27/03/2015
"Computer maintenance"
Computer maintenance is the practice of
keeping computers in a good state of
repair.
Computer cleaning
Dusty-dirty PC
Computer cleaning involves physically
cleaning the interior and exterior of a
computer, including the removal of dust
and debris from cooling fans, power
supplies, and other hardware
components.This should be done after
certain period of time (weekly/monthly).
A computer containing accumulated dust
and debris may not run properly.
Dust and other cruft may accumulate as a
result of air cooling. Any filters used to
mitigate this need regular service and
changes. If the cooling system is not
filtered then regular computer cleaning
may prevent short circuits and
overheating.
Data
Main article: Backup
Important data stored on computers may
be copied and archived securely so that, in
the event of failure, the data and systems
may be reconstructed. When major
maintenance such as patching is
performed, a backup is recommended as
the first step in case the update fails and
reversion is required.
Disk cleanup may be performed as regular
maintenance to remove these. Files may
become fragmented and so slow the
performance of the computer. Disk
defragmentation may be performed to
combine these fragments and so improve
performance.
In the United States of America, the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
specifically exempts computer-
maintenance activities, so copies of
copyright files may be made in the course
of maintenance provided that they are
destroyed afterwards.[1]
Software
Operating-system files such as the
Windows registry may require
maintenance. A utility such as a registry
cleaner may be used for this.
Software packages and operating systems
may require regular updates to correct
software bugs and to address security
weaknesses.
Security
Main article: computer security
Service intervals
Depending on the environment, computers
should be serviced at least once per
quarter, though monthly service is
optimal.[citation needed] Regular servicing
helps computers provide their peak
performance.
