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This month, we continue with the remainder of
our ‘Top Ten Tips’ for looking after your
computer:
6. Cleanup your disk:
As you perform tasks on your computer (like
browsing the internet), a trail of ‘temporary’
files are left behind, so your computer can
access your information faster the second time
around. Unfortunately, these are often not
cleaned up again and the pile of temporary files
grows bigger, taking up valuable space on your
hard disk. The easy way to delete these
(without deleting something important by
mistake) is with Microsoft’s Disk Cleanup
program. In Windows XP you can find it
under Start > All Programs > Accessories >
System Tools > Disk Cleanup. We recommend
you run this once a month.
7. Defragment your disk:
How does your paper filing cabinet look?
Is everything logically stored and labeled, or
it is messy, with documents stuffed in wherever
you could find room? You’d agree that it’s
much quicker to retrieve documents from a tidy
filing cabinet. The physical storage of
files on your computer can get messy too,
slowing down the time it takes to open them.
Microsoft’s Disk Defragmenter program literally
tidies up the ‘fragments’ of your files, much
like tidying your filing cabinet. In
Windows XP you can find it under Start > All
Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk
Defragmenter. We recommend you run this
once a month too, after your Disk Cleanup.
8. Remove & prevent dust:
A serious, hidden danger lurks in the room with
your computer – dust. Just like a blanket,
even a thin layer of dust inside your computer
causes heat to build up which can cause
permanent damage to your computer’s vital
internal components. |
Do not place your computer directly onto carpet
- it will suck up carpet fibres and dust.
Check the outside of your computer case and
brush off any dust from the fan grills (with
your computer turned off!. If they are
looking particularly dirty, call your local
Computer Troubleshooter – they can clean the
dust from the components inside your case too.
9. Upgrade your hardware:
As technology advances, new software programs
require more computing power. Asking your
old computer to perform new tricks could place
too much strain on it. You may have an
option to upgrade individual components rather
than buy a whole new computer. Consider
upgrading your computer’s memory, hard disk or
processor to speed things up and handle your new
software. Your local Computer
Troubleshooter can advise if this is a
cost-effective option for you.
10. Address little problems before they become
big ones:
If you notice a minor problem with your
computer, call your local Computer
Troubleshooter. It can be significantly more
cost-effective to fix a minor problem straight
away, than waiting for it to compound and then
require major work. Keep a log book to
record the details of any problems, including
what you were doing at the time and the exact
wording of error messages. This can help
speed-up our troubleshooting process, as we
follow your trail of ‘clues’ to help us
determine the source of the problem.
Call your local Computer Troubleshooter to
discuss how these tips can help in your
particular situation.
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