Everything needs a tune up: cars, pianos - even your computer! Here are ten ways for you to tune up your PC to help keep it running smoothly and efficiently. Keep your PC up to date One of the best things you can do to protect your PC is also one of the easiest: Make sure you are set up to get automatic updates from Microsoft. If you use Windows and other Microsoft software, such as Microsoft Office or Windows Live Essentials, then you should use the Microsoft Update service. You'll also get notices about new Microsoft software that you can download for free. Performance Next, you should "look under your PC's hood" to see how efficiently your computer is operating. To check your PC's performance in Windows 7, click the Start button, type Performance in the Search box, and then choose Performance Information and Tools in the search results.