Computers and Technology

Our computer built from hardware and software. The hardware communicates with the software all the time, thanks to the drivers (also a program). To keep your computer with its best condition you have to maintain it from time to time. Sometimes it's not enough and you need computer repair service to do it for you, but you can always keep it fixed longer.

This article will explain how to maintain/repair your software part of your computer first. In the end I will explain how to maintain/repair your hardware part of your computer. Also, this article will explain how to work under Windows 7, not any other OS (you can do it with Windows Vista too).

Your very basic software called BIOS. This is the program that helps communicate with the hardware at startup, right before the computer starting the OS (Operating System). We recommend not updating your BIOS by yourself; it could harm your computer badly if the update won't succeed.

Step 1

For us the basic program is the second one; the OS. So, our first step is to update our Windows. Go to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, Windows Update, and click on Check for Updates. After it is finished you will see if you have any updates available for your OS. Click on Install Updates and you done!

Sometimes, after it is finish to update and restarting your computer, it has new updates. So we will repeat this step until it will show no important updates.

Step 2

Windows 7 has an Action Center. This part of windows handles Windows errors. To check if your system has any errors to be fixed, go to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, Action Center, and follow each category to View Messages, and fix them.

Step 3

Some issues caused by damaged, old or missing driver. You can find out if you have problem with your drivers under Start, Control Panel, System and Security, System, Device Manager. If you have notification icon on one or more of your hardware list go to the part manufacturer and look for its driver, download and install.

Step 4

Virus/Spyware is a program that been developed to harm your computer and sometimes your privacy too. Some of those programs can damage your computer in a way that you won't be able to fix it.

If you have viruses and/or spyware on your computer you should take this step very seriously. Even-though you have an Anti-Virus program running and up-to-date, you should be careful. You can see if your computer becomes slower, or your Windows occasionally popping up error messages, programs starting unexpectedly. You can also hear the hard drive if it is spinning constantly and making noise, or you can hear your fans working nonstop.

Download MalwareBytes or McAfee's virus removal tool. Scan your computer and delete any kind of virus. If it doesn't help you should contact computer repair services in your area to do it for you.

Step 5

We all have our computer ready to use by default from the computer manufacturer. But, are we need all these programs we got installed? Do we need the software we used to work with until now?

Programs taking space on our hard drive and makes it harder to scan when we are starting the computer or new program window. Some of the programs are starting up when Windows does, and it makes it even worse. It means you are working with more programs in the background and these programs are unused, so the computer working slower and the startup process much longer.

My advice is to uninstall these programs from our computer, unused needs to be uninstalled in this case. Go to Start, Control Panel, Programs, Programs and Features, and mark the program we want to uninstall and click uninstall.

Some of the unused programs contain toolbars and plugins.

Step 6

We are installing programs and storing files on our hard drive, but when we delete them this space will be like a hole. Next time we will install or save a file it will use this space and more space in another part of the hard drive. That is mean our files are scattered and we need to make it organized.

In Windows 7 we have the famous tool to do the job; The Disk Defragmenter. Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. Now, choose your hard drive path and click start. This will make order in your hard drive, and your computer will run faster.

Step 7

Our computer full of unused files that are not programs. So how we do uninstall them? The answer is The Disk Cleanup by Windows. Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. This step will clean any traces or temporary files, and also your trash files.

Until now we discussed about the software part of your computer to be repaired. Now we will discuss in the second part; the hardware.

Step 8

Our computer has its own limitation. You are working with this computer, is it enough strong to handle it? Go to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, System, Windows Experience Index. If it has low rate (the numbers are from 1.0 to 7.9) in one of the sections, you should try replacing the part that is in charge of this issue. Let's say you have low rate under Graphics, it means you can have better performance with better video card.

Step 9

Our computer speed and performance mostly depends on our memory (RAM). Try replacing your memory cards to higher capacity. My advice is to use 4GB and higher, for Windows 7. You can also try using USB Memory as a booster. ReadyBoost is a program that tells your computer to use external memory as an internal (RAM) memory.

Step 10

Try clean your computer inside out. The fans work to pull air and cool down the hardware. Our air full of dust and it gets inside the computer and blocks the air to cool the CPU, and other parts.

Open the case carefully, and vacuum the fans. If you don't know how to do it, please contact your local computer repair service and ask them to do it for you.