How to Maintain your Computer

William Robinson asked:

Being a computer technician pays nice money and has for a very long time. Why?well,mainly becuase alot of new computer owners fail to learn how to use and maintain there new computer. Before purchasing my first computer back in 1998,I took an 8 hour class on the basics of operating a windows 95 system based computer..Even with the class,within the first few months,I had crashed the computer 3 times. This gives you somewhat of an idea about what we have here today..Alot of people now are getting computers becuase there friends have one,or to just get into the chat rooms,or the adult sites..point being..they dont know how to use a computer,much less maintain one.

To save yourself alot of money and unneedless trips to the computer shop for repairs,there are a series of very simple steps you can take to keep your new computer running fast and efficient. Myself,I have windows xp home edition running on my computer. I find it to be the best system out there at the moment.The choice is of course yours as to what operating system you install on your machine. When you get your new computer home and you configure an internet connection,the first thing I recommend that you do is to get to the windows update site. The site will automatically update your new operating system with files to prevent people on other computers from accessing your data. Next step is to install an anti-virus and spyware program on your computer.

If your buying a new computer from a big outlet,this is usually included with your purchase but not always.Make sure to inquire about this when purchasing your computer. Both these programs,the anti-virus and the anti-spyware are a must have in todays computer age..You can get good information from google(http://www.google.com}. Just type in anti-virus in the search box..you will get choices for alot of programs..same for the anti-spyware.

Over time,you will visit alot of websites..Most of these sites has what are called “cookies”.These are little embedded packages of data(files),that the sites you have visited leave on your computer to track your browsing habits. After awhile,these files need to be purged,deleted from your computer.

Other files that need to be purged at least once a week,are your temporary internet files and your history files. Failing to do this will really slow down your computer to a crawl and possibly cause a system crash,meaning you will have to re-install your operating system.

When you open up internet explorer,at the top left of the page,you will see options..Look for the Tools option.Left click “Tools”,then left click “Internet Options”.From there it should be straight foward for you.After you have deleted your temporary internet files and history files,click “OK” I do this at least once a day,really keeps my computer running fast.

Now im going to share with you,some things you can do about whats inside of your computer “the case”or your computers “hardware”. No matter how clean the surroundings where you have your computer placed,over time,alot of dust and particles gather on the inside..your motherboard,inside the power supply,on your cpu,all your cards”video,sound,ect.” I clean the inside of my computer every 3 months and I recommend all new users do it also.

Here is how to do it: First,before you do anything,make sure the computer is unplugged from the outlet and is completely turned off! Next is to get a screwdriver for those little round screws you will need to undo to get inside your case. When both sides of the case are removed,you will need a can of compressed air..you can buy this from any computer store for under 5 dollars. You then spray all the areas inside the case..you will see the dust and dirt flyng off from the places you sprayed. Doing this 4 times a year(every 3 months)Is a great way to save alot of money and keep your computer running like its brand new.

I hope you all have enjoyed my computer tips.

Sincerely, William

copyright – 2007