It’s that time of the year! Are you ready to spring clean the dirty aftermath your computer collected over the winter? If you take a look at the external components of your PC you’re probably thinking, what kind of threats has my keyboard or screen come into contact with? The truth is that your physical equipment might be in need of a spring cleaning.
Your computer is the second most contaminated device at your disposal. The keyboard alone contains nearly 3,000 microbes per square inch, that’s not all! Your PC can collect billions of little dust specks which can trap the heat within the computer and shorten its life span.
Before you start cleaning…
Follow these steps to get prepared for your exterior PC spring cleaning:
1. Turn the computer completely off and unplug it.
2. Chose an area that is large, flat, and clear of clutter.
3. Equip yourself with an anti-static wrist band or something similar.
4. Have a safe place for thumb screws.
5. Get tools together: compressed air (sometimes known as canned air or gas duster), cotton swabs, microfiber cloths, cleaning cloths, a soft brush, and a small screwdriver.
What to clean and how?
1. Power Supply Unite: We recommend you to start with the part that converts AC power to DC power, the power supply unite. Use a soft brush to remove any dust and debris from this object.
2. Computer Fan: remove the fan itself from the case and use a soft brush to clean large amounts of dust. To remove smaller particles of dust use the compressed air.
3. Motherboard: The central computer circuit board that connects to other core components needs to be cleaned with a compressed air unit. Blow from the inside-out and not directly against the motherboard system itself.
4. Keyboard: wipe down and clean with cotton swabs and compressed air to remove dirt from in between the keys.
5. The monitor: or the display screen of the computer is made out of glass. Take a microfiber or other soft cloth to gently wipe down the screen. Remember to never use alcohol or chemical based products.
6. Mouse: Use a cloth to wipe away any build-up.
…what about the rest of your computer?
It is equally important to take the time to do software maintenance. You may also need to back-up your data, setup a registry cleaning, run disk defragmentation, make any software updates, and/or activate an anti –virus.
When you go through your computer spring cleaning, you might begin to notice that you have lots of unnecessary files that taking memory space. There might be even doubles of some files; use DoubleKiller which goes forward for you and checks the file names, sizes, dates, and even what’s inside of it.
Furthermore, you may notice you have installed too many programs that you don’t want anymore. Revo Uninstaller and CCleaner are a computer’s best friends. These programs can go into the Windows OS and pull out all sorts of useless stuff on your computer. Take for instance, the thousands of “temporary files” that your web browsers have generated.
By following these steps, and completing your spring cleaning you can keep your computer healthy and running like brand new. For expert advice and help, contact Geeks on Site 24/7 to receive immediate assistance.