MAINTAINING YOUR COMPUTER
An outline of things one should know, do, or not do!
A. HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS
Treat the computer gently. No hard jolts, especially while it’s on. The hard disk can be damaged by jolts while it’s running.
Except for USB connected peripherals or Ethernet network cables, never plug anything into the computer while it’s on. The motherboard, or other things, can be damaged and it can get very expensive!
Anytime the computer is opened up, ground the computer before putting hands or anything else inside it. Also ground your own body by firmly touching the metal frame of the grounded computer before touching anything inside. If you step away from the computer, reground your body again before touching anything inside. Static electricity in a person’s body can easily destroy the delicate electronic components.
Anytime the computer is opened for any reason, look at the dust accumulation inside. If the dust buildup is large, consider gently vacuuming out the accumulated dust inside. Ground the computer. Do NOT touch the motherboard or anything mounted on it! Holding a small crevice tool an inch away from the board can remove dust. Touching the computer case or metal frame is safe. Check the openings for cooling air to make sure they are free of dust. (If dust blocks the openings, the computer will run too hot and will suffer a shorter life.)
Do not place the computer in direct sunlight while it’s running. It cannot handle the extra heat.
Do place the computer on a secure hard surface where it won’t fall or be knocked over!
If a person wants to add expansion boards or RAM memory to a computer, remember that the static electricity in the human body can ruin the electronics. A person must always be grounded while just handling circuit boards or memory modules. They come packaged in a special wrapping or bag to protect them from static electricity. When the bag or wrapping is opened however, that protection is lost. From that point until totally installed, these items must be handled only by a person who is grounded against static electricity buildup. Workers who manufacture these kinds of items always wear metal wrist bands that are grounded, to protect against static buildup!
Any liquid spilled on or in a computer (or keyboard, mouse, etc.) can “fry” the electronics, so watch where you put your coffee cup!
Hard disks and floppy disks work on magnetism. They cannot stand being near strong magnetic fields. The fields corrupt the data on the disks. Never place magnets near the computer or disks. Do not run 120 volt lamp cords or lead cords over a computer or next to disks. Those cords have magnetic fields around them when in use.
It doesn’t hurt to test the hard disk every few months, or if there seems to be lost files. To do this in Windows 98 or ME, find and run “Scandisk”. For Windows XP, click on “My Computer”, right click the icon for the drive you want to check, then choose “Properties” from the offered menu. Next choose the “Tool” tab, and click the “Check Now” button. On the dialog box that opens, click the box “scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors” and then the start button. (Note: A full disk check on a very large hard disk can take many hours!) Note if any bad sectors are reported. If bad sectors start to be found, it can be a warning that the disk is going bad. If the number of bad sectors continues to increase, replace the hard disk with a new one as soon as possible! Your disk is on borrowed time. (Bad sectors found on a new disk may only indicate a small manufacturing flaw in the iron coating in a small spot and doesn’t mean the disk is bad. The operating system marks those spots and then blocks them from use. If the number of bad sectors increase, however, start to worry.)
B. SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS
Backup your data files frequently! A hard disk crash can happen at any time- without warning. Backing up weekly means you will never lose more than one week’s work.
It is not necessary to back up your program files if you have copies of them on disks (floppies or CD-ROM's).
Install a good anti-virus program, and keep it up to date. A good program will offer to scan incoming and outgoing e-mail, and downloaded files. Keeping an anti-virus program up to date means downloading updates from the program’s manufacturer. These updates allow the anti-virus program to detect and fix newer viruses, which often come out daily!
Run your anti-virus program at least weekly. Use the automatic features of scanning incoming and outgoing e-mail.
Run a defragmentation program every now and then. More often if you add or delete programs frequently. Once every 3 months should be enough for most anyone. Once every 6 months, or maybe never, could be fine for people who only use their computers for e-mail. “Defragging” a hard disk reorganizes files on the disk so the disk runs faster and with less “thrashing” (hunting for file fragments).
Check for updates to your operating system over the Internet. If they are available, download and install them. They are usually devoted to better security against viruses and computer invasions by hackers.
Once in a while, or if having problems, check for updates to drivers for your peripherals. Usually the peripherals’ manufacturers maintain Internet web sites where one can download newer driver files. Newer drivers can “fix” previous problems or offer enhanced performance and features.
TROUBLESHOOTING
What can cause a computer to malfunction or work differently than it did?
A. Hardware causes (Is the power plugged in?)
A connector cable has become loose. (Definitely check this.)
A communication wire to some peripheral device has failed. (Happens infrequently)
An internal circuit board card has loosened in its socket. (Happens infrequently)
A hardware problem. A circuit board or component failure. (Very unusual, but it does happen)
Hard drives, floppy drives, tape drives, CD, and DVD drives, being mechanical, will fail at some point. (Very unpredictable)
B. Software Causes
A file became corrupted for no identifiable cause. (data files, program files, or registry files) This happens more than one would think. It can be an indicator of a failing hard drive but not necessarily so.
A file was inadvertently deleted, usually by the operator.
A file was inadvertently changed by you or by a new program or driver that was added.
A new program was installed and it is interfering with existing programs.
An updated version of an existing program was added and is causing a problem.
Program or driver files were added that were not designed to run with your current operating system.
A change was made to the registry files, probably through Control Panel or a Driver.
