Moderate environmental conditions. Protect your computer from extremes in temperature, direct sunlight, or any other source of heat. High humidity also hinders operation, so select a cool, dry area. Avoid dust and smoke, which can damage disks and disk drives and cause you to lose valuable data.

Appropriate power sources. To prevent static charges, connect all your equipment to three-prong, grounded outlets. You need one outlet for the computer, one for the monitor, and additional outlets for a printer and any other peripherals.

If it has the appropriate power cord, you can plug the monitor into the auxiliary power outlet on the back panel of the computer, reducing the number of wall outlets you need. (The current required by the peripheral must not exceed 1 amp.) If you need more outlets, you may want to buy a power strip-available at any electronics store-to provide extra outlets. A power strip with surge suppression is recommended.

No electromagnetic interference. Locate your system away from any electrical device, such as a telephone, that generates an electromagnetic field.

Setting Up Your System

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