Just like changing the oil on your car or replacing your furnace filters, your PC needs regular maintenance just like any other machine. In this guide, I will share my personal monthly maintenance schedule. You don’t need to follow it exactly, but it may help give you a good idea of what needs to be done to a computer to keep it in good working order.

Scan for Viruses, Malware, and Spyware

Viruses, Malware, and Spyware can really cause a lot of havoc if left unchecked. I try to run a scan every month at the very least. It may even be best to scan weekly or every other week. I would highly recommend setting up some type of automated schedule within your virus protection software so you don’t forget to do this. I like to schedule this scan for a time that I am away from my computer. For example, lunch on Friday is good for me as I am often away from my PC. This way, I not disrupted by the scan too much.

Keep Windows Up To Date

By default, Windows should keep itself up to date automatically. Sometimes, you will need to allow Windows to install updates by giving permission. I recommend installing updates right away. However, if for some reason this doesn’t work for you, then you should check for and install all updates on a monthly or even more regular basis.

Defragment the Hard Drive

Another task that is worth doing monthly is defragmenting the hard drive. Defragmenting can help keep your hard drive running as efficiently as possible. Note: If you have an SSD drive, you should not defragment monthly as it adds to the wear and tear of the drive.

Delete any Temporary Files, Unused Files, and Unused Programs

I like to tidy up my files and folders every month. This is helpful from both a computer maintenance point of view and an organizational point of view. Every month I like to clear out my temporary internet files, delete any documents I will no longer need, and check to see if their are any programs that I don’t use anymore.

Backup Any Important Files

I actually have my backup process automated. However, if you do not, I would recommend backing up any important files and folder every month. If you are working with any really important files or if you have files that you have put a ton of time into, you may want to instantly back these up so you don’t lose any work or important data.

Check Your Computer For Bad Sectors

If your hard drive is having any issues, you will want to know about them and get them fixed ASAP. Running the Windows Checkdisk (chkdsk) program monthly can help prevent any unwanted issues with your system.