Windows Specific Maintenance

 

Relatively long session.  In class – theoretical and general explanation and some practice, in three steps: 1. around the tables explanation/discussion, 2. shared screen demo, 3. you try.  Later, you’ll get “Top 10 To Do Now” sheets that will have you straight-forwardly apply the solutions, regardless of the theory behind them.  

To be able to perform all the following functions in Windows Vista, you’ll have to be logged on to the Administrator account; I may have to connect to your computers one at a time to quickly to do so. 

 

I. Maintenance Utilities for Windows PCs – “The Big 5”  

Each of these 5 will be addressed in detail here, with the context, and theoretical explanations covered.  This will help you understand what you should be doing and why.  But if you find any of it hard to follow, that’s ok, because at the end of this document will be a “Top 10” list of straight-forward things you should do – regardless of your understanding.  

The following chart summarizes the categories, the necessity for each operating system (including Mac, just for comparison's sake), and the free and for purchase software application of choice. The (v) symbol indicates that it is not necessary, but may be done.  

 

“The Big 5 Maintenance Util.”	Needed?			Free	For Purchase
	XP	Vista & Windows 7	(Mac)
1. Registry/Directory Repair	v	v	(v)	XP/Vista: Glary Util.	XP/Vista: Norton 360 Mac: DiskWarrior
2. Virus Scanning	v	v	(v)	XP/Vista: Avira or Avast	XP/Vista: Norton 360 Mac: Sophos
3. Ad-ware/Spyware	v	(v)	x	XP: Ad-aware (Vista-Windows Defender incl.)
4. Firewall Protection	v	(v)	(v)	XP: PC Tools Firewall (Vista: Windows Firewall incl.)
5. Defragmentation	v	(v)	x	(Tool of both XP and Vista)

1. Checking the Registry/Directory of the Hard Drive /   @@

Once every couple of months you should check out the health of your computer’s hard drive.  There are two main areas that need to be addressed: 1) the “the registry” and 2) all other files.  Most importantly, the computer’s “registry” (or "directory") needs to be regularly checked and repaired – the registry is the part of the hard drive keeps track of all the other files.  Even a minor error in the registry/directory can result in a file not being able to be found - this is a big problem, which can cause a freeze or a crash.  More occasionally, all the files on the computer, not just the registry/directory should be examined to check for minor errors.   

Though you can run these applications just like any other, they work best if they are run from a disk other than your main startup hard drive; the most thorough checking occurs if you can start up the computer from another drive, or from the registry checking CD itself.  To start a PC up from a CD/DVD, hold F12 upon start-up.  

You can use a registry/directory checker once every couple of months to nip problems in the bud; and you can also use these programs as a diagnostic tool when you experience problems.

 A with many of these system utilities, DO NOT STOP CANCEL OR INTERRUPT the utility once it has started; it’s not supposed to cause problems, but it very well can.

 

2. Virus Scanning @

A virus is a program passed on to you from another computer via the Internet, a flash stick, or a CD etc., which is programmed to screw up your computer somehow. 

Viruses are mainly a Windows PC concern, but not too many years ago there used to be several viruses for Macs out there, and it could very well happen again. Part of the reason for this is that there are a lot less Macs out there than PCs, and so there are less Mac viruses, but part of it is that Macs are very much more secure. Still, though this is in the Windows only section, just to be sure, you should have antivirus software running on your Mac as well.

Everyone with a Windows PC should – and probably does - have good virus scanning software running on their computer.  But you need to make sure you have full protection selected. Also crucially, you should be automatically checking for new virus definitions at least daily. Avast (actually programmed in the Czech Republic) is a good free choice for virus scanning, and all of the big security software companies, like Symantec and McAfee offer for-pay programs.  

 To keep yourself from getting viruses in the first place, never open unknown files from unknown senders.  You should be particularly wary of unknown files that have the extension .exe or .zip, or any other compressed format such as .rar, but any file at all could contain a virus, even something as innocent-looking as a music file that seems to play normally.  (You can see a screen capture of an .exe file I caught, in the Health & Safety section of the website.)  Limit your downloading to trust-worthy sites.  If you use file-sharing services like Frostwire, be aware that you will be – at least partially – directly exposing your computer to viruses, along with spyware, and hacking.

 

3. Ad-Ware / Spyware @@

There is lots of “malware” that you have to protect your PC against.  “Ad-ware” and “spyware” (as opposed to “anti-spyware”) is software that somehow makes it into your computer, and has the intent of keeping track of what you do and/or stealing information.  A firewall is a good first line of defense (see next section), but a lot of malware will probably still get through.  Most of these kinds of programs won’t actually cause your computer harm, but they will clog up and slow down your computer; many remain constantly in memory.  XP is lacking a good malware component, but Windows Vista has a pretty good utility that addresses this issue: it’s called Windows Defender, and is found in the Security Center.  Meantime three of the best third-party applications to deal with malware are “Ad Aware”, “Zone Alarm” and cCleaner; they can be found at download.com in the category “Security & Spyware”.  You could also check the websites of other bigger security companies like Symantec, McAfee, and AVG. 

 

4. Firewall Protection @@

Good firewalls prevent your computer from being hacked into.  Whereas viruses and spyware get into your computer via files you open or download, hacking is where your computer is directly accessed by a remote user/computer without your consent or knowledge.  By hacking your computer, the hacker will be able to steal information such as passwords and financial records.  The Windows XP firewall is not enough; you should get another firewall application from one of the big security software companies such as Symantec.  The Vista or Windows 7 Firewall should be good enough without additional third-party products, but it can't hurt to enable those to, if you have them as part of an overall security package from Symantec or McAfee etc. To make Firewall exceptions in Vista, go to Control panel, Security, Windows Firewall, click “Allow a program through Window Firewall”, and click the Exceptions tab.  But note that a firewall is only useful if you use it all the time; never turn it off, and only make an exception for a particular site if it is unquestionably trustworthy, such as www.Microsoft.com or web.isp.cz.  You’ll note that the biggest hole in your defenses is if you let Frostwire be allowed through your firewall.

 

5. De-fragmenting @@

As your hard drive becomes full, files become more and more fragmented.  This process happens naturally, but if there’s too much fragmentation, it can slow down your computer, since the hard drive has to work harder and harder to piece together files when they are read.  (An analogy that sort of works here is going a long time without cleaning the kitchen – it gets harder and harder to find things, and groups of things.)  A “defrag” utility will take all of the pieces of each file and put them back together again as a contiguous area of memory on the hard drive. 

 

To de-fragment in Windows, right-click on the drive, and go to Properties, Defrag.  Only follow through with the defragmentation process if, after clicking the “Analyze” button, Windows suggests that you should defragment.  With Windows a couple of times a year should be enough; one reason why, take note, is that that occasionally de-fragmenting can cause problems.  So you always should back-up your important files before de-fragmenting in Windows.    

In Vista, it’s a right-click on the drive, Properties, Tools, Defragment.  You should then choose a regular schedule time; once a month should be fine.   

Note that defragmentation often takes quite a while.  It would be best to let it run overnight.  And, do not interrupt it before it’s finished – you may even have to disable sleep/hibernate mode while defragmenting.  

(Just for your information, on Macs de-fragmentation (called “optimization) is done automatically, so there’s no need to do it manually.) 

With Windows systems, a quick way to check most of the above is Ok is to navigate to the Windows Security Center and make sure all categories are highlighted green.  (In Vista, Control Panel, Security, Security Center.  In Windows, Control Panels, Security Center.)

 

II. Windows Application Conflicts

The above "Big 5" maintenance points will help guard your PC against viruses/malware/hacking, and miscellaneous file issues. But there is another thing that often causes Windows PCs to not work properly, and this is when there is a conflict between one or more applications. This is due in large part to the sharing of certain libraries and files, which is a common practice with PC applications.

So in this case, you will need to take things back to better times, when everything was working fine. There are three general approaches; take them one at a time in the order in which they are given here:

i. Uninstalling Applications@@

If after you install a new application you have problems you didn’t have before, it’s likely a result of the new application. (This is most often a Windows, rather than a Mac problem – Mac applications are most often safely “encapsulated”.)  So, on Windows machines, simply go to Control Panels, Add/Remove Programs. 
 

ii. Rolling Back Drivers @@@

It is possible that it’s the drivers of a recently installed application or device that are causing the problem, so it is possible to locate them and remove them.  Go Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager, right-click open properties, click on the Drivers tab, and un-install the driver you suspect of causing a problem. You may even be able to do this without uninstalling the application in question, though it may not be able to do all that it was able to before.
 

iii. Restoring the System @@@

In Windows, rather than uninstalling an entire application, or deleting individual drivers, you can go back in time to when your computer was working well, by using the System Restore capability.  This is actually not that hard to do.  From Accessories, System Tools, select System Restore, and click on a bold date back when things were ok. 

iv. Software Downloading Can Be Problematic. @@

Even before you have to deal with these kinds of problems, be aware that the more software you have on your Windows computer, the more likely you will have un-wanted conflicts with other applications.  So sticking to reliable companies and legal software is better than downloading a bunch of little-known apps.  Lots of little free task bar apps can be fun, and useful, but you download and use them at your own risk.  Completely un-install any you suspect are causing problems.

 

III. Miscellaneous

i. Up-dates and Patches

You need to keep your computer’s operating system, as well as key applications as up-to-date as you can.  In the Windows “Security Center”, make sure “automatic” is selected, and make sure that you regularly re-start your computer, so that the new patches can be installed.  With Vista you’ll know there are new updates to be installed by seeing the “security center” icon on the Shut-down button.  Meantime, whenever applications notify you that an up-date is available, get it.  But since some applications will not prompt you when up-dates are available, if a particular application is not working well, you should check on the company’s website for the latest up-dates and patches.

ii. Scheduling All of the Above

All of the above measures need to be performed regularly.  Try, if you can, to schedule all maintenance automatically.  If you have a maintenance suite such as Norton 360, it should be easy to set it up to run its utilities automatically, and regularly.  Alternatively, in Windows, you can use the System tool called Scheduler to regularly schedule the launching of the above utilities, every time you start up the computer, for example.  Go to Accessories, System Tools, Scheduler.  And don’t forget that you’ll definitely want to automatically update virus definitions for your anti-virus software every day.   

iii. The More RAM the Better

Quitting applications when you’re done with them will help conserve RAM memory, but you should also make a point of having lots of RAM to start with.  Installing new RAM is easy, and now (2011) it’s relatively cheap.  A total of 512, or 768 MB of RAM is probably about right if you often run several applications at the same time with Windows XP; 2 GB is recommended for Vista.  And if you are into gaming, or video and audio editing, you should get even more.   

Often big electronics shops at malls will have RAM, but it would be better to find a small IT specialist shop run by a friendly neighborhood Computer Geek; there’s one across from DatArt, in Sestka Mall, at the top of Evropska.  Note that rather than add RAM to a laptop, you’ll probably have to replace it, since there’s not much room for expansion slots in a laptop. Though, unlike a Mac laptop, opening up and replacing RAM is actually usually possible with a PC.  With a PC desktop computer, you could even more likely replace the RAM yourself; you would get the right kind of RAM, with the right speed, by taking your present RAM out and showing it to the shopkeeper.  But, then again, why risk damaging something in the process of upgrading your RAM; it may be just as well to pay someone who knows what they are doing.  

To see how much RAM you have in a Mac, click on the blue apple in the upper-left-hand corner of the screen, and select “About this Mac”.  And on Windows machines, in the My Computer window, under System Tasks, click “View System Information”, and you’ll see the amount of RAM listed in the General tab, under Computer.
 

iv The More Free Hard Drive Space the Better @@

- part 1: Delete Files

As with a Mac, or any hard drive based computer, it's not the size of the hard drive, rather it's the amount of free space which can limit its speed, and cause it to freeze. So the same advice regarding transfer of large files applies. One thing to mention though, is that with PC desktop computers, there's actually probably more of a likelihood that you have more than one hard drive anyway. In which case, you should make the primary hard drive (probably the C drive) as free of big multimedia files as possible.

-part 2: Use Windows Disk Quota to limit hard drive fullness @@

With Windows only, when you right-click on your hard drive, and go to Properties, you can limit how full your hard drive can get by clicking the Quota tab.  Set the maximum number of GB you will allow your computer to get; pick a number that is around 80 or 90% of how big you know your hard drive is. 

 

v. Additional Windows Optimization Tools: @@@

  There are many other software utilities that you can buy or download, which can help your computer stay perfectly healthy.  Such utilities are not absolutely required on a normal computer, but if you really want to optimize performance, they can help.  Categories include permissions-repair, disk “cleaning”, and benchmarking.  

For such optimizers and other utilities in the Windows world, log onto www.download.com and search through the “Utilities and Drivers” category.  But always be very cautious picking and downloading utilities, and stick to reliable downloading portals such as downloa.com.  And remember that the more applications you load onto your computer, whether they are good or bad, the greater the chances of applications conflicting.

 

vi Back up, Back up, Back up. @

This is similar to what was mentioned on the Mac page, but it's so important - arguably more-so for arguably more problem prone Windows machines - that I'll repeat it here:

In spite of your best efforts, it is possible that your computer will have problems.  If it’s your hard drive that crashes, you will doubtlessly lose data, though it is sometimes possible to restore some data by taking it to a computer repair shop.  But one way or the other, you should be backing up your hard drive regularly.  There are several destinations to choose from for your backups: you could create an extra hard drive partition at the time you purchase your computer*, you could purchase an extra hard drive, you could simply burn CDs & DVDs, or use on-line back-up.   On-line backup is similar to on-line storage of photos and music on sites like Picasa and Facebook, only you do it for all your important files, not just media files.  

An easy low-tech route would be burning back-up CDs or DVDs.  This is fine as long as you remember to do it.  So best of all would be to have a backup utility - as is included in most maintenance suites (like Norton 360) - prompt you, or even automate the process.  Doing it this way, you may find it most convenient to keep all your most important stuff up in one folder that you’ll back up - you can sub-divide that folder as you wish. Note that Blue-ray disks have even greater storage capacity than DVDs, if you’ll be backing up big files like videos, and have access to that kind of drive.