Computer Maintenance

Computers can be fun to use and they’ve become a cornerstone of modern-day society for carrying out daily routines. From smart devices and tablets all the way up to desktop and laptop computers, these innovative methods of carrying out tasks have profoundly changed the lives of many.

With the advent of social media in the past decade, computers have become far more important than in previous years. By far, the most common use of computers is accessing e-mail and/or keeping in touch with friends and family through (including but not limited to) Facebook, Instagram, and Myspace. Unfortunately, as with most things that have a good side, there’s an opposing downside to computers; that is, the routine of keeping them maintained and/or figuring out a way to repair them when they break down or don’t do what we want them to do. Keeping the following points in mind will help with maintenance and reduce the frequency of needed repairs:

  • Limit software installation
  • Make sure there is sufficient hardware installed
  • Determine which software vendors are trustworthy
  • Don’t depend on antivirus software
  • Defragment the internal (hard drive) storage device

When a computer is purchased new, unfortunately, it typically comes with a lot of trial software installed. For example, a new computer typically comes with a free trial of Microsoft Office. There are also typically several other types of software preinstalled on a new computer, most of which are never used, nonetheless, remain installed on the computer. Uninstalling unused software can help with a computer’s speed, to make a long story short.

If there is a specific program that needs to be run on a computer, it’s important to check the software vendor’s recommendations for hardware that should be installed, to make the program run efficiently. Do not download and install software from a website that is generally unfamiliar and/or lacking in user reviews; there is a danger of downloading malicious software (computer viruses) from the website. Antivirus software installed on a computer can help protect against computer viruses and malicious software in general, but it’s no substitute for using care and common sense.

Antivirus software does not guarantee a computer will not become infected; it should be thought of only as a potential backup where knowledge and wisdom fail. Lastly, keep your computer’s internal hard drives defragmented; with the advent of newer types of hand-held computers coming to the market, defragmenting a hard drive has become less of an issue. However, many computers sold new today can still benefit from being defragmented.  A simple “Google” search will yield information on how to keep a hard drive defragmented.

Please contact us if there are questions regarding routine maintenance of computing devices.

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