Cheap Computers and Parts

Before we begin

Now for the moment we have all been waiting for! Your computer will load up (hopefully if everything was done properly and you don't have any bad components) but you need to do a few things before you can start using it to its full potential.

Step 1: Turn on the monitor

Sometimes the most obvious can be easily overlooked so turn on the monitor.

Step 2: Turn on your PC

If you have not already, flip the power switch in the back to the ON " I " position. Now simply press the power button on the front of the case to turn it on.

NOTE: you don't need to flip the switch in the back every time you turn it off. It is actually recommended you leave your computer on even when it is not in use to avoid wear on the components.

If your computer does not boot up, don't panic! A lot of the problems that occur during the first boot-up are simple to fix. If your computer is beeping, consult your motherboard operating manual for beep error codes. The number of beeps is the motherboard telling you what's wrong.

Sometimes fixing it is as simple as taking out the RAM and reseating it in its slot. Before you do that, remember to turn off your computer, unplug the power cord from the back of the computer and put on your antistatic wrist strap.

If the computer problems persist, you may have a DOA (dead on arrival) part. We do not offer any form of technical support but there are many ways of getting help.

• Ask any friends and family if they know how to fix a computer or if they know anyone who does.
• If you have access to a computer, type in exactly what's happening into google and you can usually find forum posts from other people having similar issues and how they are resolved.

Step 3: Boot into BIOS

Once it turns on, look for a heading saying "Press DELETE to enter setup" or something similar. Do what it says and you should boot into a screen similar to the one below. If you missed your chance to boot into BIOS, just hit the reset button and try again until you get it.

Please verify it automatically detects your Hard Drive(s), CD/DVD drive(s), the correct amount of RAM you installed, all PCI/PCI-Express cards etc.

If it does not, or you have multiple hard drives, please read Step 4.

Step 4: Setting up the BIOS

Most new computers don't require any type of BIOS configuration. Usually everything is automatically detected but in rare cases you may need to set it to auto detect your hard drive.

If you have both SATA and IDE hard drives in your computer, you may need to manually tell the BIOS which hard drive is your primary boot drive. Since each motherboard manufacturer uses a different BIOS, please read your motherboard instructions on how to do this.

Next Lesson:

Before you exit BIOS, please continue to the next lesson: Lesson 20: Installing an Operating System.