When do you fix and when do you buy all new and start over?  This is a question we all face on a number of fronts from time to time.  I like to ask a few questions before taking any irrevocable steps.

• Generally, is the computer doing everything poorly or failing on one or two steps?
• Is the computer crashing more than once a week?
• Does the operating system start up OK?
• How many programs are not working?
• Have you ever run any of the built in maintenance utilities on the computer?
• If the computer ran like it did when new, would you be satisfied with it?
• Ultimately, how well is this computer meeting your current computer needs?

How you answer these questions may shed some light on whether there is hope of restoring the old computer to it's proper level of service.  If the answer is that it is a dog with bad breath and always has been, and you are ready for a  new computer, then the next step is to plan to get all your data off the old beast and ready to copy to the new computer.

But, if your current computer is just overloaded with excess programs and files that keep the system from operating at peak performance, then you may be able to clean things up and achieve the desired end result.  This will likely buy you time to budget for the orderly replacement of your computer.

Following are some simple maintenance tasks you should be able to run from time to time to keep your computer running well:

• Check the hard drive for errors.
• Remove unused (unneeded) programs.
• Reorganize the files to optimize speed.
• Check the computer for Spyware.
• Make sure the computer isn't infected with computer viruses.

At some point, you may determine that it is not worth your time to continue trying to troubleshoot on your own.  At the bottom of this web page is all of Jon's contact info.  If you've exhausted your will to solve the problems you face and you want help, just call or email him.

Proudly supplying Denver: Tech Support with a heart