Ubergeeke’s Repair Kit: Hardware
Yesterday, I told y’all that I was putting together a portable collection of hardware and software tools for basic computer repair, then stashing the assembled kit in a shiny briefcase. Today, I’m describing the hardware side of the kit.
First things first: I can’t hack at the hardware if I can’t get to it, so I’ve got a basic collection of screwdrivers. Besides the slightly-smaller-than-standard sized screwdrivers (blue and red handles in the photo), I’ve got two sets of precision screwdrivers - straight-edge and Phillips - ranging in size from 1.0mm to 3.5mm. These things are pretty handy for lots of things. Just last week, I used both sets to bust open cell phones at a mentoring workshop.
So now the laptop/Mac/PC is open; what will I need next? Things get a little tougher here, because of course I can’t foresee every possibility. Here are some basics though:
- an ethernet cable for connectivity testing
- a power supply tester
- a USB adapter for IDE and SATA drives
The last two tools (provided by Erich over at Gigabytes Computer Center) are currently untested, but I’ll give them a spin later this week to get the hang of them before I need them.
With these basic tools, I can take care of most basic hardware issues in laptops or desktops. The only thing missing is a large paper clip. (You think I’m kidding. I’ve yet to find a better tool for opening up optical drives when a system is powered off or hung.)
Tomorrow, I’ll spend a bit of time talking about the software side of things.
Related posts:
- Weekend Project: Ubergeeke’s Computer Repair Kit
- Ubergeeke’s Repair Kit: Software
- Ubergeeke’s Computer Repair Kit: What’s Next?
- Mentoring Means Sharing Geekery - Er, Engineering
- File Server Build Update
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I’d add a can of compressed air. You are inspiring me to write down my list…