When it comes to taking care of a PC, maintaining it and keeping it trouble-free, the media most often warns us about protection from viruses and back door intruders. Because of this emphasis, many PC owners fail to realize that there are many external things that can just as easily cause damage to a PC. Things in the home such as dust, humidity, water and even power surges can all cause your computer to break down.

When you bring a PC into your home, you should think carefully about where you will place it. Firstly, never keep your computer too close to the humid areas of your home; the bathroom and the kitchen especially. Humid air contains minute droplets of water which can settle on the electronics of your PC. Over time, humid air will cause rust and corrosion inside your PC, creating a host of problems.

PC owners should use a surge protector as much as possible to protect against spikes in their electrical current. Power surges are sudden peaks in voltage that happen from time to time and that can damage your computer. PCs should be plugged directly into a surge protector and then the surge protector plugged into the power outlet. If you live in an area with high lightening activity you will be at even more risk from power surges.

Since dust and moisture exist in every home, it is important to regularly clean your computer to remove any excess dust. Cleaning your computer will protect the electronics. If you see a large build up of dust around your computer fan, it is a sign that there is probably a large build up of dust inside your computer as well. To resolve this, hold the hose of your vacuum cleaner against the outside of the fan and gently suck out the dust inside.

Your computer came with quite a few useful utilities already installed. They are usually found by clicking, Programs/Accessories/System Tools. These programs were designed to help keep your computer in tip-top condition. Run these programs on a regular basis, along with a good antivirus program and firewall to give your computer a health check up. They will keep your computer humming along nicely, instead of coughing, spluttering and aggravating you by freezing and hanging in the moments when you need it most!

When you save files, they can sometimes get stored in different areas of your computer memory. A single file can potentially have parts of it stored in several locations on your computer. A fragmented file, as this is called, takes a long time to be retrieved and opened. The Defragmenter utility fixes this and places files together in one place and should be run every time you do a check up of your computer.

Often when you delete files and programs, they are not completely erased. Parts of them linger on your hard drive. The Disk Clean utility gets rid of unwanted files, which frees up memory and helps your computer to run much faster.

Aside from your system tools, an antivirus program and firewall are must haves. They do not usually come installed on your computer although, at times, you may receive a trial copy with a new computer. Both an antivirus and a firewall should be installed on your computer before you ever go on the Internet with it.

Viruses slow your computer down significantly. An antivirus program will protect your computer from infected files. A firewall protects your computer from intruders, just like a burglar alarm. Any program that tries to enter your computer through a port open to the Internet will be stopped by your firewall.

So, if your computer is playing up, don’t throw it out try the above techniques or call us and we can send out a technician who can help