Chapter ThreeChapter Three
Modifying and Upgrading Your System
WARNING: Your PC Services system has been designed to be expandable. There are a number of components that can be installed by the user. Before opening the case, however, you should be aware that you can injure yourself and damage your computer if you do not perform the operations correctly. If you are not comfortable with upgrading components on your own, you should have a Service Technician perform them for you. PC Services' Service Department would be glad to assist you. If you do decide to open the case and to do the work yourself, be certain to observe the necessary precautions and to follow the instructions carefully.
Before opening the case, you should always observe the following precautions:
If you will be moving the system to work on it, you should be certain that all peripherals are disconnected from the ports and jacks at the rear of the computer. This will help prevent damaging cables or equipment. Your case will have several screws holding its cover in place. Undoing the wrong screws might dislodge an internal component that is secured to the frame. Slide the cover all the way forward and then remove it. Drive bays and boards can be removed to allow access to the mainboard.
While adding memory to your computer will not actually increase the processing speed of your computer, it is often one of the best ways to add speed to your operations in Windows 98. If you do a lot of multitasking (running multiple applications simultaneously), you may find that the computer is slowed by having to move information from RAM to the swap file on your hard drive. Providing more RAM allows you to have more speed for multitasking.
The memory in your computer is stored on 72-pin SIMMs or 168-pin DIMMs, small boards with memory chips attached to them. Depending on your system, you might just have banks for SIMMS or have banks for both DIMMs and SIMMs. Even if your system does have both types of banks, you will only have one type of memory chips installed (either SIMMs or DIMMs) when you purchase your unit. Check your mainboard manual to determine which type(s) of banks you have available in your system when you are ready to upgrade. Also, check to see what type of memory chips are currently in your system. It is not recommended that you mix a combination of memory on SIMMs and DIMMs. The chips operate at different voltages and you might experience reliability problems when combining the types of chips.
If your SIMM or DIMM sockets are already filled, you can still upgrade your memory capacity for your PC Services system by removing the SIMMs or DIMMs in one bank and replacing them with SIMMs or DIMMs of a higher capacity.
Installing a SIMM or DIMM
1. Slip a SIMM or DIMM at a 45º angle into a socket with the component side (facing down). Always install SIMMs or DIMMs beginning with Bank 0 (see your mainboard manual for the location of the banks).
NOTE: Some systems do not require the DIMM to be inserted at an angle. For these systems, carefully position the DIMM at a 90º angle to the motherboard and push into the socket until the hold clips lacth onto the DIMM.
2. Gently push the DIMM up until the pegs of the socket slip into the holes of the DIMM and the hold clips lock the SIMM into a position at a 90º angle to the mainboard.
3. The system will automatically detect the amount of memory installed. You should run the Setup program to view the new value for system memory.
Removing a SIMM or DIMM
1. Press the holding clips on both sides of the SIMM or DIMM outward to release it.
2. Press the SIMM or DIMM downward (component side down) to a 45º angle.
NOTE: For systems with hold clips on top of the DIMM, simply press the hold down clips until they no longer hold the DIMM in place and then procede to Step 3.
3. Gently pull the SIMM or DIMM out of the socket.
The PC Services system will detect the new memory configuration the next time it boots up. You may want to run Setup at this point so that you can record the new value for system memory.
Your PC Services system may have available bays for you to add additional drives. Some will be 5.25" bays and some will be 3.5" bays. You can place a 3.5" drive in a 5.25" bay by adding the necessary adapter to hold the drive in place. When adding a drive, you will need to securely bolt it to the bay (see instructions with the drive). You must also plug in a cable carrying power from the power source. You will then need to connect the drive to the card which communicates with the mainboard or to the controller built into the mainboard.
Your system already has a disk controller that allows you to connect two floppy drives and usually four hard drives. If your drive comes with a controller, you may be required to use it (some drives will only work with their own card) or you may be able to connect the drive to your existing controller (this is preferred).
An additional floppy drive may be added by attaching it to the bay (as explained in the instructions for the drive) and connecting it to the existing floppy disk cable. The cable must be connected properly. Your instructions for the drive should indicate the proper orientation of the cable. This drive will become the B: drive, unless you choose to reverse its setup with your existing drive (which should be explained in the instructions for the new drive). You will need to tell the computer that you have made this change by entering the Setup program.
Then enter the "Standard CMOS Setup" menu and follow the directions for changing the setting for the B: drive. The computer will now be set to read from and write to this new drive.
Adding a hard drive requires that you know the kind of controller that is in your PC Services system. An IDE hard drive will not be usable with an SCSI controller (or vice versa). You will want to buy a drive that allows you to use the existing controller in your computer, if possible, since this will save you space, and since your PC Services system has been optimized for the performance of your existing controller.
Installing a hard drive is nearly as simple as installing a floppy drive. Before fastening the drive in place, you will need to see if it requires a master/slave setting. This should be explained in the instructions that come with the drive. Fasten the drive to the drive bay, as explained in the instructions that come with the drive. Connect a cable from the power source. Hook the drive to the controller with the drive cable. The cable must be connected properly. Your instructions for the drive should indicate the proper orientation of the cable. You must now run the Setup program. The Setup program should automatically detect the size and configuration of the new hard drive. Enter the "Standard CMOS Setup" menu. You should see the new drive and its information there. If you have problems with the Setup program recognizing your new hard drive, you should contact Technical Support.
Your hard drive documentation should tell you whether this drive will need to be formatted. If you have replaced your old drive, you will need to install Windows 98 on the new drive. Place the "Boot to CD" disk provided with your system in the A: drive and boot the system.
When the system has booted, change to the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive and run D:\WIN95\SETUP. Follow the instructions for Windows 98 provided in the installation.
Your PC Services system has several available slots for add-in cards. These slots are of two types: ISA (the longer slots) and PCI (the shorter slots). The PCI slots are a higher performance slot and should be used, if at all possible. Depending on your system, one slot may be shared (can be used by one or the other, but without enough room to use both kinds of slots at the same time). You must be certain that the add-in card that you buy is compatible with the slots you have available in your system.
Three slots might already be used (one by the video adapter, one by the fax/modem and one by the sound board). More may be in use if other cards have been added to the base configuration for a PC Services system. To install a card, open your case and locate an open slot. Remove the screw holding the plate that covers the rear panel opening for that card. Place the screw in a safe place and do not confuse it with the screws that you have already removed from the case. Store the metal plate in a safe place, in case you ever remove a card from the machine and need to cover that opening. Handling the card carefully by its edges, line up the connectors of the card with the slot. Gently push straight in until the card is firmly seated in place. Use your fingertips to gently push along the whole length of the card to be sure that it is properly seated.
If the card is in place, you should be able to fasten it to the case with the same screw that you removed from the metal cover. Make all the necessary connections for your card (as directed in the instructions that came with the card).
When you have finished upgrading your computer, check to make sure that all connections you have made are secure. Check other connections that may have been accidentally loosened during your work. While you have your case open, you might want to take the opportunity to clean away any dust or dirt inside the case. Align the cover and carefully slide it back along the case. Be certain that the motion of the cover does not pull or loosen any wires and cables. Once the cover is in place, refasten its screws. Connect all peripherals and cords and cables. Power up the system.
If you made a change that requires changing settings in the Setup program, you should enter that program while booting (by hitting the [Del] key when indicated). See your mainboard manual for information on the specific BIOS settings for your system.
Interrupts or IRQs or System Interrupts
IRQs are signals used by the devices in a computer to inform the CPU that they need CPU cycles. Your CompuTech PC system uses 16 interrupts which are numbered from 0 through 15 (with one reserved for error handling). Conflicts can occur if two devices use the same IRQ, since each can interfere with the functioning of the other.
Plug and Play devices will be automatically detected by your system when booted. If Windows 98 recognizes the equipment, it should take you through the installation process. If it recognizes that there is equipment, but cannot identify it, you will be taken through the installation process. In this case, you will probably need an installation disk with the drivers for the device or need to know what drivers would be compatible. In these cases, all conflicts should be handled by Windows 98.
If the computer does not recognize that equipment has been added, you will need to install the device using the Add New Hardware program (Start/Settings/Control Panel/ Add New Hardware). In this case, you might need to manually set the IRQs to avoid conflicts with existing equipment.
If you need to add peripherals that do not conform to the Plug-and-Play standard, you may need to be aware of the IRQ usage by your PC Services system. You should let Windows attempt to install the device through the Add/Remove Hardware option in the Control Panel (Start/Settings/Control Panel), but you may be required to manually set the IRQ for the device. You will want to select one that does not conflict with those already in use by the computer. If you absolutely must set two devices to the same IRQ (because you do not have usable IRQs available), be certain that the two devices will not be in use at the same time (the exception to this is are devices plugged into the PCI bus). Refer to the documentation that came with the peripheral for how to handle the setting of the IRQ for that piece of equipment.
Newer cards will allow you to set the IRQ with software. Older cards may require you to set jumpers or DIP switches to set the IRQ. You will need to check the documentation with the card to see how to set the IRQ.