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In many cases, the installer will be able to automatically detect your hardware. But to be prepared, we do recommend familiarizing yourself with your hardware before the install.
Hardware information can be gathered from:
• The manuals that come with each piece of hardware.
• The BIOS setup screens of your computer. You can view these screens when you start your com- puter by pressing a combination of keys. Check your manual for the combination. Often, it is the Delete or the F2 key, but some manufacturers use other keys or key combinations. Usually upon starting the computer there will be a message stating which key to press to enter the setup screen.
• The cases and boxes for each piece of hardware.
• System commands or tools in another operating system, including file manager displays. This source is especially useful for information about RAM and hard drive memory.
• Your system administrator, network administrator or Internet Service Provider. These sources can tell you the settings you need to set up your networking and e-mail.
Table 3-1. Hardware Information Helpful for an Install
Hardware | Information You Might Need |
Hard Drives | How many you have. |
Their order on the system. | |
Whether IDE (also known as PATA), SATA or SCSI. | |
Available free space. | |
Partitions. | |
Partitions where other operating systems are installed. | |
Network interfaces | Type/model of available network interfaces. |
Printer | Model and manufacturer. |
Video Card | Type/model and manufacturer. |