Extremely Important Things Everyone Must Do To Keep Your Computer Running Efficiently.

I’m not selling anything I'm just giving free information in guides to making yours and everyone’s computer run better with helpful information on things tried and trusted by me, the first list of things are already maintenance things everyone is either familiar with and does or should be, and people should be doing them already.

If you do not wish to vote on this guide at the bottom as 'yes' it was helpful, then neither will others and there is no point me wasting time giving other computer information so even if you already know the information, a vote will help others.   So we will see how it goes.

The first things I'll look at are already on your computer and came with your purchased Microsoft ‘Window’s’ version, so you can also look up in the ‘Windows’ booklet which came with you version to see what I’m saying is correct, except I’m going into more detail as to why you need to carry them out.

That’s what they are there for to be used.

This will be Number 1 in a series of Computer Handy Hints I will list in my eBay’s ‘GUIDES’.
As we are all at different stages of Computer Learning I will endeavor to make it easy to follow for all and put more information in rather than leave it out.

It will not take much time for you having this information to think ‘Gee it’s not hard’ but if I do not list what things are and what exactly they do some may be a bit scared to try….

Like in this guide on 'DISC CLEANUP' some may think ‘Oh I don’t need to do this and it’s too hard to follow’ or ‘Why if it needs to be done, why doesn’t it do it automatically’      
Does you car put petrol in itself to take you somewhere ? No you have to do it.

Just Check my other ‘Guides’ to see the next in this series… which will cover:

This Page =  Disc Cleanup.
Number 2 =   Defragmentation of your Computer.
Number 3 =   System Restore.
Number 4 =   Back up Configuration and Restore.

And then depending on guide votes I may go onto Anti-Virus Protection / Other Computer Cleaners / How to get Rid of Trojans / To delete Adware / Stopping Pop Up Windows / Taskbar / MS CONFIG / Internet Exploring / Cookies / Register Mechanics, What to do when your computer shits itself etc etc.   Then more complicated issues which you can decide when and where the information is helpful to you.

SUMMARY: Consider you have 200 or more 'paper' files, 'disc cleanup' goes through and throws out all the ones you do not need or will never need again. Like say the envelopes the files where posted to you.

Defragmentation:  is like after throwing out all the old files it gathers the rest of the ones you kept and puts them neatly together with the ones you use most on top.

System restore: Is when the shit hits the fan and you have thrown out something important or a mongrel has given your computer a virus or corrupted file collapses and you want to turn back the clock to a day when it was running good.
 
Back Up Configuration and Restore: is like having 2 copies of everything so when or if something goes wrong you have another copy to rely on.

Remember when you first got your computer and it ran quickly and Internet windows opened up in a flash, and when you clicked on a folder or shortcut to a program – KaZam there it was!
Well these guides will help your computer get back to that stage, or as close as possible.

The first thing to realize though is when your computer was brand new it did not have all the things on it that it does now, be it music, photo’s, programs, files and folders etc. so you can expect a slight wait the more you add to it.

But if you do not carry out these maintenance procedures your computer will get slower and slower untill it basically grounds to a halt.

The simple things I am first going to list here below are basically what you computer needs you to do to keep it at peak performance and running efficiently.
It is sort of like when owning a car if you have no petrol or oil your not got the basics to keep it going, so this guide is a simple mechanics which all of you can do at home without being a computer tech.
Actually I know quite a few computer technicians who if you’re a person uninformed these are the first things they do and check,   except your paying them money rather doing them yourself.

Please Note: There is no rule of thumb to how often you carry out these maintenance procedures but I would advise to do print this out and do them as soon as you can and for a guide I will give a rough estimate on when each procedure and how often to do them.

On everyone’s computer as we all do different things and have different software and may surf the net more or less than others and thus up to you to remember and your own individual taste on when to carry out these procedures.   But you should do them anyway, more often than not.
These are how I do them anyway……

I also state that as there are different 'Microsoft Windows' programs and you may need to find where the 'TOOLS' are to carry out the maintenance procedures but will also try and explain for most operating systems whether Windows XP or Vista, etc etc….   You can also automate these maintenance to do them automatically at a given day, week, monthly or time etc, but to me it gives me the shits when they do as everything slows to a halt while the maintenance programs are running.

DISC CLEANUP.   Recommended to do NOW, and every fortnight or month.

What It Does:  To quickly summarize the Disc Cleanup removes your old Internet files / discarded program file downloads (not the program itself) / empties your recycle bin (If you tick the box to that) plus other crap your no longer using or will never use again…..  

When you receive an automatic ‘Windows’ update which we all do for your computer, it comes with added extra’s to help 'open the program' and 'install it,' but after it has installed it, the bits it used to open it and install it or download it are discarded junk, but still there or if it updates a program for you, some of the older parts of the program it doesn’t use anymore is junk, so the disc Cleanup gets rid of the old junk.  This saves space on your computer disc and makes it run better.

Click on your START button, (bottom left of screen) then ALL PROGRAMS find & click ACCESSORIES, Click SYSTEM TOOLS (This is where most of your maintenance programs will be found for future use in this guide)
Click 'Start', point to 'All Programs', point to 'Accessories', point to 'System Tools,' and then click Disk Cleanup.
A window pops up saying ‘Select the drive you wish to clean up’ or do you wish to clean up your disc now’ – Click 'Yes.'

It will now run through and work out what crap has been left and you do not need and will never need and tell you the amount of 'disk space' this crap is taken up.
It is up to you to decide which boxes to TICK to get rid of different itemized programs etc.

NOTE: You do not need any of them at all now nor never, they are left over things your computer doesn’t need so click all the boxes, the only real decision you need to make is if you wish your recycle bin to be emptied, if there maybe photo’s or other things you think you may need just not tick the recycle box in the window.

You can also choose to 'click to view the files' it will clean up, which you will not know what they are as they are what's called memory dumps and old error files etc, so just click 'OK.'

Also on this window there is an ‘OPTIONS’ TAB on the top which has in it ‘Features And Programs’ and says you may clean up more space on your disc by removing and programs you do not use….  NOTE: These are the guts and full versions of your whole individual 'programs and downloads' etc. you use or have downloaded or came with your version of 'Microsoft Windows.  

You can click on that and also delete programs you don’t use anymore, say for instance you downloaded ‘Google Earth’ (only an example)  and/or you do not use the 'Windows Media Player' If you don’t use it delete it as it's taking heaps of space on your hard drive but make sure you do not wish use them as you will have to download them again or re-install by putting in the appropriate disc to recover the programs.

It’s a good idea to not delete anything you do not know what it is but if as I said you downloaded a program like ‘Google Earth’ for instance and you know what it is and will never use it, you might as well delete it as it’s taking up space and more than likely slowing your computer and wanting to download crap when you are unaware.

Another 'TAB' in that is 'Options' is ‘SYSTEM RESTORE AND SHADOW COPIES’ you can click the 'CLEAN UP' button on this as this is either old restore system files or shadow files your computer is keeping, where either you manually saved or 'Windows' automatically is updating files to your computer.

 Eg: It may have 20 –100 different restore points or more or less on your computer back up to a previous date if something ever goes wrong like the files become corrupt and you need to back date your computer to a previous time (which I will go into later if not in another guide on eBay) but you really only need the last one as it was running okay then so you can delete the older ones.   It will keep the most recent one so don’t worry.  There is no real need to keep back up files say to the first time you used the computer from now on.

'Shadow Copies' are like when you make a folder and say place 2 pictures in it, then the computer saves that at that time, but now you may of moved, deleted, or added pictures to it but it still keeps this in it’s memory when it only had the 2 pictures...   You don’t need them.

Like if you have ever had to back date your computer due to a virus or corrupt file after you back date it those old files and programs re appear that you deleted ages ago.

So now you know why and what the DISK CLEANUP does and where to find it, so all you need to do is remember to do it now and again.
If I get good rating for this guide I will next explain Computer Defragmentation and why it is necessary to do it and so on and so forth to help you and others, you can also contact me with any computer problems.
All the best,
Regards,
Gary Palmer – (Possum)