The complete repair course
24 lessons in six parts, from safety and basic electronics to board-level phone repair and running your own shop in the Philippines. Work through them in order, or jump to what you need.
Getting started
How to Use This Book
The simple version of the idea, without formulas.
5 min
Start Here: Your First 30 Days
You do not need to finish this book before you start fixing things. Follow this plan: learn safety first, practise on broken devices nobody needs, then do your …
5 min
Part I — Foundations
Workshop Safety
Three things hurt technicians: electricity from mains power, lithium batteries that catch fire, and heat. Three things kill devices: static electricity, torn ca…
9 min
Electronics Fundamentals
You only need four ideas to start: voltage pushes, current flows, resistance slows the flow, and power is the work done. Almost every fault you will fix is eith…
12 min
Tools and Test Equipment
Your multimeter is your eyes inside the circuit. Learn three settings first: DC volts (device on), beep/continuity and diode mode (device off). Your bench power…
10 min
Soldering and Microsoldering
Soldering is heat + flux + a little solder, for a few seconds. Flux is the secret: if solder will not behave, add flux. Practise on scrap boards until you stop …
7 min
A Systematic Troubleshooting Method
Do not guess and swap parts. Ask, check, look, then measure — one block at a time — and always compare with a device that works.
3 min
Part II — Desktop Computers
PC Architecture, Components and Assembly
A desktop is a set of parts that plug together. Most build problems come from parts that do not match (socket, RAM type, BIOS version) or cables in the wrong pl…
6 min
Desktop Troubleshooting
Start with the symptom: no power, no picture, restarts, blue screens, or slowness. Each one has its own short checklist below. Strip the PC down to the minimum …
4 min
Operating Systems, Storage and Data
Before you touch software, protect the data. Ask the customer if it is backed up, check whether the drive is encrypted, and never work directly on a failing dri…
6 min
Part III — Laptops
Laptop Architecture and Disassembly
A laptop makes all its own power from one input. It has a small always-on controller (the EC) that wakes everything else when you press the button. Always disco…
5 min
Common Laptop Repairs
Most laptop jobs are part swaps: screen, keyboard, battery, port, hinge, cooling. Match the exact part number, test before closing, and look out for swollen bat…
4 min
Laptop Motherboard Diagnosis
Power the board from the bench supply, read the current, then follow the power chain until you find the first missing voltage. That is where the fault is.
5 min
Part IV — Smartphones
Smartphone Architecture
A phone is a sandwich: screen, frame, logic board, battery, back. One main chip (the SoC) does the computing, and a power chip (the PMIC) makes all the voltages…
4 min
Smartphone Disassembly and Common Repairs
Find out which side opens first. Warm the glue, go in shallow with picks, and disconnect the battery before anything else. Test the new part before you glue the…
6 min
Android Systems and Software Repair
Know the exact model number, use only official firmware, and remember that most flashing erases data. Never bypass Google account locks for a device whose owner…
5 min
Apple iPhone and iPad Repair
iPhones record which parts belong to them. Genuine parts plus Repair Assistant give full function; other parts show a message. Try “Update” before “Restore”, be…
8 min
Board-Level Smartphone Repair
Replace the battery with a bench power supply and watch the current meter. The pattern tells you whether the phone is shorted, dead, stuck or boot-looping — bef…
5 min
Part V — The Repair Business
Registering a Repair Shop in the Philippines
Register in order: DTI business name → barangay clearance → Mayor’s Permit → BIR. Then get DTI accreditation as a service and repair shop. Renew the permit and …
6 min
Running the Shop
Write everything down at intake, get approval before spending the customer’s money, test everything before release, and give a clear written warranty. That is h…
7 min
Part VI — The Real Shop Toolkit
Equipment and Tools: What to Buy, Station by Station
A working shop is organised into stations . Each station has its own tools. This chapter lists every tool at every station, with the specification to check befo…
8 min
Starter Stock: Consumables and Parts
Running out of adhesive or flux stops the whole shop. Keep a minimum stock of consumables, and stock only the fast-moving parts for the devices most common in y…
3 min
Job Cards: Step-by-Step Procedures for the Most Common Repairs
A job card is a one-page recipe you follow every time: tools, settings, steps and checks. Print these and keep them at the bench. Following the same steps every…
9 min
Symptom-to-Fix Quick Tables
Find the customer’s symptom in the left column. Do the first test first — it is the cheapest and most likely. Only move to the next cause if the test rules it o…
4 min