How to Install a PCMCIA Card
The expression more in use today for a PCMCIA card is actually "PC card." PCMCIA stands for the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, which is a group that defines the standards for PC cards. The PCMCIA standard is used mostly in removable peripherals that connect to a laptop. However, their use in desktop computers is not unheard of. Some modern-day desktop computers have components that enable them to communicate with PC cards. There is no mystery behind successfully installing a PCMCIA card, since such cards are designed to be convenient and compact.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Install any software that comes with the card first. The best time to install the software that comes with a PCMCIA card is before connecting the card. During the installation, if the software prompts you to connect the card, you can now connect it. However, if the software installation finishes without prompting you to connect anything, it may have installed peripheral software that will detect the card when you first run it. If peripheral software is installed, run it first to see if it needs you to connect the card.
-
2
Connect the card only if there is no prompt from either the installation or the peripheral software (if there is any) and let your operating system automatically detect what drivers must be used to communicate with the device.
-
-
3
Test whether the card functions by attempting to use its features. For example, if your card is a wireless networking card, try to seek wireless networks on your computer, either by using the peripheral software or by using your operating system's networking interface.
-
4
Reboot your computer only if your hardware is not working as it should. Rebooting your computer will help the computer refresh its memory, so to speak. A device's drivers sometimes require a component of the operating system that does not refresh itself unless it is reinitialized by resetting the operating system.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Always create a system restore point before installing your PCMCIA card. In some cases, installing device drivers can produce catastrophic results to your computer. As a precaution, if it is available to you, create restore points before installing devices. You can do this by going to your "Start" menu, navigating to "Accessories," going to "System Tools" and clicking on "System Restore." When the System Restore window pops up, click the radio button labeled "Create a restore point"; then click "Next." In the next screen, write a restore point description and then click "Create." Once the restore point has been created, you can close the window. To restore your system afterwards, access the System Restore application just as you did to create a restore point, but this time, when you reach the first screen of the System Restore window, click the radio button labeled "Restore my computer to an earlier time" and then click "Next."
Do not connect a device before its software is installed. It is often important for the software to install the drivers and other peripheral programs needed to run the device before the device is even connected.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit M.Minderhoud:Wikimedia Commons
