Week 1

Question 1

What are computer peripherals, and how are they categorized?

Answer 1

Computer peripherals are hardware devices attached to a computer system and controlled by it. They are categorized into input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse), output devices (e.g., monitor, printer), and some devices that can function as both input and output (e.g., touchscreen).

Question 2

What is the storage capacity of 1 Terabyte (TB) in Gigabytes (GB)?

Answer 2

1 Terabyte (TB) equals 1,024 Gigabytes (GB).

Question 3

Arrange the following storage units in ascending order: Kilobyte (KB), Petabyte (PB), Gigabyte (GB), Megabyte (MB), and Terabyte (TB).

Answer 3

Kilobyte (KB) < Megabyte (MB) < Gigabyte (GB) < Terabyte (TB) < Petabyte (PB).

Question 4

Name one hardware that uses Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA).

Answer 4

Hard drives and solid-state drives (SSD) commonly use SATA cables for data transfer.

Question 5

If a computer fails to boot, list potential causes and troubleshooting steps.

Answer 5

Potential causes include:

Faulty power supply.
Corrupted operating system.
Hardware failure (e.g., RAM, motherboard).

Troubleshooting steps:

Check the power supply and connections.
Remove and reseat hardware components like RAM.
Boot into Safe Mode or use a recovery disk to diagnose the issue.

Question 6

What might cause a system to overheat and hang, accompanied by a noisy cooling fan?

Answer 6

Answer: Possible causes include:

Accumulated dust in the cooling fan or heat sink.
Malfunctioning cooling fan.
High-performance tasks causing excessive heat.
Resolution:

Clean the fan and vents.
Replace the faulty cooling fan if necessary.
Use thermal paste on the CPU if required.

Question 7

What is the significance of Von Neumann architecture in computer hardware?

Answer 7

Von Neumann architecture outlines a computer design model where the CPU, memory, and input/output devices are interconnected. It features the use of a single memory space for both instructions and data, making it fundamental to modern computer systems.

Question 8

If a system displays a blue screen with a hardware error, what steps should be taken to resolve it?

Answer 8

Note the error code for diagnostics.
Check for loose or damaged hardware connections.
Update hardware drivers.
Run hardware diagnostics tools to identify failing components.