Maintaining Your Personal Computer

1. Safety First!! - Protect your computer from viruses and spyware.

Many
PCs will come with a free trial version of an Anti-Virus Software.
However, once this trial expires, what should a basic home user do?

It
is very common for people to either choose to go without Anti-Virus, or
to pay for a subscription to Norton. However, Norton produces annoying
pop-ups and warnings, and also takes up so much of a computer's RAM
that it will actually slow down the PC's performance.

I recommend
AVG's Anti-virus. It is a free program that provides very sufficient
protection for your computer. It can be downloaded at the link below.
AVG should be updated and a scan should be performed AT LEAST once a
week.

Additionally, you must protect your computer from spyware.
According to Microsoft, "Spyware is a general term used to describe
software that performs certain behaviors such as advertising,
collecting personal information, or changing the configuration of your
computer, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent
first." It can be very harmful and is commonly overlooked when basic
users are protecting their PC.

A very useful program to sweep
your system of spyware is Spybot Search & Destroy. It is also a
free program and can be downloaded at the link below. It should be
updated and a scan should be performed once every couple of weeks.

2. Don't make your hard drive work too hard.

Like
any car or home appliance, a computer's hard drive will suffer from
"wear and tear." You can usually expect a hard drive to last 4-5 years
but that can be greatly increased by giving your hard drive the
occasional tune up.

The first step of doing this is running the
Windows Disk Cleanup Tool. This is done by clicking Start --> All
Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Disk Cleanup. It
will scan your computer, and provide you with a list of files you can
choose to remove. This will remove any files on your computer that may
not be needed and are simply taking up space. Disk Cleanup should be
performed approximately once a month for the average user.

Next,
you should run the Disk Defragmenter. The hard drive can become
fragmented with a greater frequency of new software installations,
internet downloads of movies or music, or simple creation of files.
Fragmenting of a hard drive occurs because all files are stored in
sectors and when a file is opened a needle has to find all parts of
that file on the hard drive. When a file is created it won't be one
large package, but many small packages that make up the whole. When
these packages are stored, they will be placed in the first open area
on the hard drive. If a hard drive is fragmented, the packages will not
be placed together and will force the drive to work harder to build the
file. This can decrease both the lifespan of the drive and the speed of
your computer.

Defragmenting simply places all of the files in a
position that relieves the stress on a hard drive. It can be done by
clicking Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System
Tools --> Disk Defragmenter. You can then click analyze in Windows
XP and it will give you a response on whether or not you should
defragment. Windows Vista now allows you to schedule how often you
would like to defragment. This should be done AT LEAST quarterly for an
average user but might need to be done more often for some.

3. UPDATE!!

Windows
allows a user to permit automatic updates, so take advantage of it.
This can be done by clicking Start --> All Programs --> Windows
Update. It should be set to automatic so that you can be as up to date
as possible on the built in security measures that windows has already
installed.

It is also a good idea to check on updates for any
programs that you have installed. This is not necessarily needed but is
recommended to get the most out of your programs. It can usually be
done by opening the program and then looking for "Update" in the Help
Menu.

4. Do Some Spring Cleaning

All computers have
fans that encourage air flow through the tower to ensure that the
processor runs at a cooler temperature. Dust and pet hair can clog
these vents and overheat your processor. This must be cleaned to
prevent a very expensive repair. Every computer technician has a story
about a computer that they opened up and everything was caked in dust.
Don't let this be you. It may be intimidating to some to open up the
computer's case, but it is quite simple.

Go to your local PC shop
and purchase a can of compressed air, which will only cost a few
dollars. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS UNPLUGGED!! Open up your computer's
tower. It should only be a couple of screws but if you can't figure it
out then you probably shouldn't open it in the first place. Use the
compressed air to remove any of the dust on the motherboard, fan and
processor. Close everything back up and you are all done.

You can
also use the compressed air to clean your keyboard. Use alcohol and a
soft cloth to clean your monitor's screen. You can also purchase a
CD-ROM Cleaner that will clean your drive. It is basically a felt cd
that is put in the drive to clean the optical lens.

Follow these steps and you will greatly increase the performance and longevity of your computer.

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Make It Work Even Longer

I believe notebook users alike are having the same problem of fast
battery consumption (myself included). I've been tweaking around lately
and I think I should write this post to share with those who might be
having the same problem like me and most importantly how to overcome
it. There are 10 things to note for you to maximize your notebook
battery usage.

1) Regular Defragmentation - Defragmentation is like arranging your files in order.

Example:
When you go to a library, the book that you are searching for will be a
bit faster if it is arranged from the A to Z alphabetical order and in
their numbering code system. This way you will also save time and
energy to search for the book.

The same principal also applies to
the notebook. Regular the defragmentation process will result in less
time and energy (battery usage) used by the notebook computer system.
This will eventually lead to a longer battery life.

2) Lower Contrast - A dimmer screen means less battery usage used by the notebook LCD.

3) Use Programs Only When Necessary
- We tend to use and open programs files which we sometimes may not
need to access so frequently. Stop or exit running programs and
applications like Messenger and Skype if you are not using them at that
particular time. Most of the quick launch programs that appear that the
bottom right hand of the screen are background running services which
will use battery energy. Multitasking of programs will eventually lead
to a fast consumption of battery usage.

4) Minimize Usage Of External Devices
- USB thumbdrives, portable hard disks and any notebook peripheral
connected to the USB/1394/Firewire ports will take up battery power.
Less usage of these devices means conservation of energy to your
notebook's battery.

5) Put More Physical RAM - By
increasing your RAM, you can save CPU usage and hence save your battery
energy. Some might argue the fact with an increase of RAM this will
lead to more battery energy being transferred to the RAM. Well in the
other hand I believe with added RAM, applications will run faster and
the Virtual Memory is normally utilized by the CPU will take less
battery power and will prevent you getting symptoms like "system
hanging" which also simply input to both the user's frustration and
battery usage in energy.

6) Run From Hard Disks - Try
creating a virtual drive from programs such as Nero, PowerISO or
Alcohol 120%. By running these programs on a virtual platform, we
minimized the usage of optical drives like the CD or DVD drive which
take a lot of battery energy.

7) Battery Maintenance -
Keep battery contacts clean on interval. Clean the contacts with
rubbing alcohol after 2 to 3 months of usage. This will allow efficient
battery energy to flow through the notebook. Remember also to use the
notebook while on battery mode at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. This
should refresh the batteries Li-Ion components from discharging
effects. Keep them healthy by charging and discharging them to the
fullest once in every 2 to 3 weeks.

8) Hibernation Mode -
Hibernation mode is much more recommended than the Standby mode. Why?
Hibernation will save your notebook settings from where you left off,
and completely shut down the notebook thereafter. You can resume your
work by just touching the "On/Off" power button.

9) Cooler Environment
- We all know temperature is a major factor in PC computing especially
when it comes to the notebook. With a cooler environment, cool air will
make your notebook work more efficiently. That is why most internet
cafes that are set up these days are air-conditioned.

10) Tweak Power Options
- The Control Panel provides options for you to change the power
settings. Via the Power Settings in the Control Panel, select the
"Laptop battery mode" or "Low Power" to reduce energy usage.

If all of the above steps lead to a failure result, it's time for you to get a better notebook.

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Laptops in 2008 for Students

Students are going to school by the millions every year, and are so unfamiliar with off the details of finding the right tools to help them with their education.

So I have created a great article with some information on how to find the right laptop to use as a educational tool. Many students these days have tons of of responsibilities and deadlines to be so how could they fix their dilemma and make things easier for them.

Well, first they should look for the right laptop, which has a portable battery and auxiliary backup.
A portable laptop will make carrying the information that they need for school easier and more accessible and classes. My personal selection for a laptop would be to get something that has 1 GB or 2 GB of memory and have the windows XP home edition available for operational systems.

If you were to get a laptop with the gigabyte and windows XP home edition then you should be on the right track to getting the proper laptop for school.

Next I would suggest making sure that you have access or your computer should or will allow you to get spyware uploaded to the program. Having spyware protection is very vital to your protection on the Internet and any other type of online venture. I hope that this information is able to help you in the first steps to getting your educational tools to start college with, and you will be able to protect your information from the cyber thieves online.

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Find Computer Monitor

It's never really a good idea to buy cheap computer hardware because you're on a tight budget. You'll end up paying twice more for equipment that will probably be obsolete within the next month or so after you buy it. Worse, they could fail in about 6 months or even less. With this in mind, buying a reasonably priced monitor with excellent specifications is a better idea.

Don't look at the price tag! That's the best suggestion you will receive from any smart shopper. It's not how much you can initially save, but the amount that you'll be saving in months, or even years, to come. Quality, energy efficiency and durability; these are what you should be after. Take monitors for example. Are you planning on buying a CRT or LCD monitor? CRT or Cathode Ray Tube monitors are more affordable; however they are bulkier and heavier. They also consume more electricity. An LCD Display on the other hand is a more expensive solution but these are compact and lighter, thus space efficient. The LCD or Liquid Crystal Display exhibit sharper and clearer images and is also energy efficient. Honestly, the LCD though initially more expensive, will outlast and outshine CRT monitors. Keep in mind that monitors are one of the most important parts of a computer that you should invest in. So when shopping around, look for the monitor you'll least likely to upgrade. A bigger one perhaps, or one with better resolution. Also consider how long you plan on using the monitor as well as its location and uses in your home.

The more popular brands include Viewsonic, Philips and LG. Amongst the 3 mentioned, Viewsonic is considered by many to be the top manufacturer of LCD Monitors. But this title doesn't come cheap, thus the price tags on their LCDs.

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