Gateway E-4610s User Manual

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Using BigFix
Your computer may have BigFix software installed. BigFix 
monitors your computer for problems and conflicts. It 
automatically gathers information about the latest bugs, 
security alerts, and updates from BigFix sites on the Internet. 
Whenever BigFix detects a problem, it alerts you by flashing the 
blue taskbar icon. To fix the problem, click on that icon to open 
BigFix.
To  st art  Bi g Fi x:  
1Click (Start), All Programs, Accessories, System 
Tools, then click...

CHAPTER 5: Maintaining Your Computer
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Managing hard drive space
Windows provides several utilities you can use to check drive 
space, and to delete, defragment, and back up files.
Checking hard drive space
To check hard drive space:  
1Click (Start), then click Computer. The Computer 
window opens.Shortcut
StartÖ ComputerÖ right-click driveÖProperties
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2Right-click the drive that you want to check for available 
file space, then click Properties. Drive space information 
appears.
Deleting unnecessary files
Delete unnecessary files, such as temporary files and files in the 
Recycle Bin, to free hard drive space.
To delete unnecessary files:  
1Click (Start), All Programs, Accessories, System 
Tools, then click Disk Cleanup. The Disk Cleanup dialog 
box opens.Shortcut
StartÖ ComputerÖ right-click driveÖ PropertiesÖ 
Disk Cleanup...

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2Click one of the options, then clickOK:
My files only cleans only the folders for the 
currently logged in user.
Files from all users on this computer cleans all 
folders.
Checking the hard drive for errors
The Error-checking program examines the hard drive for 
physical flaws and file and folder problems. This program 
corrects file and folder problems and marks flawed areas on 
the hard drive so Windows does not use them.
If you use your computer several hours...

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3Click Check Now, then click Start. Your drive is checked 
for errors. This process may take several minutes. 
After Windows has finished checking the drive for errors, 
it provides a summary of the problems that it found.
4Correct any problems that are found by following the 
on-screen instructions.
5Click OK.
Defragmenting the hard drive
When working with files, sometimes Windows divides the file 
information into pieces and stores them in different places on 
the hard drive. This is...

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To defragment the hard drive:  
1Disconnect your computer from the network.
2Click (Start), All Programs, Accessories, System 
Tools, then click Disk Defragmenter. The Disk 
Defragmenter dialog box opens.
3Click Defragment now. This process may take hours to 
complete, depending on the size of the drive being 
defragmented. 
Help
For more information about defragmenting the hard drive, click 
Start, then click Help and Support. Type defragmenting in the 
Search...

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Backing up files
Backing up files and removing them from the hard drive frees 
space for new files on the hard drive. It also protects you from 
losing important information if the hard drive fails or you 
accidentally delete files.
You should back up your files regularly to a writable optical 
disc (if you have a recordable drive). Use a backup device, such 
as a recordable disc drive, to do a complete hard drive backup.
To back up files:  
1Click (Start), then click Computer. The...

CHAPTER 5: Maintaining Your Computer
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Scheduling maintenance tasks
Task Scheduler lets you schedule maintenance tasks such as 
running Disk Defragmenter and checking your drives for 
errors. 
To  st art  th e Tas k S c he du l er:  
1Click (Start), All Programs, Accessories, System 
Tools, then click Task Scheduler. The Task Sche du ler  
dialog box opens.
2Click Create Basic Task for basic tasks or click Create 
Task for more complex tasks, then follow the on-screen 
instructions to finish setting up...

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Moving from your old 
computer 
Transferring files and settings automatically
You can move your files, folders, software settings, and user 
account settings (such as display, Internet, and e-mail settings) 
from your old computer to your new one using Windows Easy 
Tr a n s fe r.
Files can be transferred automatically to it as long as your old 
computer has Windows XP.
While using these transfer utilities, you will not be able to run 
other tasks on the computers.
To move files and...

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Transferring files and settings manually 
You can manually transfer your personal data files by copying 
them to removable media, such as a writable disc, an external 
hard drive, a network location, or a flash drive.
Finding your documents
M a ny  p ro gra m s  save  yo u r  p e r son a l d at a  fi les  i n  th e  Documents 
folder. Look in your old computer’s documents folder for 
personal data files. 
To find files in the Documents folder:  
1In Windows Vista,...