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Thread ID: 38145 2003-09-28 23:48:00 What tools are really needed?? dipstick01 (445) Press F1
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178728 2003-09-28 23:48:00 Hi Ya all,
Just looking at buying some tools etc so I can start building/breaking or just generally have fun with some old pcs at home. I also want to start building my own PC and have been looking in general at various computer tool kits but many seem to have a wide variety of tools that I wonder if I will ever need.

Any ideas on what is and isn't needed? What brands are good/not??

Thanks
dipstick01 (445)
178729 2003-09-29 00:21:00 I repair and build PCs a fair bit and all I use are the following.

One phillips screwdriver.
Anti-static wrist strap.
Lump of blutack. (the blutack is used by sticking a lump to the end of the phillips screwdriver which holds the screws while screwing them in and if you drop one you shove the screwdriver with the blutack attached onto the dropped screw and hey presto you have recovered it.)
Boot disks for 95/98/2000/XP.
And finally my most important tool - Ranishs Partition Manager (which can fix anything wrong with the partioning on the disc i.e. virus damage/old lilo from linux etc)
John Grieve (367)
178730 2003-09-29 02:18:00 Add to that:

Flat-head screwdriver
Long-nosed pliers
Cable ties
Norton ghost boot-disk (used when upgrading to a bigger HDD)
CDRW with all the latest drivers for most popular components - like DirectX9, Nvidia detonator drivers, VIA chipset, intel chipset, sis chipset, winzip, winrar, acrobat reader, latest antivirus definition files, critical windows patchs, top ten virus removal tools, zone alarm, adaware & spybot. - There are probably heaps more but that's what I got on mine :)
CYaBro (73)
178731 2003-09-29 02:20:00 Could actually use a USB pen drive instead of a CDRW disc.

I'm just waiting for the price to come down on the 1GB ones!
CYaBro (73)
178732 2003-09-29 02:39:00 The best tool is the net and the ability to read. Other than that you can get by with, a philips screw driver, long nose pliers and a good artists brush (for older comps), a 25W soldering iron and heat shrink insulation can also be handy if your cut and pasting.

Cheers Murray P
Murray P (44)
178733 2003-09-29 03:21:00 My handpicked selection includes.

2 straight edge screwdrivers
2 phillips head screwdrivers
Set of quality pliers
Zipties
Selection of various screws

And thats about it..

Oh,and my thermal paste of choice,Arctic Alumina premium ceramic compound.

And i spose i could include the spare mobo's,cpu's,ram,cd drives,cases,power supplies,modems etc etc.

And the pile of older dead computers in the corner that i pilfer parts from.....
metla (154)
178734 2003-09-29 03:58:00 i thought we had to have something...umm what was it called...
*goes looking for it*

ahh this is it Antistatic Wrist Strap (www.dse.co.nz)
csinclair83 (200)
178735 2003-09-29 03:59:00 oh yeah,and an anti-static wrist strap.... metla (154)
178736 2003-09-29 04:00:00 a min 2 slow there buddy :P csinclair83 (200)
178737 2003-09-29 04:00:00 jeees,Dick Smith take the cake..

... Due to stock being limited, please be aware that in some cases product may be slightly shop soiled, ex-demonstration, or incomplete.
metla (154)
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