| | The following procedures can be carefully performed by any computer user, but it is reccomended to get the help of a professional to prevent complications. Depending on how you use your computer, and how often you use it, certain maintenance tasks should be performed to keep it running smoothly.
- The most important thing to remember is that cooler means faster. Dust inside the computer can act as an insulator around the processor, memory, and hard drive. When these parts in particular heat up, it can cause your computer to run slowly. To clean out your computer, carefully unplug all components and power from the computer, remove the side panel, and move to a well-ventilated area. Outside is best. Use a can of air (not a compressor, as the air pressure could damage components) to blow dust off of the motherboard, the fans, and from around the hard drive. Make sure to never shake or invert the can of air. When the inside of the computer is thoroughly dusted, carefully re-fit the side panel, and plug everything back in. You may or may not notice improved speed, but dusting your computer is a quick and easy way to extend its life.
- Removing programs that you never or seldom use will increase the speed of your computer. Exercise extreme caution when removing programs! Make sure not to delete important things like drivers for your hardware or necessary Windows components. The best way to remove a program is to use the software developer's uninstall wizard, NOT to use the Add/Remove Programs feature in Control Panel. Using the developer's wizard will ensure that each link, shortcut, and file used by the program will be removed from your computer. To access the developer's wizard, navigate to >Start>All Programs>[folder containing the program you wish to remove]>Uninstall. Follow the wizard to completely remove unwanted software from your system. It is reccomended to restart your computer after removing software.
- Empty your recycle bin. The things you see in your recycle bin are still on your hard drive. Permanently deleting things is a great way to free up some space and make your computer run more smoothly.
- Defragment your hard drive. Defragmentation is a process which moves similar files into contiguous clusters on your computer, in order to reduce clutter and organize files. To defragment, navigate to >Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter. Select the drive you wish to defragment. Analyzing the drive first is not necessary, but it will show you whether or not you need to defragment the drive at the time. Make sure to reserve a couple hours for defragmentation. It is not reccomended to use or turn off your computer while the program is working.
| | | |
|
