Net  Workings
by Robin Ellison - autoandparts.com

Housekeeping For Your Computer

     Now that you are running s good Virus Protection Software we can do some cleaning up.  And if you use your computer as much as I do, do this every month.
     Some useful utilities come bundled with Windows.  Click on the start menu: Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools.  Note especially the Maintenance Wizard on the System Tools menu, you should regularly use, especially when your computer starts to run sluggishly.
Disk Cleanup - deletes temporary files you don't need.  Disk Defragmenter - gathers the parts of large files that may be scattered around the sectors of your C: drive so that the files will load and save more quickly.  Defrag will take a while, so do it just before you go to lunch or overnight.  Restart your machine after defragging.  ScanDisk - checks for errors not only in files and folders but also on the drive's physical surface.  Before running ScanDisk, be sure to close all applications, and turn off your screen saver.  If they are not available, go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs/Windows Setup/Systems Tools and select them.  All of the programs on the System Tools list are also available via Windows Explorer in your C:/WINDOW/folder as .exe files.  Also be sure to delete all those e-mails you really do not need, they take up a lot of space.
     Mouse Cleaning - Remove the ball and wash it with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or a glass-type cleaner.  Pat dry with a paper towel. (You can clean your mouse pad the same way.)  Look inside the mouse.  Clean the rollers using a damp Q-tip or compressed air.  Use tweezers to remove hair or dust.  Put the ball back into the mouse and close the cover.
     Empty the Recycle Bin - Open the bin before you empty it and check its contents.  Is there something in the bin that you do not want to delete?  Highlight it and click Restore.  Remember that once you empty the Recycle Bin, you cannot easily retrieve those files.
     After you have cleaned up, start BACKING UP!  Also, on where your system tools are, you will notice the choice Back Up - Start/Programs/Accessories/Systems Tools.  You should back up your files regularly; especially unique files you created yourself.  You should keep the back-ups in a separate physical location.  A floppy holds only 1.2 mb, which won't back up very much of anything.  Other options:  Use an Iomega Zip Disk (100 or 250 Megabytes) or Jaz disk (1 Gigabyte), both requiring special internal or external drives.  Burn a CD (650 Megabytes) or use an on-line backup system company.

Robin Ellison, AutoandParts.com
For more information, call 888-977-1999