📝 A Practical PC Health Check: What to Review Each Month

Computer maintenance is usually treated as something you do after a failure. A ten minute check once a month catches most faults before they announce themselves. What follows is a monthly routine that needs nothing installed — all of it runs in a browser.

1. Take a general measurement

Run the computer health check for processor speed, thread count, graphics class and storage. The value is not in any single reading but in comparing them: a score clearly below last month’s means something changed in between.

Save a screenshot each time. Three months of readings answer the question “has it actually got slower, or does it just feel that way?” definitively.

2. Check the screen

Run the dead pixel test monthly and sweep the panel on each solid colour. This matters most on a new screen, where the return window is short. If you notice clouding or uneven brightness, confirm it with the screen uniformity test.

3. Exercise the input devices

Go through every key and button with the keyboard test and the mouse test. Double click faults and dying keys arrive gradually; catching them early is what keeps a warranty claim possible.

4. Verify audio and camera

Even if you are not in calls, run the microphone and webcam tests monthly. Permissions broken by an update are only discovered when you need them — which is always the worst moment.

5. Measure the connection

Repeat the speed test and the ping and jitter test from the same spot at the same time of day. A consistent record is the strongest evidence you can bring to a conversation with your provider.

6. Physical housekeeping

• Check the air vents and clear dust if it has built up.
• Keep at least 15% free on the system drive.
• Empty the recycle bin and the Downloads folder.
• Glance at the list of programs launching at startup.
• Confirm your important files really are backed up — one copy is not a backup.

Keep a record

Write the readings into a plain text file with the date. After three months you have a trend and a firm answer to “when did this start?”. In a repair shop, that record replaces guesswork.

Frequently asked questions

Is monthly really necessary?
For a ten minute routine, every three months is acceptable too. What matters is regularity and comparable records.

Can these tests harm my computer?
No. They all run inside the browser; nothing is installed and nothing is written to your system.

My score dropped. What now?
Check heat and startup programs first. If both look normal and the decline continues, take your records to a professional.