COMPUTER HEALTH

When dealing with computers, dust isn't just unattractive—it can potentially destroy parts of your computer. By cleaning your computer regularly, you can help to keep it working properly and avoid expensive repairs.

CLEANING THE KEYBOARD

A dirty keyboard doesn't look nice and can cause your keyboard to not work properly. Dust, food, liquid, or other particles can get stuck underneath the keys, which can cause them not to work. Check your owner's manual to see if the manufacturer has provided you with instructions for your specific keyboard.

DEALING WITH LIQUIDS

If you spill liquid on the keyboard, quickly shut down the computer, and disconnect and turn the keyboard upside down to allow the liquid to drain.

If the liquid is sticky, you will need to hold the keyboard on its side under running water to rinse the sticky liquid away. Then, turn the keyboard upside down to drain for two days before reconnecting it. The keyboard may not be repairable at this point, but rinsing the sticky liquid off the keyboard is the only chance for it to be usable again. The best way to avoid this situation is to keep drinks away from the computer area.

CLEANING THE MOUSE

There are two main types of mouse: optical and mechanical. Each is cleaned in basically the same way, although the mechanical mouse requires a bit more work.

OPTICAL MOUSE; require no internal cleaning since there aren't any rotating parts; however, they can get sticky over time as dust collects near the light emitter. This can cause erratic cursor movement or prevent the mouse from working.

MECHANICAL MOUSE; are especially susceptible to dust and particles that can accumulate inside the mouse, which can make it difficult to track, or move, properly. If the mouse pointer does not move smoothly, the mouse may need to be cleaned.

Before you clean your mouse, check your owner's manual to see if the manufacturer has provided you with instructions for your specific mouse.

CLEANING THE MONITOR

Dirt, fingerprints, and dust can make your computer screen difficult to read; however, it's easy to clean your screen when needed. Although there are monitor-cleaning kits you can buy, they may damage your monitor if they are designed for a different type of monitor. For example, a monitor cleaner that is designed for glass screens may not work with some non-glass LCD screens. The safest method is simply to use a soft, clean cloth moistened with water.

NOTE: Do not use glass cleaner to clean a monitor. Many screens have anti-glare coatings that can be damaged by glass cleaner and do not spray any liquids directly onto the screen. The liquid could leak into the monitor and damage the internal components.

Before you clean your monitor, check your owner's manual to see if the manufacturer has provided you with instructions for your specific monitor.

From time to time, you should clean your computer case and the sides and back of the monitor to avoid buildup of dust and dirt.

Computers are often the most important single items that you can have, and having to reformat can mean a significant loss of time and information. In order to avoid the panic associated with file loss and/or corruption, a few preventative steps can be taken.

DO A MONTHLY CLEAN UP; each month, delete unneeded folders, and files. They take up useful memory, and if they become superfluous, can slow down your computer. If you're a pack rat and just can't seem to part with these files, save them to disk for future reference if needed.

CREATE SYSTEM RESTORE POINTS REGULARLY; Do this at least once a week. If weaker viruses are accidentally downloaded, the restore point will ensure that your data is recoverable.

CREATE BACKUP DISKS; backup any files that you use on a regular basis or files that are updated frequently. In the unfortunate event of a hard drive crash, you won't panic about lost work.

USE ANTI-SPYWARE SOFTWARE; these programs can rid your computer of unwanted spyware and malware.

UTILIZE ANTI-VIRUS PROTECTION; if you can't afford an anti-virus program (or don't want one because of the negative effects it can have on your computer), simply conduct a free online virus scan. Two of the most trusted scans are TrendMicro (http://housecall.trendmicro.com) and Panda (http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm).

DELETE COOKIES; clear your cache after you sign off. These files are completely unnecessary, take up memory, and can allow spyware to invade your computer.

PERFORM A SCAN DISK OPERATION; periodically perform a scan disk to make sure that your files are all in working order. This scan should be performed about once a week.

DEFRAGMENT; defragmenting your computer will guarantee that your files are organized and your computer is running at optimal speeds. This should be done at least once a month.

CONSIDER FORMATTING YOUR HARD DRIVE; this should probably only be done if all of the above have been tried without success.

The last but not the least is to, stay away from websites that don't seem trustworthy this includes places like flash game sites, and blogs.

I hope you find this information very helpful? Your comments and questions are welcome. You can use the form below to contact me. THANKS

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year…..Stay Blessed!!!