e-mail : dan@dangill.ca        Cell: (416) 953-1502

Tips and Tricks

Here, we will try and bring you some simple tips and tricks to keep your system running fast and secure. 
Some of the information will be posted here while other information will be provided as links to the authors.
Always remember the following mantra whenever you are working with your computer and you will not create problems:

 If you're not sure, DON'T DO IT!!!!!

Backups
Everyone should have a backup copy of their data, yet, this is one of the most forgotten of all computer maintenance. 
That is, until a hard drive crashes. It is usually possible to get information from these failed drives although not always.
A backup can be as easy as copying your data files to another drive, thumb drive or CD, anywhere BUT the drive where they originated.
It's also a good idea to delete older files that are not needed. This will free up hard disk space. If they are backed up, they do not need to be on the system.

UPS
An Uninterruptible Power Supply is a battery backup for your computer. In the event of a power failure, the UPS will maintain power to your computer for a time dependant on the size of the device. The UPS can also be programmed to safely shut the system down if the power does not come back on in a preset time period. This can save data from corruption and prevent damage to your machine.
We have lately seen the power grid in Ontario being drastically overburdened and have been warned of the possibility of rolling brownouts and even blackouts. This situation makes it imperative that everyone has a UPS installed for their desktop systems.
 (That's right, Laptops don't need them, they already run on batteries).
Another, and sometimes more important, function of the UPS is to isolate your machine from the power grid. If lightning strikes the power lines, it can destroy anything plugged into the grid. At hundreds of thousands of volts, a lightning strike can fuse switches and turn on devices that are plugged in. Once the switch is fused, the lightning can do a little dance inside the machine and fry pretty much anything and everything. A UPS, similar to the battery in the laptop, will block out this surge and protect anything plugged into it. Some UPS manufacturers supply an insurance policy that if the UPS is installed properly, they will replace damaged equipment up to $50,000. 

Scandisk

A thorough scandisk should be performed periodically to ensure there are no flaws developing on the hard drive.
Simply double click on "My Computer", right click on the drive you wish to scan and left click on "Properties". Next, select the "Tools" tab and left click on "Check Now". Select the thorough option. In Windows XP, the scan will run when the computer is next booted.
If Scandisk finds a problem (Bad sectors or blocks), replace the drive immediately.
Don't know how to change the hard drive? Call us, we do.

Defrag

When files are saved, deleted and saved again, they sometimes get spread out all over the drive, in small fragments. Putting these files back together again will speed up the reading process and thus speed up your machine.
Go to the same tools menu as for Scandisk but select defrag. Depending on how big and how full your drive is, it may take a considerable time to accomplish the defragmentation. Running defrag just before you leave the machine for the night is good and it is ready for work the next morning.