Dissecting Your Computer

Before you can troubleshoot your computer, you need to understand what a computer is and how it's put together. A computer (or PC, for personal computer) is not a single unit, but is instead a collection of hardware subsystems including

• Video

• Storage

• Input devices

• Printers and other output devices

• Audio

• Networking

• Processor

• Memory

• Power

• Motherboard

Whenever a computer stops working, you can trace it back to the failure of one or more of these subsystems (the device and its cables). What controls the subsystems?

These subsystems are controlled by two types of software:

• A system BIOS (basic input/output system ) chip on the motherboard (an example of "software on a chip," or firmware)

• The operating system and its device drivers (files that tell Windows how to use your PC's hardware)

In the following sections, I use the term point of failure to refer to a component or BIOS configuration that could cause problems for your system. This term isn't meant to suggest that computers are constantly on the verge of having a problem, but that some parts of the computer are more likely to cause problems than others.

Hardware and operating system software are both used by application programs such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Quicken, and many, many others to create, change, store, print, and transmit information.

With even the simplest devices and software depending upon so many other factors, troubleshooting your computer can be a challenge. But, if you don't know the details of what's inside a typical computer and how all this hardware and software relates to each other, it's just about impossible .

This chapter introduces you to the major components you will find in typical computers, including those prone to being a point of failure . Think of it as an anatomy lesson, but without the formaldehyde or nasty smells.