Learn how to clean your computer from dust yourself. Removing dust from unnecessary files on your computer Cleaning your hard drive from dust
In the life of any more or less adequate user personal computer there comes a time when he wonders, However, not everyone dares to disassemble their favorite computer, fearing thereby harming it.
Today we will look at two stages of cleaning the system unit from dust, starting with the simplest. The first method is suitable for those who faint at even the thought of opening the system unit. Complete the remaining steps if you feel confident in your abilities.
Let's start. Here's what you'll need to complete the cleaning successfully:
- vacuum cleaner
- tassel
- dry rag
- thermal paste
- pencil eraser (preferably white)
The first step is to disconnect the computer from the power supply, disconnect all cords connected to the system unit...
Yes, yes, we will pull it out from under the table - don’t be afraid, it won’t hurt. However, if you are such an advanced user that you are afraid you won’t remember where to connect the wires back - my advice to you is to take a photo of everything before unplugging it. There is nothing shameful in this, everyone was like that once
Stage 1 (the easiest)
Remove the left cover of the system unit. To find out which cover is the left one, place the system unit case facing you. Now the left cover is on the left
We unscrew the two bolts at the back, or open the retaining mechanisms, depending on the type of your case. We arm ourselves with a vacuum cleaner, a small brush and a dry cloth. Now the fun begins.
First of all, we look at the processor cooler. Most often, due to its severe contamination, the computer processor overheats and spontaneous shutdowns and freezes occur.
We turn on the vacuum cleaner and help ourselves with a brush, collecting all the dust from the cooler, and then from all other internal parts of the system unit. We carefully check every part for contamination.
This concludes the first stage. You see, nothing complicated. After such cleaning, your computer will already feel much better.
Stage 2 (for those who don’t have enough and want more)
Stage 2 is recommended, but if you are not confident in your abilities, then you can skip it - it’s not so scary. Although, if your computer has not been cleaned of dust for a very long time, it is highly recommended to perform an advanced cleaning. To successfully complete this step, you will need to purchase a tube of thermal paste. You can ask at any computer store.
So, let's take a deep breath and... remove the processor cooler!
I'm not kidding, take it off. We'll clean the dust underneath it, and then replace the thermal paste on the processor.
Unfortunately, different coolers have different mounts, so you will have to figure out how to remove it yourself. The one in the picture is easy to remove - 4 plastic fasteners are turned counterclockwise 90 degrees and lifted up, then the cooler is pulled out.
We remove all the dirt here and wipe off the thermal paste with a dry cloth. If the thermal paste is dry, be very careful when peeling it off the processor! It should end up like this:
Now it's time to clean the contacts of the boards connected to the motherboard. We take out the RAM slots, video card, and everything else that you have connected there.
Our task is to clean the contacts from oxidation. You probably want to ask why? This is a very useful procedure, take my word for it. Often people are faced with the fact that after cleaning the computer does not want to turn on, the fans are noisy, but there is no point. This happens due to the fact that, due to oxidation, the contact deteriorates, and then you and your vacuum cleaner displace, move, and deform the insides of the system unit (even if only slightly). The connection becomes less good and the computer refuses to turn on.
During my practice, I have already cleaned and serviced more than 2000 computers, and for me this is the golden rule - I cleaned system unit– be sure to clean the contacts on the boards! In 10% of cases, the computer does not turn on, and only after cleaning the contacts does it start working again as before.
So, we take out the boards and look here:
We see that the contacts are dirty. Take a clean pencil eraser and thoroughly clean the metal contacts. It is best to use a white eraser - it does the job best. Let's see what happened, the result is obvious:
After cleaning, insert all the boards back and screw them on.
Now that we have completely cleaned and assembled everything, carefully apply a thin layer of thermal paste to the processor. For this purpose I use a thick corner of a sheet of paper folded 4 times. It should look like this:
You don't need too much thermal paste - too much is not better! Everything should be in moderation. Thermal paste is designed to increase the contact area between the processor and the cooler for better cooling by filling small cracks and irregularities. Its excess can have the opposite effect.
Carefully place the processor cooler in place and secure it. It should fit tightly and without distortion to the processor. Be careful - incorrect installation the cooler will lead to overheating of the processor and cause glitches, brakes and shutdown of the system unit!
This is the clean computer we ended up with:
In this article I will talk about how clean your computer from dust. Many people don’t even think about the fact that sometimes they need to clean their PC. Do you know what a vacuum cleaner is and what it is needed for? That's right, to remove dust. So the computer system unit also works like a vacuum cleaner. After all, it has coolers installed (cooling fans, only small in size), which constantly work and draw in air along with dust that settles inside the system unit. Imagine, it has 3-4 coolers installed and how much they will pump into the computer over months, or even years of operation.
As you know, dust is a conductive material, and if you do not clean it for a very long time, your computer may simply fail, even if only due to simple overheating. And repairs will cost you a lot of money.
There is no need to specifically contact any special services, where you have to pay incredible amounts of money. It is quite possible to clean dust from the system unit yourself. Moreover, there is nothing complicated about it.
So, what do we need for this simple procedure?
1. Phillips screwdriver (possibly flat) to remove the side cover of the system unit.
2. Soft brush.
3. Cotton swabs
4. Vacuum cleaner.
That's all!
The first thing we do is unscrew the two bolts on the back panel and, by pulling it towards ourselves (as if pushing it out), remove the unscrewed cover.
We look inside the system unit and “wow” (excuse the expression) from the two-centimeter layer of dust.
I haven’t looked inside for three months and this is what’s inside.
If you have not opened the system unit for a couple of years, then perhaps you will see such a picture.
But it’s okay, if the computer hasn’t broken down yet, then you made it on time. In this situation, we take a vacuum cleaner and, without touching any parts, clean out the main layer of dust.
Next we perform a more thorough cleaning. Namely those places where the largest accumulations of dust are. This is the processor radiator, all coolers, locations hard drives, power supply, but the most important thing is the processor heatsink, which is located under the cooler.
Next, we take a cotton swab and, as it were, clean out the dust from under the cooler (don’t be afraid to shuffle the stick on the radiator, it’s made of iron, nothing will happen to it). In this case, you can keep the hose of the vacuum cleaner turned on nearby. so that it immediately sucks up all the dust. It is not necessary to lick everything until it shines, remove the base layer, this is quite enough
That's how much I got out of just one processor heatsink. In principle, this is the main place of accumulation and the most important part, because it cools the brain of the R12 computer; processor, and without air access, cooling will stop and it may simply burn out from overheating.
and brush away dust from all surfaces, both from iron and from the motherboard, video card, hard drives, microcircuits, and in general from anywhere you can get into, while keeping the hose of the turned on vacuum cleaner nearby so that the dust raised in the air is captured.
I repeat once again, you don’t need to clean everything until it shines, just remove the base layer.
You can still clean the power supply to the heap. This is also very easy to do. On back cover four bolts are unscrewed and the unit can be pulled out freely (of course, system units are different and it may not just come out), depending on the model of the power supply, unscrew the bolts on it and also remove its cover. We look inside, also take a vacuum cleaner with a brush and remove all the dust.
In general, from own experience I would recommend cleaning your home computer about once every three or four months (well, if you don’t feel like it at all, then at least once every six months). And due to such maintenance, the service life of the system unit will be much longer.
Dust is the main enemy of everyone electronic devices. It worsens their heat transfer, performance, and causes breakdowns and malfunctions. To keep your computer working properly for many years, keep it clean, both outside and inside the case. Let's find out how to clean your computer from dust and dirt so that it works for a long time and does not slow down.
Cleaning Tools
The ideal means for cleaning a computer is a can of compressed air, which is sold in any electronics store. By attaching a thin tube to the cylinder, you can reach the most difficult to reach places. Using it couldn't be easier: direct the air stream to the dusty area - and you're done!
A cheaper and more effective option for blowing dust out of the body is an electric car pump. If you have one, take the system unit outside and start cleaning using it.
There are other tools for removing dust that everyone has at home: a brush, a vacuum cleaner and wipes. However, they are more difficult to work with. You have to carefully shake off the accumulated dirt from the inside of the computer and suck it up with a vacuum cleaner. Dust should not get into small holes, because... It's almost impossible to get it out of there.
Step-by-step instruction
The procedure for cleaning the system unit is as follows:
- Remove dust from the power supply.
- Go to CPU cooling elements.
- Clean the motherboard.
- Clean your hard drive.
- Wipe coolers.
- Remove any remaining dust from the walls of the housing.
Let's take a closer look at each point on how to properly clean your computer from dust. It is advisable to do this on a balcony or in a garage so that dust does not spread throughout the rooms.
Please note that further actions may void your warranty on some components. If the warranty has not yet expired, then consider whether it is worth cleaning it. On the other hand, if your computer is quite dirty, then most likely the warranty period has already expired.
Unplug the device and remove the cover. Then find the power supply; it looks like this.
Carefully disconnect it (usually it is held on by 4 bolts that unscrew on the back wall; do not forget about the wires) and place it on the table. Remove any existing dust. Then unscrew the lid and clean the inside. Some bolts may be located under the label. When finished, reassemble the device. Now you know how to clean your computer power supply from dust.
Now the processor. The cooling radiator, which is bolted on, needs to be removed and cleaned; A regular brush will do. Lubricating this element (if necessary) must be done with extreme caution so as not to damage it.
Let's take out the processor itself. It is held in place by a clip that is easy to remove. Using a napkin (regular or moistened with alcohol), remove the thermal paste and apply a new layer. One small drop will be enough; it should be smeared over the entire surface of the processor.
It's time for a hard drive. In the system unit it looks like this.
Cleaning it is easy: run a brush over the surface of the part and remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner.
Go to the motherboard. It looks like this:
Disconnect it from the power supply; Unscrew all existing bolts. First you need to remove the video card and sweep away the dust from it. Then go over the entire surface of the motherboard with a brush. Pay special attention to the corners of the parts, as a large amount of dirt accumulates there. Once everything is ready, the video card needs to be fixed in its original place.
The main step is to clean all coolers. Their number in each computer is different. In simple system units they are located on the processor and power supply. Coolers can also be located on the motherboard, video card and on the back wall.
First, disconnect all coolers; This can usually be done with a screwdriver. Then, using a slightly damp cloth, wipe the blades. Let them dry thoroughly. After reinstallation, for greater efficiency, you can blow out the cooler with a vacuum cleaner.
When the internal space of the system unit is free of parts, wipe the walls of the case with a napkin and also remove dust from the wires. Reassembling the computer must be done in reverse order. To avoid confusion, write down your every action.
Cleaning your mouse and keyboard
If you are done with the system unit, then you can clean the peripheral equipment at the same time. But here you need to be especially careful. If you are not confident, I advise you to do only external cleaning without interfering with the keyboard and mouse housing.
If you still want to get rid of dust and dirt on the keyboard, you can do the following:
- Disconnect the keys.
- Turn the keyboard over and tap the back side.
- Use a vacuum cleaner and wipe the surface with a napkin.
Cleaning the mouse is done as follows:
- Remove the screws from the case.
- Clean the wheel and internal parts.
- Wipe the outer casing with a damp cloth.
Try to clean more often. Remember, dust in large quantities can cause a short circuit and burn, for example, the motherboard. It's unlikely you need it.
Sooner or later, almost every computer owner asks himself the question: how to clean your computer from dust? Some people come to this idea on their own. And someone waits until, as they say, “the cancer on the mountain whistles.”
Often, users encounter problems with the unsatisfactory performance of their “iron friend”, which are not caused by an outdated processor, weak video card or insufficient RAM. There are often times when you sit down to play your favorite 3D shooter, and at the most inopportune moment the computer freezes, and on the screen at that second we contemplate a screenshot of an enemy bullet flying at you. 3-5 seconds pass - and you are already on the list of heroically killed.
Questions arise: why is this so? What's wrong with the computer? Should I contact a professional PC repair? After all, just yesterday I played the same game, and there were no interruptions in the system?! What's happened? Maybe the video card is damaged? Is the processor “tired”? Or maybe friends brought not only new movies on a flash drive, but also a couple of viruses?
So what happened to the computer?
And you start with different antivirus programs“gut” your computer for “disease-causing” Trojans, worms, etc. Also, using various utilities that optimize system operation, fix errors, clean the registry, etc.
Having cured all the viruses, corrected the errors, and with a feeling of fulfilling our duty to our computer, we download our favorite game again. And-and-and... after a couple of minutes of playing, out of anger we almost break the monitor with the mouse! Same thing again...
Now we’re calling our friends and waiting for an answer from them about who is to blame and what to do about it. And then one of them, jokingly or seriously, suggested cleaning the computer from dust. And you, in the absence of other options for solving the problem, pick up a brush and a vacuum cleaner, 15 minutes of simple manipulations and BINGO!!! We turn on the computer, and it’s like he’s been born again.
Dust is the main enemy of the computer!
Today you can hardly find a family that does not have a single computer in their home. But over time, unnecessary files accumulate on it. They remain after installing various programs and applications, or dust that accumulates inside the system unit, settling on hard drives, video card, motherboard.
In addition, dust envelops wires (loops), fans and radiators, thereby interfering with their cooling and increasing the fire hazard. In this case, the processor temperature can reach 90°C, when its normal temperature varies from 30 to 60°C, depending on the model of the processor itself.
Just before cleaning your PC from dust, you need to check the temperature of your processor, chipset, hard drive and video cards. After cleaning your computer from dust, you will notice a significant decrease in temperature. This point is very important, because in the absence of the necessary cooling, your computer will often automatically reboot or not turn on at all.
So, we clean the computer from dust, and what is needed for this?
- Vacuum cleaner (if you don’t have one, ask your neighbors)
- Screwdriver (phillips)
- Brush (it is better to take one with soft bristles)
- Simple pencil
- Eraser
- Two skillful hands
- Accuracy
- Optional - rubber gloves
Cleaning your computer from dust. Stages.
Stage one. Preparing for cleaning
1. Disconnect the computer from the network (take out the plug from the socket).
2. We disconnect all components from the system unit (external modem, printer, sound system, etc.) By the way, in order to avoid later problems with connecting all these “devices” back to the computer, you should remember how everything was originally connected, label the wires or take a photo.
3. It should be noted that a small amount of static voltage sometimes collects in the hole into which the mains plug is connected. It can be removed by simply touching the three exposed contacts with your finger. It may give a slight electric shock, but it is not painful, much less fatal (after all, you have already turned off the power from the network).
4. Next, you should unscrew the bolts from the back that hold the side wall of the system unit. After unscrewing the bolts, remove the cover. It is important here not to mix up the covers, otherwise if you remove the one on the side where the motherboard is attached, in this case you will definitely not clean anything. If you look from the front, you need to unscrew the left side of the system unit.
5. Place the bolts in a jar or any other place where you will not forget that this is where you put the bolts. Those who have a case with latches can skip this step.
6. Place the system unit on the right side, so that the motherboard faces us. You can clean your computer from dust while standing, but when the system unit is lying down, it’s much more convenient.
7. Removes RAM from the system unit. And don’t forget to remove the latches at the ends of the board. There may be one or two.
9. In addition, your system unit may also contain sound card, modem, etc. Most often they are located under the video card - we take them out too.
10. After the above mentioned manipulations, turn off HDD(hard drive) and disk drive.
11. Place all the parts that you removed carefully on the floor, preferably in the order in which you took them out. Knowing the order, it will be more convenient for you to install them backwards.
Stage two. Cleaning your computer from dust
1. Take the vacuum cleaner, plug it into a power outlet, remove the tube and nozzle so that you only hold the hose with the handle in your hands. Some vacuum cleaners have special small plastic attachments, we can use them.
2. Take the brush in your second hand and press the “Start” button. Not on a computer, but on a vacuum cleaner!
3. Next, slowly but surely, and most importantly, thoroughly clean the motherboard and system unit with a brush. At the same time, we hold the vacuum cleaner tube five centimeters from the place where we clean with a brush. So, all the dust that is raised by the brush will be sucked into the vacuum cleaner - this is one of the most important points in cleaning your computer from dust.
4. You should also pay attention to cleaning the coolers themselves from dust and dirt, since the bulk of the dust collects there. In this case, the vacuum cleaner tube must be inserted close to the cooler, then it begins to spin, and the dust located there is sucked out from there. There is a grill on top, and we don’t have to worry that cleaning the dust will damage one of its blades.
5. ATTENTION! You should be careful when holding the vacuum cleaner tube near motherboards, since you may not be able to hold the tube and it will stick to the board. Of course, the tube will not suck in the components of the motherboard, but it may result in a slight blow. Even such a blow can cause damage to the fragile circuit board. You should be careful with this. Do not bring the vacuum cleaner tube too close.
7. After this, we begin drawing, where the very simple pencil from your arsenal will be used. You will need it for the following: the point here is that the contacts - those sections of the boards that are directly inserted into the connectors of the motherboard, sometimes tend to oxidize, as a result of which the board is unstable, and sometimes stops working altogether. Such cases are not uncommon when neither RAM, nor a video card. There is nothing terrible about this; you need to clean it as carefully as possible from dust.
Let's get back to drawing. We take the board in our hands and, as gently as possible, sketch out the contacts (edges) on both sides with a simple pencil. Be sure to be gentle and careful. It’s as if you were given an engraving by a famous Italian Renaissance artist for restoration. This simple procedure allows you to get rid of oxide on the contacts.
8. Then we take an eraser and again gently and carefully erase what we have drawn. In this case, you should not press hard with the eraser so that there is no rubber left on the contacts. If it still remains, you can simply wipe it off with clean hands.
That’s it, now at this simple stage, cleaning your computer from dust is completed, and you can now proceed to the next steps.
Stage three. Reassembling the computer after cleaning it from dust
After we have cleaned the computer from dust, we assemble our clean system unit into a single whole. In this case, we do everything as during disassembly, only in the reverse order. All components are connected to the system unit. You should assemble very carefully, so that everything is installed in its place and in its connectors. In this case, your hands should be clean or wearing gloves.
We click on the “Start” button, now of the computer, and rejoice. After all, cleaning the system side from dust is finally completed.
- It is not advisable to place the system unit against the wall itself. 5 centimeters from the wall will be enough. This is necessary for normal ventilation and to prevent the processor from overheating.
- When you next do wet cleaning in a room, you should definitely wipe behind the system unit, as a lot of dust collects there. Moreover, systematic wet cleaning behind the system unit reduces the accumulation of dust inside it.
- Your computer should be cleaned of dust at least once every six months.
To summarize, let us remember that ordinary dust can cause serious malfunctions during computer operation. It collects inside the system unit, which all leads to your computer starting to freeze, slow down, various kinds of errors appear, and so on. Often, accumulated dust even leads to a sudden shutdown of the computer.
In this article, we told you how to clean your computer from dust, and what you need to have and be able to do for this, and also showed what steps it takes to clean your computer from dust and dirt.
If you have any difficulties cleaning your computer from dust, you can always contact the center computer help website. Our service technicians will thoroughly and professionally clean your system unit from dust and give valuable recommendations on how to protect your computer from dust in the future.
Call a specialist
There's nothing to be ashamed of. What happened? Look, my computer is full of dust. These are the emotions experienced by those users who accidentally, for some reason, opened the lid of the system unit and
never clean their computer. And as always the question is asked. In this material I will cover this topic extensively and tell you all the stages cleaning your computer from dust in detail. To date computer cleaning is a fairly important process. If there is dust in the computer and the computer has not been cleaned for a long time, the computer will slow down and even begin to overheat. To prevent such unpleasant incidents, you need to do it at least once every six months. clean your computer from dust.
Before you start cleaning the system unit, disconnect it completely from the power supply. Next, remove all the wires from the back so that it is convenient.
Attention, if you do not know how to connect all the cables back, take a photo before removing all the cables.
For safety reasons, remove the battery from motherboard to avoid short circuit.
According to my statistics, cleaning a computer is divided into 3 stages:
- Superficial cleaning of the computer
- Cleaning your computer with a compressor
- Detailed computer cleaning
Tools that will help you clean your computer from dust
Let's look at what tools are needed for each method.
Surface cleaning
For this method, you need to use a vacuum cleaner with a fine attachment or an antistatic brush (preferably).
Using these tools, you can both superficially clean your computer of dust and get rid of it.
Cleaning with a compressor
How to clean your computer from dust using a compressor. This method Not everyone will be able to do this, since not everyone has a compressor at home. As a compressor, you can use a car pump that is connected to the cigarette lighter.
You can also ask your neighbors.
Detailed computer cleaning
How to clean your computer from dust taking it apart piece by piece. To do this, you will need a flat-head and a flat-head screwdriver. Next you will need a brush (preferably antistatic), you can also use a compressor.
Superficial computer cleaning
First, completely disconnect the system unit from the power supply. Next, remove the cover from the system unit. We take a vacuum cleaner and start collecting dust. If you use a brush, it is advisable to remove the battery on the motherboard that is responsible for the BIOS settings.
Everything is done very simply. No special equipment or skills required. The dust is collected by the vacuum cleaner and you don't have to sneeze.
Cannot completely clean your computer from dust
Cleaning your computer with a compressor
As you might have guessed with this method cleaning your computer from dust, you need a compressor. It doesn't matter small or big. Next, remove the same cover, go outside and turn on the compressor. We direct the air flow to the source of dust and clean the entire system unit.
Attention, if you use a compressor for cars, direct the jet from a certain distance. Otherwise there may be damage.
Cleaning your computer from dust by 80%. Convenient and fast.
Lack of equipment. Dust scattered in all directions.
Detailed computer cleaning
With this method cleaning your computer from dust lasts longer than the first two methods. First, as with all methods, you need to completely disconnect the computer from the power supply. Next, remove the cover and begin to disassemble the computer. We remove the video card, take a compressor and blow out the dust. Next, take a brush (antistatic) and clean the board completely, and to finish, blow air again.
We remove the processor cooling system i.e. cooler We also carry out cleaning as with a video card. Next, remove the hard drive and clean it. And the last part is the motherboard, clean it until it shines. Before cleaning, remove the battery on the motherboard to avoid short circuit. Also, don’t forget to clean the system unit box.
Of all the listed methods, I chose detailed cleaning of the computer from dust. How to completely clean your computer from dust
In this article, I looked at three main ways to clean a computer from dust and addressed the question of how to clean a computer from dust. I hope the material will be useful. If you have any questions, write in the comments or email me.
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