It’s that time of the year again, folks are getting new laptops for Fathers Day and Graduation as well as back to school deals soon coming. We thought we would touch base on something that we get a lot of questions about, Saving bookmarks and how to transfer them to your new computer.
Thanks to PCtechrx.com for this useful post on How to Transfer Firefox Bookmarks from One Computer to Another.
1. Open Firefox, click on Bookmarks –> Organize Bookmarks.
2. Click on the “import and backup” button.
3. Click “Export HTML” and save the file to your desktop.
4. Transfer this file to your new computer by using a flash drive or over your network.
5. On your new computer or the one you are transferring to, follow the same steps.
6. Open Firefox, click on Bookmarks –> Organize Bookmarks. Click on the “import and backup” button. This time select “Import HTML”
All your bookmarks should now appear back under your bookmarks menu within Firefox.
Keeping your Laptop Computer & Desktop PC Clean – How & Why
Many of us know about the importance of keeping our software and anti-virus up to date, but how many of us really look inside our computers to make sure that they are getting the proper air flow? For the most part, not many of us. This post will help you in Keeping your Laptop Computer & Desktop PC Clean.
Dusty Laptop
The biggest cause of electronics failing is from heat, and a computer that does not have the proper airflow will work harder and harder and get hotter as it works. This will cause it to slow down before it burns out. Today most components will sense temperatures and automatically slow your computer down in an attempt to keep your computer functioning within a reasonable temperature. If this is unattainable it may shut down your computer to prevent damage – this is more common in laptop computers. When this happens it usually requires extensive dis-assembly of your laptop to clean the unit.
What can you do to avoid an extensive cleaning and slow down of your computer or laptop? If you feel that you are brave and want to take on the challenge, we are going to share a few ways to keep your computer clean.
Things You’ll Need:
Can of compressed air.
Lint free cloth
Cotton swabs
Rubbing alcohol
If you are not familiar with the inner workings of your computer, there is really not a lot that you need to know before engaging in cleaning out your machine, but please do not ignore the following safety guideline:
SAFETY ALERT: Discharge the static electricity within your body by touching the exterior of the tower while the three prong plug is still plugged in, but not turned on.
Once you have done this, disconnect all the cords and power from the tower. We suggest using an electrostatic device.
The easiest thing is to take a small vacuum attachment and suck the dust out of the fans and the computer casing. Try to not come in contact with any boards while sucking the dust out and if you choose to use compressed air – use in short bursts and keep a safe distance. Note that using compressed air for too long can damage the components with the cold air.
Dusty Fan Blades
Cleaning the fans is fairly easy. They are usually larger and easily removable. They typically are attached by a gripping connector that can easily be reattached after you pop out – just re-install in the same location. It is important to keep fan blades clean. Just like your ceiling fan they accumulate dust over time and can cause binding. Once you remove the fan, you can dip a small cloth or q-Tip in rubbing alcohol and dust the blades. If your blades have any binding, we suggest you replace it and the cost is typically less than $30 to replace. Fan blades can be very brittle so proceed with care.
Step 1: Take your tower somewhere outside or in the garage, where the flying dust won’t ruin anything and open the case up. You will probably just need to remove a few screws from the back and then you can pull the cover off.
Step 2: Make sure to read the instructions on the can, as you can cause some damage if you spray too closely to your computer. Start by spraying the fan clean, you should be able to see through it, to the blades inside, when you’re done. Make sure you do not spin the fans with the compressed air. Compressed air can spin the fans way faster then they are supposed to spin causing the bearings to burn out, ruining the fan. We usually use a pen or pencil to keep the fans from spinning. Use a cotton swab to wipe off any chunks of dust that may be clinging to the fan.
Step 3: Once the fan is clean, spray the circuit boards inside. Always pay attention to the distance between the can and your computer. But if you happen to break something, we probably happen to have a new one in stock.
Step 4: If by some strange turn of events you have spots inside your computer, from spilling coffee or something, you can use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab to remove the residue.
Step 5: Use the lint-free cloth to wipe down the inside of the tower cover.
Inside Dirty Dusty Laptop – Dusty fan
Clean your tower every few months, it takes less than half an hour and can save you from the headache of an overheated computer or the slow loading time that comes from running hot. An easy rule of thumb is to clean it every time the seasons change. The first cleaning may take a while if you have not cleaned it for quite a while. But if you keep up with it after that, it should not be too difficult.
If your computer is always on, you have pets, you smoke, you have a lot of carpet or the computer is kept on the floor, you will probably need to clean it more regularly. If you have any doubts as to your abilities to clean your computer, you can always contact us to take care of it for you.
