1. Chapter 8Basic Computer Maintenance  8.1Preventive Maintenance 8.1Preventive Maintenance 8.1Preventive Maintenance  8.2Monitoring System Performance 8.2Monitoring System Performance 8.2Monitoring System Performance  8.3Symptom, Cause and Solution 8.3Symptom, Cause and Solution 8.3Symptom, Cause and Solution  8.4Safety Issues 8.4Safety Issues 8.4Safety Issues

2. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Surge protector inserted in AC utility line and telephone line prevent transients (damage to electronic equipment from voltage spikes) a small box with utility outlets, a power switch and a 3-wire cord used with semiconductor-based hardware printer, monitor, external disk drives, modem

3. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Surge suppressor prevent the peak AC voltage from going above a certain level use a 3-wire AC power connection

4. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Keep all liquids away Get grounded before handling hardware Avoid installing components when the computer is in operation Defragment the hard drive regularly Scan the disk regularly for errors

5. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Avoid removing any floppy disks from the driver when the indicating lights are on. Avoid switching off the computer when the hard disk lights are on. Uninstall software by “Add / Remove Program” function in Control Panel uninstall function of applications

6. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Back up the system on a regular basis by optical storage peripherals Reserve sufficient space for computer to dissipate heat

7. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Clean the computer regularly Liquid detergent: clean the outside of computer Brush: remove dust

8. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Clean the computer regularly Canned compressed air: remove dust inside the computer Vacuum cleaner: remove dust and dirt inside the computer

9. 8.1Preventive Maintenance Clean the computer regularly Contact cleaner: clean the conducting points and connectors between hardware

10. 8.2Monitoring System Performance Problems encounter after system operates for some time System slow down at startup Take a long time to switch between programs Programs take long time to load Windows Task Manager is used to monitor the system performance

11. 8.3 Symptom, Cause and Solution Problem 1 Symptom Computer takes a long time to load the OS Possible cause Many programs loads into Windows during start-up Verify assumption Observe how many applications are loaded by Windows Task Manager Solution Delete programs in “Start Menu” folder

12. 8.3 Symptom, Cause and Solution Problem 2 Symptom Computer takes a long time to switch between programs Possible cause Not enough physical memory in the system Verify assumption Use the system monitor Solution Add additional memory if necessary Replace smaller capacity memory with a larger one

13. 8.4Safety Issues Electrical safety Turn off the power to PC and peripherals before cleaning Disconnect the PC from power socket when accessing the inside of PC case Avoid leaving the case open with the power on Never disassemble the monitor

14. 8.4Safety Issues Mechanical safety Be careful when working Never put anything into running cooling fan Laser safety Never disassemble optical drives (e.g. CD-ROM and DVD-ROM)

15. 8.4Safety Issues Good work habits Plan your work Organise and prepare the workplace Handle everything with care Never use excessive force

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