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PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Internal Check
Step 15: Check the fans Step 16: Clean fans and filters Step 17: Check expansion boards Step 18: Check internal cables Step 19: Check memory Step 20: Check the CPU Step 21: Check drive mounting
Cleaning
Step 3: Clean the case Step 4: Clean the air intake Step 5: Clean the speakers Step 6: Clean the keyboard Step 7: Clean the monitor Step 8: Clean the mouse
Drive Check
Step 22: Update the boot disk Step 23: Run ScanDisk Step 24: Run Defrag
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External Check
Step 9: Check external cables Step 10: Clean the floppy drive Step 11: Clean the tape drive Step 12: Check the CD tray Step 13: Check the sound system Step 14: Check color purity
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For most end-users, the purchase of a PC is a substantial investment of both time and
money. For corporations and organizations with hundreds (even thousands) of PCs, this investment is that much higher. But after the money is spent and the PC is in our home or office, few PC users ever take the time to maintain their PC. Routine maintenance is an important part of PC ownership, and can go a long way toward keeping your computers hardware and software error-free. Proper routine maintenance can also help to avoid costly visits to the repair shop (U.S. $50 to $70/hour). Businesses can save a substantial amount of money by assigning technicians to perform regular maintenance. If youre in business for yourself, offering preventive maintenance services as part of a normal repair or as seasonal specials can provide you with an added income stream. This chapter provides you with a comprehensive, step-by-step procedure for protecting and maintaining a personal computer investment.
This chapter is geared primarily for novices, although experienced technicians might also get some helpful tips and pointers. If youre comfortable with practical routine maintenance procedures, feel free to skip this chapter.
and backup software. The actual choice of backup drive is really quite open. Tape drives, such as the Iomega Ditto drive (http://www.iomega.com) or the MicroSolutions 8000t 8GB Backpack drive (http://www.micro-solutions.com), are the traditional choice, but other high-volume removable media drives, such as Iomegas 100MB Zip drive, their 1GB Jaz drive, or the SyQuest 1.5GB SyJet drive (http://www.syquest.com) are very popular. You might choose an internal or external version of a drive, but you might consider an external parallel-port drive because it is portableit can be shared between any PCs. Youll also need some backup software to format the media, and handle your backup and restore operations. If youre using Windows 95, try the native Backup applet (click on
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Start, Programs, Accessories, System tools, and Backup). If Backup doesnt suit your needs (or doesnt support your choice for a backup drive), many drives ship with a backup utility on diskette. Just be sure that the backup drive and backup software are compatible with one another.
Types of backups Backups generally fall into two categories: incremental and com-
plete. Both types of backups offer unique advantages and disadvantages. An incremental backup only records the differences from the last backup. This usually results in a faster backup procedure and uses less tape (or other media), but restores take longer because you need to walk through each increment in order. A complete backup records the drives full contents. This takes much longer and uses a lot more media, but restores are easier. Many PC users use a combination of complete and incremental backups. For example, you might start with a complete backup on January 1, then make incremental backups each week until the end of February. By March 1, youd make another complete backup, and start the incremental backup process again.
Backup frequency Perhaps the most overlooked issue with backups is the fre-
quencyhow often should backups be performed? The answer to that question is not always simple because everyones needs are different. Major corporations with busy order-entry systems might backup several times each day, but individual home users might not even consider backups to be necessary. The standard that I use is this: Can you afford to lose the data on this drive? If the answer is no, its time to back up. Table 59-1 summarizes the recommended periods for preventive maintenance procedures.
File backup tips Regardless of how you choose to handle file backups, some tips will
TABLE 59-1 SUMMARY OF PC PREVENTIVE-MAINTENANCE PERIODS PROCEDURE File Backup FREQUENCY Whenever important data cannot be recreated: Order entry (daily) Business/art/multimedia (weekly) SOHO/accounting (bi-weekly or monthly) Home use (every several months) Whenever changes are made to the systems configuration Every 4 months or as required Vacuum clear accumulations of dust and debris, as required Every 4 months CRT degauss only if necessary Every 6 months Monthly or when major files are added/deleted from the system Boot disk: update disk whenever hardware changes are made to the system
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s If time is a factor, start with a complete backup, then use incremental backups. s Use a parallel-port tape drive (or other backup drive) for maximum portability be-
tween PCs.
printerit really doesnt matter what kind of printer (e.g., dot-matrix, ink jet, or laser). The printer should be attached to the PCs parallel port. After starting the CMOS setup routine, visit each page of the setup and use the <Print Screen> key to capture each page to the printer. Because every BIOS is written differently, be sure to check for sub-menus that might be buried under each main menu option.
Several CMOS backup/restore tools are on the companion CD. Try CMOS.ZIP or CMOSRAM2.ZIP. CMOS backup tips CMOS backups are quick and simple, but youll get the most ben-
mentation.
s You should backup the CMOS setup whenever you make a change to the systems con-
figuration.
Cleaning
Now that youve backed up the systems vital information, you can proceed with the actual maintenance procedures. The first set of procedures involve exterior cleaning. This might hardly sound like a glamorous process, but youd be surprised how quickly dust, pet hair, and other debris can accumulate around a computer. Youll need four items for cleaning: a supply of Windex or another mild ammonia-based cleaner (a little ordinary
CLEANING
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ammonia in demineralized water will work just as well), a supply of paper towels or clean lint-free cloths, a canister of electronics-grade compressed air, which can be obtained from any electronics store, and a small static-safe vacuum cleaner.
Avoid the use of ordinary household vacuum cleaners. The rush of air tends to generate significant amounts of static electricity along plastic hoses and tubes, which can accidentally damage the sensitive electronics in a PC.
Never use harsh or industrial-grade cleaners around a PC. Harsh cleaners often contain chemicals that can damage the finish of (or even melt) the plastics used in PC housings. Use a highly diluted ammonia solution only.
As a rule, exterior cleaning can be performed every four months (three times per year) or as required. If the PC is operating in dusty, industrial, or other adverse environments, you might need to clean the system more frequently. Systems operating in clean office environments might only need to be cleaned once or twice each year. Always remember to turn off the computer and unplug the ac cord from the wall outlet before cleaning.
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speakers openings. Do not insert the long, thin air nozzle into the speakeryou can easily puncture the speaker cone and ruin it. Instead, remove the long nozzle and spray air directly from the can. Afterward, use a clean cloth lightly dampened with ammonia solution to remove any dirt or stains from the speaker housings.
EXTERNAL CHECK
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out any remaining dust or debris that might still be inside the mouse. Finally, replace the mouse ball and secure it into place with its retaining ring.
External Check
Now that the system is clean, its time to perform a few practical checks of the system interconnections, and take care of some basic drive maintenance. Gather a small regular screwdriver (i.e., a jewlers screwdriver), along with a commercial floppy-drive cleaning kit. If your system uses a tape drive, arrange to have a tape-drive cleaning kit also. If you cannot locate the appropriate cleaning kits, you can use isopropyl alcohol and long electronics-grade swabs. A hand-held degaussing coil is recommended, but might not be necessary. For this part of the chapter, youll need to power up the PC. These checks should be performed every four months (three times per year) or as required. If the PC is operating in dusty, industrial, or other adverse environments, you might need to check the system more frequently. Systems operating in clean office environments might only need to be checked once or twice each year.
Ac power cable for the PC Ac power cable for the monitor Ac power cable for the printer Ac/dc power pack for an external modem (if used) Keyboard cable Mouse cable Joystick cable (if used) Video cable to the monitor Speaker cable(s) from the sound board Microphone cable to the sound board (if used) Serial port cable to external modem (if used) Parallel-port cable to printer RJ11 telephone-line cable to internal or external modem (if used)
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Read/write heads
drives read/write heads. Eventually, enough oxides can accumulate on the read/write heads to cause reading or writing problems with the floppy drive. Periodically clean the floppy drive to remove any excess oxides. Cleaning can be accomplished in several waysyou can use a pre-packaged cleaning kit or swab the read/write heads with fresh isopropyl alcohol. You can obtain pre-packaged cleaning kits from almost any store with a computer or consumer electronics department. With a cleaning kit, simply dampen a mildly abrasive cleaning diskette with cleaning solution (typically alcohol-based), then run the cleaning diskette in the drive for 15 to 30 seconds. You can often get 10 to 20 cleanings from a cleaning diskette before discarding it. If you dont have a cleaning kit handy, you can use a thin fabric swab dampened in fresh isopropyl alcohol, and gently scrub between the read/write heads (Fig. 59-1). Remember to turn off and unplug the PC before attempting a manual cleaning. Repeat the scrubbing with several fresh swabs, then use a dry swab to gently dry the heads. Allow several minutes for any residual alcohol to dry before turning the PC back on.
EXTERNAL CHECK
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grinding, which might suggest a problem with the drive mechanism (you do not need a CD in the drive for this). While the tray is open, check for any accumulations of dust, pet hair, or other debris in the tray that might interfere with a CD. Clean the tray with a cloth lightly dampened in water only. Be sure that the tray is completely dry before closing it again. Do not use ammonia or ammonia-based cleaners around the CD-ROMprolonged exposure to ammonia vapors can damage a CD.
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Internal Check
At this point, move into the PC and perform some internal checks to verify that crucial parts and cables are secure, and that all cooling systems are working. Internal checks can usually be performed every six months (twice per year). Gather a small Philips screwdriver and an anti-static wrist strap. Use your screwdriver to unbolt the outer cover. Remove the outer cover and set it aside (be careful of the sharp edges on the cover and in the case). Attach the wrist strap from your wrist to a good earth groundthis allows you to work safely inside the PC without the risk of accidental damage from electrostatic discharge.
INTERNAL CHECK
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just a few types of expansion boards that you might encounter. Each expansion board must be inserted completely into their corresponding slot, and the metal mounting bracket on the board should be secured to the chassis with a single screw. Be sure that every board is installed evenly and completely, and see that the mounting bolts are snugged down. Pay particular attention to any expansion board that might be inserted unevenly or incompletely.
Motherboard power connector(s) All 4-pin drive power cables Floppy-drive ribbon cable Hard-drive ribbon cable CD-ROM ribbon cable (usually separate from the hard drive cable) CD four-wire audio cable (between the CD-ROM and sound board) SCSI ribbon cable (if used) SCSI terminating resistors (if used)
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Slot 1 CPUs, such as the Pentium II, are installed into a slot on the motherboard and are held in place by a retaining clip. When working with a Pentium II system, see that the CPU is installed evenly and completely, and that the retaining clip is secure.
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Drive Check
After the PC has been cleaned and checked inside and out, its time to check the hard drive for potential problems. This involves checking the drives file system, reorganizing files, and creating an updated boot disk. To perform a drive check, youll need a copy of ScanDisk and Defrag. Because these utilities are already built into Windows 95, you can reboot the system and use those utilities directly. If you are more comfortable with running these utilities from DOS, create a startup disk from within Windows 95 and boot from that diskette. Then run ScanDisk and Defrag right from the startup disk. You should perform the drive check very regularlyonce a month is usually recommended, or whenever you make major additions or deletions of files from your system.
Label a blank pre-formatted diskette and insert it into your floppy drive. Click on Start, Settings, and Control panel. Doubleclick on the Add/remove programs icon. Select the Startup disk tab. Click on Create disk. The utility will remind you to insert a diskette, then prepare the disk automatically. When the preparation is complete, test the diskette.
The preparation process takes several minutes and will copy the following files to your diskette: ATTRIB, CHKDSK, COMMAND, DEBUG, DRVSPACE.BIN, EDIT, FDISK, FORMAT, REGEDIT, SCANDISK, SYS, and UNINSTAL. All of these files are DOS 7.x-based files, so you can run them from the A: prompt.
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If youre running from Windows 95, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System tools, and ScanDisk. Select the drive to be tested, and start the test cycle. ScanDisk will report any problems and give you the option of repairing the problems.
If youre running from Windows 95, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System tools, and Disk defragmenter. Select the drive to be tested and start the cycle. Defrag will relocate every file on the disk so that all their clusters are positioned together (contiguous).
You can run Defrag any time, but you do not need to run Defrag until your disk is more than 10% fragmented.
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also be too high now. In virtually all cases, you accidentally changed a volume control when wiping-down the exterior of the PC. Your cloth might have rubbed across the CD-ROM or
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sound-board master volume controls. You might also have changed the speaker volume control. Recheck all of your system volume controls and re-adjust the sound volume.
Symptom 59-2. The system no longer boots correctly or key feature(s) no longer work correctly This is typical after an internal check and it is almost always
because of an oversight in checking or seating a cable or expansion board inside the PC. Recheck the seating of all power and signal cables, recheck the seating of all expansion devices and recheck the CPU and SIMM/DIMM seating on the motherboard.
Further Study
That concludes Chapter 59. Be sure to review the glossary and chapter questions on the accompanying CD. If you have access to the Internet, take a look at some of these PC preventive maintenance resources: CompUSA: http://www.compusa.com Iomega: http://www.iomega.com MicroSolutions: http://www.micro-solutions.com SyQuest: http://www.syquest.com (cleaning kits and supplies)