Re: Servicing my PC
 

I would do all these except (3) - avoid Norton like the plague.

Also clean the inside either with a hoover or compressed air.

Re: Servicing my PC
 

I used norton all the time on my old pc, it was great

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Is it actually broken?

Re: Servicing my PC
 

About every 6 months I do a clean install of the OS. When it gets too bad I remove the various fluids and food particles from my keyboard and surrounding area :) Occasionally the PC/monitor/modem get a wipe with a damp cloth. I check for viruses and new patches on a weekly basis. I run a Spyware scan when I remember to. Scandisk and defrag are tricky - the PC has to be in safe mode otherwise they won't run. They're done on a roughly monthly basis.

PC World should be shut down - they're an embarrassment to the profession, preying on newbies and family users.

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Well yeah

Pc world to exist for people that dont know better, if you go by that logic tabloids wouldn't exist would they?.........Yeah! good idea! pc world should be shut down!

Seriously though pc world are reliant on newbies because professionals know better.

Oh and re-installing windows (as long as its XP) is a very good way to 'service' your pc.

Quite a odd term though

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Interesting argument construction :)

9. You shall not misrepresent or withhold information on the performance of products, systems or services, or take advantage of the lack of relevant knowledge or inexperience of others.

http://www.bcs.org/BCS/Join/WhyJoin/Conduct.htm

I'd gladly offer, free of charge, my time and skills to help an individual or charitable organisation. It's the principle reason this site exists :)

The point of a service is to improve the speed, stability and reliability of the PC. The cleanest way to do this, in terms of software, is to reinstall the OS - regardless of what OS it is. Hardware just requires a vac and wipe and, maybe, a check that any cards and connectors are still firmly seated.

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Agree with the internal blowing \ sucking of dust
Back up all essenstial data to disk \ drives
Format and re-install OS....... you will be suprised at all the 'stuff' you collect, think that its the best thing since sliced bread and then forget about it, a fresh system is IMHO, like clean bedding ( a pleasure to climb into ) :)

EDIT:- good point GC, make sure all cards and cable's are secure :tu:

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Yeah - an uninstall of an application rarely uninstalls the application. Rogue directories and registry entries are usually left behind. Over time it all builds up and a clean install is the only effective way of tackling it.

Yeah, my first PC had this problem - plugging in a parallel cable always knocked the hard disk controller card out of its slot :rolleyes: It went back in the end.

Re: Servicing my PC
 

I agree with formatting and re installing the OS its great. I used to do once evey three months but its a bugger to do on 98

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Every three months :Yikes: thats overkill IMHO
As for '98 being a bugger :shrug: easiest of the lot in my limited experience :confused:

Re: Servicing my PC
 

I keep the 98 setup files on a separate hard disk partition - just format c: with the /s option and then run setup. Takes an age to do all the patching, reinstalling, repatching, and configuration though - that's the only downside :) I run a backup on my email client and firewall before I start - being bitten once before on that score :D All my personal files are on another partition so I don't have to worry about wiping them accidentally.

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Damien - Why not just buy something like ghost and take an image of it after you have installed it. You can then just blast this image on again next time you want to re-build it. :)

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Well i use a mac now, much easyer to format. XP is a lot easyer because you can do it without all the crap is DOS and also you dont have to re install loads of drivers. I even had to reinstall my internal modem with 98

Re: Servicing my PC
 

Some of us grew up with DOS and miss it's simplicity :D I have to reinstall drivers for my cam, printer, mouse, keyboard, NIC, video card, sound card, and zip drive! As I understand it, XP comes with its own drivers (more than in 98) - if you're lucky there'll be a driver for your hardware and if you're really lucky it might even work properly :p:

Re: Servicing my PC
 

DOS? DOS? Luxury! There were 'undred and fifty of us, in't shoe box, in't middle o' road, and every morning we had to get up, and resolder our printed circuit boards for 12 hours a day, when ever we wanted to reinstall our OS....