Processor and ram

For the majority of PC users, the most important computer components to consider are the Processor and the RAM. The processor is the brain of a computer. It controls and manages all the activities of a computer. The processor is a busy component and it needs a "work area" to do it's job. The processor uses RAM (random access memory) as a rapid temporary storage area in which to store its work. To cut a long story short, you can upgrade your processor and / or RAM to significantly increase the speed of a PC.

Operating system

There are several operating systems available for people to use. MSDOS, Linux, Mac, BeOS are a few to mention but for most, Microsoft Windows is the most common. Although we still encounter some older Windows machines (95, 98 etc) the majority of users are using Windows XP. So whether you are considering upgrading to XP or indeed upgrading from XP to the new Vista operating system you must first consider the computer's specifications. Make sure that your machine has the hardware to run the new software. From experience we find that realistically a machine must have 2.5 times the stated minimum requirements in order to smoothly run a Windows operating system. For the moment we advise to stick with Windows XP until the teething problems with Vista are resolved.

Input and output devices

An input device is any device that sends information to a machine (Scanner, light pen, keyboard etc) On the other hand, an output device is any device that sends information from a machine to the outside world (Speakers, monitor, printer etc) Adding peripherals such as printers, scanners, iPods, cameras etc, to a computer is very common these days. If a device is plug and play then loading the device is as simple as just connecting it. However if the device is non-plug and play then you will have to load a specific device driver to enable the computer to run that device. Device drivers can usually be found on an CD that came with the device. However check the manufacturers website for the most up to date version. Please be aware that there are many devices still not compatible with Vista.

Windows updates

Ok, so you have a computer with good hardware that easily runs your operating system, What's next? Like any operating system, Windows is not perfect. Over time, security holes are found in the operating system. These security holes are used by worms, viruses and hackers to compromise your system. In an effort to patch these security holes, Microsoft releases updates. It is vital that computers are kept up to date with the most recent update releases. The first time you update your computer it may take a long time, especially if you have to download service packs. However this time is well spent and it is possible to set your computer to automatically retrieve and install updates when they are released. Updates are only available once you have verified that your copy of Windows is licensed.

Office applications

If you buy a Microsoft computer without Microsoft Office, it will most likely come with Microsoft Works loaded. This will allow you to create letters and spreadsheets. However it does not have a lot of the features that come with Microsoft Office. The most common used applications in Microsoft Office are Word (Word Processor), Excel (Spreadsheets), Access (Database), PowerPoint (Presentation) and Outlook (Email Client). The most common version of Office at the moment is 2003 however the 2007 is becoming more popular. An issues exists where Office 2007 saves its documents as a .docx file. This is not compatible with Office 2003. A converter is available for download on the Microsoft Website. Also, check out Open Office. It is a free alternative to Microsoft Office.

Firewalls

A firewall is either a hardware or software device that protects a computer from outside menaces. Any machine connected directly to the internet must have a firewall. There are reports of computers being attacked only seconds after disabling a firewall. With XP service pack 2 there is a built in firewall. However this will only protect you from external traffic entering your PC. What about internal software sending your sensitive data to outside sources without you knowing? You can install third party firewalls which monitor incoming and outgoing traffic to ensure that only permitted data is sent. Enabling firewalls can sometimes cause issues with some services such as remote connections or file and printer sharing etc so make sure you know what you are doing.

Antivirus software

It is common knowledge that all computers should have an Antivirus application installed. When choosing antivirus software consider the following. An antivirus program should have real time protection, automatically update, run frequent scans and not take up too much of your computers resources. Antivirus programs such as McAfee and Norton are notorious for being resource hogs. These may seriously slow down your machine. A computer should only ever have one antivirus program installed.

Antimalware software

Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Software is considered malware based on the intent of the creator. It includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, and other malicious and unwanted software Common tell-tale signs of malware are: Your homepage has changed, frequent unwanted pop-ups, slow internet connection, slow PC and Internet Explorer crashing. Most users are protected against viruses but are not protected against the full range of malware. Unfortunately there are numerous antimalware programs available for download that are in fact malware themselves. It is advisable to have several antimalware programs installed on your PC. Unfortunately it is next to impossible to keep malware out of your PC so it is important to be vigilant and clean out the unwanted software on a regular occasion. We also advise that you make the switch to the Mozilla Firefox web browser.

Installed programs

Legitimate installed programs can also cause problems for your computer. Viewing your notification area or more importantly task manager it may become evident that you have programs running in the background of the computer that are not needed. Some programs automatically begin when you start your computer so that when you call on them, they will load quickly. However, why should these programs run silently in the background and soak up RAM resources. It is possible to configure the Microsoft Configuration Utility to prevent these applications from automatically running on start up.

Hard disk maintenance

Over time your computer produces many temporary files. These files are the result of such things as Internet use, program installations and Windows updates. These unwanted temporary files can take up a large amount of space on your hard drive. It is a good idea to regularly clear out these temporary files. Over time the operating system places files on different locations on the hard drive as files are created, deleted, modified and saved. While running processes, the computer saves files at random locations on the hard disk. The scattered nature of these files means that you must wait while the computer finds the files. This has an overall slowing effect on the PC. It is important to regularly defragment your drive using a built in or third party defragmenter. This places all the files in a side by side fashion (contiguous files) so that retrieving the files takes less time, It is also important to run chkdsk / scandisk to ensure the disk file system is ok.