PREVENTIVE MAINTANANCE 1

It’s time to ask you a couple of questions. Do you conduct regular tests for your computer? Do you take adequate preventive measures to ensure that your computer is in working order at all times? If you can’t answer these questions in the affirmative, you may be headed towards disaster.

Performing preventive maintenance activities for your computer is not optional. Your computer is a sensitive and delicate device, and if you do not devote adequate time and attention to it, it just might not work properly or break down in needs time.

To ensure the smooth functioning of your computer and to prevent frequent problems, you need to maintain your computer. You reduce the chance of system failure and downtime (and minimize repair costs) by performing preventive maintenance activities.

Preventive maintenance is used to reduce the probability of hardware or software problems by systematically and periodically checking hardware and software to ensure proper operation.

Some benefits of preventive maintenance include the following:

■ Increases data protection

■ Extends the life of the components

■ Increases equipment stability

■ Reduces repair costs

■ Reduces the number of equipment failures

NOTE: If you are a smoker, make sure you don’t smoke near your system. Cigarette smoke is not only hazardous to your health; it also reduces the life span of the computer. The gunk from smoke accumulates on the mouse ball and rollers. It also affects the performance of the drive head adversely.

Be proactive in computer equipment maintenance and data protection. By performing regular maintenance routines, you can reduce potential hardware and software problems. Doing this will reduce computer downtime and repair costs as said earlier.

A preventive maintenance plan is developed based on the needs of the equipment. A computer exposed to a dusty environment, such as a construction site, will need more attention than equipment in an office environment. High-traffic networks, such as a school network, can require additional scanning and removal of malicious software or unwanted files. Document the routine maintenance tasks that must be performed on the computer equipment and the frequency of each task. This list of tasks can then be used to create a maintenance program. Remember, the more you use your computer, the more frequently you should perform preventive maintenance. This can include doing a defragmentation of the hard drive weekly rather than monthly, continually scanning files for viruses rather than performing a scan once a week, and checking for updates for software and hardware every two weeks rather than monthly.

Now that you know some general rules of preventive maintenance, you may want to know what components require the most attention. In general, cleaning and maintenance is required for almost every component of the system, because dust accumulates almost everywhere and affects the efficient working of the components. System components that require regular maintenance include the following:

✦ Mouse

✦ Keyboard

✦ Floppy drive (outdated)

✦ CD-ROM drive (outdated)

DVD drive

✦ Hard disk drive

✦ Monitor

✦ Power supply

✦ Printer

And other peripherals

When it comes to preventive maintenance, components may require different tools and methods; however, some tools are commonly used, such as liquid cleaning compounds, a vacuum cleaner, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and suppressors. You can use software utilities, such as Disk Defragmenter and ScanDisk, for maintaining floppy disks and hard disks.

Use the following tasks as a guide to create a hardware maintenance program:

■ Remove dust from fan intakes.

■ Remove dust from the power supply.

■ Remove dust from components inside the computer.

■ Clean the mouse and keyboard.

■ Check and secure loose cables.

If you are in enterprise environment, verify that installed software is current. Follow the policies of the organization when installing security updates, operating system updates, and program updates. Many organizations do not allow updates until extensive testing has been completed. This testing is done to confirm that the update will not cause problems with the operating system and software.

Keep the following points in mind to ensure that your computer runs smoothly:

✦ Switch off the power supply and remove all cables before you start work on your computer.

✦ Check all wires and connections for wear and tear. (Check the condition of cables, components, and peripherals).

✦ Clean the peripherals regularly. Clean components to reduce the likelihood of overheating.

✦ Disconnect all peripherals from the computer before you start cleaning them.

✦ Vacuum-clean the CPU at regular intervals.

✦ Check the voltage of all power supply equipment to see if it falls within the prescribed limits. (Repair or replace components that show signs of abuse or excess wear)

✦ If you use liquid cleaners to clean a component, ensure that the component is dry before you connect it to the computer.