Computer Care

Objectives
At the end of this lesson students will be able to:

List factors that can negatively affect computers.

State various methods of caring for computers.

How do you clean your
computer?
Questions
• What would happen to your computer if you cleaned it like
in the videos?
• What was it that was harmful to your device?
• What are some things that can cause damage to your
computer (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone)?
What is wrong here?
1. Don’t eat or drink next to your computer
• Accidently spilling a drink on your laptop or computer keyboard
can damage the device and can cause it to stop working
completely.
• Eating while using your computer increases the chances of you
dropping food particles on or around your computer which can
attract ants. Ants making nests in computers and destroy the
circuit boards.
What is wrong here?
2. Avoid dust

• Dust around our computer can block the computer vents

preventing the computer from properly cooling.
• This can cause your device to overheat and become
damaged.
What is wrong here?
What is wrong here?
What is wrong here?
What is wrong here?
3. Avoid extreme temperatures and
adverse environments
• Avoid leaving or using your computer in places where the
temperature is too hot or cold, or where it is too wet. These
can negatively affect the computer’s hardware.
• Even though some devices boast of being water resistant,
they can only function in the water for a limited amount of
time.
What is wrong here?
4. Protect against electrical surges

• All it takes is just one power surge to fry your

computer while its plugged in/charging.
What is wrong here?
5. Do not delete system files

• System files are needed for your computer to work

properly.
• If these files are deleted or corrupted by a user or
malware, like viruses, it can prevent your computer
from starting up.
Various methods of caring for
computers
Dos
1. Do keep your keyboard free from food and drink.
2. Clean your monitor screen with a soft cloth or wipes
specifically made for electronics.
3. Remove dust from vents and fans to avoid overheating
and slowing down your computer.
4. Use a surge protector to protect your system from a
power surge.
5. Avoid extreme temperatures. E.g. Do not leave your
laptop in a hot car for long periods.
Dos
6. Install antivirus software to prevent your computer
from being infected with malware like viruses.
7. Perform regular software updates to keep your
computer running smoothly. Updates can contain fixes
for bugs and enhanced security features.
8. Backup all files so that you have a copy in case
something happens to your computer.
9. Run computer maintenance e.g. defragment your hard
drive, clean the registry, scan and update devices.
Defragmentation
Defragmentation Explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtRIOUZuI2c&t=164s
Steps to defragment your hard drive
• Select the search bar on the taskbar and enter defrag.
• Select Defragment and Optimize Drives.
• Select the disk drive you want to optimize.
• Select the Optimize button.
Activity
Work in pairs.
Use the Internet to research the effects of the following factors on
computers:
• Magnets
• Shutting down
• Unplugging when not in use

Place what you learn in a Word document and present it in class.