PC Maintenance and Repair

Your at-home learning course includes six Instruction Sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you’ll employ in your new career in PC Maintenance and Repair. Your first Instruction Set will be sent to you as soon as your enrolment has been accepted. Other Instruction Sets will follow as you complete your exams, so that you will always have training materials to work with.

We recommend that you have two PCs, one for disassembly practice and the other for software use. For the practice PC used in hands-on exercises, we suggest a Pentium II/Pentium III or an AMD K2-6 processor with a minimum of 128MB of RAM, a 5 to 10GB hard drive, a 56K modem, and a Windows® 98 Second Edition/Me or Windows NT®4.0/2000 operating system. For your OS/software studies, we suggest a PC with Windows® XP (Home or Professional) operating system with an active Internet account.

Here is an overview of what you’ll learn and the order in which you’ll receive your learning materials:

Instruction Set 1

• Learning Strategies
  • The advantages of learning at home; types of study materials; types of examinations; accessing and using the features or our website; determining what akinf of learner you are; establishing a study schedule; using study tips; preparing for and taking examinations.
• Technology and Society
  • Impact of Technology; social implications of technology; technology careers.
• Introduction to PC Repair
  • The PC repair technician; obtaining a PC; basic setup and operating procedures; tools for the trade; setting up shop.

Instruction Set 2

• Introduction to Hardware and Software
  • Hardware; software; how hardware and software work together.
• Preparing for your Career as a PC Repair Technician
  • Professionalism; working with customers; running a business.

Instruction Set 3

• Working with Disk Drives
  • Data storage using the floppy drive; using windows and DOS commands; emergency startup/rescue disks; maintenance on floppy drives; physical characteristics of floppy disk drives; other removable media.
• System Boards and Component Identification
  • The system board; the central processing unit; the bus system; complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS).
• Understanding Memory
  • Types of memory; memory configurations.
• Multimedia – CD and DVD Drives
  • Multimedia; what you need; sounds and images; sound files; image files; sound and graphic cards; CD and DVD drives; CD drives; DVD drives; DVD standards; installing CD and DVD drives; other multimedia devices and your PC.
• Installation and Support of Hard Drives
  • Hard drives; data storage; formatting a hard drive; optimizing a hard drive; using windows and DOS commands; hard drive interface technologies; maintenance on hard drives.
• Multimeter Operation Manual
  • Introduction, multimeter operation; practical applications; review of electrical fundamentals.
• Power Supplies
  • Power supplies; basic electricity; diagnostic tools and techniques; the power supply; power management; power protection and power-conditioning devices; fire extinguishers.
• Equipment: Multimeter

Instruction Set 4

• Notebooks, Laptops and PDAs
  • Definition; history; powering your notebook; upgrading a notebook; communicating with notebooks; smaller portable devices.
• External I/O Devices and Printers
  • Attaching I/O devices; external I/O Devices; printers.
• Basic Troubleshooting and Support
  • Troubleshooting tools; isolating computer problems; support and preventative maintenance.
• Buying and Building a PC
  • Deciding to buy or build a PC; building a personal computer.
• PC to PC – Modems and the Internet
  • Modems; modem basics; PC-to-modem communication; software-to-modem communication; software-to-software communication; modem installation and configuration; troubleshooting; types of communication; internet communication tools; specification and terms.
• Learning Aid: Diagnostic Software
• DVDs:
  • Personal Computer Repair
  • Personal Computer Assembly

Instruction Set 5

•  Introduction to Operating Systems
  • Operating system basics; evolution of operating systems; PC hardware, processors and operating systems.
• Viruses and Disaster – Data Protection and Recovery
  • Computer viruses and their prevention; data protection, recovery and backup.
• Understanding Windows NT
  • Windows NT; Windows NT features; Windows NT hard drive support; Windows NT networking; install Windows NT; startup process; Customize Windows NT; installing software and hardware; registry; Windows NT’s diagnostic tools.
• Understanding Windows 9X and ME
  • Definition, the core; installing and customizing the Windows 9x operating system; Windows 9x operating system processes; software and hardware support; troubleshooting and support; programs included with the operating system.
• Standard Operating and Maintenance Procedures
  • File system maintenance; disk maintenance; system maintenance.
• Understanding Windows 2000 and XP
  • Windows 2000 and XP; installing the operating system; customize the look and feel of your PC; optimizing the OS; operating system processes; the registry; software in the Windows 2000 and XP environment; hardware in the Windows 2000 and XP environment; troubleshooting and support.
• Apple Computers
  • History; the operating system; software; hardware; troubleshooting; further information about apple.

Instruction Set 6

• Networking Protocols and Internet Working
  • Computer communications; internetworking LANS and WANs; related networking issues.
• Textbook:Hands-on Networking Fundamentals

Online Library and Librarian
Students in ICS Canada have access to an online library for use during their studies. Students can use this library to do the required research in the courses they complete or can use it for general reference and links to valuable resources. The library contains helpful research assistance, articles, databases, books, and Web links. A librarian is available to answer questions on general research-related topics via email and to assist students in research activities during their studies with ICS Canada.

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.

A+ is a trademark registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. registered in the United States of America and other countries.