Fix Computer Errors

Your computer, like a good friend, needs some affection every now and then to keep the relationship working as it should. Neglecting a good friend will result in your friendship waning over time, and neglecting your computer will almost always result in a big, broken, expensive box that looks good and does nothing else.

Should you run over to your monitor and give it a big, fat kiss? Absolutely not, as computers don’t feel affection. However, you can do other things that are the virtual equivalent of giving your computer a fancy gold watch and a firm handshake. These things, combined with a bit of common sense and just a touch of luck, will allow you to have a computing experience that is relatively error and drama free.

Tips to Maintain a Working Computer

Seriously consider what you install before you install it – There’s no greater way, aside from taking a claw hammer to the side of the case, to screw up a perfectly functional computer than by installing junk software. We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t install that sweet new computer game or office suite, but we are saying that you really don’t need to download that game trainer or freebie application.The more junk on your PC, the greater the chance that it will eventually slow down and run like a broken bicycle – nobody wants that.

1. Seriously consider what you install before you install it – There’s no greater way, aside from taking a claw hammer to the side of the case, to screw up a perfectly functional computer than by installing junk software. We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t install that sweet new computer game or office suite, but we are saying that you really don’t need to download that game trainer or freebie application. The more junk on your PC, the greater the chance that it will eventually slow down and run like a broken bicycle – nobody wants that.
2. Run a virus scan at least once per week – Not a quick scan, not a half scan, but a full system scan that checks every nook and cranny of your hard drive. Leave no file unturned, as the one file you choose not to scan will be the one with the life-threatening Trojan horse on it.In actuality, what’s the big deal in leaving your computer on Sunday night and running a system scan while you watch a movie or get some sleep?
   Free Virus Scan Link
3. Run a registry scan at least once a month – We would recommend once per week, but that would be a little overkill unless you’re downloading anything and everything you can click on. Running a registry scan will clear out and resolve any errors in registry files that have been moved or corrupted during use. This is important because the registry is like the DNA of your computer. Make sure it functions properly, or your computer will not work at all.
   Free Registry Scan Link
4. Defragment your hard drive once every three months – Your hard drive is like a library, and when you want to reference a file the hard drive refers to the appropriate section. Imagine going to a library looking for information about “cats” and finding that information in the section dedicated to “cars and trucks”. Doesn’t make sense, does it? That’s called fragmentation, where parts of the file get scattered in different parts of the hard drive. Defragmenting your hard drive puts them all side by side, making loading much faster.
5. Turn your computer off – Turn your computer off when you aren’t using it. This reduces wear and tear on the moving parts, like the hard drive and cooling fans. Keeping your computer cool is important, and if your fans start to slow down due to wear the computer will get hot. If your computer gets too hot the processor will slow down to stay cool, resulting in poor system performance.

Not only that, but leaving your computer on all the time reduces its usable lifespan.

All of those things are simple and easy to follow through on. Doing them will make your life much easier, and make your computer much happier. And that statement, we can guarantee.

Tags: happy computer, working computer

This entry was posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under General, Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.