PC Care Tips..

• Computers need air circulation to keep them cool. As they continue to get faster, they use more voltage and therefore run hotter. Don't place your PC in a cramped place. Also, there should be no big holes in the case as this leads to poor circulation.

• Computers do not like dust and smoke very much. Dust can cause components to malfunction and short out from the static electricity build-up. Smoke kills a computer faster than it kills people as it can lead to tar build-up on fans and components.

• A surge protector is a must have, especially if your computer is in an older building. Power surges and lightening will short a computer out with one hit. Also, computers with a modem need a surge protector with modem protection. Surges can come in through phone lines. A UPS, or Uninterruptible Power Supply, is a good idea and can easily pay for itself from computer repair labor charges.

• Do not plug devices into the computer while it is on, unless you are inserting a USB device. USB devices are the only devices which are hot-swappable, meaning you can plug and unplug them while the computer is on.

• As long as your computer is under warranty, never throw away the original packaging. Also, you should keep everything that came with the computer (manuals, diskettes, CD-ROMs) in a safe place.

• Printers should be turned off only by the power button on the printer case, never by a surge protector it is plugged into.

• If at all possible, do not eat or drink around your PC. If you do, be extremely careful. Spilling liquid on your keyboard can short the computer out.

• Always use some form of Anti-Virus software. Viruses are the cause of most service calls we get. We recommend Norton Anti-Virus

•  Backing up your data periodically will protect your data and make it easier to recover from a disastrous event. Please back up!

•  Scandisk and Defrag are very useful programs in the protection of your data. Use them.

• And finally, write down all error messages. Doing this can help technicians repair your PC faster, which can save you money.