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Beschreibung

Learn to diagnose and fix simple PC problems with thiseasy-to-follow guide When something goes wrong with your computer, it's frustratingand potentially expensive. With Fix Your Own Computer ForSeniors For Dummies, you can find out what's wrong, how to fixit, whether you need to call in professional help, and how topractice preventive maintenance. This friendly guide avoids techie jargon and shows you how todiagnose the problem, find out whether the software or hardware isat fault, make simple repairs, and add external devices such asscanners, printers, and hard drives. It also helps you maintainyour computer through basic steps like defragmenting the hard driveand cleaning out files - techniques that can prevent a lot ofproblems from occurring in the first place. * Written specifically for first-time computer users, this bookexplains how to diagnose basic PC problems, understand errormessages, and fix common issues * Specific step-by-step procedures guide you through basicrepairs such as replacing the hard drive * Explains common mistakes and how to avoid them * Outlines the steps for preventive maintenance, such as how todefragment the hard drive, clean files, delete old files, andorganize files * Explores ways to expand and enhance a computer with externaldevices including hard drives, Web cameras, Web phones, scanners,printers, flash drives and other hardware * Shows what you can fix yourself and when to seek help from arepair service or the manufacturer Easy to read and follow, Fix Your Own Computer For SeniorsFor Dummies will boost your confidence when dealing with yourcomputer and with professional technicians, too.

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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

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Fix Your Own Computer For Seniors For Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Why You Need This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Icons

Stuff you type

Figures

Menu commands

Options and buttons

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: A Computer Is Not a Toaster

Part II: Keeping Your PC Healthy with Preventive Maintenance

Part III: Fixing Sick Hardware

Part IV: Resetting the Operating System

Part V: Troubleshooting Your PC

Time to Get Started!

Part I: A Computer Is Not a Toaster

1: Getting to Know the Parts You Can See

Make a Point: Mice and Other Pointing Devices

Stay on Key: Keyboards and Other Input Devices

See Clearly Now: Monitors

Get the Picture (and Sound): Cameras, Speakers, and Microphones

Go Online: Modems and Routers

Put It on Paper: Printers

Connect the Parts: Ports and Hubs

Protect Your PC: Surge Protectors and UPS Devices

2: Thinking Inside the Box

Assemble Your Toolkit

Get Grounded

Open the Computer’s Case

Find Out What Makes Your Computer Think

See Where Your Computer Stores Your Stuff

Tour the Computer’s Infrastructure

3: Looking Through Windows and Other Software

Tour Windows

Open Control Panel

Customize Your Display

Set Internet Options

Configure Mail

Use the Network Setup Wizard

Configure Printers and Faxes

Explore Windows Accessories

Use Windows Explorer

View System Information

Run the Program Compatibility Wizard

Part II: Keeping Your PC Healthy with Preventive Maintenance

4: Taking Care of Software

Check for Windows Updates Manually

Check for Windows Updates Automatically

Update Other Software

Check Your Service Pack Status

Check for and Install Service Pack Updates

Download and Configure Windows Live Applications

Fix Corrupted Program Files

Fix Corrupted Device Drivers

Uninstall a Misbehaving Program When All Else Fails

5: Practicing Good Computer Hygiene

Run the System Configuration Utility

Run Microsoft Office Diagnostics

Clean Up Your Hard Drive

Defragment Your Hard Drive

Test for Chinks in the Security Armor

Keep Things Cool

Mind Your Monitor

Pamper Your Printer

6: Keeping Intruders out of Your Computer

Play Smart Defense

Configure Windows Security Center

Build a Firewall in Windows

Check for Viruses

Fight Malware

Stop Spyware

Avoid Getting Hooked by Phishers

Can That Spam

7: Getting Help When Prevention Fails

Identify the Problem: Hardware or Software

Find a Helper

Get Remote Assistance in Windows XP

Get Remote Assistance in Vista

Get Remote Assistance in Windows 7

Weigh the Cost of Repair versus Replacement

Part III: Fixing Sick Hardware

8: Repairing the Monitor

Check the Display

Troubleshoot the Display

Beat the Blue Screen of Death

Check and Change Display Settings in Windows XP and Vista

Check and Change Display Settings in Windows 7

Troubleshoot a Video Adapter in Windows XP and Vista

Troubleshoot a Video Adapter in Windows 7

Reset a Video Driver

Prevent Future Picture Problems

9: Solving Electrical and Mechanical Problems

Diagnose a Failing Power Supply

Research a Replacement Power Supply

Remove and Replace the Power Supply

Replace the Cooling Fan

Mend a Modem

10: Installing Memory

Find the Right Memory Module

Install a New Memory Module

Troubleshoot Jumbled Memory

11: Changing a Drive, Made Easy

Determine What You Need

Install a New Internal Drive

Install a New External Drive

Partition the Drive

Format the Drive

Troubleshoot a New Internal Drive

Troubleshoot a New External Drive

Install a New Internal CD/DVD Drive

Test a New CD/DVD Drive

12: Fixing a Malfunctioning Printer

Check Printed Pages for Problems

Test the Printer’s Hardware

Test the Printer’s Software

13: Taking Care of Your Mouse (or Trackball) and Keyboard

Keep Your Keyboard Clean

Diagnose a Troubled Keyboard

Practice Good Mousekeeping

Vet Your Mouse

Revive a Dead Mouse, Trackball, or Keyboard

Replace a Dead Mouse, Trackball, or Keyboard

Part IV: Resetting the Operating System

14: Repairing, Refreshing, and Reinstalling Windows

Repair a Windows XP Installation

Repair a Vista or Windows 7 Installation

Refresh Windows

Know When to Reinstall Windows

Reinstall Windows

15: Checking and Changing System Configuration

View and Document System Setup Screens

View System Configuration in Windows XP

Select Diagnostic Startup in Windows XP

Return to Normal Startup in Windows XP

View System Configuration in Vista and Windows 7

16: Restoring Your Computer’s Settings

Undo Something You Just Did

Uninstall a Problematic Program

Choose the Right Utility to Solve Your Problem

Reset Your PC with System Restore

Create a Restore Point Manually in Windows XP

Create a Restore Point Manually in Vista

Create a Restore Point Manually in Windows 7

Revert to the Last Known Good Configuration

17: Working in Safe Mode

Start Your Computer in Safe Mode

Make the Monitor Easier to Read in Safe Mode

Use Safe Mode Tools

Test New Hardware in Safe Mode

Test Settings in Safe Mode

Choose Advanced Safe Mode Options

Exit Safe Mode

Part V: Troubleshooting Your PC

18: Managing and Troubleshooting Devices

See What You Can Do with Device Manager

Open Device Manager

Resolve a Conflict

Disable a Device

Use a Windows Troubleshooting Wizard

Update a Device Driver

19: Relieving Hard Times for Hard Drives

Defragment the Drive with Windows’ Defragmenting Tool

Defragment the Drive with a Third-Party Utility

Check for Disk Errors Automatically

Check for Disk Errors Manually with Chkdsk

Take Out the Garbage with Disk Cleanup

20: Fixing Common Problems

Start a Computer That Won’t Start

Solve Basic Hardware Problems

Troubleshoot Common Windows Woes

Solve Basic Software Problems

Get Back on the Internet

Glossary

Fix Your Own Computer For Seniors For Dummies®

by Corey Sandler and Tom Badgett

Fix Your Own Computer For Seniors For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009940282

ISBN: 978-0-470-50087-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Corey Sandler is the author of more than a hundred books with more than two million copies in print in more than twenty languages. A former Gannett and Associated Press newsman, he has appeared on NBC’s Today show, the Travel Channel, and National Public Radio, and has been profiled on CNN.

His fascination with the mystery of the life and death of Henry Hudson took him on a year-long, 25,000-mile journey to England, Norway, Svalbard, and the North Pole; up New York’s Hudson River to its source, and deep into Canada’s wilderness of Hudson Bay and James Bay.

Sandler lives on Nantucket island, off the coast of Massachusetts.

About the Contributing Author

Tom Badgett is a writer and entrepreneur. He founded one of the first national personal computer sales and programming companies in 1980. He was a founding owner of the tenth-largest Internet service provider in 1994 (U.S. Internet, now part of Earthlink), and was a founding partner in IdleAire Technologies Corporation, a national provider of HVAC, Internet, and other services for long-haul truck drivers.

Badgett is a prolific writer, having published more than 50 books and hundreds of magazine articles for major U.S. and international publishers on technical topics from computer software to computer communications and security. He produced more than 30 instructional videos and interactive DVD programs on similar topics, also marketed internationally. Badgett has worked as a magazine writer and technical editor (Ziff-Davis, McGraw-Hill), broadcast DJ, journalist and documentary producer for radio and television. He taught computer programming, journalism, photography, technical writing, and speech and theater at the college level for several years.

He holds a BA in language and an MA in documentary film from the University of Tennessee.

Author’s Acknowledgments

Publishing is a team sport, and I had some great players and coaches all around. Thanks to Tonya Cupp, Katie Mohr, and Kathy Simpson for their professional work on moving this title from concept to print. And once again, to old friend Tom Badgett for coming off the bench to pinch-hit in a key moment of the game.

Author’s Dedication

To my dad, now in his tenth decade, a senior amongst seniors.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Tonya Maddox Cupp

Acquisitions Editors: Katie Mohr, Tiffany Ma

Copy and Development Editor: Kathy Simpson

Technical Editor: Sandy Berger

Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen

Media Development Associate Producers: Josh Frank, Marilyn Hummel, Douglas Kuhn, Shawn Patrick

Editorial Assistant: Amanda Graham

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katherine Crocker

Layout and Graphics: Samantha K. Cherolis, Joyce Haughey, Christine Williams

Proofreader: Jacqui Brownstein

Indexer: BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Introduction

The way I look at being a senior is this: We got there ahead of the rest of the pack.

Let those behind us get all excited over tweets and iPods and video games that simulate the challenges and joys of life. We’ve been there before — before there were computers, as a matter of fact.

When the PC arrived it was hard to imagine what its ultimate role would be. We played some games, we used it to balance our checkbooks, and we learned to put aside our dumb typewriters and use the computer as something with a new title: a word processor.

And then everything began to come together. The computer was connected to the telephone system and through it to a completely new concept, the World Wide Web (now more commonly known as the Internet).

Through that connection, the computer became a carrier of a new kind of communication, called e-mail. And over the same wire (and its faster cousins including DSL and cable television connections) came Internet video, Internet radio, and digital images.

And though Sears no longer sends out its huge catalog, the Internet as the replacement for mail order has become a major part of commerce in our society. There is very little that you (and your credit card or an electronic link directly to your bank) cannot purchase online.

About This Book

The purpose of this book is not to point out how stupid you are. I don’t believe that for a second . . . in fact, it is our generation that invented all of these great devices.

But it is also true that for some of us it is important to update our metaphors and clear out our mental attics so that we can function efficiently as seniors. I’ll try to explain, in plain English, just enough about how a computer works to help you understand it. And, as promised in the book’s title, I’ll show you ways you can make simple repairs to your computer that will extend its life, save you money, and amaze the youngsters.

Foolish Assumptions

You have a computer and you want to fix a problem, prevent a problem, or be able to intelligently discuss your needs and wants with your 14-year-old grandson. Nothing foolish there. I also assume that you don’t have an advanced degree in computer programming or electrical engineering. That’s just fine.

The information in this book should be of use to any personal computer (PC) user. The differences between a desktop and a laptop, between a PC and a Mac, or between a machine running Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, or another operating system are not that great anymore.

But for the record, I assume the following as your standard machine:

A PC.

An Intel or AMD microprocessor (which together account for nearly all current processing units in PCs)

A current version of the Microsoft Windows operating system (Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7)

A current Web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or other similar products, including Google Chrome)

Why You Need This Book

My children never knew a world without Nintendo or PCs or e-mail. I once told my daughter to make a “carbon copy” of something she was about to mail and she looked at me as if I had two heads. When I explained what I meant she rolled her eyes, and I felt very, very old.

But for the rest of us, the fact that we have a history (we remember life before Google, before YouTube, before cell phones) sometimes makes it harder to deal with the fast pace of change.

Just as you don’t need to understand fuel injection or the chemistry of a catalytic convertor in order to drive your car to the post office, you also don’t have to upgrade a chipset or decode a binary file to be able to use a personal computer.

But when it comes to making simple repairs or directing a service center to do them for you, it does help to know what those things are.

Conventions Used in This Book

This book uses certain conventions to highlight important information and help you find your way around, including these:

Icons

Helpful suggestions for tasks in the steps lists.

Potentially dangerous things to avoid.

Stuff you type

When you have to type something onscreen using the keyboard you’ll see it in bold. Except for right now.

Figures

Many have notes or other markings to draw your attention to a specific part of the figure. The text tells you what to look for; the figure notes help you find it.

Menu commands

This arrow symbol ⇒ shows a sequence of steps on a computer menu. For example, Start⇒All Programs⇒Accessories means to click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Accessories.

Options and buttons

Various versions of Windows use a mix of upper-and-lowercase, all uppercase, and even sOmetimes an odd construction like this one to indicate your options. If you’re clicking on one of them, their style of presentation does not matter. (The sOmetimes example is the sort of thing that appears in some onscreen menus; it is meant to indicate that in addition to clicking on the words to choose them, you can use a keyboard combination like Alt plus the capitalized letter. In this instance, Alt+O would choose the sOmetimes option.)

How This Book Is Organized

This book is organized into logical sections, but you don’t have to read it front to back.

Part I: A Computer Is Not a Toaster

A toaster, or a bicycle, or a desk fan are each relatively complex pieces of technology. But when they stop browning bread, pushing the wheel, or blowing air the reason for their failure is usually very obvious. You can see the broken part and you might even be able to fix it with a screwdriver or a hammer. Alas, that’s not the case with a computer. In Chapter 1, I show you how to get to know the parts you can see, like the mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer, and connection ports. In Chapter 2, I take a tour inside the box, to help you understand the brain of your PC. And in Chapter 3, I introduce you to the operating system (Windows for most of us) and other major pieces of software.

Part II: Keeping Your PC Healthy with Preventive Maintenance

Here we explore healthy habits for you and your machine. In Chapter 4 you explore how to maintain, update, and repair Windows and software. In Chapter 5 it’s time to read about proper computer hygiene, including keeping things clean and cool. In Chapter 6 it’s time to think about dealing with evil-doers; I show you how to play defense against viruses, malware, and spam. In Chapter 7 I’ll help you decide when and how to seek expert assistance and also give some pointers on weighing the cost of repair against the price of replacement of your PC or its major parts.

Part III: Fixing Sick Hardware

Does the hardware exist to run the software, or do you need software in order to use the hardware? It doesn’t really matter; one is not much use without the other. In Chapter 8, we’ll look into the display or monitor. In Chapter 9, I’ll help you solve basic electrical and mechanical problems. In Chapter 10, I’ll explain how to change or upgrade your PC’s memory. In Chapter 11, I’ll do the same for hard disk drives and CD or DVD drives. In Chapter 12 we’ll consider ways to diagnose problems with a malfunctioning printer. And In Chapter 13 we’ll explore good mousekeeping and other fixes for the mouse and keyboard.

Part IV: Resetting the Operating System

I’ve already posed the question of whether hardware or software is supreme. The fact is, though, that if the operating system becomes scrambled, the hardware will sit there like a cold pile of silicon and metal. In Chapter 14 I begin by explaining how to repair, refresh, and sometimes reinstall Windows. In Chapter 15 I help you examine and change system configuration. And in Chapter 16 I tell you how to restore your computer’s settings back to the condition they were in the last time the PC worked properly.

Part V: Troubleshooting Your PC

You’ve got a problem; here are solutions that don’t require a soldering iron, a doctoral degree, or the bratty neighbor kid. In Chapter 17 I’ll show how to start your machine in Safe Mode, an important tool to make changes to an injured PC. In Chapter 18 we’ll explore the Device Manager and Windows Troubleshooting Wizard, a pair of power tools that come with the operating system. Chapter 19 concentrates on fixing the soft side of hard disk drives, including fragmented files, disk errors, and other issues. In Chapter 20, I give a just-the-news roundup of fixes to common problems in a PC; these tricks of the trade are worth the price of admission.

Time to Get Started!

If you’re a methodical type, start at the beginning and read about your PC before you attempt to prevent or correct problems. On the other hand, if you already know what’s wrong, consult the table of contents or the index and jump right in to the section that deals with the problem.

And if you discover a solution not included here (or a problem not envisioned), I’d like to hear from you. Fire up your PC and send me an e-mail at [email protected].

Part I: A Computer Is Not a Toaster

Chapter 1

Getting to Know the Parts You Can See

Get ready to . . .

Make a Point: Mice and Other Pointing Devices

Stay on Key: Keyboards and Other Input Devices

See Clearly Now: Monitors

Get the Picture (and Sound): Cameras, Speakers, and Microphones

Go Online: Modems and Routers

Put It on Paper: Printers

Connect the Parts: Ports and Hubs

Protect Your PC: Surge Protectors and UPS Devices

You wouldn’t want a surgeon to operate without knowing the pertinent parts of the human body — especially if you’re the patient. By the same token, you really shouldn’t do surgery on your PC if you don’t know what its components are and what they do.

Fortunately, hardware is more modular and less costly today than it was in the “good ole days,” so most of the repairs or enhancements you want to make aren’t necessarily difficult or highly technical. You just need to understand some basics about your computer’s anatomy, and you should be good to go.

Another reason to know these basics: Whether or not you ever need to make repairs, understanding computer physiology should help you get more use out of your PC and make your experience with it less frustrating.

This chapter isn’t the Gray’s Anatomy of computers; for that, you need a more-in-depth book such as my Fix Your Own PC (Wiley Publishing). Think of the chapter as being a form of CliffsNotes — just enough to start with — and check out the cross-referenced chapters for more details.

Make a Point: Mice and Other Pointing Devices

A pointing device allows you to move a pointer onscreen to work directly with the elements you find there. Your PC may have some combination of the following:

Mouse: This device gives your computer a hand, in a metaphorical sort of way. It’s one of the most intuitive elements of a computer, easy to grasp and to use. See Chapter 13 for more on mice. You may have either of two kinds:

• Wired: The most common pointing device is the basic mouse (see Figure 1-1), which is about the size of a deck of cards. Its two buttons and long tail (connection wire) make it look vaguely mouselike. Some mice have three buttons or a small scroll wheel on top.

• Wireless: A wireless mouse has no tail; instead, it communicates with the computer via radio-frequency or infrared waves. You need to keep a wireless mouse fed (powered) with batteries.

Trackball: Some users prefer a trackball (see Figure 1-2), which is essentially an upside-down mouse. You move the pointer onscreen by spinning the ball.

Figure 1-1

The trackball is my preferred pointing device because it doesn’t require much desk space and is also easier on the wrist and shoulder than a mouse is.

Touchpad: Many PCs feature a touchpad, which is a matchbook-size, touch-sensitive screen on a laptop or a stand-alone device that plugs into a desktop computer. You move the pointer onscreen by pushing your finger along the touchpad.

Figure 1-2

Stay on Key: Keyboards and Other Input Devices

Keyboard: The keyboard (see Figure 1-3) is the one part of a computer that most of us have dealt with for nearly all of our lives. (Remember the typewriter? Its odd QWERTY layout for the keys is pretty much unchanged.) Like mice, keyboards come in two flavors: wired and wireless. I discuss keyboards in more detail in Chapter 13.

Tablet: A tablet is a flat device — an active touchscreen (like that on a GPS receiver or an automated teller machine) or a metal or plastic pad — that allows you to interact with the computer in a way that resembles using a paper tablet or notebook. Although tablet input devices have been around for a long time, they’re still used mostly in high-end graphics stations and by folks who need to input precision drawing or graphics data. If, however, you need to input variable data and just like the concept of using a penlike stylus to interact with your PC, a tablet may be for you.

Figure 1-3

See Clearly Now: Monitors

In this book, for simplicity’s sake, I use the terms monitor and display interchangeably in most descriptions (and cover them interchangeably in Chapter 8). Technically, though, the two devices are different:

Monitor: A monitor is a high-resolution television display based on a cathode ray tube (CRT). Because of the size of the CRT, it tends to be large and heavy. A modern PC can support two monitors to provide more workspace and to help you separate tasks (see Figure 1-4).

Figure 1-4

A working monitor can be used with most computers. If you buy a new machine or need to replace a failed monitor, however, you’ll probably have to switch to a display.

Display: A display (see Figure 1-5) uses a flat liquid crystal diode (LCD) system to show characters and graphics. Displays, which arrived with the first laptops, are thinner and lighter than monitors; use less electrical power; generate less heat; and may be sharper for tired eyes. The newest displays use light-emitting diodes (LED) instead of an LCD system.

Figure 1-5

Given a choice, I’d get an LED display. LED displays are more expensive than LCD models, but they last longer, use less energy, and run a lot cooler.

Get the Picture (and Sound): Cameras, Speakers, and Microphones

Speakers: Laptop computers generally have little speakers built into their cases; desktop machines offer connectors for external audio equipment. (For more information about these connectors, see “Connect the Parts: Ports and Hubs,” later in this chapter.)

To get the best sound from your computer, you should use speakers that have their own amplifier.

Microphone: A computer’s microphone (usually built in) allows you to chime in with your own narration or participate in online conference calls. For some users, a microphone can serve as a replacement for, or an enhancement to, a keyboard as a way to enter text and commands.

Video camera: Video cameras for computers, called Webcams, are both small (some have a lens the size of the hole in a Cheerio) and inexpensive, so they’re built into most laptops today. If you need to add an external Webcam to a desktop PC, you can buy one for $25 to $75. Figure 1-6 shows a typical display-mounted Webcam from Logitech.

Figure 1-6

Go Online: Modems and Routers

Modem: A modem (see Figure 1-7) is an essential piece of hardware that allows your PC to communicate with the Internet or with other computers on a local network. It can be either built-in or external. The appearance, features, and speed of your modem depend on what kind of service you use to connect to the Internet or local network: dial-up or digital subscriber line (DSL) service from the phone company, or broadband cable from a cable television provider. You can find some maintenance and repair tips in Chapter 9.

Figure 1-7

Router: A router does what its name says: routes information from your computer across a network and out to the Internet. If you have only a single computer connected to the Internet, you don’t need a router; you simply plug your computer directly into the modem. If you want to connect more than one computer to the Internet, however, you need a router to serve as a data traffic cop.

Routers come in many flavors. Some are stand-alone units; others are built into a wireless access point that lets your various computers connect wirelessly to the router and from there to the Internet. Figure 1-8 shows a modern high-speed wireless router.

Figure 1-8

Put It on Paper: Printers

Inkjet: Inkjet printers use one or more cartridges filled with ink that literally spray images or text onto paper. Whether the printed information is text or photographs, it consists of tiny dots of ink placed very close together. The advantages of inkjet printers are size and cost — both small. (You can buy a serviceable inkjet printer for less than $50.) The disadvantages include relatively slow speed and high ink costs. A high-resolution color printer (the type you may use to print photographs) may use four or more ink cartridges, and depending on the amount of printing you do, the cost of maintaining an inkjet printer can be fairly high.

If you’re willing to spend more for a high-end inkjet printer, you can get printing speeds of 20 pages per minute (or faster) for black and white and 10 to 30 seconds per page for color. In addition, you can get better picture quality than with a consumer-grade laser printer.

Laser: Laser printers generally cost more than inkjet printers, but they can be faster, and operating costs are lower. A laser printer uses a laser beam to draw characters or images on an electrostatically charged drum, which attracts a very fine powder called toner and deposits the resulting image onto a piece of paper. Finally, the paper is passed through a hot fuser roller that melts the image onto the paper, making it permanent.

All-in-one: For home or small-business use, consider an all-in-one printer (see Figure 1-9). These devices incorporate a fax machine, digital scanner, and (usually) inkjet printer in a single package. Prices are reasonable, and the device combination saves desk space. For the greatest flexibility, look for a unit that uses a sheet feeder so that you can scan a stack of pages or send multiple fax pages automatically.

Figure 1-9

Connect the Parts: Ports and Hubs

USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports: These simple rectangular connectors (see Figure 1-10) are nearly ubiquitous on modern PCs and laptops because they can be used to link nearly any type of device. A computer may offer a bank of four or six ports, which look like tiny pizza ovens.

Figure 1-10