Computer Preventive Maintenance: Ignorance vs Neglect (Part 3 of 3)

More on Logs and Other Things

(Cont from Part 2) Other logs you should be monitoring are your security software logs such as for your Antivirus or Firewall programs. But aside from threats to your software, I want to recommend another program that can monitor the health of your Hard Drive where all your data is stored. These are called Hard Drive S.M.A.R.T. utilities, and there is one called DiskCheckup , that is free for home use and supports up to Windows 7. Below is a screenshot and video of this utility in action.

DiskCheckup can dowloaded from their homepage at:

http://www.passmark.com/products/diskcheckup.htm

disk checkup

(click for larger image)

How To Use DiskCheckup

Think Long Term

Most PC users have an antivirus program and a surge protector, and while they are important items, they are not miracle pills that immunize your computer from viruses and power problems. There is other work to do as I’ve been talking about. But sadly, many people never renew their antivirus programs to save a buck. As for the surge protectors, they help with surges, but not power fluctuations. So what can you do?

Just think about how much money you might spend in computer repairs in the next 10+ years. You could take just a fraction of that now and invest in a couple top-tier security programs and a UPS. Combine that with a modest education in online security and preventive maintenance, and you would still probably have enough money to buy another computer after you finally plan to retire your trusty old computer.

ups

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Hopefully, you have accepted the fact that your computer will not last forever. So think ahead about preventing problem as long as you can, and then plan your migration to a new computer before it is too late so you don’t lose your data in some chaotic emergency.

I won’t get into the details about my recommendations below in this article, so I’m giving you a homework assignment. As I mentioned before, you can find plenty of YouTube videos and other free text-based tutorials about preventive computer maintenance. My shortlist of things to do are:

1. Backup important data regularly
2. Monitor Windows Event Viewer logs
3. Monitor Antivirus and Firewall logs
4. Use a Hard Drive S.M.A.R.T. utility
5. Keep your computer clean and cool
6. Use a UPS

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

4 Responses to “Computer Preventive Maintenance: Ignorance vs Neglect (Part 3 of 3)”

  1. If proper measures are not taken for computer system, it can harm components inside the computer system. Due to this the working of the computer system can be affected. London computer repairs provide enough information about the measures to be taken for computer system

    July 16, 2010 at 9:19 pm

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Computer Preventive Maintenance: Ignorance vs Neglect (Part 2 of 3) | Gakidoo's Computer Repair - June 28, 2010

    [...] (click for larger image) Check back soon for Part 3 of 3 of this series to learn about a free program to monitor the health of  your hard drive. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 [...]

  2. Computer Preventive Maintenance: Ignorance vs Neglect (Part 1 of 3) | Gakidoo's Computer Repair - June 28, 2010

    [...] Hopefully you are beginning to see how ignorance and neglect are major factors affecting the life of your computer. I often get asked how long should a computer last? I might answer, my computer or yours? So I urge you to get a grasp of as many preventive computer maintenance tips as you can, and actually do them! Click for Part 2 of 3 of this series to learn a bit about the Windows Event Viewer which logs a wealth of information about the health of your computer. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 [...]

  3. Tweets that mention Computer Preventive Maintenance: Ignorance vs Neglect (Part 3 of 3) | Gakidoo's Computer Repair -- Topsy.com - June 28, 2010

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Diana Ploo, Jacques Gates. Jacques Gates said: Computer Preventive Maintenance: Ignorance vs Neglect (Part 3 of 3 … http://ht.ly/17Vjiw [...]

Leave a Reply

*

| Home | About | Contact | Privacy | Online Reviews |

Copyright 2012, Gakidoo's Computer Repair, All Rights Reserved
All Trademarks are the property of the respective owners.