Do you ever notice that as time goes on, your fast new computer tends to slow down? You begin to notice that it is directly affecting your productivity which can be very frustrating. Many people feel as though the only solution is to either reformat or buy a new computer. However, there are other ways to get the speed and performance back to what it was without having to resort to drastic measures.
Below is a checklist you can use to help maintain optimal system performance. It also lists some best practice tips and preventative maintenance that can be done to help keep your system running healthy.
Computer Maintenance Checklist
At system setup
1. Install a surge suppressor/emergency shutdown power strip (UPS)
2. Register your software products
3. Schedule automatic updates
4. Read the maintenance section of your manual
5. Set up your email to auto-archive older messages
6. Install anti-virus and anti-malware software
7. Put your software drivers and applications install CDs in a safe place
Weekly
1. Back up your files to a remote location
2. Empty your recycle bin
3. Delete your Internet files
4. Clear your browsing history
5. Delete your cookies
6. Update your virus definitions
7. Run a full virus/malware scan
8. Reboot your PC (if you choose to leave it on regularly)
Monthly
1. Run a disk scan to check for hard drive issues
2. Run a defragmentation program
3. Run a disk cleanup to delete unneeded files
4. Try to ensure that the hard drive has 15% free space for successful defragmentation
5. If you can’t free up 15% of disk space, at least ensure that there’s a few GB left free otherwise there will be a major performance impact on the system
6. Check for updates (Windows and other applications if not scheduled)
7. Uninstall unnecessary or unused programs
Quarterly
1. Clean your keyboard
2. Clean your monitor
3. Clean your peripherals
4. Rebuild your desktop
5. Change all your passwords
Yearly
1. Renew your software update and anti-virus/anti-malware subscriptions
2. Review hardware specifications to ensure that it meets the demands of the Operating System and installed software (more RAM, bigger Hard Drive, etc.)
If you are a bit more tech savvy, you can use Windows Task Scheduler to automate some of these tasks. Click the following link to find out more about automating Windows tasks and PC maintenance:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/maintenance.aspx
Give us a call at our office or email us to request remote support.
- Kerry B, Network Support Technologist
Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca/
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