Protect UR Computer From Virus
2007-10-24
Your personal computer will work really well for five years, if u give proper care. Considering how central PCs have become to our daily lives - at home and work - it's one appliance you can't afford to wear out prematurely. Personal computers are unique in that they require both physical and virtual maintenance, i.e., hardware and software. Physical maintenance usually is just a matter of keeping things snug and tidy. This means checking all cables and plugs going into the computer to make sure they are well connected, reseating if necessary. To be safe, do this only when the computer is unplugged.
Next, using a soft bristle attachment, vacuum dust from the vent holes on your computer case, particularly the fan intake and output grills. Electronic parts are dust magnets, especially in winter months, and excess dust traps heat, which is a computer's worst enemy. So routine external dusting is essential to maintain good airflow. Of course, every work station is different. If there's smoking in the office, dust collects faster because the insides of your PC are coated with sticky tar. If there's a laser printer or copier in the office, there's toner in the air. Combine this with dirt from foot traffic and carpet fibers, and your poor PC can start choking.
My biggest tip for do-it-yourself cleaners: Don't go nuts with cans of compressed air. Instead, vacuum dust from case vent holes, and be careful not to blow it back inside. Also, never shoot air into a CD/DVD drive or you'll mess up the fragile laser tracking. Use a commercially-available cleaning disc instead. Finally, don't blast air into a cooling fan or you'll ruin its motor. To do a thorough physical cleaning, of course, you need to open the case. This type of maintenance is the most intimidating to the average user. Messing with scary hardware inside the computer case is a chore many would rather leave to someone else. That's fine - if the job indeed gets done. But because the hardware is hidden the old "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" rules apply, leading to long periods of neglect and, ultimately, decreased performance and a shorter lifespan for many components. All of this is easily prevented.
Software maintenance is a different story. Although there are no chips or wires to contend with, at least those are tangible items. If hardware forms the body of a PC, software pulses through its veins. Keeping this virtual world clean and organized presents a whole new set of challenges. The list of routine software maintenance chores includes creating a system restore point, registry backup and cleanup, removing unwanted programs or files, deep virus and spyware scans and disk defragmentation. Other tasks include clearing out temporary files, cookies and the Windows Prefetch folder.
Another important aspect of software upkeep is ensuring all your applications are running the latest updates. Most new apps are Web-aware, with either manual or automatic update checks. Unfortunately, such convenience hasn't spread to the software drivers that fuel hardware components such as video cards and mice. It's good to visit the manufacturer's Web site and check periodically, especially if you're having hardware issues. The prospect of having to do both types of PC maintenance can be unappealing because it takes time away from more important work. But ignore it and you're asking for trouble. Bottom line: If you can't do it yourself, find someone else one. It's definitely worth the small expense for peace of mind alone - and to extend the life of your computer.
[ Back to top ]
Created with ShoutPost
