Keeping Your Computer Healthy

Along with Backing up Your Computer Files, keeping your computer healthy with regular scheduled maintenance is just as important.

As a designer my computer is the means by which I make my living. If you own a website or are also a designer, your computer is likely one of your biggest business assets. I tell my students that PC Maintenance is just as important as maintenance on your car; it keeps everything running smooth.

Here are a few tips to keep you computer running like a champ.

The very first thing that I emphasize is having good anti-virus protection. This is so important because a virus can take your computer down in a heartbeat, so to speak. Probably the two most recognized are Norton and McAfee. McAfee runs about $29.95 and Norton is more expensive but they offer a package called Norton System Work. It’s a really helpful tool to keep your PC healthy. Not only does it offer Anti-Virus protection, but it also includes utilities to find and fix problems. I would suggest that you keep your virus fighting software updated every day and run the virus scan at least once a week. They are set up so they should detect incoming virus, but once a week is still a good plan.

The next thing that I emphasize is Adware protection. Adware is an every increasing problem, probably even more than a virus. Your system gets pounded with adware whenever it is connected to the Internet. Most people are unaware of this unfortunate fact. Eventually, it will slow your computer down to the point that some programs may freeze up. There are several free products out there that you can download, including AdAware, Spybot Search and Destroy and Microsoft also has a beta that you can download. The free adware zapping tools work very well. I run all three because one may find something that the other does not. I also run one that I paid for called XoftSpy. It is very powerful, and you have techs that are on call to answer any questions. So I really run four. This may seem excessive, but they all detect something the other overlooked.

How often should you run the adware - spyware programs? I recommend once a day - either every morning or in the evening before you close up shop. If you have high speed internet access, I suggest running the programs in the morning, because you are connected 24/7. It is surprising how much junk you can get in the middle of the night.

The next maintenance practice you should get into the habit of doing is running your defrag. You should run it at least once a week or anytime that you install a new program. If you can’t remember how to run it, the easiest way is to go to your Start menu, go to help and then support. In the search box, type in "defrag". This will get you where you need to be.

The last subject I would like to touch on is deleting files, folders and programs that you do not use. Unused programs take up space that you could be utilizing more effectively. Make sure that you run a defrag after removing any program.

I hope you find this helpful. I know as designers we all tend to do what we love to do, and things like system maintenance is generally at the top of our procrastination list. I must admit I did not do all this on a regular basis until I stared to teach my basic computer classes. It was like a wake up call to me and I hope it will help you realize the importance of PC health too.

// posted by BasicAnn on 6/16/2005 11:45:00 AM / Permanent Link