Computer,Maintenance,YOURSELF, computer Computer Maintenance - Do it YOURSELF !
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc
Did you know that like human beings, computers need preventative careto stay "healthy"? That's correct, computers need to be maintainedregularly, to ensure that they continue working in peak condition foryears to come. No, I don't mean wiping your computer clean with a cloth!(Actuallythat IS a small part of it though). There are many "tips" on keepingyour computer fast and efficient, many methods should be performed by askilled user only, but there are many that the average home user canhandles with no problems.Follow these tips below, and your wallet will be glad you did:1.)Ensure that you are using anti-virus and anti spyware applications, andyou computer is scanned at LEAST once weekly. Make sure that thedefinition files are set to "automatic update". A good free anti-viruschoice is "AVG free", and can be found at www.free.avg.com. "Spybot", a good anti-spyware app, can be found at: www.safer-networking.com. 2.)Make sure that you are using a firewall at all times when on theinternet, and you are using WEP or WPA encryption, to thwart onlineintruders from invading your computer. Hardware firewalls are the bestoption in my opinion, but "Zone Alarm" is an excellent free softwarechoice, I use it myself; go to www.zonelabs.com to download the free version.3.)Defragment your hard drive regularly. Defragmenting is the process inwhich Windows optimizes your hard drive(s) by rearranging the files onyour hard drive so they are back in order. As clusters of files onyour hard drive become fragmented, they grow further apart and it takeslonger for your computer to find and assemble the pieces necessary torun your programs. Your version of Windows has a help file, that willshow you how to defragment your drive. Do this at LEAST once a month. (To defragment in Windows XP: Open My Computer, and right click on your"C" drive. Select Properties, then click on the Tools tab and selectDefragment Now. )4.) Ensure that all critical Windows updates are performed.(In Windows XP: Go to My Computer, and double click on Control Panel. Next, click on Windows update, on the left panel.)5.)Be weary of installing software that will not be used regularly. Manypeople install software daily, only to find that Windows "runs" slower,as more software is installed. Most software creates entries in the"Registry", and when most software is un-installed, the registry entrystays thus slowing down computer performance. Have you ever wonderedwhy your computer seems so fast when it is brand new, or after Windowsis freshly installed? More software installed usually equals slowerspeed.6.) Do not allow too many programs to load up whenWindows start. You know the little task bar at the bottom of yourscreen? The right side of that taskbar usually has a few icons. Manypeople ask "why is my computer loading so slow?" Many times, it'sbecause too many programs are set to load at startup, and you will haveto wait while each icon shows up in your task bar, and the respectiveprogram loads.When you install software, if given the option,only choose "startup with Windows" if it is mandatory (such asantivirus, firewalls, etc). The more programs that you load atstartup, the more resources you are using, thus slowing down yourcomputer significantly.7.) Do not allow your hard drive to"fill up". Always have as a rule of thumb, make sure that you have700MB of free space (700 megabytes) on your hard drive. Why . you ask?There should be at least 300-500 megabytes of free space to allow for"disk file chores". Simply put, if you don't have enough free space onyour drive, Windows will get slower, due to certain tasks that run inthe background, and utilize a 300-500MB of your hard drive's space.8.)BACKUP! Always backup your files. What is backup? It is the process ofsaving your important files to an external medium such as CD, DVD,external drive, tape, etc. Digital data doesn't really "exist", itconsists of "1s" and "0s", and when your storage medium dies due topower outage, hours of usage, damage; your data is gone. Datarecovery is expensive, and it isn't guaranteed. Always be on the safeside and save your important files, and store your backup in a placewhere fire, water etc, won't damage it.I hope you enjoyed these tips, and I am sure they will come in handy by those that took the time to read this article!Happy Computing!Jarvis Edwards - TekTime
Computer,Maintenance,YOURSELF,