Weekly Windows Maintenance

    The following steps describe the maintenance that should be performed on a regular basis, in order to maintain the security and performance of a Windows computer system. These instructions try to be fairly specific. However, the exact instructions to perform some of these steps does depend on which version of Windows is in use, or on which programs have been installed on the computer.

    The below steps are in a priority order, with what is most important listed first. This document also describes what is appropriate on a weekly basis, for a Windows computer that is actively used for hours every day. So on less frequently used computers, it may be appropriate to only carry out the first five steps every week, most of the below steps every 4 to 8 weeks, and the last few steps 2 or 3 times a year.

1. If there is any data on the hard drive that you cannot afford to loose, then back-up your data before doing anything else.
    
2. Check for an update to the virus definitions for the installed anti-virus program.
    
3. Run Windows Update.

   Note: Sometimes an update must be installed separate from any other updates; then the computer restarted and Windows Update re-run to install the other desired updates. (If one of these "install exclusively" updates was selected, then only it will be installed. Thus after the system has restarted and Windows Update is re-run, any other updates must be re-selected to install them.) Other updates will require restarting the computer once all the selected updates have been installed. So again, Windows update would need to be re-run to continue checking for and/or installing further updates.

   • "Scan for Updates" that have not been installed on this computer.
   • Install any listed Critical Updates.
   • Install any listed Driver Updates.
   • Install any desired Windows Updates. (Only the chosen updates are installed.)
   • "Scan for Updates" once more, to ensure there are no further Critical Updates.
    
    
   

   Advanced Tips:

   • Often I will install any Driver Updates before installing the Critical Updates. But to install just the drivers, all the automatically selected Critical Updates must be un-selected, in addition to selecting the Driver Updates to install.
   • While installing the Critical Updates, an extremely experienced user might hold off on installing a service pack that effectively just installs the newest version of Internet Explorer, Windows Media player, etc..

    
   
   
    
4. If Microsoft Office is also installed on the system, then run Office Update, to "Check for updates". If one or more updates are found, then do install any updates that improve Office's stability and security. (Extra feature updates-- such as alternate user input-- are optional.)
   • Office Updates often require the the person installing them to provide the CD(s) or Network directory that was used to install the Office products.
   • Sometimes one update must be installed first, then the computer restarted and Office Update re-run to install the other desired updates. (Selecting the other updates is disabled, until the prerequisite update has been installed.)
   
    
5. IF IE-SPYAD is used to help prevent Websites from loading SpyWare or engaging in user tracking, then check for an updated version. (The "last updated" date is right at the top of the information on that Webpage.)
   • If an update exists, follow the included (readme.txt) instructions to uninstall the old version, then install the new version.
   
    
6. Using the properties for the hard drive, cleanup the drive. (If you have more than one hard drive or drive partition, check each of them.)
   • Go into "My Computer", right-click on the icon for the hard drive, then select "Properties" on the pop-up menu.
     • A shortcut icon to the hard drive, possibly placed on the Windows Desktop, cannot be used to do this.
   • In the lower right of the Window that opens, use the "Disk Cleanup" button, to run the Windows utility for removing un-needed files from the hard drive.
   
    
7. For each user account on the computer, Run the command "%temp%", and delete any remaining temporary files.
   • From the Start Menu, select Run, then type in the command %temp%
   • This command will bring up the temporary folder, for the currently logged in user.
   • Select all files in the temporary folder, then use the Shift-Del key combination, to delete the files without sending them to the Recycle Bin.
   • If any files cannot be deleted because they are still in use, try restarting Windows, then try again to delete the remaining files. (At this point, you might have to try deleting each file individually.)
   
    
8. Defragment the hard drive. (If you have more than one hard drive or drive partition, then all of them should be defragmented.)
    
9. Scan for viruses. (If you have more than one hard drive or drive partition, then all of them need to be scanned.)
   • Make certain the anti-virus scan will scan the files stored within each compressed file or file archive. (Some anti-virus scans do not check the contents of .zip files, Java .jar files, etc..)
      
10. Run Ad-aware, to remove any ad-ware or spy-ware programs.
    • Use "Check for updates now" to check for updated definitions.
    • For each user account on the computer, scan the computer with Ad-aware, then select all found objects and delete them.
    • Check to ensure that all needed programs still work. (Some "Ad-Ware" programs will not function, unless the included advertising and tracking utility is still running on your computer.)
    • If all necessary programs still work, then use the "Open quarantine list" link, select all auto-quarantined files, and delete them.
    
     
11. Run Spybot Search & Destroy as this will catch some privacy and security problems that Ad-aware misses.
    • Under the "Update" section:
      • Select "Search for Updates"
      • Ensure any updates that were found are selected
      • Select the closest download site (from the drop-down menu).
      • Then select "Download Updates".
    • For each user account on the computer, under the "Search & Destroy" section:
      • Select "Check for problems"
      • Review and select any problems this finds
      • Then use "Fix selected problems"
    
     
12. Check grc.com for any new or updated security enhancements.
     
13. If the computer is running a 3rd party firewall, then check and optimize the rules it uses to permit and deny Internet traffic. (Looking for rules that have been added or updated.)
     
14. Possibly run a registry cleaner program. (Usually this would be a good idea if several programs have been installed then uninstalled.)
    • For Windows 98/98SE/Me I like NBG Clean Registry 1.7.2 (A 30 "individual days of use" trial.)
    • For Windows XP, I currently use RegScrubXP.
    
     
15. Possibly run the hard drive defragment program one more time. (Just the partition that Windows is installed on this time.)