maintenance
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2:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Your computer’s a busy beaver, rapidly accessing and utilising files all in the name of bringing you what you want, when you want it. Sometimes it needs a little help tidying up, and that’s where these five disk defragmenters come in. More »
Five Best Disk Defragmenters
2:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Your computer’s a busy beaver, rapidly accessing and utilising files all in the name of bringing you what you want, when you want it. Sometimes it needs a little help tidying up, and that’s where these five disk defragmenters come in. More » 
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Clean Your Laptop To Keep It Running Smooth And Cool
10:00AM Adam Pash | Taking time out to evacuate your PC’s dust bunnies is a must for keeping your computer running in tip-top shape. If you’re more the laptop sort, DIY site Instructables details how to banish dust from your laptop. More »
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Run Disk Cleanup Automatically At Startup
4:00AM Lifehacker US Edition | The CyberNet tech blog details how to create a set-it-and-forget-it scheduled task to automatically run Disk Cleanup every time your computer starts. The setup requires a few steps, starting with running Disk Cleanup from the command line with the /sageset:1 parameter to choose your settings, and then creating a scheduled task with the /sagerun:1 option to automatically run using the saved settings every time you start your computer. If you’d prefer to use the reader favourite CCleaner to clean up your computer, we’ve already detailed how to run CCleaner silently with a shortcut, or run it automatically with a scheduled task, which could be adjusted to run on startup. Automatically Empty the Recycling Bin at Startup [CyberNet] More »
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Run CCleaner on a Schedule to Keep Your PC Crap-Free
7:00AM Adam Pash | For those of you who prefer automating your computer maintenance on a schedule, the How-To Geek weblog explains how to automatically de-crapify your PC nightly. Setting it up takes little more than creating a scheduled task in the Windows Task Scheduler, but it’s a great way to regularly clean out your PC with a set-it-and-forget-it routine. For more automated maintenance, check out how to set up a self-repairing hard drive. Setup CCleaner to Automatically Run Each Night in Vista or XP [the How-To Geek] More »
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Glary Utilities Optimizes Your Windows PC
11:30PM Tamar Weinberg | Windows only: Free application Glary Utilities performs vital maintenance on your system to keep it in tip-top shape. Glary Utilities performs six key functions, from optimising your registry to clearing out that spyware you accidentally installed. The application also removes dangerous entries from your Start Menu, fixes invalid shortcuts, erases your web browsing and application usage history, and frees up space on your hard drive by deleting temporary files. Glary Tools was voted a user a favourite by many of our readers in our best Windows maintenance tools Hive Five, and with all these features and functionality, we’re not surprised. A free version of Glary Utilities is available for download for Windows only, though there is a professional version available for $US39.95. Glary Utilities More »
Tips for Cleaning a Glossy-Screen Monitor
1:00AM Kevin Purdy | If you’ve received a new laptop or LCD monitor recently (or might get one later this week), there’s a good chance you received a “glossy” or “anti-reflective” screen with it—and a better chance it’ll be pretty smudged by this weekend. Luckily, ZDNet’s The Apple Core blog has a few tips on restoring a glossy screen’s luster that apply to any system. Along with letting the monitor cool off and choosing a microfiber cloth, you should: Clean in small sections … Dividing the display into small areas and then polishing until the entire screen is streak-free will work better than broad swipes with the cloth. Of course, your standard LCD cleaning rules apply to any screen. How do you keep your new glossy display from looking like an elementary school tech lab system? Offer up some wisdom in the comments. Photo by gepat. Keep your cool when cleaning a glossy-screen Mac [via Micro Persuasion] More »
Keep on Top of Your Car’s Maintenance Schedule with ServiceBeacon
7:00AM Adam Pash | Keep track of your car’s maintenance schedule and history with web site ServiceBeacon. After you register, just provide the site with your vehicle information (make, model, mileage), and service station. At this point, creating a service schedule and maintaining your car’s service history is a breeze. ServiceBeacon will even alert you of any recalls for your make and model should any come up. Whether you have no idea when your oil was last changed or you already keep detailed records of all of your scheduled auto maintenance, ServiceBeacon intends to streamline the process. ServiceBeacon [via Dumb Little Man] More »
