Where is your home computer situated? How about the one at your office? Those in your children's rooms? Sometimes, problems with computers can be directly traced to the environment in which they are used. If you have noticed your computer slowing down or freezing up often, its environment may be partially to blame. Simple changes to its surroundings can improve the speed and performance of your system.

First of all, dust can be deadly for computer equipment. If your computer is in a room that is especially dusty, or if you are a bit behind on your housekeeping, dirt can build up inside your system. A computer has fans which run often to keep system components cool. These fans pull cool air in and blow warm air out. Guess what can come in with the cool air? A buildup of dust makes it harder for the computer to cool down and as a result decreases efficiency. What can you do to keep your computer clean? First of all, set up your computer in a clean area of your home or business. If there is no clean area, covers are available which filter out dust but let air through. Also, when cleaning your computer, don't neglect the inside. Computer technicians can assist you with cleaning the inside of your case. For the outside, several companies manufacture special cleaning products for electronics.

Another environmental factor that can wreak havoc on your system is heat. When a computer runs, it produces heat. Fans inside the case help to get rid of this heat; if the computer is in a hot environment, the fans will be unable to keep up and the computer is at risk for overheating. This results in frequent freeze-ups and crashes. To avoid this, first be sure to keep the room in which your computer sits as cool as possible. Also, be very careful not to block the vents in the sides of your computer's case. Some computer desks have a compartment designed specifically for your case, but if your computer is overheating, you may need to remove the case from the compartment to allow more air to get to it. Avoid storing anything around your computer that could block air flow.

One final environmental issue is protection. This can be especially important for children's computers and those in high-traffic areas of businesses. Be sure your computer is in an area where it is best protected from flying toys, falling objects, or kicks from passersby. This seems obvious, but computer technicians see this type of damage frequently. Computers are not designed to absorb much of an impact, so be careful with your system.

If you suspect environmental factors are causing problems for your system, but are unable to make changes to the environment, talk to your computer technician about other options. Also, don't forget that these same factors can affect other portions of your system - your monitor, printer, scanner, mouse, etc. Your electronics will run best in a cool, clean environment.