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Recommended Windows Maintenance
Posted by Michael Milette
Self-Help Centre >>

Just like your car, Microsoft Windows and your computer require regular maintenance in order to work properly. We recommend that the following maintenance be completed no less than once a year.

• Clean out dust which accumulates inside the computer and prevents proper airflow required to cool off the parts in your computer. If the computer overheats, it will often start crashing for no apparent reason and parts could get damaged.
• Check for errors and defragment (sort) the hard drive. Just like a poorly organized filing cabinet, it takes longer for your computer to find the files it needs without regular spring cleaning. Errors or defects on the hard disk can result in the loss of your valuable information, often at the worst possible moment.
• Check for viruses. There are new viruses coming out every day. They can get onto your computer though email, over the web, when you copy files from friends or colleagues. The fact is that most people who give you a file which is infected with a virus probably don't even know that their computer is infected. The best way to prevent viruses from spreading is to make sure your computer stops viruses in their tracks with a modern antivirus program which gets updated manually or automatically on a regular basis.
• Check how much disk space is free. Windows does not like running out of space on your hard drive. Even though you may not put a lot of files on your computer, Windows and other applications often create temporary files. If there isn't enough free disk space, Windows or your application will usually just crash, possibly resulting in the loss of your information.
• Install the latest Microsoft patches. Once in a while Microsoft releases free patches that people can install to fix some known problems. These fixes often add stability to your system and make it more secure.

Last changed: Jun 16 2010 at 12:28 PM