Keeping Your Computer Clean and Cool

Aloha!

Keep it clean, keep it cool. This statement could apply to a lot of things…for fun, let your mind wander. What it pertains to here is your computer, be it desktop or laptop.

By keep it clean, I mean turning off the PC, unplugging all those cables (fortunately, most are color coded, so you can locate where they go when you’re done with housekeeping!), take the case outside, open it up, and blast the interior with compressed air. (Please don’t use an air compressor – what I’m recommending is one of those cans of compressed air.) Be careful to turn your head away while blowing, as some of that dust is nasty – believe me, I know.

It’s best if your can of compressed air has a straw on it, so you can focus the air to achieve maximum results. Blow the air on the memory boards, the CPU and fan, any case fans, the power supply fan, and everywhere else you can chase the “dust bunnies” from.

Why bother doing this? Well, other than the fun of blasting stuff with compressed air (must be a guy thing), keeping the dust and debris to a minimum in your PC case reduces heat build up on components, which degrades component life and can cause malfunctions. I can point to one example where my client’s CPU was reporting it was too hot via a message on the startup screen, and shutting off the computer. I dusted out the case interior, focusing on the CPU, and voila, problem solved!

For a laptop, you can point the compressed air straw at the cooling fan and blast away. You can also blow off the laptop keyboard and screen; same goes for a PC’s keyboard and monitor.

While you’re at it, blow out your scanner, printer, digital camera, etc. (A digital camera’s zoom lens can lock up when there’s too much dust and debris in the telescoping parts.) You can shoot compressed air at your adding machine, your DVD player (when opened), your cassette player…you get the idea.

You may find some interesting things inside your computer in the process. In my clients’ computers, I regularly find spiders (dead and living), other bugs, old parts left over from a previous tech’s repair work, unplugged cables (so that’s why the second CD drive doesn’t work!), and other oddities. If your PC is under the desk, you may find some other missing items too (so that’s where my favorite bottle opener went!).

At minimum, you’ll get some more comfort with your computer. You may not understand what all those components are when looking in the case, but the act of opening it demystifies it somewhat - just like opening a car hood. If you feel compelled to touch anything in the case, be sure to discharge ESD (electro static discharge) by touching the case frame or power supply first.

Wishing you akamai computing!