Installing PCI card -------------------------------------------------- Back to HexaTek Home
Note: you may need one screw to retain card to PCI card rail
<1>Shut down PC
<2>Remove power cord
<3>Remove left (looking from front of PC) side panel, lay computer gently on to it's right side
<4>Check to make sure you have empty PCI slot
--If you have different looking types of slots--> long one is ISA slot, Short one is PCI slot,
(short brown one, in middle of motherboard, and set back is AGP slot)
<5>Remove PCI slot cover and install Card, use screw to retain card to rail
-- do not force, card should slide firmly into slot without excess force
-- Make sure cards' external port(s) are accessible and clear of any case material to either side of card port(s);
-Note: there is limited motion (room to move card) before affixing card to rail by its' screw.
<6>Install any card cabling (ie. Sound card cable to CD/DVD) sometimes connectors will only easily install to card before it is inserted in Card Slot.
<7>Reinstall side panel, power cord, stand PC upright, Start PC
<8>If PCI card came with driver disk make sure it is handy
<9>If Windows finds new device
-- use supplied disk – you may have to point windows to the correct folder on the disk
-- correct folder means; ie. For Windows XP navigate to XP folder on PCI card Disk
-- still can't find driver? In same folder as example above look for *.inf file
(* stands for whatever they called file)
-- right click this file and select install from menu shown.
<10>If Windows does not find device and after windows completes startup
-- use supplied disk to install driver
-- optionally use *.inf as above to install driver
<11>Once install is finished and Windows has finished booting up, RESTART PC
<12>Card should be installed properly when PC finishes rebooting
<13>Check by going to Control Panel and select SYSTEM, select HARDWARE, select DEVICE MANAGER.
-- Look down list for the newly installed device (PCI card)
-- there should be NO ! or X in front of new device
(this would mean PCI card is not installed properly)
All being well you should be good to use device or install other software supplied for device.
<14>Device did not show up or does not seem to be recognized.
Don't panic. Possible solutions;
1.)Start by; remove and reinstall card (slide card in and out of slot 2 or 3 times before finally seating card and screwing it to rail)
2.)Move card to different PCI slot