A user reports that their computer is experiencing sluggish performance and applications crashes frequently. After gathering information and considering user changes, you proceed with testing your theory that the problem might be related to overheating components. Upon inspection, you find the cooling fans are caked with dust and the computer's interior temperature is higher than normal. You also find that the internal components are several years old and the user could benefit from several upgrades. Which of the following is the BEST next step in your plan of action to resolve this issue?
Advise the user to close or reduce the number of resource-intensive applications to alleviate the sluggish performance.
Ensure that all device drivers are up to date, which might resolve potential incompatibilities causing the applications to crash.
Reformat the hard disk and reinstall the OS, as the issue could be due to a corrupted operating system.
Replace the PC with a newer model after performing a system backup and migration.
Upgrade the internal components such as CPU and Memory.
Clean the dust from the cooling fans and the inside of the computer case and monitor the temperature changes.
Cleaning the dust from the cooling fans and the inside of the computer case is the correct answer. Overheating can cause sluggish performance and applications to crash. Dust buildup on cooling components can prevent proper heat dissipation and could lead to overheating. Therefore, removing the dust can help lower the temperatures, which may resolve the performance issues. Reducing resource-intensive applications focuses on software solutions and might not address the root cause of overheating. Ensuring that all drivers are up to date may be beneficial in resolving other issues but would not address the overheating concern directly. Reformatting the hard disk and reinstalling the OS is too extreme for an overheating problem and should be a last resort after hardware issues have been ruled out.
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Why is dust buildup a problem for computer performance?
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What are the signs of overheating in a computer?
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What kind of upgrades might improve computer performance beyond cleaning?