What I Keep In My Immediate Tech Toolkit
People often wonder what tools I use to do my job. So starting with this article, I would like to share with you what I keep in my immediate tech toolkit. These are the items that I use most frequently and are carried with me whenever I walk in the door at a customer location. In part two of this series I will highlight what I keep in my extended tech toolkit which is kept in my car at all times.
I love this screwdriver set. All of the bits are contained within the screwdriver itself and can be easily changed by simply twisting the shaft. I no longer have to worry about carrying around separate bits and finding the right one before attempting a repair. This set also includes a precision screwdriver that works great on laptops.
Every tech needs a flash drive. I use mine to carry all of my portable apps and software updates as well as a place to store temporary files. The SanDisk Cruzer is neither the best flash drive on the market nor is it the worst. It’s a good flash drive for a good price.
These hard drives are great not only because of their size but also because they have FireWire connections in addition to their USB 2.0 connection. I mainly use mine for large file transfers and storage. The drives come formatted for the Mac but a simple reformat will allow you to use them with Windows.
These little pocket knifes are very useful not only for the knife itself but also for the small scissors that make cutting wire ties very easy.
A flashlight is something that’s always nice to have especially when trying to look into a dark computer case or when tracking down rogue screws.
I carry a patch cable for obvious reasons. The longer the better especially when trying to plug in to a far away wall port or switch.
The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows is great tool to use on computers that will not boot due to malware corruption or hard drive problems. It contains a huge set of tools that can help you troubleshoot and repair even the most problematic machines. And the best part is that it’s free.
Techtool Pro is a suite of tools used to troubleshoot and repair problems on Macs. Like the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows, Techtool Pro can be booted from a DVD when the computer will not boot.
Samsonite Vinyl Bifold Writing Pad
I use this for writing down notes, storing work orders / invoices, and a place to keep extra business cards.
No, I didn’t post this to start a Mac vs PC debate. I actually like both. However, this is my tool of choice when it comes to computer support. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I support as many Macs as I do PCs. And with the ability to run Windows on my Mac I have the best of both worlds.
No joke. I use this stuff to stay healthy especially after touching all those keyboards.
And this is where I keep it all. The Timbuk2 Commute is by far the best laptop bag I have ever owned. It’s very durable and has just enough pockets and space for all my tools. I own the black medium bag with fits my 15 inch MacBook Pro perfectly.
Once again this is not my entire toolkit, just what is carried with me at all times. In part two of this series I will focus on what I keep in my extended toolkit which is kept in my car. Until then, what do you carry in your immediate tech toolkit?
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September 18th, 2010 at 3:19 am
I love this post – most of these tools are with me 24 hours a day and I often feel like a doctor carrying around my version of a stethoscope and thermometer!
The best tool I now have (not technically a tool I know) was attending the CCNA courses through Cisco as I found that as a self employed computer technician I completely opened up a whole new world of job opportunities once I got these qualifications…
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October 4th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
I’d like to suggest an alternative to the Classic Swiss Army Knife. While it is quite useful, I have found the Swiss Army Cyber Tool 29 to be very versatile. http://www.swissarmy.com/MultiTools/Pages/Product.aspx?category=doityourself&product=54919
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November 21st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I carry most of the tools listed here except the hand sanitizer. I wash my hand with water after the job is done.
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December 12th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
This is one of the pleasant surprises of browsing/surfing or whatever you want to call it. You are able to easily discover something that matters or at least entertains. I like you to know that I enjoyed this.
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January 19th, 2011 at 12:16 am
I wish I had a toolkit.
But, I think this is an excellent guide, and furthermore, you seem to have done an excellent job of keeping the toolkit multipurpose and multi-functional, perhaps even allowing for minor fixes outside of anything “tech” related. Going to share this article for sure, and I can’t wait to read the second part of the article. Thank you for this information.
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September 11th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
you might think about adding one of these items to your kit.
sata/ide to usb converter http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/accessories/dd1a/
universal network cable http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/accessories/c890/
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January 25th, 2012 at 8:57 am
A little something I carry for those times you need to migrate data from a computer that will not boot to a new computer.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2329300&SRCCODE=WEBGOOPA&cm_mmc_o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCV1-CjCE&gclid=CN27rsfE660CFSleTAodNHlJ7g
This little gem has been a life saver more than once.
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