Proactive Maintenance Tips:

Cleanliness: Just keeping your computer and related hardware clean can make a difference. Dust, dirt, crumbs, hair, etc., can clog a keyboard, mouse, printer and PC fans. Especially the fan in the back of the computer. This fan keeps your system cool and can burn out if not taken care of. First make sure that your computer is off and then do some cleaning with a spray can of compressed air. You can purchase this at any hardware or electronics store. Don’t use the vacuum as this can cause static electricity, an evil enemy to your computer. Once every few months is all it takes.

Cable connections: This is one of the more common problems and easiest to prevent. Check your connections regularly. Cables and modems get pulled and tugged and often get unplugged. Make sure your system is turned off and snug those plugs!

New Hardware: Sometimes adding a new piece of hardware will cause a problem due to the new device requiring more power and/or a specific driver from the computer that it is not capable of providing. If this is your problem, unplug the new device, reboot and see if that rights your system. Then you know you need more power, a new device driver or another internal PC card. Most often you can install these yourself, but you may need some advice or assistance from an experienced technician. Feel free to call us for any help.

New Software: Same kind of a problem as the " New Hardware" and may effect your monitor, as well. Try uninstalling your new software, rebooting your computer and see if this clears up the problem. You may need a new PC card, driver, program, memory or power, especially with all the new power hungry games available today. You made need some assistance.

Temporary Internet Files: Each time you visit a web site through the Internet, your computer saves the site’s web pages that you have visited in your “temporary internet file” to save time when you return to that site. These web pages can add up and will slow your system down considerably. These files should be deleted often, depending on how much web surfing one does. Once of month or once a week should be fine. Be sure to only delete the individual temporary files and not the temporary file itself. work for most, but once a day can help those savvy surfers.

Viruses: There are now over 60,000 viruses infecting our computers today with more being developed each month! You must have an anti-virus detection software program installed or you will be attacked. There are a number of reliable and affordable anti-virus software programs available. These programs can be set to protect you all day long while keeping up with the new viruses being released each day. Norton and McAfee are the most common programs available.

Disc Scan and Defrag: Daily use of your computer does cause computer files to be fragmented and disorganized, just as paper files in a filing cabinet become misfiled and crumpled. By performing a monthly “disc scan” and “defragment”, your files are scanned and reorganized back to their original condition. If you have never done this before, call a technician and run through the process or seek the help section in your system.

If you have any questions about this article or anything relating to your computer(s), please call the computer experts at

The PC HelpDesk at 562-869-4435 or come by and visit us at our new 14522 East Whittier Blvd. location!