If you’ve built your own computer, you’re often going to have to take care of repairs yourself. You could always bring it to someone else, but you’ve taken the time, and learned the skills to build the computer, and you’re going to know it better than anyone. Even if you haven’t built your own computer, sometimes it’s easier and cheaper to do your own repairs. If you do take on repairs on a computer you’ve purchased, make sure you won’t be voiding any warranties by doing so.
Before digging into your diy computer, make sure you’ve exhausted any software maintenance options you might have. Often times, if you’re computer seems to be on the fritz, it can repair itself using built-in software tools. Also make sure that the errors you’re encountering aren’t be caused by viruses. Again, there is antivirus software available to combat viruses if this is the case.
Okay, so you’ve determined you might have a serious hardware issue, and you need to start troubleshooting parts. What are you going to need for the job? Well, to make things easy, you can often buy a complete computer repair tool kit. You can find these on Amazon or Tiger Direct costing anywhere from 20 to several hundred dollars, depending on how many tools are in the kit.
These kits have many tools in common though, and if you want, you can build you own set. What you’ll need in your computer repair kit includes the following; a set of small screwdrivers. These come in sets of 4-6 sizes in either phillips or flathead or both. Most commonly, you’ll find Phillips head screws, but it might be wise to get the complete set of both head types just in case. You’ll also need a set of small hex wrenches in both standard and metric sizes, as well as a small set of sockets and an adjustable angle socket wrench. Keeping a small selection of spare screws in various sizes is also handy.
You also may encounter some odd types of screw heads to include star, tri-wing, and square. You might want to add these to your repair kit, but if you’re looking to save money, and don’t plan on doing extensive repair on multiple computers, you might want to hold off on purchasing these until you encounter such a head.
If you plan on digging into the wiring, you’re going to need a wire cutter/stripper, a wire crimper, a soldering iron and solder, and a small electronic tester. It’s also helpful to have cable ties to keep the wiring tidy and organized inside the computer.
Is you’ve decided to build this kit yourself, you’re going to need a place to store all of these tools, and keep them organized. Obviously, a small tool box will work. Another useful option is a small tackle box. Anything with a variety of compartments will work.
This is solid list to get your started on a building a diy computer repair kit, though it is not all-inclusive. Can you think of anything I’ve missed?