Mr. Modem: Fine-tune a tablet instead of defragmenting it
With my desktop and laptop computers, I delete cookies, temporary files and periodically defragment the hard drive. Should I do the same with a tablet computer?
The good news when it comes to your tablet is that there isn’t very much you need to do to maintain it. Tablets use flash memory and do not require any form of defragmenting. Most tablet operating systems automatically purge temporary files stored after a certain limit is reached and intelligently manage available storage space. That being said, there are a few things you can do to keep it humming along:
If you download an application and decide it isn’t for you, uninstall it to free up space. Apps uninstall cleanly so there are none of the potential conflicts and unintended consequences involved in trying out software on a computer.
Clean the glass touchscreen with a microfiber cloth and LCD cleaning solution or lint-free, slightly dampened soft cloth and water. Use a light burst of compressed air to clear out any gunk (it’s a technical term) that may have taken up residence around the device’s docking and headphone ports.
Don’t leave your device uncharged for a long time. Its battery can be damaged by long-term storage at very low power levels. Charge it to 50 percent, then turn the device completely off (using the power button) if you aren’t planning to use it for weeks or longer.
Though both Apple and Android devices are less likely to be infected with malware than your PC, antivirus apps are available for both, such as Avira’s free Antivirus for iOS (http://bit.ly/10EHUbn) and AVG’s free Antivirus for Android (http://bit.ly/10EHfXy).
I had to have my hard drive reformatted and when I got it home and tried to import my contacts from my backup CD into Outlook, a message appeared: “Access denied.” It said that I didn’t have permission to access it. How do I give myself permission? I am already listed as Administrator. Can you help, Mr. M?
Attempting to import your contacts from the CD is the culprit. Instead, copy the .PST file (your exported, backed-up data) to your computer’s hard drive before attempting to import it. So right-click the .PST file on your CD and select Copy, then Paste it to the Desktop of your computer. Right-click the pasted .PST file, click Properties and remove the check mark beside Read-Only. You can then proceed to import your contacts, as you previously attempted, from the file on your Desktop.
Mr. Modem publishes “Ask Mr. Modem!” each week, featuring PC tips, tricks and plain-English answers to your questions by email. For more information, visit www.MrModem.com.
Mr. Modem’s site of the week
Make It For Us
Have you ever had a vision you wanted to bring to life, other than a winning lottery ticket? Perhaps some form of art, a craft or perhaps a new product? Well, dreams do come true thanks to Make It For Us. You may not have the skills necessary to create the things you envision, but this site can help you find someone who can make it for you. On the flip side, do you make things? Well, Make It For Us can help direct people to your unique and talented services. How cool is that?
This story was originally published December 22, 2014 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Mr. Modem: Fine-tune a tablet instead of defragmenting it."