Dust Bunnies Are "Bad"
Yesterday I posted What The Inside Looks Like… which showed the insides of computers, and a savvy and experienced gentleman pointed out that, typically, looking inside your PC will reveal a build up of dust and lint. Oh, yes! (Especially if your floor is carpeted.) Like most technicians, I carry a can of air, and as a ‘value add’, will blow that gunk out for my clients. Why?
Tip of the day: Get rid of the dust and lint. Dust and lint can reduce your computer’s performance, cooling efficiency, and even cause ‘fatal’ short-circuits. It is simple, and doesn’t take long.. and it’s important.
* For desktop PCs, unplug your computer’s power cord from the wall and open your computer’s case so you can see all the neat-o circuitry inside. How, exactly your case opens will vary with make/model, but it is usually a side panel, and the side panel is held in place with two thumb-screws (the manufacturer’s website will have instructions).
Once the case is open, use the techniques I described in my printer maintenance article to remove the built-up dust bunnies. Pay special attention to air venting areas (and screens), such as by the power supply. (And, be careful and be gentle.)
* For notebooks, your cleaning is going to be a little different: you will want to get all the debris from out from under your keyboard keys, as I describe in this article. And you’ll want to wipe down your screen with an anti-static cloth (which may may require the slightest [just a drop or two] moistening with plain water.
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Food for thought:
(01-13) 04:00 PST Washington – —
Twenty-eight percent of all traffic accidents are caused when people talk on cell phones or send text messages while driving, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Safety Council. (Read more, click here.)
Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix
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You should see the server I just cleaned out, filled to the gills with dust. That wasn’t the worst of the news though, has bulging caps on the motherboard!
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Dave Brooks,
I just completed two motherboard replacements this past week.. On the plus side, both instances resulted in some upgrading.
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I’m gonna end up replacing all of the caps that are the same mfg and rating as the blown one, probably 7 or 8 altogether, it’s a 4 year old PowerEdge server, customer can’t offord a new server or replacement motherboard.
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Dave Brooks,
I sort of view capacitor cap replacement as a “temp fix”.. but, some of those tempfixes I’ve done have lasted years and years and years…
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Pretty good for a temp fix :)
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