Clearing Out The Cobwebs From Your Computer
Normally when someone talks about cleaning your computer, they are talking about performing a defragmentation or deleting temporary and unused files or removing old programs. But today we are going to talk about a different type of cleaning, a physical cleaning. I am going to walk you through a little spring cleaning.
The most important part of cleaning your computer is dusting out the inside. Think of a nice hot summer day and going outside to do a bit of yard work. It’s hot and sticky and you move a bit slower because of the heat. Now try doing the same thing with a winter wool coat on. You would be lucky to move at a quarter of the speed; that is until you pass out from heat stroke. This is how your computer feels after it has a layer of dust on the components.
Dust buildup on your computer provides a layer of insulation which can destroy your computer and impact its performance, just as a wool coat would caused you to slow down and eventually pass out. Not only will the dust provide a thermal blanket for your computer but it can also cause damage to the fans. As the fans blow to cool the computer, the dust particles build up on the fan assembly and will eventually cause the fan to lock up.
Simple preventative maintenance can keep dust buildup from destroying your computer. The first step in cleaning the inside of your computer is to pick up some compressed air from your local store, most big box and office stores, along with computer stores carry compressed air.
The next step is to open up the case of your computer. Before opening the case, please shut down the computer and unplug the power. You may also want to disconnect the wires and take your computer outside if it is really dusty.
There are many different styles of computers and each open a different way, but the most common style is a tower that has a side that slides off. The side that comes off is always the side opposite of where you plug in your mouse and keyboard as you are looking at the back of your computer.
Look at the back of the case and there will be 1-3 screws holding the cover on the box. You may need a Phillips screwdriver to remove these screws. Once the screws are removed, the side will slide towards the back of the case. If your cover does not open this way and you need additional help, please consult your computer’s manual, me or your local computer professional as they will be glad to assist you.
Once the side is removed, if there is excessive dust you may want to carefully use the hose of a vacuum to remove the majority of the dust. Next, take the can of air, attach the extension tube, if provided, and using short bursts of air, blow out the inside of the computer. Make sure you blow inside the power supply from both ends. The power supply is the metal box the power cord plugs into. Also, be diligent about getting all the dust out of the fans.
After you have blown out the computer you should verify the operation of the fans. This is very easy, just plug in the power cord again, with the cover off, and turn on the computer. Once the computer is powered on, visually verify the fans are running. Most computers have 2-4 fans, sometimes more, depending on your computer. The power supply we mentioned earlier also has a fan inside, but is often difficult to see. A workaround for this is to hold your hand over the power supply at the back of the computer and see if you can feel the air blowing out.
If you have a fan that is not moving, with the computer still running, move the fan blade. This will often get the fan unstuck. If this does not get the fan running, please have the fan replaced right away to avoid any further damage to your computer system.
After you are done verifying the fan operation, turn the computer back off and reinstall the cover. Do not try to install the cover with the computer running as you can damage your computer.
I hope this simple little cleaning session will help keep your computer running in top condition. Depending on the conditions of where your computer is located, I recommend you blow out your computer every six months to a year.
The most important part of cleaning your computer is dusting out the inside. Think of a nice hot summer day and going outside to do a bit of yard work. It’s hot and sticky and you move a bit slower because of the heat. Now try doing the same thing with a winter wool coat on. You would be lucky to move at a quarter of the speed; that is until you pass out from heat stroke. This is how your computer feels after it has a layer of dust on the components.
Dust buildup on your computer provides a layer of insulation which can destroy your computer and impact its performance, just as a wool coat would caused you to slow down and eventually pass out. Not only will the dust provide a thermal blanket for your computer but it can also cause damage to the fans. As the fans blow to cool the computer, the dust particles build up on the fan assembly and will eventually cause the fan to lock up.
Simple preventative maintenance can keep dust buildup from destroying your computer. The first step in cleaning the inside of your computer is to pick up some compressed air from your local store, most big box and office stores, along with computer stores carry compressed air.
The next step is to open up the case of your computer. Before opening the case, please shut down the computer and unplug the power. You may also want to disconnect the wires and take your computer outside if it is really dusty.
There are many different styles of computers and each open a different way, but the most common style is a tower that has a side that slides off. The side that comes off is always the side opposite of where you plug in your mouse and keyboard as you are looking at the back of your computer.
Look at the back of the case and there will be 1-3 screws holding the cover on the box. You may need a Phillips screwdriver to remove these screws. Once the screws are removed, the side will slide towards the back of the case. If your cover does not open this way and you need additional help, please consult your computer’s manual, me or your local computer professional as they will be glad to assist you.
Once the side is removed, if there is excessive dust you may want to carefully use the hose of a vacuum to remove the majority of the dust. Next, take the can of air, attach the extension tube, if provided, and using short bursts of air, blow out the inside of the computer. Make sure you blow inside the power supply from both ends. The power supply is the metal box the power cord plugs into. Also, be diligent about getting all the dust out of the fans.
After you have blown out the computer you should verify the operation of the fans. This is very easy, just plug in the power cord again, with the cover off, and turn on the computer. Once the computer is powered on, visually verify the fans are running. Most computers have 2-4 fans, sometimes more, depending on your computer. The power supply we mentioned earlier also has a fan inside, but is often difficult to see. A workaround for this is to hold your hand over the power supply at the back of the computer and see if you can feel the air blowing out.
If you have a fan that is not moving, with the computer still running, move the fan blade. This will often get the fan unstuck. If this does not get the fan running, please have the fan replaced right away to avoid any further damage to your computer system.
After you are done verifying the fan operation, turn the computer back off and reinstall the cover. Do not try to install the cover with the computer running as you can damage your computer.
I hope this simple little cleaning session will help keep your computer running in top condition. Depending on the conditions of where your computer is located, I recommend you blow out your computer every six months to a year.
posted by Eric at
9:38 PM
