I am seeking information regarding how, and if cigarette smoke can
cause problems with electronics or computer equipment (including
mechanical components such as hard drives, fans, etc..).  If possible,
I'd like to know the chemicals/ingredients in cigarette smoke that
could cause problems.

Hello slash,

I have researched your question and have come up with an unexpected
response.

Smoking certainly does affect computers and electronics. It appears
that the most vulnerable computer part may be your hard disk: "It can
damage a computer, especially the hard disk. The smoke contains tiny
particles that do the damage. The head of the hard disk – that is the
part that reads the information off the disk – literally floats just
above the magnetic platters that hold the information."

"This is TAR from cigarette smoke encrusted on the CPU cooling fan.
This is from a residential installation - not a lawn and garden shop!
(...) Notice how the TAR is encrusted around the vent holes created by
the back panel knockouts."
Real-life computer photos from The Computer Wizard
http://www.thecomputerwizard.biz/photos.htm

Click on the link above to see some pictures of damage done to a
computer from cigarette smoke.

Here are some more links that you might also find interesting:
http://www.summerlandcu.org.au/computerc-help.html
http://www.twistedinternet.com/library-files/Miscellaneous/Smoking%20Kills%20Your%20Computer.txt

If you need any clarifications on this answer, please let me know.

tisme-ga


Search Strategy:

cigarette smoke OR smoking damage OR damages computer OR computers
electronics
://www.google.ca/search?q=cigarette+smoke+OR+smoking+damage+OR+damages+computer+OR+computers+electronics&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N

cigarette smoke OR smoking damage OR damages computer
://www.google.ca/search?q=cigarette+smoke+OR+smoking+damage+OR+damages+computer+OR+computers+electronics&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N

effects smoking computer OR computers damage
://www.google.ca/search?q=effects+smoking+computer+OR+computers+damage&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Thanks for the timely response :)

I took the case cover off of a CPU that was used by a smoker once.
Ohh my Gosh. What a mess. Yellow tar all over the place.

Sure it can! :)

from a former heavy smoker..Yes, smoke can do a number on a number 
of things in the box. But a hard drive?  I thought that all quality
drives were sealed with a neutral gas. So that if smoke particulate matter were 
to get in there then the drive was already wrecked by losing its seal.