This document provides tips for maintaining a healthy PC, including updating software like browsers regularly, performing disk maintenance through defragmentation and cleanup, backing up important data, using antivirus and firewall software to protect against malware and hackers, and basic cleaning of hardware components. Key areas covered are software, hard drive, networking, and hardware maintenance.

1. PC Maintenance
How to keep your
computer healthy

2. Areas We’ll Cover
 Software
 Hard Drive
 Networking
 Hardware

3. Software
Update your Internet Browsers
 e.g. Mozilla Firefox, MS Internet Explorer
 It’s important to keep up with browser upgrades
 The latest versions usually contain important security
fixes
 Firefox: Help  Check for Updates…
 IE: Tools  Windows Update

4. Software
How to safely uninstall software
 Start menu  Settings  Control Panel 
Add or Remove Programs

5. Software - Unresponsive
Dealing with Unresponsive Software
 Sometimes, software will freeze on you and
you’ll get a “Not Responding” message
 To shut it down:
– CTRL + ALT + Delete
– Task List
– Choose application and End Task

6. Hard Drive
Maintenance - Defragmentation
 A few times a year, you should defrag your computer
 Defragmentation reorganizes your computer’s
contents, placing files closer together and creating
large areas of free space. This will make your
computer faster.
 Start  Programs  Accessories  System Tools
 Disk Defragmenter

7. Hard Drive
Maintenance – Disk Cleanup
 Every few months, you should perform a Disk
Cleanup to remove or compress non-critical
files and clear space
 Start  Programs  Accessories  System
Tools  Disk Cleanup

8. Hard Drive
Maintenance – Recycle Bin
 At least once a week, you should empty your
Recycle Bin. Too many files in the bin can
slow your machine
 Right-click on the Recycle Bin  Empty
Recycle Bin

9. Hard Drive
Backup Your Data
 Just wait until you lose a 10-page term paper
– you’ll wish you had!
 Methods of backing up:
– Writable CD-R (650 MB) or CD-RW (700 MB)
– USB Flash Drive: 8 MB – 64 GB
– External Hard Drive (can be huge)

10. Networking
Anti-virus Software
 Be sure you have software like Symantec Norton
AntiVirus and keep it updated (it can be set to
automatically update itself)
 Will prevent or eliminate viruses or worms from
messing with your machine
 You can download this for free
– goWMU
– Student Services tab
– Virus Protection Downloads window

11. Networking
Anti-spyware
 Spyware can take partial control of your
machine and send information about your
activity over the web or will launch pop-up
adds
 Download and run Ad-Aware SE (free).

12. Networking
Stop Hackers
 If you have fulltime access to the Internet you
may be vulnerable to being hacked by other
users
 If you’re concerned, download a free firewall
program like ZoneAlarm (free).

13. Networking
Safe email
 Phishing scams
– http://www.antiphishing.org/
 Other scams
– http://antivirus.about.com/od/emailscams/
– Search Google for others
 Attachments and images embedded in
emails

14. Hardware
Computers ain’t cheap – take care of them!
 Monitor wipes
 Keyboard vacuum
 Remove dust from back
 Open and clean your mouse (ick)