Don't be intimidated. Just don't touch anything inside the power supply.
That's the metal box in the back with a fan that the power cord goes to.
Everything else is low voltage and won't hurt you. Shut the computer down
and pull the plug. Remove the cover and use a small paintbrush to dislodge
the dust bunnies and a vacuum hose to suck them up. A vacuum will remove
the dust rather than move it around. The vacuum should be powerful enough
to pick up the dust but not disturb the many small wires  It's easy to
dislodge a wire and then you will be in the computer shop.You'll find a lot
of dust around the fans and any crack where air is sucked into the computer.


At 5/18/2003, you 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?
>
>Christine in Baltimore