Health Check and Maintenance

Computers need regular maintenance checks and servicing much like a car if they are to give years of effective and trouble-less use before it's time to consider upgrading to a newer model. It's recommended you have your computer or laptop checked every 6 to 12 months.

Over time, through daily and general use - your computer can get slower and less responsive - as you install and uninstall programs, applications and widgets that sometimes leave behind redundant temporary files, registry entries and start-up programs - even though you've supposedly uninstalled the program.

A health check and tune-up entails:

• Clearing out and removing unnecessary and redundant files and registry entries that can impact operating system performance.

• Checking for any hard drive errors and memory problems. While modern hard drives and memory modules are a lot more reliable and resilient today than those a decade ago - it's good practice to check for disk errors and memory faults.
  

• A full and in-depth check for any viruses, malware, adware, spyware and rootkits - that may have been missed by your main Anti-Virus program.
• Checking for and installing any missing critical security updates and service packs for your operating system and main applications.
  
• Checking for and if necessary installing newer versions of any drivers for items such as Video Cards and Sound Cards.
• Checking for and if necessary installing a newer version of your motherboard's BIOS.
• Defraging your hard drive and registry.
• Checking and removing any unnecessary start-up programs.
  
• Cleaning the inside of your computer to remove any dust and debris. A dirty computer can be less efficient than a clean computer because the internal fans will work harder to keep the machine cool. Fans that are working above normal levels will also generate more noise.