User's Manual

7 Maintenance
It is important that you perform simple maintenance of your computer to be sure that it works at peak
performance.
Schedules and tasks
Follow these instructions at the recommended intervals for proper maintenance.
Weekly Software cleanup Use Disk Cleanup or safe third-party cleaning tools to remove junk files and temporary
files that accumulate and slow down your system. Also, check for programs you no
longer need and uninstall them.
To run Disk Cleanup:
1. Type disk in the taskbar search box, and then select Free up disk space by
deleting unnecessary files or Uninstall apps to free up disk space.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Defragmenting and
optimizing
Use Disk Defragmenter to defragment and optimize your hard drive to keep your hard
disk in good condition and improve system performance. Frequently performing this
task does not harm your system.
To run Disk Defragmenter:
1. Connect the computer to AC power.
2. Type defragment in the taskbar search box, and then select Defragment and
optimize your drives.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Virus scan Perform a full virus scan every week to catch viruses that might have slipped through
unnoticed. Most antivirus products have a scheduling feature to keep track of this
automatically.
Monthly Hardware cleaning Thoroughly clean the outside of your computer.
Software updates Use Windows Update to fix operating system bugs and improve performance. Also, be
sure to check for driver updates for your hardware and new versions of your favorite
programs.
Windows Update Run Windows Update to install updates.
Yearly System Recovery In time, your system might still slow down, depending on the computer usage. Use
System Recovery to wipe your Windows operating system installation clean, restoring
it to the original configuration when you first started your system. Make a backup of
important data files before proceeding with a System Recovery. See Backing up,
restoring, and recovering on page 15 for further details.
As needed Backing up your data Use CD or DVD recording software that is installed on your computer to create (or
“burn”) backup discs of important information, including personal files, e-mail
messages, and Website bookmarks. You can also move data to an external hard drive.
Schedules and tasks 21