Moving Your Computer

Not only have you spent a bundle of money on it, but your computer also holds valuable, and often irreplaceable, information and files. Take added precaution when getting ready to move your computer, monitor, and any external devices.

Your Data

A precious commodity to be sure, so you’ll want to make sure it’s protected. The best way to do this during a relocation is to backup your files at least once, twice if you’re especially paranoid. You can backup documents, phone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, tax information and anything else that you consider valuable information. Label all your disks and place them in a secure location, usually with your original software disks. Be sure to remove all disks before you transport your computer.

Shutting Down

When you’ve backed up your data and are ready to move, you can shut down your computer. Be sure to power down the monitor, main unit, any external devices before you begin unplugging everything. Once you’ve powered down, begin unplugging all power cords, followed by the cables connecting your peripherals. Wrap cables and cords carefully and mark them with a piece of masking tape, making note of which cable goes into which device. It’s also a good idea to take the print cartridges out of your printer before you pack it up.

Hard Drive and Monitor

It is always best to pack your computer, hard drive or tower and peripheral devices in the original packing in which they came. The boxes and rigid packing material are designed to hold your equipment in place. Your overall goal when moving your computer equipment is to protect it against jarring and shock.

In the event you don’t have the original packing materials, you should buy appropriately sized boxes with some sort of shock resistant padding such as packing peanuts made of Styrofoam or bubble wrap. Be sure to pay special attention to the screen of your monitor as it may be easily scratched or cracked. Your tower or hard drive needs to be packed in whatever direction keeps the motherboard lying flat. Consult your manual if you are unsure which direction this is.

Printer and External Devices

As with your computer and monitor, the best packing for external devices is the original box in which they came. If this isn’t available, buy appropriately sized boxes and pad them with packing peanuts or bubble wrap.