Using Existing Computers

Using Existing Computers

If you already have one or more computers that you plan to use as workstations, you can start by checking the hardware parts installed in the computer. The computer must meet the following requirements

• Processor: An Intel Pentium or Celeron family of processors or an AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family of processors. The processor should have a 300 megahertz clock speed. A higher speed is recommended.
  To check the speed of the processor of a computer, you have many alternatives:
   

o                                When the computer starts, you can access its BIOS by pressing F2 or F8 depending on the computer, the model or the manufacturer

o                                From the computer's desktop, if it's running Windows 95 and later, you can right-click My Computer and click Properties

o                                You can open Control Panel and double-click System

With these two previous options, you can see the processor's speed in the Computer section of the General property page.

As another alternative to check the computer's processor, from Control Panel, you can double-click System, click the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, expand the Processors node and double-click the first node under Processors. Here is an example:

• In most cases, if your computer is running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, it should be ready for Windows XP Professional. If the computer is running another operating system but it appears to be too slow, you can replace its processor with a faster one. Before replacing a processor, you must first find out what type of processor your computer use. You cannot just replace any processor for another. To know the type of processor your computer uses, you have three options:

You can check the documentation (manual or user guide) that came with your computer. A page in it should describe the type of processor your computer is using. You can write it down and, when you go to a computer store or to a web store and use this description to purchase a new one. You can purchase a new processor from a computer store or from one of the following web sites:

o                                You can open the computer. In this case, remove the processor. Take it to a computer store and tell the sales people that you want a faster processor

You can call the manufacturer of your computer. They will ask the serial number or the make/model. They will tell you the type of processor installed in it. You can also tell them that you want to purchase a faster processor 
If you purchase or acquire a processor, it is usually easy to install and it comes with easy to-follow instructions. You will need to open the computer. It may be a good idea to take it


to a computer store or a computer repair shop and have them replace the processor for you

• RAM: The computer must have a memory of at least 64 megabytes (MB). As memory is not particularly expensive nowadays, you should upgrade the computer's memory to at least 512MB

To check the amount of RAM your computer has:

o                                When the computer starts, you can access its BIOS by pressing F2 or F8 depending on the computer, the model or the manufacturer

o                                From the desktop of a Windows 95 and later computer,  you can right-click My Computer and click Properties

o                                You can open Control Panel and double-click System

Any of these two options would show the computer's memory in the General  property page under the Computer section. Here is an example:

If your computer doesn't have enough memory, you can increase it. Like a processor, different computers use different types of memory. Before changing or increasing the memory of your computer, you should find out what type it takes. As mentioned for the processor, you can get this information by consulting the manual it came with, by opening the computer, or by calling the manufacturer.
Computer memory has not been very expensive lately. You can purchase the one appropriate for your computer from a computer, from the manufacturer of your computer, or from a web store. Once you get the memory, you can open the computer and insert the new memory in the sockets next to the existing memory

Hard Drive: Before installing Microsoft Windows XP Professional on an existing computer, make sure the hard drive has the appropriate capacity to handle the OS. To find out how much space your hard drive has, you can open Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the C:\ drive and click Properties. Here is an example:

The computer may have more than one drive or many partitions
In this case, you can check the drive or partition you intend to use to install the new operating system.

The hard drive or the partition you intend to use should have at least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space

Video: The computer should have Super VGA video adapter and be able to handle at least an 800 x 600 or higher-resolution.
To check the current video resolution of your computer, right-click the desktop and click Properties. You can also open Control Panel and double-click Display. In the Display Properties, click Settings:
To check the video adapter of your computer, click Advanced and click the Adapter tab.

CD-ROM or DVD drive: Unless you got this computer a long time ago, it should already have either a CD or a DVD drive or both. If it doesn't, you use one of its empty bays to install one. If the installation seems difficult or something you don't feel like doing, you can purchase an external drive. To do this, you can shop to a computer store or a web store.