Preventative PC Maintenance, Part 1

You know, you do several, or many, things to make sure life runs smoother. You go to the doctor occasionally to get a checkup; you replace your air-filter in your car, and change the oil. What about your computer. It does a lot of work for you, even if you only use it to read the latest news, check the weather or your bank accounts, it needs maintenance too. Here are some signs that indicate your computer may need preventive maintenance.

What if your computer seems to be performing slower than you are used to? It could be your perception. It could be it is actually slowing down…both of which could be true.

If your computer has noticeably slowed down, taking longer to boot up, or to load applications, it may be time for maintenance. This can be caused by accumulated files, background processes, or hardware issues, such as failing components. It can be old age, like me, or heavy use, well OK, like me too. Maybe you need a new computer, or maybe just a cleanup. Try deleting old programs you no longer need. Like that old QuickTime from Apple that needs to be replaced with VLC (videolan.org) or deleting “Adobe Shockwave Player.” Oh, and one of the biggies, that I had to have when it premiered in 2007, “Microsoft Silverlight”, and then it vanished in 2012. They are ancient and no longer needed. Oh, and maybe that juggernaut, Java, done, unused, and gone. If you have them, delete them!

Now you ask, “How should I safely delete them and other unneeded programs and apps?” I have a multipart answer. First, do not use Windows uninstall feature but, secondly, do use, Revo Uninstaller, (revouninstaller.com). Revo is one of the few programs I actually pay for. The free version is great, but I have used it for years and like to support them for about $25/year.

Next, how about a computer that fails to start or shut down properly? This can indicate underlying problems. If it hangs during these processes or does not display the operating system logo, maintenance may be required to fix hardware or software issues. If this happens to your PC, try some of the following.

Make sure the computer is plugged into a working outlet and the power switch is on. You can also try using a different power source or power cable. You may laugh at this, but when I was working for a large tech firm years ago, I spent a three-hour trip to a location as their on-site computer system would not start. After the trip I found that it was not plugged in. The cleaners the night before had apparently unplugged it to run the vacuum cleaner. Then three-hours back to home-base, where it was really needed. Next, as easy as it sounds, make sure the monitor is plugged in, turned on, and plugged in to the correct input. Try booting the computer with only a keyboard and mouse, unplug the printer, scanner, and other peripherals.

Also, try starting the computer in safe mode. This can vary between computer manufacturers; however, many allow you to hold down the Shift key when you choose to “Restart” your PC from the menu. Then, if it restarts with a blue screen (no, not that one) choose “Advanced” and look for “Safe Reboot” and choose that. Once this is done you may be able to restart your computer without issue, immediately.

What if you start getting those pesky Error Messages. Be careful as some are scams. Like when it says your antivirus app is expiring, you can ignore those. But what if you regularly encounter error messages, especially during startup or while using applications? This can indicate software problems that need addressing. Persistent errors may suggest that maintenance is necessary to resolve underlying issues. For instance, I got a Windows 11 update error code 0x80???006. I searched for it online and was able to figure it out with the fix. I could just reboot my computer.