Avoid costly computer bills and extend the life of your computer

[1] If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If you are satisfied with your computer and it works and does the job then chances are it will continue to do that job for a few more years and does not need replacing. If you only use email and surf the Internet you really do not need much from your computer to achieve that. [2] Upgrading is cheaper than replacing. Most times just adding a bit of extra memory or some Windows cleanup or disk maintenance is all that is needed to restore your system back to full operating speed  or boost it for more work. Replace your big bulky CRT monitor with a thin LCD model. Not only will you find the rest of your desktop, you will greatly reduce your power consumption. [3] Check for yourself before calling an expert. Sometimes the problem can be easily diagnosed. Memcheck can be downloaded and used to check your memory which often causes blue stop screens and computer crashes when it fails. You can run scandisk with surface scan option selected to see if your disk drive is the problem. * Tip – if your computer makes ker-klunk noises when starting up or clik-clikck as you use it then you need to replace your hard drive. [4] Virus or spyware check. If you are not using a virus protection program get one and install it. For home users there are free programs like AVG or Avast for virus protection. Always ensure your virus protection is up to date and that you do a full system scan periodically. In a pinch there are also a number of online virus scanning tools you can use. An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure. Want your computer to last a long time and stay nearly as fast as the day you bought it? Maintain it and take care of it.  Here is how to do it yourself and save the premature cost of a new PC. [5] Keep it cool and ventilated. Computers generate a lot of heat. They have several fans to disperse heat away from the power supply and inside the case. <ul style="margin-top: 0in;"> <li>Do not close your computer it in a tight compartment that does not allow airflow in and through it. </li> <li>Allow at least 4-5 inches of airspace behind and where fans expel air from the case. Do not block air vents on the sides, top, or front of a case. </li> <li>For laptops always keep a book or hard flat surface under it when in use! Teenagers especially have a habit of using their laptop lying on their bed while using utube or facebook and msn chat for hours on end. They end up smothering and overheating it in their thick blankets without realizing it. When it overheats and dies shortly thereafter they claim they barely used it and that laptop was crappy and buy a better one next time. Yeah … whatever :-) </li> </ul> [6] Turn it off when not in use. Not only does this preserve wear on your computer but it saves you lots on your electric bill. A computer uses a lot of electricity so only have it on when you need to use it and turn it off overnight. There are power save options that can be set to put the computer in standby mode after a set amount of time. Standby mode will shut the computer down but preserve whatever programs may be running so they can load back up when the computer is turned back on. [7] Keep your computer at least a few inches off the floor. Small floods in the room aside the real reason is dust. A PC on the floor will pickup and suck in considerably more dust than one placed up off the floor. Carpet or hardwood or linoleum, the results are the same. Would you rather have your head laying on the floor under your bed or up on top of your bed?. Your computer needs to breathe clean air too. Tip - If you have cats or dogs you will want to keep your computer up on your desk or a shelf where hair will less likely reach it. A friend of mine went through 2 computers in 9 months before he found out that his dog was sleeping next to it on the floor and clogging it with hair night after night. (He never turned it off either) [8] Inspect and clean out dust. At least annually or more often if you have a dustier room or pets. Dust buildup allows heat buildup. Heat is a computer killer. Always shut down and completely unplug everything from the computer and take it to an open area (outside or a work/hobby room preferably) to open it up and clean it. DO NOT use your vacuum to clean the inside of your computer. A vacuum is too big and not designed for this job and can permanently damage internal parts. DO use compressed air available from any electronics or hardware depot store. Tip - If you find pet hair or excessive dust to be a concern you can use some breathable cheesecloth or ventng filter material over the air intake vents on the front of the computer. Just be sure to remove and clean the material every 8-10 weeks. [9] Disk cleanup and maintenance. Empty that recycle bin once in a while. Run disk cleanup at least once a month and remove what it finds. Tip – You do not need to compress old files unless you are running out of space on your disk. Remove programs you are not using anymore to create more space. [10] Defragment your disk regularly. A disk that has a lot of fragmentation will cause your computer to act very slow. Sometimes defragment program says you do not need to defragment at this time. Doing it anyhow will not hurt and ensures your drive is always organized and optimal. 2008-11-18T09:45:49Z

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avoid-costly-computer-bills-and-extend-the-life-of-your-computer

2008-11-19T15:50:57Z

Statistics state the average business computer lasts 3 years, laptop 4 years, home computer 5 years. This is not because they wear out. A well maintained computer can last a very long time, longer than we think.

Avoid costly computer bills and extend the life of your computer

2009-02-24T09:47:14Z