6 Hardware Maintenance Tips
• Keep your computer and diskettes away from any magnetized objects. Phones,copiers, stereo equipment or devices with motors generate a magnetic field that may damage your data.
• Keep your system away from heating and air conditioning vents, radiators,and open windows. This will prevent temperature fluctuations in your system hardware and reduce airborne particles like dust and smoke from entering your system.
• Never unplug a component while your system is running. Exit all programs and shut down your computer when plugging or unplugging computer devices and peripherals. Ignoring this advice can easily result in a short, therefore damaging either your computer or the device you are adding or removing.
• Buy a Surge Protector. Surge Protectors are special power strips that absorb any power surges that may seriously damage memory chips and other
components. You may want to shut your computer down during severe
thunderstorms.
• Use antivirus software to detect viruses that can cause substantial damage to files in your computer. Be careful what you download off the Internet. The Internet has increasingly become a popular means of transporting viruses to personal computers.
• Use anti-static mats under your computer. This will decrease the amount of static electricity in the vicinity of your computer. Static electricity is one of the primary causes of data loss.