Spring Cleaning
Heat is a number one killer of electronics. Virtually all PCs
contain one or more cooling fans and vents. Over time these will
often get clogged with dust & pet hair, often causing cooling fans
to come to a complete stop, making a bad situation worse. In many
cases, heat is the cause of complete random shutdowns for computers.
If you have your PC hasn't been cleaned in a year I guarantee you'll
be amazed at what you'll find.
Cleaning is a simple process:
- Do the cleaning outside, on a calm day. You will not want the
dust to remain in your office.
- Shutdown your PC, and disconnect all cables. Remove the side
panel. Almost all PC's have panels that are removable. Look for
a pair of thumb screws, clips, or release levers that will pop
the panel off. If you're stuck, look in the manual that came with
your PC, or search online for your make & model's disassembly
instructions.
- Wear a dust mask if the inside looks particular dusty, or if
you are prone to dust allergies.
- Use a can of compressed air - don't be tempted to use your household
vacuum - the compressed air is clean; air from your vacuum contains
dust. Gently blow off the components, working your way around,
blowing the dust out of the case. Keep the can upright, and a
few inches from all components. Don't hit anything with a strong
blast, you could damage components, or blow off a loose connector.
- Pay attention to the cooling fans in particular. Give them a
light spin with your finger, they should rotate easily. Make sure
to blow off the vents, too.
- Make a cursory check off all connections to make sure nothing
was knocked loose.
- Re-install the side panel & reconnect your cables.
If you're having random shutdown problems with your laptop, there's a good chance
it could be due to overheating. If it's still under warranty, contact
the manufacturer, it may be reparable at no cost. If not, the cost
of repair may often exceed your notebook's value. However, there are
cheap ways to combat a persistant over-heating situation.
If the bottom of the laptop feels unusually warm (120f or more)
, try elevating it by an inch or so, this can give increased cooling
capacity. Direct a small desk fan under the laptop to improve air
flow. If your random shutdown problem goes away, you've found the
problem. Check the cooling fans to make sure they work, and vacuum
any dust you can see from vents. You might want to invest in an
auxiliary laptop cooler - small, flat, lightweight platforms equipped
with a number of auxiliary cooling fans, typically powered by a
USB connection. These coolers are very useful if you want to work
on the sofa without toasting your lap or your laptop!
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