Here are some tips for keeping your system up & running, problem-free:
1. Defragment your hard drive monthly. This will keep application load-times down, and you will see a general improvement in system speed.
2. Scan your system weekly for spyware. Useful tools to help you do this are on the Software & Links page.
3. Don’t install programs, especially free programs, that you are unsure about, and never click on any pop-ups arbitrarily. Research any programs by entering the name of the file into a search engine for warnings; as well as scan the shell of the program for viruses.
4. If you leave your system running constantly, set your hard drive to power-down after a period of inactivity (preferably 30 minutes), by changing the energy options of your system (available on Windows® machines under the Screen Saver settings page). This will dramatically increase the lifespan of your hard drive.
5. Backup, backup, backup – in the event your hard drive fails, make sure you have all your digital photos safely stored elsewhere.
6. Get a free email account, and use it to sign up for everything online. Only give your personal email account information to friends & family. This will significantly reduce the amount of spam you receive. You can sign up for free email accounts at websites such as Google.com (Gmail), Hotmail.com and Yahoo.com.
7. Make sure you have up to date virus protection and a firewall.
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