PC UPGRADE &

MAINTENANCE
COURSE CODE: COM 126

Concept of Upgrading and Maintenance of a PC

Introduction to PC Maintenance
In today's technology-driven world, people depend almost fully on their computers, even for the
simplest of tasks. Businesses maintain maximum performance through the use of the most up-to-
date technologies; schools keep better management of students through the use of computers and
even any person can benefit from these machines. However, all this efficiency will be lost if
computers are not maintained. The following points are just some of the ways to keep your
computer clean for maximum performance.
1. When purchasing a computer remember to also purchase dust covers. As the name suggests
these will help prevent the build-up of dust on your computer's monitor, central processing unit
(CPU), keyboard and mouse.
2. When considering a location for the computer in your home or office, place it in an area that is
cool - an air-conditioned room is preferable - or in an area that will not accommodate the easy
transmittal of dust to the computer, although this cannot be prevented. Placing the computer near
an open window is not advisable, as this will make the computer most vulnerable to the
elements, such as wind, dust and rain.
3. If one is serious about maintaining his computer for optimal performance then he should also
seriously consider cleaning the computer on a regular basis. This includes cleaning the
monitor, CPU, keyboard and mouse. The vacuuming of the inside of the CPU should also be
done to eliminate the build-up of dust on valuable hardware. To undertake this task one should
utilize the appropriate tools and have the proper understanding of what is to be done. If this is not
clear, then one should utilize the services of a trained technician.
4. Maintaining the optimum performance of one’s computer also includes managing the files on
the computer's hard-drive. Keeping files over two years old only means slowing down the speed
of that computer. Once a file has been used and will not be used or needed for now, then that file
can be deleted or saved onto a floppy disk and removed from the computer's hard-drive. Once
the diskette is properly labeled concerning its contents, then that file can be found again. The
computer will now have more space for other important documents.
5. Essential to the maintenance of a computer is the utilization of a good virus protection and
detection software. Viruses are made daily and without the appropriate software can cause
disastrous consequence for a computer's hard-drive. If you follow these simple guidelines, which
are by no means exhaustive, then you will be sure that your computer will run at its best.

TROUBLESHOOTING
Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to problem solving that is often used to
find out and to correct issues with complex, electronics computers and software
system.
Troubleshooting a Hardware Problem

Points to consider when troubleshooting a hardware problem

1. Gather as much information from the customer as you can, including symptoms, error
messages, computer history, and action at the time of the failure.
2. Try to reproduce the problem, taking note of any error messages or unusual system activity.
3. Determine whether the problem is hardware or software related. Do this by watching error
messages, using the Device Manager, and accessing the hardware using a variety of applications.
The remainder of this exercise assumes that the problem is hardware related.
4. Start with the most accessible component in the affected subsystem, making sure that it has
power and is properly connected.
5. Check the resources of the device and ensure that a device driver has been loaded for it.
6. Test the device by using it in another computer or by using a known working device in its
place.
7. Continue testing and checking all components in the subsystem, working your way into the
computer.
8. Finally, test the computer’s most basic components, such as the BIOS, system board, memory,
and processor.

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE
Computer maintenance is the practice of keeping a computer functional, repaired and in a good
working condition. It can also be seen as the identification and rectification of fault in a
computer.
TYPES OF COMPUTER MAINTENANCE
There are basically two types of computer maintenance namely:
1. General inspection/ preventive computer maintenance
2. Breakdown/repair computer maintenance.
General inspection/preventive computer maintenance
This is the aspect of computer maintenance that deals with the prevention of faults or service
interruption. It involves observing healthy computer system usage practices.
Breakdown/repair computer maintenance
This is the identification and correction of faults as and when they occur. This is synonymous
with addressing service failure caused by a faulty component or set of components in the
computer system.
Why do we need computer maintenance?
1. Early detection of faults before they deteriorate into major faults
2. Safety of delicate files and information from loss or intrusion.
3. Effective and efficient computer operation.
4. Avoiding unnecessary expenditure

Typical Hazards Threatening the Normal Operation of a PC.

PC’s are exposed to many hazards which include:
1.Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Electrostatic discharge or ESD is caused by the buildup of electrical charge on one surface that is
suddenly transferred to another surface when it is touched. This discharge is actually typically
several thousand volts! It just has very little current, which is why it doesn't kill you, unlike those
high-tension lines with several thousand volts. While ESD won't kill you, it can certainly kill
your computer components. Especially sensitive to ESD are integrated circuits: processors,
memory, cache chips, and expansion cards. You can deal with ESD in two basic ways:
reducing its buildup, and draining it away so it cannot cause any damage.
One way to reduce the buildup of ESD is to increase the relative humidity of the room where the
computer is located. Static builds up more readily in dry environments than in moist ones; this is
why you get zapped much more often in the winter time in northern climates than in the summer.
Another way to reduce static is to avoid doing the well-known things that cause it: wearing socks
on carpeted floors, etc. Draining static is usually a simple matter of touching something that is
grounded, such as the metal of your case when it is plugged in. This will drain off any static
buildup in your body that might cause damage to your components.

2.Power Fluctuations
The power supply is one of the most important, but also most ignored pieces of a computer. You
plug it into the outlet and turn it on, what's the big deal, right? Wrong! The power supply has to
work hard to provide a constant and stable level of electricity to the devices in your computer
without fluctuations. It has to be strong enough to feed all the devices in your machine, and in
some cases it has to be approved to work with certain parts of your PC such as an Athlon CPU.

3.Power Surges
The power coming from your wall is rated by the electrical company to be within a certain
voltage range. The nominal voltage for Bahraini circuits is 240 volts. Due to disturbances, distant
lightning strikes, and problems within the electrical grid, on occasion a voltage spike may come
down the line. This is a temporary increase of voltage that can last just a few thousandths of a
second, but in this time the voltage can increase from 240 to 1,000 volts or even higher.
Most computer power supplies are subjected to many of these surges each year, and like with
line noise, most of the better ones can tolerate them to some extent, though it isn't really great for
their internal components. In some cases, high voltage surges can disrupt or even damage your
computer equipment. In addition, being subjected to many surges over a period of time will
slowly degrade many power supply units and cause them to fail prematurely

4.Backup
There are many ways you can unintentionally lose information on a computer. A child playing
the keyboard like a piano, a power surge, lightning, floods. And sometimes equipment just fails.
If you regularly make backup copies of your files and keep them in a separate place, you can get
some, if not all, of your information back in the event something happens to the originals on your
computer. Deciding what to back up is highly personal. Anything you cannot replace easily
should be at the top of your list. Before you get started, make a checklist of files to back up. This
will help you determine what to back up, and also give you a reference list in the event you need
to retrieve a backed-up file. Here are some file suggestions to get you started:
Bank records and other financial information
Digital photographs
Software you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
Music you purchased and downloaded from the Internet
Personal projects
Your e-mail address book
Your Microsoft Outlook calendar
Your Internet Explorer bookmarks

Viruses and Virus Types

A great number of computer problems can be caused by computer viruses. Effects of a virus
could be minor or severe (fatal), and they might be predictable or sporadic. Unfortunately,
diagnosing and removing viruses can be difficult, and with the increased information exchange
brought on by access to the Internet, viruses are becoming more and more prevalent.
Computer viruses are not caused by corrupted files or internal OS or application flaws. Rather,
they are intentionally created programs, the purpose of which is to cause some effect in the
computer and replicate themselves to be passed on to other computers. The effect that a virus has
on a computer is called its payload. A virus payload could be nondestructive to the computer,
meaning that it could merely display a particular message, run a video clip, or change the display
colors. However, if a payload is destructive, it can delete files, close running applications, or
destroy a drive’s master boot record.

Virus Types
Many types of computer infestations are actually not viruses at all. A true virus is a piece of code
that attaches itself to an executable file and is not activated until the executable file is launched.
A worm, on the other hand, is a program in itself and does not need to attach itself to a legitimate
application in order to run. Viruses are typically more common than worms. Viruses can be
categorized by where they hide themselves. The most common virus type is
1.the file virus. File viruses hide themselves in executable files. When the executable file is run,
the virus is activated.
2.Another virus type is a macro virus. These viruses attach themselves to portions of applications
and disguise themselves as macros. A macro is simply an automated process within an
application, such as reading and automatically updating a date field or searching for and
formatting specified text.
3. Another type of virus is a boot sector virus. This type of virus hides itself in the MBR and is
activated during startup when the MBR is located and initialized.
Sources and Spreading of Viruses
When a virus is introduced into a computer system, it typically replicates (copies) itself into
memory. From there, it can copy itself into other files in the system. This is an intentional
behavior, configured by the programmer who created the virus. These copies of the virus can
then be spread via floppy disks, downloading files from the Internet, or executing e-mail
attachments that launch a host program, such as a word processor. You can minimize the spread
of viruses by using antivirus programs that scan all new files introduced into the computer
system. You should scan all files on floppies that have been used in other computers, all e-mail
messages with attachments, and all files that you download from the Internet.

Detecting and Removing Viruses

Unfortunately, even if you take all the precautions we’ve mentioned, you are not immune to
computer viruses. New viruses are created all the time and could be too new for your antivirus
utility to detect. When the computer starts behaving sporadically or begins to unexpectedly
crash, close, or launch applications or lose files, you should suspect a virus and begin
troubleshooting the problem immediately. If you have an antivirus utility, run it and instruct it to
perform a virus scan and removal. A variety of antivirus utilities are available from third parties,
such as Norton, Symantec, and McAffee. Windows 2000 includes a native antivirus utility called
AVBoot. In most cases, antivirus utilities work by recognizing and removing specific viruses.
They are typically useless against viruses that have been created since the release of the utility
itself. For this reason, most third-party virus utility manufacturers keep an up-to-date list of new
viruses and offer upgrades via the Internet. It is therefore important that you update you
antivirus utility’s capabilities often. Furthermore, if you stay current about new virus types, you
are likely to recognize them more quickly if they are introduced into your system. If an antivirus
utility has failed to detect and remove a virus and you suspect the virus is limited to the boot
sector, use the FDISK/MBR command.
This command will replace the infected MBR with a (hopefully) good copy from a floppy disk.
If you are unable to remove a virus before it has caused fatal damage, you will probably have to
reinstall the OS from scratch. It is important in these cases to repartition and reformat the hard
drive because viruses could still exist on the drive (especially in the boot sector). Use the
following Scenario & Solution questions and answers to test your knowledge of the virus
concepts discussed in the previous sections.

Limitations of a PC and Scope for Upgrading computers

Upgrading is a term used to describe updating a software program or adding a new hardware.
Software upgrade allows a user to get the latest version of a software program at a discounted
price and not have to purchase the full product. For example, a user running Microsoft Windows
95 could purchase the Microsoft Windows 98 upgrade for a low price when compared to the full
version of Windows 98. Below is a few reasons and benefits of upgrading your software
products to the latest version.
A hardware upgrade often involves removing an old hardware device and replacing it with a
new hardware device. For example, replacing an 8MB PCI video card with a 32MB AGP video
card would be considered an upgrade. A hardware upgrade such as a memory upgrade may not
require a user to remove the memory from the computer because of the availability of additional
expansion slots. Below are a few reasons and benefits a user should expect to see when
upgrading a hardware device.
1. Performance increase. The majority of the hardware upgrades performed are done to
increase the performance of the computer.
2. Capacity increase. Users may upgrade or add a new device to increase the overall capacity of
the computer. For example, adding a new hard drive to allow the computer to store more
information. Or increase the memory to increase the ability of what programs can be opened and
also at the same time increase the performance.
3. Compatibility. A user may upgrade one or more components in their computer to be able to
run or use a software program.
Technical Specifications for PC Upgrading
When someone wants to do a system upgrade, he must think of a systematic procedure to do the
process. This involves the following:
1- to open the case of the PC.
When someone wants to upgrade a PC the first step will be to open the case and inspect what’s
inside there. Some cases are opened using Philips screwdrivers, others using Flat. When the case
is opened may be the following picture or something like it will show up. The computer case
holds all the internal parts of your PC. Many case variations are available including tower cases,
mid-tower cases, and desktop models.
2- How to make a list of components to upgrade: As stated before, we may upgrade the RAM,
Processor, VGA card, Mainboard, Hard disk or more than one of them. So we must be specific
when choosing what to upgrade. Here are pictures of these components: Regarding this point,
you must list the specifications of each component separately.
3- to get prepared for a component change (obtaining the required hardware/ software tools and
components): This means that when you want to change a component of the listed-above you
must make sure of you want to change and get a replacement of it. You must put in mind that the
new replacement will be better than the older one and compatible with the other components in
your PC.
4- The next step will be to check and verify that the new component meets the requirements you
want. For example, if you replaced a VGA card to run some application, then the first thing to do
is to test if this application is really run using the new card. An important thing to remember here
is that when you want to change the CPU, sometimes you must change some settings in board
jumpers and the BIOS. In modern systems, these are automatic.

ENCLOSURE
The enclosure is the most obvious and least glamorous element of a PC. Yet, the enclosure serves some very
important functions. First, the enclosure forms the mechanical foundation (chassis) of every PC. Every other
sub-assembly is bolted securely to this chassis. Second, the chassis is electrically grounded through the power
supply. Grounding prevents the buildup or discharge of static electricity from damaging other sub-assemblies.
Whenever you work inside of a PC, be sure to use a properly grounded anti-static wrist strap to prevent electrostatic
discharge from your body from accidentally damaging circuitry inside the system. If you do not have an anti-static
wrist strap handy, you can discharge yourself on the PC’s metal chassis in front slots (or external drive bays), and
one or two drives mounted inside the PC (in internal drive bays). An average-sized enclosure, such as this, allows a
fair amount of space to expand the system as your customer’s needs change. Unfortunately, the push toward smaller
PCs has led to the use of smaller, more-confined enclosures. Small (or low-profile) enclosures restrict the size of the
motherboard, which results in fewer expansion slots (usually 4 to 6), and allows room for only 1 to 3 drives. The
great advantage to tower enclosures is their larger physical size. Towers usually of-fer 4 or 5 external drive bays, as
well as 3 or 4 internal bays. To accommodate such expandability, a large power supply (250 to 300 watts) is often
included. Tower cases can also fit larger motherboards, which tend to support a greater number of expansion slots.
The higher power demands of a tower system result in greater heat generation. Towers compensate for heat by
providing one or more internal fans to force air into the enclosure. If a second internal fan is included, it generally
works in conjunction with the first fan to exhaust heated air. For example, you’ll often find tower systems with two
fans—one in the lower front to force in cooler air and one in the upper rear to exhaust heated air. If only one fan is

used, it will usually be located in the upper rear of the chassis to exhaust heated air.

Power Supplies
The power supply shown below, typically located at the back of the computer’s interior, has
several very important functions. It is responsible for converting the alternating current (AC)
voltage from wall outlets into the direct current (DC) voltage that the computer requires. The
power supply accomplishes this task through a series of switching transistors, which gives rise to
the term switching mode power supply. Another function of the power supply is to ensure that
the computer receives the proper amount of voltage. Typical North American wall outlets
generate about 110–120 vAC (volts AC). However, computers require comparatively smaller
voltages—12, 5, or 3.3 vDC (volts DC). The computer’s power supply removes the excess
voltage and dissipates it in the form of heat. This build-up of heat can cause computer
components (including the power supply itself) to fail. Therefore, the power supply has a built-in
fan that draws air in from outside the computer case and cools off the components inside.
Electrical power supplies
This term covers the mains power distribution system together with any other primary or
secondary sources of energy such as:
Batteries
Chemical fuel cells and other forms of energy storage systems
Solar power
Conversion of another form of electrical power into the desired form (typically converting 120
or 240 volt alternating current supplied by a utility company (see electricity generation) into low-
voltage direct current for electronic devices); see switched-mode power supply, linear regulator,
rectifier, inverter (electrical)
Generators or alternators (particularly useful in vehicles of all shapes and sizes, where the engine
has rotational power to spare, or in semi-portable units containing an internal combustion engine
and a generator) (For large-scale power supplies, see electricity generation.) Low voltage, low
power dc power supply units are commonly integrated with the devices they supply, such as
computers and household electronics.
Visual Display Unit (VDU)
VDU is a device, such as a television screen, which produces a visible display of
data. The VDU is also called Monitor. The computer monitor is an output device
that is part of the computer's display system. A cable connects the monitor to a
video adapter (video card) that is installed in an expansion slot on the computer’s
motherboard. This system converts signals into text and pictures and displays them
on a TV-like screen (the monitor). The computer sends a signal to the video
adapter, telling it what character, image or graphic to display. The video adapter
converts that signal to a set of instructions that tell the display device (monitor)
how to draw the image on the screen.

Types of Monitors
There are many ways to classify monitors. The most basic is in terms of color
capabilities, which separates monitors into three classes:
Monochrome: Monochrome monitors actually display two colors, one for the
background and one for the foreground. The colors can be black and white, green
and black, or amber and black.
Gray-scale: A gray-scale monitor is a special type of monochrome monitor
capable of displaying different shades of gray.
Color: Color monitors can display anywhere from 16 to over 1 million different
colors. Color monitors are sometimes called RGB monitors because they accept
three separate signals -- red, green, and blue. There are mainly two types of
monitors in use. They are:
1. CRT monitor
2. LCD Monitor
CRT MONITOR
A CRT is a vacuumed sealed tube with no air inside. In a CRT monitor, the
electron gun produces a beam of electrons that travels through a focusing system,
deflection coils, and then into the screen to display a picture. A beam of electrons
(cathode rays) is emitted by the electron gun, passes through various focusing and
deflection systems, and then hits specific areas on a phosphor coated screen.
The electron gun consists of a metal cathode, control grid, and various anodes as
labeled above in the figure. It is important to remember that electrons are small
negatively particles, because their direction is controlled by the type of voltage.
Negative charges repel each other, and opposites attract.

LCD Monitor (Liquid Crystal Display)

A Liquid crystal display or LCD is a digital display technology that produces
images on a flat surface by shining light through liquid crystals and colored filters.
Takes up less space, consumes less power, and produces less heat than traditional
cathode-ray tube monitors.
Lack of flicker and low glare reduce eyestrain.
Much more expensive than CRTs of comparable size .
liquid crystals are liquid chemicals whose molecules can be aligned precisely when
subjected to electrical fields--much in the way metal shavings line up in the field of
a magnet. When properly aligned, the liquid crystals allow light to pass through.
Whether on a laptop or a desktop, an LCD screen is a multilayered, sideways
sandwich. A fluorescent light source, known as the backlight, makes up the
rearmost slice of bread. This light passes through the first of two polarizing filters.
The polarized light then passes through a layer that contains thousands of liquid
crystal blobs arrayed in tiny containers called cells. The cells are, in turn, arrayed
in rows across the screen; one or more cells make up one pixel (the smallest
discernible dot on a display). Electric leads around the edge of the LCD creates an
electric field that twists the crystal molecule,
Computer Display (Monitor)
A computer displays, monitor or screen is a computer peripheral device capable of showing
still or moving images generated by a computer and processed by a graphics card. Monitors
generally conform to one or more display standards. Sometimes the name "display" is preferred
to the word "monitor", as the latter can be ambiguous alongside the other senses of "monitor"
meaning "machine-level debugger" or "thread synchronization mechanism". Computer displays
are sometimes called heads, especially when talking about how many are connected to a
computer. Once an essential component of a computer terminal, computer displays have long
since become standardized peripherals in their own right. which lines the light up with the
second polarizing filter and allows it to pass through.

Input/output
Input/output, or I/O, is the collection of interfaces that different functional units
(subsystems)of an information processing system use to communicate with each
other, or to the signals (information) sent through those interfaces. Inputs are the
signals received by the unit, and outputs are the signals sent from it. The term can
also be used as part of an action; to "do I/O" is to perform an input or output
operation. I/O devices are used by a person (or other system) to communicate with
a computer. For instance, keyboards and mice are considered input devices (from a
human perspective) and monitors and printers are considered output devices
(again, from a human perspective).

Keyboard and Pointing devices

The Keyboard is an input device of computers. Keyboard is also the primary way
to interact with a PC.
Types of Keyboards
Keyboards have changed very little in layout since their introduction. In fact,
the most common change has simply been the natural evolution of adding
more keys that provide additional functionality. The most common keyboards
classified based on the number of keys are:
101-key Enhanced keyboard
104-key Windows keyboard
82-key Apple standard keyboard
108-key Apple Extended keyboard
Keyboards are available in various forms. The different types of keyboards are:
1. Normal Windows compatible keyboard
2. Multimedia Keyboard
This is a keyboard which is provided with some additional or hot keys to take
advantage of the internet.
3. Ergonomic Keyboard
This is a keyboard designed to keep the hands in a natural position that helps avoid
repetitive stress injuries to the wrists
4. Cordless Keyboards
These keyboards do not make use of any cord or cable connection. This
communicates the data using radio frequency and is operated by a battery. The
distance at which the key board can be used is around 15 feet.
5. Projection keyboards.
These are the latest types of keyboards. These are virtual keyboards that can be
projected and touched on any surface. The keyboard watches your fingers move
and translates that action into keystrokes in the device.