Give your computer a spring cleaning

 

As the weather warms up throughout Missouri, you may find yourself doing a little spring cleaning around your home. Don’t neglect your computer!

"A few simple touch-ups to your computer and other hardware can improve speed, performance and efficiency," says Scott Dean, technical support lead for Socket. He recommends beginning with the following clean-up tasks:

 

  1. Clean your computer — literally! Wipe your computer tower with a dry cloth and use a can of compressed air to clean your keyboard. Clean your screen with a household glass cleaner (unless the screen has an anti-glare coating, in which case you should follow directions in its instruction manual). For more computer cleaning tips, visit www.computerhope.com/cleaning.htm.

  2. Remove unused files and programs. Go through your desktop and document folders to delete files you no longer need, or transfer them to a disk or external hard drive. If you are using a PC, use the Add/Remove Programs tool in your control panel to delete programs you are certain you no longer need. However, be careful not to delete programs you use! If you do not recognize a program, learn what it does before removing it from your computer.

  3. Clean up your hard drive. Perform a disk cleanup to safely remove unnecessary files from your PC. Visit http://support.microsoft.com to learn how. Try searching for "disk cleanup" followed by your operating system version (Windows XP, 2000, 98, etc.).

  4. Run a virus and spyware scan. Not only can spyware and viruses rob you of your personal information, but they can also cause programs to run on your computer without your knowledge, slowing down your computer and taking up valuable memory and hard drive space.

  5. Consider upgrading. If your computer is not meeting your needs, consider adding more RAM (random access memory) or upgrading to a new computer. Visit your local computer expert to discuss these options.

 

Dean and the rest of Socket's local technical support agents are confident that by taking these few simple steps, you should see improvements in your computer's performance and speed. So even with the weather warming up, your computer will be one thing you won't be sweating over this spring!

Socket Tech Talk is provided as a service to distribute general information concerning technology-related topics. Please consult your local computer expert for information specific to your situation.