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Maintenance
This section includes information about tasks you can perform to help ensure
Maintenance tasks
It is important that you perform simple maintenance of your computer to ensure that it works at peak performance.
Weekly
Software Cleanup | Using Disk Cleanup or safe |
| junk files and temporary files that accumulate and slow down |
| your system. Also, check for programs you no longer need and |
| uninstall them. |
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Defragmentation | Running Disk Defragmenter keeps your hard disk in good |
| condition, as well as improves system performance. Frequently |
| performing this task does not harm your system. |
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Virus Scan | Performing a full virus scan every week can catch anything that |
| may have slipped through unnoticed. Most antivirus products |
| have a scheduling feature to keep track of this automatically. |
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Monthly |
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Hardware Cleanup | Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of your computer. |
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Software Updates | Using Windows Updates can fix operating system bugs and |
| improve performance. Also, be sure to check for driver updates |
| for your hardware and new versions of your favorite programs. |
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Hard Disk Diagnostic | Sometimes a failing hard disk can be caught beforehand, |
| saving you a lot of surprises in the future. |
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Yearly |
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System Recovery | In time, your system may still get bogged down, depending on |
| the usage of the computer. Use System Recovery to wipe your |
| Windows operating system installation clean, restoring it to the |
| original configuration when you first powered up your system. |
| Remember to make a backup first! Before proceeding with a |
| recovery, see “System Recovery” on page 50 for further details. |
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