Publish at Scribd or explore others:
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
OS-Assignment
1. Token Ring is a very old and outdated LAN protocol in comparison to Ethernet. If I remember correctly, Token Ring was developed years ago by IBM, after which the IEEE committee made it a standard. Speeds of up to 16Mbps are possible with Token Ring networks, providing safer methods of data transfer between nodes when compared to Ethernet.
source: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/loginMembersOnly/1,289498,sid7_gci1112642,00.html?NextURL=http%3A//searchnetworking.techtarget.com/expert/KnowledgebaseAnswer/0%2C289625%2Csid7_gci1112642%2C00.html?referrer=SEO_MO|www.google.com.ph_ER_1112642
2.The implicatiions of passing logon procedures, user IDs, and passwords openly on the network are great risk to protect critical information on the network. Appropriate access controls assist to protect information processed and stored in computer systems. The organisation's system security policy must clearly define the needs of each user or group to access systems, applications and data. The file-access rights should be configured according to business requirements and the "need to know" principle.
3.The importance of computer networking to achieve resource sharing and data sharing is widely recognized. Local networking to achieve high performance and reliability is inevitable for the future. As cost of logic and memory decreases, the cost of communications resources become increasingly significant and these resources must be increasingly shared. This heightens the possibility of deadlocks due to this sharing.
- their must be a mutual exclusive access in the network.
- their must be a condition for holding non-sharable resources.
- any request for certain files inn the network must be allocated, but it cannot request another resources unless it releases the resource that it holds.
- before requesting resources, we first check wheter they arre available or not to prevent hold and wait state.
In an apparatus having a network including successive stages of cross-point switches which collectively interconnect a plurality of nodes external to said network, wherein at least one message is carried between one of the nodes and one of the cross-point switches over a route through said network, a method for preventing routing deadlocks from occurring in the network which comprises the steps of: creating a graphical representation of the network; searching for the existence of cycles within the graphical representation; partitioning the graphical representation into at a first subgraph and a second subgraph if cycles exist in the graphical representation; searching for the existence of edges directed from the first subgraph to the second subgraph; and removing the edges directed from the first subgraph to the second subgraph. Preferably the step of partitioning the network into at a first subgraph and a second subgraph is performed such that the first subgraph and the second subgraph have an equal number of vertices, a number of directed edges from the first subgraph to the second subgraph is minimized so as to minimize the number of routes prohibited, and a set of partition constraints are satisfied. The method is recursively applied to the first subgraph and then the second subgraph, thereby removing all of the deadlock prone cycles in the network while minimizing the number of routes prohibited due to remove edges.
The problem of detecting process deadlocks is common to transaction oriented computer systems which allow data sharing. Several good algorithms exist for detecting process deadlocks in a single location facility. However, the deadlock detection problem becomes more complex in a geographically distributed computer network due to the fact that all the information needed to detect a deadlock is not necessarily available in a single node, and communications may lead to synchronization problems in getting an accurate view of the network state.
Two algorithms are then presented for detecting deadlocks in a computer network which allows processes to wait for access to a portion of a database, or a message from another process. The first algorithm presented is based on the premise that there is one control node in the network, and this node has primary responsibility for detecting process deadlocks. The second, and recommended, algorithm distributes the responsibility for detecting deadlocks among the nodes in which the involved processes and resources reside. Thus a failure of any single node has limited effect upon the other node in the network.
Routing algorithms used in wormhole switched networks must all provide a solution to the deadlock problem. If the routing algorithm allows deadlock cycles to form, then it must provide a deadlock recovery mechanism. Because deadlocks are anomalies that occur while routing, the deadlock recovery mechanism should not allocate any expensive hardware resources for the sake of handling such a rare event. Rather, it should only dedicate a minimal set of required resources to the recovery process in order to engage most of the hardware resources to the task of routing normal packets. This paper proposes a new deadlock recovery mechanism to be used with the True Fully Adaptive Routing algorithm. The new deadlock recovery mechanism takes advantage of the concept behind wormhole switching. The scheme is efficient in terms of hardware requirements, causes fewer deadlocks and can compete with other expensive deadlock recovery schemes.
Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6065063.html
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA047025
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/6712/17967/00830311.pdf?temp=x
4.I Would Prefer A switch (switching hub) in the context of networking refers to a device which filters and forwards data packets across a network.
Unlike a standard hub which simply replicates what it receives on one port onto all the other ports, a switching hub keeps a record of the MAC addresses of the devices attached to it.
When the switch receives a data packet, it forwards the packet directly to the recipient device by looking up the MAC address.
A network switch can utilise the full throughput potential of a networks connection for each device making it a natural choice over a standard hub.
In other words, say for instance you had a network of 5 PCs and a server all connected with 10Mbps UTP cable, with a hub the throughput (10Mbps) would be shared between each device, with a switch each device could utilise the full 10Mbps connection.
When using a switch instead of a hub it is common place to create a faster throughput connection between the switch and the server (backbone).
For example if you had 10 PCs connected to the switch with 10Mbps cable then it would improve performance to use a 100Mbps connection from the switch to the server.
Source: http://www.helpwithpcs.com/jargon/network-switch.htm
source: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/loginMembersOnly/1,289498,sid7_gci1112642,00.html?NextURL=http%3A//searchnetworking.techtarget.com/expert/KnowledgebaseAnswer/0%2C289625%2Csid7_gci1112642%2C00.html?referrer=SEO_MO|www.google.com.ph_ER_1112642
2.The implicatiions of passing logon procedures, user IDs, and passwords openly on the network are great risk to protect critical information on the network. Appropriate access controls assist to protect information processed and stored in computer systems. The organisation's system security policy must clearly define the needs of each user or group to access systems, applications and data. The file-access rights should be configured according to business requirements and the "need to know" principle.
3.The importance of computer networking to achieve resource sharing and data sharing is widely recognized. Local networking to achieve high performance and reliability is inevitable for the future. As cost of logic and memory decreases, the cost of communications resources become increasingly significant and these resources must be increasingly shared. This heightens the possibility of deadlocks due to this sharing.
- their must be a mutual exclusive access in the network.
- their must be a condition for holding non-sharable resources.
- any request for certain files inn the network must be allocated, but it cannot request another resources unless it releases the resource that it holds.
- before requesting resources, we first check wheter they arre available or not to prevent hold and wait state.
In an apparatus having a network including successive stages of cross-point switches which collectively interconnect a plurality of nodes external to said network, wherein at least one message is carried between one of the nodes and one of the cross-point switches over a route through said network, a method for preventing routing deadlocks from occurring in the network which comprises the steps of: creating a graphical representation of the network; searching for the existence of cycles within the graphical representation; partitioning the graphical representation into at a first subgraph and a second subgraph if cycles exist in the graphical representation; searching for the existence of edges directed from the first subgraph to the second subgraph; and removing the edges directed from the first subgraph to the second subgraph. Preferably the step of partitioning the network into at a first subgraph and a second subgraph is performed such that the first subgraph and the second subgraph have an equal number of vertices, a number of directed edges from the first subgraph to the second subgraph is minimized so as to minimize the number of routes prohibited, and a set of partition constraints are satisfied. The method is recursively applied to the first subgraph and then the second subgraph, thereby removing all of the deadlock prone cycles in the network while minimizing the number of routes prohibited due to remove edges.
The problem of detecting process deadlocks is common to transaction oriented computer systems which allow data sharing. Several good algorithms exist for detecting process deadlocks in a single location facility. However, the deadlock detection problem becomes more complex in a geographically distributed computer network due to the fact that all the information needed to detect a deadlock is not necessarily available in a single node, and communications may lead to synchronization problems in getting an accurate view of the network state.
Two algorithms are then presented for detecting deadlocks in a computer network which allows processes to wait for access to a portion of a database, or a message from another process. The first algorithm presented is based on the premise that there is one control node in the network, and this node has primary responsibility for detecting process deadlocks. The second, and recommended, algorithm distributes the responsibility for detecting deadlocks among the nodes in which the involved processes and resources reside. Thus a failure of any single node has limited effect upon the other node in the network.
Routing algorithms used in wormhole switched networks must all provide a solution to the deadlock problem. If the routing algorithm allows deadlock cycles to form, then it must provide a deadlock recovery mechanism. Because deadlocks are anomalies that occur while routing, the deadlock recovery mechanism should not allocate any expensive hardware resources for the sake of handling such a rare event. Rather, it should only dedicate a minimal set of required resources to the recovery process in order to engage most of the hardware resources to the task of routing normal packets. This paper proposes a new deadlock recovery mechanism to be used with the True Fully Adaptive Routing algorithm. The new deadlock recovery mechanism takes advantage of the concept behind wormhole switching. The scheme is efficient in terms of hardware requirements, causes fewer deadlocks and can compete with other expensive deadlock recovery schemes.
Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6065063.html
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA047025
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/6712/17967/00830311.pdf?temp=x
4.I Would Prefer A switch (switching hub) in the context of networking refers to a device which filters and forwards data packets across a network.
Unlike a standard hub which simply replicates what it receives on one port onto all the other ports, a switching hub keeps a record of the MAC addresses of the devices attached to it.
When the switch receives a data packet, it forwards the packet directly to the recipient device by looking up the MAC address.
A network switch can utilise the full throughput potential of a networks connection for each device making it a natural choice over a standard hub.
In other words, say for instance you had a network of 5 PCs and a server all connected with 10Mbps UTP cable, with a hub the throughput (10Mbps) would be shared between each device, with a switch each device could utilise the full 10Mbps connection.
When using a switch instead of a hub it is common place to create a faster throughput connection between the switch and the server (backbone).
For example if you had 10 PCs connected to the switch with 10Mbps cable then it would improve performance to use a 100Mbps connection from the switch to the server.
Source: http://www.helpwithpcs.com/jargon/network-switch.htm
Thursday, January 31, 2008
DVD Recording
This is the last step in the DVD creation process.
With our DVD Project having been Compiled, there are a set of files that DVD-lab has prepared for you in the Output folder as set in the Compile process. At this point, the DVD Author has choices as to how to convert this set of files into a DVD master disc. You can either use the DVD-lab built-in recording module or you can choose to use a third party DVD recording software such as Nero, Prassi, Gear, etc...
It is common that you are supplied with a DVD recording software that was bundled with your DVD-R/DVD+R burner. This software may be better optimized for your particular drive. The DVD-lab built-in DVD recording module is a general ASPI writing application and should work fine. In an ideal world, either one would work equally well.
DVD-lab Disc record window
The DVD-lab Disc record window is automatically detached. That means it runs as a separate process independent from DVD-lab, you could even close DVD-lab and the recording will continue.
Here are some of the parameter choices for the DVD-lab Disc record window.
Input Folder
The Input Folder is the same as the Output folder in Compile. That means this is the folder where the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders are expected to be.
Device
The DVD recording drive you want to write to, presented as the O/S recognizes it.
Media Type
Set if you want to burn DVD Video or a Mini-DVD.Mini-DVD is a DVD format burned on the CD-R. Obviously you can put far less data on a CD-R (about 700 MB) than on DVD (4.3 GB)
The size indicator on the bottom can help you to determine how much data you can record to the disc. You have to keep your data below the red area.
Note: While you will be able to play the CD-R on a computer not all standalone players will be able to play the Mini-DVD. In fact such format is not officially supported. The reason is that CD's have far less density of data so in order to play the large DVD video bitrate they have to spin much faster than DVD. Not all DVD drives in players are ready for this so the functionality to DVD files from CD-R is often simply disabled. However a number of Asian or re-branded Asian US models of players use a standard PC type of DVD drive which allows for fast spin of CD.
DVD-RW/DVD+RW Tools
For those using a re-writable media, the DVD-RW needs to be formatted if they were already used - click the Erase/Format button to do this. The more common DVD-R media do not need any formatting.
The DVD-RW and +RW needs to be finalized after writing. This takes quite a large amount of time on RW media. Please be patient until this important process is completed.
Options
Test Write checkboxUse this option by checking the Test Write checkbox to have DVD-lab do a trial run at writing a DVD. This option does not write anything to disk or your hard drive, it merely goes through the motions to insure that all of the content and menus within the DVD project are correctly prepared and defined.
Volume Name inputEnter here a name for the DVD volume that will appear when placed in a computer drive. A standalone DVD player just ignores this.
Create Image checkboxYou can choose to have DVD-lab create a large file on your hard drive which is an the image of a DVD disc instead of burning. The result will be one big IMG file. That IMG file can be used with a number of third party DVD recording software to replicate a DVD disc from this image file, as many times as you like, whenever you like. Some software will look for a ISO file name extension, if so, just rename the file to a .ISO extension. This method has the advantage of speed as the DVD image is all prepared on your hard drive, it is then a just matter of how fast your DVD burner drive will burn that image.
Hybrid DVD Writing buttonYou can add additional files and folders to the DVD master disc with the Hybrid DVD Writing option. What this option will do is setup an alternate filesystem on the DVD master disc which is called an ISO filesystem. The ISO format is what a standard CD uses while the DVD video is in UDF/ISO. This is perfectly DVD "legal" as the DVD player doesn't know or care about this ISO filesystem's contents, it just looks for a UDF filesystem.
It doesn't matter at all what the content or nature of these files are. They are just files, not Windows or Mac or Linux files, just files. As they are recorded into the ISO file system domain, they are available on any computer with a DVD drive. This offers the DVD-lab Author some creative options for bonus content that would be available to a computer user on any O/S that supports a DVD drive.
For example, you can create an autorun project in Multimedia Builder and record it to DVD as an extra feature when used on PC. HTML based content may be placed here as well, be sure to indicate to your computer users where to find your HTML starting page (ex: index.html).
Note: The space used by the Hybrid DVD Writing option counts in the entire Project space value. You only get so much space on a DVD (4.7G), this option uses part of that. Do the math to be sure you have room for this extra area.
Write buttonAs expected, click this button to start the DVD writing (burn) process.
Note: It is not recommended to do any work on the computer during DVD writing. Things like reading/writing to hard-drive may easily ruin your DVD-R. Try to let the burning process be the only thing your computer is running until it is completed.
With our DVD Project having been Compiled, there are a set of files that DVD-lab has prepared for you in the Output folder as set in the Compile process. At this point, the DVD Author has choices as to how to convert this set of files into a DVD master disc. You can either use the DVD-lab built-in recording module or you can choose to use a third party DVD recording software such as Nero, Prassi, Gear, etc...
It is common that you are supplied with a DVD recording software that was bundled with your DVD-R/DVD+R burner. This software may be better optimized for your particular drive. The DVD-lab built-in DVD recording module is a general ASPI writing application and should work fine. In an ideal world, either one would work equally well.
DVD-lab Disc record window
The DVD-lab Disc record window is automatically detached. That means it runs as a separate process independent from DVD-lab, you could even close DVD-lab and the recording will continue.
Here are some of the parameter choices for the DVD-lab Disc record window.
Input Folder
The Input Folder is the same as the Output folder in Compile. That means this is the folder where the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders are expected to be.
Device
The DVD recording drive you want to write to, presented as the O/S recognizes it.
Media Type
Set if you want to burn DVD Video or a Mini-DVD.Mini-DVD is a DVD format burned on the CD-R. Obviously you can put far less data on a CD-R (about 700 MB) than on DVD (4.3 GB)
The size indicator on the bottom can help you to determine how much data you can record to the disc. You have to keep your data below the red area.
Note: While you will be able to play the CD-R on a computer not all standalone players will be able to play the Mini-DVD. In fact such format is not officially supported. The reason is that CD's have far less density of data so in order to play the large DVD video bitrate they have to spin much faster than DVD. Not all DVD drives in players are ready for this so the functionality to DVD files from CD-R is often simply disabled. However a number of Asian or re-branded Asian US models of players use a standard PC type of DVD drive which allows for fast spin of CD.
DVD-RW/DVD+RW Tools
For those using a re-writable media, the DVD-RW needs to be formatted if they were already used - click the Erase/Format button to do this. The more common DVD-R media do not need any formatting.
The DVD-RW and +RW needs to be finalized after writing. This takes quite a large amount of time on RW media. Please be patient until this important process is completed.
Options
Test Write checkboxUse this option by checking the Test Write checkbox to have DVD-lab do a trial run at writing a DVD. This option does not write anything to disk or your hard drive, it merely goes through the motions to insure that all of the content and menus within the DVD project are correctly prepared and defined.
Volume Name inputEnter here a name for the DVD volume that will appear when placed in a computer drive. A standalone DVD player just ignores this.
Create Image checkboxYou can choose to have DVD-lab create a large file on your hard drive which is an the image of a DVD disc instead of burning. The result will be one big IMG file. That IMG file can be used with a number of third party DVD recording software to replicate a DVD disc from this image file, as many times as you like, whenever you like. Some software will look for a ISO file name extension, if so, just rename the file to a .ISO extension. This method has the advantage of speed as the DVD image is all prepared on your hard drive, it is then a just matter of how fast your DVD burner drive will burn that image.
Hybrid DVD Writing buttonYou can add additional files and folders to the DVD master disc with the Hybrid DVD Writing option. What this option will do is setup an alternate filesystem on the DVD master disc which is called an ISO filesystem. The ISO format is what a standard CD uses while the DVD video is in UDF/ISO. This is perfectly DVD "legal" as the DVD player doesn't know or care about this ISO filesystem's contents, it just looks for a UDF filesystem.
It doesn't matter at all what the content or nature of these files are. They are just files, not Windows or Mac or Linux files, just files. As they are recorded into the ISO file system domain, they are available on any computer with a DVD drive. This offers the DVD-lab Author some creative options for bonus content that would be available to a computer user on any O/S that supports a DVD drive.
For example, you can create an autorun project in Multimedia Builder and record it to DVD as an extra feature when used on PC. HTML based content may be placed here as well, be sure to indicate to your computer users where to find your HTML starting page (ex: index.html).
Note: The space used by the Hybrid DVD Writing option counts in the entire Project space value. You only get so much space on a DVD (4.7G), this option uses part of that. Do the math to be sure you have room for this extra area.
Write buttonAs expected, click this button to start the DVD writing (burn) process.
Note: It is not recommended to do any work on the computer during DVD writing. Things like reading/writing to hard-drive may easily ruin your DVD-R. Try to let the burning process be the only thing your computer is running until it is completed.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
CPU Packages
1.)S.E.C.C. Package Type
S.E.C.C. is short for Single Edge Contact Cartridge. To connect to the motherboard, the processor is inserted into a slot. Instead of having pins, it uses goldfinger contacts, which the processor uses to carry its signals back and forth. The S.E.C.C. is covered with a metal shell that covers the top of the entire cartridge assembly. The back of the cartridge is a thermal plate that acts as a heatsink. Inside the S.E.C.C., most processors have a printed circuit board called the substrate that links together the processor, the L2 cache and the bus termination circuits. The S.E.C.C. package was used in the Intel Pentium II processors, which have 242 contacts and the Pentium® II Xeon™ and Pentium III Xeon processors, which have 330 contacts.
2.)S.E.C.C.2 Package Type
The S.E.C.C.2 package is similar to the S.E.C.C. package except the S.E.C.C.2 uses less casing and does not include the thermal plate. The S.E.C.C.2 package was used in some later versions of the Pentium II processor and Pentium III processor (242 contacts).
3.S.E.P. Package Type
S.E.P. is short for Single Edge Processor. The S.E.P. package is similar to a S.E.C.C. or S.E.C.C.2 package but it has no covering. In addition, the substrate (circuit board) is visible from the bottom side. The S.E.P. package was used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 242 contacts.
4.)PPGA Package Type
PPGA is short for Plastic Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PPGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PPGA package is used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 370 pins.
5.)PGA Package Type
PGA is short for Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PGA package is used by the Intel Xeon™ processor, which has 603 pins
S.E.C.C. is short for Single Edge Contact Cartridge. To connect to the motherboard, the processor is inserted into a slot. Instead of having pins, it uses goldfinger contacts, which the processor uses to carry its signals back and forth. The S.E.C.C. is covered with a metal shell that covers the top of the entire cartridge assembly. The back of the cartridge is a thermal plate that acts as a heatsink. Inside the S.E.C.C., most processors have a printed circuit board called the substrate that links together the processor, the L2 cache and the bus termination circuits. The S.E.C.C. package was used in the Intel Pentium II processors, which have 242 contacts and the Pentium® II Xeon™ and Pentium III Xeon processors, which have 330 contacts.
2.)S.E.C.C.2 Package Type
The S.E.C.C.2 package is similar to the S.E.C.C. package except the S.E.C.C.2 uses less casing and does not include the thermal plate. The S.E.C.C.2 package was used in some later versions of the Pentium II processor and Pentium III processor (242 contacts).
3.S.E.P. Package Type
S.E.P. is short for Single Edge Processor. The S.E.P. package is similar to a S.E.C.C. or S.E.C.C.2 package but it has no covering. In addition, the substrate (circuit board) is visible from the bottom side. The S.E.P. package was used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 242 contacts.
4.)PPGA Package Type
PPGA is short for Plastic Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PPGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PPGA package is used by early Intel Celeron processors, which have 370 pins.
5.)PGA Package Type
PGA is short for Pin Grid Array, and these processors have pins that are inserted into a socket. To improve thermal conductivity, the PGA uses a nickel plated copper heat slug on top of the processor. The pins on the bottom of the chip are staggered. In addition, the pins are arranged in a way that the processor can only be inserted one way into the socket. The PGA package is used by the Intel Xeon™ processor, which has 603 pins
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Form Factors
AT & Baby AT
Prior to 1997, IBM computers used large motherboards. After that, however, the size of the motherboard was reduced and boards using the AT (Advanced Technology) form factor was released. The AT form factor is found in older computers (386 class or earlier). Some of the problems with this form factor mainly arose from the physical size of the board, which is 12" wide, often causing the board to overlap with space required for the drive bays.
Following the AT form factor, the Baby AT form factor was introduced. With the Baby AT form factor the width of the motherboard was decreased from 12" to 8.5", limiting problems associated with overlapping on the drive bays' turf. Baby AT became popular and was designed for peripheral devices — such as the keyboard, mouse, and video — to be contained on circuit boards that were connected by way of expansion slots on the motherboard.
Baby AT was not without problems however. Computer memory itself advanced, and the Baby AT form factor had memory sockets at the front of the motherboard. As processors became larger, the Baby AT form factor did not allow for space to use a combination of processor, heatsink, and fan. The ATX form factor was then designed to overcome these issues.
Key Terms To Understanding Motherboard Form Factors
motherboard
The main circuit board of a microcomputer.
form factor
The physical size and shape of a device. It is often used to describe the size of circuit boards.
AT
Short for advanced technology, the AT is an IBM PC model introduced in 1984.
ATX
The modern-day shape and layout of PC motherboards.
BTX
The BTX specification provides new tools and design space for developers to lay out desktop systems, whether designing small, compact systems or very large, expandable systems.
Baby AT
The form factor used by most PC motherboards prior to 1998.
ATX
With the need for a more integrated form factor which defined standard locations for the keyboard, mouse, I/O, and video connectors, in the mid 1990's the ATX form factor was introduced. The ATX form factor brought about many chances in the computer. Since the expansion slots were put onto separate riser cards that plugged into the motherboard, the overall size of the computer and its case was reduced. The ATX form factor specified changes to the motherboard, along with the case and power supply. Some of the design specification improvements of the ATX form factor included a single 20-pin connector for the power supply, a power supply to blow air into the case instead of out for better air flow, less overlap between the motherboard and drive bays, and integrated I/O Port connectors soldered directly onto the motherboard. The ATX form factor was an overall better design for upgrading.
micro-ATX
MicroATX followed the ATX form factor and offered the same benefits but improved the overall system design costs through a reduction in the physical size of the motherboard. This was done by reducing the number of I/O slots supported on the board. The microATX form factor also provided more I/O space at the rear and reduced emissions from using integrated I/O connectors.
LPX
White ATX is the most well-known and used form factor, there is also a non-standard proprietary form factor which falls under the name of LPX, and Mini-LPX. The LPX form factor is found in low-profile cases (desktop model as opposed to a tower or mini-tower) with a riser card arrangement for expansion cards where expansion boards run parallel to the motherboard. While this allows for smaller cases it also limits the number of expansion slots available. Most LPX motherboards have sound and video integrated onto the motherboard. While this can make for a low-cost and space saving product they are generally difficult to repair due to a lack of space and overall non-standardization. The LPX form factor is not suited to upgrading and offer poor cooling.
NLX
Boards based on the NLX form factor hit the market in the late 1990's. This "updated LPX" form factor offered support for larger memory modules, tower cases, AGP video support and reduced cable length. In addition, motherboards are easier to remove. The NLX form factor, unlike LPX is an actual standard which means there is more component options for upgrading and repair.
Many systems that were formerly designed to fit the LPX form factor are moving over to NLX. The NLX form factor is well-suited to mass-market retail PCs.
BTX
The BTX, or Balanced Technology Extended form factor, unlike its predecessors is not an evolution of a previous form factor but a total break away from the popular and dominating ATX form factor. BTX was developed to take advantage of technologies such as Serial ATA, USB 2.0, and PCI Express. Changes to the layout with the BTX form factor include better component placement for back panel I/O controllers and it is smaller than microATX systems. The BTX form factor provides the industry push to tower size systems with an increased number of system slots.
One of the most talked about features of the BTX form factor is that it uses in-line airflow. In the BTX form factor the memory slots and expansion slots have switched places, allowing the main components (processor, chipset, and graphics controller) to use the same airflow which reduces the number of fans needed in the system; thereby reducing noise. To assist in noise reduction BTX system level acoustics have been improved by a reduced air turbulence within the in-line airflow system.
Initially there will be three motherboards offered in BTX form factor. The first, picoBTX will offer four mounting holes and one expansion slot, while microBTX will hold seven mounting holes and four expansion slots, and lastly, regularBTX will offer 10 mounting holes and seven expansion slots. The new BTX form factor design is incompatible with ATX, with the exception of being able to use an ATX power supply with BTX boards.
Today the industry accepts the ATX form factor as the standard, however legacy AT systems are still widely in use. Since the BTX form factor design is incompatible with ATX, only time will tell if it will overtake ATX as the industry standard.
Prior to 1997, IBM computers used large motherboards. After that, however, the size of the motherboard was reduced and boards using the AT (Advanced Technology) form factor was released. The AT form factor is found in older computers (386 class or earlier). Some of the problems with this form factor mainly arose from the physical size of the board, which is 12" wide, often causing the board to overlap with space required for the drive bays.
Following the AT form factor, the Baby AT form factor was introduced. With the Baby AT form factor the width of the motherboard was decreased from 12" to 8.5", limiting problems associated with overlapping on the drive bays' turf. Baby AT became popular and was designed for peripheral devices — such as the keyboard, mouse, and video — to be contained on circuit boards that were connected by way of expansion slots on the motherboard.
Baby AT was not without problems however. Computer memory itself advanced, and the Baby AT form factor had memory sockets at the front of the motherboard. As processors became larger, the Baby AT form factor did not allow for space to use a combination of processor, heatsink, and fan. The ATX form factor was then designed to overcome these issues.
Key Terms To Understanding Motherboard Form Factors
motherboard
The main circuit board of a microcomputer.
form factor
The physical size and shape of a device. It is often used to describe the size of circuit boards.
AT
Short for advanced technology, the AT is an IBM PC model introduced in 1984.
ATX
The modern-day shape and layout of PC motherboards.
BTX
The BTX specification provides new tools and design space for developers to lay out desktop systems, whether designing small, compact systems or very large, expandable systems.
Baby AT
The form factor used by most PC motherboards prior to 1998.
ATX
With the need for a more integrated form factor which defined standard locations for the keyboard, mouse, I/O, and video connectors, in the mid 1990's the ATX form factor was introduced. The ATX form factor brought about many chances in the computer. Since the expansion slots were put onto separate riser cards that plugged into the motherboard, the overall size of the computer and its case was reduced. The ATX form factor specified changes to the motherboard, along with the case and power supply. Some of the design specification improvements of the ATX form factor included a single 20-pin connector for the power supply, a power supply to blow air into the case instead of out for better air flow, less overlap between the motherboard and drive bays, and integrated I/O Port connectors soldered directly onto the motherboard. The ATX form factor was an overall better design for upgrading.
micro-ATX
MicroATX followed the ATX form factor and offered the same benefits but improved the overall system design costs through a reduction in the physical size of the motherboard. This was done by reducing the number of I/O slots supported on the board. The microATX form factor also provided more I/O space at the rear and reduced emissions from using integrated I/O connectors.
LPX
White ATX is the most well-known and used form factor, there is also a non-standard proprietary form factor which falls under the name of LPX, and Mini-LPX. The LPX form factor is found in low-profile cases (desktop model as opposed to a tower or mini-tower) with a riser card arrangement for expansion cards where expansion boards run parallel to the motherboard. While this allows for smaller cases it also limits the number of expansion slots available. Most LPX motherboards have sound and video integrated onto the motherboard. While this can make for a low-cost and space saving product they are generally difficult to repair due to a lack of space and overall non-standardization. The LPX form factor is not suited to upgrading and offer poor cooling.
NLX
Boards based on the NLX form factor hit the market in the late 1990's. This "updated LPX" form factor offered support for larger memory modules, tower cases, AGP video support and reduced cable length. In addition, motherboards are easier to remove. The NLX form factor, unlike LPX is an actual standard which means there is more component options for upgrading and repair.
Many systems that were formerly designed to fit the LPX form factor are moving over to NLX. The NLX form factor is well-suited to mass-market retail PCs.
BTX
The BTX, or Balanced Technology Extended form factor, unlike its predecessors is not an evolution of a previous form factor but a total break away from the popular and dominating ATX form factor. BTX was developed to take advantage of technologies such as Serial ATA, USB 2.0, and PCI Express. Changes to the layout with the BTX form factor include better component placement for back panel I/O controllers and it is smaller than microATX systems. The BTX form factor provides the industry push to tower size systems with an increased number of system slots.
One of the most talked about features of the BTX form factor is that it uses in-line airflow. In the BTX form factor the memory slots and expansion slots have switched places, allowing the main components (processor, chipset, and graphics controller) to use the same airflow which reduces the number of fans needed in the system; thereby reducing noise. To assist in noise reduction BTX system level acoustics have been improved by a reduced air turbulence within the in-line airflow system.
Initially there will be three motherboards offered in BTX form factor. The first, picoBTX will offer four mounting holes and one expansion slot, while microBTX will hold seven mounting holes and four expansion slots, and lastly, regularBTX will offer 10 mounting holes and seven expansion slots. The new BTX form factor design is incompatible with ATX, with the exception of being able to use an ATX power supply with BTX boards.
Today the industry accepts the ATX form factor as the standard, however legacy AT systems are still widely in use. Since the BTX form factor design is incompatible with ATX, only time will tell if it will overtake ATX as the industry standard.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
98 Installation Procedures
After you partition and format your hard disk, you can install Windows 98: 1. Insert the Windows 98 Startup disk in the floppy disk drive, and then restart your computer.
2. When the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed, choose the Start computer with CD-ROM support option, and then press ENTER.
3. If CD-ROM support is provided by the generic drivers on the Startup disk, you receive one of the following messages, where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive:
Drive X: = Driver MSCD001
Drive X: = Driver OEMCD001
NOTE: If your CD-ROM drive is not available after you boot from the Windows 98 Startup disk, install the CD-ROM drivers that are included with your CD-ROM drive. For information about how to obtain and install the most current driver for your CD-ROM drive, view the documentation that is included with your device, or contact your hardware manufacturer.
4. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER
X:\setup
where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive.
5. When you receive the following message, press ENTER, and then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Setup procedure:
Please wait while the Setup initializes. Setup is now going to perform a routine check on your system. To continue press Enter.
2. When the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed, choose the Start computer with CD-ROM support option, and then press ENTER.
3. If CD-ROM support is provided by the generic drivers on the Startup disk, you receive one of the following messages, where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive:
Drive X: = Driver MSCD001
Drive X: = Driver OEMCD001
NOTE: If your CD-ROM drive is not available after you boot from the Windows 98 Startup disk, install the CD-ROM drivers that are included with your CD-ROM drive. For information about how to obtain and install the most current driver for your CD-ROM drive, view the documentation that is included with your device, or contact your hardware manufacturer.
4. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER
X:\setup
where X is the drive letter that is assigned to your CD-ROM drive.
5. When you receive the following message, press ENTER, and then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Setup procedure:
Please wait while the Setup initializes. Setup is now going to perform a routine check on your system. To continue press Enter.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Vista Installation Procedure
1. Boot your computer system using the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD. You may have to set your BIOS to boot from DVD first, as the 1st boot device if it hasn’t been setup before.
2. Then click on the “Install Now” button.
3. You will be prompted to enter a Product Key. Do not enter one - leave it blank.
4. You will be prompted to select the Vista product version you wish to install. Do so now.
6. The installation should proceed normally for Vista. Installation time is quicker then previous versions of Windows.
7. Upon completion of the installation process, you must restart the installation once again from within Vista. And you must select to do a in-place upgrade. This time you will enter your Product Key when asked
2. Then click on the “Install Now” button.
3. You will be prompted to enter a Product Key. Do not enter one - leave it blank.
4. You will be prompted to select the Vista product version you wish to install. Do so now.
6. The installation should proceed normally for Vista. Installation time is quicker then previous versions of Windows.
7. Upon completion of the installation process, you must restart the installation once again from within Vista. And you must select to do a in-place upgrade. This time you will enter your Product Key when asked
Windows 2000 installation procedure
1a. If computer is incapable of booting from CDROM, then first prepare four install floppies, using CDROM. Boot from floppy, and it will prompt to load all four into RAM. (This procedure takes about 10 minutes.) Insert Windows 2000 Full Install CDROM.
1b. Otherwise, insert Windows 2000 Full Install CDROM and reboot.
2. Hit ENTER to install Windows 2000.
3. Hit C to continue.
4. Hit the F8 key to agree to license agreement.
5. Hit D to delete any existing disk partitions.
6. Hit C to create new partition.
7. Hit ENTER to accept the default (one big partition.) Note there may be some space left over. That’s OK.
8. ENTER to install windows on this partition.
9. ENTER to format the partition as NTFS.
10. Wait while the drive is formatted, files copied from the CD. The machine will reboot itself.
11. ENTER to accept locale and keyboard settings.
12. Type computer name and school name in the appropriate slots, hit ENTER.
13. Type the computer name. Type the Administrator password TWICE. Password will show as all asterisks. ENTER.
14. Modify the date, time and time zone as needed. ENTER.
15. Click to select “Custom settings”. ENTER.
16. Click to remove the check next to “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks”. ENTER.
17. Leave “This computer is not on a network or is on a network without a domain” selected (or if a PDC is available, selected the domain option). Type EPAHS in the Workgroup (or Domain) field. ENTER.
18. Remove CD from drive. ENTER.
Computer will reboot. ENTER.
19. Select “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer.” ENTER. ENTER again.
20. Log into computer as Administrator, using the password you entered in step 13. ENTER.
21. Disable the WELCOME Screen.
22. Double-click the “Connect to the Internet” icon on the desktop. Select “I want to set up my Internet connection manually, or I want to connect through a local area network (LAN).” OK.
23. Select “I connect through a local area network (LAN).” ENTER. ENTER again.
24. Select NO to setting up email. OK. OK again.
25. Right-click on “My Network Places”. Click Properties.
Right-click on “Local area network”. Click Properties.
Click on “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” so that it turns blue. Click Properties.
Select “Use the following IP address”.
Type in the IP address, subnet mask, gateway and DNS addresses you wrote down before. Click OK.
26. Change the Resolution (by right clicking on the desktop and selecting Properties:
24 bit True Color
800 x 600
Advanced -> Adapter -> Refresh Rate -> 75 Hz
YES ... OK ... OK ... OK ... (Joe Pesci mode)
Now adjust monitor physical wheels as needed.
27. Set the ScreenSaver to show the computer name:
Right-click on desktop, select Properties
-> Screensaver Tab
-> Text = “PC01 Welcome To EPAHS PC01”
-> Speed = Medium
-> Location = Random
-> Font = Terminal
-> Size = 72
-> Wait = 10 minutes
-> Color = your choice
Energy Saver: Turn off monitor after 30 minutes
1b. Otherwise, insert Windows 2000 Full Install CDROM and reboot.
2. Hit ENTER to install Windows 2000.
3. Hit C to continue.
4. Hit the F8 key to agree to license agreement.
5. Hit D to delete any existing disk partitions.
6. Hit C to create new partition.
7. Hit ENTER to accept the default (one big partition.) Note there may be some space left over. That’s OK.
8. ENTER to install windows on this partition.
9. ENTER to format the partition as NTFS.
10. Wait while the drive is formatted, files copied from the CD. The machine will reboot itself.
11. ENTER to accept locale and keyboard settings.
12. Type computer name and school name in the appropriate slots, hit ENTER.
13. Type the computer name. Type the Administrator password TWICE. Password will show as all asterisks. ENTER.
14. Modify the date, time and time zone as needed. ENTER.
15. Click to select “Custom settings”. ENTER.
16. Click to remove the check next to “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks”. ENTER.
17. Leave “This computer is not on a network or is on a network without a domain” selected (or if a PDC is available, selected the domain option). Type EPAHS in the Workgroup (or Domain) field. ENTER.
18. Remove CD from drive. ENTER.
Computer will reboot. ENTER.
19. Select “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer.” ENTER. ENTER again.
20. Log into computer as Administrator, using the password you entered in step 13. ENTER.
21. Disable the WELCOME Screen.
22. Double-click the “Connect to the Internet” icon on the desktop. Select “I want to set up my Internet connection manually, or I want to connect through a local area network (LAN).” OK.
23. Select “I connect through a local area network (LAN).” ENTER. ENTER again.
24. Select NO to setting up email. OK. OK again.
25. Right-click on “My Network Places”. Click Properties.
Right-click on “Local area network”. Click Properties.
Click on “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” so that it turns blue. Click Properties.
Select “Use the following IP address”.
Type in the IP address, subnet mask, gateway and DNS addresses you wrote down before. Click OK.
26. Change the Resolution (by right clicking on the desktop and selecting Properties:
24 bit True Color
800 x 600
Advanced -> Adapter -> Refresh Rate -> 75 Hz
YES ... OK ... OK ... OK ... (Joe Pesci mode)
Now adjust monitor physical wheels as needed.
27. Set the ScreenSaver to show the computer name:
Right-click on desktop, select Properties
-> Screensaver Tab
-> Text = “PC01 Welcome To EPAHS PC01”
-> Speed = Medium
-> Location = Random
-> Font = Terminal
-> Size = 72
-> Wait = 10 minutes
-> Color = your choice
Energy Saver: Turn off monitor after 30 minutes
XP installing procedure
The three basic types of clean installation procedures are as follows:
Install on a brand new disk or computer system
Erase the disk, format it, and install
Install into a new directory for dual-booting (see the multi-boot discussion earlier in this chapter)
If you intend to use either of the first two methods, make sure you are equipped to boot your computer from the CD-ROM. Most of today's computers support booting from the CD-ROM drive. Doing so might require changing the drive boot order in the BIOS or CMOS, but try it first without the change. With no floppy disk inserted and a clean hard disk, the CD-ROM drive should be tried next. The Windows XP CD-ROM is bootable and should run the Setup program automatically.
The Windows XP setup procedure can also be launched using the five setup boot floppies. On an older computer, you might have to ensure you can boot into DOS from a floppy. People preparing to set up Windows on older computers often overlook this point. They wipe the hard disk and then boot up with a floppy only to find the CD-ROM drive isn't recognized, so they can't run the Setup program on the CD. If you have the boot floppy for Windows XP, your CD-ROM drive should be recognized upon booting, assuming your CD-ROM drive is among those supported. If you have misplaced your floppies or they were not included with your Windows XP CD, then check out the "Making Startup Floppies" section later this chapter.
If you can't get DOS to recognize your CD-ROM drive, see "My Existing OS Won't Recognize the CD-ROM Drive" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter.
NOTE
Remember to check Chapter 2, "Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP," to ensure your hardware components meet the minimum requirements to run Windows XP.
Installation takes 60–90 minutes depending on the speed of your machine. Refer to the following sections if you have questions about the steps of the process. The process is fairly similar for each category of installation, with the addition of the software compatibility report when you're upgrading from an older operating system.
Typical Clean Setup Procedure
If you're installing into an empty partition, and you can boot an operating system that is supported for the purpose of Setup (Windows 9x/SE/Me/NT/2000), just boot up, insert the CD, and choose Install Windows XP from the resulting dialog box. Then, you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure below.
If Windows doesn't automatically detect the CD when you insert it, you must run the Setup program, setup.exe, manually from the Start, Run dialog box. After the Setup routine has started, you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure below.
Another method of kick-starting the installation of Windows XP can be performed from any OS that has access to the CD. If the existing OS is a non-Windows non-32-bit OS, then execute \i386\winnt.exe. If the OS is a 32-bit Windows OS, then execute \i386\winnt32.exe. If you are able to use the winnt32 launch tool, you can follow the typical installation step-by-step procedure below.
If your computer has a blank hard disk, or your current operating system isn't supported, the process is different. You will need to start the installation by using Setup floppy disks or by booting from the Windows XPCD(this approach works only if your computer is newer, and you can boot from the CD-ROMdrive). Setup automatically runs if you boot from the CD-ROM.
→ If you need to create Setup floppy disks, see the "Making Startup Floppies"section later in this chapter.
If you used the winnt launch tool, used the boot floppies to initiate setup, or were able to start from a bootable CD, your installation varies from the typical installation step-by-step procedure as follows:
A text-only step wizard is launched.
Verify that the displayed path is the correct location of the Windows XP source files. Press Enter.
Setup copies numerous files to the hard drive of the computer; this might take a few minutes. After the copying process is complete, the system reboots.
After the system reboots, the setup wizard continues.
Jump to step 15 of the following typical clean installation step-by-step procedure to continue.
The typical clean installation step-by-step procedure is as follows:
The Windows Setup wizard appears. Using the Installation Type pull-down list, select New Installation. (Note: Upgrading is discussed later in this chapter.)
Click Next. The License Agreement page appears.
NOTE
Corporate attorneys know that people don't read these software agreements. I've even heard reports of software in which the agreements make you promise not to write a review of the software without alerting the manufacturer first. I'm sure some interesting, precedent-setting cases will occur in upcoming years.
Read the agreement then select the "I accept this agreement" radio button.
Click Next. The Your Product Key page appears.
Type in your 25-digit Product Key.
Click Next. The Setup Options page appears.
Click the Advanced Options button.
Verify that the path for the location of the source files is correct (it should be:\i386 or if you are installing over a network this would be \\\\i386).
If you wish, change the name of the main windows directory.
To force setup to duplicate all necessary files to the hard drive before initiating the installation procedure, mark the Copy all installation files from the Setup CD check box.
NOTE
Copying all the Setup files to the hard disk has two advantages. First, you can save yourself some time because the file copying and decompressing process is faster from the hard disk than from a CD-ROM drive. Second, the next time Windows XP needs access to Setup files (when you add new hardware, for example), you don't have to insert the CD-ROM. Just browse to the correct directory. Copying the over 6,000 files (yes, that's thousand, amounting to about 450MB) from the CD takes about 15 minutes on a reasonably fast system.
To be able to select the partition into which to install Windows XP (other than drive C), mark the I want to choose the install drive letter and partition during Setup check box.
Click OK. Click Next. The Performing Dynamic Update page appears.
If your system has Internet access from the pre-existing OS, you can optionally select to download the latest setup files for Windows XP at this time. Mark the Yes radio button. If your system does not currently have Internet access, select No, click Next, then skip to step 15.
Click Next. The setup routine attempts to contact the Microsoft download site and retrieve any new Setup files. After this is completed, the setup routine reboots the system automatically.
After the system reboots, the Welcome to Setup text-only screen prompts you to install Windows XP, repair an existing installation, or exit setup. Press Enter to continue with setup.
Your drives are examined and the partition manager is displayed. This tool is used to select the installation partition for Windows XP. If the partition already exists, use the arrow keys to select it, then skip to step 25.
TIP
If you want to install Windows XP into a separate partition, make sure the partition is preexisting or that you have some unpartitioned space on your hard drive. Sorry to state the obvious, but Setup doesn't let you change the size of existing partitions on-the-fly, even though it does convert from FAT to NTFS and does create NTFS partitions from an unpartitioned space.
If you have a large hard disk all in one partition (typical with today's cheap drives when they come from the factory) and want to split it, use a utility program such as FDISK, NT's Disk Administrator tool, 2000's Computer Management tool, or PartitionMagic (I recommend the latter highly). If you want to install into an NTFS partition, remember that FDISK can't create NTFS partitions. As a workaround, you either have to convert the target partition to NTFS during or after Setup or use a utility such as PartitionMagic that can make or convert FAT partitions to NTFS. Note that the NTFS partition does not have to be formatted in advance of your running Setup; as long as it exists as a partition, Setup offers to format it for you.
The main advantage of having multiple partitions on a hard disk these days is to support different file system formats for use with multiple operating systems. You can use FAT or FAT32 on one partition to run DOS or Windows 9x, for example, and use an NTFS partition for Windows XP.
If an existing partition must be deleted to create unpartitioned space where you want to install Windows XP, go on to step 18. Otherwise, skip to step 21.
Use the arrow keys to select the partition to delete, then press D.
If the selected partition is a system partition, you must press Enter to confirm the deletion of a system partition.
Press L to confirm deletion of the partition. (Yes, this is a valid extra step to make sure you are aware that you are deleting a partition.)
To create a new partition out of unpartitioned space, use the arrow keys to select the unpartitioned space, then press C.
Type in the size of the partition you want to create out of the unpartitioned space. The default size listed is the maximum size that can be created. After you have typed in a number, press Enter.
Use the arrow keys to select the newly created partition.
Press Enter to install Windows XP into the selected partition.
Select the file system to format the partition. If the partition is already properly formatted with NTFS v5, another option of "Leave the current file system intact (no changes)" is available. If this option is available, select it and press Enter. Then skip to step 28.
Use the arrow keys to select the NTFS file system (not the option with (Quick) next to it).
NOTE
The Quick options for both NTFS and FAT are only there when you are converting or over-formatting a partition that has already been formatted. It's a way to save time, especially if you are formatting a 2GB or larger drive. I recommend staying away from the Quick format and let the setup wizard perform a full format on the destination partition. It takes a little longer, but it ensures a properly formatted drive.
→ If you want to know more information about deciding whether you should change file systems, see "Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS?" Also, Chapters 26 and 28 contain additional information about file systems and formats.
Press Enter to initiate formatting. A progress of the formatting action is displayed.
After formatting is complete, files are copied to the destination partition. This might take 10 minutes.
After the file copy procedure completes, the system automatically reboots.
After it's rebooted, Setup launches a basic Windows GUI environment. After performing numerous operations (these could take 10 minutes or more), the Setup Wizard appears displaying the Regional and Language Options page. The defaults are for English and a US keyboard; if you require other settings, click the Customize of Details buttons to change them.
If the Windows installer crashes during the installation, see "Windows Crashes During Installation" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter.
Click Next. The Personalize Your Software page appears.
Type in your name and a company name if appropriate.
Click Next. The What's your computer's name page appears.
Type in a meaningful computer name for this system in the Computer name field, such as wxp-den or Bob's-PC.
NOTE
Choose a computer name that is unique. It must differ from any other computer or workgroup on the network. You'll probably want to enter your name or a name of your own choosing, though Setup supplies some cryptic name for you.
Click Next.
If you have a modem present on your system, the Modem Dialing Information page appears. Type in your area code, then click Next.
The Data and Time Settings page appears. Set the date and time and select a time zone.
Click Next. If a network interface is detected, the system installs networking components, then the Networking Settings page appears. If no network interface is installed in your system, skip to step 40.
The default network configuration is set to connect to a Microsoft local area network (LAN) using DHCP to obtain TCP/IP address configuration settings. I think you should wait until later to configure networking for Windows XP Home systems, so, select the Typical settings radio button, and click Next. DHCP or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a networking service operating from a Windows Server system which can provide clients with IP configuration upon bootup. As mentioned earlier, DHCP takes the pain out of setting up network (and Internet) connections because it means you don't have to enter lots of cryptic numbers into little dialog boxes just to get connected. The DHCP server and your Windows XP computer negotiate those numbers between themselves.
Setup proceeds with installing the OS using the settings you've just provided. This takes 20 minutes or more.
If any issues or problems were encountered during the installation, a pop-up dialog box appears. If you want to view the log file of errors now, click Yes. If not, click No. You can always view this information by reading the setuperr.log file later with any text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad.
At this point, the Setup process is complete and the system needs to be rebooted. This might occur automatically or you might be prompted to confirm the reboot.
Windows XP is booted, but there are still several steps remaining before you can gain access.
The Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen appears, accompanied with an animated wizard. You must wait until it is through "talking" to you. Then, click Next.
Setup checks your system for Internet connectivity. No matter what setup determines, you must indicate whether the system gains Internet access through a local network (the Yes radio button) or must establish a dial-up connection (the No radio button). If you have a cable modem or a connection over a network, select Yes. If you use a dial-up connection, you'll be prompted for the connection specifics (such as phone number, username, and password).
Click Next. The Ready to activate Windows screen appears.
Unless you have a specific reason not to, select the Yes, activate Windows over the Internet now radio button.
NOTE
In an effort to curb software piracy, Microsoft has implemented a new scheme to prevent unauthorized installations of Windows XP. After installing Windows XP, you must activate it within 30 days. When you activate Windows XP, your product key is filed into a database along with hardware identifiers from your computer. Activation prevents the same product key from being used numerous times. Microsoft claims the hardware identifiers cannot be used to trace a specific computer and that the activation process is fully anonymous. If you fail to activate within the time limit, the system fails to function until activation is completed.
Activation can occur over the telephone if you do not have an Internet connection. The phone numbers to call are listed on the activation screen and in the readme file on the distribution CD.
NOTE
If you choose to skip activation during setup, an activation command is added to the top of the All Programs section of the Start menu.
Click Next. The Ready to register with Microsoft screen appears.
Unless you want to offer private information to Microsoft, select the No, Not At This Time radio button.
NOTE
Registration is a separate and distinct process from activation. Activation is mandatory for a functioning OS past the 30-day grace period. Registration is voluntary. You should register if you want to get junk snail mail and email from Microsoft, since Microsoft uses this information to focus product marketing.
Click Next. The "Will you be sharing this computer with other users?" screen appears.
If you want to maintain unique user accounts for each person who uses this system, select Yes. If you select no, Windows XP is configured to log in automatically with the administrator account each time the computer boots. If you select No, skip to step 54.
NOTE
Selecting not to create unique user accounts for each person does not mean you cannot switch to this in the future. However, if you select No, you must initially log into the system with the administrator account. After you've logged on, you can create other local user accounts. See Chapter 25 for details on creating user accounts.
Click Next. The Who Will Use This Computer? screen appears.
Type in the names of up to six users for this system, one in each field.
Click Next. The Thank you! page appears; click Finish.
The Windows XP Welcome screen appears with the names of the user accounts created in step 53 listed in a column on the right ready for logon. If you selected No in step 61, you'll be automatically logged on as the administrator and presented the Windows XP desktop.
Install on a brand new disk or computer system
Erase the disk, format it, and install
Install into a new directory for dual-booting (see the multi-boot discussion earlier in this chapter)
If you intend to use either of the first two methods, make sure you are equipped to boot your computer from the CD-ROM. Most of today's computers support booting from the CD-ROM drive. Doing so might require changing the drive boot order in the BIOS or CMOS, but try it first without the change. With no floppy disk inserted and a clean hard disk, the CD-ROM drive should be tried next. The Windows XP CD-ROM is bootable and should run the Setup program automatically.
The Windows XP setup procedure can also be launched using the five setup boot floppies. On an older computer, you might have to ensure you can boot into DOS from a floppy. People preparing to set up Windows on older computers often overlook this point. They wipe the hard disk and then boot up with a floppy only to find the CD-ROM drive isn't recognized, so they can't run the Setup program on the CD. If you have the boot floppy for Windows XP, your CD-ROM drive should be recognized upon booting, assuming your CD-ROM drive is among those supported. If you have misplaced your floppies or they were not included with your Windows XP CD, then check out the "Making Startup Floppies" section later this chapter.
If you can't get DOS to recognize your CD-ROM drive, see "My Existing OS Won't Recognize the CD-ROM Drive" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter.
NOTE
Remember to check Chapter 2, "Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP," to ensure your hardware components meet the minimum requirements to run Windows XP.
Installation takes 60–90 minutes depending on the speed of your machine. Refer to the following sections if you have questions about the steps of the process. The process is fairly similar for each category of installation, with the addition of the software compatibility report when you're upgrading from an older operating system.
Typical Clean Setup Procedure
If you're installing into an empty partition, and you can boot an operating system that is supported for the purpose of Setup (Windows 9x/SE/Me/NT/2000), just boot up, insert the CD, and choose Install Windows XP from the resulting dialog box. Then, you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure below.
If Windows doesn't automatically detect the CD when you insert it, you must run the Setup program, setup.exe, manually from the Start, Run dialog box. After the Setup routine has started, you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure below.
Another method of kick-starting the installation of Windows XP can be performed from any OS that has access to the CD. If the existing OS is a non-Windows non-32-bit OS, then execute \i386\winnt.exe. If the OS is a 32-bit Windows OS, then execute \i386\winnt32.exe. If you are able to use the winnt32 launch tool, you can follow the typical installation step-by-step procedure below.
If your computer has a blank hard disk, or your current operating system isn't supported, the process is different. You will need to start the installation by using Setup floppy disks or by booting from the Windows XPCD(this approach works only if your computer is newer, and you can boot from the CD-ROMdrive). Setup automatically runs if you boot from the CD-ROM.
→ If you need to create Setup floppy disks, see the "Making Startup Floppies"section later in this chapter.
If you used the winnt launch tool, used the boot floppies to initiate setup, or were able to start from a bootable CD, your installation varies from the typical installation step-by-step procedure as follows:
A text-only step wizard is launched.
Verify that the displayed path is the correct location of the Windows XP source files. Press Enter.
Setup copies numerous files to the hard drive of the computer; this might take a few minutes. After the copying process is complete, the system reboots.
After the system reboots, the setup wizard continues.
Jump to step 15 of the following typical clean installation step-by-step procedure to continue.
The typical clean installation step-by-step procedure is as follows:
The Windows Setup wizard appears. Using the Installation Type pull-down list, select New Installation. (Note: Upgrading is discussed later in this chapter.)
Click Next. The License Agreement page appears.
NOTE
Corporate attorneys know that people don't read these software agreements. I've even heard reports of software in which the agreements make you promise not to write a review of the software without alerting the manufacturer first. I'm sure some interesting, precedent-setting cases will occur in upcoming years.
Read the agreement then select the "I accept this agreement" radio button.
Click Next. The Your Product Key page appears.
Type in your 25-digit Product Key.
Click Next. The Setup Options page appears.
Click the Advanced Options button.
Verify that the path for the location of the source files is correct (it should be
If you wish, change the name of the main windows directory.
To force setup to duplicate all necessary files to the hard drive before initiating the installation procedure, mark the Copy all installation files from the Setup CD check box.
NOTE
Copying all the Setup files to the hard disk has two advantages. First, you can save yourself some time because the file copying and decompressing process is faster from the hard disk than from a CD-ROM drive. Second, the next time Windows XP needs access to Setup files (when you add new hardware, for example), you don't have to insert the CD-ROM. Just browse to the correct directory. Copying the over 6,000 files (yes, that's thousand, amounting to about 450MB) from the CD takes about 15 minutes on a reasonably fast system.
To be able to select the partition into which to install Windows XP (other than drive C), mark the I want to choose the install drive letter and partition during Setup check box.
Click OK. Click Next. The Performing Dynamic Update page appears.
If your system has Internet access from the pre-existing OS, you can optionally select to download the latest setup files for Windows XP at this time. Mark the Yes radio button. If your system does not currently have Internet access, select No, click Next, then skip to step 15.
Click Next. The setup routine attempts to contact the Microsoft download site and retrieve any new Setup files. After this is completed, the setup routine reboots the system automatically.
After the system reboots, the Welcome to Setup text-only screen prompts you to install Windows XP, repair an existing installation, or exit setup. Press Enter to continue with setup.
Your drives are examined and the partition manager is displayed. This tool is used to select the installation partition for Windows XP. If the partition already exists, use the arrow keys to select it, then skip to step 25.
TIP
If you want to install Windows XP into a separate partition, make sure the partition is preexisting or that you have some unpartitioned space on your hard drive. Sorry to state the obvious, but Setup doesn't let you change the size of existing partitions on-the-fly, even though it does convert from FAT to NTFS and does create NTFS partitions from an unpartitioned space.
If you have a large hard disk all in one partition (typical with today's cheap drives when they come from the factory) and want to split it, use a utility program such as FDISK, NT's Disk Administrator tool, 2000's Computer Management tool, or PartitionMagic (I recommend the latter highly). If you want to install into an NTFS partition, remember that FDISK can't create NTFS partitions. As a workaround, you either have to convert the target partition to NTFS during or after Setup or use a utility such as PartitionMagic that can make or convert FAT partitions to NTFS. Note that the NTFS partition does not have to be formatted in advance of your running Setup; as long as it exists as a partition, Setup offers to format it for you.
The main advantage of having multiple partitions on a hard disk these days is to support different file system formats for use with multiple operating systems. You can use FAT or FAT32 on one partition to run DOS or Windows 9x, for example, and use an NTFS partition for Windows XP.
If an existing partition must be deleted to create unpartitioned space where you want to install Windows XP, go on to step 18. Otherwise, skip to step 21.
Use the arrow keys to select the partition to delete, then press D.
If the selected partition is a system partition, you must press Enter to confirm the deletion of a system partition.
Press L to confirm deletion of the partition. (Yes, this is a valid extra step to make sure you are aware that you are deleting a partition.)
To create a new partition out of unpartitioned space, use the arrow keys to select the unpartitioned space, then press C.
Type in the size of the partition you want to create out of the unpartitioned space. The default size listed is the maximum size that can be created. After you have typed in a number, press Enter.
Use the arrow keys to select the newly created partition.
Press Enter to install Windows XP into the selected partition.
Select the file system to format the partition. If the partition is already properly formatted with NTFS v5, another option of "Leave the current file system intact (no changes)" is available. If this option is available, select it and press Enter. Then skip to step 28.
Use the arrow keys to select the NTFS file system (not the option with (Quick) next to it).
NOTE
The Quick options for both NTFS and FAT are only there when you are converting or over-formatting a partition that has already been formatted. It's a way to save time, especially if you are formatting a 2GB or larger drive. I recommend staying away from the Quick format and let the setup wizard perform a full format on the destination partition. It takes a little longer, but it ensures a properly formatted drive.
→ If you want to know more information about deciding whether you should change file systems, see "Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS?" Also, Chapters 26 and 28 contain additional information about file systems and formats.
Press Enter to initiate formatting. A progress of the formatting action is displayed.
After formatting is complete, files are copied to the destination partition. This might take 10 minutes.
After the file copy procedure completes, the system automatically reboots.
After it's rebooted, Setup launches a basic Windows GUI environment. After performing numerous operations (these could take 10 minutes or more), the Setup Wizard appears displaying the Regional and Language Options page. The defaults are for English and a US keyboard; if you require other settings, click the Customize of Details buttons to change them.
If the Windows installer crashes during the installation, see "Windows Crashes During Installation" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of this chapter.
Click Next. The Personalize Your Software page appears.
Type in your name and a company name if appropriate.
Click Next. The What's your computer's name page appears.
Type in a meaningful computer name for this system in the Computer name field, such as wxp-den or Bob's-PC.
NOTE
Choose a computer name that is unique. It must differ from any other computer or workgroup on the network. You'll probably want to enter your name or a name of your own choosing, though Setup supplies some cryptic name for you.
Click Next.
If you have a modem present on your system, the Modem Dialing Information page appears. Type in your area code, then click Next.
The Data and Time Settings page appears. Set the date and time and select a time zone.
Click Next. If a network interface is detected, the system installs networking components, then the Networking Settings page appears. If no network interface is installed in your system, skip to step 40.
The default network configuration is set to connect to a Microsoft local area network (LAN) using DHCP to obtain TCP/IP address configuration settings. I think you should wait until later to configure networking for Windows XP Home systems, so, select the Typical settings radio button, and click Next. DHCP or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a networking service operating from a Windows Server system which can provide clients with IP configuration upon bootup. As mentioned earlier, DHCP takes the pain out of setting up network (and Internet) connections because it means you don't have to enter lots of cryptic numbers into little dialog boxes just to get connected. The DHCP server and your Windows XP computer negotiate those numbers between themselves.
Setup proceeds with installing the OS using the settings you've just provided. This takes 20 minutes or more.
If any issues or problems were encountered during the installation, a pop-up dialog box appears. If you want to view the log file of errors now, click Yes. If not, click No. You can always view this information by reading the setuperr.log file later with any text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad.
At this point, the Setup process is complete and the system needs to be rebooted. This might occur automatically or you might be prompted to confirm the reboot.
Windows XP is booted, but there are still several steps remaining before you can gain access.
The Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen appears, accompanied with an animated wizard. You must wait until it is through "talking" to you. Then, click Next.
Setup checks your system for Internet connectivity. No matter what setup determines, you must indicate whether the system gains Internet access through a local network (the Yes radio button) or must establish a dial-up connection (the No radio button). If you have a cable modem or a connection over a network, select Yes. If you use a dial-up connection, you'll be prompted for the connection specifics (such as phone number, username, and password).
Click Next. The Ready to activate Windows screen appears.
Unless you have a specific reason not to, select the Yes, activate Windows over the Internet now radio button.
NOTE
In an effort to curb software piracy, Microsoft has implemented a new scheme to prevent unauthorized installations of Windows XP. After installing Windows XP, you must activate it within 30 days. When you activate Windows XP, your product key is filed into a database along with hardware identifiers from your computer. Activation prevents the same product key from being used numerous times. Microsoft claims the hardware identifiers cannot be used to trace a specific computer and that the activation process is fully anonymous. If you fail to activate within the time limit, the system fails to function until activation is completed.
Activation can occur over the telephone if you do not have an Internet connection. The phone numbers to call are listed on the activation screen and in the readme file on the distribution CD.
NOTE
If you choose to skip activation during setup, an activation command is added to the top of the All Programs section of the Start menu.
Click Next. The Ready to register with Microsoft screen appears.
Unless you want to offer private information to Microsoft, select the No, Not At This Time radio button.
NOTE
Registration is a separate and distinct process from activation. Activation is mandatory for a functioning OS past the 30-day grace period. Registration is voluntary. You should register if you want to get junk snail mail and email from Microsoft, since Microsoft uses this information to focus product marketing.
Click Next. The "Will you be sharing this computer with other users?" screen appears.
If you want to maintain unique user accounts for each person who uses this system, select Yes. If you select no, Windows XP is configured to log in automatically with the administrator account each time the computer boots. If you select No, skip to step 54.
NOTE
Selecting not to create unique user accounts for each person does not mean you cannot switch to this in the future. However, if you select No, you must initially log into the system with the administrator account. After you've logged on, you can create other local user accounts. See Chapter 25 for details on creating user accounts.
Click Next. The Who Will Use This Computer? screen appears.
Type in the names of up to six users for this system, one in each field.
Click Next. The Thank you! page appears; click Finish.
The Windows XP Welcome screen appears with the names of the user accounts created in step 53 listed in a column on the right ready for logon. If you selected No in step 61, you'll be automatically logged on as the administrator and presented the Windows XP desktop.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
BSD
Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD, sometimes called Berkeley Unix) is the UNIX derivative distributed by the University of California, Berkeley, starting in the 1970s.
Historically, BSD has been considered as a branch of UNIX — 'BSD UNIX', because it had shared the initial codebase and design with the original UNIX by AT&T and collaborated on the development in the pioneer days of UNIX. It was widely identified with the versions of UNIX available for workstation-class systems, that can be attributed to the ease with which it could be licensed and the familiarity it found among the founders of many technology companies during the 1980s. The familiarity often came from using similar systems — notably DEC's ULTRIX and Sun Microsystems SunOS — during their education. Though BSD itself was largely superseded by the System V Release 4 and OSF/1 systems in the 1990s (both of which incorporated BSD code), the modified codebase as open source — mostly derived from 4.4BSD-Lite have seen increasing use and development recently.
Today, the term of "BSD" is often non-specifically used to refer to any of the BSD descendants, e.g. FreeBSD, NetBSD or OpenBSD, which forms a branch of Unix-like operating systems.
Linux
Linux (pronunciation: IPA: /ˈlɪnʊks/, lin-uks) is a Unix-like computer operating system. Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development; its underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone.[1]
The Linux kernel was first released to the public on 17 September 1991, for the Intel x86 PC architecture. The kernel was augmented with system utilities and libraries from the GNU project to create a usable operating system, which later led to an alternate term, GNU/Linux.[2] Linux is now packaged for different uses in Linux distributions, which contain the sometimes modified kernel along with a variety of other software packages tailored to different requirements.
Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux is supported by corporations such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell, Oracle Corporation, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems. It is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers,[3] video game systems such as PlayStation 2, 3, several arcade games and embedded devices such as mobile phones and routers.
In 1992, Linus Torvalds explained that he pronounces Linux as /ˈlɪnʊks/,[4] though other variations are common.
Mac OS
Mac OS is the trademarked name for a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface. The original form of what Apple would later name the "Mac OS" was the integral and unnamed system software first introduced in 1984 with the original Macintosh, usually referred to simply as the System software.
Apple deliberately downplayed the existence of the operating system in the early years of the Macintosh to help make the machine appear more user-friendly and to distance it from other operating systems such as MS-DOS, which were portrayed as arcane and technically challenging. Much of this early system software was held in ROM, with updates typically provided free of charge by Apple dealers on floppy disk. As increasing disk storage capacity and performance gradually eliminated the need for fixing much of an advanced GUI operating system in ROM, Apple explored cloning while positioning major operating system upgrades as separate revenue-generating products, first with System 7 and System 7.5, then with Mac OS 7.6 in 1997.
Earlier versions of the Mac OS were compatible only with Motorola 68000-based Macintoshes. As Apple introduced computers with PowerPC hardware, the OS was upgraded to support this architecture as well. Mac OS X, which has superseded the "Classic" Mac OS, is compatible with both PowerPC and Intel processors.
Unix
Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX®, sometimes also written as Unix or Unix® with small caps) is a computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy. Today's Unix systems are split into various branches, developed over time by AT&T as well as various commercial vendors and non-profit organizations.
As of 2007, the owner of the trademark UNIX® is The Open Group, an industry standards consortium. Only systems fully compliant with and certified to the Single UNIX Specification qualify as "UNIX®" (others are called "Unix system-like" or "Unix-like").
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Unix's influence in academic circles led to large-scale adoption of Unix (particularly of the BSD variant, originating from the University of California, Berkeley) by commercial startups, the most notable of which is Sun Microsystems. Today, in addition to certified Unix systems, Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and BSD are commonly encountered. Sometimes, "traditional Unix" may be used to describe a Unix or an operating system that has the characteristics of either Version 7 Unix or UNIX System V.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Windows XP
Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. The letters "XP" stand for eXPerience.[2] It was codenamed "Whistler", after Whistler, British Columbia, as many Microsoft employees skied at the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort during its development. Windows XP is the successor to both Windows 2000 Professional and Windows Me, and is the first consumer-oriented operating system produced by Microsoft to be built on the Windows NT kernel and architecture. Windows XP was first released on October 25, 2001, and over 400 million copies were in use in January 2006, according to an estimate in that month by an IDC analyst.[3] It is succeeded by Windows Vista, which was released to volume license customers on November 8, 2006, and worldwide to the general public on January 30, 2007.
The most common editions of the operating system are Windows XP Home Edition, which is targeted at home users, and Windows XP Professional, which has additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors, and is targeted at power users and business clients. Windows XP Media Center Edition has additional multimedia features enhancing the ability to record and watch TV shows, view DVD movies, and listen to music. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is designed to run the ink-aware Tablet PC platform. Two separate 64-bit versions of Windows XP were also released, Windows XP 64-bit Edition for IA-64 (Itanium) processors and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition for x86-64.
Windows XP is known for its improved stability and efficiency over the 9x versions of Microsoft Windows. It presents a significantly redesigned graphical user interface, a change Microsoft promoted as more user-friendly than previous versions of Windows. New software management capabilities were introduced to avoid the "DLL hell" that plagued older consumer-oriented 9x versions of Windows. It is also the first version of Windows to use product activation to combat software piracy, a restriction that did not sit well with some users and privacy advocates. Windows XP has also been criticized by some users for security vulnerabilities, tight integration of applications such as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, and for aspects of its default user interface.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)