Mary-Elisabeth is an associate writer on CNET's How-To team. She's a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill's English Department, and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. On the How-To team, she covers a ...

With a newly installed Windows PC, only a few system services and programs start. The resource requirements are correspondingly low and the operating system responds ...

Is your computer running at a snail's pace? Struggling with slow program launches and laggy web browsing? Your hard drive might be overwhelmed with temporary files and digital clutter. Let's explore ...

It's often overlooked, but in order for a computer to keep working at its best, you need to take care of it. That's true of any piece of equipment, really — improper handling leads to more wear and ...

Computers are essential to modern life, but many users forget that regular cleaning is just as important as software updates. Over time, dust, pet hair, and debris can build up inside your device, ...

Smartphones, laptops, headphones and other electronic devices are essential for work and play in our daily lives. But all that time spent typing, scrolling or listening also means our devices ...

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. No need to run out and buy a new computer!

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Just like cars, PC towers require occasional maintenance and cleaning. And while you don't need to change its oil or replace cooling fluids ...

Today's article serves as a general guide to keeping Windows 7 and Vista clean. The goal is to clean up your messy computer and have it running at maximum performance in no time. The question at hand ...