How to Clean Out Dust in a Hard Drive
A hard drive is a sealed device you should never open, as a fleck of dust in the sealed environment will destroy its functionality. A standard magnetic disk hard drive contains magnetic platters which react adversely to physical contact of any kind. However, it's very important to clean dust out of the computer itself, so that air continues to flow around and properly cool the hard drive and other internal components.
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Instructions
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Place your computer on a clean, dry work surface that is easy to clean after you're done. If possible, when you stand or kneel at the work surface, you shouldn't be on carpet. Put on a dust mask if you're sensitive to dust.
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Open the computer. Most modern computers open by pressing a catch or two and sliding a side panel off. The location of the catches will vary by model. You'll need a screwdriver to open some modern computers and most older ones. If your computer panels are screwed on, unscrew the panel on the opposite side from your keyboard, mouse, video, and printer connectors. Place the screws where you can find them again and open remove the side panel.
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Observe proper grounding procedures while touching the inside of an open computer. To ground, touch any unpainted metal part of the computer every 30 seconds or so. If you don't observe proper grounding procedures, electrical discharges too small for you to notice can damage computer components.
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Set your mini-vacuum, if you have one, to suck dust and debris out of the computer. Never touch parts of the computer with the vacuum, itself. When you've vacuumed out all the dust you can, set the mini-vacuum to blow air, instead, and use the air stream to loosen up additional dust and debris. Vacuum out anything more that comes loose.
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Hold down the trigger on a can of canned air to blow stubborn dust out of tight nooks, including air-exchange vents, fan blades, and around connectors. Keep the can as upright as possible and always keep the tip of the nozzle 8 to 12 inches away from the surface you're aiming it at. Always aim the can away from you. Never shake canned air, or you risk some liquid being ejected from the can along with the gas.
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Close the computer again when it's as clean as possible. Return the computer to its usual location and clean up your work area. If you're dust-sensitive, don't remove your dust mask until any dust in the air has had time to settle.
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Tips & Warnings
A hard drive is a part inside your computer. Never open the hard drive itself. Read the warning labels on the canned air.
