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Some tips and procedures to help you keep your PC
running smoothly and safely.
Note: All of these tips and
suggestions are given in good faith. Performance of any of these
procedures is entirely at your own risk and no responsibility can be
accepted for any undesirable consequences encountered.
1. Never turn off your computer using the power
switch or by removing the power lead.
The only time you should consider this is if your computer has completely
frozen, even then you should ensure that the HDD (Hard Disk Dive) light is not
illuminated or blinking (most PC's have two lights, one indicates the power
is on, the other shows HDD operation).
Should you be left with no option but to forcibility shut down the computer
it is preferable to depress the power button for about 10 seconds rather
than pulling the power lead.
Switching off your PC while the HDD light is on can often cause your
windows installation to become inoperable and your PC may refuse to
start up. In some instances it can also cause physical damage to the
HDD.
2. Use a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply).
This is a device which sits between your PC and the wall socket. It
contains a battery and special circuitry which will detect any loss
of mains power, it can then enable you to continue working for a
short period or automatically shut down your PC in the correct
manner. This can help prevent the type of problems discussed above.
It will also protect your computer from and other problems with the
mains power such as under or over supply and sudden surges etc.
If a UPS is beyond your budget, you should at minimum use a surge
protector board. This will help protect your machine from any sudden
power surges. Make sure to get one that also protects any phone or
modem wires connected to your system, unprotected phone cables can
easily destroy computers, modems and routers etc during lightening
storms.
3. Defragmenting your hard disk
This is one of the best things you can do to speed up your Windows computer.
Why is this?
Think of your hard drive as a filing cabinet. Now imagine someone moved documents into
and out of folders at random. It would take you a lot longer to find anything, as you
wouldn't know where your documents were. That's sort of what happens over time as your
hard drive gets fragmented: it takes the computer much more time to find files that
are scattered here, there and everywhere. Defragmenting your drive restores order to
that chaos, and speeds up your computer -- sometimes a lot.
Windows XP / Vista / 7 instructions
Start button --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Disk Defragmenter
Tip: On Windows Vista & Windows 7 you can schedule the defragmenter to run automatically,
we suggest you set it to run once a week, ideally at a time when you will not be using
your computer - don’t forget to ensure its left switched on at its scheduled time :-)
Note: Defragmentation can sometimes take a long time to run, particularly if it has
not been done recently, in this case it may be best to allow it to complete over-night.
4. Start-up Programs
Every time your start your computer, various applications start to run automatically,
whilst some of these can be useful, you generally do not really need to have many of these running all
the time.
Most running applications can be seen in the system tray (beside your clock on the lower
left). Hover your mouse over these icons to see what is running.
All running applications are consuming windows resources and system memory (RAM).
By disabling or removing some of these you may increase windows
responsiveness and reduce the time need for windows to start.
You may find some applications you no longer use, or others that you use infrequently
and do not need running all the time. For those that you no longer need, you should uninstall them.
Those that you do not want running all the time may have an option to prevent this
behaviour. Right-clicking on the icon in question may allow you
access to further options to prevent the software from starting
automatically with windows, alternatively, launch the software and
use the programs options menu or help facility to stop it from
launching automatically.
Note: Exercise caution when removing/disabling items that you do not remove any items you
truly need such as any anti-virus or security software.
Watch this space for more tips coming soon..... |
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