24th Jan 2009
Five “Different” Tips to Keep Your Desktop Computer Running Smoothly
Many people have read what we like to call “the usual PC tips” (keep patches and virus definiations up to date, don’t turn of the PC, etc.) so thes next tips are more geared to most PC users who put the PC in it’s final location and have not moved it in over, say, a year or more.
What we will be discussing is things to keep your PC working from a more “mechanical” standpoint.
Like a car, a PC actually needs some mechanical maintenance every now and then to stay healthy. Here are some tips to ensure good PC health:
1. Vacuum out your PC every six months.
When you’re changing the battery for the fire alarm(s), consider opening the side panel of your PC and giving it a good vacuuming. For most everyone who owns a desktop PC, the PC is normally on the floor or under the monitor. These locations are notorius for collecting dust and debris that over time will affect the PC’s ability to maintain operating temperature as well as hampering general operation.
2. Listen to your hard drive.
Has your system become more “noisy”? Just like your car, if there are strange sounds it may be time to get it looked at. Internal hard drives, CDs/DVDs, and power supplies are mechanical devices and over time will fail as part of normal wear and tear. This is where the backup often mantra comes in very handy!
Nowadays, it’s very easy to purchase an external hard drive that can allow you to backup your data in the event of a hard drive failure.
3. Clean/Replace your keyboard.
Studies have shown that keyboards (especially ones that are shared such as library systems, offices and homes, etc.) can keep and carry harmful bacteria: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7377002.stm. That being said if you also tend to eat at your keyboard, assume that crumbs have fallen into the spaces between the keys. These dust and dirt particles can create problems in the effectiveness of keyboard operations.
4. How about the mouse?
While we’re looking at the keyboard, also look at the mouse as well. How long have you had it? If the mouse is not an optical mouse (it has a mouse ball underneath that rolls around) then consider opening up the bottom of the mouse and seeing if it needs cleaning. Many times the ball attracts dirt and debris that is captured and rolled up into the housing, creating odd mouse operations…and I am sorry to say that smacking the mouse down on the desk will not fix it or clean it out.
5. What’s behind the screen?
There have probably been a few readers saying “I already do this stuff guys” but have you looked around or behind your monitor? May people tend to put the monitor in place and there it sits until it doesn’t. Take the time to check behind it and vacuum the back of the monitor and the area(s) around it. Even flat panel monitors have vents for thermal control so those same slots that allow the monitor to expend heat also let in dust & dirt!
IMPORTANT NOTE: AT NO TIME SHOULD YOU REMOVE THE BACK PANEL OF YOUR CRT OR FLAT PANEL MONITOR TO CLEAN IT!
So there you have it…some slightly different tips to ensuring your desktop pc stays running well. As we become more dependent on our PCs to maintain valueable data, these tips will ensure that they stay running longer.
Many people have read what we like to call “the usual PC tips” (keep patches and virus definiations up to date, don’t turn of the PC, etc.) so thes next tips are more geared to most PC users who put the PC in it’s final location and have not moved it in over, say, a year or more.
What we will be discussing is things to keep your PC working from a more “mechanical” standpoint.
Like a car, a PC actually needs some mechanical maintenance every now and then to stay healthy. Here are some tips to ensure good PC health:
1. Vacuum out your PC every six months.
When you’re changing the battery for the fire alarm(s), consider opening the side panel of your PC and giving it a good vacuuming. For most everyone who owns a desktop PC, the PC is normally on the floor or under the monitor. These locations are notorius for collecting dust and debris that over time will affect the PC’s ability to maintain operating temperature as well as hampering general operation.
2. Listen to your hard drive.
Has your system become more “noisy”? Just like your car, if there are strange sounds it may be time to get it looked at. Internal hard drives, CDs/DVDs, and power supplies are mechanical devices and over time will fail as part of normal wear and tear. This is where the backup often mantra comes in very handy!
Nowadays, it’s very easy to purchase an external hard drive that can allow you to backup your data in the event of a hard drive failure.
3. Clean/Replace your keyboard.
Studies have shown that keyboards (especially ones that are shared such as library systems, offices and homes, etc.) can keep and carry harmful bacteria: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7377002.stm. That being said if you also tend to eat at your keyboard, assume that crumbs have fallen into the spaces between the keys. These dust and dirt particles can create problems in the effectiveness of keyboard operations.
4. How about the mouse?
While we’re looking at the keyboard, also look at the mouse as well. How long have you had it? If the mouse is not an optical mouse (it has a mouse ball underneath that rolls around) then consider opening up the bottom of the mouse and seeing if it needs cleaning. Many times the ball attracts dirt and debris that is captured and rolled up into the housing, creating odd mouse operations…and I am sorry to say that smacking the mouse down on the desk will not fix it or clean it out.
5. What’s behind the screen?
There have probably been a few readers saying “I already do this stuff guys” but have you looked around or behind your monitor? May people tend to put the monitor in place and there it sits until it doesn’t. Take the time to check behind it and vacuum the back of the monitor and the area(s) around it. Even flat panel monitors have vents for thermal control so those same slots that allow the monitor to expend heat also let in dust & dirt!
IMPORTANT NOTE: AT NO TIME SHOULD YOU REMOVE THE BACK PANEL OF YOUR CRT OR FLAT PANEL MONITOR TO CLEAN IT!
So there you have it…some slightly different tips to ensuring your desktop pc stays running well. As we become more dependent on our PCs to maintain valueable data, these tips will ensure that they stay running longer.
Posted in Hardware, Technology | 3 Comments »
