windows 10:

❖ Windows Security is a powerful scanning tool that finds and removes malware from the PC.
❖ The Windows Defender Offline scan will automatically detect and remove or quarantine
malware.
❖ Before using Windows Defender Offline, make sure to save any open files and close apps and
programs.

Steps to scan and remove malware from PC:

1. Open Windows Security settings.

2. Select Virus & threat protection > Scan options.

3. Select Windows Defender Offline scan, and then select Scan now.

4. The Windows Defender Offline scan takes about 15 minutes to run, and then the PC will restart.

Steps to View the results of scan:

1. Open Windows Security settings.

2. Select Virus & threat protection > Protection history.

Scan and Remove for Malware on Android device:

1. On the Android device, go to the Google Play Store app.

(Find this app by tapping the Apps icon at the bottom of your home screen.)
2. Then tap the menu button. (This is the three-line icon in the top-left corner of your screen.)
3. Next, tap on Google Play Protect. (This will show the status of device and the results of the
latest scan.)
4. Tap the scan button to make the Android device to check for malware.
5. If any harmful apps are found on the device, there will be an option to remove it.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 130
❖ After manually scanning for malicious software, it is also
possible to make sure that the android device is set to scan
apps automatically.
❖ This can be done by tapping the gear icon in the top-right
corner of screen and making sure that both sliders are green.

Preventing Android Device from Getting

Infected with Malware:

❖ Make sure an app is verified by Google

Play Protect when downloading it.
❖ An app is safe to download when a green
badge underneath the progress bar is seen.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 131
❖ However, there can be still apps in the
Google Play Store that have been verified,
but they still contain malware.
❖ This can also happen after the update of the
app.
❖ One can check if updates are safe by going
to the Google Play Store and tapping
Menu > My apps and games. From here,
scan all the updates manually.

RESULT: PRACTICE DONE

RESULT: PRACTICE DONE

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 132
5. Perform Antivirus and antimalware updates:

• Antivirus is a software program designed to detect and destroy viruses and other malicious
software from the system, whereas an antimalware is a program that protects the system from
all kinds of malware including viruses, Trojans, worms, and adware.

Method-1: Update through antivirus program

Most new antivirus programs (programs or computers purchased after the year 2000)
enable users to update their antivirus program through the software.

• Open the antivirus program and look for "Update," "Check for updates," "Live Update," or
something similar.
• Below are examples of how a user may update their antivirus program.

o Microsoft Windows users running recent versions of McAfee can double-click the
Vshield icon in their Windows notification area and click "Check for VirusScan
update" to check for available updates.

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 133
 o Microsoft Windows users running recent versions of Symantec (Norton) can
double-click the program icon in their Systray and click the "Live Update" to check
for available updates.

Method-2: Update through antivirus web page

❖ Some antivirus programs do not include an update utility.

❖ If using such software, download new virus definitions directly from the developers web
page.
❖ It should be noted that some developers require what version is running in the PC to get
updates.

Popular Antivirus Softwares:

• AVG antivirus
• F-Secure antivirus
• Kaspersky antivirus
• McAfee antivirus
• Panda Software
• Symantec (Norton) antivirus
• SOPHOS antivirus
• Trend Micro security software
• Webroot security software

RESULT:
ANTIVIRUS
UPADTED IN PC.

What’s The Best Antivirus Solution?

McAfee, the antivirus brand trusted by 500 million-plus users across 150 countries, is one of
the world's leading providers of consumer cybersecurity products and a pioneer in antivirus
protection. This brand has won multiple antivirus awards from leading online test
laboratories, including AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, PCMag, and The Anti-Malware Testing
Standard Organization.

Top-3 Antivirus Softwares in 2022:

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 134
REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

Week-13
E-Waste Management

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 135
1. Visit https://greene.gov.in and https://kspcb.karnataka.gov.in/ to find the latest
regulations and policies taken up by the Government of India and Government of
Karnataka.

Write the salient points about e-waste after visiting GOI website greene.gov.in:

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 136
Write the salient features of E-Waste management Policies of GOK after visiting website
https://kspcb.karnataka.gov.in/:

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 137
2. Visit a nearby e-waste management plant and understand the management process.

Write the details about nearby e-waste management plant after the visit:

REMARK:

Faculty/Course Coordinator

20CS32P- Computer Hardware, Maintenance and Administration Practice Govt. Polytechnic Karwar 138