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Diagnosing problems
The root cause of PC problems is almost always to be found in settings and software rather than hardware. In general, hardware tends to be sturdy and reliable, and requires quite a lot to develop mechanical faults.

Problems are usually based in the operating system (such as Windows) or other software, although even these blips are often not the disasters they seem. If a program you’re using freezes or crashes, close it using the Windows Task Manager. This is the tool that opens when you press Control, Alt and Delete at the same time.

The Task Manager’s Applications window lists all the programs currently running. If a program is shown as Not Responding, it may have crashed; to shut it down, select it and click End Task. The program may be fine when you open it again or after restarting the computer, or it may be suffering a more persistent problem that can only be solved by re-installing it.

To uninstall a persistent offender, click Start, Control Panel and double-click ‘Add or Remove Programs’. Scroll down until you find the program you want to remove, click on it, and click Remove. Note that some system utilities cannot be removed.

You’ll find a complete list of all processes running on your computer in the System Information window. System Information, along with a useful cluster of computer-tweaking tools, can be found by going to the Start button and clicking All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information and clicking the ‘+’ sign next to Software Environment. Click Running Tasks to see the full list.

Turn back the clock
When catastrophe strikes, everyone wishes they could turn the clock back and avoid making the same mistake. Well, thanks to Windows XP, you can.

The System Restore tool lets you reset the operating system to the state it was in, say, 24 hours ago. This can be very useful if you’ve installed a piece of software or hardware that the computer can’t recognise or which contains a bug or error – a common cause of PC crashes. It doesn’t cure all PC ailments, but is always worth a try.

To activate it, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then select System Restore and click ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’.

The default restore point is ‘24 hours ago’, although you can opt for a longer time. If all seems well after restoring your system to a time before a new program was installed, then you can put the problem down to that software.

One problem with restoring the system is that any data or documents saved in the meantime will be removed. So get into the habit of saving active documents, and backing files up regularly. Go to System Tools, select Backup and follow the instructions in the wizard.

When I’m cleaning Windows
Regularly backing up data and settings is one household chore that can minimise computer hassles. Like a house, a PC stuffed with too much junk isn’t comfortable, so a bit of spring-cleaning can work wonders for speed and efficiency.

Among the simplest cleaning chores is regular ditching of temporary internet files. These files are stored on the computer’s hard disk to make browsing easier, but too many can have the opposite effect. Clear them out by going to Tools in Internet Explorer, selecting Internet Options and clicking Delete Files. Then click Settings in the Internet Options box, and set the minimum folder space for temporary files. This helps keep clutter down in the future.

Also, go through the list of installed programs in your Control Panel’s ‘Add or Remove Programs’ tool. The list reveals how much space each program is taking up, and allows you to weed out software you don’t use. Even freeing up an extra gigabyte or two can give a PC a renewed spring in its step.

Similarly, if you store lots of music files or digital photos, they could be gobbling up space. Invest in a DVD burner and store as many files as you can on DVD. Once you’ve checked that the files have copied successfully, delete them from your computer and right-click the Recycle Bin to empty it.

Now the hard disk is ready for a final tidy. System tools such as Disk Cleanup, which detects and repairs disk errors, and Disk Defragmenter, which rearranges files and disk space, are essential elements in your spring-cleaning kit. In fact, run these tools once a month or so to keep things running smoothly.

To run these tools, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and select Disk Cleanup or Disk Defragmenter. Defragging may take a few hours, depending on the state of the hard disk, but you don’t have to do anything other than leaving your computer alone while the tool gets to work.