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PC Maintenance

Protecting Your Computer From It's Enemies

Do you change the oil in your car and tune it regularly? If so, you probably appreciate the value of preventive maintenance. Why not do the same for your computer? Being kind to your computer will keep it operating in kind. And each of your components has its own, relatively simple needs and precautions.

Sworn Enemies.

Your computer has several enemies that you need to protect it from. We'll discuss each of them and solutions for undoing and preventing the havoc they can wreak.

Magnets. After considerable research, the Smith purchased all the educational software they would need to educate their children at home. They both use computers at work and are reasonably computer literate, so they felt confident until they began installing the new software. Their word processor displayed error messages. Then their educational software crashed in the middle of installation. A virus check program provided no answers. The culprit? The magnetic paper clip holder on the desk.

The moral of the story: Don't put magnets anywhere near diskettes or your computer.

Smoke. Your computer is only slightly more tolerant of cigarette smoke than the people who sit in a non-smoking section at a restaurant. It's unlikely to crash your system, but it's not impossible. Smoke particles, over time, build up heat, which can damage electronic components. If your office is reasonably well-ventilated, you may not need to quit smoking, but we would recommend making your work area a "smoke-free" zone.

Heat. It's equally important to be aware of the vents on your monitor and your computer. Don't sack things on or in front of these vents, or you'll cause heat to build up in your hardware. You also should keep the computer out of direct sunlight. Again, a well-ventilated office can alleviate some problems, but you shouldn't use your computer in the kitchen when you're cooking either.

Dust Bunnies. The above caveats apply to dust-you don't want to empty the vacuum cleaner bag in your work area or dust with the computer on. If you live in a dusty area, vacuum more often near your computer. A can of compressed air is an effective tool for removing dust from your computer.

Static electricity. If you've ever "gotten a shock" from someone who's just walked across a carpet and touched you, you know what static electricity is and how unexpectedly it can be generated. Static electricity on your computer chips is like a lightning strike to the top of your head. Always keep something near your computer that you can touch to discharge static if you're taking the case off your computer (i.e., a metal floor lamp or unpainted metal surface).

You also shouldn't keep your computer on during an electrical storm because it can get zapped though electrical or phone lines. During severe thunderstorms, unplug your computer and its peripherals, especially if your home tends to lose power during these storms.

Surge protectors can protect your PC from small power surges, but not from a lightning strike. Also be aware that inexpensive protectors won't survive more than one shock. It's well worth the $20 investment for an expendable surge protector. We recommend the switched units, which let you separately switch on and off your computer, monitor, printer, and two auxiliary devices (lamp, modem transformer, etc.). While these switched units have a master switch, it is always best to switch on your monitor first and then your computer. Switching sequentially saves unnecessary surging.

Moisture. Your computer is not an amphibian and doesn't deal with even light moisture very well. Things to avoid: running your humidifier or vaporizer in the same room as your computer; taking a shower in an adjacent room with the door open; and leaving a window open while it's raining.

Cleaning House.

Electronic is not the same as electric. Conservation of energy is not your priority here, and you don't want to turn off your computer as you would a light switch. When you're finished working for a few hours, leave your computer on. It's better to leave it on for short periods of nonuse than to turn it off and on again. The surge of turning it on places more wear on the electronic components than the heat created by leaving it running. Most computers have a fan in their case to regulate heat and keep the power supply and microprocessor relatively cool. However, we don't recommend leaving your computer constantly running.

The monitor. When you're going to be away from your PC, you can turn down the monitor intensity or turn off the monitor while the computer is still on. Some newer monitors are equipped with power-saving features that automatically shut them off after a set time of nonuse (selected through software provided with your operating system, the monitor, or both). Older monitors used screen savers to prevent images left on-screen for long periods of time from burning in, but nowadays they're more of a decoration than a utility.

In DOS, you're overdriving your monitor if you can see a while halo surrounded by a black border. Turn down your brightness setting until it's as black as the background, then adjust the contrast. Over-energizing the phosphors lowers the life span of your monitor and your eyes.

To clean your monitor, use a soft, lint-free cloth. Several companies make antistatic sprays, screen wipes, lint-free fiber rags, and antistatic multi-purpose cleaners. Any of these products are fine. Don't wash with soap and water. Before you begin cleaning, turn off your computer. If there were any leakage, voltage can be as high as 12,000 volts, which could nicely electrocute a rhinoceros. Also, don't put your fingers on the monitor because they leave oils and acids from the skin on the screen.

Diskettes and drives. Diskette drives require little care. However, if you have a 5.25-inch or a 3.5-inch drive that doesn't have a little door to keep dust from getting into the mechanism, keep a diskette in the drive. If it has a latch, leave it unlatched. If it doesn't, keep the diskette "unengaged" (not in a readable position) so the tension is not left on.

If your 3.5-inch diskette gets a read error, try turning the hub (the center wheel) on the diskette and/or lightly tapping it on a surface. This hub needs to turn freely but will occasionally stick. Don't play with the metal shutter on the 3.5-inch diskettes. For cleaning drives, you can use a special cleaning diskette.

The diskettes should be checked periodically to ensure that they've maintained their integrity. Diskettes can develop bad sectors, sometimes rendering the data unreadable. There are several good software packages that diagnose hardware and repair diskettes and hard drives. These packages can test the surface of each of your drives, in addition to doing other diagnostic and repair functions.

Keyboard/mouse. Keyboards are relatively indestructible with normal use; most are not spill-proof, although some manufacturers are making such keyboards. Skins (plastic covers), which stay on your keyboard while you work, are cheap and functional.

The bottom of the mouse pips off to allow for easy cleaning of the rubber ball (also true of trackballs) and the inner casing. Clean mice and keyboards with cotton swabs and a touch of alcohol, or spray canned air through accessible areas.

Cable connections. If you get an error message that your printer or mouse is not responding, the problem may be your hardware. Check cables periodically (when the computer is off) for tightness and make sure there are no bent pins, which can cause shorts. Use the thumbscrew tightners that are on most serial and parallel cables. A simple way to keep cables from twisting and pulling out of their sockets is to use twist ties to hold them together. (Ground yourself first by touching an unpainted metal surface.) Finally, make sure that cables are not under stress; if the cable at the connector is kinked to almost a 90-degree angle, you're asking for trouble.

CD Roms. Don't drop CDs or place them on surfaces other than in the CD-ROM drive or the case. Data reads are based on light transmission, and smudges prevent proper refraction. Scratches also render the CD useless (beware of long fingernails). Replace any paper cases with plastic jewel box cases. Also, just like old records, leaving the CD in sunlight will warp it.

When cleaning CDs, don't spray chemicals directly onto the disc because it may leave a film. If you take your cleaning seriously, buy reusable fiber wipes. Don't wipe discs circularly; instead, wipe in a straight line between the inside and outside edges.

Printers. These are relatively maintenance free. Laser printers may have an ozone filter that needs replacement after about 50,000 or more copies. Check your printer manual for recommendations. For removing loose paper debris and dust from any type of printer, canned air works well.

Sometimes, what is most obvious is what causes the least obvious problems. So be conscience of where you put your coffee cup.

By Erick Redwood, PC Novice Magazine, Issue P35 961107