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Subject:
From:
David Gillett <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 18 May 2003 19:21:26 -0700
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On 18 May 2003, at 17:20, Christine Gray wrote:

> I have been using a computer for years but have never opened it.  I'm
> intimidated!!!
>
> I know it needs to be cleaned because it's sat on the floor for about three
> years and I have a dog that sheds.
>
> I could take it to a computer repair business to clean the inside, but I
> thought maybe I should try to clean it myself.
>
> Is opening and cleaning the inside of the computer risky for a first-timer?
>
> How does "one" clean the inside?  What materials do I need?

  The exact procedure is going to depend on the design of the case.  On
some, one or more case panels will slide off when a couple of screws are
removed.  On others, half the shell may be hinged and held by one or two
latches.  It's impossible to guess without knowing what make/model of case
you have.
  Odds are good that a vaccum cleaner with hose attachment will take care of
the accumulated dust and pet hair.  To get into smaller spaces, you can buy
an aerosol can of "compressed air" with a plastic "straw" nozzle at your
local computer supply store.
  Try not to dislodge any perpheral cards or cables, which may have worked
slightly loose over time.

  Some modern cases, especially the hinged ones, offer a case intrusion
alarm switch.  Once the case is opened, the CMOS configuration memory
records that fact.  Some Windows versions check this in the BIOS and log its
state.
  (A few months back, we had a case where one employee accused another of
"borrowing" his hard drive in order to delete some files without a trace.
The system logs showed that this alarm had been tripped at least six months
earlier, and never reset, so we were unable to prove that the case had been
opened recently.  (If your machine has this feature, you can rest it through
the BIOS setup after you close the case up sgain.)

David Gillett

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