Computer Spring Cleaning

I got this e-mail from one of the Microsoft newsletters I subscribe to that talked about cleaning up your PC. I expected it would just be about organizing files & icons, uninstalling old software, and backing up & archiving old data. (Find out if you're a "Digital Packrat" here.) While I did find that type of information with links like this one, I followed another link that had some pleasantly surprising results.

Microsoft posted an article written by Alyson Munroe that details instructions for physically cleaning your computer. It tells you what materials you'll need and how to clean your computer components like keyboard, monitor and mouse. However, it also talks about how to clean your computer case, inside and out. Anytime I open my case, I usually take a can of compressed air to it to get rid of all the little dust bunnies inside. This helps the fans (that helped to create the mess in the first place) perform their designed function of cooling the computers internal components better.

The average computer user seems to be more reluctant to open their computer than the hood of their car believing that if they can figure out how to open the case and succeed in doing so that it won't work right afterwards or won't be able to figure out how to close the case again so better to just not mess with it if it's working.

Well, my car continues to work with little to no hassle because I have regular maintenance performed on it so I don't have to shell out unexpected large amounts of cash for repairs down the road or even worse, have to be forced into getting a new car before I planned to. These types of maintenance steps outlined for your computer hardware will prolong the life of you computer and can increase your computers performance.

Speaking of performance, especially if you don't have Windows Vista or don't use the widgets bar, I've been running a free utility called Winbar and I can use it to see my cpu & memory utilization, adjust volume, monitor network traffic, and a variety of other options. It's small and unintrusive yet easily accessible. If the computer starts running slow, I can see quickly if my cpu or memory resources are getting used up then check task manager to find which process is the culprit. The reason I bring this up is after you clean the dust out of the computer and clear the fans, your computer should be able to run cooler thus providing better performance for your cpu. This is one reason some people choose to run liquid cooled computers.

Following basic maintenance steps for keeping your computer running well is easier than trying to fix a tv or kitchen appliance and harder to screw up than you might think. Keep your computer clean to have it run at peak performance and you could prevent a costly upgrade or replacement.