A technician installed a known-good, compatible motherboard on a new laptop. However, the motherboard is not working on the laptop. Which of the following should the technician MOST likely have done to prevent damage?

The scenario describes a known-good motherboard failing immediately after installation. This is a classic symptom of damage from Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). Sensitive electronic components, such as motherboards, are highly susceptible to damage from even small amounts of static electricity that can build up on a person's body. A proper ESD strap safely grounds the technician, equalizing the electrical potential between their body and the equipment, thereby preventing static discharge from destroying the delicate integrated circuits on the component.

A. Removing jewelry is a safety measure to prevent accidental short circuits or physical entanglement, not the primary method for preventing ESD damage.
B. Completing a tool inventory is a procedural best practice for organization and preventing foreign object debris (FOD), but it does not protect components from electronic damage.
C. Practicing electrical fire safety is crucial when working with power supplies and high-voltage equipment, but it is not the specific preventative measure for static-induced component failure.

1. Dell Inc.

Dell Latitude 7420 Service Manual

"Safety instructions

" Section: "Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection." The manual states

"ESD is a major concern when you handle electronic components... To prevent ESD damage

you should wear a wired ESD wrist strap that is properly grounded." This directly supports the use of an ESD strap as the primary preventative measure.

2. Intel Corporation

Integration Guide for the Intel® Desktop Board D915GAV/D915GEV/D915GVV

Document Number: C98648-002

May 2005

Section 1.3 "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

" p. 11. The guide specifies

"Use a grounded wrist strap and a conductive foam pad when installing an Intel Desktop Board. These are available in most electronics stores."

3. University of California

Berkeley

EECS 151/251A

Fall 2020

Lab 1: FPGA Toolflow

Section: "ESD Precautions." The courseware instructs students: "Please wear an ESD strap when handling the FPGA boards... This will prevent you from accidentally damaging the boards with static electricity." This highlights the standard practice in an academic and technical setting.