Summary
This chapter discussed preventive maintenance and the importance of keeping computer hardware in good working condition to avoid costly repairs. Some of the important concepts to retain from this chapter include the following:
  • Three questions to address when developing a preventive maintenance program are when, why, and how.
  • The tools and equipment required to safely maintain computer components.
  • Environmental guidelines to follow regarding the proper disposal or recycling options for CRTs, batteries, printing supplies, and so on. 
  • Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection devices and creating an ESD free environment.
  • Preventive maintenance procedures for individual computer components.
  • Running software utilities including scandisk and defrag to manage applications and files. 
  • Protecting system integrity against computer viruses. There are several types including viruses that attack program files, boot sector. viruses that infect the hard drive, and macros that can be written to automatically damage one system or an entire network. 
  • Identifying power interruptions that cause malfunctions and the devices used to protect sensitive equipment.

The next chapter details troubleshooting basics for computer hardware. The steps to determine the cause of specific problems and the steps to follow to resolve hardware problems are detailed.