How to protect yourself, your hardware, and your software while solving computer problems

`What tools are needed to support personal computers

How to isolate computer problems and devise a course of action

The importance of good record keeping

How to take a computer apart and put it back together

A PC support technician working on-site who closely interacts with users and is responsible on an ongoing basis for the PCs he or she maintains

A PC service technician who goes to a customer site in response to a service call and, if possible, repairs a PC on-site

A bench technician working in a lab environment, who might or might not interact with the person who actually uses the PC being repaired, and is not permanently responsible for this PC

A help-desk technician providing telephone support

Please remember that every time you work on your PC, you run the risk of hurting yourself, the hardware, and the software.  However, there are precautions you can take to protect all three, and they are extremely important to remember.

CAUTION     Don't open your computer's case until you read this warning!  Removing, replacing, and modifying pieces of hardware inside your computer without following the necessary precautions can cause you and your computer serious damage.  The most common risk to a computer is posed by the discharge of static electricity, which can destroy circuit boards and chips.  However, accessing the insides of the power supply or monitor can pose serious safety risks to  you as well.  These dangers can be avoided.  To ensure safety in  your work setting, follow every precaution listed in the "Read This Before You Begin" section and summarized here.

A+ CORE:  The most common threat to hardware is "electrostatic discharge (ESD), commonly known as static electricity.  Damage by ESD can cause a catastrophic failure, which can destroy components, or can cause an upset failure that produces unpredictable malfunctions of components, which are often difficult to detect or diagnose.

The three best protections against ESD as you work on a computer are a ground strap, a ground mat, and static shielding bags.  A ground bracelet, sometimes called a ground strap or a static strap, is worn on  your wrist and is grounded to a ground mat, computer case, or a ground prong of a wall outlet.  A ground mat often comes equipped with a cord to plug into the ground prong of the wall outlet and a snap on the mat to which you can attach the end of your ground strap.  New components come shipped in static shielding bags.  Save the bags to store other devices not currently installed on your PC.