DFA Guide Computer Pages- Index

Here's a secret: if you can build with Legos, you can troubleshoot, repair and upgrade your Personal Computer. Just like with Legos, you can have fun doing it, too.

Nice guy that he is, Mick Halpin tells you how. He started with zero knowledge in 1997, and has gradually picked up a clue or two by messing around with any system people will let him near.

The topics are conveniently divided into eight lessons. There's also a section that points you to key resources, useful throughout all your studies...

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Resources

Syllabus: Keep track of what we've done and what we're going to do!

Mick's Must Haves: Recommended software to keep your PC healthy and secure.

Key Resources: Where to go for more help!

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson One

Right-click to save any documents (). Access websites () just by clicking on the link.

Safety in the Computer Lab: Keep the equipment and yourself in perfect order.

Kinds of Computers: Click the link to learn about different computers!

Computer Parts: Click the link what all these parts are called.

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Two

Case & Power Supply: Some important details...

PC Technology Guide: Key points about hardware, beautifully illustrated.

Upgrading & Repairing PCs An excellent source of highly accessible computer knowledge.

An superb walk through the boot process.

What to do when the PC won't even boot

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Three

Shopping for Motherboards: Click this link to view information from one online parts retailer.

What's on a Motherboard, anyway?

How does my OS work?: Want to find out how an Operating System like Windows works? Click this link!

Monitors & Video Cards: Some important details...

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Four

Driver Guide: Best place to look for the driver that will let your PC use that new piece of hardware you have added.

Sound Cards & Multimedia: What to look for, what you can do...

Windows Troubleshooting Tools: Needing help? You may have the answer right on your own PC, if you know where to look!

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Five

Data Storage Options: Where to save your hard work.

DSO Notes: More information about Data Storage Options.

Floppy Drives & Hard Drives: All the details that you need to replace, upgrade, and troubleshoot!

CybeTechHelp: Free tutorials for installing hard drives, speeding up Windows, and more...

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Six

System Care Guide: A good source of info about disaster recovery.

Tucows: Need a utility to recover a lost file (or to do about anything else)? Ask tucows.

Troubleshooting Modems: An excellent flowchart to help you discover the cause.

Broadwhat?: A plain-English guide to Irish Broadband.

Security Basics: Keep that PC safe from viruses, hackers, thieves and worse!

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Seven

Browser Security Test: Check to see if you've left an open door to a hacker.

Ultimate Networking Guide: How to connect your PC to other ones.

World of Windows Networking: It's ugly, but a wealth of information.

Home Networking: Loads of info about home networks, and an animated intro to one company's products.

PC Repair & Troubleshooting: Lesson Eight

Preventative Maintenance: How to keep your PC running well!

What To Upgrade: An interesting article from Tom's.

When to Upgrade: A few quick questions to help you decide.

Future computers take a new form: A short article about future generations of computers.

And an epilogue, concerning what to do if you wish to keep learning...

Yo! All Word documents and links to content on the DFA Guide site are copyright 2005 Mick Halpin. All links to other sites and documents are copyright to whatever source wrote something cool enough for Mick to give it a referral. Use these resources to increase your personal knowledge and solve your computer troubles! Try to claim them as your own work and bad karma will catch up with you, baby. Believe it.

Disclaimer Number Two: I'm not a computer scientist, I'm just an ordinary PC-using dude who's trying to be helpful. Take my recommendations and opinions as the recomendations and opinions that they are, not as gospel. If a brain-on-legs like Scott Mueller says something different, believe him instead! And drop me an e-mail so I can keep my pages updated: mick @ mickhalpin dot com.

This Page Was Last Updated On 25 September, 2005.