Safe mode

Safe mode on the computer simply disables all the features/software on the computer to the ones that the computer can rely on. It is advisable to put the cmoputer into safe mode if you are trying to find out what the fault is on the computer if you have one. It is also advisable to put the computer into safe mode if you are having trouble booting up the computer, or if you cannot boot up the computer. This is because...

Scheduling set times for maintenance

This picture shows the taskbar used to schedule set times to perform routine scans on whatever you chose it to scan. You can create a routine time of your choice, where you can change the time, whether you do it every day, each week, each month, and each year, or on a routine of your choice. If you have to carry out a lot of tasks, the you should use software that reminds you when you need to carry out certain tasks. Software such as Microsoft Outlook, which offers a feature which offers you to set up a task and reminders at certain times that suit you. You can also schedule it to do these tasks automatically. This is advisablefor making essential tasks such as backups. The details of the task can also be set just once, instead of every time you want to do a backup.

Hardware maintenance

Things that should be done on a weekly basis are:

1. Clean mouse (ball and rollers) checking for wear.




2. Clean keyboard, checking for stuck keys.




3. Clean monitor screen.




4. Clean printer.

Tasks that should be carried out on a monthly basis are:

1. Clean outside of case

Tasks carried out annually are:

1. Check motherboard.




2. Clean adapter cards.

The tasks that are listed above are all tasks that need to be carried out to keep the hardware clean and safe to use. If the hardware components are not cleaned when they need to be cleaned, this may cause things like dust collecting on the components and damaging them. To clean them, use cleaning equipment such as a soft lint-free brush. This can be used for cleaning glass and plastic surfaces on the components. Also using paper towels if any spillages occur, cotton buds for cleaning the mouse etc, a non-static brush for the more stubborn dirt and compressed air for cleaning fans, keyboards etc. When cleaning the hardware, you must take in consideration of the Health and Safety regulations. Making sure you use an anti-static wristbands and using anti-static mats. Other things you must take into consideration when cleaning the computer components is that the computer is switched of at the wall and that you are careful with sharp edges that may be on the components. Below is a picture of a CPU fan that hasn't been cleaned. This is wrong as the dirt and dust collects on the fan and eventually the fan will stop working and the computer will over-heat.

Compression utilities

This is a utility that encodes the program so that it takes up less space in the memory. You can buy many software packages that will do this for you. An advantage of using this software is that you could store a lot more on your computer memory. This is ideal for people who have a lot of files etc on their computer, however if you ar someone who doesn't really have alot of files, etc on the computer, then you wouldn't really need this on your computer. It is also good for people who have computers that don't have a large memory on the computer and need more space to store extra things.

Spyware removal

When you have internet security, there is a part of that software that allows you do get rid of spyware that is on the computer. first you would have to carry out a computer scan, so that the security can detect if you have any spyware on your computer. If it detects that you have got spyware installed on your computer, then the use of the removal that comes with the security should be used. generally, you will not have to manually do this yourself. The security should advice that you 'get rid of' the spyware on your computer, you then simply have to agree to let it 'get rid of' the spyware.

Software maintenance

Some maintenance of hardware can be done using software (such as disk cleanup and defragmentation), but maintenance also includes looking after the software and not just the hardware. The problem with software is that it is only as up-to-date as it was on the day you installed it. Software, such as virus protection, relies on data that is up-to-date, so updating this software is essential. Some software is released for sale before it has been tested enough to find all the bugs that are caused by errors, made by the programmers. When these bugs are found, and the fault, the solution would be to use a patch which can be downloaded of the manufacterers' webiste. A patch is usually made avaliable as a replacement. Another way of keeping your software and hardware up-to-date and keep your computer running as quick as possible is by using defragmentation. When the computer is running slower, it could be because there is too much memory taken up because of loads of files, and many of them may be unused. If this is the case, you could use a Disk cleanup, which scans a drive and presents it with a list of files you might like to delete. It picks the files from the ones that are most unused. Once a Disk cleanup is used you can then carry out a disk defragmentation. This rearranges the files so that the gaps are used up systematically, leaving more avaliable space. it is advisable to carry out a Disk cleanup and a disk defragmentation because it will help keep the computer running quicker and keeps the space in the drives avaliable for more things you need to save. It doesn't waste the space avaliable, it uses it more effectively.
(M3)The effect of all the activities is that it will improve your computers performance. This is because you are sorting through all the files etc on your computer, deleting files that are not being used, sorting the space and making it more effective to use. The effects of all this is that it will make your computer run more smoothly and quickly. This will benefit the user of the computer. Also the computer will/may have more space on the computer and the user of the computer can use this to store more files that are needed instead of having files that are not being used.

General maintenance

Maintenance is essential when running a computer system. Its aim is to prevent arising problems and save time when diagnosing/fixing faults. It can also extend the life span of the computer. Different parts of the computer required being cleaned and maintainted at different times.
Daily things that should be done are:

• Virus scan of memory and hard disk.
• Take backup of changed data files.

Things that should be done on a weekly basis are:

• Clean mouse (ball and rollers) and check for wear.
• Clean keyboard, checking for stuck keys.
• Clean the monitor screen.
• Clean printer.
• Delete temporary files (Disk cleanup)
• Defragmenting hard disk and recover lost clusters. (Clusters are the unit of disk space allocated for files and directories).

Monthly tasks that should be carried out are:

• Cleaning outside of the case.
• Take complete backup of data files.

Annually tasks that need to be carried out are:

• Checking the motherboard.
• Clean adapter card contacts with contact cleaner and reset.

Other things that need to be done are:

• Record and back up CMOS setup configuration (CMOS is a type of memory that does not lose its data on a power loss).
• Keep a written record of hardware and software configuration.

Other things that you should watch for is dust settling on your computer components or dirt. This could prevent the components form working properly. For example, if there was dust that settled on the inside of the computer, it could mean that the cooling mechanism doesn't work properly, meaning that the components overheat and get damaged.