QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS;
What are the three types of software on your computer?
System Software (the code that boots the computer and controls the devices, resources and applications). Everyday folks know this as Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix, etc. This is typically read from disk and loaded into RAM, although it could also be manifested as PROM, in which case it is read from non-volatile memory.
Network Software - This would include the OSI network stack that would be loaded AFTER the System Software. This constitutes industry standard network protocols such as TCP/IP that enables communication of the System Software to other computer over a network. The World Wide Web is the most used client of network software that is built upon the OSI stack. SUN Microsytems advertisements stated that "The NETWORK" was the computer. They were ahead of their time.
Application Software. This is software that can be written for a platform such as Windows, or in today’s world, a web-based application that uses the Network and System software noted above. Apps-a-million is all I can say. Some are brilliant, and the rest are aborted works in progress..
What ‘instructions’ does the BIOS provide to the computer?
The BIOS software has a number of different roles, but its most important role is to load the operating system. When you turn on your computer and the microprocessor tries to execute its first instruction, it has to get that instruction from somewhere. It cannot get it from the operating system because the operating system is located on a hard disk, and the microprocessor cannot get to it without some instructions that tell it how. The BIOS provides those instructions. Some of the other common tasks that the BIOS perform include:
A power-on self-test (POST) for all of the different hardware components in the system to make sure everything is working properly
Activating other BIOS chips on different cards installed in the computer - For example, SCSI and graphics cards often have their own BIOS chips.
Providing a set of low-level routines that the operating system uses to interface to different hardware devices - It is these routines that give the BIOS its name. They manage things like the keyboard, the screen, and the serial and parallel ports, especially when the computer is booting.
Managing a collection of settings for the hard disk, clock, etc.
The BIOS is special software that interfaces the major hardware components of your computer with the operating system. It is usually stored on a Flash Memory chip on the motherboard, but sometimes the chip is another type of ROM.
The first thing the BIOS does is check the information stored in a tiny (64 bytes) amount of RAM located on a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip. The CMOS Setup provides detailed information particular to your system and can be altered as your system changes. The BIOS uses this information to modify or supplement its default programming as needed. We will talk more about these settings later.
Interrupt handlers are small pieces of software that act as translators between the hardware components and the operating system. For example, when you press a key on your keyboard, the signal is sent to the keyboard interrupt handler, which tells the CPU what it is and passes it on to the operating system. The device drivers are other pieces of software that identify the base hardware components such as keyboard, mouse, hard drive and floppy drive. Since the BIOS is constantly intercepting signals to and from the hardware, it is usually copied, or shadowed, into RAM to run faster.
What does POST mean?
POST stands for "Power On Self Test." It is a diagnostic program built into the computer's hardware that tests different hardware components before the computer boots up.
The POST process is run on both Windows and Macintosh computers. While the exact tests performed may vary between machines, most POST sequences check the vital hardware components, such as the power supply, RAM, and system bus. If any of these tests fail, the POST process will return an error message. This message may be displayed on the screen or may be output in the form of beeps or blinking lights.
The most common type of POST error is a memory error. This can be caused by one or more bad memory modules or a memory chip that is loose or not fully seated. If the post process fails on your computer, you may need to check your computer's manual to see what the error code means. If it is a memory error, you may be able to fix the problem by removing, reinstalling, or replacing the bad memory module. If the error is caused by another component, you may need to have your computer serviced by an authorized technician.
The POST process runs quickly at the beginning of the boot sequence before the operating system loads. Therefore, you most likely will not notice it unless there is an error. If the POST process finishes without encountering any errors, your computer will boot up normally.
List the seven parts of the BIOS setup:
When you turn on your computer, the BIOS does several things. This is its usual sequence:
Check the CMOS Setup for custom settings
Load the interrupt handlers and device drivers
Initialize registers and power management
Perform the power-on self-test (POST)
Display system settings
Determine which devices are bootable
Initiate the bootstrap sequence
What does it mean to ‘shadow’ the BIOS?
The process of the contents of the ROM being copied to the RAM allowing the computer to access that information quicker. This process is also known as Shadow BIOS ROM, Shadow Memory and Shadow RAM.
Below are examples of messages commonly seen when the computer is first booting indicating that the portions of a ROM are being copied to the system RAM.
System BIOS shadowed
Video BIOS shadowed
Some computer BIOS setups may allow the user to enable and disable this feature. We recommend that it is left enabled; disabling this option could cause problems with some computers.
What are five details the BIOS displays about your system?
Whenever you turn on your computer, the first thing you see is the BIOS software doing its thing. On many machines, the BIOS displays text describing things like the amount of memory installed in your computer, the type of hard disk and so on. It turns out that, during this boot sequence, the BIOS is doing a remarkable amount of work to get your computer ready to run. This section briefly describes some of those activities for a typical PC.
After checking the CMOS Setup and loading the interrupt handlers, the BIOS determine whether the video card is operational. Most video cards have a miniature BIOS of their own that initializes the memory and graphics processor on the card. If they do not, there is usually video driver information on another ROM on the motherboard that the BIOS can load.
Next, the BIOS checks to see if this is a cold boot or a reboot. It does this by checking the value at memory address 0000:0472. A value of 1234h indicates a reboot, and the BIOS skips the rest of POST. Anything else is considered a cold boot.
If it is a cold boot, the BIOS verify RAM by performing a read/write test of each memory address. It checks the PS/2 ports or USB ports for a keyboard and a mouse. It looks for a peripheral component interconnects (PCI) bus and, if it finds one, checks all the PCI cards. If the BIOS find any errors during the POST, it will notify you by a series of beeps or a text message displayed on the screen. An error at this point is almost always a hardware problem.
The BIOS then displays some details about your system. This typically includes information about:
The processor
The floppy drive and hard drive
Memory
BIOS revision and date
Display
Any special drivers, such as the ones for small computer system interface (SCSI) adapters, are loaded from the adapter, and the BIOS displays the information. The BIOS then looks at the sequence of storage devices identified as boot devices in the CMOS Setup. "Boot" is short for "bootstrap," as in the old phrase, "Lift yourself up by your bootstraps." Boot refers to the process of launching the operating system. The BIOS will try to initiate the boot sequence from the first device. If the BIOS does not find a device, it will try the next device in the list. If it does not find the proper files on a device, the start up process will halt. If you have ever left a disk when you restarted your computer, you have probably seen this message.
The BIOS has tried to boot the computer off of the disk left in the drive. Since it did not find the correct system files, it could not continue. Of course, this is an easy fix. Simply pop out the disk and press a key to continue.
How do you install a printer driver?
Before a printer will work with your computer, you must install the software the included software. If you've lost the software for your printer, you can download the drivers for your printer and use the drivers to install your printer. A listing of printer manufacturers and links to their associated drivers pages can be found on our printer drivers page.
Setup printer and install software
Every printer should come with the software used to install a printer in Windows or your operating system.
1. Connect the printer to the computer either using a USB cable, parallel port cable, or SCSI cable and then connect the power plug to a power outlet.
2. After everything has been plugged in turn the computer on.
3. Insert the CD that was included with the printer. If the CD does not automatically start the install program open My Computer, double-click on the CD drive, and then the Setup or Install file. If you've downloaded the drivers, run the downloaded setup file.
4. Follow the installation wizard and your printer and its associated software should be installed successfully. After installed make sure to test the printer.
Installing a printer only using the drivers
In addition to the above steps, users can install a printer in Windows only using the printer drivers. This is recommended if you only want the printer to be installed, but not the additional printer software programs that are often included with the installation and you've download drivers.
A listing of printer drivers and software downloads can be found through our printer drivers page.
1. Connect the printer to the computer and a power outlet and make sure it's on.
2. Click Start, Settings, and Control Panel.
3. In the control panel double-click the Printers or Printers and Fax icon.
4. In the Printers window, click the Add a printer icon.
5. After completing the above steps, the Windows Printer Wizard will appear. Click Next to start the wizard.
6. Windows will prompt you if you're installing a Local or Network printer. If the printer is connected to your computer choose Local printer attached to this computer and click Next.
7. When prompted for the location of the drivers for the printer. Browse the computer to the directory of your drivers or point it to the CD that was included with your printer.
Testing the printer
After the printer has been installed, you can use Windows to print a self-test page to help verify the printer is working.
Microsoft Windows users
1. Click Start, Settings, and open Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Printers or Printers and Fax icon.
3. Right-click on the Printer you wish to test and click Properties. If you do not see your
printer, your printer is not installed.
4. In the Printers Properties window, click the Print Test Page button.
5. If the printer is able to print a test page, you're printer is installed and setup properly.
However, if you're unable to print in other programs it's possible that the program
you're attempting to print from has issues.
How do you clear an administrative password?
An administrator password gives you access to an account that controls all other accounts on a computer or network. If you lose this password, you may find that it is difficult to make changes to a particular system. On most operating systems, finding an administrator password can be a simple procedure
1) Leave the password field blank
For operating systems such as Windows XP, the administrator password is defined during the initial installation process. If you did not take this step or if you are not sure, there may not be a password, allowing you to simply hit enter to launch into the desktop.
2) Try your password
If you are the only one who works on the computer in question, try some of your most common passwords to gain admin access. If you are using a computer at work, there is likely an IT password to which you may or may not have access. Contact the department in charge of technology to explain the need for the administrator password.
3) Use a password recovery tool
Programs such as Ophcrack and Offline NT Password & Registry Editor can either recover or reset the admin password on a particular system. You can download this program as an ISO image, burn the image and boot to the disc to activate the program. Some programs, such as Ophcrack, can find the admin password, while programs like Offline NT only reset the password so you can define the admin password for future use.
4) Reinstall your operating system
If all else fails, performing a clean installation of your operating system can clear the previous administrator password and allow you to define a new one. However, this step erases all information on your hard drive, so it should only be done as a last resort.
Finding an administrator password can be a simple procedure if you consider all of your common passwords or use a password recovery tool.