WEEK 1

Objective: To know computer maintenance Tools

Basic Hardware Maintenance Tools

Soldering Iron

Pliers

Nose Pliers
 Cutter

Screw driver

Multimeter

Wire Stripper

Hammer
 Drilling
Machine

Tester

Hacksaw

Cleaning The Computer from Dust

Now that you’ve backed up the system’s 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 you’d be surprised how quickly dust, pet
hair, and other debris can accumulate around a computer. You’ll
need four items for cleaning: a supply of Windex or another mild
ammonia-based cleaner (a little ordinary 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.
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.
CLEAN THE CASE
Use a clean cloth lightly dampened with ammonia cleaner to remove
dust, dirt, or stains from the exterior of the PC. Start at the top and
work down. Add a little bit of extra cleaner to remove stubborn
stains. You’ll find that the housing base is typically the dirtiest
(especially for tower systems). When cleaning, be careful not to
accidentally alter the CD-ROM volume or sound card master
volume controls. Also, do not dislodge any cables or connectors
behind the PC.
CLEAN THE AIR INTAKE
While cleaning the case, pay particular attention to the air intake(s),
which are usually located in the front (or front sides) of the housing.
Check for accumulations of dust or debris around the intakes, or
caught in an intake filter. Clean away any accumulations from the
intake area, then use your static-safe vacuum to clean the intake filter,
if possible. You might need to remove the intake filter for better
access. If the intake filter is washable, you might choose to rinse the
filter in simple soap and water for best cleaning (remember to dry the
filter thoroughly before replacing it). Of course, if there is no intake
filter, simply clean around the intake area.

What is a computer?
The term computer is obtained from the word compute. A computer is
an electronic device that inputs (takes in) facts (known as data), and
then processes (does something to or with) it. Afterwards it outputs, or
displays, the results for you to see.

Data is all kinds of facts, including, pictures, letters, numbers, and

sounds. There are two main parts of computers, hardware and software.
Hardware is all of the parts of the computer you can see and touch.
Software is the instructions that a computer uses to do what you ask it to.
 Pieces of software are often called programs. The basic function
performed by a computer is the execution of a program.

Figure 1.1 – A Complete computer system

The Basic Functions of a Computer

Data PROCESS Information

INPUT OUTPUT
STORAGE

Many people mistakenly think that where the computer normally displays
things is the computer. This is not true. That is the monitor (see Figure
1.2). The computer is usually a box (see Figure 1.3). Also, you may call
the whole assembly of all the hardware (the computer and the monitor,
for example) the computer.
Figure 1.2 - A Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
monitor

Figure 1.3 – The Computer (System Unit)

There are different styles of monitors. One of these is the one already
shown. It is called a CRT monitor. It takes more power than the other
popular kind, called LCDs (see Figure 1.4). However, CRT monitors
work faster, which makes them better for fast games because the
movement will blur less. LCDs are thinner than CRTs, but they are
more expensive.

Figure 1.4 – A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Monitor

Monitors are only one way the computer can output information for you
to see. Another popular output device is called a printer (see Figure 1.
5). Printers are used to put data on paper. This is called hard copy,
what monitors show is called soft copy. Computers can also output
sounds; this is also soft copy.
Figure 1.5 – A Printer

There are also different kinds of input hardware. The two most
important are the mouse and the keyboard. A mouse (Figure 1.6) is
used to move the cursor around the screen (monitor display). A
keyboard (see Figure 1.7) is used to enter (type) letters, numbers, and
other symbols into a computer.

Figure 1.6 - A Mouse

Figure 1.6 - A Keyboard

Computers store all data in binary code, which is a number system

that only uses ones and zeros. One digit in binary code is called a bit,
eight bits is called a byte. A byte is the amount of space one letter
takes up. However when letters are formatted specially they get
bigger, and so usually things on a computer are thousands of bytes in
size.

There are many different kinds of computers. The ones that most people
use are called Personal Computers (PCs). Smaller computers that are
about the size of a briefcase are called laptops or notebooks. There are
also much more powerful computers called mainframes that can be as
big as a room or a house!

Main Parts of a Personal Computer

The System Unit
• The "system unit" is the name given to the main PC box that houses
the various elements that go together to make up the PC. For
instance within the system unit is the computer system's
motherboard, which contains all the main components, such as the
CPU. The system unit also houses items such as the hard disk, the
floppy disk and CD-ROM drives etc. System units come in two basic
varieties, the tower version, as illustrated, or a desktop version,
which is designed to sit on your desk with your monitor on top of the
system unit.

The System (Mother) Board

• The system (mother) board is contained within your system unit and
all the vital computer systems plug directly into the system board.
The CPU is normally housed on your system board along with all the
other electronic components. Other items such as the hard disk are
 attached to the system board, either directly or via cables. These
boards are getting smaller and smaller as the components become
more integrated. If you open up a modern system you will find that it
is mainly full of air.

The CPU (Central Processing Unit)

• The CPU is the brains within your computer. It performs most of the
calculations within the computer and is responsible for the smooth
running of your operating system (Microsoft Windows) as well as
your application programs, such as wordprocessors, spreadsheets and
databases. There is a small amount of memory associated with the
CPU, which it uses to perform these operations. It also accesses and
uses the main memory (RAM - Random Access Memory) within
your computer. In many ways, the CPU is the single most important
item within your computer that governs the overall speed of your
computer. The CPU's speed is measured in MHz. This relates to the
frequency that the CPU runs at and the higher the MHz rating of
your CPU the faster your computer will run. To give you some
indication of how PCs have advanced over the years, the original
IBM PC released in 1981 ran at less than 5 MHz while modern PCs
can run at speeds well in excess of 2000 MHz. Note that 1000 MHz
is the same a 1 GHz.

More information:
Intel: http://www.intel.com
AMD: http://www.amd.com
Cyrix: http://www.viatech.com

Memory RAM
• Random Access Memory (RAM) is the main 'working' memory used
by the computer. When the operating system loads from disk when
you first switch on the computer, it is copied into RAM. The original
IBM PC could only use up to 640 KB of memory (just over half a
megabyte), whereas a modern computer can effectively house as
much RAM as you can afford to buy. Commonly modern computers
are supplied with over 128 MB of RAM. As a rough rule, a
Microsoft Windows based computer will operate faster if you install
more RAM. When adverts refer to a computer having 128 Mbytes of
memory, it is this RAM that they are talking about. Data and
programs stored in RAM are volatile (i.e. the information is lost
when you switch off the computer).

Memory ROM-BIOS
• The ROM-BIOS (Read Only Memory - Basic Input Output System)
chip is a special chip held on your computer's system (mother) board.
It contains software that is required to make your computer work
with your operating system, for instance it is responsible for copying
your operating system into RAM when you switch on your
computer.

What is a peripheral device?

• A peripheral device is any device that you can attach to your
computer. Thus, you could attach a scanner or modem to the back of
your system unit.

What are input devices?

• Input devices allow you to input information to the computer and
include things such as the keyboard and mouse.
What are output devices?
• Output devices allow you to output information from the computer
and include the printer and the monitor.

The Keyboard
• An Input device. The keyboard allows you to type information into
the computer. It has evolved over the years and many people now
use a Microsoft style keyboard, which has additional keys designed
to make Microsoft Windows easier to use.

The Mouse
• An Input device. When using an operating system, such as Microsoft
Windows, you use the mouse to select drop down menus, to point
and click on items, to select items and to drag and drop items from
one place to another.

CD-ROM
• Most computers are now supplied with a CD-ROM (Compact Disc -
Read Only Memory) drive. CD-ROM discs look exactly like music
CDs but contain computer data instead of music. The advantage of a
CD-ROM is that it can hold a vast amount of data (equivalent to the
storage capacity of over 450 floppy disks). The other big advantage
of CD-ROMs is that they are interchangeable. This means that you
can own a range of different CD-ROMs and choose which one to
insert into your CD-ROM drive.

DVD Drives
• Short for "Digital Versatile Disc”. Similar to CD-ROM drives but
allows you to use DVD disks, which contain vastly more information
than a traditional CDROM disk. These also transfer the data from the
disk to the computer far faster, allowing you to watch movies on
your computer screen. A CD-ROM can store 650 MB of data, while
a single-layer, single-sided DVD can store 4.7 GB of data. The two-
layer DVD standard allows a capacity of 8.5 GB. A double-sided
DVD increases the storage capacity to 17 GB (or over 25 times the
data storage capacity of a CD-ROM).
Floppy disk
• Floppy disks are also known as diskettes. They are very slow
compared to hard disks or CD-ROMs, and hold relatively small
amounts of data (1.44 Mbytes). Sometimes people will backup (i.e.
copy) important data from their hard disk to floppy disks. However,
as diskettes are notoriously unreliable this is not the best way of
backing up valuable data (but is better than nothing).

Zip Disc
• A Zip disc is like a more recent version of the floppy disk, the main
difference being that a single Zip disc can hold up to 250 Mbytes of
data. They also offer increased speed compared to the old floppy
disk.

Remark! The floppy and Zip disks are now obsolete. They have been
replaced with USB based flash disks. See below.

Hard (Fixed) Disk

• Hard disks are the main, large data storage area within your
computer. Hard disks are used to store your operating system, your
application programs (i.e. your word processor, games etc) and your
data. They are much faster than CD-ROMs and floppy disks and can
also hold much more data.

USB Flash Disk

• A USB flash drive consists of a flash memory data storage device
integrated with a USB (universal serial bus) interface. USB flash
drives are typically removable and rewritable, much smaller than a
floppy disk (1 to 4 inches or 2.5 to 10 cm), and weigh less than 2
 ounces (56 g). Storage capacities typically range from 64 MB to 64
GB with steady improvements in size and price per gigabyte. Some
allow 1 million write or erase cycles and have 10-year data retention,
connected by USB 1.1 or USB 2.0.
• USB flash drives offer potential advantages over other portable
storage devices, particularly the floppy disk. They have a more
compact shape, operate faster, hold much more data, have a more
durable design, and operate more reliably due to their lack of moving
parts. Additionally, it has become increasingly common for
computers to ship without floppy disk drives. USB ports, on the
other hand, appear on almost every current mainstream PC and
laptop. These types of drives use the USB mass storage standard,
supported natively by modern operating systems such as Windows,
Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. USB drives with
USB 2.0 support can also operate faster than an optical disc drive,
while storing a larger amount of data in a much smaller space.

A 16 GB USB flash drive.

The Monitor
• An Output device. The monitor is the TV type screen that you view
your programs on. They are supplied in different sizes, common sizes
range from 15" to 21" screens. You should be aware that poor quality
or badly maintained monitors could harm your eyesight.

Additional items or cards

• Many 'extra' components can easily be fitted to your computer, which
has the advantage of making the computer 'upgradeable' as newer and
better hardware comes along.
Sound cards and speakers
• Many computers are now supplied with sound cards and speakers that
mean that when you run 'multi-media' programs, you can listen to
sounds that are played back via your computer. If you have a
microphone and suitable software, you can also record sounds. You
can even purchase special software that will allow you to talk to your
computer and get the computer to type the words you have spoken on
your screen. In time, this type of software may replace the keyboard.

Modems
• A modem is a device that is used to attach your computer to the
telephone system. The modem converts data into sound that is sent
over the telephone line, the receiving modem turns the sounds back
into data. If you wish to connect to the Internet, you will need a
modem.

Printers
• Most data is printed once you have created it and there are a vast
number of different printers available to accomplish this. Most
common are ink jet and laser printers both of which can now produce
coloured output (at a cost).

Scanners
• Scanners allow you to scan printed materials into your computer,
which can then be stored within the computer. These pictures can then
be altered, resized and printed as required.
Recordable CDs
• CD-ROMs are read-only devices, but increasingly people are
purchasing a special type of CD drive unit that allows you to record
data, music or video to your own CDs. These devices require the
purchase of special CDs that you can write to, called CD-R (Compact
Disc – Recordable).

Know how computer memory is measured;

• Basic Units of Data Storage: It is important to realize that the term
digital computer refers to the fact that ultimately the computer works
in what is called binary. Humans work in tens (because we have 10
fingers). To use the jargon humans work in base 10. A digital
computer uses the numbers 0 and 1 (or on and off if you prefer).
When we talk about computer storage, either the amount of memory
(RAM) or the hard disk capacity we are talking about numbers that are
multiples of 0 or 1
• Bit: All computers work on a binary numbering system, i.e. they
process data in ones or zeros. This 1 or 0 level of storage is called a
bit. Often hardware is specified as a 32-bit computer, which means
that the hardware can process 32 bits at a time. Software is also
described as 16 bit, 32 bit or 64 bit software.
• Nibble: A nibble consists of 4 Bits
• Byte: A byte consists of eight bits i.e 23 = 2 Nibbles = 1 Character
• Kilobyte: A kilobyte (KB) consists of 1024 bytes.
• Megabyte: A megabyte (MB) consists of 1024 kilobytes,
approximately 1,000,000 bytes.
• Gigabyte: A gigabyte (GB) consists of 1024 megabytes,
approximately 1,000,000,000 bytes.
• Terabyte: A terabyte (TB) consists of approximately
1,000,000,000,000 bytes.
• Files: Data and programs are stored on your disk as files. There are
different types of files, such as the files that you store your data in, the
 files that contain your programs and also files used to store your
operating system (such as Microsoft Windows).

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS
Computers have certain definite characteristics that make them unique.
These characteristics include:
(a) Speed: The computers have the ability to execute or carry out
instructions at very great speed.
(b) Accuracy: Computers per se do not make errors i.e. there is
accuracy of work. Any error is usually caused by the human
elements.
(c) Storage: Computers can store large volume of data/information on
secondary storage, which can be retrieved at a latter time.
(d) Consistency: Computers have the ability to consistently follow
instructions without getting tired.
(e) Repetitiveness: Computers have the ability to continue processing
over an extended period.
(f) Complexity: Computers have the ability to carry out very complex
operations that beats the best human ability.