Describe computer maintenance methods from controlling physical damage to computers

Computer maintenance methods from controlling physical damage to computers

Maintenance from dust and smoke: Computers can be damaged by dust as follows--

(i) Due to non-conductive coating of dust on various circuits, the heat generated in the circuit cannot be dissipated, resulting in damage to the circuit.

(ii) Due to the formation of dust coating, the rotating components of the computer cannot rotate properly, resulting in various operational problems.

(iii) Dust accumulation can damage the heads of disk drives.

(iv) Cigarette ash dust can damage the data stored on the disk.

The following steps can be taken to protect computer systems from dust:-

(i) Computers should be properly cleaned at various time intervals.

(ii) No smoking in the computer room.

(iii) No powdered food should be consumed while sitting near the computer.

(iv) Computers should not be placed where chalk is written on the blackboard.

(v) The computer should be covered with a plastic cover. Maintenance due to temperature problems and normal operation of computer above certain temperature is disrupted. Especially due to the increase in temperature of the processor, the computer can hang, or the processor can become useless forever. Appropriate heatsinks (including fans) and fans are used to remove heat from the processor and power supply unit. Special care should be taken during assembly of the computer so that the processor fan is not obstructed by any cables.

(b) Protection from magnetic field: If any strong magnet is brought in contact with computer hard disk, floppy disk, zip disk, tape cassette etc., the data or star format stored in these storage media may be destroyed. So the computer should be kept away from any strong magnetic field.

(c) Protection from Liquids and Moisture: A humid environment causes rust on the metal parts of the computer. Also, water vapor can condense with dust and damage any hardware device. Liquids are extremely dangerous materials for computers. So, as a precaution, watery food should not be taken in the computer room. Many times the keyboard, mouse, external modem etc. can get damaged due to careless spillage.

(d) Maintenance from Noise and Interference Controllers : Due to high level of noise, artificial and natural electrical noise and frequency, computer circuits cannot function properly in many cases, data is corrupted or lost. For this reason, it is recommended that the cables used in the computer are covered (Shielding Cable). Not connecting other devices to the power lines used with the computer system, using proper filters and keeping the system away from static electrical charges, keeping the system away from noise and interference are some examples of keeping the computer error free.

(e) Maintenance from Degrading Effects of Components: The components, connectors and PCBs used in computers and connections, gradually degrade over time. For this, the parts should be kept clean regularly and humidity should be controlled.