[aarhus2004]

Hello WinME Users,

My machine is now aged seven years, how old is yours?

Four months ago whilst doing a routine cleanup of the interior of my tower I took a look at the hardest working fan. I have been a very tentative techie-type and, knowing the criticality of the CPU assembly, even looking at it was something I had previously avoided! My, oh my, how could that fan work so packed with crud it was. Bells and whistles of alarm rang in my head and apprehension began its unhappy journey through my 'system'. 'Dare I or dare I not?' I slept on it - always my response to potentially dangerous maneuvers. In the case of a computer, well why do I belong to TSG? So I raised the issues(fears!) here.

The outcome has been a happy one and although I assiduously watch the outputs of the Motherboard Monitor, I am satisfied I got it right and that the CPU is a tough heart.

I may have mentioned before that another critical item must be the subject of routine maintenance if we believe or need to believe in such a thing. The CMOS battery is it. Here and here are the articles which prompt me to post that every two (or three years at maximum) this battery must be replaced. If you, as I was, were fortunate in your selection of the WinME machine, this battery (in my case a circular shiny and slender job of slender coin-like profile) can be popped free of its two retaining clips and removed with comparative ease. I have to use a wooden chop-stick with a dab of ShoeGoo II on its end because mine sits under a buss bar and whilst I can pop-it free of the clips I cannot get my fingers on it. The chop-stick and Goo do the job. The failure (running-down) of this battery can be a major nuisance. Read here.

Cheers,

Ben.