Tech Solution Blog

How to clean your computer?

Preparation You’ll need:

• Standard (flat-tip) and/or Phillips screwdriver
• Can of compressed air (available from computer dealers or office-supply stores)
• Cotton swabs (do not use a cotton ball)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Soft, lint-free cloths, paper towels, or anti-static cloths
• Water
• Safety glasses (optional)

Important: Always turn your computer off and disconnect it from the power source before you begin any of these steps.

Step 1: Inside the case
If you see dust or other debris accumulating around the vents of your desktop or laptop, you can bet there’s more inside—and it’s only going to cause trouble. To remove it, you’ll need to open the case. That may sound more intimidating than it really is. Before you begin, of course, make sure the computer is turned off and disconnected from the power source.

One more consideration: Manufacturers’ policies vary, but, in some cases, opening your computer case may void your warranty. You may even encounter a warning sticker on the case. Review your warranty terms before continuing.

For desktop computers. Desktop computer manufacturers employ a variety of fastening mechanisms to secure the case. Face the back panel: Modern cases typically use two or more small knobs that you can turn by hand, or buttons that you press in, to release a side panel or the entire shell of the case. Others may require you to remove two or more slotted or Phillips screws. If in doubt, consult your owner’s manual for specific instructions.

For laptop and notebook computers. Set the computer upside down on a table or other stable surface. (You may want to place a towel or paper under the computer to prevent scratches and scuffs.) Remove the battery. On most laptops, the vents on the underside will be grouped on a removable panel, secured to the case with several screws. Typically, these are very small Phillips-type screws, which may be of different lengths. Remove them, and be sure to keep track of which goes where.

After you’re inside either your desktop or laptop, touch as little as possible inside the computer—keep your fingers away from cards and cords. Look for any dust bunnies or other bits of fluff in the nooks and crannies. Pick these out carefully with tweezers or a cotton swab. Blow compressed air around all of the components and along the bottom of the case, keeping the nozzle at least four inches away from the machine. Blow air into the power supply box and into the fan.

Try to aim the stream of pressurized air in such a way that it blows debris out of and away from crevices and recesses, rather than driving it deeper in. Safety glasses are a good idea, too, to keep the flying dust out of your eyes.

Take particular care when blowing the delicate fans. Overspinning them with excessive pressure can crack a blade or damage the bearings. Position the compressed air can well away, and use short bursts of air rather than a steady blast. As a precaution, you might also carefully immobilize the fan blades with your fingertip or a cotton swab while using the air can.

Lastly, blow air into the floppy disk, CD or DVD drives, and I/O ports—but again, not too aggressively. Wipe the inside of the cover with a lightly moistened cloth, and dry it before replacing it.

Millman recommends doing this every three months if your case sits on the floor, if you have pets that shed, or if you smoke. Otherwise, every six to eight months is fine.

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Step 2: Outside the case
Run a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol around all of the openings on the outside of your case. Give them one swipe with the damp end of the swab and one swipe with the dry end. Do this as often as you clean the inside of your computer.

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Step 3: Keyboard
Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it. Most of the crumbs and dust will fall out. Take a can of compressed air and blow into and around the keys. Next, take a cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, but not dripping wet. Run the cotton swab around the outside of each key. Rub the tops of the keys. Don’t be stingy with the swabs. Discard them when they start to get dirty, and switch to a fresh one. If you have a laptop, follow the same procedure but take extra care with your machine—treat it as gently as you would a carton of fresh eggs. If your laptop has a touchpad, use the damp swap to wipe it clean, as well. Do this keyboard cleanup monthly.

It’s tempting to use a vacuum cleaner to suck the debris out of the keyboard and other parts of the computer, but technicians warn that it can create a static electrical charge that can actually damage the computer’s sensitive electronics.

Worried about spills?
If a spill happens, immediately turn off your computer, disconnect the keyboard, and flip it over. While the keyboard is upside down, blot the keys with a paper towel, blow compressed air between the keys, and leave it to air dry overnight. Check to ensure that all traces of moisture have evaporated before using the keyboard again. Laptop spills need more attention because liquid can easily penetrate the keyboard and damage internal parts. For laptop spills, immediately turn off the computer and remove any external power source and other items plugged into it. Turn the laptop over, remove the battery, and then bring it to your nearest repair center to check for internal damage. Simply blowing compressed air into the keyboard and letting your computer air dry upside down overnight aren’t enough, because liquids can sit inside a laptop for days.

For all spills, be aware that anything other than plain water may cause severe damage, and never attempt to dry a keyboard or laptop in a microwave or conventional oven.

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Step 4: Mouse
Disconnect the mouse from your computer. Rub the top and bottom of your mouse with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Scrape hard-to-remove grime with your fingernail. If you have an optical mouse, ensure that no lint or other debris obscures the light-emitting lens on the underside of the mouse.

If you use a mechanical mouse, open the underside of the mouse and remove the ball. (In most cases, you simply need to rotate the plastic ring encircling the ball one-quarter turn counterclockwise.) Wash the ball with water, and let it air dry. To clean inside a mechanical mouse, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub all of the interior components, paying particular attention to the little rollers, where gunk tends to collect. Finally, blow compressed air into the opening and ensure that the interior is dry. Replace the ball and the cover.

Clean your mouse monthly.
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Step 5: Monitor
For liquid-crystal display (LCD) laptop and flat-panel monitor screens, slightly moisten a soft, lint-free cloth with plain water. Microfiber cloths are excellent for this purpose. Avoid using paper towels, which can scratch monitor surfaces. Don’t spray liquid directly onto the screen—spray the cloth instead. Wipe the screen gently to remove dust and fingerprints. You can also buy monitor cleaning products at computer-supply stores.

For glass CRT (television-style) monitors, use an ordinary household glass cleaning solution. Unless your manufacturer recommends differently, don’t use alcohol or ammonia-based cleaners on your monitor, as these can damage anti-glare coatings. And never try to open the housing of a CRT monitor. Capacitors within can hold a dangerous electrical charge—even after the monitor has been unplugged.

Clean the monitor weekly. Finally, make sure that everything is dry before you plug your computer back in.

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Article adapted from an original article written by Alyson Munroe.

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NEXT GENERATION ENTERPRISE NOTEBOOKS
The next generation of enterprise notebooks responds faster, work longer and smarter, and offer multiple levels of security. These notebooks also look svelte and have new features such as wireless charging and instant-ON.
There used to be a time when the laptop was a symbol of power and status.

Further, new features such as instant-on, all-day battery life, seamless connectivity, multi-factor authentication and small form factor are fast becoming a standard on the mobility platform. Features seen in consumer notebooks, such as touch-sensitive controls and multi-media capabilities are now coming to professional notebooks. There is also a stronger focus on design and security aspects. The Notebook technology trend are more robust and powerful.

Here are other significant trends that are driving the adoption of notebooks in the enterprise:

INSTANT ACCESS
As more enterprises replace desktops with notebooks, OEMs are focusing on efficiency and time-saving features. One feature that is fast catching on is instant access to e-mail, contacts, calendaring and scheduling tools-even applications. This features spares you the annoying 3-5 minutes windows boot-up routine, just to check the latest e-mail. HP, for instance, calls this features QuickLoo 2. Asu calls it Express Gate and Dell has Latitude ON, though these terms generally refer to the Linux-based operating systems (OS) embedded in secondary systems that offer instant-on functionality. To enable this functionality, notebook OEMs incorporate Splashtop technology from a company named Device VM. BIOS maker Phoenix Technologies has a similar product called Hyperspace.

Dell latitude E and latitude Z notebooks have a secondary mini motherboard and separate ARM processors. You can access e-mail, contacts, calendars and your firefox browser through a separate non Windows interface. Call it a ‘system within a system’ if you like, but it ensures that essential productivity tools are always running in the background and are in sync with the main system-so that you always have instant access to the latest information.

The press-of-a-button feature is also applicable to other functions such as switching wireless radios on/off, launching applications like the Windows calculator or Excel, loading the browser, launching presentations or for optimizing power management and other settings.

SECURITY
Due to an increasingly mobile workforce more employees carry confidential company information on laptops. This puts the organization at a greater risk because laptops can be stolen or left behind in public transport. A study conducted by the ponemon institute this year shows that the average value of a lost notebook is USD 49,246-much more than the cost of the laptop itself. This value is based on seven cost components: replacement cost, detection, forensics, data beach, lost intellectual property cost, lost productivity and legal, consulting and regulatory expenses.
Enterprise class notebooks usually have security features such as fingerprint readers and hard disk encryption through TPM (Trusted Platform Module). But now OEMs want to make these portable storage vaults more secure by introducing multiple security features and multi-factor authentication. That’s why you’ll see enhanced security features such a HID-compliant contact-less smart card reader, physical smart card reader, token authentication, poison pill technology, facial recognition and standards such as opel and FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standardization) becoming common in notebooks.

The combination of fingerprint reader, password and contact-less card makes for multifactor authentication. while this makes for strong access security, what features are available for protecting data, especially on stolen laptops?

OEMs like Dell, HP and others are using Intel Antitheft (AT) technology for notebooks. Intel AT is a hardware-based technology that can intelligently detect suspicious behavior or receive a remote theft alert. The system then responds in three ways:
• When a user reports a lost or stolen laptop incident to a service provider, it can help by sending a ‘poison pill’ to disable the laptop.
• In the event of suspicious activity such as excessive login attempts, the laptop disables itself.
• If the laptop does not log into then network within a set period of time, it disables itself.

POWER MANAGEMENT
With notebooks now being used throughout the day users feel the need for longer battery life. Both notebook and chip manufacturers have been trying to address this need. OEMs work closely with the processor manufacturers to devise their own power-saving technologies that help conserve power and extend battery life.

Acer for instance, has been pitching the 8 hours plus feature on its Aspire Timeline notebooks. The Acer ePower Management tool adjusts current power usage settings, shows remaining battery power and also allows for customized profiles for optimized battery life.

Lenovo offers the ThinkVantage Power Manager and Battery Stretch feature that enable lower power consumption and improved battery life-lenovo claims close to 10 hours of non stop computing powered by batteries.

Manufacturers are also looking at other ways to conserve power. One way is to replace components that draw a lot of power with more energy-efficient ones. For instance, LEDs are replacing CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps) for display backlighting. Hard drives will eventually be replaced by solid state Drives (SSDs) Rajesh Gupta, Director, Sales and Marketing, Intel-South Asia says, “ The biggest draw on the battery is the processor and the chipset. To extend battery life we need improvements in both battery technology and also in the chip technology.”

Both Intel and AMD have incorporated power-saving techniques in their processors that shut down unused cores and segments in the processor.

Microsoft has announced that window7 are more compatabile to netbooks. It has been optimized for new generation netbook models.

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