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Preventive Maintenance for ComputersPreventive maintenance refers to carrying out measures to prevent problems from occurring, in contrast to corrective maintenance, which seeks to solve an already-existing problem. In the long run, preventive maintenance saves time and money, protects your data, improves computer performance, and prolongs computer life. These are accomplished by considering and planning for the risks involved in working with computers (e.g. data loss, hardware failure). Preventive maintenance can be classified into: 1) MechanicalMaintenance, 2) Electrical Maintenance, and 3) Software or Hard Disk Maintenance. Mechanical Maintenance General Cleaning The benefits of cleaning your computer periodically are not limited to merely improving its performance. Regular cleaning is also important for prolonging your computer’s life and enhancing its performance. By removing dirt, dust and other particles that can interfere with connections in computer circuits, the efficiency of your computer is increased, and the chances of overheating lowered. Generally, your computer should be cleaned every 4-6 months. However, if your computer is used often and operates in a dusty environment, it should be cleaned more frequently, i.e. every 3-4 months. Other factors, including the number of users and whether or not they own pets, also influence the frequency of cleaning. To clean your computer, you will need the following: 1) screwdriver, 2) can of compressed air, 3) cleaning liquid, 4) cotton swabs, and 5) paper towel or cotton cloth. The general cleaning procedure as outlined in the Computer Cleaning Guide (http://www.computercleaningguide.com http://devnull.wordpress.com/2006/12/16/como-limpiar-un-ordenador/) involves cleaning the keyboard, mouse, monitor, case, interior, DVD / CD drives, hard drive, printer. Steps for cleaning a laptop are also included. ComputerHope?(http://www.computerhope.com/cleaning.htm http://www.ordenadores-y-portatiles.com/limpiar-ordenador.html ) also provides extensive information on cleaning these parts of the computer, along with additional components such as the scanner and headphones. Choosing a Good Location for Your Computer Ensure that the computer is placed in an area with good ventilation such that the heat generated by the microprocessor, motherboard, and other devices is dissipated. In addition, books and other objects should not be placed on top of the monitor case, as this would block excess heat from escaping from the ventilation slots. This could cause color shifting, screen flicker, and failure. |
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