I/O Devices

Lab Check off Sheet and Report

 

Certification Tests and Objectives Covered in Labs

A+ Operating System

A+ Hardware

Network+

Windows 2000 Professional 70-210

Windows 2003 Server 70-290

CISCO 640-801

 

1.0 OS Fundamentals

 

1.0 Installation, Configuration, and Upgrading

 

1.0 Media and Topologies

 

Installation

 

Managing and Maintaining Physical and Logical Devices

 

Planning and Designing

 

2.0 Installation, Configuration and Upgrading

 

2.0 Diagnosing and Troubleshooting

 

2.0 Protocols and Standards

 

Implementing and Conducting Administration of Resources

 

Managing Users, Computers, and Groups

 

Implementation and Operations

 

3.0 Diagnosing and Troubleshooting

 

3.0 Preventative Maintenance

 

3.0 Network Implementation

 

Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers

 

Managing and Maintaining Accesses to Resources

 

Troubleshooting

 

4.0 Networks

 

4.0 Motherboards, Processors, and Memory

 

4.0 Network Support

 

Monitoring and Optimizing System Performance and Reliability

 

Managing and Maintaining a Server Environment

 

Technology

 

 

 

5.0 Printers

 

 

 

Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop Environment

 

Managing and Implementing Disaster Recovery

 

 

 

 

 

6.0 Basic Networking

 

 

 

Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Implementing, Monitoring, and  Troubleshooting Security

 

 

 

 

 

Check off each of the labs as you complete them below. Turn this in with your lab reports.

 

Requirement

Completed

Filled Out Lab Sheet

Not Attempted (0 on labs for unit)

Lab 7-1 Troubleshooting Skills

 

 

 

Lab 7-2 Video and Monitor Issues

 

 

 

Lab 7-3 Research Hardware and Software on Your Computer

 

 

 

Lab 7-4 Using a Utility to Optimize Your Computer

 

 

 

Lab 7-5 Testing DirectX

 

 

 

Lab 7-6 What is DirectX?

 

 

 

Lab 7-7 Parallel Port modes

 

 

 

Lab 7-8 USB and IEEE 1394

 

 

 

Lab 7-9 Installing a Parallel Port

 

 

 

 

Lab 7-1 Troubleshooting Skills

 

In Windows 9x, produce a troubleshooting situation by assigning the same IRQ to two devices. In some computer systems that use mostly PCI and Plug and Play devices, creating a conflict can be a real challenge. Older systems that use several legacy devices will prove to be much less of a challenge.

 

Decide what two devices you’re going to create conflict with. Write down the original settings for the device you’re going to change below:

 

Original Settings:

 

IRQ

DMA

I/O Address

Memory Address

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attempt to use the two devices at the same time and note what happens when you do that. Possible devices to use are a serial mouse, a modem, or a parallel port connected to a printer.

 

Answer these questions:

1. What two devices did you use to create a conflict?

 

2. How did you create the conflict?

 

3. When you attempted to use both devices, what happened?

 

Now swap with your neighbors and have them troubleshoot repairing the problem you created, while you repair the problem they created.

 

What problems did they create?

 

 

 

What steps did you take to repair it?

 

 

 

 

Lab 7-2 Monitor and Video Issues

 

Changing Monitor Resolution in Windows 9x

Ø   Using Windows 9x, list the steps to change the monitor resolution.

1.      ________________________________________________________________

2.      ________________________________________________________________

3.      ________________________________________________________________

4.      ________________________________________________________________

5.      ________________________________________________________________

o        If you make a mistake when changing the monitor resolution, Windows 9x is much better about not allowing you to lock up your video than is Windows 3.x or Windows NT.

 

Fixing Resolution problems in Windows NT

Ø   Log into Windows NT and change the monitor resolution to 1024 x 768. What happens?

 

 

 

Ø   Describe how to fix it if a user changes the resolution in Windows NT to a level that is not supported by the monitor/video card.

 

 

 

 

Windows 98 32-bit video drivers.

Ø   Windows 9x offers many new 32-bit video drivers for most video cards. When Windows 9x is first installed, it selects the driver for you based on the video card it detects. To see a list of available video drivers, follow these procedures:

1.      Right-click the desktop, and click Properties on the shortcut menu to open the Display Properties dialog box.

2.      Click the Settings tab. The choices available depend on the resources you have on your computer.

3.      Change the resolution by using the sliding bar under Display area. The changes are immediate; you don’t have to exit and reenter Windows, as you did in Windows 3.x.

4.      Make a change and then make the change permanent. You can go back and adjust it later if you like.

 

Troubleshooting Monitor Issues Caused by Immature Yahoos

Ø   Work with a partner who is using a different computer. Unplug the monitor in the computer lab or classroom, loosen or disconnect the computer monitor cable, and/or turn the contrast and brightness all the way down, while your partner does something similar to his/her PC. Trade PCs and troubleshoot the problems.

Ø   What did you do to your partner’s computer?

 

 

Ø   What did he/she do to yours?

 

 

Ø   How did you troubleshoot it?

 

 

Ø   Describe a situation in which you might have to troubleshoot this kind of problem.

 

 

 

Video Card Issues

Ø   Turn the PC off, remove the case, and loosen the video card. Turn the PC back on and write down the problem as a user would describe it. (Think about what someone would say if they had this problem and called you in a panic.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ø   Turn off the PC, reseat the card, and verify that all is working.

 

 

More Video Card Issues

Ø   Insert a defective monitor adapter card provided by your instructor into a system. Describe the problem in writing, as a user would describe it. (Again, think about what someone would say if they had this problem and called you in a panic.)

 

 

 

 

 

Review Questions

1.      Describe the steps for booting into safe mode:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.      What are some other reasons you might have to boot into safe mode? List at least three.

 

 

 

 

3.      You set up a new machine and when you restart it, you can’t change the video mode to a higher resolution. What might be the problem?

 

 

 

4.      Describe the steps to fix this problem?

 

 

 

5.      What if you don’t have the drivers?

 

 

 

6.      A high end video card will work with any monitor. True or False

 

7.      All monitors require drivers. True or False

 

8.      All video cards require drivers. True or False

 

9.      If you do not have a driver for your video card, what will happen?

 

Lab 7-3 Research Hardware and Software on Your Computer

Know the computers for which you are responsible. Gather the documentation for your computer and/or use the super Utilities software to compile a list of what’s going on with your computer.

 

  1. Go to the website and download Super Utilities.
  2. Install it in Windows XP using the A account.
  3. Run the program.
  4. Click on the System Maintenance tab and click System Information.

 

 

Computer Fact Sheet

Name of Computer

 

Owner

 

Operating System

 

Windows Version

 

Processor Type

 

Multimedia Command Set

 

BIOS

 

IO Devices

Keyboard

 

Mouse

 

USB Controller

 

Other:

 

Other:

 

Network Adapter

 

Driver

 

Memory Installed

 

CD ROM

 

Hard Drive0

 

Type (IDE SATA SCSI)

 

Hard Drive1

 

Type (IDE SATA SCSI)

 

 

Software Installed:

Name

Version

Installed by

Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Devices:

Name of Device

 IRQ

I/O Address

DMA Channel

Device Driver Filename

Serial port 1

 

 

 

 

Serial port 2

 

 

 

 

Parallel port

 

 

 

 

Mouse

 

 

 

 

Modem

 

 

 

 

CD-ROM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lab 7-4 Using a Utility to Optimize Your Computer

 

  1. Open Super Utilities and list ten of the built-in utilities you can use for optimizing your computer.

 

Option

Component it Effects

Description of Utility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which utility would you use to:

 

  1. Set up a time for the computer to automatically be turned off.

 

  1. Identify what program is used to handle a specific file type (such as M3U).

 

  1. Make a copy of all installed drivers.

 

  1. Add or remove toolbars from Internet Explorer.

 

  1. Start or stop services.

 

  1. Scan for and remove spyware.

 

  1. Change startup options (programs that are loaded at startup).

 

Use Super Utilities

 

  1. Choose one of the utilities in the suite and run it.
  2. Which utility did you choose?

 

  1. What is the intended purpose of the utility?

 

  1. What did it do when you ran it?

 

 

 

Review Questions

  1. Out of the utilities you’ve used in this class, which one do you find to be the most useful?

 

 

  1. Why did you choose that one?

 

  1. If you were to add some features to this program, what are three features you would add?

 

    1. ________________________________________________________

 

    1. ________________________________________________________

 

    1. ________________________________________________________

 

  1. Super Utilities combines some built in features of the Windows operating system into an easy to use interface. True or False
  2. Super Utilities can allow you to see how much space each of the folders on your hard drive is taking up. True or False.

 

 

Lab 7-5 Testing DirectX on Your System

 

  1. Open Super Utilities. Click on Windows Tools and run the DirectX Tool.
  2. What version of DirectX is installed?

 

  1. What is the name of the video card installed?

 

  1. What is the chip type?

 

  1. How much VRAM is installed?

 

Test DirectDraw

  1. What things were tested?

 

  1. Did your machine pass all the tests?

 

Test Direct3D

  1. What three things were tested?
    1. _____________________________________
    2. _____________________________________
    3. _____________________________________
  2. What were the results of this test?

 

  1. As the test was running, what did you notice about each subsequent test?

 

Test DirectSound

Be sure you have headphones or speakers (check out speakers from me) to run this test.

 

Test

Result

Mono, 8-bit 22Khz from a software buffer

 

Stereo, 8-bit 22Khz from a software buffer

 

Mono, 16-bit 22Khz from a software buffer

 

Stereo, 16-bit 22Khz from a software buffer

 

Mono, 8-bit 22Khz from a hardware buffer

 

Stereo, 8-bit 22Khz from a hardware buffer

 

Mono, 16-bit 22Khz from a hardware buffer

 

Stereo, 16-bit 22Khz from a hardware buffer

 

 

  1. How many audio systems does your computer have? (For example, mine has one sound card and one USB sound driver.)

 

  1. Can you get test results from both (if you have two) with your current setup?

 

  1. Why or why not?

 

Test DirectMusic

  1. Test the port using Microsoft Synthesizer. Did it pass?
  2. Test using your audio card. Did it pass?
  3. Test using Microsoft MIDI Mapper. Did it pass?
  4. Test using the USB Audio device. Did it pass?
  5. Test using Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth. Did it pass?
  6. Describe each of these devices

 

Microsoft Synthesizer

Audio card (name of card)

MIDI Mapper

USB Audio

GS Wavetable SW Synth

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test DirectPlay

We don’t have the capacity to test this, but a user has requested this technology. You’ve heard of it but aren’t exactly sure what it is.

 

Locate a website online that describes directplay and write a short description of it:

 

 

 

Review Questions

  1. What is DirectX?

 

  1. What is the current version of DirectX?

 

  1. What version is installed on your computer?

 

  1. What features does DirectX support?

 

  1. What protocol stacks/suites support DirectPlay?

 

Lab 7-6 What is DirectX?

 

Go to the following website: http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2005/directx.asp

 

Read and answer the questions below.

 

____          1.   Because a developer can never know what kind of computer a game player will use, he/she can use ___ in programming.

a.

DirectPlay

c.

DirectX

b.

SSI

d.

MMX

 

 

Multiple Response

Identify one or more choices that best complete the statement or answer the question.

 

____          2.   What protocol stacks/suites and connections support DirectPlay?

a.

TCP/IP

d.

Modems

b.

IPX/SPX

e.

Serial connections

c.

NetBEUI

 

 

 

____          3.   Which of the following devices will DirectX allow a game to access?

 

a.

Video card

c.

Joystick

b.

Audio card

d.

Printer

 

 

____          4.   Why would a program prompt a user to install DirectX.

 

a.

The program needs direct access to the software on the system

c.

The program needs to control certain multimedia components on a system.

b.

An older version or no version of DirectX is installed

d.

The system does not support DirectX APIs

 

 

 

                  5.   DirectX made its debut in what year?

 

Completion

Complete each statement.

 

                  6.   This is a set of APIs developed by Microsoft that enables programmers to write programs that access hardware features of a computer without knowing exactly what hardware will be installed on the machine where the program eventually runs.

 

                  7.   The ___ operating system did not need DirectX because it allowed direct access to the hardware.

 

Matching

 

Match the components of DirectX to its description

a.

DirectDraw

e.

DirectInput

b.

Direct3D

f.

DirectPlay

c.

DirectSound

g.

DirectShow

d.

DirectMusic

h.

DirectX

 

 

____          8.   A set of APIs that allow developers to write games that will play on any system without knowing what hardware is installed

 

____          9.   Allows the playing of music and sound effects in games and other apps.

 

____          10. Provides direct access to display devices while maintaining compatibility with the Windows GDI

 

____          11. Enables the playing of sounds with very low latency and gives applications a high level of control over hardware resources

 

____          12. Allows streaming media on a Windows platform for high quality capture and playback of multimedia streams

 

____          13. Allows display and manipulation of 3D graphics

 

____          14. Provides the ability for game players to play online, via a modem, network or serial cable using a variety of protocol stacks

 

____          15. Allows a program to retrieve data from a variety of input devices, even if the program is running in the background.

 

 

When you are finished, you may use this document on the DirectX Quiz.

 

Lab 7-7 Parallel Port Modes

 

Examine CMOS setup on your PC and answer the following questions about your parallel port:

 

  1. Is there a parallel port coming directly off the system board?

 

 

 

 

  1. What modes are available for the parallel port?

 

 

 

 

  1. What is the currently selected mode?

 

 

 

 

  1. If the parallel port supports ECP, what DMA channels can be selected for this mode?

 

 

 

 

  1. Write down the settings for this port below. Be sure to write down ALL settings!

 

 

 

 

  1. Disable the parallel port using CMOS setup. Reboot the PC and attempt to use the port by installing a local printer on LPT1 (you can do this even if a printer isn’t really attached…just do the add printer wizard) and then execute a print command to that printer. What happened?

 

 

 

 

  1. Reinstate the original settings. Test to make sure the parallel port is working by executing a print command once again.
  2. Remove the printer you created.

 

 

 

 

Lab 7-8 USB and IEEE 1394

 

You are going to install a PCI card and then uninstall it, so make sure you have enough time. I want the card back before the period is over.

 

Installing a USB/Firewire Card

  1. Check out from me:
    1. A toolkit
    2. A USB/Firewire card
    3. Driver disk for card
  2. Install the card into your lab computer.
  3. Boot into Windows XP.

 

Test the Installation

  1. Check out a USB drive from me.
  2. Put the drive into the card. Does the drive read?

 

  1. Is this a USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 drive?

 

 

  1. How do you know?

 

 

  1. Restart into Windows 98.
  2. Does the drive read in Windows 9x?

 

  1. Why or why not?

 

  1. Install the drivers that come with the card
    1. One set in Windows XP
    2. One set in Windows 9x
  2. Restart your computer if necessary.
  3. If someone in class has a Firewire device, check it out in the Firewire port on the card.
  4. Remove the card and drivers from your machine and turn back into me.

 

Review Questions

  1. What speed does USB 1.1 transfer at?
  2. What speed does USB 2.0 transfer at?
  3. What are five devices that can use USB?
    1. ________________________
    2. ________________________
    3. ________________________
    4. ________________________
    5. ________________________
  4. What speed does IEEE 1394a transfer at?
  5. What speed does IEEE 1394b transfer at?
  6. What are five devices that can use IEEE 1394?
    1. ________________________
    2. ________________________
    3. ________________________
    4. ________________________
    5. ________________________
  7. You can network using USB. True or False
  8. You can network using IEEE 1394. True or False

 

Lab 7-9 Adding a Parallel Port

 

If your computer has more than one LPT port, you can add another port to your system using the Printer Wizard.

 

  1. Start the add printer wizard.
  2. Select local printer attached to this computer.
  3. Deselect the plug and play option.
  4. In the “Select a Printer Port” window, click “Create a new port”.
  5. Select “Local port” and click next.
  6. Name the port Happy Port
  7. Install the Apple LaserWriter Plus v38.0 printer.
  8. Do not use it as a default printer.
  9. Do not share it.
  10. Do not print a test page.

 

Verify your new port

  1. Go into your printer folder and right click on your new printer.
  2. Click properties.
  3. Click ports.
  4. Do you see Happy Port?
  5. Yay!

 

Review Questions

  1. What does LPT stand for?

 

  1. What kind of communications does an LPT port use?

 

  1. What kind of communications does a serial port use?

 

  1. What is ECP and what advantages does it have?

 

  1. What is EPP and what advantages does it have?