Do You Defrag Your Computer?

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:00:34 PDT

A recent study showed that 42 percent of PC users neglect to defragment their computers. Vizu, the company that administered the poll, reminds us that failure to conduct routine computer maintenance can adversely affect system performance for both home and enterprise users, slowing operations such as bootup, file retrieval, Web browsing, backups, and anti-virus and spyware scans as well as contributing to system crashes. What worries me, is the fact that nearly 16 percent of those who answered the poll said they had "no idea" what disk defragmentation is, while more than 26 precent said they never defrag their machines.

For the record, defragmentation is a process that reduces the amount of fragmentation in file systems. Your Windows computer comes with a program that will defragment your hard disk and reunites all the broken data into large blocks. Gathering all the free space on the hard disk into one block makes data retrieval faster and easier for the computer. For help defragging your computer check out the Microsoft guide.
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9 Tips to Make Your Computer Last and Run Fast

LearnVest — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:15:00 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Cute bathing suit vs. medical co-pay. Yummy organic blueberries vs. credit card late fees. Beachside mojitos vs. laptop repair.

When it comes to certain expenses, it’s clear which we’d prefer. So, as a public service to help you fund all of your summer cocktails, we recommend taking a look at your Old Faithful–your computer, that is.

It’s your buddy, your confidant, and it brings you all the great info out there (like, ahem, this article). And at a grand or more apiece, it’s worth your while to make sure this expensive electronic goes the distance–if only to keep your summer funds going where they should be.

From dusting your USB ports to coddling that battery, we bring you nine tips to make sure that your machine does your bidding for ages to come:

1. Protect Yourself

If your computer were to get a virus, a diagnostic and fix at a place like Best Buy could cost as much as $200. So, protect yourself in advance. Make sure you have an antivirus and that all of your definitions are up to date. If you don’t pay for an antivirus, get a free one like AVG or Avast.

2. Watch Your Water

We can tell you from firsthand experience that one of the easiest ways to ruin a laptop is to reach for a glass of water on your desk late at night. This may sound basic, but prevent spilling on your expensive electronics by investing in a closed lip water bottle to use near your computer. If you’re on the market for a stylish new bottle that will keep your laptop-and the environment-safe, check out our picks.

Read on for more great tips.