How do I clean the inside of my computer safely?
I opened my computer case and the inside is full of dust — the fans are coated in it. I want to clean it out because I think it's making the computer run hot. What's the safe way to do this? Can I use a vacuum cleaner? Someone said compressed air. Do I need to worry about static electricity?
Sign in to message the asker.
I build computers for a living and can tell you that most of these problems come down to three things: not enough RAM, outdated drivers, or malware. Check those first before spending money on new hardware.
4 Answers
I build computers for a living and can tell you that most of these problems come down to three things: not enough RAM, outdated drivers, or malware. Check those first before spending money on new hardware.
I'd post this on the Tom's Hardware or AnandTech forums with your full system specs — CPU, RAM, motherboard, the works. People can't really help without knowing what you've got. The more detail you give, the better the answers.
I'd check Device Manager for any yellow exclamation marks. That's Windows telling you a driver is missing or broken. Right-click My Computer, Properties, Hardware tab, Device Manager. Fix anything with a yellow mark and a lot of weird problems clear up.
Before you do anything drastic, try booting into Safe Mode (tap F8 when the computer starts up). If the problem goes away in Safe Mode it's a software or driver issue, not hardware. That one trick narrows down half of all PC problems.
This question is resolved and no longer accepting answers.