Weekly Maintenance

[mpossoff]

Hi,

 

Have been using CC for a bit.

 

Is there a set of weekly maintenance things in addition to CC that one should be doing to keep their PC clean and running the way it should.

 

Regards,

 

Marc

[Greenknight]

I would say:

 

Run anti-virus and -spyware scans (update the programs first).

 

Defragment your hard drive, on WinNT, 2K and XP, also run PageDefrag: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PageDefrag.html

 

Run another registry cleaner, in addition to CCleaner, since no one reg. cleaner gets everything. Make sure you use one that's safe, and has a backup feature, and make backups of entries you delete! I use EasyCleaner myself, others might want to recommend something else: http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/...ne.htm#download

[hazelnut]

I would go along with greenknight on what he suggests.

 

A lot of people don't ever seem to do a defragmentation, but it is really important and keeps your computer in good order.

 

You sound as if you have common sense and would recognise the importance of keeping your virus and anti-malware programs updated and scaned on a regular basis.

 

I now keep a couple of little onetime use only virus checkers on my little usb pen drive ( which I keep updated ) in case of severe panic time!

 

I also think reading forums gives you a lot of help as you learn from other people's experiences.

[Andavari]

I'd say before defragmentation you should really run a Check Disk, since to my knowledge Windows XP doesn't automatically scan the disk for errors before defragmentation.

 

If you already know this just ignore it:

 

Here's how to perform Check Disk:1. Open My Computer.2. Right click each hard disk(s) or hard disk partitions one at a time? ?and select 'Properties'3. Next click 'Tools' and under 'Error checking' click 'Check Now...'4. In 'Check disk options' select 'Automatically fix file system errors'5. Click StartRepeat steps 4 and 5 for each hard disk(s) or hard disk partitions.Since Check Disk will ask for a restart to scan drive C:\ I'd recommendyou have it scanned for errors last, and do restart Windows soon afterscheduling it to scan for errors.

 

[Eldmannen]

You can run as often as you wish or not so often if you would like that. But I would recommend to run it atleast once a month, personally I run it more often than that.

[Andavari]

You can run as often as you wish or not so often if you would like that. But I would recommend to run it atleast once a month, personally I run it more often than that.

 

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If you're talking about Check Disk I run it everyday before I make my daily backups. I run a surface scan about once every 1 to 3 months.

[Greenknight]

I don't run Check Disk that frequently, though maybe I should do it a little more often.

 

Does anybody here know much about the Check Disk function in HDCleaner? It's a lot more convenient to use, but does it work as well?

[Andavari]

Does anybody here know much about the Check Disk function in HDCleaner? It's a lot more convenient to use, but does it work as well?

 

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HDCleaner is just calling the commands from CHKDSK to my knowledge.

From a command prompt view the CHKDSK help file by typing in:

CHKDSK /?

 

HDCleaner description: Fix errors on diskCheck Disk command equals: CHKDSK /FCheck Disk description   : Fixes errors on the disk.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------HDCleaner description: FAT/FAT32: Displays the full path; NTFS Displays                      additonal informationCheck Disk command equals: CHKDSK /VCheck Disk description   : On NTFS: Displays cleanup messages if any, and removes                          unused indexes.                          On FAT/FAT32: Displays the full path and name of every                          file on the disk.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------HDCleaner description: Locates bad sector and recovers readable information                      (Implies 'Fix errors on the disk')Check Disk command equals: CHKDSK /RCheck Disk description   : Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information                          (implies /F). Please note, once Full Surface Scanning                          starts it cannot be cancelled or stopped, and it can                          take a long time to check a large disk. Only initiate                          a Full Surface Scan if time permits and when you know                          you won't be using your computer.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------* HDCleaner description: NTFS only. Skips the checking of cycles within the                        folder structreCheck Disk command equals: CHKDSK /CCheck Disk description   : NTFS only: Skips checking of cycles within the folder                          structure.                          Not recommended because if there's errors they may not                          be repaired.

 

[Greenknight]

Ran Check Disk today, thanks for the reminder. Now I remember why I don't do it that often, it takes quite a while. You do that daily? What do you have, a tiny HD?

[mpossoff]

Hi and thanks for all the advice.

 

I have been running Ad-Aware a couple of times since I've installed it.

 

It has detected critical objects and then I remove them.

 

I share this PC with my brother.

 

Now it's great that ad-aware is detecting and removing(I hope)...

 

BUT how can one avoid getting these critical objects in the first place?

 

I'm sure although ad-ware removes them it is still harmful for your pc?

 

or is it safe to say that let ad-aware remove critical objects and keep going as "business as usual"?

 

what causes these critical objects?

 

Marc

[mpossoff]

just ran ad-aware it detected 2 critical objects and mlu's?

 

removed them then ran it again.

 

after running it again no critical objects...so ad-aware is removing them.

 

my concern is what's causing these critical objects?

 

Marc

[hazelnut]

Perhaps you could try running ad-aware in safe mode. Sometimes things hide in the restore area and then restore themseves when you re-boot

You have to turn off system restore before you run in safe mode, and then switch it back on when you have fininshed scanning.

If you are unsure about how to run in safe mode, or turning off and on system restore, a quick visit to Google will help you out.

 

If you still have problems you could post a hijack this log in the hijack this part of this forum where someone qualified will check things for you.

[mpossoff]

thanks hazelnut,

 

ran ad-aware again and no detections.

 

I think the detections may have to do with my brother surfing the web.

 

I looked in my history lists and saw some porn sites.

 

I have never looked in a porn site, but suspicious my brother is.

 

we share this pc, will him looking at porn sites harm our pc?

 

Marc

 

Perhaps you could try running ad-aware in safe mode. Sometimes things hide in the restore area and then restore themseves when you re-boot

You have to turn off system restore before you run in safe mode, and then switch it back on when you have fininshed scanning.

If you are unsure about how to run in safe mode, or turning off and on system restore,  a quick visit to Google will help you out.

 

If you still have problems you could post a hijack this log in the hijack this part of this forum where someone qualified will check things for you.

 

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[hazelnut]

Porn sites are a real no go area if you don't want to pick up a nasty pc infection.

 

Perhaps, if you like, you could ask for someone to look at your hijack this log.

 

Instructions on how to do this (in case you don't know ) are here

http://forum.ccleaner.com/index.php?showtopic=1720

 

but first follow the instuctions given here.

http://forum.ccleaner.com/index.php?showtopic=3505

[mpossoff]

following the direction.

 

downloaded edwido but it keeps closing.

 

Marc

 

Porn sites are a real no go area if you don't want to pick up a nasty pc infection.

 

Perhaps, if you like, you could ask for someone to look at your hijack this log.

 

Instructions on how to do this (in case you don't know ) are here

http://forum.ccleaner.com/index.php?showtopic=1720

 

but first follow the instuctions given here.

http://forum.ccleaner.com/index.php?showtopic=3505

 

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[lokoike]

Porn sites are a real no go area if you don't want to pick up a nasty pc infection.

 

 

Crack, keygen, and serial sites are usually pretty rough too. If you have a malware problem on your computer, you'll want to avoid these as well.

[Andavari]

Ran Check Disk today, thanks for the reminder. Now I remember why I don't do it that often, it takes quite a while. You do that daily? What do you have, a tiny HD?

 

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Yes I do it daily, and I always use the /V option to remove unused indexes. On my system it only takes about 30-45 seconds to check my secondary D:\ drive and about 60 seconds to check my C:\ drive.

 

On some systems it is painfully slow, "which may have to do with the processor I suppose" but I'm not sure. On a Celeron 1.3Ghz system I recently removed a ton of adware, spyware, trojans, viruses, and worms from it and CHKDSK took about 5 minutes to finish even after all the malware to my knowledge was removed.

[lokoike]

Yes I do it daily, and I always use the /V option to remove unused indexes. On my system it only takes about 30-45 seconds to check my secondary D:\ drive and about 60 seconds to check my C:\ drive.

 

On some systems it is painfully slow, "which may have to do with the processor I suppose" but I'm not sure.

 

It must have run so fast because you only checked the "Automatically fix file system errors", and did not check "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors". It is kind of like the difference between doing a Standard and a Thorough scan for Win98 with Scandisk; the Standard takes seconds, while the Thorough can take over an hour.

 

Every time I run it on my computer, I check both boxes, so it usually takes about 20 minutes or so, sometimes longer.

 

And as far as speed goes, I would imagine that the specs of your HD would be the most influential factor in how long the scan takes. Rotations per minute, cache size, and disk density would make a big difference in scanning time. Obviously, my notebook with a 4200 rpm HD and 2 MB of cache is going to scan far slower than a desktop with a 7200 rpm HD with 16 MB of cache.

[Andavari]

It must have run so fast because you only checked the "Automatically fix file system errors", and did not check "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors".? It is kind of like the difference between doing a Standard and a Thorough scan for Win98 with Scandisk; the Standard takes seconds, while the Thorough can take over an hour.

 

 

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I only run the "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" about once every 1 to 3 months, it takes about 45 minutes each on each of my two hard disks.

 

Edit:

And I only use it in a Command Prompt because I always use the /V option to clean unused indexes. The command I use on my D:\ drive is

CHKDSK.EXE /X /V /F D:

 

I use /X to dismount the drive in case there's any open handles, /X will automatically close open handles therefore I don't have to reboot, or click Enter to manually do it.

[1984]

I'd say before defragmentation you should really run a Check Disk, since to my knowledge Windows XP doesn't automatically scan the disk for errors before defragmentation.

 

If you already know this just ignore it:

 

Here's how to perform Check Disk:1. Open My Computer.2. Right click each hard disk(s) or hard disk partitions one at a time   and select 'Properties'3. Next click 'Tools' and under 'Error checking' click 'Check Now...'4. In 'Check disk options' select 'Automatically fix file system errors'5. Click StartRepeat steps 4 and 5 for each hard disk(s) or hard disk partitions.Since Check Disk will ask for a restart to scan drive C:\ I'd recommendyou have it scanned for errors last, and do restart Windows soon afterscheduling it to scan for errors.

 

 

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This is something I did not know about. Thank you sir.

[Andavari]

This is something I did not know about.  Thank you sir. 

 

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Now you know. ChkDsk can fix all sorts of crap. If you haven't ever ran the option "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" you may want to let it run on each of your hard disk(s) when you aren't going to be using your computer for a couple of hours, the time it takes depends upon your hard disk(s) speed and size. Like I already stated in a previous post or two I run "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" once every 1 to 3 months, and I always run it on a new system I get.

[Greenknight]

Now you know. ChkDsk can fix all sorts of crap. If you haven't ever ran the option "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" you may want to let it run on each of your hard disk(s) when you aren't going to be using your computer for a couple of hours, the time it takes depends upon your hard disk(s) speed and size. Like I already stated in a previous post or two I run "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" once every 1 to 3 months, and I always run it on a new system I get.

 

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That was what I wanted clarified, I didn't really think you'd be running all the options every day. I hadn't done Chkdsk in quite a while, as I said, so I did check that option. I neglected to time it closely, but a couple hours sounds about right.

 

I posted that question about HDCleaner on MajorGeeks, where I got the program. I got a response from one of the old hands there, he checked it out with Process Explorer. Chkdsk.exe wasn't flagged as a running process, he said, it seems like it is separate. He didn't offer a clear opinion on whether it's as good, just said that "if it is separate, it looks capable enough." I think it looks good, too, but it's kinda hard to judge performance from that.

[Andavari]

I posted that question about HDCleaner on MajorGeeks, where I got the program. I got a response from one of the old hands there, he checked it out with Process Explorer. Chkdsk.exe wasn't flagged as a running process, he said,  it seems like it is separate. He didn't offer a clear opinion on whether it's as good, just said that "if it is separate, it looks capable enough." I think it looks good, too, but it's kinda hard to judge performance from that.

 

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Well I suppose chkdsk.exe wouldn't be hard to combine/embed into an app if Microsoft gave permission since it's only 11.5 KB (11,776 bytes), so who knows how HDCleaner is scanning the disk for errors, it could even be calling it another way that doesn't show up in Process Explorer such as a hidden external Command Window.

 

From what I could tell it was giving similiar information as chkdsk.exe does when using it in a Command Prompt (which is what I use) because that's the only way it will report any errors such as volume bitmap errors, or minor inconsistencies. The GUI version via right clicking a drive in My Computer doesn't state squat about what's wrong.

[Greenknight]

However it's being done, you've got to like the way it's executed. The GUI is lots better than what Windows Chkdsk has, and you shouldn't have to run it from Command Prompt in order to get any information from it.

 

MS should adopt something similar, a lot more users would run Chkdsk regularly if they made it that easy.

[Andavari]

MS should adopt something similar, a lot more users would run Chkdsk regularly if they made it that easy.

 

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Nothing is faster an easier than what I do, which is:

1. Dump a batch file such as "Check Disk.bat" into C:\Windows

2. Input the command line chkdsk parameters you want to use, mine are:

CHKDSK.EXE /X /V /F D:

CHKDSK.EXE /V C:

3. Create a shortcut on the Desktop that points to C:\Windows\Check Disk.bat and all I have to do is double click it to have my disks scanned for errors.

 

I only have it clean indexes on C: which will report any errors because the fix command won't work for my C: drive for some reason. Instead to fix errors on C: I run: FSUTIL.exe DIRTY SET C:

and then reboot.