2. Internet Explorer opens. Click the Help drop-down menu. 3. Click About Internet Explorer. 4. A window opens. Look for the word Version. Listed imme- diately next to it will be the version number for your copy of Internet Explorer (see Figure 12-2). Figure 12-2: About Internet Explorer window 5. Click OK. Determine the Manufacturer and Speed of Your Processor (CPU) The processor — also known as a CPU—is the part of your com- puter’s hardware that performs the tasks handed out by your software. Typically, the faster a processor is, the more powerful your computer will be. Some programs and newer versions of Windows require a minimum CPU speed in order to work correctly.To find out how fast your CPU is and which company made it, do the following: 1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. If this icon is not available, click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows and right-click My Computer. If you can’t find the My Computer icon anywhere, do the following: a. Right-click in the empty space on your desktop. b. Select Properties. c. A window opens. Click the Desktop tab. d. Near the bottom of the window, click the Customize Desktop button. Chapter 12: Analyze Your PC 137 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 137 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. e. Another window opens. On the General tab, beneath the words Desktop Icons, place a checkmark in the My Computer box. f. Click OK. g. You are returned to the previous screen. Click Apply. h. Click OK. i. The My Computer icon appears on your desktop. Right-click it. 2. Select Properties. 3. A window opens. Near the bottom of it, you should see the name of the company that made your CPU (usually it is Intel or AMD) as well as the CPU’s speed listed in meas- urements of “MHz” (megahertz) or “GHz” (gigahertz) — for example, 500 MHz or 1.5 GHz (see Figure 12-3). Figure 12-3: System Properties window Determine Your Amount of System Memory (RAM) The memory in your computer — commonly referred to as RAM (Random Access Memory) — is the hardware used by Windows and your software to store temporary information.The more RAM you have, the more programs you can use simultaneously and the faster your computer will be. Here’s how to find out how much RAM your computer has: 138 Part III • Bonus Material 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 138 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. If this icon is not available, click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows and right-click My Computer. If you can’t find the My Computer icon anywhere, do the following: a. Right-click in the empty space on your desktop. b. Select Properties. c. A window opens. Click the Desktop tab. d. Near the bottom of the window, click the Customize Desktop button. e. Another window opens. On the General tab, beneath the words Desktop Icons, place a checkmark in the My Computer box. f. Click OK. g. You are returned to the previous screen. Click Apply. h. Click OK. i. The My Computer icon appears on your desktop. Right-click it. 2. Select Properties. 3. A window opens. Near the bottom of it, you should see the amount of system memory (RAM). See Figure 12-4. Figure 12-4: System Properties window Chapter 12: Analyze Your PC 139 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 139 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Determine Your Hard Drive’s Size and Remaining Space A hard drive is a piece of equipment that stores all of the programs and data on your computer (think of it as a digital warehouse). If your hard drive has too much information on it, your computer can become noticeably slow. If the hard drive becomes completely full, you will be unable to install new programs or download files from the Internet until you free up some space.To determine the overall size of your hard drive and how much room it has left, do the following: 1. Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. If this icon is not available, click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows and click My Computer. If you can’t find the My Computer icon anywhere, do the following: a. Right-click in the empty space on your desktop. b. Select Properties. c. A window opens. Click the Desktop tab. d. Near the bottom of the window, click the Customize Desktop button. e. Another window opens. On the General tab, beneath the words Desktop Icons, place a checkmark in the My Computer box. f. Click OK. g. You are returned to the previous screen. Click Apply. h. Click OK. i. The My Computer icon appears on your desktop. Double-click it. 2. A window opens. Right-click the icon for the hard drive you want to check. For example, if you want to know the size and remaining space for your C: drive (which is the drive that most people have Windows installed on), right-click the icon labeled C:. 3. Select Properties. 4. A window opens. On the General tab, you should see the words Used Space.This indicates how much of your hard drive is being used.You should also see the words Free 140 Part III • Bonus Material 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 140 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Space, which indicates how much room is left on your hard drive (see Figure 12-5). Both of these numbers will be expressed in measurements of gigabytes (GB) or megabytes (MB) — for example, 500MB or 2GB. Don’t be alarmed if you see that your gigabytes have a smaller number than your megabytes; a gigabyte is much larger than a megabyte (1 gigabyte is equal to 1,000 megabytes). Figure 12-5: Hard Drive Properties window Open Your Computer’s Case After you have used Windows to do a quick analysis of your PC’s primary features, you should open the computer’s case and examine the equipment inside. Becoming comfortable with opening the case and identifying the components is essential if you ever want to per- form a hardware upgrade on your own. 1. Turn off your computer and unplug it from all electrical out- lets.This will prevent you from receiving a serious electrical shock and will protect the computer from being damaged. 2. Examine your case to find out how it opens. Some cases have a removable cover shaped like an upside-down “U” that slides off when some screws are unfastened. Other cases have side panels (or doors) that slide off or swing open when they are unscrewed or when a special button is pressed. 3. If you cannot figure out how to open your computer’s case, check the owner’s manual or documents that came with your system. Chapter 12: Analyze Your PC 141 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 141 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. . that stores all of the programs and data on your computer (think of it as a digital warehouse). If your hard drive has too much information on it, your computer can become noticeably slow. If the. hardware upgrade on your own. 1. Turn off your computer and unplug it from all electrical out- lets.This will prevent you from receiving a serious electrical shock and will protect the computer. Properties window Determine Your Amount of System Memory (RAM) The memory in your computer — commonly referred to as RAM (Random Access Memory) — is the hardware used by Windows and your software to store