The PC ToolBox

Sooner or later you'll need to pop the hood on the evil beast. (Or watch while a fearless guru friend does it for you.) When you do, you'll need the proper tools:

· two small screwdrivers, flat-head and Phillips-head, and make sure they aren't magnetized

· a Torx driver with a star-shaped head for getting hard drive screws

· tweezers with a good grip

· a small flashlight

· parts container, preferably with a lid

· needle-nose pliers

· an antistatic sheet or wrist-strap, especially if you're handling memory modules or adapter cards. In an emergency, you can cover your work surface with aluminum foil

· contact cleaning solution to remove the rust and crud from the metal contacts on expansion cards

· a can of compressed air for blowing out the accumulated crud

· a handheld vacuum cleaner for keeping your work environment clean -- just don't crack the PC case and use the vacuum in there!

· lint-free wipes and swabs -- forget the paper towels and Q-tips, they leave wisps of cotton or paper behind

· PC cleaning solution, for gently cleaning motherboards and various computer innards safely

· small brushes for getting into the nooks and crannies

· emergency boot disk with FDISK.EXE, SYS.COM, FORMAT.COM, and driver software for your SCSI adapter (if any) and CD-ROM drive, including MSCDEX.EXE

· a BIOS POST card (for more advanced users only) for when the Power On Self Test won't function properly and the beep codes don't reveal the problem. The POST card gives a numeric readout that details the problem.

· a DOS-based diagnostic program such as AMIDiag (don't forget the loop back plugs - loopback plugs are generally useful anyway)

· a hard-drive diagnostic/repair program such as GRC's SpinRite (recently updated)

· a DOS or Windows-based file system check and repair program such as Norton's Disk Doctor

· a DOS or Windows-based virus scanner; preferably both.