Using Your Computer 

Operating System Maintenance and Data Preservation

Hard Drive Maintenance

Anti-Virus and Spyware Protection

Record Keeping

Operating Environment

• Proper cooling of a computer is essential to its trouble free operation and longevity.  A good rule of thumb:  If you are comfortable with the room temperature, your PC probably is, too.

• Keep the PC away from heating and air conditioning vents, space heaters, and foot warmers.  Do not place the PC in direct sunlight.  Temperature extremes can damage a computer.

• Do not expose your computer to rapidly changing temperatures. A warm computer cooling quickly in a damp environment can lead to condensation inside its case.  Moisture can be damaging to almost every component inside a PC.

• Periodically check that all the computer’s fans are running.  Keep its air vents unobstructed, free of dust and debris.

• Do not place the PC close to objects that can block air flow into its cooling vents. Keep curtains, drapery, and other dangling items away from the PC.  This also lessens the chance of harmful static electricity buildup in and around the computer.

• Do not plug your PC directly into a wall outlet.  Instead, plug it into a properly rated surge suppressor power strip or uninterruptible power supply.  Dirty power (spikes, surges and sags) can cause data loss and even damage the computer.

• Avoid smoking around your computer. Cigarette smoke will damage the many electrical connections inside a computer.

• Avoid operating the computer in dirty or dusty environments.  Over time dust will build up inside a PC, even one that is kept closed.  Dust migrates into a PC through air vents and other openings, collecting on virtually every inside surface. Dust buildup acts as insulation on components, hampers their proper cooling, and eventually causes them to fail.

• Depending on its operating environment, your computer should be properly cleaned every six to twelve months.  Working inside a PC can be dangerous.  Hire a professional to safely and properly clean your computer. Using poor cleaning techniques can damage a PC, and even worse, cause you serious injury or death.

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Using Your Computer 

• Use care when starting your computer. Listen to it as it boots up.  Is it making any unusual sounds or vibrations?  Does is appear to be operating differently?  Do any warning messages appear on the screen?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, and you do not understand the cause of the problem, consider contacting a computer repair professional.

• When first booting up, your computer runs through a list of operations to preserve the data it has stored.  One of these operations is a program called ScanDisk; it checks the integrity of files on the hard drive.  ScanDisk does not start every time you turn on your computer, but it is important that it be allowed to finish when it does run.

• Shut down your computer properly every time you finish using it.  Shutting off the computer improperly can cause data loss and corruption of operating system files.  Damaged system files often prevent the computer from being restarted.

Use the proper shutdown method for your computer’s operating system.  Read the instructions or help pages on your computer to learn the proper shut down method.

• Be careful when moving your computer.  Excessive shock or vibration can loosen chips and expansion boards in the computer, causing it to malfunction.

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Operating System Maintenance and Data Preservation

• Make a set of backup or recovery discs for the operating system.  This way you will be able to restore your system should you suffer a serious failure.

• Update your computer with any operating system patches and bug fixes as they are released.  This will improve your computer's security and overall operation.

• Store all data files in locations separate from any program files.  This way you will avoid accidentally erasing important program or application files.

• Make frequent backup copies of all your important data files such as word processing and spreadsheet documents. Use removable media such as writable CDs or backup tape. Keep the copies in a separate location.  This will allow you to recover important data should your computer's hard drive fail.

• On a Windows-based computer, run the disk de-fragmentation program on a regular basis. This will keep important program and data files located in contiguous areas on the hard drive, speeding its operation and lessening the opportunity for data loss. 

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Hard Drive Maintenance

• On a Windows-based computer, run its Disk Cleanup program on a regular basis.  This utility removes unneeded files that accumulate over time, and waste valuable space on the hard drive.

• On Windows-based computers, run Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis. This utility relocates program and data file fragments to contiguous areas on the hard drive, speeding its operation and lessening the chances of data loss.

• On Windows-based systems, periodically run the ScanDisk program.  This utility checks the hard drive for failing data clusters and damaged files.  ScanDisk will block off bad clusters so they cannot be used, and can repair some damaged files.

   

• If your computer is equipped with the S.M.A.R.T. hard drive self-monitoring system, make sure it is activated.  This is usually done in the computer's BIOS setup.  S.M.A.R.T. can provide advance warning of hard drive failure.

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Anti-Virus and Spyware Protection

• Install a good quality anti-virus program on your computer.  Use it frequently to scan your system for computer viruses, trojans, worms, and other damaging programs.

• Be sure to set your anti-virus software to monitor incoming and outgoing email and email attachments for virus activity.

• Activate the automatic update feature of your anti-virus software, to keep its virus definition files up to date.

• Install one or more good quality anti-spyware programs on your computer.  They can detect unwanted programs on your system that can compromise your personal information. There are several good anti-spyware programs available free or at low cost for personal, non-commercial use.  Two of them are Safer Networking's Spybot Search and Destroy, and LavaSoft's AdAware.

• Activate the automatic update feature of your anti-spyware software, to keep its spyware definition files up to date.

• If you are using a version of Windows XP, be sure to activate its firewall feature.  It offers protection against attacks on your computer coming from outside networks like the Internet.

  There are also some free firewall software packages that can do a respectable job of protecting your computer from outside attacks. ZoneAlarm is perhaps the most popular of the free-for-personal-use packages.

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Record Keeping

• Keep the original documents that came with your computer.  These include user guides and operator's manuals, warranty related records, and configuration information.  You may need these records if something goes wrong with your computer.

• Do not lose CD keys or activation keys for the operating system (Windows) and important software.  Make copies and store them in a separate location.  Obtaining new activation keys sometimes requires additional payment, especially if you did not register the software.

• Make backup copies of your important software.  Buyers of software are allowed to make one backup copy for their own use, to replace the original copy should it become damaged or otherwise unusable.

• Make a written record of any expansion cards or other hardware you may have added to your system.  Keep notes detailing how the installation was done, and any problems you may have encountered.   This will simplify troubleshooting and repair should anything go wrong with your computer.

• Keep written records of important system configurations such as CMOS or BIOS settings, program default values, networking settings, etc.  This will allow for a faster recovery should something go wrong with your system.  BIOS settings have been known to change spontaneously because of power spikes and surges, and due to aging CMOS batteries.

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