I often hear people complain that their computer is running slowly or that they have a virus. "I just bought the damn thing" a friend once told me. The truth is, it doesn't matter how new your computer is, if you're not performing regular maintenance on it it's not going to perform.

Just like our vehicles, computers need preventative maintenance. Here are the three most important things you need to do to keep your computer running at top performance.

1. Install an antivirus program and keep it updated. It is important that you install an antivirus program and keep up with the antivirus definitions and program updates. That's right, if you're not updating the actual antivirus program, your computer is vulnerable to infection. So be sure to pay attention to those update messages you receive in your system tray.

2. Defragment your hard drive and clear out temporary computer files. Over time, your computer accumulates temporary or "junk" files that drastically slow down your computer. Keeping your computer defragged and your junk files at a minimal will help keep your computer running at top speed.

3. Keep your computer system updated with the latest security patches from Microsoft. If you're not keeping up with windows updates, you're asking for trouble. Not updating your computer is like walking out onto a battle field without body armor. Every Tuesday Microsoft releases security updates that close security holes in your computer that have been discovered by computer security experts. If you do not install Microsoft updates in a timely fashion, your computer could easily become infected even if you have an antivirus program installed.


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