computerbob1's Journal

Computer Tune-up Tips

It is almost Spring, did you know you can do some spring cleaning on your computer?

If you have Windows XP or Vista, I want to share some computer tips I use to help my clients tune-up their computers themselves after a little help and instruction. The tips and software are free so if you try to download them and it asks you to enter payment info, then you may have clicked on the wrong button. Back up and try it again.

I follow a newsletter from Kim Komando and that is where I get a lot of my computer skills to help others. If you are interested, sign up to her weekend news letter and try to read them when you can. Just skim thru and look for something that makes sense to you and eventually you will find something that helps.

Here is her web page

http://komando.com/

Using her instructions I put some tune-up programs on my client’s computers and tell them to run them once a month to keep their computers running better.

1. Download this program called CCleaner at

http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

Once CCleaner is installed, close all the open programs and internet you have open. Run CCleaner and you will see choices down the left side. Choose Cleaner and run this to clean up useless temp internet files and cookies and empty your Recycle Bin and other trash removal. No important files will be lost.

Next click on the Registry button and follow the instructions to clean your Windows Registry. You will get an option to save the current registry for safety, this is a good idea. Then run and clean the registry at least 2 times, more if it keeps finding things.

One of the biggest power stealers on our computers are the programs that pre-start when you turn on your computer. The programs run in the background and waste your computers power. The next button in CCleaner is in Tools. Click Tools, Click Startup. The list that appears on the right is all the programs that run in the background. Some need to run so you can’t turn all of them off but you can selectively turn off (disable) some like Adobe reader, printer ink monitors, yahoo messenger, MSN messenger, and Office. All of these programs can be started when you want to use them but if you don’t use them every time you run your computer then don’t let them start and waste your computer power. You may see programs you don’t ever run. Write down the name of them and search Google to see what they are and turn them off later if they don’t matter. And if the next time you start your computer and something doesn’t work like it should go back to CCleaner and turn it back on.

Close CCleaner when you are done cleaning the registry. Be aware that later when you open it to use it next month, it may say there is an update so you can download it if you like. I only update every couple of months.

2. Then run your anti-virus program all the way thru. (Sometimes it doesn’t get a chance to start and finish before people shut off the computer). Open your anti-virus program, make sure it is up to date and tell it to scan your computer.  If your antivirus program came with your computer and your computer is older than a year, it is likely outdated and not protecting you properly. Contact me by message for help to download a free antivirus program to get you protected. (I had a client last week whose antivirus program came with her computer when she bought it in 2005. It stopped fully protecting her in 2006. Her computer was running so bad and had Trojan infections so I had to erase everything and reinstall and her bill was over $150).

3. Next run the Windows Defrag program.

·        Click the start button,

·        then All Programs,

·        then Accessories,

·        then System tools,

·        Then Disk Defragment.

Run the defrag on your C: drive. It makes your computer run faster after it has completed. It can take an hour or more to run this the first time. Turn it on and walk away. (I believe Vista left the Defrag program out in it initial release so use Smart Defrag instead. Get it free here: )

http://download.cnet.com/Smart-Defrag/3000-2094_4-10759533.html?part=dl-6271865&subj=dl&tag=button&cdlPid=11006601

That's it, you are tuned up. Restart your computer. Repeat this Tune-up once a month or more and you will see an improvement in your computer’s speed.  Now it is not necessary to run all this in one day. You can do one a day over several days in the sequence I have listed. Most are such that you can start them and walk away and finish them when you come back to check on them.

If your antivirus program doesn’t clean/remove adware and spyware then add this program to the list (as number 3 and make Defrag number 4) before you Defrag your computer. It is called Ad-Aware Download it from:

http://download.cnet.com/3001-8022_4-10045910.html?spi=fba023c16352c17118394094009bda19

If you decide to try this, let me know your success or if you have a problem. Tell your friends but don’t tell your computer service guy about this because he would rather charge you $45 or more to do it for you. There are others ways and programs that will do this type of tune-up and if your budget is bigger than your computer skills, there are some you can buy that will run automatically but often they are always running in the background and guess what, they rob power from the computer.

Thanks for reading this and have a nice Weekend!

Bob