Everything you need to know about computer PM in the desert.

LET'S BE HONEST, PEOPLE. OFF-THE-SHELF COMPUTERS AREN'T TOUGH ENOUGH TO STAND UP AGAINST THE HEAT AND SAND OF A DESERT ENVIRONMENT.

YOU KNOW IT ... AND, THESE DAYS, I SURE KNOW IT.

WE WERE MADE FOR CLEAN, STATESIDE OFFICE USE, RIGHT?

SO ... HOW TO KEEP UP WORKING IN LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS?

GOOD QUESTION ...

... AND I'VE GOT A GOOD ANSWER: PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE 

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IS THE ONLY WAY. THAT MEANS KEEPING US CLEAN.

HERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT CAN HELP YOU DO JUST THAT!

PTOO 

OKAY ... NOW THAT YOU'VE GOT THE CLEANING MATERIALS, LET'S GET STARTED!

FIRST .. TURN OFF AND UNPLUG YOUR COMPUTER. WHY DO THAT, YOU ASK?

"'CAUSE IF YOU DON'T A SHORT CAN BLOW YOU BOTH OUT OF THE PICTURE. THAT'S WHY."

The CPU Case

LET'S START WITH THE CPU CASE.

WIPE DOWN THE OUTSIDE WITH A LINT-FREE CLOTH MOISTENED WITH ANTI-STATIC CLEANER.

"DON'T SPRAY THE CLEANER DIRECTLY ON THE CASE ... IT MIGHT DRIP INTO THE CPU."

USE THE SPRAY SPARINGLY ... YOU DON'T NEED A LOT TO DO THE JOB.

"SQUEEZE YOUR CLOTH BEFORE YOU APPLY IT. IF MOISTURE DRIPS, YOU'VE USED TOO MUCH."

IF YOU CAN ORDER THE ANTI-STATIC TOWELS THAT ARE PRE-MOISTENED, USE 'EM.

THE'RE PERFECT!

CLEAN THE CPU FAN WITH COMPRESSED AIR.

THOSE IN THE KNOW SAY SHORT BURSTS WORK BEST. LONG ONES CAN CAUSE CONDENSATION IN THE CPU.

The Monitor

CLEAN THE MONITOR WITH A SOFT BRUSH ...

AND A VACUUM.

MAKE SURE COOLING VENTS ARE VACUUMED ... AND DON'T BLOW DUST INTO THE VENTS.

USE ONLY ANTI-STATIC WIPES ON THE CASE. NEVER SPRAY CHEMICALS DIRECTLY ONTO THE CASE.

DON'T USE CHEMICALS TO CLEAN YOUR SCREEN. MOST ARE HARMFUL. USE A LITTLE WATER AND A LINT-FREE CLOTH ... BUT DON'T OVERDO IT. The Keyboard

"TO CLEAN UNDER THE KEYS, TURN THE KEYBOARD TO ANGLE THE COMPRESSED AIR AT THE SIDES OF THE KEYS."

THEN USE THE VACUUM TO GET DIRT THAT WASN'T BLWON OUT.

USE PRE-MOISTENED ANTI-STATIC TOWELS TO CLEAN THE TOPS AND SIDES.

"IF KEYS ARE STUCK, PRY 'EM UP GENTLY BY USING THIN (POPSICLE) STICK OBJECTS."

"USE TWO, FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE STUCK KEY."

"ONCE UNSTUCK, CLEAN TH AREA WITH ANTI-STATIC TOWELS OR SWABS."

"BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET ANY CLEANING SOLUTION ON THE CONTACTS UNDER THE KEYS."

The Mouse

A DIRTY MOUSE WILL NOT BEHAVE WELL. IN THE DESERT, SAND AND DUST CAN STOP A MOUSE DEAD IN ITS TRACKS.

SO CLEAN YOU MOUSE OFTEN.

"FIRST, UNPLUG YOUR MOUSE FROM THE COMPUTER. THEN, TURN IT ON ITS BACK TO REMOVE THE HOUSEING AROUND THE MOUSE BALL."

"REMOVE THE BALL AND CLEAN IT WITH A SOFT TISSUE AND WINDOW CLEANER FLUID."

"USE A DRY COTTON SWAB TO CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE CASING."

The Drives

"GET A DRIVE CLEANING KIT TO CLEAN YOUR FLOPPY AND CD-ROM DRIVES."

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH THE KITS. AND REMEMBER ...

... DON'T USE COMPRESSED AIR. THAT WILL ONLY BLOW DUST AND DIRT DEEPER INTO YOUR COMPUTER.

The Printer

BEFORE CLEANING YOUR PRINTER, TURN IT OFF AND UNPLUG IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER.

TAKE OUT ALL THE PAPER. GET YOUR VACUUM, LINT-FREE CLOTH AND YOUR COMPRESSES AIR.

"BLOW OUT DUST AND ESCESS TONER WITH COMPRESSED AIR AND USE YOUR VACUUM TO SUCK UP WHAT'S LEFT."

"YOUR LASER PRINTER PROBABLY HAS A CLEANER PAPER TO CLEAN THE PRINT ROLLERS."

CHECK THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT CAME WITH THE PRINTER FOR THE TYPE OF CLEANING PAPER YOU NEED.

The PDA 

"PERSONAL DATA ASSISTANTS ARE POPPING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE. KEEP PROTECTIVE COVERS ON THEM TO SAVE THE SCREEN FROM DUST AND SAND SCRATCHES."

"COVERS SHOULD BE REPLACED EVERY MONTH ... OR SONER!"

"PDA CLEANER CAN BE USED FOR OUTSIDE SURFACES AND THE SCREEN."

"BUT REMEMBER TO CLEAN OFF ABRASIVE MATERIALS FIRST!"

SAND IS YOUR COMPUTER'S WORST ENEMY. YEAH, HEAT IS BAD, BUT ...

... HEAT THAT AFFECTS YOUR COMPUTER IS USUALLY GENERATED BY DIRST AND SAND BUILDUP.

IT PREVENTS YOUR COMPUTER FROM COOLING PROPERLY.

IN DESERT OR ANY OTHER HARSH ENVIRONMENT, YOU MUST CLEAN YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.

IN SPITE OF FAITHFUL PM, YOU'LL FIND THAT DEEP CLEANING WILL BE NEEDED.

BE ALERT TO YOUR COMPUTER'S BEHAVIOUR .. AND SEND IT TO DIRECT SUPPORT MAINTENANCE WHEN NEEDED.

WE'RE LIVING IN THE COMPUTER AGE ... SO ... IT'S TIME TO BOOT UP TO THE AGE OF COMPUTER PM!