Maintainance

Lesson 1 - Preventive Maintenance
Introduction

Preventive maintenance is one of the important aspects to save the PC.
There are many reasons why a preventive maintenance plan should be developed.
It saves time and safeguards the data of the user.

Topics covered in this lesson

Tools of the Trade
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
Electro Static Discharge (ESD)
Cleaning methods
Cooling Techniques
Power and Safety
Planning and Performing Regular Maintenance
Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
Maintenance of computers requires the use of several tools.

Multimeter – It is used to measure voltage, current, resistance etc. It is operated using battery power supply.

Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
The following figure shows the multimeter while measuring voltage across the power connector.
Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
Screwdriver

It is used to unscrew the screws, which are holding the components.

Flashlight and Magnifying Glass

These can be used to view the small components present in the motherboard and other devices.

Tweezers

Tweezers are used to remove jumpers from the hard disk and small components from the motherboard
Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
Software Tools

Some of the diagnostic software tools are discussed below as follows:

Power On Self Test (POST) – It is used to identify the hardware problems in a computer. This is an inbuilt program which is automatically executed whenever the system is started.

MEM.Exe - is an inbuilt in utility, present as a part of Operating system and is used to identify the amount of memory present in the system.

MSD.Exe - (Microsoft diagnostics utility) is used to take a note of the contents present in the PC in a text-based format.


Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
Device Manager - Device Manager is used to identify the devices installed to the system. If the device is present with a Yellow Exclamation mark then it assures you that the device is not installed properly.


Microsoft Scandisk - ScanDisk is a tool inbuilt into the operating system, which is used to check the hard disk space.


Technical Library – It is a set of all documents regarding the functioning of different components.





Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
Bootable Floppy Disk – It is very necessary before formatting a system. :

Insert the floppy disk

In the command prompt type the command “Format a: “ to format the floppy disk.

Type Sys A: The Dos system files are transferred from the hard disk to the floppy drive

View the content of the floppy disk using the command “Dir A:” in the command prompt. (The files might be hidden files. So, check for the hidden files also)

Boot the system using the floppy disk to check if it is booting the system properly.


Topic 1 - Tools of the Trade
Technical support

Technical support can be obtained while troubleshooting different hardware components. The various types of technical support that a user can get are:

Telephone Support - If the user is having any problem with any of the components present in the PC, then the user can contact the customer care support of the particular product and seek help from them.

Online support - Online support can be made available by connecting to the company’s server.

Manufacturer’s Website – The manufacturer’s website lists a series of problems and their solutions.



Topic 2 - Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
Electromagnetic interference causes many problems like data loss, poor picture quality, poor performance of monitor etc.

The following are the factors that has to be considered while dealing with Electromagnetic Interference

Physical Isolation

Employ Dedicated Circuits

Topic 2 - Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
Power Conditioning - Uninterrupted Power Supply can be used to filter the unintended EMI generated.

Ground - Grounding has to used to limit EMI.
Topic 3 - Electrostatic Discharge
A severe form of EMI is called Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).

Some common causes of ESD are:
Poor connections
Unstable machines
Unprotected cables
Improper grounding
Low humidity
Moving people

In order to protect the users from electrostatic discharge the use can use certain devices called antistatic devices.

Antistatic Wrist Straps
Topic 3 - Electrostatic Discharge
Antistatic Mats - Antistatic mats act as a grounded surface.
The below figure shows the use of antistatic wrist straps and antistatic mats

Topic 3 - Electrostatic Discharge
Some procedures are given below to avoid static-sensitive device damaging:

Touching an uncovered part of the chassis or the power supply housing with the finger.

The ICs should be removed from their protective tubes, until the user is ready to use them.

Antistatic sprays or solutions can be used on floors, carpets, desks, and computer equipment.

Use of antistatic floor mats and table mats.

Humidifier can be used to keep the humidity level above 50% in the work place.
Topic 4 - Cleaning of Computer Components
General Cleaning Tips

Do not spray any liquid on the computer directly, instead wet cloth with the liquid and then wipe

while using a vacuum take care of the removable parts and the small parts of the PC.

Turn off the system while cleaning the components or the computer

Avoid eating or drinking around the computer

Avoid smoking around the computer.



Topic 4 - Cleaning of Computer Components
Tools for Cleaning

Cloth

Water or alcohol

Vacuum Cleaner

Cotton Swabs

Foam swabs
Topic 4 - Cleaning of Computer Components
Cleaning PC Components

Case Cleaning
CD-ROM cleaning –
CD Cleaning
Floppy drive cleaning
Hard disk drive cleaning –
Headphones cleaning
Motherboard cleaning
Printer cleaning .
Scanner cleaning –



Topic 5 - Cooling Techniques
Thermal Compounds

Earlier the CPUs had an aluminum heatseat for cooling, which was attached to the processor through a thermal tape or epoxy.

Since this method of cooling was insufficient for cooling the processors, active cooling was introduced by adding a fan to the heatsink.

Thermal Compound Types

Thermal Tape
Thermal Pads

Topic 5 - Cooling Techniques
Thermal Grease - Generally thermal grease is a metallic ceramic emulsified in synthetic oil or grease

Thermal Epoxy – Is similar to thermal grease, but the essential materials which make up the thermal compound are mixed into an epoxy resin in thermal epoxy.



Topic 5 - Cooling Techniques


Choosing proper Compounds
Liquid Cooling Methods
Proper Ventilation for better cooling

Topic 6 - Power and Safety
Safety Procedures

The system can be protected from power drops and loss by UPS.

A surge suppressor protects from line pierces and drops.

If computer components are not in use, it should be stored in anti-static bags.

Recognizing the possible risks and proper safety procedures for lasers and high-voltage equipment:

While servicing, an anti-static wrist strap should be worn.

Concentrated light used in scanners, laser printers, and CD-ROM drives can cause damage to the eyes, if excessively exposed.
Topic 6 - Power and Safety
Recognizing components that has to be disposed following certain procedures in accordance with the environmental guidelines:

Batteries like UPS units and CMOS batteries are dangerous if it is exposed directly to the environment.

Toner cartridges and ink cartridges can be refilled.

Chemical solutions should not be poured to the regular water drainage system.


Topic 6 - Power and Safety
Recognize ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) safety measures and procedures, including the use of ESD protection devices:

An anti-static wrist strap should be worn by the user to avoid ESD

PC components can be stored in ESD safe bags

To clean the computer equipment, a soft, damp cloth should be used with mild detergent.

Protect the hard drives from magnetic fields and temperature extremes.

Safety measures are needed to be taken to protect the computers in case of any unexpected activities like Fire, flood or other natural calamity.


Topic 7 - Planning and Performing Regular Preventive Maintenance

There are software-related preventive maintenance activities available which will run the program automatically by using system tools.

The activities that can be set to run automatically are:
Scanning all hard disks and files for viruses
Defragmentation of all hard disk volumes
Checking the file system for errors
Checking all hard disks for read errors


Topic 7 - Planning and Performing Regular Preventive Maintenance

Conclusion
Summary

Preventive maintenance saves time and it safeguards the data of the user. Preventive maintenance takes very less time while compared to repairing procedures.

The different hardware tools involved in the PC Maintenance process are given below. They are
Multimeter
Screw Driver
Flash Light and Magnifying Glass
Tweezers

Batteries like UPS units and CMOS batteries are dangerous if it is exposed directly to the environment

Compressed air can be used for cleaning the Motherboard.

XP Hidden Application

WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPLICATIONS:

1. Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)

2. Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe

3. Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)

4. Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)

5. DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)

6. Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters)

7. IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting / self-installing package)

8. Mcft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. Apparently undocumented).

9. Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media Player, very basic).

10. ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do with databases)

11. Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).

12. System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )

13. Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).

14. Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is virtually non-existant).

15. Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the Windows Registry).

16. Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders on network).

17. File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe

18. Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I've included this for those people that lose it from the System Notification area).

19. System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98! ).

20. Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database - use with care, it's virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords, I'm not sure of the full implications).

21. Mcft Telnet Client = telnet.exe

22. Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented).

23. Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).

24. System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)

25. gpedit.msc used to manage group policies, and permissionsr

Video Editing tips

Video edit tur lo buatsaih : Video edit hmaa i tihtur hmasa ber chu edit tur neih kha a ni.Edit tur i neih sa chuan i edit nghal tawp thei a, Camera atanga lakluh chawp tur a nih erawh chuan Captur chawp a ngai a ni.I camera azirin Capture card a dang thei a, tunlaiah chuan mi tam ber hian DV card an hmang tawh a, hemi hmang tur chuan i camera leh computer kha thlunzawm la, a capture na software kha hman mai tur a ni.
Video Editing Software thunluh : I Computer ah khan video edit na tur software i thun luh ngei ngei a ngai a, chu chu i neilo anih chuan thun luh ngei ngei tur a ni.
Point siam rawh : Video edit-na a thil pawimawh ber pakhat chu point siamfel hi a ni.—He point thliar fel tur hi chuan i thil edit tur kha eng lam hawi nge a nih tihte, a lo entu turte duhzawng turte hre ran chungin point i siam dawn nia.. Entirnan, Mi innei thla i lo siam dawn ta a, Kha mi ni a thil thleng langsar chhinchhiah tlak tak tak, mawi leh ennuam tak tak te leh nuihzatthlak, che chhe lai te kha i thliar hrang ang a, i ti langsar dawn nia.
Point i siam fel vek hnuah i en leh a i hriat mai theih nan hming kha pe tha leh vek rawh.
Vawilehkhatah video tam lutuk khawih tum suh. Entirnan : —Inneihna a tukthuan an ei laiin a hma darkar thum kalta a reception te kha va khawih lo la, point fel taka siamin manage thlap ang che.
Edit rawh le: Video editing hi chi thum ah then a ni a.: combination, corrective, leh duration editing tih an ni. Combination editing ah chuan a scene te a original ang a indawt thlap a remfel a ni a. Corrective editing ah erawh chuan i lak chet te leh phe nasa deuh te, thim lutuk leh eng lutuk siam that velte kha a huam thei a. Duration editing aah chuan paih then leh belh te a huam thei thung a ni., or lengthen clips to add drama or suspense.
I edit tan dawn a, tih hmasak ber tur i hriatloh chuan a pathum khian a indawtin fel takin i siamrem tawp mai dawn nia.A scene indawt dan tur i rem fel ang a, a che leh phe i paih ang a, i tan bungin i belh kual vel tawh dawn nia.
Transition leh effects vel pek : Tunah chuan a tawpna leh phurawm ber stage i thleng ta e. Kha i video kha thil khunkhan deuh a nih loh chuan a tipui thei tur ber leh a nihna phawkchhuak thei ber tur nia i hriat music han dahlut phawt teh. Chuan, a thupui tur vel te kha han dah vel la. Chung vel i siamrem zawhah chuan Transition effect kha i hmang dawn nia. Transition hman kha fimkhur hle tur a ni a, video nena inhmeh thei ang ber tur khan transition i hman tur te kha i thlang dawn nia. (Ti nasa lutuk suh ang che )