The first step to resuscitate the family system is to clean off the deluge of programs and junk add-ons accumulated over the summer months. Wrestle the kids off the computer for a few hours and do some much needed maintenance. How thorough you get depends on what you use the computer for and your knowledge and understanding in computer maintenance. Best case scenario? If you use the computer primarily for internet usage, word processing and checking emails and you are relatively tech savvy, back up the data you want to keep, format the hard drive and reinstall the Operating System, here at AJR Computing we have a special custom software that backs up all your data then restores it back to the exact same place it found it befor the reinstall so you wont be able to tell the difference and we are always more than happy to help with our special back to school service.
Before you get started if you would like to take the plunge and have a go yourself, review the tips posted on Microsoft’s site at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/installing-and-reinstalling-windows-7. This may sound drastic and daunting, but most Techs consider it good to reinstall Windows every year or two to return your system to as close as you can to “factory fresh” (like it was when you pulled it out of the box). It gets rid of junk programs that have been installed, fixes corrupted applications and gets everything (software-wise) running smoothly again. That been said, a basic user might find it daunting to have to get programs reinstalled and data back on to the computer, particularly if the system is used for more than just Internet and email. It can also be pretty time consuming – like 4-5 hours maybe longer of attention from start to finish.
If a full format-reinstall of windows and restore of your data doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you can still gain significant performance improvement by doing some relatively easy maintenance. Check out add / remove programs for a list of what’s installed on your system. Remove all the junk programs and browser toolbars that the kids installed when you was not looking. Similarly, look through the extensions or add-on section of your browser (usually found via settings) and remove all the search bars, games and programs that pop up and beep at you every time you go online.
Next, do a manual run of your anti-malware software (we like Microsoft Security Essentials) – being sure to check for, download and install any updates before scanning. Finally, run a registry repair tool and browser cleanup program like CCleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download, its free) to help repair any registry errors left after removing all the junk programs. Once you have got your system purring along again, set up separate user accounts for everyone that gets on the computer, reserving administrator privileges for yourself. Limit user privileges so that only the administrator can install or remove programs.
You can limit when your kids can use the computer
Limit the damage your childern can do in the future by activating the parental controls integrated into Windows. Just open up the Control Panel window and under “User Accounts and Family Safety” choose “Set up parental controls for any user.” You can limit when your kids can use the computer (so they don’t get in trouble while you are not able to keep an eye on them), what games they can play and what programs and content they can access. You can monitor and limit the web sites they visit, too, so if there’s a site they frequent for downloading games that you suspect brings additional junk programs with each installation, you can block the site.
Finally, once you’ve got the system cleaned up and locked down, set up a family calendar and organization tool to make the school year easier to coordinate. Cozi (http://www.cozi.com/) offers a great, free family calendar and organization tool. Just set up a free account for your family and everyone logs in separately with their personal email address to view and update the family calendar. Each user can maintain their own calendar or see color-coded events on the master calendar, get reminders or alerts. If your school has an online calendar, you can set it up to automatically show events on your calendar, so you won’t miss another Open House. There’s also task management so that you can set up individual to-do lists for each family member or one for the whole family. Cozi syncs across Windows, Macs and a multitude of Smartphones and handheld electronics.
If your computer is in need of some TLC than take advantage of our Back To School Special available during any school holiday at a discounted price, you wont be disappointed your computer will run like new, since we launched this service we are always packed out with computers during the holidays for this service and had some great feed back.
AJR's Back To School PC Special Service
If your computer is in need of some TLC than take advantage of our Back To School Special available during any school holiday at a discounted price, you wont be disappointed your computer will run like new, since we launched this service we are always packed out with computers during the holidays for this service and had some great feed back.
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