Computer is one of the major investments in ones life and thereby more of a reason why you should take care of it and the other most important reason is to make it last longer. Therefore to prolong your computers life you could do some things both hardware and software wise. Keep your computer clean, because clean computer runs faster and last longer.

Some ways to maintain and keep the software and operating system on your computer clean:

• Run the defragmenter utility, at least once every month or two. In Windows XP this can be done by going to your Start menu, then All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then select Disk Defragmenter. The defragmenter will help ensure that your files are located at the right place on the hard drive and should boost the overall speed of your computer.
• Clean up old files. When you install/uninstall software frequently it can leave many unwanted files in temporary and system folders. In Windows XP, you should run the Disk Cleanup utility once in a while to clean things up. This utility can be found by clicking the Start menu, then All Programs Accessories, System Tools, then select Disk Cleanup. There are also freeware programs available that will do an excellent job in removing clutter from your windows machine, one of the prominent one is ccleaner.
• Over the time as you keep on loading software on your machine it keeps adding startup items in your computers registry, which are the programs or services that starts on your computer as soon as you start your computer. Most of these programs or services are not required for proper functioning of your computer, rather they just facilitate faster opening of that program on your computer or for checking updates which can also be performed manually. These programs could be disabled by using system configuration utility in windows or by using third party tools like startup manager.
• Scan for viruses. Viruses can cause your computer to be slow or not work at all. You should always have a good virus scanner installed and keep it up to date. Some well known virus scanners are Trend Micro, AVG, Webroot Spy Sweeper, Norton and Mcafee.
• Scan for other malware. Other malware can include spyware, adware, key loggers, and Trojan horses. These pieces of software can get installed without your knowledge when you install another program or visit a website. They can cause your PC to slow down considerably. Spybot Search & Destroy, Sunbelt CounterSpy, Webroot Spy Sweeper and Adaware are few of well known malware scanners.

Here are some ways you can keep your hardware running smoothly:

• Clean out the dust. Computers are notorious for accumulating dust. Every once and a while you should open it up and clean it out. This can be done with a vacuum cleaner or a can of dust remover.
• Keep your PC cool. You should always make sure that you keep your computer in a well ventilated area. By doing this you help keep the PC cool and, therefore, will prolong the life of your hardware.
• Buy quality hardware. When you buy new components for your PC try and get good quality parts. If you get components from respected manufacturers you can be sure that you will get good technical support and the parts will be well made and not cause problems with other hardware.
• These are just a few little tips to help you keep your computer running for a long time. There are many other things that can be done but by following these few tips you can be sure that you will reduce future computer problems.