How to keep you and your Windows PC happy

So, you have saved up your money and now have enough to buy a PC. This is a big investment and you will want to ensure that your new computer will run smoothly and that it will serve you well for many years.

There are several tasks you can perform which can help keep your computer running smoothly. They can be broken down into two types: hardware maintenance and software maintenance.

Hardware maintenance requires that you purchase an anti-static strap, a surge protector and some compressed air.

The good news is that the majority of the software maintenance tools are either available in Windows or can be downloaded from the Internet for free, and are free for non-commercial use. Be aware though, that some free alternatives do not offer the same functionality and are not as powerful as professional versions. Also, it is your responsibility to make sure any programs you download and use are suitable for your situation.

The advice given in this article covers basic maintenance procedures and essential preventative techniques that will help keep your computer running in good condition. There are many more maintenance procedures that fine-tune specific aspects of the operating system and the hardware in your computer that are not covered here.

Essential Hardware Maintenance

Avoid Static Discharge

If you need to open your computer case to insert/remove components or inspect them, make sure you use an anti-static strap. One end of the strap is attached to the computer chassis, the other to your wrist. This ensures that any static discharge from you will dissipate through the strap and the chassis, and not through the components you touch. If static flows through your components, especially your RAM, they will become faulty, and may even stop working.

Treat The Components With Care

Always take care when inserting/removing components. Sometimes you need to press quite hard to make sure that graphics cards or memory chips are properly seated in the slots. If you do need to press hard, make sure you apply firm pressure evenly on both ends of the card, and not just at one end or in the middle. Similarly, when removing cards make sure you hold both the upper corners and do not touch any of the circuitry. Pull up using both corners, never 'lever' a card out of a slot.

If you insert a new card and it is not recognised when you reboot the computer or install the drivers, take it out and re-insert it. If it is still not recognised, insert the card into a different slot.

Guard Against Electrical Surges

Use surge protection. A surge protector protects against electrical surges which can literally fry a computer. Many surge protectors not only provide protection for PC's, but also protect telephone/modem lines. Surges can flow through your telephone line, through your modem and into your PC!

Note

Surge protectors will not protect against lightning strikes. These 'surges' are far too powerful. The best protection against these during a lightning storm is to physically unplug the PC.

Remove Dust

Use a can of compressed air to regularly remove dust that accumulates in the system (once every 2/3 months). Keep the case properly attached, and always keep the fans clear of dust and dirt. PC's are designed so that air-flow created by the fans dissipates as much heat as possible. If the case is not properly attached or PCI strips are removed, the air-flow is interrupted and the inside of your PC will become warmer. This can ultimately result in your computer getting too hot, and it will begin to malfunction.

Keep It Clean

Keep your monitor clean!

A dusty, smudgy monitor may not harbor dangerous bacteria, but it's none too attractive just the same. In fact, a screen seriously caked with grime is unnecessarily hard on your eyes.

While Windex is suitable for the glass on standard CRTs, never spray it directly on the screen--the liquid could seep under the edges of the monitor bezel and damage the circuitry within. Instead, lightly squirt some Windex on a folded piece of soft cloth or a paper towel, then use that to wipe the glass.

For LCD screens, steer clear of ammonia-based cleaners. Instead, use a soft cloth dampened with plain water. Just make sure the cloth isn't too wet, otherwise droplets could seep under the bezel and cause damage.

Treat It Gently

When using your new PC you will naturally treat it with care. However, as you become used to it, it is easy to take shortcuts which can inadvertently damage it. For example, always use the button to open/close the CD/DVD drive(s) - never push the drive drawer to close it. A light push will close it, but if you push a little too hard the mechanism will slip, the drawer will be out of alignment and your CD/DVD's will not play. When handling disks always hold them by their edges, and make sure they are clean before you insert them into the tray.

Switching Off And Shutting Down

Only switch off the computer if it is going to be left off for long periods. The power-supply can be damaged through repeated switching on/off over a short period of time.

Always shut down Windows before switching off the computer. If you do not shut down Windows before turning the power off, you may experience data loss, or even corruption of the operating system which can result in Windows not being able to start at all.

BIOS

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) provides essential information about the hardware installed in your computer to the operating system. The BIOS comprises many settings that affect the way your computer works - for example - you can set the order in which the drives are searched for an operating system when the computer boots, you can can turn devices on or off, you can set the way that printer ports behave. Many computers do not have the BIOS configured for optimum performance when they are shipped. Because there are many different types of BIOS, it is not possible to recommend 'best settings'. There are, however, BIOS optimization guides available on the Internet. Be aware that tweaking your BIOS can be a very dangerous procedure and you should only change the settings in your BIOS if you are absolutely confident of the consequences.

What you can safely do, is flash the BIOS with the latest version for your computer. BIOS updates often offer enhancements and better support for existing and newer hardware such as memory chips.

Essential Software Maintenance

Looking After The Operating System

INFORMATION

The maintenance guides and tweaks outlined below alter the way the operating system behaves. Therefore, it is vitally important that you have a verified backup of all your data, and that you backup the registry and create a System Restore point before you try any of the suggestions given below. Please remember that what will work on one computer will not necessarily work on another. Your data is your responsibility. If you do not understand the implications of the changes wrought by applying any of these suggestions, or are not sure if they apply to your specific situation/computer then you should NOT apply them. All the suggestions discussed below are well known maintenance tasks and full instructions and explanations can be found on Microsoft's site http://www.microsoft.com

The most important thing to remember is that the operating system (OS) must function efficiently. All the extra software you install - e.g. games, word processors, image editing software, printer drivers - tells the OS what to do to achieve the desired result. The operating system acts as a slave to the programs, doing their bidding, performing tasks by translating 'program-speak' into 'machine-speak' instructions. It is this 'machine speak' or machine code, which is passed onto the hardware It follows, therefore, that if the OS is in poor condition then your computer will not work properly, programs may crash or take a long time to load/exit, documents may not open when you double-click them etc etc. To help prevent this from happening perform the following on a regular basis to help keep your computer running smoothly.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

When you save data, the OS records that data on free space on the hard drive. If you continually use/edit a file, and the contents of that file change and its size changes, then the extra data will be written to the next available chunk of free space, which is often located on a different part of the disk. Over time, a file will end up being split into several fragments, and will be literally scattered across a hard drive. This means the drive heads have to move around more to locate the file, which ultimately results in longer loading times and excessive use/wear of the heads.

Windows XP has a built-in defragmenter which you can use to 'defragment' the files. When run, it re-arranges the files so that they occupy a single chunk of hard disk space. This speeds up data access and reduces the amount of wear on the drive itself.

You can easily access the program by clicking Start-All Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter. If you have never run this program before, or if you have not run it for several months, you should allow it to complete 3 passes through your drive. One pass will only partially defragment your hard drive - the 2nd and 3rd passes will 'tidy' the files up.

Free Disk Space, RAM and the Windows Page File

Any operating system requires a certain amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) to run efficiently. Also, the extra programs you install will similarly require a certain amount of RAM to run efficiently. Windows will also swap 'pages' of memory from RAM to a special file on the hard drive if the RAM starts to get too full. A lack of either of these resources will result in Windows taking a long time to boot, programs taking a long time to start, printing will become sluggish, program tasks will take longer to complete - all these are symptoms of insufficient resources.

First of all - make sure you have sufficient RAM for the programs you want to run on your computer. Most XP computers now ship with a minimum of 512MB RAM. This is OK for most peoples needs. However, if you play graphic-intensive games, or use professional image manipulation software you may want to consider installing more RAM. If you use 3D CAD software, or create movies you may want to consider installing more than 1GB RAM.

Second - check that your Page File is large enough. A safe option is to set the Page File to 'System Managed'. To do this - right-click My Computer, select Properties, then click the Advanced tab. Click the 'Settings' button in the Performance section, then click the Advanced tab. At the bottom of this tab is the Virtual Memory section. Click the Settings button, then, on the next page select your drive, and make sure the 'System Managed' option is checked. Do this for each physical drive. In future, if your Page File is not large enough to hold the data that Windows wants to transfer to it from system RAM, it will automatically increase the size of the file and you will not receive an "Out of Memory" error message.

Next - ensure you have plenty of free disk space. Programs such as the Windows defragmenter (and other professional defragmenters), require a minimum of 14% free disk space to be able to run effectively. If you start to go below this level the Disk Clean-up tool will automatically start, interrupting whatever you are doing, and wait for you to run it. If you find that your hard drive space is beginning to drop below 20%, it is best to do one of the following: 1. Free some disk space. 2. Install another drive.

Run The System File Checker

Windows XP includes a very useful utility called the System File Checker (SFC). This program usually runs in the background and makes sure that operating system files are not overwritten, changed or corrupted. Although this protection exists, it is a good idea to occasionally run this tool manually. It will check the core OS files, and replace those which are corrupted or missing. To run it click Start - Run and type:

sfc /scannow

then click OK. If any files need to be replaced you will be prompted for your Windows installation disk.

chkdsk /f

The /f switch will tell the program to fix any errors that are discovered. Please note that when starting this program it will say that it cannot run because it can not gain exclusive control of the hard drive(s). It will ask if you would like to schedule chkdsk to run when the computer is next rebooted. If you answer yes, then the program will run after the next reboot - the time it takes to run will vary depending on the size of your hard drive. It can take between 30-40 minutes to examine a 80GB drive.

Check The Registry

The Windows Registry contains all the settings used by the operating system and the programs located on your computer. It is like a 'nerve centre'. All processes query the registry e.g. for paths to recently used documents, how the program is displayed, what colour a button should be etc. The registry is usually checked for errors each time Windows starts. However, this check does not examine every part of the registry. There are free and professional registry checkers available which will examine the registry more thoroughly. Professional registry checkers are recommended - this is another extremely important part of your computer. If the registry becomes corrupted, Windows will not start.

Windows Update And Service Packs, and Program Updates

Every month, Microsoft releases patches for Windows through Windows Update. These are designed to improve security, fix bugs and generally enable better functionality. Occasionally, Microsoft releases a Service Pack. A Service Pack is designed to offer substantial improvements to the operating system and will also include all patches previously released.

These patches and service packs are designed to improve your computing experience. It is very important to download these as they are released. Microsoft offers free technical support for any issues arising out of installation of a patch or service pack. Microsoft will also mail you a copy of the service pack on CD, which is very handy considering some service packs are huge.

Also check for updates to programs you have installed. Program developers will often release patches which improve the performance of their programs.

Scan, detect, and update vulnerable programs using the Secunia Software Inspector. Secunia offers 3 vulnerability scanners, Online, Personal Desktop, and Full Infrastructure. These vulnerability scanners focus solely on detection of missing security patches and programs that are up-of-date.

System Restore

Before installing/removing programs or making changes to the way the operating system functions, you should use Windows System Restore to create a 'Restore Point'. This is a copy of all the important system files, your registry and system settings. If anything goes wrong after 'tinkering' with your computer, you can use System Restore to restore the operating system to a previous state. You can access it through Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore.

Drivers

Drivers act as a go-between. For example, when you print a document, the program tells the operating system that it wants to send data to the printer. The operating system will act as the 'front-end' and collect the data, and the printer driver will tell the operating system how it should deliver the data to the printer. Display drivers are the same, they tell the operating system what the graphics card is capable of, and so the operating system tells the program what it can achieve.

If you have the wrong driver installed, the device that the driver is supposed to communicate with will not understand what is being said to it, and it will not work. Similarly, if you use an outdated driver, you will experience limited functionality in your device.

You should regularly check for driver updates. Check for updated drivers for your sound cards, graphics cards, monitors, printers, scanners etc etc by visiting the manufacturer's web site.

Essential Preventative Measures

Backup

One of the best things you can do is backup your data. Either copy it to CD or DVD, or copy it to an external drive, or, if you can afford it and your data warrants it - archive it onto tape. Tape drives are very expensive, but the tapes vary in capacity from 24GB upwards. If you have a backup of your data and you system suffers a severe failure, where the only solution is to repartition your hard drive and reinstall your operating system, all you need to do is restore your data from your backup media. If you have been using professional backup software, you can even restore your entire system.

Internet

When you use the Internet, you are exposing your precious data to viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, adware and intrusion attacks. Don't worry! You can easily protect your computer against these threats by following all the steps outlined below.

Windows Update (again)

Make sure you run Windows Update. Windows Update fixes vulnerabilities in the operating system which are exploited by viruses and other forms of malicious software. You can protect your computer against a lot of viruses simply by using Windows Update. Automatic Updates should be enabled.

Windows Firewall

Make sure the Windows Firewall is enabled. Windows Firewall monitors all Internet (and other network), traffic through your computer. Any suspicious, unauthorised or unrecognised traffic is stopped and you are prompted whether to allow it. Free firewalls are also available for download through the Internet.

If you employ a third-party software firewall, ensure that the Windows Firewall has been disabled. Only employ 1 software firewall.

Anti-Virus Software

Use an Anti-Virus program, that provides resident, real-time protection. An Anti-Virus program monitors your computer for known and virus-like activity. Free Anti-Virus programs that provide resident, real-time protection are available through the Internet.

Keep your Anti-Virus updated and ensure you are using the latest signatures available for your Anti-Virus package. Most Anti-Virus vendors have some sort of Automatic update feature. If yours has one it should be enabled. Only employ 1 resident Anti-Virus program.

Anti-Malware/Spyware Software/Adware

Use an Anti-Malware/Spyware/Adware program, that provides resident, real-time protection. Malware, Spyware and Adware invade your privacy, and in certain circumstances can even steal private information and transmit it across the web. They also begin to consume your available bandwidth and can slow down your Internet connection. Anti-Malware/Spyware/Adware programs that provide resident, real-time protection are available through the Internet.

Keep your Anti-Malware/Spyware/Adware updated and ensure you are using the latest signatures available for your AAnti-Malware/Spyware/Adware package. Most Anti-Malware/Spyware/Adware vendors have some sort of Automatic update feature. If yours has one it should be enabled. Only employ 1 resident Anti-Malware/Spyware/Adware program.

NOTE

Each of the steps outlined above require one additional step. You must keep each program updated, otherwise they are useless. There is no point in having anti-virus if your virus definition files are several weeks or even months out of date, or a firewall if the intrusion signatures are similarly out of date.

Failure to use any of the utilities mentioned above exposes your computer to harm. If your computer is contaminated by a malicious program, it will attempt to contaminate others.

Be Responsible

Protect your computer and, therefore, others by following the preventative steps outlined above.

This article was originally published by Haemoglobin_Destroyer and has been reproduced here, with additons and modifications, with permission.

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