Upgrading your Mass-Market System, Part 1 - Crusty Components
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Immediately following my discovery of the absence of the fan, I saw how horribly encrusted the components were with dust.
It’s a wonder computers can even run in this condition! Really, all it does is cause a build-up of heat, but with enough heat you can kill your computer. The next thing we did was take it outside and blow it out using a container of pressurized air. Once we cleaned it out we got a good look at what we were dealing with.
WARNING Before touching any electrical components you should plug in your computer's power cord and connect your anti-static bracelet. If you can, try not to work on a carpeted floor. If you don't have an anti-static bracelet, discharge yourself by touching unpainted metal and working on the computer with it unplugged. *Partial credit goes out to Quantum Skyline for this tip.
You will need to have your computer’s power cord plugged in so that it is grounded, then connect the alligator clip on the frame somewhere inside of your computer. This is very important; the small static charge that you goof around and zap people with can easily fry some crucial computer components.
Next: Getting Unplugged >>
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