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9 ways to keep your PC running like new |
From...
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May 13, 1998
Web posted at: 3:07 PM EDT
by Scott Dunn
How quickly computers age. You just bought a new PC with basic software
and some version of Windows installed, and you want it to stay young
and beautiful. What should you do? Here are nine handy hints.
- Be stingy with software
The foolproof way to keep a computer healthy is simple: Never add
new hardware or software. But in the real world, change is inevitable,
and the computer industry has proved adept at exploiting customers'
fascination with upgrades. Here, then, are my golden rules on software
upgrades:
- If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Although Quicken 6 is now in
the stores, I'm still using Quicken 2 and loving it. Why change?
- Don't buy software ending in ".0," which often signals new features
that may be inadequately tested or frustratingly buggy.
- If you do need new software, go for the older version. For example,
if 3.0 is the latest thing, see if 2.0c or 2.1 has what you need.
These earlier versions are likely to have fewer bugs, and because
they were designed for older machines, they typically run much
faster.
- Watch what you're doing
Before installing new software, take a snapshot of your existing system
so you can learn how the installer changed it. Some uninstall programs,
like Quarterdeck's Remove-It, include logging utilities for this purpose.
Or you can create batch files that track changes for Windows 3.x.
Users of Windows 95 and 98 should also back up the Registry.
- Back up to basics
Do a complete system backup before making any major change. If you're
just installing some small shareware or freeware items, you must first
make backups of the most important system files: autoexec.bat, config.sys,
win.ini, system.ini, user.dat, user.da0, system.dat, and system.da0.
- Take your time
Never install multiple programs or drivers within a short time span.
Wait several days between installations to make sure the latest addition
works and hasn't messed up anything else. If you install five programs
in one day, you'll have trouble determining which one made something
go wrong. Before deleting any programs or files in your Windows folders,
back them up on floppy disks or in a temporary directory, and keep
them for several days or weeks before you delete them.
- Get a good driver
Many seemingly unrelated system problems arise from buggy drivers
for video, audio, and other hardware. Make sure that you have download
access to the latest drivers for your hardware. Don't install new
drivers willy-nilly, but do try to obtain the latest drivers if your
system acts quirky. As always, keep the old drivers on hand in case
you want to revert. The instructions accompanying the new drivers
should specify which files are being upgraded.
- Be a pest
If you experience problems--from documentation to crashes--let the
responsible manufacturer know what needs improving. And thank developers
when they do things right.
- Bash bloat
I admit it: I run half a dozen doodads invisibly on my system. But
the more accessories you have in a StartUp group (Windows 3.x) or
folder (Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0), the longer Windows will take to
load and the more crotchety your system will be. Likewise, avoid installing
billions of unnecessary fonts.
- Keep it clean
Keep your hard disk lean and mean by limiting the amount of junk it
accumulates. Here are three key rules:
- Select the Custom option in program installers so you can decide
what parts of a program to install.
- Limit the amount of disk space your Web browser uses to cache
files.
- Open the Temp folder in your Windows folder occasionally and
delete all files with dates older than the current date (see this
screen shot). Windows or applications may still be using files
with the current date, so leave those files alone.
- Master maintenance
Finally, keep reading PC World for troubleshooting tips--for
example, see How to keep
your PC trouble-free in the October 1997 issue.
PC World Contributing Editor Scott Dunn is a coauthor of The
PC Bible, 2nd Edition (Peachpit Press, 1995, 800/283-9444). Find
files from this article on PC World Online at http://www.fileworld.com
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