Installing a video card is not hard to do. Of course, you’ll need some tools to begin your work:

A clean working area

A standard computer toolkit

A video card and installation instructions

STEP BY STEP: Installing a Video Card

• 1. Power off the computer and unplug it. Disconnect all cables from the computer and open the case according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• 2. Based on your computer model, the current video card may be on board, or integrated. If not, remove the old video card and set it aside.
• 3. Confirm that the video card you are about to install has an available bus that matches the card type. If necessary, remove the metal plate to allow access to the back of the card once it is installed.
• 4. Insert the card into the appropriate bus (depending on the card type, it could be AGP, ISA, PCI, or even SCSI) until it snaps into place and fits snugly into the slot; then screw the video card’s plate into place to secure the card.
• 5. Replace the computer cover and all of the cords, and then power on the computer and configure the video card, as described in the next section.

Configuring the video card

The kind of operating system your computer runs determines how you need to configure the video card. Windows 2000 and Windows 9x use a similar technology to find and detect the card: Plug-and-Play. Plug-and-Play is a technology to automatically detect new devices and, using information on the card, to install the drivers needed by the device to operate with the operating system. Windows 9x and Windows 2000 use a similar method to configure the video card. The following Step By Step and the accompanying figures are for the Windows 2000 Professional workstation, but will work on 9x.

STEP BY STEP: Configuring a Video Card on Windows

• 1. Choose Start/Settings/Control Panel and then open the Display applet.
• 2. Click the Settings tab
• 3. From the Colors drop-down menu, choose a color palette that is applicable for your monitor.
• 4. In the Screen area field, move the slider to set the resolution of your monitor to the desired setting (make sure the setting you choose is one that your monitor can handle).
• 5. Click Apply to apply the changes and keep the Display properties applet open in case you’d like to change your mind. Click Cancel or OK, based on the settings you’ve selected.