By Mike Robinson

As the winter months come to a close, most people look forward to the thought of the warmer weather to come.
Cleaning around the house or garage is a seasonal ritual that many Canadians tackle every spring. However, many of us overlook our computers. 

Just like your vehicle, computers need regular maintenance to keep them operating at their best. Changing the oil in your car is critical to maintaining fuel economy and prolonging the life of your engine. Maintaining your computer is no different. This simple five-step guide will help you keep your machine running as it was intended–to keep you working as efficiently as possible.

Step 1 – Remove that dust!

Your computer is made up of a number of components generating a significant amount of heat. Because of this heat, fans are installed in many areas within your desktop or laptop computer. The fans draw in air to help keep things cool, but at the same time, they also draw in dust. 

For desktop computers: 

With your computer powered down and unplugged, open the case. There are a few screws on the back that you can unfasten so the side panel pops off quite easily. You’ll need to have some canned air on hand– available at any STAPLES store. (Note: Wearing safety glasses and a dust mask is recommended when cleaning with compressed air.) Hold the canned air about six inches away from the computer’s internal components and blow the dust out. Be sure to get to all of the small areas, including fans, eliminating as much dust as possible from your system. Although a vacuum may seem like an easier alternative, vacuuming can actually damage your PC’s components and do more harm than the dust. Once all of the visible dust has been removed, use a soft cloth to wipe the inside of the case and side panel to remove any lingering dust. Be sure to double check all of the connectors and cables inside to make sure nothing has been inadvertently disconnected. If everything looks good, reattach the panels and screws, plug everything back in and and you’re ready to go!

Tip: Consider taking a digital picture of the inside of your computer as a reference. This will come in handy in the event that a part becomes disconnected and you aren’t sure how to reconnect it.

For laptop computers:

Just like desktops, laptops have fans that draw air in to keep things cool. Laptops aren’t quite as easy to get into, but you can remove as much dust as possible without having to open up your machine. If your laptop is really dirty, or you suspect that your internal fans have stopped working, you should consider using STAPLES’ EasyTech service, available at any local STAPLES store.

You’ll need a can of compressed air, and this time, you will also use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment. With your laptop shut down and unplugged, use the compressed air to blow out any loose particles, food crumbs or other gunk trapped between the keys and under the keyboard. Turn your laptop on its side or upside down and all of those loosened particles should fall out quite easily. Next, locate the side vents on your laptop. There should be one on either side, or one on the back or bottom. Either way, locate two separate vents. Blow compressed air into one vent and use your vacuum to suck out the dust and loose particles from the other vent. Reverse the process by alternating between air and vacuum until all visible dust has been cleared from the vents. Using a soft cloth and your favourite LCD cleaner, give your laptop a thorough wipe down and it should look like new.

Next week…

Step 2 – Optimizing Windows Start-up 

Mike Robinson is a Purchasing Manager specializing in Computer Hardware for Staples Canada.