The best way to care for your computer is to provide it with routine care and maintenance. Basic software and hardware maintenance is easy to do and extends the life of your computer.
June 5, 2020
The best way to care for your computer is to provide it with routine care and maintenance. Basic software and hardware maintenance is easy to do and extends the life of your computer.
Here are 6 simple ways to care for your computer.
Antivirus software is responsible for catching malicious software lurking in your emails and dodgy websites. Some programs are free, while others cost around $50-$100 per year. Even if you choose to pay for the software, it’s still far less than what it would cost to have to restore your system.
I personally use and recommend Avast products, they are robust, inexpensive and the least ‘bloated’ on the market!
I can’t stress this enough! It’s imperative to backup all files so that they’re safe if something happens to your computer. External hard drives are the popular choice for backing up your precious memories, media and other files. Software-based backups are useful and allow you to go back in your computers timeline in case of a glitch, for them to be effective though you must ensure the drive you are backing up to is large enough and of good quality.
Software updates keep your computer running smoothly and regularly have fixes for issues that may impact on both your computer and your personal information. By skipping updates you are exposing yourself to many risks to things like your personal and sensitive files and even your identity.
Fan and vents keep your computer from overheating, an issue all to common here in the North East, but dust gets inside and causes them to spin slower, reducing their air-flow. Luckily, you can either clean the fan and vents yourself usually by just a light vacuum when cleaning the office or we can do it while servicing your PC or laptop for you.
Just one power surge can fry your computer, all too often we are recovering data from PC’s that succumb to a simple power outage while it’s plugged in. Protect your system with an inexpensive surge protector, or carry one with you if you’re travelling. A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) will give you a few minutes (or more depending on the unit) in the case of a power outage to save your work and safely close down your operating system.
As mentioned in #4 heat is bad for all types of devices and here in the North East our computers and laptops experience quite high temperatures. Liquid cooling is a great solution for desktop and gamin computers while laptops require regular cooling system servicing to keep your thermal paste effective and your fans running efficiently. If your Laptop is struggling book in for a service before any damage is done!
Wangaratta Computers offer full service, repairs & sales of PC’s, Gaming Computers, Workstations and Laptops. If your device is not performing the way it used to contact us to discuss your options. Our servicing and repair fees are cheaper than the alternative!
