Hard Drive And Operating System Maintenance
Over time, hard drives will access data at slower rates. This is because as the hard drive fills up, it is necessary to fragment the file to store it on the disk.
Fragmentation occurs when a large file is split up into much smaller and more manageable chunks to be stored due to the location of available space is at on the hard drive. The more a file is split, the longer it takes for your computer to access and read it.
To counteract this, a user may use a utility that takes these fragments and reorders them so they can be read sequentially from the disk. This utility is built into the Windows Operating system and is called the Disk Defragmenter.
On windows Vista or Windows 7, left click the start button, put your mouse in the white box above the start button and left click and just type in disk defragmenter as you type the area above should narrow your search down; when you see the disk defragmenter in the list you may stop typing and left click it to run it. Here you can click the C Volume and press Analyze. This will review the hard drive and determine is it needs to be defragmented.
On windows XP left click start, then left click all programs, left click accessories, left click system tools then left click Disk Defragmenter.
Word of caution—it can take a couple of hours to complete a disk defragmentation, so it would be wise to perform this when you do not need to use the computer for a while.
As time passes and you add more and more pictures, movies, documents, backups, etc.—your hard drive may begin to reach capacity. As a rule, you want to make sure your hard drive has at least 10 percent total space free.
To check your disk utilization, left click start, left click computer, right click the C: Drive then left click properties in the popup menu that appeared when you right clicked. If the blue area of the pie graph looks like it is taking up 90 percent or more of the area, you should clean up your disk.
You can free up some space by removing certain leftover files that accumulate as you browse the internet, as your computer is updated through windows update, and the restore points it makes to aid recovery in the case of a crash.
After you finish, you should probably copy your pictures and movies to another disk to free up more space. There is a utility that helps do the former called Disk Cleanup. In Windows Vista or Windows 7, you can left click start, left click the white area above your start button and just start typing Disk Cleanup once you see it pop up in the list above, left click Disk Cleanup. In Windows XP, left click start, left click programs, left click accessories, left click system tools, and then finally left click Disk Cleanup.
Give it a moment to figure out what it can do. It can take several minutes to scan your system. In the next window, left click the empty boxes next to temporary files and recycle bin, then you can left click the more options tab at the top. Left click Clean Up in the system restore area to clean out your system restore files. Then left click Disk clean up once that is done, and then left click OK. This will take a while but should free up space to give your computer that breathing room.
As time passes, a computer will accumulate dust. It is actually somewhat of a dust magnet and if you have pets this issue is far worse. This dust, if left alone, can cause computer problems. Eventually a computer might even start shutting down randomly because it is no longer getting proper airflow. Dust or pet hair can block vents, heat sinks, and even just collect on the board itself.
Once every six months at minimum, a user should clean out his or her computer. Before you clean the computer, make sure it is unplugged (not just turned off). For desktops, you will need to unscrew the side of the case by removing the screws in the rear of the case that attach to the side panel away from the motherboard. That is the panel opposite to where you plug everything in. If you need help understanding this process please talk to a computer professional. After removing the side panel, use a can of compressed air to blow the dust out of the case. Be careful not to turn the can of compressed air upside down, as it will start spraying propellant that can freeze any surface it contacts. Also, you need to make sure you use quick short blasts of air from the can. Do not press and hold the can of air too long as the longer it is releasing air the colder the air becomes which as mentioned can freeze any surface it contacts. Make sure you blow off any visible dust, especially around the computers fans. When you are done, put the side cover back on and screw it back in. Then plug the computer back on.
For laptops, cleaning the dust out is much simpler. You do not need to remove a side panel or a cover to kick the dust out but the dust is far harder to see. Dust collects on the inside of the fan underneath your laptop. Make sure you have disconnected the power and removed the battery before starting this process. Close the laptop lid and turn the laptop upside down, then turn it away from you so you are looking at the backside of the laptop. On the back right or left side you will see a plastic grate with a metal grate behind it. Focus the can of compressed air into each slot on the back of the laptop. If dust has collected, you will see it being expelled underneath the laptop. Keeping the air passageways clean will help keep your computer running longer, and reduce wear on the parts of the computer, and as above be careful when using the can of air so that you do not freeze any of the parts as you spray.
In the next issue, we will discuss software maintenance and how to approach that aspect to keep your machine running at tip-top condition. As always, if you have any questions you would like answered send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and we will do our best to answer them.
