Computer Hardware Troubleshooter

Alternative to Windows default Device Manager|DevManView

We are familiar with default windows device manager, which mainly used for configuring both external and internal devices, which are connected to a computer system. Device manager displays all the peripherals, which are presently connected to the system mother board in a tree view.DevManView is the alternative to default  device manager and can effectively manage all the devices with their simple user interface.

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How To Replace Motherboards In Desktop Computers

Reasons for upgrading Motherboards

• When lack of slots for an adequate graphics card
• Failure of Mother Board due to power issues, BIOS problems
• No RAM slots for installation of adequate RAM.

Now time for deciding whether you want to keep the same part or you need a new part

to double check that all existing parts fit.

Buying New Parts

If you want to completely upgrade your PC and buy new components along with you motherboard, you are effectively building a new computer.

When buying new motherboards look for:

• Availability of RAM slots
• Presence of PCI expresses slots for Graphic Card.
• Mother Board CPU slots which can support more then one type of Processors. For example LGA 775 processor slots supports, Dual core, Core2Duo, Core2Quad Processors.
• Presence of onboard slots like Audio, Ethernet, USB. Now a day’s all mother board comes with these ports by default.

Other Necessary Parts: Now a day’s PC configuration is like this

CPU: Intel Dual-Core, Core2Duo or Core2Quad

RAM: Minimum 1GB

Optical Drive: DVD Writer

Hard Disk:Minimum 160GB

Monitor: 18.5” or 19” TFT.

Once you have purchased your motherboard and other necessary part, you are ready to install it.

Taking out the Motherboard

You will need just a screwdriver for the entire process

1. Disconnect all the wires  and connectors behind your computer
2. Take out  Computer Cabinet Cover
3. Then move on to largest wire that connects the power supply to the motherboard
4. Then remove other wires such as LED, Power Switch and Reset Button
5. Remove IDE connectors from Hard disk and Optical drives
6. Open the case – you may need to use a screwdriver for this
7. ‘Ground’ yourself by touching the large metal bar across the computer towards the top. So that you can avoid static electricity effect on electronics parts as usual as  on your body parts
8. After this, if you installed any PCI cards or graphic card in PCI slots remove very gently, begin by pulling up the end of the adapter.
9. There is a hook on the other end of the graphics card. Be aware of this when fully detaching the card. Lay the card to the side when you are done.
10. You now have to take off the heat sink and fan located on the CPU.
11. Detach the wire from the heat sink and fan from the motherboard.
12. Depending on what model of CPU you have, you need to take off the heat sink and fan first. There should be a latch that you lift that will release both the heat sink and fan.
13. You now need to take out the actual motherboard.
14. There will be screw all around your motherboard. Unscrew these and you should be able to lift it up out of the computer relatively easy.
15. Once you have the motherboard out, you need to take off the RAM and actual CPU.
16. Lift the metal latch located above the CPU socket.
17. Gently lift the CPU up and off the motherboard. You may need to move it from side to side a little to loosen it.
18. On either side of the RAM will be some handles. Push these down and the RAM card should pop right out. Be careful to not use too much force.

Remember:

• No water or food anywhere near where you are working
• Never use force if something is not going right

Re-Attaching the New Motherboard

Once you have successfully taken out your old motherboard, you can now proceed to install the new one. The steps taken here are basically the same as detaching the motherboard, but in the opposite way.

1. First, put the CPU onto the motherboard and close the metal lock.
2. Open the handles on the RAM slots and push the RAM into it. There are corresponding holes on the RAM cards so make sure these are aligned.
3. You should here a click with the RAM is attached properly.
4. Take the motherboard and place it in the computer.
5. Depending on the two types of motherboard you have, you may need to realign the ‘legs’ that the motherboard is screwed onto. In this case, take out the legs and screw them back in the corresponding shape to the larger holes on the motherboard.
6. After doing this, screw in the motherboard.
7. Plug the power supply into the motherboard.
8. As before, you now need to replace the heat sink and fan on the motherboard. Place them onto the CPU and latch it in.
9. Remember to plug the wire leading out of the fan into the motherboard for power.
10. You now need to install your graphics card.
11. Sliding in the end of the graphics card that has the hook first, slowly lower the other end until it fits nicely onto the motherboard. You may need to lift or switch a handle to secure it in place.
12. You now have to reattach all the wires you took out.
13. Start with the larger ones. Since you should not have removed the read/write drive and hard drive when taking out your motherboard, they should still be in place. Plug these into the respective slots.
14. Now plug the rest of the wires in.

Related:How To Install Laptop RAM Modules.

image credit:Techiwarehouse

Steps to Fix Printer Spooler SubSystem App Error.

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
2. Expand Services and Applications, and then click Services.
3. In the details pane, right-click the Print Spooler service, and then click Start (if it is stopped).
4. Exit Computer Management.

How to Check for Dead Pixels on LCD Monitors

Portable Hard Drive Quick Defragmenter Tools For USB Drive

Here is the Portable defrag tools list that suitable stored on USB drive for hard drive defragmenter purpose. Defragment utility has been become important tools for windows user to make sure the files fragmentation is well organized and recover or repair the hard disk bad cluster.

However, the default defragment tools on Windows operating system is eventually slow and less functionality. So, below show a list of free Portable hard drive defragmenter tools can been use to defrag your hard disk for better performance and recover bad cluster. Meanwhile, this portable defrag tool doesn’t requires software installation, which you can run it directly from USB drive or removable storage drive.

Best Free Portable Hard Drive Defragmenter Tool:

WinContig – Portable Defragment Tool

Portable Defragment tool do not requires any installation directories or registry entries install on your computer. It can help windows user performs quickly defrag files and folders without having to defrag the whole disk for better optimization and performance.

PageDefrag – Portable Defrag Tools

PageDefrag uses advanced techniques to provide you what commercial defragmenters cannot: the ability for you to see how fragmented your paging files and Registry hives are, and to defragment them. In addition, it defragments event log files and Windows 2000/XP hibernation files (where system memory is saved when you hibernate a laptop).

MyDefrag ( Previously known as JKDefrag)

This defragmenter tools comes with better defrag features and GUI interface compare to JKDefrag. Meanwhile, it also integrated with Microsoft defragmentation api as the core defragmenter engine which it will load fast, low overhead, with better optimization on your hard disk performance.

Auslogics Disk Defrag – Portable Disk Defragment Tool

Auslogics Disk Defrag is a compact defragmentation tool that supports FAT 16/32, and NTFS (with compressed and encrypted files). It helps in maintaining high-level disk performance and speeding up your PC. Plus more, Auslogics Disk Defrag can also defrag removable storage media and ‘View detailed reports’ of Defragmentation Results.

With above portable hard drive defragment tools, you can easily defrag hard drive without installing defrag software on computer. If you know portable defrag tools should includes on the list, let us know via comment.

Steps to install PCI VGA(AGP) Card to Computer Mother board

One of the easiest installs on your computer is to install PCI cards. There are about a million different types of PCI cards.

To install PCI cards, you need to:

Troubleshooting a PCI card install

Here are a couple tips if you have trouble when you install your PCI card.

• If your computer doesn’t turn on make sure the power cable is plugged into the wall and plugged into the computer’s power supply.
• After installing your PCI card, if your computer turns on but beeps a couple times and the operating system does not load, repeat the install process but try the PCI card in different slots on the motherboard, it is possible that you have a bad slot.
• If all else fails when you install your PCI card, contact its manufacturer for more help.