Can Keep Your Computer Operating in Top Shape (NAPSA)—Computers are like cars, they require maintenance and care to run efficiently. Viruses, computer crashes and lost files are the bumps in the road causing your PC to stall. A computer is a costly investment and it is important to take steps to ensure your investment will last a long time. By following some simple pre- ventative measures, you will get the most out of your PC and save yourself time and money. HP, the world’s largest consumer technology company and leading manu- facturer of PCs, offers these easy tips and tricks to keep your PC safe and runningefficiently. Update Anti-Virus Software Regularly: Anti-virus software scans a computer’s memory and disk drives for viruses that can quickly take up available memory and bring the computerto a halt. Once an infected file is found, you may chose to delete, quarantine or clean the virus. Trial versions of anti-virus software are available from Symantec www.symantec.com and McAfee www.mcafee.com. Otheranti-virus tips include: e If your software enables automatic updates, makes sure that it updates your software daily since new viruses are cre- By following some simple preventative measures, you will get the most out of your PC and save yourself time and money. @ ated unknowingly to you. Do not open attachments from unknown or suspicious sources. Before opening an attachment, scan it first using antivirus software. Manytechnology Web sites have information about virus protection. HP.com provides definitions for common malicious programs, as well as instructions for eliminating and preventingviruses. Backup Your Files: Whether it’s your digital photos from your last vacation, video clips of the new baby or importantfiles for your business presentation, backing up importantfiles will save you from potentially losing sensitive and irreplaceable data. The safest way to keep yourfiles pro- tected is to use a removable media backup, such as a zip drive, flash drive, CD-R/RW disks or a floppy disk. Once your files have been stored, backup your computersys- tem regularly to ensure new files are also protected. Install a Firewall: A firewall is a way of protecting your com- puter from the outside world. A firewall blocks unwantedaccess to your PC, and is useful in prevent- ing harmful programs and other threats from damaging or slowing down your PC. You can download a free firewall from Zone Alarm at www.zonealarm.com. PC Maintenance: Most PCs installed with Windowsinclude the disk defragmenter and disk cleanup utility. To launch, click “start,” “programs,” “accessories,” “system tools” and select the option from the menu bar. The disk defragmenter increases the speed of programs on your computer by reorganizingfiles on your hard disk into contiguous blocks. The disk cleanup frees up hard drive space by emptyingthe recycling bin, deleting files in the temporary folder and deleting installed programs you do not use. Remember, your PC needs pre- ventative and ongoing mainte- nance to continue running at peak performance. Hopefully, these tips and suggestions will help keep your PC running in top form. For more ways to protect your PC, visit HP.com.
