Computer Cleaning... and another problem

MrBlarney

Hey, new subforum. How lucky. Tuesday night, my desktop computer started acting up on me... the monitors suddenly went dead and nothing would respond, despite the computer's power light remaining on. Restarting the computer allowed it to work briefly, but it would constantly 'die' on me: monitors go dead, nothing responding, power light remains on. I let the computer stay off overnight, and in the morning the computer was able to stay on long enough to get a successful virus and spyware scan done with no hitches. Still, the computer spontaneously 'died' later in the day.

I figured that since I hadn't cleaned the case for a while I should probably do so: I used a hand vac and a Swiffer duster to try and clean the fans, and it worked for a while on Wednesday and today, until a couple hours ago. Spontaneously, monitors go off, nothing responding, power light still on. Somehow, I think I need to do a REAL good job of cleaning, and that's where you guys come in.

Obviously, I've got some way of getting access to the internet, but this laptop is a Mac, and the programs I need to use to do work are PC programs, so if my PC isn't reliable then I'm in a bit of a pinch. I don't feel comfortable doing a Boot Camp thing on the MacBook, yeah? So, tell me what kinds of tools I'll want to purchase tomorrow to make sure my PC can be back up and running reliably over the weekend. I've been careful to not build up static with the Swiffer duster, but tell me if that's a bad idea and if I should get cloths of some sort. I've also heard of use of compressed air to aid in cleaning - I know there's quite a bit of packed in dust in the fans that compressed air may allow me to dislodge, but I also want to make sure I don't harm my computer components.

Hopefully, doing a thorough cleaning will do the trick. The components are running up against 2 1/2 years old now, so they are probably getting a bit rusty. Hopefully, I haven't damaged my video card beyond reliability with my lack of maintenance. The power supply is almost 5 years old and not powerful enough to run newer technology, so I'll have to hope I can get my computer back up to shape. I'm planning on upgrading my machine in spring, but until then, I'll have to make do with what I currently have. Thanks for reading, but if not...

tl;dr: My computer needs serious cleaning. I need to use it this weekend. Tell me what to buy tomorrow so I can do both.

Blake T

Compressed air.

This is all.

Gadeus

Yep, compressed air. Be sure to take it outside when you dust off the components, because there will be an enormous amount of dust spraying in all directions.

Karenna

If you're still having issues post-dusting, it could be heat buildup. Might want to look into throwing another fan (probably exhaust) into your case.

As to fans, they are the ONLY thing I don't use compressed air on. I'm allergic to dust as is, and those bastards will just fling crap everywhere. Those pre-moistened wipes are wonderful for them. Just make sure to let the fans dry completely after cleaning!

mastman

just fyi: do not use a vacuum. That PVC nozzle getting loads of dry air sucked past it by a vacuum = giant capacitator (stun gun) inside your computer waiting to fry all your chipzes.

Tofystedeth

I've found that power supplies are the worst collectors of dust. They are boxes with holes, so dust can get in, but not always out. But if you do the compressed air can thing, make sure you hold on to the straw, because twice I've had it pop off the can and shoot into the power supply. Those things are a bitch to get back.

Lowlander

Tofystedeth wrote: »

I've found that power supplies are the worst collectors of dust. They are boxes with holes, so dust can get in, but not always out. But if you do the compressed air can thing, make sure you hold on to the straw, because twice I've had it pop off the can and shoot into the power supply. Those things are a bitch to get back.

This guy hit the nail on the head. I'm a heavy smoker and typically my power supply will be the first to go as all of the internal components will slowly accumulate a tarry residue. This typically causes something to overheat to the point where the power supply fails. Typically it fails sporadically, rather than a complete failure. I recommend you take the power supply apart, it's usually pretty easy to do, and give it a good cleaning. If you suspect your power supply is the weak link, you might consider buying a new one. If your computer isn't cutting edge (powerful graphics card, high power use cpu, etc) you could probably get a pretty basic one for a good price.

Silvoculous

Lowlander wrote: »

I'm a heavy smoker and typically my power supply will be the first to go as all of the internal components will slowly accumulate a tarry residue. This typically causes something to overheat to the point where the power supply fails.

I know that all too well.

A good few blasts of compressed air do wonders on fans, though, provided you have plenty of room while you perform the...procedure. Do that with every fan in your system, and maybe a few quick puffs between your heatsink fins as well.

Gorak

You might want to strip down the fans as much as possible and wipe the blades with paper towels. Remove the fan from your heatsink before you clean them both as well. Also, see if you can get some fans with dust filters for the case intake and replace the thermal compound.

Generally though, just strip everything down as much as possible and get rid of any giant dust bunnies before hitting it with the compressed air.

And if you soak your processor in iced water overnight it'll run a lot cooler for about 8-10 weeks.

Qs23

Gorak wrote: »

And if you soak your processor in iced water overnight it'll run a lot cooler for about 8-10 weeks.

Wait.... wha?!?

Silvoculous

Gorak wrote: »

You might want to strip down the fans as much as possible and wipe the blades with paper towels.

That ought to take care of the tarry reddish residue from smokers' PCs, also.

Gorak wrote: »

And if you soak your processor in iced water overnight it'll run a lot cooler for about 8-10 weeks.

wait, what

Barrakketh

I had an instructor at my high school who owned a business primarily repairing PCs, and he has washed motherboards and peripheral cards from PCs owned by heavy smokers without actually scrubbing the parts. And by heavy smokers, I mean that these computers were smelled terrible and were covered with a nasty mixture of tar and dust.

Surprisingly enough, the damned things still worked after letting them dry for about a week.

MrBlarney

Thanks for the advice. Although not to an obsessive degree, I've done some cleaning to the machine, but the problem still remains. The computer's just not being reliable anymore. Temperatures for the parts seem to be in acceptable ranges (40s-50s), so it's probably not overheating, and all the fans seem to be working right. Might it be some sort of software issue? I did notice a random 'ba-bink' sound during the computer startup, like when you plug a USB device in, even though I wasn't doing anything. I've got no idea. Anyone out there who can help?

EDIT: I just noticed my computer's monitors turning off during the startup sequence. That doesn't seem like a good thing. Maybe that'll help pin down the problem?

EDIT 2: Maybe it's the primary hard drive? Or the memory? I can't tell if there's noise coming from my primary hard drive or not that's out of the ordinary.

EDIT 3: Yeah... probably the hard drive. It's not starting all the way up anymore. Any second opinions?

Xaquin

I use compressed air and then q-tips dipped in a little rubbing alcohol to clean my PC out

(I only use the q-tips on the fans though)

Lodbrok

Just be careful when using compressed air on fans. It is fun to spin them up to a hojillion RPMs with the stream of air, but this can damage the control curcuitry, so don't do that. Hold the fan stationary when cleaning it.

Lowlander

Honestly, I'm still going with power supply failure. They're not that expensive, and they're typically the causes of crashes during start up. Buy a new power supply from a place with a good return policy, install it without screwing it in just to see if it works and then return it if your problem isn't solved.

Tofystedeth

Lodbrok wrote: »

Just be careful when using compressed air on fans. It is fun to spin them up to a hojillion RPMs with the stream of air, but this can damage the control curcuitry, so don't do that. Hold the fan stationary when cleaning it.

Ok, now you just made me sad. You have turned my fun into a potentially destructive habit.