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Computer Upkeep
1. Keep your computer clean and dust-free. Dust is the enemy of computers. It causes them to run hot, which burns out chips and ruins circuitry. Use a cloth lightly dampened with warm water to clean the outside of your computer at least once a week, wiping around, behind and underneath all equipment.
2. Keep the keyboard, monitor screen and mouse clean. Keeping these items dirt-free will extend their life—and be much healthier for you. The keyboard and mouse are havens for germs and who knows what else, especially when the computer is shared. All you need to keep them clean are a soft cloth (lightly dampened with warm water) and cotton swabs. Always disconnect them from the computer before you wipe them.
Tip: When assembling your computer systems, use long wiring and cables to connect everything. This will make it easy to move the equipment around—cleaning over, under and around it—without having to unplug or detach components. (Turn the computer off before you move it, of course!) You can purchase inexpensive extensions for any wiring that is too short.
3. Clean the inside of the CPU at least once a year. This isn’t hard to do, but if you feel uncomfortable, hire a professional to do it for you. Basically, you unplug all the wires, take the machine outside, unscrew the casing and lift it off the base, and blow out all the dust with a can of air.
4. Keep Windows updated. Security patches, minor enhancements, and bug fixes are made available for Windows regularly. Configure your operating system to automatically download and install these updates.
5. Use the Windows “Disk Cleanup” utility. Disk Cleanup rids your computer of the miscellaneous detritus it accumulates, such as temporary files of all sorts and old setup files. The cleanup tool is found by clicking “Start,” pointing to “All Programs,” then “Accessories,” then “System Tools,” and then clicking “Disk Cleanup.” Run this utility regularly.
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