Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Also, blow any dust out of the power supply and any fans. You do not need to disassemble the power
supply to do this; simply blast the compressed air into the supply through the fan exhaust port. This
will blow the dust out of the supply and clean off the fan blades and grill, which will help with
system airflow.
If the chassis has a removable filter, be sure to remove it and clean it off, either with compressed air
or a vacuum cleaner designed for computer use.
Caution
Be careful with ESD, which can cause damage when you are cleaning electronic components.
Take extra precautions in the dead of winter or in extremely dry, high-static environments. You
can apply antistatic sprays and treatments to the work area to reduce the likelihood of ESD
damage.
An antistatic wrist-grounding strap is recommended. (Refer to
Figure 20.4
.) Connect it to a
ground on the card or board you are wiping. This strap ensures that no electrical discharge
occurs between you and the board. An alternative method is to keep a finger or thumb on the
ground of the motherboard or card as you wipe it off.
Cleaning Connectors and Contacts
Cleaning the connectors and contacts in a system promotes reliable connections between devices. For
most plug-in cards or memory modules, you should clean the edge connectors that plug into slots on
the motherboard.
Submerge the lint-free swabs in the liquid cleaning solution. If you are using the spray, hold the swab
away from the system and spray a small amount on the foam end until the solution starts to drip. Then,
use the soaked foam swab to wipe the connectors on the boards. Presoaked wipes are the easiest to
use—simply wipe them along the contacts to remove any accumulated dirt and leave a protective
coating behind.
If you are cleaning a plug-in board or memory module, pay special attention to the edge connector that
mates with the slot connector on the motherboard. When people handle plug-in cards, they often touch
the gold contacts on these connectors. Touching the gold contacts coats them with oils and debris,
which prevents proper contact with the slot connector when the board is installed. Make sure these
gold contacts are free of all finger oils and residue. It is a good idea to use one of the contact cleaners
that has a conductive lubricant, which makes it easier to push the adapter into the slot and protects the
contacts from corrosion.
Cleaning the Keyboard and Mouse
Keyboards and ball-type mice are notorious for picking up dirt and garbage. If you ever open up an
older keyboard, you will be amazed at the junk you find in there.
To prevent problems, you should periodically clean the keyboard with an air compressor or vacuum
cleaner. My favorite method is to turn the keyboard upside down and shoot it with compressed air.
This blows out the dirt and debris that has accumulated inside the keyboard and possibly prevents
future problems with sticking keys or dirty keyswitches.
If a particular key is stuck or making intermittent contact, you can soak or spray that switch with
contact cleaner. The best way to do this is to first remove the keycap and then spray the cleaner into
