___________________________

computer maintenance and

technical support(ITec3031)
_________________________________
Chapter 1
Basics of computer
_______________________________________
By Abinet B.
1
 Basics of computer
A computer system consists of hardware and
software components.
 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.

2
 Lab procedures and maintenance tools
 Before you begin working on a system, you should follow
certain safety procedures. Some are to protect you; others
are to protect the system you are working on.
 Developing and using safe work practices is by far the best
method for preventing injuries in the workplace.
 Follow all national, industry, and workplace safety rules.
 Be alert and be awake. A tired worker can be a danger to
one’s self and others.
 Training is essential when working with electricity, power
tools, or any other potentially hazardous equipment.
 Use safety equipment, Protect people from injury, Protect
equipment from damage
 The work place is never the place for drugs or alcohol.
 Always act professionally. Clowning around or playing
practical jokes can result in injury.
 protect the environment from contamination. 3
 hardware tools and their purpose
 Hardware tools
 ESD Tools- include antistatic wrist strap and antistatic mat(to
prevent ESD damage to computer equipment)
-antistatic mat- to stand on or to place hardware on to prevent
static electricity from building up.
 Hand Tools, include various screwdrivers, needle-nose pliers,
hex drivers, wire cutters, flashlight
 Cleaning Tools, include soft cloth, compressed air can, cable
ties, and parts organizer.
 Diagnostics software and hardware for testing components in
a system, include digital multi-meter and loopback adapter
 A multi meter that provides accurate measurements of
voltage and resistance, as well as a continuity checker for
testing cables and switches.

4
 Continued..
Software Tools
 Fdisk - 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
 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, such as initializing disks, creating partitions, and formatting
partitions. Disk Management has the functions of FORMAT and FDISK,
and a few more, but it is performed from the Windows GUI interface.
 System File Checker (SFC) – a command-line utility that scans the
operating system critical files and replaces any files that are
corrupted.
 Protection Software- Antivirus Program (AVG, Avira, McAfee, etc…)
,Spyware Remover ,Firewall
5
 Identify organizational tools and their purpose
 Organizational Tools
It is important that a technician document all services and repairs.
 Good customer service includes providing the customer with a
detailed description of the problem and the solution.
 Personal reference tools
 Notes – Make notes as you go through the investigation and repair
process
 Journal – Document the upgrades and repairs that you perform.
The documentation should include descriptions of the problem,
possible solutions that have been tried in order to correct the problem,
and the steps taken to repair the problem
 History of repairs – Make a detailed list of problems and repairs,
including the date, replacement parts, and customer information
 Internet reference tools - The Internet is an excellent source of
information about specific hardware problems and possible solutions:
Manufacturer FAQs (frequently asked questions), Online computer
manuals, Internet search engines
6
 Static energy and its effects on computer
 Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or
on the surface of a material
 The internal workings of a computer, and especially the hard
drive, are extremely susceptible to static electricity, which
can cause considerable damage to the hard drive
 ESD is when static electricity is suddenly transferred from a
person to a sensitive computer component
 This can cause damage or shorten the life of a hardware
component such as a CPU, integrated circuits, RAM modules,
expansion cards, and motherboard components.
 You can damage a component with static discharges if these
charges are not routed to a ground
 most static problems experienced by functional systems are
caused by improper grounding.
 use a properly grounded static mat underneath the
computer 7
 Safety rules
Electrical Precautions -Pull the plug. Do not work on a
system, under any circumstances, while it is plugged in.
Mechanical Precautions -Make sure you have a large, flat
area to work on
Data Precautions -Back up your data before you open the
box, even if the work you are doing seems "simple".
Electrostatic Discharge Precautions -to avoid this problem
is to work at a static-safe station or use a commercial
grounding strap.
Safety with Children-kids should always be supervised
when using a PC
Read more: about Other safety rules.

8
 Preventive/ proactive maintenance and
troubleshooting
Purpose of preventive maintenance
To protect the computer, extend the life of the
components, and protect the data, proper
preventive maintenance is required.
Reliable and stable equipment is a result of good
preventive maintenance procedures.
 Benefits of preventive maintenance
 reduced computer down time and repair costs,
Increased data protection, Extended life of the
components, Increased equipment stability etc…
9
 Hardware Preventive Maintenance
Make sure that the hardware is operating
properly and protected
Repair or replace any components that show
signs of abuse or excess wear.
Protect Input and output Devices
Remove the 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
10
 Software Preventive Maintenance
Verify that the installed software is current.
And Follow the policies of the organization.
Review security updates.
Review software updates.
 Review driver updates.
Scan for viruses and spyware.
 Remove unwanted programs.
Scan hard drives for errors.
 Defragment hard drives
Note: Before troubleshooting problems, always
follow the necessary precautions to protect data
on a computer
11
 System Protection
 A good place to start checking for environmental hazards is
from the incoming power source. The following sections deal
with power-line issues and solutions.
 Power-Line Protection
 Transients- a momentary variation in current, voltage, or
frequency
An overvoltage condition; A sag is an unexpected decrease in
the amount of voltage provided.
 Surge Suppressors -These units passively filter the incoming
power signal to smooth out variation
- Surge -unexpected increase in the amount of voltage, This can
be a small increase or a larger increase known as a spike
 Uninterruptible Power Supplies(UPS)-the best protection
from losing programs and data , takes the functionality of a
surge suppressor and combines that with a battery backup.

12
 Troubleshooting process steps
 Step 1 - Identify the problem
During the troubleshooting process, gather as much information
from the customer as possible, but always respectfully.
 Start by using open-ended questions to obtain general information.
 Continue using closed-ended (yes/no) questions to get relevant
information.
 Then document the responses in the work order and in the repair
journal.
 And lastly, verify the customer’s description by gathering data from
the computer by using applications such as:
 Event Viewer- Event Viewer lists details about the error and records
the following information
 What problem occurred , Date and time of the problem , Source of
the problem , Which user was logged in when the problem
occurred

13
 Continued..
 Device Manager- displays all of the devices that are configured on a
computer, flagged with an error icon.
This type of error has a yellow circle with an exclamation point (!).
If a device is disabled, it is flagged with a red circle and an "X".
 A yellow question mark (?) indicates that the hardware is not
functioning properly
 Beep Code- Each BIOS manufacturer has a unique beep sequence for
hardware failures. When troubleshooting, power on the computer
and listen
 BIOS Information- If the computer boots and stops after the POST,
investigate the BIOS settings to determine where to find the problem
 Refer to the motherboard manual to make sure that the BIOS
settings are accurate.
 Diagnostic Tools- manufacturers of system hardware provide
diagnostic tools of their own.
 For instance, a hard drive manufacturer, might provide a tool that
you can use to boot the computer and diagnose why the hard drive
does not boot Windows
14
 Continued..
 Step 2- Establish a theory of probable causes- Create a list of the
most common reasons why the error would occur.
 Step 3- Determine an exact cause- testing the theories of probable
causes , determine the steps to resolve the problem
 Step -4 Implement the solution - quick procedures can determine
the exact cause of the problem or even correct the problem. If it
does, you can go to step 5.
 If a quick procedure does not correct the problem, you might need
to research the problem further to establish the exact cause
 Step 5- Verify solution and full system functionality
 Verify full system functionality and implement any preventive
measures if needed.
 Ensures that you have not created another problem while repairing
the computer
 Step 6- Document findings
Discuss the solution with the customer.
Have the customer confirm that the problem has been solved.
 Document the process: Problem description, Steps to resolve the
problem, Components used in the repair 15
Thank
you

17