Removing/replacing cards

[Sami]

I'm running Windows XP HE, SP2.

I need to give my PC a physical clean inside. I would like to remove the
cards from the PCI slots, clean them, and then of course, place them back
into the slots. My question is, is it safe to do this, or is it likely to
cause a problem with the O/S? (Incase you're wondering, I had some building
work done in the house, and despite my best efforts, fine dust has covered
the inside).

The reason I'm asking is because a friend of mine did just this with a modem
card, after which Windows crashed and all remedial efforts failed, and I
would hate that to happen.

Also, what's the correct way to remove hardware permanently, for example a
PCI TV card? Driver or device first?

I hope these questions are okay here.

Many thanks in advance.
Sam

 

[Andrew E.]

Removing PCI or other cards is ok,return them to same slot when thru.These
cards can be cleaned (soft brush/vacum,etc),also,if its been installed for
some
time,clean the gold connectors on the card with #2 eraser.Also,cards can be
removed,however believe it or not,only around 12 or so times,after that the
connecting pins start to loose the gold thats been applied from the mfg..

 

[Leonard Grey]

Open the case, carefully blow out as much dust as you can and close the
case. There is no other cleaning that you need to do.

 

[Leonard Grey]

Andrew, you're famous for handing out bad advice in these newsgroups,
but this has to be the single most stupid post you've ever made.

 

[VanguardLH]

Removing PCI or other cards is ok,return them to same slot when
thru.These cards can be cleaned (soft brush/vacum,etc),

Never use a [household] vacuum as Andrew suggested. The moving air
through the hose generates a static charge so you would end up zapping
your electronics. There are specialty static-free vacuums that are made
for cleaning electronic gear but they're pricey and not in the common
retail stores.

Same goes for using a brush. After all, what do you think makes face
powder stick to the makeup brush? If it was gluing itself to the brush,
it wouldn't come off onto the face. Be sure to use an ANTI-static brush
with a carbon/conductive hairs and a conductive handle. Even then it is
assumed that any accumulated charge will dissipate across your body to
the anti-static strap. Don't be dusting with only 1 hand and with the
other sitting in your pocket.

With either the vacuum or brush, make sure you are shorted to the
chassis (anti-static wrist strap) or you keep one hand on the chassis
while using the other for the vacuum hose or brush. You're better off
seeing if an air duster will suffice. Be sure to take the computer
outside. If you blow out the dust at your desk, some of that dust cloud
will get sucked back into the computer, plus you probably don't want the
dust mess on your desk, anyway.

also,if its been installed for some time,clean the gold connectors on
the card with #2 eraser.Also,cards can be removed,however believe it
or not,only around 12 or so times,after that the connecting pins
start to loose the gold thats been applied from the mfg..

Do NOT use erasers or abrasives to clean the gold contacts on
daughtercards. The blade edges for the contacts inside the slots will
clean the card's contacts when you slide it in. That is, they are
self-wiping connectors. Gold is soft so all it takes is wiping pressure
to move any dirt out of the way.

Apparently Andrew doesn't know that gold does NOT oxidize. When was the
last time you saw a tinned connector on a daughtercard? Perhaps when
ISA was the primary slot back 15+ years ago.

 

[VanguardLH]

I'm running Windows XP HE, SP2.

I need to give my PC a physical clean inside. I would like to remove the
cards from the PCI slots, clean them, and then of course, place them back
into the slots. My question is, is it safe to do this, or is it likely to
cause a problem with the O/S? (Incase you're wondering, I had some building
work done in the house, and despite my best efforts, fine dust has covered
the inside).

The reason I'm asking is because a friend of mine did just this with a modem
card, after which Windows crashed and all remedial efforts failed, and I
would hate that to happen.

Also, what's the correct way to remove hardware permanently, for example a
PCI TV card? Driver or device first?

I hope these questions are okay here.

Many thanks in advance.
Sam

Don't bother removing the cards. If an air duster can't remove the
dust, there is something else that is making the dust stick to the
surfaces, like resin. Just what was the building work that was done?
Were they spray painting inside your house?

The only time I use any physical contact to clean the inside of a
computer is to use swabs to scrape the grime that accumulates on the fan
blades.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Removing PCI or other cards is ok,return them to same slot when thru.These
cards can be cleaned (soft brush/vacum,etc),

Sami, ignore what Andrew says and *never* use a vacuum cleaner. You
would ran the substantial risk of damaging everything by a static
charge.

also,if its been installed for
some
time,clean the gold connectors on the card with #2 eraser.

Not as dangerous as the above, but I would avoid this too, since
over-rubbing with an eraser can remove the gold. Besides, the contacts
on installed cards don't get dirty. The only times contacts can get
dirty is when they are *not* in a slot.

See below.

Also,cards can be
removed,however believe it or not,only around 12 or so times,after that the
connecting pins start to loose the gold thats been applied from the mfg..

Removing any cards to clean them is entirely unnecessary. The only
cleaning you need to do or should do is as follows: take the computer
outdoors, open the case, and blow out the interior thoroughly with a
can of compressed air.

 

[Justin Thyme]

Open the case, carefully blow out as much dust as you can and close the
case. There is no other cleaning that you need to do.

Leonard, if you hadn't provided this answer I would have. A pressurized
canister air duster will do all that's necessary.

Ken Bland

 

[Leonard Grey]

<see below>
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Leonard, if you hadn't provided this answer I would have. A pressurized
canister air duster will do all that's necessary.

Ken Bland

I'm actually glad you raised that point because it allows me to ask you:
I once read that some 'canned air' products allow an amount of
propellant to come out and coat whatever you are spraying, which might
be harmful to electronic components. Is this, in fact, true and what are
the details?

LG

 

[Bennett Marco]

<see below>
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est



I'm actually glad you raised that point because it allows me to ask you:
I once read that some 'canned air' products allow an amount of
propellant to come out and coat whatever you are spraying, which might
be harmful to electronic components. Is this, in fact, true and what are
the details?

LG

That propellant is compressed air (DUH!). The only possible problem
might be condensation.

 

[Sami]

Don't bother removing the cards. If an air duster can't remove the
dust, there is something else that is making the dust stick to the
surfaces, like resin. Just what was the building work that was done?
Were they spray painting inside your house?

The only time I use any physical contact to clean the inside of a
computer is to use swabs to scrape the grime that accumulates on the fan
blades.

Thank you very much to everyone for your useful advice (except maybe
Andrew - even I'm not that stupid). The building work I had done was mainly
plastering inside the house, and I had an interior wall knocked down, which
both created lots of fine dust which just got everywhere.

Around this time, a crackling & popping noise started on the PC's sound - I
thought the dust may have somehow caused this and I've used an air duster,
but to no avail.

I have a Soundblaster Audigy 2 s/card and a Nvidia Geforce 6200 graphics
card (it's an old spec 2nd PC) and after some research, it seems that
there's some kind of conflict between the two device drivers; strange how
they lived together quite happily for years until the dust got in there!

Thanks again,
Sam

 

[Justin Thyme]

Comment at the bottom

That propellant is compressed air (DUH!). The only possible problem
might be condensation.

Maybe not, Bennett. I have a pressurized container labeled "3M Dust
Remover, Compressed Gas Duster." On the back of the canister the contents
are listed as "1,1-difluoroethane," with the advisory "Do not spray into
enclosed spaces, such as inside of paper shredders, as vapors may collect
and ignite." Enter "1,1-difluoroethane flammable" (without quotes) into
Google and the answers may surprise you.

Ken Bland

 

[Jose]

I'm running Windows XP HE, SP2.

I need to give my PC a physical clean inside. I would like to remove the
cards from the PCI slots, clean them, and then of course, place them back
into the slots. My question is, is it safe to do this, or is it likely to
cause a problem with the O/S?  (Incase you're wondering, I had some building
work done in the house, and despite my best efforts, fine dust has covered
the inside).

The reason I'm asking is because a friend of mine did just this with a modem
card, after which Windows crashed and all remedial efforts failed, and I
would hate that to happen.

Also, what's the correct way to remove hardware permanently, for example a
PCI TV card?  Driver or device first?

I hope these questions are okay here.

Many thanks in advance.
Sam

Take a digital picture or two first, then you have no questions.

Here is a nice tutorial to consider reading:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial118.html