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A Technician's Toolkit: What's in the Bag
If you fix computers regularly (or you're the type that often
fixes computers for friends and family), you've likely developed
a collection of software and tools to help you fix things more
efficiently. Since I ocasionally play technician myself, I
thought I'd share with you some tools that make it easier to
troubleshoot everyday PC problems.
Have a good collection of software
Quality software will help you diagnose and fix many problems.
If someone needs Windows reinstalled and you don't have the CD,
then what? You may want to purchase a CD binder to hold all your
software. Here's a sampling of what you'll find in my kit:
> Two boot CDs with diagnostics programs
> Linux live CDs including Ubuntu and Knoppix
> three versions of Microsoft Office (including 2003)
> Windows 95, 98SE, 2000, XP Home and Pro (plus a special
corporate licensed version)
> Applicable service packs and patches for each version Windows
on one CD
> two CDs with various benchmarks on them
> Visual Studio .NET
> Three utility CDs with antivirus/antispyware programs and
commonly used applications like Adobe Reader
> Norton Ghost
> Partition Magic
> Many more random disks
Carry common cords
> USB cable - The most common peripheral interface
> Firewire cable
> Standard PC power cord
> Ethernet cable (might want to carry 2-3 of these)
> Wireless USB adapter - Helps avoid having to run 30 feet of
ethernet cable just to get a machine online. Why use cabling if
there's a wireless network in the area?
A way to move and store files
Some use a thumbdrive on a keychain, but I find that the size
limit of flash memory is to constrictive when working on a PC. I
carry a 160GB firewire/usb external hard drive as part of my
kit. That way, if I need to backup someone's files or I just
want to work on something
from another computer, I have
everything at my fingertips.
A few screwdrivers and things...
Every PC technician carries their trusted phillips head
screwdriver at all times, right? The standard size fits most
desktop screws, but you may want to get a mini-screwdriver kit
to work on laptops. Three-prong screw grabbers (or tweezers) are
great for when you drop a screw into or underneath the
motherboard. Alternatively, you could just get a magnetized
screwdriver and pick screws up with it. Carrying a small
flashlight will help you see into the dark recesses of the case,
and needle-nose pliers come in handy for hard drive jumpers.
Lastly, have a notepad, post-it notes and a few pens and pencils
in there.
Useful testers
> Power Supply Tester
> Network cable tester
> Motherboard tester (usually PCI, outputs BIOS codes)
Get a good bag
How are you going to carry all this around? In a good bag of
course. I use a mid-sized briefcase, but any tough duffel will
do.
These are the basics for day-to-day troubleshooting. For those
performing more advanced diagnostic procedures, I might also
recommend a soldering iron. You might also want to try carrying
an iPod (or any music player) - but not for technical reasons.
It provides an excellent source of entertainment while you're
watching the progress bar creep.
Outside of the diagnostics, many technicians carry common spare
parts such as:
> Wireless router
> CD-RW Drive
> Standard ATX Power Supply 300-500W
> Internal hard drives (40GB, 80GB, 120GB)
> Surge protector
> Speakers
About the author:
Alex Smith is the president of WiredBuzz.com, providing
popular articles, downloads and up-to-the minute news about
technology. http://www.wiredbuzz.com
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