As computer systems become more affordable, the cost of hiring a technician to make some system repairs can, unfortunately, quickly surpass the cost of replacing a computer.  Good news for the computer manufacturers and some of the technicians -- but not good news for most computer users!

Cape Web Sales does not do hardware maintenance.  We do, however, have several local technicians of whom we think very highly, and would certainly be very willing to share our thoughts and pass along contact information to clients upon request.  Everybody needs a "real" computer tech on speed dial!

There are some basic tasks that every user can do to prolong the life and improve the performance of their computer:

1.  Back up your hard drive -- Having a full back-up of your entire hard drive can be just as crucial for those "small" disasters (coffee dumped on the hard drive) as it is on the really big ones (fires, floods, etc.).  It's also important for those times when the wrong file is accidentally deleted.  There are several good back-up programs out there -- some such as Carbonite allow your data to be backed up automatically to an off-site location when your machine is not being used.  There are other programs which will back up onto external hard drives or CD's.  For a back-up to be effective, it must be stored separately from the computer.  Storing old back-ups next to the computer will not be helpful as fire engulfs the building, or the Atlantic Ocean washes through your living room.  A bank safe deposit box is a reasonably-priced location for your data (as well as those important documents you have been meaning to secure!)

2.  Install one or more good anti-virus / spyware programs such as Norton, McAfee, or the free Microsoft Security Essentials to protect your machine from malicious viruses and system-slowing spyware.

3.  Keep it clean -- use a can of compressed air or a vacuum to remove the dirt, dust, dog hair, etc. that may have built up in your computer.  This is especially important if it sits on the floor.  (I once convinced a certain Senior Executive to start using a computer that I had relocated from his Accounting Department to start typing his own memos.  I neglected to vacuum it before I installed it under his desk.  A week later the dust caught on fire ---- and he stopped typing his own memos !)

4.  Delete any program that you no longer use.  This can be done using the Windows Control Panel/Remove program function, or a nifty free utility such as the Iobit Uninstaller which allows the removal of several programs simultaneously. 

5.   Run Microsoft's disk clean up utility regularly to remove temporary files and the other electronic  debris that builds up on drives.  There are numerous other utilities as well -- such as Norton/Symantec, or a low-priced one from Iobit that will also do the job.

6.   Run Microsoft Disk Defrag regularly to realign data so that it may be accessed in the most efficient manner possible.  This will reduce wear on the drive, and may reduce the time you need to wait for a program to run.

7.  Did I mention back-up the hard drive(s) regularly?