Inside the Computer

What's a driver? Do I need one?
After the computer boots up, the operating system begins the process of loading into memory. Unlike the information burnt into the BIOS and CMOS chips, Windows must detect the hardware and load device specific files into memory that allow the operating system to understand and communicate with the hardware devices.

As part of the Windows operating system, Microsoft includes a great many device drivers (for the more popular devices and peripherals). These load automatically as the hardware is detected. However, you may have a particular modem or sound card that isn't included in Windows database. While the operating system may detect the device's presence, it can't assign a driver file to it, since their isn't one in it's database. This is where you come in.

You will need to locate the correct driver for the version of Windows you are using. If you have a disk that came with the device you'll need to use it to install the driver, provided it was created for your version of Windows. A driver written for Windows '98 won't work with XP, so you'll have to get on the internet and find a current one. A good site to look for the driver is DriverGuide.com , but you'll need to know something about the device such as the manufacturer, model number, etc. to get the proper driver.

To find out how to install a driver go to the modem, sound card, or video card installation guide using one of the links below.

1. CPU Socket (for processor)
2. CPU fan connector
3. ATX power supply connector (for plug from power supply in computer case)
4. Memory Slots (for memory modules- new mainboards use DDR modules, previous generation uses SDRAM modules)
5. Floppy Drive Connector (for data cable to floppy drive)
6. Primary IDE Connector (data cable for hard drive, cd-drive - up to two devices)
7. Secondary IDE Connector (data cable for hard drive, cd-drive - up to two devices)
8. Panel for connecting power switch, reset swtch, hard drive light, etc.
9. CMOS Battery (keeps current BIOS Setup information intact)
10. Chipset (contols specific functions)
11. PCI Slots (for pugin cards such as modems, network cards, pci video cards, sound cards, etc.)
12. BIOS chip (see explanation below)
13. AGP Slot (for Accelerated Graphics Port video card, today's standard)
14. Chipset (controls specific functions)
15. Connector for CDROM audio cable (for sound already built onto mainboard)
16. On-board Audio Jacks (line in, line out, microphone jacks)
17. Parallel Port & Serial Ports (parallel printer port plus one or two serial ports which are hidden from view)
18. USB Ports (new mainboards use USB 2.0, older use USB 1.1)
19. Keyboard & Mouse Connectors (PS2 connectors, one for keyboard, one for mouse)

Many mainstream PC's today, especially lower priced ones, have the AGP Video controller, the Audio controller, Modem and NIC (Network Interface Card) built onto the mainboard rather than on separate plug-in cards. On-board video uses a portion of the memory provided by the plug-in memory modules which is typically reserved for the rest of the system. This type of video does not perform well when used for high-end graphics such as games.

It is possible that, even though the video chip is built on board, the manufacturer may have supplied an AGP slot so you can install your own Video card. Today's video cards contain at least 32mb of their own memory, and may go up to as high as 256mb. The on-board video would first need to be disabled in the BIOS/CMOS setup routine before installing the card.

If the modem, sound, or network interface fail, or you want to upgrade them, they can usually be disabled in the BIOS settings also, allowing for installation of a plug-in replacement card.

What is the BIOS or CMOS setup program?
The motherboard contains a special chip called the BIOS, which is short for Basic Input/Output System. Burnt onto this chip are software instructions on how to load basic computer hardware. Many PCs have what is called a flash BIOS, allowing the user to update the BIOS if necessary. The BIOS also includes a sort of diagnostic routine known as the POST (Power On Self Test). This test ensures that the computer meets the necessary requirements to boot up correctly. If the computer doesn't pass the POST you will hear a pattern of beeps that indicate the problem encountered.

CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is a chip on the motherboard which stores system information and computer settings such as date, time, hard drive settings, boot sequence, parallel port settings, on-board audio & video, etc. This information can be accessed and changed through the BIOS/CMOS setup program which is available as the computer begins to boot up. As the computer boots, there will typically be some text on the screen such as "Press Del to enter Setup". Depending on the manufacturer, the key required to enter the BIOS setup may be F1, F2, Del, or Esc.

Unlike earlier generations of PC's, the user is no longer required to go into the BIOS Setup and enter new information such as the number of cylinders, heads, sectors, etc. when changing IDE hard drives, for instance. These and some other settings are now detected automatically.

Note: If the CMOS battery dies, any changes made in the the BIOS Setup will be lost. After replacing the battery, the user will need to re-enter the Setup program and make the changes again.