Regular Maintenance will keep Your Computer Happy and Humming!

When it's happy, you can be happy, too!
(A lot like taking care of your spouse and kids!)

Start this Routine NOW!

Daily:
Every day your virus checker should automatically UPDATE with information about new viruses. This is a Good Thing. Do not begrudge the few micro-seconds this might take.
(Be sure it is set up to do this automatically).

DO THIS WEEKLY:
(Set an appt on your Calendar!)
Disk Clean
On the Desktop,

1. Doubleclick on MY COMPUTER icon
2. Mouse to C: drive, ( RIGHT button ) click
3. click on Properties (Check box to INDEX)
4. click on DISK CLEANUP. (This will take a few minutes)
   Read the list of what the files are, and how large!
5. Click OK
6. Click Yes , I'm sure!
It will take a bit of time.. Go get a cup of coffee, when you get back it will be ready for you to say OK.

This procedure removes a lot of trash stuff acquired through using the Internet, which slows down your computer.

The computer requires free space on the disk to operate this cleaning procedure, about 15% of it's capacity. That means if you have a 200G hard drive, it needs over 30G to be kept Free and empty for moving room. If you don't have that, you need to remove as much stuff manually as you can, pictures, music and unused programs.

Required Software for Protection

Taking good care of a computer does cost $. There are free versions of the programs,which can be "downloaded" for you to try out, but will expire and you need to purchase.

When you ask to download a program, it is sent to your computer and saved on your disk.(Read the page on Download to completely understand.
If you buy it, then an email is sent to you with the Key, or Registration #, which you have to copy and paste into the program after you "open" it, or start it. Sounds complicated but once you've done it, it's easy.
On the right are logo links, that you can click to go directly to a site where you can try or buy.

Before using your credit card online, please click this link and read about Online Financial Safety.

• A Firewall
  This is automatic in the Windows program, unless it has been turned OFF. Click the Start Button, Click on Control Panel, click on Security Center, then check the Windows Firewall, and be sure it is ON. If you are wireless through a "router", there is one built in there as well.

• A Virus Checker:
  

  Microsoft has now made (finally) a pretty good virus checker. It is called Windows Security Essentials and can be downloaded for free. Just type it's name in the browser address box, and you'll find it

  A very well-respected virus checker is AVG, a popular one because it works well and there is a free version to try. They also make a full protection Suite. Details through the logo.

  Other programs are Norton AntiVirus and McAfee which may already have trial versions on your computer.You can also search the Internet to find others.
  DO NOT USE MORE THAN ONE AT A TIME… They compete, and just don't play well together.

• Various Malware Indentifier Programs :
  
Spyware Doctor made by PC Tools is an acclaimed program which protects your computer from outside evildoers, who can find your computer on the Internet, and hack into it, to use it for their own evil intents. (What's worse, you probably won't even know about it!) These programs are also
called Spybots.
• Registry Cleaner Programs

The Registry is NOT something to be "messed with"!
That said, it is also the place where most real problems exist. Fortunately, there are programs designed to clean potential problems safely and automatically. PC Tools also makes Registry Mechanic which is easy to use.
Save money by buying the All-in-one security suite featuring award-winning anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall and spam protection, and the price is for three computers, not just one.

Frequently:
Manual cleanup:


Go through your list of Documents and remove old stuff that you won't need to save. You can just right click on these, and delete them.
For more space you also need to remove old, outdated programs. Do not delete what you do not recognize.. It is probably a file used by a program. Here a common sense rule applies… IF YOU put it on there, YOU can delete it!

This is done through your Control Panel, then click on Add/Remove Programs. This is the best place to remove a program, as just deleting the folder from your computer probably will not remove all of it.

Need to know more?

This is an area where you really need to learn more. I recommend a little book called "Keep Your computer Alive, and Your Sanity Intact" by Daniel Uitti. It's clear, concise and you'll love the cartoon illustrations. You can order it through Dan's website: www.KeepYourComputerAlive.com or through Amazon.

If you are a real Do-It-Yourself kind of guy or gal, I recommend a site called "DIY Computer Repair". You'll learn a lot about scheduled BACKUP and maintenance.. and you can even learn how to BUILD your own!!

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