Running this tool with predeter-mined options can keep systems optimized by emptying the Recycle Bin, Office Setup Files, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Old Chkdsk
Trang 1You can save yourself a lot of support headaches if you follow some best practices and take pre-emptive measures to prevent equipment failure, performance degradation, and system problems Here’s a checklist of 50 key tasks you can perform to keep your PCs optimized and healthy
Develop and deploy a client management policy To avoid surprises for your users and your
support staff, make sure that everyone understands what’s expected of the IT department and
end users This should disclose all of the performance tasks that IT staff will execute and the
protocol that users should follow to make sure operational objectives are met
Use the Disk Cleanup Tool automatically on client systems Running this tool with
predeter-mined options can keep systems optimized by emptying the Recycle Bin, Office Setup Files,
Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Old Chkdsk Files, Temporary Files,
Temporary Offline Files, Offline Files, and other items You can run the tool in the command line
as Cleanmgr.exe with passed options A nice overview of the options to run Cleanmgr.exe is
available in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 315246 You can also make this a scheduled task and automate the process to ensure regular execution
Defragment hard drives regularly Disk fragmentation, especially on intensively used systems,
will surely degrade performance over time Be careful, however, about running disk defragmenta-tion when large files are open For example, if a transacdefragmenta-tional database (SQL or MSDE) is run-ning, defragmentation tools can’t exclusively access all or parts of these types of files to defrag-ment the disk If there is a service that you can stop to bring this part of the system to a
zero-transaction state, you will be able to defragment the drive much more effectively This is a good task to automate by using a third-party tool like Diskeeper
Periodically remove Windows XP pre-fetch files Consider making a scheduled task to clean
out all pre-fetch files in Windows XP systems to increase performance These files can become numerous and large, and their benefits are disputable These files are kept in the
\windows\prefetch directory of default installations and have a pf extension
Disable CD-ROM autorun CD-ROM autorun can circumvent security measures as well as be an
annoyance The process is outlined in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 126025
Keep firmware up to date Firmware updates can keep your system and subsystems current for
the best performance Be sure to test the functionality for your infrastructure before deploying
firmware updates Keep a revision of the firmware distributions you are using or have used in the past; you may need that archived version again
The ultimate PC preventive maintenance checklist
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Trang 2Keep drivers up to date Driver updates can optimize performance in a way that’s similar to
firmware updates Drivers can be obtained from device manufacturers and from Windows Update for common devices Keep a revision of the driver versions you are using or have used in the
past; you may need that archived version in the future
Keep Windows up to date Use Windows Update to pull down the updates (cautiously) or use
Software Update Servicesto retrieve your approved list However, be aware of potential conflict-ing situations with service packs and updates
Keep key applications up to date If your PC has other critical applications running (IIS, SQL,
MSDE, etc.), apply the appropriate service packs as they become available For Microsoft appli-cations, the Baseline Security Analyzercan provide a manifest of service pack levels
Keep antivirus definitions up to date Consider using automatic updates to pull down the latest
definitions for your program
Protect systems from malicious Web sites Use highly rated tools like Ad-Awareby Lavasoft to keep systems protected from Trojans, browser hijacking, and other malicious activities
Run a periodic antivirus scan from another product It is a good idea to run a different
antivirus scan on your systems through an emergency boot mechanism or using Trend Micro’s
Web-based scan engine, HouseCall Remove spyware from your PCs with programs likeSpybot Search and Destroy, Spyware Doctor, and Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner
Check e-mail configuration for protection If your antivirus package or mail client has added
security configurations to protect against known-threat e-mail messages or attachments, ensure that your desired configuration is still in effect
Check Remote Assistance configuration For Windows XP systems, make sure that Remote
Assistance is configured correctly, if you’re going to use it If users are not to use it because of
security concerns, ensure that it is disabled
Revisit the password policy Ensure that any guest accounts are disabled unless used and that
there are not obvious passwords written near the computers Consider implementing password complexity rules
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Trang 3Perform a periodic full system cleaning Take the system apart and bring the canned air over.
Remove all dust and clean the external and internal surfaces of the computer to get rid of dust
and any other particles If you do not have a cleaning solution, you can make a simple solution of 1:1 rubbing alcohol and water for external surfaces Be sure to unplug the electronic components when introducing a solution and allow it to dry fully
Clean the keyboard and mouse Use a dust vacuum and the alcohol/water solution to clean
these dust- and dirt-collecting components The keyboard can become very unsightly and even send erroneous keystrokes if foreign particles becomes lodged between keys
Run a CD-ROM cleaner As with audio systems, CD-ROM drives can be cleaned with special
kits for disc cleaning This is especially useful if you are in a dusty environment
Clean the display device Use a cleaner on the surface of the display unit to remove
finger-prints, dust, or other imperfections on the screen
Clean the floppy drive with canned air A good blast of air can remove dust collections inside
floppy drives Use covers/panels if your systems provide them to help keep dust out of the drives
Run a cleaning tape If your systems have tape drives, run the cleaning tape through to keep
the tape heads clean
Ensure fan operation Air movement in a PC is essential to keep a system operating correctly.
Case fans, CPU fans, and power supply fans are all important to maintaining system health
Consider having spare fans and power supplies readily available if a failure occurs
Check for airflow Check inside and outside the computer for proper airflow You don’t want to
see a computer in use inside a box with no air flow or pushed into a corner Likewise, on the
inside you don’t want to see a hard drive or other internal device incorrectly installed and blocking airflow to other components
Check the operating area environment Ensure that the area in which you are using this
sys-tem is of an acceptable sys-temperature (roughly between 60 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit) and has good air quality If either or both of these factors are not favorable, you may want to consider an environmental enclosure This also includes watching for tobacco smoke, manufacturing environ-ments, and paper dust
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Trang 4Replace frequently used removable media If a system frequently uses a floppy disk, tape, ZIP
disk, or other rewritable media, replace it on a periodic basis
Check internal connections Open up the system and verify that all connections feel solid and
are placed correctly Double-check any accessory cards for a snug setting in the slot Also look at any connections to accessory cards for good connections
Check for all necessary screws on the case Nothing is more unprofessional looking than a
case that falls off of the computer or that’s not even installed Make sure that the case lid or pan-els are fixed down on all sides With some systems, case panpan-els are critical to the internal airflow for components
Check for cable tensions Over time, a system may get relocated Having too much strain on a
cable or connection can damage the cable, device, jack/node, or the computer Be sure that there
is plenty of slack in the cables on the device and computer ends Excess strain may cause inter-mittent performance issues
Preemptively replace commonly failed items If you are using a system for more than three
years, consider preemptively replacing the hard drive or power supply if you have these spare
parts available
Check for optimized display refresh settings If a system gets a new display device, the
refresh settings may not be optimized Nonoptimized display settings can give users headaches and even make them nauseous Look in the Display | Settings | Advanced | Monitor section for refresh rates in the Display applet of Control Panel
Check power quality If you have a UPS battery, ensure that it is satisfied with the power
sup-plied to it If you aren’t using one, check that the power source is a good circuit and is correctly grounded Also make sure that surge suppression strips are in use
Archive manuals and drivers in hard copy Maintain a master repository of manuals, driver
disks, and other materials that come with the purchase of equipment These will come in handy if
a vendor ends support for a device or an entire system or if the company goes out of business
Perform a periodic image-based backup If it would benefit your organization, having an image
offers an accessible quick restore if needed Also, image-based backups perform the best
zero-transaction defragmentation of your hard drive, as the imaging tool is not contending with the
operating system to defragment the drive as it restores your data
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Trang 5Perform a periodic software inventory You need to ensure that unlicensed software is not
appearing on your systems, and it’s important to know if a user has circumvented an installation policy by introducing supplemental titles or nonstandard versions You can use the Microsoft
Software Inventory Analyzerto inventory Microsoft products You can also pull most of this type of information from the Windows registry For example, you can create a scheduled task that will
export the installed applications that show up in the Add/Remove Programs applet of Control
Panel by running:
regedit /e c:\softwarelist.txt
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Note that this is a single command You can run the same command from the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE key and get all applications, not just the applications
available for uninstall
Create/update the Windows ERD The Emergency Repair Disk may be useful when attempting
system recoveries Having a tested procedure for using the ERD can add a certain comfort level
to your troubleshooting tasks
Back up the Windows registry Having a scheduled task to make a backup of the Windows
reg-istry to a local file can be a lifesaver if a regreg-istry issue arises Otherwise, a fresh install of the
operating system may be your only option From the command line, you can create a backup by typing:
regedit /e c:\entireregistrybackup.reg
Configure auto e-mail deletion If your mail client and mail usage policies support deletion of
Deleted Items in your mail client, consider having this file deleted periodically (for example, on a 30-day retention schedule) or upon each exit of the mail client
Note that this file is large, and it takes up to a minute to dump it If you use a process to export the registry and copy it somewhere, the file may not be ready at the completion of the command line
Check date, time, time zone, and regional settings Be sure that all systems are on the correct
time zone and regional settings for log entry accuracy Most logged events go by system time
and date, and if these are correct, your troubleshooting can be simplified
Check for unauthorized sharing Users may set up peer-to-peer sharing on systems This may
not be a good idea because it can tax bandwidth and possibly introduce security risks
Ensure My Documents redirection Make sure that default save paths for applications point to
the desired location If you are in a networked environment and users are to place their data on a network resource, make sure each user profile is using the correct path
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Trang 6Archive, then delete ZIP files Create a script or manually search the hard drive for ZIP files and
place them in a quarantine area before deleting them Allow them to be there for a specified
amount of time (two weeks, for example) and then delete them Inform users to check this area for their files to see whether anything needs to be saved and instruct them to save this data in
the correct location (network drive) instead of the local system
Archive a user’s browser bookmarks Create an automated script to copy the Internet favorites
or bookmark file to a network resource to ensure that this part of user data is transportable in the event of a system failure Reestablishing these items can become difficult because users may not
be able to remember exact addresses for frequently used Web URLs
Organize/scan the desktop for important or unnecessary files There is nothing worse than a
desktop littered with important data that should be kept elsewhere or large downloads that are
just taking up space Coordinate with users and be sure that data is kept in the correct locations and large downloads are actively used, extracted, or deleted
Review system logs Take a look at the Windows Event Viewer and any application logging that
may be on the system for potential issues
Check printing configuration Ensure that systems have the correct printer driver, connected
printers, and number of printers Sometimes, users may set up printers individually, which can
degrade performance or remove functionality if similar or compatible drivers are installed
com-pared to the designated printing configuration
Check for “missed” software removals Over time, a system may have been omitted during a
rollout Looking for correct versions of enterprise applications and correct inventories can save
possible troubleshooting efforts later
Check page file configuration Open virtual memory configuration and make sure that the page
file size and location are correct for the amount of free space on the drive and the amount of
memory installed on the system
Inspect Services configuration Open the Services applet of the Windows Control Panel to
ensure that the Windows-based services that are running and set to Automatic at startup are con-sistent with your configuration
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Trang 7Check through the Device Manager Open the Windows Device Manager to look for any
devices that are not operating correctly or that may have been removed Subsystem components may report an error if they’re incorrectly configured or not working
Double-check the BIOS configurations Ensure that all explicitly required features enabled in
the BIOS are used Disable features you don’t want available Features such as Wake-On-LAN, Boot From CD-ROM, USB Boot Devices, and BIOS Password Disabled may not be necessary in the event of false Wake-On-LAN broadcasts or security concerns
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