Lately I've had a few computers come into my office with "problems"...problems that can be avoided by simply doing some preventative maintenance. Problems include slow start-up, errors during operation and security vulnerabilities. While you can live with some problems, it makes sense to optimize your computer's performance, especially if it doesn't cost much. According to the news, the whole nation is feeling a little squeeze financially, so I'll share with you some computer optimization tips for FREE! What you will find below are some actions that you can perform that will help you alleviate some common problems. These steps include most of the actions I take when performing a computer "tune-up".
Before starting, I'll cover one question that comes to mind: how often should you perform these steps? Some continually, some sporadically...but once per quarter, you should look over the list and make sure you are maintaining your system.
As you start mucking around with your computer, I need to mention that it's very possible for your computer to experience problems as you perform these steps. Problems include data corruption or loss and system corruption. You need to determine if you are willing to risk more problems rather than living with the ones you have. Sounds a little like therapy...anyway, use your judgment before proceeding, or give me a call and I'll help you decide your best approach. Better to let a professional muck up your computer rather than you doing it! And if you think I'm taking any responsibility for something that goes wrong with your computer based on what you find here, stop reading now!
WARNING: The next paragraph is nothing but a shameless marketing ploy...
If you think your computer needs a tune-up, and you don't want to do it yourself, bring it to me and I'll do it. Of course, I'll have to charge you, and the charges fluctuate depending on your problems. But, I'll evaluate it for free and give you an estimate of what is best for your system.
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on to how to optimize your PC.
Wait, one more thing: data back-up, which is a complex topic in itself, is very important. Personally, I use Synctoy and Google Documents to keep my data backed up. If you don't have a back-up strategy, get online and research it now. Research terms such as "backup strategy" or "data backup" and you'll find many resources...be careful of the ones that want to sell you something rather than provide you with sound advice. Kinda like this information!
Step one: common sense
As is said in the infantry, don't forget the most important thing in your rucksack: common sense. Do your research, and go slowly...learn as you go...take notes. If you are not comfortable with something, remember that you can decide to not do it...you just have to weigh the risks.
Step two: clean up
Go down to the hardware or office supply store and buy some "canned air". Unplug the computer and open the case. (Look but don't touch!) Use the canned air to blow out the cobwebs and dust. Be careful if you decide to use your air compressor out in the garage...make sure you turn down the pressure so you don't knock anything loose or cause damage! Check to make sure there's no critters living in the box and close it back up.
Step three: remove clutter
This is one of those steps that should be done continually...when you create or download a file, decide if you really need to keep it. Can you delete it? Can you download it again later? Clean out your inbox! Do you really need all those jokes? Do your friends a favor and help them keep their inbox clean...don't forward everything that's forwarded to you! Look at your programs and get rid of the ones that you rarely or never use. Can you use a different program to do the same thing? Do you really need all those neato little utilities that your friends think are "so cool" but don't really add to your productivity? Can you remove Windows components to free up resources? "Disk Clean-up" is a Windows-resident utility that should be used quite frequently. Also, deleting your browsing data (temporary files, history, cache...although you might want to keep cookies) is a good way to free up resources, especially if you have an older computer with limited hard drive space. I use a little program called Start-up Lite to remove garbage from my computer's start-up sequence, which makes it faster.
Step four: organize
Whatever remains of your files after getting rid of what you don't need, organize it, so it's easy to find. Use the inherent "tree structure" of Windows to sort your files in logical order so they are easier to find and use. Once your get your basic organizational structure in place, it's easy to continually stay organized. Also, use Windows "Defrag" to re-organize your hard drive. By defragmenting, you are organizing the files as they exist on the hard drive, which makes your computer quicker when opening files.
Step five: update security
In order to protect your data from baddies such as viruses and the like, you should be running an anti-virus package, at least. This should be updated daily and a full scan should be allowed to run once a week if not more, especially if you use resident email (as opposed to web-based email) or if you are online regularly and downloading files. Update your Java and remove all the old versions...using old versions of Java are open doors to many baddies found on the Internet. Other tools you can use to be safe are anti-malware, firewalls and online software-as-a-service. When updating a home-use computer, I use nothing but free stuff from AVG, Zone Labs, Google, et al...no sense paying for it. Be advised, however, that some free stuff has limitations, and is typically reserved for home users only...businesses gotta pay.
Step six: update operating system
This has to do with security as well, because the operating system that you are most likely using (Windows) is constantly found to have security vulnerabilities. Fortunately, Microsoft gives you the updates for free, and the process is (most times) painless. Use the Windows Update icon found in your Start menu. You may have to run Windows Update multiple times to get completely current. And, this is another step that should be done frequently.
There you go...easy steps to optimize your computer. "Not easy!" you say? Then decide if it's worth the hassle, or just bring it to me...whoops, more shameless marketing. I typically do much more than what I've listed here, so it will be worth your while. If you've made it this far, let me know and I'll give you a discount on your next computer tune-up!
