Pitfalls of Self-Repair

Computer Care: Beware the pitfalls of home PC repair

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Sept. 26, 2009 6:18 p.m.

There are circumstances when a computer can be fixed at home without the aid of a technician. There are also times when self-repair should never be attempted. Consider some of these situations next time something goes wrong with your PC.

Short of replacing the motherboard or processor, you might contemplate fixing your own computer if it seems routine enough. It all depends on how adept you are with your hands, working in tight places and your knowledge of computers and electricity.

No matter what you attempt, the first thing to do is unplug it. Don’t be a tough guy. It’s crowded in there and you never know what you might inadvertently touch.

Then make sure you are grounded. Electrostatic discharge can toast a system in seconds without you even knowing it. The easiest way to ground yourself is to touch a metal part of the box before you unplug it. Don’t work on a carpet or in stocking feet.

Even the simplest of tasks can prove disastrous if you’re not careful. Cleaning accumulated dust from a system shouldn’t prove difficult. It collects around the fans, in the power supply and on the motherboard. Too much dust eventually will force a computer to shut down.

Using a can of compressed air will do the job, but realize it is compressed gas, not air. It is dangerous to breathe, so take it outside. You’ll also make more of a mess than you think, another reason not to do it indoors.

If you hold the can any way other than upright, some propellant will escape. Not only is it cold, it is liquid and could short out the computer if you are not careful.

I caution you against the use of a vacuum to clean dust from your PC. It’s better to blow the dust off than suck it in. You never know — the vacuum may eat a small, loose part that you need.

On laptops, the keys pop off easily. If you vacuum bagel crumbs from a Satellite or Inspiron keyboard, you may lose a letter or two.

Replacing RAM, a hard drive or interface cards should be routine enough. But if you drop a screw, knock a cable or fail to seat a card properly, your system will not boot up. I always count screws as I take them out so I know how many should go back in when I’m done.

And speaking of cables, it’s a good idea to label them as you unplug them from the rear of the box. Both the mouse and keyboard use PS2 connectors, unless they are USB (then it doesn’t matter). The Ethernet cable looks like a phone cord but won’t fit in the wrong port. It’s also easy to confuse the speaker port with the mic port; both use pin plugs.

If you try to reinstall the video cable backward, you will most likely bend some pins, rendering the cable and in some cases, the monitor useless. On CRT monitors, the cable does not unscrew from it. Most LCDs, though, have connectors at both ends.

Be careful cleaning the monitor surface. It’s always better to spray your paper towel or cloth rather than the device itself. If you spray the screen, the liquid may puddle and drip inside, possibly shorting it out. Also, the less harsh the solvent you use, the better. Some may fog the surface of the monitor.

RAM goes in easy enough, but again, if you try to install it backward, you will not only damage the memory module, but its receptacle on the motherboard. Laptop memory has a spring latch holding it in place and usually goes in on an angle. It’s just something else to pay attention to.

While you’re inside your desktop, it’s not a bad idea to replace the battery — yes the battery. It controls your clock, among other things. They should last four to five years, and cost only about $3. So as long as you have the cover off, you might as well change it. They are easy to spot: flat, shiny and about the size of a quarter. Be careful popping it out. I suggest using pencil to release the spring. Pay attention to the polarity. The positive side (with the plus sign) should face up.

As far as printers go, if you need more than a cartridge alignment, I’d toss it. You pay for the ink now, not the unit itself.
Before you close up the box, take a last look around. Is everything connected? Check for any loose screws. Turn it upside down if you have to. All it takes is one to short it out.

Plug in the cables, saving the power cord for last and see if it still works.

There are lots of user-serviceable parts in a computer. But if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself replacing more than a RAM module. Before you take on even routine maintenance, give it careful consideration.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.

Dealing with Returns

Computer Care: The art of returning faulty items

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Sept. 12, 2009 12:57 a.m.

When I was a boy, my dad told me to always ask for the head barber. Tony owned the local clip joint where I grew up. He gave me a decent haircut, shaved my young sideburns with hot lather and tossed a steamy towel on me before slapping a cheap, aromatic after-shave on my face.

He made feel like a man. The secret, I discovered at an early age, was dealing with the one in charge.

It took some time for me to realize though, that my dad’s instructions applied not just for barbers, but for everywhere. His lesson has served me well. Wherever I go, especially when I have a problem, I ask for the head barber.

Recently, I went to a large superstore with a client to return a computer that was shipped to him DOA. We were politely shrugged off by all at the store. "Son," I heard my dad’s voice say. "Ask for the head barber."

So I asked to speak to the store manager. I’ll tell you in a moment what happened, but first here’s some tips to consider when dealing with a situation such as this:

• Whether in person or on the phone, get names of those you encounter. Know who you’re speaking with and take notes.

• Keep your cool. Don’t raise your voice and don’t make threats. Nobody responds well to threats.

• Be familiar with the warranty. Know when the store stops covering the product and the manufacturer takes over.

• Save all boxes, manuals, cables, etc., as they will check for them upon a return.

• Be flexible. The agent may be willing to trade your broken product for a similar, if not identical one. Be willing to consider a compromise. Be ready to accept it.

• Stand your ground, if you are certain you are in the right. Don’t be brushed off by, "Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to help you." Find someone who can.

• Occasionally the manager will not be available. If you get nowhere with his assistant, go home and call the store, the head office or write them a strong, well thought-out letter. A snail-mail letter, especially registered, will have more effect than an e-mail. But you might start with that.

Understand sometimes you take a chance when you buy certain sale items. In those cases, should something go wrong, you may have to eat it. Open-box items, clearance sales, returns and many refurbished products are sold "as is," meaning you get a deep discount but take a chance on product quality. Most often there is nothing wrong with these items, but you never know. It’s a gamble and occasionally you lose.

But when you spend hundreds of dollars on a new item and something goes wrong, you then have a legitimate gripe. Most stores are reluctant to offer you a refund, but will exchange a broken item for one that works.

Be reasonable in your demands though. Don’t expect a trade because you don’t like the color of a product or because it has a small scratch on it.

Now back to my case. The computer arrived late and unable to boot up. This was after six days when my client paid for "expedited" shipping. I explained this to the sales guy, his supervisor and eventually to the store manager and that I was a PC tech who knew a dead computer when I saw one. What made me dig in even more was when he informed me there was nothing he could do, due to the fact that the computer was purchased on the Web site, not at the store.

I advised him that consumers don’t care about such details. The store, the Web site — it’s all the same to us, and that it should be for them as well.

I told him I was guilty of opening the case to see if there was a hard drive installed. He then matter-of-factly informed me that could void the warranty. I told him I broke no foil seal in the process. He told me the screws had special paint to tell if they had been tampered with. I told him I did in fact tamper with them to open the case. Wow!

So we went back and forth for some time. I think he finally realized I wasn’t going anywhere and that we had a legitimate gripe. He said he had to call someone in authority. I told him I could wait. He eventually gave in and allowed us to swap out the bad unit for a good one.

The bottom line here is that you should not be intimidated by a sales clerk. If you spent a lot of money in a store, you deserve a lot of customer service (not an oxymoron). Don’t accept that there is nothing they can do. Sure there is.

If you have trouble dealing with the person at hand, heed my dad’s words: Ask for the head barber.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.