DUST is Computer's Killer
Dust is small, divided portions of solid matter that has become airborne.
In a household, dust typically consists of dead skin. Dust in the workplace can be metal, wood or plastic, based depending on the type of environment. Dust is created at home by the shedding of dead skin and in the workplace by any industrial work or movement of office items.
Dust particles range in size from micrometers to several centimeters if allowed to collect into groupings. It can carry moisture, chemicals and inorganic elements and moves as the air flows.
A computer functions on electricity. Its inner circuitry must function within a specific temperature and in an environment void of moisture. If the heat is too great, circuits will overheat and malfunction. To alleviate this problem, many computers use built-in cooling fans. If there is moisture, electricity will not flow as it should and will short-out.
When dust gathers, it begins to block the fan from cooling off the internal components of the computer. Eventually, the circuits begin to overheat and malfunction. As dust also carries moisture, when it comes in contact with the metal connectors of some circuitry, it shorts out the electrical flow. This will cause glitches in your computer's response to any request or device.
Dust also can block connectivity between the adapter cards in the computer. It will settle in the slots for RAM chips and expansion boards and create a gap in the electrical metal connectors of computer to component boards.
Many devices are also damaged by the presence of dust in a computer. Mice and keyboards tend to short-out when dust is blocking the keys or button-clicks. CD-ROMs and other optical laser drives can suffer from jammed doors due to buildup of dust within the gears. The airborne particles can also cause blockage on the optical drive's laser, creating misreads on CDs and DVDs.
