What are some maintenance tips and programs to help keep my new laptop healthy? ?
I just got a HP Pavilion DV4, AMD Turion x2, running on Windows Vista. I was wondering what programs I should install to keep it in good health and running fast. I already have CC Cleaner and Trend Micro Internet Security. Anything else I should have. (Preferably inexpensive or free) . Also, any good tips for me, who’s new to this, to help keep my laptop fast, healthy, and virus free. Thanks.
Using a registry cleaner can clean up your computer and then make your computer faster,Why?the reason is that there may be some registry errors and remnant,corrupt files and temp files in your computer to cause "computer slow".
Every time you install and uninstall software on your computer and surfing online you create junk in the computer registry.over time, the registry can grow to enormous proportions, especially if the various programs you’ve installed do not do a good job of deleting and/or updating it’s Registry entries.You need to scan and clean your computer with registry cleaner to make it fast.Good Registry Cleaner will improve your computer and Internet performance dramatically!
There are some comparison and review of TOP 5 registry cleaners.
http://www.make-pc-fast.com/
You can download and scan your computer for free.
Avast is free and a great virus protection. Also, get spybot to get rid of any spyware or malware.
also i would recommend a external hd. that way you ca save most info onto that. if you have recovery cds one for your vista and one for your drivers then that way you have your stuff saved onto a different hd so if something happens you can reformat your computer and not worry about loosing info. keep disk defraging it and disk cleanup as much as possible too.
Maintenance.
Hardware related.
See that opening on the bottom of your laptop, where it sucks in air?
Has a grille of some sort on it.
This is the Air Intake Duct.
DON’T BLOCK IT!
I know laptop’s are supposed to be able to put on your lap. But if your clothes block this duct, the laptop will get hot, and shut off.
Two, it will suck up lint from your clothes.
Don’t set it on your bed, the couch, or the carpet floor.
If you do put it on your lap, or the other areas I mentioned, set it on a hard flat surface. The laptop just has a little space underneath it to draw air in. Sitting the laptop on a flat table, you’ll see what I mean.
Those rubber feet only keep the bottom of the laptop up about the thickness of your little finger, or so.
Since the laptop’s air intake duct is on the bottom, it is more susceptible in sucking up,
Dirt/Dust/Animal Hair/People Hair/Carpet Deodorizer/Lint/Food Crumbs, you name it!
This duct needs to be cleaned out regularly with a can of compressed air for computers. If you have the AC adapter plugged in, remove it. Take the battery out.
Take a Q-tip or two, and clean the grille off. You don’t actually have to remove the junk, just stir it around. This stuff forms a layer.
Use the can of compressed air, and give this area a couple of SHORT blasts, and it will remove it. Use SHORT bursts because the fan inside, is only designed to spin so fast.
Spinning it faster than it is designed for, will cause premature failure of the fan’s bearings. The fan will quit spinning if the bearings go bad. Then the laptop will heat up. When it get’s too hot, the processor will shut off, and your laptop no workee!
I also suggest getting a laptop cooler. You set the laptop on the cooler. This helps to eliminate blocking the air intake duct.
There are coolers that are inexpensive, and are decent.
Examples:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=3486&name=Notebook-Coolers&
Just ‘food for thought’!