Maintaining your personal computer is essential to keeping it running smoothly and efficiently, just as regular maintenance for your car is necessary to keep it from clanging down the road when you drive. Many problems with speed and "buggy" behavior can often be attributed to a lack of maintenance.

This page has been designed to link both technicians and clients to the most pertinent information for your questions and/or problems. Please, peruse the categories and use the links below to find more specific information.

1. Hardware
   1. Upgrading
      1. What do you mean by "Upgrading"?
      2. Why would I need to upgrade?
      3. How would I know if I needed to upgrade?
      4. Does upgrading always help my system?
   2. Compatability
      1. What do you mean by "Compatability"?
      2. How do I know if something new is compatable with my system?
      3. What would happen if I put something on my system that wasn't compatable?
   3. Installation
      1. What do you mean by "Installation"?
      2. Does it matter what I try to install on my system?
   4. Removal
      1. What do you mean by "Removal"?
      2. What would happen if I removed something from my system?
      3. Does removing something always hurt my system?
2. Software
   1. Installation
      1. What do you mean by "Installation"?
      2. Does it matter what I try to install on my system?
      3. How would I install something on my system?
      4. Is it always good to install new things on my system?
   2. Removal
      1. What do you mean by "Removal"?
      2. Why would I need to remove software from my system?
      3. How do I remove software from my system?
      4. How might removing software affect my system?
   3. Debugging
      1. What do you mean by "Debugging"?
      2. What causes "bugs" in my software and on my system?
      3. Can I fix the "bugs" on my own?
3. Security
   1. Viruses
      1. What is a "Virus"?
      2. What kinds of viruses are there?
      3. How would my system get a virus?
      4. How can I tell if I have a virus?
      5. How do I remove a virus from my system?
   2. Firewalls
      1. What is a "Firewall"?
      2. Why would I want a firewall?
      3. How does a firewall work?
      4. How do I use a firewall?
   3. Spyware/ Adware
      1. What are "Spyware" and "Adware"?
      2. How did I get spyware and adware on my system?
      3. How do spyware and adware affect my system?
      4. Are all spyware and adware bad?
      5. How can I tell if I have spyware or adware on my system?
      6. How can I remove spyware and adware from my system?
   4. Security Patching
      1. What is a "Security Patch"?
      2. How do I know if I need a security patch?
      3. Where can I get a security patch?
      4. How do I install a security patch?
4. Tips and Tricks
   1. Maintenance
      1. What can I do regularly to keep my system "healthy"?
      2. What else can I do to keep my system "healthy"?
   2. Common Problems
      1. How can I fix some common hardware problems?
         1. Why are my hardware/peripherals (modem, CD/DVD drive, printer, scanner, mouse, etc.) not working properly, if at all?
         2. Why are my hardware/peripherals (modem, CD/DVD drive, printer, scanner, mouse, etc.) not working properly, if at all? (Part 2)
         3. Why are my hardware/peripherals (modem, CD/DVD drive, printer, scanner, mouse, etc.) not working properly, if at all? (Part 3)
      2. How can I fix some common Windows problems?
         1. How can I stop spammers from using "Windows Messaging Service" to send unwanted messages to my computer?
         2. How do I install security patches on my computer?
         3. How do I permanently remove the "Links" folder from the "Favorites" menu?
         4. How do I make the icons on my computer desktop disappear?
         5. How do I adjust my virtual memory?