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Figure 8-26 Works with Windows!

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NOTE The Windows Vista Compatibility Center (www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/) is also a great resource to check whether a particular software program works with Windows Vista.

Microsoft keeps the Logo’d Product List available for all supported operating systems, so you’ll see Windows 7, Windows Vista, and most likely Windows XP (depending on when you’re reading this book). Windows 2000 is already gone.

Step 2: Physical Installation

To install an expansion card successfully, you need to take steps to avoid damaging the card, the motherboard, or both. This means knowing how to handle a card and avoiding electrostatic discharge (ESD) or any other electrical issue. You also need to place the card firmly and completely into an available expansion slot.

Optimally, a card should always be in one of two places: in a computer or in an anti-static bag. When inserting or removing a card, be careful to hold the card only by its edges. Do not hold the card by the slot connectors or touch any components on the board (Figure 8-27).

Use an anti-static wrist strap if possible, properly attached to the PC, as noted in Chapter 2, “Operational Procedures.” If you don’t have a wrist strap, you can use the tech way of avoiding ESD by touching the power supply after you remove the expansion card from its anti-static bag. This puts you, the card, and the PC at the same electrical potential and thus minimizes the risk of ESD.

Figure 8-27 Where to handle a card

Modern systems have a trickle of voltage on the motherboard at all times when the computer is plugged into a power outlet. Chapter 10, “Power Supplies,” covers power for the PC and how to deal with it in detail, but here’s the short version: Always unplug the PC before inserting an expansion card! Failure to do so can destroy the card, the motherboard, or both. It’s not worth the risk.

Never insert or remove a card at an extreme angle. This may damage the card. A slight angle is acceptable and even necessary when removing a card. Always screw the card to the case with a connection screw. This keeps the card from slipping out and potentially shorting against other cards. Also, many cards use the screw connection to ground the card to the case (Figure 8-28).

Figure 8-28 Always screw down all cards.

Many technicians have been told to clean the slot connectors if a particular card is not working. This is almost never necessary after a card is installed, and if done improperly, can cause damage. You should clean slot connectors only if you have a card that’s been on the shelf for a while and the contacts are obviously dull. Never use a pencil eraser for this purpose. Pencil erasers can leave behind bits of residue that wedge between the card and slot, preventing contact and causing the card to fail. Grab a can of contact cleaning solution and use it instead. Contact cleaning solution is designed exactly for this purpose, cleans contacts nicely, and doesn’t leave any residue. You can find contact cleaning solution at any electronics store.

A fully inserted expansion card sits flush against the back of the PC case—assuming the motherboard is mounted properly, of course—with no gap between the mounting bracket on the card and the screw hole on the case. If the card is properly seated, no contacts are exposed above the slot. Figure 8-29 shows a properly seated (meaning fitted snugly in the slot) expansion card.

Step 3: Device Drivers

You know from Chapter 7, “BIOS and CMOS,” that all devices, whether built into the motherboard or added along the way, require BIOS. For almost all expansion cards, that BIOS comes in the form of device drivers—software support programs—loaded from a CD-ROM disc provided by the card manufacturer.

Installing device drivers is fairly straightforward. You should use the correct drivers—kind of obvious, but you’d be surprised how many techs mess this up—and, if you’re upgrading, you might have to unload current drivers before loading new drivers. Finally, if you have