If you're like me, you probably owned a number of personal computers. You're sure to have had the occasional problem, and rushed out of the machine repair shop. At the time, the cost of repairs may have seemed a bit high compared to the initial cost of the machine, and you may not have been quite sure what was done.

You can learn to make your own diagnosis and repair. It's worth knowing what is happening inside the box, even if you do not do the work yourself. With a good understanding of the likely causes of hardware problems, you can be much more confident that the repairs were reasonable and necessary.

To begin with, a good source of technical information is needed. You can always ask your local electronics store, but if you do not really know what you're talking about, the embarrassment is a big turn off. There is an excellent book called 'Upgrading and Repairing PCs, "written by Scott Mueller. It is the most comprehensive and readable "how-to" book I found, and if you only buy one book on the subject, Scott is one of you hand.

The next step is to choose a few projects to become familiar with the material. The best way to start building your skills is to take a computer completely apart, and reassemble. If it still works after that, then you made a good start. At this point, you may be thinking "Wait a minute, I paid a lot of money for my system - No way I'm playing with the risk of the baby."

No, as a beginner, you probably should not. You can get your hands on some old computers to tear apart and rebuild. Old computers are seen as worthless, and you will find Pentium 1 and 2 machines being thrown in the trash, even if they are still in good working condition. Even a Pentium 3 can be purchased very cheaply, and most of these artists are good enough. A word of warning - be careful how widely you spread the news of you new interest in old computers. You'll be surprised at the 486 and many more are sitting in cartons in garages and basements; your friends and family will be really happy to give you an amazing collection of electronic waste.

Familiarize yourself with the different parties and how they fit together. Learn to identify different styles of processor chip, RAM, hard drives and other components.

As always, safety is paramount. The components of the computer themselves operate at low voltage, but you still have the strength of the voltage coming in the back of the computer. Always turn off and unplug it when you are working on the computer, and be wary of any sign of overheating or burning smell. Enjoy your tinkering.