A master boot record (MBR), or partition sector, is the 512-byte boot sector that is the first

sector ("LBA/absolute sector 0") of a partitioned data storage device such as a hard disk. (The
boot sector of a non-partitioned device is a volume boot record. These are usually different,
although it is possible to create a record that acts as both; it is called a multiboot record.) The
MBR may be used for one or more of the following:

 Holding a disk's primary partition table.[2]

 Bootstrapping operating systems, after the computer's BIOS passes execution to machine
code instructions contained within the MBR.
 Uniquely identifying individual disk media, with a 32-bit disk signature; even though it
may never be used by the machine the disk is running on. [3][4][5][6]

Due to the broad popularity of IBM PC-compatible computers, this type of MBR is widely used,
to the extent of being supported by and incorporated into other computer types including newer
cross-platform standards for bootstrapping and partitioning.

Memory data register

The memory data register (MDR) is the register of a computer's control unit that contains the
data to be stored in the computer storage (e.g. RAM), or the data after a fetch from the computer
storage. It acts like a buffer and holds anything that is copied from the memory ready for the
processor to use it.

The memory data register is half of a minimal interface between a microprogram and computer
storage, the other half is a memory address register.

Far more complex memory interfaces exist, but this is the simplest that can work.

Micro program address register or Microcode is a layer of hardware-level instructions and/or

data structures involved in the implementation of higher level machine code instructions in many
computers and other processors; it resides in a special high-speed memory and translates machine
instructions into sequences of detailed circuit-level operations. It helps separate the machine
instructions from the underlying electronics so that instructions can be designed and altered more
freely. It also makes it feasible to build complex multi-step instructions while still reducing the
complexity of the electronic circuitry compared to other methods. Writing microcode is often
called microprogramming and the microcode in a particular processor implementation is
sometimes called a microprogram.

Conventional PCI (part of the PCI Local Bus standard and often shortened to PCI) is a
computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer. These devices can take either the
form of an integrated circuit fitted onto the motherboard itself, called a planar device in the PCI
specification, or an expansion card that fits into a slot. The name PCI is an initialism formed from
Peripheral Component Interconnect. The PCI Local Bus is common in modern PCs, where it has
displaced ISA and VESA Local Bus as the standard expansion bus, and it also appears in many
other computer types. Despite the availability of faster interfaces such as PCI-X and PCI Express,
conventional PCI remains a very common interface.

AT vs. ATX
A typical installation of an ATX form factor computer power supply.

There are two basic differences between AT and ATX power supplies: The connectors that
provide power to the motherboard, and the soft switch. On older AT power supplies, the Power-
on switch wire from the front of the computer is connected directly to the power supply.

On newer ATX power supplies, the power switch on the front of the computer goes to the
motherboard over a connector labeled something like; PS ON, Power SW, SW Power, etc. This
allows other hardware and/or software to turn the system on and off.

The Accelerated Graphics Port (often shortened to AGP) is a high-speed point-to-point channel
for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of
3D computer graphics. Since 2004, AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI
Express. As of mid-2009, PCIe cards dominate the market, but new AGP cards and motherboards
are still available for purchase

A BIOS will also have a user interface (or UI for short). Typically this is a menu system accessed
by pressing a certain key on the keyboard when the PC starts. In the BIOS UI, a user can
configure hardware, set the system clock, enable or disable system components, and most
importantly, select which devices are eligible to be a potential boot device and set various
password prompts, most importantly a password for securing access to the BIOS UI functions
itself and preventing malicious users from booting the system from unauthorized peripheral
devices.

The BIOS provides a small library of basic input/output functions used to operate and control the
peripherals such as the keyboard, text display functions and so forth, and these software library
functions are callable by external software. In the IBM PC and AT, certain peripheral cards such
as hard-drive controllers and video display adapters carried their own BIOS extension ROM,
which provided additional functionality. Operating systems and executive software, designed to
supersede this basic firmware functionality, will provide replacement software interfaces to
applications.

Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) (pronounced /ˈsiːmɒs/) is a technology

for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors,
microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits. CMOS technology is also used for
several analog circuits such as image sensors, data converters, and highly integrated transceivers
for many types of communication.

Double Data Rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (or also known as DDR
SDRAM) is a class of memory integrated circuits used in computers.

Compared to the preceding single data rate (SDR) SDRAM, the DDR SDRAM interface makes
higher transfer rates possible by more strict control of the timing of the electrical data and clock
signals. Implementations often have to use schemes such as phase-locked loops and self-
calibration to reach the required timing accuracy. [1][2]The interface uses double pumping
(transferring data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal) to lower the clock
frequency. One advantage of keeping the clock frequency down is that it reduces the signal
integrity requirements on the circuit board connecting the memory to the controller. The name
"double data rate" refers to the fact that a DDR SDRAM with a certain clock frequency achieves
nearly twice the bandwidth of a single data rate (SDR) SDRAM running at the same clock
frequency, due to this double pumping.

Random-access memory (RAM) is a form of computer data storage. Today, it takes the form of
integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order (i.e., at random). "Random"
refers to the idea that any piece of data can be returned in a constant time, regardless of its
physical location and whether or not it is related to the previous piece of data

Read-only memory (usually known by its acronym, ROM) is a class of storage media used in
computers and other electronic devices. Because data stored in ROM cannot be modified (at least
not very quickly or easily), it is mainly used to distribute firmware (software that is very closely
tied to specific hardware, and unlikely to require frequent updates)

MS EXCELL GUI COMPONENTS

GUI Components

.Net Component   DockFloatNet        lets you easily  create dockable and floatable controls in
your C#. Net, VB.Net,  C++.Net applications.    Built totally with managed code,  it has a rich set
of properties that can be used in both design and run time.

A time-saving set of rich and flexible UI controls for Windows Forms.

ActiveX  EasySizer       sizes all the controls in the VB forms .    EasySizer provides customized
property editor to let you set sizing style, font sizing style, and 3D effect  for each control.    
EasySizer works with Microsoft's Tab Control.   It also lets controls negotiate their positions with
Microsoft's toolbar, statubar and coolbar controls

Java Class Library  JDockFloatPro     Do you want any AWT and Swing components dockable
and floatable?    JDockFloatPro provides you this to create sharp and sophisticated Java GUI.   
With 10 lines of code,   you have your components dockable and floatable

ActiveX XDockFloat       lets you create sharp and advanced VB GUI in both MDI and SDI
applications.    It can make VB forms dockable and floatable, create dockable and floatable
toolbars that can contain any controls.   XDockFloat also provides methods to draw images on the
VB's menu control and images on the drop-down list in the Microsoft Toolbar controls.   It is so
easy to use that in two minutes you can build a user interface similar to Microsoft's Visual Studio.

ActiveX XMenuImage      XMenuImage let you easily add images to the standard VB menu
items.  It can draw images based on the menu states.

A peripheral is a device attached to a host computer but not part of it, and is more or less
dependent on the host. It expands the host's capabilities, but does not form part of the core
computer architecture.

Common peripherals

1. Storage
2. Input
a. Input device
3. Output
a. Output device
b. Display device
c. Graphical output device
d. Computer display