Personal Computer User's Guide
Manycomputersupplystorescarrythespecialcleaninguidsfordisplays.Usecleaninguidsdevelopedfor
LCDdisplaysonly.Firstapplytheuidtoalint-free,softcloth,thencleantheLCDdisplay.Somecomputer
supplystorescarrypre-moistenedtowelettesforLCDmaintenance.
Cleaningaglass-screensurface
Tocleanaglass-screensurface,wipeitgentlywithasoft,drycloth,orblowonthescreentoremovegritand
otherlooseparticles.Thenuseasoftclothmoistenedwithanonabrasiveliquidglasscleaner.
Goodmaintenancepractices
Byperformingafewgoodmaintenancepractices,youcanmaintaingoodcomputerperformance,protect
yourdata,andbepreparedincaseofacomputerfailure.
•Emptyyourrecyclebinonaregularbasis.
•RuntheWindowsDiskDefragmenterprogramoccasionallytopreventperformanceproblemscausedby
anexcessivenumberoffragmentedles.
•CleanoutyourInbox,SentItems,andDeletedItemsfoldersinyoure-mailapplicationonaregularbasis.
•Makebackupcopiesofcriticaldataonremovablemediamemoryatregularintervalsandstorethe
removablemediainasafelocation.Thefrequencyofmakingbackupcopiesdependsonhowcriticalthe
dataistoyouoryourbusiness.Lenovomakesanumberofremovable-mediastoragedevicesavailable
asoptions,suchasCD-RWdrivesandrecordableDVDdrives.
•Backupyourentireharddiskdriveonaregularbasis.
•IfyouareusingtheWindowsVistaoperatingsystem,useorscheduleSystemRestoretotakeasystem
snapshotperiodically.
Note:Alwaystakeasnapshotbeforeinstallingnewdevicedrivers,updatingsoftware,orinstalling
newsoftware.
•Keepyourcomputersoftwareup-to-date.See“Keepingyourcomputercurrent”onpage85
formore
information.
•Keepalogbook.Entriesmightincludemajorsoftwareorhardwarechanges,device-driverupdates,
intermittentproblemsandwhatyoudidtoresolvethem,andanyminorissuesyoumighthave
experienced.AlogbookcanhelpyouoraLenovotechniciandetermineifaproblemisrelatedtochange
inhardware,changeinsoftware,orsomeotheractionthatmighthavetakenplace.
•CreateProductRecoverydiscs.See“Creatingandusingrecoverymedia”onpage69
formoreinformation
aboutusingProductRecoverydiscstorestoretheharddiskdrivetothefactorydefaultsettings.
•Createrescuemedia.See“Creatingandusingarescuemedium”onpage72formoreinformationabout
usingaRescuemediumsuchasaCDorDVDtorecoverfromfailuresthatpreventyoufromgaining
accesstotheWindowsenvironmentortheRescueandRecoveryworkspaceonyourharddiskdrive.
Movingyourcomputer
Takethefollowingprecautionsbeforemovingyourcomputer.
1.Backupalllesanddatafromtheharddiskdrive.Thereareavarietyofbackupprogramsavailable
commercially.Youroperatingsystemalsomighthaveabackupprogramthatyoucanuse.Lenovo
providestheRescueandRecoveryprogramtohelpyoubackupandrestoredata.See“Performing
backupandrecoveryoperations”onpage70formoreinformation.
2.Removeallmedia(diskettes,compactdiscs,tapes,andsoon)fromthedrives.
3.Turnoffthecomputerandallattacheddevices.Yourharddiskdriveautomaticallyparkstheread/write
headinanondataarea.Thispreventsdamagetotheharddiskdrive.
4.Unplugthepowercordsfromelectricaloutlets.
88ThinkCentreUserGuide