[Computer Maintenance] -
Computer Maintenance
Discuss Computer Maintenance
Posted by: Demalii
This was written by me and I ask that you do not link this from anywhere other than on my site, I'm posting it here to help the members of TF and only them. None of the links for the programs will work in this post.
---Now for the guide
Welcome to Neufo’s Computer Maintenance Guide. Within this guide, you will read tips from top-notch computer specialists on how to keep your computer clean, organized, and performing at peak levels. Neufo is not responsible for anything that happens to your computer. This guide is not allowed to be changed in any way nor can it be taken from this site unless for personal use. We have simplified this manuscript to make it understandable for all experiences. If this guide is completed at least once a month, you should see very little or no errors and peak performance.
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Process: Delete all your trash, temp files, and files you no longer need.
Reasoning: In an ideal situation, these temp files are deleted when the applications close. Yet poorly written programs, improper shutdowns, program hangs, and computer crashes often leave unneeded temporary files on the hard drive. Over time, these files accumulate, eating up hard disk space and, at times, impairing computer performance. If your computer is acting sluggish, deleting accumulated temp files may help to speed it up. In addition, some shutdown problems and download problems can be cured by cleaning up your temp files.
Application: Start > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup
Directions: Select the drive you want to clean. When it has finished, select the items that you no longer want.
Suggestion: Clean ‘Downloaded Program Files’ ‘Temporary Internet Files’ ‘Recycle Bin’ ‘Temporary Files’
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Process: Defrag you computers hard drives.
Reasoning: As you use your computer, it writes to the first available spot on the hard drive. Over time, files tend to get rearranged on your hard disk, or fragmented. If your disk is fragmented, when it tried to load a program, it may have to grab one file from the middle of the hard drive, one towards the outside, then back to the inside. This can result in a slower running computer. When you run a defrag program, it puts the pieces back together, organizes them in similar groupings, so applications and files can load faster.
Application: Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter
Directions: Select the drive you want to defrag. When it has finished, either close the window or select another drive to defrag.
Suggestion: Select a drive and click ‘Analyze’ to see whether you need to defrag it or not. If the total fragmentation is above 10%, we recommend you defrag it.
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Process: Clean and Defrag your registry.
Reasoning: Over time, your registry becomes fragmented and cluttered with obsolete and invalid data, causing mysterious errors, freezes, and slowdowns. When Windows tries to load things that don't exist any more due to invalid Registry entries, it slows your system performance and can lead to errors.
Application: Advanced Registry Optimizer
Directions: Select all 3 of the programs options and run them. Be sure to make a backup, just in case.
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Process: Remove unwanted startup items
Reasoning: After a while, you might notice unrecognized items that are showing up in your task tray, although some do not show up there. If you have a bunch of unwanted items starting with windows, it can slow the boot process and take up memory.
Application: Start Menu > Programs > Startup
Directions: You will find some programs in this folder, delete the ones you do not want.
Application: Start Menu > Run… > msconfig.exe
Directions: Click the Startup tab and uncheck any items you don’t want to startup.
Suggestion: If you’re not sure what it is or if it should be there, leave it.
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Process: Remove unwanted applications
Reasoning: Some programs that you install will install other programs that you may not be aware of. Deleting files will not uninstall an application. Be sure to remove unwanted applications from your computer as it can eventually slow your overall speed down.
Application: Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs
Directions: Through this window, you can remove all programs that don’t belong or that you don’t need. Select any application and click the ‘Remove’ button. This will properly uninstall the selected application.
Suggestion: If you’re not sure what it is or if it should be there, leave it.
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Process: Scan for adware and spyware
Reasoning: In general, you do not want anything that relates to these topics on your computer. Adware is basically ads that can be found in programs or on websites. This adware selectively installs tracking software which is called spyware. This software runs behind the scenes and sends information to home. It is constantly using your memory, hard drive space and even your internet connection! Spyware has been known to stop browsers from working and even rendering a computer useless.
Application: Spybot
Directions: Update this program, immunize, and run it. When it has completed, remove everything it has detected.
Application: Ad-Aware
Directions: Update this program and run it. When it has completed, remove everything it has detected.
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Process: Scan for viruses
Reasoning: Viruses can harm files on your computer or even go as far are corrupting your whole system. Obviously I don’t need to go into depth about this. Be gone viruses!
Application: House Call (Trend Micro)
Application: Panda ActiveScan
Directions: Click the scan button, click yes on the security warning, select the drives to scan. When it finishes, remove the files it found.
Suggestions: These programs will not find all viruses, in fact the average person uses at least two anti-virus programs.
Listing: (As of 2004) The top 8 AV programs
1) PC-cillin Internet Security Suite
2) Panda Antivirus Platinum v7.0
3) F-Prot for Windows
4) NOD32 Antivirus System v2.0
5) Norton Internet Security 2004
6) BitDefender Professional Edition v7
7) Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal
8) McAfee VirusScan 2004
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Process: Clean your case
Reasoning: Well it really isn't a problem unless you live in an area where the dust is bad, or if it's been a year or two. Although it might be a minute amount, it can clog up the works and your computer may not be able to cool off as well.
Application: Get yourself a can of air.
Suggestions: Start from the top and try to blow all the dust down into a single corner so you can get it out easier. Also check your cd-rom trays for an excessive amount of dust.
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Source: [url]http://www.neufo.com[/url]
Posted by: TheMajor
Nice!
Posted by: XT
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Demalii [/i]
[B]This was written by me and I ask that you do not link this from anywhere other than on my site, I'm posting it here to help the members of TF and only them. None of the links for the programs will work in this post.
---Now for the guide
Welcome to Neufo’s Computer Maintenance Guide. Within this guide, you will read tips from top-notch computer specialists on how to keep your computer clean, organized, and performing at peak levels. Neufo is not responsible for anything that happens to your computer. This guide is not allowed to be changed in any way nor can it be taken from this site unless for personal use. We have simplified this manuscript to make it understandable for all experiences. If this guide is completed at least once a month, you should see very little or no errors and peak performance.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Delete all your trash, temp files, and files you no longer need.
Reasoning: In an ideal situation, these temp files are deleted when the applications close. Yet poorly written programs, improper shutdowns, program hangs, and computer crashes often leave unneeded temporary files on the hard drive. Over time, these files accumulate, eating up hard disk space and, at times, impairing computer performance. If your computer is acting sluggish, deleting accumulated temp files may help to speed it up. In addition, some shutdown problems and download problems can be cured by cleaning up your temp files.
Application: Start > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup
Directions: Select the drive you want to clean. When it has finished, select the items that you no longer want.
Suggestion: Clean ‘Downloaded Program Files’ ‘Temporary Internet Files’ ‘Recycle Bin’ ‘Temporary Files’
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Defrag you computers hard drives.
Reasoning: As you use your computer, it writes to the first available spot on the hard drive. Over time, files tend to get rearranged on your hard disk, or fragmented. If your disk is fragmented, when it tried to load a program, it may have to grab one file from the middle of the hard drive, one towards the outside, then back to the inside. This can result in a slower running computer. When you run a defrag program, it puts the pieces back together, organizes them in similar groupings, so applications and files can load faster.
Application: Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter
Directions: Select the drive you want to defrag. When it has finished, either close the window or select another drive to defrag.
Suggestion: Select a drive and click ‘Analyze’ to see whether you need to defrag it or not. If the total fragmentation is above 10%, we recommend you defrag it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Clean and Defrag your registry.
Reasoning: Over time, your registry becomes fragmented and cluttered with obsolete and invalid data, causing mysterious errors, freezes, and slowdowns. When Windows tries to load things that don't exist any more due to invalid Registry entries, it slows your system performance and can lead to errors.
Application: Advanced Registry Optimizer
Directions: Select all 3 of the programs options and run them. Be sure to make a backup, just in case.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Remove unwanted startup items
Reasoning: After a while, you might notice unrecognized items that are showing up in your task tray, although some do not show up there. If you have a bunch of unwanted items starting with windows, it can slow the boot process and take up memory.
Application: Start Menu > Programs > Startup
Directions: You will find some programs in this folder, delete the ones you do not want.
Application: Start Menu > Run… > msconfig.exe
Directions: Click the Startup tab and uncheck any items you don’t want to startup.
Suggestion: If you’re not sure what it is or if it should be there, leave it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Remove unwanted applications
Reasoning: Some programs that you install will install other programs that you may not be aware of. Deleting files will not uninstall an application. Be sure to remove unwanted applications from your computer as it can eventually slow your overall speed down.
Application: Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs
Directions: Through this window, you can remove all programs that don’t belong or that you don’t need. Select any application and click the ‘Remove’ button. This will properly uninstall the selected application.
Suggestion: If you’re not sure what it is or if it should be there, leave it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Scan for adware and spyware
Reasoning: In general, you do not want anything that relates to these topics on your computer. Adware is basically ads that can be found in programs or on websites. This adware selectively installs tracking software which is called spyware. This software runs behind the scenes and sends information to home. It is constantly using your memory, hard drive space and even your internet connection! Spyware has been known to stop browsers from working and even rendering a computer useless.
Application: Spybot
Directions: Update this program, immunize, and run it. When it has completed, remove everything it has detected.
Application: Ad-Aware
Directions: Update this program and run it. When it has completed, remove everything it has detected.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Scan for viruses
Reasoning: Viruses can harm files on your computer or even go as far are corrupting your whole system. Obviously I don’t need to go into depth about this. Be gone viruses!
Application: House Call (Trend Micro)
Directions: Click the scan button, click yes on the security warning, select the drives to scan. When it finishes, remove the files it found.
Suggestions: That program will not find all viruses, in fact the average person uses at least two anti-virus programs.
Listing: (As of 2004) The top 8 AV programs
1) PC-cillin Internet Security Suite
2) Panda Antivirus Platinum v7.0
3) F-Prot for Windows
4) NOD32 Antivirus System v2.0
5) Norton Internet Security 2004
6) BitDefender Professional Edition v7
7) Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal
8) McAfee VirusScan 2004
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Process: Clean your case
Reasoning: Well it really isn't a problem unless you live in an area where the dust is bad, or if it's been a year or two. Although it might be a minute amount, it can clog up the works and your computer may not be able to cool off as well.
Application: Get yourself a can of air.
Suggestions: Start from the top and try to blow all the dust down into a single corner so you can get it out easier. Also check your cd-rom trays for an excessive amount of dust.
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Source: [url]http://www.neufo.com[/url] [/B][/QUOTE]
You no NOTHING :mad: good post dem:D