Basic PC Routine Maintenance
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PC Routine Maintenance
Life get so terribly anoying when your computer keep slowing, on clicking on any application it take some minutes before you could see the response, this anoying behaviour of computer atimes makes one to get into the climax of abandoning the system or think of making either of these three descisions: - Upgrade the computer by buying more memory.
- Decide to tweak their computer's settings.
- Conclude that their computer is old, there's nothing else they can do, and that it's probably time to buy a new computer.
All these solutions will surely boost a computer's performance and can probably temporarily bring an end to your problem. However, what's to keep your newly blazing PC from slowing down again after a couple months or years? A badly fragmented hard drive will bring even a top-of-the-line new computer to a grinding halt.
One easy option is to ensure that spareware and manware detecting agent is install on your computer together with an antivirus agent. Once all these agents are running on your PC then you can ensure round-the-clock protection.
A second option is to create a preventive maintenance plan. One that's easy to set up and set in motion so you never have to think about it again.
The following sections provide information on how to automate a maintenance schedule to keep your PC running smooth. These examples use Microsoft Windows XP. Some of the screens may differ from version to version, but overall you'll find these tasks work for Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 2000, and Windows Vista and window 7.
Create a preventive maintenance plan for your computer
The most common reason why computer keep slowing is the hard disk, computer's hard disk is a non-removable area that holds all the information available from your computer. As time goes by, hard disks begin to lose their ability to store data efficiently.
The Windows operating system provides three great tools to help keep your hard drive humming smoothly. These tools are Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, and Check Disk. I deally, you should run these tools on the following schedule.
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Of course, who has the time (or the desire) to keep up with this schedule? The best solution is to let Windows do all of the work.
The Windows Scheduler Task Wizard allows you to set up and automate these tasks, so you never have to worry about them again.
Clean up your hard disk (weekly)
Your computer amasses temporary files over time. These files can come from any number of sources the Web being one of the largest offenders. After a while, these temporary files will slow down your computer.
About every week, you should run the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to clear your PC of these temporary files.
To set up Disk Cleanup to run automatically:
- On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.
- Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears, as shown in Figure 1. Click Next.
Figure 1: Accessing the Scheduled Task Wizard.
- You'll find a list of applications within the Scheduled Task Wizard. Scroll down this list until you find Disk Cleanup. Click on Disk Wizard to highlight it, as shown in Figure 2. Click Next.
Figure 2: Selecting Disk Cleanup from the Scheduled Task Wizard.
- Select a frequency for the Disk Cleanup to run. Running this task weekly is suggested, as shown in Figure 3. Click Next.
Figure 3: Setting the frequency of Disk Cleanup.
- Select the best day and time of the week for the Disk Cleanup to run. Pick a time when you know you won't be using your computer, as shown in Figure 4. Click Next.
Figure 4: Picking a day and time for Disk Cleanup to run.
- Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Click Next.
Figure 5: Associating a user with the Disk Cleanup scheduled task.
Congratulations! You've successfully scheduled your Disk Cleanup to run, as confirmed by the page shown in Figure 6. Your PC will now automatically run Disk Cleanup on the date and time you scheduled—even if you're logged off your computer.
Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.
Figure 6: Successfully scheduling Windows to run Disk Cleanup.
Rearrange your fragmented files (monthly)
Whenever a file becomes too large to store in a single location on your hard disk, your computer breaks that file into parts (or fragments). Don't worry, though, your computer keeps track of all these fragments, piecing them together whenever the file is accessed.
However, as fragmented files accumulate on your hard disk, your computer becomes gradually slower. This is because your computer has to go through all these fragmented files in order to piece the correct parts together again.
While there's nothing you can do to prevent the fragmentation of files, Windows does have a utility (Disk Fragmenter) to help deal with this situation. Disk Fragmenter rearranges fragmented files, resulting in increased free space on your hard disk and quicker performance from your PC.
About every month, you should run the Windows Disk Defragmenter utility.
To set up Disk Defragmenter to run automatically:
- On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.
- Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears. Click Next.
- Disk Fragmenter isn't available within the scroll-down list. You'll need to select it manually. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\defrag.exe. Select defrag.exe and click Open, as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7: Navigating to defrag.exe.
- The Scheduled Task Wizard asks you to define the frequency for defrag.exe to run. Monthly is suggested. Click Next.
- You're then asked to select the time and day you wish this task to start. Pick a time you won't likely be using your computer.
If you selected a Monthly time frame, you're able to define what months and what day of the month this task should run. Keep all months selected, and pick a day of the month that works for you, as shown in Figure 8.
- Select a start time that differs from your other scheduled tasks. That way, you won't have multiple tasks starting at exactly the same time. Click Next.
Figure 8: Picking a time frame for Disk Defragmenter to run.
- Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Click Next.
- The next dialog box in the wizard states that you've successfully scheduled Disk Fragmenter to run on the time frame you've defined. Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.
Check your hard disk for errors (weekly)
Whenever some program you're using crashes, your computer may create errors on your hard disk. These errors will eventually slow your computer to a crawl.
The good news is that Windows includes a Check Disk program. Check Disk corrects these types of errors from your hard disk—resulting in better PC performance.
About every week, you should run the Check Disk utility.
To set up Check Disk to run automatically:
- On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.
- Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears. Click Next.
- Check Disk isn't available within the scroll-down list. You'll need to select it manually. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\chkdsk.exe. Select chkdsk.exe and click Open, as shown in Figure 9.
Figure 9: Navigating to chkdsk.exe.
- The Scheduled Task Wizard prompts you to define the frequency for chkdsk.exe to run. Select Weekly and click Next.
- You're then asked to select the time and day you wish this task to start. Select a time you won't likely be using your computer. Make sure this start time differs from your other scheduled tasks. Avoid having your tasks start at the same time.
- Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Disk Fragmenter will run as if you started it. Click Next.
- A wizard page appears, stating that you've successfully scheduled Check Disk to run on the time frame you've defined. Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.
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