Your advice please.

[ardentconservative]

I have really got interesting in computers in the last few months.  And I know a good deal about electronics as I was trained by the USAF as a combat communication technician so I understand about electronics and the different components and such.

My question is that what would be the best material to start learing about how computers work, and how to repair them.

Anyone want to offer some suggestions as to some material that I could start learning more indepth knowledge about computers. 

I will have to do this at home, on my own time.

[Chris_]

The industry standard is the A+ certification.  You can find the material (or something similar) at your library or bookstore.  You don't actually have to have the certification, but the training material is the same.

Amazon

[Thor]

I have really got interesting in computers in the last few months.  And I know a good deal about electronics as I was trained by the USAF as a combat communication technician so I understand about electronics and the different components and such.

My question is that what would be the best material to start learing about how computers work, and how to repair them.

Anyone want to offer some suggestions as to some material that I could start learning more indepth knowledge about computers.  

I will have to do this at home, on my own time.

Had you been in the Navy, you would have learned all of this stuff in the Electronics field.

Computers are simple. It's Windows that's  the PITA. I troubleshoot all of my stuff without the aid of much more than my brain. It would be nice to have some basic tools. What I would recommend is find an older system from someplace and mess with it. Upgrade the processor, ram, hard drive, DVD, etc. Next thing is to get into Windows and intentionally screw it up. Regedit would be your friend in this instance (or finding sites with viruses and exploits). It's gotten to the point where I LOVE to play in the registry. Many people are scared of it. Power supplies are typically a go/ no go thing. However, it IS nice to have a power supply tester. BEAR IN MIND, the cheap tester won't show spurious noise, etc. It only looks for certain voltages. Keep in mind your electronics training, ESD, proper handling of  components, the use of heat sink grease (Thermal Paste for the computer yuppies), etc.

[ardentconservative]

Ok, thanks guys.

[ardentconservative]

Had you been in the Navy, you would have learned all of this stuff in the Electronics field.

Well, Thor, we did get some computer training.  We studied Or gates, And gates, Nor gates, Nan gated, exclusive Or and Nan gates, etc. 

However, when I was in the USAF much of what was in a computer was even invented yet.  I worked on some 24 channel multiplex equipment that was tube type.  We had a new 100 channel multiplexer was was all digital, mostly using the gates named above. 

We had transistors, resistors, capacitors, coils etc. but non of computer chips, etc. 

[Thor]

Ohhh come on..... you're NOT THAT much older than I. The equipment I trained on was fairly old, if not even archaic. Data link transmitters, Crypto gear, IFF, etc. I learned basic computer stuff & hexadecimal programming in my Avionics school. I trained on radar units that went back to the early 60s, if not older.

Besides, if I can't give a Wing Nut some grief, then where is the joy??

[ardentconservative]

Ohhh come on..... you're NOT THAT much older than I. The equipment I trained on was fairly old, if not even archaic. Data link transmitters, Crypto gear, IFF, etc. I learned basic computer stuff & hexadecimal programming in my Avionics school. I trained on radar units that went back to the early 60s, if not older.

Besides, if I can't give a Wing Nut some grief, then where is the joy??

No problem on the wing nut grief Thor, none at all.  I am pretty much of a pratical joker, and I can take it as well as give it.  The point I was trying to make, poorly evidently, was that electronics has greatly been minaturized since I was in the AF.  I just need some refesher courses to bring me up to speed.  The circut boards I worked on was full of resistors, capcitors, coils, etc, but no computer chips.  And I really appreciate the help that you and others have given me, swabbie.      :innocent:   

By the way, I am 59 and went into the USAF in 1969 to stay our of the Army.  If you remember the lottery system of the draft back then my lottery number was 15.  That number guarenteedd my a free, all expense paid tryp to Vietnam, either in the Army or the Marines.

[Chris_]

There's not much "electronics" involved in repairing and upgrading computers today.  The most you might be able to do is replace some capacitors on a motherboard as they age and may swell or rupture, causing power failures or fluctuations with a computer.

With the exception of the operation system (if you're using a Mac, Linux, or Windows), hardware has become a relatively straightforward process of following a simple set rules and inserting Tab A into Slot B.

[Thor]

There's not much "electronics" involved in repairing and upgrading computers today.  The most you might be able to do is replace some capacitors on a motherboard as they age and may swell or rupture, causing power failures or fluctuations with a computer.

With the exception of the operation system (if you're using a Mac, Linux, or Windows), hardware has become a relatively straightforward process of following a simple set rules and inserting Tab A into Slot B.

Yep, pretty much. Unless you have specialized equipment/ training to do circuit board troubleshooting & repair. I have the training, but no equipment.  Learn the major components. Even AMD has improved their processors so one doesn't break the chip when installing the heat sink and fan, unlike the earlier AMD chipsets.

[LC EFA]

I learned computers from the NAND gate level at college.

Before that I learned them from trial and error.