Arab American University – Palestine

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Telecommunications Engineering Department

Engineering Workshop II
PC Upgrading and Maintenance Lab Manual
Contents
Safety and Tools ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Lab Exercise # 1: The visible PC ................................................................................................................ 6
Lab Exercise # 2: BIOS and CMOS ........................................................................................................... 10
Lab Exercise # 3: Motherboard .............................................................................................................. 15
Lab Exercise # 4: Troubleshooting some common hardware problems .................................................. 20
Lab Exercise # 5: Windows 7 Installation ................................................................................................ 23
Lab Exercise # 6: Working with Virtual Machines ................................................................................... 26
Lab Exercise #7: Windows 7 administration ........................................................................................... 42
Safety and Tools
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

If you decide to open a PC while reading this chapter, as I encourage you to do, you must take proper
steps to avoid the greatest killer of PCs: electro- static discharge (ESD). ESD simply means the passage of
a static electrical charge from one item to another. Have you ever rubbed a balloon against your shirt,
making the balloon stick to you? That’s a classic example of static electricity. When that static charge
discharges, you may not notice it happening—although on a cool, dry day, I’ve been shocked so hard by
touching a doorknob that I could see a big, blue spark! I’ve never heard of a human being getting
anything worse than a rather nasty shock from ESD, but I can’t say the same thing about computers. ESD
will destroy the sensitive parts of your PC, so it is essential that you take steps to avoid ESD when
working on your PC.

Anti-static Tools

ESD only takes place when two objects that store different amounts (the hip electrical term to use is
potential) of static electricity come in contact. The secret to avoiding ESD is to keep you and the parts of
the PC you touch at the same electrical potential. You can accomplish this by connecting yourself to the
PC via a handy little device called an anti-static wrist strap. This simple device consists of a wire that
connects on one end to an alligator clip and on the other end to a small metal plate that secures to your
wrist with an elastic strap. You snap the alligator clip onto any handy metal part of the PC and place the
wrist strap on either wrist. (Figure 1) shows a typical anti-static wrist strap in use.

Figure 1: Anti-static wrist strap in use

Anti-static wrist straps are standard equipment for anyone working on a PC, but other tools might also
come in handy. One of the big issues when working with a PC occurs if you find yourself pulling out parts
from the PC and setting them aside. The moment you take a piece out of the PC, it no longer has contact
with the systems and may pick up static from other sources. Techs use anti- static mats to eliminate this
risk. An anti-static mat acts as a point of common potential; it’s typical to purchase a combination anti-
static wrist strap and mat that all con- nect to keep you, the PC, and any loose components at the same
electrical potential (Figure 2).

1
Figure 2: Anti-static wrist strap and mat combination

Anti-static wrist straps and mats use tiny resistors— devices that stop or resist the flow of electricity—to
pre- vent anti-static charge from racing through the device.

These resistors can fail over time, so it’s always a good idea to read the documentation that comes with
your anti-static tools to see how to test those small resistors properly.

Any electrical component not in a PC needs to be stored in an anti-static bag, a specially designed bag
that sheds whatever static electricity you have when you touch it, thus preventing any damage to
components stored within (Figure 2.8). Almost all PC components come in an anti-static bag when
purchased. Experienced techs never throw these bags away, as you never know when you’ll want to pull
a part out and place it on a shelf for a while.

Although having an anti-static wrist strap with you at all times would be ideal, the reality is that from
time to time you’ll find yourself in a situation where you lack the proper anti-static tools. This shouldn’t
keep you from working on the PC—if you’re careful! Before working on a PC in such a situation, take a
moment to touch the power supply every once in a while as you work—I’ll show you where it is in
Chapter 3, “The Visible PC”—to keep yourself at the same electrical potential as the PC. Although this
isn’t as good as a wrist strap, it’s better than nothing at all.

The last issue when it comes to preventing ESD is that never-ending question—should you work with the
PC plugged in or unplugged? The answer is simple: Do you really want to be physically connected to a PC
that is plugged into an electrical outlet? Granted, the chances of electrocution are slim, but why take the
risk?

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)

A magnetic field interfering with electronics is electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI isn’t nearly as
dangerous as ESD, but it can cause permanent damage to some components and erase data on some
storage devices. You can prevent EMI by keeping magnets away from computer equipment. Cer- tain
components are particularly susceptible to EMI. Never get a magnet close to

■ Floppy disks

■ Hard drives

■ Flash drives

■ CRT (tube) monitors

2
The biggest problem with EMI is that we often use magnets without even knowing we are doing so. Any
device with an electrical motor has a magnet. Many telephones have magnets. Power bricks for laptops
and speakers also have magnets. Keep them away!

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)

Do you ever hear strange noises on your speakers even though you aren’t playing any sounds? Do you
ever get strange noises on your cell phone? If so, you’ve probably run into radio frequency interference
(RFI). Many de- vices emit radio waves:

■ Cell phones

■ Wireless network cards

■ Cordless phones

■ Baby monitors

■ Microwave ovens

In general, the radio waves that these devices emit are very weak, and al- most all electronic devices are
shielded to prevent RFI. A few devices, speakers in particular, are susceptible to RFI. RFI will never cause
any dam- age, but it can be incredibly irritating. The best way to prevent RFI is to keep radio-emitting
devices as far away as possible from other electronics.

RFI becomes a big problem when two devices share the same frequencies. Cordless phones, baby
monitors, and wireless networks share the same range of frequencies. They sometimes interfere with
each other, causing poor signals or even blocking signals completely. These devices need to be tuned to
avoid stomping on each other’s frequencies. In Chapter 17, Learning Wire- less,” you’ll see how to tune
a wireless network to prevent RFI.

Physical Safety

IT techs live in a dangerous world. We’re in constant danger of tripping, hurting our backs, and getting
burned by hot components. Let’s take a moment to discuss these three physical safety issues and what
to do about them.

If you don’t keep organized, hardware technology will take over your life. Figure 3 shows a corner of my
office, a painful example of a cable “kludge.”

Figure 3: Mike’s cable kludge

3
Cable messes such as these are dangerous tripping hazards. While I may allow a mess like this in my
home office, all cables in a business environment are carefully tucked away behind computer cases, run
into walls, or placed under cable runners. If you see a cable that is an obvious tripping hazard, contact
the person in charge of the building (CompTIA calls these folks “building services”) to take care of it
immediately. The results of ignoring such hazards can be catastrophic (Figure 4).

Figure 4: What a strange, bad trip it’s been.

Another physical safety issue is heavy boxes. Computers, printers, monitors—everything we use—all
seem to come to us in heavy boxes. Re- member never to lift with your back; lift with your legs, and
always use a hand truck if available. You are never paid enough to risk your own health.

The last physical safety issue to discuss is burns. The computing world is filled with hot components. It’s
hard to burn yourself unless you actually open up a computer, printer, or monitor. First, watch for
anything with a cooling fin like the one shown in Figure 5. If you see a cooling fin, odds are good that
something is hot enough to burn you. Also look for labels/ stickers warning about hot components. Last,
when in doubt, move your hand over components as if you were checking the heat on a stove.

Figure 5: Checking for hot cooling fins

4
Tools of the Trade

The basic tech toolkit consists of a Phillips-head screwdriver and not much else—seriously—but a half-
dozen tools round out a fully functional toolkit. Most kits have a star-headed Torx wrench, a nut driver
or two, a pair of plastic tweezers, a little grabber tool (the technical term is parts retriever), and a
hemostat to go along with Phillips-head and flat-head screwdrivers (Figure 6).

A lot of techs throw in an extension magnet to grab hard-to-reach bits that drop into cases. Many also
add a magnifying glass and a flashlight for those hard-to-read numbers and text on the printed circuit
boards (PCBs) that make up a large percentage of devices inside the system unit. Contrary to what you
might think, techs rarely need a hammer.

Figure 6: Typical technician toolkit

5
Lab Exercise # 1: The visible PC
Section one: Exploring the Functions and Components of a PC.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lab, you will be able to
• Define the four functions of computer systems

• Detail common components involved in each of these four functions

Lab Materials and Setup
The materials you need for this lab are
• A notepad and pencil to draw a four-column table
• Access to a working computer with a word-processing or spreadsheet application installed to
facilitate the drawing of the table (optional)
• The Mike Meyers’ A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, Vol. 1: Essentials textbook
for reference

Step 1: Reread the “How the PC Works” section in Chapter 3 of Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+
Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, paying particular attention to the sections on
input, processing, output, and storage.
Step 2: For each of the following functions of a computer system, write a definition and give a
brief example:
Input:
____________________________________________________________________________
Processing:
____________________________________________________________________________

Output:
____________________________________________________________________________
Storage:
____________________________________________________________________________
Step 3: Using the following table, list the components that operate in each of the four
functional categories. Try to include as many components as you can; you might take a peek at
some of the later chapters in the textbook to see if you can add any other components. Think

6
about how each of the components contributes to the overall workings of the PC, and include
as much detail about the component as possible.

Input Processing Output Storage

Section two: Recognizing External Connections

Learning Objectives
In this lab, you will identify, describe, and explain the function of the external connections on a
standard PC.
At the end of this lab, you will be able to
• Identify the external connectors on a PC and the related cables

• Explain the function of each external connection

Lab Materials and Setup
The materials you need for this lab are
• A study partner, if possible (or this lab can be done alone)
• At least one fully functioning PC computer system that is less than two years old (two or more
systems is ideal, with one older than and one newer than two years old)
• A notepad on which to take notes and make sketches of the computer, connections, and
connectors

• A digital camera to record the connections and connectors instead of sketching (optional)
Step 1: Unplug each of your PC’s cables one at a time and practice plugging it back in until you
get a feel for how it fits. You should not have to force any of the cables, though they may be
firm. How is each cable held in place and prevented from coming loose? Is there a screw, clip,
or some other fastener that holds the cable connector tight to the system? Is the connector
keyed? What does it connect to? What is the shape of the connector on each end? Is it round,
rectangular, D-shaped? How many pins or holes does it have? How many rows of pins or holes
are there?
Step 2: Is it possible to plug any cable into the wrong connector? If so, which one(s)? What do
you think would happen if you plugged something into the wrong connector?

7
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Step 3: look to the front panel of your computer and look out for power button? How it looks,
round, rectangular, D-shaped? Is there a restart button?
______________________________________________________________________________
Is there any connecters in the front panel? How many? _________________________________
Step 4: look to the back panel of your pc and fill out the following table about the ports and
connectors:

Male / How Number

No. Port name sketch
Female many of pins

8
 6

9
Lab Exercise # 2: BIOS and CMOS
Section one: Accessing BIOS via the CMOS Setup Program.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this lab, you will be able to
• Enter the CMOS setup program

• Navigate the display screens of the setup utility

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• A working PC whose BIOS settings you can change

Step 1: Determine which method you need to use to enter the CMOS setup program. Then reboot your
system and use that method to enter CMOS.

What you pressed on your keyboard to access the CMOS ______________________________

Step 2: navigate across the screen and locate the following:

category Location (main screen or usage

sub menu) name it.
Date

Time

Hard drive
configuration

Boot sequence

RAM

Serial and parallel port

assignments

Enable/disable
onboard controllers

10
 Enable/disable
supervisor and user
passwords
Step 3: Below is a list of common settings found in the CMOS. Know that each BIOS arranges its settings
differently. View every screen of your CMOS setup utility to locate and record these settings and their
location:

Drives Depending on your motherboard configuration, you will either set a primary master/slave drive
or, if using SATA, get a list of the different drives attached and their name/type.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Onboard Devices These settings allow you to configure onboard devices such as your USB ports.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Power Management This section defines when devices shut down and how they awaken.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

CPU type and speed ____________________________________________________________________

RAM capacity and speed ________________________________________________________________

Section two: Configuring and Clearing CMOS Setup Program Passwords.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this lab, you will be able to

• Set a password using the CMOS setup utility

• Locate the CMOS-clear jumper on the motherboard

• Clear passwords and CMOS settings using the CMOS-clear jumper.

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• A working PC whose BIOS settings you can change

11
Step 1: Reboot your system and use the appropriate key or key combination to enter the CMOS setup
program.

Step 2: Once you have entered the CMOS setup program, navigate to the security or password menu.
Select the supervisor password and enter a four- to eight-character password. Save changes and exit
CMOS setup.

Record your password here: ________________________

Step 3: Reboot the PC and press the key or key combination required to enter the CMOS setup program.
If you completed Step 2 correctly, you should be prompted to enter a password. Enter the password you
configured in Step 2 and press ENTER. The main menu of the CMOS setup program will appear.

Discard changes and exit the CMOS setup program.

Step 4: Shut down the PC and unplug the power cord from the PC and the wall outlet. Remove the case
from the PC and, referring to the PC or motherboard documentation, locate the CMOS-clear jumper.
Follow the instructions included with the documentation and move the jumper (see Figure 1) to clear
the CMOS.

A less elegant alternative to using the CMOS-clear jumper is to remove the onboard battery for at least
30 seconds. Does your system have an onboard battery? Can it be removed easily?

Step 5: Replace the PC case cover, plug the system back in, and start the system. Press the appropriate
key(s) to enter the CMOS setup program.

Were you prompted for a password? ___________________________________

Do you need to configure any of the other settings? _______________________

Section three: Identifying BIOS ROM

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this lab, you will be able to

• Locate the BIOS ROM chip on the motherboard

• Identify the BIOS manufacturer

• Determine the BIOS creation date and version

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• A working PC

• An anti-static mat

• A notepad

12
Step 1: Remove the case from the PC and locate the system BIOS ROM chip. Some motherboards label
their chip with the name of the BIOS manufacturer.

Who made the BIOS? ______________________________________________________________

What year was the BIOS written? ____________________________________________________

Are there any other numbers on the label? Record them. __________________________________

Does it look like you could easily remove the system BIOS chip, or does it look soldered to the
motherboard? ____________________________________________________________________

Step 2 Replace the PC case cover and start the system. Be sure the monitor is turned on. When the first
data appears on the screen, press the PAUSE/BREAK key on the keyboard. This suspends further
operation until you press ENTER. Newer systems actually have instructions somewhere on the screen
that indicate which key or keys to press to get into boot options, CMOS setup, and so forth.

At the top of the screen is the BIOS manufacturer’s name and version number. At the bottom of the
screen is the date of manufacture and the product identification number.

Make note of the following information:

Who made the BIOS? __________________________________

What version is the BIOS? ______________________________

What year was the BIOS written? ________________________

Lab Analysis Test

1. What can you do in a pinch to clear the CMOS settings if you are unable to find the clear CMOS
jumper?

2. After running Windows XP for a few years, Chris has decided to perform a clean install of Windows
Vista. After backing up his important files, he places the Windows Vista DVD in the DVD/CD-ROM drive
and reboots his machine—but it just boots into Windows XP like normal. What setting will he most likely
need to configure in the BIOS to correct this situation?

3. Arnold has just installed a new sound card. He boots his system to install the drivers, but his system
does not recognize the new card. What BIOS settings might he change using CMOS setup?

4. Alex has just finished making changes to the BIOS-level virus checking and would now like to save
these changes. Name two ways to save BIOS settings after making changes in the CMOS setup program.

5. Ryan is working on an older Pentium II system. What key or keys should he press to enter the CMOS
setup program?

Key Term Quiz

Use the following terms to complete the following sentences. Not all terms will be used.

AMI / Award Software / BIOS (basic input/output services) / BIOS ROM / CMOS (complementary metal-
oxide semiconductor) / CMOS setup program / DELETE key / PAUSE/BREAK key / Phoenix Technologies

13
1. The system BIOS is stored on nonvolatile memory called ________________.

2. Technicians configure the BIOS using the ________________.

3. Press the ________________ to suspend operation of the POST.

4. ________________ provides the primary interface between the operating system’s device drivers and
most of the system’s hardware.

5. A common way to enter CMOS setup is to press the ____________ during startup.

14
Lab Exercise # 3: Motherboard
Section one: Removing and Labeling Components and Cables
Learning Objectives
In this lab, you’ll remove and label expansion card components, cables, and connectors in
preparation for removing the motherboard.
At the end of this lab, you’ll be able to
• Remove and label expansion cards

• Remove and label data cables and connectors

• Remove and label power cables
Lab Materials and Setup
The materials you need for this lab are
• A working, non-production computer

• The motherboard book or online documentation for the motherboard

• Post-it notes and a pen
• Screwdriver
• Anti-static mat
• Anti-static wrist strap

• Anti-static bags
Step 1: Disconnect all the external cables (monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc.) from the PC
you are going to use and place it on a flat, stable surface (preferably on an anti-static mat) near
which you can sit or stand comfortably to inspect the insides.
Step 2: Using whichever method applies to your case (thumbscrews, Phillips-head screws,
locking tabs, or Torx screws), remove the cover of your system unit and then lay the system
down so that the open side faces the ceiling.
Step 3: Disconnect and label the following data cables:
• Hard drive cables
• Optical drive cables
• Floppy drive cable

• Sound cable (runs from the optical drive to the sound card)

15
• USB front panel connector dongle (if applicable)
Step 4: Disconnect and label the following power cables:
• Hard drive cables

• Optical drive cables

• Floppy drive cable
• Power plugs for CPU fan, power supply fan (if present), and case fan (if present)
• Motherboard power (P1 and P4)
After removing the cables answer the flowing:

How many cables from the power supply______________________________

Cable Number of pins Usage

16
Now the drives cables:

Cable type (SATA / ATA) Number of pins usage

Step 5: Most modern systems have a set of small wire and cable runs connecting front panel
indicator lights (primarily the power-on and hard drive activity LEDs) and front panel universal
serial bus (USB) ports to the motherboard. Look for these individual wire connections (often
collectively called case wires), which are usually grouped together near one corner of the
motherboard. Make careful note of where each tiny connector plugs in and then disconnect
them all and tuck the wires out of the way.
Is there any front panel cables? What do they connect? Identify the number of pins.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Step 6: Look in your PC and find the random access memory (RAM) modules. RAM comes in
thin, wafer-like modules, about three to five inches long by one inch wide. A row of metal
contacts running along one of the long edges plugs into a matching socket, three to five inches
in length, located on the motherboard. Look for a long wafer standing on its edge; often you’ll
find two or more RAM modules lined up in a row.

17
How many RAM modules do you have?
________________________________________________
Do you have dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) or single inline memory modules (SIMMs)?
How many pins?
______________________________________________________________________________
Step 7: Look in your PC and see if you can locate the central processing unit (CPU). Running
CPUs generate a fair amount of heat, so they need their own dedicated cooling mechanisms.
Because of this, when you search the motherboard to try to find the CPU, you’ll generally find it
hidden under a fan/heat sink unit.
Carefully remove the fan/heat sink unit from the CPU.

What type of cpu do you have___________________________

What is socket type____________________________________
Step 8: look to your motherboard and find the following
What is the name of your motherboard manufacturer? _________________________________
What is the model number of your motherboard? _____________________________________

What CPU socket do you have on your motherboard? __________________________________

What type of chipset do you have on your motherboard? _______________________________
Step 9 Look for any charts or numbers printed on the surface of the motherboard.
Are there any jumper blocks? _____________________
What are some of the settings that can be configured using jumpers?

______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Step 10: Locate the following on your motherboard:
• System clock battery

• BIOS
• SATA or RAID (if present) ___________
• Graphics adapter support (onboard, PCI, AGP, PCIe?) _________________________________

18
Step 11: Draw your motherboard locating the previous components

19
Lab Exercise # 4: Troubleshooting some common hardware problems

Learning Objectives
At the end of this lab, you’ll be able to

• Learn the troubleshooting procedure

• Troubleshoot problems in CPU
• Troubleshoot problems in RAM
• Troubleshoot problems in HD
Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• A working, non-production computer
• Screwdriver
• Anti-static mat
• Anti-static wrist strap

• Anti-static bags
In this LAB exercise, we will identify and record the result of some common hardware
problems.
Step 1: power on your computer, does it work properly?
_____________________________________________________________
Record any information displayed on the screen:
_____________________________________________________________
Step 2: disconect the power cord from your computer, open the computer case, and
dissconnect the power cable from the motherboard, then power on your computer, deoes the
computer work properly? What do you notice? Any messages displayed?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

20
Step 3: disconnect the power cord from your computer again, reconnect the motherboard
cable. Now try to disconnect the hard drive power cable. Then power on the computer.
Does the computer powered properly._________________________
Write what you notice (messages, peep sounds, etc):
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Boot into the CMOS setup utility. What information about hard drive are displayed?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Step 4: disconnect the cables connecting the following components and write out what you
notice after powering on your computer ( one at a time )

Component Write your notices

RAM

HARD DRIVE

21
 CPU fan power
cable

CD ROM

22
Lab Exercise # 5: Windows 7 Installation

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lab, you’ll be able to

• Configure CMOS to boot from a bootable CD or USB

• Install and pre-installation configuration of Windows 7

• Format and make disk partioning

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• A working, non-production computer

• Bootable Windows 7 installation CD

The installation process was just like vista setup and to my surprise completed in just around 20 minutes
in my low end Virtual hardware. This surely indicates the performance improvements Microsoft has put
on this windows vista replacement.

Setting up your Computer & BIOS changes (If required)

Now reboot your computer after popping in the all new Windows 7 DVD you just created in to the DVD
Drive. In most cases if you do this you'll automatically boot in to the Windows 7 Installation DVD. But in
some cases if the Boot device order is changed in the BIOS it may boot in to your older OS, instead of
our DVD. In that case you'll need to change the BIOS settings to get it done ( More details in a different
tutorial).

Booting Up and First Installation Steps

Steps from here are pretty straight forward. Read the descriptions in each pages before clicking the Next
button to avoid any disasters. IF there is options to choose in these steps you may find them with each
images.

You may choose your Language options by selecting the dropdowns 'Language to install', 'Time and
Currency format' and 'Keyboard or input method' here. I decided to leave everything to 'US' but it would
be better for selecting the correct settings here for non-English users.

This screen is where the installation wizard begins. The install now options will leads to the advanced
install options. For repairing a corrupt installation the 'Repair your computer' button located at the
bottom-left can be used. For fresh installs just click the Install now button.

23
Tick the 'I accept the license terms' checkbox and click 'Next' to proceed.

Which type of installation do you want?

This screen provides two options, Upgrade and Custom (advanced). The upgrade option is for those
who wish to upgrade an existing installation of older version of Windows to Windows 7. It is confirmed
that Windows Vista can be upgraded to Windows 7 without any issues, but Windows XP is still a
problem.

We will opt for the second option here, the Custom install.

Where do you want to install Windows?

Clicking on the 'Custom' button brings the install location selection screen. In the test machine we have
an un-partitioned empty disk. But in the case of a normal installation all your hard drive partitions (e.g.
C:\ , D:\ etc.) will be listed here. Choose the drive as you like (a 15 GB size is recommended). Make sure
the drive don't have any important data or the Windows 7 installation will wipe-out the contents of that
partition. You can backup the data to another partition (e.g. for installing in D:\ drive move important
files from there to say E:\ drive or to an external USB drive) for safe keeping.

Partitioning /Creating or Modifying Partition

Click the Drive options (advanced) for advanced partition management options like 'Delete', 'Format',
'New' and 'Extend'. To create a new partition click the New button. But if you have list of partitions in
the previous screen, choose the one where you are planning to install windows 7 and click Format. Then
click 'Next' to proceed.

The 'New' option provides a text box to enter the size of the partition you wish to create in MBs. A 15
GB (15*1024 = 15360 MB) is recommended. In this case I opted for the full size of my virtual drive, i.e.
9216 MB. Click the Apply button to continue. You may be greeted with a message To ensure that all
Windows features work correctly, windows might create additional partitions for system files. . This is
a new feature in Windows 7 to have a small boot partition for system files. Click Ok to continue.

So here we are, A new primary partition of 8.8 GB is created along with a System type partition of 200
MB. Select the partition you just created and click Next to continue .the series of screen shots which
involves a reboot. No user interaction is required for this Part.

The PART 3 of installation shows the basic setup like entering the Serial Key, setting up the computer
name and user account, Time zone selection etc This part of Windows 7 installation guide covers the

24
Windows Product code (Serial key) input, Computer name setup, user account and password setup, time
zone selection, Windows update configuration, location selection, Home group setup etc.

The Windows 7 installation is now complete and we are presented with the all new Desktop. now we
are exploring a few programs, login screen, start menu, command prompt, the product Activation,
Internet Explorer 8 and Windows Update.

After you done installation, set up the crack found in the DVD folders.

Finally, set up a user for you as an administrator user.

Try to find how to make further partitions to your hard drive

25
Lab Exercise # 6: Working with Virtual Machines

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lab, you’ll be able to

• How to install VMware Workstation program

• Install Ubuntu operating system

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• Computer with windows 7 operating system installed

• VMware workstation software setup program and Ubuntu 14 ISO image file.

A virtual machine (VM) is a software

implementation of a machine (a computer)
that executes programs like a physical
machine. Most people have one computer.
If you want to set up a local area network or
a machine to be small-scale experiments, it
is not enough. You also want to have both
windows and Linux OS. Buy a computer is
not worth it. Fortunately, Virtual machine
software can virtual a lot of guests in a host
computer.

Steps:
1- Install the VMware Workstation a Windows host computers.

Note: To install Workstation on a Windows 7 host computer, you must log on as

administrator.

If you are installing from a CD, put your CD in your CD-ROM drive, it will begin automatically.

If you are installing from a downloaded file, browse to the directory where you saved the
downloaded installer file and run the installer. The file name is similar with this: VMware-
workstation-full-7.1.3-324285.exe.

26
 2- Click Next to dismiss the Welcome dialog box.

27
 3- Choose the set up type you prefer. If you don’t know it very well, choose typical. Then
clicknext.

4- Choose the directory in which to install VMware Workstation.

To install it in a directory other than the default, click Change and browse to your directory of
choice. If the directory does not exist, the installer creates it for you. Click Next.

28
 5- Select if you want to check
for product updates on
startup. Deselect the check
box if you do not want to
check it.

6- Select for if you like to

feedback to VMware.
Deselect the check box if you
do not want to feedback. Click next.

29
 7- Select the shortcuts that you want the installer to create.

Choices include Desktop, Start menu, and Quick Launch toolbar. Deselect any shortcuts you
do not want the installer to create.

8- The installer has gathered the necessary information and is ready to begin installing
the software.

30
 If you want to change any settings or information you provided, now is the time to make
those changes. Click Back until you reach the dialog box containing the information you want
to change.

If you do not need to make any changes, click Continue. The installer begins copying files to
your computer.

9- Enter your serial number, your name(Optional), company name(Optional),then click

Next.

31
Note: If you skip this step, you must enter your serial number later, before you can power on a virtual
machine.

10- Restart your computer, allow VMware Workstation to complete the installation, then
double-click the VMware Workstation icon on your desktop.
11- Select the Yes, I accept the terms in the license agreement option, then click Next.

32
 12- After than, double click on the Icon which is named VMware Workstation is located on
the desktop. Clicking on File --> New --> Virtual Machine… this screen will appear, then
choose Typical --> Next.

13- If you have software in DVD which contained software that you want to create, choose
Install disc. Otherwise, Choosing the Installer Disc image file (ISO) software application with
extension ISO.

33
 14- Choose a user name for this VMware and click next.

34
 15- Keep pressing “Next” to continue, you see the screen mentions about browsing
directory Ubuntu will be stored in. Click “Next”.

16- Setting maximum disk size (GB) as 20 and choose the option “Store virtual disk as a
single file”, then hit "Next"

35
 17- Hit Finish to end the creating of new Virtual Machine.

18- Now let’s begin with Ubuntu 11.10 installation

19- Most of work now is to keep waiting

36
 20- Select keyboard layout (choose English)

37
 21- Keep waiting

22- Enter the user name and password:

38
 23- Now we need to solve a common problem with this screen

This problem caused because of using the VMware Easy install, so we need to write some staff to
boot into Ubuntu desktop.

After you enter your user name and password we will see this:

Write the following lines:

1...sudo mv /etc/rc.local.backup /etc/rc.local
2...sudo mv /opt/vmware-tools-installer/lightdm.conf /etc/init

39
 24- Reboot the VMware nachine as here: (right click the VMware window then select Power off)

25- Strat the VMware again:

26- Now login using your password

27- This is our final result:

40
41
Lab Exercise #7: Windows 7 administration

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lab, you’ll be able to

• Learn the basic administrative tools in windows 7

Lab Materials and Setup

The materials you need for this lab are

• A working, non-production computer with windows 7 installed with administrative privileges

Using the soft copy of the PDF files on your computer apply the lab on your computers and answer the
following assignments related to each lab.

Note that the questions here associated with the step in the labs.

LAB #

3.1 Lab: Create Accounts and Check For Updates in Windows 7

3.2 Lab: Run Commands in Windows 7

3.3 Lab: Managing System Files with Built-in Utilities in Windows 7

3.4 Lab: Managing Administrative Settings and Snap-ins in Windows 7

3.5 Lab: Install Third-Party Software in Windows 7

3.6 Lab: Restore Points in Windows 7

3.7 Lab: Managing Device Drivers with Device Manager in Windows 7

3.8 Lab: Configure an Ethernet NIC to Use DHCP in Windows 7

3.9 Lab: Create a Partition in Windows 7

3.10 Lab: Customize Settings in Windows 7

3.11 Lab: Schedule Task Using GUI and “at” Command in Windows 7

3.12 Lab: Configure Browser Settings in Windows 7

3.13 Lab: Share a Folder, Share a Printer, and Set Share Permissions in Windows 7

3.14 Lab: Configure Windows 7 Firewall

3.15 Lab: Data Backup and Recovery in Windows 7

42
3.1 Lab: Create Accounts and Check For Updates in Windows 7

What are the steps to enable automatic updates in Windows 7?

3.2 Lab: Run Commands in Windows 7

Step 4

1. Why should disk cleanup be performed regularly?

3.3 Lab: Managing System Files with Built-in Utilities in Windows 7

Step 1

What is the drive path shown?

What is the command to change directory?

What is the command to display the contents in a directory?

What is the drive path shown? (page 2)

Which switch displays a wide list format?

What is the volume name for drive C?

Step 2

Under the System Summary heading locate and list the following:

Processor

BIOS Version/Date

Total Physical Memory

Under the Hardware Resources heading locate and list the following:

DMA channels and the device using the resources.

I/O address range for these devices.

Printer Port (LPT1)

43
Communications Port (COM1)

Communications Port (COM2)

IRQ address for these devices.

System timer

Communications Port (COM1)

Communications Port (COM2)

Step 3

Click the General tab if it is not already active.

What are the startup options?

Click the Boot tab. This tab is for modifying boot options.

Click the Services tab. This tab lists the computers services and there status.

Can you enable and disable services at the services tab?

What can you do in the tools tab?

Step 4

Make sure the System tab is active.

What does this tool report?

Click Next Page until you are at the Display 1 tab.

What information is listed on this page?

What information is listed on the sound page?

What information is listed on the input page?

Step 6

In which folder is the Background located?

What is the data value of the Background (hint – it has three numbers that correspond to red, green,
and blue)? Answers may vary based on the shade of blue selected in Choose your desktop background.

Step 7

What is the data value of the Background? Answers may vary based on the shade of blue selected in
Display Properties.

Step 8

44
What is the data value of the Background? Answers may vary based on the shade of red selected in
Display Properties.

Step 9

What is the color of the desktop?

Restart the computer.

What is the color of the desktop?

3.4 Lab: Managing Administrative Settings and Snap-ins in Windows 7

Step 9

1. What changes appear in the right pane, after starting the Routing and Remote Access service?

Step 11

2. What changes appear in the right pane, after stopping the Routing and Remote Access service?

Step 12

3. Which Counter is being recorded the most in the graph (hint: look at the graph color and Counter
color)?

4. List the values of the counter.

Step 13

5. What is the Status and Startup Type for Routing and Remote Access?

Step 26

List Snap-Ins in your consol

3.5 Lab: Install Third-Party Software in Windows 7

Step 3

1. Why does Microsoft recommend using Uninstall or change a program to remove an installed
application?

3.6 Lab: Restore Points in Windows 7

Step 16

Navigate to the “Documents” folder.

Open the “Restore Point Test file.txt” file.

Are the contents the same?

45
3.7 Lab: Managing Device Drivers with Device Manager in Windows 7

Step 9

Which tabs are available?

Are there any extra tabs?

What is the purpose of the extra tabs?

3.8 Lab: Configure an Ethernet NIC to Use DHCP in Windows 7

Step 2

What is the name and model number of the NIC in the “Connect using:” field?

What are the items listed in the “This connection uses the following items:” field?

Step 3

What is the IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway, if any, listed in the fields of the “Use the
following IP address:” area?

Step 4

What is the IP address and subnet mask of the “Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection”?

What is the IP address of the DHCP Server?

On what date was the Lease Obtained?

On what date does the Lease Expire?

Step 6

List each of the Windows telnet supported commands and descriptions.

What message is displayed on the telnet server to indicate you are connected?

What directory are you connected to?

3.9 Lab: Create a Partition in Windows 7

Step 5

What is the File System?

How much Free Space is shown?

Step 6

What is the File system of the J: drive?

46
Step 8

List the tabs found in the Test Properties window?

Step 11

What is the File System of the J: drive?

Step 13

What are the tabs in the NEW VOLUME (J:) Properties window?

When the volume was FAT32, there were six tabs. What are the names of the new tabs that were added
after the volume was converted to NTFS?

Step 14

What are the tabs in the Test Properties window?

When the volume was FAT32, there were three tabs. What is the name of the new tab that was added
after the volume was converted to NTFS?

3.10 Lab: Customize Settings in Windows 7

Part 1 Managing Virtual Memory, Startup Options, and Windows Update in Windows 7

Step 5

What is the current size of the Virtual Memory (paging file)?

What Drive or [Volume Label] contains the paging file?

Step 6

What Drive or [Volume Label] contains the paging file?

Step 9

What happens when you log in?

Step 11

What happens when you log in?

Part 2: Windows 7 Hard Drive Maintenance

Step 1

How many stages were processed?

47
What stages were processed?

Why will Check Disk not start?

What stages were processed?

What is being verified in each of the stages?

Were any problems found with the volume?

If so what are they?

Step 2

Which stages are shown as completed?

Step 3

What is the first process during defragmenting (See “Progress” column)?

What are the three tasks performed for each Pass (See “Progress” column)?

How many passes did it take to defragment drive C:?

Part 3: Managing Processes, and Regional and Language Settings in Windows 7

Step 1

What effect does this have on the columns?

What affect does this have on the columns?

Step 2

What is the default priority for the browser?

Step 3

Which image name has a base priority of N/A?

List the image name that has a base priority of Above Normal?

Step 4

Is Firefox listed as a process?

Step 5

What regional format is being used?

What are the tabs that can be customized?

Step 6

What is the Default input language?

48
Part 4: Managing Windows 7 System Performance

Step 1

Can Windows Defender check for updates?

What is the Status of the service?

What must be done so Windows Defender can run?

Can Windows Defender check for updates?

Step 4

What is the full path name to the example file name?

Step 6

What change do you notice for the Memory Logs icon?

Step 7

What does the column farthest to the right show?

Part 5: Managing Windows 7 Remote Access

Step 1

Which user already has remote access?

Step 2

What happened to the desktop on Computer1?

Step 5

Which methods can you use to contact someone for assistance?

What type of extension does the file have?

Which features are disabled with a Medium bandwidth usage?

Step 11

Dose the optical drive have a black arrow?

3.11 Lab: Schedule Task Using GUI and “at” Command in Windows 7

Step 5

Which command would you enter to get the backup to run every Tuesday and Wednesday at 3:00 PM?

49
3.12 Lab: Configure Browser Settings in Windows 7

Step 1

Which browser was used to open the web page?

Step 2

Which browser was used to open the web page this time?

Which version of Internet Explorer is installed on your computer?

Step 3

How many temporary internet files were listed?

Step 4

How many sites are listed in the drop-down box?

How many sites are now found in the drop-down box?

Step 5

3.13 Lab: Share a Folder, Share a Printer, and Set Share Permissions in Windows 7

Step 5

What are the default permissions?

3.14 Lab: Configure Windows 7 Firewall

Step 1

Can you see the shard folder Cisco?

Step 2

In the space below, state the benefits of the Windows Firewall

Step 5

Can you connect to computer 1?

Can you connect to computer 1?

Step 6

In the space below, list the short name of four services that are available

50
Step 7

In the space below, list the Specific ICMP types.

3.15 Lab: Data Backup and Recovery in Windows 7

Step 4

Which libraries can be backed up?

Windows Backup will not backup which items?

Step 5

Which files will be backed up?

Step 6

When will the next backup take place?

What is the state of the schedule, on or off?

Step 12

Are the two files restored to the Desktop?

Step 17

What text is in the file?

51