If it's true you're only as good as your tools, your productivity is likely linked to the performance of your computer. when it's slow and temperamental, probably you are, too.

To keep your machine running like it's just out of the box - laptop or desktop - Reg Westly, chair of NAIT's computer and network engineering technology programs and network administrator program, offers a plan.

Follow this schedule of simple maintenance tasks for a healthier, happier hard drive that will have both you and your machine operating at peak efficiency.

Daily

Back up files - Westly ranks this task high on the to-do list: "If you don't have the files, it doesn't matter if your computer is performing well or not." Preferably, use an external hard drive over DVDs (which spoil over time), and one with twice the hard drive space of your computer.

Weekly

Download updates - Windows and antivirus programs are works in progress, constantly in need of improvements, security patches and defence against new threats. Set your computer to automatically download these updates at least once a week, Westly advises.

Monthly

Disk check - "Hard drives tend to fail in a logarithmic crash," says Westly. One week there's a single error, for example, the next, seven, the next, 40 - each corresponding to a section of hard drive flagged by your computer as unusable, thus limiting space. Monitor system health via the Control Panel.

"As soon as you start getting more and more errors, it's time to buy a hard drive - before a catastrophic failure."

Disk cleanup - Temporary Internet and download program files are among the old, unneeded files this Windows tool will suggest for removal. Delete what it recommends. "That usually frees up a lot of hard drive space all of a sudden."

Defragment - To efficiently use hard drive space, computers fragment files to fill storage gaps. Ironically, this slows retrieval as it forces the system to pull the file together from multiple locations. Speed things up by defragmenting over a lunch hour, letting Windows reassemble files for quicker access.

Biannually

Detailing - Twice a year, chase out the dust bunnies. Open your desktop case and apply a can of compressed air to fans and the motherboard. Unplug and re-plug cables for fresh connections. You should not open your laptop, but can put a shine on the monitor with flat-screen TV cleaner sprayed on a microfibre cloth.

As for any keyboard crumbs, you're on your own, says Westly with a laugh. "If you're getting grime in there, that means you shouldn't be eating at the computer."