How to Build Your Own PC - Save A Buck And Learn A Lot

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]The Hard Drive IDE Cable[/SIZE]

Next up, we’ll examine the hard drive IDE cable. Depending upon the layout of the connectors on your mainboard, it might be easier to install the hard drive cable first. Order doesn’t matter, as long as everything gets plugged in properly. For example, if the cable from the floppy will go across the sockets

for the IDE cables, you can install the floppy cable last. Sometimes ribbon cables will push and shove amongst themselves for space. That’s normal. By now, you’re an expert on connecting ribbon cables. ​

A cable for a hard drive probably came with both your hard drive and with the mainboard. Don’t throw out the extra cable. Rather, keep all your extra parts and manuals together. This will make future repairs easier. You can usually use either ribbon cable. ​

These 40-pin IDE connectors have 80 connectors today (Don’t ask me how. It’s magic! Actually, each pin has a dedicated ground). Some older IDE hard drive cables might not work with newer IDE drives. If your hard drive instructions say you must use the cable that came with it, go ahead and use that one. ​

Today, one end of the hard drive connector is usually blue and the other black or gray. Connect the blue end to your mainboard. Connect the gray end to the drive. ​

The same tricks you used with the floppy cable are used to properly orient the hard drive cable. ​

The hard drive ribbon cable will have a red stripe down the side with Pin 1. And, Pin 1 is usually identified in the manuals for both the hard drive and the mainboard. ​

Also, the cable is likely to have a notch that will match up with a cut-out notch in the drive and a similar cut-out notch in the mainboard socket for the IDE connector. Often, there is a missing pin at the top center of the connector.


[SIZE=+2]Installing the Hard Drive IDE Cable[/SIZE]

Plug in the hard drive ribbon cable to the drive (Figure 98). Then connect it to the mainboard (Figure 99); when properly installed it will appear as in Figure 100. Be sure to seat it fully by pushing it in with your fingers or thumbs. Use the connectors at the ends and ignore the connector in the middle of the cable, unless you wish to install another device such as a secondary device on the cable. If you wish to install a second drive on the cable, it’s usually easiest to connect the middle connector first, before connecting the end connector to the primary drive. ​

Figure 98: Connecting ribbon cable to the hard drive
The black end of the 40-pin ribbon cable should be connected to the hard drive. Use the ribbon cable which came with the hard drive. The other end of the ribbon cable should connect to the mainboard’s primary IDE controller. In addition, you should set the hard drive to the primary device on the primary controller. (Figure 20 shows the back of a hard drive.)​

Figure 99: Connecting the hard drive ribbon to the mainboard​

Figure 100: Pushing the hard drive ribbon cable into the mainboard​

​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Ribbon Cable Summary[/SIZE]

You’ve connected the floppy, hard drive, and CD-RW ribbon cables. Each cable can be pushed out of the way so that it doesn’t hit fans, the mainboard, etc. Figure 101 shows pushing cables into the empty 5.25” bay area. It’s good to have your cables out of the way of anything that gets especially hot, such as heatsinks. Some people will bundle their cables together to make the inside neater, but most builders just let all the cables hang out and have a good time.​

Figure 101: Pushing the cables out of the way
Some builders argue that poor cable management can lead to improper airflow within the case.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Connecting the Power Cables[/SIZE]

Now we must add power to each device. We’ll start by connecting the power to the mainboard, and then move on to the floppy drive, hard drive and other devices.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Power to the Mainboard
• Power to Floppy Drive
• Power to Hard Drive
• Power to CD-RW Drive and Other Devices

[SIZE=+2]Power to the Mainboard[/SIZE]

The standard ATX power supply connector is a 20-pin connector (see Figure 8) which can be plugged in correctly by noticing the clip on one side of the connector lines up with a notch on the socket. Push the connector down and it will click into place (Figure 102 and Figure 103). ​

Figure 102: Connecting ATX power to the mainboard
Here we are connecting the power before the ribbon cables have been installed.​

Figure 103: ATX power connected to mainboard
This is the only power source the Athlon mainboard needs. Pentium 4 mainboards will also use a special 4-pin power connector. To prevent damaging your system, these connectors are designed so they can only be plugged in one way. A little clip will help you orient the power connectors.​

Pentium 4 systems also make use of a special four-pin connector (Figure 9). If you’re building a Pentium system, connect the four-pin connector. It also has a clip to help show orientation. If you’re building an Athlon system, you won’t need this four-pin power connector. ​

When in doubt, examine your mainboard manual to see where power connectors go. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Power to Floppy Drive[/SIZE]

All other devices, the floppy, hard drive, CD-RWs, etc., will also need power. The floppy makes use of an odd looking power connector (Figure 104).​

Figure 104: Floppy power connector (here held upside down)
The five notches will point upward when it’s installed. One notch sits higher than the others. The bottom of the connector looks a little like the bottom of a space ship with two fins pointing outward.​

Figure 105 and Figure 106 show the proper orientation of this silly connector. Plug in the connector as shown in Figure 107. ​

Figure 105: The floppy connector held with the top pointing up and the bottom pointing down
This connector will plug into the four pins at the left of the floppy drive. Notice one of the five notches at the top is slightly higher. This is one of the few power connections that can confuse new builders.​

Figure 106: Preparing to install the connector
Here we have simply rotated the connector from Figure 105 around to show how it’s installed.​

Figure 107: Plugging in the 4-pin floppy power connector
We have removed the floppy ribbon cable to get a better look at how the connector is plugged into the drive in the case. For photo clarity, we are also holding the cable by the wires. You’ll hold it by the white end to plug it in. Also, when you remove power cables, try to pull them out by the white part of the connector. Don’t pull connectors by the wires or you may damage a wire. Here the case sits upright.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Power to Hard Drive[/SIZE]

The standard four-pin power connector is called a Molex (Figure 108). One side of the connector is rounded, while the other side is square. This prevents the connector from being plugged in the wrong way. ​

Figure 108: Four-pin Molex power connector
These connectors provide power to most drives, including 3.5” hard drives, CD-RW drives, DVD drives, etc. One end has rounded corners so that it can only plug in in one direction. Sometimes, it takes a bit of force or wiggling them about to plug them in or remove them.​

Plug in a molex power connector to the hard drive (Figure 109 and Figure 110). Sometimes it takes a bit of force to push a molex power connector all the way in. It sometimes helps to wiggle it from side to side as you push it in. They can also be difficult to remove. When removing any cable or power connector, always try to grab it by the connector and not by the actual ribbon or by the wire. Pulling too hard on a ribbon cable or on the wire could damage the wires inside. Pulling on the connector shouldn’t hurt anything. ​

Figure 109: Plugging in a molex power connector to hard drive
Case sits on its side.​

Figure 110: Back of hard drive
The four pins on the right are for the Molex power connector.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Power to CD-RW Drive and Other Devices[/SIZE]

Attach another molex power connector to the CD-RW (Figure 111 and Figure 112). Now all of your drives have power. ​

Figure 111: Plugging in the Molex power to CD-RW drive​

Figure 112: Close up of Molex power connected to the CD-RW drive
Notice that we’ve removed the ribbon cable to the CD-RW for photo clarity.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Connecting the Sound Cable (If Not Already Done)[/SIZE]

If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good time to connect the sound cable to your CD (Figure 113 and Figure 114) and to your mainboard if it has built-in sound. If you’re using a PCI sound card, you’ll need to install it before you can connect the sound cable between it and the CD-RW. ​

Figure 113: Connecting the sound cable to the CD-RW drive
The other end connects to a sound card or to the mainboard. See the discussion at the beginning of this chapter for more information. Here, the thumb is pushing the sound connector into place.​

Figure 114: Close-up of sound cable connected to the CD-RW drive
Notice that we’ve removed the ribbon cable for photo clarity. Also see Figure 88 and Figure 89.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Chapter 7: Installing AGP and PCI Cards[/SIZE]

The two things all disk drives need are power and a signal ribbon cable. We’ve connected ribbon cables for sending signals and information between the drives and the mainboard, and we’ve connected power to each device. ​

The next step will be to install all AGP and PCI expansion cards. Figure 115 shows the AGP and PCI expansion slots on the mainboard. ​

Figure 115: Close up of the AGP and PCI expansion slots on the mainboard
The darker slot which sits farther back from the edge of the mainboard is the AGP slot. The six white slots are PCI slots.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Installing the AGP Video Card
• Installing PCI Expansion Cards

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing the AGP Video Card[/SIZE]

Take your AGP video card out of its static proof bag (Figure 19 shows an AGP video card). As with all expansion cards, touch your hands to a metal surface to draw off any static electricity that might be on your hands before handling the card. It’s best to handle cards by the edges and corners. One side of the card is attached to a metal piece that will sit toward the back of your PC’s case. Try to pick up the card using the metal piece only. ​

You’ll notice that the card has a funny notch toward its back (the end far away from the metal end). That is unique to the AGP card. It will match up with a small protrusion on one side of the AGP socket that is controlled by a slight plastic lever. You’ll also notice that the AGP slot sits farther back than the PCI slots. ​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Finding and Removing the AGP Slot Cover
• Seating the AGP Video Card in the Slot
• Securing the Video Card to the Case

[SIZE=+2]Finding and Removing the AGP Slot Cover[/SIZE]

Place your AGP card above its AGP slot to determine which expansion slot cover it uses on the back of the case. Carefully set the AGP card down and remove the appropriate expansion slot cover from the case (Figure 116 and Figure 117). ​

Figure 116: Using a small, flat screwdriver to remove the AGP slot cover​

Figure 117: AGP slot cover and one PCI slot cover removed from the back of the case
External devices can connect through the back of the case to connectors on expansion cards. This allows your PC to interface to any external device.​

Sometimes it’s necessary to hold the card up to the slot to determine the correct slot cover to remove. It’s easy to be off by one slot cover just by eyeballing it. Often, there will be a single AGP slot at the far end of the PCI expansion slots on the mainboard. If so, just remove the cover at the far end. You can sometimes just count from one end to determine which slot cover to remove. For example, this case has seven slot covers which exactly match up with the six PCI expansion sockets and the one AGP socket. ​

The Enlight case shown here has expansion slot covers that are replaceable. Once removed, they can be put back if you change your mind. Some slot covers are held in place by a single screw, while others just hold themselves in. Unscrew the slot cover to remove it, if it’s held in place by a screw. ​

Some cases have metal covers that are held in by very tiny pieces of metal. Once removed, these covers can’t be replaced. (You can always purchase solid metal covers that screw into a slot closing it off, if you want). For this type of slot cover, you need to bend the slot cover until the metal breaks to remove the slot cover. Be careful of sharp edges. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Seating the AGP Video Card in the Slot[/SIZE]

After removing the slot cover, find a small, coarse screw from the set of screws that came with your PC case. It’s a good idea to test the screw above its slot. Some cases have poorly tapped threads, and the screws sometimes cut their own path into the case as you tighten them. Other cases are better. The screws go in easily and come out easily. ​

Now that you have a screw and your Phillips screwdriver handy, pick up the AGP video card and position it above its slot. Push down on the card to get it to seat in its slot. The slight lever with the protrusion at the back can be pressed in with your fingers to allow the card to clear the protrusion (Figure 118 and Figure 119). ​

Figure 118: Placing the AGP video card in its slot​

Figure 119: Pushing the AGP card down with the thumbs​

Sometimes pushing one end of the card in first helps seat it more easily, but toward the end when you’re pushing the card into its final place, you want uniform pressure at both ends of the card so that the leads seat fully along the entire card. Give the card an extra little push to be sure it’s fully seated. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Securing the Video Card to the Case[/SIZE]

Now, hopefully, the screw hole notch in the metal rim of the card lines up with a screw hole in the case. If not, you might need to push the card around just a bit to get the screw to clear the card notch and be able to screw it in. Try to avoid putting too much pressure on the card. ​

Screw in the AGP video card to hold it in place Figure 120). ​

Figure 120: Screwing in the AGP video card
The AGP card is now fully installed.​

The AGP video card is now installed. From the back of your PC, you’ll see that the video connector of the video card is now accessible (Figure 121). Later, you’ll plug in your monitor here, when your system is fully built. The video connector shown is the 15-pin analog connector which will work with any monitor. Some of the newer video cards come with DVI connectors which are designed to send a digital signal to LCD monitors. That way the signal always remains digital. These video cards also typically come with a DVI to 15-pin adapter if you wish to use an analog monitor. ​

Figure 121: Back of PC case with AGP video card installed
This is a 15-pin analog video connector. Your system may use a digital connector.​

Expansion cards, unlike drives, do not need cables for power or for signal transfer. All power and signal connections are provided by the metal leads between the expansion card and the card slot in the mainboard. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Installing PCI Expansion Cards[/SIZE]

Next, we’ll install any PCI expansion cards you have. ​

If your system doesn’t have built-in sound, you’ll probably have a PCI sound card. If your system doesn’t have built-in networking, you might want to install a PCI network card to connect your computers together. ​

There are many PCI cards that add functionality to your PC, from video input and output cards for home video producers (see videoguys.com for example) to special cards that interface to external mechanical devices. ​

For example, many experiments at universities are computer controlled, where the computer might control various optics or other mechanical devices, such as spectrometers or gas chromatography equipment. Such control is usually through a PCI card. Other cards might allow your PC to control a home security system. ​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Finding a PCI Card Slot and Removing the Slot Cover
• Seating the PCI Card in the Slot
• Securing the PCI Card to the Case

[SIZE=+2]Finding a PCI Card Slot and Removing the Slot Cover[/SIZE]

Once you’ve installed one PCI card, you’ve essentially installed them all. They’re all installed in the same manner. Because the mainboard in the demonstrated build has onboard sound and onboard networking, we’ll install a PCI internal modem card, which gives the computer dial-up access to the Internet. ​

Remove the PCI card from its static proof bag. As with all other devices sensitive to static electricity, touch something metal before touching the card, such as the back of the case or a metal railing. (No, a can of beer doesn’t count!) If you want, you can also wear a grounding wrist strap, but it isn’t necessary. Try to handle the card by the edges and in particular by the metal strip at the end. ​

Position the card above a PCI slot you plan to use. You’ll probably find that some slots won’t be accessible after some cards are installed. For example, your AGP video card might have its own heatsink which protrudes too far out to allow the PCI slot next to it to be accessible. ​

It’s good to plan ahead and decide how many cards you need. While you’ll usually have room to add another card later, I usually try to skip a slot between cards, if possible, so they get better air

circulation. If this isn’t possible, you might want to see that the cards that will generate a lot of heat have an extra, unused slot around them (as with the AGP card). Thinner cards can be used in adjacent PCI slots. Other than these considerations, feel free to use whatever slot you prefer. ​

Remove the PCI slot cover just as you did with the AGP slot cover. Take a coarse screw from the set of screws that came with the case. Test the screw to be sure it goes in properly (Figure 122). For cheaper cases which have poor threads and expansion slot covers that permanently come off, I’ve found testing the screw can often save you from trying to use a slot where the screw hole doesn’t seem to be properly tapped. (A tap is a little device that turns a hole into a screw thread.) ​

Figure 122: Testing a screw from the set of screws that came with the PC case
We are testing the screw in the hole next to the installed PCI card. All slot covers should use the same type of screw, usually a short, coarsely-threaded screw. Sometimes a screw won’t go easily because of poorly tapped threads on the case.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Seating the PCI Card in the Slot[/SIZE]

Now, with the slot uncovered and the test screw removed, position the PCI card above its slot and push it straight down (Figure 123). Sometimes putting one end of the card in first, by just a little, helps. Push the card straight down to seat it fully. Give an extra uniform push to be sure the card sits properly. ​

Figure 123: Pushing the PCI modem card into place​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Securing the PCI Card to the Case[/SIZE]

Now, secure the card to the case by screwing it into its expansion slot (Figure 124).​

Figure 124: Screwing in the PCI modem card​

The PCI modem card is now installed (Figure 125). Proceed in the same manner to install any sound cards or other PCI cards you have.​

Figure 125: PCI modem card installed
By examining the edges of the card where it sits into the socket, we see the card is fully seated. Sometimes if an expansion card device doesn’t work, it’s because the card isn’t fully seated.​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Chapter 8: Testing the System and Completing Assembly[/SIZE]

Your system is now essentially built. The mainboard and drives have been installed and connected. The expansion cards have been added. Now it is time to begin testing to ensure that the system works properly, and then finish assembly.​

Figure 126 shows the inside of the case of the fully-built system. We’ll sit the case upright, test it, and then replace the cover and bezel. There’s still a bit to do afterwards as well, such as installing an operating system.​

Figure 126: The system is essentially built
The mainboard has been installed. The drives have been installed, with ribbon cables and power cables connected. We’ve installed the AGP and PCI cards. Now, we test the system. Be sure the CPU fan is spinning before closing the side. You can run the system in any orientation. When closing the case, be sure no cables are pinched by the cover.​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Deciding When to Test the System
• Preparing to Test the System
• Powering Up the System for the First Time
• Adjusting BIOS Settings
• Replacing the Side of the Case and Bezel

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Deciding When to Test the System[/SIZE]

Many builders suggest assembling and testing your basic system before installing unnecessary expansion cards. For example, you might just install the sound card and test the system at this point. Then, open it up later and add your video production and other PCI cards. The idea here is that you want to test the basic system first to be sure it works. You don’t want to introduce any conflicts created by an extra add-on card. ​

Then, if you add cards and find something doesn’t work, you’re more certain that the problem was introduced by the newly-added card, because your system worked fine before adding the card. This is a general rule of trouble shooting. If you want to know the source of a problem and you change several things at once, you can’t easily know which change made a difference. If you change only one thing

and the problem disappears, it’s likely the problem was due to the thing you changed. ​

Sometimes you don’t really know or care what creates a problem. You just want the problem to go away. For example, while working one day, your system unexpectedly crashes. You reboot the system and continue working as if nothing happened. You don’t know or care to know what caused the unexpected crash.


[SIZE=+2]Preparing to Test the System[/SIZE]

For the Enlight case, the side of the case should be replaced before the front bezel is replaced. However, we wish to see that the CPU fan is turning rapidly, so we’ll leave the side of the case off for now. We will replace the front of the bezel, although we could just as easily push the start/stop button with the bezel off. The front cover is purely decorative. If in doubt which button is for on-off and which is the reset, you could just hold up the bezel and see which button is which. ​

There is ongoing debate about whether or not you should run a system with its internals exposed. Some say that modern cases are designed for effective cooling, sucking the air in from one side of the case and blowing it out the other side. They say that with the side removed, the proper sucking and blowing airflow isn’t maintained and the system can overheat. ​

The other group says that, with the side of the case off, there is great air circulation between the inside of the case and the outside, and that’s about the best ambient temperature you’ll ever get inside the case anyway, and so its fine. (If you have a program to measure CPU and mainboard temperature, you can test this to see which is cooler. See Figure 4.7) We’ll compromise and lay the removed side panel of the case up against the exposed side of the case. It’s generally agreed if the PC has a hard drive smaller than 20 GB, the case should be fully covered to protect the PC from embarrassment. ​

Now, we plug in the monitor to the back of the video adapter card. We plug in the power cord to the back of the case (Figure 127). And, we plug in the monitor to give it power. ​

It’s recommended that you not plug your computer and monitor directly to a wall outlet. Rather, you should purchase a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). The UPS serves as a surge protector to prevent your system from being damaged if a power spike is delivered to it. And, sometimes power will fail unexpectedly. The UPS gives you time to save your work and properly shut down your system. ​

Figure 127: Plugging in the power cord to the back of the case
Above it is the ATX power supply on-off switch. Between the cord plug-in and the power switch is a selector for setting the incoming voltage. For the U.S., it should already be set to 115 volts when purchased.​

If a system is turned off and back on rapidly, it’s probably not good for the system. A very short power drop could mimic this effect and could be hard on both the computer and the monitor. A UPS prevents this. ​

​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Powering Up the System for the First Time[/SIZE]

The big moment has arrived. We’re set to test our new system. We push the power button and... nothing happens. Hmpf. We take off the front bezel to be sure it hits the power switch. We test the switch directly without the bezel. The system doesn’t respond. At a point like this, it’s smart to check

the basics. For example, does the wall socket have power? You could purchase a fancy gizmo to test an outlet, but a hair dryer, radio, or a lamp works just as well. ​

Examining the back of the PC case, we see that there is a switch with two positions, 0 and 1. Zero often means off, and one often means on in the computer world. We turn the switch from 0 to 1 and

push the power button again. The system boots up. Older AT power supplies seldom had power switches at the back and if you’re used to an AT system, it’s easy to miss the switch at the back of the case. ​

The system powers up. We see the CPU fan is spinning, and BIOS recognizes that it’s the first time the system has been started. It asks us to confirm the CPU speed setting. Our system is built on an Athlon 2000+ chip, and the menu offers 1.67 GHz and 2.08 GHz as options. Neither of those corresponds to 2.0 GHz which is what we might expect a 2000+ chip to run at. We usually don’t want to run a chip faster than it’s rated, so the higher value is out. ​

AMD has an “effective” measure of CPU performance. That’s what the plus sign means after the 2000. 2000+ means it’s comparable to a 2.0 GHz Pentium. The 2000+ Athlon actually runs at 1.67 GHz. However, the Athlon is more efficient because it can do more during each clock cycle than can a Pentium. So, the correct setting is 1.67 GHz.


[SIZE=+2]Adjusting BIOS Settings[/SIZE]

The BIOS settings on your PC are probably fine. If you want to examine them, you can, but your mainboard probably recognizes all it needs to know about your hard drive, etc. To enter BIOS setup, a key, such as delete, is usually pressed when the system first starts up. Consult your mainboard manual if you want to learn more about BIOS setup. ​

Unless you’ve placed a Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM, you probably receive a message that says the system can’t find a bootable disk. We’ll change that in a moment. ​

[SIZE=+2]Replacing the Side of the Case and Bezel[/SIZE]

Now that your system is tested and we’ve visually seen that the CPU fan is spinning properly, we can shut down the system and replace the side of the case (Figure 128 and Figure 129) and the bezel (Figure 130). We could also leave the side off temporarily and continue to install an operating system. To replace the side of the case, examine the back of the side carefully (Figure 131). Often, the back of the side will have notches or rails that must engage for the case to close properly. ​

Figure 128: Replacing the side of the case
This case side must be pushed toward the back of the case to engage lugs on the case. Before closing the case, be sure no wires or cables are near the edges where they might get pinched.​

Figure 129: Screwing in the side of the case
Some cheaper cases have poorly tapped threads for the screws, so use only minimal force to tighten the cover screws.​

Figure 130: Closing the bezel
Here the lip of the bezel hits the CD-RW drive and we need to gently lift up the CD drive to close the bezel. Don’t just slam the bezel to close it. Close it gently to be sure nothing interferes with it closing.

It also saves wear and tear if you depress the front cover latch as you close it. Tilt the front of the case upward to get a good grip on the latch.​

Figure 131: Back of the side panel
If you have difficulty replacing the side of your case, examine it carefully to see how the lugs engage the rest of the case.​

​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Chapter 9: Installing Windows XP[/SIZE]

Now that the hardware of the computer is together and running, we need to install an operating system. An operating system will allow your PC to run other software, such as games, word processors, spreadsheets, and graphics software. Think of the operating system as the interface between your software and the computer hardware. Actually, there is one more level of interface called the BIOS or

the basic input output system. The operating system communicates with the BIOS. The BIOS communicates with the hardware. However, for practical purposes, you can consider your operating system as connecting your hardware and software together. ​

The most popular operating system is Microsoft Windows, and its most current version is Windows XP. We’ll install Windows XP Home Edition, which is slightly less expensive than Windows XP

Professional. Windows XP Professional does allow dual-processor support, if you anticipate using two processors on your mainboard. ​

Be sure to purchase Windows XP, in either flavor, as OEM software from the place where you purchase your mainboard and other components (unless you plan to install only Linux). OEM software is less

expensive than retail boxed software, and it’s not an upgrade, so you won’t need a previous version of Windows installed on your system to install OEM software. ​

Other software, such as MS Office, can also be purchased as OEM software. ​

Quick navigation to subsections and regular topics in this section

• Setting the BIOS to Check the CD Drive When Booting
• Booting the Windows XP CD – Initial Setup Screen
• Accepting the Microsoft License Agreement
• Partitioning and Formatting the Hard Drive
• Copying Files to the Computer
• Entering Regional, Language and Personal Settings
• Entering the Windows XP Product Key
• Naming the Computer and Setting the Date and Time
• Copying Remaining Files to Hard Drive
• Adjusting Monitor Settings
• Adding Users
• Completing Installation and Booting Windows XP from the Hard Drive

[SIZE=+2]Setting the BIOS to Check the CD Drive When Booting[/SIZE]

The Western Digital hard drive has not been partitioned or formatted and has no software on it. ​

When you start your system for the first time, you’ll probably receive a message that the computer couldn’t find a bootable disk or an operating system (unless you already put the Windows CD in the CD tray). ​

Your computer’s BIOS specifies the search order that your computer uses to find a bootable operating system (Figure 132). This system seeks an operating system first from the floppy drive, second from the hard drive, and third from a CD. You can enter BIOS to change it so that the CD drive is checked before the hard drive, if you find that desirable.​

Figure 132: BIOS settings showing the system boot order
Here the system tries to boot from the hard drive before the CD drive. Use arrow keys and plus/minus keys to switch the boot order if desired.​

Because there wasn’t a floppy disk in the floppy drive, no operating system was found there. Then, the computer examined the hard drive, which is brand new, and it didn’t find an operating system. Then, the computer examined the CD drive and found no operating system, because there was no CD in the tray. The result is that no operating system can be found. ​

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

[SIZE=+2]Booting the Windows XP CD – Initial Setup Screen[/SIZE]

We’ll open the CD drive, insert the Windows XP CD, close the drive, give the drive a moment to get up to speed, and push the reset button to restart the system. (As a general rule, try Alt+Ctrl+Delete to restart the system. If that doesn’t work, use the reset switch. Alt+Ctrl+Delete is a Windows or DOS

operating system command, and a new system without an operating system won’t recognize it). Try not to use the on-off button to restart your system, because this is harder on the components. ​

Today, most mainboards support booting from the CD. And, most OEM software also supports booting from the CD. Installing an operating system is as easy as inserting the Windows CD and restarting the system. If your system doesn’t support booting from CD, you’ll need to make a bootable floppy disk on another machine and use that to boot the new system. ​

With Windows XP, installing the operating system from the OEM CD is a snap. Upon restarting with the Windows XP CD in the drive, you’re immediately taken through a series of introductory screens. First, a “Welcome” screen lets you know your PC sees the Windows CD (Figure 133). You’re all set to install Windows. Press “Enter” or “Next” to continue whenever that’s the only option! However, if other options exist, take a moment to consider them before accepting the defaults. ​

Figure 133: Microsoft welcomes you to setup
Press ENTER to setup Windows on a new hard drive.​

 

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[SIZE=+2]Accepting the Microsoft License Agreement[/SIZE]

We must also accept Microsoft’s license agreement to proceed, by pressing F8 (Figure 134).​

Figure 134: Microsoft License Agreement
Press F8 to accept.​