General maintenance involves caring for our computer′s hardware and software. Here are some tips to creating a good basic maintenance plan.

1. Microsoft Updates Microsoft routinely releases updates to its operating systems (Windows XP, Vista and other Microsoft programs). These updates are available the 2^nd Tuesday of each month and can be downloaded and installed either manually or automatically. On most versions of Microsoft′s operating system the user has the option to set the Automatic Update program to download all available updates and install them at a specified time. This is generally the best selection because it insures that all critical updates are installed with minimum user interaction.

2. Virus, Trojan, Spyware and Firewall Protection Viruses, Trojans, worms and other spyware are everywhere on the Internet and by being proactive, using anti-virus software, you can generally eliminate the threat of system compromise caused by system vulnerability. There are many good products available such as Norton Anti Virus, McAfee and Trend Micro and each is capable of providing comprehensive protection. Also, each can be set to automatically update and perform periodic system scans providing real time protection.

3. Disk Defragmenter A disk defragmenter helps you increase system performance and reclaim lost speed by re-arranging files on the computer hard drive in such a manner that the operating system can find them more quickly. Although most versions of Windows come with a free disk defragmenting program there are other utilities available that can perform more advance defragmenting functionality such as Diskeeper, Perfect Disk, etc. The key once again is to set the defragmenter to periodically perform the defragmentation process.

As you can see a regular computer maintenance plan is something we can easily perform. It can result in increased system performance and life.