Of course, you should not dro por kick the PC. You should try to kee pit in a relatively
dust and smoke-free environment and avoid spilling liquid into any of its components,
especially inside the system case.
Here is a list of other general and common sense tips for keeping your PC in tip-top
working condition: Place your PC in a room that is both cool and dry. Heat and humidity are hard
on electronics.
Make sure that there is ample air space around the PC to enable it to have a
free airflow, but avoid drafty and dusty areas.
Keep the PC’s cords and cables together and tucked out of the way to protect
the cords, the PC, and you.
Avoid powering the system on and off frequently. In addition to cycling
between heating and cooling, it puts stress on its electronics.
Enable any energy saving features on the PC, such as suspending the hard disk
and monitor to save electricity and extend the life of these components.
Connect the PC to the AC power source through a surge suppressor or an
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect the PC against the problems
associated with electrical spikes, blackouts, and brownouts. (See Chapter 23
for more information on electrical power issues.)
Always wear an antistatic wrist or ankle strap when working inside the system
unit (case) to avoid possible damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Before beginning work on your PC or its peripherals, close any open
applications, shut down the PC, and unplug it from the wall.
Avoid placing the PC, especially the monitor and speakers, near strongly
magnetized objects to avoid distortion or performance problems.
Never connect or disconnect a serial, parallel, or video device while the system
is running.
Always use the Shut Down option to close the Windows operating system before
powering down the PC.Input Devices
Input devices, such as the keyboard and mouse, get dirty faster than most of the other
parts of the PC because your hands are constantly touching them. Not that your hands
are particularly dirty, but they do have oil that is deposited on the keys and the mouse. In
addition, food crumbs, dirt, and other bits get between and under the keys of the key-
board and are picked up by the mouse ball and can cause it to not roll smoothly.(^572) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide