6 Maintenance
It is important that you perform simple maintenance of your computer to be sure that it works at peak
performance.
Schedules and tasks
Follow these instructions at the recommended intervals for proper maintenance.
Weekly Software cleanup Use the Windows cleaning tool or safe third-party cleaning tools to remove junk
files and temporary files that accumulate and slow down your system. Also, check
for programs you no longer need and uninstall them.
Defragmenting and
optimizing
Use the Windows tool to defragment and optimize your hard drive to keep your
hard disk in good condition and improve system performance. Frequently
performing this task does not harm your system.
Virus scan Perform a full virus scan every week to catch viruses that might 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 Use Windows Update to 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.
Windows Update Run Windows Update to install updates.
Yearly System Recovery In time, your system might still get bogged down, depending on the computer
usage. Use System Recovery to wipe your Windows operating system installation
clean, restoring it to the original configuration when you first started your system.
Make a backup of important data files before proceeding with a System
Recovery. See
System Recovery on page 13 for further details.
As needed Backing up your data Use CD or DVD recording software that is installed on your computer to create
(or “burn”) backup discs of important information, including personal files, e-mail
messages, and Website bookmarks. You can also move data to an external hard
drive.
Cleaning your computer
Use the following products to safely clean your computer:
●
Dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride 0.3 percent maximum concentration (for example,
disposable wipes, which come in a variety of brands)
●
Alcohol-free glass-cleaning fluid
●
Water with mild soap solution
●
Dry microfiber cleaning cloth or a chamois (static-free cloth without oil)
●
Static-free cloth wipes
Schedules and tasks 17
