Core Competency 1: Install and

Configure Computer Systems

Lesson 15: Disassembling a
Computer
3. Steps in disassembling a System Unit
1. Make sure that the computer system in turned off and disconnected from the
power supply.

2. Remove unnecessary hand accessories before disassembly.

3. Prepare the following hand tools and equipment

a. Screwdriver

b. Flashlight

c. Electrostatic mat

d. Anti static wrist strap

e. Thermal paste

4. First, place the electrostatic mat on the working table.

Put on an electrostatic wrap/grounding strap around your wrist and connect the
other end to unpainted part of the computer case.

This will prevent the buildup of static electricity from your body.

5. Open the computer case.

Remove the side panels then lift the panel away from the computer case. (There are
different ways of opening cases depending on the manufacturer so make sure to
check the manual before handling the system case.)

6. Disconnect wires, buses and cables. All of the device that have been
installed will need to be disconnected from the power supply, motherboard, and the
device.

Disconnect all the cables inside starting from the 24-pin ATX power connector
followed by the 4-pin 12 volts power connectors, and the remove all the SATA power
connectors.

7. To remove the power supply, the system case should have a large box where
the power supply is installed.

a. Unscrew the bolts from the power supply and put them in a box so you won't
misplace them.
b. Remove the power supply by sliding it out.

8. To remove the optical drive, look for the drive bay usually located on the
upper portion of the system case.

a. Unscrew the bolts that hold the optical drive to the system case.

b. Slide out the optical drive.

9. Remove the hard disk drive. The system case should have hard drive bays
where the hard disk is placed.

a. Unscrew the bolts that hold the hard disk on the hard drive bay.

b. Unmount and slide the hard disk out.

10. To remove the motherboard, unscrew the bolts in the standoffs that screw
your motherboard on the side of the system case.

Afterwards, the motherboard should come loose from the system case.

11. To remove the RAM, look for the memory slots on the motherboard.

a. The RAM sticks should be in the slots.

b. On both sides of the slot, unlock the tabs by pulling them down slowly.

c. Place your finger lightly on top of the stick to support the RAM when it is
released.

d. The RAM sticks should lock out of place and be easily removed.

12. To remove the CPU, firs pull the rod that locks the CPU fan and heat sink to the
mounting tabs.

a. Put the CPU fan away.

b. Next, lift the metal rod next to the CPU socket that hold the CPU.

c. Take note of the arrow that points at the corner of the processor to its socket.

d. Take the CPU carefully from the socket and immediately return it once you've
noted its specifications.

13. Once you've disassembled all the components, you can now write the
details of each component in an inventory form.

Lesson 16: Assembling a Computer

 3. Steps in Assembling a System Unit
1. Prepare all the materials needed for the computer assembly.

 Screwdriver
 Flashlight
 Brush
 Electrostatoc Mat
 Anti static wrist strap
 Thermal Paste

2. First, place the electrostatic mat on the work table.

3. Put on an electrostatic strap/ground strap around your wrist and connect

the other end to the unpainted part of the computer case. (This will prevent the
buildup of static electricity from your body.)

4. Open the computer case then lift the panel away from the computer
case. (There are different ways of opening cases so make sure to check the manual
before opening the case.)

5. Before installing the CPU, make sure to check the brand's specific information
about the processor.

Clean the CPU fan and the heat sink with a brush.

 Lift the metal rod next to he CPU socket. (The CPU should have a mark in a corner
that designates where it should be placed on the socket.)
 Carefully insert the CPU lining to its markings.
 Push the rod back down to lock the processor into place.
 Following the instructions provided, place a small amount of thermal compound onto
the CPU and the heat sink.
 Take the CPU fan and align it on the mounting tabs.
 The fan should have a rod to the CPU socket.
 Screw the CPU fan to the motherboard.
 Pull down the rod to lock the fan into place.
 Make sure to place the fan's power connector to the motherboard.

6. To install the RAM, look for the memory slot on the motherboard.

 The RAM sticks should fit accordingly with the slots.

 Gently push the RAM from both ends until it clicks into place at the memory slot.
 The tabs should lock the RAM in.

7. Next, the motherboard is installed by screwing the standoffs into

place. (These will screw in your motherboard on the side of the system case.)

 Screw accordingly and align with the I/O bezel.

8. To install a hard disk, the system case should have hard drive bays where the
hard disk is placed.
 Mount the hard disk by sliding it into place until screw holes are lined up from both
hard disk and the case.
 Screw them tightly.

9. To install an optical drive, look for the drive bay usually located on the upper
portion of the system case.

 From the outside, simply slide the optical drive into place until the screw holes are
lined up from both optical drive and the case.
 Screw them tightly.

10. To install the power supply, the system case should have a large box where
the power supply is installed. (This will usually differ depending on the brand. Align
the holes as you mount it to both the case and the power supply the screw them
tightly.)

11. Finally connect all the cables inside.

All of the devices that have been installed need to be connected from the power
supply.

Carefully read the manual that had come with your case and motherboard as this
usually has the information on how to properly place the cables.

12. Connect the system unit to a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

13. Upon turning on the computer, press the key that would run the BIOS setup.
On most computers, it would either be the DELETE key, F2, or F12.

In the BIOS, you will be able to see the different devices that you connected. This
means that you have assembled the computer properly and can now proceed the
configuring the BIOS and installing an operating system.

Lesson 17: Installing I/O Devices

2. Installing the Keyboard

1. Make sure to read the instruction manual of your keyboard first.

2. Check whether the keyboard has a USB (flat, rectangular shape) or PS/2
(typically round and purple colored) connector.

3. Install the keyboard by connecting it to its proper port.

4. Do not install the keyboard while the computer is powered on. Do not remove
the keyboard while the computer is running.

3. Installing the Mouse

The process to installing this device is similar to that of the keyboard. Check whether
your mouse is using a PS/2 Connector or a USB connector then connect it to its
proper port.
4. Installing the Monitor
1. Identify the connection type that will connect the monitor to the motherboard
or the graphics card.
2. A DVI, VGA, or HDMI are common ports in the monitor and used to produce
best picture qualities.
3. Once the display is plugged to its proper connector on the video card or the
motherboard, the display is ready. Most of the time, drivers are not required but it
should be downloaded to utilize a maximum resolution.

5. Installing the Speakers

1. Determine the type of speaker and its connector.

2. Connect the cable (usually a 3.5mm jack) to the line-out jack of the computer
sound card or on the system unit.
3. Plug in the power cord.

6. Installing the Webcam

Common webcams can be simply plugged into the USB port and you will be
prompted to install their drivers. Some webcams would need to have its driver
installed first. Make sure to read the manufacturer’s instruction manual first.

7. Installing the Printer

1. Make sure to have the printer and power cable.

2. Connect the printer connector to the unit.
3. Insert the ink or toner cartridge to the printer.
4. Turn the printer on.
5. Power the computer.
6. Start the Printer Install Wizard.
7. Follow the instructions to install the Printer Driver.
8. Run a test print to check if the printer isinstalled correctly.

Lesson 18: Configuring BIOS and

Creating bootable device
1. Introduction

The BIOS (pronounced as "bay-os") or the basic input/output system of the

computer, is responsible in making sure that all the other chips, hard drives, ports,
and the CPU function together.

The BIOS basically sets up your computer -- it loads your drivers and boots the
operating system.

2. Understanding the BIOS

The BIOS is a software usually built onto the motherboard that shows the major
hardware components of your computer with the operating system.

It is usually stored on a Flash memory chip on the motherboard, but sometimes the
chip is another type of ROM(Read Only Memory).

When you turn on your computer, the BIOS does several things. The
sequence is as follows:

1. Check the CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Setup for

custom settings
2. Load the interrupt handlers and device drivers
3. Initialize registers and power management
4. Perform the power-on self-test (POST)
5. Display system settings
6. Determine which devices are bootable
7. Initiate the bootstrap sequence

3. Configuring the BIOS

By default, the first boot of the newly installed computer is on the hard disk--may it
be on a laptop or a desktop computer. When installing an operating system, the BIOS
should be configured to set the system to boot on the operating system to be
installed. It should boot first on the USB installer.

Running the BIOS

Upon turning the computer on, press the keys that would run Setup. On most
computers, it would be keys: ESC, DEL, F1, F2, F12, Ctrl-Esc, or Ctrl-Alt-Esc to enter
setup. There is usually a line of text at the bottom of the display that tells you "Press
___ to Enter Setup."

BIOS setup would depend on the motherboard manufacturer. However, these are the
common, standard options you may see in the BIOS setup:

1. If you would like to boot from a certain device, say a USB Flash Drive to install
an Operating System (which we will demonstrate later), click advanced set-up and
look for the first, second, and third boot device.

2. Select first boot device. By default, it would be the hard drive on the installed
computer.

3. Make sure to choose "Save Changes" when you are changing settings in the
BIOS. Afterwards, this will restart the computer so the new settings take effect.

· System Time/Date - Set the system time and date

· Boot Sequence - The order that BIOS will try to load the operating system

· Plug and Play - A standard for auto-detecting connected devices; should be

set to "Yes" if your computer and operating system both support it

· Mouse/Keyboard - "Enable Num Lock," "Enable the Keyboard," "Auto-Detect

Mouse"...
 · Drive Configuration - Configure hard drives, CD-ROM and floppy drives

· Memory - Direct the BIOS to shadow to a specific memory address

· Security - Set a password for accessing the computer

· Power Management - Select whether to use power management, as well as

set the amount of time for standby and suspend

· Exit - Save your changes, discard your changes or restore default settings

4. Creating a Bootable Device

WHY IS BOOTING REQUIRED?

o Hardware doesn’t know where the operating system resides and how to load it.

o Need a special program to do this job – Bootstrap loader.

(e.g. BIOS – Boot Input Output System)

o Bootstrap loader locates the kernel, loads it into main memory and starts its
execution.

o In some syst

5. Bootable Device
1. Booting is a startup sequence that launches the operating system of a computer
when it is turned on.

2. A boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the computer performs when it
is switched on. Every computer has a boot sequence.

3. A boot device is any device or drive that has the required boot files that allows the
computer to start.

In this case, if we are building a PC from scratch, usually there is still no operating
system. With this, an operating system can be booted or installed from a boot
device.

A boot drive commonly used IN the hard drive. Usually, an operating system like
Microsoft Windows is installed in a hard drive to load Windows.

6. Creating Bootable USB Device

Using a third party application (Rufus), scroll the demonstration slides below to see the step-by-step
process on creating a bootable USB device.