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My five favorite tips for maintaining your Windows computer

October 14, 2010 20:41 / scottstgelais / Geek Tips Comments (0)

Updated April 21, 2023

One of the questions I often get asked is, "What can I do to maintain my computer". So in this article, I am going to share my five favorite tips for maintaining your Windows-based computer.

Regularly check your drive(s) for errors

This is one of the first things I do when I get a system in the shop. An error on the disk can cause all sorts of issues, so occasionally running a quick standard disk check is recommended. It is always best to try fixing any errors before they become huge problems.

For more information on how to perform a checkdisk, select your operating system below.

How to check your drive(s) for errors in Windows 11

How to check your drive(s) for errors in Windows 10

How to check your drive(s) for errors in Windows 8.1

How to check your drive(s) for errors in Windows 7 / Windows Vista

How to check your drive(s) for errors in Windows XP

Manually defragment and optimize your drive(s)

Even though Windows runs Defrag as part of the routine maintenance (usually weekly), you can always occasionally run it, as it is probably the best single thing you can do to speed up your computer. Imagine a filing cabinet where all of the folders were out of order and files were misplaced throughout the cabinet. How could you find anything? Same thing with your computer's drive. Disk Defragmenter takes care of that for you. And you can run it as a scheduled task too.

Select your operating system below for more information on how to use Disk Defragmenter.

How to defragment and optimize your drive in Windows 11

How to defragment and optimize your drive in Windows 10

How to defragment and optimize your drive in Windows 8.1

How to defragment and optimize your drive in Windows 7

How to defragment and optimize your drive in Windows Vista

How to defragment and optimize your drive in Windows XP

Clean up your drive(s) regularly

Now, Windows does include programs to clean up the miscellaneous files that build up over time, but by default, it is not set up to run automatically. You can set up Windows to perform these routine tasks, which include deleting temporary files and emptying the Recycle Bin.

For more information on how to use Disk Cleanup and Storage Sense, select your operating system below.

How to clean up your drive in Windows 11

How to clean up your drive in Windows 10

How to clean up your drive in Windows 8.1

How to clean up your drive in Windows 7 / Windows Vista

Install Windows updates when they become available

Once a month, Microsoft releases security patches called Cumulative Updates. They fix known security issues and should be applied as soon as possible. Microsoft has been using the same schedule for
releasing them for decades now. The second Tuesday of every month is known in the IT world as 'Patch Tuesday', so mark your calendar. And if, for some reason, Windows Update does not work correctly, click on the link below.

Troubleshooting problems with Windows Update

Backup of your computer on a regular schedule

Nothing can beat a complete backup when it comes to getting a computer back running after a drive failure. Sure, a drive failure is an extreme example, but it could be an update that did not install correctly or a corrupt driver that is preventing your system from booting correctly. And the software is already built-in; all you need is an external drive for the backup and a USB flash drive for a repair drive.

How to backup your Windows 11 computer

How to backup your Windows 10 computer

How to backup your Windows 8.1 computer

How to backup your Windows 7 / Windows Vista computer

How to backup your Windows XP computer

Tags : checkdisk . chkdsk . defrag . disk defragmenter . windows . windows 7 . windows vista . windows xp . windows 8.1 . windows 10 . windows 11 . cleanmgr.exe . backup . windows update

Using Dual Monitors in Windows (Video)

June 17, 2009 08:47 / scottstgelais / Geek Tips Comments (0)

A little while back, I wrote an article on using Dual Monitors. Here's a snippet:

"With newer computers having the ability to run multiple displays, here is a ‘Geek Tip’ for those of you thinking about using two monitors on one computer. There are various scenarios, and I am going to describe just a few. I currently have two systems here with dual monitor setups."

Here's a video showing the two different computer scenarios I have that use dual monitors in Windows.

Tags : dual monitors . windows . windows 7 . windows vista . windows xp . windows 8.1 . windows 10 . windows 11

Windows explorer keyboard shortcuts

May 8, 2009 17:28 / scottstgelais / Geek Tips Comments (0)

Windows File Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Press	To
END	Display the bottom of the active window.
HOME	Display the top of the active window.
NUM LOCK + ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)	Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK + PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)	Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK + MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)	Collapse the selected folder.
LEFT ARROW	Collapse the current selection if it's expanded, or select the parent folder.
RIGHT ARROW	Display current selection if it's collapsed or select the first subfolder.

Tags : keyboard shortcuts . windows . windows 7 . windows vista . windows xp . windows 8 . windows 10 . windows 11

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

May 8, 2009 17:16 / scottstgelais / Geek Tips Comments (0)

Windows accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Press	To
Right SHIFT for eight seconds	Switch FilterKeys on and off.
Left ALT + left SHIFT + PRINT SCREEN	Switch High Contrast on and off.
Left ALT + left SHIFT + NUM LOCK	Switch MouseKeys on and off.
SHIFT five times	Switch StickyKeys on and off.
NUM LOCK for five seconds	Switch ToggleKeys on and off.
+ U	Open Utility Manager.

Tags : keyboard shortcuts . windows . windows 7 . windows vista . windows xp . windows logo key . windows 8.1 . windows 10 . windows 11

General keyboard shortcuts

May 8, 2009 17:11 / scottstgelais / Geek Tips Comments (0)

Windows general keyboard shortcuts

Press	To
CTRL + C	Copy.
CTRL + X	Cut.
CTRL + V	Paste.
CTRL + Z	Undo.
DELETE	Delete.
SHIFT + DELETE	Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.
CTRL while dragging an item	Copy selected item.
CTRL + SHIFT while dragging an item	Create a shortcut to the selected item.
F2	Rename selected item.
CTRL + RIGHT ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL + LEFT ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
CTRL + DOWN ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
CTRL + UP ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL + SHIFT with any of the arrow keys	Highlight a block of text.
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys	Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document.
CTRL + A	Select all.
F3	Search for a file or folder.
ALT + ENTER	View properties for the selected item.
ALT + F4	Close the active item, or quit the active program.
ALT + Enter	Displays the properties of the selected object.
ALT + SPACEBAR	Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.
CTRL + F4	Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
ALT + TAB	Switch between open items.
ALT + ESC	Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
F6	Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F4	Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
SHIFT + F10	Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
ALT + SPACEBAR	Display the System menu for the active window.
CTRL + ESC	Display the Start menu.
ALT + Underlined letter in a menu name	Display the corresponding menu.
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu	Carry out the corresponding command.
F10	Activate the menu bar in the active program.
RIGHT ARROW	Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
LEFT ARROW	Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
F5	Refresh the active window.
BACKSPACE	View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
ESC	Cancel the current task.
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive	Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Tags : keyboard shortcuts . windows . windows 7 . windows vista . windows xp . windows 8.1 . windows 10 . windows 11

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