Contents Introduction 4 Health and Safety 5 Equipment and Tools 7 Components 8 Essential Components 8 Optional Components 10 Installation 11 Components 11 Case and Power Supply 11 Motherboard, CPU, Heat Sink, Fan and RAM 11 CAUTION 11 Motherboard and CPU Assembly 12 CAUTION 12 Heatsink and Fan 13 RAM 14 Installing the Motherboard 14 Graphics Card 15 HDD 15 DVD 16 Connections 17 Connections 18 Installing Essential Peripherals 21 Monitor 21 Keyboard 21 Mouse 21 Broadband Cable 21 Power cord 21 Troubleshooting/Beep Codes 22 AWARD BIOS 22 AMI BIOS 22 Bios 23 Installing an operating system 24 Installing Windows XP with Service Pack 3 24 Customizing your Windows XP installation 29 Installing drivers 36 Installing computer drivers motherboard 37 Installing the graphics driver 37 Installing updates 38 Installing software 38 Installing antivirus 38 Installing a suite of office programs 38 Installing a Web browser 38 Installing Java and Flash 38 Printers 39 Introduction In this manual, we will explain first and foremost health and safety issues and procedures. Second, we'll cover the following: • Installing and configuring a motherboard • Installing a central processing unit (CPU) • Installing a heat sink and fan • Installing a power supply unit (PSU) • Installing and Configuring a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) • Installing and Configuring a Digital Versatile Disk Drive (DVD Drive) • Installing a Graphics Card Unit (GPU) • Installing Random Access Memory (RAM) Third Here we will connect the completed system unit and connect and configure essential peripherals, such as the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Finally, we will perform an initial system power-up to demonstrate the power-on self-test (POST) and configure the basic input/output system (BIOS). We will clearly explain key steps and include recommendations and/or conclusions. Health and Safety Before attempting to build your own computer, you should be aware of the risks and safety precautions, both for yourself and for your hardware. General Safety Any public building in Ireland will have a building plan and an evacuation plan on display. There will also be a notification for a meeting point after the evacuation. Before attempting any work on a computer, familiarize yourself with exit routes and the location of fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and first aid kits. The plan for evacuation routes Fire alarm First aid kit Electric shock One of the biggest risks when working with electrical components is the risk of electric shock.