Summary (4.3)
In this chapter, you learned that there are many benefits of conducting preventive maintenance, such as fewer potential hardware and software problems, less computer downtime, lower repair costs, and less frequent equipment failures. You learned how to keep dust from damaging computer components by keeping air filters clean, cleaning the outside of the computer case, and using compressed air to remove dust from the inside of the computer.
You learned that there are components that should be regularly inspected for dust and damage. These components include the CPU heat sink and fan, RAM modules, storage devices, adapter cards, cables and power devices, and keyboards and mice. You also learned about guidelines for ensuring optimal computer operating performance, such as not obstructing vents or airflow and maintaining proper room temperature and humidity.
In addition to learning how to maintain the hardware of a computer, you learned that it is important to perform regular maintenance on computer software. This is best accomplished with a software maintenance schedule that covers security software, virus definition files, unwanted and unused programs, and hard drive defragmenting.
At the end of the chapter, you learned the six steps in the troubleshooting process as they pertain to preventive maintenance.