1. Unit 7 – Installing computer hardware
Explain potential risks to consider when installing hardware components
Task: 2.1 Produce a presentation explaining the potential risks you need to consider when installing hardware components. P2
2.2 Add to your presentation the precautions that you can take to avoid problems with hardware installations. M1

2. Scenario
You are doing so well in your job in the computer shop that next week you will be in the workshop installing some hardware upgrades. However, before the owner lets you progress to hardware builds; he would like to be convinced that you are responsible enough to carry out this type of work. He has therefore asked you to produce a presentation showing that you can identify the risks and explain the precautions to minimize these risks.

3. Electronic Discharge
You will need to be aware of the dangers when installing hardware, such as electronic discharge.
Once you are installing hardware this can cause a problem because you can pass on an electronic discharge to a piece of hardware or towards yourself which can cause injuries.
M1: before you start installing hardware you should make sure that you switch the power off.
Don’t mix up static electricity and electric current ok

4. Static discharge
Static discharge is caused by a build up in our bodies through friction which can damage your hardware while you are installing a new hardware because static discharge can happen if you rub your feet on the carpet and touch anything that is mental or any piece of hardware which could damage or destroy it.
M1: To prevent this when installing hardware you will need to wear anti – static equipment e.g. wrist bands and matts which can prevent the a static discharge from causing damage.
Now ok

5. Data corruption, Data Loss
Data Loss can happen if the file that you are looking for can’t be found will mean that file is lost anywhere in the system. The risk are that if you lost important files you won’t be able to get them back because they are lost in the system which can’t be retrieved.
Data corruption is when you can find the file but you unable to access the file because there might a be virus inside it which wouldn’t allow you to open the file. This is a risk because if you have a very important document that you are trying to access can not be opened any more because the document is corrupted.
M1: To prevent this from happening to you, you need to always back up your data into a external hard drive or USB so if you lost your data on your computer you wouldn’t need to worry because you have a back up that can easily restored to you computer later.
What risks are these problems? ok

6. Viruses
A computer virus is small software programmed by someone to infect or interfere with someone's computer and continue to do by spreading to another computer.
What a virus does once it’s in your system it can corrupt or delete the data on your computer and it can erase all the data on your hard drive.
M1: To prevent viruses from infecting your computer by make sure that you up to date with your anti-virus software and also you need to up to date with the latest software. ok

7. Equipment Damage
When you taking apart your system there is a risk of you damaging the hardware such as stripping the thread with the wrong screw driver, dropping a component, loosening the cable in the plug. When you spill liquid on your computer or on your keyboard it can get sticky or some of the buttons won’t work.
M1:
Preventing equipment damage from happening to you. You will need to keep all liquids and food away from your computer. You will need to keep all wires away from any open areas. Also use ergonomics when in the work place.
Match the P2 with the M1 on the same slides OK

8. Ergonomics
Ergonomics is needed to make sure that the user is provided with the correct equipment and the workstation to fit for the workers. Proper ergonomic is needed to avoid RSI, which can develop and other injuries.
Workers will need to know about ergonomics because they will need to that their work station is comfortable and safe for the workers to work and for the people around them as it is the health and safety regulations.
M1: To prevent this from happening you need to make that your equipment properly set up for you and to your comfort. Make sure that your workstation isn’t cramped because you will need to have enough space.
Research Ergonomics. ok

9. Service loss
Most IT professionals try to avoid any service loss because when the service has been loss, it could mean that there would be less work for the employees and that means your company would loss money because the employees can use the service loss issue as an excuse to not be able to work and still expect pay.
M1: You can avoid this problem by installing and upgrading hardware and software while the staff are at home during the evening. It is important that the IT technicians should take the opportunity to complete the task of installing and upgrading hardware or software before the staff would come back in to work.
Another way to avoid this is by providing the staff with an temporally computer for the staff to work with until there original computer is fix or is able to be use again.
In own words OK

10. Faulty Hardware
You can get faulty hardware by just simply spilling liquid on to your keyboard or on your mouse. If your RAM fails to work properly that means its faulty and when its faulty you just need to replace the faulty one with the new one.
Another way of getting faulty hardware is while you are installing your hardware you could have a static shock that can damage your hardware.
M1: You can avoid these thing happening is to stop drinking and eating in front of your computer and if your component has a fault you can just replace that component whether than repair the whole computer.
Other ways you may end up with damaged or faulty hardware? ok

11. Lack of Training
if you are working on repairing computers you will need to make sure that you have had training and also experience before you take apart a computer because there are risk when doing this for example if you lack of training and your installing a hardware and you wasn’t sure about the dangers that you can cause when installing, you can put yourself and others around you at risk.
Whereas you have training and you are aware of the dangers of installing hardware onto a computer which make them quick and effective and also you will have a good understanding on how to use that piece of hardware.
Also users should have some training because they will need to know how to use the computer equipments and the dangers from using them.
M1: You should make sure that you have taken a course and training to install hardware and you are able to be aware of the dangers when installing hardware.
User training too ok

12. Computer Freezing
Nearly everyone's computer would tend to freeze at some point because of you might have a virus from downloading files of the internet or some when you open too many programs which your RAM can’t handle. Some times you computer would freeze because of your operating system when you install programs they are mainly written to attack the operating system. It can also be a faulty sector in the hard drive
M1: make sure that you have the latest anti - virus software, also make sure that you close any programs that you are not using anymore. And make sure that you up date with your operating system.
Other ways it could happen? AND WHAT ELSE? okNow ok

13. Running low on Memory
When you are running out with memory it means that your computer would slow down it will also have a poor performance and you wouldn’t be able to open programs sometimes which could be frustrating, This is because that there isn’t enough space on your RAM that means that there are isn’t space on RAM.
M1: If this tend to happen with your computer you will need to install more RAM to your computer to increase your memory so that you wouldn’t run out of memory and you wouldn’t need to experience slow and poor performance after a while.
Space on RAM? What do you mean? ok

14. Unrecognised file
Unrecognised file only happen when ever the file can’t be found because the file was infected by an virus or it wasn’t downloaded properly.
M1: If this happens to you would need to delete the file and re-download it so the would be able to work.
Risk? OK

15. Overheating
Your computer can become overheated when it is on for a long amount of time or if the fan that cools down the computer has a fault or is dirty or there could be a problem with the heat sink.
M1: if this happens you can just shutdown the computer and leave it for and hour or so then use it but if you switch on and it happen to overheat straight away then you will have to replace or clean the fan or heat sink.
NOT ALWAYS, WHY? AND HEAT SINK? Now ok

16. Loose Connection
You can get loose connection when the wires are not plugged in properly into your computer or some time the wire itself could be broken. This is really seriously risky because the wires can sometimes start to spark which can turn into a fire and cause huge amonut of injuries.
M1: you can just make sure that all the wires that are connect into your computer are plugged in properly and if there is some thing wrong with the wire itself you would need to buy a replacement.
RISK? done

17. Unrecognized Hard drive
An unrecognized hard drive is caused because the hard drive has an faulty or the hard drive has an virus that has caused the hard drive to become unrecognized.
M1: if this does happen then you would have to buy a new hard drive. OK