Tech Geek and More

Like your car, your PC benefits from regular maintenance. But you don’t need a tech to maintain your computer – all of the maintenance is easy enough that you can easily do it yourself.  The following recommended maintenance procedures can help protect against the most common causes of system crashes, slow performance, and lost or damaged files. Many of these steps can even be set to run automatically.

PC Procedures

• Clean up temporary files
• Defragment your hard drive
• Check for disk errors
• Backup
• Software Updates
• Virus and malware protection

Clean up temporary files

Microsoft recommends that computers running the Windows operating system should have the temporary files cleaned weekly.

Windows Vista / Windows 7

1. Open Task Scheduler by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Task Scheduler.‌ (Administrator permission required. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.)
2. Click the Action menu, and then click Create Basic Task.
3. In the Basic Task Wizard, type a name for the task and an optional description, and then click Next.
4. To select a schedule based on the calendar, click Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or One time, and then click Next.
5. Specify the schedule you want to use, and then click Next.
6. Click Start a program, and then click Next.
7. Click Browse, type cleanmgr.exe in the File name box, click Open, and then click Next.
8. Click Finish.
9. When the program starts (as scheduled) select the boxes in the Files to deletelist and click OK. If prompted, click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. Right-click Local Disk, and then click Properties.
3. On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. Disk Cleanup will spend a few minutes examining your disk.
4. The Disk Cleanup dialog box will appear. Select each of the check boxes in theFiles to delete list, and then click OK.
5. When prompted, click Yes. Disk Cleanup will spend several minutes removing these files, which will provide you with more space.
6. If you have more than one hard disk drive, repeat this process for each hard disk drive listed in My Computer.

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Defragment your hard drive

Microsoft recommends that computers running the Windows operating system should be defragmented weekly.

Windows 7

1. Open Disk Defragmenter by clicking the Start button. In the search box, typeDisk Defragmenter, and then, in the list of results, click Disk Defragmenter.
2. Click Configure schedule....
3. In the Disk Defragmenter: Modify Schedule dialog box, choose how often, which day, what time of the day you want defragmentation to occur, and which drives, and then click OK.
4. Click OK again.

Windows Vista

1. Open Disk Defragmenter: Click the Start button, click All Programs, clickAccessories, click System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click Modify schedule….
3. In the Disk Defragmenter: Modify Schedule dialog box, choose how often, which day, and at what time of the day you want defragmentation to occur, and then click OK.
4. Click OK again.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click Scheduled Tasks.
4. In the Scheduled Tasks window, double-click Add Scheduled Task.
5. In the Scheduled Task Wizard, click Next.
6. Click Browse.
7. In the File name box, type %systemroot%\system32\defrag.exe, and then clickOpen.
8. Under Perform this task, click Weekly, and then click Next.
9. Set the time and day of the week you would like to defragment your hard drive. For best results, choose a time when your computer will be on but you will be away from it, and then click Next.
10. If prompted, type your password in both the Enter the password and Confirm password boxes, and then click Next.
11. Select the Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish check box, and then click Finish.
12. In the Run box, add C: to the existing command. Make sure you include a space before the “C:”. Then, click OK.
13. In the Set Account Information dialog box, if prompted, type your password in both the Password and Confirm password boxes, and then click OK.

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Check for disk errors

Microsoft recommends that computer running the Windows operating system should be checked for disk errors weekly.

Windows Vista / Windows 7

1. Open Task Scheduler by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Task Scheduler.‌ (Administrator permission required. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.)
2. Click the Action menu, and then click Create Basic Task.
3. In the Basic Task Wizard, type a name for the task and an optional description, and then click Next.
4. To select a schedule based on the calendar, click Daily, Weekly, Monthly, orOne time, and then click Next.
5. Specify the schedule you want to use, and then click Next.
6. Click Start a program, and then click Next.
7. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\chkdsk.exe.
8. Select chkdsk.exe, and then click Open.
9. Click Finish.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click Scheduled Tasks.
4. In the Scheduled Tasks window, double-click Add Scheduled Task.
5. In the Scheduled Task Wizard, click Next.
6. Click Browse.
7. In the File name box, type %systemroot%\system32\chkdsk.exe, and then click Open.
8. Under Perform this task, click Weekly. Then, click Next.
9. Set the time and day of the week you would like to run Check Disk. For best results, choose a time when your computer will be on but you will be away from it. Click Next.
10. If prompted, type your password in both the Enter the password and Confirm password boxes, and then click Next.
11. Click Finish.

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Backup

Lets start by saying out loud, “COMPUTERS AREN’T PERFECT, THEY BREAK”. Seriously you could get a corrupt file, the motherboard, power supply, hard drive could fail. If you are walking with a laptop or a tablet, you could trip, drop it and have it break (Seriously that happens everyday). Having a good and valid backup can save you at a minimum your time and headache. Sometimes things on a computer are just irreplaceable. I guess your going to have to take the entire family on vacation back to Florida (or insert the location of your last vacation here), or you will have to ask your son/daughter to recreate their 1st baby steps (which will be awkward if they are now teenagers).

There are many ways to back up a computer. Files can be manually transferred to a storage device such as an external hard drive, or uploaded to an online storage facility. Files can be backed up individually or as an entire system. Software for performing backups can be downloaded for free or a very low-cost, may be part of a software suite, or included with a hardware backup utility. The option that will work best for you will depend on your needs and the importance of your files.

Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 all contain a built-in backup utility. Information on using it is available from Microsoft.

• Windows 7 Backup and Restore (http://www NULL.microsoft NULL.com/windows/windows-7/features/backup-and-restore NULL.aspx)
• Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center (http://www NULL.microsoft NULL.com/athome/setup/backupdata NULL.aspx#fbid=XO1uUr73nGQ)
• Windows XP Backup (http://support NULL.microsoft NULL.com/kb/309340)

These backup utilities allow you to your data to an external drive.  However keep in mind one other thing about backup files, they are only good to you if you have access to them.  There are many people who only backed up their files to an external hard drive. Keep in mind that your house could be broken into.  I happen to know someone who was affected by just such a scenario, where the crooks not only stole the computer but the external hard drive with the backup files. Another problem with only having a local backup is fire. 1000′s of homes catch fire every week, if you house happens to burn down, it could damage or destroy your only backup source. In both of these cases, we hope that neither ever happens, but you really do have to plan for the worse.

The recommendation for backup is to have 2 backup’s for any file that is considered critical.  One backup locally and one backup on an online backup service.  There are many services out there with the 3 most known ones as Mozy (http://mozy NULL.com/), iDrive (http://www NULL.idrive NULL.com/?p=techgeekandmore), and Carbonite (http://www NULL.carbonite NULL.com/en/). If you pick one of these 3, you will be well served, however, my vote goes to iDrive (who is a Tech Geek and More sponsor).

I have used iDrive for both my personal use and for Tech Geek and More backup long before they became a sponsor of Tech Geek and More and I can honestly say that there has never been an issue, I have never had a problem.

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Software Updates

Performing software updates is a critical part of maintaining a well-functioning computer. Many new software programs perform updates automatically. For those programs that do not, a manual update can generally be performed by selecting an update option under the program’s Help menu or by downloading and running an update from the manufacturer’s Website.

By default, the Windows operating system automatically performs updates. However, this option can be turned off and/or it may become necessary to perform a manual update (e.g., before installing new software). To install Windows Updates:

Windows 7

1. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button. In the search box, typeUpdate, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.
2. In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.
3. If you see a message telling you that important updates are available, or telling you to review important updates, click the message to view and select the important updates to install.
4. In the list, click the important updates for more information. Select the check boxes for any updates that you want to install, and then click OK.
5. Click Install updates.
6. Follow on-screen instructions as necessary. *

Windows Vista

1. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update.
2. In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.
3. If any updates are found, click Install updates. (Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.)
4. Follow on-screen instructions as necessary. *

Windows XP

1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update. (Note: Windows updates will only run in Internet Explorer. If another Web browser is set as the default, copy and paste the URL into Internet Explorer.)
2. Click Express (Recommended).
3. Click Install Updates.
4. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. *

* NOTE: The update procedure may need to be run more than once to install all updates. Always run Windows Update until you get a message telling you that you have 0 (zero) updates waiting.

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Virus and malware protection

Computer viruses and malware are not the same thing – even if they cause similar problems. Tech Geek and More recommends installing both anti-virus and anti-malware software.  For starters lets review the Terminology

Virus

A virus is a piece of computer code that attaches itself to a program or file so it can spread from computer to computer, infecting as it travels. Viruses can damage your software, your hardware, and your files.

Worm

A worm generally spreads without user action and distributes complete copies (possibly modified) of itself across networks. A worm can consume memory or network bandwidth, thus causing a computer to stop responding.

Spyware

Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. It can overload your system and shutdown other services.

Trojan Horse

A Trojan Horse is a computer program that appears to be useful software, but instead compromises your security and causes a lot of damage.

Malware

Short for malicious software. Malware is software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus or a Trojan horse. Many times your computer will tell you give you signs of an issue, the same way that your body gives you signs when a cold or flu is settling in, a computer gives you signs when it is getting sick (infected).

Typical signs that your computer has an infection 

• You have a lot of pop-up windows when visiting the web or just logging on to your system.
• Your homepage has changed to a different site. The site is never a major website (ie- google or bing) but instead its a site that will claim to save you money or offer free items.
• You notice a major drop in system performance.  When you opened your browser yesterday it took 30 seconds to open, today its taken 2 to 3 minutes.
• Your anti-spyware or antivirus utility stops working.  When you try to check it, the software will appear like it has crashed or like it isn’t even installed.
• You go to search for things and your search page has changed.  You start a search on your normal search engine (ie – google or bing) and the results appear on a page that looks nothing like the page you started on.
• New items appear in your favorites or new “random” toolbars appear on your browser.  Again most of these links will be offering to save you money or free items.

Keep in mind that in many cases there are no signs and it is running silently recording your actions.

Recommended AntiVirus / AntiMalware Software

If you are looking for FREE options, Tech Geek and More suggestions the following

• SuperAntispyware
• Malwarebits
• Microsoft Security Essentials

The easiest way to install these 3 items is to visit the Ninite (http://www NULL.Ninite NULL.com) website, and select all 3 items toward the lower half of the screen under the Security section, followed by selecting download at the bottom of the page. Ninite allows you to install programs without any unnecessary add-on’s.

In closing it is important that I mention what I said at the earlier in the post, ”COMPUTERS AREN’T PERFECT, THEY BREAK”. Giving your computer regular maintenance and having a backup are ways that you can minimize the possibilities of a MAJOR HEADACHE in the future.

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