Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Caution
BecarefulwithESD,whichcancausedamagewhenyouarecleaningelectroniccomponents.
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
earlier in this
chapter.) 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.Formostplug-incardsormemorymodules,youshouldcleantheedgeconnectors
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 con-
nector 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 lub-
ricant,whichmakesiteasiertopushtheadapterintotheslotandalsoprotectsthecontacts
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
thenspraythecleanerintotheswitch.Thisusuallydoesnotrequirecompletedisassembly
