Computer maintenance entails the following:

Formatting disk drives

It’s done to prepare the drive for data storage. It is also done to eliminate corrupted files which cannot be deleted by the anti-virus program. To perform this, you need to create a backup for the files you require.

Right click on it and select format from the resulting dropdown menu. Formatting just clears everything stored in the drive thus cleaning the corrupted files. After that you can paste back the data you had already created a backup for. Apart from saving new files from virus corruption, formatting disk drives makes the system run more efficiently.

Another form of formatting can be done when there is a malicious virus that cannot be removed manually or by an anti-virus or in cases where a system crash. This involves use of boot disks such as Compact disks or floppy disks. One can either boot the system using an operating system CD.

This method formats the entire drive and will require installation of lost system drivers. The other method involves use of restore CDs which are bought together with the computer especially with the current HP make. Using the restore disk ensures that the system drivers are not formatted.

Updating drivers and software

Software update is done to ensure the software is updated more powerful and efficient version which has lesser bugs and in the case of antivirus and antimalware make them able to deal with new viruses and malware. Upgrading the system also involves installation of a higher version of service pack that the current one.

Driver updates are done to ensure that computers have all the latest drivers for maximum performance. We did this by downloading the drivers from the manufacturers support website and also by making use of software for the same purpose that is driver pack solution. Manning the Help Desk

User support is very crucial to any organization since many users are not professionals in computers and they need assistance in case of any problem so that they carry their work effectively and efficiently. This meant giving advice over the phone and if it did not work, moving to their work station and sorting the problem at the site.

The following are the activities that I undertook to support users:

• Helping users share files by configuring their personal computers. _ Assisting users in use of user application packages e.g. word, excel, power point.
• Assisting users to use both offline and network printers
• Assisting users access the network.
• Providing proactive technical support. +Scanning hard disks

This was mainly done to do away with viruses, worms, Trojan horses and malware which can lead to complete system failure. We used the Avast Anti-virus to clean the system of the above threats.

There are times the computer system was so affected by these threats that it couldn’t run the antivirus software. We thus had to remove it and add it to another virus free system with the antivirus fully updated in order to scan it that is we performed master slave/configuration thus enslaving the hard disk on to another hard disk and scanning it externally.