Articles

Spring Cleaning

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!