T H E B E G I N N I N G
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The mouse
The mouse tends to be used heavily and so is susceptible to damage,
but a little care should minimise this.
Dust and fluff often accumulates in the ball tracking mechanism of
the mouse and should be checked for regularly. To clean the mouse
follow this procedure:
1.
Unplug the mouse, turn it upside down and locate the plastic
cover that holds the ball in place. Depending on the model, the
plastic cover can be removed either by rotating it counter-
clockwise or by sliding it forward slightly.
2.
Remove the cover and set it aside.
3.
Cupping one hand over the underside, turn the mouse back the
right way up. The ball should drop into your hand.
4.
Blow gently into the mouse to remove any dust that has
collected there.
5.
Inside the mouse there are three small rollers. Using a cotton
swab moistened with a solvent cleaner, gently wipe off any oil or
dust that has collected on the rollers, rotating them to reach all
of their surfaces.
6.
Use clear water, or water with a mild detergent, to clean the ball.
Then dry it with a clean, lint-free cloth.
7.
Put the ball back in its socket and replace the plastic cover. It
should click into place.
The mouse cable should also be regularly checked for wear and tear,
especially near table or shelf edges.
Transporting the computer
Use common sense when handling the computer. Hard disks in
particular can be damaged if the computer is dropped or handled
roughly. As a precaution, back up your data from the hard disks to
tape or floppy disks before moving the computer. (See the Hard disk
section of the chapter
‘System drives’
).
