Basic Maintenance

Basic Maintenance Tasks to Keep Your PC Error Free
A recent study has found that people’s dependence on computers has increased dramatically over the last decade. So it is now surprise that slow computer performance and frequent computer breakdowns can lead to frustration and anger among PC users.
Because of this dependence on computers it becomes even more important that you get to know your computer better. While there is no need to become an expert, a few basic maintenance tasks, if followed on regular basis, can make your life easier and keep your PC error free.
Basic Step 1: Keep your computer and work area clean and free from dust.
It is often noticed that computer users tend to concentrate more on what’s inside the PC. Slowdowns of your PC can be avoided if you keep the work area free from dust particles, as these particles can become deposited on the internal computer components and result in overheating problems. This is the reason why, it is advisable that you regularly open the PC case and clean the PC components with the help of a vacuum cleaner.
Basic Step 2: Take care to avoid power problems.
A sudden surge in power and power failures may cause your PC to crash or cause irreparable damage to the data stored on it. Your computer’s hardware may also get damaged to due to these power problems. To avoid such power damage, make sure that you install an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for your PC.
Basic Step 3: Regularly Scan your Computer for Viruses
A major threat to any PC user today is the large number of malicious software floating around in cyberspace. They not only damage files and cause errors in the system, but also have a potential to permanently delete data from your PC. Therefore, you must scan your computer regularly in order to keep your system free from such malicious content.
Basic Step 4: Update your system with the latest releases
Manufacturers of operating systems and software, release new updates, patches and fixes on a regular basis. These updates are required to ensure that any security holes or errors that have come up are taken care of. In addition to fixes, some of these updates make the operating system and software perform better, thereby improving the overall performance of your PC. Your Windows XP or Windows Vista computer comprises the Automatic Update utility that you may enable to ensure that your PC is up-to-date at all times. A few users complain of the svchost error that occurs during Windows Automatic Update. If you are a victim of this issue, you may turn off Automatic Updates and perform manual system updates on a regular basis.

Basic Step 5: Clean Your Hard Disk Regularly
It is important that your hard disk remains free from unwanted programs and files. This can be easily achieved by performing two tasks – Disk Cleanup, which removes unwanted content and Disk Defragmenter, which consolidates data on your hard disk. Both of these tools come with your Windows operating system and play a vital role in keeping your PC error free.
Basic Step 6: Scan and Repair Your Computer Registry
Several PC errors, such as DLL and runtime errors are caused by incorrect and invalid entries in the Windows registry. The registry has the responsibility to hold critical information about the software and operating system installed on your PC. To perform DLL repair and to resolve other problems on your computer, it is essential for you to regularly, scan, clean and repair your registry. To perform these tasks easily and efficiently, you may use a reliable registry cleaner to scan and clean your registry, which will perform critical tasks like scanning for errors in the registry, repairing these errors, backing up the registry, and restoring the contiguity of registry.