Computer Maintenance & Repair

Computer users fret about keeping a clean hard drive to keep things running smoothly. You clean out files, run de-frag, and empty your recycling bin faithfully. But there’s physical cleaning to be done in addition to all your digital cleaning.

Your PC tower generates static electricity when it runs. This static sucks in dust and hair particles from the air that can gunk up your works. This little computer maintenance tip from ITToolbox will help extend the life of your machine.

It is very important to know how to clean out your PC case. You should never open your computer while it is running or when any power cables are attached. It is very important that you remain safe while cleaning your PC case.

First, you need to shut down and unplug your PC. Next, you will want to remove all the peripherals cables like video cables, audio cables, USB cables and power cables. You will also need a can of compressed air and a clean, damp rag.

Since all PC cases are different, you may need to read the computer manual before opening your model as this will prevent any damage to your system.

After you have all cables detached and the case open, you can start by using the compressed air to clean off the motherboard, any fans, and the inside of the case.

Next, you can use the damp rag to wipe down the inside and outside of the case. Close up the case and plug everything back in. Now, you will be all set and have a clean PC.

If you’re looking for a little more maintenance than a light dusting, let the techs at Great Lakes Computer help you out.

Despite exponential growth in memory size and processing speed in computers, we still manage to fill up those hard drives faster than we’d like. The fuller your hard drive, the slower it runs. Here are 7 easy ways to free up space on your hard drive using Windows from HowtoGeek.com:

Run Disk Cleanup

Windows includes a built-in tool that deletes temporary files and other unimportant data. To access it, right-click one of your hard drives in the Computer window and select Properties. (Alternatively you can just search for Disk Cleanup in the Start Menu.) Click the Disk Cleanup button in the disk properties window. Select the types of files you want to delete and click OK. This includes temporary files, log files, files in your recycle bin, and other unimportant files.

Uninstall Space-Hungry Applications

Uninstalling programs will free up space, but some programs use very little space. From the Programs and Features control panel, you can click the Size column to see just how much space each program installed on your computer is using. The easiest way to get there is to search for “Uninstall programs” in the Start Menu. If you don’t see this column, click the options button at the top right corner of the list and select the Details view. Note that this isn’t always accurate – some programs don’t report the amount of space they use. A program may be using a lot of space but may not have any information in its Size column. This will let you remove either Windows Store apps or regular apps, and should also work on a tablet. You can, of course, still open the regular Uninstall Programs in the old Control Panel if you want.

Analyze Disk Space

To find out exactly what is using space on your hard drive, you can use a hard disk analysis program. These applications scan your hard drive and display exactly which files and folders are taking up the most space. After scanning your system, you see exactly which folders, file types, and files are using the most space. Ensure you don’t delete any important system files – only delete personal data files. If you see a program’s folder in the Program Files folder using a large amount of space, you can uninstall that program.

Clean Temporary Files

Windows’ Disk Cleanup tool is useful, but it doesn’t delete temporary files used by other programs. For example, it won’t clear Firefox or Chrome browser caches, which can use gigabytes of hard disk space. (Your browser cache uses hard disk space to save you time when accessing websites in the future, but this is little comfort if you need the hard disk space now.) For more aggressive temporary and junk file cleaning, try CCleaner, which you can download here. CCleaner cleans junk files from a variety of third-party programs and also cleans up Windows files that Disk Cleanup won’t touch.

Find Duplicate Files

You can use a duplicate-file-finder application to scan your hard drive for duplicate files, which are unnecessary and can be deleted.

Reduce the Amount of Space Used for System Restore

If System Restore is eating up a lot of hard drive space for restore points, you can reduce the amount of hard disk space allocated to System Restore. The trade-off is you’ll have less restore points to restore your system from and less previous copies of files to restore. If these features are less important to you than the hard disk space they use, go ahead and free a few gigabytes by reducing the amount of space System Restore uses.

If you think you’re out of your league and want some help, Great Lakes Computer offers all levels of Computer and Network Service and Maintenance. For one time repairs, or ongoing maintenance contracts, we’re here to help you take the guess work out your technology operations.

“It’s making a weird thump.” Your mechanic looks at you and resists the urge to slap his forehead. He has to start at square one and figure out this problem without your help, and on your dime. He’ll figure it out eventually, repair it, and then hit you with a giant bill for the time it took. Your tech person feels the same way when you say, “I got all these error messages and it just quit working.”

Do yourself a favor and come armed with more information than that. Whether you’re unhooking your computer to take it to a service person, or trying to fix it yourself with the aid of a service phone call, be prepared with information that will help move the process along quicker, thus saving you both time and money. Here are a few tips from about.tech to help you get on the same page with your technician.

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Be Prepared

Before you post to a forum or social networking site for help, or start unhooking your computer so you can get some service on it, you need to make sure you’re prepared to explain your computer problem.

If you’re prepared, you’ll describe your problem to the computer repair person more clearly, which will make him or her better informed of your issue, which will probably mean that you’ll spend less time and/or money on getting your computer fixed.

The exact information you should be prepared with will vary depending on your problem but here are several things to keep in mind:

– If you have an error message: What’s the exact error message on your screen?

– If you don’t have an error message: What exactly is your computer doing? “It just doesn’t work” isn’t helpful information.When did the problem start happening?

– Did anything else happen at the same time the problem started? (e.g. a blue screen of death, smoke coming from the computer, virus warning, etc.)

– What have you already done to troubleshoot the problem?

– Has the problem changed since it first started happening (e.g. computer shuts off more frequently, error message appears at a different time now, etc.)

If you’re getting in-person help, I recommend writing all of this down before you head out the door or pick up the phone.

Be Specific

I touched on this a little in the Be Prepared tip above, but the need to be thorough and specific is extremely important! You may be well aware of the trouble your computer has been having but the computer repair expert is not. You have to tell the whole story in as much detail as possible.

For example, saying “My computer just quit working” doesn’t say anything at all. There are millions of ways a computer might “not be working” and the ways to fix those problems can vary tremendously. I always recommend stepping through, in great detail, the process that produces the problem.

Also important with most problems, at least when getting help online or over the phone, is to let the expert you’re talking to know the make and model of your computer as well as what operating system you’re running.

If your computer won’t turn on, for example, you might describe the problem like this:
“I hit the power button on my laptop (it’s a Dell Inspiron i15R-2105sLV) and the green light that always comes on does so. Some text shows up on the screen for just a second, which I don’t have time to read, and then the whole thing shuts off and there’s no lights on at all. I can turn it on again with no trouble but the same thing happens. It’s running Windows 10.”

Be Clear

Communication is key to properly describing your PC issue to a computer repair professional. The entire reason for your post, visit, or phone call is to communicate to the person helping you what the problem is so he or she can properly fix, or help you fix, the problem.

If you’re getting help online, be sure to reread what you type for clarity, avoid using ALL CAPS, and a “thank you” goes a long way considering the help you’re getting is probably being provided free of charge.

When getting help in person, basic communication rules apply like elsewhere in life: speak slowly, enunciate properly, and be nice!

If you’re describing your problem over the phone, be sure you’re calling from a quiet area. A barking dog or screaming child is unlikely to help anyone understand your problem more clearly.

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When you’re ready for help with your system problems, the Service team at Great Lakes Computer is ready to help. Great Lakes Computer offers computer repair services for all major brands of servers, storage equipment, computers, printers, plotters, and POS equipment. Our certified repair technicians provide peace of mind and the highest quality service and can help you with all of your computer repair needs, even if all you can tell us is, “It just quit working.”