Maintaining Your Computer
Windows comes equipped with all of the tools you need to properly maintain your computer. These tools are located in the All Programs/Accessories/System Tools folder accessible from the Start menu in Windows XP, Vista and 7, and through the Search charm in Windows 8. Try to get into the habit of regularly performing maintenance tasks to keep your system running at optimized speed, safety and efficiency.
Run Scheduled Virus Scans
Having good anti-virus software on your computer is like having your own personal body guard. If you're going to use one, you may as well take him/her wherever you go and have everything checked out. Not only will this help to keep viruses, spyware and other nasties away, as a system manager (and that's practically what it becomes) your anti-virus will help your computer to continue running smoothly. Don't bother to run scans manually — you won't want to while you're in the middle of doing other things. Instead, schedule a quick scan every few days or so and a full system scan on a monthly or even weekly basis, depending on where you go, and how often you connect, to the internet. For maximum thoroughness, you may wish to customize the full system scan to include all areas, whole files, scan for PUPs, etc. Try to schedule this type of scan for when the computer is not in use.
Uninstall Unused Programs and Plug-Ins
Some programs and plug-ins run processes in the background that take up system resources and affect system performance, even when you're not using them. Uninstalling these sometimes helps your system or browser to run noticeably faster; this also frees up disk space and decreases your workload by having less programs to maintain and keep up to date. If you haven't done so in a while, have a look at your programs and plug-ins and find out when they were installed or last used. You may discover that many of these, like older versions of office suites, are no longer needed and can be safely removed. Like a porter carrying luggage, a computer with less programs to manage will travel faster.
Run Disk Cleanup
Windows and other programs will occasionally leave temporary or "one-time use" files stored throughout various locations. Over time, these files can accumulate into a significant chunk of disk space which is seldom, if ever, used. You can use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to free up this space and make the scheduled defrag and virus scanning processes quicker. For hard disk drives, if little space remains after the cleanup, consider upgrading the disk to one of larger storage size. Not only will this give you more room to work with, but it will reduce access latency and speed up your system.
Defragment Your Hard Drive
Given time and continued use, the files stored on a computer's hard drive become fragmented and the drive's read and write heads must travel further to process the data contained within them. This can cause a noticeable delay in program load times, especially if the disk is nearly full. The Disk Defragmenter utility included with Windows (a.k.a Optimize Drives in Windows 8) reorganizes these fragments into contiguous, sequential files which are easier for the drive to manage. On occasion, manually start Disk Defragmenter or schedule a time for it to run (weekly defrags are scheduled by default). Be aware that the process can take several hours to complete and that it is best to run it while the computer is not in use. Solid-state and removable flash drives need not be defragmented because there are no moving parts to slow them down; furthermore, the extra wear from rewrites would accelerate their already limited life span.
Reinstall Windows
Any frequently used computer that's been using the same instance of Windows for an extended period of time, especially since prior to the release of any service pack, may benefit from having its operating system, along with all programs, files and settings, reinstalled. The equivalent to a deep spring cleaning, this will help clear up any residual installation files, unused registry entries, outdated device drivers and DLLs, corrupted file permissions, interrupt conflicts, etc. not resolved by everyday cleanup utilities. Done properly, this can sometimes leave your system running smoother, faster and less prone to error. Computers with histories of previous infection from viruses can also benefit.
Protect Your Computer From the Elements
Dust, heat and humidity can adversely affect the performance of your computer. They can be responsible for blue screens, system errors, freezes and even total system failures. Too much or too little humidity can cause permanent damage from corrosion, electrical shorts or static discharge. Leaving your computer in your car overnight or under direct sunlight can expose it to extreme temperature changes (not to mention theft) and cause erratic behavior, especially when powered on shortly afterwards. While in use, the vents on a computer should always be free from obstruction. Accumulated dust on the vents can restrict air flow to internal components and cause some of them to overheat. Check to make sure that the vents are free from dust. Any substantial build-up you see may be an indication that more dust has collected on the internal components, which can eventually cause them to fail. You can open the case yourself and, using a can of compressed air, carefully clean the inside. When doing so, be sure not to touch any of the internal components, that all power to the computer is disconnected, and that the room is well ventilated. Wearing a dust mask and safety goggles is sometimes a good idea as the dust can travel.