Laptops For Dummies, 6th Edition
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

You need to plug in your PC and devices before you can turn them on (obvious, right?). When all your computer components are plugged in and ready to go, turn on the computer:

  1. Turn on all the devices except the monitor and console.

    The order in which you turn everything else on doesn’t really matter.

  2. Turn on the monitor.

    You need to worry about turning on the monitor after all the other devices only if you have the monitor and console connected to a UPS. Otherwise, you can turn on the monitor whenever you like.

  3. Turn on the console last.

    Regardless of whether you’re using a UPS, you need to turn on the console last to allow time for the other devices in the computer system to initialize and get ready for work. That way, the console recognizes them and lets you use those devices in your computer system.

If everything is plugged into a power strip, ignore these steps and just turn on the power strip.

Success is indicated by your computer system coming to life; you can hear the fan whine and the disk drives warble into action, and various lights on the console, keyboard, and other devices may flash at you or glow softly. The scanner and printer may whir and grind. Get ready to start computing!

About This Article

This article can be found in the category: