A+ KVM switches can support 2 to 16 computers or even more and can cost less than $30

220-701 to several hundred dollars. Be careful when selecting a KVM switch, so that the switch will
1.8 support the keyboard, mice, and monitor you want to use. For example, some KVM
switches only support ball mice (the type that has a ball that rolls on the bottom of the
mouse) and not optical mice (the type that uses a light beam to sense movement). Many
KVM switches only support PS/2 mice and keyboards and will not work with the USB
variety. Also, less expensive KVM switches do not support keyboard and mice with extra
features such as a keyboard zoom bar or Internet Explorer Favorites buttons. The monitor
most likely can only use a 15-pin VGA port although a VGA to DVI adapter might work.
The switch does not require that you install device drivers to use it. Just plug in mouse, key-
board, and monitor cables from each computer to the device. Also plug in the one monitor,
mouse, and keyboard to the device. Figure 9-52 shows the hardware configuration for the
KVM switch in Figure 9-51. Switch between computers by using a hot key on the keyboard or
buttons on the top of the KVM switch.

Pc3 Pc1 Pc2 Pc4

Figure 9-52 Hardware configuration for a four-port KVM switch that also supports audio
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

A+ Exam Tip Content for the A+ 220-701 Essentials exam ends here, and content on the A+ 220-
702 Practical Application exam begins.

INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING I/O DEVICES AND PORTS

A+ You have just seen how to install several input devices. In this part of the chapter, we take
220-702 hardware installations to the next level and learn how to configure and use ports on the
1.1
motherboard and how to install expansion cards.
When installing hardware devices under Windows XP, you need to be logged onto the
system with a user account that has the highest level of privileges to change the system. This
type of account is called an administrative account. In Windows Vista, it is not necessary to
A+ be logged in with an administrative account because of the User Account Control (UAC)
220-702 box. When the box appears, you can enter the password for an administrative account in
1.1
the UAC box, and then Vista will allow you to proceed with the installation. You will learn
more about administrative accounts and other less-privileged accounts in Chapter 19.
Other than USB devices, most hardware devices are monitored and managed using Device
Manager. Therefore, we begin our discussion with learning to use Device Manager.

A+ USING DEVICE MANAGER

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1.1 Device Manager (devmgmt.msc) is your primary Windows tool for managing hardware. It
2.3 gives a graphical view of hardware devices configured under Windows and the resources and
drivers they use. Using Device Manager, you can disable or enable a device, update its drivers,
uninstall a device, and undo a driver update (called a driver rollback). For instance, when a
device driver is being installed, Windows might inform you of a resource conflict, or the device
simply might not work. You can use Device Manager as a useful fact-finding tool for resolving
the problem. You can also use Device Manager to print a report of system configuration.

A+ Exam Tip The A+ 220-702 Practical Application exam expects you to know in what scenario it
is appropriate to use Device Manager. You also need to know how to use the utility and how to evaluate
its results.

To access Device Manager, use one of these methods:

For Vista, click Start, right-click Computer, and then select Properties on the shortcut
menu. The System window appears (see Figure 9-53). Click Device Manager and
respond to the UAC box. The Device Manager window opens.
For Windows XP, click Start, right-click My Computer, select Properties from the
shortcut menu, and then select the Hardware tab from the System Properties window.
Finally, click Device Manager.

Figure 9-53 Windows Vista System window

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A+
220-702 Run box and press Enter. For Vista, respond to the UAC box.
1.1
2.3
Device Manager for Windows Vista is shown in Figure 9-54. Click a plus sign to expand
the view of an item, and click a minus sign to collapse the view.

Figure 9-54 Device Manager lists installed devices

Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

One thing you can do if you have a problem with an installed device is to use Device
Manager to uninstall the device. Right-click the device and click Uninstall on the shortcut
menu (see Figure 9-55). Then reboot and reinstall the device, looking for problems during
the installation that point to the source of the problem. Sometimes reinstalling a device is all
that is needed to solve the problem. Notice in Figure 9-55 that the device selected is a USB
mouse. Sometimes USB devices are listed in Device Manager and sometimes they are not.
To find out more information about a device, right-click the device and select Properties
on the shortcut menu. Figure 9-56 shows the properties box for the onboard audio
controller. Many times, the source of a problem shows up in this window. Windows is
reporting that the device cannot start and suggests how to search for a solution.
435
 A+
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1.1
2.3

Figure 9-55 Use Device Manager to uninstall a device

Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Figure 9-56 Windows reports an error with a device

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436
A+ Another Properties box is shown in Figure 9-57; this one is for the network card.
220-702 Notice the Diagnostics tab in the properties dialog box. If this tab is present, most
1.1 likely you will find diagnostic software there that can be executed to test the device and
2.3
report problems.

Figure 9-57 A device properties box in Device Manager can be used to report problems and test a device
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Click the Driver tab (see Figure 9-58) to view details about the installed drivers, update the
drivers, undo a driver update, disable, or enable a device. Notice in Figure 9-58 that the Driver
tab shows the driver for the network card is not digitally signed. Compare this box to the Driver
tab of a RAID controller properties box shown in Figure 9-59 where the driver is digitally
signed.
 A+
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1.1
2.3

Figure 9-58 Manage the drivers for a device

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Figure 9-59 The driver for this installed RAID controller is digitally signed
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

438
A+ Now let’s look at how to manage the ports on the motherboard.
220-702
1.1
USING PORTS ON THE MOTHERBOARD
Ports on the motherboard include sound, video, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, serial, IEEE 1394, paral-
lel, network, modem, and PS/2 ports. Recall that ports on the motherboard can be disabled
or enabled in BIOS setup. If you’re having a problem with a port, check BIOS setup to make
sure the port is enabled. For example, Figure 9-60 shows a BIOS setup screen where you
can enable and disable the audio ports, 1394 (FireWire) port, LAN (network) port, Wi-Fi
(wireless) connector, serial port, parallel port, and game port. Know that, for ports and
expansion slots, BIOS setup recognizes the port or slot, but not the device or expansion card
using that slot. Any device that shows up in BIOS setup should also be listed in Device
Manager. However, not all devices listed in Device Manager are listed in BIOS setup.

Figure 9-60 In BIOS setup, you can disable and enable motherboard ports and other components
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

When having a problem with a port, after you know the port is enabled in BIOS setup,
turn to Device Manager to make sure it recognizes the port without an error. For example,
in Figure 9-61, Device Manager reports no problems with the FireWire port or controller. If
you are having problems with a motherboard port, don’t forget to update the motherboard
drivers that control the port.
Now let’s look at the details of managing USB, FireWire, parallel, and serial ports.

USING USB AND FIREWIRE PORTS

Some USB and FireWire devices, such as a USB printer, require that you plug in the device
before installing the drivers, and some devices require you to install the drivers before plugging
in the device. For some devices, it doesn’t matter which is installed first. Carefully read and
follow the device documentation. For example, the documentation for one digital camera says
that if you install the camera before installing the driver, the drivers will not install properly.
Before you begin the installation, make sure the drivers provided with the device are writ-
ten for the OS you are using. For example, if you are about to install a USB scanner and the
A+
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1.1

Figure 9-61 Device Manager reports no problems with the FireWire controller or port
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documentation says the CD that is bundled with the scanner supports Windows 2000 and
XP, know that these drivers will not work under Vista. Check the Web site of the scanner
manufacturer to see if you can download Vista drivers. If you find them, download the
driver file to your hard drive and double-click the file to install the Vista drivers.

Notes Using BIOS setup, you can enable or disable USB or FireWire ports and sometimes the options
are there to configure a USB port to use Hi-Speed USB, original USB, or both.

To use a USB or FireWire port with Windows, follow these steps:

1. Verify that Device Manager recognizes that a USB or IEEE 1394 controller is present
and reports no errors with the port. If the controller is not installed or is not working,
reinstall the motherboard drivers for the port.
2. Read the device documentation to decide if you install the drivers first or plug in the
device first.
3. If you plug in the device first, plug it into the FireWire or USB port. The Found New
Hardware wizard appears and steps you through the installation of drivers.
4. If you need to install the drivers first, follow the documentation instructions to run a
setup program on CD. It might be necessary to restart the system after the installation.
After the drivers are installed, plug the device into the port. The device should imme-
diately be recognized by Windows.
5. Install the application software to use the device. For example, a FireWire camcorder is
likely to come bundled with video-editing software. Run the software to use the device.
A+ Notes Some motherboards provide extra ports that can be installed in faceplate openings off the
220-702
back of the case. For example, Figure 9-62 shows a module that has a game port and two USB ports. To
1.1
install the module, remove a faceplate and install the module in its place. Then connect the cables from
the module to the appropriate connectors on the motherboard.

Figure 9-62 This connector provides two USB ports and one game port
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For motherboards that provide FireWire ports, the board

APPLYING CONCEPTS might come with an internal connector for an internal
FireWire hard drive. This connector can also be used for a module that provides additional FireWire
ports off the back of the PC case. Figure 9-63 shows a motherboard with the pinouts of the FireWire
connector labeled. The module is also shown in the figure. To install this module, remove a faceplate
and install the module in its place. Then connect the cable to the motherboard connector.

TPA0-

TPB0-
+12V
GND

GND

1
TPA0+
GND
TPB0+
+12V

P4P800 IEEE-1394 connector

Figure 9-63 This motherboard has a 10-pin FireWire header that can be used for an internal
FireWire hard drive or to provide an extra external FireWire port
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441
A+ CONFIGURING PARALLEL PORTS
220-702
1.1 Older motherboards required you to configure parallel and serial ports to use certain hard-
ware and OS resources and to avoid conflicts. However, motherboards today are much
easier to configure. For example, the BIOS setup on one system to configure the parallel port
is shown in Figure 9-64. Unless you are having a problem with the port or suspect a conflict
with other hardware, keep the default setting of ECP. Recall that ECP uses a DMA channel.
Allow setup to keep DMA3 unless you suspect a conflict with another device trying to use
DMA. You can also select an IRQ (interrupt request) line for the port. BIOS manages these
request lines that are used by a device to hail the CPU asking for data to be processed, and
you do not need to change this value.

Figure 9-64 BIOS settings for a parallel port on one motherboard

Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Notes If you have trouble using a motherboard port, such as a serial, parallel, USB, or 1394 port,
check BIOS setup to make sure the port is enabled. If you have problems with resource conflicts, try
disabling ECP mode for the parallel port. EPP mode gives good results and does not tie up a DMA channel.

In Device Manager, a parallel port is known as LPT1: or LPT2:. The LPT (Line Printer
Terminal) assignments refer to the system resources a parallel port will use to manage a
print job. Check Device Manager for errors. In Figure 9-65, note the parallel port is listed as
ECP Printer Port (LPT1).

CONFIGURING SERIAL PORTS

Looking back at Figure 9-64, you can see the two serial ports on this system can be configured
to use certain resources. The first serial port is using 3F8/IRQ4 and the second serial port is
using 2F8/IRQ3. The first values (3F8 and 2F8) indicate I/O addresses used by the ports,
A+
220-702
1.1

Figure 9-65 The parallel port in Device Manager is known as the LPT port
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

which are numbers the CPU uses to hail the port. The second values (IRQ4 and IRQ5) are
lines the port uses to hail the CPU. For most situations, these default settings are appropriate
and will never need changing. In Device Manager, the serial ports are known as COM ports.
Settings for a serial port can be seen in the properties box for the port on the Port Settings tab
(see Figure 9-66). These settings are used by modem cards that are installed in expansion slots
on the system. The default values shown in Figure 9-66 are correct for modem settings and
should not be changed.

INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING ADAPTER CARDS

In this part of the chapter, you will learn to install and configure adapter cards. These
cards include a video card, sound card, storage controller card, I/O card, wired or wireless
network card, or capture card. Regardless of the type of card you are installing, when
preparing to install an adapter card, be sure to verify and do the following:

Verify the card fits an empty expansion slot. Recall from Chapter 5 that there are several
AGP, PCI, and PCI Express standards. Know that shorter PCIe cards can be installed in
longer PCIe slots. Also, know that you can install a 32-bit PCI card into a longer 64-bit
PCI slot. In these cases, the extended end of the long PCIe or PCI slot is unused. For AGP
and PCI cards, you must match the notches on the card to the keys in the AGP or PCI
slot so that the voltage requirements of the card will match the voltage provided by the
slot. And one more tip: To help with air flow, try to leave an empty slot between cards.
Especially try to leave an empty slot beside the video card, which puts off a lot of heat.