Computer Maintenance "Free Solutions"

I have received a significant amount of response from my consumer alert regarding System Mechanic 7 Professional. Many others have had great challenges and problems with System Mechanic. The challenge we are faced with is how do we keep our XP systems running efficiently. I am currently looking at the other alternative of System Mechanic, from Norton. It is Norton System Works Premiere. I'll wait to post a review of this software until I have had time to sufficiently try it out. The problem with Windows systems is over time things happen under the hood that gradually slow the system down. It becomes necessary to preform a little maintenance to keep your machine running smooth. I like the idea of having an all in one location where I can fix these issues, but as we found out with SM7 that is not always helpful.

In this article I will cover the basics of keeping your computer up and running correctly. These solutions can be done using software included with windows or with free downloadable software. Here are the steps you should take and the recommended frequency of the tasks.

1. Run Disk Cleanup (once a month) run on computer by going to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup.
   
2. De fragment the hard drive. (once a month) run on computer by going to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter
   
3. Remove unnecessary programs from Startup. (When new software is installed) Go to Start>Startup>Right click on unwanted programs and select delete. This does not uninstall or disable the program. You can still start it through the start menu all it does is keep the program from starting every time you start your computer.
4. Clean up your desktop. Remove all unessisary files and start buttons from your desktop. Files should be put in folders. I even group my applications in folders. The more icons you have the slower your machine boots up.
5. Install and run Spy ware software. (Weekly) I recommend Spybot Search and Destroy

One other major issue is registry problems. There is some fine software to assist you with this like Registry Mechanic, but you need to pay for it. Unfortunately I have yet to find a free tool to do this well