Susan Melchert, SBA Consulting
425-491-7348

If you experience weird behavior from your computer like really slow, it is not you; it is the software and can be a number of things. Here are some basic steps to fix the problems and if this doesn’t help call and ask for help. 

Time to complete: 3 - 4 hours or do it by section depending upon connection speed and amount of files. 

A. Prep for Maintenance (30 min. – 4 hours depending upon your backup system)
1. Before doing any type of repair, back up your data files. Most of your data is in the folder called My Documents. To find all of them, look inside the programs you use to determine where the data is saved.
2. You might need to be logged on as an Administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to perform some tasks.

B. Clean out history, cookies and temporary files (5 min.)
1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Click on Tools
3. Click on Internet Options
4. Click on Delete Cookies
5. Delete Files (choose Delete all offline content)
6. Clear History. 

If you would rather Windows do this for you, you can use Disk Cleanup:
1. Start > All Programs > Accessories > System tools > Disk Cleanup
2. This will take anywhere from minutes to hours depending upon the condition of your files; just be patient. You may want to do this and then go do something for a while.  

C. Create a Restore Point (3 min.)
With Windows XP you can take a snapshot of your entire system with the System Restore feature. 
1. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore
2. Choose Create restore point, Next
3. Go ahead and give it a name such as Basic Repairs
4. Click on Create – it takes about a minute or two. Click Close when it is complete.

D. Disk Defragmenter (30 min. – overnight depending upon the amount of files)
Disk Defragmenter consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk, so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume. As a result, your system can gain access to your files and folders and save new ones more efficiently. By consolidating your files and folders, Disk Defragmenter also consolidates the volume's free space, making it less likely that new files will be fragmented. All files must be closed for this process to run.
1. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter 

E. Remove advertising (30 mins. – 45 mins.)
Download, install and run two industry recommended ( http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6329-5193713.html?tag=e101 / and http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware default.mspx ) programs to use in the removal of virus and advertising type of software:
1. SpyBot to end spyware and adware
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
2. Windows Defender for slow performance, although it need a lot of memory
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx
3. Trend Micro offers an online scan ( http://housecall65.trendmicro.com )

F. Scan with anti-virus software (45 min. – overnight depending upon the amount of files)
Run a full scan with Anti-Virus software. Symantec Security Check tests your exposure to a wide range of online threats. It's free and efficient, and it helps you determine your Internet security needs.

http://security.symantec.com/default.asp?productid=symhome&langid=ie&venid=sym

If you need anti-virus software, here are some options from Microsoft Partners: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/viruses/xp/av.mspx

G. Windows Updates (10 mins.)
Confirm you have all the up-to-date Windows software. This updates the second Tuesday of each month.
1. Open Internet Explorer 
2. Click on Tools > Windows Update. Click on the Express button
Or some of you can just go directly to the location:
3. Click here http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
Dell has their own update that works on both desktops and laptops. It is very easy to use and will check for security and operations, as well. http://pccheckup.dellfix.com

H. Benchmark (15 min.)
Microsoft Baseline Security Audit is a free, best practices vulnerability assessment tool for the Microsoft platform. It is a tool designed for the IT Professional that helps with the assessment phase of an overall security management strategy. MBSA includes a graphical and command line interface that can perform local or remote scans of Windows systems.  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx
 
I. Detecting and repairing disk errors (30 min. – 4 hours depending upon your files)
You can use the Error-checking tool to check for file system errors and bad sectors on your hard disk. All files must be closed for this process to run. 
1. Open My Computer, and then select the Local Disk you want to check. 
2. Click on File > Properties. 
3. On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now. 
4. Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box. 

J. Strategic Planning
Think about ways to protect your data investment; back up your critical files. What is critical?
Look at it this way, if you did not have access to your data, how would that impact your business? http://www.sbacoach.com/security.html 
If you can come up with an answer to that question, it is worth the investment of securing your data. 
* Physically – building access, equipment exposure, unlocked file cabinets
* Paper Files – visible brief case, papers left by copiers, documents left on counter tops
* Electronic – email, network file servers, internet browsing