Housekeeping For Your PC  


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Is your computer working slowly, crashing or locking up?

Many common computer problems can be prevented by simple, regular housekeeping. Follow these processes once a month if your computer is used less than 16 hours a week, or once a week if it is used more than 16 hours a week.

Clean Out Temporary Files

Windows creates temporary files when:

  • your system doesn’t shut down properly
  • you print
  • you copy and paste
  • you install new programs

For the most part these files are trash that can be and should be deleted.

Temporary files are also created in the cache directories of your Web browser (the cache holds a copy of every Web page you visit). The cache should be emptied about every 6 hours of accumulated online time.

Process:

Windows 95/98 Windows XP

Close all programs
Go to Start
Select Programs—Accessories—System Tools—Disk Cleanup
Select C drive—OK
Select the following boxes:
* Temporary Internet Files
* Downloaded Program Files
* Recycle Bin
* Temporary Files
Click OK—Yes (delete files)

 Close all programs
Go to Start
Select Programs—Accessories—System Tools—Disk Cleanup
Tick the following boxes:
* Downloaded Program Files
* Temporary Internet Files
* Temporary Files
* Recycle Bin
* Set Up Log Files
* Web Client/Pub Temporary Files
Click OK—Yes

 

Run ScanDisk

ScanDisk checks your physical hard drive for logical and physical errors. ScanDisk can then attempt to repair the damaged areas.

Process (note: ScanDisk may take an hour or more to run):

Windows 95/98 Windows XP

1. Turn off your Screen Saver (right click on your Desktop free space—go to Properties—on the Screen Saver tab—go to none—apply—OK)
2. Close all programs that are running
3. On Desktop double click My Computer
Right click on (C:)—Properties
On the Tools tab: Error-checking status—click Check Now
Select Thorough box
Select Automatically Fix Errors
Click Start
4. Turn the Screen Saver back on (if you’re not going to run a Defrag next)

 1. Turn off your Screen Saver (right click on your Desktop free space—go to Properties—on the Screen Saver tab—go to none—apply—OK)
2. Close all programs that are running
3. On the Desktop double click My Computer
Right click on Local Disk (C:)—Properties
On the Tools tab: Error-checking status—click Check Now
Select both ‘check disk options’
Click Start (You may receive a message “Disk Check could not be performed …schedule for next time you restart your system”—click Yes. Now restart your computer and Scandisk will run)
3. Turn the Screen Saver back on (if you’re not going to run a Defrag next)

 

Defragment the Hard Drive

When the computer saves data, it frequently scatters the information around different areas of the hard disk. Over time, this slows down the performance of the computer, as it takes time for the hard disk to seek out the information it needs.

Disk defragmentation rearranges the files and unused space on the hard drive so that programs run faster and files open more quickly.

Process (note: Defrag may take an hour or more to run):

Windows 95/98 Windows XP

1. Turn off your Screen Saver (right click on your Desktop free space—go to Properties—on the Screen Saver tab—go to none—apply—OK)
2. [Run the ScanDisk first]
3. Empty the Recycle Bin
4. Close all programs that are running
5. On Desktop double click My Computer
Right click on hard drive (C:)—Properties
On the Tools tab: Defragmentation status—click Defragment Now
(Note: If you have multiple hard drives, repeat this procedure on each drive)
6. Turn the Screen Saver back on

1. Turn off your Screen Saver (right click on your Desktop free space—go to Properties—on the Screen Saver tab—go to none—apply—OK)
2. [Run a ScanDisk first]
3. Empty the Recycle Bin
4. Close all programs that are running
5. On the Desktop double click My Computer
Right click on Local Disk (C:)—Properties
On the Tools tab: Defragmentation status—click Defragment Now
Click Analyse—then Defragment (if necessary)
(Note: If you have multiple hard drives, repeat this procedure on each drive)
6. Turn the Screen Saver back on

 

Other Common Problems

Simply shutting down and restarting the computer will often fix a computer problem, and is a valid problem resolution.

Please refer to Computer Security for information on protecting yourself from viruses, trojan horses, worms, adware and spyware.

 

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