• PC World
• » Computers

Get on the Case: Bust Those Bunnies

Dust bunnies are one of your PC's worst enemies. Accumulated dust can block the flow of air moving through your PC and can cause overheating--one of the leading causes of PC component failure. Wipe down the exterior of the case and wipe or blow any dust or other obstructions from all openings--including the floppy drive. Be cautious about blasting dust deep inside a floppy drive feed slot, though, as you can harm the read-write head. Quick advice: If the drives are functioning properly, save that expensive compressed air.

When using compressed air, always release it in a series of short blasts. Long continuous streams can cause condensation, which would deposit unwanted moisture on your PC and would quickly cause the can to chill down and lose force until it warms back up again. (Air flowing from a reversed canister vacuum cleaner won't cause this effect.) Keep the can upright; otherwise, you'll use up the can very quickly.

Use compressed air to clean the power supply fan at the back of the PC case, but try not to blow dust into the case. Here's a trick: Place your vacuum cleaner hose next to where you're blasting the air. Much of the dust will be sucked up as it's dislodged. If you do blow dust inside, don't worry; we have a lot of tips to help you clean the inside of the case.

Popping the PC case open is usually pretty straightforward. Some PCs come with an easy-open case that only requires you to remove a big thumbscrew at the rear of the case or press a quick-release latch to loosen the case's panel. If your PC doesn't have an easy-open case, you'll need that slotted or Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the case screws on the back of the PC.

Before you start working inside your PC, it's a good idea to put on a grounding strap to protect the delicate circuitry from being damaged by static charges on your body. After you put on the strap, you should touch a metal part of the turned-off PC, then unplug it while you're touching it--the PC is grounded only when it's plugged in.

Clean dust and grime from inside the case walls with wipes. If you have a vacuum, use it to remove as much dust as possible from the interior, especially from wire, chips, and circuitry, where it can act like an insulating blanket, trapping heat--an enemy of all things electronic. A canister vacuum is often best here; use the soft brush attachment.

If you don't have a vacuum, you can use compressed air. But remember, the object is to remove the dust, not just move it.

If the motherboard and attached cards aren't really grubby after vacuuming, you're probably better off not cleaning them. But if they do look grimy, or the air in the room is exceptionally dirty or filled with lots of cigarette smoke, wipe the motherboard and cards gently with an alcohol-moistened wipe (again, make sure your PC is unplugged first). If you want to do a thorough cleaning, you should remove, clean, and carefully reseat each expansion card. Use the lint-free swabs to clean the cards.

• See more like this:
• hardware cleaning tips,
• PC cleaning,
• monitor cleaning,
• keyboard cleaning,
• mouse cleaning