USB 1.0 TO 3.0

1: USB release dates

USB (universal serial bus) was developed as an alternative to serial and parallel data transfer protocols. USB 1.0 was introduced in January 1996. As you can see in Table A, it has been a long time since the USB 2.0 specification was released.

Table A

2: Changes in USB 3.0

USB 3.0 is one of the most anticipated changes to the PC in years. Here is a summary of the major changes:

• SuperSpeed — New higher signaling rate of 5Gbps (625MB/sec)
• Dual-bus architecture — Low-Speed, Full-Speed, and High-Speed bus plus SuperSpeed bus
• Asynchronous instead of polled traffic flow
• Dual-simplex simultaneous bi-directional data flow for SuperSpeed instead of half-duplex unidirectional data flow
• Support for streaming
• Fast Sync –N-Go technology
• Support for higher power
• Better power management

3: The Low-Speed, Full-Speed, High-Speed and SuperSpeed confusion

There are four distinct data rates - not to be confused with the four USB specifications. Each new major USB specification introduced a new data rate. Table B shows USB data rate types supported by the four USB specifications. Each new USB specification has been backward compatible.

Table B

Table C shows maximum data rates for the four data rate types.

Table C

USB 2.0 does not always mean High-Speed. This is usually, but not always, the case. A device labeled USB 2.0 can operate at Full-Speed instead of High-Speed.
Will this confusing labeling exist for USB 3.0? The USB 3.0 specification supports the three legacy speeds in addition to SuperSpeed. This is accomplished by referencing, not replacing, the USB 2.0 specification. Low-Speed, Full-Speed, and High-Speed devices are USB 2.0 compliant but not USB 3.0 compliant, so a USB High-Speed device should not be labeled as a USB 3.0 device. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has developed logos for each of the four data rates. Look for these logos when buying a USB device.
You can determine whether your USB 2.0 device is a High-Speed device in the Windows Device Manager (Figure A), although it is not a straightforward exercise. You will probably have to try more than one USB Root Hub before you find the device you are looking for.

Figure A

Open the Device Manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers item. Open the Properties window for a USB Root Hub. Tip: Start at the bottom USB Root Hub.
Next, click the Power tab (Figure B). If the device is attached to this hub it will appear in the Attached Devices section. In this example, I have attached a flash drive and it is displayed as a USB Mass Storage Device. Note that this Root Hub has six ports available — one of them used by the USB Mass Storage Device.

Figure B

Finally, click the Advanced tab to see the USB speed (Figure C). On my system, the top six USB Root Hubs operate at Low-Speed and Full-Speed and the bottom two each operate at High-Speed.

Figure C

4: Actual data throughput

Actual data throughput is usually much less than the maximum advertised USB specification and is a function of many variables, including overhead. Actual throughput in practice is typically up to 35 - 40MB/sec for USB 2.0 and may exceed 400MB/sec for USB 3.0. NEC recently demonstrated its new USB 3.0 controller transferring 500MB in 4.4 seconds or “only” 113.6MB/sec. Symwave and MCCI claim to have demonstrated over 270MB/sec data throughput at the Intel Developer Forum in September 2009.
Bottom line: Don’t expect actual SuperSpeed data rates approaching 400MB/sec anytime soon.
I have a USB flash drive that can read at 26MB/sec and write at 6.6MB/sec and is typical of flash drives available as of late 2009. These data rates are within the actual High-Speed data rate. But Faster USB 3.0 flash drives are on the way that can take advantage of the SuperSpeed data rate.
Most hard disk drives can transfer data faster than 40MB/sec. USB 3.0 will be welcomed by those who like to back up data to an external hard drive or SSD drive or who have any USB device that transfers large amounts of data.

5: Cabling and maximum cable length

During my days at Hughes Aircraft Company, I was always looking for ways to save money. I suggested that my supervisor, who sat in the next cube, share a laser printer with me. But printing over the long parallel cable caused characters to be intermittently printed as the gibberish that is so familiar when data loss or corruption occurs. USB cables have a similar constraint. But unlike my parallel cable problem, there is a solution.
Table D shows the maximum cable and total lengths.

Table D

*The USB 3.0 spec does not detail a maximum cable length, but 3.0 meters or 9.8 feet has been recommended.

A total of six cables can be strung together using five hubs to achieve the maximum total length. In practice, the cable to the USB device counts as one of the six cables, reducing the maximum total length.
If the USB 2.0 five-meter limit is not long enough for your needs, you can purchase one or more USB hubs or special cables. There are two types of hubs: powered and unpowered. Higher power draw devices may require a powered hub.
Longer total lengths can be realized using repeater extension cables and CAT5 extenders for USB 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0. There is also a special class of USB 3.0 cables that contain circuitry to achieve a length of six meters (19.7 ft). The USB-IF Web site recommends a USB bridge to achieve lengths greater than 30 meters.
The USB 2.0 specification for a Full-Speed/High-Speed cable calls for four wires, two for data and two for power, and a braided outer shield.
The USB 3.0 specification calls for a total of 10 wires plus a braided outer shield. Two wires are used for power. A single unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is used for High-Speed and lower data transfer and allows for backward compatibility.
Two shielded differential pairs (SDPs) have been added. Each SDP contains three wires, two for signal transmission and one drain wire. The two SDPs are used for transferring SuperSpeed data allowing for simultaneous bi-directional data flow.
See the Author’s Notes section at the end of the article for a reference to a USB 3.0 cable cross-section diagram.

6: Power

One of the most significant innovations in USB over serial and parallel protocols is the addition of power to the specification. Plug in a USB device and it can be powered from the host computer.
To find the power requirements for USB devices open the Device Manager, expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers item, Right-click on Generic USB Hub as in this example or USB Root Hub (Figure B), select Properties and click the Power tab, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

More power has been added in the USB 3.0 specification for power hungry devices. Table E shows the maximum amperage per port in milliamps.

Table E

There are four basic power states to accommodate a variety of devices and device states. For information about USB hubs and power, read Greg Shultz’s article Understand and exploit USB topology in Windows XP.
Note:  The USB 3.0 specification details more power states, including idle and sleep.

7: Limitations

We’ve already discussed some of the USB limitations:

• Maximum data rates
• Actual data throughput
• Cable length and total length
• Power

There are several other limitations that you should know about.
Though you will likely never find it an issue, there is a 127 device limitation per controller.
Each USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) host controller has a 60MB/sec total bandwidth limitation, and the bandwidth is shared by all attached High-Speed USB devices. If, for example, two High-Speed devices like a digital video camera and an external hard drive are in use at the same time, the last High-Speed device attached may operate at a lower data rate or a USB Controller Bandwidth Exceeded error may occur. If you have two EHCI host controllers on your system, you may be able to resolve the bandwidth error by moving one of the High-Speed devices to another USB port. Wikipedia has a list of I/O Controller Hubs with two or more EHCI host controllers.
Want to know how much bandwidth has been allocated for each USB device in Windows? According to this MSDN article, you can check Device Manager, if you use Vista or later:
“Starting with Windows Vista, users can see how much bandwidth a USB controller has allocated by checking the controller’s properties in the Device Manager. Select the controller’s properties then look under the Advanced tab. This reading does not indicate how much bandwidth USB hubs have allocated for transaction translation.
“The Device Manager feature that reports the bandwidth usage of a USB controller does not work properly in Windows XP.”
Figure E shows that three USB devices have been allocated 4% of the bandwidth available for this Universal Host Controller. The Fujifilm FinePix S700 digital camera is a USB Full-Speed device and is therefore listed under one of the Universal Host Controllers and not one of the Enhanced Host Controllers. The USB specification defines four data transfer types:  Control, Interrupt, Isochronous, and Bulk. The 10% System reserved value shown here is used for Control and Bulk data transfers and cannot be changed.

Figure E

During system boot-up and when a USB device is plugged in, a process called enumeration occurs. The device is recognized, its speed is identified, and a unique address is assigned. For devices using the Interrupt or Isochronous data transfer types, a specific amount of the remaining available bandwidth is requested, thus guaranteeing that the bandwidth will be available. If the bandwidth is available, it’s allocated, and the device description and reserved bandwidth will be listed on the Advanced tab.
Note: Don’t bother looking for the bandwidth used by a Mass Storage device like a flash drive. This class of USB device typically uses the Bulk data transfer type and is not listed on the Advanced tab.
In addition to any of the System Reserved bandwidth that may be available, devices using the Bulk data transfer mode may use the remaining non-reserved bandwidth. The Bandwidth Used column heading is misleading. The bandwidth is allocated/reserved but may not actually be used.
As you can see in Figure F, ICH9R Southbridge supports six Universal Host Controller Interface (UHCI) host controllers and two Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) host controllers. The number of UHCI and EHCI host controllers may be different on your system. The ICH9R supports a total of 12 USB ports. The six Universal Host Controllers operate at Low-Speed and Full-Speed and each shares its bandwidth with two USB ports. The two USB2 Enhanced Host Controllers operate at High-Speed and each shares its bandwidth with six USB ports. The Advanced tab shows that 20% of the bandwidth is reserved by each Enhanced Host Controller for Control and Bulk data transfers.

Figure F

Note:  There is another host controller type, not shown, called USB Open Host Controller Interface (OHCI) that supports Low-Speed and Full-Speed devices. The name of the new Intel SuperSpeed host controller specification is Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI).

8: Connector and receptacle types

There are a number of USB 3.0 connector and receptacle types:

• Standard-A connector and receptacle
• Standard-B connector and receptacle
• Powered-B connector and receptacle (new in USB 3.0)
• Micro-AB receptacle
• Micro-A connector
• Micro-B connector and receptacle

The matrix in Table F shows the types of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors that will work with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 receptacles. Note that according to the USB 3.0 specification Table 5.1, the only USB 3.0 connector that will work in a USB 2.0 receptacle is the Standard-A connector.

Table F

A new multi-tiered system has been developed for the extra pins needed for USB 3.0. The Standard-A connector is slightly longer and the receptacle slightly deeper to accommodate the new design. Five pins have been added to the Standard-A connector and receptacle specifically for SuperSpeed transmit and receive data and ground.
The USB 3.0 specification recommends using a blue color scheme for USB 3.0 Standard-A connectors and receptacles to distinguish them from USB 2.0 Standard-A connectors and receptacles.
The USB 3.0 specification includes a new type of connector and receptacle called a USB 3.0 Powered-B Connector and USB 3.0 Powered-B Receptacle. They are identical to the USB 3.0 Standard-B Connector and receptacle, except that two pins have been added for power and ground. It is designed to provide power to a USB device without the need for any other power source. The USB 3.0 Powered-B Receptacle can accept both Standard-B and Powered-B connectors.
The Micro family of connectors and receptacles are defined for handheld devices. Unlike the Standard-A connectors with their elegant design, the Micro connectors and receptacles have a more complex design with two plugs and receptacles sitting side by side — one for USB 2.0 and the other for USB 3.0.
See the Author’s Notes section for references to diagrams for the USB 3.0 Standard-A Connector, the USB 3.0 Standard-B Connector, and the USB 3.0 Micro Connector Family.

9: Hot-swappable devices and data corruption

I can’t write an article about USB without bringing up the issue of data corruption. Removing any USB device capable of writing data can cause data corruption if done improperly. There are three ways to minimize the risk of data corruption:

• Verify write-back caching is off
• Pay attention to device LEDs
• Safely remove/eject device

First, verify that write-back caching is turned off for the USB device. To verify write caching status, open Device Manager and right-click on the USB device. Select Properties from the drop-down list (Figure G). In this example, I am checking a SanDisk Cruzer flash drive.

Figure G

Next, click the Policies tab (Figure H). The Quick Removal (Default) option should be selected. If not, select it to reduce the risk of data corruption.

Figure H

Second, pay attention to device LEDs. Some USB devices will tell you when data is being transferred to or from the device with a flashing LED. Simply put, don’t remove the USB device when the LED is trying to tell you not to.
Third, safely remove/eject device. No doubt you already know how to safely remove a USB device but I am including it to be thorough. To safely remove a USB device in Windows 7, click the Taskbar Notification area Up-arrow and click on the USB icon (Figure I).

Figure I

Click the USB device you want to eject — Cruzer Micro, in this example (Figure J).

Figure J

The Safe To Remove Hardware notification balloon will appear when it is safe to remove your flash drive (Figure K).

Figure K

There is an alternate method for ejecting a USB device that you might not be familiar with. To safely remove a flash drive using Explorer, right-click on the logical drive assigned to the flash drive and select Eject from the drop-down list (Figure L). You can eject attached drives in Explorer, but be aware that more than one drive may need to be ejected.

10: USB downsides

USB can cause problems that can be difficult to debug. For example, on one occasion I was unable to install XP until I disconnected the USB to parallel cable attached to my printer.
USB is so convenient and easy to use, it poses problems in the workplace. Flash drives are the biggest concern to IT managers. Flash drives are so small that they are easy to bring into the workplace in a pocket or purse. The flash drive is a conduit for sensitive or confidential data leaving the office or malware sneaking in.
In addition, people who are conscious of the risks of transferring viruses via a floppy, CD, or DVD don’t think twice about plugging in a flash drive and transferring files to/from home. Perhaps the best solution to this problem is education. Flash drives are banned in some government agencies and companies, though the effectiveness of that policy is questionable. Interestingly, the DOD is partially lifting its flash drive ban.

The final word

USB has been such a huge success that a more than 10 times improvement in speed and an 80% increase in power is almost certainly guaranteed to be just as successful, right? Well, maybe not. Intel’s original conceptual designs for the USB 3.0 cable specified optical fiber cabling to carry the SuperSpeed data. Copper replaced fiber optics in the final USB 3.0 spec, but Intel continues to work on a variation of this design known as Light Peak. It may be available as early as 2010 in Apple products before Intel plans to support USB 3.0 in its chipsets.
Light Peak promises double the data rate of USB 3.0 now, with speeds possibly reaching 20 times the USB 3.0 speeds as the new technology matures. Perhaps more important in the short term, Light Peak cables may reach 100 meters (328 feet) in length and may be smaller in diameter and lighter.
Could Light Peak make its way to the Wintel platform? It certainly could, and its data transfer capability would leapfrog it past USB 3.0. So don’t bet just yet that USB 3.0 will be as successful as its predecessors. Regardless of what happens with Light Peak, USB SuperSpeed should satisfy USB device data rate requirements for many years to come.

HOW TO GET MOTHERBOARD INFORMATION

HOW TO GET MOTHERBOARD INFORMATION

If  you want to know motherboard information then you can find out motherboard information easily:

• At first goes to start menu.
• Then click Run menu
• Write ''wmic" (without quotation).
• Press ok.
• You look, this program is automatically installing.
• Wait some minute.
• And in here display "WMIC:ROOT\CLI>" in command prompt option menu.

Then write "baseboard" (without quotation).

• Press Enter.
• So look your correct motherboard information.

Create Your Own Logon Message

1. Click start
click run
type regedit,
then click ok!

2. In The registry editor, drill down to the following key:
hklm\software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current version\Winlogon.

3. Right click LegalNoticeCaption,
click modify,
Type: THIS IS NEXT TRICK,and then click ok!

4. Right click legalNoticeText,
click modify, and then Close your message!

5. Restart Your Computer.

6. The message will appear every time you logon!

Troubleshooting Tips for a Network Card

Troubleshooting Tips for a Network Card

1. • Make sure you're using the drivers that are on the driver’s disk that ships with the network interface card (NIC).
   • Make sure the driver is loaded and the protocols are bound. Check the Device Properties list for trouble indicators (an "X" or "!" symbol).
   • Test the NIC adapter with the diagnostic utilities that often came with the driver installation.
   • Check with your LAN administrator - you may need to install additional networking software.
2. If the problem persists, follow these guidelines:
   • Make sure the cable is installed properly. The network cable must be securely attached at both RJ45 connections (adapter and hub). The maximum allowable distance from adapter to hub is 100 meters. If the cable is attached and the distance is within acceptable limits but the problem persists, try a different cable. If you're directly connecting two computers without a hub or switch, use a crossover cable.
   • Try another network cable.
   • Check the LED Lights on the NIC. Before the LEDs can be used for troubleshooting, the network interface card (NIC) must be connected to the network and the network driver must be installed. Most NICs come with LEDs near the connection. The meaning of the LED signals may be different from one manufacturer to the other. Here is a common LED description for 3COM 10/100BT dual speed NIC. Please consult your NIC manual for any difference.

LED	Description	Flashing	Steady (On)	Off
10 LNK	Green: Link integrity	Reversed polarity	Good 10BT connection	No connection between NIC & hub
100 LNK	Green: Link integrity	Reversed polarity	Good 100BT connection	No connection between NIC & hub
ACT	Yellow: Port traffic for either speed	Network traffic present	Heavy network traffic	No traffic

3. The computer hangs when the drivers are loaded.
   • Change the PCI BIOS interrupt settings. See your NIC and system manuals for more details.
   • If you are using EMM386, it must be version 4.49 or newer.
4. Diagnostics pass, but the connection fails or errors occur.
   • At 100BT, use Category 5 wiring and make sure that the network cable is securely attached.
   • At 100BT, connect to a 100BT hub/switch (not 100Base-T4).
   • For NetWare, make sure you specify the correct frame type in your NET.CFG file.
   • Make sure the duplex mode setting on the adapter matches the setting on the switch.
5. The LNK LED doesn't light.
   • Make sure you've loaded the network drivers.
   • Check all connections at the adapter and the hub/switch.
   • Try another port on the hub/switch.
   • Make sure the duplex mode setting on the adapter matches the setting on the hub/switch.
   • Make sure you have the correct type of cable between the adapter and the hub. 100Base-TX requires two pairs. Some hubs require a crossover cable while others require a straight-through cable.
6. The ACT LED doesn't light.
   • Make sure you've loaded the correct network drivers.
   • The network may be idle. Try accessing a server.
   • The adapter isn't transmitting or receiving data. Try another adapter.
   • Make sure you're using two-pair cable for TX wiring.
7. The adapter stopped working without apparent cause.
   • Run the diagnostics program that came with the NIC.
   • Try reseating the NIC in its slot, or try a different slot if necessary.
   • The network driver files may be corrupt or missing. Remove the drivers and then reinstall them.
8. The Wake on LAN (WOL) feature is not working.
   • Make sure the WOL cable is attached and that power is being applied to the computer.
   • Check the BIOS for its WOL setting. Some computers may need to be configured for WOL.
   • Make sure the network cable is fully attached to the adapter.
9. Crossover cable troubleshooting tips. When you work with network cabling, concentrators (hubs or switch), and NICs from different venders, it is possible to connect everything and still have no communication between file servers and workstations.
   When there are several unknown variables, it is difficult to determine which component is broken. Use these tips to isolate the problem.
   • Determine whether your equipment complies with the 10Base-T or 100Base-TX standard. This is particularly important for hubs and switches.
   • Connect a straight-through cable from the PC to the hub. The hub performs an internal crossover so that the signal can go from TD+ to RD+ and TD- to RD- (see How to Make Network Cables). When you look at an RJ-45 connector from the front, pin 1 is identified on the left-hand side when the metal contacts are facing up.
   • Make sure that the TD+ and TD- wires are twisted together, and that the RD+ and RD- wires are twisted together. Using wires from opposing pairs can cause signals to be lost. For a 100Base-TX cable, pins #1 and #2 , and #3 and #6 must be on the same twisted strand.
10. When there is doubt whether a hub is performing correctly, or if the impedance settings are in question, a crossover cable can help you isolate the failing component:
    • Connect a file server and a client PC back to back with a crossover cable to verify that the NIC and network operating system are properly configured.
    • To make a crossover cable, simple connect TD+ to RD+ and TD- to RD-. The cable performs the crossover that is usually performed by the hub. Make sure that two twisted-pair wires are used. If the file server and client PC function together as a small network, then either the existing cabling or the hub is the problem.
    • If there is a proper crossover, the appropriate LED comes on. If there is a straight-through connection, the LED does not light. A blinking LED indicates that there is a polarity mismatch (that is, TD+ to RD- instead of TD+ to RD+)

How to Change the Default Location for Installing Applications in Windows Xp

In Windows Xp the default location where the applications are installed is located in C:/Program Files. Sometimes you can run out of space in C: drive and it become impossible to install the programs. But there is a registry tweak which can let you install the applications in different directory of your choice.

Run the Registry editor by typing regedit in the run command box and go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion



Just look for the value named ProgramFilesDir. You will see that this value is shown as C:\Program Files by default. Now edit this value and add the location where you want to set the default installation directory. From now onwards XP will use this location as the new default installation directory.

Change Windows Xp SP2 to Sp3 and Sp2 to Sp1 easily.

1. This can be done very easily with simple steps.
2. Open run and type regedit.
3. go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and System and to CurrentControlSet and to Control
4. Find windows folder in control and then click on it to see CSD Version which is on the right side.
5. Double click to open it and then Change the data value from 200 XP SP2 to 300 for XP SP3
6. and Change 200 XP SP2 t0 100 for XP SP1.
7. By this way you can change Windows Xp Service packs 1,2,3 to whatever you want.
8. 

Hope you all liked this very big post of Windows Xp Speedup Secrets. Please comment and Share this post.
Thanks to Prince Irongear Who contributed this article to us. Written and Modified by admin

How ANYONE Can Replace Leaking Capacitors

I received a computer to fix from a friend. The symptoms were common with a hardware problem: Turns on every time, but freeze after 15 seconds of use (usually at windows boot-up). I opened the case and took one good look at the motherboard; sure enough, leaking capacitors:

I’ve seen it before, and read up on Abit’s troubles with leaking capacitors but never thought of the simple fix. JUST REPLACE THE CAPACITORS!

Let me get this straight: I’m not an expert in electronics. I don’t have any schooling or experience in repairing motherboards. I’m just an average computer tech student that likes a challenge. So when I was told on a message board and by Abit that only a ‘skilled technician’ with ‘proper equipment’ could replace the leaky capacitors, I took up the challenge!

Abit KT7 with leaking capacitors

“Soldering at midnight? Why Not? Eh?”
So here’s what I did:
I looked around my room for some tools:

• Pliers
• Mini screwdrivers
• Solder (64-015)
• 320 grit Sandpaper
• Pen soldering iron (Way too big for this job!)

As I said, these are just tools I had handy. I’m sure the solder is not the correct type for my motherboard and the soldering gun is brutally large. But what the hell….
Find some good capacitors:
I found a Shuttle AV11 socket 370 board that I labeled as “dead” (I hope it WAS!), so that will be the “organ donor” for my operation. I inspected the AV11′s capacitors – 2700uF 6.3V. The capacitors that I had to replace were 2200uF 6.3V. The capacitors weren’t the same capacitance (?)(the uF part) but since the new ones had higher capacitance AND the same voltage, I assumed all would be OK.

AV11 Motherboard

Start Operating!
I decided to only replace the three worst capacitors on the Abit board. After that, if I didn’t completely kill the motherboard, I might continue with the rest.

DAY 1: The Task

STEP 1: Remove Good Capacitors
The easiest part first.
I labeled 3 good capacitors from the AV11 board that would be removed. Place a bit of heat (or in my case, A LOT of heat from my HUGE soldering iron) to the soldering joints and presto! The capacitors come right out!
Well not really. It’s very hard to heat both pins at the same time to remove the capacitors THAT easily. I ended up heating the capacitors one pin at a time, each time moving the single pin out about a millimeter. Soon enough I had all three out.

STEP 2: Remove the Bad Capacitors
I visually inspected all the leaking capacitors on the Abit board… almost every one was leaking!! I chose the three worst.
Now removal of the three leaky capacitors – this part is a bit harder. Same concept, but I had to make sure that I didn’t apply TOO much heat to ruin the motherboard. A little while longer… but the three worst capacitors are out!
Here you can see the REAL damage from the leaking capacitors:

{mospagebreak}
Paul Baggio aka Hemiboy

STEP 3: Clean Capacitor Area
I wiped down the capacitor areas as best I could. I had to use the mini screwdrivers to scrape the leaking ‘stuff’ off the motherboard. BE SURE to be gentle as to not damage the motherboard.

STEP 4: Clean Pins on New Capacitors
I skipped this step at first. I was having a hell of a time tryng to get the new capacitor pins in the Abit motherboard. I realized that the new capacitors had solder still stuck to the pins, making the installation to their new motherboard quite the hassle.
So, I quickly took each good capacitor and cleaned the pins with sandpaper. This made the pins a bit thinner and much easier to thread into their holes.
STEP 5: Installation of New Capacitors
Wow, What a pain! This is where my cheapo Radio Shack soldering gun should get tossed out the window. What you need to do is heat up the solder from one side as you push the capacitors pins down from the other. Easier said than done.
First thing first. The capacitors HAVE to go in a certain way. You’ll notice that on the motherboard where the capacitors sit, there is a circle with one side shaded. The shaded side matched with the ‘negative’ bars on my capacitors (Just look at the existing capacitors on your motherboard if you’re not sure.) If you put them in reverse, they will explode… or so I hear
Be sure to install them this one pin at a time, much like removing the capacitors. Using all of my patience, I completed the installation of all three good capacitors. I unfortunately was not able to ADD solder to the pins. My solder with my cheapo soldering gun would produce HUGE clumps of solder and ended up covering 2 or 3 pins in the area!
It took me some time to clean it up. Two of the three capacitors are a bit loose without additional solder, but won’t fall out. I thought I’d try it like this first – I can always add solder later if need be.

It’s late and I don’t need any exploding capacitors to wake up my folks, so I’ll try it tomorrow.

DAY 2: The Test

Safety first! I’d recommend some safety glasses, but since mine are not, I’ll just temporarily cover my capacitors with a CD spindle cover. I have no idea what will happen!

I plugged in parts that I can afford to loose in a ‘worst case scenario’ – ATI PCI video card, 128 of SDRAM and my dying 20 GB hard drive. I pull the jumper to turn it on….. Fans start spinning…. And -’Boing’- the screen turns on! Nothing seems out of the ordinary on the motherboard, so I allow it to boot up into XP.
WHOOHOO! It didn’t freeze!

In fact I’m using it right now to finish up my article! I-ROC!
So all in all – a success! About 1 hour of work and a lot of patience has paid off. I now have a WORKING motherboard, for how much longer I don’t know, but for now it works. In the future, I may tackle the remaining leaky capacitors or may reinforce the new ones I installed.
Hope this shows how an AVERAGE tech with AVERAGE tools can accomplish a seemingly difficult task.
Good Luck!