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SPRING CLEANING…Do it yourself!
The inside of your computer(s)
should be cleaned at least once each year. Depending upon your environment,
your computer(s) may require cleaning twice annually or even more often if
you're located in a particularly dirty environment Every minute a computer is
up and running, the components inside are collecting dirt and dust as the
cooling fans are constantly pulling air through the case to keep things cool..
Too much dirt and you may begin to have problems as dust collects on top of
electronic components and acts like a blanket to keep heat from dissipating
them. Also, dust and dirt inside of your CD-ROM, floppy and tape drives may
case these devices to function improperly or not function at all!
You
can always call your technician to do the cleaning for you, but you can just as
easily do it yourself and you'll be learning something about your computer at
the same time. It's easy, BUT you must be careful. Here's the step-by-step
procedure. Read through it completely BEFORE you attempt the procedure!!
Tools required:
- A Phillips-head screwdriver or the appropriate tool which will
allow you to remove the screws holding the cover to the frame of the
case.
- A vacuum cleaner with hose and plastic (not metal) crevice tool
that has the ability to blow air out of the hose, as well as suck it in. If you
don't have such an animal, cans of compressed air which are available from us
will do just fine.
Cleaning procedure:
- Before you unplug the power cord from the case, press the
'on/off' button as if you were going to boot the computer. Immediately press
the EJECT button once on your CD-ROM drive so that the tray slides out and
stays out. Immediately press the 'on/off' button again to turn the machine off.
Now, remove the power cord and all of the cables plugged into the back of the
computer. Don't freak out that you may not remember where to plug them back in
when you're ready to power up again. Most cables have unique connectors that
will only go into one place, but if you find it reassuring, take pieces of
masking tape, and mark them with numbers. Affix one piece of tape to each
cable, then use a pencil or a Sharpie pen (also available from us) to mark the
corresponding number next to the port on the computer frame from which you
removed the cable.
- Remove the cover from the frame. Believe it or not, this can be
the trickiest part of the whole routine. Most computers have three to six
screws located on the back of the case that hold the cover in place. They're
easy to identify…just look along the flange of the cover on the back of
the case. Remove these, then remove the cover or if your case has individual
cover pieces (two sides and a top), remove the two sides by sliding them toward
the back. You may have to exert a bit of force to get them to move, so don't be
timid.
What, no flange? No screws? Some cases have the screws on the
front of the case, hidden from view by the removable plastic faceplate. Usually
these are tower cases that have an opening at the bottom where you can grip to
pull the faceplate away from the frame. Once removed, you'll either find the
necessary screws to remove or, in some instances, no screws at all, just the
flange. Remove the sides of the cover by pulling them toward you.
Still
other cases have different methods of removing the cover. Some of the IBM
desktop cases require only that you lift a couple of tabs along the back top
edge of the cover and then slide it toward the front. Others may have large,
knurled knobs (Compaq) along the back flanges that probably won't require a
screwdriver to remove.
- CAUTION! Static discharge will damage sensitive electronic
components. You don't have to be concerned about getting shocked by touching
something inside of your computer…it's very low, DC voltage (except inside
of the power supply which is protected by its own cover and is not accessible
without removing it from the case and then removing its cover). What you MUST
AVOID IS YOU BEING THE "SHOCKER"! That is, be sure you have grounded yourself
first so that you don't cause a static discharge from your body to one of the
electronic components inside. Ground yourself by touching any metal part of
the frame first.
- If you're not already outside, or in a room in which it won't
matter if dust and dirt get blown all over the place, then get there. Take the
computer with you, along with your vacuum and/or compressed air. If you'll be
using a vacuum, put the hose in the port that blows the air out and attach the
crevice tool firmly to the hose.
- Next, turn that puppy on or grab the can of compressed air.
Start by directing the airflow into the power supply fan port on the backside
of the case. Whew! Your computer is filthy. Look at all of the dust hidden
inside the power supply case. Now, find the louvers on the power supply case
(usually on the opposite side of the fan port) and blow air into these. More
dust, this time coming out through the fan port on the back of the case. Repeat
this procedure several times to get all of the dust out of the power
supply.
- Now, working from the front of the case, direct airflow into
the open CD-ROM drive and through your floppy drive and any other drive
openings (i.e. tape drive). More dust! Next, blow out the entire inside of the
case. Pay particular attention to the fan and heatsink atop the CPU (the
processor…most have a small fan and a heat dissipating device called a
heatsink mounted on top of them to pull the heat away from it) as a lot of dust
collects on these surfaces. Keep blowing until all of the dust is
gone!
- That's all there is to it. You're done. BUT, before you put
everything back together, now is a good time to check to make sure all of the
peripheral boards (video card, sound card, network card, modem card) are firmly
seated. Same goes for your data cables that connect your CD-ROM, hard and
floppy drives to the mainboard. REMEMBER, YOU MUST GROUND YOURSELF FIRST BY
TOUCHING ANY METAL PART OF THE CASE BEFORE YOU TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE. I usually
put one hand on the metal frame and then exert firm, downward pressure against
each card and data cable with my other hand. This way I know that I am always
grounded.
Once your are sure that everything is firmly seated (heating
and cooling cause expansion and contraction that will cause cards and cables to
unseat themselves), there is one final check I recommend that you make. Plug
the power cord into the power supply on the back of the case. Push the 'on/off'
switch once and check to make sure that any of the fans inside of the case are
working properly. Some computers have both a CPU fan and an additional internal
fan. This will only take a few seconds. Immediately push the 'on/off' switch
again to shut the machine down.
If you notice that any of the fans are
not working or are very sluggish, you must replace them. Unless you are an
experienced technician or feel very confident in your ability to work safely
inside of your computer, I recommend that you contact a qualified technician
for assistance. Office Helper can assist you with this if you need help. A CPU
fan failure will cause your processor to overheat and you'll begin to
experience system lockups and generally what we affectionately call in the
business, the "blue screen of death". Don't ignore this. It will only make
matters worse.
- With everything working properly and all of that nasty dirt
and dust gone, put everything back together and plug all of the cords and
cables back into their respective ports. Now you're set to go!
Thanks for being one of our EVERYTHING OFFICE subscribers and
hopefully one of our clients as well. We appreciate your business very much. We
know you have choices when it comes to where you purchase your home and office
business products and supplies, which is why we not only offer very competitive
prices, but fast, individual, personalized service that you won't find at the
superstores!
- Rich Poremba
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