The preventive maintenance service is a sensible precaution, just as with a car, as it helps avoid breakdowns at inopportune times, and addresses the gradual performance loss that all systems experience. The recommended frequency depends on the type and quantity of use the PC gets, the physical environment, the amount of routine housekeeping applied, and the impact loss of use would have on the owner. As a general guide, 12 - 24 months may be a reasonable interval between checks. After 3 or 4 years a Windows reinstallation should be considered. The service is offered at a fixed price, optionally with added enhancements if booked at least a week in advance. See case notes C1 and C2. The service typically includes: Physical clean of case internally including heat sinks4, CD/DVD lens heads, floppy drives, mouse & keyboard if supplied Double defragmentation of multiple hard disk drive(s) Identification and attempted repair of physical disk errors (bad block resectoring, surface scan, space allocation check) Disk integrity check and removal of logical errors (lost clusters; cross linking; invalid file names, dates or structures; invalid indices) Identification of viruses1 (trojans, worms, diallers, hijackers etc.)
Removal of other malware2 (spyware, adware, adserver tracking cookies, keyloggers, data miners)
Deletion of temporary files, browser cache & recycle bin trash
Check for update of anti virus and Internet security software Installation or update of malware prevention program
Application of critical and security patches to operating system and bundled software
Verification that protected Windows files are intact5 Installation of updates to common applications Compression of Outlook Express folders or scanning of default Outlook PST datafile.
Check of temperatures, voltages and fan speeds Diagnostic test of major hardware components Event log files inspection Security vulnerability assessment & report5 Further performance improvement advice Report listing installed hardware & software including versions and licence codes Generate & test emergency boot disk6
A DVD set3 containing an image backup of all partitions on the system disk on request. Optionally also securely held at 1ComputerCare premises for 12 months
Update hardware drivers Creation of a folder containing a backup copy of all drivers installed on your system Broadband Internet usage review to identify cheaper packages
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