Welcome to my Beginners Guide To Becoming a Computer Hardware Tech guide into getting started with computer hardware installation, upgrading and maintaining.  I will be talking about various items you will need and point to a huge index of links.  This includes tutorials on building a computer from scratch, tips and tricks, myths exposed and more.  If you plan to build computers from scratch then you will need the proper reading in order to get a good understanding of what you will be dealing with when you build and maintain computers.

The first items on the list are the books for reference and getting to know the basics, and I would like to mention that you could use these books to study for the A+ exams in order to receive your certificate in various aspects of computer technology.  The first book you will be using is called A+ Guide to Hardware: Managing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting, Fourth Edition, and this book covers every piece of computer hardware that is needed to run a computer and the best part is this book goes into very good detail for it.

The second book is called A+ Guide to Software: Managing, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting, Fourth Edition, and this book covers the software side of things such as installing, troubleshooting and administrating your computer system.  Also, if you’re a For Dummies fan then make sure to go and check out their website on how to study for the A+ exams and other great books as well.

So what is the A+ Certification Program?  Simple enough it is an exam that tells you how well prepared you are for the test and your knowledge on the material as well.  They have exams for hard, software, Microsoft products, security, networking and even Linux, and if you plan on taking the A+ exams, then go to CompTIA to check their website out to get information on books, finding the nearest test center and even getting vouchers to help cover the costs of taking this expensive test.  Also it is worth mentioning that having an A+ certificate looks good on a resume if your applying for a computer based job.

Now that you have the reading material, the next step for any builder is a set of tools, and relating to the computers tools, there are plenty of them in various sizes.  However, if your starting out then you would want a small toolset and over time you will be building on it with more tools and what not. However, if you want all the tools you can get then check this website out on how to build the ultimate computer tool box.

This 12-page article covers everything you need for the ultimate toolbox in computer repair and so make sure to bring your checkbook or lots of cash as that is a lot of tools.  However, if you want to keep things simple then go with this small tool kit for your home computer needs.

Now that we have covered the basic books and the tools for starting to build and repair, lets discuss the basic components you will need to actually build a computer.

Primary Parts

-Computer Case
-Power supply (350W minimum recommended)
-Motherboard (make sure it is compatible with the case you have chosen)
-CPU and heat sink/fan (make sure it is compatible with the motherboard you have chosen)
-System RAM (check the compatibility list to ensure that your RAM will work with your motherboard)
-Hard drive(s) (verify the SATA or PATA interface is supported by your motherboard)
-Optical drive(s) (don’t forget to match the bezel color to the case color)
-Floppy drive (don’t forget to match the bezel color to the case color)
-Graphics card If not integrated into the motherboard. (verify the interface compatibility with your motherboard, AGP or PCI-e)
-Sound card If not integrated into the motherboard.
-Modem
-Additional expansion cards needed? USB, Firewire, Wi-Fi, others
-Keyboard and mouse
-Monitor (verify your graphics card output connection compatibility with the monitor, analog or DVI)
-Speakers (verify your audio card capability for more than 2.0 speaker systems)
-Operating System (verify Windows version: XP Home or Pro; Retail/OEM/Upgrade)

The final thing I will cover in the basics is safety; computer hardware is very susceptible to static electricity and may damage the hardware beyond repair.  The best way to protect yourself from discharging static electricity is use a ground bracelet that you put on your wrist and then connect it to your computer, or you can purchase a grounding mat in which you place the tools and hardware onto the mat and then work from there.  Another useful item to help protect your hardware is static shielding bags, which pretty much come with all hardware that will purchase.  In addition, it is worth mentioning that the grounding bracelet comes in that small toolkit I mentioned above.

Now that you know the books, tools and parts to help build your first computer and then being able to troubleshoot other computers, I am going to provide you a list of links to help build up a good knowledge base on building computers.

Computer Building Tutorials

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1444

http://www.rexx.com/~dkuhlman/computer_assembly.html

Tips, Tricks, and Myths Debunked

http://www.tigerdirect.com/static/html/pcbuildingtips.html

http://www.pcpower.com/technology/myths/

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=84&pgno=0

http://web.vtc.edu/users/cph11120/PC/PIII/cooling.htm

http://www.tigerdirect.com/static/html/pcbuildingtips.html

Trouble Shooting Links

https://europa.ccv.vsc.edu/courses/1/CIS-2110-VM01-V07SU/content/_880698_1/Troubleshooting%20loading%20Windows%209X.pdf?bsession=11319880&bsession_str=session_id=11319880,user_id_pk1=131628,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=

https://europa.ccv.vsc.edu/courses/1/CIS-2110-VM01-V07SU/content/_880706_1/Troubleshooting%20network%20problems.pdf?bsession=11319880&bsession_str=session_id=11319880,user_id_pk1=131628,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=

https://europa.ccv.vsc.edu/courses/1/CIS-2110-VM01-V07SU/content/_880713_1/Troubleshooting%20the%20boot%20process.pdf?bsession=11319880&bsession_str=session_id=11319880,user_id_pk1=131628,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=

https://europa.ccv.vsc.edu/courses/1/CIS-2110-VM01-V07SU/content/_880714_1/Troubleshooting%20the%20hard%20drive.pdf?bsession=11319880&bsession_str=session_id=11319880,user_id_pk1=131628,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=

Hardware links

http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/1487_7.html

http://www.build-gaming-computers.com/computer-power-supply.html

Misc. Info

http://www.cpuplanet.com/features/article.php/1479361

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/01/09/strip_out_the_fans/

http://www.powernotebooks.com/articles/index.php?action=showcat&catid=7

http://www.tomshardware.com/2002/08/20/how_to_assemble_the_ultimate_toolbox/index.html