Top Notch Performance
You bought a top of the line computer a year ago, but now it just doesn't seem to be running as fast. You use control-alt-delete to escape frozen apps frequently. Programs quit unexpectedly. Your computer investment is worth thousands of dollars. There are many reasons to take a closer look at your computer maintence routine. But if you're not a computer expert, it's hard to figure out which maintenance tasks you really need to perform — and how they relate your computer's performance. Get answers to all your computer maintenance questions right now.

Other Articles Safe Surfing Top Notch Performance Spring Cleaning for Your PC

1. How threatening are computer viruses? With an increasing percentage of our computer time spent online, we are at a higher risk for computer viruses. Many viruses silently effect your system, slowing down performance time or causing other errors. That's why it's so important to keep a virus scanning program, such as Norton AntiVirus, running on your computer constantly. Whether you're opening your e-mail or opening a file from work on your home computer, Norton AntiVirus will make sure that you're not opening a virus. Be sure to update virus definitions frequently, using Symantec's LiveUpdate.

2. Why does my computer need regular check ups? Although you eat well and exercise regularly, you still go to the doctor annually to make sure you're healthy. The same applies to your computer. With Norton Utilities, an integral part of Norton SystemWorks 2000, you can give your computer the check ups it needs to stay healthy. Norton Utilities helps you find and fix even the most complicated computer problems — before they become a hassle. Plus, the new Norton Diagnostic feature gives you a complete Windows-based hardware analyzer.

3. Why do I need to "spring clean" my hard drive? It's simple. Old documents and extra applications stored on your hard drive slow down your computer. Norton CleanSweep, included with Norton SystemWorks 2000 can improve your system's performance by automatically, safely removing unneeded applications and files — including Internet buildup — from your computer. While you're at it, scan your StartUp folder for programs that you don't need to automatically launch.

4. How can I minimize computer crashes? It's annoying to have to reboot your computer right in the middle of a task. Plus, with each crash, you risk losing important documents and data — which can take hours to recreate. Norton CrashGuard — featured in Norton SystemWorks 2000 — helps you recover from crashes and screen freezes by saving open documents, so you'll get up and running again — fast.

5. Why should I keep my computer applications up-to-date? No computer program is perfect. Software vendors continuously work to improve them — even after they have been released — and make modifications available to users via fixes, patches and upgrades. These upgrades will improve the functionality and overall performance of your computer. Norton Web Services, free for six months with the purchase of Norton SystemWorks 2000, enables you to stay up to date with the latest improvements to your hardware drivers and applications — without wasting time searching for them.

6. Why should I limit open applications? Having several applications open at once can drain your computer and slow it down. If you realize that you haven't been using an open application in a while, shut it down. You can always reopen it later! If you're using Norton SystemWorks on your computer, you'll get the comprehensive security and protection power of several utilities applications integrated into one, easy-to-use application — minimizing the memory needed to keep your computer healthy at all times.