Most of us know and dread the annual spring cleaning ritual that includes walls, floors, woodworks and the windows at home. The Windows on your computer may need a little spring cleaning, too Here are a few steps to clean your personal computer:

Clean out your PC case -- Use a vacuum cleaner to carefully clear out the dust that collects in the case and can clog up the fans.

Spring clean your programs -- If your PC seems sluggish and bloated, make a full backup and then use the restore CD to return the computer system to its original state.

Conduct a full diagnostic check -- A hardware diagnostics program can test your equipment and track down faulty components before they fail completely.

Daily

Update your virus and spyware definitions -- Virus spread within hours so keep so keeping your computer's antivirus software up-to-date is essential. Road Runner offers free antivirus software to all subscribers. Get more details here and protect your PC at the same time.

Weekly

Perform a full virus and spyware scan -- Find anything nasty hiding on your computer system by regularly scheduling a total scan.

Run Windows update -- Get the latest patches from Microsoft to secure your computer by running Microsoft Update from the Start Menu.

Monthly

Update your programs -- To make your applications more stable, check vendor's software updates or visit a site such as Version Tracker.

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