Things You Can Do
Every so often you take your vehicle in to see someone for scheduled services and preventative maintenance. Some of these things you've learned to do on your own. Like replacing air filters and checking the air in your tires.
Here are some things that you can do yourself to keep your computer safe and ready to perform when you need it.
Dust Your Keyboard
Did you know that researchers have found that the average desktop and keyboard is dirtier than a toilet seat? That’s why dusting your keyboard off at least once a week can help maintain it (and reduce health risks). Wipe down your keyboard with a damp lint-free cloth, but be sure not to soak it in water.
For harder to reach areas such as in between the keyboard keys, use a compressed air canister.
Clean Your Monitor
Fingerprints and other stains can appear regularly on your monitor. In order to keep your screen view fresh and clean, wipe down your monitor once a week using a dry lint-free cloth. Gently wipe in long motions as pressing too hard can damage your device.
You can use the microfiber cloth that comes with most new laptops or purchase a similar product to do the job.
Clean Your Mouse
Like your keyboard, your mouse needs to be dusted regularly to work properly. To do this, unplug your mouse and turn it upside down. From there, you’ll want to remove the bottom panel and clean the ball with a lint-free cloth.
You can add rubbing alcohol to the cloth for a deeper clean. Let the ball dry before reassembling the mouse.
Deep Clean Your System
Every three to six months you should do a thorough cleaning of your entire hardware system. Use compressed air or an electronics vacuum for the exterior tower and keyboard.
Open the casing by removing the screws. Don not vacuum the inside of the computer. Instead, use compressed air on the inside to avoid damage.
If you have a laptop, disassembly may be quite difficult. Make sure to follow the instructions that came with your device before you begin taking it apart. This project can sometimes be best for a professional.
Restart Often
Power cycling your system can do many things. It can repair a lot of issues and increase performance. Older systems can benefit from a nightly shutdown to prevent over heating. Newer systems require restarting less often. However, it is still beneficial.
Defragment your Hard Drive
Defragging is the process of reorganizing the data on your hard drive to speed up file access.
While every computer is different, you can usually find Defragment functions under the System and Security tab in the Control Panel.
Backup Your Data
At least once a week you should backup your drive. If you’re working on an important project, you can do this daily to ensure your files are securely stored.
Backing up your data saves important files in the event of a hard drive failure or system crash.
Configure Your Startup Items
You should periodically check in on the applications that automatically run at start-up. These applications can slow down your computer. From the Settings tab, you should be able to navigate to Startup to control which applications run.
Disk Cleanup
You can free up disk space on your hard drive by running a disk cleanup. This will clean out temporary files and extra language files as well as delete big attachments and more.
Install OS Updates
To keep your applications running safely and efficiently you should check for major computer updates at least once a month. These updates can be critical for long-term health because they patch up critical security holes and remove unnecessary features. You may also be able to adjust your setting so updates happen automatically.
Install Antivirus Software and Keep Up To Date
Whenever an antivirus software update is available, you should run it that day to remove malware. These updates introduce new software features or make improvements on current ones. Generally you can set your system up for automatic updates, but if you ever receive a notification from your current antivirus software, you should complete the update as soon as possible.
Regularly Change Your Passwords
Passwords get compromised. Changing your password more frequently will help mitigate the use of compromised passwords for important logins like bank accounts and more.
Update Firmware
Firmware is a tiny piece of software in your computer that keeps the hardware functioning properly. Sometimes these updates are included in major computer updates, but you can check for firmware updates manually on many devices.
Antivirus Signature Updates
Just like the antivirus software itself requires periodic updates, so do the signature files for the virus database that each antivirus software uses to combat problematic new virus. antivirus will only look for what it knows to look for. Regularly updating the virus signatures gives you the most up to date information and keeps you safe.
Consider Parental Controls
If you have kids at home or have other people accessing your device, prevent software from being downloaded without your consent by setting up parental controls. These controls will require a password from an administrator to download certain files and software to your device.
Move Similar Files Into Folders
Keeping files on your desktop can slow down your machine. Instead, organize similar files into folders where you can easily find them. This will also help streamline the cleaning process when it comes time to delete unnecessary items.
Delete Unused Programs
Get more memory space by removing unnecessary programs from your device. If you filter your programs by size, you can see which ones take up the most memory and decide from there what you can remove.
Empty Recycling Bin
When you or another user deletes a file, it goes to the Recycling Bin. This gives you one last chance to salvage a file you’ve removed, but it can also clog up space on your hard drive if you don’t clear it out regularly. Once a month you should check the Recycling Bin for any files that may have accidentally been deleted and clear out the rest.
Clean Up Temporary Internet Files
Speed up your system by removing temporary internet files and clearing your Cache. Every browser has a different method for clearing out these cookies.
Consider Cloud Storage
Cloud storage providers allow you to store gigabytes of space without running down your hard drive memory. Better yet, it allows you to share your files across multiple devices. As you download files throughout the day, transfer them to cloud storage to save space on your hard drive and create a centralized area across all of your devices to access them.
Avoid Overheating
Set up your computer in an area of your office or home that gets good airflow, with two inches of empty space on either side. Giving your machine room to breathe helps prevent overheating, which extends the life of your device.
Stacks of paper and other items being placed on your computer can also make it overheat, so keep your desk area organized and free of clutter.
Cable Management
Cable clutter can collect dust and become easily damaged. Cable stations and other cord organizers can help organize your area. It will also save you time and stress next time you go to unplug your computer.
Avoid Overcharging Your Devices
It can be tempting to charge the battery of a laptop or device all night. While doing so won’t damage the device, one of the best ways to maintain the battery over an extended period of time is to unplug it once it reaches 100%.
You should also remove the battery altogether if you won’t be using the device for a month or more to help extend its shelf life.
Keep Food and Drink Away
As tempting as enjoying a glass of coffee as you check your morning emails may be, always avoid eating or drinking near your computer to reduce spillage risk.
Be Aware of Spam While Surfing The Internet
Resist the urge to open unfamiliar email attachments. Malware scams can greatly damage your device and put your files and privacy at risk. One of the easiest ways to know if the sender is who they say they are is to look at the actually email that it was sent from. Depending on the email application, this can be found by the senders name or by clicking the senders name in the header of the email. Amazon does not communicate with its customers from Gmail account.