Basic Computer Maintenance
by Donnie Schexnayder
One of the most common questions computer
users ask is, “How do I maintain my computer and keep it running great?”
A computer is a lot like a car…it costs more than you think it should,
it starts going down in value as soon as you bring it home and it
requires regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Here are a few
basic guidelines required to help keep your PC out of the shop:
-
Always use a surge protector!
Power surges, spikes, lightning and brown-outs are all things that
can literally burn up your computer & its peripherals. Save yourself
lots of money in repairs by buying a decent
surge protector (AKA power strip) for
your computer and use it. A
UPS (uninterruptible power supply),
though slightly more expensive, is even better. Also, realize that
these power strips can only take so much…once they get hit with a
large spike of voltage, they can lose their protective capabilities.
If yours is over 3 years old, consider a replacement.
-
Always use up-to-date virus protection!
Everyone should know about this by now, but we often see computers
with either no virus protection at all, or anti-virus software
that’s badly out-of-date. Nothing can wreck your computer faster
than a
virus (except for maybe electricity,
like we mentioned above), but with a small investment in good
anti-virus software and making sure you set it to update itself
daily, you can easily protect your computer and your critical data
from being trashed. Norton & McAfee are the most popular brands, but
there are others…some are even free for personal use. Here are some
links you can visit for more information:
McAfee
Anti-virus
Norton
Anti-virus
AVG Free
Anti-Virus (for home users only)
-
Be careful what you install on your computer!
This is another thing many people overlook. Installing lots of
programs on your computer is a lot like putting a bunch of rowdy
children together on a playground…some of them may not play well
together. A good rule of thumb is “if you don’t need, don’t install
it”. This is especially true when you surf the web. You will likely
get bombarded with pop-up ads trying to get you to install all kinds
of free utilities they claim your computer can’t live without…most
of these are
spyware,
adware
and junk. These little programs can slow down your system,
collect personal information without your permission and sometimes
even cause your computer to crash. Rather than pay a technician to
clean up your computer when it’s a mess, it’s a better idea to keep
it clean from the start.
For a more detailed
list of computer maintenance tips, you can download this free PDF file
from our website (free
Adobe Reader required for viewing):
Home Computer Maintenance Guide
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