The document provides tips for general PC maintenance and troubleshooting. It lists the top five most common PC problems such as email issues, network connectivity problems, and blue screen of death errors. It then describes characteristics of virus and spyware infections and recommends running regular virus scans, updating software, defragmenting drives, and using disk cleanup and spyware removal tools like Spybot weekly or monthly to keep PCs running smoothly. The document also provides step-by-step instructions for using the disk defragmenter, disk cleanup, and Spybot programs and lists websites for anti-virus software.

1. General PC Maintenance and
Troubleshooting
By: Iphtkhar Alam

2. Top Five PC Problems
• 1. E-Mail (Sending/Receiving)
• 2. Network Connectivity (User Logons)
• 3. Issues With the “Green Screen”
• 4. Printer Issues
• 5. “The Blue Screen of Death”

3. Characteristics of Virus and
Spyware Infection
• Extremely Slow Processing
• Inability to open programs
• Internet Homepage gets changed
• Constant redirection to unscrupulous
websites
• Phishing/Scamming emails sent to your
inbox

4. Ways to keep your PC running
smoothly
• Reboot at least once a week
• Run a virus scan and update once a week
• Defragment your PC once a month
• Run disk clean up once a month
• Run spybot once at least once a week

5. How to Defrag your PC
• Left click on Start
• Choose Programs, Accessories, System
Tools, and Disk Defragmenter
• Choose Analyze (it will tell you if you
have anything to defrag. or not)
• If you do, choose Defragment

6. How to use disk Clean Up
• Left click on Start
• Choose Programs, Accessories, System
Tools, and Disk Cleanup
• Choose the drive you want to clean (C
drive)
• Let it scan
• Check all the boxes
• Click OK

7. How to use Spybot
• Left click on Start
• Choose Programs, Spybot: Search and Destroy
• Search for Updates (found on left side)
• Check boxes and download all updates
• Choose Safer-networking #1 (it is fast)
• Choose Search and Destroy and Check for Problems
(found on left side)
• Infections will appear in red
• If you have infections, mark them (with a checkmark)
and choose Fix Selected Problems

8. Websites of Interest
• Anti-Virus
• www.grisoft.com
• Spybot Search and Destroy
• www.safer-networking.org
• Adaware SE
• http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
• Free Online Virus Scan
• Housecall.trendmicro.com