Preventive maintenance

59
PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE

CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
Protecting Your Data
Step 1: File backups
Step 2: CMOS backups

Cleaning
Step 3: Clean the case
Step 4: Clean the air intake
Step 5: Clean the speakers
Step 6: Clean the keyboard
Step 7: Clean the monitor
Step 8: Clean the mouse

Step 9: Check external cables
Step 10: Clean the floppy drive
Step 11: Clean the tape drive
Step 12: Check the CD tray
Step 13: Check the sound system
Step 14: Check color purity

Step 15: Check the fans
Step 16: Clean fans and filters
Step 17: Check expansion boards
Step 18: Check internal cables
Step 19: Check memory
Step 20: Check the CPU
Step 21: Check drive mounting

Drive Check

3

Step 22: Update the boot disk
Step 23: Run ScanDisk
Step 24: Run Defrag

Preventive Maintenance
Troubleshooting
Further Study

1505

SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT

External Check

Internal Check

1506

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

For most end-users, the purchase of a PC is a substantial investment of both time and money. For corporations and organizations with hundreds (even thousands) of PCs, this investment is that much higher. But after the money is spent and the PC is in our home or office, few PC users ever take the time to maintain their PC. Routine maintenance is an important part of PC ownership, and can go a long way toward keeping your computer’s hardware and software error-free. Proper routine maintenance can also help to avoid costly visits to the repair shop (U.S. $50 to $70/hour). Businesses can save a substantial amount of money by assigning technicians to perform regular maintenance. If you’re in business for yourself, offering “preventive maintenance” services as part of a normal repair or as seasonal “specials” can provide you with an added income stream. This chapter provides you with a comprehensive, step-by-step procedure for protecting and maintaining a personal computer investment.
This chapter is geared primarily for