Questions tagged [cleaning]

Physically cleaning computer hardware, both as maintenance and post-accident

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20 votes
6 answers
23k views

What's using up my disk space?

My Vista 64 installation has drive C, a 150 GB hard drive. I also has a 1.5 TB drive D. My C drive has 12.3 GB free. I don't know what's using up all the space. There's almost 83 GB unaccounted ...
ChrisInEdmonton's user avatar
30 votes
13 answers
13k views

How do I clean dust from a computer?

As computers become faster and generate more heat it gets more important to have good ventilation, but that also increases the amount of dust sticking to the components of the computer. It's of course ...
Jonas's user avatar
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15 votes
10 answers
10k views

How to clean a keyboard

My keyboard is a) full of dust and other particles that are flying around us (hair, skin parts etc) and b) very dirty (keys are not white anymore but dark gray - except on keytops where my fingers are ...
gabr's user avatar
  • 323
11 votes
6 answers
7k views

Tips for getting latte or soda out of your keyboard?

For the first time in my entire life yesterday, I accidentally spilled some latte in my ergonomic keyboard. The keys are starting to stick a bit now, and I was just wondering if there was some way to ...
leeand00's user avatar
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52 votes
18 answers
8k views

What is the best way to clean an LCD monitor?

I have loads of grubby finger marks on my monitor (mine and smaller people's). I'm not sure how to clean them off without damaging the monitor. What's the best way to safely clean dust, smudges and ...
AJ.'s user avatar
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51 votes
8 answers
4k views

Can I put keyboards in the dishwasher?

After a few years, keyboards develop a fine patina of what I refer to as "hand jam". I've heard that they can be safely cleaned in the dishwasher as long as you let them thoroughly dry out (like for ...
raven's user avatar
  • 5,365
87 votes
5 answers
121k views

Removing dead thunderflies stuck inside an LCD monitor

This summer my flat was "attacked" by hundreds of tiny thunderflies, some of which managed to get behind the screen of my LCD. A few of the cursed creatures went and died right in the middle of the ...
Mike Weller's user avatar
79 votes
3 answers
42k views

I washed my USB drive. Any long-term risks?

I accidentally left a USB flash drive in my clothes, which was then washed with my laundry. This was a colored load, hot water. The drive survived just fine and was very clean. All data was still ...
user avatar
22 votes
4 answers
169k views

How do I clean my computer using isopropyl alcohol?

I bought a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, but I'm having a hard time to figure out how to use it to clean my computer. My two concerns are: Can I just spray it onto the motherboard? Or should I ...
user658091's user avatar
6 votes
7 answers
1k views

How should I choose a screen cleaning solution?

I saw the thread about cleaning screens with distilled water and a microfiber cloth, but if I want to get a specialized screen cleaning solution, what factors/properties should I look for?
TeeOh's user avatar
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71 votes
11 answers
25k views

Suck or blow? What's better for dust?

The guy at the local PC hardware store told me it's better to use a small hand-held leaf blower to blow dust out of your PC case than a hand-held vacuum cleaner. Why is this? I understand that fans ...
21 votes
5 answers
31k views

How can I remove the smell of cigarettes from my computer?

I'm a smoker, and of course I smoke in front of the computer when I'm at home. Last Friday I moved out from my mother's house to my own, and since the computers were always turned on and the room was ...
Tio's user avatar
  • 351
9 votes
3 answers
35k views

Do I risk destroying the fan if I use a vacuum cleaner on my laptop?

To get rid of dust that had gathered near the fan, I put a vacuum cleaner to the air intake (with the computer turned off). This removed the dust. It also caused the fan to rotate at a fairly high ...
codeape's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
5k views

How to clean/what to do about getting liquid form of compressed air cleaner on computer equipment?

I'm a little worried. I was using some compressed air cleaner (to be specific, Office Depot® Brand Cleaning Duster) to try to blow the dust off some dusty parts of my computer. The instructions are ...
Josh Zmijewski's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Unpacking a laptop touchpad to clean the keys

How can I get to and remove the touchpad buttons on my laptop in order to try and clean them and the area around the buttons? I have an Acer laptop and I think I have a hardware problem where ...
dole doug's user avatar
  • 1,683
129 votes
25 answers
26k views

How to find and remove "spicy" media files from my PC [closed]

I have an embarrassing problem: during my younger and wilder days, I used to download a certain type of movie clips and pictures. The combination of youthful foolishness and a couple of beers ...
Scott's user avatar
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16 votes
3 answers
74k views

"Air Duster" sprays - are they safe for hardware?

I picked up a can of Air Duster spray to clean an old laptop. It lists no ingredients, so I figured it was just compressed air. But when I spray it, it's a liquid that smells somewhat like alcohol/...
Daniel Hanrahan's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
61k views

How do I safely remove keys from a keyboard?

I have a custom key I want to use on my new Deck keyboard, but I'm unclear how to safely remove existing keys from the keyboard without damaging them in the process. Should I use a special tool? A ...
Jeff Atwood's user avatar
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10 votes
7 answers
22k views

How often should I dust the inside of my computer?

I would like to avoid frying my computer. I understand dust collects inside on the boards and the CPU cooling unit. How often should I open up the chassis and what process should I use to safely ...
Axxmasterr's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
14k views

How to clean a keyboard in Toshiba laptop?

I have Toshiba Satellite Pro P300-1CG with slim keyboard. I haven't spilled anything major on it, but I often eat in front of the laptop while watching some videos. Therefore small drops of milk and ...
Sergiy Belozorov's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
41k views

How can laptop keyboard keys be removed and replaced?

I'm trying to fix a laptop keyboard that has issues with keys on its left side. Just by feel, it's clear that something sticky got under there. There could be something crunchy too, but that might ...
Pops's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
2k views

Water damaged parts, is there any chance of recovery?

I live in the Philippines and our house here was one of the many that was submerged by the flash floods that Typhoon Ketsana brought. We moved one of our computers from the first to the second floor ...
Enrico Tuvera Jr's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
7k views

What is the best way to clean your dvd-burner?

What is the best way to clean your dvd-burner?
Nifle's user avatar
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4 votes
8 answers
593 views

What things should I run daily, weekly, monthly on my Windows machine?

What things should I run daily, weekly, monthly on my Windows XP machine? De fragmentation Scan-disk Full system scan Disk clean up Trojan checker malware remover or any other thing... And should I ...
metal gear solid's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
21k views

PC cleaning: why is vacuuming a static electricity risk to internal components but not using compressed air?

Both involve using moving air to remove dust and other debris- so why the stigma around using a vacuum cleaner nozzle? In both cases you are just moving air (negative vs positive pressure), so the ...
Austin ''Danger'' Powers's user avatar
3 votes
6 answers
8k views

Can you actually Wash a laptop? [closed]

I remember Joel mentioning it on a the stackoverflow podcast that you could wash a laptop under a tap. Has anyone done this? Is there not parts that would just rust up when drying the laptop?
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is a good tool to scrub MetaData from files? [closed]

I am curious if there is a good program that will remove MetaData from multiple document types? Some programs have a "prepare document" feature but it generally only applies to one file type or ...
Axxmasterr's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Cleaning Canon's print head tips

Printer in question: Canon Pixma iP3300 ... a relatively low grade model printer (otherwise, I wouldn't be doing something like this), has a removable print head, and 4 cartridges that fit inside (C, ...
Rook's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
9k views

Method/product for cleaning cigarette smoke off of LCDs?

OK, I admit I am a smoker. Im trying to quit, its hard though... So I have several LCD monitors that have accumulated grime from cigarette smoke over the years. Every so often I take a soft cloth ...
Keltari's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
627 views

Clean Print Cartridge Heads

I have a HP printer and I remember that on Windows XP the drivers had a section to clean printer head cartridges. On Windows Vista, I don't have this option. Do you know any general software which ...
dole doug's user avatar
  • 1,683
0 votes
2 answers
17k views

Is it safe to soak a motherboard in vinegar?

Some older motherboards have batteries that will leak over time. Obviously this can cause damage to the motherboard. I read on the interwebs that to clean up the leakage, one could: take the ...
chue x's user avatar
  • 268
0 votes
2 answers
8k views

how to remove registry keys of recently uninstalled programs in revo uninstaller pro

I used pc decrapifier to uninstall lots of programs because revo uninstaller takes a lot of your time just to uninstall a single program. Can I remove the registry keys and folders left behind by pc ...
Wern Ancheta's user avatar
  • 6,542
-3 votes
1 answer
290 views

Using Isopropyl alcohol to clean SSD, CPU/GPU sockets [closed]

Wanted to ask after reading this other question. there are visible signs of moisture on or bear components of a laptop after the machine was exposed to steam/water vapor and you are concerned about ...
The Floating Brain's user avatar