May 10, 2003

A few days ago my friend was in great trouble. Her younger brother dropped a coin in the vent (vents are small holes at the back of the monitor to keep it cool) of the monitor. The result was a disaster as it disrupted the whole computer system. She had to take the monitor to the hardware expert to repair the damage. My teacher says that the computer is a delicate machine that needs constant care and protection. Your computer is your best friend as long as you take care of it; otherwise it can cause you sleepless nights.

Computer maintenance includes both physical protection and logical protection. Both of these are vital to keep your computer in good working condition.

 

Physical protection

* Keep the system dust free

Dust is the worst enemy of the system. It makes its way inside the CPU and blocks the free flow of the signals. The result is delayed display of information.

 

What to do

— Keep the monitor, CPU and other peripheral devices under plastic covers when not in use.

— Make a cleaning kit to clean the computer system, which consists of a soft cleaning cloth (to clean the monitor and CPU) and a dusting brush made up of thin fibers (to clean the keys of the keyboard and CD-ROM drive).

— Keep the cleaning kit near the computer table so that it can be used frequently.

— Never clean the system with wet cloth.

— Don’t use chemical based liquid to clean the monitor.

 

* Care of CD and floppy

Old and broken CDs can be a menace for the proper working of the system. They often get stuck in the CD-Rom drive.

What to do

— Always keep CDs and diskettes in their respective cases.

— Hold the CD from its edges and avoid touching its surface.

— The surface of the CD should be clean and smooth without scratches.

— Always prefer original CDs.

— Keep CDs and floppy away from sunlight.

 

* Avoid electric shock

Improper supply of electricity can lead to a disaster. If the cables and connectors are not well connected the system will not work properly.

What to do

— Always use a stabilizer to protect the computer from voltage fluctuation.

— Connectors should be plugged in at the right places. Make sure you hire the services of a hardware expert for this purpose.

— Never clean the system before disconnecting it.

 

Logical protection

* Learn the basics first

There are a number of people who try to operate the computer without having basic knowledge of the system.

 

What to do

— After switching on the computer, wait for all desktop utilities to be displayed.

— Before installing new software make sure that it is not an obsolete version.

— To keep the hard disk healthy regularly use system tools such as disk cleanup to delete unnecessary files and folders.

— Scan disk is a useful tool to check errors in files and folders.

— Empty the recycle bin every week for permanent scrubbing out of unnecessary files.

— Use disk defragmenter frequently to increase the working power of the computer.

— Never download unknown files because some files contain viruses, which can destroy the whole system.

— Install the latest version of virus software to protect the system from the attack of virus. Such as Norton Antivirus software.

— File the addresses of your friends and relatives in computer’s address book. This will give your work a professional touch.

— Always shut down all the windows before you turn off the system to avoid damaging files.

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