Proper Handling and Care of Computer Electronics

Computers are among the kinds of electronics that are often used and sometimes abused. While these are easy to replace, you are not always assured that your important files can be retrieved from your damaged unit. In order to avoid this hassle, it is best that you do your part in making sure that the computer is in its best form all the time.

Here are some tips on how to get this done:

  1. Lower the setting of the brightness of your monitor. This will prolong the monitor’s lifespan and is beneficial to your eyes as well. This is also a good way to save energy. Instead of relying on the monitor’s brightness, you can simply put the electronics on a well-lit spot.
  2. Turn the computer off if you will not use it for more than two hours. If you will only be away from the device for less than two hours, set the device to sleep. More energy is needed whenever you restart your computer, so be wise about putting it on a sleep mode or shutting it down.
  3. Keep the computer clean. Feather off dust and dirt from the computer’s hard casings, but you have to clean the monitor in a more delicate manner. Use a cleaning kit, which is usually composed of a soft cloth and a special cleaning solution that is intended for LCDs. Make sure that the vents are always free from dust. When the vents become clogged, the device won’t get sufficient air to cool it off. This might lead to overheating, which can damage its central processing unit.
  4. It is recommended to connect all the electronics at home or in the office to a surge protector. The protector accumulates energy that is used to power the small light indicators of the devices. This accumulated energy is referred to as phantom energy. To prevent its use, make sure that the surge protector is turned off at night, when the devices that are connected to it are not in use. If there are certain devices that have to be left while turned on, plug these items in a different outlet.
  5. Enable the power management options in your devices that have this kind of setting, such as computers, printers and multifunction machines. This kind of setting is typically disabled when the devices are brand new in order to give the new owners the freedom to choose the kind of power setting that works best for them.

There will come a time when you have to give up your device because of different reasons. These reasons include damaged parts, outdated programs or you only feel the need to buy something new. You have to be responsible in disposing and recycling your electronic gadgets. If the computer is old but still working, consider donating it to an institution. For damaged devices, learn more about the proper ways of eCycling. Your devices are made of materials that can harm the environment when improperly disposed. There are great online resources that you can check out to learn more about the topic.

Processing your request, Please wait....

Leave a Reply