Physical care and internal maintenance for computers

Computers are just like any other pieces of equipment, they need to be cleaned and cared for in order to get the most out of them. Most computers don't really see anything in the way of special care; their owners let them sit on a desk year round to collect dust. In turn, a computer whose internal parts are caked with dust will overheat faster and find itself running a lot slower than it should. 

• Physical Care 

Computers need to be cleaned properly to keep in working order condition. You should clean your computer monitor about once a month by lightly spraying glass cleaner into a soft rag and wiping the monitor down. You should never spray the cleaner onto the monitor itself. Spraying substances onto a monitor will cause streaks, and depending how much substance you use, might permanently streak the monitor. Wipe the keyboard down with disinfectant wipes; you should never use a spray on your keyboard. If you use a spray on your keyboard, you chance having the liquid run down between the keys and damaging the keyboard. If something gets stuck between keys on your keyboard, you should use tweezers to remove it after turning off and unplugging your computer. If you simply try to brush the debris away, you chance knocking it down into the keyboard and losing whichever key it falls under. Once a year, spray down the insides of your computer with a small can of compressed air. Dust will often build up around parts, causing them to overheat easier and slowing down your computer. If you are using a standard mouse, you can remove the bottom frame to take out a small rubber ball. In the mouse where this ball sits are four small tracks. Use a small cotton swab to remove any dust and hairs that are on these tracks. 

• Internal Maintenance 

A computer is a store house for mass amounts of data, so you could say a computer is like a big bookcase. Like real bookcases, they can become cluttered and unorganized, which can be frustrating when you're trying to find something. Having a cluttered computer also slows down the processing time for your normal every day functions. Defragmenting your computer will organize files in a fashion where the computer can easily access everything. This will allow for more RAM, which the computer will use for various tasks throughout its use. Most computers can be set to defrag on a regular routine; this feature is best used to defrag once a week. Besides defragging, the computer should have some kind of anti-virus program on it and perform routine scans to make sure you don't have any spyware or other malicious programs slowing down your computer.