Cleaning your PC

cascaderailroad

New member
On my desktop, all I have to do is unscrew 2 thumb screws using a dime as a tool, and blow it out, and vaaccuumm it out

How come with a laptop PC you have to: take off the monitor screen, remove plastic bezels, remove the keyboard, disconnect 14 micro connectors, unscrew 86 teeny tiny screws, remove the hard drive, remove the motherboard and flip the motherboard over, in order to get to the fan, filter, and heat sink, in order to blow it out and to apply new heat sink thermal paste ? ? ?

Why don't they just make the plastic back of the laptop snap off after removing 4 screws ? ? ?

My son says: "Because they don't want you in there, and they want to sell you a brand new PC when it clogs with dust, overheats, and cooks itself" :'(

In fact, why do you even want your laptop on your lap where it gets it's airflow restricted by your clothing, and sucks in all the clothing lint and debris ? ? ?
 
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Your son is right. Gen X and Millennials don't get things fixed, they just buy new stuff. Why would you clean something you are going to throw out. It also means you are a dinosaur like the rest of us who like desktops, get things repaired and even know how to change the engine oil in your car. Millennials don't need to change the oil because they either ride bicycles, own an electric car, or walk to work. :hehe:
 
Don't forget cell phones. It seems the thing nowadays is to get a new phone every year. And don't get me started on people who will line up overnight in front of a certain company's store to get the latest horribly overhyped and overpriced model.

*Leaves to go chase kids off his lawn.
 
My son says: "Because they don't want you in there, and they want to sell you a brand new PC when it clogs with dust, overheats, and cooks itself" :'(

More specifically they want you to only have 2 options: Buy a new one or take to to their repair facility to get it cleaned/fixed. Most modern equipment these days come with some sort of licensing "agreement" that states that you have to take it to their repair place to get anything done on it. In things like vehicles are being done this way now. There's a lawsuit working it's way thru the system (maybe it's done... I've not been keeping tabs on it) over the "right to repair". The lawsuit is specifically against John Deere, but has wider implications, into the tech market. Both Deere & Apple have been in hot water lately over this.

peter
 
On my desktop, all I have to do is unscrew 2 thumb screws using a dime as a tool, and blow it out, and vaaccuumm it out

How come with a laptop PC you have to: take off the monitor screen, remove plastic bezels, remove the keyboard, disconnect 14 micro connectors, unscrew 86 teeny tiny screws, remove the hard drive, remove the motherboard and flip the motherboard over, in order to get to the fan, filter, and heat sink, in order to blow it out and to apply new heat sink thermal paste ? ? ?

Why don't they just make the plastic back of the laptop snap off after removing 4 screws ? ? ?

My son says: "Because they don't want you in there, and they want to sell you a brand new PC when it clogs with dust, overheats, and cooks itself" :'(

In fact, why do you even want your laptop on your lap where it gets it's airflow restricted by your clothing, and sucks in all the clothing lint and debris ? ? ?

You mean this:

https://boingboing.net/2018/10/04/welcome-bootlickers.html

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/...pro-software-locks-prevent-independent-repair

Your son is right. My nephews have a bunch of PCs, yes, PCs that don't work cuz they have viruses and instead of fixing them, or learning to fix 'em, they got new ones. It's nice to have the money to do that!

Back in the mid-1980s, I used to repair 8-inch floppy drives - the ones with the tiny belt in them that required replacing and the drive had to be calibrated afterwards with some special software and a test pattern on a 'scope. People don't do this anymore and would rather throw the equipment away.
 
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Yeah it's the best update of CCleaner they ever put out. Finally a version that really cleans. A nice guy from Nigeria sent me a link to it.

Yeah those are the best sources. They have a nice selection of softwares that remove wiruses too. ;)

In reality I use the real CCleaner but the free one to remove the temp files and clean up after uninstalls. Running it about once a week seems to do the trick. I used to use Advanced System Care from IO-Bit, but that program turned from a great set of utilities at one point to an awful mess of sluggish mush.
 
Yeah it's the best update of CCleaner they ever put out. Finally a version that really cleans. A nice guy from Nigeria sent me a link to it.

Heh!
Just install CCleaner and run it. The latest update gets rid of dust as well as unwanted files.

Whenever I find this (once popular) program on client's machines I remove it promptly. Not recommended under any circumstances.
 
I use Winzip's System Utilities to clean out unwanted files. Can't say I'm overly enthused about it but it does the job.

The biggest problem for dust are the various filters and the radiators or cooling fins. When I really have nothing better to do I'll use a vacuum cleaner and a long haired paintbrush to give it a clean. My tower sits on a small pedestal to try and avoid carpet fibre pickup.

Try picking up your keyboard, turn it upside down and give it a shake. I must eat too many biscuits/cookies based on the number of crumbs that fall out. :eek:
 
I use Winzip's System Utilities to clean out unwanted files. Can't say I'm overly enthused about it but it does the job.

The biggest problem for dust are the various filters and the radiators or cooling fins. When I really have nothing better to do I'll use a vacuum cleaner and a long haired paintbrush to give it a clean. My tower sits on a small pedestal to try and avoid carpet fibre pickup.

Try picking up your keyboard, turn it upside down and give it a shake. I must eat too many biscuits/cookies based on the number of crumbs that fall out. :eek:

I thought I was the only one with the cookie crumbs! :)

I use this for blowing out the dust along with an old pig-hair metal handle brush.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/259157-REG/Giottos_AA1900_Rocket_Air_Blower.html?sts=pi

The Rocket Blaster works well to move the dust from the surfaces without generating static, which is a problem with vacuum cleaners. They're great for the environment and the $9.99 USD investment is equal to at least two cans of canned CO2 so this will pay off its self very quickly and theirs no waste. The disadvantage is hand cramps and tired hands from squeezing the bulb.

Oh, the other good thing is my cats don't like it! :hehe:
 
I use a Turkey Baster with a rubber bulb on the end and long haired paint brushes and just use a small rechargeable vacuum cleaner on the bottom of the case, I have a purpose self built large desk, that can accommodate 4 PC Towers and they sit on the built-in wooden base to avoid the carpet issue. Main PC's have easily removable filters, so can just take outside and brush off.

Never had much success with the Air cans, they run out too quickly.

Also have the Cookie / Biscuit keyboard issue!
 
I have pinned my fans with a plastic straw, and installed a filter in between sections of a hose from my 384 mph windspeed leaf blower, and wet dry vaaccuumm exhaust port, so I don't propel debris at high speed, and over spin fan bearing ... I also clean my house by this method by installing 19" box fans in each open winder' ... the neighbors think it is snowing outside when I clean house
 
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Only need an I destroyed my PC by using a leaf blower as recommended on the Trainz forum post now...... everything on the internet is true ;o)
 
I fail to see the connection between repairing an item (or not) and the generation to which one belongs, but I'll entertain it. I'm a millennial, and I would prefer to repair rather than replace my things. I can't, because companies controlled by older generations design them to fail early and force replacement.

See? You can direct blame wherever you fancy. That doesn't make it a productive exercise.
 
Totally agree Adam. I've made my own PC using components I chose and upgraded the ram and SSD in my MacBook. Can we "young" peeps generalise and say old people of today are fueled by greed and capitalism and have more or less destroyed the world for future generations? lol.

PS using a vacuum cleaner can create a static charge around the nozzle, which could then affect your motherboard.
 
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