Computer Maintenance
  

 

 
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Looking after your computer once you have built it is critical too. Several things can impact the performance of your PC once you have built it.

Viruses

 If your computer has access to the internet, or if you use your DVD/CD drive to download files, then the chances are you are going to be regularly exposed to viruses. These in the worst cases can be completely destructive of your PC, to the extent that you may have to reformat your hard drive, lose all your files and start again. There are some measures that you can take that will minimise the chances that your PC will be infiltrated by a virus.

Take precautions:-

  • Be careful with emails. Don't open any attachments that are suspicious. They may have plausible titles or they may even be from someone you know.
  • Use a regularly updated virus checker. This will hopefully stop you getting infected or sort out any infections you already have.
  • Use a personal firewall. This will minimise the risk of Trojans accessing the internet from your PC and hackers hacking in.

Recommended virus software includes Norton Antivirus, McAfee VirusScan and Trend Micro's PC-cillan.

Recommended Firewalls include Zone Lab's Zone Alarm and Norton Personal Firewall.

There are trial versions of all these packages online.

Heat

After viruses and other malicious attacks you computer's biggest enemy is heat. Overheating will drastically cut the life of your computer. There are two ways of tackling this.

  • Active cooling using cooling devices like fans and heat sinks. There are fans and heat sinks that attach to virtually every component that generates heat in your case. As well as fans for processors and video cards, there are even heat sinks for memory and cooling fans for hard drives. For more information see under the cooling section.
  • If you computer has been designed properly keeping it clean and free from dust can keep your computer running for years longer.  Even over a period of three or four months, sufficient dust can be sucked into your case to act like a nice heat retaining blanket on you heat sensitive components. Find out how to keep your PC clean using our PC cleaning guide.

Dirt

Related to heat, but it can gum up more than the heat sensitive bits of your PC. If your screen is covered in finger prints or your mouse has turned from a nice shade of off white to an unpleasant shade of grime gray, then check out our PC cleaning guide.

     

 

  
 

 

  
   
   
 

 

  
 

 

  
     
     

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