Care and Feeding of Your Computer

When you first received your new computer in your home or office it was a real screamer wasn’t it? Quick and responsive. But now, it seems that things have slowed down a bit and those applications are not as peppy as they used to be. Well, you can breath new life into that old machine and keep it is tip top shape by routinely performing some simple preventive
maintenance on your ole’ PC.

Defragment your hard drive– Defragmenting your hard drive allows the computer to arrange files on the hard drive so that it does not take as much work (time) to read files. This is by far the best, single tip to follow.

Uninstall unused programs– They not only take up space, but their associated system files can cause performance degradation. Scan for Malware– Viruses and Spyware should be
nothing new to you. See the last issue of AlphaMail for tips on avoiding Malware.

Install OS upgrades– Microsoft and Apple constantly release updates to their operating systems to increase performance, improve stability and beef-up security. Empty the trash– The trashcan or recycle bin can grow larger and larger as you discard items—taking up
valuable hard drive space and slowing down your computer.

Reboot your computer- Occasional reboots clear out any problems that may have been loaded in memory while using the computer and frees up hung system files. Use an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)- A UPS supplies surge and sag free power to your computer and protects it from power spikes like lightning strikes. Be sure to route your modem or network cable through the UPS as well.

By just following this simple checklist on a regular basis you can maintain that sleek, nimble computer and avoid many of the problems and stress that come about from computer failure. Do it, you will be happy you did.