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'''We're happy to announce we have a working wiki installed.'''
'''Welcome to the Restart Wiki!''' This is a place where those of us in the Restart community with experience and skills in mending appliances and gadgets can share them with those who are starting out, or whose own knowledge lies in different areas. 


We should try to concentrate on creating a series of "meta-resources", in line with the articles we're publishing on the Guardian "How to Mend". So, we're not even pretending to be competing with iFixit or similar make/model-based resources, but instead providing useful information, ie. how to search for a user manual, what to do when searching for a spare part, how to speed up a laptop, etc
[[File:Devices_header.png|class=responsive-image]]


Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
'''What it isn't:''' It isn't going to show you how to fix a particular make and model of device, which we leave to the various fix-it sites and many disassembly videos. You can also get help with a device on social media using [https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&q=SOSRestart&src=typd #SOSRestart]. Here, we concentrate on basic and widely applicable principles.


== Getting started ==
'''Who it's for:''' It's aimed at anyone with a curiosity about how things work and how to fix them. No prior knowledge is assumed. In the spirit of sharing knowledge as widely as possible, everyone is welcome to read it. To contribute, just become a volunteer Restarter in your community and [http://therestartproject.org/contact/ contact us].
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Configuration_settings Configuration settings list]
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:FAQ MediaWiki FAQ]
* [https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-announce MediaWiki release mailing list]


==List of pages==
Like any wiki, this one is work-in-progress. Pages referenced below in red don't yet exist but are projected.
The following pages currently exist. (Those in red don't yet exist but are projected.)


===General===
If you wish to reuse anything here, you are welcome do so under the terms of the Creative Commons ShareAlike Licence 3.0.
* [[Style guide]]
 
* [[Tools]] - Our list of useful tools for community electronics repair.
To find out more about the work we do, and our vision of changing the world's relationship with electronics, please visit us at [https://therestartproject.org The Restart Project] homepage.
* [[Safety]] - Safety instructions to be adhered to at all Restart Parties.
 
==General Topics==
* [[Scared to Repair?]] Some useful tips for complete beginners.
* [[How to search]] - Tips on how to search for useful material.
* [[How to search]] - Tips on how to search for useful material.
* [[Resources]] - Good sites for fixit or disassemble guides, service manuals etc.
* [[Resources]] - Good sites for fixit or disassemble guides, service manuals etc.
* [[Diagnosing faults]] - Common processes for troubleshooting
* [[Case Studies]] - Our favourite Famous Fixes in which we learned something new, or which nicely demonstrated a diagnostic or fixing principle.
* [[Finding a reliable professional]] - best practices and some London examples.
===Glossary of Terms===
* [[Glossary]] - explanations of all the technical terms used in this wiki (and some more).
==Repairing with others==
* Thinking of running your own Restart Party? [http://therestartproject.org/restartparty/ All you need] is here.
* [[Tools]] - Building a toolkit for community repair events.
* [[Restarter Safety Guidelines]] - Safety instructions to be adhered to at all Restart Parties.
* [[Measuring impact]]


===Basic electrics and electronics===
==Techniques, Skills and Tools==
* [[Volts amps watts and ohms]] - what every Restarter should know.
* [[How to drive screws like a pro]] - Using a screwdriver is easy but using it properly may not be obvious.
* [[Rescuing Damaged Screws]] - What to do if the screw head is damaged.
* [[How to use a multimeter]] - the most useful addition to your toolbox after screwdrivers etc.
* [https://www.kitronik.co.uk/blog/soldering-school-kitronik-university A Guide to Soldering] from [https://www.kitronik.co.uk Kitronic] is a complete guide to the art, including video demonstrations.
* [https://www.techwillsaveus.com/resources/learn-to-solder/ How to solder] is a more light-hearted and amusing but nevertheless informative resource from [https://www.techwillsaveus.com Technology Will Save Us]. (You don't need an expensive soldering iron though - it just makes it a little bit easier.)
* [[Surface mount soldering]] - What you can do and how to do it by supplementing the tools you probably already have with a few inexpensive extras.
* [[Connectors]] - Various different types you will meet, and how to disconnect and reconnect them.
* [[Sticky Stuff]] - How to stick things back together when they break.
* How to wire a mains plug - this [http://www.rospa.com/home-safety/uk/northern-ireland/electricity/plugs-fuses/wiring-plugs/ step by step guide] shows you simply and with pictures.
* [[PAT testing]] survival guide.
* [[PAT testing]] survival guide.
* [[Electronic components]] - recognition, failure modes and testing.
* [[Magnifiers and Inspection Aids]] - You can't fix what you can't see. How to see better.
 
==Understanding how stuff works (or doesn't)==
A [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHy3uFJrj0 Restarters' Training Session] makes an easy introduction to the following sections down to and including Electronic Components. It consists of a presentation with audio commentary, lasting around 50 minutes.
* [[Electric circuits, volts amps watts and ohms]] - what every Restarter should know.
* [[AC and DC]] - what's the deal?
* Electronic components - recognition, failure modes and testing:
** [[Basic electronic components]] - Resistors, capacitors, inductors and transformers.
** [[Active components]] - Diodes and rectifiers, transistors, and integrated circuits (ICs).
** [[Passive components]] - Switches, push-buttons and connectors.
** [[Protection components]] - Various devices for over-voltage and over-current protection. Fuses are only the beginning!
* [[Batteries]] - different types, shapes and sizes, what they're good for, how to buy them, use them and dispose of them.
* [[Electric motors]] - different types, how to recognise them, test them and maybe fix them.
* [[Power supplies]] - how they work, what can go wrong, and how to test and fix them.
* [[Power supplies]] - how they work, what can go wrong, and how to test and fix them.
* [[Electric motors]] - different types, how to recognise them, test them and maybe fix them.
* [[How radios work]] - basic theory to help you understand what might be wrong when you can't see it with your own eyes.
 
==Computers and home office==
===Software===
* How to deal with a [[slow laptop]] - mainly focussed on Windows.
* [[Windows miscellaneous]].
* [[Be Your Own Security Expert]] - helping people stay secure.
* How to speed up a [[slow OS X computer]].
* [[Apple miscellaneous]] including OS X and Macs.
* [[Linux migration]] - Choosing a distro, and throwing Windows out of computers.
* [[CD/USB bootable tools]] - many of them applicable whatever your operating system.
* [[Disk Wipe Utilities]] - How to securely erase all sensitive data from an old computer, and why you should never skip doing so.
* [[UEFI and GPT]] - Making sense of UEFI, which supercedes the BIOS in all computers since around 2011, and the GPT disk structure which goes with it.
 
===Computer Hardware===
* [[Laptop power problems]].
* [[Clean up! Cool down!]] - dealing with dust build-up and overheating in laptop and desktop computers.
* [[Advanced hard disk tools]] - and the simpler ones too. Where to turn when the data is in danger.
* [[SSD Migration and Troubleshooting]] - Solid State Disks: everything you might need to know.
 
===Peripherals===
* Troubleshooting [[inkjet printers]].
* Data [[Projectors]].
 
==Electronic gadgets==
 
How to [[extend the life of a device used mostly for web-browsing through browser choice.]]


===Mobile electronic devices===
===Feature phones===
====Feature phones====
===Smartphones (except Apple)===
====Smart phones (except Apple)====
* [[Android Tips and Tricks]]
* [[Android Tips and Tricks]]
====iPods, iPhones, iPads====
* Installing a [[Custom ROMs|Custom ROM]] may enable you to extend the useful life of your phone or tablet.
====Cameras====
[[Compact cameras]]


====Satnavs====
===iPods, iPhones, iPads===
* Summary of [[Summary iPhone iPad and iPod repair|iPhone, iPad and iPod repairs]].
* Using an [[alternative to iOS to save an older device]]


===Audio/visual===
===Headphones===
* How to mend [[Headphones]]
* How to mend [[Headphones]]


===Computers (desktop and laptop)===
===Cameras===
* How to deal with a [[slow laptop]] - mainly Windows oriented.
* [[Compact cameras]]
* [[Linux migration]]
 
*[[Advanced hard disk tools]]
===Satnavs===
 
==Home entertainment==
 
* [[Audio equipment]]
* [[CD and DVD players]]
* [[Portable radios]]


===Computer peripherals and networking===
==Household and Kitchen items==
* Troubleshooting [[inkjet printers]].
* [[Carbon-based gadgets]] - all you need to know. (Just for fun!)
* [[Digital weighing scales]] - how they work and what might go wrong.
* [[Kettles_and_Electric_Urns]] - how they work and the possibilities for fixing.
* [[Microwave Ovens]] (This page contains IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNINGS.)
* [[Sewing machines]] demystified. Trouble-shooting, care and maintenance.
* [[Steam Irons]]
* [[Table lamps]], desk lamps and floor-standing lamps.
* [[Toasters]]
* [[Vacuum cleaners]]


===Domestic appliances===
==Unfinished articles==




===Scratch Pad===
[[Category:General]]
Unfinished articles
* [[Scared to Repair?]]

Revision as of 15:13, 8 July 2018

Welcome to the Restart Wiki! This is a place where those of us in the Restart community with experience and skills in mending appliances and gadgets can share them with those who are starting out, or whose own knowledge lies in different areas.

Devices header.png

What it isn't: It isn't going to show you how to fix a particular make and model of device, which we leave to the various fix-it sites and many disassembly videos. You can also get help with a device on social media using #SOSRestart. Here, we concentrate on basic and widely applicable principles.

Who it's for: It's aimed at anyone with a curiosity about how things work and how to fix them. No prior knowledge is assumed. In the spirit of sharing knowledge as widely as possible, everyone is welcome to read it. To contribute, just become a volunteer Restarter in your community and contact us.

Like any wiki, this one is work-in-progress. Pages referenced below in red don't yet exist but are projected.

If you wish to reuse anything here, you are welcome do so under the terms of the Creative Commons ShareAlike Licence 3.0.

To find out more about the work we do, and our vision of changing the world's relationship with electronics, please visit us at The Restart Project homepage.

General Topics

Glossary of Terms

  • Glossary - explanations of all the technical terms used in this wiki (and some more).

Repairing with others

Techniques, Skills and Tools

Understanding how stuff works (or doesn't)

A Restarters' Training Session makes an easy introduction to the following sections down to and including Electronic Components. It consists of a presentation with audio commentary, lasting around 50 minutes.

Computers and home office

Software

Computer Hardware

Peripherals

Electronic gadgets

How to extend the life of a device used mostly for web-browsing through browser choice.

Feature phones

Smartphones (except Apple)

iPods, iPhones, iPads

Headphones

Cameras

Satnavs

Home entertainment

Household and Kitchen items

Unfinished articles