Carroll County Times Articles
Spring Cleaning: It's a Good Time to Take Stock of Technology
by David Hodgdon – March 29, 2009
More than six weeks have passed since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, winter is finally over and spring is officially here. The "boys of summer" have tossed out their steroids and will start earning an honest living April 5 in Philadelphia. With spring in the air, there are few things you must do as soon as you finish reading this article.
First, grab your remote. Make sure TiVo has a season pass for your favorite baseball team and stock up on your favorite snacks and beverages.
Broadcasters are planning new and expanded ways to encourage computer use during the game to enhance your viewing experience. Be sure to limit yourself to soft beverages if you plan to use your computer, since drinking and keyboarding definitely don't mix.
Second, it's time for spring cleaning, so get to work. You have an entire house to clean before your spouse will let you invite the gang over to eat, drink and be merry.
Don't forget to include your computers in this annual cleaning tradition. Failure to thoroughly clean your computer once a year results in decreased performance at best and system failure at worst.
During the year, dust clogs the computer's cooling system, causing increased fan noise, reduced computer performance and excess heat buildup in the power supply, shortening its life. The crumbs from meals eaten at your desk find their way into the keyboard, causing keys to stick and crunchy sounds when typing. That once bright and clear monitor is now dim and fuzzy from the dirt and dust built up on the screen.
Your hard drive is filled with temporary files slowing you down and … there's more, but it's techie stuff. I see your eyes are starting to glaze over, so I won't bore you with the gory details. For an easy step-by-step procedure to improve the performance of your computer, go to www.hfit services.com/clean.
Third, if you are a business owner and don't have a preventive maintenance contract with a local consultant or information technology services firm, you need to have your entire network looked over at least once a year. Even simple file servers need routine maintenance to restore performance and prevent loss of data.
When was the last time you checked the backup logs for errors? When did you last perform a data restore test or replace that tired worn out tape with a new one?
Many IT firms and consultants offer spring cleaning discounts to those who ask for it. Don't wait until you have a loss of data or computer crash to get help. By then, it is usually too late.
About the Author
David Hodgdon is an IT consultant, the owner of Hassle Free IT Services (www.HFITservices.com) of Westminster and a member of the Carroll Technology Council. Call him with your computer questions at 410-861-5615 or e-mail david@HFITservices.com. Businesses with at least 10 computers receive two free hours of tech support.
