Maintaining Your Computer

Maintaining Your PC The slides for this presentation are available on the web. For directions to get to them see the entry “Maintaining Your PC ” on my blog at http://WhiteHouseComputing.Blogspot.Com Note: Dark blue backbround has been removed for this version on Slideshare to fix some tech difficulties. If you download this presentation you can easily restore it using the standard dark blue template choice under “slide design”. All content and hyperlinks remain unchanged from the class. Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Keep it Clean - Keep the Cool Air Flowing
Dust every few months
Cooling fans draw dust in. Dust insulates, keeps heat in. Electronics fry.
Unplug, remove desktop computer cover, short bursts with can upright
Keep your computer cool
Fans draw air through vents – give them room to breath
NEVER operate a laptop with it resting on something like a fluffy quilt
Air vents will be blocked, electronics will fry
Canned compressed Air Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Keep it Clean - Keep the Cool Air Flowing Clicking on the above e-book title will take you to an “e-book” presentation by that name on Slideshare. This is an external link to an independent document not written or maintained by the library. “ A Guide on cleaning your Computer Case, Keyboard, Mouse and Monitor ” By Mike Hanson Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance
Unplugging Peripherals
Devices that plug into CPU are know as peripherals
USB plugs built to “hot plug”
BUT check “safely remove hardware” icon first
All other plug types, including PS/2, shut down CPU first
USB plug PS/2 plug Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Memory – Does Your Computer Have Enough? Have things slowed down? Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down?
Need to know a little about how it works
Memory
Do you work a little slower as you get older? Is some of that because you can’t remember where you put stuff?
Computers have the same problem.
Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Need to know a little about how it works
Memory
Two kinds of computer memory
RAM (Random Access Memory)
No moving parts
All electronic
Operates at the speed of light
Disk
Hard disk drive
Electro/mechanical device
Thousands of times slower

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? When there is not enough of this This gets used instead Memory Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory - RAM “But I didn’t take any RAM memory OUT! It didn’t used to be slow! Why is it slow now?” Stuff YOU put in memory when you:
Added a printer
Added virus checking
Added a firewall
Added anything that needs to be running at all times

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory - RAM “But I didn’t take any RAM memory OUT! It didn’t used to be slow! Why is it slow now?” Stuff you didn’t know was added:
Spyware
“ a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the informed consent of that machine's owner or legitimate user.”
Wikipedia

Spyware
when you downloaded that cute shoping helper

Spyware
when you downloaded that music “sharing” program

Spyware – Where can I find out more?
WWW.Wikipedia.Com How can I get rid of it and protect against it? September 2006 edition of Consumer Reports Free AntiSpyware Tradenamed Ad-Aware From Lavasoft at WWW.Lavasoft.Com Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? RAM – How Much is Enough?
For Windows XP Microsoft recommends at least 128MB
I recommend at least 512 MB
For Windows Vista I recommend:
Minimum of 1GB for Vista Basic
Minimum of 2GB for Vista Premium

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? RAM – How Much and What Kind Can YOUR Computer Use? Vista - Software restrictions on usable RAM size Information SOURCE click here Socastee SC Library Computer Education Not applicable 1 GB Windows Vista Starter 8 GB 4 GB Windows Vista Home Basic 16 GB 4 GB Windows Vista Home Premium 128 GB 4 GB Windows Vista Business 128 GB 4 GB Windows Vista Enterprise 128 GB 4 GB Windows Vista Ultimate Limit in 64-bit Windows Limit in 32-bit Windows Version

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? RAM – How Much and What Kind Can YOUR Computer Use? XP - Software restrictions on usable RAM size Information SOURCE click here Socastee SC Library Computer Education Not applicable 512 MB Windows XP Starter Edition 128 GB 4 GB Windows XP Limit in 64-bit Windows Limit in 32-bit Windows Version

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? RAM – How Much and What Kind Can YOUR Computer Use?
Even if your operating system can handle more, your specific make and model computer may not be able to “see” all of it. Any more, even if installed, will go unused.
Different types and speeds of RAM have been manufactured over the years. Not all can be used in your computer
Micron Technologies is a memory manufacturer. Crucial is one of their brands. On their web site they provide a service for determining what (generic) kind of memory and how much of it YOUR computer can use.

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? RAM – How Much and What Kind Can YOUR Computer Use? Click image to go to Crucial & use this service This option will install software on your computer. Use only if you are comfortable managing that process This option is information only, no software will be installed on your system Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Adding RAM yourself
Bring it to a pro if you’re nervous about DIY
Computer and office supply stores can help
Laptop RAM installs sometimes just cost of parts
Desktops may be small add charge
Call and ask
Here is a link to a DIY video on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLPuhVR1X5E

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory – Hard Drive
This kind of memory is usually called “storage”
Your primary (usually your only) hard drive is your “C:” drive
Too little available space on your C: drive will slow your computer
Keep at least 10% of the hard drive space empty (free space)
See next slide for how to tell

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory – Hard Drive How Do I Tell How Much Available Space I Have on The C: Drive?
Left Click “Start”
Left Click “My Computer”
Right click “Local disk (C:)”
Left click “Properties”

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory – Hard Drive How Do I Free Up Space on My Hard Drive?
Left click “Start”
All Programs
Accessories
System Tools
Left click on Disk Cleanup – will be a pause as drive is scanned
Check and Delete any or all as you think appropriate

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory – Hard Drive Fragmented Files on Your Hard Drive
What are they?
Files stored in pieces
How do I “fix” them”
DeFragment the disk

Physical Maintenance Why Has Your Computer Slowed Down? Memory – Hard Drive Fragmented Files on Your Hard Drive Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Physical Maintenance Fixing Fragmented Files on Your Hard Drive Memory – Hard Drive Fixing Fragmented Files on Your Hard Drive
Click on “Start”
Programs
Accessories
System Tools
Disk DeFragmenter
Helpful Links: http:// helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/instructions/defrag.htm http:// support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid =kb;en-us;314848 Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Software Maintenance Uninstalling Unused Programs
Start
Control Panel
Vista – Uninstall a Program XP – Add or Remove Programs
Click to highlight what you want to uninstall, then click uninstall
You may want to uninstall some unused programs to save space on your hard drive. For example, many new computers come with trial versions of software that you will decide never to use. Here is how you can get rid of it. DO NOT uninstall something if you do not know what it is and what it does. Searches on Google and Wikipedia can help you identify unfamiliar software. Socastee SC Library Computer Education

Software Maintenance Uninstalling Unused Programs
“ Startup” program removal
Some programs start automatically on bootup
Bootup process slow as a result
Beginners process for taking programs out of autostart on boot
RIGHT click Start
Click open
Double click Programs
Double click Startup
Delete shortcuts (if any) for programs you don’t want to start automatically on bootup
Experts startup removal information
Good info, use at your own risk: http:// www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.html

Software Maintenance Windows Update CRITICALLY IMPORTANT Run Windows Update daily from the start menu or go daily to
Set Windows Update to run automatically once a day
Set it to run in the middle of the night
If you don’t have your computer on overnight it will run when you next boot up
Windows update applies fixes to the Windows operating system. Some of the problems, if not fixed, allow trojans, virus, and other malware to infiltrate your computer
http:// windowsupdate.microsoft.com Or Best Practice is as follows: Socastee SC Library Computer Education

System Maintenance Backup YOUR C: DRIVE WILL DIE
All mechanical devices eventually fail
Back up your data periodically
My Documents is the most critical
Right click Documents (My Documents)
Click properties. If size is less than about 650MB you can copy it all to a CD. If less than about 4GB you can copy it to a DVD.
Both XP and Vista support drag-and-drop copy to a CD
Vista supports drag-and-drop copy to DVD, XP requires additional software
See http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2322030,00.asp for excellent article Socastee SC Library Computer Education

The End
Jim’s Blog
http:// WhiteHouseComputing.Blogspot.Com

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Maintaining Your Computer

by JimWhite on Jun 18, 2009

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Maintaining Your Computer — Presentation Transcript