If your computer has just been getting slower and slower since you bought it and errors are becoming more frequent, it’s time for a tune up. You should keep your PC updated and run the Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter tools on a regular basis, as well an antivirus scanner Updating your computer is important to ensure that hardware and applications work properly.

Sometimes drivers need to be updated in order for hardware to work properly. For example an ATI card running on an outdated driver may cause error messages like the ati2dvag blue screen. In most cases a device driver that is functioning properly need not be updated. However if after an installation or over time you experience problems, it’s a good idea to download an update if available.

In this day and age you need to make sure that you’ve got antivirus software installed onto your computer especially if you’re running a Windows OS. Other operating systems such as Macs and Linux are far less prone to getting viruses, but nonetheless they’re not completely impenetrable. If you’re computer is part of a network or you use it to access email or the Internet, it’s a must to have virus protection installed.

Reports estimate that there are now over 100,000 different viruses online. There are so many different possible ways a virus can access your computer that you may not even realize you have one. Some are just irritating and may throw up unwanted Ads, however there are far worse offenders. Viruses can be highly malicious; they can delete files, corrupt and even steal data.

Worms and Trojans can infect and case considerable damage to the computer’s system. Even blue screen error codes like the mup.sys blue screen can be caused by malicious code. Think before you download anything online or from emails. Peer to peer sharing sites are one of the biggest sources of viruses on the Net.

Take caution when reading emails. There’s no need to open email, especially if you do not know the sender. Get an email asking you to verify your bank details? Send it to the junk mail or better still, report it. It’s vital to be on your guard even though a majority of virus security programs include email scanners. The best thing to do is set your virus protection to scan an update daily, so that you don’t need to remember.

Lack of memory is another problem that can affect a PC’s performance but can easily be solved. This can be done by removing unused programs, cleaning out temporary files and moving old files and documents onto an external drive. Alternatively you could increase the amount of memory you have by adding RAM (Random Access Memory). But don’t do this by yourself unless you know how to. The NTFS.Sys Blue Screen of death is a common problem caused by poorly installed memory.

The last suggestion to keep your computer in tiptop shape is a good clean on the inside. Overheating because of dust build up on fans an happen over time and before you know it your PC components are literally cooking! Make sure to turn your PC off and unplug it from the mains before cleaning it. You should avoid using anything abrasive to clean your PC. All you need is compressed air and a few cotton swabs to clean your computer.