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PC Troubleshooting Toolkit
I get a lot of emails about this and I
don't know why I haven't posted this sooner. Here it is. My rolling
Techno-Kit!
MikesHardware PC Troubleshooting Rolling
Tech Kit
 Rolling
Backpack
Whether you're a independent consultant or a corporate player,
you need something to tote your toys/tools around. My choice
is a High
Sierra Backpack. Specifically a 22" Rolling one
like the AT105. It provides everything you could want in a rolling
technical repair center on wheels. Here's why I love mine. The
lower pouch holds my iPaq, pens, cellphone, extra cellphone battery
and little things. The side bungees hold my coffee thermos and
or other oblong items. The daypack removes if you're going to
a job that only requires minimal tools and it also has backstraps
to throw on your back. I picked this one up at Macy's San
Francisco on sale for $75 from $159. |
 Here's
my pack all loaded up and ready to go. Lets take a look inside
and see what I carry around. |
Toolkit:
 Just your average PC toolkit.
6" Craftsman rechargeable screwdriver, swiss army knife,
needle nose pliers, small standable flashlight with adjustable
lamp and clip to mount on your baseball hat for handsfree operation,
various hex screwdriver tips, wire clippers, small reversable
screwdriver, torx driver set for Compaq computers and some laserjets,
and cleaning solution for fixing multiple page grabs on Deskjets
and fax machines. |
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Toolkit contents:
 Misc
course and fine screws for mounting expansion cards in computer
cases and mounting case covers. Includes:
· 24 brass studs
· 48 steel screws for port covers
· 48 steel screws for mounting rails to HD
· 48 washers
· 12 cable-end nuts
· 100 zip ties
· 24 mini-jumpers
· 12 motherboard mounting spacers
· 12 slide-in style motherboard mounting spacers |
 Swiss
Army Knife - Good for opening those damn adult proof clear
packages that they schrink wrap these days. |
 Reversable
mini screwdriver |
 Wire
Cutters |
 Torx
drivers |
 Hand Mirror
for looking arounf inside tight places |
 Phillips
Screwdriver (non-magnetic) |
 Misc
screwdriver tips |
 Needlenose
pliers |
 CaiKleen
rubber roller cleaner |
 Craftsman
rechargable reversable screwdriver |
 Flashlight
with adjustable lamp and clip to mount on your baseball hat for
handsfree operation |
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Auxiliary Items
These are items I keep in the van for easy
access if I need them. You can get most of the items below from
one of my favorite online superstores CyberGuys.com.
 Small
Label Maker. I picked this one up for about $20 on sale at Office
Depot. The replacement tapes are about $10. |
 Often
times I find myself early in the morning or late at night and
it's handy to have a small battery powered AM/FM radio to listen
to talk shows or music. |
 Spare
20GB IDE hard drive. I use this for backups using Ghost software.
Hook it up to the secondary IDE connector for backups on the
spot when you need to back a clients PC quickly. |
 Spare
Power Supply. Keep this in your trunk because it's one my most
replaced items. |
 Spare
CDROM drive. |
 Power
Supply Tester. You can find these almost anywhere but I found
they don't completely test a bad power supply. To test a power
supply properly, try connecting it to a known good motherboard
and see if it run. Then get into the BIOs and read the voltage
settings and check those against the manufacturers recommended
settings. This tester is good for quick tests only. |
 Spare
Surge Strip |
 Spare
network connectors for bad cables. |
 Warranty
Viod Labels. These are handy for keeping people honest. If you
service lots of PCs like I do then you need to know whether or
not the owner is messing around with your parts you installed. |
 Spare
Mouse / Ball and Optical |
 Have
a couple of spare |
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