Taking care of your Windows
computer
Sue Kayton
kayton@alum.mit.edu
(650) 853-1711
Revised March 2013
Most people take much better care of the cars than they do of their computers.
Just like a car needs regular oil changes and the tire pressure checked several
times a year, your computer needs regular maintenance to keep it running well,
and so it will last as long as the manufacturer intended.
LAPTOPS
Most laptop computers are designed to last for three years of normal office use.
Usually the part that fails is the hard drive. To make the laptop last longer,
you want to help it to run cool, and make sure to turn it OFF when not in use.
If you use a cute screensaver that cycles through photos, you are making the
computer work hard. Instead, disable the screensaver and turn it OFF when not in
use. Avoid eating food that will drop crumbs into the keyboard since crumbs can
lodge under keys and make the keys stop working. Obviously, don’t spill liquids
on the keyboard or put the computer in a puddle of liquid. If you accidentally
get the laptop wet, immediately shut it off and remove the battery from the
laptop. Leave it off, with the battery out, until it is completely dry.
Almost all laptops have a fan which circulates air over the processor (and often over
the hard drive) to keep them cool. Two or three times a year, blow air into the
opening to keep the fan blades and cooling fins clean, instead of crusted with
dirt. Disable or uninstall Windows Search, Google Desktop or other indexing programs which make
your hard drive work too hard, and seldom produce usable results. Instead, I
recommend the free search program
Agent Ransack, which gives superior results
without stressing the hard drive.
The single most important thing to keep a laptop running well is to make sure
air can circulate inside and under the computer. This means NEVER running it on
a soft surface such as a bed, pillow, or your lap. Instead, use it on a rigid
surface like a desk, so air can flow under the computer and enter through the
ventilation holes on the bottom. To get even better airflow so it will run
cooler and last longer, prop up the rear of the laptop by about 1 cm (half an
inch) by placing something under the back center edge of the laptop, or two
spacers under the back edge, one on each side. Pencil stubs work well for this
purpose.
Try to not leave CD or DVD disks in the drive, except when you are using them.
CD and DVD drives for laptops are very flimsy, and tend to break when used
excessively. When the disk is in the drive, the computer is trying to read the
disk, which will make the drive wear out sooner.
Laptop computers frequently break where the power adapter connects to the
computer. Either the cord in the adapter breaks, from too much flexing, or
the socket inside the laptop breaks, from yanking or bending the cord while it
is plugged in. To prevent this, unplug the charger before you move the
computer, and do not have the weight of the adapter dangling on the cord.
And don't make sharp bends in the charger cord right where it exits the
computer.
NETBOOKS
Netbooks are designed to last for one year before they break. Back up your
data! (See Backup section below)
DESKTOPS
Most desktop computers are designed to last for 5-7 years of normal office use,
except for the mini desktops that you can pick up with one hand. These mini
desktops are designed for 3-5 years of use. Since they are smaller, they run
hotter and don’t last as long. The minis also use flimsy laptop-sized CD and DVD
drives, which break sooner (see caution under laptop section about leaving disks
in the drive)
Desktop computers typically fail due to an accumulation of dirt and dust inside
the computer, or on the outside, blocking the ventilation holes. Try to keep the
area around your desktop computer free of dust, old staples, and food crumbs.
The desktop computer has at least one, and often two or three fans, which suck
in air to keep it cool. They also suck in huge amounts of dust, which clog up
the insides. At least twice a year, disconnect all cables from the computer and
take it outdoors. Open the lid and, if you can, remove the front plastic face.
Using a clean, dry toothbrush, get all the dirt out of the computer. Pay special
attention to the metal finned heat sink on the processor and the fan blades. If
you don’t see a metal finned heat sink, that means it’s totally covered with
dirt and you will need to excavate under the big fan mounted on the motherboard.
If the computer is really filthy, take it to a gas station and use their
high-pressure air (meant for your tires) to blow all the dirt out of the
computer. Make sure to direct the air nozzle into the power supply (cubical
silver metal box) from both ends to get the dirt out of the interior of the
power supply. If you use compressed air (from a gas station or a can), leave the
lid off the computer for one hour to allow any little water droplets to dry
before replacing the lid.
If you keep your desktop computer inside a compartment of your desk, make sure
air can flow around it, and can exit the compartment easily. If there is a door
on the compartment and it feels warm when you open it, you need to leave it open
whenever the computer is turned on, to prevent damage from overheating.
TABLETS
Tablets are designed for one year of use before they break. If your iPad battery
fails, buy a replacement Android tablet instead, since the iPad is designed to
be non-repairable. Back up your data frequently, or sync to a cloud
service so you don't lose your data when it dies.
BACKUP
My former dentist has a sign in his office. It says, “You don’t have to brush
and floss all your teeth – only the ones you want to keep.” I should have a sign
in mine that says, “You don’t have to back up everything on your computer – only
the stuff that is important and you may need some day.” Most people never back
up their data, and then get upset when they lose family photos, tax records,
business records, school term papers, and other important files. You can lose
stuff from your computer due to theft, fire, virus infection, or the computer
dying from heat or old age. Sometimes these files can be recovered at a cost of
thousands of dollars, but sometimes they are not recoverable at any price. So
BACK UP your important files. Often. Preferably in more than one location.
I suggest that you adopt a two-pronged backup approach. Back up your entire
computer – everything, including Windows and your installed programs – once a
month, or once every few months. Do this backup onto a removable hard drive and
get it OUT OF YOUR HOUSE OR OFFICE. If a burglar breaks in and steals the
computer, he will take a backup drive if it is next to the computer. If a fire
burns down the building and your backup drive is in it, it will be destroyed
also. Take your office backup to your home, and take your home backup to the office. Or
leave the backup drive with a friend or neighbor. ALWAYS turn the backup drive
off and disconnect it, except when you are actually running the backup. If an
earthquake strikes and the computer is on, and the backup drive is plugged in,
you will lose the data on BOTH of them. Typically people buy a 1.5 TB external
backup drive which cost around $80. Note that Apple's Time Capsule is
always turned on and running, and is always connected to your computer, so this
is NOT a recommended backup method.
The second facet to the backup is to get a USB flash drive. Back up your most
important files onto the flash drive. Also use the flash drive for backing up
files in between the monthly total backups. Make sure to take the USB flash
drive OUT OF THE HOUSE OR OFFICE, for the same reasons given above. Keep it in
your purse, pocket, or car glove compartment. Remember that USB flash drives are
easily broken due to static electricity, food, and surface contaminants. Do NOT lose the cap, and do NOT touch the metal connector on the
end, especially on dry days with lots of static electricity, which will
permanently fry the drive.
There are many backup programs for sale. I recommend the free software
GFI Backup for backing up data.
You put check marks next to the list of files and folders you want backed
up, and it will perform a full back up the first time, and then will perform an
incremental backup on subsequent backups. The newest version of GFI backup
requires you to use a login password for your main Windows account. If you
have a blank password, use and older version of GFI, which you can download
here.
To back up your entire system, I
recommend Windows 7's built-in Windows Backup and Restore Center's system
imaging/backup feature, or for older versions of Windows,
Acronis TrueImage Home. I do NOT recommend use of the built-in
Windows backup to back up your data since it does not allow you to recover just
one file or folder - it's all or nothing. Make sure to make an emergency
recovery/repair disk for Windows and, if you are using Acronis, make a bootable
system recovery disk for Acronis.
Another excellent choice for data backup is
Dropbox. When you install the program, it sets up a folder (usually in
your My Documents folder) called Dropbox. Any file you copy or save into
the Dropbox is automatically backed up to servers in Arizona. Automatically,
every time you edit it, as long as you are connected to the internet. You
can access these Dropbox files from any computer or smartphone anywhere, using your email
address and password. You can also set up a public folder which allows you
to share files (like vacation photos) with anyone. You get 2 GB of free
storage, and only pay if you exceed 2GB. The
Dropbox home page has a video tutorial that
explains how it works. Dropbox is also great for synchronizing files to
multiple computers and multiple smartphones. Anything you save on one
computer automatically updates the files on the other computers and smartphones.
WINDOWS
In addition to taking care of the computer hardware, there are things you can do
to the operating system and software to improve system performance.
1. Set your computer to automatically download and install updates from
Microsoft and Adobe. If you are running Windows XP, make sure you have service
pack 3 installed. If you are running Windows Vista, make sure you have service
pack 2 installed. For Windows 7, you should have Service Pack 1. If you are running Office 2003 or 2007, you need Office
service pack 2. These are all free downloads from Microsoft. Here are
links to the Windows service pack downloads.
If you are running Office 2003 or an older version, install the
Compatibility Pack so you can read files created in the newer versions of
Office.
2. Buy an excellent anti-virus program and make sure to keep it up to date. I
recommend Symantec Endpoint Protection, (corporate version of Norton), Norton
Anti-Virus, McAfee Anti-Virus, or Kaspersky Anti-Virus. I do NOT recommend the security suites since
they install a lot of clutter and overhead on the computer, but do not provide
improved malware protection.
3. Be suspicious. Be paranoid. Do not click on pop-ups, especially those claiming to improve
system performance or clean viruses. These are viruses, trying to trick you into
installing them.
4. Do not download or install ANY program unless you know you need it, and know
that it isn’t a virus. The less stuff that is installed on your computer, the
faster it will run. If you install something and later decide you don’t want it,
uninstall it from the Control Panel.
5. NEVER download free music or pornography, and NEVER install any program for
the purpose of downloading free music. This is the most common way that people
catch viruses.
6. Check your start menu at least twice a year and eliminate from the Startup
folder any items that you don’t need to launch automatically every time the
computer turns on. If you are comfortable editing the registry, check the
registry also for unnecessary startup items. You can use MSCONFIG to
assist you with these tasks.
7. Once or twice a year, delete all your temporary files using Disk Cleanup or a
manual removal. Once or twice a year, if needed, defragment your hard drive
8. There are many well-known viruses, many of which masquerade as legitimate
programs. If you have any of these programs on your computer, you should remove
them ASAP, along with the traces that they leave behind. Here is a link to the
Wikipedia article listing this malware. Check back frequently since the list
gets updated often.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_security_software. Some of the worst are
iMesh, LimeWire, AntiVirusXP, RegCure, RegistryOptimizer, and AntiVirus Pro. Here is
some excellent advice on avoiding these scams.
http://www.scambusters.org/fakeantivirus.html
9. Make sure your computer has enough memory. Too little memory will make it run
very slooooow. Windows XP computer should have at least 1 GB, Vista machines
need 1.5 GB, and Windows 7 computers should have at least 2 GB. On desktops,
it’s trivial to add memory. On most laptops, adding memory is fairly easy, but
some models require disassembly of the entire computer just to add a dinky
little memory module. Memory modules typically cost $20 - $40. Adding memory is
a LOT cheaper than getting a new computer.
10. Make sure your hard drive isn’t full. If you save zillions of pictures, or
videos on your computer, the hard drive may be getting full. Open My Computer
(or Computer) and right-click on the hard drive. Select Properties to see how
much free space you have. If there is less than 2 GB of free space, you’re in
big trouble and should either delete stuff or switch to a bigger hard drive (or
get a new computer)
To see this information in a PowerPoint, click
here to download it.