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3 Mastering Motherboards

“Did anybody hear that?”

—MICHAEL “MOTHERBOARD” PAMPIN,

RAINBOW SIX: VEGAS

In this chapter, you will learnhow to

■ Troubleshoot the power-on selftest (POST)

■ Maintain BIOS and CMOSproperly

■ Troubleshoot expansion cards

■ Install expansion cards properly

■ Upgrade and install motherboards

■ Troubleshoot motherboardproblems

40

BaseTech / Mike Meyers' CompTIA A+® Guide: Practical Application, Third Edition (Exam 220-702) / Mike Meyers / 869-X / Chapter 3

The motherboard provides the foundation for the personal computer. Every

piece of hardware, from the CPU to the lowliest expansion card, directly or

indirectly plugs into the motherboard. The motherboard contains the wires—

called traces—that make up the buses of the system. It holds the vast majority

of the ports used by the peripherals, and it distributes the power from the power

supply (Figure 3.1). Without the motherboard, you literally have no PC.

With that in mind, it makes sense that the CompTIA A+ Practical

Application exam would test you pretty heavily on troubleshooting

motherboards, CMOS and BIOS, and expansion bus problems. These are skills a

tech simply has to know to get by in the world of personal computing, so how

about getting your hands dirty?

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Color profile: DisabledComposite Default screen

■ Power-On Self Test (POST)To start with, here’s an overview of the power-on selftest (POST) sequence, as this information can prove veryhelpful when working with a computer that just doesn’twant to start up properly. If you’ve read the Essentialsbook, this may seem familiar to you, but be assured thatthis information is helpful for both tests.

When the computer is turned on or reset, it initiates aspecial program, also stored on the system ROM chip,called the power-on self test (POST). The POST programchecks out the system every time the computer boots. Toperform this check, the POST sends out a command thatsays to all of the devices, “Check yourselves out!” All ofthe standard devices in the computer then run their owninternal diagnostic—the POST doesn’t specify what theymust check. The quality of the diagnostic is up to thepeople who made that particular device.

Let’s consider the POST for a moment. Suppose somedevice—let’s say it’s the keyboard controller chip—runsits diagnostic and determines that it is not working prop-erly. What can the POST do about it? Only one thing, re-ally: tell the human in front of the PC! So how does thecomputer tell the human? PCs convey POST informationto you in two ways: beep codes and text messages.

Before and During the Video Test:The Beep CodesThe computer tests the most basic parts of the computer first, up to and in-cluding the video card. In early PCs, you’d hear a series of beeps—called beepcodes—if anything went wrong. By using beep codes before and during thevideo test, the computer could communicate with you. (If a POST error occursbefore the video is available, obviously the error must manifest itself as beeps,because nothing can display on the screen.) The meaning of the beep codeyou’d hear varied among different BIOS manufacturers. You could find thebeep codes for a specific motherboard in its motherboard manual.

Most modern PCs have only a single beep code, which is for bad or miss-ing video—one long beep followed by two or three short beeps.

You’ll hear three other beep sequences on most PCs (although they’renot officially beep codes). At the end of a successful POST, the PC producesone or two short beeps, simply to inform you that all is well. Most systemsmake a rather strange noise when the RAM is missing or very seriouslydamaged. Unlike traditional beep codes, this code repeats until you shut offthe system. Finally, your speaker might make beeps for reasons that aren’tPOST or boot related. One of the more common is a series of short beeps af-ter the system’s been running for a while. That’s a CPU alarm telling you theCPU is approaching its high heat limit.

Chapter 3: Mastering Motherboards 41


• Figure 3.1 Traces visible beneath the CPU socket on amotherboard

You’ll find lots of online doc-umentation about beep codes,but it’s usually badly outdated.

Tech Tip

Talking BIOSSome newer motherboards canalso talk to you if there is a prob-lem during POST. To use thisfeature, all that is normally re-quired is to plug a pair of speak-ers or headphones into theonboard sound card.

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Text ErrorsAfter the video has tested okay, any POST errors display on the screenas text errors. If you get a text error, the problem is usually, but not al-ways, self-explanatory (Figure 3.2). Text errors are far more usefulthan beep codes, because you can simply read the screen to determinethe bad device.

POST CardsBeep codes, numeric codes, and text error codes, although helpful, cansometimes be misleading. Worse than that, an inoperative device cansometimes disrupt the POST, forcing the machine into an endless loop.This causes the PC to act dead—no beeps and nothing on the screen. In

this case, you need a device called a POST card to monitor the POST andidentify which piece of hardware is causing the trouble.

POST cards are simple cards that snapinto expansion slots on your system. A small,two-character light-emitting diode (LED)readout on the card indicates what device thePOST is currently testing (Figure 3.3). Thedocumentation that comes with the POSTcard tells you what the codes mean. BIOSmakers also provide this information on theirWeb sites. Manufacturers make POST cardsfor all types of desktop PCs. POST cards workwith any BIOS, but you need to know thetype of BIOS you have so you can interpretthe readout properly.

I usually only pull out a POST card whenthe usual POST errors fail to appear. When acomputer provides a beep or text error codethat doesn’t make sense, or your machinekeeps locking up, some device has stalled thePOST. Because the POST card tells you whichdevice is being tested, the frozen system staysat that point in the POST, and the error stayson the POST card’s readout.

Many companies sell POST cards today,with prices ranging from the affordable to the

outrageous. Spend the absolute least amount of money you can. The moreexpensive cards add bells and whistles you do not need, such as diagnosticsoftware and voltmeters.

Using a POST card is straightforward. Simply power down the PC, in-stall the POST card in any unused slot, and turn the PC back on. As youwatch the POST display, notice the hexadecimal readouts and refer to themas the POST progresses. Notice how quickly they change. If you get an “FF”or “00,” that means the POST is over and everything passed—time to checkthe operating system. If a device stalls the POST, however, the POST carddisplays an error code. That’s the problem device! Good technicians often

42 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Guide: Practical Application


• Figure 3.2 POST text error messages

• Figure 3.3 POST card in action



memorize a dozen or more POST codes because it’s much faster than look-ing them up in a book.

So you got a beep code, a text error code, or a POST error. Now what doyou do with that knowledge? Remember that a POST error does not fix thecomputer; it only tells you where to look. You then have to know how todeal with that bad or improperly configured component. If you use a POSTcard, for example, and it hangs at the “Initializing Floppy Drive” test, you’dbetter know how to work on a floppy drive.

Sometimes the POST card returns a bizarre or confusing error code.What device do you point at when you get a “CMOS shutdown registerread/write error” beep code from an older system? First of all, read the errorcarefully. Let’s say that on that same system you got an “8042—gate A20failure” beep code. What will you do? Assuming you know (and youshould!) that the “8042” refers to the keyboard, a quick peek at the keyboardand its connection would be a good first step. Beyond that specific example,here is a good general rule: If you don’t know what the error means or thebad part isn’t replaceable, replace the motherboard. Clearly, you will stum-ble across exceptions to this rule, but more often than not, the rule stands.

The Boot ProcessAll PCs need a process to begin their operations. Once you feed power to thePC, the tight interrelation of hardware, firmware, and software enables thePC to start itself, to “pull itself up by the bootstraps” or boot itself.

When you first power on the PC, the power supply circuitry tests forproper voltage and then sends a signal down a special wire called the powergood wire to awaken the CPU. The moment the power good wire wakes itup, every Intel and clone CPU immediately sends a built-in memory ad-dress via its address bus. This special address is the same on every Intel andclone CPU, from the oldest 8086 to the most recent microprocessor. This ad-dress is the first line of the POST program on the system ROM! That’s howthe system starts the POST. After the POST has finished, there must be a wayfor the computer to find the programs on the hard drive to start the operat-ing system. The POST passes control to the last BIOS function: the bootstraploader. The bootstrap loader is little more than a few dozen lines of BIOScode tacked to the end of the POST program. Its job is to find the operatingsystem. The bootstrap loader reads CMOS information to tell it where tolook first for an operating system. Your PC’s CMOS setup utility has an op-tion that you configure to tell the bootstrap loader which devices to checkfor an operating system and in which order (Figure 3.4).

Almost all storage devices—floppy disks, hard disks, CDs, DVDs, andeven USB thumb drives—can be configured to boot an operating system bysetting aside a specific location called the boot sector. (Later chapters showyou how to do this.) If the device is bootable, its boot sector contains specialprogramming designed to tell the system where to locate the operatingsystem. Any device with a functional operating system is called abootable disk or a system disk. If the bootstrap loader locates a goodboot sector, it passes control to the operating system and removes itselffrom memory. If it doesn’t, it goes to the next device in the boot orderyou set in the CMOS setup utility. Boot order is an important tool for



• Figure 3.4 CMOS boot order



techs because you can set it to load in special bootable devices so you canrun utilities to maintain PCs without using the primary operating system.

■ Care and Feeding of BIOSand CMOS

BIOS and CMOS are areas in your PC that you don’t go to very often. BIOSitself is invisible. The only real clue you have that it even exists is the POST.The CMOS setup utility, on the other hand, is very visible if you start it.Most CMOS setup utilities today work acceptably well without ever beingtouched. You’re an aspiring tech, however, and all self-respecting techs startup the CMOS setup utility and make changes. That’s when most CMOSsetup utility problems take place.

If you mess with the CMOS setup utility, remember to make only as manychanges at one time as you can remember. Document the original settings andthe changes on a piece of paper so you can put things back if necessary. Don’tmake changes unless you know what they mean! It’s easy to screw up a com-puter fairly seriously by playing with CMOS settings you don’t understand.

A Quick Tour through a TypicalCMOS Setup ProgramEvery BIOS maker’s CMOS setup program looks a little different, but don’tlet that confuse you. They all contain basically the same settings; you justhave to be comfortable poking around. To avoid doing something foolish,do not save anything unless you are sure you have it set correctly.

As an example, let’s say your machine has Award BIOS. You boot thesystem and press DEL to enter CMOS setup. The screen in Figure 3.5 appears.You are now in the Main menu of the Award CMOS setup program. Thesetup program itself is stored on the ROM chip, but it edits only the data onthe CMOS chip.

If you select the Standard CMOS Features option, the Standard CMOSFeatures screen appears (Figure 3.6).On this screen you can changefloppy drive and hard drive settings,as well as the system’s date and time.You will learn how to set up theCMOS for these devices in laterchapters. At this point, your onlygoal is to understand CMOS andknow how to access the CMOS setupon your PC, so don’t try to changeanything yet. If you have a systemthat you are allowed to reboot, try ac-cessing the CMOS setup now. Does itlook anything like these examples?If not, can you find the screen thatenables you to change the floppy and



Accessing the CMOS setuputility for a system is perfectlyfine, but do not make changesunless you fully understand thatsystem!

• Figure 3.5 Typical CMOS Main screen by Award



hard drives? Trust me, every CMOSsetup has that screen somewhere!Figure 3.7 shows the same standardCMOS setup screen on a system withPhoenix BIOS. Note that this CMOSsetup utility calls this screen “Main.”

The first BIOS was nothing morethan this standard CMOS setup. To-day, all computers have many extraCMOS settings. They control itemssuch as memory management, pass-word and booting options, diagnos-tic and error handling, and powermanagement. The following sectiontakes a quick tour of an AwardCMOS setup program. Rememberthat your CMOS setup almost cer-tainly looks at least a little differentfrom mine, unless you happen tohave the same BIOS. The chances ofthat happening are quite slim.

Phoenix has virtually corneredthe desktop PC BIOS market with itsAward Modular BIOS. Motherboardmakers buy a boilerplate BIOS, de-signed for a particular chipset, andadd or remove options (Phoenix callsthem modules) based on the needs ofeach motherboard. This means thatseemingly identical CMOS setuputilities can be extremely different.Options that show up on one com-puter might be missing from an-other. Compare the older Awardscreen in Figure 3.8 with the more



• Figure 3.6 Standard CMOS Features screen

• Figure 3.7 Phoenix BIOS CMOS setup utility Main screen

• Figure 3.8 Older Award setup screen

All of these screens tend tooverwhelm new techs. Whenthey first encounter the many op-tions, some techs feel they needto understand every option onevery screen to configure CMOSproperly. Relax: every new moth-erboard comes with settings thatbefuddle even the most experi-enced techs. If I don’t talk abouta particular CMOS setting some-where in this book, it’s probablynot important, either to theCompTIA A+ Practical Applica-tion exam or to a real tech.



modern Award CMOS screen in Figure 3.5. Figure 3.8 looks different—andit should—as this much older system simply doesn’t need the extra optionsavailable on the newer system.

The next section starts the walkthrough of a CMOS setup utility with theSoftMenu, followed by some of the Advanced screens. Then you’ll go throughother common screens, such as Integrated Peripherals, Power, and more.

SoftMenuYou can use the SoftMenu to changethe voltage and multiplier settings onthe motherboard for the CPU fromthe defaults. Motherboards that caterto overclockers tend to have this op-tion. Usually you just set this to Autoor Default and stay away from thisscreen (Figure 3.9).

Advanced BIOS FeaturesAdvanced BIOS Features is thedumping ground for all of the set-tings that aren’t covered in the Stan-dard menu and don’t fit nicely underany other screen. This screen varieswildly from one system to the next.You most often use this screen to se-lect the boot options (Figure 3.10).

Chassis Intrusion Detection Manymotherboards support the chassis in-trusion detection feature provided bythe computer case, or chassis. Com-patible cases contain a switch thattrips when someone opens the case.With motherboard support and aproper connection between themotherboard and the case, the CMOSlogs whether the case has beenopened and, if it has, posts an appro-priate alert to the screen on the subse-quent boot. How cool is that?

Advanced Chipset FeaturesThe Advanced Chipset Features screen strikes fear into most everyone, be-cause it deals with extremely low-level chipset functions. Avoid this screenunless a high-level tech (such as a motherboard maker’s support tech) ex-plicitly tells you to do something in here (Figure 3.11).

Integrated PeripheralsYou will use the Integrated Peripherals screen quite often. Here you config-ure, enable, or disable the onboard devices, such as the integrated soundcard (Figure 3.12).



• Figure 3.9 SoftMenu

• Figure 3.10 Advanced BIOS Features

On some older mother-boards, you may notice yourCPU running slower than itshould. If this happens, check inAdvanced Chipset Features tosee if your frontside bus is set tothe correct speed.



Power Management SetupAs the name implies, you can use thePower Management Setup screen toset up the power management set-tings for the system. These settingswork in concert (sometimes in con-flict) with Windows’ power manage-ment settings to control how andwhen devices turn off and back on toconserve power (Figure 3.13).

PnP/PCI ConfigurationsAll CMOS setup utilities come withmenu items that are for the most partno longer needed, but no one wants toremove them. PnP/PCI Configura-tions is a perfect example. Plug andplay (PnP) is how devices automati-cally work when you snap them intoyour PC. PCI is a type of slot used forcards. Odds are very good you’ll neverdeal with this screen (Figure 3.14).

And the Rest of the CMOSSettings …The other options on the main menuof an Award CMOS do not have theirown screens. Rather, these simplyhave small dialog boxes that pop up,usually with “Are you sure?” mes-sages. The Load Fail-Safe/Optimizeddefault options keep you from having



• Figure 3.11 Advanced Chipset Features

• Figure 3.12 Integrated Peripherals

• Figure 3.13 Power Management Setup



to memorize all of those weird settings you’ll never touch. Fail-Safe setseverything to very simple settings—you might occasionally use Fail-Safewhen very low-level problems such as freeze-ups occur and you’ve checkedmore obvious areas first. Optimized sets the CMOS to the best possiblespeed/stability for the system. You would use Optimized after you’ve tam-pered with the CMOS too much and you need to put it back like it was!

Many CMOS setup programs enable you to set a password in CMOS toforce the user to enter a password every time the system boots. Don’t con-fuse this with the Windows logon password. This CMOS password showsup at boot, long before Windows even starts to load. Figure 3.15 shows atypical CMOS password prompt.

Some CMOS setup utilities enable you to create two passwords: one forboot and another for accessing the CMOS setup program. This extra pass-word just for entering CMOS setup is a godsend in, for example, schools,where non-techs tend to wreak havoc in areas (such as CMOS) that theyshould not access!

Drive Lock Passwords On some motherboards, the CMOS setup programenables you to control the ATA Security Mode Feature Set, also commonlyreferred to as drive lock or DriveLock. ATA Security Mode is the first line ofdefense for protecting hard disks from unwanted access when a system islost or stolen. It has two passwords, a user password and a master pass-word, and two modes, high security mode and max security mode. In highsecurity mode, the drive can be accessed by both the master and user pass-words. In addition, the master can reset the user password in CMOS setup.

In max security mode, the drive is accessible only with the user pass-word. In this mode, the master can reset the user password, but all of thedata on the drive is destroyed. Note that in either mode, if the master anduser passwords are both lost, the drive is rendered unusable; these pass-words are stored in the hard disk’s control circuitry and cannot be reset byclearing CMOS.

Trusted Platform Module The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) acts as asecure cryptoprocessor, which is to say that it is a hardware platform for the



• Figure 3.14 PnP/PCI Configurations

• Figure 3.15 CMOS password prompt



acceleration of cryptographic functions and the secure storage of associatedinformation. The specification for the TPM is published by the Trusted Com-puting Group, an organization whose corporate members include Intel,Microsoft, AMD, IBM, Lenovo, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and many others.

The TPM can be a small circuit board plugged into the motherboard, orit can be built directly into the chipset. The CMOS setup program usuallycontains settings that can turn the TPM on or off and enable or disable it.

TPMs can be used in a wide array of cryptographic operations, but oneof the most common uses of TPMs is hard disk encryption. For example, theBitLocker Drive Encryption feature of Microsoft’s Windows Vista can be ac-celerated by a TPM, which is more secure because the encryption key isstored in the tamper-resistant TPM hardware rather than on an externalflash drive. Other possible uses of TPMs include digital rights management(DRM), network access control, application execution control, and pass-word protection.

Exiting and Saving SettingsOf course, all CMOS setups provide some method to Save and Exit or to ExitWithout Saving. Use these as needed for your situation. Exit Without Savingis particularly nice for those folks who want to poke around the CMOSsetup utility but don’t want to mess anything up. Use it!

The CMOS setup utility would meet all of the needs of a modern systemfor BIOS if manufacturers would just stop creating new devices. That’s notgoing to happen, of course, so let’s turn now to devices that need to haveBIOS loaded from elsewhere.

Losing CMOS SettingsYour CMOS needs a continuous trickle charge to retain itsdata. Motherboards use some type of battery, usually a coinbattery like those in wrist watches, to give the CMOS thecharge it needs when the computer is turned off (Figure 3.16).This battery also keeps track of the date and time when the PCis turned off.

If the battery runs out of charge, you lose all of your CMOSinformation. If some mishap suddenly erases the informationon the CMOS chip, the computer might not boot up or you’llget nasty-looking errors at boot. Any PC made after 2002 willboot to factory defaults if the CMOS clears, so the chances of notbooting are slimbut you’ll still get errors at boot. Here are afew examples of errors that point to lost CMOS information:

■ CMOS configuration mismatch

■ CMOS date/time not set

■ No boot device available

■ CMOS battery state low

Here are some of the more common reasons for losing CMOS data:

■ Pulling and inserting cards

■ Touching the motherboard



• Figure 3.16 A CMOS battery



■ Dropping something on the motherboard

■ Dirt on the motherboard

■ Faulty power supplies

■ Electrical surges

■ Chip creep

Most of these items should be fairly self-explanatory, but chip creepmight be a new term for some of you. As PCs run, the components inside getwarm. When a PC is turned off, the components cool off. This cycling of hotand cold causes the chips to expand and contract in their mounts. Althoughthe chip designers account for this, in some extreme cases this thermal ex-pansion and contraction causes a chip to work out of its mount and causes afailure called chip creep. Chip creep was a common problem in the earlierdays of PCs, but after more than a quarter century of experience, the PC in-dustry has done a pretty good job of designing mounts that hold all of yourchips in place dependably.

If you encounter any of these errors, or if the clock in Windows resets it-self to January 1 every time you reboot the system, the battery on the moth-erboard is losing its charge and needs to be replaced. To replace the battery,use a screwdriver to pry the battery’s catch gently back. The battery should

pop up for easy removal. Beforeyou install the new battery, dou-ble-check that it has the same volt-age and amperage as the oldbattery. To retain your CMOS set-tings while replacing the battery,simply leave your PC pluggedinto an AC outlet. The 5-volt softpower on all modern mother-boards provides enough electric-ity to keep the CMOS charged andthe data secure. Of course, I knowyou’re going to be extremely care-ful about ESD while prying up thebattery from a live system!

Flashing ROMFlash ROM chips can be reprogrammed to update their contents. With flashROM, when you need to update your system BIOS to add support for a newtechnology, you can simply run a small command-line program, combinedwith an update file, and voilà, you have a new, updated BIOS! DifferentBIOS makers use slightly different processes for flashing the BIOS, but ingeneral you must boot from a floppy diskette and then run the relevant up-dating command from the A:\> prompt. This example shows how simple itcan be:

A:\> aw athxpt2.bin



Cross CheckClearing CMOS

All techs invariably do things in CMOS they want to undo, but some-times simply making a change in CMOS prevents you from getting backto the CMOS setup utility to undo the change. A great example is whensomeone sets a CMOS password and then forgets the password. If youever run into a system with an unknown CMOS password, you’ll needto erase the CMOS and then reset everything.

You’ll recall from Chapter 2, “Mastering CPUs and RAM,” that allmotherboards have a CMOS-clear jumper, so check your memory. Howdo you find out where the CMOS-clear jumper is located? What steps doyou take to clear the CMOS? What scenario would definitely requireyou to clear the CMOS jumper?



Some motherboard makers provide Windows-based flash ROM update utilities that check theInternet for updates and download them for youto install (Figure 3.17). Most of these utilities alsoenable you to back up your current BIOS so youcan return to it if the updated version causes trou-ble. Without a good backup, you could end upthrowing away your motherboard if a flash BIOSupdate goes wrong, so you should always makeone. Other motherboards have drivers to readflash ROM-based USB drives and have a flashingutility built into ROM. You can download an up-date, put it on a thumb drive, and boot to theCMOS setup utility to update the firmware. Nice!

Finally, don’t update your BIOS unless youhave some compelling reason to do so. As the oldsaying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

■ Installing ExpansionCards

Installing an expansion card successfully—another one of those bread-and-butter tasks for the PC tech—requires at least four steps. First, you need toknow that the card works with your system and your operating system. Sec-ond, you have to insert the card in an expansion slot properly and withoutdamaging that card or the motherboard. Third, you need to provide driversfor the operating system—that’s proper drivers for the specific OS. Fourth,you should always verify that the card functions properly before you walkaway from the PC.

Step 1: KnowledgeLearn about the device you plan to install—preferably before you purchaseit! Does the device work with your system and operating system? Does ithave drivers for your operating system? If you use Windows, the answer tothese questions is almost always “yes.” If you use an old operating systemsuch as Windows 98 or a less common operating system such as Linux, thesequestions become critical. A lot of older, pre-XP hardware simply won’twork with Windows XP or Vista at all. Check the device’s documentationand check the device manufacturer’s Web site to verify that you have thecorrect drivers. While you’re checking, make sure you have the latest ver-sion of the driver; most devices get driver updates more often than theweather changes in Texas.

For Windows systems, your best resource for this knowledge is the Win-dows Logo’d Product List. This used to be called the Hardware Compatibil-ity List (HCL), and you’ll still hear lots of people refer to it as such. You cancheck out the Web site (http://winqual.microsoft.com/hcl/Default.aspx)to see if your product is listed, but most people just look on the box of the



• Figure 3.17 ROM updating program for an ASUS motherboard

Tech Tip

Installation OrderSome manufacturers insist on adifferent order for device installa-tion than the traditional onelisted here. The most commonvariation requires you to installthe drivers and support softwarefor an expansion card before youinsert the card. Failure to followthe manufacturer’s directionswith such a card can lead tohours of frustration while youuninstall the card and reinstallthe drivers, sometimes manuallyremoving some drivers and soft-ware from the system. The bottomline? Read the instructions thatcome with a particular card! I’llprovide more specific examples ofproblem devices in later chapters.



device in question (Figure 3.18)all Windows-certifieddevices proudly display that they work with Windows.

Microsoft keeps the Logo’d Product List available forall supported operating systems, so you’ll see Windows7, Windows Vista, and most likely Windows XP (depend-ing on when you’re reading this book). Windows 2000 isalready gone.

Step 2: Physical InstallationTo install an expansion card successfully, you need totake steps to avoid damaging the card, the motherboard,or both. This means knowing how to handle a card andavoiding electrostatic discharge (ESD) or any other elec-trical issue. You also need to place the card firmly andcompletely into an available expansion slot.

Optimally, a card should always be in one of twoplaces: in a computer or in an anti-static bag. When in-serting or removing a card, be careful to hold the card

only by its edges. Do not hold the card by the slot connectors or touch anycomponents on the board (Figure 3.19).

Use an anti-static wrist strap if possible, properly attached to the PC. Ifyou don’t have a wrist strap, you can use the tech way of avoiding ESD bytouching the power supply after you remove the expansion card from itsanti-static bag. This puts you, the card, and the PC at the same electrical po-tential and thus minimizes the risk of ESD.

Modern systems have a trickle of voltage on the motherboard at all timeswhen the computer is plugged into a power outlet. Chapter 4, “MasteringPC Power,” covers power for the PC and how to deal with it in detail, buthere’s the short version: Always unplug the PC before inserting an expansioncard! Failure to do so can destroy the card, the motherboard, or both. It’s notworth the risk.



• Figure 3.18 Works with Windows!

The Windows Vista Compati-bility Center (www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/) isalso a great resource to checkwhether a particular softwareprogram works with WindowsVista.

• Figure 3.19 Where to handle a card



Never insert or remove a card at an extremeangle. This may damage the card. A slight angle isacceptable and even necessary when removing acard. Always screw the card to the case with a con-nection screw. This keeps the card from slipping outand potentially shorting against other cards. Also,many cards use the screw connection to ground thecard to the case (Figure 3.20).

Many technicians have been told to clean the slotconnectors if a particular card is not working. This isalmost never necessary after a card is installed and,if done improperly, can cause damage. You shouldclean slot connectors only if you have a card that’sbeen on the shelf for a while and the contacts are ob-viously dull. Never use a pencil eraser for this purpose.Pencil erasers can leave behind bits of residue thatwedge between the card and slot, preventing con-tact and causing the card to fail. Grab a can of con-tact cleaning solution and use it instead. Contactcleaning solution is designed exactly for this pur-pose, cleans contacts nicely, and doesn’t leave anyresidue. You can find contact cleaning solution atany electronics store.

A fully inserted expansion card sits flush againstthe back of the PC case—assuming the motherboardis mounted properly, of course—with no gap be-tween the mounting bracket on the card and thescrew hole on the case. If the card is properly seated,no contacts are exposed above the slot. Figure 3.21shows a properly seated (meaning fitted snugly inthe slot) expansion card.



• Figure 3.20 Always screw down all cards.

• Figure 3.21 Properly seated expansion card; note the tight fitbetween case and mounting bracket and theevenness of the card in the slot.



Step 3: Device DriversAll devices, whether built into the motherboard or added along the way, re-quire BIOS. For almost all expansion cards, that BIOS comes in the form ofdevice drivers—software support programs—loaded from a CD-ROM discprovided by the card manufacturer.

Installing device drivers is fairly straightforward. You should use thecorrect drivers—kind of obvious, but you’d be surprised how many techsmess this up—and, if you’re upgrading, you might have to unload currentdrivers before loading new drivers. Finally, if you have a problem, you mayneed to uninstall the drivers you just loaded or, with Windows XP or Vista,roll back to earlier, more stable drivers.

Getting the Correct DriversTo be sure you have the best possible driver you can get for your device, youshould always check the manufacturer’s Web site. The drivers that comewith a device may work well, but odds are good that you’ll find a newer and

better driver on the Web site.How do you know that the driv-ers on the Web site are newer?First, take the easy route: lookon the CD. Often the version isprinted right on the CD itself. Ifit’s not printed there, you’re go-ing to have to load the CD inyour CD-ROM drive and pokearound. Many driver discs havean AutoRun screen that adver-tises the version. If nothing is onthe pop-up screen, look for aReadme file (Figure 3.22).

Driver or Device?In almost all cases, you shouldinstall the device driver afteryou install the device. Without

the device installed, the driver installation will not see the device and will givean error screen. The exceptions to this rule are USB and FireWire deviceswiththese you should always install the driver first.

Removing the Old DriversSome cards—and this is especially true with video cards—require you to re-move old drivers of the same type before you install the new device. To dothis, you must first locate the driver in the Device Manager. Right-click thedevice driver you want to uninstall and select Uninstall (Figure 3.23). Manydevices, especially ones that come with a lot of applications, will have anuninstall option in the Add/Remove Programs (Windows 2000), Add or Re-move Programs (Windows XP), or Programs and Features (Windows Vista)applet in the Control Panel (Figure 3.24).



• Figure 3.22 Part of a Readme file showing the driver version

Don’t remember how to getto device manager? Just right-click on the My Computer/Computer icon, select Manage,and then find device manager inthe list of snap-ins on the right.

P:\010Comp\BaseTech\869-x\ch03.vpWednesday, May 12, 2010 4:56:50 AM


Unsigned DriversMicrosoft wants yourcomputer to work, truly,and the company pro-vides an excellent and rig-orous testing program forhardware manufacturerscalled the Microsoft Win-dows Logo Program. De-velopers initially usesoftware to test their de-vices and, when they’reready, submit the deviceto the Windows HardwareQuality Labs (WHQL) forfurther testing. Hardwareand drivers that survivethe WHQL and other pro-cesses get to wear the De-signed for Windows logo.



• Figure 3.23 Uninstalling a device

• Figure 3.24 The Change/Remove option in Add or Remove Programs



The drivers get a digital signature that says Microsoft tested themand found all was well.

Not all driver makers go through the rather involved process ofthe WHQL and other steps in the Windows Logo Program, so theirsoftware does not get a digital signature from Microsoft. When Win-dows runs into such a driver, it brings up a scary-looking screen(Figure 3.25) that says you’re about to install an unsigned driver.

The fact that a company refuses to use the Windows Logo Programdoesn’t mean its drivers are bad—it simply means they haven’t gonethrough Microsoft’s exhaustive quality-assurance certification proce-dure. If I run into this, I usually check the driver’s version to make sureI’m not installing something outdated, and then I just take my chancesand install it. (I’ve yet to encounter a problem with an unsigned driverthat I haven’t also seen with Designed for Windows drivers.)

With Windows Vista 64-bit, Microsoft tightened the rules to tryto provide the most stable platform possible. You simply cannot in-stall unsigned drivers. Microsoft must approve each one.

Installing the New DriverYou have two ways to install a new driver: by using the installation CD di-rectly or by using the Add Hardware Wizard in the Control Panel. Most ex-perienced techs prefer to run from the installation CD. Most devices comewith extra programs. My motherboard comes with a number of handy ap-plications for monitoring temperature and overclocking. The Add Hard-ware Wizard does not install anything but the drivers. Granted, some techsfind this a blessing because they don’t want all of the extra junk that some-times comes with a device, but most installation discs give clear options soyou can pick and choose what you want to install (Figure 3.26).



• Figure 3.25 Unsigned driver warning

• Figure 3.26 Installation menu

Tech Tip

PermissionsTo install drivers in a Windowscomputer, you need to have theproper permission. I’m not talk-ing about asking somebody ifyou’re allowed to install thedevice. Permissions are grantedin Windows to enable people todo certain things, such as add aprinter to a computer or installsoftware, or to stop people frombeing able to do such tasks. Spe-cifically, you need administrativepermissions to install drivers.Chapter 7, “Securing WindowsResources,” goes into a lot ofdetail about permissions, so noneed to worry about them here.

P:\010Comp\BaseTech\869-x\ch03.vpFriday, May 28, 2010 2:41:20 AM


The other reason to use installation CDs instead of the Add HardwareWizard stems from the fact that many expansion cards are actually manydevices in one, and each device needs its own drivers. Some sound cardscome with joystick ports, for example, and some video cards have built-inTV tuners. The Add Hardware Wizard will install all of the devices, but theinstallation CD brings them to your attention. Go for the CD program firstand save the Add Hardware Wizard for problems, as you’ll see in the nextsection.

Driver RollbackWindows XP and Windows Vista offer the nifty feature of rolling back toprevious drivers after an installation or driver upgrade. If you decide to liveon the edge and install beta drivers for your video card, for example, andyour system becomes frightfully unstable, you can back up to the driversthat worked before. (Not that I’ve ever had to use that feature, of course.) Toaccess the rollback feature, simply open the Device Manager and access theproperties for the device you want to adjust. On the Driver tab (Figure 3.27),you’ll find the Roll Back Driver button.

Step 4: VerifyAs a last step in the installation process, inspect the results of the installationand verify that the device works properly. Immediately after installing, youshould open the Device Manager and verify that Windows sees the device(Figure 3.28). Assuming that the Device Manager shows the device workingproperly, your next check is to put the device to work by making it do what-ever it is supposed to do. If you installed a printer, print something; if youinstalled a scanner, scan something. If it works, you’re finished!



Tech Tip

Beta DriversMany PC enthusiasts try tosqueeze every bit of performanceout of their PC components,much as auto enthusiasts tinkerwith engine tunings to get a littleextra horsepower out of their en-gines. Expansion card manufac-turers love enthusiasts, who oftenact as free testers for their unpol-ished drivers, known as beta driv-ers. Beta drivers are fine for themost part, but they can some-times cause amazing systeminstability—never a good thing!If you use beta drivers, make sureyou know how to uninstall or rollback to previous drivers.

• Figure 3.27 Driver rollback feature • Figure 3.28 Device Manager shows the device workingproperly.



■ Troubleshooting Expansion CardsA properly installed expansion card rarely makes trouble; it’s the botchedinstallations that produce headaches. Chances are high that you’ll have totroubleshoot an expansion card installation at some point, usually from aninstallation you botched personally.

The first sign of an improperly installed card usually shows up the mo-ment you first try to get that card to do whatever it’s supposed to do and itdoesn’t do it. When this happens, your primary troubleshooting process is areinstallationafter checking in with the Device Manager.

Other chapters in this book cover specific hardware troubleshooting:sound cards and video cards in Chapter 10, “Mastering Video and Multime-dia,” for example. Use this section to help you decide what to look for andhow to deal with the problem.

The Device Manager provides the first diagnostic and troubleshootingtool in Windows. After you install a new device, the Device Manager givesyou many clues if something has gone wrong.

Occasionally, the Device Manager may not even show the new device. Ifthat happens, verify that you inserted the device properly and, if needed,that the device has power. Run the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard and seeif Windows recognizes the device. If the Device Manager doesn’t recognizethe device at this point, you have one of two problems: either the device isphysically damaged and you must replace it, or the device is an onboard de-vice, not a card, and is turned off in CMOS.

The Device Manager rarely completely fails to see a device. More com-monly, device problems manifest themselves in the Device Manager viaerror icons—a black “!” or a red “X” or a blue “i.”

■ A black “!” on a yellow circle indicates that a device ismissing (Figure 3.29), that Windows does not recognize adevice, or that there’s a device driver problem. A devicemay still work even while producing this error.

■ A red “X” indicates a disabled device. This usuallypoints to a device that’s been manually turned off, or adamaged device. A device producing this error will notwork.

■ A blue “i” on a white field indicates a device on whichsomeone has configured the system resources manually.This only occurs on non-ACPI systems. This symbolmerely provides information and does not indicate anerror with the device.

The “!” symbol is the most common error symbol and usu-ally the easiest to fix. First, double-check the device’s connec-tions. Second, try reinstalling the driver with the UpdateDriver button. To get to the Update Driver button, right-clickthe desired device in the Device Manager and select Prop-erties. In the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab. Onthe Driver tab, click the Update Driver button to open the up-dating wizard (Figure 3.30).



• Figure 3.29 An “!” in the Device Manager, indicating aproblem with the selected device



A red “X” error strikesfear into most technicians. Ifyou get one, first check thatthe device isn’t disabled.Right-click on the deviceand select Enable. If thatdoesn’t work (it often doesnot), try rolling back thedriver (if you updated thedriver) or uninstalling (ifit’s a new install). Shut thesystem down and make tri-ple-sure you have the cardphysically installed. Thenredo the entire driver instal-lation procedure, makingsure you have the most cur-rent driver for that device. Ifnone of these procedureswork, return the cardit’salmost certainly bad.

As you look at the er-rors in the Device Man-ager, you’ll notice errorcodes for the device thatdoes not work properly.Windows has about 20 error codes, but the fixes still boil down to the samemethods just shown. If you really want to frustrate yourself, try the Trouble-shooter. It starts most fixes the same way: by reinstalling the device driver.

■ Upgrading and InstallingMotherboards

To most techs, the concept of adding or replacing a motherboard can be ex-tremely intimidating, much more so than merely installing an expansioncard. It really shouldn’t be; motherboard installation is a common and nec-essary part of PC repair. It is inexpensive and easy, although it can some-times be a little tedious and messy because of the large number of partsinvolved. This section covers the process of installation and replacementand shows you some of the tricks that make this necessary process easy tohandle.

Choosing the Motherboard and CaseChoosing a motherboard and case can prove quite a challenge for any tech,whether newly minted or a seasoned veteran. You first have to figure outthe type of motherboard you want, such as AMD- or Intel-based. Then you



• Figure 3.30 Updating the driver

How to select and install amotherboard appropriate for aclient or customer is somethingevery CompTIA A+ technicianshould know.



need to think about the form factor,which of course influences the typeof case you’ll need. Third, how richin features is the motherboard andhow tough is it to configure? Youhave to read the motherboard man-ual to find out. Finally, you need toselect the case that matches yourspace needs, budget, and form fac-tor. Now look at each step in a littlemore detail.

First, determine what mother-board you need. What CPU are youusing? Will the motherboard workwith that CPU? Because most of usbuy the CPU and the motherboardat the same time, make the sellerguarantee that the CPU will workwith the motherboard. If you can,choose a motherboard that workswith much higher speeds than theCPU you can afford; that way youcan upgrade later. How muchRAM do you intend to install? Areextra RAM sockets available for fu-ture upgrades?

A number of excellent mother-board manufacturers are availabletoday. Some of the more popularbrands are abit, ASUS, BIOSTAR,DFI, GIGABYTE, Intel, MSI, andShuttle. Your supplier may alsohave some lesser-known but per-fectly acceptable brands of mother-boards. As long as the supplier hasan easy return policy, it’s perfectlyfine to try one of these.

Second, make sure you’re get-ting a form factor that works withyour case. Don’t try to put a regularATX motherboard into a microATXcase!

Third, all motherboards comewith a technical manual, betterknown as the motherboard book(Figure 3.31). You must have thisbook! This book is your primarysource for all of the critical informa-tion about the motherboard. Youheard a bit about this book in the



Try This!Building a Recommendation

Family, friends, and potential clients often solicit the advice of a techwhen they’re thinking about upgrading their PC. This solicitation putsyou on the spot to make not just any old recommendation but one thatworks with the needs and budget of the potential upgrader. To do thissuccessfully, you need to manage expectations and ask the right ques-tions, so Try This!

1. What does the upgrader want to do that compels him or her toupgrade? Write it down! Some of the common motivations forupgrading are to play that hot new game or to take advantage ofnew technology. What’s the minimum system needed to runtomorrow’s action games? What do you need to make multimediasing? Does the motherboard need to have FireWire and high-speedUSB built in to accommodate digital video and better printers?

2. How much of the current system does the upgrader want to save?Upgrading a motherboard can very quickly turn into a completesystem rebuild. What form factor is the old case? If it’s a microATXcase, that constrains the motherboards you can use with it tomicroATX or the smaller FlexATX. If the desired motherboard isa full-sized ATX board, you’ll need to get a new case. Does thenew motherboard possess the same type of CPU socket as the oldmotherboard? If not, that’s a sure sign you’ll need to upgrade theCPU as well. What about RAM? If the old motherboard was usingDDR SDRAM and the new motherboard requires DDR2 SDRAM,you’ll need to replace the RAM. If you need to upgrade thememory, it is best to know how many channels the new RAMinterface supports, because performance is best when all channelsare populated. What if the old motherboard was using an AGPgraphics accelerator that the new motherboard does not support,but you don’t want to splurge on a PCI Express graphicsaccelerator right now? In this situation you might want to considermoving to a motherboard with integrated graphics. What’s greatabout integrated graphics is that if the motherboard also possessesa ×16 PCI Express slot, you can upgrade to a more powerfuldiscrete graphics accelerator later.

3. Once you’ve gathered information on motivation and assessedthe current PC of the upgrader, it’s time to get down to business:field trip time! This is a great excuse to get to the computer storeand check out the latest motherboards and gadgets. Don’t forgetto jot down notes and prices while you’re there. By the end of thefield trip, you should have the information to give the upgraderan honest assessment of what an upgrade will entail, at least inmonetary terms. Be honest—in other words, don’t just tellupgraders what you think they want to hear—and you won’tget in trouble.



previous chapter, but the motherboard book contains much more informa-tion than what kind of RAM and CPU your motherboard can use. For exam-ple, if you set up CPU or RAM timings incorrectly in CMOS and you have adead PC, where would you find the CMOS-clear jumper? Where do youplug in the speaker? Even if you let someone else install the motherboard,insist on the motherboard book; you will need it.

Fourth, pick your case carefully. Cases come in six basic sizes: slimline,desktop, mini-tower, mid-tower, tower, and cube. Slimline and desktopmodels generally sit on the desk, beneath the monitor. The various towercases usually occupy a bit of floor space next to the desk. The mini-towerand mid-tower cases are the most popular choices. Make sure you get a casethat fits your motherboard—many microATX and all FlexATX cases are toosmall for a regular ATX motherboard. Cube cases generally require a spe-cific motherboard, so be prepared tobuy both pieces at once. A quick test-fitbefore you buy saves a lot of returntrips to the supplier.

Cases come with many options, butthree more common options point to abetter case. One option is a removableface (Figure 3.32)—many cheaper casesscrew the face into the metal framewith wood screws. A removable facemakes disassembly much easier.

Another option is a detachablemotherboard mount. Clearly, themotherboard has to be attached to thecase in some fashion. In better cases,this is handled by a removable tray orplate (Figure 3.33). This enables you to



• Figure 3.31 Motherboard box and book

Tech Tip

ReplacementMotherboard BooksIf you have a motherboard withno manual, you can usually finda copy of the manual in AdobeAcrobat (.pdf) format online atthe manufacturer’s Web site. It’sa good idea to grab and print acopy to keep with the mother-board. I often tape a copy (eitherhard copy or burned onto a CD)of the manual in the case where Iinstalled the motherboard. Justdon’t cover any vents!

Tech Tip

Other ComputerDesignsManufacturers have created acouple of other case form factors,most notably the all-in-one styleof the Apple iMac and the super-small nettops. The all-in-one de-sign incorporates the computerinto the monitor to provide asvelte setup. The nettops cramsuper small components, such asyou’d normally find in tinylaptops, into various interest-ingly shaped boxes.

I don’t mention these as com-parable to the six standard casetypes, simply because you can’tgo out and easily buy the compo-nents to create one on your own.You might have to service suchcomputers. For tips on servicing,see Chapter 11, “Mastering Por-table Computing.”

• Figure 3.32 Removable face



attach the motherboard to the case separately, saving you from stickingyour arms into the case to turn screws.

The third option—front-mounted ports for USB, FireWire, and head-phones—can make using a PC much easier. Better cases offer these ports,although you can also get add-on components that fit into the increas-ingly useless floppy drive bay to bring added front connectivity to thePC. Figure 3.34 shows a case with both types of front connectors.

Power supplies often come with the case. Watch out for “really gooddeal” cases because that invariably points to a cheap or missing power sup-ply. You also need to verify that the power supply has sufficient wattage.This issue is handled in Chapter 4, “Mastering PC Power.”

Installing the MotherboardIf you’re replacing a motherboard, first remove the old motherboard. Beginby removing all of the cards. Also remove anything else that might impederemoval or installation of the motherboard, such as hard or floppy drives.Keep track of your screws—the best idea is to return the screws to theirmounting holes temporarily, at least until you can reinstall the parts. Some-times you even have to remove the power supply temporarily to enable ac-cess to the motherboard. Document the position of the little wires for thespeaker, power switch, and reset button in case you need to reinstall them.

Unscrew the motherboard. It will not simply lift out. The motherboardmounts to the case via small connectors called standouts that slide intokeyed slots or screw into the bottom of the case (Figure 3.35). Screws then gointo the standouts to hold the motherboard in place. Be sure to place thestandouts properly before installing the new motherboard.



• Figure 3.33 Motherboard tray • Figure 3.34 Case with both front-mounted ports and anadd-on flash memory card reader

If you drop any screws into ahard-to-reach place inside thecase while installing the mother-board, use an extension magnetto remove them.

Watch out for ESD here! Re-member that it’s very easy todamage or destroy a CPU andRAM with a little electrostaticdischarge. It’s also fairly easy todamage the motherboard withESD. Wear your anti-static wriststrap.



When you insert the new motherboard, do not assume that you will putthe screws and standouts in the same place as they were in your old mother-board. When it comes to the placement of screws and standouts, only one ruleapplies: anywhere it fits. Do not be afraid to be a little tough here! Installingmotherboards can be a wiggling, twisting, knuckle-scraping process.

Once you get the motherboard mounted in the case, with the CPU andRAM properly installed, it’s time to insert the power connections and test it.A POST card can be helpful with the system test because you won’t have toadd the speaker, a video card, monitor, and keyboard to verify that the sys-tem is booting. If you have a POST card, start the system, and watch to see ifthe POST takes place—you should see a number of POST codes before thePOST stops. If you don’t have a POST card, install a keyboard, speaker,video card, and monitor. Boot the system and see if the BIOS informationshows up on the screen. If it does, you’re probably okay. If it doesn’t, it’stime to refer to the motherboard book to see where you made a mistake.

Wires, Wires, WiresThe last part of motherboard installation is connecting the LEDs, buttons,and front-mounted ports on the front of the box. These usually include thefollowing:

■ Soft power

■ Reset button

■ Speaker

■ Hard drive activity LED

■ Power LED

■ USB



• Figure 3.35 Standout in a case, ready for the motherboard

Tech Tip

Before the CaseA lot of techs install the CPU,CPU fan, and RAM into themotherboard before installing themotherboard into the case. Thishelps in several ways, especiallywith a new system. First, youwant to make certain that theCPU and RAM work well withthe motherboard and with eachother—without that, you have nohope of setting up a stable system.Second, installing these compo-nents first prevents the phenome-non of flexing the motherboard.Some cases don’t provide quiteenough support for the mother-board, and pushing in RAM canmake the board bend. Third, at-taching a CPU fan can be a bearof a task, one that’s considerablyeasier to do on a table top thanwithin the confines of a case.Finally, on motherboards thatrequire you to set jumpers orswitches, you can much moreeasily read the tiny informationstenciled on the PCB before youadd the shadows from the case. Ifnecessary, set any jumpers andswitches for the specific CPU ac-cording to information from themotherboard manual.

Pay attention to the locationof the standouts if you’re swap-ping a motherboard. If you leavea screw-type standout beneath aspot on the motherboard whereyou can’t add a screw and thenapply power to the mother-board, you run the risk of short-ing the motherboard.



■ FireWire

■ Sound

These wires have specific pin connections to the mother-board. Although you can refer to the motherboard book for theirlocation, usually a quick inspection of the motherboard will suf-fice for an experienced tech (Figure 3.36).

You need to follow a few rules when installing these wires.First, the lights are LEDs, not light bulbs; they have a positiveand negative side. If they don’t work one way, turn the connec-tor around and try the other. Second, when in doubt, guess. In-correct installation only results in the device not working; itwon’t damage the computer. Refer to the motherboard book forthe correct installation. The third and last rule is that, with the ex-ception of the soft power switch on an ATX system, you do notneed any of these wires for the computer to run. Many techs of-ten simply ignore these wires, although this would not be some-thing I’d do to any system but my own.

No hard-and-fast rule exists for determining the function ofeach wire. Often the function of each wire is printed on the con-nector (Figure 3.37). If not, track each wire to the LED or switchto determine its function.

■ Troubleshooting MotherboardsMotherboards fail. Not often, but motherboards and motherboard compo-nents can die from many causes: time, dust, cat hair, or simply slight manu-facturing defects made worse by the millions of amps of current sluicingthrough the motherboard traces. Installing cards, electrostatic discharge,flexing the motherboard one time too many when swapping out RAM or



• Figure 3.36 Motherboard wire connections labeled on the motherboard

• Figure 3.37 Sample of case wires



drives—any of these factors can cause a motherboard to fail. The mother-board is a hard-working, often abused component of the PC. Unfortunatelyfor the common tech, troubleshooting a motherboard problem can be diffi-cult and time consuming. Let’s wrap this chapter with a look at symptoms ofa failing motherboard, techniques for troubleshooting, and the options youhave when you discover a motherboard problem.

SymptomsMotherboard failures commonly fall into three types: catastrophic, compo-nent, and ethereal. With a catastrophic failure, the PC just won’t boot. Thissort of problem happens to brand-new systems because of manufacturingdefects—often called a burn-in failure—and to any system that gets a shockof electrostatic discharge. Burn-in failure is uncommon and usually hap-pens in the first 30 days of use. Swap out the motherboard for a replacementand you should be fine. If you accidentally zap your motherboard when in-serting a card or moving wires around, be chagrined. Change your daringways and wear an anti-static wrist strap!

Component failure happens rarely and appears as flaky connections be-tween a device and motherboard, or as intermittent problems. A hard driveplugged into a faulty controller on the motherboard, for example, mightshow up in CMOS autodetect but be inaccessible in Windows. Another ex-ample is a serial controller that worked fine for months until a big stormtook out the external modem hooked to it and now doesn’t work anymore,even with a replacement modem.

The most difficult of the three types of symptoms to diagnose are those Icall ethereal symptoms. Stuff just doesn’t work all of the time. The PC rebootsitself. You get a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) in the midst of heavy comput-ing, such as right before you smack the villain and rescue the damsel. Whatcan cause such symptoms? If you answered any of the following, you winthe prize:

■ Faulty component

■ Buggy device driver

■ Buggy application software

■ Slight corruption of the operating system

■ Power supply problems

Err … you get the picture.What a nightmare scenario to troubleshoot! The Way of the Tech knows

paths through such perils, though, so let’s turn to troubleshooting tech-niques now.

TechniquesTo troubleshoot a potential motherboard failure requires time, patience,and organization. Some problems will certainly be quicker to solve than oth-ers. If the hard drive doesn’t work as expected, as in the previous example,check the settings on the drive. Try a different drive. Try the same drive witha different motherboard to verify that it’s a good drive. Like every other





troubleshooting technique, all you try to do with motherboard testing is toisolate the problem by eliminating potential factors.

This three-part system—check, replace, verify good component—worksfor the simpler and the more complicated motherboard problems. You caneven apply the same technique to ethereal-type problems that might be any-thing, but you should add one more verb: document. Take notes on the indi-vidual components you test so you don’t repeat efforts or waste time. Plus,taking notes can lead to the establishment of patterns. Being able to re-createa system crash by performing certain actions in a specific order can oftenlead you to the root of the problem. Document your actions. Motherboardtesting is time-consuming enough without adding inefficiency.

OptionsOnce you determine that the motherboard has problems, you have severaloptions for fixing the three types of failures. If you have a catastrophic fail-ure, you must replace the motherboard. Even if it works somewhat, don’tmess around. The motherboard should provide bedrock stability for thesystem. If it’s even remotely buggy or problematic, get rid of it!

If you have a component failure, you can often replace the componentwith an add-on card that will be as good as or better than the failed device.Adaptec, for example, makes fine cards that can replace the built-in SATAports on the motherboard (Figure 3.38).

If your component failure is more a technology issue than physical dam-age, you can try upgrading the BIOS on the motherboard.

Finally, if you have an ethereal, ghost-in-the-machine type of problemthat you have finally determined to be motherboard related, you have onlya couple of options for fixing the problem. You can flash the BIOS in a des-perate attempt to correct whatever it is, which sometimes does work and isless expensive than the other option. Or you can replace the motherboard.



• Figure 3.38 Adaptec PCIe SATA card

If you’ve lost components be-cause of ESD or a power surge,you would most likely be betteroff replacing the motherboard.The damage you can’t see candefinitely sneak up to bite youand create system instability.

Tech Tip

Limits of BIOSUpgradesFlashing the BIOS for a mother-board can fix a lot of system sta-bility problems and provide betterimplementation of built-intechnology. What it cannot do foryour system is improve the hard-ware. If AMD comes out with anew, improved, lower-voltageAthlon 64, for example, and yourmotherboard cannot scale downthe voltage properly, you cannotuse that CPU—even if it fits inyour motherboard’s Socket AM2.No amount of BIOS flashing canchange the hardware built intoyour motherboard.



Chapter 3 Review■ Chapter SummaryAfter reading this chapter and completing theexercises, you should understand the followingabout motherboards.

Troubleshoot the power-on self test (POST)

■ In addition to the BIOS routines and the CMOSsetup program, the system ROM also includes aspecial program called the power-on self test(POST) that is executed every time the computerboots. POST first has basic devices, up to andincluding video, run self-diagnostics. If a devicedetects an error, the computer alerts you with aseries of beeps. Different ROM manufacturers haveused different beep codes, but your motherboardbook should explain them (particularly in oldersystems). After the basic devices, POST tells therest of the devices to run tests and displays a texterror message on the screen if anything is wrong.Some manufacturers use numeric error codes orcombine numeric and text messages.

■ The computer may beep in two situations that arenot related to POST beep codes. If the computerbeeps constantly until you shut it off, it meansRAM is missing or damaged. If the computer beepsafter it is booted, it is probably warning you thatthe system is overheating.

■ If the computer appears dead, with no beeps orscreen response, you can place a POST card in anexpansion slot to diagnose the problem by usingthe LED readout on the card. The documentationthat comes with the POST card explains the LEDcodes for your particular BIOS.

■ A beep code, text error message, or POST error mayidentify a problem, but it does not fix it. After youknow which device is causing the problem, youshould check the connection for the troublesomedevice and replace it if possible. If you cannotremove the bad part or if you cannot interpretthe error message, you may need to replace themotherboard.

■ When you first power on the PC, the power supplycircuitry tests for proper voltage and then sends asignal down a special wire called the power goodwire to awaken the CPU. The moment the power

good wire wakes it up, the CPU sends a built-inmemory address via its address bus. This addressis the first line of the POST program on the systemROM, which is how the system starts the POST.After the POST has finished, it passes control to thebootstrap loader function on the system BIOS. Thisprogram looks for an operating system, checkingthe floppy drive, hard drives, or other bootabledevices to find the boot sector that identifies thelocation of the OS. When the BIOS finds a bootableor system disk or device that has a functionaloperating system, it passes control to that diskor device.

Maintain BIOS and CMOS properly

■ All CMOS setup programs have basically the samemain options. On the Standard CMOS Featuresscreen, you can change floppy drive, hard drive,and date/time settings. Today’s setup programshave extra CMOS settings that control such itemsas memory management, password and bootingoptions, diagnostic and error handling, and powermanagement. The Award Modular BIOS enablesmotherboard manufacturers to add or removeoptions from the setup program.

■ Among the other things you can configure inCMOS setup are the voltage and multiplier settingsfor the CPU (the CPU SoftMenu), boot options(check the Advanced BIOS Features menu), powermanagement, password protection, and ports (theIntegrated Peripherals menu). All setup programsinclude options to Save and Exit or Exit WithoutSaving. You should not change CMOS settingsunless you know exactly what you’re doing.

■ On older systems, if the information on the CMOSchip was lost or erased, the computer would notboot. The most common cause was a dead onboardbattery, but other factors such as electrical surges,chip creep, or a dirty motherboard could also eraseCMOS data. Lost CMOS information produceserrors such as No boot device available or CMOS date/time not set. Making a backup copy of the CMOSdata enabled you to restore the information andrecover from this catastrophe.





■ Unlike earlier ROM chips that you had to replacewhen you wanted to upgrade the BIOS programs,today’s computers use flash ROM chips that youcan reprogram without removing. If you install aCPU or other new hardware that the flash ROMchip does not support, you can run a smallcommand-line program combined with an updatefile to change your BIOS. The exact process variesfrom one motherboard maker to another. If theflash ROM utility allows you to make a backup ofyour BIOS, you should always do so. Don’t updateyour BIOS unless you have a good reason. As theold saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

■ Many CMOS setup programs enable you to set aboot password, a password to enter the CMOSsetup program itself, or both. These passwords arestored in CMOS. If you forget your password, yousimply need to clear the CMOS data. Unplug theAC power from the PC and remove the motherboardbattery. This removes the trickle charge that enablesCMOS to store information and clears all CMOSdata, including the passwords. Reinstall the battery,plug in the power cord, boot up the computer, andre-enter your CMOS settings. Alternatively, manymotherboards provide a CMOS-clear jumper youcan use to clear the CMOS data without removingthe battery. Small padlocks on the system chassiscan prevent unauthorized users from accessing themotherboard and clearing CMOS data.

■ When you make changes to the CMOS settings,make only as many changes at one time as you canremember. Document the original settings and thechanges on a piece of paper so you can reverse anychanges that had the wrong effect.

■ If you have CMOS settings that keep reverting todefaults or if the clock in Windows resets itself toJanuary 1 every time you reboot the system, thebattery on the motherboard is losing its charge andneeds to be replaced.

■ You can update the firmware in ROM by flashingthe BIOS. This process is often done by booting to abootable floppy diskette after downloading aflashing program and the update BIOS from themanufacturer. Some motherboards enable you toupdate the BIOS through Windows programs;others come with drivers for USB devices and havea flashing utility built in.

Install expansion cards properly

■ There are four basic steps to follow when installingan expansion card: determine that the card iscompatible with your system, physically install thecard, install the drivers, and verify that the cardworks.

■ Determine that the card is compatible with yoursystem. Many older cards do not work withWindows XP or Windows Vista, and not everycard works with older versions of Windows orother operating systems (such as Linux orMacintosh). Read the box before you buy, consultthe device manufacturer’s Web site, and, ifWindows is your operating system, consult theWindows Logo’d Product List (formerly theHardware Compatibility List).

■ Physically install the card without damaging it orother system components. Keep the card in its anti-static bag until you are ready to install it. Power offand unplug the computer. Wear an anti-static wriststrap or use an alternative method of dissipatingstatic electricity.

■ Install the correct drivers, which should come on aCD with the device. If you don’t have the CD, youmay be able to download the drivers from themanufacturer’s Web site.

■ Some manufacturers use the Microsoft WindowsLogo Program to verify and digitally sign theirdrivers. This means their drivers have beenverified by Microsoft to work properly. Othermanufacturers skip the certification process andproduce unsigned drivers that in most cases workjust fine.

■ Sometimes driver updates go bad and you findthat the new driver just doesn’t work. WithWindows XP and later, you can roll back to theprevious version driver by double-clicking thedevice in the Device Manager, clicking the Drivertab, and then clicking the Roll Back Driver button.

■ Always verify that your newly installed deviceworks. Immediately after installation, open theDevice Manager and verify that no error icons aredisplayed. Next, check the physical device. Finally,test the device’s functionality.





Troubleshoot expansion cards

■ If you find a device is not working as expected,your first step is to check the Device Manager. Ifthe device is not listed in the Device Manager,verify that you inserted it correctly and it haspower. You can also try the Add Hardware Wizardto see if Windows recognizes the device.

■ A good tech is familiar with the Device Manager’strouble icons. A black “!” on a yellow circleindicates that the device is missing, the device isnot recognized, or there is a problem with thedriver. A device may work even when displayingthis icon. A red “X” indicates a disabled device andusually means the device has been turned off or isdamaged. A device with a red “X” will not work.A blue “i” on a white circle indicates that systemresources have been configured manually. Thisicon is informational and does not imply any error.

■ If you encounter the “!” icon, verify the device’sconnections. Next, try to reinstall the driver byright-clicking the device in the Device Managerand selecting Properties. Click the Driver tab andthen click the Update Driver button.

■ If a device displays the red “X” icon, right-click thedevice in the Device Manager and select Enable. Ifthat doesn’t work, try rolling back or uninstallingthe driver. Shut down the system, verify thedevice’s connections, and repeat the installationprocedure. If the device still doesn’t work, it islikely the device is either bad or not compatiblewith your operating system. Return the card to theplace of purchase.

Upgrade and install motherboards

■ Not all motherboards fit in all cases. If youupgrade a motherboard, make sure the newmotherboard fits in the existing case. If youpurchase a new motherboard and a new case,make sure you purchase a case that supports theform factor of your motherboard.

■ Determine the CPU you or your client wants beforepurchasing a motherboard. Not all CPUs aresupported by, or even fit in, all motherboards.

Make sure your motherboard supports your CPUand, if possible, purchase a motherboard thatsupports higher speeds than your CPU in case youwant to upgrade the processor at a later time.

■ To replace a motherboard, first remove all of theexpansion cards from the old motherboard.Document the position of all of the little wiresbefore removing them. Unscrew the motherboardand remove it from the case.

■ Before installing a new motherboard in the case,attach the CPU, heat sink/fan, and RAM. Checkthe standouts in the case—you might have to addor remove a few to accommodate the newmotherboard. Once installed, boot the system andmake sure there are no POST errors and the BIOSinformation appears on the screen. Then install anyexpansion cards.

■ Cases come with a series of little wires that connectto LEDs on the front of the case. You need to plugthese wires into the motherboard for the LEDs tofunction. LEDs have a positive and a negative side,so the wires must be connected the right way or theLEDs will not work. If you find that the LEDs arenot working, turn the connector around to reversethe positive/negative connection. Getting it wrongwill not damage your system; it will only cause theLEDs not to light up.

Troubleshoot motherboard problems

■ Motherboards and motherboard components candie for many reasons, including time, dust, pethair, manufacturing defects, ESD, or physicaldamage. Motherboard failures usually fall into oneof three main categories: catastrophic, component,or ethereal.

■ Catastrophic failure is typically caused bymanufacturing defects (burn-in failure) or ESD.Burn-in failures are uncommon and usuallymanifest within the first 30 days of use. In the caseof a catastrophic failure, replace the motherboard.

■ Component failure appears as a flaky connectionbetween a device and the motherboard or asintermittent problems. In the case of a component





failure, replace the failed component with anexpansion card or peripheral device. Sometimes aBIOS upgrade can fix component failures.

■ Ethereal failure is the most difficult to diagnose.Symptoms vary from the PC rebooting itself toBlue Screens of Death and can be caused by afaulty component, buggy device driver, buggyapplication software, operating system corruption,or power supply problems.

■ Use three steps to troubleshoot problems: check,replace, and verify. For example, first check the

settings of the problem device. If the device stillfails, replace the device. If the device continues tomalfunction, try the device with a differentmotherboard. Remember to document yourtroubleshooting steps. Not only will it help you tobecome an efficient troubleshooter, but it also canlead to the establishment of patterns. Being able tore-create a system crash by performing certainactions in a specific order can often lead you to theroot of the problem.

■ Key Termsbeep codes (41)bootable disk (43)burn-in failure (65)bootstrap loader (43)catastrophic failure (65)chassis intrusion detection (46)component failure (65)device driver (54)DriveLock (48)Microsoft Windows Logo Program (55)

motherboard (40)motherboard book (60)POST card (42)power-on self test (POST) (41)power good (43)standouts (62)system disk (43)traces (40)unsigned driver (56)Windows Hardware Quality Labs (55)

■ Key Term QuizUse the Key Terms list to complete the sentences thatfollow. Not all terms will be used.

1. Loaded when the system boots, a(n) ___________is a file that contains instructions to support ahardware device.

2. When the computer starts, it runs a program onthe system BIOS called ____________ that checksthe hardware.

3. If the computer appears dead, with no beeps orscreen responses, you can insert a(n) ___________in an expansion slot to diagnose what is wrong.

4. Device drivers for devices manufactured bycompanies not participating in the Windowscertification program are reported as _________.

5. The ____________ is your primary source for allof the critical information about the motherboard.

6. The motherboard mounts to the case via smallconnectors called ____________ that slide intokeyed slots or screw into the bottom of the case.

7. ____________ lets you know if someone hasopened the case of your computer.





■ Multiple-Choice Quiz1. The nonprofit agency that Sid works for received

a half-dozen new motherboards as a donation,but when he tried to install one into a case, itdidn’t fit at all. The ports and expansion slotsseemed to be switched. What’s most likely theissue?

A. Sid’s motherboard has a manufacturingdefect.

B. Sid needs to readjust his motherboardstandouts.

C. Sid’s case has a manufacturing defect.

D. The motherboards are the wrong form factorfor Sid’s cases.

2. In a routine check of a system newly built by herlatest intern, Sarah discovers that everythingworks except the hard drive and power LEDs onthe front of the case. What could be the problem?(Select two.)

A. The intern forgot to connect the LED leads tothe motherboard.

B. The intern reversed the LED leads to themotherboard.

C. There is no power to the motherboard.

D. There is no activity on the hard drive.

3. Robert installed a new motherboard, CPU, andRAM into his old case. After he attached thepower correctly and pressed the power button,not only did the system not boot up, he alsocould smell ozone and realized the motherboardhad shorted out. What could have been thecause?

A. Robert installed an ATX motherboard into aBTX case.

B. Robert installed a BTX motherboard into anATX case.

C. Robert used an AT power supply on an ATXmotherboard.

D. Robert left a standout in the wrong placeunder the motherboard.

4. Which of the following is the testing part of theWindows Logo Program?

A. ACL

B. HCL

C. WHQL

D. WKRP

5. What should you do before installing anexpansion card? (Select two.)

A. Attach an anti-static wrist strap.

B. Install the drivers.

C. Plug the PC into a grounded outlet.

D. Unplug the PC.

6. In a Windows XP workstation, Steven updatedthe drivers for a network expansion card thatworked, but he thought it could be faster. Almostimmediately, he discovered that the new driversnot only didn’t speed up the NIC but they alsomade it start dropping data! What his bestoption?

A. Download the driver pack from Microsoft.

B. Reinstall the networking software.

C. Remove the NIC.

D. Use the driver rollback feature to return tothe previous drivers.

7. Jack decided to go retro and added a secondfloppy disk drive to his computer. He thinks hehas it physically installed correctly, but it doesn’tshow up in Windows. Which of the followingoptions will most likely lead Jack where he needsto go to resolve the issue?

A. Reboot the computer and press the F key onthe keyboard twice. This signals that thecomputer has two floppy disk drives.

B. Reboot the computer and watch forinstructions to enter the CMOS setup utility(for example, a message may say to press theDELETE key). Do what it says to go into CMOSsetup.





C. In Windows, press the DELETE key twice toenter the CMOS setup utility.

D. In Windows, go to Start | Run and typefloppy. Click OK to open the Floppy DiskDrive Setup Wizard.

8. Which of the following will result in a POSTbeep code message?

A. The system is overheating.

B. The video card is not seated properly.

C. The keyboard is unplugged.

D. The hard drive has crashed.

9. Which of the following most typically enablesyou to upgrade a flash ROM chip?

A. Remove the chip and replace it with adifferent one.

B. Reboot the computer.

C. Install a different operating system.

D. Run a small command-line programcombined with a BIOS update file.

■ Essay Quiz1. Why do some POST error messages manifest

themselves as beep codes while others display astext messages? What should you do if you get aPOST error message?

2. Your friend Merrill just called. He bought a newsound card for his computer and tried to installit. It’s not working. What should he do now?Using the methodology for card installation that

you learned in this chapter, explain the steps heshould follow to determine whether he installedthe card incorrectly or the card itself is faulty.

3. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation or write apaper that would help your classmates select andreplace a bad motherboard. Be sure to walkthrough all of the necessary steps.



Lab Projects

• Lab Project 3.1One of the most important skills a PC techniciancan possess is the ability to read and interpretdocumentation. No single piece of documentationis as important as the motherboard book. Let’s seehow well you can understand this documentation.Consult your motherboard book or use one thatyour instructor provides. (If you do not have themotherboard book, try to download it from themanufacturer’s Web site.) Then write a paragraphabout your motherboard that includes answers tothe following questions:

■ What make and model is the motherboard?

■ What chipset does it use?

■ What kinds of RAM slots does it contain?

■ What kinds of expansion slots does yourmotherboard have and how many of each kinddoes it have?

■ What kinds of onboard ports does it have?

■ What kinds of CPUs does it support and whatkind of processor slot does it have?

■ Does your motherboard use jumpers or dipswitches for configuration? If so, what do thejumpers or dip switches control?

■ The motherboard book probably contains anillustration of the way the motherboardcomponents are laid out. By examining thisillustration, determine what form factor yourmotherboard uses.

■ Does your motherboard have any unusual orproprietary features?





• Lab Project 3.2Watch closely as your computer boots to see if itdisplays a message about how to reach the setupprogram. If it does not, consult your motherboardbook to try to locate this information. Then, usingthe method appropriate for your system BIOS chip,access the setup program and examine the variousscreens. Do not change anything! Usually, yourmotherboard book includes default settings forthe various setup screens and perhaps includesexplanations of the various choices. Compare whatyou see on the screen with what the book says. Doyou see any differences? If so, how do you accountfor these differences? As you examine the setupprogram, answer the following questions:

■ How do you navigate from one screen to thenext? Are there menus across the top or do yousimply jump from one page of options to thenext? Are there instructions on the screen fornavigating the setup program?

■ What is the boot sequence for your computer?In other words, in what order does the BIOSlook for a bootable device?

■ What is the core voltage of the CPU?

■ How many SATA drives does the BIOS list?

When you have finished, choose Exit WithoutSaving.



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