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Personal computer (PC) support has evolved into one of the largest service
industries in the world. The demand for skilled technicians to maintain, support,
and upgrade PCs is ever growing. It is a rewarding and challenging career that
can take you anywhere in the world. If you enjoy tinkering with PCs or have ever
wondered how they work and what it takes to repair them, this course is for you.
If you wish to learn computer networking, programming, administration, or any
of the computer sciences, then this is the perfect place to start. A good foundation
in PC technology will provide you with a base of knowledge that will make
learning the other technical areas much easier.
Most computer troubleshooting is performed at the keyboard using
knowledge about the PC system. You need to have a good understanding of how
the components work hand-in-hand with the operating system software rather
than knowing how the electronic parts (transistors, resistors, and capacitors)
function. PC repair started out as a domain dominated by electronic technicians
with thousands of hours of training. It has evolved into a specialized field of PC
technicians requiring little to no electronics background at all.
The actual concepts and mechanics of computer repair are quite easy. You can
show someone how to change the major components inside a PC very quickly with
very few tools. For example, the mechanics of replacing a hard drive are extremely
easy. Problems arise, however, if the hard drive doesn’t work as expected and you
start to read the technical manual specifications for help. Questions and answers
are filled with unfamiliar terms such as format, fdisk, partition, active partition, sectors,
block allocation units, boot sector, system files, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HPFS, OS/2, MB,
boot disk, system recovery disk, system disk, cable select, IDE, ATA, EIDE, and SCSI. This
can prove very confusing to the novice. However, with a little effort, soon you will
be talking “techie talk” like the rest of the technicians.
Computer systems are built better than ever before. The constant problems
caused by failing components encountered 30 years ago are seldom found today.
Computers still do fail because of bad components, but now the majority of failures
are due to software problems or they are caused by the computer users themselves.
Only a small percentage of computer failures require component replacement. What
is needed is someone who can diagnose the problem and determine if it is hardware
related, software related, or user generated. This is the job of the PC technician.
Remember that with PC repair, it is important to complete all lab activities. They are
designed to give you valuable computer experiences and enhance the skills you are
being taught. This will better prepare you for the CompTIA A+ exams if you choose
to take them, and better prepare you for a career as a PC technician.
I wish you much success in your future.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Roberts
Introduction