General Computer Maintenance and Care
------------------------------------- Keeping your computer maintained is a good habit that should be kept up with. There are a few things you can do to to maintain your computer that
will prolong it's life, keep it clean, and up to date.
Keep your Computer Clean
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It is good practice to dust out your computer, keyboard, mouse, printer, and speakers on a regular basis. To do this all you need is a can of air
and a damp cloth.
1. Make sure your computer is off and unplugged. Unplug all connecting cables (note where they go as you take them off) and take your case
outside. Wipe off the outsides with the damp cloth.
2. Proceed to remove the side panel of your case by taking a screwdriver and removing the small screws that hold the side on.
3. Take your can of air (do not shake it or hold it upside down) and spray the inside of the case, blowing out all of the dust. Make sure you blow
out all of the fans really well as the fans work to keep your computer at a good operating temperature. Also blow the dust out of the power
supply, video card, and processor.
4. Put your siding back on the same way you took it off. Screw it back in and make sure it is tightly in place.
5. Bring your case back inside and proceed to hook up your connections and cables.
6. Proceed to dust off the keyboard and other accessories.
Dust can actually hold electrical charges and can even short circuit pieces inside your computer causing it to crash and lose data!
Keep Updated
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It is a good idea to keep your computer up to date with the latest software from Microsoft.
1. Connect to the internet and visit Windows Update. The link will be provided at the end of the article.
2. You will be prompted with two options. "Express" or "Custom". Choose Express. This will make sure you recieve all the high-priority updates and
keep your computer up to date.
3. Follow through any prompts to download/install updates.
4. You will usually be prompted to restart your computer. Please restart when asked to do so.
If you check for updates atleast once a week you will stay updated and your computer will benefit from added security and increased performance.
Defragmentation
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Defragmentation of your hard drives on a regular basis is a staple in maintaining and increasing your systems performance.
"What is a defragmentation, and why should I do it?"
"When your computer writes information onto your hard drive, it does not always write information in the same location on the actual hardware. A
section of a file can be written near the beginning of the disc, whereas the rest of that file could be written near the end. This causes programs
to run slowly, as the computer spends time in retrieving these file clusters from all over the disc. Defragmenting your computer sorts all of your
files [as well as free space] in an orderly manner, in effort to reduce loading time."
Start Windows in Safe Mode. This is not mandatory, but it helps to avoid complications from other programs that are running in the background.
This also speeds up and streamlines the process. Uninstall any programs you do not use or need. It is best to uninstall programs prior to a
defragmentation, as the newly-acquired free space will generally be located all over the hard drive, thereby giving rise to fragmentation.
Make sure that all unnecessary programs are closed. If you have already started in Safe Mode, then this has already been done. Cancel any programs that are scheduled to run. If you have not manually scheduled any programs to run, then skip this step. Delete any temporary files. This is done by running Disk Cleanup. To run the program, go to: START - Run, and enter cleanmgr in the window.
Run the Disk Defragmenter Program. Go to START - Run, and enter dfrg.msc in the window. Alternatively, launch it by going to Start - Programs
(or All Programs) - Accessories - System Tools - "Disk Defragmenter". A window similar to the one on the right should appear. Click Analyze so
you can see what the damage is, and then look at the report. If you want to continue: Make sure that your desired drive is selected [C: being the
default drive], and click on the Defragment button.
It is good to defrag your computer overnight as the process can take a while. If you keep up it and defrag once a month it will help with the time
it takes to run a defrag.
Closing
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These are a few ways to keep your computer clean, updated, and long lasting. By following these steps you are ensuring safe and proper maintenance
of your computer that will benefit you in the long run. Enjoy and keep your computer clean!
