COMPUTER TRAINING: System tune-up tools

Maintenance

System tune-up tools

Features like System File Checker and Disk Defragmenter might not sound all that exciting, but what they can do for your system is. Windows 98 comes with a host of features that make your computer system work faster and more reliably. These features perform behind the scenes tasks like keeping track of files and repairing damaged files.

In the past, you probably relied on a technology coordinator or system administrator to help you with your computer system, and this person’s time was most likely in high demand. With Windows 98, you can use the following maintenance tools to “tune-up” your system.

• Disk Cleanup

Removes temporary files to free space on your hard disk

• Disk Defragmenter

Rearranges files on your hard disk so that programs run faster

• ScanDisk

Finds and repairs problems with the hard disk

Using Maintenance Wizard, you can easily have your computer schedule and perform these tasks on a regular basis.

Run Check Disk or Scandisk

Click on Start --> Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools and then Scandisk.

Choose the drive you want to check. Click on "Standard" and be sure the box is checked for automatic fix. Then click the Start button.

It will take several minutes to complete the process. This should fix a number of things which can go wrong on your hard drive. No need to run the thorough check unless you are having problems. (The thorough mode checks the physical hard drive.) Depending on the size of the drive, the thorough check can take more than half an hour.

It is most important to run this utility after the computer has shut down improperly (if the computer was abruptly shut down by a power outage, for example).

Disk Cleanup in Windows

1. Go to Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > DiskCleanup.

2. Select the drive(s) to cleanup. Click OK to all.

Disk Cleanup in Windows 98 is identical except that the Scheduled Tasks folder is under My Computer and not under Control Panel.

Disk Defragmenter in Windows 98

The purpose for running defrag is to put your files into contiguous form. When a file is created, it looks for open locations on the hard drives and puts a piece of the file here and another piece there -- they become fragmented. As files become more and more fragmented, it takes longer to load and save them. Defrag puts them back together, which improves system performance. This may take 20 minutes or longer depending on how badly the drive is fragmented. On Windows 98 and ME, you should not do any other work while defrag is running. But, on Windows NT/2000/XP it is possible to keep working while the defragmentation is taking place, but the system may respond sluggishly. If you work with large files such as audio, video, or big images, you may wish to defragment on a weekly basis. Most users should not need to defragment more frequently than once a month.