The Random Access newsletter is a Publication of “The Computer Users Group of Greeley, Colorado”  USA

Preventive Computer

Maintenance

Written by Stuart Rabinowitz, Editor-in-Chief, the PULP, newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange, CT  www.huge.org

The single most important maintenance item that should be done on a regular basis is BACKUP YOUR DATA. What the

schedule is depends on much data you can afford to lose. Try daily/weekly to an external hard drive and monthly to a

CD/DVD, or use a backup application. Make sure that your software is updated; primarily the operating system and your

primary browser.

Use utility software: get a sense of how your computer operates when it’s operating correctly. For the Mac use ‘Activity

Monitor’ or ‘Tech Tools’. On the PC (in the control panel) administrative tools/performance. You can also check your internet

connection speed at: http://reviews.cnet.com/internet-speedtest/?tag=ont.int.band

For the PC users--do regular spyware/virus scans.

Make sure the definitions are up to date. Primarily for PC

users--Defragment your hard drive (this may

take a while). Mac users do not really need to do this

since OS X (10.3 +) does it automatically.

Free up some space on your hard

drive (PC users can use disk cleanup; Mac

users can use CacheOutX). Clean

out old files that you don’t use, after you’ve

backed them up. Uninstall those

programs that you don’t use. Apple

recommends that you have at least

10% free, a bit more for PCs, this will improve

virtual memory and may improve disk

performance.

Clean the Hardware -- to clean the

monitor and keyboard use a dry microfiber cloth

(be sure the computer is turned off) and

gently (don’t press hard) wipe the monitor, unplug the

keyboard and wipe. If there are hard to clean areas,

spray the cloth lightly with a vinegar/water solution and then

wipe. For an optical mouse wipe the bulb gently. You’ll need to open a mechinal mouse to clean the rollers. Use a cotton

swab with isopropyl alcohol.

If your computer case is easy to open (i.e. not an iMac or Mac Mini), then open it up (after shutting down and unplugging it)

and use compressed air to blow out the dust. Do not use a vacuum since it may create a static charge that could damage

the electronics. After closing the case you can clean out the fan in the back.

You’ll also probably want to have the following tools:

• Screwdrivers--standard, phillips, and torx in different sizes (especially the small ones)

• Nutdrivers--1/4” and 3/16”

• Pliers, part grabbers, and tweezers

• Compressed air

• Microfiber cleaning cloths

• Antistatic strap--especially if you want to put your hands inside the computer