General Safety Guidelines

 Remove your watch and any other jewelry and secure loose clothing.
 Turn off the power and unplug equipment before performing service.
 Cover any sharp edges inside the computer case with tape.
 Never open a power supply or a monitor.
 Do not touch areas in printers that are hot or that use high voltage.
 Know where the fire extinguisher is located and how to use it.
 Keep food and drinks out of the workspace.
 Keep your workspace clean and free from clutter.
 Bend your knees when lifting heavy objects to avoid injury at your back.

Each type of fire extinguisher has specific chemicals to fight different types of fires:

 Class A – Paper, wood, plastics, cardboard

 Class B – Gasoline, kerosene, organic solvents
 Class C – Electrical equipment
 Class D – Combustible metals

It is important to know how to use a fire extinguisher. Use the memory aid P-A-S-S to help you remember
the basic rules of fire extinguisher operation:

P - Pull the pin.

A - Aim at the base of the fire, not at the flames.
S - Squeeze the lever.
S - Sweep the nozzle from side to side.

If conditions are : ESD Probability

Cool and dry high

Warm and humid low

Electrostatic discharge (ESD), harsh climates, 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.
 Brownout – reduced voltage level of AC power that lasts for a period of time. Brownouts occur when the
power line voltage drops below 80% 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% 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 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 consistent quality of power when brownouts and blackouts occur.
 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) – 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 battery. If the switching device fails, the battery will not be
able to supply power to the computer. Figure 2 shows some examples of surge suppressors, UPS, and SPS
devices.

ESD TOOLS

 Antistatic wrist strap

 Antistatic mat

HAND TOOLS

 Flat head screw driver

 Philipps head screw driver
 Torx screwdriver
 Hex driver
 Needle nose pliers
 Wire cutters
 Tweezers
 Part retriever
 Flashlight

CLEANING TOOLS

 Soft cloth
 Compressed air
 Cable ties
 Parts organizer

DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS

 Digital multimeter
 Loopback adapter

DISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS

 Fdisk or Disk Management – used to create and delete partitions on a hard drive
 Format – used to prepare a hard drive to store information
 Scandisk or Chkdsk – used to check the integrity of files and folders on a hard drive by scanning
the file system. They may also check the disk surface for physical errors
 Defrag – used to optimize space on a hard drive to allow faster access to programs and data
 Disk Cleanup – used to clear space on a hard drive by searching for files that can be safely deleted
 Disk Management – a system utility used to manage hard drives and partitions, which peforms
tasks such as initializing disks, creating partitions, and formatting partitions
 System File Checker (SFC) – a command-line utility that scans the operating system critical files
and replaces any files that are corrupted

PROTECTION SOFTWARE TOOLS

 Windows XP Security Center – allows you to check the status of essential security settings on the
computer. The Security Center continuously checks to make sure that the software firewall and antivirus
programs are running. It also ensures that automatic updates are set to download and install automatically.
 Antivirus Program – protects a computer 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 – a program that runs continuously to protect against unauthorized communications to and from
your computer.
 HARDWARE MAINTENANCE

 Remove dust from fan intakes

 Remove dust from power supply
 Remove dust from components inside the computer
 clean mouse and keyboard
 check and secure any loose cables

SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE

 review security updates

 review software updates
 review driver updates
 update virus definition files
 scan for viruses and spyware
 remove unwanted program
 scan hard drives for errors
 defragment hard drives

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE BENEFITS

 increases data protection

 extends the life of the components
 increases equipment stability
 reduces repair cost
 reduces the number of equipment failures

TROUBLESHOOTING PROCESS

 gather data from the costumer

 verify the obvious issues
 try quick solution first
 gather data from the computer
 evaluate the problem and implement the solution
 close with the costumer



Multi-user – Two or more users can work with programs and share peripheral devices, such as printers, at
the same time.

 Multi-tasking – The computer is capable of operating multiple applications at the same time.
 Multi-processing – The computer can have two or more central processing units (CPUs) that programs
share.

Multi-threading – A program can be broken into smaller parts that can be loaded as needed by the operating
system. Multi-threading allows individual programs to be multi-tasked.

Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Windows Update

You should also verify that all hardware is installed correctly. As shown in Figure 3, you can use Device Manager to
locate problems and to install the correct or updated drivers using the following path:

Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager

In Device Manager, warning icons are represented by a yellow exclamation point or a red “X”. A yellow
exclamation point represents a problem with the device. To view the problem description, right-click the device
and select Properties. A red “X” represents a device that has been disabled. To enable the device, right-click
the disabled device and select Enable. To open a category that is not yet expanded, click the plus (+) sign.

Device Manager
The Device Manager, shown in Figure 1, allows you to view all of the settings for devices in the computer. A
common task for technicians is to view the values assigned for the IRQ, I/O address, and the DMA setting for all of
the devices in the computer. To view the system resources in the Device Manager, use the following path:
Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > View > Resources

Task Manager
The Task Manager, shown in Figure 2, allows you to view all applications that are currently running and to close any
applications that have stopped responding. The Task Manager allows you to monitor the performance of the CPU
and virtual memory, view all processes that are currently running, and view information about the network
connections. To view information in the Task Manager, use the following path:

CTRL-ALT-DEL > Task Manager

Event Viewer
The Event Viewer, shown in Figure 3, logs a history of events regarding applications, security, and the system.
These log files are a valuable troubleshooting tool. To access the Event Viewer, use the following path:

Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer

Remote Desktop
The Remote Desktop allows one computer to remotely take control of another computer. This troubleshooting
feature is only available with Windows XP Professional. To access the Remote Desktop, use the following path:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection

Performance Settings
To enhance the performance of the operating system, you can change some of the settings that your computer
uses, such as virtual memory configuration settings, which are shown in Figure 4. To change the virtual memory
setting, use the following path:

Start > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button

Add or Remove Programs Applet

Microsoft recommends that users always use the Add or Remove Programs utility, as shown in Figure 1, when
installing or removing applications. When you use the Add or Remove Programs utility to install an application, the
utility tracks installation files so that the application can be uninstalled completely, if desired. To open the Add or
Remove Programs applet, use the following path:

Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs

Add an Application
If a program or application is not automatically installed when the CD is inserted, you can use the Add or Remove
Programs applet to install the application, as shown in Figure 2. Click the Add New Programs button and select the
location where the application is located. Windows will install the application for you.

Once the application is installed, the application can be started from the Start menu or a shortcut icon that the
application installs on the desktop. Check the application to ensure that it is functioning properly. If there are
problems with the application, make the repair or uninstall the application. Some applications, such as Microsoft
Office, provide a repair option in the install process. You can use this function to try to correct a program that is not
working properly.

Uninstall an Application
If an application is not uninstalled properly, you may be leaving files on the hard drive and unnecessary settings
in the registry. Although this may not cause any problems, it depletes available hard drive space, system
resources, and the speed at which the registry is read. Figure 3 shows the Add or Remove Programs applet to
use to uninstall programs that you no longer need. The wizard will guide you through the software removal
process and remove every file that was installed

Start > Run > cmd

Then type AT /? at the command line.

Access the Windows Task Scheduler by following this path:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks

Both of these tools allow users to set commands to run at a certain time just once, or to repeat at selected days or
times. The Windows Task Scheduler, shown in Figure 1, is easier to learn and use than the AT command,
especially when it comes to recurring tasks and deleting tasks already scheduled.
System Utilities
There are several utilities included with DOS and Windows that help maintain system integrity. Two utilities that are
useful tools for preventive maintenance are:

 ScanDisk or CHKDSK – ScanDisk (Windows 2000) and CHKDSK (Windows XP) check the integrity of files
and folders and scan the hard disk surface for physical errors. Consider using them at least once a month
and also whenever a sudden loss of power causes the system to shut down.
 Defrag – As files increase in size, some data is written to the next available space on the disk. In time, data
becomes fragmented, or spread all over the hard drive. It takes time to seek each section of the data. Defrag
gathers the noncontiguous data into one place, making files run faster.

You can access both of these utilities by using this path:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter

Automatic Updates
If every maintenance task had to be scheduled every time it was run, repairing computers would be much harder
than it is today. Fortunately, tools such as the Scheduled Task Wizard allow many functions to be automated. But
how can you automate the update of software that has not been written?

Operating systems and applications are constantly being updated for security purposes and for added functionality.
It is important that Microsoft and others provide an update service, as shown in Figure 2. The update service can
scan the system for needed updates and then recommend what should be downloaded and installed. The update
service can download and install updates as soon as they are available, or it can download updates as required,
and install them when the computer is next rebooted. The Microsoft Update Wizard is available at this path:

Start > Control Panel > System > Automatic Updates

Most anti-virus software contains its own update facility. It can update both its application software and its database
files automatically. This feature allows it to provide immediate protection as new threats develop.

Restore Point
An update can sometimes cause serious problems. Perhaps an older program is in the system that is not
compatible with the current operating system. An automatic update may install code that will work for most users but
does not work with your system.

Windows Restore Point, shown in Figure 3, is the solution for this problem. Windows XP can create an image of
current computer settings, called a restore point. Then, if the computer crashes, or an update causes system
problems, the computer can roll back to a previous configuration.

A technician should always create a restore point before updating or replacing the operating system. Restore points
should also be created at the following times:

 When an application is installed

 When a driver is installed

NOTE: A restore point backs up drivers, system files, and registry settings but not application data.

To restore or create a restore point, use the following path:

Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore

ERD and ASR

Windows 2000 offers the ability to create an emergency repair disk (ERD) that saves critical boot files and
configuration information necessary to troubleshoot problems in Windows. Windows XP offers the same
features with the Automated System Recovery (ASR) wizard. Although both ERD and ASR are powerful
troubleshooting tools, they should never replace a good backup.