Basic PC Maintenance

Summary

This tutorial guides viewers through essential PC maintenance tasks to enhance computer efficiency. It covers checking and installing Windows updates, managing temporary internet files, uninstalling unnecessary programs, and setting up antivirus software with Malwarebytes and Microsoft Security Essentials. Additionally, it teaches how to use Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter utilities, update device drivers, and adjust virtual memory for improved system performance. The tutorial is designed to be accessible, with step-by-step instructions and recommendations for maintaining a healthy and secure computer system.

Takeaways

• 🔄 **Windows Updates**: Learn how to check for and install the latest Windows updates, and set your system to automatically check for updates.
• 🗑️ **Temporary Internet Files**: Discover how to locate and delete temporary internet files, cookies, and history files to improve browsing speed.
• 🚮 **Unnecessary Programs**: Find out how to access the list of installed programs and remove any unwanted or unnecessary applications that slow down your system.
• 🛡️ **Antivirus Software**: Get guidance on downloading and installing free antivirus software, and scheduling it to scan your system automatically.
• 🧹 **Disk Cleanup**: Understand how to use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove unnecessary files and free up disk space.
• 🔄 **Disk Defragmenter**: Learn about the Disk Defragmenter utility, which rearranges fragmented files to improve hard drive efficiency.
• 🔧 **Device Manager**: Explore the Device Manager for checking if all drivers are up to date and installing the latest device drivers if needed.
• 💾 **Virtual Memory**: Gain insights on increasing virtual memory to improve system performance, akin to adding more physical RAM.
• 🛠️ **System Utilities**: Acquire knowledge on using various system utilities like Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, and Device Manager for basic PC maintenance.

Q & A

How can you check for and install the latest Windows updates?

To check for and install the latest Windows updates, click on the Start menu, select Control Panel, then System and Security, and click on Windows Updates. From there, you can check for updates by clicking 'Check for updates'. To set your system to automatically check for updates, click 'Change settings' and choose the option to install updates automatically.

What are the benefits of deleting temporary internet files, cookies, and history files?

Deleting temporary internet files, cookies, and history files can improve your browsing experience by speeding up your internet connection and freeing up disk space. These files can accumulate over time and slow down your browsing experience.

How do you remove unnecessary programs that slow down your system?

To remove unnecessary programs, click on the Start menu, select Control Panel, and then Programs and Features. From the list of installed programs, select the program you wish to remove, right-click and choose 'Uninstall'. Confirm the removal to delete the program from your system.

Why is it important to have only one antivirus software installed at a time?

Having only one antivirus software installed at a time is important because multiple antivirus programs can conflict with each other, potentially causing system instability or reducing the effectiveness of each program. It's recommended to use a combination of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Microsoft Security Essentials for optimal protection.

How do you update and run a full scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware?

To update and run a full scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, open the application, check for updates by clicking 'Update' if needed, and then select 'Scan' to start a full system scan. After the scan, it will provide a list of threats found and give you the option to remove them.

What is Disk Cleanup and how does it help improve your computer's performance?

Disk Cleanup is a utility that removes unnecessary files from your computer, freeing up disk space. It helps improve performance by clearing out temporary files, system files, and other clutter that can slow down your system.

How can you determine if your hard drive needs defragmenting?

To determine if your hard drive needs defragmenting, use the Disk Defragmenter utility. Analyze the disk by clicking 'Analyze disk', and the system will tell you if defragmentation is necessary. If it is, proceed with defragmenting the disk to improve hard drive efficiency.

What is the purpose of the Device Manager and how do you access it?

The Device Manager is used to manage and update device drivers on your system. It can be accessed by right-clicking 'My Computer' on the desktop and selecting 'Manage', or by going to Control Panel, System and Security, and then Administrative Tools, and clicking on 'Computer Management'.

Why is it recommended to increase virtual memory and how can you do it?

Increasing virtual memory can improve system performance by providing more space for data that your computer uses frequently. To increase virtual memory, go to Control Panel, System and Security, then System, and click on 'Advanced system settings'. Under the Performance section, click 'Settings', then 'Advanced', and 'Change' to adjust the initial and maximum size of virtual memory.

What are some additional steps you can take to maintain your PC after following the tutorial?

After following the tutorial, additional steps for PC maintenance can include regularly checking for software updates, using system restore points, keeping your hardware clean, and performing regular backups of important data.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Basic PC Maintenance: Windows Updates and Temporary Files

This section of the tutorial focuses on the importance of keeping a PC updated and efficient. The host begins by guiding viewers on how to check for and install Windows updates, ensuring the system is up-to-date with the latest security patches and features. They also demonstrate how to set the system to automatically check for updates. Additionally, the tutorial covers the process of deleting temporary internet files, cookies, and history to enhance browsing speed and overall PC performance.

05:01

🛠️ Unnecessary Programs and Antivirus Software Installation

In this part of the video, the tutorial delves into removing unnecessary programs and toolbars that can slow down a system. The presenter shows how to access the list of installed programs and uninstall those that are not needed. The section also emphasizes the importance of having up-to-date antivirus software. The host recommends two options: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Microsoft Security Essentials. They guide viewers through the process of downloading, installing, and updating these programs to protect the system from malware and viruses.

10:03

🧹 System Cleanup and Performance Optimization

The final section of the tutorial covers various utilities and settings to optimize system performance. It starts with Disk Cleanup, explaining how to free up disk space by removing unnecessary files. The tutorial then moves on to Disk Defragmenter, teaching viewers how to rearrange fragmented files for more efficient hard drive performance. The presenter also covers accessing the Device Manager to keep drivers up-to-date and adjusting virtual memory to improve system speed. The host provides step-by-step instructions for each utility, aiming to help viewers maintain their PCs for optimal performance.

Keywords

💡Windows Updates

Windows Updates are critical for maintaining the security and functionality of a computer running the Windows operating system. In the video, the tutorial instructs viewers on how to check for and install the latest updates from Microsoft, ensuring that their system has the most recent patches and improvements. This process is essential for protecting the computer from security vulnerabilities and optimizing performance.

💡Temporary Internet Files

Temporary Internet files, also known as cache, are files that are stored by your web browser to load web pages faster. However, over time, these files can accumulate and take up disk space, slowing down your browsing experience. The video script demonstrates how to locate and delete these files to free up space and improve browsing speed, which is a key aspect of basic PC maintenance.

💡Unnecessary Programs

Unnecessary programs refer to software that is either not used or that negatively impacts the performance of a computer. The video emphasizes the importance of removing such programs to free up system resources and improve overall performance. It guides viewers through accessing the list of installed programs and uninstalling those that are no longer needed or that slow down the system.

💡Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is a type of program that detects, prevents, and removes malware, such as viruses and worms, from a computer system. The video tutorial highlights the importance of having up-to-date antivirus software to protect the computer from threats. It also provides a step-by-step guide on downloading and installing free antivirus software, such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and Microsoft Security Essentials, and scheduling automatic scans.

💡Disk Cleanup

Disk Cleanup is a utility in Windows that helps users free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files. The video script explains how to navigate to the Disk Cleanup utility, which removes temporary files, offline web pages, and other clutter that can accumulate on a computer. This process is crucial for maintaining optimal disk space and system performance.

💡Disk Defragmenter

Disk Defragmenter is a tool that rearranges fragmented files on a computer's hard drive, making the files contiguous and thus improving the drive's performance. The video script includes instructions on how to use the Disk Defragmenter utility, which can be scheduled to run automatically at specific times to keep the hard drive operating efficiently.

💡Device Manager

The Device Manager is a system utility in Windows that allows users to view and manage hardware devices connected to the computer. The video script demonstrates how to access the Device Manager to check for driver updates, which ensures that all devices are using the latest software for optimal performance. It also shows how to install the latest device drivers if required.

💡Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a memory management technique used by an operating system to provide the illusion of a larger amount of random access memory than the actual physical memory. The video tutorial explains how to increase the virtual memory setting, which can improve system performance by allowing more data to be stored temporarily when the physical RAM is full.

💡Malware

Malware, short for malicious software, refers to any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, or computer network. The video script discusses the importance of using antivirus software to detect and remove malware, ensuring the security and integrity of the computer system.

💡System Tools

System Tools is a collection of utilities in Windows that help users perform various maintenance tasks on their computers. The video script covers several system tools, such as Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter, which are essential for optimizing computer performance and managing disk space.

Highlights

Introduction to basic PC maintenance tutorial

Guide to checking and installing Windows updates

Setting system to automatically check for updates

Locating and deleting temporary internet files

Removing unnecessary programs to speed up the system

Importance of having only one antivirus software

Downloading and installing Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Scheduling automatic scans with antivirus software

Using Disk Cleanup to free up disk space

Running Disk Defragmenter for hard drive efficiency

Checking for updated drivers using Device Manager

Increasing virtual memory to improve system performance

Instructions on how to restart the system after changing virtual memory

Summary of covered topics including utilities and applications

Invitation for feedback and suggestions to improve the tutorial

Transcripts

hello and welcome to this video tutorial

on basic PC maintenance at the end of

this tutorial you'll be able to use

different utilities and applications on

your computer which will enable the

computer to run more efficiently here is

a list of the topics I'm going to cover

with a timeline of where they occur in

the video feel free to skip ahead to any

of the areas you're particularly

interested

in okay let's get started with with

Windows updates at the end of this

section you will be able to check for

and install the latest Windows updates

from Microsoft and be able to set your

system to automatically check for these

updates to locate Windows updates let's

click on the start menu select control

panel select system and security and

we'll see Windows updates here about

halfway down if we click on check for

updates we can see if there are any

available updates to download for your

system here we see it says no important

updates are available but there are two

optional updates let's just see what

these

are okay I'm not going to install them

so I can just go cancel

here now to ensure that automatic

updates are turned on let's just click

on change settings you see here with my

computer it will install automatic

updates as soon as it finds them there

are other options here here to check for

updates but let me choose whether to

download and install them but I take the

lazy way out and I just go install

updates automatically and I recommend

you do that too so we just click on okay

then and uh that setting will be

saved temporary internet files at the

end of this section you will be able to

locate and delete temporary internet

files cookies and history files which

slow down your browsing experience

so let's open our Internet

Explorer we this is the this is Internet

Explorer 9 so our tools are located over

here in the little circular icon so

let's click on tools and go to internet

options here we see the browsing history

if we click on delete it gives us the

option to delete several things like

temporary internet files cookies and

your browsing history so we take these

or any of the other options that you

wish and just click on

delete we see here I get the message

that the Internet Explorer has finished

deleting the selected browsing history

so I can just X off

that and we're

done removing unnecessary programs at

the end of this section you will be able

to access the list of programs installed

on your system and delete any unwanted

or unnecessary programs toolbars or

applic applications which slow down your

system to access these programs again we

click on the start menu select control

panel select programs and uninstall a

program this gives us the list of

programs currently installed on our

system if you if you see any that you

haven't used in years or any toolbars

which really slow down your browsing

experience all you have to do is select

the the individual

program right click on it and go

uninstall it will ask you to confirm the

removal of the program and just click

yes okay now if you refresh your list

you'll see that the program you've just

removed no longer appears there which is

what we

want antivirus software at the end of

this section you will be able to

download and install free antivirus

software and schedule it to scan your

system

automatically the first thing you should

do is go back to your list of programs

we covered in the last section and

removed any outdated antivirus

software it is important to only have

one antivirus software or maybe one

malware check on your system at any one

time I would recommend malware bites

anti- malware and Microsoft Securities

Essentials these work together to keep

your system clean and rid of any

antivirus malware or any other threats

that you might that you might get

exposed to load malware bytes just open

your browser and search for

it so we'll type

in malare bites anti malware um I

generally download from this site

because I find it very secure and very

reliable so all you have to do is once

the site opens click on download

now it will ask you whether you want to

save the file or run it so I would

recommend just running the executable

and uh this and follow the steps and it

will automatically install malware byes

anti malware onto your

system now once it's installed if you

open up the

application it it indicates that my

database is outdated by 12 days so let's

update

it now let's click

okay here we can run a full scan on our

system which I would

recommend you select the drive you want

to scan now if you have any external

drives or op Optical discs or anything

else installed you should also scan

those as

well so just click on scan and the scan

will begin now this does take quite some

time particularly if you haven't scanned

for a while and um at the end of it it

will give you a list of any threats or

viruses or any malware that it finds and

it will give you a a click on option to

remove them from your system usually

afterwards it will require you to

restart your system and uh that gets rid

of any of these um threats to your

system okay I'm just going to abort this

because I don't have the time right now

to to run this check the second

antivirus program I would recommend is

Microsoft's own Microsoft security

Essentials which is a free um antivirus

software to find it just

uh go back to your browser and type

in

Microsoft Microsoft Security Essentials

again we can just download it from

download. cet.com um again follow the

same procedure click on the download

link and run the

executable once it's downloaded and

installed you can check again for

updates here it tells me that my virus

and spare definition status is up to

date again you've got scan options a

quick scan a full scan or a custom scan

I would recommend to run your full scan

particularly if you haven't scanned your

machines for a

while with Microsoft Security Essentials

you can schedule to it to run at

particular days or particular times um

and this options here so i' run a quick

scan every week at around 2: a.m. in the

morning and you can set these things to

run whatever is um whatever is

appropriate to

you

okay dis cleanup at the end of this

section you will be able to navigate to

the system tools and run the dis cleanup

utility dis cleanup removes unnecessary

files from the computer

thereby freeing up disk space to find

disk cleanup we go to the start menu

select all

programs

accessories system tools and here is our

dis cleanup we double click on it and it

will

open when it opens as you see it checks

or calculates how much space you'll be

able to free on your hard drive after

the cleanup is

complete okay

the cleanup utility says that I can free

up 190 megabits of disk space on my C

drive

by deleting any downloadable program

files temporary internet files offline

web pages I can also empty my recycle

bin get rid of any temporary

files okay so here by by cleaning up my

system files I can free up 100 90

megabits of free space so to do this

let's just click on cleanup system

files now if I click okay the utility

will run and all of those files will be

deleted so let's just click

okay yes I'm

sure disk defragmenter at the end of

this section you'll be able to navigate

to the system tools and run the Disk

defragmenter Utility the disy fragmentor

rearranged fragmented files or broken up

files that are on your hard drive which

enable it enable the hard drive itself

to work more efficiently to locate the

disk defragmenter we go to the start

menu all

programs

accessories system tools and click on

disk

defragmenter before we defragment the

drive if we click on analyze disk the

system will tell us if the dis requires

fragmenting so let's just do

that okay the analysis result shows that

uh the dis is 4% fragmented so um we

will go ahead and defragment the dis

before that you can see that you can

actually schedule the def fragmentor to

run um you know whenever you

want here I have run mine weekly on

Wednesdays at 1: in the morning and you

can also select the disk so that's a

that's a handy utility just to have it

running um so every so often because

defragmenting your disc is not something

that you think of too often so if I

click def fragment dis now it should go

ahead and uh clean up my fragment my dis

this does take time so I will pause the

recording

again the device manager at the end of

this section you will be able to access

the device manager and check that all

drivers on the system are up to

date and you can be you would also be

able to install the latest device driver

if required to do so you can access the

device manager in two

ways if you have the my computer icon on

your

desktop right click it and select manage

it will open up the computer management

utility

alternatively we go to start menu the

control panel under system and security

and we'll see the administrative tools

are located down

here and click on computer

Management in computer management we see

the device manager listed here to the

left just select your device manager it

lists all the devices on your system and

if any of them show like a yellow

asteris or star or question mark that

would would indicate that the driver is

not up to date so what you should do is

click on it and it says it says here the

drivers for this device are not

installed maybe I don't have a second

PCI

bus in any case what you should do is

click on update

driver and it will ask you do you want

to either search the dri for the drivers

on a disk or search it through the

internet you can select whichever is

appropriate for you and install the

updated

driver the virtual memory at the end of

this section you will be able to

increase the virtual memory of your

system the virtual memory affects how

fast your system can carry out tasks and

increasing it will improve the

performance it's actually like adding

more physical RAM to your

system to find out what virtual memory

is set at

we go to the control

panel system and

security and click on

system to the left here we see Advanced

system settings so we select

it and under performance you see that

virtual memory is included here so we

click on

settings again click on the advanced Tab

and click on change the virtual memory

I've already customized mine and

increased my own virtual memory to 4

gigs and that's more than adequate for

my system but here you have to when

you're changing yours you have to give

an initial size and a maximum size you

see here for my system it says the

maximum size was 8 gigs and recommended

was

2878 I set 9 to four you can set them to

whatever value that you want so when we

set when we choose our set settings we

press okay and okay all the way back to

apply the settings now if you change

your virtual memory you will require a

system restart before the changes come

into effect so you should go and do

that in this video tutorial I covered

installing Windows updates deleting

temporary internet

files removing any unnecessary programs

or

applications installing free antivirus

software to protect your

system utilities like dis cleanup dis

Def fragmentor and check disk I showed

you how to access the device manager to

check for updated drivers and increase

your virtual memory to impro improve the

speed of your system I hope you found it

useful and informative please feel free

to leave any comments feedbacks or

suggestions to help me improve it thank

you for viewing