Chapter 11- Building a PC

The minimum recommended CPU requirements for a Windows 64-bit thick client are:

1 gigahertz (GHz) processor

A 1 GHz _______________-bit or _______________-bit CPU is the minimum requirement for a Windows computer.

32, 64

What are the minimum CPU, memory, and hard disk requirements for a modern Windows computer system?

A Windows system requires a 1GHz CPU, 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) of RAM, and 16GB (32-bit) or 32 GB (64-bit) of hard disk.

Discuss several hardware requirements for a file server.

A file server's hard drives do the heavy and sustained lifting for the PC, so you should not stint on them. At a minimum, get two drives of identical size that have as much capacity as you can afford. Plus, because you need fault tolerance on the data, you simply must use a RAID 1 configuration at a minimum (and thus the need to get two identical drives). If your budget can afford it and your motherboard supports it, get four identical drives and run in RAID 10.

What can cause lockups during installation?

A lockup during installation may be caused by bad optical discs, optical drives, or hard drives. Faults on a USB-based drive can stop an installation. Problems with a downloaded ISO image can also cause lockups.

Distinguish between a patch and a service pack.

A patch is a fix for a piece of a program found to be defective. A service pack is a set of patches bundled together.

Briefly describe a thin client.

A thin client is a system designed to handle only the operating system and some very basic applications, with an absolute minimum amount of hardware required by the operating system. Much of a thin client's work is outsourced. Examples of thin clients include single-purpose systems, like point-of-sale machines (cash registers).

What must you normally accept when installing a Windows operating system?

An End User License Agreement (EULA)

What is an upgrade installation?

An upgrade installation is an installation of Windows on top of a previously installed version.

Which type of PC is more likely to require a very high-end sound interface?

Audio editing workstation

Which type of PC utilizes specialized input devices, referred to as control surfaces, that mimic the look and feel of older, analog mixing consoles?

Audio editing workstation

What specialized input devices do audio editing workstations use?

Audio editing workstations frequently make use of specialized input devices, referred to as control surfaces which mimic the look and feel of older, analog mixing consoles. They have a large number of programmable inputs that make controlling the software much faster and more accurate than with just a mouse and keyboard.

What are some methods for sanitizing a drive?

Cleaning a drive completely is very difficult. You can either physically destroy the hard drive or sanitize it using a software utility. Physical destruction isn't complicated—you bust up the drive into tiny little bits or melt it. Tools to accomplish this include drive shredders, drills, hammers, electromagnets, and degaussing tools (which reduce or remove the magnetic fields that store data on HDDs). Incineration pretty much clears all data. Keep in mind that, as hard drives advance and pack more data into smaller spaces, you'll need to break the hard drive into smaller pieces to prevent anyone from recovering your data.

During a multiboot installation, the _______________ tool can be used to shrink the C: partition and create another partition.

Disk Management

What is drive wiping and how is it done?

Drive wiping is the process of erasing old, deleted data that has not been overwritten yet. It is done by overwriting free space on a disk with junk so that the original data will be more difficult to recover.

The home server should connect via _______________ to minimize any lag or dropped frames during streaming.

Ethernet

If a business uses a Windows Domain/Active Directory for controlling network access and user accounts, then you should recommend the Pro or _______________ edition of Windows.

Enterprise

What does hardware abstraction layer refer to?

Every Windows installation depends on Windows Setup properly detecting the computer type (motherboard and BIOS stuff, in particular) and installing the correct hardware support. Microsoft designed Windows to run on several hardware platforms using a layer of software tailored specifically for the hardware, called the hardware abstraction layer (HAL).

What is the primary performance consideration for a home server PC that streams media?

Fast network connection

What are three basic principles when migrating or retiring a computer?

Follow three principles when migrating or retiring a computer: 1. Migrate users and data in a secure environment. 2. Remove data remnants from hard drives that you store or give to charity. 3. Recycle the older equipment.

Which component of a video workstation is important due to the large size of video files?

GPU

The _______________ is a layer of software that allows Windows to run on different hardware platforms.

Hardware abstraction layer (HAL)

Explain how a remote network installation works.

In medium to large organizations, more advanced installation methods are often employed, especially when many computers need to be configured identically. A common method is to place the source files in a shared directory on a network server. Then, whenever a tech needs to install a new OS, he or she can boot up the computer, connect to the source location on the network, and start the installation from there. This is called generically a remote network installation.

What is the problem with a system if it displays a "No Boot Device present when booting off the startup disk" error during installation?

If the system displays "No Boot Device present when booting off the startup disc" error, then either the startup media is bad or the CMOS is not set to look at that installation media first for boot-up.

Boot Camp is an installation tool that permits a choice between _______________.

MacOS and Windows

What is NetBoot, and how is it useful?

NetBoot is Apple's tool for network installation and imaging. It enables you to do some amazing installation types for macOS over a network. With this tool, you can boot a bunch of identical macOS machines remotely.

_______________ is a useful tool for the installation of multiple versions of macOS on many remote systems.

Netboot

_______________ installation is the best installation method for a large organization with hundreds of computers that require new software at the same time.

Network

How would you share a printer on a home server PC?

Open the Devices and Printers applet in the Control Panel, right-click on an installed printer, choose Printer properties, and then check the Share this printer checkbox on the Sharing tab.

What is the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)?

PXE is an interface that uses multiple protocols such as IP, DHCP, and DNS to enable your computer to boot from a network location. It is enabled in the BIOS System Setup, and the boot order must specify PXE or Network as the first boot option. Not every NIC supports PXE. To boot from a network location without PXE, you can create boot media that forces your PC to boot from a network location.

Which group would make the most use of the features in graphics workstations?

Professional photographers

As a minimum, what technology can be an inexpensive redundant storage option for thick clients

RAID 1

What is the most important hardware component in virtualization?

RAM

_______________ is the most important hardware component in virtualization.

RAM (or memory)

What are hardware considerations on a virtualization workstation?

RAM is the most important thing in virtualization. A powerful 64-bit CPU that has many cores will also help your virtual machines run smoothly.

What are the realistic recommended hardware specs for a thick client?

Recommended hardware specs for a thick client include: 1 GHz or faster CPU at least 1 GB (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit) of RAM and at least 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) of hard disk.

What are the primary hardware considerations of a graphics workstation?

The graphics workstation should have: a fast, multicore CPU maximum RAM serious storage space a large, high-quality monitor and high-end video components.

What are some common post-installation tasks?

Some common post-installation tasks include updating the OS with patches and service packs; upgrading drivers; restoring user data files; and migrating and retiring systems.

When multibooting Windows and Linux, which of the two should be installed first, or does it matter?

The Linux installers add this multiboot capability by default, but Windows does not. Therefore, you need to install Windows first, then install Linux.

What is the advantage of performing a clean installation?

The advantage of performing a clean installation is that any problems with an old OS are not carried over to the new one.

What is the disadvantage of performing a clean installation?

The disadvantage of performing a clean installation is that all applications must be reinstalled, and each application must be reconfigured according to the user's preferences.

Explain Microsoft's approach to installing Windows 10.

The primary way to install Windows 10 is downloading an ISO image and writing that image to some bootable media. With the Windows Media Creation Tool (a quick download from Microsoft), you can easily make that bootable media a DVD or USB flash drive.

A single-purpose system, such a point-of-sale machine (cash register), is an example of what type of computer?

Thin Client

Which type of system is designed to handle only very basic applications that require a minimum amount of hardware?

Thin client

What type of RAID should you use on a home server PC?

Use a RAID 1 configuration at a minimum (need two identical drives). If you can afford it and your motherboard supports it, get four identical drives and run in RAID 10.

_______________ workstations combine the requirements of a graphics workstation and an audio workstation.

Video editing

Which type of PC combines the requirements of a graphics workstation and an audio workstation?

Video editing workstation

Discuss the hardware requirements for a video editing workstation.

Video editing workstations combine the requirements of a graphics workstation and an audio editing workstation. Video editors often use two or more color-calibrated monitors so they can view the video stream they're working on with one monitor and see their video editor open on the other, making dual monitors very useful; if used to produce high-resolution 4K video, a monitor supporting this resolution is also essential. Video editing workstations require a very powerful CPU paired with as much RAM as possible, since video editing is a far more intensive process than graphics or audio editing. Lots of high-speed storage is also required since video projects eat terabytes for breakfast. Many video editing workstations have multiple hard drives set up in a RAID array for added storage capacity and enhanced read/write speed.

What technology enables you to run more than one operating system at the same time on a single computer?

Virtualization

_______________ allows the running of more than one OS at the same time on a single machine.

Virtualization

_______________ servers can help consolidate multiple machines into one box, saving floor space and electricity.

Virtualized

What processes need to happen before a user can get rid of an old system?

When a user decides to retire an old system, he or she must move the data and users to a new system, or at least a hard drive. This process is called migration.

When configuring a system for multibooting, what basic actions must be carried out?

When configuring a computer for multibooting, there are two basic rules: first, you must format the system partition in a file system that is common to all installed operating systems; and second, you must install the operating systems in order from oldest to newest (or from Windows to other).

_______________ is a Windows tool that enables one to quickly move a user data and personalizations.

Windows Easy Transfer

How is virtualization most often used on workstations?

With workstations, virtualization is most often used to run a second OS on top of the OS installed on the computer's hard drive.

Refresh/Restore is a Windows installation method that _______________.

attempts to fix errors in an OS

A(n) _______________ workstation needs a high-quality audio interface with inputs that enable you to connect professional microphones and instruments.

audio editing

NetBoot is a tool that allows one to _______________.

boot a macOS machine remotely

During installation, one may decide to go with the default drivers because they _______________.

can be upgraded later

A(n) _______________ installation of an OS usually begins with an empty hard disk or one on which you are completely replacing an existing installation.

clean

Installing an operating system onto a hard drive with no previous OS installed is known as a(n)

clean install

Audio editing workstations frequently make use of specialized input devices, referred to as_______________, that mimic the look and feel of older, analog mixing consoles.

control surfaces

A powerful 64-bit CPU that has many _______________ will also help your virtual machines run smoothly.

cores

A virtualization workstation, needs a maximum amount of RAM and a fast CPU with many

cores

To boot from a network installation, if there is no Preboot Execution Environment (PXE),

create boot media that forces booting from network location

The essential CPU requirement for a gaming PC is a(n)

fast, multicore processor

The primary need for a(n) _______________ workstation is a large, high-quality monitor.

graphics

A(n) _______________ is a complete copy of a hard drive volume on which the operating system and application software have been preinstalled.

image

A type of installation that is very popular for re-creating standard configurations is a(n)

image deployment

Microsoft and many tech writers also use the term _______________ installation to define an upgrade.

in-place

Microsoft often uses the term _______________ to define an upgrade installation.

in-place upgrade

In addition to a fast CPU and a lot of RAM and storage, a graphics workstation requires a

large, high-quality monitor

Windows generates a number of special text files called _______________ files to track the progress of certain processes.

log

Both Windows _______________ and iTunes have a feature to share media files on a local network.

media player

In addition to file sharing and print sharing, a home server PC's basic roles include

media streaming

The process of moving data and users to a new system or a new hard drive is known as

migration

A(n) _______________ installation allows a system to choose between two or more operating systems each time the computer boots.

multi-boot or dual boot

During a(n) _______________ installation, the new operating system can be installed into a different subdirectory on a different drive, leaving the old operating system intact and usable.

multiboot

As more and more computing devices move into the home environment, there's a need for a centralized storage space, called a _______________.

network attached storage device

Hardware needs on a home server apply primarily to the _______________ speed and _______________ redundancy.

network, hard drive

A(n) _______________ is a fix for a single problem within an operating system.

patch

During installation, the _______________ entry verifies the legitimacy of the Windows OS purchase and also tells the installer which edition was purchased.

product key

Many system builders add a small, hidden partition to the primary hard drive containing an image of the factory-fresh version of Windows. This is called a _______________.

recovery partition

When combined together, accumulated patches are called _______________.

service packs

A(n) _______________ file tracks any errors during a phase of an installation.

setuperr

The installation error message "RAID Array Not Detected" could indicate _______________.

the lack of the proper driver for the hard drive

A(n) _______________ is a system designed to handle only very basic applications with an absolute minimum amount of hardware required by the operating system.

thin client

The minimum recommended RAM for a Windows 64-bit thick client is _______________ GB.

two (2)

A(n) _______________ installation is performed when scripts are used to automatically select options and components, i.e., to configure the installation, without any user intervention.

unattended

What is the Windows installation option that inherits all previous settings, hardware, and applications?

upgrade