It can be said that owning a computer is like owning a car: if you don’t keep up with the maintenance you will soon find the “Check Engine” light on. The “Check Engine” light alerts you to issues you may know little about. Unfortunately computers don’t really come equipped with such a warning. Problems with your PC’s performance can find you feeling equally as trapped in a technological black hole. In the internet age, it is virtually impossible to function efficiently (or even function at all) without anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware and numerous other products that help keep systems operational. And remember that, like a car, your computer will start losing its value the moment you swipe your credit card to pay for it; however there are steps you can take to prolong the life of your investment.
Program Inventory
Let’s say you purchase a new laptop. The first thing that you should do is remove all unneeded or unwanted applications. All major PC manufacturers have numerous partnerships with software vendors. Unfortunately, these unnecessary programs can hog memory and even slow down your system. The rule of thumb: keep only what you need. (Note that you should never delete a program if you are unsure what it is or what it does) Next, once you have cleaned up your applications, I recommend a free utility called CCleaner. This powerful application allows you to flush a long list of temporary, application and system files. Review the check list and select what you want cleaned. Whether you leave the default settings selected or customize what you want cleaned, important or critical files will not be lost during this process.
Registry
The next important step is to employ the Registry option. Run this after you cleanup/uninstall any applications. More often than not, applications do not fully remove all files associated with them (often by design). After every scan, select “Fix Selected Items.” Upon selecting “Fix,” you will be prompted with the question, “Do you want to backup the registry?” The Registry is the nerve system of Windows. While this decision is yours to make, our consultants regularly use this program and have never had registry issues after running it.
“Tools”
The last function of this utility (that is pretty cool if you ask me) is the “Tools” option comprised of these three sections;
- Removing applications
- Managing your Startup Directory
- Using System Restore.
“Uninstall” is self explanatory feature. It is simply another interface for removing applications. The second feature is “Startup List” and it provides you with the ability to disable or delete the programs that automatically run on your computer when you turn it on. If you are unsure about an application, disable it. You can always go back and enable it at a later date. Finally, “System Restore” is another interface for the Windows system restore feature. By default, Windows will run this service every time Windows update, device drivers or applications are installed. If any one of these installations corrupts a part of the OS and renders it inoperable, you can reboot in Safe Mode and revert back to the system state prior to the install. Keeping this application on your weekly checklist will dramatically improve the longevity of your PC’s operating system (XP, Vista or Windows 7).
Remember that it is important to you keep your system clean. Malicious developers know that Windows sometimes does a poor job at this and they are keenly aware that a majority of users will not clean up after their browsers. In a way, your browser is like a 10yr old child who wants to wander, explore and get dirty – and when it’s all said and done, taking a bath is just not a priority. (Ahh, the good ole days!) It’s up to you to do the cleaning. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera – whichever browser you like to use – these options are built in to manage/flush your surfing history and temp files, but none of them are enabled by default. CCleaner is a fantastic solution because it doesn’t care what you use; the program cleans all browsers at no cost to you.