How do I clean the inside of a computer?

Post #356,766 by drook 4/23/12 8:20:36 PM Reply	How do I clean the inside of a computer? My Mac tower is beeping on power-up, indicating no good RAM. I opened it up and it looks like one of the cats claimed it. Yes, the little fucker sprayed through the front. So what do I use to clean it so it hopefully recognizes the RAM again? -- Drew
Post #356,769 by malraux 4/23/12 8:37:15 PM Reply	Here's what I did when that happened to my computer: 1. Make sure the computer is on. This will insure that all exposed surfaces, such as fan blades, etc, are covered. If your computer turns off when the case is off, then you may need to tape down the interruption switch. 2. Try to work the cables out as much as possible while retaining the connections. 3. Find a shower with a removable spray head, or perhaps a kitchen sink will work, although a back stop is key to reducing overspray. 4. Thoroughly spray down the entire inside, taking care to direct the spray under the edges of the case and inside all of the components. While hard drives are sealed, you should still try to get the exposed contacts to prevent dust from creating spark bridges. Shampoo works best; Johnson's may be ok depending on the level of dirt, but I suspect that it's too gentle for most computers that have sat for a while. 5. Don't forget the conditioner, as this will make the cables more compliant and easier to route back into their respective channels when reassembling. 6. At this point I decided to get a new computer regardless because the scent of the cat spray was difficult to get out, even after repeated applications of Sebastien Shine With Pro Nutrient Fruit Essence No. 5. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,771 by drook 4/23/12 8:52:03 PM Reply	You're funny ____ .o0oo oo0o. -- Drew
Post #356,787 by malraux 4/23/12 10:52:41 PM Reply	...? I'm being serious. It's a very effective method of obtaining a new computer. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,799 by static 4/24/12 6:52:26 AM Reply	Need a drink? That is a very dry sense of humour, there. :-D Wade. Just Add Story http://justaddstory.wordpress.com/
Post #356,777 by folkert 4/23/12 10:01:34 PM 4/23/12 10:02:57 PM Reply	Sterile Water... First blow it out with compressed air... Preferably Compressed Air from a real air compressor and tank and an air drier. With a ground strap connected to the case and a ground strap to earth ground Remove the RAM... Then take a video tape cleaner "foam swab", and the head cleaner, swab out the sockets and the RAM. Then use sterile water (its non-conductive). Try not to get the water in the power supply Eventually you'll want to get some electronic non-lubricating spray cleaner and clean the crap out of it. It should neutralize the ph from the urine. Once you do that... let it dry a while (or blow it out, if you got water all over and let it dry a day or so)... and once you stop being buzzed, put it back together... Power it on. Edited by folkert April 23, 2012, 10:02:57 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #356,782 by drook 4/23/12 10:10:39 PM Reply	Thanks -- Drew
Post #356,785 by malraux 4/23/12 10:48:31 PM Reply	Re: Sterile Water... That will take much longer than my method, and at the end it won't smell like shampoo. Nor will he get a new computer out of it. -1 Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,788 by folkert 4/24/12 12:17:06 AM Reply	True dat... Though we all don't make a quarter of a MEEEEEELLION DOLLARS a year like you do... -250,000
Post #356,814 by malraux 4/24/12 11:04:37 AM Reply	Yeah, well... You can include me in that "we all" as well. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,817 by folkert 4/24/12 12:02:20 PM Reply	I was kidding... I hope you knew that. Why do you think I was imitating the bad guy on Austin Powers...
Post #356,808 by drook 4/24/12 10:10:29 AM Reply	Don't know why this triggered the thought ... ... but I wonder if homeowners insurance will cover this. -- Drew
Post #356,812 by malraux 4/24/12 11:03:00 AM Reply	There's a decent chance... ... but probably not after you give it a shower, to be honest. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,781 by mvitale 4/23/12 10:10:09 PM Reply	Step the first... Get rid of the cat. -Mike "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
Post #356,783 by drook 4/23/12 10:11:16 PM Reply	Thought crossed my mind -- Drew
Post #356,786 by malraux 4/23/12 10:52:01 PM Reply	Truth. Homey don't play the "gee, I'm going to randomly spray musk-scented urine all over vertical surfaces" game. The point at which you stop being cuddly and become a rank, disgusting animal strictly coincides with the point where aforementioned musk-scented urine starts painting the vertical surfaces. That said, we went through a good deal of various machinations trying to stop the same behavior in our house in order to regain the cuddly-ness, and finally had to just confine the perp to the unfinished basement where, for whatever reason, the modern art finally stopped. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,789 by folkert 4/24/12 12:18:48 AM Reply	Wow... You are Peppy tonight...
Post #356,790 by mvitale 4/24/12 12:31:50 AM Reply	It's his birthday. He's apparently crying as he wants to. ;-) -Mike "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
Post #356,795 by crazy 4/24/12 5:12:39 AM Reply	Interesting I was thinking the same thing. Just visualising him hunch over a keyboard, cackling with glee.
Post #356,810 by folkert 4/24/12 10:31:44 AM Reply	In reference to this: http://wondermark.com/829/
Post #356,813 by malraux 4/24/12 11:03:42 AM Reply	Yeah, it was a night. The fit hasn't come over me like that in a while. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,841 by lincoln 4/25/12 8:23:14 AM Reply	most sensible post in this thread "Chicago to my mind was the only place to be. ... I above all liked the city because it was filled with people all a-bustle, and the clatter of hooves and carriages, and with delivery wagons and drays and peddlers and the boom and clank of freight trains. And when those black clouds came sailing in from the west, pouring thunderstorms upon us so that you couldn't hear the cries or curses of humankind, I liked that best of all. Chicago could stand up to the worst God had to offer. I understood why it was built--a place for trade, of course, with railroads and ships and so on, but mostly to give all of us a magnitude of defiance that is not provided by one house on the plains. And the plains is where those storms come from." -- E.L. Doctorow
Post #356,874 by Ashton 4/25/12 11:49:38 PM Reply	If you can 'get rid' of a cat because of a computer.. Might indeed be best (for the cat) not to have one.
Post #356,899 by lincoln 4/27/12 8:25:54 AM Reply	it's "best" to never have a cat in the first place "Chicago to my mind was the only place to be. ... I above all liked the city because it was filled with people all a-bustle, and the clatter of hooves and carriages, and with delivery wagons and drays and peddlers and the boom and clank of freight trains. And when those black clouds came sailing in from the west, pouring thunderstorms upon us so that you couldn't hear the cries or curses of humankind, I liked that best of all. Chicago could stand up to the worst God had to offer. I understood why it was built--a place for trade, of course, with railroads and ships and so on, but mostly to give all of us a magnitude of defiance that is not provided by one house on the plains. And the plains is where those storms come from." -- E.L. Doctorow
Post #356,791 by Another Scott 4/24/12 1:25:47 AM Reply	Remember, motherboards are washed during manufacturing. The contact cleaner spray that Ashton has often mentioned might be a better first choice. https://www.google.c...act+cleaner+spray You can wash printed circuit boards. The main thing is to make sure it's grounded, and make sure it's totally dry before powering up again. http://www.youtube.c...tch?v=OkWePqTfD14 I dunno if Scrubbing Bubbles is the best choice - you probably want to minimize the time in the water and the time coated by the cleaner, to be safer. You don't have too much to lose if it's not working now, but it's not for the faint of heart. Good luck. Cheers, Scott.
Post #356,792 by Ashton 4/24/12 4:35:35 AM 4/24/12 4:44:35 AM Reply	OK.. the serious answer-- Tektronx regularly washed their lab-grade scopes / test equipment, using a mild detergent called 'Kelite'--always followed by hours in a ~150° F oven (IIRC.) (with fan--but a regular home oven is also fine, with or without a fan blowing across the guts.) A Scary idea to unimaginative EEs then too! Others have used wood or even cardboard boxes cum fans and maybe heat lamps; a thermometer stuck in where appropriate. Guess a hand IR thingie is as good or better? ie Improvise. http://classictek.or...cope_Cleaning.pdf This is from 1976, but the points apply not only to their vac-tube units but later ss units, with caveats about covering the holes in power transformers where leads enter/exit. Some later scopes used delicate relay-fingers for attenuator switching and these are cleaned with bond-papaer and rilly-pure ("CP" = chemically pure) Ethanol. No computer relevance, that. Ditto for washing surface mount digital stuff of recent decades. (Yeah, good idea to remove HD, cd drives and such and hand clean those--HDs have breathers to equalize air px, not intended to be immersed!) If you digest this .pdf and allow for peculiarities of computer accessories, you should do no harm and should remove all scents (cigarette smoke was a frequent complaint after years of service, etc. back when Real He-Men drank Marlboros) You can bet that all mobos have been washed, following wave soldering--to remove flux(es) and make it all shiny. Nothing revolutionary here. Bon ~~Ami~~ appetit!--chefs know how to wash stuff, right? :-0 Should be a fun game; outsmarting a feline==Winning! Ed:PS--of course you Don't leave the power on, though unlike scopes it's mostly lo-DC all over, beyond power xfmr--now replaced with switching supplies, etc. But you knew that. (I just can't commute to any wakes..) .hr [still no horiz. rule in this chicken outfit] Law above fear, justice above law, mercy above justice, love above all. Edited by Ashton April 24, 2012, 04:44:35 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #356,806 by boxley 4/24/12 9:32:53 AM Reply	I use a hairdryer Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 55 years. meep
Post #356,811 by malraux 4/24/12 11:02:04 AM Reply	Yabut does Kelite have Fruit Essence? I think not! Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,820 by drook 4/24/12 12:06:52 PM Reply	And jojoba extract ... gotta have the jojoba extract -- Drew
Post #356,821 by boxley 4/24/12 12:39:50 PM Reply	why dont you pee on the server yourself, kill the cat smell Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 55 years. meep
Post #356,822 by drook 4/24/12 1:48:46 PM Reply	Or pee on the cat -- Drew
Post #356,823 by malraux 4/24/12 1:58:48 PM Reply	Or wait... I have this great idea for an experiment: Put the cat in the server, rig it up so that if the cat sprays then it releases an electrical arc, killing the cat. Then you'll have two cats superimposed inside the box, one of which is good, the other bad. Take the good cat out, and then do whatever you want with the server and the remains of the bad cat. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #356,824 by drook 4/24/12 3:30:13 PM Reply	Gives me an idea for a product Schrödinger's litter: It is both dirty and clean, but as long as you don't look inside you can tell your wife that is clean. (Superposed with dirty.) -- Drew
Post #356,834 by boxley 4/24/12 8:54:10 PM Reply	stealing that Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 55 years. meep
Post #356,825 by Ashton 4/24/12 3:56:57 PM Reply	Indeed.. probably the reason that Tek sold out to the Suits --all those complaints about the sterile smell after washing.. If they'd only Known.
Post #356,854 by drook 4/25/12 1:43:22 PM Reply	Maybe better solution http://www.gainsaver...rt=1&cICode=43686 Just get another and move the HD from my current one. -- Drew
Post #356,859 by Another Scott 4/25/12 6:39:31 PM Reply	MacofAllTrades has better ones... http://www.macofallt..._Desktops_s/2.htm We've got a dual 2.0 G5 at home that has been retired. It worked fine as long as you don't need an up-to-date web browser or software that requires an Intel CPU. Good luck. Cheers, Scott.
Post #356,863 by drook 4/25/12 8:33:47 PM Reply	Looks like a winner When I get a new one in, I plan to pull the drive from the current one and pop in in the second slot of the new one. Will I be able to move the apps I've installed from the old to the new? -- Drew
Post #356,864 by Another Scott 4/25/12 8:50:01 PM Reply	I don't think the Mac will care. We've moved complete Mac hard drives to a directory on a new system and run things from there. Mac OS doesn't have a "registry" so it generally doesn't care where you install stuff. The only issues have been running software that requires OS 9 ("Classic") on later versions of OS X - one has to be careful that the version of OS X you have supports that if that's an issue. E.g. http://hints.macworl...20060509180914879 No guarantees, of course. :-) Good luck. Cheers, Scott.
Post #356,865 by drook 4/25/12 9:05:08 PM Reply	That's what I thought Now the challenge is to unload the old system -- with no HD -- on Craigslist. -- Drew
Post #356,890 by Another Scott 4/26/12 2:53:33 PM Reply	What we've done... E.g. in moving from the G5 to a 13" MacBook Pro: Connect the old Mac to the new Mac with a Firewire cable. Boot the old Mac in Target Disk Mode (Squiggly-T). Boot the new Mac. The old Mac will show up as a disk drive. Copy over everything you want. (The more recent versions of MacOS will even transfer settings, accounts, etc., this way, if you want.) Shut down the old Mac. You're done. In your case, since you can't boot the old Mac, I would remove the hard drive, and either install it in the new Mac as a slave or use an external USB/Firewire/eSATA enclosure or adapter to power it up through an interface of your choice. Then copy over everything that you want. Make sure all your critical software works from the newer drive. At that point, you can remove all your personal stuff then put the drive back in the old system. (There might be subtle differences in the video drivers, etc., in the old and new systems that might cause issues if you boot the new system with the old disk.) Someone who is into Macs who is interested in a G5 is likely to reinstall stuff anyway, so you could also just keep the old drive and throw in a new/different one if they need it, as an alternative. Just some options. Good luck. Cheers, Scott.

Welcome to IWETHEY!