Preventive maintenance is the key to obtaining years of trouble-free service from your computer system. Preventive maintenance program reducing problem behaviour. data loss, and component failure and by ensuring a long life for your system.
Preventive maintenance also can increase your system's resale value because it will look and run better.
It includes several steps that promote a longer trouble-free life for your PC. It protects a system from the environment, such as power-protection devices: ensuring a clean, temperature controlled environment: and preventing excessive vibration.
1> Cleaning a System :
A regular cleaning of the system removes any layer of dust and benefits the system in the long run.
Dust acts as a thermal insulator, which prevent proper system cooling. Excessive heat shortens life of component.
The proper cleaning of the internal components, its peripheral and the boards inside the system, use the following tools and cleaning solution as per requirements.
Cleaning Tools :
Canned air
A small brush
Lint-free foam cleaning swabs.
Foam tape.
Antistatic wrist-grounding strap.
Low-volatile room-temperature vulcanising (RTV) sealer.
Silicon-type lubricant(WD-40).
Computer vacuum cleaner.
Cleaning solutions :
Standard Cleaners :
>> Trichloroethane
>> Isopropyl alcohol
>> Acetone
>> Freon
Contact cleaner/Lubricants :
>> Stabilant 22
>> WD-40
Dusters :
CFCS(chlorofluorocarbans) such as freon
HFCS(hydrofluorocarbons) such as difluoroethane
carbon dioxide
In cleaning system, use above tools as cleaning solutions to clean.
Clean the following things :
>> System board
>> Add on Cards
>> Connectors & Contacts
>> Reseating socked chips
>> Check SMOS battery backup.
The following are weekly maintenance check list :
Backup any data or important files.
Delete all temporary files.
Empty the recycle bin.
Check for and install antivirus software updates.
Run defragmantation program.
The following are monthly maintenance check list :
Create an operating system startup disk.
Check for and install any updated drivers for video cards, sound cards, modem and other devices.
Check for and install any operating system updates.
clean the system, including the monitor screen, keyboard, CD/DVD drives, Mouse, and so on..
Check that all system fans are operating properly, incluting CPU heat sink, power supply, and any chasis fan.
Preventive Maintenance of Hard Disk Drive(HDD) :
Hard disk preventive maintenance includes the following :
Making Periodic backup of your data & critical areas, such as boot sectors, file allocation tables(FAT), and directory structures on the disk.
You should defragment hard disk at least once a month to maintain disk efficiency and speed.
Delete all temporary files and wweb browser history and Temporary Internet files.
Take backup and format HDD at least once a year and reinstall all software to maintain disk efficiency and speed.
Following Precautions are required for HDD protection :
Provide good surge protection.
Do not keep HDD or CPU near the vibration area.
Ensure fitting of HDD, that the disk is fully secured and well suported in CPU cabinet.
Periodically perform scan for viruses.
Do not install freeware software such as games, utility programs that contains viruses.
Preventive Maintenance of Monitor :
Monitor fails due to following reasons :
Open circuit or disconnection inside monitor.
Short circuit inside the monitor.
Display is not stable.
Diagonal lines are present.
Screen is flickering.
Focus is not proper.
No control over brightness.
Precautions :
Switch off the monitor, before switching of mains.
Use dust cover for monitor when monitor is off.
Do not put monitor near to strong magnetic field, which may cause improper deflection.
Clean the display screen so that it is dust free.
clean the monitor exterior with mild detergent solution without allowing the water drip inside the monitor.
Provide proper ventilation such as cooling fan heat dissipation to avoid intermittent failures.
Do not put paper or anything on top of monitor.
Preventive Maintenance of Keyboard :
Handle the keyboard gently and carefully.
Press the keys gantly without applying force and do not rest hand on the keyboard.
Do not spill liquids on the keyboard.
Do not keep anything on the keyboard.
Do not play with the keyboard after powering-off the system.
Make sure that the cable is not subjected to high stress at the keyboard end. This will cut signal wires inside the cable.
Periodically, clean interior of keyboard with a miniature vacuum cleaner or turn it upside down to blow out the accumulated dirt.
Use dust cover for keyboard when not in use.
Clean conducting parts of keyboard, use denatured alcohol along with lint free material.
Preventive Maintenance of Printer :
Do not place Printer near heat generating machine, such as heaters and furnances.
clean the exterior of Printer using soft cloth with mild organic solvent.
Periodically clean out dust, paper fragments, and dirt from its mechanism using soft brush.
Use quality ribbon to avoid damage to print head.
Denatured alcohol canbe used for cleaning the inner parts such as stepper motor, Print head etc.
Verify the insulation resistence between AC Power line and Printer chassis.
Use the dust cover for printer, when not used.
Check the paper feed path is free of obstruction.
Clean the paper feed path, platen and ribbon path with soft cloth.
Lubricate mechanical parts.
Clean Printer-head slider rails using non-oily lubrications suahc WD-40.
Following are importance of Preventive Maintenance :
Preventive Maintenance gives reliable operation and long life to PC and peripheral devices.
It gives trouble free service from your computer system and peripheral devices.
It also increases your system's resale value because it will look and run better.
It avoids data loss on hard drive.
It will avoid remedial problems.