Back to school usually means stocking up on school supplies, clothes, and other related sundries. Many people forget to tune up their laptops and computers until school starts. I was reminded by my daughters that school is days away; so it’s a good time to run through some basic maintenance before the year starts.
Until I picked up my kids this week, I had completely forgotten it’s back to school time. Each daughter brought her laptop and desktop computer for me to prep for school. I’ll outline the basic steps I used to prepare each computer. I reminded them that summer activities like Facebook and Skype can’t happen again until June. Needless to say, I was laughed at.
No matter what anyone says, students put more mileage on PC’s than adults. College aged students rely on their laptops for everything: socializing, entertainment, and school. Generally speaking, teenagers need computers for most of the same; however, most teenage students still live at home so they have regular access to telephones and televisions.
When I was prepping my daughters’ computers for the school year I looked at a handful of things. Because I don’t see them every day I wanted to make sure their equipment was working and 100% functional before I sent them back to their Mom’s house. I’ll outline a handful of items and why they’re important.
Starting with a clean slate is always a good idea. I performed a complete virus removal on each of the machines. Running three anti-spyware software packages is a good start. I recommend SpyBot, MalwareBytes, and SuperAntispyware. Though the detection rules sometimes overlap, each has a separate method of attacking spyware.
It’s a good idea to check how current the antivirus software is. I decided to uninstall their current software and install Comodo. Though no virus software will guarantee 100% protection, adding a firewall – like the one found in Comodo – will aid in intercepting many viruses prior to actually being downloaded to their computers.
It’s a good idea to visually and audibly inspect the machines. Most important is hard drive noise. Usually a failing drive can be identified by listening for a percussive noise. Though not a perfect test, it’s usually a good indicator of failing equipment. Also, clean out fans with compressed air and make sure they’re spinning properly.
One of the little known culprits of poorly performing desktop computers is blown or popped capacitors. Capacitors basically store an electrical charge and are used in computers to regulate power. A visual inspection of a desktop computer may reveal rounded or leaky capacitors which should be replaced.
You should check your power strip to make sure it’s functioning properly. Testing simple surge suppressors is not something that most people are equipped to handle. As a general rule of thumb, surge suppressors should be replaced every couple years or after a lightning storm that causes power failure. I suggest people use UPS battery backups rather than surge suppressors. UPS will protect against both under and over voltage.
One final thought for those with students needing Microsoft Office. A few years back I discovered an alternative called Open Office. Open Office is completely compatible with Microsoft’s product; however, it’s also free. It’s a good idea to check with your school’s IT department to see if they have either a free or discounted Microsoft Office product at their disposal. You may just be surprised.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)