Top 10 Steps to Trouble-Free Computing

1. Know Your System 
The first preventive step you need to perform is to take an inventory of your computer system. This information will be vital if you later have to contact technical support or have your system serviced. Start by noting your serial number and model number. With this information, your system manufacturer can determine the components of your system. If you've added components to your system, note the model and version numbers of the components. You'll find this information in the documentation that accompanies add-on hardware. If your system is custom built, check your invoice and the documentation that came with it. 

Beyond these basics, you need to get details of your system's configuration. In Windows, the simplest way to preserve your system configuration files is to run the Sysedit program. Click on the Start Button, and then Run. In the Open box, type sysedit and click open. This will bring up all your system files - from autoexec.bat to system.ini - in Notepad windows. From there, you can save them to a floppy disk and print them out. Right-click on My Computer and click Properties. Click on the Device Manager, then the Print button. Select All Devices and System Summary. This will print a complete listing of your hardware and drivers. 

2. Make an Emergency Boot Disk 
If your computer develops a problem that keeps it from accessing your hard disk, you need some other way to boot your system. The answer is an emergency boot disk. In Windows, you can make one with the Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Select the Startup Disk tab and click on Create Disk. In Windows 98 and higher, this will create a bootable disk that will load the CD-ROM drivers. Now, if you can't boot from your hard disk, you have a way to get your system started so you can deal with the problem. You will end up at an A: prompt, but will have access to the hard drive (Drive C:) and the CD-ROM. 

Note that Windows NT, 2000 and XP, which use a file system that does not support DOS, you will not be able to see the hard drive until you get into Windows. The Windows cd should allow you to repair the Windows installation without messing up your programs and data. 

3. Tune Your Hard Disk Regularly 
Because it is the place where you permanently store your applications and, more importantly, the data files you create with those applications, your hard disk requires special attention to keep it operating at peak efficiency. Disk scans for "lost" files and bad sectors will prevent most disk problems before they occur, while running a disk defragmentation utility will improve the performance of your system. Every day, you create new files, delete unwanted ones, and write updated versions of current files to your computer's hard disk. Because of the way Windows assigns disk space to files, your hard disk can become fragmented over time (i.e., your files get placed in pieces all over the hard disk, because there is no contiguous space large enough to hold them). A fragmented hard disk slows disk access and makes it harder to recover from disk errors. 

To defragment, use the Disk Defragmenter program by right-clicking the drive icon (Drive C:) and clicking on properties. Select the Tools tab and click the Defragment Now button. You should defrag your hard disk every six months. You should also defrag it after you have created or deleted a lot of files in a short span of time. 

Occasionally, a storage area called a sector on your hard disk goes bad. A utility called a disk scanner detects such "hard" errors and keeps a table of such sectors so that your operating system doesn't try to use them to store files. In addition, a disk scanner detects "soft" errors, where the operating system has lost track of pieces of one or more files. ScanDisk is Windows's built-in disk scanner, and it detects both hard and soft errors. You can find it on the Tools tab of the Drive properties (above the Defragment button). You should run a hard disk scan at least every month. In addition, if your computer crashes or you accidentally shut down without going through the proper shutdown procedure, run a disk scan as soon as you reboot. The ScanDisk utility is not available in Windows XP. However, you can use the Error-Checking tool in Windows XP to check the integrity of your hard disk. In My Computer, right-click on drive C, click Properties, and then click Tools. Under Error-checking, click Check Now. 

4. Store with a Plan 
You have lots of reasons to keep the files on your hard disk organized. First, it makes it easier to do "housecleaning" - deleting files you no longer need. Second, keeping data files in their own well-labeled folders reduces the risk that you will inadvertently delete an important program or data file. Finally, a well-organized hard drive is easier and faster to back up. Create folders for each program and place only the appropriate data files in them. Alternately, create folders for each member of the family. Give files and folders names that will make sense even after you've forgotten why you created them. 

In addition to organizing your files, at least every two months you should delete files you no longer need. A disk filled to within 5 percent of capacity is more prone to errors - and a lot slower - than one that is not so chock-full. 

5. Backup Your Data 
Backing up your files simply means making a copy of them so that if the original is lost or damaged, you can use the copy. You can back up your hard disk to floppies, to a Zip(r) disk, or to a CD-R. How often you back up depends on how valuable your time is. If you're working on an important file, save it to a floppy as well as to your hard disk. If you're running a business, you should invest in a CD burner, Zip(r) drive or Jaz(r) drive and back up on a daily basis. 

High-capacity removable disks, such as those you use with the Iomega Zip(r) Drive, are great for backing up a hard disk, and they can help keep down the clutter on your disk. Zip(r) Drives come with their own backup software. A Jaz(r) Drive that can store up to 2 GB or a CD burner that can store up to 700 MB of data is even better for backup, as it will keep media-swapping to a minimum. Jaz(r) drives and CD burners come with their own backup software. 

6. Keep Viruses at Bay 
Though the threat posed by computer viruses - small software programs that can harm your programs and data - is sometimes overblown in the popular press, it is still real. And as online usage grows, you'll become more vulnerable to viruses transmitted via the Internet. Virus protection software works at many levels. It can scan every disk you put into your floppy drive and check every program for a hidden virus - before you run the program. It can scan all the files on your hard disk for viruses and catch the nasty little buggers BEFORE they are unleashed from an incoming e-mail. 

There are two very important things to remember about your anti-virus software. First, make sure that the active scanning feature is running. If a virus or worm somehow gets into your computer and lies dormant and undetected, you will be protected when it decides to trigger. Second, make sure your virus definitions are up to date. At home, updating twice a month should suffice. On a business computer, update weekly and, if you have DSL, set your antivirus to update automatically. 

7. Stick with the Program 
Once you've installed a program, don't rename the program's directories or move its files from one place to another on your hard disk. If you do, your computer will likely lose track of key files. You can put your data files - the ones you create with the application - almost anywhere. If you must change the location of an application or any of its subsidiary files, you should first uninstall the application and then reinstall it. Never try to manually delete an application on a Windows system. Most applications make additions to system files when you install them, so it is best if the application has its own uninstall program. If an application doesn't come with an uninstall option, try Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. 

8. Keep Up-to-Date 
Software drivers let your applications talk to important peripherals, such as printer, scanners and display adapters. It's a good idea to check with your computer's manufacturer at least four times a year for the latest updates. The easiest way to do this is to access the manufacturer's Web site; most companies normally make updated drivers available for download. If you don't have Web access, call the vendor's tech-support number. Make sure you have the original driver on a disk somewhere before you install the new one ... just in case it makes things go berserk. 

9. Keep It Clean 
Dust can make the chips inside your computer run hotter and also clog cooling vents. At least once a year, unplug your computer, open the case, and blow out the dust. Do not wipe it with a rag; use an aerosol can of compressed air. Your mouse and keyboard will also require occasional cleaning. You can remove your mouse ball to clean it and the rollers inside the mouse. Use a commercial spray cleanser applied to a cotton swab to clean your keyboard and mouse. 

10. Shut Down Gracefully 
Windows provides a menu-driven method to shut down your computer. Don't ignore this method. Turning off power to your system while it is still running can be a disaster. Give your system the time it needs to flush caches, close files, and save configuration information before you pull the plug. Of course, if the calm, pleasant way of shutting down Windows doesn't work, be sure to take a long walk before you beat it to a pulp. Once you have removed the power, you should wait a while to turn it on again. The waiting period is directly proportional to the degree of anger and frustration you are currently exhibiting. When you turn on the computer, Windows will probably run the ScanDisk program and scold you for not properly shutting down Windows. This is a good time to verbally vent some of that anger and frustration by engaging in a dialogue with Windows about whose fault this really is and the questionable ancestry of Bill Gates and his associates.  



Article From COMPUTER TUTOR