Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
System Folder
You may be asked into what folder you want to put the system fi les. Accept
the default (for example,
Windows
) unless you have a specifi c reason for wanting them
somewhere else, because if someone else is troubleshooting your computer later, they will
expect the system fi les to be in the default location.
Drive on Which to Install the OS
If you have more than one hard disk, you can put the
OS on any of them. However, it's a good idea to put your primary OS on your primary
internal hard disk. Don't put your primary OS on an external drive, such as a USB drive,
because the interface is slower and system performance will suffer. If you install the new
OS on a different drive than your current one, you'll be able to
dual-boot
. A menu will
appear each time you start the PC, asking which OS you would like to boot.
Administrator Password
Windows has a special hidden user account with the username
Administrator; it's used for troubleshooting. (This is different from a named user account
with administrator permissions set for it.) You can put a password on that account if you
like. It's more secure to do so, but if you forget the password, you won't be able to get into
troubleshooting tools like the Windows Recovery Console.
Installing Applications
PCs don't exist to run OSs, of course—they exist to run applications that enable users to
perform useful tasks like writing letters, calculating budgets, and creating artwork.
In this section, you'll learn about installing applications. The actual process of installing
an app can be pretty simple, but there are often other things to consider in preparation
beforehand.
Assessing Compatibility and Minimum Requirements
On the box for each retail application you buy, and in the documentation for each
application available for download, you'll fi nd a Minimum System Requirements section.
This usually includes a list of compatible OS versions, a minimum processor speed, a
minimum amount of RAM, and a minimum amount of hard disk space available. There
may also be additional requirements, such as a particular display adapter or amount of
display adapter RAM.
Besides the generic minimum requirements, you would also be wise to research
compatibility issues before spending a lot of money on an application. For example, some
applications (particularly games) have known problems with certain display adapters.
When judging whether you have enough hard-disk space, keep in mind
that at least 15 to 20 percent of the hard-disk space should be left empty to
ensure best performance. Don't assume that if your hard disk has 1 GB of
space left on it, you can install an application that requires 1 GB of space.
