Chapter 1

Basics of Computer Maintenance

Computer is an electronic device that accepts input, process it and finally display the output
to the user. It is a system which consists two major parts: hardware and software.
Hardware is the physical equipment such as the case, storage drives, keyboards, monitors,
cables, speakers and printers. Software is the operating system and programs. The operating
system instructs the computer how to operate. Programs or applications perform different
functions.

The computer may encounter different failures. As a result the task of maintenance will be
required. Computer maintenance is the art of finding the computer failures and fixing those
problems. IT technicians should have the skills to install, maintain, and repair computers.

Lab Procedures and Maintenance Tools

Safe working conditions help to prevent injury to people and damage to computer equipment.
A safe workspace is clean, organized, and properly lighted. Everyone must understand and
follow safety procedures. Follow proper procedures for handling computer equipment to
reduce the risk of personal injury, damage to property, and loss of data. Any damage or loss
may result in claims for damage from the owner of the property and data. The proper disposal
or recycling of hazardous computer components is a global issue. Make sure to follow
regulations that govern how to dispose of specific items.

Safety is very important both to the technician and to the equipment. Guidelines help to
ensure that proper techniques and precautions are correctly and uniformly implemented.

General Safety Guidelines

Follow general safety guidelines to prevent cuts, burns, electrical shock, and damage to
eyesight. General safety guidelines include the following:

♣ Manage cables properly to prevent tripping hazards and help protect the cables.
♣ Remove your watch or any other jewellery and secure loose clothing before handling
equipment.

♣ Turn off the power and unplug equipment before performing service.

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♣ Cover any sharp edges inside the case with tape.

♣ Do not touch areas in a printer that are hot or that use high voltages.

♣ Know where the fire extinguisher and first-aid kit are located and how to use them
♣ Keep food and drinks out of your workspace.

♣ Keep your workspace clean and free of clutter.

Maintenance Tools

Maintenance tools can be in the form of hardware tools and software tools. Software tools are
available that help diagnose problems. Use these tools to determine which computer device is
not functioning correctly. A technician must document all repairs and computer problems.
The documentation can then be used as a reference for future problems or for other
technicians who may not have encountered the problem before. The documents may be
paper-based, but electronic forms are preferred because they can be easily searched
for specific problems.

Hardware Tools

A toolkit should contain all of the tools necessary to complete hardware repairs. Hardware
tools are grouped into these four categories:

 ESD tools

 Hand tools

 Cleaning tools

 Diagnostic tools

ESD Tools

There are two ESD tools: the antistatic wrist strap and the antistatic mat. Both tools are
designed to protect the PC from ESD. The antistatic wrist strap protects computer equipment
when clipped to the computer chassis. The antistatic mat protects computer equipment by
preventing static electricity from accumulating on the hardware or on the technician.

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Hand Tools

Most tools used in the computer assembly process are small hand tools. They are available
individually or as part of a computer repair toolkit. Toolkits range widely in size, quality, and
price. Common hand tools include the following:

 Flat-head screwdriver: Used to tighten or loosen slotted screws

 Phillips-head screwdriver: Used to tighten or loosen cross-headed screws
 Torx screwdriver: Used to tighten or loosen screws that have a star-like depression
on the top, a feature that is mainly found on laptops.

 Hex driver: Used to tighten or loosen nuts in the same way that a screwdriver
tightens or loosens screws (sometimes called a nut driver)

 Needle-nose pliers: Used to hold small parts

 Wire cutters: Used to strip and cut wires

 Tweezers: Used to manipulate small parts

 Part retriever: Used to retrieve parts from locations that are too small for your hand to fit.
 Flashlight: Used to light up areas that you cannot see well

Cleaning Tools

Having the appropriate cleaning tools is essential when maintaining or repairing computers.
Using these tools ensures that computer components are not damaged during cleaning.
Cleaning tools include the following:

 Soft cloth: Used to clean different computer components without scratching or leaving
debris
 Compressed air: Used to blow away dust and debris from different computer parts
without touching the components

Diagnostic Tools

Diagnostic tools include the following:

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o Digital multi-meter: Used to test the integrity of circuits and the quality of
electricity in computer components

o Loopback adapter: Used to test the basic functionality of computer ports

Software Tools

Each year, viruses, spyware, and other types of malicious attacks infect millions of
computers. These attacks can damage an operating system, application, and data. Computers
that have been infected may even have problems with hardware performance or component
failure. To protect data and the integrity of the operating system and hardware, use software
designed to guard against attacks and to remove malicious programs. Various types of
software are used to protect hardware and data:

 Antivirus program: Protects against virus attacks.

 Spyware remover: Protects against software that sends information about web
surfing habits to an attacker. Spyware can be installed without the knowledge or
consent of the user.

 Firewall program: Runs continuously to protect against unauthorized communications to

and from your computer.

Static Energy and its Effect on Computers

Electrostatic discharge, and poor-quality sources of electricity can cause damage to computer
equipment. Follow proper handling guidelines, be aware of environmental issues, and use
equipment that stabilizes power to prevent equipment damage and data loss.

Power Fluctuation Types Voltage is the force that moves electrons through a circuit. The
movement of electrons is called current. Computer circuits need voltage and current to
operate electronic components. When the voltage in a computer is not accurate or steady,
computer components may not operate correctly. Unsteady voltages are called power
fluctuations.
The following types of AC power fluctuations can cause data loss or hardware failure:
 Blackout: Complete loss of AC power. A blown fuse, damaged transformer, or
downed power line can cause a blackout.

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 Brownout: Reduced voltage level of AC power that lasts for a period of time.
Brownouts occur when the power line voltage drops below 80 percent of the normal
voltage level. Overloading electrical circuits can cause a brownout.

 Noise: Interference from generators and lightning. Noise results in unclean power,
which can cause errors in a computer system.

 Spike: Sudden increase in voltage that lasts for a very short period and exceeds 100
percent of the normal voltage on a line. Spikes can be caused by lightning strikes, but
can also occur when the electrical system comes back on after a blackout.

 Power surge: Dramatic increase in voltage above the normal flow of electrical
current. A power surge lasts for a few nanoseconds, or one-billionth of a second.

Power Protection Devices

To help shield against power fluctuation issues, use power protection devices to protect the
data and computer equipment:

 Surge suppressor: Helps protect against damage from surges and spikes. A surge
suppressor diverts extra electrical voltage on the line to the ground.

 Uninterruptible power supply (UPS): Helps protect against potential electrical

power problems by supplying electrical power to a computer or other device. The
battery is constantly recharging while the UPS is in use. The UPS is able to supply a
limited amount of power when brownouts and blackouts occur. A UPS can also act as
a line Conditioner if it uses the battery as a buffer from the minor but erratic
fluctuations found in electrical lines. This form of UPS is called inline. Many UPS
devices are able to communicate directly with the operating system on a computer.
This communication allows the UPS to safely shut down the computer and save data
prior to the UPS losing all electrical power.

 Standby power supply (SPS): The most common type of UPS. It helps protect
against potential electrical power problems by providing a backup battery to supply
power when the incoming voltage drops below the normal level. The battery is on
standby during the normal operation. When the voltage decreases, the battery
provides DC power to a power inverter, which converts it to AC power for the computer.
This device is not as reliable as a UPS because of the time it takes to switch over to the

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battery. If the switching device fails, the battery will not be able to supply power to the
computer.

Preventive Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Preventive maintenance is a regular and systematic inspection, cleaning, and replacement of

worn parts, materials, and systems. Preventive maintenance helps to prevent failure of parts,
materials, and systems by ensuring that they are in good working order. A good preventive
maintenance program helps minimize failures. With fewer failures, there is less
troubleshooting to do, thus saving an organization time and money. Preventive maintenance
can also include upgrading certain hardware or software such as a hard drive that is making
noise, upgrading memory that is insufficient, or installing software updates for security or
reliability.
Purpose of Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance reduces the probability of hardware or software problems by

systematically and periodically checking hardware and software to ensure proper operation.

1. Hardware Maintenance

Check the condition of cables, components and peripherals. Clean components to reduce the
likelihood of overheating. Repair or replace any components that show signs of damage or
excessive wear.

Use the following tasks as a guide to create a hardware maintenance program:

 Remove dust from fan intakes.

 Remove dust from the power supply.
 Remove dust from components inside the computer.
 Clean the mouse and keyboard.
 Check and secure loose cables
2. Software Maintenance

Verify that installed software is current. It includes the installing security updates, operating
system updates, and program updates. Use the tasks listed as a guide to create a software
maintenance schedule that fits the needs of your computer equipment:

 Review security updates.

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  Review software updates.
 Review driver updates.
 Update virus definition files.
 Scan for viruses and spyware.
 Remove unwanted programs
 Scan hard drives for errors.
 Defragment hard drives

Benefits of Preventive Maintenance

Be proactive in computer equipment maintenance and data protection. By performing regular

maintenance routines, you can reduce potential hardware and software problems. Regular
maintenance routines reduce computer downtime and repair costs. A preventive maintenance
plan is developed based on the needs of the equipment. A computer exposed to a dusty
environment, such as a construction site, needs more attention than equipment in an office
environment. High-traffic networks, such as a school network, might require additional
scanning and removal of malicious software or unwanted files. Document the routine
maintenance tasks that must be performed on the computer equipment and the frequency of
each task. This list of tasks can then be used to create a maintenance program.

The following are the benefits of preventive maintenance:

 Increases data protection

 Extends the life of the components
 Increases equipment stability
 Reduces repair costs
 Reduces the number of equipment failures

Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to locating the cause of a fault in a computer

system.
Troubleshooting is a learned skill. Not all troubleshooting processes are the same, and
technicians tend to refine their troubleshooting skills based on knowledge and personal
experience. Use the guidelines in this section as a starting point to help develop your
troubleshooting skills.

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Although each situation is different, the process described in this part will help you to
determine your course of action when you are trying to solve a technical problem for a
customer.
Steps of Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting requires an organized and logical approach to problems with computers and
other components. A logical approach to troubleshooting allows you to eliminate variables in
a systematic order. Asking the right questions, testing the right hardware, and examining the
right data helps you understand the problem. This helps you form a proposed solution to try.

Troubleshooting is a skill that you will refine over time. Each time you solve another
problem, you will increase your troubleshooting skills by gaining more experience. You will
learn how and when to combine, as well as skip, steps to reach a solution quickly. The
following troubleshooting process is a guideline that you can modify to fit your needs.

 Identify the problem.

 Establish a theory of probable causes.
 Test the theory to determine an exact cause.
 Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution.
 Verify full system functionality, and if applicable, implement preventive measures.
 Document findings, actions, and outcomes.

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 Chapter 2

Computer Cases and the Motherboard

Computer Case

The case or chassis which usually is made of metal, holds all the primary electronics of the
personal computer (PC) and often all the drives as well. The PC is attached by a few cables to
a keyboard, mouse, and monitor through cases. In fact, the case is more than just a box to
house a computer. The case houses all the internal components, offers access to the outside
world via ports and connectors, and protects the PC's delicate circuits from damage and
electromagnetic interference (EMI).

When considering the case, there are four general rules to keep in mind:

 The bigger the box, the more components it can hold (providing greater expansion
potential) and, often, the better the air flow (essential for cooling). Large cases are
also easier to work with.
 The more compact the box, the less expansion potential it has; working on it is often
much more difficult and usually air flow is more restricted.
 Smaller cases that come with a power supply usually have lower wattage, reducing
the number of internal devices that can be installed.
 The more features in a case design like the power wattage or the number of bays, the
higher the cost.

Opening the case

The type of system case in use can make removal and installation of a motherboard a snap.
On the other hand, a case might be designed for efficient manufacturing but not for ease of
repair. On many newer cases, almost every component is removable — often without the
need for the use of many tools beyond a screwdriver. Manufacturers are always looking for
ways to reduce the number of hard connectors (such as screws and clips) that hold cases and
components together to simplify production and lower costs. So, under the assumption that
opening the case (see the manufacturer’s documentation for this activity) is not a big
problem, here are some generic guidelines to opening a PC case.

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1. Remove all cables from the ports on the back, side, or front of the PC, including the
monitor, speakers, and the serial cables, parallel cables, and USB cables of external
devices. I recommend that you label the cables as to which connector they were
attached to and create a diagram illustrating the connections and cables
2. Remove the case cover. Every PC case is a little unique, even between models of the
same manufacturer. Usually the case is secured with screws around the edge of the
rear panel of the PC. However, you’ll find new breeds of PCs on which the
motherboard, CPU, and memory modules are exposed by simply lifting off the front
or side panel, usually without tools. If your PC is one of these, the front or side panel
is held in place by spring latches or friction retainers. You might need to slide a
locking handle or lift the panel, but typically a strong and steady pull should release
the panel. Watch for protruding floppy disk and CD-ROM drives or interior cables
that could catch on the panel and be dislodged or damaged in the process. If the panel
won’t pull off without significant effort or possible damage, stop and look for screws
securing it to the chassis. Most new computers have separated the sides of the case to
allow only one side to be removed. This exposes the motherboard and its components,
which is usually enough for normal maintenance. On others, the entire case slips off
the rear of the PC, exposing the motherboard on all sides. Regardless, because
complete access is needed to remove the motherboard, remove enough of the case
cover to expose both sides of them other board, if possible
3. Remove the retaining screws in the expansion cards also remove the cables
connecting the cards to the computer, such as the drive cables from IDE or SCSI cards
and the CD-ROM audio cables on sound cards. Label each cable with a piece of
masking tape or with a fine-point marker as to what it is and its orientation. The disk
drive data cable should have a red or blue edge to indicate its Pin 1 location. Draw a
diagram that shows which expansion card went into which expansion slot. Mark each
slot with a number and then label each card with a piece of tape on which you’ve
written the slot number from which it was removed. Include the connecting cables and
the device to which each was attached in the diagram.
4. Mark or label the cables that connect directly into the connectors integrated into the
motherboard, including the power supply, floppy disk controller, IDE controller, and
possibly the sound controller. Indicate the device, which is usually printed on the
motherboard surface next to each socket, Create a diagram for these cables that

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 indicates the source, destination, orientation, and any special markings on the cable
that will be important at reassembly time
5. Remove the motherboard’s mounting screws .Locate the heads of the screws that
secure the motherboard to the chassis, and remove the motherboard mounting screws
and store them where you can find them later. Be careful not to lose any paper or
plastic washers that are on these screws
6. Lift out the motherboard. Some PCs have a mounting plate from which the screws
must be removed to swing the motherboard out of its mounting. Hold the motherboard
by its edges, being careful not to put pressure on or to soil either side of the board.
Place the .board on an anti-static mat or on an anti-static shipping bag and document
any other connectors or mountings that you’ve not previously noted. If the
motherboard is mounted on brass standoffs that are used to lock the motherboard to
the case, remove the screws attaching the board to the brass standoffs and slide it to
unlock the standoffs. Lift the board out of the standoff keys and place it on an anti-
static surface.
7. To reinstall or replace the motherboard, use your diagrams and notes and reverse the
order of operations.

Motherboard

The motherboard, also called the main board. The motherboard is the key part of the
hardware infrastructure. It is a large circuit board that serves as a home for the central
processing unit (CPU) and all its associated chips, including the chip set and RAM (random
access memory), and connects them to the rest of the physical elements and components of
the computer.

A motherboard is a thin, flat piece of circuit board, usually green or gold, and often slightly
larger than a typical piece of notebook paper. A motherboard contains a number of special
sockets that accept various PC components. The CPU and RAM, for example, plug directly
into the motherboard. In a PC, everything connects to the motherboard either directly or
indirectly.

Other devices, such as floppy drives, hard drives, CD and DVD drives, connect to the
motherboard sockets through short cables. Motherboards also provide onboard connectors for
external devices such as mice, printers, joysticks, and keyboards.

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The motherboard provides the foundation for the personal computer. Every piece of
hardware, from the CPU to the lowliest expansion card, directly or indirectly plugs into the
motherboard. The motherboard contains the wires—called traces—that make up the different
buses of the system. It holds the vast majority of the ports used by the peripherals and it
distributes the power from the power supply (Figure 7.1). Without the motherboard, you
literally have no PC

There are two major categories of motherboards: AT and ATX. The main difference between
them is the type of power supply and main power switch each requires. When you order a
new motherboard, be sure to first verify that it is compatible with the case and power supply
to be used. For all practical purposes, you cannot repair motherboards. They should be
replaced if physically or electrically damaged. Your customer will get new technology,
usually for a price lower than the cost of the repair

Because it is often the most difficult part of a system to replace (you have to remove all the
equipment that is connected to it), check all other internal and external components before
removing or replacing the motherboard.

Parts of Motherboard

System Chipset and Controllers: The chipset and other motherboard circuitry are the
"smarts" of the motherboard. Their job is to direct traffic and control the flow of information
inside the computer. These circuits control the processor's access to memory, the flow of data
to and from peripheral devices and communications lines, and much more.

The chipset is a critical part of any computer, because it plays a big role in determining what
sorts of features the computer can support. For example, which processors you can use,
which types of memory, how fast you can run the machine, and what kind of system buses
your PC can use, are all tied in to the type of chipset the motherboard uses.

System Buses: The system buses are the electrical channels through which various parts of
the computer communicate. The physical part of these buses, the part you see, is the set of
slots in the back of the machine into which you put your video card, sound card and other
cards. It is over the system buses that your video card gets information from the processor;
the processor saves data to your hard disk, etc. The architecture chosen for each of the system
buses has a great impact on the performance of your PC, as well as dictating your choices for
video cards and other devices.

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BIOS: The system BIOS (which stands for Basic Input/Output System) is a computer
program that is built into the PC's hardware. It is the lowest-level program that runs on your
computer. Its job is to act as an intermediary between your system hardware (the chipset,
motherboard, processor and peripherals) and your system software (the operating system).
The BIOS is what runs when you turn on your computer, and what loads your operating
system (for example, DOS). The BIOS also allows you to set or change many different
parameters that control how your computer will function. For example, you tell the BIOS
what sort of hard drives you have so it knows how to access them.

Cache: The system cache is a small, high-speed memory area that is placed between the
processor and the system memory. The value of the cache is that it is much faster than normal
system memory. Each time the processor requests a piece of data from the memory, the
system first checks the cache to see if the information is there. If it is, then the value is read
from cache instead of memory, and the processor can get back to work that much sooner. If it
isn't, then the data is read from memory and given to the processor, but it is also placed into
the cache in case the processor needs it again in the near future.

The Processor

One of the smallest parts of the computer but the one that gets most of the attention, the
processor is often thought of as the "brain" of the computer. An extremely sophisticated piece
of miniaturized electronics, the processor (often called the CPU or Central Processing Unit)
is at the bottom of all tasks the PC performs. The processor reads instructions (commands)
from memory that tell it what it needs to do to accomplish the work that the user wants, and
then executes them.

System Memory

The system memory holds all of the "active" information that the computer is using. When
you turn the computer on the memory is empty. Each program or data file you load uses part
of the system memory. When you close a program the memory is freed up for other uses.
Generally, the more memory your system has, the more things you can do with it
simultaneously. Increasing the amount of memory in the system also improves performance
in most cases.

Peripherals

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Peripherals are external devices that you connect to your PC. (Well, technically your hard
drive and CD-ROM etc. are peripherals too, but often people use the term to refer to devices
outside the main box). There are two main ways that you can connect peripherals to your
machine: through a serial connection, or through a parallel connection:

Serial Communications: A serial connection sends information over the line one bit at a
time. It is a simple way to send information in or out of the computer, but is not as fast as
other ways the computer can communicate. Serial connections are typically used for devices
such as mice and modems.

Parallel Communications: A parallel connection is faster than a serial one because it sends
many bits in parallel. The advantage of this is that it is faster, but the disadvantage is that it is
more complicated to do. Parallel connections are used most often for printers and removable
storage drives, which need more speed than serial peripherals.

Troubleshooting Motherboard

The motherboard is the computer, so the usual symptom of a failed motherboard is a

completely dead system. Fans, drives, and other peripherals may spin up if the motherboard
is dead, but more often nothing at all happens when you turn on the power. No beeps, no
lights, no fans, nothing.

If you think you have a dead motherboard, think again. The most likely cause of a dead
system is a blown fuse or breaker at the wall receptacle. If you're certain the system is getting
power and you have just installed the motherboard, it's much more likely that you've
neglected to connect a cable or made some other basic error than that the motherboard itself
is bad, assuming of course that the problem motherboard is a high quality product.

A dead system is more often caused by a dead power supply than a dead
motherboard, so the first step to troubleshoot an apparently dead motherboard is to swap in a
known-good power supply. If the system remains completely dead with a known-good power
supply, it's likely that the motherboard is defective and must be replaced.

It's not uncommon for a motherboard to fail partially. For example, an ATA interface or the
embedded video, audio, or LAN may stop working, while the rest of the motherboard
functions appear to work normally.

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It's possible to work around such partial failures; for example, by disabling the failed function
in BIOS Setup and installing an expansion card to replace the failed embedded function. We
recommend against this practice, however, because a partial motherboard failure is often soon
followed by a complete failure.

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