Computer maintenance

Computer maintenance is the practice of keeping computers in a good state of repair.

Computer cleaning

Computer cleaning is the practice of physically cleaning the interior, and exterior, of a computer including the removal of dust and debris from cooling fans, power supplies, and hardware components.

Backup

Main article: Backup

Important data stored on computers may be copied and archived securely so that, in the event, of failure, the data and systems may be reconstructed. When major maintenance such as patching is performed, a backup is recommended as the first step in case the update fails and reversion is required.

Disk maintenance

Disk storage, such as your hard drive, fills up with unwanted files over time. Disk cleanup may be performed as regular maintenance to remove these. Files may become fragmented and so slow the performance of the computer. Disk defragmentation may be performed to combine these fragments and so improve performance.

Dust

Dust and other cruft may accumulate as a result of air cooling. If filters are used to prevent this then they will need regular service and changes. If the cooling system is not filtered then regular Computer cleaning may be required to prevent short circuits and overheating.

Law

Computer maintenance activities are specifically exempt from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and so copies of copyright files may be made in the course of maintenance provided that they are destroyed afterwards.^[1]

Registry

Operating systems files such as the Windows registry may require maintenance. A utility such as a registry cleaner may be used for this.

Security

Main article: computer security

Service intervals

Depending on your environment computers should be serviced at least once per quarter, though monthly service is optimal. This will ensure your computers run at their peak performance.

Software updates

Software packages and operating systems may require regular updates to correct software bugs and address security weaknesses. An automated or semi-automated program such as Windows update may be used for this.

References

1. ^ Kent D. Stuckey (1996), Internet and online law, pp. 6–47 

External links

• Microsoft on Getting started with computer maintenance