A Healthy Computer in 2012

Hi everybody. A new year and a new opportunity to have a fast and heathy running computer. Right now around the holidays, the virus activity is at it’s peak. This is partly because more people are online shopping and partly because the virus programmers are working harder then ever to take advantage of the heavier online traffic. With some common sense and daily maintenance, some of the inconveniences of a computer virus infection can be avoided.

First and foremost, it is important to have a good anti-virus installed on your system. The free version of Microsoft Security Essentials is actually a very good choice. It uses less system resources then most of the commercial paid products and it catches just as much, if not more of active virus infections in the wild. For certain infections such as the Vista 2012 or the Windows 7 2012, it may not matter what product you have as at least parts of the infection will pass through and you might need the assistance of a trained computer repair expert.

In addition to virus programs, it is also necessary to keep your junk files at bay. This can either be done with the included disk cleaner that comes with all windows operating systems or you can use a third party app such as ccleaner. Running these programs once a month or so will help keep the junk files on your system in check and will also help to maintain your systems speed.

One thing that you should not do is fall for programs that claim to speed up your computer. In almost every case the same program that promises you more speed will most likely slow you down. Remember, the program has to run a service in the background and that service will usually take away from any speed increases it will promise. In addition, be very cautious about using registry cleaners. I have seen so many cases where these cleaners have actually removed necessary files that are needed for programs and sometimes even the operating system. This can lead to programs that do not work anymore and in some cases an unbootable machine.

In addition to the file system, you should also look after the health of the actual machine. Now would be a great time to open that computer case and carefully clean the dirt from the inside of the system. Pay special attention to the area around the processor and fan. Dirt that is built up in these areas can cause overheating and sometimes unexpected shut downs. Be sure to grab a metal part of the case with your hand before putting your hand inside the case to discharge any static electricity from your body. You can use canned air or a vacuum with special small brushes This is especially important in colder climates. While you are there, it wont hurt to check for any loose connections to the cards or hard drives.

As you can see, with a little housekeeping, you can be ready to take on the new year!!