With the kids back in school I’ve received a few questions similar to Becky’s. She asks, “Is there regular maintenance I should be performing on my daughter’s computer to keep it running throughout the school year?” Becky, regular maintenance should include virus scans, malware scans, removing temporary files and an occasional defragmentation.
Normal repairs of the computer shouldn’t be a daunting task for anyone. I suggest a properly running machine should require no more than 15 minutes per week of to ‘behind the monitor’ time to keep it running smooth. Making sure the computer running fine for students – as well as parents – is necessary so no one becomes frustrated. If you follow these simple rules you should be able to keep a healthy computer running smooth.
I recommend the following software titles be installed on every computer: Malwarebytes, Spybot, SUPERAntiSpyware, and CCleaner. You should also have a good antivirus title installed that runs when the computer is on. Virus software should be setup so it runs continuously when the machine is running and online. This may block many online and e-mail attacks.
In the event that something sneaks around the virus software the first three titles may aid in removal of malware and spyware. The first three titles are on-demand scanners so they won’t interfere with the computer’s speed or memory. Once per week I suggest updating one of the first three titles I’ve listed and run a complete scan of your computer. When finished you should click and remove all the junk the utility finds. Every week you should pick another title and run it, rotating titles weekly. There is no need to run each one every week.
In addition to malware accumulating on your system, it’s possible that junk collected from the internet may also slow your computer. CCleaner is a great piece of software for doing so. Basically, it removes only the rubbish that collects from normal use. I have found that some viruses and spyware also hide in the temporary files and may be removed with a normal cleaning.
Defragmenting your hard drive will have a negligible effect of speeding your system; however, hard drive defragmentation should be performed monthly on any PC. In addition to reallocating files for quicker access time, a good defrag should pick up missing files, bad hard drive clusters and the like. There is nothing more annoying than finding out the night before a term paper is due that your hard drive has failed.
If any of these issues persist from week to week, or the software titles I’ve listed can’t fix an issue it may be time to seek professional help. All of the titles I’ve listed are freely available on the internet. Remember, the goal of any regimen is to catch a problem before it evolves into a nightmare.
Randy has a question about his monitor. He asks, “Why does my monitor display ‘VGA SIGNAL’ when it is plugged in and the computer is on?” The signal could either be caused from a faulty monitor or bad computer video output.
My suggestion is to try turning your computer on in VGA mode or low resolution mode to test it. After you turn the computer on start tapping the F8 key until you see the Windows options screen. One of the options will be something similar to VGA or low resolution mode. It serves as a diagnostic utility for such issues. If this doesn’t work try a different monitor and re-check your connections. You may have a bad video output signal from your PC.
Tip of the week: Window cleaner on a paper towel will keep the outside of your computer clean.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can e-mail him at remoquin@gmail.com or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)