What a great hint! I had my office techie come to my home to do a tune up one night....he's young so a home cooked meal and a beer go a long way.... Can you imagine how mortified I was when he opened my computer up in person? We have 3 cats.....OMG I wanted to melt into the floor.

Well now just a minute. Cleaning the dust out regularly IS a good thing, but no, it would not make a computer run slow! No way. In extreme cases, it could damage the computer, make it shut down or the like from heat buildup but no, he fed you a line of bull that it would make it slow down.

Most common causes of slowness are malware, viruses, insufficient hard drive space, too many programs running, excessuve fonts, wav files, pilot error, etc.

It doesn't hurt it to blow in there either. But you wouldn't have the breath to blow out a dirty computer and something that dirty needs the power supply cleaned out too. Compressed air is the best, a vacuum is OK though. And it takes far more than a few puffs to clean it well.

And $80 for a dust cleanout? You are going to a rip-off place. They should be doing far more than blowing the dust out for $80!

How often it needs to be cleaned depends on the environment. I usually recommend checking it about annually but how dusty is the house? Pets? Smokers? If there's smokers there's other cleaning to do. Computers are very effective air filters.

cynic has it right...for the price your tech wants to charge i'm surprised he's not wearing a mask.
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And if possible don't keep it on the floor.

QUOTE: Most common causes of slowness are malware, viruses, insufficient hard drive space, too many programs running, excessuve fonts, wav files, pilot error, etc.

Would you be kind enough to walk us through how to 'clean' our computers ie how to remove malware, increase hard drive space, eliminate too many programs running, remove excessive fonds, wav files, etc.?

Thank you!!!

I'd be happy to! There are a number of important things to have on your computer.

Before making any changes to your system, open up System Restore and set a restore point. I would actually do two of them as a belt & suspenders approach, in case one were to be corrupted.

Programs to download and install:
- A firewall. (If you have Vista, the Windows one will do at least at first but I prefer a separate one. Otherwise you should use a separate firewall. Comodo and PCTools have good free firewalls.
-Antivirus. AVG and Avast are free and very good antivirus programs.
-Anti Malware. Spybot Search & Destroy, MalwareBytes and SuperAntiSpyware are 3 very good programs. You should have at least one of them.
-Windows Updates. Windows patches their programs weekly from problems that perpetually develop. You should have your system set to check automatically for the updates. I prefer to NOT have it automatically update though. I prefer to have it tell me when they're available and I choose the ones to install.
-SpywareBlaster. This is another free program that prevents a lot of malware from being installed on your computer. It is not a program that runs in the background or anything, rather it sort of sets up roadblocks so the "demons" can't plant things on you.
-Go into Control Panel, then Internet Properties and click on the Advanced tab. Scroll down about 2/3 of the way and make sure the following two boxes are checked: Do not save encryped pages to disk, and right underneath it, Empty Temporary Internet file folder when browser is closed.

This is a good start. That should be the first things to go on a system, and even before you go online for the first time. I also highly recommend using a different browser. Opera, K-meleon and Firefox are 3 that I use all the time. They're faster than Internet Explorer and much, much safer.

For taking care of items that start when your computer starts, download a program called CCleaner. It helps clean your system including the registry. It also has a great startup controller to let you disable or, more importantly remove unneeded things from your startup.

I also like the free program WinPatrol. It monitors your startup and the like and tells you when something is trying to change it. If you're installing something and you WANT it to start, no problem, it let's you make the choice. But if something does something sneaky and tries to put in something behind your back, you'll know about it.

-DriveImageXML is a backup program that works well. You need to back up your system and important files on a regular basis.
-For PDF files, I like two programs. One is Foxit PDF reader and this is a small and efficient reader of the .PDF files. The other that might be handy is Premio which lets you write to a .PDF file. You may or may not have a use for this one, so it's optional.
-I don't like the Windows Zip program. Like everything Microsoft, it's weak and half-a$$ed. WinZip isn't free anymore but 7Zip is and is an excellent program.
-Irfanview. The best free graphics viewer I've seen.
-I like 3 different media players. Media Player Classic, requires a "codec" pack be downloaded with it, but it's easy to do. JetAudio and WinAmp are two other great media players. They work better than Windows and are free.

Optional, but nice to have:
-Free and Easy Font Viewer is one of many good font viewers. You can see what the fonts look like when you want to choose a particular type.

Now, this sounds complicated, I know, but it really isn't. Just take your time and do a little each day.

Download and load up the programs I recommended. Most all of them will need to be updated occasionally. It's pretty self-explanatory how to do it.

Update and run the antivirus and let it automatically update and run for you at a time you won't likely be using the computer.

Update and run the Anti-malware program(s) you choose.

How often to run the programs depends on how much you use them. Maybe start with once a month. If you have extra time and use the computer constantly, I'd do a malware check weekly, but a caution. Don't get so nervous that you just quit doing it altogether. Better then to do it occasionally than never at all.

Oh, almost forgot. When you load programs like Office, WordPerfect, etc, they usually load up a bunch of fonts (typefaces) you don't use or need. The more that are installed, the longer it takes your computer to boot. This takes more time to clean up and should be addressed separately. Check to see how many you have in there. If you have many more than oh, 300-400, you're likely to be slowed down on your boot time.

If you have .wav (sound) files running when you boot like the windows startup sound, it slows things down the length of time it takes to run, plus a bit more. Unless you really want them I'd turn them off.

Feel free to contact me if you have any problems, or post a question on here. I'll be glad to help all I can. And others will have suggestions and hints too! I'll try to throw in some other little tweaks and tips as I think of them when I have a chance. Share yours too!

Good luck. Happy and safe surfing to you all!

Oh, and please try to not feel intimidated. First, there's no such thing as a "stupid" question that's sincere. Everyone started with the same amount of knowledge and I by NO means know everything. It's a learn as you go thing for all of us.

Also, it may sound like a lot of things to do "just for a computer", but think of it like your car. When you first get it there's a lot of things to do, right? Get insurance, maybe license plates, drivers license (yes I think there should be a computer license but I digress! LOL), you need to put your own stuff in there, adjust the inside mirrors, adjust the outside mirrors and adjust the seats, maybe clean the headlights and taillights, etc. But a lot of this is setup so just relax, take a little at a time and you'll be much more secure and happier while you enjoy your computer.

Cynic, I'm surprised to see you recommend a vacuum for cleaning out a CPU. I've always been told to keep vacuum cleaners away from computers because of the risk of damage from static electricity.

Susan

I agree with cynic. Dust will cause your computer to overheat but won't make it run slow.

Cynic's advice all looks pretty good too. One thing I don't see mentioned though, is the possibility of hard drive fragmentation. Computers don't always store files as one long string of data. Instead, a file can be made of of many parts stored in many different locations. The parts are all chained together, so that when you open the file, the computer can find all of the parts.

If a file is stored as a single string of data, it can be opened quickly. But if your computer has to get pieces of the file from 5 or 10 or 100 (or even more) different locations, that can get very slow.

How a file gets stored (how many parts) is determined by how much space is available in each location.

Over time, your hard drive becomes fragmented. Every time you save a new file, or add to and resave an old file, or delete a file, the fragmented data on your hard drive changes somewhat. Usually getting MORE fragmented.

Your hard drive should be defragmented occasionally, and Windows provides a tool to do this.

To open Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. Highlight your hard drive. Then click on the Analyze button. Windows will check your hard drive, show you a visual of how much fragmentation is there, and will tell you whether you should defragment or not.

That was a great tutorial, cynic....thank you so much. I've saved it!

The most competent way to keep your computer clean is to apply a SKIN to the keyboard. That way nothing can go inside the keyboard. They run about 24 dollar and they're clear and molded to your computer keyboard. I've been using them for years. Even if you have crumbs or spill something, no worry;
Here is one of the many sites that sells them
http://www.uniqueskins.com/?gclid=CKmA_sT44pgCFQG7GgodwX8tcw

I use CCleaner every day
Spy bot every few days
AVG scan every day
Firewall always running
So far so good

I heard a great analogy regarding Defragmentation a few years back...

Picture your closet. You clothes are all on hangers, perhaps sorted by color or purpose. When you need a pair of black slacks and a yellow shirt, they are easy to find.

Over time some clothes on still on hangers but many are just laying in a heap on the floor, some have been tossed up on a shelf or two. This is a "fragmented" closet. Everything you need is there, it just takes time to find it.

You pick everything up, put it back on hangers, sorted by color or purpose and once again, things are easy to find. This is "defragmenting".

Mornings go much easier and faster with a defragmented close and so will your hard drive.

Jodi-

Get a mac and defrag occasionally -- no problems at all!

Seriously, I do sympathize since my work computers tend to accumulate the problems you have noted. Cleaning out is always good, but assuming you are keeping things clean with a good firewall and other protections, a regular defragmentation should keep things in good shape. Also, take a look at how much of your hard drive capacity is being used -- if over 50%, speed will definitely slow down, whether pc or mac, defragged or not.

When I apply a cover my keyboard ... that keeps crumbs, hair and other unmentionables out of my keyboard.

I can understand the wisdom of that, for I have had some where one or another letter key doesn't push, or gives the wrong print. Or the space bar resists being pushed down, the current problem with this old thing.

But how do you get the inside of the central processing unit cleaned and made pristine by keeping unwanted stuff out of your keyboard ... do you have some kind of special service (hungry cockroach?) that follows up the line from the keyboard to the C P U to perform the cleaning function?

And if you're using wireless, that must get all the more complicated.

Just need to ask my Krumby Keyboard, do you think?

Have a great week, everyone - and if you find a way to clean up one's mind, let me know, O.K.?

ole joyful

As ole joyful hinted, there really is no way to keep dust and other gunk from accumulating inside the case. The case has to have openings in it for the heat to escape. If you cover the openings the computer will overhead and reboot itself. Plus overheating could potentially cause other damage.

Ole joyful, if there were a special hungry cockroach that got in the CPU to clean, then you'd have a buggy computer and everyone knows that's no good :-)

I didn't really intend to go into routine maintenance and the defrag is a good maintenance item to do occasionally and should be done after a disk check. If you have bad sectors on your hard drive it will complicate the defrag and it'll cause performance problems too. Other maintenance, clean out old files, sort so you can find things, organize your computer, wipe the dust off it, and other stuff!

Jodi, that's a great analogy on defrag. I'm gonna "Berle" it! ;)

alisande, static electricity is way over-hyped. If you're in a dry climate and walk on the carpet, yes you can get some static sparks. And yes, you need to be careful when in the computer. There are static leashes that some swear by, but I never use them. If you know what you're doing, you're fine and the leash won't prevent other problems. When you open the computer UNPLUG IT FIRST. This should be a no-brainer, but... Then pull the screws if so equipped and open it up. If you've walked around a dry room on carpet, touch the metal case or the back of the power supply before sticking your hand in there to discharge yourself. Using a vacuum won't generate static electricity. Incidently, when using the vacuum, get the big chunks out first then turn it to blow to loosen up underneath the board and in the power supply. If your computer is really packed with lint you should use compressed air or else open the power supply. Be careful of the capacitors in there...

FWIW, I don't recommend keyboard covers except in rare situations. Do you REALLY HAVE to eat cookies and crackers like a slob, right over the keyboard? The occasional lint, dust, dirt and crumbs can be removed by turning it over, tapping gently and a spurt of compressed air occasionally. Keyboard covers break, crack, get hard and somehow spending $30 on a $5 keyboard doesn't seem to make much sense to me. I even know people who put plastic bags over the keyboard because they insist on using them as a plate. Considering how full of bacteria a keyboard is to start with and people having to have food on it on top of it... eeewwwwwww... I find that disgusting! LOL Set the computer aside and eat for 5-10 minutes. And wipe the keyboard occasionally and do your phone too. They're dirtier than your toilet seat, did you realize that?

Now go wash your hands and enjoy your computer! :)