Start The Year With A Technology Tune Up Invest Now For Big Dividends Throughout 2008

By Thomas G. Stephens, Jr., CPA, CITP

Welcome to 2008! As you start the New Year, it may be time to perform a technology tune up on your computer to ensure safe and speedy computing throughout the year. The simple steps outlined below will help you to be more effective and productive throughout the year. Consider performing one or more. For ease of implementation, the steps are sorted from easiest to most challenging and time-consuming.

 

Defragment your hard disk. Here’s an easy way to improve the performance of your computer – use your Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP or Vista to reorganize your hard disk. Over time, files stored on hard disks can become fragmented or broken apart into many different pieces and each of these pieces may be stored on separate physical sections of the hard drive. Then when you need to open a file – an Excel workbook for instance – your computer has to search across your hard drive to find all of the pieces that make up the file. Running the Disk Defragmenter tool rearranges the hard disk so that these individual pieces of a file are rearranged and put back together so that you can open a file much more quickly.

 

Download and install updates and patches to your software. Make sure that you have downloaded and installed the latest updates and patches to key software applications, including Windows and Office. These updates typically include key security and performance enhancements designed to provide you with a better overall computing experience. For Windows and Office, you can enable the Microsoft Update service through Control Panel in Windows. doing so will allow you to set a schedule for automatically downloading and installing various updates provided by Microsoft.

 

Review your anti-virus, anti-spyware software, and other malware prevention programs. Check to see if your subscription to your anti-virus and other key security software applications will expire soon. If so, take steps now to renew these subscriptions to ensure uninterrupted safe computing in the future. If you are not satisfied with the performance of your existing anti-malware applications, now is the time to consider changing the provider of such software and perhaps downloading evaluation copies of competitive products. There are many good choices available, all at very reasonable prices, including Microsoft’s OneCare and Defender services.

 

Consider adding memory (RAM) to your computer. One of the easiest and least expensive upgrades you can make to your computer is to add additional random access memory (RAM). At K2 Enterprises, our standard recommendation is to add as much RAM as your computer and operating system can use. Depending on your computer’s age, configuration, and form-factor, 2GB to 4GB of RAM is generally the maximum allowable. To determine how much RAM you can add and what the cost would be, consider using one of the online tools available at sites such as www.crucial.com. Installing RAM is generally very easy. Just follow the directions supplied by the manufacturer.

 

Disable unnecessary services in Windows. For many users, the default settings for Windows services are adequate for everyday use. But some services may not be needed. Enabling these services by default provides a very reliable computing environment, though one which may not be optimized for performance. To enhance the performance of your computer, consider disabling services that you do not need. For example, if you never connect to a wireless network, then consider disabling the Wireless Zero Configuration service. Likewise, if you don’t have a need to use Windows Fast User Switching, then that service could be disabled also. These and many others are accessible from the Microsoft Management Console and you can find more detailed information by searching the Internet for “Unnecessary Windows Services”.

 

Consider “rebuilding” your computer if it has been performing poorly. Over time, computer performance can degrade as a result of installing and uninstalling applications, downloading unnecessary applications and files from the Internet, and failing to properly establish and maintain key settings. To rectify this problem, sometimes it is advantageous to “rebuild” the computer. This is accomplished by first backing up all data on the computer. Then reformat the hard disk and reinstall your operating system and all applications. Upon doing so, be sure to download and install all critical updates to both the operating system and applications. Finally, reinstall the data files that you backed up in the first step of this process. Warning! While performance improvements can be substantial, understand that this process is time-consuming and could result in the loss of data if you do not make an appropriate back-up. Therefore, proceed with caution, as this tune up tip is not for the faint of heart.

 

SUMMARY

 

You can improve your computing experience substantially in 2008 and beyond by giving your computer a technology tune up. After all, you have tune ups performed on your car periodically, so why should your computer be any different. A few minutes now can make your computer run faster, safer, and more reliably throughout the New Year.

 

Best wishes for a most prosperous 2008!

Mr. Stephens is a shareholder in K2 Enterprises, where he develops and presents technology-related continuing professional education programs to accounting and finance professionals across the United States.  You may reach him at tommy@k2e.com.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Microsoft.