Clean-ups: They’re about more than just getting rid of viruses.
by Aysë Stenabaugh
Usually there’s a pop-up that just won’t go away, or maybe worse, it won’t start at all. You shut the computer down and restart hoping your problems will fade into cyberspace. No dice, the same annoying ad is telling you your computer is infected won’t go away. You try to close it but nothing works. Panic sets in as you search for the number for Jester’s Computers for the fix: the clean-up.
The title “clean-up” may be a bit misleading as it’s a cocktail of many recommended maintence practices that can help keep your computer running at peak performance. Most people finding themselves in a pinch when they seek this service but even if you don’t need it because of a virus. A clean-up can actually help identify problems with your computer before they put your device out of commission. Additionally while having your computer serviced you may learn about inexpensive upgrades that can increase your computers productivity.
As users we tend to forget how many programs we have installed and uninstalled on our devices over the years. These programs leave remnants behind and can cause errors and interfere with programs you actually want to use. Almost every program you install assumes your computer can handle everything it wants to do, which may be the case but, over time as you continue to install more software your system becomes overloaded. Your computer that once only had a few programs running at startup is now running programs you don’t even use or programs that don’t need to load as your computer is starting up, and before you know it you’ve watched an entire episode on TV while your computer was trying to boot up and load everything.
Updates are always a big one as well. Many users are afraid to update their software because they don’t want to “mess something up”. While this is sometimes rarely the case, with a bad or corrupt update, many of them provide security benefits and shouldn’t be ignored. In addition to making sure your computer is updated with Windows Updates, during the clean-up adobe flash, reader and java are updated to the latest versions.
During the clean-up your hard drive is checked for corruption and can help to identify if the device is beginning to fail. Any driver errors or blue screens can be addressed and hardware failures are evaluated in order to provide the best recommendation. Too often we hear stories of people who spent money on a new computer instead of investing into performing maintenance on their old machine for a fraction of what they spent. This may seem like a good option but after consideration of moving your data and reinstalling all your programs you can see how reviving your old machine just might be a better option.
Your device is a machine much like your vehicle it needs regular maintenance to perform at its peak. Jester’s recommends a clean-up once a year, sooner if it begins to slow down or experience viruses or malware. Even if you don’t need a clean-up on your device you will always be provided with a recommendation that focuses on your individual needs.
Jester’s Computer Services located at 5135 Fairfield Road and is open Monday through Friday 9am – 5pm with extended hours until 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No appointment is necessary however if you have questions please contact us at (717) 642-6611
