1. Ensure that your investment is protected by a good quality surge suppressor or better yet, an Uninterruptible Power Supply Unit and make sure it is plugged into a grounded circuit. It should not be on the same circuit as other appliances which draw energy in spurts, like an air-conditioner or fridge etc. If it is necessary to use an extension cord, use one rated for "computers". Don't just use any ordinary power bar. Warranty will not cover damage created by electrical surges. Get a unit with phone jacks in it as well as surges can come through the phone lines. If you need help choosing, just let us know. If you live out in the country, it is even more important to use a really good surge suppressor or UPS as power outages are more likely to occur. * Whenever a computer is turned off incorrectly through sudden loss of power or you pushing the power button instead of shutting down correctly, the read-write head of your computer's hard drive falls onto the surface of your drive instead of going back to it's resting spot. This can cause damage to your hard drive and or loss or corruption of files*
2. Unplug your computer system if you are going to be away from home/office even if you have a surge suppressor as it may become discharged after multiple surges and loses it's ability to protect your equipment during a severe storm. It just makes good sense not to leave electrical stuff plugged in when you are going to be away for some time.
3. Do not drink or eat while you are computing. You can be careful but interruptions and distractions do occur and can render your keyboard useless.
4. If you transport your computer and it is a tower model, either transport it right side up and have it secured or, if that is not possible, lie it on the side with all the ports on the bottom so that your computer adaptor cards do not become dislodged. This is especially important for a lot of Pentium III's as they have horizontally mounted processors which are quite unbalanced and heavy.
5. Clean the exterior of the case only when unplugged, and that goes for the monitor, with a damp soft cloth, preferably without any cleaner. If you must clean the monitor with a spray cleaner, apply it to the cloth, NOT the monitor itself.
6. Do not disassemble the unit for your own safety unless you are trained computer maintenance professional. We will not be responsible for any tampering done to the system nor will any other warranty provider. Besides that it is very dangerous to your personal safety. Many capacitors can hold a charge for a long period of time before they are discharged, even if the computer has been turned off for some time.
7. Take care when inserting CD ROMS - they are delicate units, especially the Slimline or UltraSleek ones found in laptops and some desktops. Support these with your other hand from underneath when inserting or removing disks.
8. Handle your CD's carefully. If you used a CD and it worked before and all of a sudden it doesn't, it is probably dirty. Clean CD with soft cloth and warm water across the disk, not in circles. Do not use Kleenex or paper towels as they sometimes have rough particles in them. Better yet, buy a special CD cleaning kit. These are safe and effective.
9. Do not smoke around your unit if possible. Tar and delicate computer components don't mix. The tar gets right into every part of your case and on the fan blades and makes dust stick even more such that blowing it off with compressed air is very ineffective. The life of your computer is greatly reduced by the constant presence of cigarette smoke.
10. Never plug or unplug any cables from your system while it is powered on. You can ruin your system quite quickly that way. USB cables are safe to plug and unplug as they are considered "Hot Pluggable" except for in Windows XP where you need to tell the USB port to stop first. This is done by right clicking on the icon of the peripheral product, selecting " unplug" and following the onscreen prompts. Look for a little icon with a green arrow:
For our Clients:
If you are unsure about anything regarding your computer, give us a call during business hours and we will try to help you out.
