Technical Tips - Basic computer maintenance
It has always amazed me that computers, unlike almost every other piece of household equipment, are generally sold without any maintenance instructions nor, indeed, any indication that maintenance is necessary. This page describes a few hints-and-tips, second-nature to techies, to help you maintain your Windows-based computer in the best possible condition.
Some may regard these recommendations as overkill for a new computer with a decent amount of RAM and a large hard disk, but they will certainly maintain the performance of an ageing computer, or a hard disk that is getting full.
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
- Carry out Weekly maintenance, followed by
- Scan for viruses
- Scan for spyware
- Remove unused programs
- Review startup programs
Deleting the browser cache
Windows Internet Explorer 7
Tools > Delete Browsing History > Delete all... : I recommend the Delete All regime for general use. Although this may cause some website actions to take marginally longer the next time you carry them out, I believe that the time-and-security benefits outweigh the time disadvantages.
Mozilla Firefox 3
Tools > Clear Private Data : I recommend ticking all the boxes before proceeding. Although this may cause some website actions to take marginally longer the next time you carry them out, I believe that the time-and-security benefits outweigh the time disadvantages.
Disk cleaning
Recommended software
CCleaner [www.ccleaner.com] : This wonderful piece of free software, which won the PC Pro magazine "Software of the Year" Award for 2008, speeds up the process of disk cleaning, and provides a more configurable way to delete the browser cache, compared with the Windows products. The registry cleaner is a bonus - there are many who question whether regular cleaning of the Windows registry is really necessary.
Windows XP
Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Free up space on your hard disk : Then follow the instructions. For a complete clean-up make sure that all the boxes are ticked before you click the final OK - but beware that Deleted Files will be removed from the Recycle Bin during this operation. It's a good idea to clean the hard disk before you run a defragmentation.
Windows Vista
Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools / Free up disk space : Then follow the instructions. For a complete clean-up make sure that all the boxes are ticked before you click the final OK - but beware that Deleted Files will be removed from the Recycle Bin during this operation. If you run a weekly Scheduled Defragmentation - see below - it's a good idea to clean the disk in the 24 hours before the defragmentation runs.
Disk defragmentation
Recommended software
Defraggler [www.defraggler.com] : This is another excellent free product from Piriform, the company responsible for CCleaner (see above). Its main advantage over the standard Windows products is that it offers the option to defragment individual files as well as the complete disc. This speeds up the process dramatically and, by encouraging regular use, keeps disk defragmentation at a minimum.
Windows XP
Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Rearrange items ... : XP offers the option of Analyzing the disk before running a Defragmentation. It is generally a good idea to defrag a disc weekly even if XP says that it is not necessary.
Windows Vista
Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools / Defragment your hard drive : Vista offers the option of scheduling disk defragmentation on a regular basis. I recommend selecting a weekly option, but make sure that you select a time when the computer will normally be switched-on. You can always select the Defragment Now option if you prefer.
Remove unused programs
You should generally use this facility to uninstall programs which you can remember installing yourself and which you are sure you no longer need. You can also use this facility to remove all those unwanted "30 Day Free Trial" programs that were installed on the computer before you bought it, and which you've never used! As the main reason to remove programs is to release disk space, check the size of the program file and review the largest first. If in doubt, leave it!
It is a good idea to clean and then defragment the hard disk after you have removed any programs.
Windows XP
Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs : Wait until the list has been compiled, then follow the instructions.
Windows Vista
Start > Control Panel > Programs / Uninstall a program : Then follow the instructions.
Review startup programs
This is really semi-advanced, rather than basic, computer maintenance but is extremely easy to do if you have installed CCleaner - see above. Many programs install themselves to run at startup when this is completely unnecessary. Removing them from the startup routine releases memory to run other programs more efficiently, the only downside being that the disabled program will take marginally longer to start when actually required.
Using CCleaner, select Tools > Startup. This will display a list of all programs currently running at Startup and you can select which ones to Disable. If in doubt, leave it!
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