Mother Board

It holds many of the crucial components of the system, such as the central processing unit(CPU) and memory,and provides connectors for other peripherals. Motherboard specifically refers to a PCB with expansion capability - the board is the "mother" of all components attached to it, which often include sound cards, video cards, network cards, hard drives or other forms of persistent storage, TV tuner cards, cards providing extra USB or Firewire slots, and a variety of other custom components.

Motherboard Maintanance:

Here's some information regarding motherboards that you may want to know about. Though motherboard maintenance is not done by most people on a regular basis, here are some tips that you may find useful if at all ever you need to do it yourself.

Note:Exercise constraint while handling motherboard circuit board components as it's fragile and can be affected by even a small electrostatic discharge (ESD) passed on from your hands to the circuit parts you come in contact with! Make sure you are using protective anti-static devices/apparel before handling the motherboard. Also make sure that the power supply cable is removed from the socket before opening up your PC for inspection.

Motherboard maintenance tips - Check the motherboard battery:If the computer does not boot correctly to find the hard disk,system time is incorrect after boot,CMOS settings can not be saved,it can first check the motherboard CMOS jumper,the jumper changed to "NORMAL" option typically(1-2) and then re-set. CMOS jumper if it is not working,it is likely because the motherboard is damaged or the battry voltage of the battery shortage caused,please try from another motherboard battery.

• Assuming that the power cord is disconnected and you are using proper anti-static equipment, start by blowing compressed air over the motherboard to get rid of dust and grime. Make sure you hold the air compressor nozzle at an angle so as to blow dust out of the cabinet.
• After blowing air, use a small hand held battery operated vacuum cleaner to suck out any dirt left over inside the cabinet. DO NOT use a regular electric powered cleaner as it has the potential to produce electric discharges.
• For both procedures mentioned above, make sure the blower/vacuum cleaner nozzles are not coming in contact with the motherboard. Also make sure not to blow away or pull out small motherboard components like jumpers.
• Clean the heat sink of the motherboard using an anti-static cloth and make sure it is seated properly on the processor.
Remove any expansion cards like RAM, video cards and wipe the gold contacts gently using an anti-static cloth. Once cleaning is done, put them back into their respective slots and make sure they are seated properly.
• Check connection cables and other contacts. Make sure there are no lose connections.
• Check all motherboard mounting screws and make sure they are fastened properly.
• Keep an eye out for the CMOS battery. Replace discharged batteries immediately.
The above mentioned motherboard maintenance tips can be performed for desktop pc, at least once a year. This ensures longevity of its components. Connection of motherboard Electro-static-Discharge (ESD) can damage electronic components.To prevent damage to your system board,it is important to handle it very carefully.The following measures are generally sufficient to protect your equipment from ESD Precautions
• Use a grounded wrist strap designed to prevent static discharge.
• Touch a grounded metal object before removing the board from the antistatic bag.
• Handle the board by its edges only; do not touch its components, peripheral chips, memory modules or gold contacts.
• When handling chips or modules, avoid touching their pins.
• Put the motherboard and peripherals back into their antistatic bags when not in use.
• For grounding purposes, make sure your compputer chassis provides excellent conductivity between the power supply, the case, the mounting fasteners and the motherboard.
• Use only the correct type of onboard CMOS battery. Do not install the onboard upside down battery to avoid possible explosion.

References:

• A Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC Seventh Edition- Jean Andrews
• UPGRADING AND REPAIRING PCS 14th Edition-Scott Mueller
• A Training & Test Preparation Guide Volume II & 6th Edition -Garrett Smiley, Richard Harrison
• http://www.pcworld.com/article/224328/ how_to_clean_your_pc_inside_and _out.html

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