Preventing Common Computer Problems
Posted: Tuesday, June 20, 2006
by Patty - The Computer Lady
Computer Pal
90% of your computer problems can be prevented by a good maintenance program. Computers, like any other machine, need to be maintained on a regular basis, which prevents many common problems, and, in return, prevents frustration, saves you time, money, and prolongs the life of your computer.
Within the first month of using your new Windows computer system problems can start. Receiving and sending emails, surfing the Internet, and adding or deleting programs can cause your computer to have performance issues such as:
- viruses, trojans, and worms corrupt your programs and data
- browser home page changes
- slow or no internet connection
- unexpected reboots, freezes, blue screens, pop ups, and error messages
- spyware / adware use resources creating poor performance
- loss of valuable information You need to take certain steps regularly to keep your computer running smoothly. By taking these steps you can prevent:
- Identity theft
- Frustration and aggravation
- Large computer repair bills
- Relying on friends, relatives, and computer repair technicians
- And many common computer problems The average life span of a computer is 5 to 7 years, many do not even last that long. How long your computer continues to run good depends on many things, but the most important factor is how well it is maintained. Here is a good example of what a good maintenance program can accomplish:
I bought my first Windows computer system in 1996. It came with Windows 95 on it. I was diligent about keeping it properly maintained and gave it to my niece in 2004, whom I taught to keep it well maintained, she in return gave it to her sister just a couple of months ago. This Windows 95 computer system is now 10 years old and works as good today as it did the day I got it. I have never had to repair it, and it has worked flawlessly for all this time. A good computer maintenance program need not cost any money just some of your time. This is time well spent to prevent frustrating problems and large computer repair bills. Much of what you need is already on your windows computer system. You will, however, need some 3 rd party programs such as:
- Anti Virus
- Anti spyware / adware
- Firewall (Windows XP has it’s own firewall) These programs need not cost you a lot of money, as a matter of fact there are good programs on the Internet that are FREE Some of these FREE programs are as good as, if not better than, their counterparts who charge a lot of money to purchase their programs, as well as yearly subscription fees..
By this time you may be asking yourself: “How do I know what to do to maintain my computer properly?" This is a good question as computers do not come with their own maintenance manuals. In my computer repair business I educate my customers about how to prevent common computer problems with simple maintenance. I found I was spending much of my time repeating the same maintenance information over and over again to customer after customer.
I have searched the Internet and book stores thoroughly for an all inclusive resource for my customers to refer to, and have found tips and tidbits throughout about this subject but no where did I find an all inclusive comprehensive guide to computer maintenance. If you need to know how to keep you computer in tip top shape here are some of the places you can find this information:
- Search the Internet using a search engine
- Ask your computer technician (he will probably charge you $50+ an hour)
- Go to the Microsoft web site
- Purchase a good computer maintenance manual or book Save yourself a lot of frustration, time, and money, and extend the life of your computer by preventing problems before they happen with a good computer maintenance program.
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