February 4, 2005

Annual computer maintenance

New Year’s resolutions for safer and reliable computing

By Rick Dexter
Special to the Times

If you’re like most people, you’ve already made several dozen New Year’s resolutions, refocused your goals, and are struggling with writing “2005” on your checks. I’m going to add more to your list of things to do in January—sorry. There are some basic computer maintenance items that are important to do at least annually.

Staying on top of these things will keep your system more reliable and help keep your data safer. Most people can handle these things themselves, or you can hire a computer technician to help if you need it.

First, back up all of your data to something removable like a CD or a removable hard drive. Data backup is usually the most procrastinated maintenance function, but it is also the most important. Since some programs store data in odd places, it may take effort to understand where your data is actually located. Store your backup someplace where your computer is not—in case your machine catches on fire and burns everything close by. If you haven’t backed your data up, stop reading this article until you do. Now, make a New Year’s resolution to back your system up regularly this year and add it to the top of your list of other resolutions.

Next, change all of your passwords. Go through every online account you have, particularly financial sites or sites that store credit card numbers. Use different passwords for each one, and try to use passwords that are hard to guess. Get a program like Norton Password Manager or EWallet to securely keep track of your passwords. If you have accounts that you aren’t using anymore, request that the company delete the account.

Check your antivirus software and make sure you have an active subscription. Many people install antivirus software but then don’t realize that it requires an annual service subscription or it stops working. Contact technical support of the software manufacturer to find out whether or not you are downloading regular virus definitions. Also consider installing anti-spyware software to protect your computer from Internet bugs. I’ll touch on this in more detail next month because there have been some new developments in anti-spyware technologies recently.

If you don’t mind cracking the computer case, you can do the next item yourself. If the guts of a computer make you shy, have someone else do this for you. Open up the case and then turn the machine on, being very careful not to touch anything inside the machine. Check every fan in the system to make sure it is turning properly. If any are turning slowly or not at all, have the computer serviced as soon as you can. Dead ventilation fans are a big source of random locking and component failures. Also, if you notice a large amount of dust in the computer, it would also be a good idea to have it serviced by a technician. You shouldn’t wipe or vacuum it out. Also, using canned air incorrectly can damage the machine as well. Handling dust inside the computer requires some education and the proper tools to reduce the risk of electrostatic damage. I’ll cover some of these techniques in a future article.

Finally, do some basic hard disk maintenance on your system. Use your operating system’s tools to delete your temporary files, de-fragment your disk, and check it for errors. If you don’t know the procedure, you can use your computer’s help function or use an internet search engine to find detailed instructions. These basic procedures will help speed up your system and keep it running more reliably.

Rick Dexter, founder and CEO of NDYNAMICS Network Professionals in Campbell, lives in Almaden. Dexter has over 25 years of experience designing and supporting computer networks, particularly for small businesses and startups seeking reliable and scalable IT infrastructure. If you have a computer question that you would like to have answered in a future column, e-mail it to computerconnection@ndynamics.com.