Digital spring cleaning

Spring is officially here. The sun is shining and the weather is sweet. This is traditionally the time of year that people choose to set some time aside to clear the clutter of the previous year from their homes and storage. What better place to start than your computer? You would be amazed at the amount of clutter and disrepair that can exist on a computer.
Just like any undertaking, you should approach it with a plan that is both effective and concise. I usually prefer to start my digital spring cleaning from the outside and working my way in. The first thing that you should do is to perform a physical inspection of your computer. During your physical inspection, you are looking for deficiencies that could become a problem later on. Examples can vary from a cracked monitor to frayed cords or broken prongs. If you find any of these then you should replace them or have them repaired by a professional.
The next thing that you would want to do is clean your computer. This can be accomplished with a damp cloth and a can of air. The can of air you can get from an office supply or even a Wal-mart or Target. I hope that you noticed that I said a damp cloth and not a wet cloth. You want the cloth to be moist enough that you can remove the dirt that may have found its’ way on to your keyboard or monitor but, not wet enough that excess water may find its’ way into your equipment in the process. With the air can, you can blow the dust from the keyboard and the fan that cools your computer. You do not need to remove the cover from your computer to clear some of the dust that may have accumulated on your fan. The fan can be found on the side or back of your computer. You can even tilt your computer downward when using the air can on the fan so that less dust returns into the computer.
After you have cleaned the fan, you should check the connection of your cables and cords. Quite often, many computer problems can be traced back to an improper connection. In layman’s terms, this means that a plug was not plugged all the way in or securely. You perform a plug check by moving in a systematic manner and insuring that each end of cord or cable is seated properly. You could also take this opportunity to conserve space by binding your cords together. You can do this by holding all of the systems cords or cables in one hand and then using the twisty ties or zip ties that come with your trash bags to bind them. Lastly, you should start up your computer to ensure that all of your cables and cords are connected. Check next week for part two of our digital spring cleaning and, as always feel free to email me your questions.