Information System Support and Integration cheat sheet

Key terms

The system unit

The main case housing the motherboard, processor, memory modules, internal storage, power supply unit and expansion cards, with the cooling fans that keep them within temperature. Everything that processes and stores lives here, so it is where most internal repairs happen and where anti-static precautions matter most.

Secondary storage

Persistent storage that retains data after power-off: hard disk drives, solid-state drives, optical discs, USB flash drives and memory cards. Mechanical hard disks fail from shock and age; solid-state drives wear with writes; both fail without warning, which is why backup (see the chapter on data protection) is a support task and not an afterthought.

Input/output devices

Hardware that brings data in or presents results out: keyboard, mouse, scanner, webcam, monitor, printer, speakers. They are external, cheap relative to the system unit, and the most frequently replaced parts, so a support desk keeps spares.

Communication devices

Hardware that enables data exchange with other systems: the network interface card, Wi-Fi adapter, modem, and the switches and routers beyond the machine. A communication fault is often the first symptom a user reports ('the internet is down'), and the technician must decide whether it lies in the device, the cable or the network.

Simple hand tools for basic disassembly and reassembly procedures

Phillips and flat screwdrivers in several sizes, a magnetic parts tray, needle-nose pliers, tweezers, a spudger for prising plastic clips, and a torch. Used with an anti-static wrist strap, since the greatest risk during disassembly is not the screwdriver but the static charge on the technician.

Diagnostics software

Programs that test components without opening the case: the operating system's own event logs and hardware monitor, disk health tools that read SMART data, memory testers such as MemTest86, and manufacturers' diagnostic utilities. The first tool to reach for, because it narrows the fault before any hardware is touched.

A multimeter

Measures voltage, current, resistance and continuity. Used to confirm that a power supply is delivering the correct voltages, that a cable is continuous end to end, and that a fuse or switch is not open, so that a working part is not replaced by mistake.

Chemicals (such as contact cleaners), component freeze sprays, and compressed air

Contact cleaner dissolves oxidation on connectors and switches; freeze spray cools a suspected component to see whether a fault that appears when hot disappears, isolating a thermal failure; compressed air clears dust from fans, heatsinks and slots without touching them. Each is used in a ventilated space and never on a powered machine.

Foam swabs, or lint-free cotton swabs if foam is not available

For cleaning sensitive surfaces (contacts, lenses, the inside of a mouse, keyboard gaps) with a little isopropyl alcohol without leaving fibres behind. Ordinary cotton buds shed lint that can bridge contacts.

Memory module tester

A dedicated device, or a bootable software tester used the same way, that exercises every cell of a RAM module and reports errors, confirming whether intermittent crashes and blue screens are caused by faulty memory before a module is replaced.