Computer Repair Is A Tricky Business
The computer can be broadly divided in two sections; one is hardware and the other is software. The hardware is made of electronic circuits and components while the software is the programs required to run the central processing unit or the CPU. Again the hardware is of four type i.e. CPU, input, output and memory device. Now a days looking at the vast uses of computer people are using computer at their offices and at homes for working as well as entertainment purposes.
As we all know that each and every electronic goods need repairing and computer is not excluded from that list. Whenever there is any troubleshoot in this whole procedure the computer seems to function improperly. As a result we need to repair our computer to make it function properly. It is very tedious to repair ones computer and beside that it is also time consuming if the problem is unknown by the repairer. But if anyone has sound information regarding computer repair then it would seem to be rather easier. There are several organizations with trained and qualified technicians to help you out whenever you have problem with your computer. There are also various computer selling organizations who give after sell repairing service completely at free of cost. While there are other computers organizations, which have good computer technicians, provide only repairing service. Each of these companies serves their clients with best technical services. There are also different books or guidelines to provide us various information regarding computer trouble shoot and how to repair them. There are also technical colleges and training institute for technicians to learn more about computer problems and their repairing.
There are computers of various brands such as IBM, HP, Compaq, Dell, Apple etc. in the market and they differ from each other in respect of hardware and software. Therefore their troubleshooting problems also differ from each other. So the technicians should know how to repair these different computers. A good computer technician is required to familiar with various operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Linux, etc. A good technician must also know how to deal with different computer peripherals such as printers, scanners, fax machines, etc.
Here are few troubleshoots of computers which are very common. They are 1) Power Supply Failure, 2) Motherboard Troubleshooting, 3) Hard Drive Failure 4), CD and DVD Drive Troubleshooting, 5) Modem Failure, 6) Sound and Game Card Failure, 7) Peripheral Failure 8) Virus Threats and many more. At first the technician need to do a complete diagnostic checkup. Then he needs follow those Basic Computer Repairing rules to repair a troubleshooting computer successfully. Beside these computer requires regular update, virus cleaning and modifications. At last we can conclude that if computers are maintained and handled properly then we can prevent our computers from various troubleshoots as we all know that 'prevention is always better than cure'.
Tackling Slow Computer Shutdowns
Answer : Slow shutdowns can be due to various reasons. The main reason for slow shutdowns is page file clearing. This is especially indicated if the hard disk light goes on and stays on while the operating system (OS) is shutting down.
The page file is a file on the hard disk that's used as virtual memory. Virtual memory augments the random access memory on the system board. Since the page file may contain sensitive information, many OSes can be set to clear the page file when it (the OS) shuts down.
Many Web sites state this improves the security posture of an OS. They're not wrong in this, except that saying this improves the security posture of an OS is a little like saying installing 12 locks and a biometric identification system with voice analysis improves the security posture of a house.
Page file compromise is very low risk because there are many other ways to attempt to compromise the security and integrity of an OS, many of which would be easier and have better yield rates. Because of this, this option is not recommended for all but the most secure environments.
In Windows, this option is controlled by a registry entry. The registry entry in question is "ClearPageFile-AtShutdown". This key is usually located in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management section of the registry.
To attempt to turn off page file clearing, start (run) the program regedt32.exe and navigate to the HKEY_ LOCAL _MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control \ Session Manager\Memory Management section. On the right pane, check if the entry "ClearPageFileAtShutdown" is visible. If it is, right-click on it and select Modify from the pop-up menu. When the EDIT DWORD window pops up, type "0" in the box under Value Data and click on the OK button. After the PC restarts, the next shutdown should take a little less time.
Another possibility is that there are programs or services that take some time to shut down. In general, it is not advisable to have too many services or programs running in the background because all these will have to be terminated before the OS can shut down gracefully.
To test for this, try closing all open programs and manually shutting down all background applications (including all firewall/anti-virus software) just before shutting down the OS.
Most background applications can be shut down by right-clicking on the icon in the taskbar and selecting Exit or some similar option. If it shuts down faster after all the background applications have been shut down, it's possible that there are one or more background applications that take a long time to shut down. If this is the case, not much can be done other than shutting down the offending application or finding a way to configure the parent program so it doesn't load a background application when it starts.
The offending application can be identified by looking through the event logs (Start --> Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Event Viewer). If nothing looks amiss, it can also be identified in this manner: First, shutdown a background application and then shut down the OS. Not the shutdown time. On the next restart, shut down another background application and note the shutdown time. This should be repeated for every application that runs in the background. If at any time the shutdown time improves after a background application is shut down, the same application becomes a prime suspect in the "slow shutdown time" issue.
It's also possible to decrease shutdown time by decreasing the time Windows waits for hung and slow applications to shut down.
To change this time, open the registry editor (regedt32) and navigate to the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control section. From here, right-click on "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and select Modify. In the box under ValueData, enter the time (in millisecond) the OS should wait until it summarily kills the service. The default value is 20,000 (20,000 milliseconds or 20 seconds).
Other settings that can be added here include "Hung-AppTimeout" and "Auto-EndTasks".
HungAppTimeout controls the amount of time the OS should wait before killing a hung or frozen application. AutoEndTasks tells the OS when to end hung applications automatically, or display the End Tasks dialogue. To add any of the two settings, right-click on the right pane and select New --> String Value. Enter the name of the setting (HungApp-Timeout or AutoEndTasks as appropriate). Next, right-click on the added setting, select Modify and enter an appropriate value.
For HungAppTimeout, an appropriate value is the amount (in millisecond) that the OS should wait before terminating an application. Suitable values for AutoEndTasks include "0" and "1 ", with "0" meaning "end hung applications automatically, do not show End Tasks dialogue" and "I" meaning "show End Tasks dialogue when the shutdown time exceeds the value stated in HungAppTimeout".
If using Internet Explorer, ensuring that the browser clears the Temporary Internet Files folder every time it shuts down (Tools --> Internet Options --> Advanced --> Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed) and defragmenting the hard disk drive may result in faster shutdown times.
How to Workaround Damaged Laptop Display Hinges
Steps :
- Read the entire article, and check that your specific laptop can be repaired in the way presented. Especially check that the fishing line can be placed in a location which doesn't get too much in the way of your normal use (heavy users of the mouse buttons or touchpad might have problems here), and that there are locations more or less in the center of the laptop where gluing the Velcro will not affect the use of the laptop (that no access doors or ventilation holes are sealed).
- Cut two strips of the fuzzy Velcro and round the corners (rounding the corners will make it less likely that the Velcro will detach after gluing).
- Read the instructions for the epoxy glue; mix it and use it to glue the two strips of fuzzy Velcro, one on the back of the display, and one on the bottom of the laptop, such that the two strips are co-linear (in other words, the alignment of one strip, when extended, coincides with the alignment of the other strip. Try to make the line of the two strips be as perpendicular as possible to the axis of the display hinges.
- Wait for the epoxy glue to harden fully. This can take 24 hours or even more. See the instructions for the particular epoxy you have used. Don't confuse the setting time of the epoxy (which can be as quick as 5 minutes) with the time until it reaches maximum strength.
- Close the laptop display, and cut a strip of the hooked Velcro more or less to the length required when sticking it to the two glued strips in their entirety. Actually, what is more important is that the length of the hooked strip totally utilize the glued strips when the laptop display is open. Do not use the Velcro with an open display before the glue has hardened to its maximum stremgth.
- After the glue has hardened to maximum strength, check that the Velcro can now prevent the display from falling into the closed position. Laptops with large or heavy displays may require gluing multiple strips of Velcro, or wider and/or stronger Velcro (Velcro comes in a range of sizes and bonding strengths). The laptop in the images has a 12.1" display.
- Take the fishing line, and tie it into a loop which exactly encircles the laptop when the display is open to the working position. I used an "improved blood knot" for this. Instructions can be found in various places on the Internet.
- Check that the fishing line loop is strong enough to prevent the display from falling into the fully open position (fishing line comes in a variety of strengths, use a relatively strong line which will not stretch under the load).
- Glue a small strip of two-sided foam tape (like used for mounting things) on the edge of the laptop where the fishing line should rest. If it is a bother, make the adhesive on the outside less sticky by touching it repeatedly.
When gluing the Velcro, be sure not to seal up access doors (e.g., to the memory modules), ventilation holes, or access to screws which might be necessary to remove to enable future maintenance. To restore access to screws, it may be possible to make a small hole in the Velcro after gluing, but this is a risky proposition, especially since the epoxy might totally clog up the screw access hole if you apply it too liberally.
Things You'll Need :
- Velcro (both fuzzy and hooked). Velcro with preapplied adhesive is not recommended because the adhesive is usually not strong enough.
- Strong epoxy glue and the ability to use it properly
- Fishing line and the ability to tie it into a loop.
How to Underclock a PC
Steps :
- Access the computer's BIOS settings page (BIOS stands for "Basic Input Output System"). Depending on brand of computer, this requires pressing keys during a certain time of the boot process. Some manufacturers require pressing "Delete" "F2" or
+ or other key combination while the system goes through POST (Power On Self Test) or displays a logo on the screen. Locate "Frequency/Voltage Control" settings. BIOS screens generally consist of several pages of settings. Each page relates directly to certain parts of the computer operation. Use the "PgDn" and "PgUp" or "<-" and "->" arrow keys to navigate to the page that allows for adjustment of the above variables.Scroll down to the "Frequency/Voltage Control." Press "Enter" or use the left and right arrow keys to select the value. Use the arrow keys, + and - keys or other combination to adjust the value lower.Lower the CPU "clock speed". Lower these values similar to the way described above (if you can't it is because it is locked).Lower the Front Side Bus (FSB) Frequency). Lower these values similar to the way described above.Lower the core voltage (vCore). Lower these values similar to the way described above (don't lower it too much).When complete, be sure to save the settings before exiting, otherwise the old settings will remain in place. If you think you've made a mistake, press the "Esc" key to exit without saving.
Locate or download and print a copy of the system board or computer manual's BIOS section. The exact BIOS access method will be described here, along with additional information on this subject and the other values in the BIOS pages.If you are unable to boot because of wrong values, reset the BIOS to "default" This can be accomplished by removing BIOS battery for ten minutes or so before replacing, or inserting or removing a jumper on pins on the system board, or other method described in the manual and powering on the system.
Warnings :
Do not enter a Password for the BIOS screen that you can not remember. A full BIOS reset may be required to clear the password. The manual may explain methods to clear forgotten passwords if this happens.Underclocking reduces overall performance.Underclocking voids the system warranty on most computers, depending on the manufacturer.
How to Thread Small Wire Using Automatic Wire Cutter 2
For threading small wire that is curling or has difficulty holding a straight shape you can use a soda straw.
Steps :
- Insert your material in the straw until you can see the material exit the other end.
- With the machine unplugged, push the lever down and hold it open while inserting the straw into to feed hole.
- Insert the straw/material until you see it coming through (out the exit shoot) and pull the straw out leaving the material where you see it coming out the machine.
- Plug the machine back in and program the length and quantity you need and push run. The first chop will cut off the material hanging out the machine, then your machine will begin the measure and cut process.
Tips :
- When cutting material smaller than .200�? OD use the white inlet guide that comes with your unit. Go to www.automaticwirecutter.com to see more about the Wire Cutter II
Make sure you have taken the straw out of the machine before you begin operation.
How to Tell Which Way Round a Diode Should Be
The lead connected to the arrow is called the anode (the sink for electrons) and the lead connected to the "T" is called the cathode (the source of electrons). These same conventions are applied in the schematic symbols for the various transistors.
Steps :
- There are two methods for determining the direction of current flow in a diode: 1) examine markings on the device, and 2) test the device with an ohmmeter.
- Method 1
- Small diodes are cylinders that look like resistors except they are encapsulated in black plastic or glass. There is a white band on one end of a black plastic diode, and a black band on one end of a glass diode.
- An engineer's positive current (which is also the layman's conception of current) flows from the terminal farthest from the band to the terminal closest to the band, and is blocked in the opposite direction. The band corresponds to the crossbar on the "T" in the schematic symbol.
- Larger rectifiers come in plastic TO-220 packages or are packaged as threaded studs. Both packages may be easily mounted on heat sinks.
- On a TO-220 package, the two outside leads are marked with the symbols "+" and "-" molded into the plastic. Positive current flows from the "+" lead to the "-" lead. The center lead may be absent, or it may be connected to the metal tab which screws to the heat sink. The heat sink tab may be electrically isolated from the terminals, or it may be electrically bonded to one of them. Which is the case may be determined by examining the manufacturer's data sheet (search for the part # online) or by measurement with an ohmmeter. The bonded lead will allow current to flow both to and from the tab, while the other lead imposes the diode between the lead and the tab.
- A stud rectifier usually has the schematic symbol for a diode printed on its body. Most often, the stud's threaded end is the cathode and the solder terminal is the anode.
- Method 2
- Set up your meter for reading resistance.
- Attach the red (positive) lead to one lead of the diode.
- Attach the black (common, or ground, or negative) lead to the other lead of the diode.
- If the reading is some fraction of an ohm, then the red lead is attached to the anode and the black lead is attached to the cathode. If the reading is larger than a few hundred kilo-ohms, then the red lead is attached to the cathode, and the black lead is attached to the anode.
- Reverse the ohmmeter leads. The reading should be the opposite of the reading in step 4).
- Most modern rectifiers will show a reverse impedance of many mega-ohms. Older selenium rectifiers may have a sub mega-ohm reverse impedance.
- If the measurements do not fall in the ranges given, the device is either not a diode, or it is defective. Any modern rectifier with a reverse impedance of less than a mega-ohm is defective.
- When the reverse leakage current is extremely low (the reverse impedance extremely high) the reading some meters show may either drift about, or indicate an open circuit.
- The forward conducting impedance may drift about. A diode is a non-linear device, and this drifting is just the diode and the meter electronics looking for a mutually stable operating point. In any case, the reading will be low.
- There are many specialty diodes which may give peculiar measurements. These include zener diodes, gunn diodes, varactor diodes, and schottky barrier diodes.
How to Take Good Care of Your Laptop Computer
It is important to take care of your laptop to keep it in good shape; prevention is always better than cure. There are a number of easy things that you can do to keep your laptop in great shape; following these easy steps will help to ensure that it lasts longer and will need less maintenance. As an added bonus, many of the steps will also maintain your laptops speed.
Steps :
- Keep liquids away from your laptop. As tempting as it might be to drink coffee, soda, water or any other liquid near your laptop, accidents can happen all too easily. Spilled liquids may damage the internal components or cause electrical injury to the laptop. Short circuits can corrupt data or even permanently destroy parts. The solution is very simple: Keep your drinks away from your computer. Even if you're careful, someone else might bump into your desk or you. Or you can use a cup with a cover on it, so even if it does spill, the liquid doesn't go any where!
- Keep food away from your laptop. Don't eat over your laptop. The crumbs can go down between the keys in the keyboard and provide an invitation to small bugs. The crumbs can also irritate the circuitry. Worse, it makes the laptop look dirty if there are crumbs and food stains on it.
- Always have clean hands when using your laptop. Clean hands make it easier to use your laptop touchpad and there will be less risk of leaving dirt and other stains on the computer. In addition, if you clean your hands before use, you will help reduce wear and tear on the coating of the laptop caused by contact with sweat and small particles that can act upon the laptop's exterior underneath your wrists and fingers.
- Protect the LCD display monitor. When you shut your laptop, make sure there are no small items, such as a pencil or small ear-phones, on the keyboard. These can damage the display screen when shut; the screen will scratch if the item is rough. Close the lid gently and holding from the middle. Closing the lid using only one side causes pressure on that hinge, and over time can cause it to bend and snap.
- Hold and lift the computer by its base, not by its LCD display (the screen). If you lift it by the screen part alone, you could damage the display or the hinges attaching it to the base. The display is also easily scratched or damaged by direct pressure – avoid placing pressure on it.
- Don't pull on the power cord. Tugging your power cord out from the power socket rather than putting your hand directly on the plug in the socket and pulling can break off the plug or damage the power socket. Also, if you have the power point near your feet, avoid constantly bumping into the plug or you could loosen it and eventually break it.
- Don't roll your chair over the computer cord. Stick the cord onto your desk with tape or a special computer cord tie which can be easily undone when you've finished using the laptop. Always try to keep most of the cord away from the floor or your legs; sometimes you can be so engrossed in what you're doing that you move your legs and forget the cord is there.
- Plug in accessory devices into their proper slots. Always look at the symbols on the laptop carefully before inserting devices. Jamming a phone line into an Ethernet port or vice versa could damage the sockets, making it impossible to use them again. It is very important to observe this step.
- Handle any removable drives with care. Floppy drives or CD drives that have been removed from your laptop can easily get crushed, dropped or pressed if you are careless. Put them straight into a bag or a storage box/case for safe keeping if you are not putting them back into the laptop.
- Insert drives into their slots carefully and at the correct angle. Pushing the wrong drive into a socket, or at an angle, or even upside down can jam it.
- Check to see if labels are affixed securely before inserting media into your laptop computer. Media such as CDs, DVDs or floppy disks should not have any loose label parts that might jam inside the laptop drive. Never insert undersized CDs, as these can damage the disk player permanently.
- Don't expose your laptop rapid temperature fluctuations. When bringing your laptop indoors during winter, don't turn it on immediately. Instead, let it warm to room temperature first. This will avoid any potential for damage to the disk drive from condensation forming inside the machine.
- Don't leave your laptop in a car. Not only do the insides of cars experience large temperature swings that could damage a laptop, but a laptop (or laptop bag) is an inviting target for a smash and grab thief.
- Have the unit cleaned once a year to remove internal dust. Get this done by a computer professional. If dust accumulates, the system cannot cool itself correctly. Heat can destroy the motherboard.
- Use a properly-sized laptop case. Whatever you use to carry your laptop around in, be it a case, a bag or something you have made yourself, make sure that it it large enough to contain the laptop. This will avoid scratching, squeezing or even potentially dropping it.
- Look into getting a laptop bag Many breaks happen because of laptops being dropped or bumped. A bag greatly reduces the risk of damage.
- Use and store in a well circulated area. When your using your laptop, do so in a place that has a constant air-circulation. Lots of people ruin thier laptop by using it in an enclosed area and thus making the laptop overheat. It also helps if you store in a well circulated area.
Tips :
- Develop a preventive maintenance schedule to prevent problems rather than fixing them after they happen.
- Keep a record of your laptop computer details, such as serial number, make and model so that you can report theft or loss promptly.
- If you are working, you may have an opportunity to choose your laptop computer based on your requirements - for example, a sturdy model for rough use or a light one for frequent travel.
- You can make an easy screen protector from a thin piece of floppy foam cut the size of your screen. Place this between the base and top of your laptop each time that you turn off the laptop and close it. Do not leave it in there if the laptop is only sleeping or is not turned off. If the laptop overheats, this foam may cause the laptop to combust.
- You can make your own laptop case simply using items such as 2 pieces of cardboard joined together with strong tape and insert bubble wrap, or even a pillow slip, in between the cardboard. Make sure you get the measurements accurate! Or recycle an old bag - pad it well and size it down to fit your laptop securely.
- Look into laptop insurance. Look for sites on the internet but beware the "Zero excess" or "no excess" claim of a few.
- Put a label with your name, e-mail, cell phone number or other contact details on the laptop, the powercord and any other removable parts.
- Keep your laptop in a open area that has air circulation, when in use.
Warnings :
- Be aware of the "no excess" or "zero excess" of some laptop insurance companies; while it appears to be free of excess, you may have to pay again for the year in full to restart your insurance after a claim.
- Pets (like parrots that fixate on clicking, shiny objects) and children should be supervised when within a close proximity of your laptop.
How to Swap Hard Disk Drive Platters
Steps :
- Know that this is only a last resort. You have tried everything else, your data is not extremely important, and/or your cash flow restricts the use of a professional service.
- Set up a clean work environment. You can not make a super clean environment at home but use some common sense, and do the best you can. Keep air flow to a minimum.
- Assemble and layout your tools.
- Don powder-free latex gloves.
- Ground yourself! If you don't know what is, or how to do it, ask google.
- Remove the cover of your dead drive. If the cover doesn’t just lift off, look for more screws! There are screws under labels.
- Once the cover is off, inspect the platters. If they are scratched, scorched, warped, or other wise damaged, stop you are done!
- Set the cover back on - if the platters are physically damaged chances are you will not be able to recover any data. You can still try if you like.
- Purchase a new HDD with the same model number and firmware version.
- Test the new HDD. Make sure you can read and write data to and from it.
- Remove the cover from your donor HDD.
- Remove the platters from the donor HDD. This is your chance to learn how they are assembled, if you slip and damage parts you can get a new donor. NOTE: if you are dealing with multiple platters they cannot be removed without the proper equipment. You need a platter removal tool. The next steps are only if you are dealing with a single platter.
- Remove the platter from your dead HDD.
- Reassemble the donor drive with dead HDD’s platters inside (make sure all the platters are aligned in the same way towards each other as they were in the old drive).
- Mount the donor drive.
- Quickly copy your data. You might only get one or two chances to read from the HDD. It might make some horrible noises.
- Unmount the HDD and discard it. Continued use of the HDD is ill-advised.
- Before going for platter removal, try freezing the HDD (in an airtight container) and attempting to create a disk image using a tool like DD_Rescue (http://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/ddrescue.html). Sometimes, freezing the HDD will contract bearings enough to get a last read out of the HDD.
- To remove the platters you might have to remove the head assembly.
- Use the right tools!
- This procedure is not for logically erased data. This procedure is for physically inoperable drives with intact data.
- When swapping the platters be very careful with the head! Make sure the head is parked before you attempt to remove the platters.
- Do your homework. Look at photos of the internals of a hard disk drive before you open one up.
- HDD = hard disk drive.
- This will void any existing warranty.
- In most cases, this will also void your ENTIRE computers warranty, read the warranty very carefully
- Hard Drives are assembled in hermetically-sealed clean rooms, free of any dust. A single speck of foreign material introduced onto a platter will destroy the drive most of the time. If this does happen, try a can of air and spray it off, but do not wipe or use chemicals.
How to Rig a Portable Dvd Player
Steps :
- Disconnect a speaker from a radio. A large speaker usually works best.
- If you can't, you should be able to cut the wires on the radio's speaker and fit it a headphone jack, but this requires some knowledge of how electronics work.
- Plug it half-way into the headphone outlet. You will have to fiddle with it for a minute or two to get the DVD player to use the radio speaker and the DVD player's speakers at once. This will make the quality of the sound better from the radio speaker and make it loud enough to here from the DVD player's speakers.
Tips :
- It's usually best to have the DVD player running while you do this, so you can tell the difference between plugged in, not plugged in, and in the middle.
If you do actually do step 2, you could ruin the radio and the pair of headphones.
Things You'll Need :
- Radio and speaker
- Headphones (optional for step 2)
- DVD player with headphones outlet.
How to Replace the Battery on a Logitech Freepulse Headphone
Steps :
- Battery is located on the left headphone, the one without the power button and power plug on it
- Removing the small screw on the inside of the ear piece.
- The screw is a tiny Allen Wrench head, smaller than my smallest wrench, a 5/64.
- I was able to use a small flat head screw driver to turn the screw, the screwdriver head was approx 1mm.
- There is also a small metal collar at the end of the headphone
- use a small flathead screwdriver to slide the collar onto the rubber wire connecting the headphones.
- Once the screw and collar are removed, you can force a screwdriver into the gap in the plastic between the top and bottom pieces of the headphone, and pry the two main pieces apart.
- There will be some resistance, but nothing seemed in danger of breaking when I pried them apart.
- Remove the battery packet
- The packet is glued to the side of the unit. I was able to pry it off, without the packets foil ripping. Probably doesn't matter if it does rip, since it's now a used up battery.
- It's connected by a small remove-able electrical plug that offered some resistance, but came off cleanly.
- Here is the only hit I found for the battery part number, on the Online Certifications Database.
- http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/showpage.html?name=BBFS2.MH10048&ccnshorttitle=Batteries,+Household+and+Commercial+-+Component&objid=1078080586&cfgid=1073741824&version=versionless&parent_id=1076519666&sequence=1
- The battery size is approximately 25mm x 25mm. The headphone will not hold a larger battery.
- The connecting cable has a red, black, and white cable connected to a small power connector.
- It is important that the new battery be 3.7v.
- Matching the 265mAh number is not important. That just describes the battery life on a charge.
- Disposal of battery
- from http://forums.all-battery.com/index.php?showtopic=279&pid=558&mode=threaded&start=#entry558
- How do I safely dispose of dead or damaged Lipo packs?
- If possible, discharge the pack down to zero voltage using a motor, light bulb, etc. Next gently puncture the outer cases of the cells and let it sit in saltwater overnight. Remove 24 hours later, wrap it up in a plastic bag and toss in the trash.
- A replacement for this battery:
- Synergy
- P/N AHB472625PST
- Li-ion polymer
- 3.7V 265mAh
- Made in China
- 25x25x5mm
- all-battery.com is an excellent source, with specific dimensions,
- http://www.all-battery.com/37vli-polymerandli-ionbatterypacks.aspx
- The best current fit is a 25x20x5mm Tenergy Polymer Li-Ion Battery 3.7V 250mAh
- http://www.all-battery.com/polymerli-ionbattery37v230mah501638.aspx
How to Replace the Battery in Your PC
Steps :
- Turn off the computer
- Unplug the computer
- Remove the side cover
- Put on your static wrist band (See Tips)
- Remove old battery with fingernail or use non-conductive screwdriver
- Install new battery
- Replace side cover
- Plug back in
- Turn computer on
- Enter BIOS Setup and change any settings you need to change
- Static Wrist Bands are simple bands that you put on your wrist. They have a cord on them which attaches to the computer frame with an alligator clip. This grounds you to the frame of the computer and evens out the electrical energy.
- I've only fried one computer by not using a wristband, and that was after playing with it for 10 hours. It's possible to zap a board, but I'd hardly say likely if you remember 1 thing: Prior to touching any electrical component, touch the frame of the computer case (The metal frame inside, not the plastic casing) and keep touching it while working inside. Obviously this limits your available hands to 1, which can be difficult but it's not as hard as you might think.
- BIOS settings will revert back to factory default when you remove the battery, but if you have to replace a computer battery, you probably already have the default settings. These defaults might work fine for you if you're an average computer user. If you're a gamer you probably already know which settings you need to change. If you're a novice, DON'T TOUCH THEM!
How to Replace an Empty Ink Cartridge
If you are confused about how to do this, this will help. There are only a couple of steps.
Steps :
- Write down the printer name and brand.
- Remove the empty cartridge and check the writing on it. If it has any bold and big numbers on it, write these down.
- Go to office supply store and give the clerk your notes.
- Make sure you get the right one and take it home.
- Check to be sure your printer is on.
- Open your printer's lid.
- Take out the old cartridge and put inside a small ziploc if you want to.
- Dispose of the old cartridge. Or if possible, have the cartridge recycled.
- Unpack new cartridge and place inside the printer.
- Print a test page.
- Reconfigure printer heads for best quality.
You may need a paper towel.
Warnings :
- Wash your hands when you are done.
- Ink may be poisonous.
- Paper towels
- Trash can
- New Ink
- Notepaper
How to Repair a HP Series 600 Printer With a Malfunctioning Paper Feed Mechanism
Most HP Series 600 Printers use the Print Head (where the ink cartridges go) to start the paper pick - up process. The printer uses what is known as a clutch actuator (HP Part No. C4549-40027).
This is the intermediary link between the print head and the actual paper drive system.
In normal use the print head goes to the extreme left to push against the clutch actuator which engages the main drive gear with the paper loading gear assembly. The printers' paper drive rollers pick up the paper till it reaches the top of the roller assembly where the "paper is in place sensor" (located behind the paper drive assembly) activates and the print head then goes into normal printing mode.
When this clutch actuator is damaged the paper drive ceases to function.
Steps :
- Determine if the clutch actuator is broken or just jammed. HP's website should be utilized as they have some good parts layout drawings that will help you in this. It will also show you one of the reasons that the clutch actuator is getting jammed is because the cartridges were put in wrong and occasionally gets misaligned. It is a big problem with this series of printers, but it is the first step in determining if this is indeed the problem.
- If it is, then carefully and gently lift the clutch actuator assembly up and move it to the right till it sits next to the main drive gear. We will show a case where the clutch actuator was accidentally broken off by the user.
- After this you must figure out a way to get the broken part (clutch actuator) that is left in the printer out for repair and re-installation. One way that you can do this is to take all the covers off the printer. Then take apart the print head assembly and associated parts until you are down to the top hold down rail that holds down the paper pick-up assembly and where the clutch actuator is located. Once that is done, take the broken part and using EXTRA STRENGTH Krazy Glue glue the broken pieces back together.
- Once the part had cured sufficiently (30 Minutes Min.) You then place the clutch actuator back into it's area and reassembled the rest of the printer.
- One tip to speed this up immeasurably is to use a right angled - torx security wrench to just loosen the left hold down screw for the clutch actuator to be removed,repaired and replaced and then tightened back down. This stops you from doing ALL the extra work of taking the covers off the printer and having to take apart the mechanism above it to get to the part itself.
- Also, be careful to make drawings, steps sheets or pictures of how the printer looked before in case you get confused so you can finish the job. You can also refer to the HP web site for help as well. Technicians have just as much problems as anyone when taking apart a mechanism, so go slow when making your repair moves.
Krazy Glue can be dangerous, please read the instructions on the package on proper use. Also, when taking off the covers of the printer be careful NOT to break off the snaps holding them on and in place.
How to Repair Dodgy or Broken Headphones
Have you ever had an expensive pair of headphones stop working or go really quite on you. here's how to repair it.
- this is not a cure all.
This works for both earphone and headphones. Before doing this try cleaning the plug and socket carefully with 99% alcohol on cotton buds.
Steps :
- Determine where the headphone (phone) is broken. This is normally either at the plug or at the splitting point or at the speakers.
- If it is at the splitting point you will probably be best off buying a new cable and then attaching it as for both parts of this article.
- If the phone is broken at the plug, buy a new one (£1.99)(4 usd). One's with metal bodies are better and look good but are more expensive and the plastic ones will do the same job.
- Cut the cable just above the plug with about 1 inch to spare (this is because this is the area where it will be broken.
- Strip the wire down (there will normally be one "loose" one and two insulated ones. The bare on will be the earth or common wire, the others are either left or right. You will have to experiment with which is which.
- Unscrew the plug that you bought, this will normally have two pins sticking out of the end. If it only has one, then you have got a mono, not stereo, plug. the pin furthest from the middle is the left one the middle one the right side and the one that doesn't have a pin is the common.
- Solder the wires to the correct pins and screw the cap on. Test it. You should now have a nice good sound.
- If the phones are broken at the ear piece, it is slightly more difficult to repair but don't despair.
- Open the ear piece. Cut the wire an inch from the exit of the earpiece. Strip the wire as before.
- Rip the wire from the back of the small speaker. Solder the wires onto where the old one where (it doesn't matter which way around). Test it before you put it back together. If it works fit the whole thing back together.
Tips :
- try not to hold the soldering iron on the contact too long as it will either melt the surrounding plastic or ruin the contacts.
- practice on a cheap earphone first
Be careful not to burn yourself, a soldering iron is hot!!
How to Remove Stickers from a Laptop
Did you just buy a new laptop of other device, only to find it covered in unattractive stickers?. Time to remove those stickers and free your hardware from its role as a traveling advertisement.
Steps :
- Make sure this laptop isn't too old. The stickers will dry up, and over time, the glue backing will separate from the printed material. If you decide to remove the stickers, do it quickly. The stickers are not going to stay fresh for more than a year or two, depending upon its quality. If your laptop is a relic, skip to the very last step to use a chemical removal method.
- Decide which stickers to remove. Some stickers are useful, such as OEM licensing stickers that will be voided when remove. Others may contain serial numbers, service tags, support information, or systems specifications. Commonly removed stickers include ones promoting the Windows operating system (ie: "Designed for Windows XP" and "Windows Vista Capable"),as well as Intel and AMD CPU stickers.
- Remember to do this slowly. If you rush it and try to pull the whole thing off at once, you run the risk of tearing the sticker or separating the glue backing.
- Start from the edges. Use your fingernails, a pair of tweezers, or a non-abrasive abrasive putty knife. Be careful not to scratch or damage any plastic or aluminum surfaces in the process.
- Pull the sticker up slowly from the edge you just started. Try to pull it up using an angle between 45 and 90 degrees. Never bend the sticker back further than a 90 degree angle, as this will promote the separation of the glue backing and printed material.
- Clean the surface. Some sticker residue may be rubbed off easily, while some require additional help. As always, avoid scratching the surface.
- First, try rubbing off the remaining residue by hand. Many forms of glue, even when mixed with a little paper, will curl up onto itself when moved over a surface.
- Second, if rubbing doesn't help, try using duct tape or other very sticky tape to remove the remaining residue. Break or cut off a piece of tape, apply it to the surface, then remove it. Repeat this until all of the residue has been removed, and attached to the tape instead.
- Third, if all previous attempts fail, use chemicals. A popular and extremely useful method is to use a citric-acid based cleaner such as "Goo-Gone". These type of cleaners will not harm metal or harder plastics, but may dry the surface of softer plastics, leaving a white, frosted appearance. Test this on a small, hidden area first. Another liquid to try is alcohol. Another is WD-40 which won't hurt the surface and can be cleaned off the computer's surface with a dish rag and a little soap.
- A product called "Odor Assassin" (Lemon-Lime Scent) that is available at most "dollar" and discount stores will dissolve most adhesives instantly and can be removed with a clean cotton face cloth.
Tips :
- Patience Conquers all stickers. Always go slow and steady on sticker removal. If it's not working and you're getting frustrated, leave it for another day when you have more patience.
- Try to use tools that won't damage your laptop. Your fingernails, erasers, plastic putty knives, no-stick spatula/pancake flipper, and even tweezers (used carefully) will pose the smallest threat to your laptop's surfaces.
- If your laptop sticker has one or more rounded corners, start peeling it from a rounded corner. If you come to an area where it starts to separate, start over from another edge.
- Before following this process, ensure that the laptop power is turned off, and unplugged from any electrical source. If possible, remove the laptop battery from the case as well.
- Sharp or hard objects will damage laptop surfaces if used to scrape off stickers.
- Avoid spilling any liquid into the cracks or exposed area of a laptop, such as the keyboard. Some liquid is conductive and may cause electrical shorts.
- Heat from a laptop increases the bond of some glue backings over time. This bond may etch into painted surfaces or even stain some plastics and brushed aluminum.
- Don't remove any stickers with OEM license information, as it will void some OEM licenses.
- Tweezers for stickers that are difficult to start.
- Cleaning solution such as alcohol or "Goo-Gone".
- Paper towels, napkins, or rags to use with the cleaning solution.
- Tape, such as duct tape, to help remove residue.
How to Repair Corrupted BIOS Firmware
Steps :
- Take the non-working bios chip out of its motherboard and set it aside to keep it safe.
- Take the working bios chip out of the working motherboard and insert it into the other motherboard, but do not press it all the way into its socket. Only place the chip so that its connectors are touching the sockets contacts firmly.
- Attempt to boot the motherboard with its temporarily installed bios chip. You must get the system booted to a floppy disk which contains the correct bios and installer for the broken motherboard. Do not flash the working bios chip.
- Gently use a chip puller or pair of small screwdrivers to remove the working bios chip from its socket. Be careful not to touch anything metal with the tools, as you must leave the system running for this. Set the working bios chip aside.
- Insert the corrupted bios chip firmly into the slot in the running motherboard. Again, be careful not to touch anything metal.
- Flash the corrupted bios following the instructions in How to Update Your Computer's BIOS.
- Cross your fingers and reboot.
- If it worked, reinstall the working bios chip back in its motherboard.
How to Remove a Stuck Cd/Dvd from a Macbook
Steps :
- Take a piece of paper or thin cardboard. It should be big enough so that you can insert it quite far into the drive and still hold well onto it. Actually, a DVD cover works well (removed from the plastic obviously).
- Insert the paper approximately 5 cm into the drive, on top of the CD, while holding onto it from outside.
- Press the eject button while the paper is still inside.
- If it doesn't work the first time around, it might actually help to just hold the computer so that the opening of the drive faces down.
Warnings :
There is a chance that this might harm the drive/computer, but being paper the chances are probably slim of that happening.
Things You'll Need :
- a Macbook with a CD/DVD stuck inside...
- a piece of paper, thin cardboard or a DVD cover-page.
How to Remove a Laptop Keyboard from a Dell Latitude D505

Handling the keyboard after removing the screws
Steps :
- Remove the keyboard bezel. Take a screw driver and put it at the slot of the bezel and using it as a lever pull off the bezel. Once the bezel is displaced the screws that hold the keyboard and the system-board together are visible.
- Loosen the screws that attach the keyboard and the system-board with a screwdriver of appropriate size. Pull-off the screws once they are sufficiently loosened.
- Hold the keyboard in your left hand and try to move it at an angle of 45 degree. You will notice that the only other attachment the keyboard has is a cable with a pin at it's end that fits into a socket placed on the system board.
- Holding the keyboard in your left hand at a comfortable distance, pull the cable pin out of the socket in vertical direction using your right hand. Once the pin is out you will find the keyboard removed.
- Be careful while removing the bezel else you might end up making dents on your laptop surface.
- Use a light colored polythene or cloth to keep all the fasteners such that they are easily accessible to you.
- Pull off the keyboard connecting cable gently.
- Under no circumstances should you use a screwdriver that is not an exact fit for your laptop screws. In case of such a usage you might end up with a scratched laptop surface.
- Be careful if using a magnetic screwdriver, a magnet can wreak havoc on the components.
- A laptop
- A screw driver of appropriate specification
- Light colored cloth or polythene.
How to Refill and Reuse a Printer Cartridge
Printer ink is one of the most expensive things that you'll run into when you set up your home office. You start out taking dozens of pictures with your new digital camera, download them onto your computer, print a few and then suddenly: the print cartridge runs out of ink.
If you follow this how-to guide and refill your print cartridge instead of buying a new one, you can save literally hundreds of dollars in printer ink.
Steps :- Purchase an ink refill kit at an office supply store. (Staples, Walmart, and Costco all carry this inexpensive kit. It usually costs about half the price of an average printer cartridge.)
- Gather your kit, a roll of paper towels, and some clear scotch tape together on a large flat working surface, a table or desk.
- Remove the empty cartridge from your printer. (Remember to close your printer lid or door while you are working.)
- Cover your hands with a pair of disposable plastic gloves while you work with the messy ink.
- Take a paper towel and fold it in half twice. Work over the paper towel to catch any leaking ink.
- Place the empty cartridge on it.
- Read the instruction manual included with the refill kit to learn how to refill your particular type of cartridge. (The following instructions are just a general guide).
- Locate the fill holes on the top of the cartridge. The depressions can be felt by rubbing your finger across the label.
- Use a sharp pencil to pierce the refill holes in the top of the ink cartridge. (Correct places can also be found in the kit instructions).
- In addition to black, there are three colors of ink: magenta, cyan, and yellow. Follow the kit instructions on which hole to insert each color OR push a toothpick into the holes to identify the colours as markings on the printer cartridge are sometimes there to fool you into putting the wrong colours into the cartridge ink chambers.
- Insert the long needle on the refill ink bottle into the correct hole.
- Slowly, add the ink. Carefully watch to be sure that you do not over-fill.
- Stop quickly as soon as you see a bit of ink oozing out of the hole. Without letting go of the bottle, slowly release the air, sucking a little ink back out of the ink cartridge, before you remove the needle completely.
- Carefully daub the cartridge contacts on the paper towel, you should see a splotch of the ink leaking out onto the paper towel.
- Cover the hole with a small piece of clear scotch tape. (This works better than the seal dots included in the kit.) Make sure that no ink is leaking out of the top holes. (That's where the clear tape comes in handy.) Be careful not to cross contaminate the colors.
- Repeat steps 11-15 for each ink color.
- After you have refilled all three colors, carefully blot (don't wipe or rub) the cartridge printhead on a folded piece of paper towel. You may need to do this several times. Do this until it stops bleeding and you see an even stripe of three colors showing up on the towel.
- If the blot shows the colors either faded or not at all, blot on wet paper towel and again on dry, to get the ink flowing.
- Replace the ink cartridge into the printer. Never, ever install a leaking print cartridge.
- Immediately print something, anything, just to get the ink flowing. Print several test pages, preferable photos with a lot of different colors.
- Follow the cleaning or priming cycles for your specific printer.
How to Read a Multimeter

- Understand the range. The meter has a range of zero to full scale. Zero (shown here) is always zero.

- Determine the voltage at full scale. It depends on the setting of the range switch. The meter is designed to give full scale when the voltage you're measuring matches the switch setting. Thus, if the switch is set to the 30 volt range, this picture shows 30 volts is applied across the inputs. Similarly, if the switch is set to the .1 amp range, you have 0.1 amps of current running through the meter.

- Remember that the meter is linear. So at half scale (shown here), you can just divide the range setting by 2. Here it is 150 volts on the 300V range, or 50mA on the 100mA range.
- Expect variations in scales. In this example, there are two scales, 0 to 1 and 0 to 3. Not all meters are like this. Some have 0 to 5, or 0 to 2, but scales are provided to match each setting of the range switch. Just find the one that matches the switch, then move the decimal point mentally.

- This example shows 7.2 volts on the 10V range, or 216mA on the 300mA range.

- Here it's 36.5mV on the 100mV range, or 11A on the 30A range.
- This example shows 7.2 volts on the 10V range, or 216mA on the 300mA range.
- If there is a mirror behind the needle, turn the meter left or right so that the needle covers its own reflection. This gives better accuracy.
- If the needle points below zero, then you've connected the "+" lead to a negative DC voltage (compared to the "-" lead). Note this, and reverse the connections to take the measurement.
- For DC current (Amps) measurements, the conventional current is flowing in to the "+" lead and out of the "-" lead when the pointer operates properly.






