Proper computer maitinance

Now if you ever find yourself noticing that your computer is starting to run slower ,or things of that sort, there are actual thing that are suppose to be normally done to keep your computer running as fast as it should. Now am I saying that doing these things will make your computer run as good as new with all updates freshly attached? No sadly there are just some things that are difficult to find and then fix once a computer starts to age and it is nearly unavoidable that your computer will start slowly diminishing until you need to buy a new one. But I will put up some info that will help you slow down that process.

1. Drive defragment is something that any computer owner should do once in a while; Especially defragmenting after installing many new programs or uninstalling them. If you are asking what this means then more then likely you need to do this as soon as possible. The way you do it is to go to your Computer window (meaning click start and click the option that says "Computer" not referring to the monitor...) and going to the "Properties" of the drive that you keep all of your programs on. The most common drive that this is on is the "C:" drive, unless you have installed addition memory space in which you would probably know the drive letter for that. What you want to find is most commonly in the Tools tab and will refer you a button option that mentions defragmentation. What your computer is going to do is scan all the files inside that drive and find the files that are placed within that are put in an inefficient location from where other folders that are related to it are. After that, it will organize and make it so that the computer will not have to travel as far as a distance to find info that is related to what it is trying to do, therefore making it run faster. Warning, this will take a few hours to do so you might want to start the process when you either do not need the computer for a while or before you go to sleep.

2. Cleaning your computer is very important. In most towers (the part of the computer that isn't the monitor.) there is one fan in-taking air to keep the parts cool. But through this process it also pulls in dust which can gather then slow, and or make it harder, to move the fan. Also gathered dust can cause static electricity that can fry parts (this is highly unlikely unless left unintended for a LONG time.). But many parts in a computer can be a little loose and or fragile so using a vacuum is usually not your best option, also using other things such as dusters can cause static shocks which can in turn fry information and or parts. The best way is to used canned pressurized air to blow out the dust that has collected inside the computer. Blowing air into the computer causes no static and if it knocks a cord loose just make sure to put it back to where it was. If you are still not sure then just find a computer shop or electronics store that offers cleaning service for computers. Often the services are a bit expensive (about 20 dollars) but that is because they are responsible for any damage done to the computer and are required to replace any broken parts.

3. Video card upkeep and requirements. This is only for people that have bought and had installed a new video card for their computer. Video cards increase the ability of a computer to show more vivid and fluid motions on screen which is necessary for most any games that are being made now. But what most people do not know is that most power supplies (the part inside the computer that the power plug is connected to.) can not handle running your video card at full capacity while powering the rest of your computer. It is necessary to purchase a new power supply that exceeds the wattage needed to run the video card that is inside your computer. Most stores will warn you of this and tell you that you will need it. But if you purchase one online and have it installed afterward, you will have no warning that you are exceeding the limitations of your power supply. What the computer will do is give the minimum power to the parts necessary to run the computer and give the remaining supply to the video card, making it run at partial capacity while giving the risk of parts overheating and destroying parts inside of the computer.

4. Video card heat problems. Many video cards now have fans attached to itself to keep it cool while running. But many video cards still have trouble over heating due to high activity. What you can do to make sure it is at a good temperature is to put an additional intake fan into your computer, or to make sure that the fan on the video card is running properly. Signs of overheating is sudden stops of activity on screen and or sudden color change of colors in video games. There is usually no standard way to check the temperature of your video card, but there are many programs online that can show you the temperature of most of your computer parts. If you do confirm overheating or breaking of fans on your video card, it is best to contact the manufacturer since most have warranties that cover it for a year. But if your video card is old and or there is no fan connected to your video card the best option is to buy a new one.

5. Updating your computer. Most system parts are automatically updated and are self handled, but it never hurts to make sure your computer is updating properly and that your operating system is at its latest package. Any part that you add on to your computer will have to be manually updated. If you search the brand of any part that you install they should have a section that is dedicated to updating and fixing bugs of said parts. Big ones that are missed are video cards (yes again) that are later found to be incompatible with certain games and programs and should be updated on a regular basis to avoid any problems.

I did not intend on updating this much info but oh well. Good stuff to know and to remember if forgotten. If you have any issues with the info giving or need info that is not addressed here then leave a comment.