|
| Tool |
Description or Purpose |
| Compact Tool Box |
I like to have as small a toolbox as I can that can still carry my most essential tools to work on a computer onsite. Also consider a backpack for easier portability, and put your tools in a roll-up case. |
| ESD Kit or Wrist Strap and Antistatic Bags |
A kit that includes the mat is usually a little overkill for the roving technician. Leave it at the workbench and take the strap. In lieu of the mat, you can bring more compact antistatic bags which are also useful for transporting ESD-sensitive devices to and from the site. |
| Screwdriver |
I prefer those with interchangeable tips so that you can switch between various sizes of philips, flathead, torx, or hex heads. Common torx sizes include T-8, T-9, T-10, T-15, T-20, T-25, T-30, T-40 Some people recommend electric screwdrivers, but for A+ technicians, this is usually overkill. Most screws such as case screws only require a few revolutions, and electric screwdrivers are not usually as compact. Plus, electric screwdrivers are for wimps. |
| Jeweler’s Screwdriver Set |
Really tiny philips and flathead screwdrivers. I often use these for laptop repair. |
| Spare screws, standoffs, jumpers, zip ties, etc. |
The tools.jpg file shows a small Ziploc bag of assorted parts. |
| Needle-nose Pliers |
Some parts of the case are quite crowded and it’s hard to fit your hand inside to plug in connectors or set jumpers. Needle-nose pliers are great for this kind of work. Some people recommend hemostats for retrieving small, loose parts inside the case, but I have found needle-nose pliers just as useful. |
| Network Cable and RJ-45 Connectors (Cat5 for Ethernet) |
Take one normal cable for typical network connections and one crossover for computer-to-computer connections (as in diagnostics or file transfers using a laptop). |
| CAT 5 Crimper |
The orange-handled tool in Tools.jpg. Sometimes a computer might not be properly connected because of a bad RJ-45 connection, so you might need to clip it off and crimp on a new one. |
| Flashlight |
I like the smallest, most compact Maglite I can find. There are also some good LED flashlights. Sometimes you’re working under a desk or out-of-the-way place where the dust is heavy and the lighting is poor. If you forget your flashlight, consider using the backlit screen of your cell phone. |
| USB and FireWire Cables |
Consider getting a travel case that includes retractable, self-storing cables. The one in Cases_Cables_CD.jpg shows USB and FireWire cables and adapters for nearly all conceivable connections. |
| CD and/or Floppy Disks |
Don’t really need floppies except for computers without CD/DVD drives. I use these disks to boot computers that are having startup problems. This at least gets me to a command line where I might be able to load diagnostic software or run other tools. I like to create a bootable “Emergency CD” that includes a variety of software tools such as antivirus scanners, file browsers, diagnostics, disk imaging, etc. If you have proper licensing, also bring OS CDs for current Windows products. They include command console tools to repair the OS. You might also need to reinstall the OS. |
| EIDE/SATA Cables |
80-pin EIDE cables can connect both IDE and EIDE, so no need for both. |
| Portable Hard Drive and/or USB Flash Drive |
If a critical system is unrecoverable but data on the HD is important, you can boot from your Emergency CD and transfer data to the drive. I have an 80 GB Western Digital drive that’s about the size of a pack of smokes. (Don’t smoke though – it’s bad for you.) Many USB flash drives are several GB in size and very useful and compact.
WARNING: Be sure to regularly scan these drives for viruses. Sometimes, a customer’s computer has failed because of a virus, and you don’t want to inadvertently transfer the virus to your drive and then to other customer’s. |
| Compressed Air |
As long as you’ve got the computer case open, might as well blow out the dust. You’ll probably have to take the system outside because this cleaning usually kicks up too much dust to be considerate in an office or home. Unfortunately, this can of compressed air takes up a LOT of space in the toolbox. Also consider a portable, antistatic vacuum. |
| Pens, Markers, Notepad |
Complicated systems might need labeling on cables for future reference. During extensive and tiresome troubleshooting, you might start to forget which steps you’ve already tried. Use your notepad to keep notes. Be sure to keep your writing implements in a quality pocket protector. Remember, you’re a geek! |
