Boot Process

The boot process is something that happens every time you turn your computer on. You don't really see it, because it happens so fast. You press the power button come back a few minutes later and Windows XP, or Windows Vista, or whatever Operating System you use is all loaded.

However, what really happens when you press the power button and turn your computer on? This process is called the boot process and this article will help you understand the process of turning on your computer. The following is a list of what typically happens in a pc, but it will differ depending on your bios and manufacturer.

1. The first step your computer does when you press the power button, is to turn theComputer Power Supply on. Once a 'Power Good' signal is sent to the motherboard, the CPU then (understanding that the power supply is stable) looks for the ROM bios.
2. The CPU looks to the ROM bios for the first instruction, and the first instruction is to run the POST (Power-On-Self-Test).
3. The POST first checks the bios and then tests the CMOS RAM. If there is no problems with this then POST continues to check the CPU, hardware devices such as the Video Card, the secondary storage devices such as the Hard Drive, Floppy Drives, Zip Drive orCD/DVD Drives.
4. If there are any errors found then an error message is displayed on screen or a number of beeps are heard. These beeps are known as POST beep codes. The reason the computer sometimes uses beep codes instead of displaying an error message is because the video card has not yet been initiated or there may be an error with the card.
5. Next the bios finds the video card and runs the video card's bios. This usually is the first thing that modern machines display on the screen. After that the computer looks at the other devices and runs their bios' if they have one.
6. The bios then displays the system configuration.
7. During the display more tests are conducted including the test that shows your computer testing the memory. If there are any problems found from now on they will be displayed in a text message on the screen.
8. After that the bios searches for something that it can boot from. This can be set in the CMOS under boot sequence. It can be set to the A: Drive (Floppy) C: (Hard Drive, Primary Partition) D: (CD/DVD Drive) or others such as the USB drive or network card (depending on the bios).
9. Once the target boot device has been selected the bios will search for the Master Boot Record (MBR). If it is searching for a hard drive it looks at cylinder 0, head 0, sector 1.
10. Once a valid volume boot sector is found the bios has done its job and hands over control to the Operating System that completes the booting process. It will also conduct a few hardware tests.
11. If no valid boot record is found the computer will display an error such as the following:
    Non-System Disk or disk error
    Replace and press any key when ready
12. If a valid boot record is found but it cannot read the Master Boot Record then the computer will display a message such as:
    Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter

This concludes this article on the boot process that happens to your computer when you press that power button. Were you surprised at how much work the computer has to do when it starts? It surprised me when I first heard about it.

Computers are not scary

I usually don't categorize people into certain groups but in this circumstance I will. You are either one of two people. The first person sees the link 'Computers are not scary' and out of curiosity clicks the link. The second person is genuinely worried and maybe scared of computers and has clicked the link hoping to be reassured. Don't worry! You are going to be reassured of the fact that computers aren't scary.

Maybe you are a person that is very worried about computers and feels that if you click the wrong thing the whole computer will stop working or maybe even blow up. Maybe you find computers superstitious and feel that it will all of a sudden do something wrong. This page will hopefully reassure you of all your worries and make you feel a whole lot more comfortable in regards to them.

First of all, I would like to state that computers just don't stop working. There is always a reason when a computer stops working. Maybe there is a computer virus or a program needs updating or some hardware had reached its use by date. You need to reassure yourself that if your leg hits the computer case it will not start to smoke, or if your little brother accidentally drops the keyboard then it will not cease to work. Computers are generally built well enough to stand any little accidents.

I think the reason why many of the older generation seem to avoid computers is because they don't understand them. During their lifetime computers were non-existent and now when they see them they feel they should be left to the younger generation. However, this is the wrong approach. Computers should be explored by both young and old. My mum who wrote design-your-homeschool.com always says that life is a continual learning process and even when you reach 80 you should still be learning - even if it is computers.

 

So where do you start? Well you don't have to start with using complicated programs or learning to write HTML. Instead start with the basics. Learn how:

• To turn a computer on and off using the correct method
• To type correctly using the keyboard
• To write a word document
• To go on to the internet
• To send an email
• Computer hardware works

Just take one step at a time. You can't learn it all in a day so just set yourself a schedule and stick to it.

This website is designed to explain computer hardware to both the computer nerd and those uneducated in computers. I hope you will be encouraged to use this site to learn about computers and discover how each computer component has its job in making the computer function correctly.

By learning a little more, I hope you will discover that computers are much simpler than what you first thought and that computers are definitely not scary.

What is a Network Card?

What is a Network Card - Tips, Tutorials & Techniques?

So what is a network card?

Basically to sum it up, a network card is a piece of computer hardware, that is designed to allow computers to communicate over a network.

This page is designed to be the main page for the computer networking section. Hopefully it will be able to provide me with some useful information as to what a network card is, and how it can be used.

Computer Network Card Explained

This page will answer more of your technical questions about the network card.

As with everything in computers, there are difficult terms and other things that are hard to understand.

So for technical help on the network card, read this.

How to install a Network Card?

This page is more a tutorial on how to install a network card. The majority of new computers, will have a network port built into the motherboard, so you won't have any need or issues with installing a network card.

However, you may need to install a wireless card, or decide to upgrade to a faster speed, and in these circumstances its good to understand what's involved. So this article may be helpful to you in that way. Click here for the tutorial on how to install a network card.

Types of Network Cards

There are also different types of network cards. There are wireless network cards, usb network adapters, typical network cards and more.

Computer Network Cables

When connecting computer network cards to eachother or even to a hub/switch or router, you need network cables. However, there are different types and different categories of network cables. Read more on the types of network cables here.

Conclusion

Well I hope that through this article and the ones that it links to, you will be able to answer the question, "What is a Network Card and What does it do?".

If you have any questions about network cards, be sure to let me know or leave your opinion in the form below.