Should I defragment my hard drive? How often?
My computer feels sluggish and someone said I should defragment my hard drive. What does defragmenting actually do? Windows has a built-in tool but it takes forever. How often should I do it? I have a 60GB hard drive that's about 75% full. Will defragmenting free up space?
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Don't forget about heat. If your computer is shutting down or crashing randomly, open the case and check if the fans are caked with dust. Blow it out with a can of compressed air. Overheating causes a shocking number of 'mystery' problems.
3 Answers
Don't forget about heat. If your computer is shutting down or crashing randomly, open the case and check if the fans are caked with dust. Blow it out with a can of compressed air. Overheating causes a shocking number of 'mystery' problems.
I'd check Device Manager for any yellow exclamation marks. That's Windows telling you a driver is missing or broken. Right-click My Computer, Properties, Hardware tab, Device Manager. Fix anything with a yellow mark and a lot of weird problems clear up.
Newegg is your friend for parts. Way cheaper than Best Buy or CompUSA and the customer reviews actually help you avoid junk. Just watch out for shipping on heavy stuff like CRT monitors. Read the reviews before you buy ANYTHING.
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