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Chapter 4Maintaining

the Modern

Computer

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Chapter Overview

The Right Tools for the Job Planning and Performing Regular

Maintenance Maintaining the Windows System

Environment

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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

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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

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Software Toolkit

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

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Spare Parts

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

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Technical Library

Documentation and manuals Notes and research from previous jobs

and technical training Other resources, such as Microsoft

TechNethttp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

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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.

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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

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Working Safely

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Environmental Issues

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Preventive Maintenance Schedule

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Preventive Maintenance Schedule (Cont.)

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Types of Viruses

File infectors Boot sector viruses Trojan horses Macro viruses Polymorphic viruses

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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.

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Disk Cleanup

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Using Scandisk for Drive Integrity

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Organizing Files with Disk Defragmenter

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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.

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Backup Types

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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.

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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.

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Using Windows Backup Tools

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.