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If you have MusicReader installed on a "well-used" computer loaded with other programs, you may occasionally find it suddenly unresponsive to page turns.  That can happen when too many operating system processes are running at once - typical culprits include anti-virus programs, instant messaging and email alerts, file indexing, and too many others to mention (including spyware and malware, so be sure to clean up your machines!)

Fortunately, MusicReader has a powerful feature to ensure that no matter what other computer gremlins are trying to vye for your attention, MusicReader will always stay "top of mind" in your operating system, keeping everything else tucked away in the background.  Here's a short video tutorial showing you how to set up exclusive operating system focus on MusicReader:

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Read more for a full checklist of things to do to make sure your computer is "performance ready".

Here's a checklist I use to make sure my computer is "performance ready", minimizing any possibility of unwanted distractions at critical moments on stage:

• Make sure your screen saver is either turned off, or at least set to some ridiculously high time setting that extends well past the length of your concert.  I typically leave my screen saver set to activate after 200 minutes.
• Make sure your power settings are set to keep your computer on, in both battery and plugged in modes.  You don't want your monitor to power down after 15 minutes in case you have a really, really long tacet...
• Shut off your wireless internet antenna.  You really don't need to be checking Facebook during rests, do you?
• Disable any anti-virus, IM (instand messaging), email alerts, or auto-updater programs.
• Close ALL other programs, even if they don't have a very big memory footprint.

The short summary is to make sure you keep as few programs running as possible during performances.  The best solution is to keep one computer dedicated only for music performances, and to NEVER install anything else or surf the web with it.  If that's not affordable or practical, don't worry - my HP laptop is probably so overloaded with stuff, and I still use it as my primary word processing, image editing, video producing and music reading program in performance...i just know how to keep my machines running in tip top shape after all these years, just like getting to know my pianos!

In a future article, I'll list some of my favorite system cleaning programs to help speed up older machines that may be gunked up to residual programs, registry cobwebs, and moldy web cookies.