Quick story:
My
clients run the gamut, from high net-worth CxO types living in the
ritziest parts of the area, to NYS public school teachers to college
kids who can barely afford to eat breakfast! I pride myself on
providing the same level of service, regardless of the client’s
economic circumstance. I also find working with clients from both types
of backgrounds to be equally enjoyable. Truth be told, I do provide a
lower bill rate in certain circumstances. I’m sure I’m not alone in
that philosophy.
Anyhow,
one of my clients (name withheld) was having an issue with an old
E-Machines computer that he had purchased a few years back. I worked on
this particular PC before and I remembered it was one of those
"not-so-clean" PCs. Well, the power supply was replaced at BestBuy
about a year ago and since it was out of the BestBuy 1 year warranty, I
was called in to the rescue! :) Seems that the PC was shutting itself
down randomly for a few weeks now.
I
picked the unit up from the clients home, and at that point I knew I
was in for a real treat. Once I returned to my home office, I ran the
usual battery of tests; open the case, check for bad wiring, loose
cables, etc. Well, there was so much dust and "fan-goo" that I could
hardly see inside of the case! And this particular client was a chain
smoker, so you can imagine the look on my face when I opened the case.
It was B-A-D bad! But I will never look down or criticise my clientele.
I finished the case-work, screwed the cover back on and powered her up
with a new power cord.
That
seemed to do the trick, however, the Power Supply fan was so mucked up
with debris that it would physically STOP the fan from turning! My
point here is this: keep your computer clean! 409 works wonders on 95%
of the cases out there, just make sure the unit is OFF before you go
cleaning anything! As far as the inside, if you're so inclined, you can
CAREFULLY remove the cover (see user manual) and take some compressed
air to it, being very careful of the guts inside. Do this outside if
you think it's going to be a bad situation. I have seen this debris
fall on a white carpet staining it!!
Anyhow, send me YOUR story! I will be waiting - with "dust-bunny" breath. . . . . . . . . .