Being Prepared is not only for Boy Scouts

Think of a library with no librarian. I’m sure you can easily come up a list of problems with this picture. Over time, books go missing or misfiled, resources slowly become out-of-date, users become more and more frustrated and eventually stop using the library. The same things tend to happen with computers if they are left unattended for long periods of time. An allocation of even the smallest amount of funds and time towards regular computer maintenance can ensure that equipment and software are used to their full potential.

As with any piece of equipment, maintenance first and foremost means keeping things clean. Here’s a simple schedule for cleaning various parts of a computer. Clean the screen weekly. Clean the mouse monthly. Clean the fan quarterly. And, annually clean the keyboard, the exterior of the computer and monitor, and the interior of the computer including the floppy drive read/write heads. Does everyone do this? No, but it doesn’t hurt to have something to strive for. The System Care Guide at www.pcguide.com has lots of good advice about this topic.

Just as crucial as keeping the physical hardware in good working order is maintaining the software and data inside your computer. You can deal with minor system errors due to regular use by scanning your hard disk for file system errors and defragmenting the hard disk. As available spaces on the hard disk become smaller, the computer is forced to break up large files and physically store them in many pieces or fragments spread out over the hard disk. The more fragmentation there is, the greater the chance for lost data. Defragmenting or defragging the hard disk reorganizes the files to minimize this fragmentation. Both of these activities can be done using tools that come with Windows. See the Help feature in the Start Menu to learn more.

Keeping data files organized and separated from program and system files can also help to ensure that people don’t accidentally delete or move the wrong files. (See the Technical Tips article on page 11 if you need help managing your files.) Your hard disk can also get cluttered with unnecessary or temporary files, especially from the Internet. If you are an experienced computer user you may want to sort through these files yourself. If not, software such as Cleansweep by Norton will do it for you.

You can prevent major system errors by scanning the hard disk for read errors and installing antivirus and firewall software. (See the utility software mentioned on Page 4.) Firewall software guards against hackers and is important if you are using high-speed, continuous access to the Internet. Antivirus software is a necessity for most people but don’t forget to update the software regularly so it will able to detect the most current viruses. Antivirus protection programs often allow you to regularly update the software through the company’s website.

While you’re securing your computer against hackers and viruses, you should also do what you can to protect against theft. If you have a choice about where to store your computers, a separate, locked room with no outside windows is the best choice. For added protection you can also buy security cables to lock computers to their desks.

All of this preparation will certainly minimize possible problems but nothing is completely foolproof. It pays to be prepared for the worst. Most importantly, back up and back up often. The Technical Tips article on page 12 describes how you can use CDs to backup your data. You may also want to make backup copies of all your original software incase they get damaged. Finally, if Windows is severely damaged you may not even be able to start your computer in order to fix or reinstall software. In this case, you will need to have a boot disk. A boot disk contains basic system files that allow you to start (boot) your computer from a floppy disk instead of the hard disk. When you have booted from a floppy then you can fix the system files on the hard disk or reinstall them if necessary. Instructions for creating a boot disk can also be found in Windows' Help. All of this may seem like a lot of work, but isn’t it worth it if it saves you the agony of dealing with any of the major problems mentioned above.

Diane McCargar, Editor