07-03-2003, 08:17 PM
Hi,
I suppose I'll check in the computer shoppe for those cans of compressed air; those seem to always get mentioned in relation to cleaning out a computer's innards.
NO!!!! Blowing dust around your computer innards is not a good idea. The dust which is sitting on top of things like connectors, fans, switches, etc. will be blown *into* those same items causing a problem which will be an order of magnitude worse. Most dust does no damage to computers unless it is in such thick quantities that it is acting as insulation. That is not typically a problem unless one has pets.
I wiped away what I could readily get to with some paper towels/napkins, although there's still alot in various nooks and crannies.
Bad idea. Paper is an insulator and as such can build up a static charge. Uncontrolled static charges kill hundreds of times as many computer components as dust ever will. Never wipe down any internal component of your computer with cloth or paper. Indeed, never wipe them down at all. Pick off the big chunks of dust with your fingers, making sure that you are wearing a grounding strap connected to the case.
If you absolutely must clean the inside of your computer, use a vacuum cleaner. Take the crevice tool, wrap aluminum foil around it and extending back about a quarter of an inch into the opening. Form a "lug" by twisting some of the foil. Connect one end of a grounding strap to that lug, the other end to the computer chassis and suck that dust out. If you plan to do a lot of this, buy or make a metal nozzle for your vacuum and permanently attach a grounding strap with a screw.
Do yourself a favor and don't make a bad situation worse.
--Pete
I suppose I'll check in the computer shoppe for those cans of compressed air; those seem to always get mentioned in relation to cleaning out a computer's innards.
NO!!!! Blowing dust around your computer innards is not a good idea. The dust which is sitting on top of things like connectors, fans, switches, etc. will be blown *into* those same items causing a problem which will be an order of magnitude worse. Most dust does no damage to computers unless it is in such thick quantities that it is acting as insulation. That is not typically a problem unless one has pets.
I wiped away what I could readily get to with some paper towels/napkins, although there's still alot in various nooks and crannies.
Bad idea. Paper is an insulator and as such can build up a static charge. Uncontrolled static charges kill hundreds of times as many computer components as dust ever will. Never wipe down any internal component of your computer with cloth or paper. Indeed, never wipe them down at all. Pick off the big chunks of dust with your fingers, making sure that you are wearing a grounding strap connected to the case.
If you absolutely must clean the inside of your computer, use a vacuum cleaner. Take the crevice tool, wrap aluminum foil around it and extending back about a quarter of an inch into the opening. Form a "lug" by twisting some of the foil. Connect one end of a grounding strap to that lug, the other end to the computer chassis and suck that dust out. If you plan to do a lot of this, buy or make a metal nozzle for your vacuum and permanently attach a grounding strap with a screw.
Do yourself a favor and don't make a bad situation worse.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?