Chapter Overview

1
Chapter Overview

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

2
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

3
Hardware 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

4
Software Toolkit

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

5
Spare Parts

• Power supply
• 1.44-MB floppy disk drive
• Display card
• Cables
• Goodie bag

6
Technical Library

• Documentation and manuals
• Notes and research from previous jobs and
  technical training
• Other resources, such as Microsoft TechNet

7
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.

8
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

9
Working Safely
10
Power 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.

11
Guidelines 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.

12
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.

13
Environmental Issues

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

14
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.

15
Cleaning

• 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.

16
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.

17
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.

18
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.

19
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.

20
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.

21
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.

22
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.

23
Preventive Maintenance Schedule
24
Preventive Maintenance Schedule (Cont.)
25
Types of Viruses

• File infectors
• Boot sector viruses
• Trojan horses
• Macro viruses
• Polymorphic viruses

26
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.

27
Disk Cleanup
28
Using Scandisk for Drive Integrity
29
Organizing Files with Disk Defragmenter
30
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.

31
Backup Types
32
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.

33
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.

34
Using Windows Backup Tools
35
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.

36
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

37
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.

38
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.