Here are some tips for keeping your system up & running, problem-free:
- Defragment your hard drive monthly. This will keep application load-times down, and you will see a general improvement in system speed.
- Scan your system weekly for spyware. Useful tools to help you do this are on the Useful Software & Links page.
- Don't install programs, especially free programs, that you are unsure about, and never click on any pop-ups arbitrarily! Research any programs by searching for the program name and the word "spyware" in a search engine.
- 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.
- Backup, backup, backup - in the event your hard drive fails, make sure you have all your digital photos safely stored elsewhere!
- 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 Hotmail.com and Yahoo.com.
- Make sure you are running a firewall (see Useful Software & Links page).
