Here are some of the tools I have in my computer repair toolkit:
* USB NIC (Network Interface Card) – if you can’t figure out which network driver is the correct one for the computer you are working on, you can use a USB NIC to get online. Once online, you can do a Windows Update, to see if you can find a network driver that way. If you find one, install it, and then reboot. Chances are, you will now be back in business with the onboard NIC. This method has never failed me.
I have a USB Ethernet adapter. I keep it handy for those times when the onboard Ethernet port simply won’t work.
Here’s a USB Ethernet adapter you can get at amazon.com for $11.99:
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Ethernet-Adapter-Nintendo-Chromebook/dp/B00MYT481C/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=usb+ethernet+adapter&qid=1577905389&s=electronics&sr=1-5
I suggest that you go with USB2, not USB3. The idea here is that you are using this as a way to get online when there is no other way; so you don’t have to have the latest and greatest, you just have to have something that will always work. A USB3 device might not work in a USB2 port; but a USB2 device will almost certainly work in a USB3 port.
* Torx screwdriver – When working on a computer, some of the screws require a Torx bit. And I’ve seen some really small Torx screws. You might not be able to find a small enough Torx bit at a moment’s notice, so I recommend that you go online and order a set of Torx bits, from size T4 up to T10. Some of these will have a hole in the middle of the bit, because the screw has a small bump in the middle of the head to prevent people from unscrewing it. Get bits with holes in the middle for whatever sizes are available. (I think T8 is the smallest size with a hole in the middle.)
You will also need Phillips and slot-head bits. And a very important thing to have is a magnetic screwdriver, so that the screw will stay in place as you are screwing it into the hole, and also so that you can easily pick up a screw that has fallen onto the motherboard.
* Needle-nose pliers – Get a pair of needle-nose pliers with a long reach; or get a whole set of them:
https://www.amazon.com/ATE-Pro-USA-93360-Plier/dp/B004NJJQA4?ref_=Oct_TopRatedC_553318_5&pf_rd_p=1663d451-9da0-52f6-910b-2568a4ae957a&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=553318&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=Z2TZJH9QVJ3TJANSVM0X&pf_rd_r=Z2TZJH9QVJ3TJANSVM0X&pf_rd_p=1663d451-9da0-52f6-910b-2568a4ae957a
* Flashlight, mirror, magnifying glass – sometimes it is hard to read a number, either on a wall jack or in the computer. And sometimes a heavy desk is up against the wall jack, making it impossible to read the number on the jack. A mirror, a flashlight, and a magnifying glass are lifesavers in these situations.
I got tired of asking ladies if I could borrow their mirror, so I went to my local auto parts store and got a mirror with an extendable handle for my toolkit. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Anbar-%EF%BC%88Red%EF%BC%89Telescoping-Inspection-Mirror%EF%BC%8CLED-Flexible/dp/B076DKD4H5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21Y87BXS6ZYH3&keywords=mirror+with+handle&qid=1577905726&s=electronics&sprefix=mirror+with+handle%2Celectronics%2C180&sr=1-1
* Static wrist strap – so that you won’t short something out when you handle it:
https://www.amazon.com/ATS-W24YKingwin-Adjustable-Comfortably-Electronics-Electricity/dp/B01BMJ1VWS/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1383BDY2OH1FT&keywords=static+wrist+strap&qid=1577904997&s=hi&sprefix=static%2Ctools%2C184&sr=1-5
* Toner – A toner is used to trace a wire, in other words, to match the two ends of a wire. The most common usage is when you are trying to find which port on the switch panel goes with the jack in a user’s office. A toner doesn’t tell you whether there are problems with the line, it merely tells you which port a jack goes with. (There are eight wires in an Ethernet cable, and if any of them are good, the toner will sound.)
Here is an easy-to-use toner that you can get on Amazon for $39.97::
https://www.amazon.com/Sperry-Instruments-ET64220-Installers-Must-Have/dp/B00279JLBQ/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=Sperry+wire+tracker+ET64220&qid=1577904284&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQzZTUlNIMkZHM1FHJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTgzMzEzRFVDV1NLQ0xHRzBaJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5OTk0MDgySDhYSUg1WklWSlE2JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
* Cable Tester – If you can’t get on the internet when you plug the computer into a connected jack, the cabling in the wall might be defective in some way. This tool will let you know if each of the eight wires in your Ethernet cable is correctly connected, or if one or more of the wires are broken. The better cable testers can tell you more than that, such as how far down the line a wire is broken; but they can get quite expensive.
Here is a nice Ethernet cable tester you can get at amazon.com for $15.45:
https://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-70025-Network-Cable-Tester/dp/B000KMHL8M/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=rj45+network+tester+pa70025&qid=1577903923&sr=8-3
This cable tester won’t tell you of all possible problems, but it will tell you if the cabling in the wall is the culprit, as well as if any of the wires are crossed or broken.
You may be able to get a cable tester and a toner at your local hardware store.
* PS/2 keyboard and mouse – If USB dies on your computer (this has happened twice with me over the years), you will have no way of using your keyboard and mouse, unless the computer has PS/2 ports and you happen to have a PS/2 keyboard and mouse. If you connect a PS/2 keyboard and mouse while the computer is powered off, they will ALWAYS work. In other words, you will have a working keyboard and mouse to use in order to try to fix the USB problem without having to reinstall Windows.
* Linux Live flash drive and DVD – sometimes you can fix a problem easier in Linux than you can in Windows. Keeping a Linux Live flash drive and DVD in your tool kit will allow you to boot into Linux Live and give it a try.
What are some tools that you consider essential for a computer tech?
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server
