There is a widely held view in the world of Windows Computer Users that the best way to keep a Windows computer clean and running well is to periodically reinstall Microsoft Windows on that computer.

Well, it is true that doing this will indeed keep the computer running well, but only by accepting the substantial downside of complete reinstalls; you have to spend the time to reinstall the OS, then reinstall all your packages, then reconfigure your settings, then reinstall all your data. And, if you are not careful about backups or if you happen to make a mistake along the way, you will lose data. Particularly in the case of a machine that is used to support a business, this risk is simply unacceptable.

The fact is that it is almost never necessary to reinstall Microsoft Windows. Here at Just So Software, we have a laptop which sees heavy use that runs Windows XP Professional, and that laptop is on its third hard drive - and we have NEVER reinstalled Windows XP on it in the more than six years we have had it, even when recovering from a failing hard drive.

While recovering a complete environment from a failing hard drive is not something most people are capable of doing, everyone IS capable of doing the routine maintenance necessary to keep Microsoft Windows running well.

This maintenance consists of periodically running chkdsk, periodically defragmenting the hard drive, keeping up with security updates, and periodically cleaning out hard drive detritus (using the cleanup tool that Windows provides). Beyond that, keep your firewall in place and working, do not use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, periodically scan for spyware and periodically scan for viruses (I do not even use an active virus checker anymore; I just periodically scan using Trend Micro's Housecall and nothing ever turns up due to my other protocols).

Beyond that - and this is VERY important - keep an eye on what processes are running and what is scheduled to start when the system does. Many software packages you might install (shareware OR commercial) will start things you do not want and do not need, and will make them run at startup. This is an important cause of Windows system slowdown as the system ages. For example, both Quicktime and Realplayer shovel the startup junk at you when you install them. Keep an eye on what is set to start up, and take out the trash.

In this series of articles, I will take you through the details of actually performing this maintenance. By doing these things routinely, you will protect your system against the "bit rot" and slowdowns that plague Windows computers and cause many people to reinstall Windows.

Jim Locker holds advanced degrees in physics, has designed and developed computer systems and software for over 30 years, and was a landlord for 20 years running up to a couple of hundred properties. He presently works as an independent computer systems consultant and works for Just So Software, Inc. which produces one of the industry's premier property management software packages.