Chapter 3

PC Repair Fundamentals

CITA-120 Computer Concepts and Operating

Systems
 Agenda

Brief Review
 PC Repair Fundamentals
– Tools
– Maintenance
– Working inside computers
– Boot Process
– Troubleshooting
 Abstraction
 Lab 1: Computer Assembly and Disassembly
 PC Support Tools
• Safety Tools: ground bracelet, gloves
• Screwdrivers
• Tweezers and Extractors
• Recovery CDs, Installation CDs, Utility Software
• Antistatic Bags
• Compressed Air
• Cleaning Solutions
• Tools for testing hardware: multimeter, testers
• Pen and Paper
 Preventive Maintenance

• Backup Data and System

• Document Changes, Problems, Solutions
• Protect system w/ Firewall, Antivirus, Updates
• Physically protect computer: no magnets
• Preventive Maintenance Plan
– plan and schedule for computer maintenance
• Special considerations for shipping and disposal
 Working with Computers

• Make notes and focus on organization

• Avoid touching chips if possible
• Protect yourself and equipment at all times
• Turn off power, unplug computer, grounding
• Electrostatic Discharge
– electricity is powerful
– you can have a very bad day
 ESD and its Discontents

• Electrostatic Discharge causes two types of

damage
– catastrophic failure – just plain broken
– upset failure – improper function
• Grounding is essential
– grounding bracelet – end touches case
– ground mat
– static shielding bags and gloves
 Computer Disassembly
• Backup Data
• Write Down CMOS/BIOS settings
• Power down system and unplug it
• Organize your work area
• Read documentation
• Open the computer case
• Identify components
• Perform required work
 Computer Assembly

• Make changes as necessary

• Reattach all components
• Connect data and power cables
• Plug in keyboard, monitor, and mouse
• Turn on power to test
• If PC does not work, recheck connections
 The Boot Process

• Boot process: computer brings itself up to a

working state without the user having to do
anything but press the on button.
– hard boot (cold boot) – power switch off/on
– soft boot (warm boot) – OS reboot
• Whenever possible, use soft boot!
• Before we turn to this, let's review some terms.
 Terminology Review
• BIOS – Basic Input/Output System
• CMOS – Complementary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor
– technology for manufacturing chips
• IRQ – A line of motherboard bus that device
uses to signal CPU
• I/O addresses – Numbers assigned to
hardware devices that software uses to send
commands
 Terminology Review
• Memory addresses – numbers assigned to
physical memory located either in RAM or
ROM chips.
• DMA channels – number designating a
channel on which the device can pass data to
memory without involving the CPU
• Hardware interrupt – an event caused by
hardware signaling the CPU that it requires
service
• Software interrupt – an event caused by
software signaling the CPU for service
 Startup BIOS

• Startup BIOS is programming contained on

the firmware chip on the motherboard that is
responsible for getting system up and running.
• A successful boot requires:
– properly functioning hardware
– properly functioning BIOS
– properly functioning OS
 Boot Functions

• The startup BIOS runs the POST and assigns

system resources
• The startup BIOS program searches for and
loads an OS
• The OS configures the system and completes
its own loading
• Application software is loaded and executed
POST and Assignment of Resources

• System clock begins to generate clock pulses

• Processor initializes itself
• Processor turns to memory address FFFF0h
– memory address reserved for first instruction in
ROM BIOS startup program
• Instruction directs processor to run POST
• POST checks BIOS program and CMOS RAM
• Test determines no battery failure
POST and Assignment of Resources
• Hardware interrupts are disabled
• Tests are run on processor
• Check determines if it is cold boot,
– if so first 16KB RAM is tested
• Hardware devices are inventoried
• Video card is tested and configured
• POST checks RAM by writing/reading data
• Keyboard is checked, Secondary storage tested
POST and Assignment of Resources

• Hardware that POST finds checked against

CMOS
• IRQ, I/O addresses, and DMA assignments
are made
• DMA and interrupt controllers are checked
• CMOS setup is run if requested
• BIOS begins to search for an OS
 Startup BIOS loads OS
• After POST and assignment of resources
• Startup BIOS checks CMOS setup for boot
device
• Most often logical C: drive for Windows
• Master Boot Record (MBR) is the beginning of
the drive
– master boot program
– partition table – active partition loads
 Startup BIOS loads OS

• OS boot record at start of boot drive

• OS boot record loads the first program file of
OS
• For Windows XP that program is Ntldr
• The boot loader program (Ntldr) begins the
process of loading the OS into memory
• Changing the Boot sequence in CMOS setup
 Boot Process Example

• BIOS asks CMOS RAM for OS location

– CMOS responds drive C then CD ROM
• BIOS asks MBR to start OS Boot
– MBR looks in partition table for drive C
• MBR finds OS Boot Record
• OS Boot Record finds Ntldr
• Ntldr completes boot process
 Troubleshooting Problems
• Interview the user
• Backup data
• Analyze the problem and and solve it
– establish priorities
– make no assumptions
– check simple things first
– beware of user error
– divide and conquer
– trade known good for suspected bad
• Test the computer
 Abstraction: The Big Idea
• Boot process demonstrates abstraction
– Computer systems are built in layers
– These layers provide abstraction
– This principle is why Microsoft does not have to
rewrite its software for new hardware
– Vendors provide abstraction via interfaces
• Computer science is to a great extent about
managing complexity with abstraction
 Summary
• PC Repair Fundamentals
– Tools
– Maintenance
– Working procedure
– Boot process
– Troubleshooting
• Abstraction
• These concepts and skills will be put into
practice in Lab 1