INSTALLING NEW HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
by
Sharon Bond
As your computing needs change over time, you may
find yourself acquiring new hardware and software for your PC. Thanks to
Windows Operating System, expanding your system has never been easier. No matter what
you decide to add---a new printer, a CD-ROM drive, the latest spreadsheet
program, or a video game for the kids—Windows ensures a simple and reliable
installation process.
In this lesson I will focus on two sets of
tools, both located in the Control Panel.
 The
Hardware Wizard helps you
complete the installation of the most common types of hardware you are likely to
add to your computer. The Add/Remove Programs tool guides you through the steps of installing new applications or adding
uninstalled components of Windows to the desktop.
You will also learn to create a special
STARTUP
disk, designed to help you recover gracefully
from system failure if anything should ever go wrong with your installation of
Windows of other application programs.
HOW TO USE THE
HARDWARE WIZARD:
When you add a new piece of hardware to your
computer system: a printer, a modem, a new input device, a CD-ROM drive,
or any other item----you will want to make sure that Windows recognizes the new
devise and uses it successfully. The
Hardware Wizard
will help you complete the installation process.
If your new hardware package includes a “driver” program, keep the disk handy as
you begin these steps.
1. Click the
Start button and choose
Settings. Then choose
Control Panel
from the
Settings list.
W
3. 2,
When the Control Panel window appears on the desktop, double-click the icon
labeled
"Add New Hardware"
3. The first window of
the
Add New Hardware Wizard
appears on the screen. Click the
Next
button to begin installing new hardware
4.
4. The next
window gives you the option of letting Windows search for your new hardware.
I usually
prefer this way when I install new hardware. It will usually set up your
drivers and everything. Let the wizard program do it for you. It
works slick.
Note: Important:
If you select the Yes option on the second
Hardware Wizard window, Windows will search for the new hardware and complete
the installation automatically.
But the search can take some time, so you may
prefer to identify the new hardware by making selections from the hardware
categories If you prefer to identify the hardware yourself, select No and click
Next. A list of hardware categories appears in the next window.
Scroll through the list and select the type of hardware you want to install.
Then click
Next
to continue.
5.
The
next window contains a list of manufacturers and a corresponding list of
hardware models. Select the
manufacturer’s name and then select the model from the list on the right. If
you have a disk containing the driver for the hardware, click the
Have Disk button at this
point. If not, click Next
and be prepared to use your original Windows disk (or disks) to complete the
installation. Either way, the Wizard will instruct you to insert the
appropriate disk and then will guide you through the remaining steps required
for the particular item you are installing.
IMPORTANT TIPS:
Another way to install a new printer is to click
the Start button,
choose
Settings,
and then choose
Printers
from
the
Settings list.
In the Printers window, double-click the
Add Printer
icon. The Printer Wizard then guides you through the installation steps.
 To
change the properties of an installed modem, double-click the
Modems icon
in the Control Panel.
In the Modems Properties
window, select the General tab
and then click the Properties button. The
resulting window allows you to change the general properties of the modem and
the parameters of a standard connection.
HOW TO ADD
WINDOWS COMPONENTS:
Windows 95 and 98 has many components and
applications, some of which may not be included automatically in your system’s
default installation. To avoid taking up space on your hard disk with options
you do not plan to use, Windows lets you decide which elements to install. For
example…..Briefcase, the game programs, the Microsoft Network software, the
accessibility aids, and others----may be missing initially from your Start menu
on your desktop. If you want to use these components, you will have to install
them directly from the original Windows 95 disk or disks. Windows 98 comes with
these already installed on your desktop. I suggest not putting anymore on your
desktop than what you are really going to use.
1. Click the
Start menu, choose
Settings, and click the
Control Panel
option. When the Control Panel window
appears on the desktop, double-click the Add/Remove
Programs icon.
2.
A window
titled
“Add/Remove Programs Properties” appears. Three tabs are arranged
along the top of the window. Click the Windows
Setup tab.
3.
The
Components list
shows you
the major categories of applications and options available in Windows. Select
the category of the item you want to install.
Note:
In the
Components list, a
gray check box indicates an
incomplete installation in this category; some of the applications have been
installed and others have not.
4.
Notice
that the Description box (below the Components list)
provides a brief description of the category you have chosen. Click the
Details
button to continue your selection.
 5.
A new
window shows the specific
items available in the category you have chosen.
Click each
option that you want to
install, placing a
check mark
in the corresponding box. Then click
OK
on the active window and OK
again on the
Add/Remove Programs
window.
Windows prompts you to insert
the disk that required for the new installation (If you originally installed
windows from CD-ROM, you should insert the disk at this time.
TIPS:
After installing a new component, Windows
updates the shortcuts to the new feature. In many cases, this may mean
that a new entry will appear in the
Applications list
or in some other part of the
Start menu
. For other components—such as Microsoft Network and the Briefcase---a new
icon may appear directly on the desktop.
Another way to
open the
Control Panel window is to
double-click the
My Computer icon and then
double-click the
Control Panel icon.
HOW TO INSTALL
AND UNINSTALL OTHER SOFTWARE:
When you buy a new software package for your computer,
the first
thing you generally need to do is run the installation program for the
application. The Add/Remove Programs
tool gives you a simple way to carry out this task. Furthermore, you can
use the Add/Remove
window to uninstall a
program that you do not use any more.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Windows applications often install files in several different directories on
your hard disk, and sometimes share components with other software; for these
reasons, removing a program can be difficult and even risky. The Remove
tool now does the job safely and systematically.
TIP:
As a general rule,
you should close any programs that are running on the desktop before you try
installing a new application. Otherwise, conflicts can occur during the
installation process.
1.
1. Click the
Start button and choose Settings. Then choose
Control Panel from the
Settings
list. In the
Control Panel window,
double-click the
Add/Remove Programs
icon.
2. In the Add/Remove Program
Properties window, click the
Install/Uninstall tab. Then
click the Install button
when you are ready to install your new software.
 3. When you see the
window entitled “Install Programs From Floppy Disk
or CD-ROM,” insert the disk for the new
application. (If the application is delivered on a set of floppy disks,
the first one is
generally the installation disk.) Then click the
Next button. Windows
locates the disk and starts the installation program.
Follow the
instructions
on the screen to complete the installation. For an installation from floppy
disks, you will be told when to remove the current disk and insert the next one.
To
remove an application from
your system, select a
name from the list of removable programs in the lower half
of the Install/Uninstall tab. Then click the
Remove button. You may be asked if you want to
complete this action.
Many applications offer
two or three different ways to complete an installation. The default
installation generally includes a program’s most commonly used features. If you later
decide that you want more features, you can run the installation program again
and choose the components you want to add.
IMPORTANT: HOW
TO CREATE A STARTUP DISK:
Windows is a reliable operating system, but unpredictable
problems sometimes occur, especially as you begin installing new software on
your computer. As a safeguard, you should always have a startup disk that you
can use to boot your computer in the event that
something goes wrong with Windows.
VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A STARTUP DISK PLEASE DO THE
FOLLOWING:
You can use the Add/Remove tool to create one.
1.
Click the Start menu, choose
Settings, and then choose Control Panel. In the Control Panel window,
double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
2.
In the
Add/Remove Programs
Properties window, click the
Startup Disk
tab.
3. Then
click the
Create Disk button.
4.
Insert a new blank disk into
your floppy disk drive A. If you originally installed Windows from
CD-ROM, insert that disk as well; otherwise, you installed Windows from a set or
floppy disks, be prepared to use then again for creating the startup disk.
5.
Click OK on the Insert Disk
window when you are ready to begin creating the startup disk. When the process
is complete, remove the floppy disk, label It appropriately, and put it in a
safe place where you will find it if you ever need it.
TIPS:
In Addition to the system software necessary
for booting your computer, the startup disk contains tools designed to help you
find and correct any problems that occur in Windows.
If you have installed Windows on more than one computer, create a
separate startup disk for each system, and label each disk appropriately.
To Top
|
