Maintenance

This section includes information about tasks you can perform to help ensure trouble-free operation of your computer, and to ease the recovery of important information on your computer if problems arise in the future.

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 third-party cleaning tools removes

 

junk files and temporary files that accumulate and slow down

 

your system. Also, check for programs you no longer need and

 

uninstall them.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

Monthly

 

 

 

Hardware Cleanup

Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of your computer.

 

 

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.

 

 

Hard Disk Diagnostic

Sometimes a failing hard disk can be caught beforehand,

 

saving you a lot of surprises in the future.

 

 

Yearly

 

 

 

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.

 

 

48Getting Started (features vary by model)