Time for a Tune Up!

Noticed a slow down lately in your browser? Had more "crashes" than usual? Maybe you're neglecting the basic maintenance necessary to keep your computer running in tip-top shape!

Here are a few things to try. Stalls and slowdowns especially can be due to an overload in your Temp and Temporary Internet Folders.

Don't know where they are?

1. Click Explore,or My Computer, and find your "Windows" folder.
2. Open the Windows folder, and look for your "Temp" folder.
3. Double Click on the folder to open it and see all the junk inside.
4. Click Edit/Select All
5. Click File/Delete

Now find your "Temporary Internet" folder and go through the same process. This should make a remarkable difference in your browser performance. Do this at least once every 2 weeks, if not more frequently.

Next, run Scandisk. (When your puter starts up and runs it nothinghappens. This was a goof by the Bill Gates people.) (NOTE: Make sure and turn off any ScreenSavers before you start! Instructions below.)

You can run Scandisk by clicking:

Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Scan Disk

Tell it to automatically fix problems. Run this about once a week.

Next you should be running Defrag at least once a month. As you work with various programs and files, things move around on the hard drive. Much like a file cabinet that you just put files and folders in haphazardly. Pretty soon things are hard to find. Defrag reorganizes all the files and folders so windows can find them easier instead of having to search all over the place.

(NOTE: Make sure and turn off any ScreenSavers before you start! Instructions below.)

To run the Disk Defragmenter:

Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Defragmenter

These tasks take quite a while, which is the reason we recommend turning off your screensaver. If it kicks on during the one of these tasks, it can cause it to start over from the beginning, and you'll never complete the tune up

To turn off your Screen Saver:

1.Start/Settings/Control Panel/Display
2. Click on the tab that says screensaver at the top
3. Scroll to the top of the list of screen savers, and set it to (none)
4. Click Apply
5. Click ok

If you have problems with Defrag running because it keeps starting over, you can also run it from Safe Mode. This is a better way to do it anyway because only necessary programs are loaded in Safe Mode.

To get into Safe Mode:

Restart your Puter. When it first starts to boot up hit the "F8" key several times. If you hear a beep each time you hit the key, you have hit it enough :-) your screen will come up black with some boot up options. Select "Safe Mode" and Windows will come up looking funny. Lousy color, big icons and leters. Next go to the Start button just like normal, find and run Defrag.

Now, just follow the directions above to run Scandisk.

Taking just a little time to do these tasks regularly will save you time in the long run, as things run much more smoothly!

About the Author

Gail Hornback is a stay at home mom of 5, editor of WebWorksAtHome Weekly Update, and author of the WebWorks Website at webworksathome.com . You may subscribe to her weekly ezine at http://www.listbot.com/subscribe/ webworksathome

gail@webworksathome.com
http://www.webworksathome.com