Regular maintenance of your
PC is really worth the effort. In the short term it helps prevent your computer
from running slowly, and in the long term it helps to extend the life of your
PC. Here’s a quick guide to the main tasks you can carry out that will keep
your computer running smoothly.
Disk
Cleanup
When your hard disc fills up
your PC will run slower, so it’s important to clean it regularly. Fortunately
there is a Windows program already installed in your PC that can do this for
you.
Disk Cleanup searches your
drive for cache files, temporary files and programs that are no longer needed.
It can either identify them for you, leaving you to decide what to do with
them, or automatically remove them for you. Here’s how to runs Disk Cleanup on:
It’s probably easier to set
up Disk Cleanup to run as a scheduled task. To make your computer run as
effectively as possible, it should run once a week. Here’s how to run a
scheduled Disk Cleanup on:
Disk
Defragmenter
When your computer stores
large files it may break them into chunks to make it easier to find storage
space, this is known as fragmentation. When you need to use the program, your
PC remembers where the chunks are and reassembles them. However, if you have a
number of fragmented programs then the reassembling process will take much
longer, and this will slow down your computer.
Defragging your computer, or
reassembling the files in order, will help increase the speed of programs. How
often need to you defrag your computer will depend on how regularly you create
and delete files and how much time you spend online.
Before defragging you should
do all of the following, in this order:
- Delete any unwanted files.
- Run Disk Cleanup and ScanDisk.
- Make a system back up.
The following links explain
how to defrag different Windows operating systems:
Check your hard disk or
drive for errors
Disk errors are another
problem that may cause your PC to run slower than normal. Running programs like
Chkdsk can check for these.
Once the disk checking
program has started running you shouldn’t interrupt it, so you should only do
this task when you don’t need to use your computer for anything else. You will
need to be an Administrator to carry out this task. For further instructions
see:
Uninstall old or unused
programs
Programs you no longer use,
like games, or preinstalled programs that you never use will be taking up space
on your disc that you can utilise. Removing them will free up space for new
data and programs.
Deleting the icon for a
program on your desktop will not remove it from your computer. It simply removes
the shortcut. To remove a program completely you need to go to the Start menu
and uninstall from the All Programs list, or from Control Panel. Full
instructions can be found on the Microsoft
at home website.
Back
up your system regularly
A system backup creates a
copy of your computer system that is stored in a separate place to the
original, like an external hard drive. Creating a copy means that if you accidentally
delete files, or if your computer is attacked by a virus, you can reinstall
your original system.
It’s always wise to back up
your system regularly, especially if you create a lot of files, or hold
personal items, such as pictures, on your computer. These two articles contain
more information:
Running
a virus scan
Viruses and malware are some
of the biggest culprits if your PC is running particularly slowly. Regularly
running virus scanning software will not only disable any software that is
slowing down you computer, but will also help keep you safe online.
If you’re regularly online
then you definitely need virus protection software. Without it your system can
be easily hacked. It’s the equivalent of leaving your house unlocked while you
go away on holiday! Find out about how you can install
the best free antivirus.
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