PC Tips Tweaks and Maintenance

I recently helped a client who decided to try out a D-Link DHP50U. He followed the instructions correctly and his PC was clean and had no issues. However, the install failed giving him an “Access is Denied Error”. On Windows, installation of some drivers may result "Access is denied" errors. This is generally due to the driver’s installer improperly updating the registry security settings.

To resolve this, go to Start, then run, enter "REGEDIT.EXE" (without the quotes) and hit ok:

1. Locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM on "Local Machine"

2. Right Click to Pulldown "Security" Menu and click on "Permissions…"

3. Click on "Advanced…"

4. Check "Reset permissions on all child objects and enable propagation…"

5. Click on OK

Sometimes you may have to do the same to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\xxx (the driver’s manufacturer’s settings)

Once above process is done, you may now re-install the drivers (via installer or Device Manager).

Has your computer slowed down? Does it take forever for a file to open or a program to start? Don’t stress out, it probably just needs some simple maintenance or a good tune up. There are some simple steps all computer owners should do regularly to help prevent troubles.

The following information lists some necessary steps and an explanation of Fragmented Files. For further steps and links to tested, free protection programs and firewall software, get your free guide from the link above.

Start with the basics, check your hardware, then clean out your temp files and defrag the hard drive.

Hardware failures: look and listen, hardware problems are usually obvious. First, look: if you see lots of dust or grime you should do a physical cleaning. Do you get the Blue Screen of Death or other error messages, does your PC randomly reboot? (Note: these can be hardware or software related).

Next listen: Are there new strange noises? (eg. rattling, scraping or grinding). Have some normal noises stopped? (eg. fans). If you are experiencing hardware problems you should shut down your computer and consult a tech. Remember, you need to regularly check out your hardware devices, it WILL help you to avoid problems.

If your PC is running slow, it is usually for reasons other than hardware. Most non hardware problems can be remedied by taking a little time and doing proper maintenance.

The most used operating system (OS) in the world is Microsoft’s Windows (multiple variations) and Windows needs regular maintenance or you WILL have problems and slow downs.

Your OS spends more time accessing files on the hard drive than anything else. As the drive fills up and files are written to and deleted from the disk, the OS may not be able to put a file all in one section. Many times the OS will break up a file and write different parts of it in various locations on the disk and create a list of where and in what order they are stored. If files are written contiguously (all in a single section written in a row) they can be retrieved with less work and time as the hard drive heads need only to read a single section. If the file is not contiguous (it is fragmented) the heads will reposition several times before retrieving the entire file. Thus increasing the time to retrieve the file and decrease the life of the hard drive. As more files are written in fragmented format the access time gets longer and longer, therefore it is necessary to rearrange the files so they ARE contiguous. This is easily done with a disk defragmenter program. A decent free one is JkDefrag; it is a nice compact program that does a good job defragging all your drives with one click. Using JkDefrag as a regular part of your computer maintenance will speed up the operation of your computer.

Windows will start various programs upon startup; this is both a good and bad feature. The good: this allows Windows to load programs like your antivirus, firewall, etc that are necessary to your security. The bad: often programs are added to the startup process without your knowledge or consent and most of these are not necessary and many are irritating or even malware. Having many programs running on startup results in a very slow startup and once loaded they hog resources slowing your PC down.

In order to resolve this, you need to optimize your startup process by removing unnecessary and unwanted programs from your startup and protect your startup processes by locking them against unknown changes. Control your Windows startup processes and you can decrease the length of time your PC takes to load and increase the resources available to the programs you are using and even stop some malware.

With the right tools, even a user without much computer knowledge, can easily control the Windows startup processes. A good startup management program like Startup Inspector enables you to control your startup processes. With a simple click of the consult button Startup Inspector provides you with information as to what the items are and if they are required or not and gives you simple enabling/disabling of these programs. If Startup Inspector does not know the particular items in your startup processes it has an easy link to look up the item on Google.

There are many stand alone tools that will help you to control what is allowed to modify your startup processes and lots of security tools have this feature built in. Two of the security tools I recommend have features that lock the registry and startup processes against any unauthorized changes. Spybot Search and Destroy has its “Tea Timer” which works great as a tool, but its popup is sometimes awkward to deal with. Comodo Free Firewall has its “Defense +” feature which does a great job and is easier to work with. It will first check any changes against its ever growing database and then ask; supplying the information it does know. Once it “learns” enough for your setup the questions occur less often. It also has many other great security features but this is about your startup processes so I will not get into the firewall features here.

Controlling your startup processes, removing unnecessary and unwanted programs will reduce the loading time of Windows. Knowing what is trying to modify your startup processes and only allowing necessary items to load will keep your PC more secure and faster. Even on a slow PC, you will find your computer is performing better when you properly manage Windows startup.

More detailed information is available in the “PC Tips Tweaks and Maintenance Pro Edition”.

Cleaning a PC is a necessary and simple process and should be done at least every three months.

NOTE: Before starting any physical cleaning procedures remove all power cables from your PC. Disconnect all cables from peripheral devices. Of course you will want to put them all back later so labeling them before removing them is a very good idea

Do NOT spray anything directly onto the case. Instead, moisten a lint-free towel with isopropyl alcohol (some will tell you Windex and other things are ok, I prefer to only use isopropyl alcohol when cleaning PC’s just in case it gets on something it should not), and wipe down the front and sides of the case, taking care to avoid moving parts such as CD/DVD ROM drawers, Floppy drive doors, etc.

NOTE: Before opening your PC make sure you are properly grounded. You should be able to purchase a wrist grounding strap for around $5.00.

To determine if your PC needs internal cleaning, look at the back of your PC; you should see a grated hole covering a fan. If this is clogged with dust, dirt, hair etc, your PC needs internal cleaning.

Buildup of dust and dirt inside your case can hinder system performance and even kill your PC. Fans and heat sinks are very prone to getting clogged with dust causing fans to slow or stop and air can’t pass through and keep things cool resulting in overheating and burn out.

Attention smokers: smoke makes dust sticky; which makes the PC more susceptible to soft shorts. Smoke also seems to accelerate the aging process of certain parts and definitely gums up your moving parts faster.

NOTE: DO NOT SPRAY COMPRESSED AIR INTO YOUR PC

You always want to blow dust and grime OUT of your PC. If you blow dust into the case, there is more dust piling up on your expensive internal components. Internal dust and other grime (hair, tobacco tar, etc) can cause overheating and eventually will lead to component failure.

Use caution when using compressed air, as air pressure applied to certain areas of the PC can cause damage. For example, forced air applied to a free-spinning fan can damage the fan bearings, causing it to slow or stop spinning. When cleaning a fan with compressed air, block the blades with a small screwdriver or similar object while cleaning to keep it still.

Holding a vacuum just outside the PC (do NOT use a vacuum inside or on your PC) while using compressed air to blow the dust out will cut down on your clean up.

Once you have the dust removed take a paper towel or a clean coffee filter and wipe down the inside of the case. Only the case should be wiped down and nowhere else. Do NOT wipe down any internal components.

Now your PC is Clean, you Need to Know How to Prevent Dust:

You can not stop dust from entering your PC. However you can minimize the amount getting in.

First, keep your case elevated. Cases sitting on floors, especially on rugs or carpeting suck in more dust.

Second, keep your pets away from your PC. If you have a cat or a dog you will get hair in the system, so try to limit it by keeping the pets away

Third, keep the area around your PC clear of clutter and wipe away dust regularly.

Fourth, do not smoke around your computer, it will shorten your PC’s life and your own for that matter.

If you are purchasing a new computer ask for a case with reusable filters. If you have an older PC buy filters that you can place over the front vents. They don’t catch all the dust but they do a good job of keeping a lot out. Most filters are washable and can be reused.

Cleaning the Monitor

Turn the monitor off and remove the power cord before cleaning. Do NOT spray cleaners directly onto the monitor. If liquid enters the vents in the monitor it will get on the internal monitor components and can cause damage. Spray the cleaner on to a towel then wipe down the monitor.

Cleaning the Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner

As with all the procedures above, make sure the PC and device you are cleaning are turned off while cleaning. The keyboard should be cleaned like the monitor and case exterior – spray cleaner onto a towel and wipe it down, do NOT spray cleaner directly on the components. An additional step prior to wiping is to use a small nylon brush and loosen the dirt between the keys then turn the keyboard over and gently shake it to let loose dirt drop out or use a proper gentle PC vacuum.

A mouse may need to be internally cleaned if performance is spotty or erratic. Turn the mouse over and look at the bottom. You should see small pads you can clean with q-tips and isopropyl alcohol. If dirt has accumulated around the light, gently remove it and clean with q-tips and rubbing alcohol. If you have an older mouse with an internal ball, dust and other materials will accumulate on the rollers or the ball itself. The ball is usually held in with a removable plate. Once the ball has been removed, blow out any foreign material and inspect the rollers. If they have dirt accumulated on them it can be removed using tweezers for large accumulation and a q-tip and isopropyl alcohol for the smaller particles. Be careful to only touch the rollers lightly and use the rubbing alcohol sparingly. The ball should be cleaned with a lint-free towel and rubbing alcohol. Do NOT use any cleaner with abrasives for any PC component cleaning. Reassemble the mouse and it should return to normal operation.

Scanners should have the glass surface cleaned occasionally - perform a visual check when you are using the scanner. Foreign objects, dust and other contaminants can be detrimental to your image quality. Smudges from fingertips, specks of white-out, traces of printer or pen ink from scanned originals can all cause imperfections in your scans. Clean the glass surface with a lint-free towel and glass cleaner, and the exterior with isopropyl alcohol.

Do not let you inkjet cartridges dry out.

If you are going on a vacation for an extended period the ink cartridge left in you printer may dry out. It is similar to leaving the lid off paint tins; eventually the ink will thicken and dry blocking the print-heads. Remove ink cartridges before you leave, being sure you follow the instructions provided in your printer manual. Wrap the cartridges in plastic wrap then place them in a Zip-Lock plastic bag and leave in a cool dark place. This should help keep them from drying out and they can be re-installed once you return. Use your maintenance software when you do re-install them to clean and prime the heads again. It is a good idea to print in color and black at least once in 2-3 weeks (some cartridges will dry out sooner than others). If the cartridge is already dried out, do not use it to print, it can damage the print head.

If you do suffer from Clogged Printer Heads:

In some occasions it is impossible to avoid clogged inkjet cartridges. On many occasions, those cartridges with built in print heads can be unblocked by the following steps:

Water Based Ink Cartridges:

Remove the cartridge; according to the instructions in your printer manual. Take the cartridge to a work area that will not matter if you spill ink (a utility sink is a good place). Fold a few sheets of paper towel and dampen them with warm water > do not use tap water… use bottled water. Take the blocked printer cartridge and dab the printer heads into the moist paper towel. Let it soak for a few minutes. This should result in the warm water being drawn into the printer heads assisting the clearance of old dried/thick ink. You need to dissolve and clean up any old residue and ink before re-installation. Once you see all colors showing on the damp paper towel then it should be OK to try the cartridge back in your printer. Make sure you dry the printer heads off with a clean paper towel sheet before re-installing the cartridge. You may have to repeat this process a number of times if your cartridge is badly blocked.

Pigment / Oil Based Ink Cartridges:

For oil based inks follow the same instructions above but use isopropyl alcohol instead of warm water.

Cleaning My Printer?

Most people are unaware that they have to maintain their printers on a regular basis to ensure consistent print quality. On most printer models you will notice that when you change ink cartridges or when you first turn your printer on the printer goes through what is known as a Print Head Cleaning and Alignment Procedure. For the life of your printer this will happen hundreds of times. You may not have noticed that while this automatic head cleaning and alignment is taking place that old ink and paper residue is being dumped into a holding bin usually a small plastic container situated towards the right hand side of the printer under the lid. This is where your printer head sits while parked and not in use. If this Ink Dump Area gets over loaded, instead of cleaning your printer cartridges it can clog them with old ink and paper dust, with a sticky residue this can damage the print head and result poor quality prints or even completely blocking the print heads.

Therefore you must maintain your printer by cleaning the Print Dump Container and the Cartridge Parking area. You should have detailed instructions in your printer manual. Basically you can use a cotton swab and some Isopropyl alcohol. Make sure that you remove as much old ink as you can.

NOTE: before doing this type of maintenance make sure that you disconnect the power and you are working in an environment suitable for the job in hand.

* If you’re only going to print a couple of dozen photos, don’t do it yourself as it’s more economical to drop off your memory card or CD at a shop.

* Stick with brand name ink. Yes, it will cost more than the no-name ink, but it will last longer produce better quality photos. To give your prints the professional look, and to increase their life, be sure to also buy premium photo paper. Cheap ink has been known to dry directly on the printer heads which can cause performance problems and damage the heads.

* Replacement cartridges for ink are a good idea to keep on hand IF you make sure they’re in a sealed container or ‘zip-lock’ bag so no air can prematurely dry it up. NEVER open a cartridge box/bag until you are ready to install it in your printer.

* If you’re printing an article from a Web site, look for the ‘Print’ button on the page as it should reduce the amount of graphics and banner advertising around the article itself. If it does not have one, select the text you want to print and paste it into a standard word processor and print from there.

* Try to practice ’selective printing’ – decide what you really need on paper and what you can keep in digital format. If you look through your photos, you’ll probably realize you didn’t need to print them all and might even find some you want to discard. The same can be said of most documents.

* When your printer informs you it’s time to replace the cartridge – you can ignore the warning for a while. You probably have enough ink to last for quite a few prints. When you begin to see the black text fading or the colour just isn’t right in a photo, then change it.

* Before you print a photo, document or page from a Web site, select ‘Print Preview’ from the File tab to see what it will look like when printed so that you can catch mistakes before wasting ink.