Ports & Connectors
The various connectors and ports on the computer allow it to communicate with the many different devices and peripherals attached. Because there are so many cables and cords attached to the back of the computer, and so many different types of connectors, it often seems a little intimidating to the newer user. Although there are some devices which may use the same connector or port, the individual devices and their cords can only physically attach to one certain type of connector; so don't feel nervous about hooking your system together.

There's really no way you can do any harm to your computer just by hooking it up, as long as you follow a few common sense rules:

The first thing to know is the difference between a male and female connector. The male connector fits inside the female connector. If the connector has pins protruding from it, its a male connector. If the connector has holes for the pins to fit into, then its a female connector. When you hook something up to your computer, the male and female connectors are hooked together. The connectors on the back of your computer are called input/output ports (i/o ports) or communication ports.

The second thing you should remember is that when you join a connector to a port, they must have the same shape and the same number of pins or holes. In other words, a square peg won't fit into a round hole, and its not wise to try to jam fifteen pins into nine holes (part of the 'common sense' thing I was talking about).Which brings us to another very important point, never force anything.

Here's one that's hard to do. Always make sure the computer is off before attaching connectors or cables to any of the ports. This can cause little power gliches (another technical word) that could corrupt an open file or cause a program to freeze. It can even cause a small short that could damage or ruin components inside your computer. I know, you've done it a hundred times and never had a problem. Well, that's good. If you want to continue to practice risk management, that's your perogitive, but be aware of the possibilities and don't be surprised when you finally get burned. USB ports are the only ports that should be considered hot-swappable (this means they can be plugged in or unplugged while the machine is on).

Only one more thing to remember. There are small hexagonal nuts on either side of many of the ports on your computer. These allow you to screw the connectors in so they don't accidentally fall out or loosen. They just have to be screwed down, they do not have to be tightened. These nuts are actually the heads of small bolts that pass through the back plate on your computer and are attached with a small nut on the other side. If you tighten the screws too much, then when they're undone, they may take the bolt with them and the small nut may fall off inside the computer (onto the motherboard or an expansion card). Not a good thing.

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