How to Move Your Computer

Computers are indispensable tools at home. If you’re like many people, you probably value your PC so much and you’d want to move it with you to your new home. However, since they are fragile electronic equipment, they require special care when moving. Thus, no matter how cumbersome the task can be, you must not neglect preparing your computer for the move. Here are a few tips to guide you.

Obtain enough insurance. Ensure that your moving insurance will cover any possible damages to your PC. Generally, moving companies base their insurance on weight so if your computer weighs around 50 pounds and your things are insured at 30 cents/pound, then you will be getting 20 dollars. This may seem barely sufficient for fixing your machine or replacing valuable information and documents so you must have adequate insurance.

Make sure to copy all of your files. With the technology we have today, copying files has become very easy and convenient so it would be a relatively quick task for you. If you’re capable of burning a DVD, then you should resort to this option. Depending on the speed of burning, DVDs can usually hold 4.7GB. This would make adequate space for your files. However, if you can’t burn DVDs, then you can buy a flash drive or portable drive. Increase the storage space or buy a second flash drive, if you have plenty of graphic intensive files. Don’t forget to put your flash drives in a safe place since they are small and easy to lose. You may want to buy a small lock box where you can store your flash drive or DVD, along with any software disks and instruction manuals.

Find the original box of your computer set. This should provide the best protection for the machine. After all, that’s the purpose it serves for. However, if you’ve already lost or used those boxes, then your next option would be to contact a specialty box company and ask for electronic or computer boxes. Ask for Styrofoam inserts as well to ensure that the computer parts are kept safe. The essential thing here is to protect your computer, particularly the hard drive, from bumps and damages. Additionally, the monitor is fragile so you may also want to buy a monitor box.

Check your computer thoroughly and be sure to remove any disk from the drives.

Be sure to turn the power off of the box and the monitor first before taking the computer apart. Then, disconnect it from the power source.

If this is your first time to dismantle a computer, you can label the cords before you unplug them. Write the purpose of the plug and where you should plug it in the box, on a piece of masking tape. Most computers nowadays have tiny images and a color-coded system for easier assembly.

After labeling everything, you can now unplug the cords from both the monitor and the box. Wind the cords up, tie them and them put them in a plastic bag or storage container. Keep them with your PC.

After packing up your computer and sealing the boxes, don’t forget to mark the boxes correctly. Indicate that the item is fragile and write down the contents.

Repeat the process when packing your other computer equipment such as printer and scanner. Make sure that each item is secured and nothing shifts during transit.

If there is enough space in your car, it would be good to take the machine with you. Just be sure to park your vehicle in a safe area when staying overnight at a hotel. You can also take it with you in the suite, for safety purposes.

Now that you know how to pack that fragile computer, you can be assured that it will be moved safely to your new home.

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