PC Maintenance Guide Click here for information about our money-saving PC Maintenance Agreements

Tech Wizards want to help you get the most from your computer system(s). By following this guide you will maximize the speed and performance of your computer and minimize crashes, lock-ups and slow-downs. Most users will benefit most by performing these steps on a monthly basis. Users who experience a lot of performance problems may want to perform these steps on a bi-weekly or even weekly basis.

1. Disk Cleanup – As a first step in PC maintenance we recommend cleaning up your hard drive of unneeded “temp” files to allow the scans to run as quickly as possible. Deleting these temp files can also improve the speed and performance of your computer. To automatically and safely clean up your hard drive run the Disk Cleanup utility that is included in your Windows operating system. It can be found in the Start button by going to Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools.

2. Virus/Spyware Protection – The threat posed by viruses and spyware to computer users has never been greater, and the problem continues to worsen. As a result, we recommend that you take advantage of an anti-malware program that both provides the best protection possible while also impacting the speed and performance of your computer as little as possible. Whichever anti-malware program you choose, you should run a manual scan on a regular basis. Click here for more information regarding viruses and spyware.

For the best protection available we strongly recommend the subscription-based AVG Internet Security. Competitively priced, AVG Internet Security consistently outperforms other "name brand" anti-malware products without adversely affecting the speed and performance of your computer. It provides complete web-browsing protection as well a strong firewall and SPAM filtering. With AVG Internet Security you get a worry-free online experience every time. It's multiple layers of protection mean you don't have to worry about identity theft, spam, viruses or spyware. And it'll even prevent you from accidentally visiting harmful sites. Please contact Tech Wizards to take advantage of a special offer on AVG Internet Security.
For those users whose budget does not allow the expense of a subscription-based we recommend Microsoft Security Essentials as the best free anti-malware product. It provides real-time protection for your home PC in a single program that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and automatically kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. The software runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long scanning wait times.

3. Windows Updates – Microsoft constantly provides protection against new threats to your PC in the form of Windows Updates. If you have not configured your PC to automatically check for, download and install all Windows Critical Updates then you should manually do so on a weekly basis to insure maximum protection. The Microsoft Windows Update website can be accessed at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.

4. Hard Drive Defragmentation – The data on your hard drive needs to be “reorganized” on a regular basis to insure maximum performance and speed. Run the Disk Defragmenter which can be found in the Start button by going to Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools.

5. Backups & Disaster Recovery – We strongly recommend that you have a reliable backup and disaster recovery system in place to prevent data or entire system loss in the event of a hard drive crash, physical location catastrophe, or equipment theft. For critical data (financial records, business files, precious photos) we recommend utilizing a secure online backup service. Click here for complete information regarding the importance of backups and information regarding various local and online backup services (both free and inexpensive). Backup of non-essential data should happen on a weekly or monthly basis; essential data should be backed up on a daily (or nightly) basis. Periodic disaster recovery backups are also important for most users and an absolute "must" for businesses. Call us if you need advice on backing up your data or setting up a disaster recovery solution.

We recommend creating a folder on your Windows Desktop named “Monthly Maintenance” containing a link to this web page as well as links to the programs detailed in this document. You will then have everything you need to keep your PC healthy and running in optimal condition in one convenient location.

Click here for information about our money-saving PC Maintenance Agreements