Beyond Computer Repair – Maintenance and Optimization

By Conrad Zigan

In our first Beyond Computer Repair article we discussed how costly computer repair issues can be controlled by putting into place proactive computer maintenance and optimization plan. We also discussed how removing a user’s local administration rights give us a trifecta effect on creating and keeping a stabilized dependable computing environment.

We would like to get a little deeper into how one can setup a computer maintenance and optimization plan for your system. Depending on how heavily the system is used this program should be run once a month or quarter. The more heavily a system is used the more often system maintenance and optimization should be performed.

System maintenance and optimization is handled in a variety of ways, typically it starts with closing all running applications and turning off ones anti-virus which will allow the system to run its cleanup and optimization programs more quickly. We typically like to go through and close all running items that are running in the system tray as well. The next steps involve cleaning out the systems temporary files, uninstalling any non-essential applications, performing system updates then running a defragmentation on the systems hard disk drives. A reboot is used to reset the system and ensure that the proper applications start back up and that the system is again running in proper working order along with complete anti-virus protection.

There are a variety of ways to go about performing system maintenance and optimization; we find the following to be the easiest more direct methods that work for our needs. You could perform the process using various built in tool sets like the Windows System Tools like Disk Clean Up or other third party tools, but here is our approach and you can feel free to use it.

• Uninstall non-essential applications: Add/Remove Programs – Control Panel Programs & Features
• Perform System Updates – perform all critical updates and any optional updates you think are necessary

• Perform Disk Clean Up – Manually
  • Delete all files out of c:\windows\temp
  • Delete all temporary files off of the system (from a command prompt run c:\del *.tmp /s)
  • Delete all temporary files from browsers using their Delete Browsing History options, but please make sure to choose the appropriate options for your needs.
  • Delete unnecessary User Profiles
  • Clean up all other User Profile temp directory. Delete the files out of c:\users\profile name\local settings\temp
  • Perform hard disk drives defragmentation using: System Tools – Disk Defragmenter
  • Reboot when the Disk Defragmentation iscomplete.

As you can tell it does require a little knowledge about your computer system and its usage to perform routine system maintenance and optimization. A small amount of time spent will pay dividends on system longevity and usability.

Computer Maintenance

By Junaid Sheikh Aslam

Computer maintenance has been a real problem for many users over the years. Mishandling of computer applications and security tools has led them to lose their precious data on many occasions. Here I am going to introduce few tools and tips to keep your computer updated and free of any problems. Firstly, anti-virus must be installed and updated every day because it is the first and most important tool and step towards security maintenance of your computer.

In the first place try not to overheat your system if you are living in a heated country like Pakistan and India by keeping it in a hot place, rather use a cooler place but not near any wet place. Secondly, keep blowing hot air through the PC after every two months, because the mud stuck inside your computer hardware components contain moisture in it, which in turn will make the circuitry shorted and it may harm your computer.

Now let’s talk about software tools which are integral for maintenance of any computer system. At first the most common problems are of windows getting corrupted or other software running inside. This is normally the problem when we don’t take care of cookies and registry files which are unused inside computer`s operating system files. So, in order to keep them removed at regular intervals to keep malware aloof of our system we should install windows utility software. This kind of software keeps track of every wasted registry file and other adware objects, which harm the computer`s performance, and it keeps removing them automatically.

For better understanding of the system maintenance and data handling it is better to keep a clean wardrobe inside hard drive of our p.c. Keeping it clean means that one must not randomly place objects inside computer, rather a complete regular arrangement of data keeps it good to access and not intermingled between different files. Keep scanning your hard drive every fortnight for a complementary analysis of your data and the harmful threats to it.

There are two different types of settings we can chose to use in our system. First it is for best performance, and second it is for best visuals. Now, if you select best performance then it will lower the graphics quality keeping the pace of other operations at maximum, where as if you select other mode of usage then it will make your system look beautiful on the expense of performance. For working class it is always advised to have better performance settings.

Never over clock any of your computer`s hardware like microprocessor chip inside your pc which works as the brain, and secondly if you have an external graphics card in it, better not over clock it, which in turn will over heat it and eventually damaging your device permanently. Always contain a software named registry cleaner, and performance optimizer, which will keep your system optimized for best performance along with good graphics quality. These tips are good for your pc if you follow them.

Make Use of UPS Repair and Maintenance Services

By David D Sprake

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) machines are integral parts of todays computer systems. They ensure a stable and regulated source of power while a PC system is connected to the mains. More importantly, they also provide continuous power supply when power disturbances or blackouts occur. Sudden computer crashes due to power failure is thus prevented and data corruption or loss is kept to the minimum. They make computer systems safe and secure.

UPS systems continue to perform their functions when they work without fail. In order to do this, these machines must have some sort of protection themselves. Uninterruptible power supply systems are very robust and are designed to carry out their tasks well but they do need repairs or some sort of maintenance from time to time. UPS repair and maintenance services are often made available by warranties and maintenance plans.

Warranties usually vary with UPS size or capacity. Normally, purchasing these power supply systems of 10 kVA or less include a two-year warranty while those of large capacities have with them one-year warranties. These warranties can be extended up to several more years, where manufacturers often replace standard five-year battery packs with new ones. However, warranty extensions come with a price. Warranty cover services are also available, which improves UPS resiliency levels. Most uninterruptible power supply of sizes below 3 kVA and are not hardwired are covered with RTB (Return to Base) warranties. For such systems, damaged units can be returned to service centers for UPS repair. If this is not possible, units can be swapped out for new ones instead.

Organizations and businesses that own a number of computer systems often opt for lengthy warranty covers because they need these computers operating and protected at all times. They also need services that have high emergency response times because these uninterruptible power supply units need to be back immediately as soon as they become faulty. Even though lengthy warranties are pricey, it is still more important for company owners to have their equipments working soundly. For business corporations, losing data due to power failure may cost a lot more than paying for maintenance fees. There is no price for peace of mind too.

UPS maintenance plans, meanwhile, provide a more comprehensive service to units than warranties, as well as emergency response time. They are typically categorized by response times and normally give access to necessary documentation, parts and technical support. To ensure UPS resiliency, parallel-redundant designs are usually implemented, where several uninterruptible power supply units are made to be connected to share a load. A failure of a unit in the parallel system at the very least does not disable the function of the entire system. UPS repair services can be made to the broken unit while the computer system is still active.

Having warranty and maintenance plans is surely a good thing because they help us during times of trouble. Since you never know when a purchased UPS may suddenly break down, it is great to have these service covers around.