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Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close to ... - 11/10/2006 12:13:38 AM

FelinePersuasion

Posts: 4792
Joined: 11/20/2004
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aside from getting a really good model and one sufficient and almost more than sufficient for needs, Wht are some tips to keep a pc running smoothly and like new for as long as possible besides, defrag and daily to almost daily spyware cleaning and not loading it full of un nessisary shit, and spy sweeps and deleteing temporary files and internet cookies?

Post #: 1

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 6:49:46 AM

windchymes

Posts: 9410
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You've got it pretty well covered.

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RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 7:00:04 AM

subjected2006

Posts: 248
Joined: 1/20/2006
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darn..I thoought I would get to this page and smell geekiness..
more attractive to me today than the gym..and no one's here?
no one to give us pc challanged , "hope" and "a plan"
rats..

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a rose is a rose..

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Post #: 3

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 9:17:47 AM

thisishis

Posts: 278
Joined: 5/11/2006
From: Southeastern MA
Status: offline

Running:
1. a well configured firewall
2. and a consistantly updated antivirus program
3. a registry cleaner, now and then, ... and carefully

Another step toward care and maintenance which is essential in my opinion and my experience:
An actual cleaning of the computer regularly(about every 6 months, more or less depending).

Shutting down, unplugging the computer, opening the case, and VERY carefully cleaning out all of the dust bunnies with canned air.... after insuring that i have GROUNDED myself by maintaining contact between my forearm and the edge of the metal case..... to avoid getting a shock, and to avoid causing static which may cause damages to the pc (i've not experienced damage to a PC via static, and have only heard that it is possible ... and in that i believe in better safe than sorry... i take the side of caution... and it's worked for me with an PC i've worked on, every time so far).

i'm cheap(thrifty?

) so i skip the canned air. Using a soft dry and unused paint brush, i very gently and very carefully do a clean sweep throughout (i don't mess with the motherboard though ... too easy to snag things, pry things loose etc ect ... aka 'cause more damage than good'). i remove the CPU heat sink and clean the fan ONLY... with that dry paint brush. i do the same for all other fans and belts, and other smooth hardware surfaces (hard drive, floppy drive, bare areas of the case to include sides and bottom). i use the paint brush to remove dust from all vents on the sides and back of the case, as well as all around the front of the case to remove dust from the openings and cracks around where the Cd player, Floppy, CD Burner/RW drives sit in their bays etc ect. i use a hairdryer set to COOL temp to blow the dust out.

i have seen dust and grime so thick inside of a computer case that a CPU fan and it's heat sink were barely recognisable and hardly capable of doing the job intended.
i've found spiders and webs inside of cases, and tons of cat and dog hair.... and one time, quite a few feathers.

i cringe every time i see a computer case set on a rug or floor, beside or underneath a desk. That's the WORST place to put it. Computer's have both intake and output type fans but suck dust in, never blowing it back out... --bad combo there. It's the best place for a computer to suck in a ton of crap which will shorten the like of the computer and it's parts. Floors are dirty no matter how clean a house it kept.

_____________________________

Sincerely, his

How I'm kept busy these days: http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=368120

(in reply to FelinePersuasion)

Post #: 4

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 9:27:25 AM

LaTigresse

Posts: 26123
Joined: 1/15/2006
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Welllll, after reading this I am betting that my computer is so clogged with hair and feathers it is a miracle it even turns on...........something else to add to my weekend to-do list.

Of course I now have to figure out how to open the thing up! I suppose unplugging it first might be a stellar plan.

< Message edited by LaTigresse -- 11/10/2006 9:28:55 AM >

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My twisted, self deprecating, sense of humour, finds alot to laugh about, in your lack of one!

Just because you are well educated, articulate, and can use big, fancy words, properly........does not mean you are right!

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Post #: 5

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 9:54:04 AM

thisishis

Posts: 278
Joined: 5/11/2006
From: Southeastern MA
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The combination of shutting down and then (especially) unplugging the computer and every other device attached ( printer, scanner, phone line, monitor, etc ect) would be the first and most important step.

There are screws on the back of the case on most computers. Remove those screws*. Standing facing the back side of the case, place your open right palm flat against the midsection toward the front end of that side panel and press firmly inward while pulling back toward yourself. On most, the side will slide off. On some older models which i have had to open, the case panel will be one piece, with a top and two sides.... in that case, remove as suggested above, but with both palms at either side panel.

*Do NOT remove the screws which attach the power supply to the back of the case ... if you don't know or aren't certain of what the power supply looks like: Think square box with a big fan inside and ton of colored wires and cables. From the backside view of the case, it usually looks like a fan outlet .... like slotted vent openings, and on most ... the female ended outlet for the main plug of the tower will be found very close to it. You may also notice a power switch (like a wall switch in your house) near that power supply box .. on some computers'.

EDITED TO ADD:
If you have concerns that you may forget how to plug everything back in after detaching all of the wires from the back of the PC ..... use a digi camera to take a photo of the back of that case BEFORE you shut down and unplug the computer ....... print out that photo as a reference. No camera or no printer? No problem, ... take notes .... draw yourself a labeled diagram.

From personal experience, i can say that it really sucked to stand there that first time with all of those wires and not realizing that i had forgotten where to plug them all back (this was years ago when PC manufacturers neglected to imprint little pictures and stuff to provide a clue for the clueless amoung pc users).

First thought might be to get online and ask someone ... or to search google for the answer........... only to realize that it's not an option at the moment.

Been there, done that ...... lived and learned.

< Message edited by thisishis -- 11/10/2006 10:02:58 AM >

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Sincerely, his

How I'm kept busy these days: http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=368120

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Post #: 6

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 10:07:38 AM

Rule

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Joined: 12/5/2005
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I tried to do a defragmentation last night, but it had no result. This afternoon I did a scandisk. It scanned the FAT, then started on the files, then did the FAT again and so on. Eventually I got an error report that said that some appliance kept writing to disk and that for that reason the scan had to be aborted and restarted ten times and would I please shut down any such program? I suspect that also is the reason that the defragmentation did not produce results. I have no idea what program is interfering with scan disk and defragmentation, so I have as much chance of solving this problem as a snowflake in hell of surviving.

(in reply to thisishis)

Post #: 7

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 10:14:00 AM

thisishis

Posts: 278
Joined: 5/11/2006
From: Southeastern MA
Status: offline

Whenever you have a computer issue, and are seeking tech assistance, one of the most important details you should provide up front is:
The version of Windows (or Mac or Linux whatever) installed on your computer (IE: Win 95, Win98, Win ME, Win 2000, Win XP).

There are certain options available on newer versions of windows that are not available on the older versions. Knowing which version you are dealing with makes for more accurate, and tailor suited assistance being offered........ .... otherwise, much time is wasted in guessing, and suggesting that you try on fixes that are not the best option, or even available to your Windows version.

EDITED TO ADD: i am NOT nor do i claim to be a tech. i'm merely a computer user who has learned from her own experiences .... aka if i've not expereinced it on my pc or another's and fixed it ... i won't claim to know and won't offer a fix by guessing........... because,

Nothing is worse than a fix that doesn't fix and only serves to cause more issues needing fixes.

< Message edited by thisishis -- 11/10/2006 10:16:46 AM >

_____________________________

Sincerely, his

How I'm kept busy these days: http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=368120

(in reply to Rule)

Post #: 8

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 10:26:06 AM

Rule

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Joined: 12/5/2005
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It is windows 98. It is an IBM Aptiva, about seven or eight or nine years old and 333MHz.

I know how to switch it on and off and consider that quite an accomplishment.

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Post #: 9

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:02:50 AM

Gauge

Posts: 5689
Joined: 6/17/2005
Status: offline

OK... I AM a computer tech and I can give you advice based on experience and training.

First of all, if you want to clean out your computer, the ONLY way to safely do it is with canned air. It's really expensive, something like $4 or $5 at your local office supply store. IF, and only if you must reach your hands inside for anything a few things must be taken into account:

ESD - Electrostatic discharge. No, this is not mumbo-jumbo it is very real and deadly to computer parts. If you remove the power cord from your PC you have effectively isolated it from natural ground (that little round hole on your electrical outlet) and ESD becomes MORE of a problem then believe it or not. With the power cord disconnected, grounding yourself off to the metal of the case is OK, but it is not fool proof and actually not advised. People do it all the time... I have done it and have not suffered immediate consequences that I am aware of. However it does not take you actually feeling a shock from static to cause a problem. I will not insert all the facts and figures here because I do not know them off the top of my head, but you can damage a computer part or drastically shorten the life of a part and not even know you have done it. Also, keep in mind that some warranties for a part will be void if it was ESD related.

If you must change a card or some other electrical component then I would unplug the machine and the monitor and phone line or network line. The printer might be a good idea, but if you unplug that you shouldn't have any problem. The keyboard and mouse do not retain any electrical charge and therefore are harmless. There are devices that can connect you (it really is you that must be grounded AND the machine if you can)directly to a grounding source so that ESD will not be an issue... however, if you don't know what you are doing then have someone that knows what they are doing install your part. Look, I am not drumming up work for techies... but the fact is that it is your machine and if you care to be reckless with it, that is up to you, but you have no one to blame if something goes wrong. People CAN do this stuff if they follow guidelines, the question you must ask yourself is if you feel comfortable doing it. If you do feel comfortable, then do it but follow the rules and instructions to the letter.

Dust is a disaster to computers and the only real way to prevent excess dust (which you will NEVER do unless in a clean room environment) is to keep your computer area constantly cleaned. NEVER... and I do mean NEVER get your vacuum cleaner anywhere near your computer. Your vacuum puts off static like crazy so, move your machine if you must in order to clean... and for obvious reasons (unless you have an ESD proof vacuum system) do NOT use your dustbuster or vacuum inside your computer... EVER.

Get a surge suppressor. No, the $5 one at the Family Dollar store will not protect your computer. Nor will the $7 one at K-Mart. Expect to spend $20 on up for a good surge suppressor... Let's face it... this part is what is going to keep your machine safe or relatively safe from surges and brown-outs so if you skimp on it... blame yourself. Nothing will keep your computer totally safe, but most of these good suppressors have a guarantee that covers a certain amount of equipment dollars attached to it, so research BEFORE you buy.

Messing with the registry is really tricky but some utilities are very nice and user friendly and will take the guesswork out of cleaning it up for you. Before you do ANYTHING with the registry... BACK IT UP! I have had more people tamper with the registry and then call me and tell me their machine doesn't work and they tell me they were messing with the registry. I ask if they backed it up before they tampered with it and almost all of them went, "Huh?" So, get a good registry cleaner and check if it backs up the registry before cleaning it.

One last item... Invest in or begin good backup procedures. If your computer contains ANYTHING that you would be devastated if you lost then back it up. Look folks... shit happens and when it does, if the answer is that you MUST reformat your disk, you can wave bye bye to all those precious pictures, songs, school papers etc., unless you have regular backups made. Look this stuff up and find something that is right for you. Some are really easy, others are "geeks only" software so do a little fact finding before you purchase anything.

OK... Off the soapbox.

Edited to add a few things that, after reading what I posted made things a bit more clear.

< Message edited by Gauge -- 11/10/2006 11:32:47 AM >

_____________________________

"For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men." Herman Melville - Moby Dick

I'm wearing my chicken suit and humming La Marseillaise.

(in reply to Rule)

Post #: 10

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:07:02 AM

thisishis

Posts: 278
Joined: 5/11/2006
From: Southeastern MA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rule

It is windows 98. It is an IBM Aptiva, about seven or eight or nine years old and 333MHz.

I know how to switch it on and off and consider that quite an accomplishment.

Clicking all at once on the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys on your keyboard... will bring up the option of Device Management (the list of all that is running on your computer). DO this 1 time ONLY!!! ... clicking those keys too many times, all at once (in a row... aka all together) will shut your pc down).

Or, another way to view what is running: click on your start button at the lower left of your screen. Then choose run and type in the word msconfig there and then hit OK.... the startup tab shows what runs.... if you don't know what something is that is running.... leave it ALONE. O, search the item name on google so you KNOW what it is.

Applications that are a good idea to run at start up on Windows 98:

**Explorer
Hidserv.exe (if you are needing and using USB devices... printer, scanner, stuff like that)
Rundll32.exe (if you use dialup networking to get online)
ScanReg (it scans your Registry at startup and makes backups)
**Systray (for your clock, and programs that run there by the clock, in systray)

**Explorer and systray are all that need to run.

Using ScanDisk correctly :

It cleans your hard drive of errors caused by software conflicts. Before you run ScanDisk, close applications not needed and turn off your screensaver. Scan disk doesn't LIKE all that extra crap running while it is trying to do it's j-o-b. Click START then RUN and type in: scandisk You will have an option of choosing Standard or a Thorough. If you have never done a scandisk before, choose the Thorough option.

P.S. No one is born knowing all of this. i learned it all over the years by learning to use google well.......and using it OFTEN. i've yet to search something that i want to or need to know and fail to find it information or instructions/directions on google.

_____________________________

Sincerely, his

How I'm kept busy these days: http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=368120

(in reply to Rule)

Post #: 11

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:12:27 AM

byule

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Joined: 11/1/2006
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Gauge knows his stuff. I am also some what of a geek when it comes to computers. So take his advise.

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Post #: 12

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:17:35 AM

Gauge

Posts: 5689
Joined: 6/17/2005
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quote:

It is windows 98. It is an IBM Aptiva, about seven or eight or nine years old and 333MHz.

I know how to switch it on and off and consider that quite an accomplishment.

This is going to be a tough one to answer for a few reasons, not the least of which is that you obviously are not really computer savvy. It might be better to email me on the other side but I will try to answer your question here if I can.

The problem with Windows 98 scandisk and defrag is that if the disk is written to (for those that do not understand that term it means that a program has accessed the disk for something) the process must start again. Scandisk will give up after ten tries if I recall correctly, defrag I do not remember if it gives up or not. But you have a program running: Anti-virus, active spyware guards, Internet browser, or firewall software. Even your screen saver, if it activates while you are trying to run a scandisk or defrag, will reset the process. There are other programs that could be the cause as well. If you have a broadband connection I would disconnect it and then run the utilities. The only way to find out for sure is to give me a list of programs that are running in the background on your machine. The other way is by process of elimination... just stop any programs that are running over in the system tray (the lower right corner of your screen will have MOST not all of the active programs running listed there) go through them one-by-one and shut them down until the utilities run successfully. It really isn't hard to do. There are a few utilities you can run that are free that will let you know exactly what is running on your computer. Again, write me on the other side and I can help you off of here so as not to hijack the thread.

_____________________________

"For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men." Herman Melville - Moby Dick

I'm wearing my chicken suit and humming La Marseillaise.

(in reply to Rule)

Post #: 13

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:25:17 AM

Sinergy

Posts: 9383
Joined: 4/26/2004
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quote:

ORIGINAL: thisishis

and one time, quite a few feathers.

Sticking feathers inside your computer does not make it a chicken.

(paraphrased from a quote by Tyler Durden in Fight Club)

Sinergy

_____________________________

"There is a fine line between clever and stupid"
David St. Hubbins "This Is Spinal Tap"

"Every so often you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You cant do that, it is gone, gone forever." J. Danforth Quayle

(in reply to thisishis)

Post #: 14

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:27:56 AM

thisishis

Posts: 278
Joined: 5/11/2006
From: Southeastern MA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gauge

OK... I AM a computer tech and I can give you advice based on experience and training.

In that case, you probably understand that there are many different methods for training and obtaining experience. The comparison of a formal education in many cases is no better nor worse than hands on, informal training. A certificate or a diploma or a formal education etc is not always needed to learn something. Having one does not alway equal being more or better qualified.

Some of the most knowledgeable techy people i know received their experience and training during the very beginning phases of the internet coming into existance..... prior to the existance of computer college courses and tech training programs were even thought of ... never mind actually existing and being available. Many of them learned from the only sources available: hackers and programmers hanging out in the very first chat rooms..... none of whom had received 'formal' training.

Sometimes i can't help but wonder: How do formally trained tech people think people learned computers before the formal training was available? Hmm?

It reminds me of that well known debate of "What came first? The chicken, or the egg?".

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Sincerely, his

How I'm kept busy these days: http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=368120

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Post #: 15

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:29:30 AM

LaTigresse

Posts: 26123
Joined: 1/15/2006
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I am guessing it won't lay any eggs either.

_____________________________

My twisted, self deprecating, sense of humour, finds alot to laugh about, in your lack of one!

Just because you are well educated, articulate, and can use big, fancy words, properly........does not mean you are right!

(in reply to Sinergy)

Post #: 16

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:31:07 AM

sissifytoserve

Posts: 1016
Joined: 8/30/2006
Status: offline

GET A MAC.

www.apple.com

Problem solved.

_____________________________

A great mind must be androgynous
Samuel Coleridge

The uniting of the feminine and the masculine is the highest form of human development Carl Jung

(in reply to LaTigresse)

Post #: 17

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:33:58 AM

thisishis

Posts: 278
Joined: 5/11/2006
From: Southeastern MA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Sinergy

quote:

ORIGINAL: thisishis

and one time, quite a few feathers.

Sticking feathers inside your computer does not make it a chicken.

(paraphrased from a quote by Tyler Durden in Fight Club)

Sinergy

Aww darn...... and i was going to leave the feathers in there hoping it would help the machine thingy fly faster..........

heh.

... just a gurl ... wtf do i know, huh?

*bats lashes .. inserts mid finger between parted lips ... gags, retches.*

_____________________________

Sincerely, his

How I'm kept busy these days: http://modelmayhem.com/member.php?id=368120

(in reply to Sinergy)

Post #: 18

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:38:21 AM

Sinergy

Posts: 9383
Joined: 4/26/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rule

I tried to do a defragmentation last night, but it had no result. This afternoon I did a scandisk. It scanned the FAT, then started on the files, then did the FAT again and so on. Eventually I got an error report that said that some appliance kept writing to disk and that for that reason the scan had to be aborted and restarted ten times and would I please shut down any such program? I suspect that also is the reason that the defragmentation did not produce results. I have no idea what program is interfering with scan disk and defragmentation, so I have as much chance of solving this problem as a snowflake in hell of surviving.

There are only a couple of process which should be active when you run a defrag, which is why most places that I worked asked me to put it in the startup early on before anything else ran. I want to say those are the Explorer process, Idle process, and Taskmgr, as well as the defrag process, but dont quote me on those as it has been a long time.

But my memory of doing this is about 5 years old at this point, and I dont remember off the top of my head which processes need to be alive.

Otherwise you have all sorts of gunk writing to disk which makes defrag start over from the beginning.

I dont normally defrag but that is primarily because I dont use this computer for much apart from surfing the net and email.

The thing I tell most people is to seldom turn your computer off. Most of the wear and tear on your computer happens during system startup. The computer I am currently typing on is about 7 years old and runs without a hitch.

The quickest thing you can easily do to increase processing speed is adding RAM.

There are a bunch of programs out there to clean the internet files and other jumk off your computer. Buy one and use it. Make sure it includes a registry cleaner as well. A fully configured firewall prevents people outside of your computer from looking in. I use McAfee Internet Security as well. although I think that was rolled into Internet Privacy now. This prevents processes (like spyware) on your computer from writing out without your approval.

Just me, could be wrong, etc.

Sinergy

_____________________________

"There is a fine line between clever and stupid"
David St. Hubbins "This Is Spinal Tap"

"Every so often you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You cant do that, it is gone, gone forever." J. Danforth Quayle

(in reply to Rule)

Post #: 19

RE: Tips and tricks to keeping your pc running as close... - 11/10/2006 11:40:10 AM

Sinergy

Posts: 9383
Joined: 4/26/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: sissifytoserve

GET A MAC.

www.apple.com

Problem solved.

Apple computers have been experimentally proven that they will never become being filled with feathers, dog hair, dust, etc.

Sinergy

p.s. An Apple is not now, nor will it ever be, a chicken.

_____________________________

"There is a fine line between clever and stupid"
David St. Hubbins "This Is Spinal Tap"

"Every so often you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You cant do that, it is gone, gone forever." J. Danforth Quayle

(in reply to sissifytoserve)

Post #: 20

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