Computer, like cars, need regular maintenance to keep it running sleek, smoothly and like new.

Here is a list of things that are done during a computer tune-up.

1.  Uninstall any programs that are no longer needed.  This will free up disk space and speed up your computer.

2.  Configure the computer so that there are not many automatic startup programs that use up your computer processing power.

3.  Eliminate any duplicate files to free up disk space.  This includes any temporary documents and cookies.  Clean out the clutter.

4.  If you find that you have less than 10% available free space on your hard drive, consider adding another drive, either internally or externally.   It is good practice to change your hard drive before it goes bad.  The typical life span for a hard drive is three years.

5.  Give your computer a memory boost.  If your computer run out of RAM memory, it starts spinning your hard drive memory chips. This slows the computer down.  RAM chips are very inexpensive these days, so add some RAM.

6.  Fragment your hard drive.  Your computer writes its files on the hard drive in a spiral fashion.  Every time you delete a file, it frees up some space along the spiral.  When you store a file, the computer stores it at the first available space it can find, then continues to the next available space.  In time, a file can be stored at many different spaces along the spiral.  So, when you go to retrieve the file, your  hard drive access all the different locations and thus slows down.  Fragmenting your hard drive re-organizes your files, so that a file is kept in big chunk in the same location. The next time you need to retrieve your file, the process is faster and more efficient, and your computer will load up fast.

7.  Run fewer programs simultaneously.  Do not have too many windows open at the same time.

8.  Dust and clean your computer.   Any dust that collects inside your computer become insulation and heat.  When your computer cools down, heat becomes moisture, and this can make your PC dead.

9.  Make sure you have all the current updates for your anti-virus, spyware and operating systems.  If there is an update, there is a reason for it.  So, keep your software current.

This is a tip from Computer Troubleshooters.   Our motto is:  Don’t shoot your computer, call Computer Troubleshooters.

With proper precautions, this should not happen.  Many people use laptops and notebooks and they were fine.  So here are the reasons why laptops can be a fire hazard and what you should do to avoid a fire.

As technology advances, laptop computers get smaller, while the speed gets faster.  This poses a fire hazard, because the laptop battery needs to work hard to keep a laptop running.  The harder the battery works, the hotter it can get.  When the battery gets too hot, it can melt its membrane and as a result, the laptop can catch on fire, and even explode.

A desktop computer has room to install a heat sink, which cools the computer with fans moving air over the heat sink, and therefore relieves any potential problems cause by heat.  With a laptop or notebook, there is little room for fans and other cooling tools.   The components are crowded together, and the ventilation holes on the bottom or sides of the computer are the only ways to relieve the heat.  If these ventilation holes are plugged because the laptop sits on couch, bed, your lap, or any soft surface, the laptop can heat up very fast.

Here are some precautions to take with a laptop:

1.  Do not leave your laptop sitting on a couch, bed or any soft surface.

2.  If you notice your laptop getting hot, turn it off.

3.  Make sure you turn off your laptop at the end of the day.  Leaving a laptop running 24 hours a day is a fire hazard.

4.  Make sure your laptop goes to sleep when you close the lid.  If it is still running, and you put it in a case or bag, it can heat up and cause a fire.

5.  Do not put the laptop on your lap, as the laptop can raise the surrounding temperature by as much as 4 degrees celsius, and this can lower male fertility by killing the sperms.