for: walkstreetguys.yolasite.com
By: Shaggy
03. PC Technician Professional Best Practices
Tools of the Trade
Having the right tool will save your time, trouble, and expense. A good collection of software and
hardware tools (kept ready to use) will make your life much easier.
Multimeters - It is an electronic instrument used to measure voltage, current, and resistance. It usually
has two wires, one red and one black. Digital meters have a screen that display the numeric value of
what you are measuring. Analog meters have a thin needle that swings in an arc and indicates the value
of what you are measuring.
Loopback Plugs - It is a special connector used for diagnosing transmission problem that redirects
electrical signals back to the transmitting system. Loopback plugs are commonly used to test Ethernet
NICs.
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Types of Hardware Toolkits - There are several different types of hardware toolkits that are commonly
used in PC maintenance and repair. A basic toolkit should include;
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Screwdrivers (star and flat-blade)
Torx driver (size T15)
Tweezers
Container for screws
Nut driver
Three-prong retriever
Some other Basic items:
Ratchets
Allen wrenches
Cotton swabs
Batteries
Flashlight
Anti-static cleaning wipes
Anti-static wrist band
Canister of compressed air
Mini vacuum
Pen knife
Clamp
Chip extractor
Chip inserter
Multimeter
Soldering iron and related supplies
Spare parts container
Pen and/or pencil
Notepaper or sticky notes
Network
Cable crimper with dies for a variety of cable styles
Wire stripper for flat and coax cable
Precision wire cutters
Curved forceps
Multi-network LAN cable tester
Digital multimeter
Circuit board
30w ceramic soldering iron
Desoldering braid
Desoldering pump
Solder iron stand with sponge
Solder
Miniature pliers and wire cutters
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 Heat sink
Software Diagnostic Tools - This tool or utility is a computer repair program that can analyze hardware
and software components and test them for problems. Most OS include several software diagnostic
tools, and some developed by other software manufacturers also.
Firmware - It is a software stored in memory chips that retains data whether or not power to the
computer is on. It is most often written on an electronically reprogrammable chip so it can be updated
with a special program to fix any errors that might be discovered after a computer is purchased., or to
support updated hardware components.
The System BIOS - Basic Input/ Output System, is a set of instructions that is stored in Read Only
Memory and that is used to start the most basic services of a computer system. On startup, the BIOS
tests the system and prepares the computer for operation by querying its configuration settings. Each
BIOS manufacturer has its own method to enable users to access system setup menus and configure
BIOS settings:
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Acer
ALR
AMD
AMI
ARI
AST
Award
Compaq
CompUSA
Cybermax
Dell
DTK
Gateway
HP
IBM
Micron
Packard Bell
Phoenix
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F1, F2, or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
F2 or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
F1
Delete
Ctrl+Alt+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete
Ctrl+Alt+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Delete
Delete or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
F10 or F12
Delete
Esc
Varies according to model, F1, F2, F3,F12, Delete.
Esc
F1 or F2
F1 or F2
F1, F2, Delete, or Ctrl+Alt+Insert after Ctrl+Alt+Delete
F1, F2, or Delete
F1, F2 or Delete
Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+S, or Ctrl+Alt+Insert
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Sony VAIO
Tiger
Toshiba
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F2 or F3
Delete
Esc or F1
CMOS RAM - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor RAM, is special memory that has its own
battery to help it keep track of its data even when the power is turned off. You should be able to
configure the 'system date and time, password, boot sequence, memory, HDD drives, FDD drives,
display, parallel ports, serial/COM ports, ports and power management.
The Power-On Self Test (POST) - It is a built-in diagnostic program that is run every time a personal
computer start up. It is checks your hardware to ensure that everything is present and functioning
properly.
Hard drive Self Test - Most HDD manufacturers provide a diagnostic tool that enables the drive to test
itself when a personal computer is started up. Some built into the HDD firmware, some can be
download from manufacture.
Software Diagnostics Tests - This tests are available from many different manufacturers, and they vary
widely in their capabilities, but they can all assist you in detecting, repairing, and preventing hardware
and software problems.
Computer Maintenance Techniques
There are a number of preventative maintenance techniques you can use to maintain personal
computer components
1) UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), protect the computer from power surges, spikes, and
brownouts. there are two types of UPS that one is online UPS and another one is standby UPS.
An online UPS supplies power to your systems from its batteries at all times. It is usually supply
more clean battery power than standby UPSes. An standby UPS uses a battery to supply power
when a power problem occurs. These UPSes are rated on their switching time because their
batteries are in use only when the regular power is unavailable.
2) Clean peripheral components, prevent problem with the computer's peripherals due to dirty
conditions.
3) Clean Internal system components, prevent problem with internal computer components due to
dirty conditions.
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Cleaning Compounds and Materials - Cleaning materials for computers range from standard household
cleaning supplies to supplies specifically designed for computer and electronics.
 Wipes and Cloths - There are several types of wipes and cloths to use to clean monitor,
keyboard, and other equipment
 Cleaning solutions - This solution based on alcohol, use cotton swabs or lint-free cloths to clean
many components.
 Cleaning tools - cotton swap are useful in getting cleaning into tight place, and there are several
kits like cleaning brush, toothpicks, and ect.
 Compressed air canister - A canister with a nozzle that can be aimed at components to blow
dust out.
 Computer or electronics vacuum - A non-static vacuum that can be used on the chassis, the
power supply, fans, and in printers. (Regular vacuum cleaners can create static, which will
damage computer equipment).
 Mask - A mask that fits over your and nose should be worn when using a compressed air
canister or working around toner spills.
 Latex gloves - You should wear latex gloves when cleaning up a toner spill.
(Shut down the computer, and unplug the peripherals before start cleaning a system)
Troubleshooting Theory
A logical, methodical approach to troubleshooting usually leads to quicker solutions, there are certain
general factors that will apply in any troubleshooting situation:
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Backus - perform backups before making any changes
Assessment - Assess a problem systematically, and divide large problems into smaller
components to be analyzed individually.
Simple solution - trying simple solution first can save significant time.
Research - Research ideas and establish priorities.
Documentation - Sufficient and proper documentation of setups, configurations, and histories
can prove to be invaluable during the troubleshooting process.
Environment - Be aware of the location, air flow, and temperature the equipment is operating
in.
Troubleshooting Process - 1) Identification - 2) Analysis - 3) Testing - 4)Implementation - 5) Evaluation 6) Documentation - 7) Verification ... this above steps may save your time while troubleshooting, the
documentation will help to solve the problem quickly when you face same problem in another time.
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