Title: Chapter Overview
1Chapter Overview
- The Right Tools for the Job
- Planning and Performing Regular Maintenance
- Maintaining the Windows System Environment
2Assembling 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
3Hardware Toolkit
- 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
4Software Toolkit
- Bootable floppy disk with essential files
- Additional files on disk as needed
- Operating system disks
- Software utilities
5Spare Parts
- Power supply
- 1.44-MB floppy disk drive
- Display card
- Cables
- Goodie bag
6Technical Library
- Documentation and manuals
- Notes and research from previous jobs and
technical training - Other resources, such as Microsoft TechNet
7Outside 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.
8Technical 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
9Working Safely
10Power and Safety
- Power is the primary safety hazard in servicing
computers. - ESD can destroy sensitive equipment.
- A properly grounded computer prevents
transmission of electromagnetic interference
(EMI). - High voltages often exist in power supplies and
monitors.
11Guidelines when Working with Computer Equipment
- 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.
12Fire
- 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.
13Environmental Issues
- Batteries
- Toner and cartridge kits
- Circuit boards
- Chemical solvents
- Monitors (cathode-ray tubes, or CRTs)
14Developing 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.
15Cleaning
- A computer-friendly environment is basically
dust-free, smoke-free, well-ventilated, and
temperature- and humidity-controlled. - Clean noncomputer-friendly areas more
frequently. - Try to improve noncomputer-friendly
environments. - Assemble a basic cleaning kit.
16Monitors
- 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.
17Hard 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.
18Floppy 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.
19Keyboards 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.
20Dot-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.
21Ink-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.
22Laser 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.
23Preventive Maintenance Schedule
24Preventive Maintenance Schedule (Cont.)
25Types of Viruses
- File infectors
- Boot sector viruses
- Trojan horses
- Macro viruses
- Polymorphic viruses
26Guidelines 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.
27Disk Cleanup
28Using Scandisk for Drive Integrity
29Organizing Files with Disk Defragmenter
30File 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.
31Backup Types
32Backup 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.
33Backup 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.
34Using Windows Backup Tools
35Backing 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.
36The 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
37Creating 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.
38Chapter 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.