Function of Software for Preventive Maintenance

File system errors may occur due to the complexity of the file system, buggy software, bad drivers, power failures, or human error. These errors can lead to data loss. To reduce the damage, you can mechanize program schedulers to detect the problem.

Disk Defragmenter

Step 1
Open "My Computer" and select the hard drive you wish to scan.


Step 2
Right-click on your hard drive and then select "properties."

Step 3

Switch over to the tools tab on the menu that pops up

Step 4

Look at the Defragmentation box and click on the "Defragment Now" button.

The Windows Disk Defragmenter program will open and all drives are listed in the top window pane.  Since the program is going to be arranging files on your hard drive, it is important that no files are being accessed during the process, or the program won't be able to move them.  Close all open programs

The C: drive is where operating system files and programs are installed by default, so make sure that it is selected, then click Defragment. While the program is running, it is recommend that you not use your computer. The time is takes to run the defragmenting process is dependent on the size of your hard drive and amount of fragmentation.
         

While the program is running you will see a graphical representation of the blocks of files on your hard drive being moved and the fragmented segments joined together.  Usually the less gaps of free space between the contiguous segments the better, but as long as the fragmented files are put together into contiguous segments, it will help your computer's performance.

Scan for hard disk read errors

Step 1
Open "My Computer" and select the hard drive you wish to scan.

Step 2
Right-click on your hard drive and then select "Properties."

Step 3
Switch over to the tools tab on the menu that pops up.

Step 4
Look at the error-checking box and click on the "Check Now" button.

Step 5
Check "Automatically fix file system errors" and "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors."

Step 6
Press the start button and let the scan complete, following your computer's instructions. 

If you receive the following message:

“The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can be accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule the disk check to occur the next time you restart the computer?

Click “Yes” to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer to start the disk check.

General Cleaning

Feel free to clean the mouse, the case, the monitor, and the keyboard at least once a year.  For the keyboard and mouse, you can use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab.  The case and the monitor shell can be cleaned with a household cleaner.  For the monitor glass(for CRT monitors) you can use windex and for LCDs use a soft dry cotton cloth to remove fingerprints and smudges from the screen. If this does not completely remove the dirt and splotches, use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on the cleaning cloth that has been dampened with water. (A small amount of vinegar can be substituted for the isopropyl alcohol).  The important thing to remember is that you don’t ever want to spray any liquid directly on the screen of either type of monitor. Instead, spray the cloth with water or a mild window cleaning solution then wipe the screen. You can use the same damp cloth to clean the entire monitor case, as well.