As well as running the utilities reviewed here to help maintain your PC, there are physical precautions you can take, such as keeping your system clean and dust-free, and preventative measures you can use to minimize data loss in a disaster.

MOST PEOPLE NEVER PHYSICALLY CLEAN their PCs, but if yours is more than a year old you should think about blowing out the cobwebs. Dust and other grime amass inside computers and act like a blanket, making them prone to overheating. The equipment you need to clean your PC--compressed air in a can, cotton swabs and a bottle of Isopropyl alcohol (IPA)--shouldn't cost more than a few pounds. There are also tiny computer vacuum cleaners for around £19.99 (ex. VAT) and special cleaning solutions are available, but these aren't really necessary. The least you should do is periodically blow the dust out of your keyboard, off the top and sides of your monitor and off the back of your CPU with the can of compressed air. When you remove the cover of your PC, blow dust off the motherboard.

The dirtiest parts of a computer are the ones that are handled all the time, like the keyboard and mouse. Dust and oil will gather on your mouse pad and on the mouse's rolling mechanism. If you have a sluggish mouse or have difficulty selecting a block of text, then it probably needs some routine maintenance. Cleaning a conventional mouse (trackballs and optical mice use different technology) is easy: just turn the ring on the bottom of the mouse to release the ball and remove the waxy build-up of hair and dust on the rollers with a little IPA and a cotton swab. Don't use other solvents, such as methylated spirits, as these contain impurities. IPA is the most effective.

Cleaning a keyboard is a little trickier. Once disconnected from the computer, remove the casing to expose the keys, but be careful not to lose any tiny parts--some keyboards have springs inside the keys. Be sure to map where the keys go, as it's not always obvious how to put the unit back together again. Once the keys are exposed and removed, the accumulation of dirt is best tackled initially with compressed air. Dirty keys should be cleaned with a little soap and water and left to dry before putting them back on. Avoid moisture in your computer--if any part gets wet, let the components completely dry before reassembly.

Screens tend to be dust magnets, so it's a good idea to clean them regularly. If your monitor has an anti-glare coating (most less than two years old do), you should avoid using ammonia-based cleaners as they can strip this away. Use mild cleaners and a lint-free cloth for monitors and LCDs--both of which can be bought from good PC retail stores.

You can also buy 3.5in disk drive cleaners, but be careful with these. They are abrasive and eventually wear down drive heads, in a similar way to metal tapes used in hi-fi systems. Used more than once or twice a year, they could lead to disk-reading problems.

Good working practices

Software drivers As drivers are essentially files that help your software and hardware recognize and work with each other, and some are bug fixes or patches, it's important to maintain the latest versions for compatibility. For more information and searching for updated drivers, visit http://www.windrivers.com/.

Backups Backup recommendations depend on hardware, software and human behavior. You can schedule automatic backups or do them yourself. Whichever, you should back up your important files routinely and periodically restore at least one file from the backup media to confirm that the backups are reliable.

Boot disk If you've ever needed to reinstall Windows 95, then it's more than likely that the boot disk you made doesn't include drivers for your CD-ROM drive. Unfortunately, there's no way to make Windows 95 include the CD-ROM drivers on the Startup Disk. However, you can add the drivers to the disk manually.

Surge protectors Surge protectors maintain a constant flow of power going into your PC to avoid spikes that can cause damage. However, even if you have the best surge protectors, your PC isn't protected from a direct lightning hit. To be sure, unplug both the protector and a modem line during lightning storms. Also, don't use a ground eliminator. These adapters let you plug a three-pronged adapter into a two-conductor outlet, but bypass the ground and make your PC more susceptible to surges.

Uninterruptible power supplies UPSs are a safer form of protection than surge protectors because they store their own power to keep a computer going if there's a complete loss of power. All UPSs contain an internal battery and an inverter. The inverter turns the battery's DC power into AC power, which is suitable for computer equipment. If AC power fails or degrades too severely, the battery will keep your computer running.

Human behavior Power your PC down correctly and never turn it off while Windows is running. With Windows 3.1, press Alt-F4 and end the Windows session. With Windows 9x and NT, close all applications and always use the Start button's Shut Down menu to power down. Also, empty Recycle Bin and run Scan Disk and defragmentation utilities regularly, preferably once a week.

Christian Harris