Preventive maintenance overview

Windows disk tools
1. Run Disk Cleanup once a month to get rid of unnecessary files and free up disk space.
2. Run Disk Defragmenter once a month to make your hard drive work more efficiently.
3. Run Chkdsk (Error-checking) once a month to fix errors on your hard drive.

Scan for malware
1. Scan your entire system for viruses at least once a month.
2. Scan your entire system for spyware at least once a month.

Backup your important files and optionally your entire system
1. Incrementally backup your important files (everything you would rather not lose) daily to weekly depending on your computer usage. Note: if your files are valuable to you, it is best to have two backups of them. It is also not a bad idea to store your backups in a separate location from your computer.
2. Make an image of your hard drive weekly to monthly depending on your computer usage.

Download and install Microsoft updates
1. Download and install all important (critical) Windows updates
2. Download and install all important (critical) Office updates