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. Click the Hardware tab. 4. Click the Device Manager button. 5. Another window opens. Click the plus sign (+) located next to the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category (see Figure 12-11). Figure 12-11: Viewing the Universal Serial Bus Controllers category 6. To determine if you have the fastest version of USB (called USB 2.0), look for an “enhanced” USB controller with a name like Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller, Intel PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller, or NEC PCI Chapter 12: Analyze Your PC 147 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 147 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. to USB Enhanced Host Controller. If you do not see the word “enhanced,” you probably have USB 1.1 (the slower version). For Windows 98 and ME: 1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. 2. Select Properties. 3. Click the Device Manager tab. 4. Click the plus sign (+) located next to the Universal Serial Bus Controller category (see Figure 12-12). Figure 12-12: Viewing the Universal Serial Bus Controller category 5. To determine if you have the fastest version of USB (called USB 2.0), look for an “enhanced” USB controller with a name like Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller, Intel PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller, or NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller. If you do not see the word “enhanced,” you probably have USB 1.1 (the slower version). Look for FireWire Ports FireWire is another type of connection used to transfer information between a computer and a peripheral such as an external hard drive or a video camera. The speed of FireWire is similar to that of USB 2.0. To discover if your computer is FireWire-capable, do the following: 148 Part III • Bonus Material 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 148 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. 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. Pull your computer away from your desk so you can get a good look at its case. On the back of the computer, search for a connector that looks like Figure 12-13.That is a FireWire port, into which you can plug FireWire devices such as digital video cameras, external DVD drives, exter- nal hard drives, and much more. Figure 12-13: Example of FireWire ports 3. If you cannot find any FireWire ports on the back of your computer, look at the front of the case. Some computers have these ports hidden behind doors or panels that swing open. Identify Your CD or DVD Drive CD-ROM drives sure have come a long way since their humble beginnings. Now there are recordable and rewritable compact discs (CD-R and CD-RW), as well as their offspring: recordable and rewritable DVDs (DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW). Once Chapter 12: Analyze Your PC 149 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 149 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. you determine what type of CD or DVD drive is inside your com- puter, you will know which discs to buy and what software can be used with the drive. 1. Look at the front of your CD or DVD drive. Often there are words or logos that indicate the drive’s capabilities or features. 2. If you have a CD drive, you should see a Compact Disc logo. Note All CD drives play music CDs and read CD-ROM data discs. 3. If you have a DVD drive, you will probably see a DVD logo. Note In addition to reading DVD-ROM data discs and playing DVD movies, a DVD drive is backward compatible with CDs. That means it can play music CDs and read CD-ROM data discs. 4. If you have a CD or DVD burner that can record data onto writable or rewritable CD or DVD discs, that feature should be indicated by a logo labeled RW or Rewritable. If you do not see any words or logos on the front of your CD or DVD drive, you can search for information about it in the Windows Device Manager. For Windows 2000 and Windows XP Home/Pro: 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. 150 Part III • Bonus Material 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 150 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. Click the Hardware tab. 4. Click the Device Manager button. 5. Another window opens. Click the plus sign (+) located next to the DVD/CD-ROM Drives category (see Figure 12-14). Figure 12-14: Viewing the DVD/CD-ROM Drives category 6. You should see a DVD/CD icon, next to which is the name of your DVD or CD drive as well as its model number. If not, do the following: a. Double-click the DVD/CD icon. b. A window opens. On the General tab, look for the name and model of you drive. c. If you still can’t find it, click the Details tab and look there. Chapter 12: Analyze Your PC 151 18_068557 ch12.qxp 12/13/06 6:17 PM Page 151 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. . 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. Pull your computer. information between a computer and a peripheral such as an external hard drive or a video camera. The speed of FireWire is similar to that of USB 2.0. To discover if your computer is FireWire-capable,. FireWire ports on the back of your computer, look at the front of the case. Some computers have these ports hidden behind doors or panels that swing open. Identify Your CD or DVD Drive CD-ROM drives