1. LIGHTNING
Is it lightning season again? Not a single day passes at this time without someone calling in distress to say their PC has been hit and they need to get it replaced as fast as possible. So how can you avoid becoming a victim of this powerful natural phenomenon?

Obviously you need to have the best lightning protection devices in place, protecting both the power input and your telephone line. So many people say “but the storm wasn’t even close”. Most lightning damage occurs through telephone connections so make sure you protect this ‘weak point’ in your system. However, no matter what protection you have in place, lightning can still cause serious damage to your system. The only guaranteed protection against lightning is to completely unplug your computer (both power input and telephone cable). 

2. DUST
One of the biggest PC killers is dust. Your computer is a dust trap and after the dry winter we have had you need to make sure your equipment is properly cleaned out to avoid components shorting out. Opening up the case and blowing out the dust is something that you should have done at least once a year. However, be careful that you don’t damage the sensitive equipment inside the case. Rather ask a professional to do what appears to be a simple task. 

3. HEAT
Heat builds up inside the computer’s case and if it cannot escape, the components inside overheat and can become damaged. It is very important to make sure that your computer is properly ventilated. Don’t leave the case inside a cupboard which has very little space for anything else. On extremely hot days some PCs may still overheat. Make sure that this doesn’t happen by asking your IT Consultant to ensure that your PC is in the best possible position to avoid heat related problems. 

WARNING
No matter how careful we are things still can and do go wrong. Take care that your data is properly backed up. If your PC does get damaged in any way it can be replaced but if you don’t have an effective backup system in place there isn’t much that can be done to get back all that work you have done, all those email addresses you have been collecting, your accounts, etc. Ask your IT Consultant to assist you in this important task and make sure that ALL your data is covered by your backup.

Please contact us on 083 693 4923 or info@beycom.co.za for further advice regarding these and other computer related problems.