| 1.2
What
You Need to Know About Your Computer
| A.
Specifications (Specs) |
- Size
of HDD
- Size
of RAM
- Model
and Speed of CPU
|
| |
| (1)
How to find a size of HDD |
| i |
Look
for the MY COMPUTER icon on
the desktop. (If you do not find it there, click on the START
button and open the Start Menu.) The MY COMOPUTER
icon looks like the set-up of a computer, a monitor and a keyboard. |
| |
Windows2000
|
Windows XP |
| ii |
Double
click on the MY COMPUTER icon (or MY
COMPUTER is the Start Menu), and look for the
Local Disk (C:) icon. (The Local Disk
may have a different name, such as Local (C:).
If you do not find the Local Disk (C:) icon,
look for an icon of a computer. |
| |
Windows2000
|
Windows XP
|
| iii |
Right
click on the Local Disk icon to open the shortcut
menu. |
| |
Windows XP
|
| iv |
Click
on Properties, and the Local Disk (C:)
Properties box will open. Capacity of the HDD
is given there. According to the following example image, the
HDD size of this computer is approximately 75 GB (gigabytes)
and only about 10 GB of it is used. |
| |
Windows XP
|
|
| |
| (2)
How to find a size of RAM, and model and speed of CPU |
| i |
Look
for the MY COMPUTER icon on
the desktop. (If you do not find it there, click on the START
button and open the Start Menu.) The MY COMOPUTER
icon looks like the set-up of a computer, a monitor and a keyboard. |
| |
Windows2000
|
Windows XP |
| ii |
Right
click on the MY COMPUTER icon (or MY
COMPUTER is the Start Menu) to open the shortcut menu. |
| |
Windows XP |
| iii |
Click
on Properties, and the System Properties box
will open. A size of RAM and model and speed of CPU are given
there. In the following example, the RAM size is 512 MB (shown
right above the "Support Information" button). The
CPU is Pentium 4 and its speed is 2.00GHz. |
| |
Windows XP
|
|
| |
| B.
Type of OS |
- Make (e.g.,
Microsoft)
- Version of
the OS (e.g., Windows2000 Professional, Windows Me)
- Language
of the OS (e.g., English)
|
| |
| (1)
How to find type of OS |
| i |
Look
for the MY COMPUTER icon on
the desktop. (If you do not find it there, click on the START
button and open the Start Menu.) The MY COMOPUTER
icon looks like the set-up of a computer, a monitor and a keyboard. |
| |
Windows2000
|
Windows XP |
| ii |
Right
click on the MY COMPUTER icon (or MY
COMPUTER is the Start Menu) to open the shortcut menu. |
| |
Windows XP |
| iii |
Click
on Properties, and the System Properties box
will open. Type of OS is given there. In the following example,
the OS is Microsoft Windows XP Professional 2002 Version. |
| |
|
|
| |
| This
set of information becomes crucial in two situations: |
| (1)
When you buy new application software or hardware (e.g., a printer,
a scanner, and CD-ROM drive), you must make sure that your computer
meets System Requirements required by the product.
If it does not, the new software or hardware cannot run on it. The
requirements are usually printed on the side or back of the product
package. |
| |
Specs
and version of OS of your computer are like shoe size and the
shape of your feet. You'll need them for choosing the right
produce, just like you need to know your shoe size and your
feet shape for the right pair of shoes. |
 |
|
| |
| (2)
When you consult your computer problems with a technical
support person, you must be able to tell him/her what kind of computer
you have. Just like a doctor needs to know your body measurements,
vitals, and other physical conditions to diagnose your health problems,
a tech support person needs to know your computer's specs, type of
OS, and detailed descriptions of circumstances; the where and when
you experienced the problems, e.g., what application software you
were using, or what were you doing when the problem occurred. |
| |
 |
To
say, "My computer doesn't work. What's wrong?" is
as helpless as to say, "I'm sick, so give me a cure"
to your doctor. |
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