What are the best Tools to Have

ALRIGHT you techs out there for years now I have being trying to put together the best mobile CPU fix Kit...I would like your info on what you have or recommend to keep along beside you when you are @work or on Site... I try to keep it simple and make sure I have everthing I need.

Here's what a got

Win95a
Win95b
Win98
Win98se
WinMe
Win2000Pro
WinXpPro

Screw driver set
Soldiering Pencil w/ soldier
Precision set screw drivers
Scatch point
wire cutters
wire snips
Needle nose pliers
Extra screws, plastic ties, stand offs, elastics

One Disc with 1997 - 2001 Drivers - Modems, Video, Sound Cards

One Disc with 1997 - 2001 Drivers - Printers, Ethernet, Scanner, Patches (basic), Odd and Ends programs ie Winzip

One Disc with Software updates - IE 3.02 - 5.5, Netscape 3.X - 4.7X, etc

Office 97 Premium
Office 2000 Premium

Microscope 7.14
MEM Test
Ghost 5.1
Drive Copy
Safe & Sound
Tira32

Lots of boot discs win95, win98, Dos 5.0, Dos 6.2

What else would you put in this kit?

You've already got Way more in your kit than mine. If it is something that requires soldering or hardware diags. It goes to the shop.

You have way more than I carry around. What I do carry that might be helpful is an AT and ATX power supply and every possible form factor CPU heatsink and fan. I often get calls about a machine that makes alot of noise. It's usually the power supply or CPU fan.

Winternals Admin Pack.

I've got a couple of CMOS batteries in my kit just in case. Also, I don't know what I would do without my pair of needle nose pliers and those handy nut drivers.

Network card
Network cables
Phone cables
Crimper w/ ends
Office 2000 PRO (I also used to carry around premium only, but you can't repair a PRO installation with a premium disk)
Antivirus boot disk (f-prot makes a good one)
NAV2001 / 2002
maybe an extra floppy drive
IDE cables

I only carry a few things around..

1 bootable CD with win95-me on it.
- also has misc utility software including
- ghost
- mem tester
- diagsoftware for port 80 card
- Antivirus software
port80 card.
Screwdrivers
Needle Nose pliers
ide cutters.
Tie wraps
a few boot disks
Laptop.
Local ISP

I don't worry about software packages, if a cust needs a repair of office, I'll use his CD, if he does not have it, it's more than likely not legal therefore i won't work with it. Same with the OS's.. I'll use my cabs for driver installations and individual file extracrtion, for install, cust's software get's used.

[quote]Originally posted by LaSERCHiPs:
<strong>Here's what a got

Win95a
Win95b
Win98
Win98se
WinMe
Win2000Pro
WinXpPro

</strong><hr></blockquote>

You forgot Windows NT4.0, service packs for NT4.0 and Service packs for 2k. Oh, and service releases for Office 97, and 2k. All in all, I carry most of the same. But I never did get my hands on ME...

You are carrying too much...
Basically I take half of the things and get along.

There is also WinNT4.0 server, Win 2k server, Win2k advanced server.

a. philips head screw driver
b. muttered dirty words

3 things:

1) A philips screwdriver
2) A bootable floppy disk with fdisk.exe and format.exe on it
3) And a Win98 CD (as that seems to be what the majority of people are using these days, and the OS that usually requires the most fixing.)

i usuallu carry a boot disk for
Win95a, b
Win98SE
SCSI generic adapter driver
Norton ghost

CDs:
Win95B
Win98SE
WinME (even if i hate that crappy piece of ****ty software)

HDD diag tools such as testers an disk managers

The rest bring it at home or bring it to the shop..

Black and Decker Mini power screwdriver, with bendable handle. I love this thing. No more sore wrists.

I carry 95 OSR2, 98SE, NT WS, ME, Norton Utilities 2002, Screwdriver with bit kit, "The Persuader" (hammer), and my crusty, trusty P120 laptop with 3c589 combo pigtail (10B2 & 10BT) and 56k modem.

I can get drivers, etc. just a phone call and stack of diskettes away. If I know I'm going somewhere to setup specific stuff, I burn CDs at home with all of the drivers, etc and bring that with.

Soldering iron? I can't tell you the last PC I had to do soldering on. Oh, yes I can. My OSI C1P Superboard in 1980 when uping the Kansas City Standard 300bps cassette save speed to 4800bps.

Unless you're going to be branding cases for people, save the space and weight of the iron and solder. If it needs to be soldered, it needs to come back to the shop.

Kenny P.
Visualize Whirled Peas

Always need a paper clip :)
It is THE tool.

Boot floppies and CDs of every M$ OS since 1990, Ball-peen hammer for booting Compaqs, claw-hammer for booting Gateway 2000s, jigsaw for formatting HDDs the "proper" way, knapsack full of food and snacks for me, bong for tension relief, and a vast vocabulary of curse words/threats for deadbeat/non-paying customers!!!

I do call-outs all day long, the short answer is

EVERYTHING

Seeing as I can be 40+ miles from base, I just keep all my kit in the car.

Otherwise, I often go in with just a stack of speccially prepared floppies, a my wrist-strap, stop-watch and of course Leatherman Tool, if I need anything else, its just a trip to the car.

And never forget the most important thing...

Lunch. :D

Why has no one mentioned the BFH? Am I the only tech that still caries one?

Honestly:

Toolkit:
Screwdrivers with torque, flat and philips head
Spare screws
Small Screwdrivers
Needlenose and Dikes

Software Kit:
95OSR2.5
Winnt4.0
Win2k
Office 97,2k,XP
NT 4.0 Server
NetWare 4.11 and 5.1 cd's
Utility Cd

Minor in comparison to most but hey - I am a net tech for a large company - controlled environment.

Torx screwdrivers or Torx bits are highly recommended. I worked on our HP server late one night, and if it weren't for my Torx screwdriver, the night would have been a lot longer.

[quote]Originally posted by MacGyver:
<strong>Torx screwdrivers or Torx bits are highly recommended. I worked on our HP server late one night, and if it weren't for my Torx screwdriver, the night would have been a lot longer.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I thought for sure you'd say a paperclip, some chewing gum, and a roll of duct tape. :D

You may want to add a Voltmeter to the kit to test cmos battery strength and power supply output.

A Sledge hammer and rope. The sledge for computers and people that give you problems. A rope for the people who ask you to upgrade there 386 to tie to their computer for a boat anchor.

[quote]Originally posted by Great White North:
<strong>A Sledge hammer and rope. The sledge for computers and people that give you problems. A rope for the people who ask you to upgrade there 386 to tie to their computer for a boat anchor.</strong><hr></blockquote>

At one tech shop i worked at, the boss was a prankster, so he made the wood box with a plexy glass front, inside was a 5 pound sledge hammer. The writing on the glass said has follows "In case of frustration, break glass, smash computer." To emphasize the point, we had an old 286 that we went at with the hammer. Now the tech shop was in full view of customers.. The looks they gave still makes me laugh.

virus scan bootable disk

Static dissipative mat.