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Hi,
Such a non-techie here...and I've read conflicting advice on the web so am hoping to get definitive answer here. I have never opened the case of my computer and it's 5 years old. Issue came up because of low whine although it is better now, after I had virus crisis two weeks ago that a remote techie fixed for me (and now I have WebRoot.) He said I really should clean out my PC from all the dust/cat hair.
Am terrified to attempt this myself. So had a sort-of techie person over yesterday but she was not familiar with my Dell Dimension 8400 desktop and could not get the case open...the clock was ticking because turns out she is very allergic to cats so needed to leave quickly.
Anyway...she did a little "dusting" on the outside of the case with a can of compressed air. Another techie friend does not like compressed air and said I need a shop-vac or vacuum with a "blow" setting (as opposed to a vacuum's normal "suck it up" setting...) Techie from yesterday still wants to come over and vacuum it...
So, WHAT DO I WANT TO DO AND HOW???
If the "blow out" air is preferable, is there any reason we couldn't use a small handheld vaccum (I think it's a Shark) and keep the air flow several inches away? What about a hair dryer? (Again, blow-OUT air rather than
vacuum hose "suck it in" air...)
Is this making any sense??
I've also read that I want to do this cleaning outside...that means unplugging everything and then having to set it all back up, which is a major PITA for me. Yesterday I had the PC shut down (from the Start menu) but it was still plugged in.
As you may have deduced, I need a volunteer and cannot afford to pay a pro (either to have them make a house call or even take the PC to a shop), so input appreciated!
Compressed air is what I normally do but it does just blow the crap elsewhere. So especially someone allergic to cat hair probably doesn't want to blow it into their face. What harry said makes sense.
Don't stress over it - it's not a big deal or difficult. The hardest part is figuring out how to get the case open.
Get yourself a can of air from WalMart, Office Depot, your local computer store, etc. Pretty much anywhere. Harry seems pretty paranoid about static - that's not a bad thing, but there's not nearly as much danger from that as his post implied. I live in Las Vegas - very dry, and tons of static - and I haven't had a component fail yet. In fact, I haven't seen static damage a component since the early '90s. Not that it can't/doesn't happen, but they're building things better these days, and they're more resistant to that type of damage. My point is that you don't need to be paranoid about it. Cautious is fine, and common sense is always a good thing, but being paranoid is unnecessary.
Ok, so you have your can of air, and you've figured out how to get the cover off the PC. Unplug all the cables (noting where they hook back up, if you're concerned about that), take the box outside (you don't want to do this indoors - trust me), and go at it with the canned air. Make sure that you thoroughly blow out anything with metal fins, as those are for dissipating heat, and dust/debris collecting on them will keep them from performing their job. Same with any fans you see. Finally, make sure that you blow out the power supply (the square box that the power cable plugs into) VERY thoroughly. Being enclosed like they are and having a fan pulling air through them any time the PC is on, those things are dust traps, and they generate a lot of heat. Remember, heat = shortened lifespan (and potentially other problems) when it comes to computers, so keeping things cool is key. It's actually the whole point behind what you're doing..
I wouldn't bother with a vacuum. My experience is that they don't have the power to pick much up by themselves, and trying to use one to capture particles that you've just blown into a cloud is an exercise in futility. Just take the box outside, where the dust doesn't matter.
Isn't there some "issue" with compressed air and condensation or something? Is the problem "shooting" it too close to the innards? What's a good distance? I forget what the techie relative said about it -- he's the one who did save my butt with the virus debacle, and he wanted me to get a shop vac or something with a "blow" setting.
I was thinking of taking it on my balcony or the open breezeway outside my apartment door. I just hated having to plug everything back up.
Now I feel pressure to do a full backup before I do this??? And I have talked to so many people who NEVER open their case or blow it out that I'm wondering if I'm just looking for trouble??
If the "blow out" air is preferable, is there any reason we couldn't use a small handheld vaccum (I think it's a Shark) and keep the air flow several inches away?
Not enough pressure, the dust gets caked on some parts especially the heat sinks. It's kind of like the difference between a car wash spray nozzzle and your garden house. While a vac is good for outside the case don't use it inside the case.
Once you open it up be sure to touch a metal part of the case before "operating", this will discharge any static electricity.
Quote:
Isn't there some "issue" with compressed air and condensation or something?
The air in the can has any water vapor removed, I use compressed air from a standard compressor myself however it has a filter that removes moisture. One of the benefits of having a well set up wood shop.
catfancier - I'm not a techy either and I can remember the very first time I opened a case -- honestly, I thought doing so was going to kill my machine. Didn't happen :-)
But I was totally disgusted with what I found inside - we also have cats.
Truly, it's not a big deal to clean out the inside -- I've learned that now. I use my vacuum with its crevice tool and a paint brush. And if I can't get at some stubborn dust, I use the canned air. The only thing I do pay close attention to is touching something metal first with my hand, the vacuum nozzle, and the paint brush. Never ever had a problem with static electricity.
I'm delicate with my touch - I don't scrub or rub heavily any of the circuitry. As for the distance with the canned air, I start maybe 6" away and move closer 'til it's effective.
Perhaps my cleaning system isn't the best; however, except for the hard drive, my desktop and its components are probably close to 8 years old, and I've probably cleaned the inside of the case 16 times without wrecking anything.
catfancier - I'm not a techy either and I can remember the very first time I opened a case -- honestly, I thought doing so was going to kill my machine. Didn't happen :-)
But I was totally disgusted with what I found inside - we also have cats.
Truly, it's not a big deal to clean out the inside -- I've learned that now. I use my vacuum with its crevice tool and a paint brush. And if I can't get at some stubborn dust, I use the canned air. The only thing I do pay close attention to is touching something metal first with my hand, the vacuum nozzle, and the paint brush. Never ever had a problem with static electricity.
I'm delicate with my touch - I don't scrub or rub heavily any of the circuitry. As for the distance with the canned air, I start maybe 6" away and move closer 'til it's effective.
Perhaps my cleaning system isn't the best; however, except for the hard drive, my desktop and its components are probably close to 8 years old, and I've probably cleaned the inside of the case 16 times without wrecking anything.
I have saved this thread for future reference...as I've decided to leave well enough alone for now. It's just too risky, as I simply cannot afford any catastrophe, and as I said earlier, I feel like I need to backup before I do this.
Re the vaccuum crevice tool -- how far away do you hold it? So the "suck it up" air flow vs. the "blow it out" air flow is not a big issue?
And if you let the vacuum down, your hand -- or the vacuum nozzle -- should touch something metal before you pick it up again? I'm still fuzzy on this whole "static electricity" thing!
I've cleaned inside my PC several times. I'd suggest doing it in humid weather just to be safe. Tools for the job: a vacuum w/ crevice attachment, a can of compressed air and a soft 1.5 inch paintbrush. It's really not so terrifying once you have the case opened and get going on it -- takes a few minutes.
PS- To open the case for cleaning, I only remove the left side panel. It attaches with 2 screws at the back. Check to see if your Dell is similar.
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