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Eyewitness News This Morning
5-7 a.m. weekdays / Channel 7 in the New York Area
& Archived on www.7online.com

Tech Guru @ WABC / Channel 7
Thursdays 6:45 a.m. (New York time)

Comments and ideas: techguru@sree.net

Sree's Thoughts on Prolonging Your PC's Life
 Thursday, June 27, 2002

 

It's time for my annual lecture to you all to tune up your PCs. Here's a secret. I do this in part because I will then remember to follow my own advice. Just as you take care of your car, there are things you need to do to keep your computer running clean and clear. A little bit of care can save you several hundred dollars in repair bills and keep your PC alive longer than you think.

So here are some tips:

  • DELETE UNWANTED FILES
    You probably have old documents, photos, and other things clogging your system. Make sure you periodically drag files you don't need to the trash or recycling bin.

  • RESTART YOUR PC
    Even if you leave your PC on overnight, be sure to restart it in the morning to clean out the system.

  • WATCH THOSE VENTS
    Make sure the PC and the monitor are well ventilated... blocking the fans and vents (especially on the back of your monitor can cause serious harm).

  • REMOVE DUST
    This seems rather obvious, but you need to physically keep the computer clean. Dust around it and make sure you wipe the keyboard and monitor. Just turning the keyboard over and shaking it gently will show you how much gunk (a technical term) accumulates.

Here are some good Web sites to help you out:

And, of course, don't forget to check out all the tech tips from the ABC-7 special "Computers 101".

Write to techguru@sree.net and let me know your thoughts.

Site of the Week

Worst Case Scenarios
http://www.worstcasescenarios.com

Here's a fun site that goes with a new TV show. It's based on a bestselling book that shows you how to survive worst case scenarios. How bad are these situations? You can learn how to:
* survive if your parachute doesn't open * escape from a sinking car * fend off a shark * wrestle an alligator.

While many of these will not be situations you might find yourself in, there are some useful ideas in here, too.

To join the LOW-volume "Sree Tips" e-mail mailing list, send your name and e-mail address to sreetips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. No more than once a month, you will receive an e-mail message with tips and tricks about new, useful and fun Web sites.