COMPUTER HARDWARE:
1. Identification of various hardware components on motherboard?
Aim
To identify and study the various hardware components present on a computer
motherboard and understand their functions.
Description
A motherboard is the main printed circuit board (PCB) of a computer system. It acts
as a backbone that connects and allows communication between all essential
hardware components such as the processor, memory, storage devices, and peripheral
devices.
In this experiment, the physical motherboard is observed carefully to identify its
major components and understand their purpose.
Components Identified on the Motherboard
1. CPU Socket
o Holds the Central Processing Unit (Processor).
o Provides electrical connections between the CPU and the motherboard.
2. RAM Slots (Memory Slots)
o Used to install RAM modules.
o Temporary storage for data and instructions currently being used by the CPU.
3. Chipset
o Controls data flow between the CPU, memory, and peripherals.
o Usually divided into Northbridge and Southbridge (in older motherboards).
4. Power Connectors (ATX Power Connector & CPU Power Connector)
o Supply electrical power to the motherboard and CPU from the SMPS.
5. BIOS/UEFI Chip
o Stores firmware used to initialize hardware during the booting process.
o Helps in loading the operating system.
6. Expansion Slots (PCI, PCIe)
o Used to connect expansion cards such as graphics cards, sound cards, and
network cards.
7. Storage Connectors (SATA / M.2 Slots)
o Used to connect storage devices like HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe drives.
8. CMOS Battery
o Maintains system time and BIOS settings even when power is turned off.
9. Input/Output (I/O) Ports
o Includes USB ports, HDMI/VGA, Ethernet port, audio jacks, and
keyboard/mouse
o Used to connect external devices.
10. Cooling Components (Heat Sink & Fan Headers)
Heat sinks dissipate heat generated by chipset and CPU.
Fan headers provide power
Result
The various hardware components of the motherboard such as CPU socket, RAM
slots, chipset, BIOS chip, expansion slots, storage interfaces, CMOS battery, power
connectors, and I/O ports were successfully identified and their functions were
studied.
Conclusion
The motherboard plays a vital role in the functioning of a computer system by
connecting and coordinating all hardware components. Identifying motherboard
components helps in understanding computer architecture, system assembly, hardware
upgrading, and troubleshooting.
2. using various options of CMOS setup
Aim
To study and use the various configuration options available in the CMOS Setup
Utility of a computer system.
Description
CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Setup is a firmware utility
present in a computer system that allows the user to configure hardware settings of the
motherboard. It is accessed during the booting process by pressing specific keys such
as DEL, F2, F10, or ESC.
The CMOS Setup stores system configuration data such as date and time, boot
sequence, hardware configuration, and power management settings. These settings are
preserved by the CMOS battery even when the system is powered off.
In this experiment, different menus and options available in the CMOS Setup Utility
are accessed and studied.
Various Options in CMOS Setup
1. Standard CMOS Features
o Set system date and time
o Detect connected hard disks and storage devices
o Display basic system information
2. Advanced BIOS Features
o Configure boot sequence (HDD, SSD, USB, CD/DVD)
o Enable or disable CPU features
o Configure fast boot options
3. Advanced Chipset Features
o Control memory settings
o Manage chipset performance parameters
4. Integrated Peripherals
o Enable or disable USB ports
o Configure SATA controllers
o Manage onboard devices like LAN and audio
5. Power Management Setup
o Configure sleep modes
o Enable Wake-on-LAN
o Set power-saving options
6. PnP / PCI Configuration
o Configure plug and play devices
o Assign IRQ resources automatically or manually
7. Hardware Monitor
o Monitor CPU temperature
o Check fan speed and voltage levels
8. Security / Password Settings
o Set user and administrator passwords
o Protect BIOS settings from unauthorized access
9. Save & Exit / Exit Without Saving
o Save the modified settings
o Exit without applying changes
Result
The various configuration options available in the CMOS Setup Utility such as system
date and time, boot order, hardware settings, power management, and security options
were successfully accessed and studied.
Conclusion
CMOS Setup plays a crucial role in configuring and managing the hardware of a
computer system. Understanding CMOS options helps in system configuration,
troubleshooting boot issues, improving performance, and maintaining system security.
3. Print the summary of your system Hardware and verify for correctness
Aim
TO Print the summary of your system Hardware and verify for correctness
Description
Every computer system contains hardware components such as processor, memory,
storage devices, and peripheral interfaces. A system hardware summary provides
complete information about these components, including CPU type, RAM size,
operating system, and storage details.
In this experiment, a program is executed to display the system’s hardware summary.
The obtained information is verified with the actual system configuration to ensure
correctness.
Program
C Program to Display System Hardware Summary
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int main()
{
printf("SYSTEM HARDWARE SUMMARY\n");
printf("------------------------\n\n");
printf("Operating System Information:\n");
system("systeminfo | findstr /B /C:\"OS Name\" /C:\"OS Version\"");
printf("\nProcessor Information:\n");
system("systeminfo | findstr /B /C:\"Processor\"");
printf("\nMemory Information:\n");
system("systeminfo | findstr /B /C:\"Total Physical Memory\"");
printf("\nBIOS Information:\n");
system("systeminfo | findstr /B /C:\"BIOS Version\"");
printf("\nSystem Model:\n");
system("systeminfo | findstr /B /C:\"System Model\"");
return 0;
}
Note:
This program works on Windows OS.
For Linux systems, commands like lshw, uname -a, and free -h are used.
Verification
The printed hardware details such as:
Processor type
RAM size
Operating system
BIOS version (BIOS-Basic Input/Output System)
System model
are compared with:
System Properties
BIOS screen
Manufacturer specifications
All values were found to be correct.
Result
The system hardware summary was successfully printed using the program, and the
displayed details were verified with the actual system configuration and found to be
accurate.
Conclusion
Printing the system hardware summary helps in understanding the configuration of a
computer system. It is useful for system maintenance, troubleshooting, hardware
upgrades, and inventory management. This experiment provides practical knowledge
of identifying and verifying system hardware details.
4. Hard drive ,optical drive installation
Aim
To install a hard drive and an optical drive in a computer system and verify their
proper functioning.
Description
A hard drive is a secondary storage device used to store operating systems, software,
and user data. An optical drive is used to read or write data from optical media such as
CDs and DVDs. Proper installation of these drives is essential for the efficient
operation of a computer system.
In this experiment, a hard drive and an optical drive are physically installed inside the
system cabinet and connected to the motherboard and power supply. After
installation, the system is checked to ensure both devices are detected and functioning
correctly.
Procedure
1. Switch off the computer system and disconnect the power supply.
2. Open the system cabinet carefully using appropriate tools.
3. Mount the hard drive in the drive bay and secure it using screws.
4. Connect the SATA data cable from the hard drive to the motherboard.
5. Connect the SATA power cable from the SMPS to the hard drive.
6. Mount the optical drive in the front drive bay.
7. Connect the SATA data cable from the optical drive to the motherboard.
8. Connect the SATA power cable from the SMPS to the optical drive.
9. Close the cabinet and reconnect the power supply.
10. Switch on the system and enter BIOS/CMOS setup to verify detection of both drives.
11. Boot the operating system and check the drives in “This PC / My Computer”.
Result
The hard drive and optical drive were successfully installed in the computer system.
Both devices were detected in BIOS and operating system, confirming correct
installation.
Conclusion
Proper installation of hard drives and optical drives is essential for data storage and
software access in a computer system. This experiment provided practical knowledge
of hardware installation, cabling, and verification of storage devices.
5. How to recover lost data on hard drive
Aim
To recover lost or deleted data from a hard drive using data recovery techniques and
tools.
Description
Data stored on a hard drive may be lost due to accidental deletion, formatting, system
crash, virus attack, or power failure. Even when files are deleted, the data is not
immediately removed from the hard drive; only the reference to the file is deleted.
Until the storage space is overwritten, the lost data can be recovered using suitable
recovery methods.
In this experiment, data recovery software is used to scan the hard drive and restore
lost files. The recovered data is then verified for correctness.
Procedure
1. Switch off the system and avoid using the hard drive to prevent overwriting data.
2. Connect the affected hard drive to the system (internally or using a USB enclosure).
3. Install data recovery software on a different drive.
4. Launch the recovery software.
5. Select the hard drive from which data is to be recovered.
6. Perform a quick scan to find recently deleted files.
7. If required, perform a deep scan for formatted or corrupted files.
8. Preview the recoverable files.
9. Recover the selected files and save them to another storage device.
10. Verify the recovered data by opening the files.
Result
Lost or deleted data from the hard drive was successfully recovered using data
recovery software, and the recovered files were verified for correctness.
Conclusion
Data recovery from a hard drive is possible if the storage space has not been
overwritten. This experiment demonstrates the importance of proper recovery
techniques and tools in retrieving lost data. Regular backups and careful handling of
storage devices can help prevent data loss.