Session 53 · Week 14 · Handout N
Computer components — identification and function
Name

Date
For each component, fill in the function, failure mode, and connections. The failure mode column is as important as the function — knowing what breaks and how it breaks is how engineers diagnose problems.
Component Function — what it does Failure mode — what happens when it dies Connects to
CPU
Motherboard everything
RAM
NVMe SSD
PSU
CPU Cooler
Case Fan
Data flow — fill in the blanks
_______________ (permanent) ↕ program loads into _______________ _______________ (working memory) ↕ CPU fetches from _______________ CPU executes instructions ↕ display output through _______________ _______________ ↑ PSU provides power to all of the above
Discussion: if you had to upgrade one component to make a 5-year-old computer noticeably faster for general daily use, which would you choose? Explain using the data flow above.
Why does the motherboard determine compatibility more than any other component?
Session 55 · Week 14 · Handout O
Boot sequence — flowchart and failure analysis
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Date
Fill in each step of the boot sequence. For each box: write what software is involved, where it physically lives, and what it hands control to next. Draw arrows between boxes to show the handoff.
1Power applied
What runs
PSU performs POST
Lives on
hardware (PSU chip)
Hands control to
2CPU first instruction
What runs
Lives on
chip on motherboard
Hands control to
3UEFI initialises
What it checks
What it reads next
Partition it reads from
4GRUB runs
What it does
Loads into
RAM
Hands control to
5Linux kernel starts
What it does
First process started
PID of that process
6Login screen appears
Program responsible
After login, what loads
Total time (estimate)
Failure analysis — trace each failure through the sequence above
GRUB files deleted from EFI partition
What the user sees
Which step fails
Root partition (/) is corrupted — GRUB loads fine
What the user sees
Which step fails
Boot order set to NVMe first, but no OS is installed yet
Exact message shown
How to fix it
What is the EFI System Partition? Why must it be FAT32? Why does the UEFI firmware need to read from it?
Session 56 · Week 14 · Handout P
UEFI exploration — read only, do not save
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Date
Critical instruction
During this entire exercise, you are reading and observing ONLY. Do NOT change any setting. Do NOT press F10 or any save option. If you accidentally change something, press Escape repeatedly until the exit menu appears, then choose "Discard and Exit" — never "Save and Exit."
System Information
Usually on the Main tab or first screen
CPU model shown
RAM amount detected
Firmware version
UEFI interface type (graphical / text)
Boot Settings
Boot tab
Current boot order (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
Secure boot — enabled or disabled?
What does secure boot do? (read the description)
Advanced / Chipset Settings
Advanced or Chipset tab
Storage mode (AHCI / RAID / IDE)
Virtualization setting name
Virtualization enabled or disabled
Any other settings you noticed
Three settings needed for OS installation next week
Write these — you will configure them on the new machine
Setting 1 — name and required value
Setting 2 — name and required value
Setting 3 — name and required value
Exit procedure: Press Escape until exit menu appears. Select "Discard and Exit". Confirm. Do not select "Save and Exit" or F10.
Reflection
UEFI stores configuration on a chip on the motherboard. What happens to that configuration if you remove the CMOS battery? Why would you do this?
Sessions 57–60 · Week 15 · Handout Q
Assembly, UEFI, and installation checklist
Name

Date
Before touching any component
Touch the metal case frame or wear an anti-static strap. Never force a connector. If it doesn't go in easily, it's wrong orientation. Ask before proceeding if uncertain.
Assembly — Session 57
tick each step when complete and verified
I/O shield installed in correct orientation
Motherboard standoffs installed in correct positions for form factor
CPU installed — lever locked, zero force applied, correct orientation
Intel: triangle on CPU aligns with socket. AMD: triangle on CPU corner aligns with socket corner.
Thermal paste applied — pea-sized dot on CPU heat spreader center
CPU cooler mounted — cross-pattern tightening, both cables connected
CPU_FAN header (near CPU socket) must be connected — not just a chassis fan header.
RAM installed — correct slots per manual, both clips audibly clicked
NVMe SSD installed and secured with M.2 retention screw
Motherboard seated in case — all mounting screws installed
24-pin ATX power connector fully inserted
The most commonly missed connector: push until it clicks and the latch engages.
CPU power connector (4-pin or 8-pin) connected — top-left of motherboard
This is the second most commonly missed connector. Without it, the machine will not POST.
Front panel connectors installed per motherboard manual pin diagram
No loose screws, no cables near fans, visual inspection passed
Instructor has verified the above before first power-on
First power-on and UEFI — Session 58
verify each item in UEFI
Verification itemExpectedActual✓
CPU model in UEFImatches installed CPU☐
RAM detectedmatches installed amount☐
NVMe SSD detectedshows in storage list☐
Boot orderUSB first, NVMe second☐
Storage modeAHCI☐
Bootable USB — Session 59
mandatory verification before running dd
Kubuntu ISO sha256sum verified against published checksum
lsblk run — NVMe device path identified:
USB device path identified from lsblk after insertion:
dd command verified by instructor before running
dd completed — lsblk shows partitions on USB device
OS installation — Session 60
record your choices during installation
DecisionYour choice
Username (lowercase, no spaces)
Hostname / computer name
EFI partition size512 MB, FAT32, /boot/efi
Root partitionremaining space, ext4, /
Partition table typeGPT
First boot verification — run these commands and record output
CommandOutput / what it shows
uname -a
df -h
free -h
lsblk
cat /etc/os-release
Phase 4 milestone
You assembled a computer, configured its firmware, created a bootable USB, partitioned the disk, and installed the OS. The machine in front of you is yours. All remaining work in this course runs on it.