Free Tips
Some handy advice to help keep your computer running faster for longer.
Never, never, turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down.
The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and
your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking).
In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful
effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in
lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have
to.
Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused
by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc,
and it will prevent a host of Windows problems.
Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt +
Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your
computer.
I highly recommend that you purchase an UPS (uninterruptable power supply) for your computer.
This will keep your computer from crashing during power
outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage
occurrences.
An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your
computer from almost any type of power disaster. (See #1 above for
what happens when your computer crashes.)
Backup! backup! backup!
Any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate
physical drives. So backup data to external hard drives, Zip disks,
CD-RWs etc.
The time to backup is when you create something you can't afford to
lose. Don't wait until tomorrow.
Run Scandisk and Defragment at least once a month.
This will keep your hard drive healthy and prevent crashes.
Never unplug peripherals from the computer when it is powered up.
Unplugging with the power on can short out the connector
socket or the motherboard.
The only exception to this rule is if you know a peripheral is "hot
pluggable". If you do not know what "hot pluggable" means then
ignore this exception.
Keep at least 300 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use.
If you use Windows XP or Vista then you should have 400-600
MBs of free space on your C: drive.
If you do not have enough free space you will choke Windows and it
will start dumping data to your hard drive, or it will just get
really, really, slow.
Use the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to delete
unneeded programs from your drive.
Don't let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer.
They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows
internal workspace).
All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your
screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need
them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up.
Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing
Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.
Use a virus checker regularly.
Everyone should use a virus checker. The best type of
protection is continuous monitoring from a dedicated anti-virus
program.
The second best thing is to use is the free online virus checkers.
If you have a high speed Internet connection you need a firewall program.
A firewall program keeps those who want to hijack your
computer from gaining access to your system. You really do not want
someone else running your computer.
Your firewall should boot up with your computer to protect it from
invasion. Get a firewall program and use it.
Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals.
These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs
for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these
disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you
never know when you will need them.
