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Last week we looked at ways to periodically tune up your browser to increase performance. This week we'll look at spring cleaning the components of your computer.
Your PC's two biggest enemies are heat and moisture. Excess heat accelerates the deterioration of the delicate circuits in your system. The most common causes of overheating are dust and dirt: clogged vents and CPU cooling fans can keep heat-dissipating air from moving through the case, and even a thin coating of dust or dirt can raise the temperature of your machine's components (just like your refrigerator!)You will need some lint-free wipes, a can of compressed air, a few drops of a mild cleaning solution such as Formula 409 or Simple Green in a bowl of water. An antistatic wrist strap would also be good to wear to protect your system when cleaning your system. You can get can of compressed air and the antistatic wrist strap at any computer supply store like CompUSA, Best Buy or even Staples and Office Max.
Before you get started cleaning, take a look around your PC for anything nearby that could raise its temperature (such as a heating register, books leaning up against your computer or even sunshine coming through a window directly onto your unit).
You should always turn off and unplug the system before you clean any of its components. Also, never apply any liquid directly to a component - either spray or pour the liquid on a lint-free cloth, and then wipe the PC with the cloth.
Clean the case: Wipe the case and clear its ventilation ports of any obstructions. Compressed air is great for this, but don't blow dust into the PC or its optical and floppy drives. Keep all cables firmly attached to their connectors on the case.
A clean mouse is a happy mouse. When a nonoptical mouse gets dirty, you'll find that your cursor moves erratically. Unscrew the ring on the bottom of the unit and remove the ball. Then wipe down the two plastic rollers that are set 90 degrees apart inside the ball's housing.
Clearing a crumby keyboard. Turn the keyboard upside down and shake it to clear the crumbs from between the keys. If you can still see some stubborn crumbs, blast them (briefly) with compressed air. If your keys stick or your keyboard is really dirty, pry the keys off for easier cleaning. Computer shops have special tools for removing keys, but you can also pop them off by using two pencils with broken tips as jumbo tweezers--just be sure to use a soft touch.
Wipe the monitor case and clear its vents of obstructions, without pushing dust into the unit. Clean the screen with a standard glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth - remember to spray the cleaner onto the cloth, not directly on the monitor. If your monitor has a degauss button (look for a small magnet icon), push it to clear magnetic interference. Many LCDs can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol but you should check with your LCD manufacturer or the information that came with your unit. Remember to wipe your LCD lightly - the underlying glass is fragile.
Check your power protection - you should be using a surge protector that has a warning indicator and is UL 1449 certified. For your spring cleaning, reseat the cables plugged into your surge protector and check the unit's warning indicator, if it has one. Surge protectors may power your PC even after being compromised by a voltage spike (making your system susceptible to a second spike). If there is a warning light on, you should replace your surge protector
Gently wipe your CDs and DVDs with a moistened, soft cloth to remove dust and dirt. Use a motion that starts at the center of the disc and then moves outward toward the edge. Never wipe a disc in a circular motion.
For more help with these features, please contact one of the IT Instructional Support team (Norm Grant, Gene Grande or Linda Beith) or faculty mentors Tony Basilico or Kathy Beauchene.
The National Center for Developmental Education housed at Appalachian State University houses a wealth of resources and articles on developmental education. Explore their website at: http://www.ncde.appstate.edu/resources.htm and discover helpful readings, events, announcements and even suggested standard criteria for program evaluation.
Feel free to post your thoughts or opinions of this site in the Teaching Forum message board.
These tips are provided by the Department of Information Technology
instructional support team. If you
have any questions on these tips, or wish to offer your own, please feel free to
contact Linda Beith at lbeith@ccri.edu or
call 825-2487. View an archive of past technology tips
at
http://it.ccri.edu/Training/Tips/tip_week.shtml.
This
page developed and maintained by the Information Technology
Department at CCRI. Send comments and suggestions to
edowling@ccri.edu. ©2007,
Community College of Rhode Island.
