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Clean up your PC
1. Keep virus scanners and other malware detectors up to date and run on a regular schedule.
2. Clean up your directories - personal and shared. Delete files you no longer need. Zip up files you want to archive, but don't need to access frequently. Reorganize and simplify your folder structure.
3. Sort your email. Keep all mail in your @duke.edu Inbox. Create an archive folder for email you only need to reference infrequently. Remove attachments from email and store in your home directory. Delete email you no longer need. Remember that deleting email is usually a two step process - move it the trash, then empty the trash.
4. Defragment your hard drive. Contact us if you're not an administrator on your machine and we can run this for you.
5. Clean up your roaming profile. If you don't regularly login at other machines, you can use a local profile. Contact us to set this up for you. Follow info here: Managing your Windows profile.
6. Time to change your password. From Control + Alt + Delete, follow the suggestions here: Choosing a password
7. Have a website? Check your links to make sure they aren't broken.
8. Clean out browsers cache and cookies. In Firefox, Tools > Clear Private Data. In Internet Explorer 7, Tools >Delete Browsing History.
9. Dust and de-grime your PC and peripherals. Don't use household glass cleaner - or any cleaner containing ammonia - on flat panel monitors. Use a cleaner made for them or a 50/50 solution of water and isopropyl alcohol. Use a soft cloth, not a paper towel. Do not spray anything directly on the screen - spray it on the cloth. Dust your keyboard with compressed air - ease out stubborn dust between the keys with a cotton swab - and clean the surface. You can use the same mixture you used to clean your monitor.
10. Check your backups. The files in your home and shared directories are backed up daily - unless you are using temporary scratch space. Do not store personal audio or video files in your home directory - they will be subject to deletion. Consider investing in an external hard drive for additional backups, but remember that no backup method is infallible.
2. Clean up your directories - personal and shared. Delete files you no longer need. Zip up files you want to archive, but don't need to access frequently. Reorganize and simplify your folder structure.
3. Sort your email. Keep all mail in your @duke.edu Inbox. Create an archive folder for email you only need to reference infrequently. Remove attachments from email and store in your home directory. Delete email you no longer need. Remember that deleting email is usually a two step process - move it the trash, then empty the trash.
4. Defragment your hard drive. Contact us if you're not an administrator on your machine and we can run this for you.
5. Clean up your roaming profile. If you don't regularly login at other machines, you can use a local profile. Contact us to set this up for you. Follow info here: Managing your Windows profile.
6. Time to change your password. From Control + Alt + Delete, follow the suggestions here: Choosing a password
7. Have a website? Check your links to make sure they aren't broken.
8. Clean out browsers cache and cookies. In Firefox, Tools > Clear Private Data. In Internet Explorer 7, Tools >Delete Browsing History.
9. Dust and de-grime your PC and peripherals. Don't use household glass cleaner - or any cleaner containing ammonia - on flat panel monitors. Use a cleaner made for them or a 50/50 solution of water and isopropyl alcohol. Use a soft cloth, not a paper towel. Do not spray anything directly on the screen - spray it on the cloth. Dust your keyboard with compressed air - ease out stubborn dust between the keys with a cotton swab - and clean the surface. You can use the same mixture you used to clean your monitor.
10. Check your backups. The files in your home and shared directories are backed up daily - unless you are using temporary scratch space. Do not store personal audio or video files in your home directory - they will be subject to deletion. Consider investing in an external hard drive for additional backups, but remember that no backup method is infallible.