Computer Maintenance

Something else Kelsey asked me to give her was some advice on things she can do to make her computer run smoother. Well here are some possibilities:

1. All the time, make sure you have a good virus scanner running that keeps its virus definitions up-to-date.
2. All the time, use a good firewall that detects both incoming intrusions as well as outgoing connection attempts. Windows XP has a reasonable one built in. Use it!
   
3. Weekly empty the recycle bin.
4. Weekly run Spyware/Malware detection/removal tools such as (freebies):
1. Spybot Search & Destroy.
2. Lavasoft Ad-Aware.
3. Yahoo or other Internet service provider's software.
4. Or better yet, purchase one that does real-time scanning.
   
5. Monthly defragment your hard drives. If required do an offline defragmentation to defragment system files like the pagefile.
6. Monthly or more often back up your system. At least back up your documents and other files not easily replaced. Ideally copy them to something that is removable and can be stored in another location in case of fire.
   
7. Every 6 months or so, vacuum your computer. If you feel comfortable, open the case and gently vacuum the inside of the case to remove dust/hair buildup, especially near inlets to the case. As well vacuum the outside. Use some compressed air to blow the dust out of your CD or DVD drives.
8. Every 2 years reinstall Windows. Seriously, this isn't a bad idea as Windows still tends to get cluttered up and this also forces you to clean things out.

I'll add more ideas as I think of them.

PS No, I don't always practice what I preach. But I try!