Lesson 4 computer maintenance

David white

List objectives for the chapter identify problems that can occur if hardware

is not properly maintained.Identify routine maintenance that can be

performed by users.Identify maintenance that should be

performed by experienced professionals.

Maintenance issuesThe performance of a hard disk starts to slow

and printer problems may start to occur.The keyboard and the mouse can become

sluggish and the monitor may not work properly.

This could be the result of loose or incorrect cables, poor power connections, or could be other more severe problems.

Hardware maintenance “keyboard and mouse”An effective method to clean your keyboard is too use a

can of compressed air ever 6 months to remove the dust.

If you spill a liquid on the keyboard turn computer all the way off and disconnect the keyboard spray it with water then turn it upside down so that the liquid will run out after the liquid is removed then try to dry it as much as possible with a cloth.

Cleaning the mechanical mouse often eliminates jerky or erratic movement of the mouse pointer.

To clean the rollers, you need to remove the bottom cover of the mouse.

After all of the debris is removed reassemble the mouse.

Hardware maintenance “printers”. The first step of cleaning a printer is to

check the printer documentation.Clean only the parts recommended Turn off the printerUse a cleaner recommended by the

manufacturer.Never spray in aerosol directly into the

printer

Computer memory Adding RAM to a computer generally helps

increase performance, speed and usability.However every system has a maximum

amount of RAM.RAM is made up of small memory chips that

form a memory module.

Preventative maintenance“disk defragmentation”

Disk defragmentation occurs when a piece of data is broken up into many pieces that are not stored together.

The sectors are stored in blocks of nonadjacent clusters, thus creating fragmented files.

This pattern happens until you begin deleting and adding new ones.

Recycle binIs a holding area for files and folders before

their final deletion from a storage device.Generally you access the Recycle Bin through

an icon located on the desk top.The Recycle Bin contains files that have been

deleted from the hard disk, whether accidentally or intentionally.

Temporary files the software determines where and when it

needs to create temporary files.The temporary files normally exist only

during the current session of the software program.

When the program is closed through a standard process the temporary files are closed then deleted automatically.

CookiesThe cookie is a small file that a small website

uses to identify a specific computer.The file is created and/or updated on your

computer’s hard drive each time that the website is visited.

Cookies is not a threat to your computers security.

Specialized maintenanceGenerally you can provide routine

maintenance, however you should not attempt some maintenance procedures.

Monitors ,printers, and scanners are not designed to be opened by the general computer user.

Risks of networked computingThe security of a computer network is

challenged every day by equipment malfunctions, system failures, computer hackers, and virus attacks,

Computer hackers and viruses represent a great risk to networked environments.