Computer Tips and Tricks

Tips & Tricks

Increase Your RAM
I realize this month's NewsLetter is dedicated to preventive maintenance, and ideas that are meant to keep your computer healthy, but I need to mention the current price of RAM.

If you have less than 128 Mb of RAM in your computer, the number one upgrade you can perform to increase speed and efficiency, is to install more memory.

At the present time, memory is at an all time low! Phone your computer store today! You may be surprised at how affordable it is to double the amount of RAM you presently have in your system. Even if you have to completely replace what you currently have in there, it may be worth your while!

Should You Remove Your Modem?
Are you using cable for your Internet connection? Do you have a modem installed in your computer that you no longer use? If you still use your modem for faxing, voice mail, or as a speakerphone, then by all means leave it in. But if you don't use it at all anymore, yank it out. Its using up system resources as long as its installed. Install a slot cover over the opening, and be sure to remove the modem and its drivers from Device Manager when you start your system up again.

Surge Protectors Don't Last Forever
When you buy a surge protector you generally get what you pay for. Make sure it is a surge protector and not just a power bar. Some offer better protection, and some will last longer than others. But all will only take so many hits before their protection is reduced.

If you have a plastic switch on yours with a light, and the light is constantly flashing (or out) then the protection is gone, and you've probably been left with nothing more than an extension cord. If the surge protector has a pop out fuse switch that is continuously switching off, either you have an abnormally unstable power source, or you need to replace the unit.

Surge protectors offer valuable protection for your computer. Better than that, if you can afford it, is a power conditioner with surge protection, or an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS).

Floppy Drive and CD-ROM Cleaners
They will do the job they are designed for. They are reletively inexpensive, and can be purchased at most computer stores. They shouldn't be used more than once a year on any single drive, but they can clean up some read/write problems if your drive has dirty heads.

CD cleaners, on the other hand, I'm not so crazy about. They may be fine for music CDs, but data CDs can loose a lot of info with a single scratch, often preventing an application from running properly. Spinning a CD over a cleaner soaked brush can be abrasive.

You can wipe a CD lightly with a soft cloth from the inside towards the outside. Don't use a circular motion. If they are spotted or stained, usually just running them under warm water can help. Lightly blot them dry.

Until next month...

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