Mr. Technology's

Routine Maintenance Tips

There are many things the average computer user can do to keep his or her system running smoothly. This page will briefly explain a few routines that should be run periodically in order to keep your system in tip-top shape.

Keep Your Anti-Virus Software Updated

Whether you purchase a well-known antivirus program, use one supplied by your Internet Service Provider or download and install a free, but effective program available found on the Internet, it is vitally important that you keep it updated and run it on a regular basis. New viruses and other malicious software are popping up every day underscoring the need for running regular updates.

Get the Dust Out

One thing many computer owners forget is dust can collect inside your computer case. With the cooling fans that constantly moving air in and out of the tower it is inevitable dust will settle on the hardware clogging the fan and other components inside your system This can cause too much heat to be generated possibly overheating the processor. In order to extend the life of your   computer and its components it is a good idea to periodically remove the side cover and blow the dust   out of the processor cooling fan and the fan to the power supply.
  To do this, simply remove the cover on the left side (as you are facing the computer) of the tower and   use a can of compressed air to blow the dust away. This compressed air can be purchased at nearly   any department store or store that sells electronic equipment. Be sure to disconnect all power cords   first and do not touch anything inside the case.

  If you have a laptop, blow the air through the vents in the bottom cover. 

  If the dust and dirt get too thick then the best way to get it cleaned out is to call a computer   technician and have him do a thorough cleaning. That is much cheaper than a new computer or replacing failed parts.

Disk Cleanup

You should also periodically reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk freeing up disk space and allowing your computer run more efficiently. Running Disk Cleanup on a regular basis will remove temporary files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove a variety of system files and other items that are no longer need. Disk Cleanup is available in all versions of Windows including Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11.

Disk Defragmentation

Disk Fragmentation occurs when the file system cannot or will not allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit. Instead portions of the file are placed in gaps between other files. This will cause a loss of   performance because the hard drive's read/write heads don't have to travel as far to find the   necessary data. Disk defragmentation can reduce the amount of fragmentation by physically   organizing the contents of the storage device into the smallest number of contiguous or sequential   fragments. Disk defragmentation can also create larger regions of free space using something called "compaction" to prevent some future fragmentation. Disk defragmentation is available in all versions of Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

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