April 14th, 2009 | 
Author: The truth is that we should all carry out regular checks on our computer, but very few of us actually do. Many of us only realise how important it actually is when their computer dies and they are sat there stunned wondering what on earth there going to do without all that lost data. Others will carry out the task maybe once a month.
I am now going to shatter any illusions that you have and explain to you why you should do it every week without fail.
You should decide on a set time and day of the week to carry this out. I would recommend a Monday morning but it really doesn’t matter when it’s done. Many people I know prefer to do it on a Friday afternoon once they have done their weeks work not just because they have the most work on at the beginning of the week but to complete it after they have used the computer the most. Computer users also find it rather appealing that they can start a fresh on a Monday morning without it hanging over them.
Here are my top five checks that are extremely important that you must find time for once a week:
General Backup – Always check on the backup that you have carried out and not just assume that because you pressed a few buttons it is all perfect. Things can go wrong with your backup so don’t run the risk. Don’t just check data either also sort out the likes of WINS, Active Directory, system state and DHCP.
DriveSpace – Your drive space it is at a tremendous risk of being used up at a huge rate if left unchecked. You should regularly keep an eye out for the system drive speed, user drive space and shared space. Plus don’t forget to delete all those useless programs that come with your computer that you would never use.
Service Contracts – It is very worthwhile entering the expiry date of any contracts into your windows calendar. This way you won’t be at risk of any of your services coming to an abrupt end. Even better get it to notify you ten days previous so that you get the updates sorted out with plenty of time to spare.
Software Updates – You will be amazed by how many of us leave windows updates to a much later date and then complain that their PC isn’t working properly. Put some time aside to check on this and act on it. There is also other software that you should keep updated including anti-virus scans, anti-virus updates and anti-malware.
Firewall Log – It is vital that you regularly check your firewall log to make sure it is working to the best of its ability and no unknown warnings are appearing.
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Head over to http://www.jasonslater.co.uk/2009/01/26/ten-technology-checks-for-a-monday-morning/ to read all about other checks that you should carry out every week!
Article Source: Simple checks that every computer owner should carry out
