Laptop/Notebook Maintenance

Presented by David Weaver and Quentin Hodges

Today’s Topics Include:

• Increasing Battery Life

• Hard Drives & Data

• DIY Consumable Items

• Replacing Keyboard/Key Caps

• BIOS Flashing

• Running Diagnostics

PC Laptop Tips & Maintenance

• Keyboard replacement

• In warranty - Call the service desk.

• Out of warranty - Contact COMPASS.

• Hard Drive replacement

• Slide out the old drive. Slide in a new drive.

• BIOS update

• Download from Dell website, place on diskette or CD.

• Check RAM

• Run diagnostics. Move RAM to another slot. Run again.

• Increase battery life

• Turn off Bluetooth and unused network connections. (Wired or Wireless)

• Proper battery charge

• Wait until battery is nearly empty before recharging.

• Calibrate new battery

• Not needed.

Portable Mac Tips & Maintenance

BatteriesWith a little bit of care, you can maximize the battery life (i.e. the time your battery will run before it must be recharged) and lifespan of

your notebook's battery.

Calibrating a BatteryThe battery has an internal microprocessor that provides an estimate of the amount of energy in the battery as it charges and discharges. The battery needs to be recalibrated from time to time to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display accurate and to keep the battery operating at maximum efficiency. You should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months after that.

Calibrating your battery ensures you get the longest possible running time from it. How often should you calibrate a battery? Calibrate your battery during the first week you own it, and then recalibrate it every two months. If you use your computer infrequently, it’s best to recalibrate it at least once a month.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

Optimal Setting• Energy: The Energy Saver control panel offers several settings that determine power

levels for your notebook. Your portable knows when it’s plugged in, and runs accordingly. When on battery power, it will dim the screen and use other components sparingly. If you change this setting to maximize performance, your battery will drain more quickly.

• Brightness: Dim the screen to the lowest comfortable level to achieve maximum battery life. For instance, when watching a DVD on an airplane, you may not need full brightness if all the lights are off.

• AirPort Wireless: AirPort consumes power, even if you are not using its features to connect to a network. You can turn it off in its control panel to save power.

• Bluetooth Wireless: Likewise, you can turn off Bluetooth to maximize your battery life, as it also consumes power when not in use.

• Applications and peripherals: Disconnect peripherals and quit applications not in use. Eject CDs and DVDs if not currently accessing them.

How to clean Mac portables

• Use a damp, soft, lint-free cloth. It is also safe to use isopropyl alcohol 70% or iKlear on the enclosure parts. Remove any surface dirt gently with your bare hand before proceeding with a cleaner and cloth. After cleaning, dry the plastic with a soft, lint-free cloth.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3226

Uses for FireWireData Transfer

IMAGINGSharing Network Connection

CD/DVD-ROM Sharing

Repairing Disk Permissions

• Connect the two computers with a FireWire cable.

• Start up the computer to be used as a disk in target disk mode:

• If the computer is off, start it up while holding down the T key.

• If the computer is on, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Startup Disk, and then click Target Disk Mode.When the computer has started up, a disk icon appears on the desktop of the other computer.

• Transfer files by dragging them to and from the disk.

• Eject the disk by dragging its icon to the Trash. (While you drag, the Trash icon changes to an Eject icon.)

FireWire Data Transfer

Before Upgrading...

• Run Software Update and bring the desktop or portable up to the latest version of the OS (10.4.11, 10.5.8, etc.)

• Install available firmware updates.

• Run Apple Hardware Test

Apple Hardware TestApple Hardware Test (AHT) contains a suite of diagnostics that will test the hardware of your computer.  It's is a great way to rule out a hardware issue when troubleshooting your computer.

• For Intel-based Apple computers shipping with Mac OS X v10.5.4 or earlier, Apple Hardware Test is located on the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 and should be included with your computer.

• For Intel-based Apple computers shipping with Mac OS X v10.5.5 or later, Apple Hardware Test is located on the Applications Install Disc 2 and should be included with your computer.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509

iBook DIY Projects

• iBook Keyboard Replacementhttp://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iBook_G4_Mid2005_keyboard_DIY.pdf

• Foot and Foot Socket Replacementhttp://www.info.apple.com/usen/cip/pdf/ibook/ibg4_foot_diy.pdf

• Adding Additional Memory (RAM)http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/ibook_g4_mid_2005_users_guide.pdf

http://support.apple.com/manuals/

Q & A