This is a very simple and short write-up based on my 15 years of expereince of working on computer systems, and is targeted at windows users.
The Desktop
A lot of users have a habit of keeping their files. on the desktop, which is not exactly recommended. Nothing wrong with it of course. However, all data on the desktop is stored by default on C:/Program Files/Desktop, which is not a good thing.{Read point on drives for details}
Secondly, the more the data here, the longer will be the load time of the OS, as the desptop is essentially the front-end of the OS i.e. the user interface{like the$ sign screen in Unix}. It would be better to move your files to your own directory.
The Drives
Avoid cramming all your data into the C drive. The lesser the space here, the worse the system performance{for laymen: this has to do with the way windows OS uses disk space}
As a corollary, always partition your drive into C: and D: at the very least
Periodically run the "defrag" programme on all your hard drives to improve system performance as well as decrease the chances of a crash. In order to allay fears of laymen, let me explain: defrag is just a programmes that collects all related data into contiguous physical locations on your disk drive. The reason for this is the way files are stored, which results in segments of the SAME file being distributed all over the hard disk. These segments are then connected to each other by internal computer tables stored in a special area of your hard disk.
Look at it this way: you have to collect a set of books. You will do it with less effort if they are placed near each other than if they are placed one in each room of your house. Secondly, if you leave one in the wrong place, someone may walk off with the book! That will leave you with incomplete stories. That exactly what can happen on a hard disk. If the connection between the fragments is for some reason broken, you got trouble, which can also include a crash. You will notice a marked improvement in performance after defrag
- Delete unwanted data regularly. Disk space does not come cheap
The Software
Most important: anti virus. Have an updated version, and once a week run a full disk scan. Update it regularly
Remember: One of the first signs of infection is slowdown in performance. If you notice a slag in your system’s speed, try running anti-virus first
Look at file size vis-a-vis the contents: if you see a file of 2 MB, and has only one page of text- delete it. If the text is important, take a print. It might have a macro virus
Even word documents can be infected, so be carefull
Take regular back-ups of all important data on a suitable media{CD-ROMs, network resource etc}
Never insert unknown source data into the removable drives for obvious reasons
The Shutdown
Always shut down properly. That is the be-all and end-all of the windows OS. Trust me, this one is too technical to explain here, but I will try. You see, this OS uploads data into memory, and works on copies of the original{that’s not exact, but is near enough to the truth}. During shutdown, the data is then re-copied onto the original. So if you just plug off power, some of the data has not been updated, and over a period of time, it will cause the inconsistencies in data to be so grievous so as to render the OS inoperable{layman term: crash. again, not exact but near enough}
And that is all there is to it. These are the simple things to do to avoid problems. If anyone can add to this, they are welcome to do so and educate me as well as the rest of us
Of course, whatever you do, you will still be in the market for new software, new hardware - obsolescence you see. But that is an occupational hazard as well as a sad truth of the modern times