by Don Hildenbrand

Created on: February 04, 2009   Last Updated: April 05, 2011

The modern PC is a wonder of technology, allowing users to do just about anything they want, from simple web browsing, to realistic 3-D games, and even sophisticated video editing. And the speed at which these machines will do the work, or the play, is simply miraculous compared to the ancient days of the first personal computers.

But, from time to time, even these modern speed demon computers may have times when they seem to slow to a crawl. Unexplained errors may begin popping up at random, or, speaking of popping up, advertisements may begin filling your screen without you doing a thing.

Just like you'd never think of continually driving your car without performing occasional maintenance on it, or even some preventive maintenance, your PC needs some tender loving care as well. When problems pop up, or better yet, before they do, it's very easy to maintain your computer without an expensive call to the neighborhood PC repair person. Let's explore some common and easy ways to keep your PC in tune.

INSTALL AND ALWAYS RUN A VIRUS SCANNER

One of the most frustrating experiences a PC user can have is to do a fresh install of Windows, and boot into the OS to quickly find that the PC is infected with a virus. Then, he or she reinstalls the OS, only to have the same thing happen again!

Many people don't realize that the average time for an unprotected PC, which is connected to the Internet, is a matter of mere seconds. There are programs which are running on the Net at all times, searching for unprotected machines, and when they find one, BAM! The PC is infected almost instantly.

To prevent this, make sure you have a good anti-virus program installed and running before the PC is ever connected to the Internet. There are many good programs, both commercial and freeware. If using a commercial program, make sure your PC is not connected to the Net or to your network, if you have one, and install the program. Reboot your PC, and then you are safe to connect. If you wish to use a freeware program, such as AVG Free, you may want to download it from a different PC, and perhaps burn it to a CD. Then follow the same procedure as a commercial product.

Whether you go with a commercial or freeware program, remember to keep your anti-virus program updated at all times. Virus writers are always figuring out new ways of infecting computers, and so the anti-virus companies have to always figure out new ways of protecting your PC. Updating your program will ensure that these new

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