Top ten PC housekeeping tips

Ten tips to keep your PC ticking over

Knuckling down to household chores is a bit of a bore but worth it for the end result. It's the same with computers; keeping your files, folders and system updates in order can take a back seat to internet surfing or playing games. However, a little maintenance is essential to keep your computer ticking over. We show you how a few housekeeping tips will help you keep your computer secure and your system running at peak performance.

1Stay safe

Your security program should be set to automatically retrieve updates to protect against malicious programs, like viruses. 

To check this, open your security program and examine the settings. 

The option to select automatic updates should be labelled. 

Set it to update weekly, at least.

2Operating system update

Providing it's set up to get them, your computer should be receiving weekly automatic updates from the Microsoft Windows Update website at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. 

These updates contain crucial changes to protect your Windows system against security threats. 

It will also say whether critical updates are installing properly. 

Visit the site to view other useful updates for refreshing your computer. 

You could look at downloading upgrades to Microsoft Office programs and device drivers – the software that allows your computer to talk to your peripherals like your mouse, printer, camera or webcam.

3Delete old emails

Trawling through old emails is a bit of a drag but it’ll free up valuable space on your hard disk. 

To delete an old email in Outlook right click on the message in the inbox and select delete. 

Next, go to the deleted items box. 

Now you have to right click again to completely delete the message. 

If you want to delete a chunk of messages, click on the first message, hold down the shift button and click on the last message. 

The messages will be highlighted. Right-click on the messages and click delete as before.

4Clean your desktop

It's quicker and easier to find things on a tidy desk and your computer's no different. 

When you install a new program, it'll invariably add an icon – a shortcut to open the program – to your PC's desktop. 

It’s not long, though, before your Windows desktop is crammed with icons for programs that you no longer use (like the main image). 

So it's time for a cleanup. 

To start the Desktop Cleanup Wizard, click Start > Control Panel. 

In Control Panel, under ‘Pick a category’ click Appearance and Themes > Display. 

Click the Desktop tab > Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items box appears. 

Click Clean Desktop Now. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard will start. 

You'll see a list of the icons you haven't clicked on for at least 60 days. Click the shortcuts you want to remove. If you get rid of one by mistake, it’s easy to reinstate it by opening the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder and dragging the icon back to its place on your desktop.

5Uninstall unused programs

Removing unused programs will free up valuable space on your hard drive. 

We recommend you use the program's own uninstall function, where possible, to make sure that every file attached to that program is removed. 

To do this, click Start > All programs. 

Find the program you want to uninstall and hover your cursor over it to bring up its menu. 

If there's an uninstall function, click on it and follow the instructions. 

However, if there’s no uninstall option, use Windows’ Add or Remove Programs tool. Click Start > Control Panel >Add or Remove Programs. 

Click on the program you would like to uninstall then > Remove.

6Power management

Putting your computer into standby mode, when you leave it for short periods of time, eats up less power. 

Any files or programs you're using will remain open but your monitor and hard disk will turn off. 

Bear in mind that if there's a power failure while you're in shutdown mode, you'll lose any unsaved data. 

To set up standby mode: Click Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power options. 

In Power Schemes, select the Home/Office Desk power scheme. 

This is set to turn your monitor off after 20 minutes. 

Adjust these settings by clicking on the down arrows and choosing a new time period. Once that’s done, click OK. To wake the machine up from standby, now press the main power button.

7Protect from power spikes

A voltage drop, blown fuse or power surge can damage your computer if it's not properly protected. 

Refer to our report on p44 for details of gadgets that will safeguard your machine against power spikes.

8Clean out your browser

Clear some space on your hard disk and protect your privacy by clearing out your cache and cookies. 

These refer to files saved onto your computer when you surf the internet.  

Both hold details about sites you've visited.

They also make surfing the internet quicker. 

Click Tools > Internet Options > General tab. 

Under Browsing history, click Delete. 

To clear your cache click Delete files. 

Click Delete cookies to get rid of them too then > OK.

9Empty your recycle bin

Your Recycle Bin is an area of your hard disk where you store ‘deleted’ files. 

Files can be recovered from here and are still occupying precious hard disk space; to free up this space empty the Recycle Bin. 

Before emptying your bin, make certain you really don't need what you're deleting. 

To empty the bin, double-click the icon on your desktop. 

On the file menu click Empty Recycle bin.

10Back up your data

A computer crash can destroy all your precious photos and other important documents. 

That's why it's essential to back up valuable data regularly. 

You don't need special software to do this either. 

If you only have a few important files stored on your computer, simply save them to a USB key. 

Insert the USB key into your PC's USB port. Select My Computer > My Documents. 

Right-click the file you want to save. Select Send to >Removable drive. 

If the file is already open select File > Save as and look for your USB drive in the drop down ‘Save in’ box. 

Our helpdesk often gets queries from people asking about backing up data on disks. As disks get marked or scratched, it's easier and quicker to back up small amounts of data onto a USB key.