Datasheet

Book VIII
Chapter 1
Finding and
Installing the
Hardware You Need
793
Installing New Hardware
At one end of the scale, installing a new video card or hard drive can be
rather difficult and is best done by an expert. At the other end, speakers
don’t need any installation; you just plug them in and they work. The store
can show you where the connectors go, but you have to plug them in your-
self when you get home.
Here are some guidelines to help you judge how difficult an installation is
likely to be:
✦ Any device that goes inside your computer is best left to the store unless
you have experience with that specific kind of computer hardware.
✦ A device with a USB interface is usually easy; nine times out of ten, you
just plug it in and it works.
✦ Most modern wireless networking systems are inserted with nary a
hiccup.
A cable modem should be installed by the communication carrier’s techni-
cian, if at all possible. Digital subscriber line (DSL) modems are easier to
install, but you have to know whether your phone line is ready. The modem
just plugs in, but the telephone line or cable may require configuration or
rewiring to deliver the signal properly.
If you’re unsure whether to install something yourself, ask the store which
steps are involved. If you decide to try it but the instructions confuse you or
scare you when you read them, don’t be embarrassed to go back and ask for
help. I do.
Doing it yourself
If you decide to install a device yourself, the job is more likely to go
smoothly if you observe these guidelines:
✦ Don’t just dive in — read the instructions first! Pay attention to any
warnings they give. Look for steps where you may have trouble. Are any
of the instructions unclear? Does the procedure require any software or
parts that appear to be missing? Try to resolve these potential problems
ahead of time.
Having said that, I readily admit that I never install the software for a
camera or a mobile phone. I just use the built-in Windows utilities, in
Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Media Player. For my iPod, I
follow the advice in Book IV, Chapter 2, and for other MP3 players, I just
use Windows Media Player.
✦ Back up your system before you start. It’s unlikely that your attempt to
install a new device will disturb your system if it fails, but a backup is a
good insurance policy in case something bad happens. You need to back
up your data files. Windows 7 can create a system checkpoint and back
up all the internal stuff.