What do you do to ensure that your computer is regularly maintained and tuned-up for peak performance?

Question

Over time, computers can pick up clutter that can cause their performance to degrade. Hard drives can also undergo defragmentation, which can slow down your computer. What do you do to help keep your computer running at peak performance levels?

Answer 1

OK, OK, as a techie, I'll cop to being a little derelict as regards my personal computer. But I usually run Frankenstein machines that are pieced together from other people's junk, with slight performance mods.

However, what I recommend and do with any computer that I service:

First and foremost, a physical cleaning at least twice a year. Open the case and blow out the dust. Most systems I service with performance problems have dust and blocked vents as a major performance issue. Check to see that all cards, memory and drive cables are properly seated (make sure the power is disconnected and drained and that you are properly grounded to the machine before doing this).

At these semi annual service times, remove all unnecessary software and programs. Remove items from the start menu that are unneeded. Too many start menu items use up system resources, and because they run in the background you usually don't see them.

Empty temporary Internet files. Minimize the number of toolbars you run on your browser. Check around and find out which browsers use fewer resources, especially if you are running an older machine.

On this semi annual clean you also want to defragment your hard drive and run error checking. If you have questions on how to do this, you can do a search for the answers either on the Internet or by using Windows' "Help and Support" feature.

On a weekly basis, run your antivirus/antispyware software. Make sure to update your software everytime you run it, either by directly connecting to the Internet, or if that is not possible by downloading from a connected machine and installing manually. Antivirus/antispyware updates are crucial, as new threats pop up daily. A good registry cleaner doesn't hurt as well.

If running a Windows machine, do Automatic Updates. You can set this a few different ways. As a techie, I have it download and install it later, usually waiting to see if others report performance problems. I then install after the performance issues have been fixed.

If you take care of your computer it can last a long time. Hopefully these tips will help you in doing so.

Answer 2

Hi

Well. You can try every Software imaginable to resolve this situation, you will NEVER achieve the results you really want. There will always be some area of the OS that these software utilites will either miss all together or provide a sloppy solution.

So the Ultimate way to keep your computer performing at its peak is: START ALL OVER.

At least Once year, (or maybe even 2 or 3 times a year) simply backup your data, format your Hard drive, and re-install the OS. Of course don't forget to apply your OS Updates.

And as a benefit, you learn something new in the process, You'll learn what software not to install, and what software you would definetely have in the future.

Unfortunately this is the best solution overall.
Microsoft, simply does not have any better solution, at this time.

You can mess around with the current popular utilities, this will only maintain some coherence for a limited time. Eventually, you will find yourself back to square one.

P.S. You can try the System Restore option (if you can learn how to use it) and then you get into the situation where it doesn't always work 100% or would not allow you to restore the OS back to its original factory Default.

(there is always an issue - nothing is perfect)

I hope this answers your question.

Answer 3

Actually, the computers information on the hard drive becomes fragmented. Think of the hard drive as a LARGE filing cabinet. Every time a file is accessed, it is not returned to it's original filing place. It is just kind of thrown back into the cabinet. So the more the computer is used the more fragmented the information becomes and the slower the computer is trying to find the information. The program used to straighten the mess is the defragmentation program.
I run the "Clean Disc" program before the defrag program.
The clean disc program compresses programs that aren't used regularly and it throws away things that are needed like temporary Internet files. Cleaning the disc does not destroy anything.
It is necessary to periodically clean the disc and defragment the harddrive. Depending on the amount of use the computer is subjected to per day, it should be defrag'd at least once a week. Since the process is not harmful, the computer can be cleaned and defrag'd once a day. Lower use computers, such as home units, can be defrag'd once a week.
The process can be an assigned task that the computer can do at a time of no usage. If you have the computer programmed to scan for viruses late at night, that would be a good time to have the defrag run. It is necessary to restart the computer after defragging and before using it again.
It is amazing the difference in performance after this process.

Answer 4

I'm a ametuer computer tech...I've got my A+ certification which I use to help low-income people to get or fix computers for them.

For my personal maintainance, this is what I do on a regular schedule....

1) Physcially clean out the computer of all dust. Dust if it accumulates enough on any of the connections it can create a short - which will most likely damage the computer. For a typical user I recommend a cleaning once a year in a 'low dust' environment, or once every six months for a 'high dust'.

Dust also retains heat, which slows the performance.

To help lower the amount of dust the computer will pull in with it's cooling fans, I recommend keep the computer case at least three feet off the ground. Allowing it to sit on the floor - especially with a thick carpet - can suck up more dust. Some air intakes for the computer are on the bottom side and would be blocked by the rug.

2) This is drastic, and I do not recommend it for a typical computer user - I format my hard drive once every three months. Reason being it's the best anti-virus out there.Virus detectors only work if they know about the particular virus and constantly need up-grading to keep up with viruses that have been around for a while.

If anyone does this, the first rule to observe is 'Save everything to an external source!'

Recommendations I would tell people is to buy one of the following:

a) External Hard Drive with USB connection - and only have it connected when you are backing up your stuff.

b) USB Jump drive. These little data storage devices are great for short term storage. With them getting more RAM packed in there, it's a quick way to back things up on the fly.

c) CD-Rs...This is probably the best ideas as once the data has been written to a CD-R, the only way to lose the data on them is if they physically get damaged. And they're inexpensive!

As for a typical user, I also recommend defragging their hard drive once every three months if they do a lot of down loading or video game playing. All others once every six months.

Running multiple programs at once will cause the appearance of slowing down. So if a person thinks their computer is slow, it's a good bet that running a music player, and high-end video game at the same time will definitely make it look slow.

Sincerely,

Michael E. White

Answer 5

I've heard people recommened a lot of free programs to cure your problems but be warned, free=bad!!!!! Take some of the programs listed in some of these answer and do a fraud search right here on yahoo.com. The most important thing you can do is protect your PC with programs and tools that you can hold someone accountable for if they don't work as promised. Research a products reputation and try getting their customer service department on the phone before you even buy the porduct. Getting a live person on the phone is very important. In my experience, Nortons by Symantec is the mosted trusted brand you can buy. Right now I have two programs runing, Notorn's 360 and Web Root SpySweeper. Norton 360 is Anti-Virus and SpyWare blocker/sweeper, a personal firewall and has a special fraud and phishing monitor for web sites. If it thinks a site is asking for personal info or the web site is trying to look like you bank site but doesn't have the matching security certificate Notrons will tell you. It is pretty much a one stop shop and it's great. Web Root SpySweeper is another established product, you can actually buy it in a store!, that is great for blocking all those little tracking cookies that web sites use to get spyware on your computer in the first place. Nortons can block all of these things too, but it's a very aggressive program and can sometimes restrict access to basic web sites if you have the settings set too strict. Web Root Spysweeper is more passive so using it along with Norton 360 I am fully protected. I have had my computer since October and have had no problems. I have even tested the programs by going to sites I know to be bad and everything was blocked. The only way something will get on my computer is if I ignore the warnings and over ride the security programs and allow the spyware or viruses on my computer. In addition to all of this, it is good to use two programs because it will give you overlapping protection against new threats. Sometimes one company will get an update about a threat before another so the overlapping protection is a good idea. The other thing to do is get a program like Windows Washer to clean up disk clutter. The Norton 360 also has Disk Optimization and Back Up but a special cleaning program is a good idea too. Be warned! Disk Clean Up programs can damage your Windows if you are not careful and any good Cleaning program will come with that exact warning and will offer a way to save your systems settings before you start so you can reverse any changes if need be. The biggest piece of advice I can give is no matter what program you use is buy it at a retail store. Retail stores offer consumers protection when programs they buy don't work. I am NOT saying every store will give you money back but it is an added level of protection. Also, you don't have to worry about the program from the store being a scam that puts it's own spyware on your computer.

Answer 6

1) Don't download anything unless you're going to use it regularly. That way the useless clutter is initially kept to a minimum.

2) Run msconfig and stop programs from starting up when you start Windows. You should keep your anti-virus and probably your spyware scanner going, but turn everything else off. Do you really need the Works updater or Realplayer running in the background?

3) Speaking of that...Norton and McAfee chug systems down to a 286 crawl. It's been my experience that the virus/spyware/pop blocker/firewall these titles offer amount to bloatware. There are alternatives to Norton or McAfee out there.

4) Uninstall programs you don't use, especially all the trial software you get with new computers.

5) Definitely defrag. You'll learn how often to do it according to your use.

6) When you get a new computer (Dell, Gateway, etc.), reinstall the operating system. Also, make sure you get a Windows disk, as opposed to a Windows recovery partition on your hard drive, or a recovery disk that installs all the original programs that came with the computer when you reinstall the OS.

7) Partition the hard drive and put Windows on a small partition instead of using the entire hard drive. It's easier to find something on a 20 GB partition than an entire 250GB hard drive. My personal opinion is, except for certain situations (video, music, etc.), if you have a 250GB hard drive, you either have 220GB of free space or you have 220GB of junk.

8) Keep your updates up to date. Windows, virus scans, spyware scans usually update on a regular basis. If you have a broadband connection, set Windows to automatically update.

9) This is just a personal thing, but...use Mozilla over Internet Explorer. IE's layout is not intuitive, plus the phishing filter takes forever. I couldn't imagine it on dial-up. Mozilla has a Windows update and an IE tab plugin for those times where you must use Internet Explorer.

10) Use Process Explorer to monitor the things that are actively running on your computer.

11)This one may be contested, but I reinstall my OS once a year. I know that there are many cases where this is not practical, but I've done it for the last 7 years and I've yet to have performance problems. A few hours a year is not really that much when you get a clean computer as a result. In one swoop you get rid of spyware, viruses, malware, unneeded programs, junk files, orphan files, and everything else that makes your computer run sluggishly. Just make sure you have all the programs you need to get your computer up and running again (OS, word processors, virus scans, drivers, etc.).

12) Get at least 1GB of RAM. Thats enough to run any OS today. More is better, but 1GB is afforable and I've seen so many XP machines chugging away on 128MB it's sad.

13) On the same thought, get a separate video card. That will give you back some memory that was shared when you use integrated video.

14) Keep your components cool. Blow the dust out of your computer case on a regular basis. Install 3rd party fans and extra case fans, especially if you are overclocking or if you're running a gaming rig.

15) Don't use Vista! (at least not until the kinks have been worked out or 10 years, which ever comes first)

Answer 7

My typical routine to keep a system in top performing condition:

Daily:
1) Run a disk cleanup via the MS tool.
2) Run a manual Defrag using Executive software's defragmenter.
3) Let the Executive software run a defrag automatically.
4) Clean my browsers' stores out.
5) I run a full system scan with my virus scanner and with Microsoft's Windows Defender.
6) I allow Windows update to automatically download and install critical windows updates daily.

Weekly:
1) I check and delete any files manually from C:\Temp and C:\Windows\temp\
2) I run a cipher /w:C:\ to perform a government level wipe of files that I have deleted.
3) I check to see if there are programs installed that I haven't used in quite some time.
4) I remove any items necessary found in step 3.
5) I run windows update to ensure I have all the latest patches and updates for the not so critical.
6) I wipe down the monitor and the keyboard thoroughly every Sunday with a clean 100% cotton rag and Isopropyl 70% rubbing alcohol.

Monthly:

1) I run some of the system diagnostics such as PC Wizard 2007, Verifying that my system is running within temperature norms. Benchmark my RAM and my Hard Drives to verify their speed.

2) If diagnostics suggest my system is a bit warm, I will often clean and wash filters and wipe the inside of the system case and the top of the monitor clean at least once per month. Anytime I have the cover open I check for "dust bunnies" and verify that each fan spins freely.


Semi-Annually:
I do a pretty thorough analysis of where my system is performance wise.
If the system is below average or worse on performance, I move any and all files I wish to keep to a backup device. I reformat the Hard Drive and re-install the OS and programs. This will eliminate registry "bloat" as well.

Annually:
I buy a new system nearly every year with my Tax refund checks. Migrate my existing data as needed. Since I work professionally in the industry this is a good tax write off.

Answer 8

Actually, "defragmentation" speeds up your computer not slow it down. What happens is this: as you use the different applications in your computer, the computer retrieves the relevant files from your hard drive. When you close the applications, however, the computer does not return these files into their original locations. It will just store these in the most convenient spaces possible -- this process causes the files in your hard drive to be "fragmented" (from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: to break up or apart into fragments).

Much like a cluttered office filing system -- retrieved folders or files not returned into their original places now become harder to find than if they were returned properly.

Similarly, if your hard drive is fragmented your computer's file "seek time" now becomes longer -- which would seem to stretch forever. That's why you have to do "defragmentation": Start -- Programs -- Accessories -- System Tools -- Disk Defragmenter.

Defragmentation means (from Merriam-Webster Dictionary): to reorganize separated fragments of related data on (a computer disk) into a contiguous arrangement.

The defragmentation process itself takes time. The more fragmented the hard drive -- the longer the defragmentation time. If you "defrag" regularly the process won't take as much time anymore since your hard drive won't be that fragmented. It is advised that you defrag once every two weeks or at least once a month.

The result is increased efficiency.

Oh, and don't forget to run your antivirus application after you defrag. You may have malwares (spyware, adware, cookies, etc.) running in the background and using up your resources (cpu, memory, etc.) while your working resulting in slower performance.

Answer 9

Well, the common answer I'm sure most people would say are the "most obvious" ones (defragment, virus scan, etc, etc), so I won't cover those.
What I will add to those is basically paying attention. Take a look at what you use on a regular basis, and notice what you haven't used in years or never use.
If you haven't used in installed program in at least the last 6 months (that isn't a "once a year" program), uninstall it. Even tax programs can be uninstalled after you're done, even if you can use the same one every year.
Look at your task bar and see if you have anything in there that you don't use. Uninstall those you don't need.
Do you notice specific programs that tend to bog down your system? Check the specifications on them... you might need to upgrade if you use that program very often.

For basic maintenance, defragment every few months of heavy use, or twice a year for low use. Run a virus scan every few days for heavy use, or every 2-4 weeks for lower use.
Keep your computer in a room with an open area so it doesn't get too hot in there (although that's not just long-term life... that's personal comfort, too). Keep the room as dust-free as possible (vacuum, etc), and clean out the dust from inside of your PC every year or two (depending on how dusty it gets... some may need it more often).

Ultimately, each person's habits will be the biggest factor in determining how much or how often work needs to be done on it.

Answer 10

There is a weekly scan I perform on my computer when I find the papers. When I went to a computer technology shop and had my computer set up and running after being off the Internet for months, the technology place gave me a weekly scan to perform. It is four pages long. It takes over two hours to do.

Number 1. Disk Cleanup
2. Cleanout Temp Directory
3. Clean out Cookies (But no can do)
4. Ad-Aware
5. Spybot-Search & Destroy
6. Reboot the computer (If everything wasn't able to be cleaned on Ad-Aware or Spybot, these will run before Windows completely starts again. Simply follow the same steps as before. If these utilities are still not able to clean everything, please contact Sharris Technologies as this indicates a larger problem.)
7. Windows Updates (It is set to run daily automatically)
8. ScanDiskWindows XP or Windows 2000 [A]; ([B] is for all other versions of windows)
9. Disk Defragmenter
10. Update and Run virus protection
Repeat a and b until the words Thank you appear
SYMANTEC ANTI VIRUS CORPORATE EDITION

CONGRATULATION! YOU'RE DONE FOR THIS WEEK!

On number 3 I was given a non working method for deleting cookies. I was later told a method that works, but woe with me; now the bank uses a cookie and when I delete the cookie I have to call the bank and re establish my setup with the online banking.

Answer 11

"Hard drives can also undergo defragmentation, which can slow down your computer". Actually hard drives undergo "fragmentation". Fragmentation happens when space is allocated to make room for other programs that are downloaded from the net, ex: trial software. You use the program, the 30 day trial ends and you uninstall the application. The same is true for new program applications that you may have purchased yourself. 9 times out of 10, programs that you have un-installed or deleted leave behind traces of themselves. These traces clutter the HD which in turn can slow your system down in the long run if not properly maintained. Windows XP users and VISTA users have access to a little application that can free up HD space and allocate commonly used and frequently used files on the system drive where they can be accessed faster and more efficiently. It's easy to use and is basically a "set-and-forget" program. XP users can find it by clicking on START then ALL PROGRAMS then ACCESSORIES , SYTEM TOOLS, THEN DISK DEFRAGMENTER. Or click on START, MY COMPUTER, right click on LOCAL DISK, PROPERTIES, THEN TOOLS. The Disk Defragmenter application is the second in the list. From there you can either analyze or go right into Defragmentation. Windows will do the rest. There are also some programs that specialize in PC optimization. iolo System Mechanic 7 is a robust app. that defragments your HD and system RAM. It can also Optimize internet settings, windows startup programs, the list goes on and on. This is just one of many programs you can buy to help keep your system running like new. Sytem Mechanic 7 retails for around $30 to $40 it's money well spent as it will insure your systems health for as long as you wish to run it. It and other programs like it come with a yearly subscription which is usually $20 every year after the original purchase and can be done online. Hope this helps!