Computer Maintenance 101: How to Tune Up Your PC Each Month

Computers need regular maintenance to keep all their parts working properly. Sadly, computer maintenance often gets ignored. The truth is that your PC will have an extended life with regular maintenance. Remember to shut down and unplug your machine before performing any maintenance.

Dusting the Fans

dusty-computer

Image via Flickr by Al Pavangkanan

Dust tends to clog the fans and reduces their efficiency in cooling. As a result, the components run at a higher temperature which greatly shortens their life. If things become too clogged, the delicate electrical components can completely melt down due to high temperatures. Meltdowns are unrecoverable.

Cleaning the Keyboard

dusty-keyboard

Image Via: Flickr by njaminjami

Keyboards are magnets for small particles. Sticky keys are a problem that gets worse over time. While replacing a desktop keyboard is relatively inexpensive, replacing a laptop keyboard is infinitely pricier. Once the laptop keyboard goes, you are replacing the laptop. Adding a protective cover can also extend a keyboard’s life.

Cleaning the Mouse

computer-mouse

Image via Flickr by Jim Mead

Cleaning the mouse is a relatively simple job. Yet, doing something as simple as cleaning out the ball on the bottom makes a huge difference in how the mouse responds to your commands. Contact with a clean surface is also essential in preventing crazy mouse movements. Many discarded mice are salvageable with just a good cleaning.

Cleaning the Screen

dirty-screen

Image Via: Flickr by Grzegorz Lobinski

Computer screens that are clean provide clearer pictures and less distraction with the dirt spots. Dirty laptop screens drop dirt directly into your keyboard. Very sensitive screens can burnout pixels from too much dirt accumulation. You can extend your screen life and improve your graphics with a quick cleaning.

Keeping DVD Drives Clean

computer-dvd-drive

Image via Flickr by aussiegall

Watching a movie or just downloading a program from cd is frustrating with a dirty drive. The DVD skips, misreads or fails to load. Even with the protective cover, dust still manages to find a way in. The worst part is that dust here means your whole system is suffering from a dust invasion. Which means that you are well on your way to some type of burnout.

PC Tune Ups

tune-up

Image via Flickr by Dawn – Pink Chick

Cleaning your software is as important as cleaning the physical components of your Lenovo Ultrabook. A tune up on a PC is like getting one done to your car. You gain performance and speed from the clearing out of old data. Not only does this give you more space for more things, it extends the life span by putting off the need to replace a slow machine.

Keeping a clean PC is critical to its life span. It prevents breakdowns and meltdowns which cost you time and money. A well tuned PC keeps you at the top of your game.

Sources:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/explore/10-ways-to-tune-up-your-pc

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2402410,00.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/cleancomputer.aspx#fbid=PZM6kAC-Ebl

 

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Comments

  1. Hey Andrew these are some great suggestions. I also suggest of doing a disk cleanup and defrag once a month!

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