Computer Maintenance Essentials: Tools, Safety, and Environmental Considerations

1. Chapter 4 Maintaining the Modern Computer

2. Chapter Overview • The Right Tools for the Job • Planning and Performing Regular Maintenance • Maintaining the Windows System Environment

3. Assembling a Complete Toolkit • Good preparation can save hours of guessing and frustration. • A complete toolkit includes the following: • Hardware toolkit • Software toolkit • Spare parts • Technical library

4. Screwdrivers Torx driver Nut driver Tweezers Needlenose pliers Chip removers Tube or plastic bag Compressed air Electrostatic discharge (ESD) tools Multimeter Flashlight Hemostats Power-on self test (POST) card Laptop computer and phone cord Blank floppy disks Hardware Toolkit

5. Software Toolkit • Bootable floppy disk with essential files • Additional files on disk as needed • Operating system disks • Software utilities

6. Spare Parts • Power supply • 1.44-MB floppy disk drive • Display card • Cables • Goodie bag

7. Technical Library • Documentation and manuals • Notes and research from previous jobs and technical training • Other resources, such as Microsoft TechNet http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

8. Outside Resources • Attend seminars and get further technical training. • Network with colleagues, using e-mail and newsgroups. • Search the World Wide Web. • Locate private Internet forums specific to your interests. • Practice to keep your skills sharp. • Read technical books, magazines, and e-zines.

9. Technical Support • Telephone • Generally for novice and home users • More effective if you have the problem computer in front of you when you call • Usually provided free for a limited time only • Online • Web sites • Online forums • Troubleshooting wizards

10. Working Safely

11. Power and Safety • Power is the primary safety hazard in servicing computers. • ESD can destroy sensitive equipment. • ESD, or ElectroStatic Discharge, is one of the few things an individual can do to damage or destroy his or her computer or hardware components , The best method of preventing ESD is to use an ESD wrist strap and/or use a grounding mat or table • A properly grounded computer prevents transmission of electromagnetic interference (EMI). • High voltages often exist in power supplies and monitors.

12. Avoid wearing jewelry. Do not use liquids around electrical equipment. Do not use 3 prong-to-2 prong power plug adapters. Replace worn or damaged power cords immediately. Do not rest anything on a power cord. Avoid using extension cords. Keep electrical covers intact. Keep air vents clear. Do not remove covers from high-voltage items unless absolutely necessary. Guidelines when Working with Computer Equipment

13. Fire • If a fire is not extinguished within 30 seconds, exit the building and then call for help. • Know the emergency procedures at your workplace. • Know the nearest fire exits and the location of fire extinguishers. • Know how to use the right fire extinguishers for each type of fire. • Avoid overloading electrical outlets.

14. Environmental Issues • Batteries • Toner and cartridge kits • Circuit boards • Chemical solvents • Monitors (cathode-ray tubes, or CRTs).

15. Developing Maintenance Plans and Procedures • Develop and document logical plans and procedures for every class of computer and operating system in your organization. • Develop a regular maintenance plan. • Automate tasks where possible. • Keep proper records.

16. Cleaning • A computer-friendly environment is basically dust-free, smoke-free, well-ventilated, and temperature- and humidity-controlled. • Clean non–computer-friendly areas more frequently. • Try to improve non–computer-friendly environments. • Assemble a basic cleaning kit.

17. Monitors • Periodically clean and dust monitors. • Use simple cleaning solutions such as one drop of dishwashing liquid in one quart of water. • Do not use sprays, solvents, or commercial cleansers. • Use a screen saver or power-conservation features. • Do not work inside a monitor cabinet unless specifically trained. • Do not change settings or operate the monitor with the cover removed.

18. Hard Disk Drives • Avoid rough handling. • Do not move the hard disk drive while platters are spinning. • Do not expose hard disk drive internals to open air and dust. • Perform regular data backups and disk maintenance tasks.

19. Floppy Disk Drives • Guard against environmental and mechanical damage. • Replace rather than fix floppy disk drives. • Do not expose disks to magnets. • Do not touch the surface of a floppy disk. • Avoid smoking near a computer. • Clean read/write heads with special head-cleaning disks and solutions.

20. Keyboards and Pointing Devices • Keep keyboards and pointing devices clean to prolong their life. • Avoid drinks around keyboards. • Use a handheld vacuum to clean dust from keyboard crevices. • Avoid spray cleaners. • Remove the ball of a mouse or trackball and clean the rollers. • Avoid touching the end of a light pen.

21. Dot-Matrix Printers • Adjust print-head spacing and tension on the print-head positioning belt. • Clean the print head, roller surfaces, platen, and gear train of the paper-handling motor. • Lubricate gears with light oil on a foam swab and turn the platen to distribute oil. • Lubricate rails with light oil and move the carriage assembly to distribute oil.

22. Ink-Jet Printers • Adjust the print-head spacing and tension on the print-head positioning belt. • Clean the printer and its mechanisms, roller surfaces, the platen, the ink-jet print head, and the gear train of the paper-handling motor. • Lubricate gears with light oil on a foam swab and turn the platen to distribute oil. • Lubricate rails with light oil and move the carriage assembly to distribute oil.

23. Laser Printers • Vacuum to remove dust and toner buildup from the interior. • Clean rollers with a damp cloth and clean the gear train with a foam swab. • Lubricate gears with light oil and distribute oil through the gear train. • Clean the writing mechanism thoroughly with compressed air. • Wipe the laser lens with lint-free wipes to remove fingerprints and stains. • Clean the corona wires with a foam swab dipped in alcohol.

24. Preventive Maintenance Schedule

25. Preventive Maintenance Schedule (Cont.)

26. Types of Viruses • File infectors • Boot sector viruses • Trojan horses • Macro viruses • Polymorphic viruses

27. Guidelines for Antivirus Programs • Get the right version for the operating system. • Consider enabling the basic input/output system (BIOS) setting that disables boot-sector writes. • Use caution with unknown floppy disks and computers. • When connected to the Internet, run an antivirus program at all times. • When loading programs, trust no one. • Keep the antivirus program updated.

28. Disk Cleanup

29. Using Scandisk for Drive Integrity

30. Organizing Files with Disk Defragmenter

31. File Backups • Data loss is inevitable because drives fail and critical files become corrupt. • Developing a good backup plan is one of your most valuable services. • Automating backups wherever possible ensures that they happen. • Microsoft Windows ships with a built-in backup program. • You can back up to tape, another hard disk drive, or removable media.

32. Backup Types

33. Backup Plan Issues • Select hardware based on the amount of data and frequency of backup. • Use different backup types to balance backup and restore times. • Use normal backup at regular intervals, with incremental or differential backups between normal backups.

34. Backup Plan Gotchas • Store backup copies in a safe, environmentally sound location. • Make sure copies are secure. • Keep long-term backups as protection against virus attacks. • Make sure that critical files are not open at backup time. • Make sure that new backup components work with old backup copies.

35. Using Windows Backup Tools

36. Backing Up Registry and Core System Files • In Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows NT, select the System State option. • This option requires proper permissions. • System state data can only be backed up locally. • In Microsoft Windows 98 and Microsoft Windows Me, use the Registry Checker command-line application.

37. The Windows System File Checker • Tracks changes to all system files and ensures that any replacement files are valid • Notifies the system administrator when improper file replacement is attempted • Verifies the integrity of system files • Extracts and replaces corrupt or missing files

38. Creating ERDs and Startup Disks • All Windows 98 installations should have a startup floppy disk. • The same startup floppy disk can be used on multiple computers. • A startup disk can be created using Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. • All Microsoft Windows 2000 installations should have an ERD. • An ERD can be used only on the computer it was created for. • An ERD can be created using the Windows 2000 backup utility.

39. Chapter Summary • Assemble a complete toolkit. • Advance your skills. • Practice preventive maintenance. • Develop a backup plan. • Protect against viruses. • Regularly test, repair, and defragment the hard disk drive and the file system.