WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.090 --> 00:00:01.830 In this lesson, we're going to talk about 2 00:00:01.830 --> 00:00:03.420 physical component damage, 3 00:00:03.420 --> 00:00:05.910 specifically those components on your motherboard 4 00:00:05.910 --> 00:00:07.620 that can be damaged over time, 5 00:00:07.620 --> 00:00:09.570 either by manufacturing defects, 6 00:00:09.570 --> 00:00:11.040 careless actions by a user, 7 00:00:11.040 --> 00:00:13.110 or a technician who isn't following 8 00:00:13.110 --> 00:00:14.580 the proper safety protocols 9 00:00:14.580 --> 00:00:16.980 when they're installing or removing components. 10 00:00:16.980 --> 00:00:18.870 Now, when it comes to physical damage of components 11 00:00:18.870 --> 00:00:19.890 on a motherboard, 12 00:00:19.890 --> 00:00:21.510 normally we're going to be looking at things 13 00:00:21.510 --> 00:00:24.060 like the chips on the motherboard, the resistors, 14 00:00:24.060 --> 00:00:26.430 and the capacitors on that motherboard. 15 00:00:26.430 --> 00:00:28.440 Now, when we look at the other chips on our motherboard 16 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:29.610 and other sensitive components 17 00:00:29.610 --> 00:00:31.410 like resistors and capacitors, 18 00:00:31.410 --> 00:00:34.050 these can actually be damaged by electrostatic discharge, 19 00:00:34.050 --> 00:00:35.640 also known as ESD, 20 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:37.110 as well as electrical spikes, 21 00:00:37.110 --> 00:00:39.570 or even overheating of your system. 22 00:00:39.570 --> 00:00:41.070 If the components on your motherboard 23 00:00:41.070 --> 00:00:43.770 are exposed to excessive thermal loads over time, 24 00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:45.540 this can actually wear down those components 25 00:00:45.540 --> 00:00:47.310 and cause permanent damage. 26 00:00:47.310 --> 00:00:48.900 Now, in addition to all the different chips 27 00:00:48.900 --> 00:00:50.400 and components on the motherboard, 28 00:00:50.400 --> 00:00:51.990 there's also a lot of different connectors 29 00:00:51.990 --> 00:00:53.520 on the motherboard too. 30 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:54.900 If you're plugging or unplugging 31 00:00:54.900 --> 00:00:56.640 different cables into different ports, 32 00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:00.090 over time those ports and connectors can become worn down, 33 00:01:00.090 --> 00:01:02.280 and the pins can get bent or damaged. 34 00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:04.770 When this happens, those pins can actually be bent 35 00:01:04.770 --> 00:01:06.300 or broken off completely 36 00:01:06.300 --> 00:01:08.370 and this will cause those particular components 37 00:01:08.370 --> 00:01:10.380 that are attached to those pins or connectors 38 00:01:10.380 --> 00:01:12.450 to fail and no longer communicate properly 39 00:01:12.450 --> 00:01:14.880 with the motherboard and it's associated components. 40 00:01:14.880 --> 00:01:15.900 So it's always important 41 00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:18.300 when you're putting things into or out of a connector, 42 00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:20.250 you take care to do it the right way 43 00:01:20.250 --> 00:01:22.890 and put it directly in and not at an angle 44 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:25.350 that can bend or break different pins. 45 00:01:25.350 --> 00:01:27.540 Also, when you're looking at your motherboard, 46 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:29.160 you always want to keep it clean. 47 00:01:29.160 --> 00:01:32.220 Dust and dirt can cause lots of problems for your system 48 00:01:32.220 --> 00:01:35.160 including overheating or shorting out of components 49 00:01:35.160 --> 00:01:37.410 if that dirt has conductive material in it, 50 00:01:37.410 --> 00:01:38.910 such as little metal flakes 51 00:01:38.910 --> 00:01:41.640 that can go across the sensitive components of a motherboard 52 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:43.440 and cause shorts. 53 00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:45.000 Another common problem that you'll find 54 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:46.680 with different computers being damaged 55 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:48.570 is when a user is simply careless 56 00:01:48.570 --> 00:01:51.090 and they're eating or drinking around that system. 57 00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:52.740 When you're eating or drinking around a system 58 00:01:52.740 --> 00:01:55.590 and you accidentally spill over your coffee cup or water, 59 00:01:55.590 --> 00:01:58.050 this can then get onto the case and seep inside 60 00:01:58.050 --> 00:01:59.370 onto the motherboard itself 61 00:01:59.370 --> 00:02:01.530 and damage the different components there. 62 00:02:01.530 --> 00:02:03.360 Generally, this is one of the easiest things 63 00:02:03.360 --> 00:02:05.160 for you as a technician to identify 64 00:02:05.160 --> 00:02:06.600 because you're going to be able to physically see 65 00:02:06.600 --> 00:02:08.400 the damage to this motherboard 66 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:10.500 based on that liquid damage or other things 67 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:12.240 that were dropped onto it. 68 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.940 Now, in addition to looking for things physically 69 00:02:14.940 --> 00:02:16.470 you can also use your nose 70 00:02:16.470 --> 00:02:19.380 as one of the things to detect when things are going wrong. 71 00:02:19.380 --> 00:02:22.260 For example, you might smell either a burning smell 72 00:02:22.260 --> 00:02:23.970 or a rancid smell. 73 00:02:23.970 --> 00:02:25.320 If you smell an unusual odor 74 00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:27.540 like a burning smell or you see smoke, 75 00:02:27.540 --> 00:02:29.730 this can indicate that something is overheating, 76 00:02:29.730 --> 00:02:30.870 such as a power supply, 77 00:02:30.870 --> 00:02:32.400 and this can actually catch fire, 78 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:35.040 and obviously that would damage the computer as well. 79 00:02:35.040 --> 00:02:36.120 Another thing to look for 80 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:37.860 if you start to smell a burning smell, 81 00:02:37.860 --> 00:02:39.960 is to make sure the case and its fan vents 82 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:41.700 aren't clogged with dust or dirt 83 00:02:41.700 --> 00:02:43.080 because this will hinder airflow 84 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:45.360 and can overheat the system as well. 85 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:47.010 Now the final thing we need to talk about 86 00:02:47.010 --> 00:02:49.350 is that rancid smell that I just mentioned. 87 00:02:49.350 --> 00:02:52.890 Now, this often comes from a blown or burst capacitor. 88 00:02:52.890 --> 00:02:55.530 Now a capacitor is a small electronic device 89 00:02:55.530 --> 00:02:58.050 that has a barrel-like or cylindrical shape. 90 00:02:58.050 --> 00:02:59.850 You'll see these all over your motherboard, 91 00:02:59.850 --> 00:03:02.310 and they're used to regulate the amount of electricity 92 00:03:02.310 --> 00:03:04.920 that is going to the different chips in a system. 93 00:03:04.920 --> 00:03:08.340 Now, these capacitors are used to basically hold a charge, 94 00:03:08.340 --> 00:03:09.960 and over time, and they're made up 95 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.600 of a different chemical composition inside of them. 96 00:03:12.600 --> 00:03:14.310 If there's a manufacturing defect, 97 00:03:14.310 --> 00:03:16.920 and that chemical inside starts to seep out, 98 00:03:16.920 --> 00:03:17.820 you're going to smell it 99 00:03:17.820 --> 00:03:20.460 because it has a very sour and rancid smell to it, 100 00:03:20.460 --> 00:03:21.870 and it's very distinctive. 101 00:03:21.870 --> 00:03:23.700 Once you smell this once in your career, 102 00:03:23.700 --> 00:03:25.260 you're going to know exactly what it is 103 00:03:25.260 --> 00:03:26.520 every time you smell it in the future 104 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:28.410 because it is very distinctive. 105 00:03:28.410 --> 00:03:30.090 Now, when you have these capacitors 106 00:03:30.090 --> 00:03:32.820 and if they start leaking out that chemical component, 107 00:03:32.820 --> 00:03:35.700 this can start emitting that residue onto the motherboard, 108 00:03:35.700 --> 00:03:37.680 and when the capacitors start emitting 109 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:39.240 this internal chemical, 110 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:41.550 it's actually going to lose its ability to do its job 111 00:03:41.550 --> 00:03:43.050 of regulating electricity. 112 00:03:43.050 --> 00:03:44.940 This can then cause surges to different components 113 00:03:44.940 --> 00:03:47.880 on the motherboard and cause them to fail over time. 114 00:03:47.880 --> 00:03:49.560 Now, when you look at a capacitor, 115 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:52.050 they should be a cylinder or barrel shape, 116 00:03:52.050 --> 00:03:53.790 essentially like a soda can. 117 00:03:53.790 --> 00:03:55.890 They should look very consistent in size. 118 00:03:55.890 --> 00:03:58.380 If they start bulging out or swelling, 119 00:03:58.380 --> 00:03:59.610 this means that capacitor 120 00:03:59.610 --> 00:04:02.610 is likely going to be failing or has already failed. 121 00:04:02.610 --> 00:04:04.590 Now, in these cases, you're not going to be able 122 00:04:04.590 --> 00:04:07.050 to replace those capacitors on the motherboard 123 00:04:07.050 --> 00:04:10.020 unless you specialize in micro and miniature electronics. 124 00:04:10.020 --> 00:04:12.690 So most of us will simply replace the motherboard. 125 00:04:12.690 --> 00:04:15.210 Anytime you start seeing swelling of these capacitors, 126 00:04:15.210 --> 00:04:18.180 bursting of the capacitors, or the leakage of the components 127 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:19.650 from inside the capacitors, 128 00:04:19.650 --> 00:04:21.900 you want to immediately shut down the computer 129 00:04:21.900 --> 00:04:23.550 and no longer use that motherboard 130 00:04:23.550 --> 00:04:25.080 and replace it with a new one. 131 00:04:25.080 --> 00:04:27.210 Capacitors are also found on video cards 132 00:04:27.210 --> 00:04:28.950 and other expansion cards as well, 133 00:04:28.950 --> 00:04:30.930 but the primary place you're going to see them 134 00:04:30.930 --> 00:04:34.020 is on your motherboard as this form of electrical control 135 00:04:34.020 --> 00:04:35.610 for your system chips. 136 00:04:35.610 --> 00:04:38.160 So remember, when you're looking at a system, 137 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:39.510 you want to visually inspect it 138 00:04:39.510 --> 00:04:41.370 and see if there's any physical damage. 139 00:04:41.370 --> 00:04:43.410 Also, you want to use your other senses, 140 00:04:43.410 --> 00:04:45.390 such as your nose to be able to determine 141 00:04:45.390 --> 00:04:48.600 if there is a burning smell or a rancid sour smell 142 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:51.030 because this can be an indication of different components 143 00:04:51.030 --> 00:04:53.530 that are physically damaged inside of your system.