One of the biggest dangers to your computer is overheating. Excessive heat can cause the system to malfunction, your hard drive to crash or even damage internal components. Since we’re coming up on the dog days of summer, here are a few tips to keep your computer cool.
The first thing to check is that your computer’s fans are spinning and able to effectively cool the system. In laptops especially, the fans and heatsinks can get clogged by dust preventing the system from cooling itself, often causing it to shut down while you’re using it. Some laptops have removable panels allowing you to clean the fans, others do not. To clean, or to help keep clean, the fans use a can of pressurized air from an office supply store to blow out the vents on the sides and bottom of your computer. If your laptop hasn’t been cleaned for a while, you may want to have it professionally cleaned to prevent problems later on. You might be surprised how much dust it can pick up!
When using your laptop, make sure it’s on a flat surface and the vents aren’t obstructed. Move your computer to a cooler room or to a cooler place in the room if you don’t have air conditioning. Avoid leaving your computer in the direct sunlight, especially while it’s on.
Finally, remember that your computer is generating its own heat and raising the ambient temperature of the room. You can keep your room a little cooler by putting the computer to sleep or turning it off while you’re not using it.